Right Here Waiting Read online

  He caressed her shoulders before pulling down one bra strap before the other. He fumbled with the clasp, and when he got it undone, he dropped it to the floor. He continued his exploration, caressing her thighs and hips before hooking his thumbs into the waistband of the lacy garment she called panties.

  Once she was completely naked, he stepped back and examined her in the pale glow of the moonlight, which pooled through the window and bathed them in its milky glow. “God, you’re beautiful,” he growled before pulling her back into his arms and kissing her hard, taking her breath away.

  She finished undressing him and he began pushing her onto the bed. He continued kissing her, exploring her body with his hands. She allowed her own hands to explore. A fire burned out of control between them.

  He stopped kissing her and their eyes locked. He sank his manhood deep inside her and they became one. At first he didn’t move, allowing her to adjust to him being in her. “Make love to me,” she cried out, when she couldn’t take it anymore.

  He began a rhythmic motion. A raging inferno burned deep within her. Nothing like she ever felt before. While looking into each other’s eyes, they exploded, rocking their whole bodies. She cried out into the night when she reached her climax. He followed close behind. When it was all over, they laid there in each other’s arms, drenched in sweat.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The next morning as she slowly started to wake up, she wondered if she were dreaming. She stretched, yawned, and opened her eyes to find herself wrapped in Blade’s embrace. Her mind reflected back to the night before. She never meant for the night to end the way it did. What was she thinking? It must have been the two glasses of wine she consumed.

  She watched Blade as he slept. The sun was shining brightly in through the window. The rest of the men on the ranch were probably up and working by now. Surely, they were wondering where Blade was this morning. She would be mortified if any of them were to come to the cabin looking for him and found them in bed together.

  She needed to bathe, dress, and prepare breakfast for her and Blade so she could send him on his way and not have to feel guilty for not feeding him. It was the least she could do. But first she needed to find a way to get out of bed without waking him up in the process. As she tried to untangle herself from him, she felt his arms tightening around her. Could it be possible he was awake?

  She studied him in the early morning sunlight. His eyes were shut and she could see the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in and out. She tried again, but felt herself being pulled closer to him. Was he really awake? Didn’t he understand what they did night was a mistake?

  She only meant for them to have a romantic dinner together and for the night to end with dancing. Making love was not part of the plan.

  Once they started though, she was powerless to stop it. What if Blade wanted an encore of last night? If so, would she be able to stop him? She needed to. To make the mistake twice would be bad for both of them.

  She shifted again in a final attempt. To her surprise he rolled over and pinned her beneath him, making it impossible for her to move. “Why are you in such a big hurry to get out of bed this morning?” he whispered in her ear, and then began trailing kisses along her jaw and neckline. Heat instantly coursed through her veins and deep within her, and a steady ache began to grow as memories of the night before flashed into her mind.

  How could she tell him no? The look he was giving her was almost irresistible. In the position they were laying in, she could feel the heat radiating between them. She wanted him again so badly she ached for him. What would one more time hurt? No, Megan, her brain screamed. This couldn’t happen again. It shouldn’t have happened to begin with. She pulled herself together.

  “Stop!” she said, trying to push him off her. “We can’t do this.” She wished she could give into his advances. If only the circumstances were different.

  He stopped kissing her, but kept her pinned beneath him. She could barely think and a part of her wanted to plead with him to make love to her again. She was on the verge of tears and feeling frustrated, but she wouldn't let him see her cry.

  He watched her for a few minutes before he spoke. “Tell me why not? Don’t you like it?” She hated being put on the spot.

  She did however, love what Blade was trying to do to her. She loved how he made her feel. She loved him still, she realized, but she couldn’t tell him. Her mouth felt dry and she couldn’t seem to find her voice. She licked her lips frantically and saw a flicker of desire spark in his eyes. She needed to put an end to this madness now before it was too late.

  She said the first thing that came to mind. “You have work you need to get done, and if you don’t dress and leave now, someone will come looking for you. We can’t let them find us this way." Panic filled her voice.

  “So what if they do? You’re not a little girl anymore, Megan. You’re all grown up. Everyone knew this was bound to happen."

  She cringed with embarrassment. She hoped he wouldn't notice, but he did. “Even if everyone was expecting this to happen, I don’t think being discovered this way would be very appropriate,” she informed him.

  “No, I don’t think so. I’m not letting you out of this bed until you tell me why you won’t let me make love to you this morning.” His steel gray eyes were ablaze with anger. What happened during the night to make you change your mind?

  If she didn’t tell him the truth now, she would end up giving into him. She couldn’t tell him the complete truth though. She never felt more confused than she did right now. “I don’t think it would be a good idea if you and I were to repeat what we did last night.” She felt in her heart she was doing the right thing.

  “What the hell is wrong with you, Megan? You’re hot one minute, then cold and putting on the breaks the next.” He released his hold on her and got out of bed.

  She didn’t know what to say, so she just lay there, watching him gather his clothing up off the floor where they'd been hastily thrown last night. As he dressed, he kept his back to her, as if he couldn’t stand to look at her. Tears started stinging her eyes.

