Forever in Love (Montana Brides) Read online

  “Top two.”

  “Pardon?” Amy turned to watch Nathan walk toward her.

  “Top two requirements. We can negotiate the rest as we go.”

  The smile on Nathan’s face warmed her from the inside out. “Two?”

  “Yep.”

  He lifted Amy’s fingers into his hands, letting his thumb drift across her skin in slow, sweet, circles. Her heart beat kicked up a notch at the wicked gleam in his eyes. “You’re crazy.”

  “Could be. Do you want to be crazy with me?”

  “I’ll think about it.” She pulled her hand away, trying not to melt on the spot. She needed to clear her head of all the happy hormones if this was going to work. She moved away and focused on the question. Top two needs. It had to be a trick question.

  “You’ll wear a hole through my floorboards if you keep pacing backward and forward.”

  Amy glanced down at her feet. She didn’t know she’d been pacing, didn’t realize that her pacing had moved her closer to the table, and closer to the blank piece of paper staring up at her. “I think working on our plan one step at a time would be better,” she muttered.

  “Only one?”

  Amy nodded. This conversation had gone from dumb to dumber. She was a doctor, a trained professional who dealt with life and death situations. She had a half-sister…“No one can find out about this. Not even Sally. If word got out that we were…you know, then Catherine might end up with mom.”

  “Having sex with me doesn’t make you a bad sister.”

  “It does if we’re not married and Catherine’s case manager finds out.”

  Nathan gave her a disgusted scowl. He yanked a chair out from the table and wrote one word on the piece of paper.

  Amy peered across the table, but she couldn’t read the upside down scribble. “What are you writing?”

  “My first step. Scoff if you like, but we’ve got to start somewhere. If you don’t agree, write down your first pick and we’ll go from there.”

  Nathan spun the paper around and Amy stared at the word he’d written.

  Touch. Just the word left her breathless. And scared. And a whole lot of other things she didn’t want to think about. “Touch would be good,” she squeaked.

  Nathan sent a superior smile across the table. “I told you we could do this. First word and we both agree.”

  Amy glared at the playful gleam in his eyes. “That’s the easy part. It’s the next bit that might not work out so well.”

  Nathan’s mouth twitched ever so slightly. He pushed his chair back and slowly moved around the table. “Close your eyes.”

  Amy frowned. “Why?”

  “Just do it.”

  She didn’t like the smile on his face, or the way his hand played with her fingers, stroking her skin like a musician touching the keys of a piano for the first time.

  “Hold my hand and close your eyes.”

  “No.”

  His hand stilled. “Technically it’s not called touching unless there’s skin to skin contact.”

  Amy took a deep breath. Just imagining skin to skin contact with Nathan sent little tremors through her body. “Touching could get us into trouble. We need rules.”

  “Rules?”

  “Guidelines. Boundaries.”

  Nathan raised one eyebrow. It was a wonder she didn’t burst into flames from the heat pouring out of his gaze. “And what would these rules look like?”

  Amy swallowed. “We...we have to stop as soon as one of us wants to. And no touching...below the waist.” Her words tumbled over each other, landing with a sonic boom between them.

  “You think we would have touched below the waist on a first date?”

  Amy ignored the hopeful look in his eyes. This was serious business. She needed to concentrate, smother the blush screaming through her body. “This isn’t a first date. It’s therapy.”

  He moved closer and ran his hand along the side of her face. “Ten tickets with no touching below the waist. For now.”

  Amy held her breath. No one had ever looked at her with so much desire, so much wanting. So much intensity. It was enough to make her bolt for the front door.

  “Close your eyes. And breathe.”

  She sent him a ferocious glare, but he only laughed. She grabbed his hand and scrunched her eyes shut, hoping like crazy he knew what he was getting into. Because she didn’t.

  He led her across the wooden floor until she felt carpet under her socks. She felt a charge in the air, sensed the feel of Nathan’s mouth on hers a moment before their lips touched. His kiss was soft and sweet and left her wanting more. She opened her mouth, tasting him, tangling with him until she felt breathless. Hungry. And so over-the-top alive that she wanted to drag him close and see how creative they could get above the waist.

