The Reluctant Rancher (19 page)

Her body stretched, expanding to accept the invasive hardness of his arousal.
Reluctant
to postpone the pain he knew was still to come, he applied persistent pressure and seconds later the truth of her innocence was no more.

Mary’s body shuddered and a small gasp left her lips as Luke filled her completely.

“I’m sorry, baby. So sorry. I’ll never hurt you again.
” He reached between them and stroked button of her desire.
“
Just relax, sweetheart, it only gets better.” Her head rolled back and forth
across
the pillow
. He
teased the engorged peak of one
breast with his tongue then drew it into his mouth.

Mary twisted beneath him
, lifting her hips into his
. Jolts of fire shot through his body and burned away his control. He drew back and his eyes
devoured
the picture that she made. Her sliver blonde hair was spread across the pillow. Just like his dreams. His heart swelled, she was his, if only for the night.

Just when Mary though
t
she couldn’t stand the sweet torture a moment longer, Luke stared to move. He withdrew unt
i
l the very tip of his body remained inside of her. She groaned, arching her body to bring him back to where she wanted it the most.

He thrust inside her again and again
, filling
her with swift, sure strokes. Her body welcomed him home. Home from a long cold winter of loneliness
and
pain.

“That’s it, baby.” He caressed
her ear with his tongue, adding to her pleasure. “Let it happen. Let me take you there.”

Mary was wild with longing.
She was thrust high atop a mountain, waiting, waiting so impatiently for that final step that would send her spiraling over the edge and into heaven.
Just
one touch f
r
o
m this man and she melted into a pool
of
sensation. She lifted her hips and
moved against him, matching him stroke for stroke.

Luke kissed Mary
’s
parted lips and shook with his own effort at control. She was so wet, so hot.
He wanted to wait for the precious moment
when they
ceased to exist on separate
plains
and beca
me one.
She was open and giving and he knew he couldn’t hold himself back.
He reached between
them and touched her, sending them both spiraling out of control.

*
* * * *

Luke lay sti
ll, listening to the rain pound
against the line shack’s old tin roof.
 
He
p
ropped
himself on one elbow and
watc
hed the rise and fall of Mary’s
 
bo
som
 
with pure male appreciation.
 
The action tightened the thin material of her shirt, molding her perfectly formed breasts like a lover’s hand.
His hands itched to touch her and his mouth watered to taste her.
She was so beautiful
,
he could look at her forever. He sighed, content in a way
he hadn’t felt in years.
 
After they’d made love, t
hey had talked for hours.
 
About her childhood, his parents, even his ex-wife.

She made him feel whole again.
 
Luke's heart swelled with an emotion he dared not name.
 
In the sweet haven of her
loving arms, he felt
he had finally found a place where he belonged.
 
A place where he was loved.

He knew he had made promises in the dark and he intended to fulfill them to the best of his ability.
 
Mary deserved rose petals and marriage.
 
Babies and forever after.
 
But doubts flooded him as he thought about taking the final step and making a commitment.
 
Voices from
the past whispered in his ear.

Easing away from the comfort of her pliant body, he rose from the bed and walked barefoot into the pouring rain.
 
The night stood still; nothing stirred
in the drivin
g rain. He checked on Lady Jane. He’d gathered some grass earlier and fed it to her now. He’d have to tell the boys to repair
the
lean-to and cabin. And restock it.
Apparently that hadn’t been done in a
while. They were lucky they’
d had soup and stale crackers and a few dry items of clothing.

He lifted his face
, relishing
the spray of the cold rain.
 
Mary’s words from the night of the dance echoed through his tired brain and he cursed his success.
 
Did she profess her love because of what he could give her materially?
 
Could he trust her not be like Debbie, a woman looking for an easy out?
 
Did she truly love him for himself and not his bank
book? Could he be absolutely
certain
that his money wasn’t a factor in her feelings?

And
why did the mere thought
of her betrayal
threaten to send his soul tumbling into despair?

Because Mary was warm and loving. He wanted this woman beside him for the rest of his life,
to share
his dreams,
to grow
large with his babies.

“
You’re getting wet again.
”
 
Her
soft
voice came through the darkness.

He wiped the water from his eyes
and turned to her. He
took in her bare legs vi
sible beneath the flannel shirt and
the heightened color on her cheeks. He pulled her
further
under the shel
ter and hauled her against him
, tangling his hands in her hair and sealing her lips with his kiss.

When he raised his head, they were both breathless.
 
Luke could see the uncertainty in her eyes, but refused to do anything about it.
 
This was a night out of time for both of them.
 
Tomorrow they would talk.
 
