Her eyes closed for a second as she decided, the pause making his heart stop. But then she whispered, “My office behind the tack room. There’s a lock.”
Relieved, he gave a slight nod of his head and then gripping her bottom, lifted her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and he carried her to the office. He maneuvered them inside, turned the lock and then lowered her down. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she moved to the window and twisted the lever to close the blinds.
It gave him a second to do a cursory survey of her office. Warm tones, a wood floor, a cluttered desk and a dark leather sofa were all he needed to know about the decor before he turned to Ruby again, taking her back into his arms and claiming her mouth.
It wasn’t long before their desperate whimpers and growls filled the room. He stripped Ruby of her vest pretty quickly and then worked the buttons of her blouse. She helped, and then he pushed the layers off her shoulders and undid her lacy black bra. Her breasts spilled out, and he simply looked at her in awe for a few seconds before filling his hands. He flicked his thumbs over both nipples. She sucked in oxygen and squeezed her eyes closed, the pleasure on her face adding fuel to his fire.
As he bent his head and drew her nipple into his mouth, she moaned low and painfully deep. Her hands were in his hair, holding him there, as if he needed the extra encouragement.
“Galahad,” she whispered softly.
“Hmm?”
“Get naked.”
She was impatient, and maybe he was, too, because if he stopped to analyze this, to really think about what was happening and where, rational thoughts would intrude and possibly kill the moment. He couldn’t have that. He was too far gone, and so was Ruby. He could tell by the sounds she was making and the desperate look in her eyes.
This was dangerous in so many ways, and yet neither of them could put a halt to what they were doing, so he quickly unfastened all the buttons on his shirt.
And then Ruby’s hands were on him, pulling his shirt off and tossing it aside. Her fingertips began grazing his skin, probing his chest as she planted kisses here and there. She reached for the waistband of his jeans and pulled his zipper down. “You’re right,” he murmured. “You are feisty.”
“Determined,” she corrected him, and he actually chuckled through the flames burning him to the quick.
“Your turn,” he said, dipping into the waistband of her jeans. Within seconds, he had her naked and trembling. He couldn’t blame her; he was equally turned on. All the secrecy and danger might have added to it, but it could simply have been Ruby. She was a man’s dream. Maybe she could’ve been his dream in a different life.
She was feathery light in his arms as he lifted her and carried her to the sofa. He laid her down and gazed at her for a moment. Her hair, her skin, her body, everything that was Ruby made him shiver and want to please her. He came down next to her, squeezing in beside her on the sofa. He kissed her hard then, crushing his mouth to hers while moving his hand to her sweet spot. She bucked as he began to caress her. “Enjoy this, Ruby. Don’t hold back. You understand?”
She nodded eagerly.
And he worked up a sweat pleasing her, using his kisses to muffle her whimpers and moans. And when her final jolt released her ultimate pleasure, he was there with her to press his mouth to hers and swallow her soft cries.
It was a heady thing, satisfying Ruby, but they weren’t through yet. He rose up immediately, and she helped him take off the rest of his clothes. He grabbed for the packet he carried in his pocket and sheathed himself before coming up over Ruby. She stretched her arms up, reaching around his neck to pull him down and kiss him again. He was ready, so ready, and when Ruby invited him into her warmth, he joined them together in one breathtaking plunge.
Aw, hell. It was better than he remembered. He stilled, absorbing the feel of her, loving the body that so readily welcomed him.
“Don’t hold back, Galahad. You understand?”
Good God, Ruby was something. He kissed her again and again, and as he moved deeper, filling her body, she moved with him, keeping pace, rising and lifting and enjoying.
It happened swiftly, neither one wanting to wait, both desperate to find that place that would unite them on the highest ground. She called out his name, and quickly he muted her with a powerful kiss. Then her hips bowed up, and he propelled her even higher with one final all-consuming push. The rush made her convulse around him, and he couldn’t hold back any longer. He came as close to heaven as any mortal man could.
Afterward he lay holding Ruby in his arms. “You all right?”
She nodded, unable to speak.
He kissed her forehead, stroking her arm and grazing his fingers over the peaks of her lush breasts. Then he slid his hand down to her legs. He caressed her there, taking in the smooth, soft skin under his palms, not knowing when he’d have the privilege of doing this again.
He heard the thud of footsteps coming toward the office. Voices filtered in.
Ruby’s eyes rounded, and she gasped. “It’s Sam and one of the boys,” she whispered. “He may be looking for me. I left Spirit in the corral, and the grooming equipment is all over the ground. Damn it.”
“Shh. Don’t panic. I locked the door.”
“But Sam knows I never lock the door when I’m working. If he knocks on the door, I won’t be able to look him in the eye. Not with you in here. I’ve got to go.”
She rose and donned her clothes hastily, then wove her fingers through her hair to tame the messy locks. “Get dressed, Brooks. And don’t come out of the office until I get them out of here.”
“Ruby, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they saw me in your office.”
“Are you insane? I’d never be able to pull that off. Sam will know something’s up and it’s the last thing either of us need right now. Stay until it’s safe for you to leave.”
She opened the door and was gone.
Leaving him locked in the office, buck naked.
What the hell?
Ruby sat down in front of her flat-screen TV and began eating cold chicken salad. She’d deliberately not gone to dinner at the main house tonight. How could she possibly have faced Brooks across the table, eaten a meal with her family and pretended there was nothing between her and Brooks? She was still at odds with herself for what had happened in her office this afternoon. They’d come very close to being discovered. Sneaking around wasn’t in her DNA. She didn’t like subterfuge.
But wow. And double wow. When it came to Brooks, she didn’t seem to have much resistance. Just a look, a word from him, tied her into knots. She had trouble fending him off and found that most times, she didn’t want to. She enjoyed his company a little too much.
A nighttime soap opera played on the screen, a story about oil and country music and cowboys who were too much trouble. She stared at the TV as she forked lettuce into her mouth, trying to concentrate on the story and not the city dude with the deep sky-blue eyes who had turned her simple ranch life upside down lately.
A familiar voice sounded and she blinked. Trace Evans walked into the picture and her spine straightened as she sat up and took notice. Trace was on television?
He had a bit part; he spoke a few words before he disappeared again.
Now,