  Why did she get herself into? She should have drawn the line at dancing last night before it got this far out of control. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She got up, pulling the sheet around her. She left the room. He didn’t try to stop her. Didn't he care about her the slightest little bit?

  With the bathroom door closed securely behind her, she sat down on the toilet and started to sob. A short time later she heard him leaving the cabin. How could she have been so foolish? She should have known she couldn’t trust Blade Thorne.

  He was the type of man who tossed women aside as soon as he got what he wanted and grew tired of them. She always thought it would be different with her. Apparently it was just another one of her childhood fantasies and she was officially one more name for him to add to his growing list of conquests. To make her feel even worse, she realized she wouldn't be the last. There would be other women to follow.

  Her hurt turned into anger, and she dried away her tears with the back of her hand. She got up and drew herself a bubble bath. She lowered herself down into the bubbles and began to relax.

  She realized she needed something to keep her busy. This way she’d be able to avoid Blade. Right now she didn’t want to see him ever again.

  * * *

  After her bubble bath, which left her feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, she went into the bedroom. She got dressed, made the bed, and went to the telephone to make a call. A plan already formed in her mind, but there was someone she wanted to talk to first. It was her best friend, Julie Monroe in New York City. Talking to her closest friend would help her get through this situation and help her get over Blade.

  She waited through several rings before Julie answered the phone. “Hey Jules, it’s me.”

  “Hello, Megan! How the heck are you?” It was good to hear Julie’s voice.

  “I’m well as can be expected.” That was far from th
e truth, but she needed to figure out how to get the conversation started.

  “When are you coming home?” By the tone of Julie's voice, she could tell she was lonely. She missed Julie too. Back in the city, she would go over to Julie's apartment after work and they would talk about this over big bowls of Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream. She longed to be there now.

  “That's just it. I have to stay here in Idaho for a year.” She curled the telephone cord around her finger. She sighed. Why did she have fall in love with Blade? Why couldn't it have been some other man?

  She could have sworn she heard her best friend gasp. “You have got to be kidding me. Please tell me this is a joke? Am I on one of those hidden camera shows? Is someone like Ashton Kutcher or Jamie Kennedy going to jump out from behind the door?” Julie's words caused Megan to laugh.

  “I wish I could honestly tell you that, and you only wish Ashton Kutcher would jump out from behind the door, but I’m serious. This is no joke.”

  “Why are you staying there for so long?” Megan could hear the disappointment in her best friend’s voice.

  “It’s one of the stipulations my parents put in their will. I have to stay here for that length of time and run the ranch with Blade Thorne. If I fail to do so, the ranch will be turned over to Blade.”

  Jules sighed on the other end of the phone line. “Tell me about this Blade Thorne. Just his name alone sounds intriguing.”

  “He’s the head ranch hand and he runs everything around here.” Including my life, she thought. At least he tried to and she continued to fight him every step of the way.

  “Wait a minute!” Jules gasped, sounding as if she just struck gold. “Don’t tell me. This is the man you developed a crush on all those years ago. He’s the reason you left Hidden Oaks and didn’t want to return.” Leave it to Jules to figure everything out.

  This was the last conversation she wanted to have with anyone. Jules wasn’t making this any easier on her. She was trying to forget about Blade Thorne. If it wasn’t her mind betraying her, with images of Blade shirtless, his taught muscles glistening with sweat, the hot sun beating down on him as he worked, it was someone wanting to talk about him. She was beginning to feel exasperated.” She tightened the cord around her finger.

  “Can we change the subject?" she asked, hoping her friend would move their conversation in another direction. "I don’t want to talk about Blade.”

  “Something happened, didn't it? You and Blade have hooked up and have done the horizontal mambo together, haven’t you?”

  Jules knew her better than she knew herself. She just wished she never stumbled upon this piece of information. If she lied, Jules would know. “Yes, as a matter of fact, we did.” Tears stung at her eyes.

  “Good grief! Spill it, girl! And don’t be skimpy on the details, either. Was he any good?”

  “Last night he spent the night in my bed. And Jules, oh my gosh, it was incredible.” There, it was out in the open. It felt good being able to express that to someone she could trust not to tell anyone else.

  “Ooh. And this morning?” Images of their fight filled Megan's mind.

  “He left. That’s all there is to it.” She kept her answer simple, not wanting to get into too many details.

  “What about next time?” Megan stilled, the question catching her off guard.

  “There isn’t going to be a next time. Last night was it.” Saying the words out loud slashed through her heart like the sharp blade of a knife.

  “You mean a one night stand? This is so unlike you. You’ve never seduced a man without the promise of a commitment.” Megan could hear the shock in her best friend's voice.

  There were times when she wished her best friend didn’t know her so well. Right now was one of those times. She started twisting the phone cord around her finger again. It was a bad nervous habit.

