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Chapter 16
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Taken by Surprise Chapter 17
Shea changed clothes five times Friday morning before she was satisfied with her outfit. Casual meant a lot of different things to different people. They were going to a ranch, so she finally settled on jeans, a soft cotton blouse and sandals. Rather than pin her hair into its usual twist, she pulled it into a high ponytail and, in a touch of whimsy, tied it with a ribbon matching her blouse. Too frivolous, she wondered?She'd been just as indecisive in choosing what to pack. Her bedroom looked as if the clothes fairy had thrown up all over it. At last she just threw in what she thought would be appropriate and hoped she'd made the right choices. She'd even dug into the back of the spare closet and found a pair of western boots she'd worn to a fundraiser. Hopefully they'd be as good for riding as they were for showing.At least a dozen times she'd picked up the phone to call Cruz and tell him she'd changed her mind. She had this unshakeable feeling that she and Cruz Castillo would en
Taken by Surprise Chapter 18
After a time they left the Interstate for a two-lane country road."All of this is ranchland," Cruz told her.With one hand he indicated the vast acres of pasture rolling away from the road. Much of it was dotted with trees. And while some stretches of land had no livestock visible, others were filled with cattle ambling slowly along, stopping now and then to graze. Here and there Shea saw tall metal cylinders that she knew were stock tanks that held water for the herds.When they made another turn onto a graveled road, Shea caught her breath in wonder. On either side of the gravel, lined up like sentinels, were live oaks, sweetgum and mimosa trees. It was obvious they'd been there before someone cut through to make the driveway. Through the trees she could see pastures, dotted with more trees and cattle. It was like a scene from a western novel.But then the house came into view and she wanted to weep at its elegance. It was old, probably hadn't been well-maintained but the gracef
Taken by Surprise Chapter 19
Shea's hands were shaking as she stripped off her clothes and tugged on the unfamiliar bathing suit. It was a one piece and should have been modes but it was cut so high at the thighs, so low in the back and front she felt as if she were wearing nothing. No matter how much she tugged at it, a large amount of skin was still exposed."Sissy," she chided herself. "You wouldn't be doing this if you didn't want to."And it wasn't just the tempting thought of the hot, bubbling water after the hours on horseback that made her agree to this. No, it was the image of Miguel Cruz Castillo half naked, waiting for her. She couldn't put this all on him. From the moment he'd walked into her office she and her libido had been waging a battle royal. If she weren't drawn by his blatant sexuality, by the erotic promise in his eyes, by the way her body reacted to him again and again, she wouldn't be here at all.With a sigh and still striving for some semblance of decorum, she wrapped one of the big to
Taken by Surprise Chapter 20
Cruz cupped her cheeks in his hands, studying her face for the longest time before bending to touch his mouth to hers. This was no brief kiss, no glancing touch. This was a full-blown predatory taking of her mouth. He shifted her head this way and that to find the best angle. When his tongue probed then slipped inside she opened for him, welcoming the feel of him. His tongue was a flame, lighting nerves wherever it touched, sending messages to other nerves in her body.He drank from her like a man dying of thirst and she gave him back as good as she got. Somehow she'd known kissing this man would be an almost mystical experience, lifting her entire body to another plane. When his lips slipped from her mouth to slide down the column of her neck, she tilted her head back to give him better access. He nibbled, nipped and licked until he reached the hollow of her throat where he placed a hard, open-mouthed kiss. The tip of his tongue pressed against the erratic pulse beating there.Shea
Taken by Surprise Chapter 21
Cruz lifted lifted Shea in his muscular arms and laid her gently on the bed, stretching out beside her. His mouth took a journey over her cheeks, her forehead, her jawline, her neck, to that tender place where neck and shoulder join. As he bit gently on it one palm cradled a breast, thumb and forefinger pinching the nipple.Moisture pooled between her thighs, coating them with its slickness and the quivering in her pussy began again. The beat of her pulse thrummed throughout her body. She reached up a hand to caress his cheek but he grasped it gently and placed it on the pillow beside her head."Uh-uh, mi amor. I don't want anything distracting me while I learn every curve and swell, every place of slickness and heat that your body offers."He returned the hand to her breast and she felt the heat of it against her skin. Her nipple ached to be touched again, to be teased and tormented but instead Cruz bent his head and captured it with his mouth.The surface of his tongue was rough
Taken by Surprise Chapter 22
Dinner was served on the patio at the rear of the hacienda. Sconces on the two walls bracketing the door cast a soft glow along with the candle flickering on the table. Cruz again wore jeans and a t-shirt-"My at home outfit," he joked-and urged Shea to dress just as casually. She pulled on cotton slacks in a dark navy with a light blue tank top that she knew emphasized the color of her eyes. Her hair was once again pulled up in a ponytail and tied with a ribbon that matched her top. She'd shooed Cruz out of the bedroom while she dressed and her efforts were rewarded by the heated look of admiration in his eyes.Chilled glasses and a pitcher of margaritas were waiting on the table when she took her seat. Cruz poured, then as he'd done earlier in the day, raised his glass to her in a toast."To a successful collaboration," he said. "I know you are the right person to make my dreams for this place come true."They clinked glasses and Shea sipped slowly from hers, watching Cruz over the
Taken by Surprise Chapter 23
The night air was cool so Cruz had left the sliding doors open to catch the breeze. Overhead a ceiling fan turned lazily, drawing in not only the air but also the heady scents of the flowering shrubs and trees. Once again Shea was stretched out on the soft sheets of his bed, naked, his mouth and tongue and fingers making a slow journey over her body.In the dim light of the bedside lamp she could see the taut planes of his face and the dark pools of his eyes, eyes that returned again and again to lock with hers. Her breasts ached from his gentle kneading while his mouth pulled at her nipples and his teeth grazed their pebbled surface. The flesh of his back beneath her palms, was warm and under the tight covering of skin she could feel the play of solid muscles.His touch everywhere lit up her nerves and accelerated every pulse in her body. The swirl of his tongue at her navel. The nip of his teeth at the soft flesh below it. Those damnable kisses teasing at the backs of her knees and
Taken by Surprise Chapter 24
Saturday morning Shea awoke to a multitude of noises and voices drifting in through the open glass door. Rolling over, she realized Cruz was no longer in bed with her. In fact, if the coolness of the sheet was any indication, he'd been gone for some time. Sitting up and pulling the sheet with her, she spotted a note on the bedside table.Mi amor,Supervising party preparations. Coffee is made in the kitchen. Safina will fix you whatever you'd like for breakfast. Or lunch if you sleep that late. Take your time and relax.CruzThe party. Of course. The excuse for getting her to spend the weekend.She yawned, then crawled out of bed, wrapping the sheet around herself. She closed the sliding door and pulled the blinds shut. Cruz had insisted she unpack her suitcase, so she grabbed some clothes from the drawer where she'd stuck them along with her toiletries kit and headed for the shower.In jeans and a plaid shirt knotted at the waist, ponytail swinging, she followed the heavenly aro
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