Riding the River Read online

  Eventually, they fell asleep, spooning with Sarah’s back against Matt’s body. Even in sleep, he couldn’t let her go. Sarah had never, ever in her entire life felt as wanted and desired as Matt made her feel. She fell asleep thinking her heart was about to burst.

  A few hours later, Sarah woke up deliciously happy. She practically purred… Slipping out of Matt’s warm arms, she looked down at him… What a handsome guy. Even asleep he was smiling… She leaned over to kiss his lips and touch his sweet face. He sighed but didn’t wake.

  She picked up his shirt again and slipped it on. Walking to the window, she saw a small porch with a chair just outside his door. Sarah walked out to take a deep breath of fresh air and looked up at the black sky. With no light pollution, the stars were many and magnificent. She sat down, just letting contentment wash over her about this magical night.

  Tess had been right… Sarah smiled thinking of all the words of wisdom she’d gotten from her that all boiled down to the same thing – good sex is the greatest. Sarah blew out a breath… She sure couldn’t argue with that one. Thinking about him made her want to wake him up, when he showed up in the doorway. She glanced over at him … Matt had put on his jeans and she wanted to run her fingers through his sexy, tousled hair. He yawned…

  “… Honey, what are you doing out here?”

  “Looking at the gorgeous night sky…”

  “Here… Let me join you. Stand up.”

  Matt sat down on the chair and pulled Sarah onto his lap. That way, he could put his arms around her and kiss her neck and shoulders at the same time.

  “I so hope you never tire of doing that…”

  “This?” He said while kissing her neck. “Do you think there’s a chance of that?” His kisses sent welcome shivers down her back. Then he leaned her back in his arms, so he could see her pretty face. Her blue eyes stared back at his dark ones… His adoring gaze went on and on…

  “Matt, honey…”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Quit fooling around and kiss me.”

  “Pretty impatient, aren’t you, miss?”

  “Yes…”

  “If you insist.” And he was brushing his lips against hers again and again in that way he had of sending her senses out of this world. When her lips parted, he angled his mouth against hers for a deeper kiss that she felt down to her quaking knees. What is it about cowboys anyway?

  For Matt, his head and heart were overloaded with emotion. He’d never felt anything in his life before as how he felt about Sarah. He was overwhelmed and took it out on her body. He loved seeing her rise and fall, and that he caused her to do that. She was irresistible and he had to have her…

  “Come on, honey. Let’s finish this in bed.”

  Sarah nodded, stood up and Matt took her hand to lead her back in the house. Once inside though, he backed her up against the closed door, unable to wait any longer and tugged off her shirt. After discarding his jeans, he melded his body into hers -- Sarah stroked his muscled back and his hands ran up and down the length of her. Matt’s kisses again seared through her and she was caught, unable to escape if she’d wanted to.

  He took her down, down to some magical place where she’d never even known she wanted to go. Through their kisses and roving hands, Sarah and Matt found that special place that only they would ever know. He raised her up to accommodate him and they swayed to their own particular rhythmic music. She nibbled and whispered in his ear as his eyes misted over, and then he was kissing her again.

  Crashing against him, she felt weak and whimpered. Matt held her up while his hands continued their sexy route over her body. When he finally let go, both their bodies became soft putty. Eventually, they found themselves back on the bed. Matt kept her close and pulled the covers around them both.

  “Huh…” Sarah tried to speak, but nothing much came out. Matt softly stroked her back.

  “… Cat got your tongue?” She smiled against his torso.

  “No, you’ve got my tongue… and the rest of me.” She looked up at him. “When did I become such a limp noodle?”

  “A few orgasms will do that, honey.”

