“Colt, I’ve come to visit.” Ben was so excited he jumped up and down, a nervous ball of energy.

  “I’ve come to visit too, Elise,” Josh said as he looked down at her. He touched the brim of his hat and leaned his forearm on his saddle’s horn. “Thought you might like to go for a ride.”

  Elise beamed up at Josh. “Has anyone ever told you that you have perfect timing?”

  Josh gave her a roguish grin, then winked at her. “Why, yes ma’am. On more than one occasion and in many varied ways.”

  Elise didn’t miss the sexual undertones of his words. She just chose to ignore them. She turned and handed her camera to Mace. “Here, take a few pictures for me. I’m going for a ride.”

  Mace gave her a long, assessing look then flicked his gaze to Colt as he took the camera from her hand.

  Elise put her foot up in the stirrup and lifted herself up on Lightning’s back. Her gaze met Colt’s across the parking lot. He’d looked up from talking with Ben. May was still hovering by his side. Elise turned away and pulled slightly on the reins, tightening her thighs on the horse as she kicked and said, “Hee-yah” to nudge the mare into a full gallop back toward Double K property.

  She must’ve taken Josh by surprise because he was a little behind her as she took the horse at breakneck speed across the plains. She felt the clip fly out of her hair, but she didn’t stop. The feel of the hot wind whipping around her felt too good. Lightning was a very smooth ride. More and more, she considered purchasing her.

  Elise slowed her horse to a trot so Josh could catch up. After stopping and dismounting briefly, Josh got back on his horse and rode up beside her, his green eyes twinkling. “You ride well.” He looked down at Lightning and grinned. “You two really do go well together.”

  Elise slowed the horse to a walk and then stopped as she patted her horse’s neck. She looked at Josh. “You’re right. We do seem to do well together. Maybe I’ll consider buying her.”

  “That’s my girl,” Josh said with a grin. He handed her the clip that had fallen out of her hair as she rode. “Thought you might want this.” Lifting his hand to her hair, he touched a strand. “But personally, I like it down much better.”

  Elise smiled and hooked her clip on her jeans’ belt loop. “Show me around The Double K, Josh.”

  Josh straightened his shoulders. “It would be my pleasure.” He steered his horse toward the main ranch house.

  Once they arrived at the ranch, Josh immediately jumped down and put his hands on her waist to help her down off of Lightning. “Thanks, Josh,” Elise said with a smile at his chivalry as she lifted her leg over the horse to face him, then leaned forward and put her hands on his muscular shoulders to accept his help. What she didn’t expect was Josh to pull her flush against his hard frame as he let her body slide down his own until her boots touched the ground.

  When he didn’t immediately release her, she glanced up into his face with a questioning look and was surprised at the desire she saw reflected in his gaze. “Um, I’m on the ground now,” she reminded him with a chuckle.

  “It’s just that you feel so perfect right where you are,” he shot back with a devilish grin, his grip tightening around her waist.

  “Who’ve you brought for a visit?” An older man called over to Josh as he walked out of the stables with a horse in tow.

  With a reluctant expression, Josh released her and stepped away, introducing her to his dad, Kenneth. Then he took her around the rest of the ranch where she met his brother, Ben Senior, and his wife, Lacey. Unfortunately, she didn’t get to meet his mother since she was running errands. She loved the feeling of acceptance that settled within her while Josh introduced her to his family as “a new neighbor from the Lonestar ranch”.

  They walked around the main stables and were alone in the side yard when Josh stopped and grabbed her hand. Pulling her close, he sat her down on a bench against the barn, then settled beside her.

  Elise smiled up at him. “Thanks for bringing Lightning over for me to ride.”

  “Lightning?” Amusement shown in his eyes. “I see you’ve already named her.”

  Elise laughed. “Yes, I suppose I have.”

  Josh’s eyes turned serious. “Elise, you know the horse wasn’t the only reason I came to visit. I wanted to ask you out. So what do you say?”

  Elise was about to answer him when a shadow fell over them. Colt stood there holding Ben’s hand.

