The Christmas Cowboy Hero

by Donna Grant

  The pulse at the base of her throat beat wildly as her lips parted. Without a doubt, he knew she felt the same untamed need that consumed him, that same primal craving that only someone who matched you in every way could feel.

  He continued moving his finger to her shoulder and the edge of her robe. He followed that edge over her breast, right across her nipple. She let out a long breath, her eyes briefly closing.

  His fingertip continued downward, over her stomach and her hip to her thigh. When he reached the hem of the robe, he focused on her gown. Sliding his hand beneath the nightshirt, he skimmed his palm up her thigh to her hip.

  Her chest was heaving now, desire burning in her eyes. Then he cupped her sex. The moment he found her without panties and wet, his rod grew so hard that it was painful.

  While he pushed two fingers inside her, she spread her hands on his chest and moaned. He couldn’t stop his hips from rocking as his fingers thrummed her.

  Then she unzipped his jeans, dipped her hands into his jeans and wrapped her fingers around him. He hissed in a breath, the contact sublime when she began to slide her hand up and down his length.

  He leaned forward to brush his lips against hers before claiming her mouth as they each fondled the other. It was sexy as hell.

  But it wasn’t enough. He needed to be inside her, to have their bodies connected. He shoved down his jeans before he lifted her, holding her over his cock.

  With her hands in his hair and her legs around his waist, their gazes locked and held as he lowered her. Her eyes bulged when the head of his arousal found her entrance and pushed inside her.

  “Clayton,” she murmured when he thrust once, pushing deep inside her.

  He wound his hand in the long length of her hair and brought her head to him for another kiss that was frantic with need as desire burned like an inferno within him.

  She shimmied out of her robe. He kicked off his jeans. Then he turned and made his way to the bed. The only movement of his cock within her was when he walked.

  The soft cry she gave as she tore her lips from his made his already heated blood burn. She quickly yanked off the nightshirt, baring her gorgeous body to him.

  He bent his head and licked a turgid nipple. She rocked her hips as her body tightened around him.

  Clayton hissed in a breath because that movement had nearly sent him over the edge. This brave, beautiful woman had somehow stolen his heart while breaking the chains of the past that had held him.

  He turned and sat on the bed. She leaned over him until he had no choice but to fall back. He gazed up at her as her mane of dark hair flowed to either side of his face.

  With her hands braced on his chest, she began to rotate her hips slowly, moving faster and faster. Even as his body grew taut with the orgasm that begged to be released, he watched as her eyes fell shut.

  She sat up straight and let her head fall back. The ends of her hair tickled his balls, and her breasts swayed with her movements. Her hips rocked back and forth as her cries filled the room.

  He gripped her hips, urging her faster. Her nails dug into his chest right before her body stiffened. Clayton dug his fingers into her hips as he fought not to come while her body pulsed around his cock.

  When it became too much, he pulled out of her and shifted them so she was on her hands and knees before him. He plunged into her again, grinding deep.

  Each time he saw her climax, it satisfied something deeply male within him. A part of him that no one had ever touched before—or ever would again.

  She turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder. Her lips were swollen from their kisses, her eyes darkened with desire.

  This amazing woman was meant to be his. He knew it with a certainty he couldn’t shake. He didn’t know how, but he had to make her his, to ensure their hearts and souls were bound forever.

  No matter how long it took, no matter what he had to do, he would win her.

  Clayton withdrew until only the head of him remained. Then he plunged deep. She moaned loudly as he began thrusting. She moved back against him, meeting each of his movements and taking him deeper—all the while clamping down on his cock.

  Each time he drove into her, she wore away his control until he could no longer hold back his orgasm. That’s when he realized he wasn’t wearing a condom. They’d both been so wrapped up in desire that it had never occurred to either of them.

  Clayton pulled out of her and came on her back. Afterward, he stared down at the evidence of their lovemaking and couldn’t believe how close they’d come to making a mistake.

  Without a word, he rose and walked to the connected bathroom to wet a towel before he returned and cleaned her.

  When he turned to put the towel away, she grabbed his hand. He met her gaze as she pulled him toward her and lifted the covers with her other hand. The towel dropped from his fingers as he crawled in beside her.

  With their bodies sated, and her snuggled against him, Clayton found his eyes growing heavy.

  Chapter 22

  Happiness had always been something Abby recognized in her daily life. She and her brothers were healthy, they had a roof over their heads, and money to get by. Things were tough, yes, but they had each other.

  She focused on the good things and made sure her brothers laughed every day. When you looked for happiness and appreciated the things you had, it was hard to think you had a bad life.

  But it wasn’t until Clayton had barreled into her life that she really understood the word happiness.

  He’d flipped a switch that made her feel as if there were a light on inside her that radiated outward. Then again, waking up in his arms was a heady feeling. As she opened her eyes and looked around the room, everything seemed brighter, and she felt more alive.

  Last night, she’d been unable to sleep as her thoughts were filled with Clayton, their lovemaking, and his job offer. As if her very mind had conjured him, she’d found him in her doorway.

  And what a sight he’d been, standing there shirtless with his ripped chest on display. She’d never seen a man look so sexy with nothing on but a pair of unbuttoned jeans hanging on his trim hips.

  Slowly, she shifted her head on his chest so she could see him. His face was relaxed and turned toward her, his arm holding her tightly—even in sleep. His dark blond locks were disheveled, giving him a boyish look that she found endearing.

  Last night, she’d seen so much anguish in his eyes that it had broken her heart. She hadn’t asked what it was because there had been no words between them. But she didn’t think it was his brother.