  Sarah laid her head back on his chest and closed her eyes. Matt continued softly stroking her arms and back, with occasional kisses in her hair. She couldn’t remember ever being this relaxed or happy in her entire life. And with that, she fell asleep, making those little bubble sounds again that were becoming so dear to Matt, making him smile. As he drifted off, being contented rushed through him like a river, as did the touch of sweet Sarah in his arms…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The next day was the last of Sarah’s trip to the guest ranch. She and Matt had gotten some sleep, not much, but enough for her to help Dale with breakfast that morning. When she yawned, he smiled slyly at her like a big Cheshire cat – and she wanted to slug him.

  “I don’t want you working today, Sarah,” said Dale. “It’s your last official day as a guest. Go have fun… I’ll be that taskmaster tomorrow.” He mixed the pancake batter and started putting it on the hot griddle.

  “Okay, thanks.” She got the biscuits out of the oven and took them out of the pan.

  “So…”

  “So?”

  “What are you going to do today? I’m sure it involves Matt.” He still had a big, dopey smile on his face.

  “Yes, Dale,” she laughed at him. “As a matter of fact…”

  “Yeah?”

  “… Matt wants me to meet his grandfather today… And to see the ranch he wants to buy.”

  “So he told you about that?”

  “Yes, last night.”

  “During a break in the action?”

  “Dale!” Sarah turned a few shades of red as he bent over laughing.

  When he calmed down, he continued.

  “Please don’t be mad at me, Sarah. I’m just so happy for you both. Honestly…” She rolled her eyes at him.

  “Okay… You almost sounded sincere that time.”

  “Has he asked you yet?”

  “Asked me what?”

  “…To marry him, of course.”

  She blinked in surprise at him. “No…”

  “Do you want him to?”

  “We’re still getting to know each other.”

  “…And…”

  “And you’re really being nosy today.”

  He threw up his hands in front of him. “Okay, don’t get mad at me. Here, take the first batch of pancakes out to the breakfast table.

  They finished cooking breakfast and had everything out when the guests started filing in. Tess eventually came in with Richie and Sarah sat down to eat breakfast with them.

  “Didn’t see you much at the dance last night, Sarah,” teased Tess. “Go somewhere?”

  “Yeah,” laughed Richie. “Matt disappeared too.”

  She ate part of her pancake, chewed for a minute and swallowed. “Well, fancy that… We disappeared at the same time. What are the odds?”

  Just then Matt walked into the dining room, looking better than any man had a right to. Sarah noticed his pale blue shirt and dark blue jeans that set off his gorgeous black hair. Of course, Matt noticed everything about her too. Her blonde hair pulled back into a pretty ponytail, Western shirt and jeans. His eyes took her in hungrily and it was all he could do to sit down casually by her. He would have preferred to kiss her crazy, like last night.

  Tess and Richie smirked at how Sarah and Matt acted toward one another now. Something had definitely happened between them last night. Their behavior, once self-conscious, was now intimate and personal. He touched her possessively and they sat close together. She jokingly fed him a bite of pancake off her plate. Richie was expecting him to drool over her any second, while Tess could smell sex in the air…

  “So what’s the plan for the last day, ladies?” asked Richie.

  “What do you think, Sarah?” inquired Tess.

  “…Well…um…” Sarah looked at Matt who nodded.

  “We’ve got pl
ans…”

  “Can you say what they are?” asked Richie.

  “I’m taking Sarah over to meet John after breakfast.”

  Richie’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “Really?”

  Tess was confused. “Who’s John?”

  “His grandfather…” said Richie.

  Tess’s eyebrows raised a notch as well. “Is that kinda like going home to meet the folks?”

  Sarah blushed while Matt grinned.

  “… Something like that…”

  “Are you showing her that ranch you want to buy?” He finished his breakfast and pushed his plate away.

  “… Thought I would. It’s not far from John’s…”

  “It’s a pretty spread, Sarah. The ranch house needs some work but it’ll be great,” added Richie. He looked over at Tess.

  “All right, sweetie. It’s just you and me today. Got any suggestions?”

  Tess laughed. “Yes, but most of them are not for polite company.”

  They all laughed at that.

  “How about a ride then?”

