Tempting the Rancher Read online

  She’d been right. The moscato did taste better enmeshed with the flavor of Ryan’s firm, sensual lips.

  It was an accidental kiss. So why had she leaned in and continued to kiss him, rather than withdrawing and apologizing? And why hadn’t Ryan pulled back either?

  Tessa’s eyes slowly drifted closed, and she slipped her fingers into the short hair at the nape of Ryan’s neck. Pulled his face closer to hers.

  She parted her lips, and Ryan accepted the unspoken invitation, sliding his tongue between her lips and taking control. The kiss had gradually moved from a sweet, inadvertent, closed-mouth affair to an intense meshing of lips, teeth and tongues. Ryan moved his hands to her back, tugging her closer.

  Tessa sighed softly in response to the hot, demanding kiss that obliterated the memory of that unexpected one nearly a decade ago. Truly kissing Ryan Bateman was everything she’d imagined it to be.

  And she wanted more.

  They’d gone this far. Had let down the invisible wall between them. There was nothing holding them back now.

  Tessa inhaled deeply before shifting to her knees and straddling Ryan’s lap. He groaned. A sexy sound that was an undeniable mixture of pain and pleasure. Of intense wanting. Evident from the ridge beneath his zipper.

  As he deepened their kiss, his large hand splayed against her low back, his hardness met the soft, warm space between her thighs, sending a shiver up her spine. Her nipples ached with an intensity she hadn’t experienced before. She wanted his hands and lips on her naked flesh. She wanted to shed the clothing that prevented skin-to-skin contact.

  She wanted...sex. With Ryan. Right now.

  Sex.

  It wasn’t as if she’d forgotten how the whole process worked. Obviously. But it’d been a while since she’d been with anyone. More than a few years. One of the hazards of living in a town small enough that there was three degrees or less of separation between any man she met and her father or brother.

  Would Ryan be disappointed?

  Tessa suddenly went stiff, her eyes blinking.

  “Don’t,” he whispered between hungry kisses along her jaw and throat that left her wanting and breathless, despite the insecurities that had taken over her brain.

  Tess frowned. “Don’t do what?”

  Maybe she didn’t have Ryan Bateman’s vast sexual experience, but she was pretty sure she knew how to kiss. At least she hadn’t had any complaints.

  Until now.

  “Have you changed your mind about this?”

  “No.” She forced her eyes to meet his, regardless of how unnerved she was by his intense stare and his determination to make her own up to what she wanted. “Not even a little.”

  The edge of his mouth curved in a criminally sexy smirk. “Then for once in your life, Tess, stop overthinking everything. Stop compiling a list in your head of all the reasons we shouldn’t do this.” He kissed her again, his warm lips pressed to hers and his large hands gliding down her back and gripping her bottom as he pulled her firmly against him.

  A soft gasp escaped her mouth at the sensation of his hard length pressed against her sensitive flesh. Ryan swept his tongue between her parted lips, tangling it with hers as he wrapped his arms around her.

  Their kiss grew increasingly urgent. Hungry. Desperate. His kiss made her question whether she’d ever really been kissed before. Made her skin tingle with a desire so intense she physically ached with a need for him.

  A need for Ryan’s kiss. His touch. The warmth of his naked skin pressed against hers. The feel of him inside her.

  Hands shaking and the sound of her own heartbeat filling her ears, Tessa pulled her mouth from his. She grabbed the hem of her dress and raised it. His eyes were locked with hers, both of them breathing heavily, as she lifted the fabric.

  Ryan helped her tug the dress over her head and he tossed it on to the floor. He studied her lacy, gray bra and the cleavage spilling out of it.

  Her cheeks flamed, and her heart raced. Ryan leaned in and planted slow, warm kisses on her shoulder. He swept her hair aside and trailed kisses up her neck.

  “God, you’re beautiful, Tess.” His voice was a low growl that sent tremors through her. He glided a callused hand down her back and rested it on her hip. “I think it’s pretty obvious how much I want you. But I need to know that you’re sure about this.”

