AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Having second thoughts about hooking up with a cowboy?”
“None whatsoever. What bothers me, and clearly not overly much, is the way I responded to you. You should know I don’t just jump into bed with men.”
“That never even entered my mind.”
“I’m not sure why I responded to you the way I did.” So many thoughts and emotions swirled around her. “I don’t like pain, so it bothers me that it got me so turned on. I was supposed to be saving Christian, and instead, I’ve been fucking you like I was a horny teenage girl who just discovered sex… Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that. Please don’t think I regret being with you. I’m… I just don’t understand anything at the moment.”
“First, there was nothing we could have been doing for Christian when we were discovering each other, so let’s nip that guilt in the bud. You need to leave that on the trail. If you don’t, I’ll spank you until you do. And it wasn’t the pain that got you all hot and bothered. What turned you on was knowing there was someone who cared enough to hold you accountable and keep you safe and was more than capable of doing both.”
She laughed. “That sounds good… well, everything except the spanking me again part.”
“Finn, get used to the idea I can and will spank you whenever I think you need it.”
“I have to tell you, Croft, the fact those feelings came wrapped in a sexy, dominant cowboy who fills out his jeans better than any man I’ve ever met didn’t hurt.”
He laughed with her. “I didn’t think nice Boston girls even considered things like that.”
“I might have been born in Boston, but I live in Fairfax County. I haven’t spent a lot of time at anything resembling a home, so like you, I have a place on a friend’s property.”
“My place is pretty small, maybe 700 square feet, but if you want something bigger, we can look for something else...”
Finn’s laughter cut him off. “That’s downright spacious compared to my place. I have a shepherd’s caravan I converted… maybe 160 square feet.”
“Then the dairy barn should feel downright palatial. No tub in the house itself but a nice shower.”
“Not a big bubble-bath kind of girl, but can we get a wood-fired hot tub?”
“Sure, but why wood-fired?”
“Because I think you’d be all kinds of sexy splitting logs without a shirt on.”
“Swinging an ax and getting all hot and sweaty?”
“Nothing wrong with hot and sweaty.”
Croft laughed again. “I’m going to remind you of that when I get you in a real bed and have nothing but time to devote to seeing how many times I can make you come.”
Finn shook her head. It seemed unreal a man she hadn’t even known two days ago could suddenly bring her so much joy, make her laugh so much, and reassure her, even now when she was terrified about her brother and about this damn trail they were on, everything was going to be not just all right but better than it had ever been.
They made it to the top of the trail and were greeted by a park ranger just getting ready to head down.
“Croft,” the ranger said, pulling up beside him and extending his hand.
“Kurt. Good to see you. Can I borrow your sat phone or get you to let me into your station?”
“Either/or. Were you down by the river? We’ve heard reports that someone came in below the rim in an unauthorized chopper.”
“I saw it. Came within about ten miles of the foot of the trail, then swung around and headed back when they spied me. My guess is once they realized they’d been spotted, they hightailed it back out of the restricted zone.”
“Probably, but I’ll go on down and check. Come on, I’ll let you into the station. You can make your phone call, then lock up when you leave.” He nodded toward Finn. “Client? Girlfriend?”
Croft swung around to look at her and smiled.
“Both and much more. Kurt, this is Finlay Reid. Finn, this is Kurt Manderlay, one of the lead rangers here at the Grand Canyon.”
“Finlay Reid? The photojournalist?”
“Guilty as charged,” she said, smiling as they headed toward the small building.