  “… Let’s do it.” They got up to leave the dining room. Tess glanced back at Sarah. “See you for dinner tonight?”

  Sarah nodded her head smiling. “Definitely. Our last night together… We’ll do something…”

  After they’d left, Matt helped Sarah finish her pancakes.

  “Why am I so hungry today?” He pretended to think that over. “Oh, yeah… I was up most of the night making love to a beautiful woman.”

  “…Shh…” said Sarah glancing around. “Do you want that information written up in the ranch bulletin?” He laughed and leaned in to whisper.

  “… I love you, Sarah Hughes…” He kissed her ear.

  She looked at him with clear, blue eyes. “I love you too, Matt Garth.”

  He tilted up her chin to kiss her briefly. “Let’s go, honey.”

  She nodded and they got up together to leave. Dale and Mr. Walker watched them walk out of the dining room holding hands.

  “So… that’s what’s been going on…”

  “And right under our noses,” smiled Dale.

  “Well, he’s the nicest guy…”

  “… And she’s the nicest girl. They’re made for each other.”

  They shrugged their shoulders… Dale went back into the kitchen, while Mr. Walker headed outside to coordinate an activity. Cowboy golf was being organized again and they’d need help…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  John Garth was a character out of the Old West. He was tall and rugged, not handsome, but imposing. He set his big cowboy hat a certain way that gave him an air of authority. In the saddle, no one could outwork him – He gave as good as he got.

  Matt’s parents had been lost unexpectedly when he was young, and John had raised him up to be much like him. He always wore a leather vest, shirt with a knotted scarf around his neck and his typical jeans. Think John Wayne…

  Matt had explained all this on the ride over to his grandfather’s ranch. It wasn’t that far from the Walker guest ranch, but they took Matt’s truck to see the smaller ranch later.

  “Do you think he’ll like me?” asked Sarah nervously.

  “If I love you, so will he…” Matt took ahold of her hand to calm her nerves.

  She’d moved over to sit by him in the front seat.

  Sarah gulped. Absolutely everything she’d done on this trip was a first for her. Now she was meeting her boyfriend’s grandfather. Boyfriend? Lover? What was he anyway?

  “Please don’t be nervous, Sarah. Just be yourself… You’ll do fine.” He looked over at her. His encouraging words weren’t making much of a dent. He tried again. “Okay, think of how I’ll feel meeting your father.”

  She turned her head and blinked several times. Robert Hughes?

  “I hadn’t thought of that. It should be a very interesting meeting, indeed.”

  “Why is that?”

  Sarah smiled. “You’ll be in jeans and he’ll be wearing a Gucci suit probably – or Prada. The guy’s a fashionista…”

  “What’s that?”

  “A person who loves clothing, fashion.”

  Matt knit his brows thinking about that. “… It does sound interesting. Do you think he’ll like me?”

  She kissed his cheek. “Matt, you’ll have to go to Baltimore to meet him. Have you thought of that? Why would he come here?”

  That stopped him… Baltimore… Way across the country… On an airplane…

  “…Ah…”

  Her face fell. “…That’s what I thought. You don’t want to go there, do you?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “Then why am I meeting your grandfather?” She gave him a stern look.

  “… He’s closer?”

  “… Weak answer…” She’d moved farther away from him and folded her arms across her chest. Matt knew he was on thin ice, so he pulled over and stopped the truck. He turned and reached for her – She moved farther away.

  “Sarah, honey…”

  “Don’t ‘honey’ me. You never planned on going back East, did you? It’s not convenient.” She held his gaze. “What kind of a relationship is this? Was it only because I’m here now? If we’re just playing around, please let me know – Maybe we got too serious too fast…”

  Matt blinked hard wondering how things got so crazy so fast. One minute she was kissing his cheek and the next, she was angrily moving to the other side of the truck. He ran his hand through his hair and looked as nervous as he felt.

