Hot in the Saddle (Heroes in the Saddle Book 1) Read online

  “Shit.” He’d expected a fight, a confession, an apology, then, maybe, in his wildest fantasy, she would stay and they would work it out. This, though, was totally out of his capacity to deal with. She’d just given up, walked away. That proved her guilt, right? So why did he feel like the guilty one right now? Just like he had when his wife had left him. Why was he cursed to fall for women who deserted him?

  Her door opened and she brushed past, carrying her purse and her duffle bag. “I called Clint and told him I had to leave. He’s going to arrange people to help you.” Yanking open the back door, she stopped and looked his way. “Don’t sell, Treven. Your home is beautiful and if you don’t sell, they won’t be able to get anyone else in town to sell. Fight it.” Her voice broke. “You belong here.”

  Treven sucked in a breath as his chest seemed to contract.

  She left, quietly closing the door behind her.

  Was he crazy for wanting to run after her? Wanting to ask her to come back and talk to him, help him understand why she’d done it? Or had she? Her behavior was unlike any woman he’d met and subsequently broken up with. This was unlike his ex-wife’s desertion, because he’d asked Delta to go.

  Her yellow car passed the window on the way down the driveway.

  Panic gripped him. Nothing made sense. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her. He didn’t have her phone number, though. Treven looked at his hands. He couldn’t even drive to chase after her. Why had he let her go? And he’d forgotten—someone was out there, wanting to kill her.

  He was an ass. A moron. A man not worthy of a woman like Delta. How could he make this right?

  ****

  Four weeks later, Delta cruised the last dozen laps of a Florida race. She’d already been lapped by the lead cars, so no sense risking her life to get a better position. Hell, she didn’t even remember the name of the town, so this race couldn’t be too important, could it?

  The last weeks had been torture on her. Walking away from Treven—at his request—had nearly put her into the ditch a mile from his house. The tears had blinded her and made her pull to the side of the road, crying like her world had ended until a passing vehicle stopped next to her.

  Such nice people in Wild Oak. They didn’t deserve to have her company buy them out at cut-rate prices just so they could build a racing world resort that would serve only to put millions more into the company’s already overloaded bank accounts.

  Delta wanted to do something else with the money. Do something that would make a difference in the world. She had no idea what, but she’d bet any money Treven would. He’d be a great resource for knowing any kind of organization that would help firefighters, fire safety education, maybe in-school classes for older kids who might be interested in becoming firefighters or paramedics.

  But he’d never even tried to contact her, and she’d come to the realization that he’d been serious. She laughed a bitter croak. He was one mega-serious man, so when he’d asked her to leave, that was the end. No going back on that one.

  Passing her pit area, she saw Kellan’s old whiteboard being held out for her by someone in a white hat. When she got closer, she could see the word.

  Sorry.

  “Strange. What was that for?”

  Since learning that her crash and the brake line failure had been sabotage, Kellan had laid off—with pay—the entire pit crew until the investigation could be completed. He’d hired on people he knew and trusted from the old days. Retirees who’d been so out of practice, there’d been no way she could have possibly placed near the top of the three races she’d run since coming back after her near-deadly crash.

  And now they’d gone back to communicating with her on the old white-board signs? Great. Things were just getting weirder and weirder. She’d lost so much of her love of the sport since the fiery spinout in Wild Oak, that nothing shone anymore. Everything seemed dull. Or was it the aftermath of losing Treven?

  Coming around the turn again, she spotted the same person holding that goofy sign. This one was different.

  Forgive me.

  “No.” She craned her neck as she sped past, but at that speed, she couldn’t see a face. When her heart skipped a beat and her lips curved up into a smile all on their own, she knew it was him.

  Her cowboy.

  Nine laps left. She saw no sign, no man in a white hat for the next few laps, then he was there again, holding out the whiteboard.

  I was a real.

  She blinked. “A real?”

  Then next lap, three letters, written so big, they took up the whole board.

  Ass.