  She pulled at the bottom of his shirt, popping domes until it hung open, giving her easy access to a chest that sent her heart rate soaring. In the soft glow of moonlight she ran her hands across his body, shoulder to shoulder, dipping lower, smiling at his sharp intake of breath.

  “Bloody hell, Amy. You’ve skipped three steps.”

  “Stop counting,” she whispered as her lips followed her hands.

  Nathan’s groan filled the room. Deep, dark pleasure rippled along Amy’s skin, wound through tingling muscles and struck pure gold in the pit of her stomach. Her body softened, expanded, readied itself for more of everything.

  He pulled her upright. His hands wound around her back, binding their bodies together. At eighteen she’d yearned for Nathan, craved his sweet, uncomplicated acceptance of who he thought she was. He’d kissed her, but never like this. Never consumed and savored, sipped then gulped with a force that left her panting for more.

  Her hands left his chest, tracing the line of his jaw with her fingertips, reading the scars on his face like Braille, unraveling the story of his life with a touch so light that she almost couldn’t feel his skin, only the longing reaching out to her.

  He held his breath as her hands pushed his shirt off his shoulders and stroked the raised scars stretched across his back. “Are you okay?”

  He took a deep, shuddering breath, leaning into the gentle kiss she left on his neck.

  “Keep going...”

  So she did. Keep going, that is. Touching and teasing and a whole lot of other things that left them both breathing so heavily that it was a wonder the house didn’t fall down.

  “My turn to touch...”

  She pulled back, anchored to Nathan’s waist by a pair of hands that had slipped beneath her shirt. “I thought you were?”

  “Not even close,” Nathan whispered, nipping at the sensitive skin under her ear until her body felt like wobbly jelly. He pulled her into his arms, walking her backward until her legs gave way against the edge of the sofa.

  Nathan knelt on the floor, nudging her legs wide until they were sitting nose to nose. She breathed deeply as his hands stroked her face. She felt safe, special, part of something she’d only ever imagined.

  “Are you ready?”

  Amy nodded, glad of the darkness hiding the blush working its way around her body.

  “Tell me when to stop.”

  She gripped the sofa, bracing herself for what would come next. This should have been simple. An answer to both of their problems. But instead of taking things slowly she’d practically stripped Nathan naked and kissed every inch of skin she could find. Maybe she was more like her mother than she thought. Maybe she’d spent her whole life dodging relationships because it was easier than having to give something of herself away. Maybe this wasn’t the answer. Maybe...

  Nathan moved and she forgot about everything except the sweet torture filling her body to overflowing. His hands circled her waist. Sparks flew along her skin as his fingertips lit a fire she didn’t want to put out. She felt the tug of her shirt as he slid the buttons open, her breath catching as he nudged it off her shoulders and down her arms.

  Cool lips brushed her bare shoulder. A shive
r raced through her body. His lips kept moving, trailing a hot and dangerous path toward her neck. She sucked in a deep breath, too overwhelmed to protest, too desperate to stop the caress that made her body surge against his.

  Nathan groaned. His tongue started making a new kind of magic all of its own. Pleasure rippled through her body. She wanted more. Her neck rolled to the side giving him even more skin to tempt and tease. He pulled her closer, grazing her hot skin with his teeth, gently nibbling until she couldn’t think beyond his touch.

  She wanted him to eat her whole, devour her in a meal that would fill all the empty spaces begging to be filled. She felt his hands on her breasts, caressing her overheated skin, drawing a sigh so deep and powerful from her soul that she knew this could only lead to trouble.

  Or something far worse.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Get moving girlfriend, it’s time to hit the treadmill.”

  Amy buried her head under the duvet. “Go away, Sally. It can’t be morning yet.”

  “It’s six-thirty and Rachel and Darleen are in the kitchen. Come on…get out of bed.”

