Not knowing where to put her hands, since she was sitting in front of Clay, she clasped the saddle.
"Relax your body." Clay's voice was soft next to her ear. "Enjoy and let the horse do all the work. I won't let you fall. Trust me."
Surprisingly, Julie did trust him. She relaxed enough to lean against his chest. The moonlight lit the way, and she was in awe of the beauty that surrounded her. She could get so used to this, to nightly rides with Clay in such a beautiful place. The noise from the party soon disappeared, replaced by the sound of nature at night.
They rounded a large area of brush and Julie sighed. In front of her was a pond surrounded by sparse trees, the moon reflected in the water perfectly. "It's beautiful."
The horse came to a stop. Clay swung down off the horse then reached up to her. She twisted, putting her hands on his shoulders. Again, with effortless ease he lifted her off the horse. She wasn't a small woman, and honestly that impressed the hell out of her. The last man who had lifted her had moaned and groaned like he was going to die.
"Texas is full of beautiful things." He smiled as he slowly lowered her.
Okay, just wow. The way he said that sent shivers, chills, and zings throughout her body. She was just going to pretend he meant her, just this once, and then she would get back to reality. Once her feet touched the ground he opened his mouth again and yeah, reality came back full force, smacking her upside the head.
"I want to thank you for everything you've done for Bo."
"Oh, well you could have told me that back there." Julie hoped she kept the hurt out of her voice. "You didn't need to bring me out here just to tell me that."
"That's not why—"
"And I didn't do anything you didn't pay me for." Julie kept going, not caring she'd interrupted him. "He did it all himself anyway. Except for that first day, he was one of the easiest patients I've ever dealt with."
"Julie, I—"
"But, yeah. I guess I should be getting back to my sis—"
Clay grabbed Julie, pulling her to him. "Shut up," he growled as he grabbed her chin, pulling her face up to meet his. "I didn't bring you out here to talk about my brother."
"Did you just tell me to shut up?" Julie frowned, but didn't pull away from him.
He chuckled. "Yes, I did." He leaned closer to her. "It's hard to kiss someone who keeps talking."
"Finally." She sighed, but then gasped at what she'd just said aloud.
"Exactly." His grin grew. "Ever since your tumble down the stairs this is all I've been able to think of."
"High school for me," she replied, then rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I just said all that out loud."
"High school?" He frowned.
"Yeah." She felt the heat in her cheeks. "I had the biggest crush on you."
"No, you didn't." He shook his head, his eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't even look at me and if you did say hi you practically ran the other way."
"Believe me." Julie wished she had kept her damn mouth shut. She didn't want to be having a conversation at that moment. She wanted her kiss, a kiss she had wanted since high school. "Big crush, ask my sister. Now can you please kiss me so I know exactly what I have missed out on all these years?"
And kiss her he did, to the point she was breathless. She'd never believed before when people said they were kissed breathless, but Clay made her a believer. If she passed out she wouldn't be surprised, but she would rather the man keep kissing her and holding her tight than draw another breath. The way his hands ran possessively over her body drove her insane, and she didn't want it to stop. Her hands were doing some exploring of their own, and the tightening of his muscles at her every pass turned her on even more.
"Jesus." Clay pulled away, his glazed eyes staring into hers. "Honey, if you don't stop staring at me like that we aren't making it back to the party anytime soon."
Julie knew exactly what she wanted to happen. She was an adult with a clear mind and conscience. She wanted Clay Marshall with a passion that couldn't be denied. Reaching down, she grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head.
"Promise," she whispered as she flicked open the front clasp of her bra, letting it slide off her shoulders to the ground. Oh, God. It so was not like her, but she also wasn't a coward. She prayed that it wasn't the biggest mistake she had ever made. His rejection would destroy her.
His eyes roamed over her body, a muscle ticked in his jaw, and a growl rumbled in his throat.
As he stood there staring at her, she felt a twinge of doubt curl through her mind. Did he not want her? Did she just make a total fool out of herself? Quickly she covered her breasts as she reached down for her shirt.