“No. What do you see?”
“Other condo buildings. And a Dumpster. No stars.”
“You could buy your own place, couldn’t you? One with a view?”
“I could. But I don’t want to make a permanent home in L.A.”
He took a couple swallows of beer and stared out over the land. “Where do you want to live?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just never felt settled enough to consider setting down roots anywhere.”
“A product of your upbringing?”
She laughed. “Maybe. And because I travel so much for work, the condo I live in has always suited me. Until recently.”
“What changed recently?”
“Me, I guess. I’ve been . . . restless. Unhappy.”
He laid his beer down on the table next to him, and turned his chair to face her. “Tell me why you’re unhappy.”
“I don’t know. Maybe that’s the wrong word. Whenever I think it, I’m almost ashamed. What the hell do I have to feel unhappy about? I have this amazing career that I’m so lucky to have. Do you know how many women would kill to be where I am? So many actresses fight and struggle to get work. And I’ve been working steadily since I was nineteen.”
“Maybe that’s why you’re unhappy. Maybe you need a break.”
She laughed. “Working actresses don’t take breaks. You take a break, you’re forgotten.”
“I think that’s bullshit. If you’re good at what you do—and from what I hear and the little I’ve seen, you’re definitely good—then you can afford to take some time off. When was the last time you had a vacation?”
“I don’t know. I have breaks in between movies.”
“What do you do on these breaks?”
“Clean my condo. Go catch up on movies I haven’t seen. Reconnect with my friends. Visit my parents. Read scripts for new projects.”
“That’s not a vacation.”
She gave him a look. “Isn’t that a little like the pot calling the kettle black? When do you take vacations?”
“I’m not unhappy.”
“But are you fulfilled? Do you have everything you want, Logan?”
He didn’t answer for a few seconds, then said, “I’m satisfied.”
“Now you’re avoiding. I think you’re just like me. Satisfied means you’re okay, but you feel like there are holes in your happiness.” She stood and walked to the edge of the deck and stared out over the vast expanse of land. “For a while I was content with that. Now I’m not. I don’t want there to be holes anymore.”
He got up and stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her. “Only you can do what it takes to make yourself happy, Des. No one else can be responsible for that.”
She took a deep breath, sliding her hands along his muscled forearms. “I know.”
“So what do you need?”
She leaned her head back against his shoulder. “Right now? Just this. To be with you here tonight with a million stars overhead and no one else around.”
“And tomorrow?”
She turned and laid her hands on his chest. “Screw tomorrow. I don’t want to think about tomorrow when today was so perfect, and tonight I’m here with you.”
He threaded his fingers into her hair and kissed her, and every other thought left her mind except his hands on her and the way his mouth moved over hers. Logan had a way of making her forget everything that wasn’t important. And what could be more important than the seductive slide of his hands down her back, his tongue tangling with hers, or the sounds he made as he backed her against the wall of the deck?
She found it hard to breathe as he slid his hand under her shirt and palmed her stomach. Logan’s touch was always magical, zipping through her nerve endings and making her feel as if she’d never experienced these kinds of sensations before.
And when he lifted her tank tops over her head, she went for his shirt, too.
He took a step back and drew his shirt off.
It was dark, very little moon tonight, but she used her sense of touch to slide her hands over his chiseled abdomen and up over his chest. Her heart beat a staccato rhythm as he slipped his arm around her and undid her bra, then drew it down her arms and cast it on the pile of clothes on the chair.
She met his gaze, wishing it were light outside so she could see his eyes, but she felt his heartbeat pounding away like hers, and when he brushed his fingers over her nipple, she gasped, her body going haywire as he rubbed back and forth, shocks of pleasure shooting straight to her core.
But there was more to come because he shifted her, and then his mouth was at her breast. Her world spun as he flicked his tongue over the bud, then pulled it fully into his mouth to suck.
“Logan.” She grasped his hair and held on, feeling dizzy, sizzling with the need to make these sensations go on forever. He worked her other nipple, then kissed the underside of her breast, dropped to his knees and tugged her shorts and panties down. She stepped out of them.
“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, Des?”
She looked down at him. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Well, you are. Every part of you, from your cute, pink painted toes to your long legs and your amazing eyes. And right here, too.” He put his mouth on her and swiped his tongue across her sex.