  “I am.” She traced his rough jaw with her palm. Glided a thumb across his lips, naturally a deep shade of red that made them even more enticing. Then she crashed her lips against his as she held his face in her hands.

  He claimed her mouth with a greedy, primal kiss that strung her body tight as a bow, desperate for the release that only he could provide.

  She wanted him. More than she could ever remember wanting anything. The steely rod pressed against the slick, aching spot between her thighs indicated his genuine desire for her. Yet, he seemed hesitant. As if he were holding back. Something Ryan Bateman, one of the most confident men she’d ever known, wasn’t prone to do.

  Tess reached behind her and did the thing Ryan seemed reluctant to. She released the hooks on her bra, slid the straps down her shoulders and tossed it away.

  He splayed one hand against her back. The other glided up and down her side before his thumb grazed the side of her breast. Once, twice, then again. As if testing her.

  Finally, he grazed her hardened nipple with his open palm, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

  His eyes met hers with a look that fell somewhere between asking and pleading.

  Tessa swallowed hard, her cheeks and chest flushed with heat. She nodded, her hands trembling as she braced them on his wide shoulders.

  When Ryan’s lips met her skin again, she didn’t fight the overwhelming feelings that flooded her senses, like a long, hard rain causing the creek to exceed its banks. She leaned into them. Allowed them to wash over her. Enjoyed the thing she’d fantasized about for so long.

  Tessa gasped as Ryan cupped her bottom and pulled her against his hardened length. As if he was as desperate for her as she was for him. He kissed her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone. Then he dropped tender, delicate kisses on her breasts.

  Tessa ran her fingers through his soft hair. When he raised his eyes to hers, she leaned down, whispering in his ear.

  “Ryan, take me to bed. Now.”

  Before she lost her nerve. Before he lost his.

  Ryan carried her to his bed, laid her down and settled between her thighs. He trailed slow, hot kisses down her neck and chest as he palmed her breast with his large, work-roughened hand. He sucked the beaded tip into his warm mouth. Grazed it with his teeth. Lathed it with his tongue.

  She shuddered in response to the tantalizing sensation that shot from her nipple straight to her sex. Her skin flamed beneath Ryan’s touch, and her breath came in quick little bursts. He nuzzled her neck, one large hand skimming down her thigh and hooking behind her knee. As he rocked against the space between her thighs, Tessa whimpered at the delicious torture of his steely length grinding against her needy clit.

  “That’s it, Tess.” Ryan trailed kisses along her jaw. “Relax. Let go. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you.” His stubble scraped the sensitive skin of her cheek as he whispered roughly in her ear.

  She did know that. She trusted Ryan with her life. With her deepest secrets. With her body. Ryan was sweet and charming and well-meaning, but her friend could sometimes be a bull in the china shop.

  Would he ride roughshod over her heart, even if he didn’t mean to?

  Tessa gazed up at him, her lips parting as she took in his incredibly handsome form. She yanked his shirt from the back of his pants and slid her hands against his warm skin. Gently grazed his back with her nails. She had the fleeting desire to mark him as hers. So that any other woman who saw him would know he belonged to her and no one else.

  Ryan mo
ved beside her, and she immediately missed his weight and the feel of him pressed against her most sensitive flesh. He kissed her harder as he slid a hand up her thigh and then cupped the space between her legs that throbbed in anticipation of his touch.

  Tessa tensed, sucking in a deep breath as he glided his fingertips back and forth over the drenched panel of fabric shielding her sex. He tugged the material aside and plunged two fingers inside her.

  “God, you’re wet, Tess.” The words vibrated against her throat, where he branded her skin with scorching hot kisses that made her weak with want. He kissed his way down her chest and gently scraped her sensitive nipple with his teeth before swirling his tongue around the sensitive flesh.

  Tessa quivered as the space between her thighs ached with need. She wanted to feel him inside her. To be with Ryan in the way she’d always imagined.

