The Rancher's Secret Son

by Sara Orwig

  As he moved over her again, she opened wide for him, wanting him, thinking of all the nights she had dreamed of this moment when she hadn’t thought it would ever happen again.

  He entered her slowly, filling her, hot and hard, and she stopped thinking then, just moving, wanting him and crying out with need. He began to move slowly, driving her wild with wanting him, tension coiling tightly in her.

  She clung to him, relishing that it was Nick in her arms, the man she loved and the man whose love she wanted in return. She ran her hands over his back, down over his buttocks, as they moved in perfect synchrony.

  Passion swept her up, higher and higher, until she reached the apex of her desire, and with a throaty gasp leaped into ecstasy. Only then did she feel Nick lose his iron control. He pumped wildly as she kept with him. Release burst over her, shattering her, in a climax unlike any other.

  His weight came down and he held her, turning his head as he kissed her cheek. They both gasped for breath while he held her close.

  “You’ve given me so much, Claire,” he whispered.

  She combed locks of his hair back from his damp forehead.

  He was quiet, just holding her close, and she held him, remaining just as silent, deep in her thoughts. After a while he rolled onto his side but he continued to hold her close. “I want you with me all night,” he said.

  “I can’t do that, Nick.” It pained her, but she couldn’t stay the night in his bed. “I’ll go in a while.”

  “You’re a tough woman sometimes,” he whispered, caressing her cheek.

  “So, you think I’ve been tough the past hour?” she teased.

  His arm circled her waist and he pulled her closer even though he was almost covering her with his body. “Not tough. Sexy beyond my wildest dreams.” His eyes darkened again and she wondered if he was feeling desire again so soon. “I admire you, Claire. You know what you want and you stick to it.” He gave her a quick grin. “But you do know there’s such a thing as compromise?”

  “Compromise is for politicians. I have to do what I think is best for Cody, for me and for my family. Maybe I made the wrong choices by not telling you about my pregnancy and not telling you about his birth, but I thought I was doing what was best for all of us—Cody, me and my family. Actually, after a certain point, I thought it was what was best for you, too.”

  “Stop worrying about all that. It’s done and over. Let me just hold you close.”

  They were quiet again as he held her and stroked her back. “This is good, Claire.”

  She didn’t answer him, certain they hadn’t made anything easier tonight.

  “I don’t want to let you go,” he said.

  “You’ll have to soon,” she answered, even though she wished he’d never let her go. But there was no way with their circumstances.

  Finally she rolled away, starting to get up, but Nick’s arm tightened around her waist and he drew her back. “Don’t go.”

  “Nick, I’m not staying here all night.”

  He released her and she stepped out of bed. He lay there and watched her as she gathered her clothes. “Good night, Claire,” he said before she reached the door.

  She turned to look at him. He sat back in his big bed with his hands propped behind his head and a sheet across his lap. Her mouth went dry and she wanted to be back in his arms, to stay the rest of the night with him.

  Tonight hadn’t brought them any closer to a solution, but had simply complicated her life and made Nick far more difficult to resist. She wouldn’t make it any worse by giving into the temptation and staying with him. Steeling herself, she turned away and hurried to her room.

  * * *

  Thursday morning after breakfast, Nick had a pickup parked at the back gate. It was a blustery day with wind gusts that carried a winter chill, and after breakfast, when Nick announced they would go select a tree, she gave Cody his parka and gloves. She pulled on her heavy coat, turning the fur collar up to protect her neck.

  “You need some boots out here, Claire.”

  “I have socks and sneakers,” she said, watching him pull on a warm shearling-lined leather jacket. He had black leather gloves and his broad-brimmed black Stetson, which made him look just as good with his clothes on as he had naked last night. She stopped that thought before it made her hot and uncomfortable in her coat. She was grateful that Cody was almost dancing with excitement beside her and needed her attention. She helped him put on his little gloves.

  Nick carried Cody to the truck. Gusts of wind whipped against them as they climbed into the warm truck with the motor already running.

  They drove to an isolated area that held a scattering of tall cedars.

  Nick and Cody selected a tree while she took more pictures. She watched Nick work to chop down the tree, her gaze drifting across his broad shoulders and strong back as he wielded the heavy ax. Nick looked as happy as Cody and she thought he missed a lot of this ranch life locked into working so hard at a career that wasn’t his first love. It wasn’t for the money; she knew that much about him. He had to be doing it to please his dad.

  A light snow began to fall, sending Cody into gales of excitement as he danced around. “It’s snowing,” he cried, waving his arms and catching flakes.

  “Doesn’t take much to please him, does it?” Nick remarked, laughing.

  “Everything out here dazzles him and this snow is just one more added touch. We don’t see much snow in Houston. You know, he may love the ranch even more than his dad.”

  Nick looked startled, turning to her and then looking at Cody with a slight frown, and she wondered what he was thinking. He turned to finish his task of chopping down the big cedar. As soon as he’d loaded the felled tree into the truck, they headed home.

