Free Cassie's Hope (Riders Up) by Adriana Kraft Page A

then return to her own familiar world—hopefully
unscathed.

 
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
    Where had this
nervousness come from? One minute Cassie sat in the single chair in the motel
room trying to read a novel; the next she was up pacing back and forth in front
of the dresser. The trip had gone smoothly. Hope had settled in nicely and was
well prepared for Saturday’s race.
    Well, okay, her
anxiety had little to do with Hope and her race. It was Friday. Clint Travers
was due any minute. He’d called from the Salt Lake City airport some ninety
miles away to confirm that his plane had landed. Probably he’d called to
confirm she’d  made her way to Evanston without taking a detour.
    She peeked at the
clock again. They’d agreed he’d pick her up and they’d try a local restaurant. She’d
dressed casually—that was really the only style appropriate in Evanston,
Wyoming. She wore a denim wraparound skirt and a pink tank-top. Nothing too
seductive, but he wouldn’t mistake her for one of his cowhands, either.
    So how was she
supposed to greet him when he knocked on her door? Should she kiss him? Should
she apologize again for running out on him the last time? What did he expect?
     
    - o -
     
    Clint Travers
parked his truck in front of the Early Bird Motel. He rubbed his chin and
combed his fingers through his hair before replacing the Stetson on his head. Now
what?
    The red-headed
vixen of his night dreams was somewhere in the motel. What did she expect? Would
she prefer a kiss, a hug, a handshake? Should he apologize for how he left so
abruptly the last time?
    Just go do it
Travers. You’re both adults. You’ll figure something out . He picked up the
flowers lying on the passenger’s seat and headed toward the room number she’d
given him.
     
    - o -
     
    Cassie jumped at
the soft rap on the door. “He’s here,” she muttered. She moistened her lips and
moved slowly. No need to appear too eager. She opened the door wide and Clint
Travers stepped back into her life.
    He was as
commanding a presence as she remembered. She’d made the correct decision to
return. “Hi, are those for me?” She pointed at the yellow roses squeezed in
Clint’s hand. “Come in.”
    Clint walked into
the room and Cassie closed the door behind him. He turned and held the roses
out to her. “Yes, they’re for you—sorry.” He grinned and cocked his head to one
side. “You’re even more beautiful than I remembered.”
    “You clean up
pretty good yourself, cowboy. Let me get a glass and set the flowers on the
dresser; they are quite stunning.”
    “Not nearly as
stunning as you.”
    “My, you are full
of compliments,” Cassie teased, holding her arms out to him in invitation.
    He took her in his
arms. She tipped her head up to meet his lips. He tasted masculine. She chewed
on his lower lip. His hands cupped her rear and pressed her body tight against
his. His arousal didn’t surprise. She was as excited as he was. It must have
been caused by all the waiting. Cassie chuckled against his mouth. Maybe dinner
could wait.
    “What’s so funny?”
he murmured.
    “I’ve been anxious
about how we’d reconnect. Whether it would feel natural to kiss you when you
arrived or if that might be better put off until after dinner.”
    “And?”
    “We’re doing just
fine,” she said, then slipped her tongue between his lips to greet his.
    He worked a hand
between them to cover a breast. She moaned her pleasure, then broke their kiss
and leaned back, giving him more room to roam across her breasts. With both
hands, he lifted them and grazed a nipple with a thumb.
    “Oh my,” Cassie
moaned. “That feels so good.”
    Clint lowered his
head and laved a breast through the light tank top.
    Cassie jerked her
head back and pushed her breast forward, wanting more, demanding more. The fabric
was getting in the way. She needed to feel his mouth on her skin.
    She pulled away
from Clint and smiled at his immediate distress. “Don’t