Tomorrow they would speak of feelings long thought dead and buried.
 
Of emotions that suddenly seemed so very right.
But they had tonight
to simply be
together
.

Luke slipped his hand between them
, caressing her willing flesh
. “Have you ever made love standing up?”

“No.”

He felt her shiver and cursed. “You’re cold again. We’d better continue this by the fire.”

Once inside
,
Luke fed the fire while Mary fetched another towel from the bathroom. She dried his ba
ck with long, sensuous strokes. S
he slipped h
er
arm around him and dried his stomach and chest.
His nipples budded beneath her hand. “Do you like that?”

“Can’t you tell?
” He
captured one of her hands, pushing it inside th
e front his jeans. Shutting his eyes
,
he held himself rigid as she wrapped cool fingers around his hot length. He guided her movements a
t first. She was a fast learner
.

He clenched his fists at his sides and lost himself in her touch. He had to stop this, he knew that, but his body wouldn’t obey. Just one more minute, one more second, one more
stroke
…

Deftly he turned around and trapped her hand between them.

Their kiss was long and hard, a prelude to their passion.

As she continued to stroke him, he
captured
the
dark
crest
of
one of
her exposed
breast
s
and pulled the tight bud into his mouth. He suckled each breast, sliding his tongue
around
each hard peak. When her legs gave out, he was there, t
ightening his arms around her.

“Oh, God, Luke.”

“What is it, baby? Tel
l me what you want.” He blew a breath
of warm air across her nipple.

“I.., I need you.”

“Where Mary? Where do you need me?”

“Inside.”

Even as she spoke, his hand was moving, searching and discovering. He separated her folds and plunged two fingers inside. “Put your legs around me.”

He lifted her off the floor then turned until she was supported by the wall.

With incredible
ease he slipped inside her, burying
himself to the hilt.

Her lips parted and he was there, his tongue plunging into her mouth in
tandem
with the thrusts of his hips.

Passion made him violent, desire made him rough. His hands firmed on her buttocks, fitting her to him. He stopped her instinctive response to move with him. Mercilessly, he drove into her. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he selfishly used her and loved her with his body. Again and again he pulled out, thrust, stretching and filling her. She arched her back, groaning.

“Don’t fight me, baby.”

As if his words had opened a floodgate of sensati
on, her body opened to him
completely, allowing him to go even deeper. He pre
ssed his face into her nec
k
and
fe
lt her convulse around him. He t
hrust hard one last time.

Luke lowered
her legs to the floor and slipped from her body. His movements were wooden. He was still aroused and hurting like hell.

“Go get dressed while I make us something
to eat.” He turned away.
He knew she had questions, had seen his still aroused body, but she didn’t say anything. She gathered h
er clothes and walked into
the wash
room, closing the door behind her
with a small click.

Damn, damn, damn,
he thought. He
had taken her like a beast. He
h
a
d felt her body straining to accept him and still he hadn’t stopped. No, he had continued to stroke her, taking his fill.

He chuckled sardonically, feeling the bulge in his jeans. Not quite his fill.

Mary came out of the washroom dressed in her own clothes that had dried during the ni
ght.

“I’ll make us some soup
.”
He poured some of the water
left from
earlier into a pot and placed it on the stove.
He kept his attention focused on the still water.
It would take a while for it to boil.

“Luke.”

He did not want to look at her. Didn’t know if he could without grabbing her and throwing on the bed
and taking her again.

“Why didn’t you – you know, over there.” She gestured toward the wall that had supported her only moments before.

“It doesn’t matter.” He knew his face clo
s
ed up tight.

“Was it because of me? Don’t you want me anymore?” Her voice was a small whisper in the silent room. Only the crackle of the logs on the fire could be heard.

“God no, Mary.” He closed his eyes. “It had nothing to do with you.”

“Then why? You wanted to. I felt you inside me, Luke.”

“Just drop it. Okay?”

“I’m not going to drop it until you
tell me what happened.”

Luke spat out such an
earthy curse that Mary blushed
t
o the roots of her
hair.

“
I took you
. I took you
like a rutting bull. That’s what happened. I could have hurt you.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m
a big girl, Luke.”

“Oh, I noticed alright.” He stepped closer. If she said anything else about her size, she’d find herself over his knee. “That doesn’t give me the right to treat you that way.”

“Was I complain
in
g?”

“No.”

She stood on tiptoes and kissed him with an
open mouth. She slid
her tongue past his teeth. Her unrestrained response was all t
he coaxing Luke needed. He forgo
t his earlier apprehension and captured her lips
, his tongue tangling
with hers.