  Ben ran over and started talking animatedly to his Uncle. “Uncle Josh, man, they have some mean-looking bulls over there and those broncs!”

  “Ben wanted to tell his Dad about all he had seen. I told him I would bring him back.” He looked pointedly at Josh. “Since I didn’t know when you would be returning.”

  Josh flashed him an I-got-the-prize smile.

  Elise stood up. “Well, I’d better get back. I have a website to work on.” She put out her hand to Josh. “Thanks again for bringing Lightning.”

  Josh shook her hand but held fast when she started to let go of his. “And my other question?”

  She didn’t want to hurt Josh, so she deliberately misunderstood him as she withdrew her hand from his with a smile. “I’ll think about buying Lightning from you.”

  She turned to follow Colt as he walked toward the horses. Colt mounted Scout and Elise mounted Bess. She waved to Josh and Ben as well as the rest of the Kelly family, as she and Colt walked their horses back in the direction of the Lonestar.

  As soon as they were out of sight of The Double K, Elise kicked her horse into a full gallop. She heard Colt call her name, but she didn’t stop. She didn’t want to be alone with him. She wanted to ask him about leaving in the middle of the night, but she didn’t dare. Maybe he really meant for it to be a one-night stand. Plus, May put a whole new twist on things she hadn’t anticipated.

  Elise slowed Bess to a trot once she reached the ranch. Colt was not too far behind her. She made it to the stables and dismounted. Where was everyone? The stables were empty. She listened, then she heard laughter and realized it was coming from the kitchen in the ranch house. It sounded like Nan was busy.

  She hurriedly unbuckled Bess’s saddle and slid it off her back. She turned to put it on a sidewall hook when she looked up and saw Colt standing outside Bess’ stall holding Scout’s reins. Her heart skipped several beats until he led Scout to his stall without a word to her. She gave a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to talk to him right now.

  Turning, she picked up a brush and began grooming Bess.

  “Did you enjoy your ride?”

  She jumped when Colt’s warm body pressed against her back. She chose not to turn around, but continued grooming the horse. “Yes, it was exhilarating, as always.”

  Colt wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. Elise stiffened while he ran his hands down her thighs and back up the vee they made at the top of her legs. She gritted her teeth at the tantalizing sensations he created, but she refused to let him seduce her. Colt must’ve realized her resistance in the stance she took, because he immediately turned her around and walked her backwards until her back touched the stable’s wall.

  His eyes glittered in anger. “When you’re with me, you’re with me and no one else.” As he finished the last word, his mouth came down on hers, hard and punishing. Elise kissed him back. She was so turned on by his anger and possessive tone she couldn’t do anything else. At least she hoped his actions meant he cared.

  Colt pressed his erection against her, causing her to moan at the hard contact. She dropped the brush and wrapped her arms around his neck, eliciting a growl of satisfaction from him as his hands skimmed down her body, across her breasts, then around her waist to land on her hips. Lifting her, he wrapped her legs around him as he arched into her. Trailing hot kisses down her throat, he gave her a nip or two along the way.

  Elise turned her head to give him better access to her neck as she gasped at the rhythmic thrust of his body against hers. The idea of the unfulfilled throbbing she knew she’d have to endure for the rest of the day, if they didn’t finish what they started, made her press herself harder against him.

  “Do you want me, Elise?” his whisper in her ear was sexy and seductive all at once.

  He stopped moving and just held her there, suspended in air with his hips, his erection pressed intimately against her. She tightened her arms around his neck. “Yes, I want you.”

  Colt set her legs back down on the ground and took a step back as a guarded look crossed his face. “Then show me you want me.”

  Elise was glad he’d thought to shut the door to the stall. She gave him a saucy grin as she moved to pull off her shirt. When she saw Colt’s nostrils flare as he waited in anticipation, she stopped.

  “Do you want me?” she asked, throwing his question back at him.

  Colt’s stare was so hot she thought she just might melt right there at his feet. She had her answer. She stared boldly into his eyes as she lifted her shirt, pulled it over her head and tossed it on the floor. Colt’s gaze gravitated toward the twin curves of flesh peeking above her bra. She moved to take off her bra, but stopped, then smiled knowingly. “Do you want me to take it off?”

