Heat prowled through him, and all he could think about was doing just that—kissing her from head to toe before he drove his cock deep inside her.

“Oh, but I do, sweetheart. I do.”

Color blossomed high on her cheeks, but that sexy hue reminded him of her pink pussy and how she spread her legs while offering herself up so nicely to him. She wet her lips, and he felt his cock grow another inch.

Fuck.

Coop shifted in his seat. “I told you not to lick your lips like that.”

Innocent eyes widened. “Then you should stop saying things like you just did.”

“No.”

“Oh, and why not?”

“Because I like how you respond.”

Memories of the way her body moved under his warmed his blood. Oh, yeah, there really were two sides of her. She bit down on her bottom lip and went quiet. Was she reliving the morning, remembering how well they fit together?

Coop drained the rest of his cup and pushed his plate away. “Are you ready?”

Julia swallowed. “Ready?”

He grinned. “To tackle your chores.”

Apprehension passed over her face. “I don’t know how—”

“Don’t worry.” He laughed and added, “I’m not going to make you ride a wild stallion or do anything dangerous.”

Her gaze leisurely trailed over him, then taking him by surprise, she answered with, “Well, I’m pretty sure that stallion already rode me, and maybe I like a little danger.”

Jesus.

Talk about poking a bull with a stick. Coop jumped to his feet and almost knocked his chair backward. He grabbed her hand and practically dragged her from the restaurant, all the while ignoring the inquisitive glances aimed their way.

If the guests weren’t up and about, he’d have hauled her straight back to the hayloft for round number two. Instead, as soon as he got her alone behind the barn, he pinned her against the wall and kissed her hard. When he finally pulled back, they were breathless.

“You’re going to pay for that,” he warned.

She feigned innocence. “Pay for what?”

Coop grinned, loving this easy, playful side of her. “Christ, what the hell am I going to do with you?” Before he could tell her exactly what he’d like to do, he spotted Mac and Jess heading into the trails. Mac had his climbing gear with him. The two complemented each other well. While Mac could use some of Jess’s calm nature, she could benefit from his wild ways. He couldn’t wait to see how their week played out, and hoped like hell in the end Mac won over the girl of his dreams.

He turned his attention back to Julia and inched away. With guests milling about, this was neither the time nor the place to do what he wanted to her.

Looking edgy and breathless, and maybe even a little disappointed that he’d pulled away, Julia gestured with a nod. “Where are they going?”

“We offer rock climbing here.” He looked off into the distance. “Just over there, at the base of that mountain.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “So, how come those two are off to do fun things, and you’re putting me to work?”

“The guys and I all take turns.” He grabbed her hand and gave a little tug, leading her inside the barn. “Tomorrow is my day off, and I’ll take you up the mountain if you want to go.”

“Nope.”

Coop laughed and angled his head to see her. “No?”

She pulled a worried face. “I’m not all that coordinated,” she admitted, sheepishly taking in the row of horses on her right. “But I would love to go for a ride.”

“Have you ever ridden?”

She nodded eagerly, and longing filled her voice when she said, “Yeah, when I was younger.” She continued to tell him about the lessons she had in junior high, before he’d met and become best friends with Mari, as Coop gathered the saddles and reins to prepare them for polishing. “I loved it so much.” A small smile curled her mouth as she went quiet, like she was remembering something from the past. “Mari and I liked a lot of the same things, but horses were my thing, my passion.”

“She wouldn’t have been caught dead on one,” Coop said.

“I know. I saved all my babysitting money, thinking I could buy my own horse one day. But…well…I stopped riding.”

“Why would you stop if you loved it so much?”

“It was expensive, and Mari was just getting into modeling. With the possibility of her making a career out of it, Mom and Dad thought her lessons were a better investment. And obviously they were—look at her now.” She gave an easy shrug. “It wasn’t like I was ever going to go anywhere with my horseback riding, anyway.”

His heart squeezed. “I’m sorry.”

Surprise lit her face. “What? No.” She gave a quick shake of her head, her long dark hair falling over her shoulders in wild waves, her actions saying so much about her. Julia was kind, caring, always putting the needs of others first, and was probably even happy to sit on the sidelines while her sister stole the show. “It’s okay. Really.” She clapped her hands and turned her head from left to right. “So where do we start?”

“Right here.” Coop leaned in and gave her a tender kiss, determined to put all her needs first and give her the best damn week of her life. She deserved it. In fact, she deserved so much more.

“Oh,” she said when he inched back.

Need moved through him at her reaction. He loved that little surprised look, not to mention the heat in her eyes. Christ, as much as he’d love to spend the next few hours losing himself in her, he had chores to do.

He cleared his throat. “Next up is tending to the horses and figuring out which one you want to take out tomorrow.”

Before long, they were knee-deep in their chores. They talked quietly about nothing and everything, and while Coop told her all there was to know about the ranch, there was one very private subject he wasn’t quite ready to broach—the real reason he was in Alberta. His mother. He’d bought this place for her, and built her a cozy cottage because she’d grown up on a ranch—Coop had lived on one with his folks until middle school, until his father took a job at a bank and they moved across country. Being in familiar surroundings helped with the confusion of her Alzheimer’s, but opening up about it to anyone and knowing the inevitable outcome was just too painful to talk about.

His thoughts returned to Julia. He’d watched her throughout the day and couldn’t believe how much pleasure she took in feeding, watering, and caring for the horses. It was a damn shame she never had her own. She was a giving person, and he liked that she wasn’t afraid of hard work and had readily helped him clean the stalls when he said she could sit that chore out. A few times, he caught her humming to herself. Perhaps, like him, ranch work took her away from her worries and from real life for a few hours.

By the time they finished their chores, breaking only for a late lunch, night was approaching, and they found themselves hot, tired, and hungry. As Coop watched Julia put the mare back in her stall, his hunger turned carnal.

“I like this one,” Julia called out after she secured the door behind her.

“And I like this one,” Coop said, sneaking up behind her so he could plant a kiss on her neck. But when she spun around, she tripped on a shovel, landing on the hard floor with a thud.

“Jesus, Julia, I’m sorry,” he hurried out. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” Looking thoroughly embarrassed, she made a move to get up, but winced when she put weight on her ankle.

Coop scooped her up and set her on a chair. Then he dropped to his knees and took her ankle in his hand.

She tried to squirm away. “It’s okay, really.”

He felt along her bone. Once he was certain she didn’t have a fracture, he said, “Nothing feels broken.”

“Thank God, otherwise you might have to put me down,” she joked.

“You’re not a horse,” he said, grinning. “I think you’re going to be okay, but if you want to go into town for an X-ray—”