Free Purebred by Patricia Rosemoor

dogs shot ahead to explore again.
    “’Tis like being in a paradise of our own.”
    “Today.” She dismounted, let her horse get some water. “You wouldn’t want to be out here on a weekend. Anyone who owns a horse would probably be on the trail.”
    But they weren’t on the trail anymore. Following her lead, Aidan dismounted as well, one thing on his mind.
    Her. Naked.
    What did he have to do to stop himself from thinking like that?
    “I’ll take paradise when I can get it, then,” he said, rubbing his mount’s ears and giving him silent instructions to stay put.
    Cat was watching him closely. Her gaze burned into him, and his flesh responded instantly. Unable to help himself, he dropped the reins and stepped toward her.
    “What are you doing?” she asked, the words coming out in a gasp.
    Her eyes were wide, her lips parted in invitation.
    As hard as he tried, he couldn’t stop himself. This time he kissed her.
    She dropped her horse’s reins and wound her arms around his neck to pull him closer.
    Cupping both breasts, he backed her against a fallen tree that hit her at hip level. He circled her nipples until they hardened to small peaks. She moaned but didn’t object. Instead, she began exploring him.
    This was a bad idea.
    He knew it was a bad idea and had vowed not to let it happen.
    At the moment, he simply didn’t care.
    Within seconds they were undoing each other’s belt buckles, snaps and zippers. He slipped his hand into her pants, into her. She felt so hot and swollen and wet.
    Her hands on his hard flesh…he didn’t know how long he could stand it.
    He broke the kiss, whispered in her ear. “Are we really doing this?”
    “It’s just sex.”
    The right response. Just sex.
    No emotional involvement.
    No betrayal of a memory.
    No taunting a curse.
    The curse was well and done anyway, Aidan reminded himself, had been fulfilled with Pegeen’s death.
    Just sex, he thought, as they pulled down each other’s jeans in unison. Trying to take her like this was awkward. They’d have to take off their boots and the clothing puddling around their knees. Unless…
    He turned her so she faced the log. She draped herself over it and he draped himself over her.
    She was so wet, he slid into her easily from behind, so swollen she held on to him like a tight fist. Knowing he wouldn’t have long, he trailed his lips up her arm and lightly bit the soft flesh of her shoulder while forcing a hand in front of her to touch and tease and torment her until she was breathing heavy.
    Panting.
    Murmuring, “Now…now…now!”
    Her plea inflamed him. He plunged deeper and faster and within a few strokes, her strangled sounds forced him over the edge.
    She cried in pleasure, then whispered something that sounded like “I needed that.”
    That made two of them, he thought, now using his hands on the tree to steady himself. His legs felt like rubber.
    He’d dreamed this after they’d met. His gut tightened and he took a deep breath to control the panic hiding a nick away.
    Just sex.
    Very clear-cut. No emotional entanglement.
    Still, as he backed off, he couldn’t take his eyes off Cat. Her face was flushed and still marked with seduction. His physical response surprised him, considering he’d just finished, but she had already dressed. What could have been an awkward moment wasn’t. She didn’t avoid his eyes. She met them. Held them. A knowing smile played around her lips.
    Knowing or promising?
    The dogs barking from somewhere nearby broke the tension. Aidan realized they’d been barking earlier, but they’d been so physically involved that the source of the noise hadn’t registered.
    “I think we should get going,” Cat said, brushing by him in a way that made him want to convince her they needn’t rush.
    But before he could do anything about it, she mounted her horse. He took her cue and followed. She moved her horse uphill, back to the trail, and whistled for the dogs, but they continued to kick up a