Tempting the Rancher Read online

  Walker broke off the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. The needs filtering through him were as raw as raw could get. Primitive. It had been years since a woman had filled him with such need. He was like a starving man who was only hungry for her.

  “I didn’t bring you out here for this, Walker.”

  Her words had come out choppy but he understood them. “You said that already.” He kept his forehead plastered to hers. There was something so alluring about having his mouth this close to hers. At any time he could use his tongue to swipe a taste of her.

  “I’m saying it again. I only wanted to park and talk.”

  He chuckled against her lips. “That’s all?”

  Now it was her turn to chuckle. “You are so typically male. Ready to get laid, any time or any place.”

  “Um, not really. I have very discriminating taste. And speaking of taste,” he said, leaning back slightly so he could look into her eyes, “I definitely like yours.”

  * * *

  Bailey nervously licked her lips. What was a woman supposed to say to a line like that? In all honestly, there was nothing she could say, especially while gazing into the depths of Walker’s dark eyes. He held her gaze hostage and there was nothing she could do about it. Mainly because there was nothing she wanted to do about it. His eyes had her mesmerized, drawing her under his spell.

  The same thing had happened earlier when she’d watched his two movies back-to-back. What Chloe had said was true. His performances in both roles had been award-worthy material. Sitting there, watching him on her television screen, was like watching a totally different person. She could see how he’d become a heartthrob in a short period of time. His sexiness had been evident in his clothes, his voice and the roles he’d chosen. And those lovemaking scenes had blazed off the charts. They’d left her wishing she had been the woman in those scenes with him. And tonight, as unbelievable as it seemed, she had lived her own memorable scene with him.

  She had to remember the reason she had brought him here. Apologizing for last night was only part of it. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about, Walker.”

  He tipped his head back. “Is there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can I kiss you again first?” he asked, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip.

  Bailey knew she should say no. Another kiss from him was the last thing she needed. She feared it would detonate her brain. But her brain was halfway gone already, just from the sensuality she heard in his voice. His thumb gently stroking her lip stirred a need that primed her for something she couldn’t define but wanted anyway.

  He was staring at her, waiting for an answer. She could feel the effects of his spellbinding gaze all over her body. Suddenly she felt bold, empowered, filled with a burning need. Instead of answering him, she pushed in the center console, converting the truck from bucket seats to bench seats. Easing closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her mouth up to his. “Yes, Walker. You can kiss me again.”

  And as if that was all he needed to hear, he swooped down and sucked her tongue into his mouth. Bailey couldn’t help but moan. He was consuming her. She sensed a degree of hunger within him she hadn’t recognized in the other kisses. It was as if he was laying claim to her mouth, branding it in a way no other man had or ever would, and all while his knuckles softly stroked her jaw.

  She kissed him back with the same greediness. No matter what costar she’d watched him with earlier, he was with her now. This was real, no acting involved. The only director they were following was their own desire, which seemed to be overtaking them.

  Walker’s hand reached under her sweater to caress her stomach, and she moaned at the contact. The feel of his fingers on her bare flesh made her shiver, and when he continued to softly rub her skin she closed her eyes as awareness spiked fully into her blood.

  The moment he released her mouth, she leaned closer and used her tongue to lick the corners of his lips. His hand inched upward, stroking her ribs, tracing the contours of her bones until he reached her breasts. She drew in a deep breath when his fingertips drew circles on the lace bra covering her nipples. The twin buds hardened and sent a signal to the juncture of her thighs. When he pushed her sweater out of the way, her body automatically arched toward him.

  As if he knew what she wanted, what she needed, he undid the front clasp of her bra. As soon as her breasts sprang free, he lowered his mouth to them. Her nipples were hard and ready for him and he devoured them with a greediness that had her moaning deep in her throat.

  When she felt the truck’s leather touch her back, she realized he had lowered her onto her back. She ran her hands over his shirt and began undoing the buttons, needing to touch his bare skin like he was touching hers. Moments later, her fingers speared into the hair covering his chest.

  She heard him growl her name seconds before he captured her wrists, holding her captive while his tongue swirled languorously over her stomach. Her skin sizzled everywhere his mouth touched. And when his mouth reached her navel, he laved it with his tongue. Her stomach muscles flexed beneath his mouth.

  Walker was convinced Bailey’s body was calling out to him. He was determined to answer the call. She tasted wonderful and when she rocked her body beneath his mouth he couldn’t help but groan. His control was eroding. He’d thought all he wanted was a kiss to remember, but he discovered he wanted something more. He wanted her. All of her. He wanted to explode in the heat she was generating. But first, he wanted to fill her with the rapturous satisfaction she needed.

  Raising his head, he met her gaze. The fire in her eyes almost burned him. “Lift up your hips, Bailey,” he whispered.

  When she did as he requested, he unsnapped her jeans and worked the denim down past her thighs. He then grazed his fingers against the scrap of lace covering her femininity. He inhaled deeply, drawing her luscious scent through his nostrils. His heart pounded hard in his chest and every cell in his body needed to please her. To give her a reason to remember him. Why that was important, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that it was.

