To Tame a Cowboy

Piper arched her back because, well...she still had no control over her body when Ryan’s hands and mouth were on it. And there wasn’t a woman alive who could blame her. He was her best friend, he’d never deliberately hurt her and he was hot, hot, hot with a capital H-O-T.

His mouth remained on her breast as he continued to undo the rest of her buttons. When he slid the material aside, he circled his hands around her waist.

Those rough, callused palms gliding against her smooth skin provided that extra bit of friction she needed, craved. God, what would it feel like to have those hands all over her?

Piper gripped his shoulders and pressed her knees against his thighs as he moved one hand to cup her breast and then raked his tongue over her nipple.

“Ryan,” she whispered, “we’re on my porch.”

He lifted his head and grinned. “I know.”

She wasn’t into PDAs, and this went way beyond that, but she didn’t have any neighbors too close and shrubbery around her porch was shielding them.

Added to that, if they had to stop to go inside, she’d die. This felt too good, too right.

When his hand moved to the button of her jeans, Piper froze. “Ryan?”

“Shh. It’s okay. I know you’re not ready, but I want you to feel. I want you to see how right this is.” He unfastened her pants, slid the zipper down and whispered, “Trust me.”

She’d trusted him her whole life and now was no different.

“Lift up a tad.”

Piper rose onto her knees, but dropped her forehead to his as she watched his tanned fingers slip inside her panties. She held her breath, waiting for that moment when he’d fully feel her and she him.

“Don’t tense on me now, Red.”

Piper closed her eyes as he parted her, sliding one finger, then two between her folds and slowly working back and forth. Before she knew it, her hips were moving, her heart was racing.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered.

Her eyes locked on to his as he kept that slow, steady rhythm against her core. She tilted her hips faster, needing more and not sure how to ask for it. This wasn’t weird and she didn’t want to start begging and make the moment awkward.

“No hurry here,” he told her. “I could touch you, watch you, all night.”

“Ryan...I...”

“I know.”

He cupped the back of her neck and captured her lips as his fingers moved over her, then finally in her. Between his mouth and his hand, the assault on her body was too much and the inner fight came to an end. No more trying to hold out because she was worried about their friendship. Nothing could stop her from taking this moment he was so freely giving.

Piper moaned into his mouth as her body spiraled out of control. Bursts of light flashed behind her lids; her entire body vibrated and shook as the climax slammed into her.

Ryan continued to stroke her even when her tremors ceased. Piper didn’t know what to do now, but she knew there was no doubt they were headed toward sleeping together.

And she was starting to wonder why it had taken her so long to see this may not be such a bad idea.

Nine

Piper wiped at her damp cheeks, cursing herself as she turned into her drive. After all these years as a paramedic, she really should be used to seeing death. But no matter how many times patients died en route to the hospital, Piper took each death personally.

There were always the what-if and if-only moments. The question of what if she’d arrived sooner... If only those cars had pulled aside when they’d seen the ambulance coming through instead of waiting until the last minute, in turn slowing them down... Timing was crucial during a call and today’s patient had not had time on his side. Piper knew no matter how fast they might have arrived, more than likely she wouldn’t have been able to save his life. But she was only human and guilt consumed her with every death.

Especially today’s patient. A young father who had been complaining of chest pains while running and suddenly collapsed. The look of horror on the wife’s face as she’d clutched their baby to her chest would haunt Piper for a long, long time.

Life wasn’t fair and Piper was damn sick of bad things happening around her. Alex still hadn’t regained his memory, but he’d been out of the hospital for a few days. Hopefully being back home on his own turf would trigger something.

Cara was nearly attached to his side and Piper knew the woman was barely holding it together, clinging to a thin thread of hope that the old Alex would soon emerge and they could go back to the happy couple they once were.