Read Online Because You Love Me by Mari Carr - Free Book Online Page B

reality was a welcome retreat for him as well. It was as if they’d stepped out of hell and straight into Eden. Neither of them was in a hurry to return to the cold, hard truths of their real lives.
    She walked into the barn with Mark and Matt, wondering who would take over her lessons today and greedily hoping they’d both stay with her. She’d lost a tiny piece of her heart to each of them over the past few days…and for completely different reasons.
    Mark had a slow, easy country charm she was hard-pressed to resist. He’d taken charge of her lessons the first day, introducing her to the horses and leading her step by step through the process of riding. He was a patient teacher. He’d never rushed her or become frustrated with her reticence around the animals.
    Several times throughout that first day, she’d gotten off Jewel, swearing she was never getting back on. She hadn’t realized when she’d agreed to the lessons how high off the ground she’d be or how out of control she’d feel. Neither sensation set well with her. Mark had gotten her through her initial qualms by telling her funny stories about his childhood spent on the ranch with his brothers and the horses. Somehow he always managed to calm her misgivings simply by sharing some embarrassing mishap he’d endured. By making light of his own fears and failures, he’d alleviated hers, giving her the courage to try again. His genuine love of the four-legged creatures had rubbed off on her, and she couldn’t remember why she’d ever been afraid of horses to begin with. The horses on the ranch were as tranquil and gentle as their owner, Mark.
    She’d also spent most of that day in a constant state of arousal. She wasn’t sure if Mark’s touches—boosts into the saddle, hugs when she did well, shoulder rubs to relax her—were intentionally meant to seduce her or just small kindnesses on his part, but she’d had to take a very cold shower upon returning to the inn. In the end, she’d spent most of that night dreaming of the handsome cowboy making love to her under the stars. She’d woken up more sexually frustrated than she’d been when she lay down.
    Jewel snorted as she approached and batted her large nose at Bridget.
    “You’re spoiling my damn horse,” Mark teased. “She used to be an amiable animal. Three days with you and she’s making demands.”
    Bridget grinned and pulled the sugar cube she’d lifted from the inn’s kitchen out of her pocket. “I won’t apologize for that. We girls have to stick together.”
    “So it’s a battle of the sexes, is it?” Matt asked.
    She grinned at the fun-loving cowboy. She’d laughed more yesterday than she had in the entire previous year. Matt was a natural-born comedian as well as a talented musician. She’d learned he was part of a band and after much cajoling on her part, he’d cut their lesson short yesterday afternoon to play a few songs for her on the guitar. He was an incredible singer.
    Watching him strum his acoustic guitar had sent her body into overdrive. When his deep, rich voice started singing a country love song, she feared she’d orgasm on the spot. Last night, she’d tossed and turned again, but instead of her gentleman cowboy, Mark, it had been Matt spicing up her dreams with visions of rough, hungry sex against the barn wall.
    She’d woken up today weighted down by the realization she was falling…for both of them. She wasn’t sure whether to rail at the world or thank her lucky stars that her time in Wyoming was destined to be short. There was no way she could choose between the two men, but the thought of leaving and never seeing them again was too painful to contemplate.
    “I don’t know if it’s a battle of the sexes or self-preservation. If we waited for men to give us our pleasures, we’d wait forever. Better we girls learn how to take care of ourselves.”
    Matt stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. “I’d be more than happy