  Amy yelped as the duvet disappeared off her body. “You weren’t supposed to be here until seven o’clock,” Amy grumbled. “How did you get in?”

  Sally vanished behind the closet door, reappearing with a pair of sweat pants and an old pair of sneakers. “You left your spare key under the flower pot again. I thought Nathan told you to move it?”

  Amy wiped the sleep from her eyes, grabbing a clean bra and t-shirt before she went into the bathroom. Joining Sally’s team for the Huffing for Stuffing Thanksgiving Day Run had seemed like a good idea at the time, only she wasn’t so sure now. “I did. It’s in the flowerpot on the opposite side of the door. Jeez, even the birds aren’t chirping yet.”

  “Stop moaning and get moving. Gracie’s meeting us at the gym in fifteen minutes.”

  Amy stared at her reflection in the mirror while she scrubbed her teeth clean. Her hair looked like a rat had made a nest in it and the harsh white light did nothing for the bags under her eyes. “What about Tess?” she mumbled around a mouthful of toothpaste.

  “She had a muffin emergency. She’s going to be late.”

  Amy pulled on her bra and t-shirt, reaching for the sweat pants Sally had thrown through the open door. “I thought the race was supposed to be fun. I still don’t know why we have to train three times a week.”

  “Tess swore that after last year’s performance if we didn’t get into shape she’d boycott our team. Just be thankful the race is only a week away.”

  Amy rinsed the basin and dried her face with a towel. She needed more sleep. And less Nathan. He’d driven her back to his parent’s house after they’d kissed each other senseless. She’d raced inside, dodged Sally and brought Catherine home in record time. Her sister had fallen asleep before they’d made it onto the highway, not even stirring when Amy tucked her into her cot, turned the night-light on and tripped over Monty in the hallway.

  Unlike her sister, Amy had tossed and turned all night, fidgeting so much that she thought she’d had a reaction to something she’d eaten. Or touched.

  Just the thought of how much touching two people could do in forty-three minutes brought a blush to her face.

  “Have you fallen asleep in there?”

  The tube of moisturizer in Amy’s hand dropped to the floor. “Has anyone ever told you you’re bossy?”

  “All the time.” Sally’s head appeared around the doorframe. “But I’ve also got selective hearing. Here are your socks, and your sneakers are on the end of the bed.”

  “Anyone would think you’re desperate to get me out of the house.”

  “Funny you should say that.” Sally sat on the side of Amy’s bed, watching her hop from foot to foot as she jammed her socks on. “Talking about men...”

  “I didn’t know we were.”

  “Not usually.” Sally grinned. “But then it’s not often you have a man, or two, in your life to discuss.”

  Amy buried her head in the closet, pulling out an oversized sweatshirt and yanking it over her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course you don’t. And that blush turning your face red doesn’t mean anything either.”

  “I’m hot.” Amy almost ran out of her room. Nathan was off limits...well, half of him was off limits. The other half was open to negotiation. Nine more times. She stopped in the middle of the hallway after checking Catherine and nearly bumped into Sally. “What did you mean by ‘a man or two’ in my life?”

  “Nathan and Brett. The dynamic duo.”

  “I went out with Brett once for coffee. It doesn’t mean we’re dating. And Nathan’s your brother.”

  “So I noticed.” Sally grinned. “Just don’t let that stand in the way of whatever’s going on between the two of you.”

  “Nothing’s going on,” Amy mumbled. Nothing that she’d talk to Sally about, anyway. She grabbed her keys off the hall table and jammed them in her pocket. “I’ll go and tell Rachel and Darleen that we’re ready to go.”

  The kitchen was full of people and animals. She smiled at Rachel and her teenage cousin, Darleen, sitting at the table with Monty, Alby and Boots purring at their feet.

  “We fed the cats,” Darleen smiled proudly, giving Alby an extra scratch under the chin.

  Rachel picked an oversized tote bag off the floor and stood up. “I just got a text from Gracie. She’s at the gym.”