  Delta laughed and went two laps trying to blink the tears from her eyes. On her last lap, she spotted the man in the white cowboy hat, not holding anything this time, and she pressed the palm of her hand to the net over the window.

  He raised his hat and whipped it in a circle above his head.

  Glancing heavenward for a second, a chill raced through her. “Thank you.”

  The checkered flag marked the end of the race and she cruised into her pit area.

  Her team helped her out of the car and she tugged off her helmet and hood. “Where is he?”

  Kellen hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “By your trailer.” Her pit chief shook his head and stomped away. “Kids.”

  She didn’t care what anyone thought of her or Treven. This was something real for her, something she wanted more than anything, even racing. Delta ran for her man.

  There he was, halfway to her little trailer, his hat in his hand. Standing next to…her uncle?

  Oh, hell. She slowed and got her heart back into a normal rhythm, strolling up to them. “What’s the story here?”

  Treven stared at her as if he couldn’t get enough, a frown on his lips telling her he had some serious talking to do once they were alone.

  Her uncle, though, he looked like he’d been invited to his own funeral. In his expensive gray suit, his usually-perfect brown hair blowing in the breeze, he almost looked as if he’d been crying. “Delta, hon, I need to apologize, sincerely, and assure you I knew nothing about this.”

  Her gaze flicked between the men’s solemn faces. “Give it to me fast and straight.”

  Steven let out a breath. “Your aunt and I are separated. Divorcing.”

  Delta frowned. She’d known for a while that they weren’t very happy, but hadn’t realized it had gone this far.

  Her uncle rubbed a finger along the bottom of his nose. “She’s been on medication. Strong medication. For a while.”

  “Okay.” Delta nodded, not sure why this had to be done in person, and in front of Treven.

  Treven turned to her uncle. “You want me to tell her?”

  Steven nodded, his face growing red. “Would you?”

  What was this? Delta narrowed her eyes.

  “Your aunt.” Treven’s fingers worked his hat in a circle in front of his thighs. “She bribed a man on your pit crew.”

  Tipping her head, she tried to make sense of the words. Then it hit her. “Hired him to fix the car to…kill me?” Her voice grew shrill. “Steve?”

  “Yes, I’m sorry, hon.” Her uncle looked small, defeated, shrunken inside his suit.

  Delta had practically grown up with her cousins, in her aunt and uncle’s house. This couldn’t be right. “Why?”

  Steve let out a shaky breath. “Like I said, the medications were too strong, they made her a little unstable.”

  “A little?” A sudden burst of anger rolled through her, and her stare made her uncle drop his head.

  “She thought that by killing you…” Steve met her gaze. “It’d put your half of the company in my hands, and she’d stand to receive more in the divorce.”

  Delta’s knees started to shake and her world tilted a little.

  Treven stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her back, taking her weight against his warm, hard, amazingly comforting body.

  “How did you find out?” The words came out of her like firecrack
ers going off.

  Steve gestured toward Treven. “This guy here had the smarts to get his friend involved. Rex, is it?”

  Treven nodded. “Rex Tarrow. He’s an ex-marine, working toward his detective’s badge.”

  Delta had overheard part of the guys’ conversation when Rex had been at the Rusty Horseshoe for dinner.

  “Together they poked and dug until they got the truth out of everyone.” Steve shrugged. “The private detectives I hired couldn’t find anything. Thank God for these two.”

  “But, that must have taken weeks.” She glanced at Treven.

  His eyes softened. “I didn’t want to come to you until I had something that would help.”

  Steven gave a cough. “You mean, something that would save her life? Again?”

  Delta let the warmth seep from Treven deep into her heart. The heart that had been in a state of suspended animation for the last 4 weeks.

  Her uncle turned away. “We’ll talk later, but hon, know that I’m desperately sorry.” He walked away, and she let him go. She needed to hear the whole story, but right now, in Treven’s arms, she wanted to sort things out with him. Desperately.

