Because Of You: A blazing hot cowboy romance. Kristina O'Grady

an indrawn breath as her hips arched into his hand.

      He released her nipple and brought his mouth back up to hers, kissing her fiercely.

      ‘Beth, I need you,’ he whispered against her lips, ‘Now.’ He couldn’t wait any longer.

      ‘Hurry,’ she moaned, clutching at his shoulders.

      She didn’t need to ask him twice. He positioned himself and slid into her with one thrust. Pleasure rushed through him with each stroke. He had never experienced ecstasy anything like this before. He gritted his teeth, trying to stay the inevitable. Beth’s muscles contracted around him seconds before she fell apart. He thrust once more and with a starburst behind his eyes, he collapsed on top of her.

      ***

      Mark was heavy lying on top of her but she revelled in the weight. Her heart felt as though it was finally home. She breathed in the scent of his skin. He smelled of last night, man and sex. A small smile graced her lips.

      He lifted his head and looked at her for a moment before he smiled, kissed her lips and then rolled off her, bringing her with him until she was snuggled against his chest.

      Beth couldn’t have moved if she wanted to. Pleasure still hummed through every vein of her body but every muscle was slack and listless. Mark was warm and comfortable against her back. In moments her eyelids drooped and sleep claimed her.

      The sun was higher in the sky when she opened her eyes again. The bed beside her was empty but still warm. She could hear water running in the en suite. Mark must be in the shower. She felt so much better now that she’d had a good sleep.

      There was no clock in Mark’s room. She didn’t have a clue how he managed to wake up in time for work every day without an alarm, but she’d never heard of him being late.

      Beth pulled on one of Mark’s shirts and her underwear she found on the floor next to the bed. She cautiously approached her booze-contaminated clothes in the hall and fished her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans.

      Jeez, it was lunchtime already. Her phone beeped with a text from Ben.

      Rough night last night?

      She smiled. Trust Ben to find the humour in any situation. She typed fast and chuckled as she sent her reply.

      Helga took car keys home, had to catch a ride. At Mark’s…don’t tell Mom!

      She knew Ben would laugh at the mention of Mom. It was a running family joke. When they were kids they always said ‘don’t tell Mom’ whenever they were doing something they shouldn’t be.

      She was just about to turn her phone off and find some pants in Mark’s closet when her phone beeped again. Ben wasn’t the only one trying to get hold of her. There were twelve messages waiting for her. She opened the message folder.

      Ice rushed through her veins when she saw the message.

      I think Mark went home with someone last night! His phone is off.

      Beth stared at the message in horror.

      Can you come over?

      Oh God, how could she have forgotten about Kelsey?

       Chapter 3

      Mark was just getting out of the shower when he heard Beth rummaging around in his room. He could hear his drawers being pulled out of the dresser and the screech of metal hangers being dragged across the bar in his closet. What the hell…?

      He wrapped a towel around his hips and stepped into his bedroom. Beth was pulling up a pair of his sweatpants and trying to shove her feet into her cowboy boots at the same time.

      He grabbed her arm to steady her before she fell over. The panic in her eyes made him take a step back.

      ‘Are you alright, B? What’s happened?’

      ‘Sorry, Mark, I’ve got to go,’ she said, bending down to tug on the tabs of her boots. ‘My clothes stink. You said I could borrow some of yours? I’ll wash them and give them back.’

      The happiness he’d felt when he woke up with her in his arms faded. She wouldn’t even look him in the eye.

      ‘Beth, what’s wrong?’

      She slowly raised her eyes to his. His heart stopped with the look she gave him.

      ‘I can’t stay.’

      ‘I can see that.’ It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure she wanted to leave. ‘But why? What’s happened?’

      ‘Kelsey sent me a text.’

       Shit.

      ‘She was your girlfriend only a month ago, Mark, and she’s one of my friends. What we did this morning was so wrong on so many levels. If she ever finds out…I just can’t do this to her.’ She shook her head, the panic in her eyes no less intense than it was when he came into the room.

      He let go of her arm and ran his hand through his wet hair. ‘Yes, but that was true a few minutes ago as well. It didn’t seem to bother you while you were sleeping in my arms. Why the rush to leave now?’

      Beth tossed her hair over her shoulder in a move he’s never seen her do before. The fight went out of her and she deflated before him. ‘She knows you went home with someone,’ she whispered. ‘How am I going to tell her that it was me? She’ll be heartbroken.’ She started walking down the hall toward the door. In a moment she’d be gone.

      ‘How is she going to know it was you?’ he called after her but she’d already gone out the door. His feet wouldn’t listen as his mind screamed at him to chase after her and he stood there rooted to the hardwood floor as she walked out of his life.

      This morning he’d thought all his Christmases had come at once, but now he knew he had an even harder battle to convince her that they belonged together. And how the hell was he going to do that?

      ***

      Beth pulled her truck up in front of Kelsey’s small house. She could have walked from Mark’s; it was just around the corner, but she had the feeling she might need to have a quick get-away so she went over to The Jackson to pick up her truck first, digging her spare keys out of the junk…glove box. She sat in her truck for a moment trying to gather her courage for what she knew she must say.

      Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, knowing if she was going to do this, she had to do it now. Not wanting to put off the inevitable any longer, Beth ran up the steps and knocked on her friend’s front door.

      Beth had always liked Kelsey’s house. The dark-green front door welcomed you up onto her tiny porch and the butter-yellow siding made the white trim of her windows pop. The rustic WELCOME sign on the door above the brass knocker and the two wicker chairs on the porch completed the look.

      Beth only had to wait a moment on the front step before Kelsey opened the door. Beth took a step back in shock. Not even when Kelsey and Mark broke up, did she look this bad. Her face was puffy and pale from crying. Tear tracks stained her cheeks and her eyes were red and almost swollen shut. She clutched bunched-up tissues in both of her hands. Her nose was red and raw looking.

      ‘Can I come in?’ Beth asked hesitantly.

      Kelsey didn’t reply but opened the door wider before turning and walking away from her back down the hall towards the kitchen.

      The inside of the house was just as pretty as the outside. The cream-coloured walls of the hall showed off the pictures Kelsey had hung. Each room off the hallway had different tones of yellow on the walls, making each one unique but still connected with the rest of the house.

      Beth followed Kelsey into the kitchen and cautiously sat down at the table.

      ‘Want some coffee?’ Kelsey asked. Her voice was flat and defeated, like she’d given up on life. It scared Beth