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He caught her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing her palm and wrist. Her heart beat a little faster at the feel of his warm lips. “All accounted for.”
“Melissa, please watch the shop. I’m going to go upstairs for a bit.”
He picked up his duffel, wrapping his arm around Mari. They went through her storage area to a back elevator that went directly to their loft. When the doors opened, he gave a low whistle. She had spent considerable time combining his love of the Old West with her Latin roots. There were wood beams on the ceiling, with Spanish tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. The art was a mix of landscapes from both Wyoming and Costa Rica and western and whimsical coffee art. She even found a spot for the saddle he had in his storage room that she absolutely loved. The floors were wood, and the furnishings were cozy and comfortable. It was perfect for a two-bedroom twelve-hundred-foot living space, with the added bonus of a spiral staircase that led up to her home office. They also had a sweet setup on the roof with a pool, outdoor kitchen, and privacy from the other five lofts on the second floor. She loved doing yoga out there.
“Fancy,” he murmured. “Where’s the bedroom?”
She laughed softly and took his hand. “This way Mr. One Track Mind. I know it’s been two months.”
“Two hours is too long,” he whispered as they slipped into the bedroom.
“Darken,” she said, and the shades on all the windows turned dark, blocking out the light, leaving them in shadow. He looked around, his eyes narrowed.
“What is it?”
“I expect Carmen to jump out of the shadows. Her timing is impeccable.”
She chuckled. “She’s very busy with school, and a boyfriend.”
“Hoo-yah!” he said, then whispered, “I missed you.” Bending down, his breath warm against her neck, he smoothed his hand down her back. Releasing a contented sigh, he slid his arms around her and gathered her up in a strong embrace, then said, his voice gruff, “Take me to bed and have your cowboy way with me.” He caught her hand and drew it to the front of his jeans, pressing her palm against his erection, holding her there while he feathered kisses along her jaw to the corner of her mouth.
She made a soft sound. “I like the sound of that, and I missed you, too.”
He found her mouth and kissed her, softly, his lips, firm and smooth and oh-so-clever, moved against hers, rubbed over hers, seduced her into softening and responding. She had to admit. It didn’t take much.
Then they were making love and he filled her. Slowly. Inch by inch. His eyes on hers. Giving her the essence of what made him male, welcomed and embraced by the warmth of his hard-muscled body. It went on for some time. It could never last enough. They moved together and all the while their hearts touched.
Buck roughly tightened his hold and made a low sound, and Mari arched her back and lifted her pelvis. Buck went rigid in her arms, a low, ragged sound wrenched from him as he thrust into her, pressing deeper and deeper, until she gasped his name.
Then there was no room for gentleness or patience. There was only room for urgency and a fever of taking and giving. A driving, desperate, frantic need that consumed them, drove them, carried them to the very edge of an emotional cliff, then Buck clutched her and drove into her one final time. Her body exploded into splintering shards of silver, taking them both under.
Buck held onto her, surrounding her with his strength and heat, his body shuddering against hers, and Mari clung to him, tears of raw emotion slipping down her temples, so shaken, so emotionally exposed that she felt stripped inside. He held her while her heart settled. Releasing some of the emotional overload, she smoothed her hands over those broad shoulders and down his flexing back muscles to the base of his spine.
Buck inhaled unevenly, then turned his head and kissed her on the curve of her neck. Mari could feel his heart hammering against hers. “Boy, am I glad you’re not a real cowboy when we’re in bed,” she whispered.
He laughed softly, burying his face in her neck. “Fuck eight seconds.”
Drawing one arm from under her, he braced his weight on it and looked down at her. With the dark stubble shadowing his strong jaw, his heavy-lidded eyes, and his tousled hair, he looked dark and dangerous and very male. He gave her a slow, soft smile, a trace of amusement in his eyes. “Will you marry me, Maritza Elena Solano Navarro?” The proposal spilled directly from his overflowing heart. She could hear it beating in each vibration of each word.
She froze for a moment, long enough for him to drape himself over the edge of the bed and come up with a ring box. It was black velvet and when he opened it, she had to catch her breath.
It was V-shaped with different-sized diamonds looking like a trail of stardust. So beautiful.
Transfixed by a host of emotions, she grinned at him, loving him so much it made her crazy. He took the ring out of the box, poised to slip it on her finger. She loved his confidence. She held up her hand. “On one condition.”
There was that Sam Buckard sexy, irresistible smile. “What’s that, darlin’?” he said in a playful growl.
“There will need to be three weddings?”
His brows rose in surprise. His expression turned wary and confused. “Three weddings?”
“Yes, of course. The second will have to be in Wyoming so your family can attend. We know from experience how hard it is to leave your business unattended.” The laugh lines around his eyes deepened, a sensual gleam appearing in his gaze. “Then, of course, we’ll have to have one in Costa Rica so that my whole family can attend, or you might find my mother here with a shotgun, gunning for you.” The laugh lines deepened, and his gaze turned more intimate.
He frowned. “That’s two darlin’. What about the first one?”
“If you think I’m waiting months to marry you, then you squat with your spurs on, mister.”
He laughed and dragged her on top of him. He looked at her, mischief and pure male sexuality sparkling in his eyes. His voice was compressed. “It might be worth it to see your ma toting a long-barreled firearm.” He shifted beneath her, taking her hand and slipping on the ring.