  Amy ripped open a Granola bar and headed toward a notepad stuck on the fridge. “Here’s the number of the gym and my cell phone, Darleen. There’s milk and bread in the fridge for Catherine’s breakfast and fresh fruit on the counter. We’ll be home in about an hour and a half.”

  Darleen glanced at the piece of paper Amy handed her. “I’ve still got these numbers on my phone from last time. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll make sure Catherine’s ready for daycare and call if anything happens.”

  Amy smiled at the confident seventeen-year-old. She’d looked after Catherine twice before and each time it got a little easier to leave her sister behind. A little easier to trust someone else to look after her.

  “Thanks, Darleen,” Amy said. “I’ll be home soon. Remember to do your homework otherwise your mom won’t let you babysit again.”

  Sally opened the back door. “My truck’s parked on the curb so we might as well take that to the gym. There are a pile of library books on the back seat. Just push them across to the other side of the cab.”

  Amy glanced inside Sally’s pickup. She hadn’t been joking. Five bright green canvas bags filled the back seat. She moved one of the bags onto the floor and peeked inside. “Large print? I didn’t know you had trouble with your eyes.”

  “Not me. They’re for the residents of the Blue Gable Retirement Home. Erin couldn’t deliver them yesterday so I offered to do it after our workout.”

  “That’s very...community minded of you.” Amy smiled around a mouthful of Granola bar.

  Rachel clicked her seatbelt into place. “There’s got to be a man involved in the story somewhere.”Sally pulled away from the curb. “There’s lots, but they’re all over seventy-years-old. Ask Amy about her hot date with Nathan.”

  Amy choked on rolled oats.

  “Hot date?” Rachel twisted in her seat, peering over her shoulder at Amy. “I thought you were going out with Brett.”

  “I had coffee with the man. One time,” she spluttered. “How come everyone thinks we’re dating?” Amy glared at the back of Sally’s head.

  “Small town gossip,” Rachel sighed. “There are some places you should avoid if you don’t want everyone knowing about your business. Doris and Jessie practically live at Tess’s café. They mean well, but sometimes their tongues get the better of them. What happened between you and Nathan?”

  “I didn’t go on a date with Nathan. I went back to his place last night and massaged his back.”

  A wide smile broke across Rachel’s face. “R
eally?”

  “It’s true.” Even to Amy’s ears her sorry excuse of a reason sounded lame. Almost as lame as a ten ticket therapy program.

  “Well whatever you call it, I hope you had fun.”

  Amy caught Sally’s amused gaze in the rearview mirror and felt herself blushing. Last night had been a lot of things, but she didn’t think fun went anywhere near to describing what had happened. And maybe it never would.

  Nathan revved his four-wheeler, leaning sideways as the bike skidded across the ground. Every day for the past week they’d had snow. It plastered itself against the land, making life difficult for everyone except the eagle he’d seen soaring high in the sky.

  So far the eight foot fence he’d been following looked as sturdy as the day it had been built - unlike last year when half a dozen buffalo had escaped into McKenzie land. A smile worked its way across his face when he remembered bringing them home. If a thousand pounds of prime buffalo looked you in the eye and stomped their hoof, you either backed off real fast or suffered the consequences.

  None of them had been fools, except his brother who thought he could outmaneuver a bull in his prime. Matthew had been wrong. Dutch, his brother’s dappled Palomino, had more common sense between his ears than his owner. He’d spun them both away from the bull, saving Matthew from a few broken ribs and full-body bruising that would have turned him as black as his horse.

  Nathan cut the engine and watched a herd of buffalo forage between drifts of snow. They’d been supplementing their feed, hauling truckloads of alfalfa into the paddocks to keep the mama buffalos happy. Diversifying into bison a few years ago had paid off. Unlike other ranchers around Bozeman he’d been able to keep more money coming in than going out.

  A horse thundered toward him and Nathan turned in his seat, watching his brother ride hard across the frozen earth. A cloud of snow flicked high in the air, rising behind Matthew like one of his mom’s cotton sheets, flapping in the afternoon breeze.