Romancing the Ranger Read online

  Pulling open the glass door, he set her down inside the large walk-in shower and turned on the warm water.

  Dropping his jacket, he stripped off his suit pants and tossed them on the floor.

  He reached for his tie, but she stopped him, setting her hands on top of his. “Let me.”

  She loosened the knot and slowly pulled the tie from around his neck.

  Steam filled the bathroom as she flicked each button of his dress shirt open, laying a kiss against his skin beneath each opened button.

  Releasing the last one, she slid her arms inside the shirt, lightly trailing her fingernails along his stomach and up his chest. She slid the shirt off his shoulders, leaning forward to lay a kiss against the taut muscles of his chest.

  His breath caught, and she pressed herself against the male hardness straining against his black boxer briefs.

  He reached for the belt of her robe, freeing the cinched knot and letting the silky fabric fall open. She straightened her arms and let the robe drop to the shower floor.

  Standing in front of him, clad only in the tiny satin and lace teddy, she knew this was exactly where she wanted to be. And he was the man she wanted to be with. He didn’t try to control her. He let her make her own decisions.

  And right now, she was deciding that camouflage was the last thing she needed. Reaching for the spaghetti straps, she slid them from her shoulders and let the silky fabric fall.

  He said nothing, just watched as she drew the teddy lower, sliding it over her hips and letting it fall in a puddle at her feet.

  She looked up into his eyes. “I don’t want to camouflage what I feel for you. I’m not hiding it. I like you, Wade Baker. I like you a lot, and I want you in my life.”

  “I like you, too.” He grinned. “You’re not making this much of a hunt.”

  She smiled back, but her words were serious. “I’m not making you hunt for me. I’m not disguising myself. I’m standing right in front of you. The question is, are you going to catch me?”

  “Damn right I am.” He bent and slipped his arms around her waist, lifting her and pressing her back against the shower wall.

  The air was steamy, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him tighter to her.

  His lips crushed hers, the heat of his desire rivaling the steamy warmth of the shower.

  She’d never done this before in the shower, and the wildness of the act thrilled her. Feeling vulnerable to Wade’s strength at holding her against the wall, she gripped his arms and tipped her head back in rapture.

  Water cascaded down her chest as he nipped and kissed her throat.

  Arching her back, she moaned as his tongue circled her swollen nipple before sucking it into his mouth.

  Every place that Wade touched her sent pleasure wrenching through her body.

  Trying to catch her breath, her quick pants of anticipation seemed to fuel his desire, evident by his rock-hard maleness pressing against her tender skin.

  She trembled in his arms as her body craved his.

  His voice was husky as he spoke against her ear. “I want you, Reese. I need to be inside you.”

  “Yes,” was all she could say. And she said it more than once.

  “Hold on.” He set her down and eased from the shower, dripping water across the floor as he peeled his briefs off, then grabbed his pants and dug out his wallet. Pulling out a condom, he quickly unwrapped it and fit it on before stepping back into the shower.

  Sliding his muscular arms around her back, he lifted her, pressing her into the wall as his hands cupped her butt. The steam rose from the shower, but it was nothing compared to the heat coming off Wade’s body.

  Everything about this man was magnificent, and she wanted him. All of him.

  Raking her hands along his back, she cried out as he entered her.

  The tiled shower wall was cold and hard against her back, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything except this man and the steady rhythm of his hips crashing into hers.

  The hot water beat against her skin as Wade’s fingers clenched her ass, drawing her tighter against him with each thrust.

  She filled her hands with his wet hair, clutching his head and crying out from the pure pleasure.

  His gruff sounds matched hers, and she clung to him as he took her to the edge. Then she was falling over, bliss filling her with each tremor of abandon.

  He met her stroke for stroke, and she reveled in his release.

  She melted into him, letting his body claim hers. His breath came hard as she freed her legs from his waist. Her legs trembled as she tried to stand, and she was glad he still had an arm around her waist.

  He grinned down at her. “Wow. You’re quite a catch.”

  She laughed, looking up at him, trying to express her unspoken promise that she really was his captive.

  He had captured not just her body, but her heart and soul. “Now that you’ve caught me, you know that means I’m yours.”

  His eyes were tender as he smiled down at her. “Babe, I’ve been yours since the night I took you fishing, and you pulled me out of the boat. You ended up hooking me that night. And as much as I’ve pulled on the line, I’m done fighting it, I belong to you now. I just hope you’re not planning to catch and release me.”

  Her heart melted. He said just the words she needed to hear.

  A huge grin spread across her face. “Oh, I do have plans for you. I’m not letting you go, but I might try for a few more releases.”

  He laughed and turned off the water in the shower. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around her wet body and drew her to him. “I do love a woman who can create a good fishing sex metaphor.”

  Did he just say he loved her?

  He’d pulled back and grabbed another towel. His eyes were covered as he toweled off his hair so she couldn’t read if he really meant that or if it was just a slip of the tongue.

  Wade dropped the towel and grabbed her, lifting her up and carrying her into the bedroom.

  His grin was broad, and she let his comment go as he asked, “What kind of bait do I need to get you into that bed?”