She trembled, letting out a moan as he brought her to new heights of pleasure. Des focused on the stars as Logan focused his mouth on the center of her universe, until she tightened her fingers in his hair, unable to hold back her moans of pleasure. And when she let go, she released with a loud cry. Logan held on to her as her knees buckled, the strength of her orgasm making her tremble.
He was right there seconds later, his face even with hers, pulling her against him, his erection brushing her hip as he kissed her with a force of passion that rocked her and brought her right back to that feverish desire she’d felt only moments ago.
She fumbled with the button of his jeans, and he helped her. He broke the kiss only long enough to free himself, grab a condom, and put it on, and then he’d backed her against the wall, spread her legs, and slid inside her.
She loved the passion, the need he seemed to feel to be with her. It was the same hunger that fueled her, and when he thrust inside her, she kissed him, flicking her tongue against his, mindless with the passion that never seemed to lose its fuel whenever she was with him.
He took her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged, flaming her fire to incendiary levels. She whimpered as he drove deeper, rubbing against that sensitive spot that tingled and tightened within her while she was grasping his cock, claiming him as hers.
He pulled back, searching her face. “Des.”
The strain in his voice as he moved against her reflected what she felt. The tension, the need that occupied every nerve ending in her body, that stretched her taut on a rack of need, making her body tighten as he pulled back, then slid within her again, hitting every one of her pleasure spots until the stars she saw weren’t in the sky but within.
She held tight to his shoulders as she fought for balance, as she hovered right on the brink until he rolled against her. When she released, he was right there with her, catapulting both of them over the edge. He grasped her chin and held her, kissing her with a passion that only served to batter her senses with an onslaught of pleasure that brought tears to her eyes.
She was shaking as she floated back down to earth, her limbs hardly able to hold themselves upright. Fortunately, Logan had a firm hold on her as they disentangled and they made their way back into the house.
“Shower?” he asked.
“Yes.” He turned on the shower and they climbed inside. Logan gently washed her, and she had the pleasure of running her hands over his body. They dried off and Logan stepped out onto the deck to grab their clothes and bring them inside.
“Would you like to stay tonight?” he asked.
She nodded.
“What time do you have to be back tomorrow?”
“We don’t film tomorrow. We have two days off.”
His lips curved. “I could put you to work tomorrow here.”
She crawled onto the bed and lay on her side, her head propped up in her hand. “Think you could make a rancher out of me?”
“I don’t know. You do have boots, right?”
“Indeed, I do.”
He got in bed and lay down beside her, lazily stroking her hip. “Then tomorrow, let’s see what you’ve got.”
She grinned. “You’re on, McCormack.”
Chapter 16
DES FROWNED AS she was poked in the butt.
“What?”
“Let’s go. Time to get up.”
She blinked and looked outside “It’s still dark.”
“Yup. Come on. You want to work cattle today, we have to get an early start.”
She rolled over onto her back and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. “Jesus, Logan. It’s not even five a.m.”
“Welcome to cattle ranching, Des. Changing your mind?”
In the foggy part of her sleep-addled brain, she recognized the challenge she heard in his voice. She slid out of bed and yawned. “Nope.”
“You’ll need jeans. I’ll drive you to your trailer so you can grab a change of clothes.”
“Great. Coffee first, though.”
“Already have it brewed.”
“You’re like some kind of vampire.” She grabbed her clothes and, in a daze, climbed into them. True to his word, Logan had coffee made downstairs.
Martha was already there, too, and something that smelled an awful lot like food came from the stove.
“Morning, Des,” Martha said, looking not at all shocked to see her there.
“Good morning, Martha.”
“There’s bacon and egg sandwiches for breakfast this morning. Logan tells me you’re going to stay on the ranch and work with him today.”
“I’m going to attempt it. We’ll see how it goes.”
Martha handed her a brown paper bag. “You’ll do just fine. Grab yourself some coffee in one of those cups with a lid. You two can eat in the truck while you go get yourself some different clothes. I’ll see you for lunch.”
“Thanks, Martha.” Des filled her cup, slid on the lid, and took the bag from Martha. She headed out the front door, where Logan already had the truck ready. She climbed in and put the bag between them.
“Martha didn’t say anything about me being there.”
“Why would she? She likes you. Hand me one of those sandwiches. You should eat, too.”
“Who can eat this early?”
“You will. We’re going to burn a lot of fuel, so force yourself even if you’re not hungry.”
She opened the bag, the smell of bacon wafting out, which immediately woke her stomach. While Logan drove over the ruts in the road, Des unwrapped the other sandwich and took a bite.