  But this wasn’t a dream; it was real. And their actions would have real-world consequences.

  “You’re doing it again. That head thing,” he muttered in between little nips and licks. His eyes glinted in the light filtering through the bedroom window. “Cut it out.”

  God, he knew her too well. And after tonight, he would know every single inch of her body. If she had her way.

  Chapter 11

  Ryan couldn’t get over how beautiful Tessa was as she lay beside him whimpering with pleasure. Lips parted, back arched and her eyelashes fluttering, she was everything he’d imagined and more.

  He halted his action just long enough to encourage her to lift her hips, allowing him to drag the lacy material down her legs, over her boots, and off. Returning his attention to her full breasts, he sucked and licked one of the pebbled, brown peaks he’d occasionally glimpsed the outline of through the thin, tank tops she sometimes wore during summer. He’d spent more time than he dared admit speculating about what her breasts looked like and how her skin would taste.

  Now he knew. And he desperately wanted to know everything about her body. What turned her on? What would send her spiraling over the edge, his name on her lips?

  He eagerly anticipated solving those mysteries, too.

  Ryan inserted his fingers inside her again, adding a third finger to her tight, slick channel. Allowed her body to stretch and accommodate the additional digit.

  He and Tess had made it a point not to delve too deeply into each other’s sex lives. Still, they’d shared enough for him to know he wouldn’t be her first or even her second. She was just a little tense, and perhaps a lot nervous. And she needed to relax.

  Her channel stretched and relaxed around his fingers as he moved to her other nipple and gave it the same treatment he’d given the first. He resumed the movement of his hand, his fingers gliding in and out of her. Then he stroked the slick bundle of nerves with his thumb.

  Tessa’s undeniable gasp of pleasure indicated her approval.

  The slow, small circles he made with his thumb got wider, eliciting a growing chorus of curses and moans. Her grip on his hair tightened, and she moved her hips in rhythm with his hand.

  She was slowly coming undone, and he was grateful to be the reason for it. Ryan wet his lips with a sweep of his tongue, eager to taste her there. But he wanted to take his time. Make this last for both of them.

  He kissed Tessa’s belly and slipped his other hand between her legs, massaging her clit as he curved the fingers inside her.

  “Oh god, oh god, oh god, Ryan. Right there, right there,” Tess pleaded when he hit the right spot.

  He gladly obliged her request, both hands moving with precision until he’d taken Tess to the edge. She’d called his name, again and again, as she dug the heels of her boots into the mattress and her body stiffened.

  Watching his best friend tumble into bliss was a thing of beauty. Being the one who’d brought her such intense ecstasy was an incredible gift. It was easily the most meaningful sexual experience he’d ever had, and he was still fully clothed.

  Ryan lay down, gathering Tess to him and wrapping her in his arms, her head tucked under his chin. He flipped the cover over her, so she’d stay warm.

  They were both silent. Tessa’s chest heaved as she slowly came down from the orgasm he’d given her.

  When the silence lingered on for seconds that turned to minutes, but felt like hours, Ryan couldn’t take it.

  “Tess, look, I—”

  “You’re still dressed.” She raised her head, her eyes meeting his. Her playful smile eased the tension they’d both been feeling. “And I’m not quite sure why.”

  The laugh they shared felt good. A bit of normalcy in a situation that was anything but normal between them.

  He planted a lingering kiss on her sweet lips.

  “I can fix that.” He sat up and tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it on to the floor unceremoniously.

  “Keep going.” She indicated his pants with a wave of her hand.

  “Bold and bossy.” He laughed. “Who is this woman and what did she do with my best friend?”

  She frowned slightly, as if what he’d said had hurt her feelings.

  “Hey.” He cradled her face in one hand. “You know that’s not a criticism, right? I like seeing this side of you.”

  “Usually when a man calls a woman bossy, it’s code for bitchy.” Her eyes didn’t quite meet his.