  His erection jerked greedily in anticipation of her feminine taste. When he lowered his head and eased his tongue inside her, he forced himself not to climax just from the delicious flavor of her. She pushed against his shoulders and then, seconds later, gripped him hard, holding his mouth right there as she moaned his name. He delved deep inside, stroking her, lapping up her taste with every inch of his tongue.

  She lifted her hips to his mouth and he gripped her thighs tightly, devouring her in a way he’d dreamed of doing every night since he’d met her. Her scent and her taste filled him with emotions and sensations he hadn’t felt in years.

  He felt her body jerk beneath his mouth in an explosive orgasm. She screamed his name, but he kept his mouth crushed to her, sucking harder and hoping this was one intimate kiss she would never, ever forget.

  Moments later, after he felt her body go still, except for the shuddering of her breath, he slowly withdrew his tongue—but not before brushing his lips over her womanly mound. Marking. Branding. Imprinting.

  “Walker...”

  “Yes, baby. I’m here.” He eased over her body and kissed her.

  * * *

  Bailey’s breath caught in her throat. When Walker finally released her mouth, she could only lie there enmeshed in a web of sensations that had left her weak but totally fulfilled. Never in her life had she experienced anything like what Walker had done. How he had made her feel. The pleasure had been so sharp she might never recover. He had taken her to rapturous heights she hadn’t known existed between a man and a woman.

  “I think we better go,” Walker said softly as he rezipped her jeans, placing a kiss on her stomach. When she felt the tip of his tongue around her belly button, she whispered his name.

  He took his time refastening her bra, cupping her breasts and licking her nipple
s before doing so. Then he pulled her sweater down before helping her into a sitting position. She was tempted to resist. She wanted to lie there while memories washed over her.

  “Your breasts are beautiful, you know, Bailey.”

  She shook her head. No, she didn’t know. No other man had ever complimented her breasts. But then, no other man would have had a reason to do so. She drew in a deep breath, rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes. Had she actually experienced an orgasm from a man going down on her? In a parked truck?

  “The lake is beautiful tonight.”

  How could he talk about how beautiful the lake was after driving her into a sexual frenzy and blowing her mind? And just think, he hadn’t even made love to her. What he’d given her was an appetizer. She could only imagine what the full course meal would be like.

  She slowly opened her eyes and followed his gaze through the windshield to the lake. She knew he was giving her time to pull herself together, clear her head, finish straightening up her clothes. She took another deep breath. In her mind she could still feel his mouth on her breasts and between her thighs. It took her a while to respond to what he’d said. “Yes, it’s beautiful. I love coming here. Day or night. Whenever I need to think.”

  “I can see this being a good thinking spot.”

  She decided not to add that he’d just proved it was a good making-out spot, as well. She glanced over at him and saw the buttons of his shirt were still undone, reminding her of when her tongue had licked his skin. Her blood seared at the memory.

  “What we did tonight was wrong, Bailey. But I don’t regret it.”

  She didn’t regret it, either. The only thing she regretted was not taking things further. They were adults, not kids. Consenting adults. And if they had enjoyed it, then what was the problem? “And why was it wrong?”

  “Because you deserve more than a meaningless affair and that’s all I can offer you.”

  She didn’t recall asking for more. “What makes you think I want any more than that, Walker? I’m not into serious relationships, either. They can get messy.”

  He lifted a brow. “How so?”

  “Men have a tendency to get possessive, territorial. Act crazy sometimes. Trust me, I know. I grew up with twelve of them. That’s why I have my rules.”

  “Bailey’s Rules, right?”

  “Yep. Those are the ones.”

  “So if you don’t do affairs, what do you do? I assume you date.”

  “When it suits me.” No need to tell him she’d never had a steady boyfriend. “I assume you date, too.”

  “Yes, when it suits me,” he said, repeating her words.

  “So we understand each other,” she said, wondering if they really did.

  “Yes, I guess you can say that,” he said, buttoning his shirt. “And now is as good a time as any to mention that I’ve decided to return to Kodiak right after the wedding on Saturday instead of on Monday as planned.”

  Her jaw dropped in surprise. “You’re leaving Saturday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  He looked over at her. “There’s no need to stay here any longer than that. What I have to tell the Outlaws won’t change. Your family is good people, and it will be Garth and his brothers’ loss if they listen to Bart and decide not to meet all of you.”

  She didn’t say anything while she considered her plans for him to be interviewed by one of her writers. “I need you to stay until Monday...at least.”

  He glanced over at her with keen, probing eyes. “Why do you need me to stay until Monday?”

  Something cautioned her to choose her words carefully. “Remember earlier, I told you there was something else I needed to discuss with you?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

  “Well, it was about a favor I need to ask.”

  “What kind of favor?”

  She nervously nibbled at her bottom lip. “Today I found out that you used to be an actor. Ty Reklaw.”

  He didn’t say anything for a minute. “So what of it? And what does that have to do with me staying until Monday?”