  Colt clenched his fists by his side. This was his game after all. He flicked his gaze away from her breasts to meet her eyes for the briefest of seconds. “Yes, I want you to take it off. Now.”

  Elise unhooked the bra but didn’t remove it from her breasts yet. “Colt,” she demanded his attention, “when you’re with me, you’re with me only. Am I clear?”

  He locked his gaze with hers. “As a bell.”

  Elise gave him a siren’s smile as she removed her bra and tossed it on top of her shirt.

  When Colt moved to touch her, she held up a hand. “Not yet.”

  Balling his hands into fists once again, he let them fall to his sides, his expression intense, his control barely held in check.

  Elise walked over and pulled his shirt open to reveal his bare chest. She put her hands down by her side and moved closer to him until the tips of her breasts touched his body. Leaning over, she went up on her toes to kiss the pulse beating against his throat, letting her breasts brush his chest in the process. She smiled when she heard Colt’s breath hiss out.

  Elise moved lower and ran her tongue over his nipple. Straightening, she met his burning gaze. “You can’t use your hands, but you can use your mouth…”

  Before the words were barely out of her mouth, Colt captured her lips with his. The thrust of his tongue was nearly her undoing until he moved his mouth down her neck to her shoulder where he bit her gently.

  “That’s for leaving with Josh, Princess.”

  Elise gasped at his aggressive behavior. She leaned over and licked his nipple once more. When she put her teeth on the tiny nub and bit down, Colt sucked in his breath.

  “That’s for kissing your ex in front of me, Cowboy,” she said, meeting his gaze.

  Colt raised his eyebrow, then leaned down and grasped her nipple in his mouth. He sucked long and hard until she was a mass of highly sensitized nerves, arching against him. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he nipped at her nipple, stood straight up and looked her right in the eyes, his expression intense. “That’s for letting Josh think he has a snowball’s chance in hell of ever getting in your pants.”

  With a determined look, he started advancing on her. She had to back up so she wouldn’t fall. Before she knew it, Colt had her backed against the stable wall. He planted his hands against the wood on either side of her body. Elise gasped when he leaned down and ran his tongue in a slow, seductive circle around her nipple.

  “Do you want me to touch you, Elise?” he asked, his voice a sexy purr.

  Elise knew he wanted her to ask. She refused to be the one. She shook her head.

  “Are you sure?” Colt licked her nipple again and this time blew on it for good measure. It tightened into an even harder bud, if that were at all possible.

  Elise squeezed her eyes shut, but jerked them open again as Colt traced a lazy trail with one finger from her collarbone down across her chest to the top of her breast until he reached the tip of her wet nipple.

  When he raised his eyes to hers and she saw the longing and unchecked desire reflected in them, Elise whispered, “Touch me.”

  With a low growl, he placed both palms on her breasts and cupped them fully in each hand. Grazing his work-roughened thumbs over each nipple, he lifted one of her breasts to his descending lips. After he’d sucked the firm peak into his warm mouth and drew on it tenderly, he moved to the other breast and treated it with the same tenderness.

  Elise moaned at the vibrations flying throughout her body at his gentle touch. Her heart raced as Colt moved his hands lower and unbuttoned her jeans, his movements changing to a faster pace as his eyes blazed with need.

  “I’ve got to have you…now!” he ground out.

  Before he started to lower her jeans, Elise toed off her boots. She then kicked her jeans and underwear the rest of the way off. As Colt pulled a condom out of his pocket and opened the packet, she unbuttoned the top button of his jeans. She didn’t bother with the rest of the buttons, she jerked and they all gave way. While she pushed his jeans down as far as his boots would allow, Colt rolled on the condom.

  Elise barely had a chance to straighten up before he’d lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist. Pressing her back against the stable wall once more, his eyes burned with unadulterated lust as he let gravity slide her body down on top of him. Elise moaned and felt her climax begin before he was even fully seated inside her.