  By the time they reached the back door and Nick hauled the tree inside, a blizzard was raging. Cody was torn between watching Nick set up the tree and rubbing circles in the frosty glass to look at the snow.

  After dinner Nick brought boxes of ornaments from his attic. “Next year we’ll get ornaments in Verity or Dallas or Houston, so we have our own. These are some from Mom that I grew up with and some that I bought in haste and then never even opened because I had to go back to Dallas. The ones Karen and I had are in the attic in Dallas,” he said. Then he added, “I thought you’d wonder about them.”

  “It doesn’t matter. They’re all new to Cody,” she said. “I’ll let you take the lead with decorating and I’ll continue to take more pictures.”

  Nick smiled as he opened a box. “Cody, let me get the lights strung on first and then you can start decorating.”

  Claire helped Nick with the lights, brushing against him, aware of him moving close beside her, once looking into his eyes to see his expression change. For a moment she was lost in his gaze, seeing desire flare in the depths of blue. Her heart skipped and she remembered last night in his arms. Taking a deep breath, she turned away.

  Finally, they had the tree done, the top portion sparsely decorated and most ornaments on the lower half where Cody could reach.

  Nick turned off all but the tree lights. On the other side of the tree, through the window, they could see the blowing snow still falling, the ground now covered. They all stood back to look at the tree, Nick in the middle with his arms around Cody and her. “That is a splendid Christmas tree,” Nick said.

  She was aware of Nick’s arm across her shoulders as she stood pressed against his side. Cody reached over to slip his small hand into hers and she looked at her son, who looked dazzled and happy with a huge smile on his face as he stared at the tree.

  A pang tore at her heart. They weren’t a family and it hurt. She glanced up at Nick to find him looking down at her with a somber expression and she wondered what he was thinking. Did he realize what obstacles they faced?

  “It’s the best
Christmas tree,” Cody said in his child’s voice, which caused another ache in her heart.

  “I think it’s beautiful,” she remarked, thinking it was and knowing she would always remember this night and this moment, holding her son’s hand and standing in the circle of Nick’s arm. It was all a reminder of what she was lacking—a family of her own, a loving husband.

  “It’s a real tree that you cut down,” Cody said in awe. “I like it best,” he added, and she felt a twist to her heart. She would have to always share Cody at Christmas now with Nick. She was thankful that Nick would be a wonderful father for their son, but there were going to be some tough moments ahead, when Cody would have times in his life to do things with his dad and she would be no part of them.

  Trying to avoid thinking about the rough moments, she moved away.

  “Cody, it’s way past your bedtime. Let’s get you ready and then your dad can read his books to you.” In the attic, when he’d gone to get the ornaments, Nick had found two old Christmas books he’d had as a child. He wanted to share them with Cody.

  As Cody nodded, Nick swung him up on his shoulders and carried him from the room. She looked at them both and knew that, despite all the walls of defense that she’d erected, she was sinking more in love than ever with Nick.

  Getting her iPad, Claire sent all the latest pictures to Nick, thinking about last night and wondering whether he expected a repeat tonight. Soon they would be back in Dallas, and then they’d go home on Sunday, and she felt her heart clutch.

  She realized she had put herself at risk again by falling for someone who could easily walk out of her life as he had before.

  How was she going to be able to work out shuffling Cody back and forth to DC? She ran her hand over her forehead, knowing problems loomed and they hadn’t come one bit closer to a solution.

  She looked down at the iPad at a picture of Nick and Cody on horseback. A handsome dad and an adorable son. She didn’t dare give her thoughts to any “what-ifs.”

  She put down the iPad and went to her son’s temporary room. Nick was turning out the light after having read the stories, and Cody was asleep, the covers tucked up under his chin.

  When he entered the hall, Nick took her hand. “Come here, Claire,” he said, heading toward his room. As soon as they entered his sitting room, he closed the door.

  “I’ve been waiting for this moment since last night,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and leaning down to kiss her.

  Warmth filled her as she wrapped her arms around him to kiss him in return. Even though she knew the folly of kissing him, she wanted to love him until he never wanted to let her go.

  Ten

  In the throes of an erotic dream, she realized she was getting poked in the arm by a small finger.

  She opened her eyes to look at Cody. “Get up, Mama. It’s morning. Dad said it’s time for everyone to get up.”

  Smiling, she hugged Cody. “I’ll get up and have a little talk with your dad. And where is your dad?”

  “In the kitchen cooking. He said I could wake you, that you’re a sleepyhead.”

  “Is that so? I’ll be right there. You can go eat your breakfast while I get dressed.”

  As he ran out of the room, she got up to close the door. She realized then it was no erotic dream she’d been having. Instead she’d been reliving last night with Nick. Her thighs still throbbed deliciously from a night of lovemaking. They’d made love, showered together, and made love again, twice, before she’d come to her room. Sated and well loved, she’d slept like a baby.

  Knowing her son awaited her, she showered and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved red T-shirt, and hurried to the kitchen.

  “Miss Sleepyhead has arrived,” she said, walking into the kitchen. Dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, Nick was seated at the table across from Cody. Nick came to his feet when she entered and smiled at her as his gaze raked over her, sending fiery currents in its wake.

