Cowboys & Horses

Chapter 23

Waking the next morning wrapped in a pair of bronzed, sculpted arms was just amazing. It was like Christmas had arrived early. I immediately grinned as I mentally relived the previous night. He'd treated me to new experiences in so many different ways, I was no longer lost at sea, but heading on a direct course to the island of paradise he kept bewitching me with.

I'd had not a single thought of Ben either. Being with Brady just felt right, almost natural if it was even possible. I pushed the impending thought of my short time over here away, focusing on the here and now like Brady had said.

A warm kiss on my shoulder broke my thoughts. I rolled over and kissed his chest before losing myself in his captivating gaze.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, stroking up and down my back.

"Hi," I said, barely a whisper.

My heart leaped against my ribcage before sprinting to new speeds. Butterflies fluttered around inside me. He moved a hand and stroked a stray piece of hair from my cheek. The intensity of his focus on me with such tender yet simple gestures were leaving me to liquefy into nothing right in front of him. What was this guy doing to me?

"How are you feeling?" he asked, running his fingers through my hair.

"I'm good. You?"

"Better than ever."

I blushed, and after a moment, I raised a hand to his handsome face and caressed his smooth, tanned skin. He closed his eyes as I traced my index finger through his sprinkling of stubble, and tilted his chin slightly, like a cat enjoying a chin tickle. I took my time to graze my way all over him, excitement grabbing me as I noticed goosebumps following my path.

Every part of this incredible man was flawless. He mesmerised me, entranced me, as if he were the mysterious red light I'd always been looking for and I was the cat waiting in the shadows.

I knew he wasn't going to leave. My irrational fear of him leaving once I'd given myself to him was a distant memory, replaced by a comforting reality of being in the arms of someone who cared for me, deeply.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he said, glancing a kiss over my forehead.

My heart thudded in my chest. Could I really do this? I'd allowed him to be intimate with me physically, but could I do it mentally? After all, letting someone into your heart and soul was the real clincher with trust.

"I..." I put a hand over one of his pecs, bracing myself to push him away should this go very wrong. "I was just thinking about how you're still here and haven't run off yet."

"You thought once I'd got you in bed that would be it? You'd never hear from me again?"

I dropped my eye contact and bit my lip. Hearing him say it out loud struck a chord within me, making me feel foolish.

I nodded.

"Why would you think that?" His voice was nothing short of a breathless whisper, as if my honesty had knocked the breath from his body.

"Look at it from my point of view. I'm out here on holiday, trying to figure out what to do with my asshole of a boyfriend. Along comes a hot cowboy and suddenly I'm swept off my feet. Never mind how cliché it all is."

A long pause spiked my heart rate even further. I couldn't tell if he was mad, upset, or just impassive. His tone of voice was flat, giving nothing away. I daren't look at his handsome face.

He took his hand from my cheek and raised my chin, forcing my eye contact onto him. His dark eyes were ablaze with passion yet tinged with sadness.

"Did you not hear what I said to you in the hospital?"

I nodded. "But...but it's just words..."

He pulled his lips into a thin line. Heart stopping seconds ticked by. Had I ruined everything between us? Spoiled the perfect night we'd had together?

He tightened his arms around me, crushing me against his chest. With my head now underneath his chin, he pressed a long kiss to the side of my head.

"Yes," he said, his lips moving against my hair. "It is just words. But don't forget that actions speak louder than words."

Actions speak louder than words.

Never a truer word spoken. I thought over this, applying the phrase to my situation with Ben. He was nothing but words, filling me with false promises of never doing it to me again, but his actions made it quite clear he had little respect for me or our relationship.

And then there was me, here with Brady. My actions with him made it quite clear I no longer felt loyalty to Ben. The fact I didn't feel a shred of guilt had me questioning whether I even had any feelings left towards him at all.

"Think about it," Brady said, jolting me from my deep thoughts. "I met you ten days ago, gave you my sister's cherished horse to ride, shared her clothes with you, asked my boss for permission to break his rules, and took a week's vacation to stay with you after a nasty accident. Are they the actions of someone who is only after one night?"

My cheeks burned. I hadn't looked at it from that perspective. "I'm sorry. I just..."

"I know," he said. "I know you're in a messed-up place with men, trust, and everything else. I just want you to know that I'm here, and I'll still be here regardless of how long it takes you to figure this all out."

I smiled. He really was being such an understanding, patient guy. What I couldn't figure out was why. He could have any woman he wanted, but he wanted me—the English chick with the sort-of-fiancé hanging around back at home.

However, I didn't want to push things any further, so I kept my mouth shut and just enjoyed the moment. After all, what better moment could there be than being nestled in the arms of a smoking hot cowboy?