“Yum.”
Logan nodded while busily chewing.
“I’ll dash in and change clothes. I won’t take long.”
Logan put the truck in park and turned in off. “I’ll walk in with you.”
She should be used to his manners by now, but they still surprised her. “Okay.”
It only took her a minute to change into her jeans, a T-shirt, and her boots. She braided her hair and then she was ready. She finished her sandwich and her coffee in the truck on the way back to the ranch.
“What are we doing today?” she asked Logan as they made their way to the pasture.
“Moving and sorting cattle.”
“Which means what, exactly?”
“We sort them according to size before we work them. Then when we return them to the pastures for grazing, they’re all of equal size. It makes a difference when we load them up for sale later on in the year.”
“Okay.”
“Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“Sort of.”
“That means no. We’ll go slow. You’ll get the hang of it.”
She laughed. “I love your confidence in my abilities.”
When they entered the barn, Logan chose a horse for her.
“This is Athena. She’s a sweet mare and perfect for you.”
The gray-and-black dappled mare had a thick black mane over her crest, and stood very still while Logan saddled her.
Des ran her hands over her and spoke to her in quiet tones. Logan led her out to the fence where his own horse, who Des learned was named Frosty, waited for them.
“She’s beautiful, Logan.”
Logan patted Athena. “Yeah, she is. She doesn’t get to ride as much anymore, so she’ll enjoy working today.”
“Is she older?”
“Older than some of our working horses. She’s enjoying her retirement, but she’s still got some miles left in her, don’t you Athena?”
Des admired the way Logan spoke to the horses. There was a warm respect in his voice, as if he knew the work the horses did was just as valuable as the humans’.
“Seriously,” he asked. “Have you ever ridden at all?”
“I have. But it’s been a few years.”
“At least you’ve been up on a horse before. Slide your foot in the stirrup and I’ll help you up.”
She got her foot in the stirrup, and Logan gave her a leg up. Athena was tall, and a stout horse, but Des felt comfortable on her, and the horse wasn’t skittish at all. Des knew the rein commands, so she followed Logan over to where his men were waiting.
“We’re going to head north a couple miles. Then we’ll gather up the cattle and drive them down here so we can sort them.”
“Other condo buildings. And a Dumpster. No stars.”
“You could buy your own place, couldn’t you? One with a view?”
“I could. But I don’t want to make a permanent home in L.A.”
He took a couple swallows of beer and stared out over the land. “Where do you want to live?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just never felt settled enough to consider setting down roots anywhere.”
“A product of your upbringing?”
She laughed. “Maybe. And because I travel so much for work, the condo I live in has always suited me. Until recently.”
“What changed recently?”
“Me, I guess. I’ve been . . . restless. Unhappy.”
He laid his beer down on the table next to him, and turned his chair to face her. “Tell me why you’re unhappy.”
“I don’t know. Maybe that’s the wrong word. Whenever I think it, I’m almost ashamed. What the hell do I have to feel unhappy about? I have this amazing career that I’m so lucky to have. Do you know how many women would kill to be where I am? So many actresses fight and struggle to get work. And I’ve been working steadily since I was nineteen.”
“Maybe that’s why you’re unhappy. Maybe you need a break.”
She laughed. “Working actresses don’t take breaks. You take a break, you’re forgotten.”
“I think that’s bullshit. If you’re good at what you do—and from what I hear and the little I’ve seen, you’re definitely good—then you can afford to take some time off. When was the last time you had a vacation?”
“I don’t know. I have breaks in between movies.”
“What do you do on these breaks?”
“Clean my condo. Go catch up on movies I haven’t seen. Reconnect with my friends. Visit my parents. Read scripts for new projects.”
“That’s not a vacation.”
She gave him a look. “Isn’t that a little like the pot calling the kettle black? When do you take vacations?”
“I’m not unhappy.”
“But are you fulfilled? Do you have everything you want, Logan?”
He didn’t answer for a few seconds, then said, “I’m satisfied.”
“Now you’re avoiding. I think you’re just like me. Satisfied means you’re okay, but you feel like there are holes in your happiness.” She stood and walked to the edge of the deck and stared out over the vast expanse of land. “For a while I was content with that. Now I’m not. I don’t want there to be holes anymore.”
He got up and stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her. “Only you can do what it takes to make yourself happy, Des. No one else can be responsible for that.”