  “I can think of a lot of other names that would be more appropriate,” he said.

  “You better not say them now,” she threatened, smiling at him. “Thanks for feeding Cody.”

  “I’m getting the hang of it.”

  “Dad said we’re going to build a snowman if the snow is wet enough. We’ll go out after breakfast.”

  “And you are more than welcome to join us,” Nick told her.

  “Maybe for about ten minutes to take pictures.” She laughed. “I’m going home with five thousand more pictures.”

  As Nick smiled, his gaze skimmed over her and her breath caught at the look in his eyes. She felt as if his fingers had drifted over her instead of just his eyes. She was susceptible to every glance, every touch from him, too aware of him. This had to stop or she’d never make it through the day.

  “My images are in here,” he said, tapping his head, his voice dropping a notch.

  She knew what images he was referring to. Ones that would never be shared on Instagram. “And they better stay there and we hear no more about them,” she said, and he grinned.

  “This morning, with your permission, I’d like to take Cody out with me and let him see the men working. They’ll break ice on the ponds and tanks so the animals can drink and put out hay for them. We’ll be in the truck. I’ll take good care of him.”

  “Do you want to go?” she asked Cody, knowing what he would answer.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, looking at Nick.

  “Fine. I’ll definitely pass on that one, though.”

  “I figured you would.”

  After breakfast she had fun with Nick and Cody as they made a snowman, and then she watched them as they left to go out onto the ranch. A tall cowboy holding the hand of his small son. When they returned she heard about their day in great detail and Nick showed her pictures of Cody he’d taken with his phone. Her son looked ecstatic out there with the cowboys.

  After dinner that night Nick played games with Cody, lying on the floor with him and letting his son climb on him. She watched them and wondered whether Nick seemed so happy and relaxed because they were at the ranch or because he had Cody with him. Either way, his appeal heightened. There was no denying it. He was a marvelous dad for Cody.

  But what kind of man was he for her?

  She wanted to love someone who returned that love. What Nick felt for her was lust. He was sexy, virile, filled with energy, and he desired her and lusted after her, but he wasn’t in love with her. He could walk away tomorrow, run for the US Senate, live in DC and seldom see her without it tearing him up.

  He would miss her for sex, certainly, and maybe for how she could be at his side to help him in his career.

  Not that that was going to happen, she told herself. Her grandfather was going through physical therapy in hopes he could return in a limited capacity to his office. She didn’t want to get someone to run it and walk away, marry Nick and abandon the business and her grandparents.

  Nick’s deep laugh broke into her thoughts. Once more she remarked on how much more she had heard Nick laugh, whistle and hum since he had been on the ranch. She wondered why he pursued the life he did if he was so much happier being a cowboy. Nick rolled away, stretched out a long arm and his hand closed around her ankle lightly, startling her and getting her attention.

  “Why so solemn?” he asked as his fingers lightly caressed her ankle.

  “I was wondering how I’m going to get him quiet enough to ever go to bed.”

  “I’ll take care of him. Don’t give it another thought.” He rolled away and sat up. “Cody, it’s bath time and then story time. Come get on my shoulders and I’ll carry you.”

  Cody laughed and got on Nick’s shoulders, winding his fingers in Nick’s thick hair. Nick stood, smiled at her and trotted off like a horse, making Cody laugh harder.

  She g
lanced at the clock. She would give them thirty minutes and then go kiss Cody good-night.

  When she walked into the bedroom later, Nick was leaning down to brush Cody’s forehead with a kiss. He crossed the room to place his arm around her shoulders.

  “He couldn’t last to hear the end of the story.”

  “Good job, Dad. Thank you very much,” she said, aware of Nick close at her side. She felt his fingers toying with her hair.

  In the hall he turned toward his room and stopped. “I have plans for us.”

  “I’m sure you do,” she said, amused, but her smile vanished as she looked up at him. Desire was blatant in his blue eyes. He ran his hands lightly across her shoulders, up to caress her nape, to untie the ribbon that held her hair. He leaned down to brush her lips lightly with his.

  He stroked her mouth with another kiss and then his mouth covered hers and his tongue touched hers. As he kissed her, his arm tightened around her.

  Breathless, she wanted him in return. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed against him and kissed him back with fervor.

  Nick picked her up and she knew without looking that he carried her to his suite. She heard the door close behind him and in seconds he’d laid her on the bed and joined her.

  * * *

  It was eight the next morning when she woke in her own room, then showered and dressed to go get breakfast and see where Cody and Nick were.

  The family dinner was tonight, at Nick’s house in Dallas. Briefly she felt butterflies at the thought and then remembered how friendly Wyatt had been and how super friendly Nick’s parents had been. They made it obvious how badly they wanted Cody in the family and the butterflies left her. She joined Nick and Cody at the breakfast table, where they were eating bowls of oatmeal and berries.

  “The temperature should climb today and the roads are clear,” Nick said. “We’re off to Dallas after breakfast and tonight should be fun. I can’t wait for my family to get to know Cody.”