  Ryan wanted to kick himself. He’d only been teasing when he’d used the word bossy, but he hadn’t been thinking. He understood how loaded that term was to Tess. She’d hated that her mother and grandmother had constantly warned her that no ranch man would want a bossy bride.

  “I should’ve said assertive,” he clarified. “Which is what I’ve always encouraged you to be.”

  She nodded, seemingly satisfied with his explanation. A warm smile slid across her gorgeous face and lit her light brown eyes. “Then I’d like to assert that you’re still clothed, and I don’t appreciate it, seeing as I’m not.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He winked as he stood and removed his pants.

  Tessa gently sank her teeth into her lower lip as she studied the bulge in his boxer briefs. Which only made him harder.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “Now I guess I know how the fellas felt on stage at the auction.”

  “Hmm...” The humming sound Tess made seemed to vibrate in his chest and other parts of his body. Specifically, the part she was staring at right now.

  Tess removed her boots and kneeled on the bed in front of him, her brown eyes studying him. The levity had faded from her expression, replaced by a heated gaze that made his cock twitch.

  She looped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down toward hers. Angling her head, she kissed him hard, her fingers slipping into his hair and her naked breasts smashed against his hard chest.

  If this was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.

  Ryan wrapped his arms around Tess, needing her body pressed firmly against his. He splayed one hand against the smooth, soft skin of her back. The other squeezed the generous bottom he’d always quietly admired. Hauling her tight against him, he grew painfully hard with the need to be inside her.

  He claimed her mouth, his tongue gliding against hers, his anticipation rising. He’d fantasized about making love to Tess long before that kiss they’d shared in college.

  He’d wanted to make love to her that night. Or at the very least make out with her in his truck. But he’d promised Tripp he wouldn’t ever look at Tess that way.

  A promise he’d broken long before tonight, despite his best efforts.

  Ryan pushed thoughts of his ill-advised pledge to Tripp and the consequences of breaking it from his mind.

  Right now, it was just him and Tess. The only thing that mattered in this moment was what the two of them wanted. What they needed from each other.

  Ryan pulled away, just long enough to rummage in his luggage fo
r the condoms he kept in his bag.

  He said a silent prayer, thankful there was one full strip left. He tossed it on the nightstand and stripped out of his underwear.

  Suddenly she seemed shy again as his eyes roved every inch of her gorgeous body.

  He placed his hands on her hips, pulling her close to him and pressing his forehead to hers.

  “God, you’re beautiful, Tess.” He knew he sounded like a broken record. But he was struck by how breathtaking she was and by the fact that she’d trusted him with something as precious as her body.

  “You’re making me feel self-conscious.” A deep blush stained Tess’s cheeks and spread through her chest.

  “Don’t be.” He cradled her cheek, hoping to put her at ease. “That’s not my intention. I just...” He sighed, giving up on trying to articulate what he was feeling.

  One-night stands, even the occasional relationship...those were easy. But with Tess, everything felt weightier. More significant. Definitely more complicated. He couldn’t afford to fuck this up. Because not having Tess as his friend wasn’t an option. Still, he wanted her.

  “Ryan, it’s okay.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I’m nervous about this, too. But I know that I want to be with you tonight. It’s what I’ve wanted for a long time, and I don’t want to fight it anymore.”

  He shifted his gaze to hers. A small sigh of relief escaped his mouth.

  Tess understood exactly what he was feeling. They could do this. Be together like this. Satisfy their craving for each other without ruining their friendship.

  He captured her mouth in a bruising kiss, and they both tumbled on to the mattress. Hands groping. Tongues searching. Hearts racing.

  He grabbed one of the foil packets and ripped it open, sheathing himself as quickly as he could.

  He guided himself to her slick entrance, circling his hips so his pelvis rubbed against her hardened clit. Tessa gasped, then whimpered with pleasure each time he ground his hips against her again. She writhed against him, increasing the delicious friction against the tight bundle of nerves.