She took a deep breath, sliding her hands along his muscled forearms. “I know.”
“So what do you need?”
She leaned her head back against his shoulder. “Right now? Just this. To be with you here tonight with a million stars overhead and no one else around.”
“And tomorrow?”
She turned and laid her hands on his chest. “Screw tomorrow. I don’t want to think about tomorrow when today was so perfect, and tonight I’m here with you.”
He threaded his fingers into her hair and kissed her, and every other thought left her mind except his hands on her and the way his mouth moved over hers. Logan had a way of making her forget everything that wasn’t important. And what could be more important than the seductive slide of his hands down her back, his tongue tangling with hers, or the sounds he made as he backed her against the wall of the deck?
She found it hard to breathe as he slid his hand under her shirt and palmed her stomach. Logan’s touch was always magical, zipping through her nerve endings and making her feel as if she’d never experienced these kinds of sensations before.
And when he lifted her tank tops over her head, she went for his shirt, too.
He took a step back and drew his shirt off.
It was dark, very little moon tonight, but she used her sense of touch to slide her hands over his chiseled abdomen and up over his chest. Her heart beat a staccato rhythm as he slipped his arm around her and undid her bra, then drew it down her arms and cast it on the pile of clothes on the chair.
She met his gaze, wishing it were light outside so she could see his eyes, but she felt his heartbeat pounding away like hers, and when he brushed his fingers over her nipple, she gasped, her body going haywire as he rubbed back and forth, shocks of pleasure shooting straight to her core.
But there was more to come because he shifted her, and then his mouth was at her breast. Her world spun as he flicked his tongue over the bud, then pulled it fully into his mouth to suck.
“Logan.” She grasped his hair and held on, feeling dizzy, sizzling with the need to make these sensations go on forever. He worked her other nipple, then kissed the underside of her breast, dropped to his knees and tugged her shorts and panties down. She stepped out of them.
“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, Des?”
She looked down at him. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Well, you are. Every part of you, from your cute, pink painted toes to your long legs and your amazing eyes. And right here, too.” He put his mouth on her and swiped his tongue across her sex.
She trembled, letting out a moan as he brought her to new heights of pleasure. Des focused on the stars as Logan focused his mouth on the center of her universe, until she tightened her fingers in his hair, unable to hold back her moans of pleasure. And when she let go, she released with a loud cry. Logan held on to her as her knees buckled, the strength of her orgasm making her tremble.
He was right there seconds later, his face even with hers, pulling her against him, his erection brushing her hip as he kissed her with a force of passion that rocked her and brought her right back to that feverish desire she’d felt only moments ago.
She fumbled with the button of his jeans, and he helped her. He broke the kiss only long enough to free himself, grab a condom, and put it on, and then he’d backed her against the wall, spread her legs, and slid inside her.
She loved the passion, the need he seemed to feel to be with her. It was the same hunger that fueled her, and when he thrust inside her, she kissed him, flicking her tongue against his, mindless with the passion that never seemed to lose its fuel whenever she was with him.
He took her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged, flaming her fire to incendiary levels. She whimpered as he drove deeper, rubbing against that sensitive spot that tingled and tightened within her while she was grasping his cock, claiming him as hers.
He pulled back, searching her face. “Des.”
The strain in his voice as he moved against her reflected what she felt. The tension, the need that occupied every nerve ending in her body, that stretched her taut on a rack of need, making her body tighten as he pulled back, then slid within her again, hitting every one of her pleasure spots until the stars she saw weren’t in the sky but within.
She held tight to his shoulders as she fought for balance, as she hovered right on the brink until he rolled against her. When she released, he was right there with her, catapulting both of them over the edge. He grasped her chin and held her, kissing her with a passion that only served to batter her senses with an onslaught of pleasure that brought tears to her eyes.
She was shaking as she floated back down to earth, her limbs hardly able to hold themselves upright. Fortunately, Logan had a firm hold on her as they disentangled and they made their way back into the house.
“Shower?” he asked.
“Yes.” He turned on the shower and they climbed inside. Logan gently washed her, and she had the pleasure of running her hands over his body. They dried off and Logan stepped out onto the deck to grab their clothes and bring them inside.
“Would you like to stay tonight?” he asked.
She nodded.
“What time do you have to be back tomorrow?”
“We don’t film tomorrow. We have two days off.”
His lips curved. “I could put you to work tomorrow here.”
She crawled onto the bed and lay on her side, her head propped up in her hand. “Think you could make a rancher out of me?”