  “Yes it was a one night stand, but I never meant for it to happen to start with. You know the old cliché, it just happened. One minute we were dancing the night away, which is as far as I meant for it to go and the next minute we were in bed having the most fabulous sex of my life. Can we please change the subject? I really don’t want to talk about Blade.” Right now, just the thought of him made her want to cry. What she wouldn't give to be back in New York. She knew if she did return now, she would miss Blade. I must really be messed up, she thought, releasing the phone cord.

  “I understand, but I have one more question about Blade, and I swear I’ll drop the subject after this.” Megan rolled her eyes. Now what?

  “What?” she asked, knowing full well she would soon regret to agreeing to let this conversation continue on.

  “Why can’t you just let Blade have the ranch? Pack up and come back home. You were planning to sell the ranch anyway, and besides, ranch life isn’t for you. Your life is here in the city now.” Another question she hated answering. She couldn't believe Jules could even ask her to turn everything over to Blade.

  She knew Jules was right about her life being in New York now. She no longer felt cut out for simple country life, but she wasn’t ready to leave yet. She was determined to stick it out for the year. She couldn't turn her family's ranch over to such an arrogant man. “I can’t just let Blade have my family’s ranch. You know me, Jules, I can’t resist a challenge.” She lived for it seemed more accurate. Being in New York and the work she did there was challenging. She thrived on it.

  “Are you sure you want to stay in Idaho when you could be home resuming the life you have created for yourself here?” She longed to be there, but there was a job she needed to do here. It was the least she could do for her parents.

  “It’s not a matter of me wanting to stay in Idaho. It’s a matter of me not wanting to back out of a challenge. Besides, my mom and dad made this request and it is the last thing I can do for them before I put everything here behind me.”

  “If you’re sure this what you want – “ Megan cut her off before she could finish getting the words out.

  “I’m really sure.” The last thing she wanted was to fight with Jules right now.

  After promising Jules she’d call her more often and hanging up, she knew she needed to call the advertising agency. She put it off long enough and she wanted set everything for her plan in motion today. She just hoped Mr. Harper would agree to it. She was nervous.

  His assistant, Vanessa Carlisle, answered the phone after several rings, but when Mr. Harper learned it was her, his voice came over the line in a matter of seconds. “Please tell me you’ve come to your senses and you’re coming back home today. We need you here. You wouldn't believe the work load we have on us right now.”

  “I’m not coming home yet.” She sighed as soon as the words were out and waited for her boss to explode.

  “And tell me why the bloody hell not?” There it was, as expected.

  “I told you before when we spoke the other night. I have to stay here for a year.” She hoped he didn't fire her.

  “Yes, I know you told me.” He let out a long sigh, sounding exasperated. “I just thought by now you would have come to your senses and figured out a way so you could come home. We need you here. One client is personally asking for you to work on his latest campaign. He loved the work you did on the last one.”

  “No I haven’t, but I do have a plan.” Would he accept the proposition she was about to make to him?

  “What is it? If it involves you coming back now, I’m all ears.” She sighed again. He wouldn't make this easy on her. Mr. Harper could be a very complicated man at times.

  “No, sir, it doesn’t, but I need you to hear me out just the same.” Would he go for her idea?

  “Oh alright, what is this plan you have come up with?” The man seemed disinterested, but he would hear her out just the same. She would see to it he did.

  “I was hoping you could set me up with a computer and teleconference equipment so I can do a lot of work here at the ranch.” She stopped, waiting for his response.
/>   “Are you serious?” He didn't seem very eager about the idea.

  “Of course I’m serious. I can’t come home yet, so what choice do we have?” She held her breath for a few seconds, giving him a chance to absorb everything.

  He was silent on the other end of the phone line. She knew he was thinking about it. She crossed her fingers. “Fine, but on one condition,” he said at last. “I’m not just sending the equipment you requested, I’m also sending Josh Burton there to work with you as your partner for the year.”

  Her mouth went dry. She and Josh dated a few times in the past. They were really good friends now, but did she want him here on the ranch with her? “Mr. Harper, it won’t be necessary. I just need the equipment shipped – “ he cut her off.

  “My final offer, Ms. Nelson; take it or leave it.” She knew he was serious. She let out a loud sigh.

  He was leaving her no other choice. Josh came here or she would be out of a job she couldn't afford to lose. “Fine, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

  * * *

  On the day Josh arrived and began unloading the equipment, she watched as Blade approached him. She hadn't spoken with Blade since the morning he stormed out of her cabin, so he didn't know what was going on. She could only imagine his reaction when he learned Josh was staying.

  She told no one about her plan, or the fact Josh was coming to spend the year with her on the ranch so they could work together as a team. She figured if there wasn’t an empty cabin to be found anywhere on the ranch; Josh could stay in her cabin with her and sleep on the sofa.

  She watched as Blade and Josh exchanged a few words before they shook hands. They exchanged some more words and suddenly Blade’s head jerked up and his gaze traveled in her direction. He turned his attention back to Josh, said something to him, and then began walking in her direction. She braced herself for the confrontation she knew would be coming soon.