  She’d already convinced their board of directors to put the theme park idea on hold, and was taking a more active role in the company to try to steer its direction away from projects that would displace dozens of hard working people. Like her cowboy.

  Glancing up at Treven’s face, she noted his eyebrow and lashes had grown back over the last four weeks. Taking a chance that the time apart had also softened him toward her, she took a chance. “Do you want to come in?” Her words sounded stiff, but if he said no, she’d be crushed. Was he holding her because he cared and wanted to be with her, or was his presence only because he had news about her near-death?

  Then she remembered the pit stop signs. “Since you gave me such a unique apology.”

  He smiled. “Lead the way.”

  They stepped up into her little trailer and she shut the door, sealing them in together, alone.

  “Delta.”

  She needed to be in his arms, but they had to talk first. “You’re forgiven.” She completely understood his reaction all those weeks ago. “I’d given up hope of seeing you again. And I still can’t believe you’re here.” That night nine days ago, when she’d made herself face the fact that Treven would never contact her? It had been the darkest of her life.

  “I realized my mistake as soon as you’d left the ranch. But I didn’t want to come to you unless I had something to offer you.”

  Nearly leaping into his arms, Delta flung her arms around his neck. “Just your handsome, brave face is enough for me. Not to mention your perfect gentleman’s personality and your kindness to every living creature.”

  Smiling, then frowning, he snorted. “I’m gonna have to work on my image, I guess.”

  “Uh uh. Not one bit.” She kissed his perfect lips. “And before you say any more about the investigation, let’s clear one thing up first. We have four weeks apart to make up for.” Wiggling her hips against his fly, she smiled as she felt a solid chubby forming there.

  The corner of his mouth jumped. “You sure you don’t want to talk a while?” His hand ran down her back, pressing her tight against him. His eyes darkened, signaling his preference.

  “Talking seems like the smart thing to do.”

  He nodded, looking less than happy.

  Taking his hat from his hand, she set it on the table. Delta needed the healing of being possessed by him completely, and giving him all of her, proving in a sensual way that she’d forgiven him, and he’d forgiven her. “I don’t feel like being smart right now.”

  He threw his head back with a laugh and grasped her butt with both hands, lifting her until her feet left the floor. “Delta, darlin’, that should be the tagline for our relationship.”

  Hanging onto his shoulders, she kissed him, their tongues teasing, their breaths merging as it panted from their lungs. Treven broke the kiss and peeled off her fire suit, then her long-sleeved fireproof undershirt, and her sports bra, while she unbuttoned his shirt and ripped it open, revealing his perfect chest. Then she remembered. “Your hands.” Grasping his wrists, she looked at them. Red in some spots, scars that were barely noticeable. “They look so good.” She eased his palms up to her bare breasts. “Feel so good.”

  He sucked in a breath and palmed her nipples. “They are healed, thanks to you.”

  In a burst of speed, he pulled down her fireproof pants and lace undies, and dealt with her boots, as she tore his jeans down, along with his briefs, and yanked off his boots. They stood naked, breathing hard and looking at each other.

  “I didn’t dare hope, Delta.” His brow furrowed.

  “I still think I’m dreaming.” She went to him and he picked her up, stepped forward, and pressed her against the polished wood wall. With one hand on her bottom, he used his other hand to lift her leg and slid his hand up her thigh to her pussy, which she gladly arched upward for him, hot for him.

  Heat spread along her core and her belly contracted. When he brushed her clit, she sighed and shuddered. “Together? Like the first time?”

  He bent his head and suckled her breast. “Yes ma’am. Anything you want.” The motion of his tongue on her tight peak shot lovely chills down deep into her belly.

  Lifting his head, he frowned. “Shi… Crap. I didn’t bring any protection.” He looked like his world had just collapsed.

  “I’m protected. And I trust that you’re as perfect, healthwise, as you are in every other aspect of your life.”

  He smirked. “Perfect? Hardly. I let you walk out of my life.”

  “Talk later.” She wiggled against his fingers. “Now, sex.”