  “You’re already ‘luring’ me in with all this romantic fish talk.” She laughed as he set her on the bed and nuzzled her neck.

  “Good, my plan is working.”

  He climbed into bed with her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He’d just said he was hers, and she wasn’t letting him off the line.

  Chapter Twelve

  Wade padded barefoot into the kitchen. The morning sun shone through the window above the sink, and he caught himself humming a song he’d heard on the radio.

  Last night with Reese had been amazing.

  He felt good. Like they really did have a future. Last night had been rough, but they’d made it through. They might actually have a chance at something real here.

  The cabinet above the coffeemaker held filters and ground beans, and he started a pot of coffee brewing and searched for a cup.

  Images of Reese naked filled his head as he watched the dark liquid drip into the carafe. Reese in the shower, soapy water sliding off her body. Reese on the bed, her blond hair spread out across the pillows.

  After filling his cup, he brought it to his lips and took a sip. The hot liquid burned his lip, and he sloshed brown coffee down the front of his shirt. Great.

  He’d hung his pants and dress shirt over the shower the night before so they were dry, but totally wrinkled as he put them on this morning. The coffee stain just added to his general look of dishevelment.

  He needed to get out to his truck and get his duffle bag. He’d brought a clean change of clothes and his cowboy boots. He ran his hand along his whisker-stubbled chin. A shave wouldn’t hurt, either.

  Reese’s phone buzzed on the kitchen counter, and he looked down at the screen. A text popped up with his name in the message, and he couldn’t help himself.

  Tilting his head, he could view the message from “Dad” reading:

 
; Regarding Wade—You’ve made your point. Now can you please get back to work? And can you come get your dog this morning? He threw up in my shoe.

  She’d made her point?

  What the hell did that mean?

  Was dating him just a way to prove something to her dad? Was he some kind of lower class jab to get under her dad’s skin?

  At least he wasn’t the only one who’d been puked on last night.

  He grinned at the thought of Bagel hurling into one of Robert Hudson’s best loafers. Hell, he didn’t even own a pair of loafers. And the dress shoes he’d worn last night had given him a blister on his heel.

  He felt like he’d been playing at some kind of dress-up game where he’d worn a costume just to impress a girl.

  Thoughts of filling his hands with Reese’s luscious curves filled his mind. Dang, she was quite a girl.

  But was she worth all of this? Of his acting like someone he wasn’t? Of fights on the street in the rain? Of her chasing him down in her undies?

  Where the hell did she even find camo underwear?

  He needed to get his boots back on. And he needed to get some air. Too many thoughts were crowding his head, and he didn’t like the direction of any of them.

  Well, except the camo nightie ones, those were some pretty good thoughts.

  Grabbing a Post-it off the counter, he scribbled a note telling Reese he was going for a walk.

  Stuffing his bare feet into his dress shoes, he grabbed his keys and quietly slipped out the door.

  …

  Reese rolled over in the bed and stretched like a cat.

  Her body felt stiff, and she grinned at the thought of what had caused the stiffness. Wade.

  She reached for him, but the other side of the bed was empty.

  A momentary flash of panic filled her that he’d left again, but the smell of coffee filled the air. He must be in the kitchen.

  Maybe she could persuade him to have breakfast in bed, and by breakfast, she meant coffee with a side of her. All sides.

  She reached for her robe then changed her mind. Grinning like a fool, she threw back her shoulders and paraded naked into the living room.

  But the room was empty. And so was the kitchen.

  She spied Wade’s note on the counter and read it as she poured herself a cup of coffee. The coffee was still warm so he couldn’t have left too long ago.

  Her phone buzzed, making a clicking sound as it bounced against the granite countertops.

  Crud. Four messages from her dad.

  And all about Bagel.

  Her dad was normally great with the little dog. She sometimes thought he preferred the dog’s company over hers. Why was he so adamant about her getting the dog this morning?

  Her dad’s apartment was three blocks from hers. She could be there and back within ten minutes. She sighed, abandoning her plans for a leisurely morning in bed.

  Oh well. They could always have lunch in bed. And an afternoon snack.

  She quickly brushed her hair and teeth, then threw on yoga pants, a sweatshirt and some flip-flops. A bra would have been a good idea since she was going to see her dad, but she planned to be in and out, grab the dog and get back here as quickly as possible.

  And the fewer clothes she had between her and Wade today, the better.

  She wrote “Went to grab Bagel from my dad’s. Back in ten minutes—be naked,” on the bottom of Wade’s note then smiled in anticipation as she headed out the door.

  …

  Wade knocked on the door, hoping Reese was up.

  He juggled the tray of coffees and bag of donuts he’d picked up on his walk. In the past few weeks he’d turned her into a fan of maple icing, and the bag contained two large cinnamon rolls slathered in the stuff.

  He wasn’t sure if she’d feel like hot coffee or iced this morning, so he got her both. His backpack lay heavy against his shoulder as he reached up to knock again.

  The door swung open, and he almost dropped the bag of rolls.

  What the hell?

  “Hello, Wayne.” Brock stood in the open doorway of Reese’s apartment, a smug grin on his face.

