Chapter 10: Chapter 10

NASH

It was late by the time they got home. Moe ran to them and jumped on Angel, almost knocking her over.

“Easy, boy,” she said between laughs. “Let us inside, will you? It’s freezing out here.”

She was killing Nash. Watching how she played with Moe, how she slid her boots off her shapely legs, how she brushed the snowflakes out of her hair…

He could feel his heart running away with itself.

~I need to bring this night to a close and get some self-control back.~

“I guess we should go to bed,” he said, hanging his hat on the hook. “Oh, erm, what I mean is, we should go to bed, separately, in our own rooms.”

She grinned at him. “I knew what you meant.”

They walked upstairs together, reaching her room first.

She leaned up against the door. “Thank you for a lovely evening.”

Nash placed his hand on the wall by her face. “I really enjoyed myself tonight. And you honestly do look beautiful in this dress. Goodnight, Angel.” He stepped back.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” she asked, looking at his lips.

“What?”

“Isn’t it sort of a tradition for the man to kiss the woman goodnight when he brings her home after a date?”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Nash leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips, hoping she couldn’t sense how nervous he felt. “Is something wrong? You look upset.”

She shrugged. “That kiss felt like one you’d give an old friend or a relative when saying goodbye. I guess I was expecting something more exciting. But never mind, if that’s all you got, it’s okay.”

He tongued his cheek to emphasize his smirk. “If that’s all I got? I’ll show you what I got.”

Nash put his arms around Angel’s waist and pulled her up against him.

He heard her gasp just as his lips came down on hers, his tongue finding its way inside her mouth, and he became more passionate, more demanding.

He felt her arms going over his neck as she returned his kiss, pushing her body harder into him, moaning as she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging here, pulling there.

When he felt his cock getting hard and their breathing becoming heavy, he knew things were about to spiral out of control. It took his willpower to stop and pull back.

“Was that better?” he asked, looking deep into her unblinking eyes.

With her eyes closed, Angel moved her head up and down slowly. “Yes, that was…much better.” She swallowed, then opened her eyes slowly. “Well, I guess I’ll go to bed now. Goodnight.”

“Night,” Nash replied. “Sleep tight.”

With a smile, he walked into his bedroom. As soon as he shut the door, he peeled his shirt off and buried his head into it.

Some time passed. Whether it was seconds or minutes, Nash couldn’t be sure, but he heard a soft knock on his door and turned around to open it.

Angel’s eyes went to his chest, then his arms, and he watched her lick her bottom lip.

“S-sorry, Nash. I-I’m having trouble with the zipper on my dress. I was pulling it down and the material got stuck. I don’t want to rip it since it’s the one Sherry gave me. Could you help me?”

Nash brushed his fingers along Angel’s shoulder, inviting her to turn around. “I can try.”

He pushed her hair over to the side, trying to keep his warm breath on her neck steady, touching her as softly as possible as he fiddled with the zip and the material.

“Wow, this is really stuck, huh?” He did his best to focus, but his eyes kept looking at her neck and smooth shoulders, and his thoughts drifted to what it would be like to kiss them.

At last, he waggled the zipper free, then pulled it all the way down, taking in the lines and shapes of her back.

Angel turned around to look at him. “Thank you, Nash. I’ll go now.”

Neither moved, and seeing her heaving chest made him breathe more quickly as well.

Nash reached to touch her face when Moe shot past her and into the bedroom, barking and wagging his tail.

“I, er, think he wants to go out, I’ll just go and open the door for him.”

She nodded. “Right, and I’m going to bed.”

ANGEL

The next morning, Angel and Nash both busied themselves from the moment they were up, and Angel couldn’t help but think it was because of the chemistry between them.

But Nash was the first to break the ice when he came into the kitchen and interrupted her making breakfast.

“I was thinking of going riding. Would you like to come with me?”

“I can’t be sure but I don’t think I know how to ride.”

“That’s all right, I’ll teach you.”

A small squeak escaped with Angel’s throaty laugh. “Okay, then, I’d love to give it a try.”

Nash beamed at her, took the pan from her hand, and dropped it on the countertop. “Leave all this. We can deal with it later.”

Angel changed into jeans and a T-shirt, pulled on her boots, and followed Nash and Moe to the barn.

As he saddled up two horses, she grew more nervous.

“Don’t worry,” Nash said, looking into her eyes. “These girls are good as gold, and I’ll be with you the whole time.”

He helped her up onto her horse before mounting his own, then holding the reins to her horse, he started down the trail.

“You won’t let go, will you?” Angel clutched the saddle tightly.

“I won’t let go, I promise.”

Despite his reassurances, Angel couldn’t help but squirm. She constantly had the feeling her saddle was going to slip off the animal’s back, taking her with it.

“Are you all right?” Nash said, bringing them to a stop.

Nash brought his horse around a little so he could face her and touched her thigh. The way she bit the inside of her cheek didn’t go unnoticed.

“Yes, just getting a little sore.” She let out a little laugh. “I don’t know how you cowboys can ride as much as you do and not end up bowlegged.”

He couldn’t help but laugh too. “Some are. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. I hope anyway.”

“Your legs are perfect,” she said. Blushing, she turned toward the Montana view. “This is a lovely spot. Do you and Moe come here often?”