  He chuckled. “Cavewoman. I love it.” Lifting her higher, he positioned himself with his cock just at her opening. Their eyes met for a long moment before he pushed his long, hot shaft deep into her, making everything inside her shift and heat.

  “Yes, Treven. I’ve missed this.” She gasped for air as her body burned with desperation. “I’ve missed this. Missed you.” Her head lolled to the side as he withdrew and entered her again, pulsing and thrusting, slow then fast, until his teeth clenched.

  Her mind raced in circles as the pleasure in her core escalated to a frenzy. “Yes.” Her shout sent her whirling on a wild ride across a silent universe that had her fingers digging into his shoulders, her body shaking, and her nerve endings buzzing. Fast and frenzied, the climax tore through her soul as she fought to feel every thrust, every movement Treven made inside her.

  Shouting her name, his muscles stiffened then shook for a second, his eyes opening to look into hers. “You’re back in my arms.” He continued to thrust inside her as warm wetness flooded in pulses deep in her core.

  On a sigh, she whispered, “I’m right here, Treven. Don’t ever let me go.” She meant so much more than just her body. Her heart, her soul, needed to be right here, right now.

  “Darlin’.” He breathed fast for a few seconds, his eyes growing serious again. “Bed?”

  She looked toward the back of the trailer. “Yes.”

  Still inside her, he walked the length of the trailer and eased her onto the bed, sliding his still-hard cock out of her and lying next to her. Touching and kissing, they stayed silent for a few minutes.

  “I want to hear all about your investigation.” Delta’s curiosity sobered her out of the lovely afterglow. “But not right now.”

  He shook his head. “No, right now, I want to apologize for asking you to go that day.”

  “Forgiven.” Staring into his beautiful eyes, she touched his cheek. “And I want to apologize for not telling you, from day one, that my uncle thought I was there to buy land.” She dropped her hand and glanced away. “I’m not one to keep secrets, but I was afraid you’d send me away before I got a chance to help you.”

  “Forgiven.” He brushed her hair from her face.

  “What now?” How would they make this work?<
br />
  “Let’s figure that out together, one day at a time.”

  She smiled and ran her hand along his big biceps. “Today, we’re here in…” Why couldn’t she remember the name of this place? “Whatever town this is in Florida.”

  He laughed. “You don’t even know where you are?”

  “Nope.” A burst of sweet emotion raced through her. “But I think I finally know where I belong.”

  “I do too, Delta.” He touched one finger to the spot over his heart. “There’s a place for you right here.”

  Tears welled in her eyes as her world finally stopped wobbling and spun easily on its axis.

  ####

  Ready for the second book in the Heroes in the Saddle Series? Rex’s book, Badge and a Saddle, will be released in the spring of 2016 in the Cowboy Justice 12 Pack, along with eleven other books from eleven awesome authors. Connect with me at any of the sites below to be kept informed of new releases. And here's a sneak peek:

  Rex and Mina’s story:

  Badge and a Saddle

  Chapter One

  Rex Tarrow set his badge and gun on the night table next to his bed and sat down on the mattress behind him. Dropping his head, he ran his fingers through his dark hair, which had needed a cut for the last two weeks.

  This missing persons case, though. It had consumed him, kept him awake nights, drew his attention away from his other duties during the day. Nothing about it made sense. Doctor Mina Cooper, an astronomer at the U of Texas at Austin. Why would a woman like her, single, young, beautiful, go out on a turkey hunt on a ranch just outside of Dallas/Fort Worth and disappear? And the woman was a friggin’ vegetarian.

  The neighbor’s dog barked. After midnight, and the darn animal was outside?

  A beam of light flashed through the room. It had to be the neighbor. Was that raccoon back after the garbage cans?

  Rex stood, even though every muscle, tendon, and bone in his body told him to lie down and get some sleep. Hell, what would one more night without rest matter? He trudged through the house to the back door as footsteps clomped up the porch steps and the flashlight beam caught Rex in the eyes.