Weekend Surrender (The Surrender Trilogy, #1)(25)
Rogan studied her face for a moment, looking like he had something he wanted to say, but instead he tucked her hand in his large one and led her back up to the horses. He silently helped her mount hers, leaving her with a soft pat on her round ass before gracefully mounting his own. Rachel turned her horse to follow him, allowing herself one more quick look at the pond, hoping the memory of the moment would be burned into her brain forever. It would be something to look back on and remember how wonderful it was to just let go of everything for a few minutes, and enjoy spending time with someone who wanted her around.
Shutting out all of her regretful mental meanderings, she followed Rogan back up the slope and in the general direction of the ranch house. Knowing three other men awaited her attention there made her heart skip a beat, and her tongue go dry. She couldn’t remember why she agreed to this in the first place, but she was sure as hell glad she did.
Chapter Nine
It didn’t take them long to reach the ranch house, and Rachel hurried to change into a pair of shorts instead of her damp blue jeans. The last thing she needed was more chafed skin when she still had twenty-four hours of horny men ahead of her.
By the time she reentered the kitchen, Rogan had scrounged up sandwich fixings and was already digging into a plate of food.
He glanced up at her with a guilty smile, “Umm… help yourself.”
“I see you wait like a hog at a trough,” she said with a giggle.
“Sorry, I was really hungry. I promise I’ll be a perfectly polite gentleman later.”
She leaned forward and licked a dab of mustard off the corner of his mouth before whispering, “I prefer you when you’re not being polite, and I avoid gentlemen.”
Lust speared through her as she watched his eyes darken and his jaw clench, but before he could respond Hudson walked in the kitchen door. He froze as he surveyed the scene and then let out a low wolf’s whistle. “Damn, you two could melt an igloo with the heat coming off you. What did I miss? Catch me up so I can play too.”
Rachel let out a loud laugh, and accepted the hug and kiss Hudson offered as he reached her side. “Rogan took me out skinny dippin’, and now he’s feeding me so I don’t wither away after burning so many calories last night with you fine gentlemen.”
She winked at Rogan as she enunciated the word, and he grinned back.
“Ah yes, we must make sure to keep your energy levels up. We don’t want you wimping out on us before the end of our contract,” Hudson said with a serious look on his face.
“Wimping out? If I didn’t know you were joking, funny man, I would hurt you for that comment,” she said flippantly, throwing a potato chip at him. When he caught it in his mouth and shot her a wicked grin, she stuck her tongue out at him.
“Honey, do your worst. I promise I’ll love it.”
“On that note I have to leave you two. I have some work I need to get done this afternoon. Hudson, Mack said that there is a fence down on the North ridge, can you make a run up there and check it out before dinner?”
“Yep, maybe I’ll take Rach out with me.” Rogan disappeared into the office shutting the door behind him, and Hudson shot her a questioning glance to which she shook her head in the negative.
“Uh uh. This cowgirl needs to rest her weary ass and stay off a saddle for a few days. Wet denim isn’t good for soft skin, and it’s been years since I rode regularly.” She stood to put her plate in the sink, and Hudson snagged her arm tugging her into his lap.
“Rode hard and put up satisfied, right, Rach?”
She couldn’t stop the laugh that tumbled out of her, or the feeling of comfort and contentment she got when one of her men was holding her. Her men. That’s how she was beginning to think of them. What a scary thought. If they knew she was starting to have feelings for them, how would they respond?
Ice cold fear filled her belly, and she pushed away from Hudson, shutting that line of thoughts down quickly.
“Something like that I suppose. Where are Sawyer and Parker by the way?” The distinct wobble to her voice belied her airy question, but she refused to meet Hudson’s questioning gaze, focusing instead on clearing away the dishes from her own meal.
“Parker is in the barn, and Sawyer…um…honestly, I’m not sure where he wandered off to. Hey, Rachel, are you okay? Did I say something wrong there?” She turned away from the dishwasher and ran into his broad chest, letting out a squeak of surprise.
“Oh, sorry, Hudson. No nothing is wrong. I think I’m just antsy. I don’t sit still very well.”
He stared down at her with a curious frown marring his beautifully chiseled face, and for a moment she thought he would argue with her, but he didn’t. He just pressed a kiss to her lips, stealing her breath and leaving her week-kneed, before he lifted his head and smiled. “Alright, I’m going to head on out but when I get back this evening, you and I are going to take a bubble bath I think. A good hot soaking and a massage will ease those aching muscles.”
She sighed and let her eyes roll skyward, “That sounds heavenly. You’ve got a date, cowboy.”
Hudson gave her another brief kiss then headed back out the door leaving her alone in their kitchen trying to keep her emotions under control. When she agreed to this last night, she had no idea what a veritable rollercoaster of feelings she would be jumping on. From one moment to the next she wasn’t sure if she wanted to walk away from them, or if she wanted to fall to her knees and ask them to keep her. This was truly not her brightest moment. She should have walked away last night.