“Sometimes, in the summer, we’ll sit under one of these trees and watch the deer drinking from the river.”

A shiver passed through her bones.

“We’re not far from town, and it’s getting close to lunchtime. Let’s go grab a bite at the diner.”

“Okay,” she answered and let him help her back up into the saddle.

Once she was secure, he smiled at her. “For the record, I think your legs are great too.”

***

They took a seat by the window where they could keep an eye on Moe and the horses. Angel felt bad Moe had to stay outside, but the dog seemed happy enough to sleep off his long morning run.

A young, blonde woman came over, touched Nash’s arm, and smiled at him before taking their order. Angel didn’t think anything of it until she returned with the coffee and looked at him.

“Charlie is having a Christmas party tomorrow. I sure wish I had someone to go with.”

Nash smiled back at her. “I’m sure a guy will ask you, Chris.”

He took a sip of his coffee, and she walked away.

“She seems nice,” Angel said, noticing the young woman was looking at him from the other side of the diner.

Nash peered out the window lazily. “She’s all right.”

“I think she was hinting for you to take her. If you want to go with her, I don’t mind staying home with Moe.”

Nash shook his head. “I don’t want to go out with Chris. She’s nice and all but she’s not my type, there’s no chemistry between us and I wouldn’t want to lead her on.” His eyes went to hers.

The waitress brought over their food, making a clatter as she almost threw the plates and cutlery onto the table.

“I get the feeling that there is more to you and Chris than you’re telling me. I know it’s none of my business but I don’t want to be the reason you aren’t going out with her.”

Nash stared into Angel’s eyes while pressing his interlocked hands against his mouth. After thinking for a second, he said, “She and I went out a while back, but it just didn’t feel right, you know?

“She and I are so different from each other. I love the country life; she wants to move to the city. I love kids; she doesn’t. It was better to end it before anything began.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

“I’m not,” he said, taking a bite of his burger.

“I wish I could tell you about me, but I still don’t remember anything.”

“Someone that looks like you, I bet you had guys falling at your feet. I know I’d have done everything in my power to make you mine.”

Angel felt the heat rising in her from between her legs and began to squirm.

“I’m sorry, I’m making you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s all right.” She looked down at her food, not wanting him to see how much his words were affecting her.

Despite being so close to him, she still felt a burning desire to be in his arms, to feel his lips on hers as he moved his hands over her body.

Underneath the table, she pinched herself on the thigh.

~I have to stop thinking of him like this. He is a stranger who is just being kind. He’s just saying all the things that he thinks I want to hear.~

Once they’d eaten their fill, and Nash paid, they returned to the horses.

Moe, who was much more well-rested, accepted the rest of Angel’s sandwich with a shake of the tail, bum, and even the back legs.

“Thanks for lunch,” she said as Nash helped her up onto the horse.

Nash tipped his hat, climbed into his saddle, and with Angel’s mount’s reins in his hands again, guided them onward.

***

It was starting to snow and had turned cold by the time they got back to the ranch.

Angel shivered when he helped her down. “It’s gotten so cold, aren’t you freezing?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“No, but I guess I’m used to the cold. I’m not surprised you’re not.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because of your tan. You look like you live somewhere warm and sunny. And when it comes to your instincts in the snow, well, I’ve seen better.”

He winked at her, and Angel stepped forward to punch him playfully in the shoulder, only to nearly slip on some hidden ice.

“See what I mean?” Nash laughed. “You’re freezing, Angel. Go inside and get warmed up. A nice, hot cup of tea will help.”

“Actually, I quite fancy baking us up an apple pie. What do you think? Want to help me?”

“I’d love to but I’ve got some chores to do first. I’ll be as quick as I can. Now, go, before you freeze to death.”

Leaving her on the porch and away from the house, Moe swiveled his head from side to side, trying to decide which master he wanted to stay with.

When Nash whistled, it was decision made, and the dog went bounding toward the muscular cowboy leading two horses to the barn.

Inside the house, Angel got to work right away, taking out all the ingredients and the flour and even managing to find a pie tin, then she cut up the apples and set them aside.

As much as she was enjoying herself, she couldn’t believe how little progress she’d made by the time Nash walked in with Moe.

“Do you know how to bake a pie?” he asked, smirking.

She smiled back at him. “I guess we’re going to find out. I ~feel~ like I can.”

He went over and swiped one of the apple slices.

Angel shot him a stern look. “Don’t you dare eat that, it’s for the pie.”

Nash grinned as he steadily moved the slice in between his fingers toward his slowly opening mouth.

“What if I do? Nothing you can do to stop me.”

Before he could take a bite, she threw a handful of flour at him.

He glanced down at his shirt and back at her. “You didn’t just do that?”

“Yes, I totally did,” she said, laughing as she threw more at him.

Shaking his head, he smiled and grabbed some flour, too, before throwing it right back at her.

They ducked and dove, using the cupboards, countertops, and, on one occasion, Moe as shields against the onslaught.

Angel tried to sneak around the counter on one side, only to be grabbed from behind. She squealed with laughter and tears fell down her cheeks as Nash rubbed the powder into her hair.

“You can’t escape me,” Nash cried out.

Angel stopped resisting, and the laughter faded. With the counter at her back, and his huge arms on either side, she had nowhere to go.

She looked into Nash’s gorgeous blue eyes. “I don’t want to escape.”