The Cowboy's Prize

Chapter 9

Scott helped me out of the water, standing me upright and handing me the other towel. He dried his hair quickly while I watched, his eyes were closed inside the loosely falling folds of the towel as he rubbed it over his hair. All I could do was wrap mine around my shoulders and watch him.

Droplets of water ran down his chest, making their way over his skin, the planes of his pectorals and the ruffled ridges of his abs. One tangled in the blonde line of hair that ran down from his cute belly button to the ridge of his trunks, which while completely wet, left very little to the imagination. Talk about drool worthy.

Others ran down the v shaped lines at the sides of his abs and I couldn't drag my eyes away, as he raised his arms and rubbed the back of his head with the towel. My eyes were drawn to droplets running down his upper arm toward his armpit. It was erotic as hell... don't judge.

Then he opened his eyes and met mine with his.

The smile he gave me made my insides melt. It turned from boyish and charming to smouldering in a hot second. He'd transformed into some kind of swimsuit model directly in front of my eyes and if I'd had a camera in my hands I would have captured the perfect panty drop shot. Well... briefs drop shot... pot-a-to, pota-to.

My usual go to smirk was nowhere to be found. All I could do was stare.

Scott laughed, "Princess your face right now. That's probably the sweetest compliment anyone's ever paid me." I blushed, and Scott stepped closer, taking my towel from me and then using it to rub my hair.

His voice dropped lower as he rubbed my head, "I'm not trying to make a move here Mitch, I'm actually just trying to concentrate on drying you off and not replacing this towel with my tongue. I kind of want to be a gentleman, you know."

It hit me then that I wasn't the only one who had been hurt in the past. But also that he might be thinking those kinds of thoughts about me as well simply hadn't occurred to me.

I looked up at him, startled. It hadn't occurred to me that he might have been looking me over, even out of the corner of his eyes. I glanced down at my own barely clothed figure and back at his eyes as I finally got it. He was taking my body in just as much as I had been taking his in. Scott confirmed my supposition when his hands dropped lower and he rubbed my chest, his beautiful blue eyes darkening as he concentrated on where his hands were.

"Fine, like porcelain." He murmured as he touched me.

My smirk returned full blown as Scott's hands moved lower. He bent at the waist and dried one leg as I inhaled sharply, swallowing as he moved to the other one. "Give me your foot." He said, his husky voice making me wish harder that my 10 date rule wasn't just for my own protection. Some people had a three date rule, I'd learnt that it took more than that to form a true connection. Something that had a chance of working.

But as Scott concentrated on me, the air between us became charged with electricity. I opened my mouth, but I couldn't form a cohesive sentence, or words at all really. I tried again as Scott's eyes crinkled and the smoulder turned to amusement.

"Don't worry Cupcake," he said as he pulled me into his chest for a quick hug, running his hands down my arms before taking a step back and handing me back my towel.

"You're safe." He smiled and turned his back before grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his shoulders. I noticed the small beads of water left behind in the dip between his spine and the top of his ass be wiped away by the fabric and I agreed with him about using his tongue, but the moment was over and I had to put the lust away as he threw me my own shirt and then flopped back down on the blanket.

"Strawberry?" He asked, holding up the fruit.

Honestly I couldn't care less what I put in my mouth in that moment, as long as it was sweet and satisfying because otherwise I was going to ignore my own rules and climb aboard.

"Sure." I replied and smiled as I plucked it out of his hand. Yep, couldn't take the chance he'd be flirty and try and feed me. That was far too sensual, and we needed to calm things down.

Scott grabbed a fork and helped himself to more potato salad, I stole the hunk of cheese he broke off and put on his plate with a cheeky smile while he broke off another with a knowing smile. That moment told me more than anything else he'd known I would do it, and he'd already put a second on his plate ready for me.

This cowboy was seriously too cute.

Sexy as hell, he made me laugh and it was like he already knew just what I wanted.

Some people never really take the time to stop and learn what makes you tick, what makes your heart beat faster or what totally flips your switch. This guy wasn't like that at all. In the space of two dates, and a chance meeting he'd already got me. And that was even sexier than any relationship I'd been in since... well, my big heartbreak.

Shifting on the blanket, trying to find a more comfortable position, Scott smiled quickly and then pulled out one last thing from the saddlebag and threw it for me to catch.

"What's this?" I asked, eyeing the tube with suspicion.

"Liniment." He said with a smile, knowing my muscles were already beginning to feel the results of the unfamiliar exercise. "You'll need that tonight, before bed."

I frowned knowing we still had to ride back to the stables to return the horses. "I'd offer to apply it myself you know." He said with reassuring leer. "But we both know that might be moving a bit fast."

I nodded with a slight pout and Scott's laugh rose from deep in his belly as his face seriously lit up in the lengthening shadows that the setting sun was casting. The sun shone like a halo around his head as he began to pack things away again. "Your choice next time Princess. It'd better be something where clothes are mandatory." He said with a grin as he held out his hand to pull me to my feet.

His smile, the sun behind his head, the angelic appearance of his features made me want to throw my rules away, but I laughed instead and complimented his muscular strength.

"I like compliments Princess." He said with a smile and bent down to pick up the blanket. His ass needed none but I bit my lip nonetheless. I definitely wanted to sink my teeth into that ripe flesh, and it was only the pain in my own derriere as we walked back to the horses that took my mind off my companion.

"When can I start applying the liniment?" I asked through gritted teeth as he helped me back onto my horse.

"As soon as we get back to the stable." Scott said through taught lips that were fighting against more laughter.

I shot him a dirty look and turned to follow him as he led the way back to the house. Considering we'd been together most of the day and hadn't had one single awkward silence where I'd been forced to retreat to my phone. I thought it was not too shabby for a second date. I'd need a hot shower and some of that tube once I was safely home. But all in all, it had been an enlightening day.

Who'd have thought a cowboy could be so romantic?