  Colt leaned over and kissed her to muffle her cries of ecstasy. “God, Lise, you take my breath away,” he admitted when her body finally stopped contracting around him.

  Holding her gaze, he withdrew and pushed back in as far as her body would let him go. Elise gasped at the pleasure of being so thoroughly taken. Her breathing turned more erratic as Colt increased the tempo, pressing into her, taking their lovemaking to a higher pitch, a harder, faster ride. She locked her legs around his waist and laid her head back on the stable wall. “I’m yours for the taking.”

  “Mine,” he gave a satisfied growl as he pumped into her once more. He held himself still as she called out his name while she vibrated around him once again, before he continued thrusting until his body was completely spent.

  He let his head fall on her shoulder as their panting turned to even breathing. While Elise stroked his shoulders lightly with the palms of her hands, he lifted his head and stared directly into her eyes. “I’m a one-woman man, Elise. I don’t want to see you go off alone with Josh again.”

  She pursed her lips. “Same goes for you. But, you and May have a history. It’s a little different.”

  Colt arched his eyebrow. “You said the operative words. We ‘had a history,’ as in past tense.” Setting her down, he kept his gaze locked on hers. “The only person I can’t seem to get enough of is you.”

  A satisfied smile rode up her face. “Just so you remember that.”

  Colt pressed his lips to hers before he moved to get dressed. He looked around for a place to dispose of the condom before he pulled it off, then gave her a wry smile as he pulled up his pants, saying, “Guess I’ll be a bit uncomfortable until I get to the bathroom.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. Once he was dressed, he turned to her. “I’ll go out first.”

  Elise nodded as she picked up her clothes. She was pulling on her boots when she heard May say, “There you are, Colt. I’ve been looking for you. I heard the most disturbing news. Something about that brunette being part owner of the Lonestar?”

  Elise smiled to herself. That should throw a wrench in May’s plans.

  Her smile faded when she heard May continue, “So, what are you going to do to get rid of her?”

  Elise didn’t hear Colt’s answer for Bess chose that moment to neigh loudly.

  “Colt, I miss you, honey. We were soooo good together,” May purred.

  Okay, that comment had her quickly moving to the stall’s door. Elise opened the door to the stall and walked toward the entrance of the stables where Colt and May stood talking. Colt’s back was to her and May faced her direction with her hand on Colt’s chest. Elise knew May noticed her because she stopped talking as she approached.

  Winding her hair up as she walked toward them, she reached for her clip from her belt loop and slipped it in her hair. She only stopped her brisk pace for the briefest of seconds to tuck in a corner of Colt’s shirt that hadn’t made it into his pants. Elise gave Colt a brazen smile and said as she tucked it in for him, “Here, let me help you out, Colt. You’re not quite tucked.” She noted the suppressed mirth in his eyes and the indignant gasp from May, as she dropped her hand to pat his firm buttock before she continued her walk toward the office.

  Elise chuckled to herself as she opened the office door. Never had she so blatantly and thoroughly branded a man as hers and it felt good. Damn good!

  Unfortunately, she ran right into Mace as she walked in the door. “Mace!” she called out his name in surprise. How much had he seen? she wondered.

  Mace crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled, then gave her a wide smile. “Now that has to be the fanciest piece of maneuvering I have ever witnessed, Elise, and I consider myself an expert on the subject.”

  Well, she didn’t have to wonder anymore. She smirked then asked with a frown, “Tell me you’ve already taken her picture.”

  Mace’s grin deepened. “Yes, fortunately for you, I did. I thought it would be best, seeing as how you might just put a picture of a heifer up on the website with her name and description below it if I didn’t.”

  Elise raised her eyebrow. “Now there’s a thought.”

  Chapter Ten

  Elise sat down at her desk and worked steadily until lunchtime, writing up interview questions for the rodeo personnel to answer. She even spent ten minutes having a bit of fun with May’s questions. When did you first realize Colt was your ticket to owning a ranch? What? You mean rodeo clown isn’t your job? With a grin, she deleted the questions, intending to ask May the same questions she asked the other rodeo employees.