“I don’t know. You do have boots, right?”
“Indeed, I do.”
He got in bed and lay down beside her, lazily stroking her hip. “Then tomorrow, let’s see what you’ve got.”
She grinned. “You’re on, McCormack.”
Chapter 16
DES FROWNED AS she was poked in the butt.
“What?”
“Let’s go. Time to get up.”
She blinked and looked outside “It’s still dark.”
“Yup. Come on. You want to work cattle today, we have to get an early start.”
She rolled over onto her back and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. “Jesus, Logan. It’s not even five a.m.”
“Welcome to cattle ranching, Des. Changing your mind?”
In the foggy part of her sleep-addled brain, she recognized the challenge she heard in his voice. She slid out of bed and yawned. “Nope.”
“You’ll need jeans. I’ll drive you to your trailer so you can grab a change of clothes.”
“Great. Coffee first, though.”
“Already have it brewed.”
“You’re like some kind of vampire.” She grabbed her clothes and, in a daze, climbed into them. True to his word, Logan had coffee made downstairs.
Martha was already there, too, and something that smelled an awful lot like food came from the stove.
“Morning, Des,” Martha said, looking not at all shocked to see her there.
“Good morning, Martha.”
“There’s bacon and egg sandwiches for breakfast this morning. Logan tells me you’re going to stay on the ranch and work with him today.”
“I’m going to attempt it. We’ll see how it goes.”
Martha handed her a brown paper bag. “You’ll do just fine. Grab yourself some coffee in one of those cups with a lid. You two can eat in the truck while you go get yourself some different clothes. I’ll see you for lunch.”
“Thanks, Martha.” Des filled her cup, slid on the lid, and took the bag from Martha. She headed out the front door, where Logan already had the truck ready. She climbed in and put the bag between them.
“Martha didn’t say anything about me being there.”
“Why would she? She likes you. Hand me one of those sandwiches. You should eat, too.”
“Who can eat this early?”
“You will. We’re going to burn a lot of fuel, so force yourself even if you’re not hungry.”
She opened the bag, the smell of bacon wafting out, which immediately woke her stomach. While Logan drove over the ruts in the road, Des unwrapped the other sandwich and took a bite.
“Yum.”
Logan nodded while busily chewing.
“I’ll dash in and change clothes. I won’t take long.”
Logan put the truck in park and turned in off. “I’ll walk in with you.”
She should be used to his manners by now, but they still surprised her. “Okay.”
It only took her a minute to change into her jeans, a T-shirt, and her boots. She braided her hair and then she was ready. She finished her sandwich and her coffee in the truck on the way back to the ranch.
“What are we doing today?” she asked Logan as they made their way to the pasture.
“Moving and sorting cattle.”
“Which means what, exactly?”
“We sort them according to size before we work them. Then when we return them to the pastures for grazing, they’re all of equal size. It makes a difference when we load them up for sale later on in the year.”
“Okay.”
“Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“Sort of.”
“That means no. We’ll go slow. You’ll get the hang of it.”
She laughed. “I love your confidence in my abilities.”
When they entered the barn, Logan chose a horse for her.
“This is Athena. She’s a sweet mare and perfect for you.”
The gray-and-black dappled mare had a thick black mane over her crest, and stood very still while Logan saddled her.
Des ran her hands over her and spoke to her in quiet tones. Logan led her out to the fence where his own horse, who Des learned was named Frosty, waited for them.
“She’s beautiful, Logan.”
Logan patted Athena. “Yeah, she is. She doesn’t get to ride as much anymore, so she’ll enjoy working today.”
“Is she older?”
“Older than some of our working horses. She’s enjoying her retirement, but she’s still got some miles left in her, don’t you Athena?”
Des admired the way Logan spoke to the horses. There was a warm respect in his voice, as if he knew the work the horses did was just as valuable as the humans’.
“Seriously,” he asked. “Have you ever ridden at all?”
“I have. But it’s been a few years.”
“At least you’ve been up on a horse before. Slide your foot in the stirrup and I’ll help you up.”
She got her foot in the stirrup, and Logan gave her a leg up. Athena was tall, and a stout horse, but Des felt comfortable on her, and the horse wasn’t skittish at all. Des knew the rein commands, so she followed Logan over to where his men were waiting.
“We’re going to head north a couple miles. Then we’ll gather up the cattle and drive them down here so we can sort them.”