  “Wait a minute, Sarah. Let’s not twist this up into a mess. I fell in love with you – I don’t care where you came from or how fast it all happened…”

  He could see she softened a bit, so he plunged ahead. “And this is a love relationship, pure and simple. I love you and you love me. We’ll have to sort out the rest as we go.”

  Even though she was still somewhat pissed, that actually made sense. Matt could see he’d broken through the anger when she turned to face him.

  “And my father?”

  It was Matt’s turn to gulp. “If it’s what you want, I’ll meet him anywhere on this planet.”

  That did it… To his great relief, Sarah moved back over by him and fell into his waiting arms. He kissed her hair, her cheeks, nose and lips over and over. She kissed him back with equal fervor and passion. He’d won her back…

  Thank God… After a few more minutes of being wrapped around each other like vines and a sexy kiss that seemed to be never-ending… They broke for air. He was breathing hard…

  “… Honey, you scared the crap out of me. Could we please always talk out our differences? I don’t think I could take your being away from me for very long.”

  Sarah gazed at his wonderful face. She reached up to touch his hair… his cheeks… nose… Matt closed his eyes at her gentle touch. When she outlined his lips with her finger, he parted them to softly suck on that finger. He opened his eyes to her big smile and she caressed his cheek before kissing him sweetly.

  “We’re never going to make it there, are we?” He whispered in her ear after nibbling on her earlobe.

  “Is there much traffic on this road?”

  “Never, why?” And then he saw why. His mouth dropped open as Sarah unzipped her jeans and pulled them off, along with her underwear. He swallowed hard when she unzipped and opened his jeans to find what she was looking for -- His erection was hard and waiting…

  “Sarah…what…” he tried to say more, but his lips went dry.

  He put his hands on her hips as she straddled him and took him in… right there in the front seat of his Chevy pickup… on an old dirt road a few miles from his grandfather’s ranch… And he held her steady as she started to move with him. Matt’s mind was a complete blank… Sarah was in control. The truck swayed with the constant rhythm of their movements and it heated up inside the cab in no time. By the time they’d finished and had their clothes on again, Matt’s mind was a muddle.

  She was stil
l sitting close to him, absolutely relaxed. He marveled at the passion he’d unleashed in her…

  “Jesus, Sarah… What the hell was that?” He rubbed his forehead hard.

  She smiled sweetly at him. “What? Didn’t you like it?” She leaned over to kiss his lips. “You certainly seemed to at the time…”

  “… Um…”

  “Don’t you feel better?” she purred and kissed both corners of his mouth.

  Matt blew out a breath. “Actually, I do…” And at that moment, he knew the reins had slipped away from him – She’d always be able to bend him around however she wanted to. Damn…He looked over at her. Again with that innocent smile… Hmmm… Matt shrugged his shoulders. If that’s the way it’s going to be… Okay…

  He couldn’t drag his eyes away from her full, sensual lips. And that’s when the serious kissing started…

  It was close to lunch before they finally arrived at John Garth’s ranch home. Matt switched off the ignition and the truck rumbled to a stop. He looked over at Sarah sitting beside him and put his arm around her.

  “I’m not sure what’s worth saying after all that. That’s the longest it’s ever taken me to get here…”

  “… Another first for me.”

  “What?”

  “… Sex in a vehicle,” she laughed. “Multiple times…”

  Matt leaned his forehead against hers. “Honey, you’ve turned me inside out and not just from all the sex. I’m crazy about you…”

  “Good. I’m crazy about you too. Shall we meet your grandfather since we’re here?”

  “I barely have the strength to get out of the truck. What have you done to me?”

  She laughed. “Nothing you won’t recover from… and quickly. I doubt we’ll sleep much tonight either.”

  “… Promise?”

  He stepped out of the truck and helped her out. She was smoothing her hair back into her ponytail when she glanced down.

  “Matt, your fly’s unzipped.”

  “Jesus…” He groaned and zipped as she doubled up laughing.

  John Garth was watching from the window and started laughing as well. He remembered those days as a young man when he’d done the same sorts of things. This girl he had to meet…