  “It’s Wade,” he said, as he pushed past him into the living room.

  The cloying scent of flowers overpowered the room from the dozens of vases of red roses scattered around the room. He crossed to the kitchen and set the coffee and donuts on the counter. “Think you might have got a little carried away with the flowers?”

  Brock offered him a contemptuous smile. “Reese loves red roses.”

  No, she doesn’t, you ass.

  She loves purple asters and the bright orange Indian paintbrush flowers that grew next to the path on the way up to Cotton Creek Falls. She loved the yellow sweet clover that grew like crazy all over his grandmother’s property and that she filled Mason jars with to keep on the table beside her bed.

  Brock’s obvious confidence in himself and in being in Reese’s apartment infuriated Wade.

  He looked around the room, spying his note crumpled and on the floor by the refrigerator. “Where is Reese?”

  “She went out to grab a bottle of champagne.”

  Wade wanted to slap the condescending sneer from Brock’s face. “Isn’t it a little early in the day for champagne?”

  “We’re celebrating. I’ve officially asked Reese to marry me.” He pulled a ring box from his pocket and popped it open. A huge diamond sparkled against the red velvet interior of the box. “And she’s accepted.”

  “That’s bullshit.”

  Seeing that ring sent a river of dread churning through his gut. A small part of his brain asked why she wasn’t wearing the ring, but the bigger part of his ego took over and crushed any kind of logic his brain was trying to find.

  That was one hell of a huge rock. Who was going to say no to that?

  “Is it?” Brock straightened his cuffs in an obvious gesture of arrogance. “Look, Wayne, everyone knows the score here. Everyone, except you, it seems. Even Reese’s father is on board with our engagement. He told me he’d met you last night when I was over at his apartment this morning asking for his daughter’s hand in marriage.”

  Was that true? Maybe Reese was with her father now.

  Why the hell wasn’t she here, telling him this herself?

  He glanced at Brock, studied him.

  The man was beyond handsome. He looked as if he’d stepped out of a magazine, his designer suit crease free, gold cuff links winking from his sleeves. His dark hair was perfect and his teeth sparkling white as he grinned disdainfully at Wade.

  One more punch to his fragile ego, he cursed himself for still wearing the rumpled suit. The coffee stain down the front of his white shirt added to his feeling of looking like a homeless guy off the street. And he was sure his hair stood up in its typical early morning bed-head style.

  He must look like a total loser to this guy.

  Hell, he was a loser compared to this guy.

  The flames of his insecurities sparked to life, and his inadequacies overtook him. He scanned Reese’s apartment. He would never be able to keep her in the style she was used to.

  And he sure as hell would never be able to afford to give her a diamond anywhere close to that size.

  He didn’t even own a house. He lived on his grandmother’s property in the caretaker’s cottage.

  Who was he kidding? Reese would never be happy with him. Painful memories of Tawnya’s rejection filled his head, and his already fragile ego deflated like a saggy over-stretched balloon. Tawnya had been a middle-class girl trying to live beyond her means, and he didn’t even make enough money to keep her happy.

  Reese was used to living in wealth and luxury. She might be happy with him for a while, but then the glow would wear off, and she would miss this lavish life. She would have to.

  You made your point. Her dad’s text message crossed his mind.

  Was this all some way for her to get attention from her dad?

  Robert Hudson had one little girl, and
he was clearly an overprotective father. How would he ever accept Wade in her life, when the bar had been set so high by Brock-freaking-fancy-pants financial advisor?

  He didn’t need this. This constant barrage of pain to his heart. The push and pull of trying to make a relationship with Reese work. The drama.

  Suddenly Wade felt bone tired. Fatigued to his very core. He was tired of competing in this contest that he didn’t have a chance in hell of winning.

  It was easier to be alone.

  And it hurt a hell of a lot less.

  And where was Reese? Why had she crumpled up his note?

  Her absence made things pretty clear to Wade.

  She obviously wanted to be with Brock and didn’t have the balls to face him. Why else would she leave the apartment and not wait to tell him herself that she wanted to break it off?

  Maybe the text from her dad had gotten to her and made her see what a mistake she was making.

  He looked at Brock, and bile rose in his throat from the look of scorn and pity that he saw in the other man’s eyes.

  Clutching the strap of his backpack so hard his knuckles turned white, he struggled to hold back from punching this pompous ass in the throat.

  “You know what? You can have her. I already got what I needed.” He brushed by Brock, nudging him with his shoulder as he passed, feeling a slight sense of satisfaction as he saw Brock’s mask of contempt slip just for a second.

  He was done with this girl, done with this town.

  He pushed open the door of the apartment building and strode down the sidewalk toward his truck.

  His heart beat hard against his chest, anger and hurt swirling through his gut.

  Let her go back to the arrogant S-O-B. They deserved each other.

  He tried to ignore the next question. What do I deserve?

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Seriously, Dad. Wade is a great guy. He really cares about me.” Reese cuddled the fat pug against her chest. She’d spent too long at her dad’s apartment already.

  Wade was probably already back at her place.

  And if he’d followed her instructions on the note, and was naked, she didn’t want to waste any more time getting back to him.