  She heard a tinge of annoyance in his voice and had a feeling he didn’t like being reminded of his past. “I understand you were at the peak of your acting career when you left Hollywood to return to Alaska. I was sorry to hear about you losing your family. Must have been a difficult time for you.”

  She paused and when he didn’t say anything, she pressed on. “It’s been almost ten years and you’re still alone, living on your island. It just so happens that Simply Irresistible will be doing an article about men who are loners and I would love to make you our feature story.”

  He still didn’t say anything. He merely stared at her. She swallowed deeply, hesitating only a second before asking, “So will you do it? Will you let me schedule an interview for you with one of my writers to be our feature story?”

  It was then, there in the moonlight, that she saw the stiffening of his jaw and the rage smoldering in his gaze. “No. And you have a lot of damn nerve. Is that what this little truck ride was about, Bailey? How far did you intend to go to get me to say yes?”

  Her gaze narrowed. “What are you asking? Are you insinuating I used my body to get my way?”

  “Why not? I’ve been approached in the past by reporters who will do just about anything for a story.”

  “Well, I’m not one of them. The main reason I asked you here was to apologize for my behavior last night. Then I wanted to ask a favor of you.”

  “And why do you think I would want to be interviewed? I left Hollywood for a reason and I’ve never looked back. Why would I want to relive those years?”

  “You have it all wrong. The article we plan to publish will have nothing to do with your time in Hollywood. You’re a loner and we want to find out why some men prefer that kind of life.”

  “Have you ever considered the fact that not everyone needs to constantly be around people? It’s not as if I’m some damn recluse. I have friends. Real friends. Friends who know how to respect my privacy when I need them to. And they are the ones whose company I seek.”

  “Yes, however—”

  “But you wouldn’t understand that. You’re dependent on your family for your livelihood, your happiness and your very reason for breathing. That’s probably why you’ve made it one of your rules never to stray too far away from them.”

  His words fired her up. “And is there anything wrong with that?”

  “Not if that’s how you choose to live. Which is nobody’s business. Just like how I choose to live is nobody’s business, either. What makes you think I want to broadcast how I chose to live after losing two of the most important people in my life?”

  He wasn’t letting her get a word in. “If you just let me finish, I can explain wh—”

  “There’s nothing to explain. You just got this promotion to features editor and you need a story. Sorry, I refuse to accommodate you. Go find your story someplace else.”

  * * *

  An hour or so later, Walker was back in his guest room and still finding it hard to accept the ease with which Bailey had asked that favor of him. Did she not realize the magnitude of the favor she’d asked or did she not care? Was she so into her family that she had no understanding or concept that some people preferred solitude? That not everyone wanted a crowd?

  He could only shake his head, since he doubted he could get any angrier than he was at that minute. And he had just warned himself not to let her or any woman who’d shown the same persuasive powers Kalyn had possessed to get close to him. Yet he’d fallen under Bailey’s spell after that first kiss. After the second, he’d been a goner.

  Even now, memories of those kisses were embedded into the core of his soul. The mere idea of another woman getting that much under his skin stopped him cold with a helplessness he felt in
every bone of his body.

  He let out a slow, controlled breath. In less than a week he’d allowed Bailey to penetrate an area of his mind he’d thought dead forever. And earlier tonight when he’d reached across the seat and dragged her body against his, it hadn’t mattered that they were both fully clothed. Just the idea of her being in his arms had brought out his primitive animal instincts. He’d wanted to mate with her. How he’d found the strength to deny what they’d both wanted was beyond his ability to comprehend, but he had. And for that he was grateful. There was no telling how far she would have gone to get her story. She might have had him eating out of her hands while he spilled his guts.

  A part of him wanted to think she was just a woman, easy to forget. But he knew she wasn’t just any woman. She wasn’t the only person with rules, and somehow Bailey had breached all the rules he’d put in place. At the top of his list was not letting another woman get to him.

  Whether it was her making him smile or her making him frown, or her filling him with the degree of anger like he was feeling now—she made him feel too much.

  He heard the sound of doors opening and closing downstairs and figured the card game had run its course. Pretty much like he’d run his.

  It would be to his advantage to remain true to what he knew. Bailey called it being a loner, but he saw it as surviving.

  * * *

  Bailey glanced at her watch as she got out of her truck once she’d reached Ramsey’s Web. Most of her day had been filled with meetings, getting to know her new staff as they got to know her management style. It was important for them to know they were a team.

  However, no matter how busy she’d stayed today, thoughts of Walker had filled her mind. He was furious with her, angrier than he’d been two nights ago. Was his anger justified? Had she crossed the line in asking him to do that piece for the magazine?

  She was still upset about his insinuation that she would go as far as to use her body to get what she wanted. She didn’t play those kinds of games, and for him to assume she did didn’t sit well with her. So the way she saw it, they’d both been out of line. They’d both said things they probably regretted today. But she had to remember that Walker was a guest of her family, and the last thing she wanted to be was guilty of offending him. Dillon had placed a lot of confidence in her, and her family would never forgive her if she had offended Walker.