  There was a shuttered look that came over Clayton whenever he thought about Landon. The previous night had been different. He couldn’t hide the pain, almost as if he wore it like armor.

  And then she realized it must have to do with his time in the military. He’d said the things he’d witnessed and done changed him. It had shaped him into the man he was today—but it had also left him scarred physically, mentally, and emotionally.

  She placed a kiss on his shoulder and gradually moved from the confines of his embrace. Though she was loath to leave him, she wanted to start breakfast for everyone.

  Abby dressed and brushed out her hair before she quietly slipped out of the bedroom. It was just before six, and already she saw people moving about outside. While she looked up a recipe online for homemade biscuits that she’d made before, she caught a glimpse of her brothers walking into the barn. She watched them smile at each other as they hurried after Shane.

  Forcing her attention back to breakfast, Abby looked through the kitchen cabinets and pantry to find everything she needed. Then she made coffee.

  The biscuits were already in the oven, and she was frying bacon and sausage when Justine and Ben came in.

  “I knew I smelled something delicious,” Ben said with a smile.

  Justine finished tying off her braid. “Sweetheart, you didn’t need to do this.”

  “I wanted to. Sit down and enjoy your coffee whi
le someone else cooks for you this morning,” Abby said.

  Ben’s brows rose as he chuckled. “A woman giving orders. She’ll fit right in,” he said to Justine.

  “Have you seen Clayton?” his mother asked.

  Abby kept her gaze on the pan. “I was the first one down.”

  It wasn’t a lie, and she didn’t have to tell them she knew Clayton was still sleeping. Abby wasn’t trying to keep his parents from knowing that they were having sex. She just wasn’t quite ready to share that information. With anyone.

  Ben grunted. “That’s strange.”

  “Leave him,” Justine chided as she poured their coffee.

  She was finishing up the eggs when her skin suddenly heated. Lifting her gaze, her eyes clashed with pale green orbs. Her heart missed a beat as she looked at Clayton. For a long minute, he stared at her before a slow smile pulled at his lips. He then walked to her, leaning close. His hand rested on her hip, giving her a light squeeze. The entire time, they never looked away from each other.

  “I wanted to wake with you in my arms,” he whispered.

  Her stomach did a little flutter at his husky words. And she didn’t even care that his parents were watching them. “You were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  “Next time, don’t leave the bed,” he said with a wink.

  Next time. He was so sure there was going to be another time. With those two words, something eased within her. Because despite telling herself that it was temporary and that she needed to prepare herself for it to end, she wasn’t ready to let go.

  It wasn’t as if their relationship had been defined yet. Hell, it might never be. This might be all she ever got.

  Clayton helped her carry the dishes to the table before he called in his parents to the dining room. Since it was just the four of them, they sat across from each other. While everyone put the food on their plates, Abby suddenly discovered that she wasn’t hungry.

  Justine’s food was delicious. Now, Abby worried that her meal wouldn’t be up to snuff. What if she’d overcooked the bacon? Or worse, what if they liked it super crispy and it wasn’t done right.

  Then there were the eggs. She’d scrambled them. What if they hated those types of eggs? She should’ve asked. What had she been thinking to want to cook breakfast?

  “This is so good,” Justine said as she swallowed a bite of eggs.

  Ben nodded, grunting in agreement as he shoveled another forkful of sausage and egg into his mouth.

  “It’s better than good,” Clayton said as he spooned more eggs onto his plate before reaching for the bacon. “It’s amazing.”

  Justine held up the biscuit. “I need this recipe.”

  “Sure,” Abby said with a grin.

  Their praise allowed the nervous band around her stomach to loosen enough that she was able to eat. After another few minutes, she’d forgotten all about her anxiety as easy conversation filled the room.

  When breakfast was finished, she looked forward to what Clayton had in store for them that day. But her excitement was dashed when he and Ben were called out to one of the pastures for something.

  Abby tried to help Justine with the dishes, but the matriarch shooed her out to go and “relax.”

  She didn’t know how to relax. Especially not at the ranch. They’d told her to make herself at home, but she wasn’t sure they’d really meant it. She was a guest, and that meant she wouldn’t go walking about as if she owned the place.

  Abby made her way to the office and sat down behind the desk. Now, this was something she knew and understood. Numbers on the page were as familiar to her as cattle and horses were to Clayton.

  The numbers were her friends. They told a story, if a person knew how to look. And Abby loved to unravel such tales.

  She was following a line item back through months and years when she found a stack of invoices that had never been filed away. Attached to a sheet was a picture of some cattle, all showing the large E branded on their hindquarters.

  Abby frowned. There was something about that E that troubled her. It was right on the edge of her mind, but she couldn’t recall what it could be or why it would make her apprehensive. She set it aside and moved on, sinking deeply into her work.

  But the brand kept bothering her. She kept the invoice within view, hoping it would trigger whatever was just out of reach.

  “I think I should put a lock on the door and throw away the key. It’s the only way I’ll keep you out of here.”

  She smiled at the sound of Clayton’s voice and looked over the computer screen at him. He held his hat in his hands as he grinned at her. “Your mom told me to relax.”

  “And you couldn’t find anything better to do?”

  She shrugged, wrinkling her nose. “I didn’t want to bother you, so I thought I’d get some work done.”

  “Well, you’re finished for the day,” he said and put his hat back on and held out his hand. “Come on.”

  Abby didn’t need to be told twice. She pushed the chair back and rose to go to him. They left the house and walked to where Ben was with her brothers. They stood in front of a few square bales of hay with fake cow horns tied to the front.

  “They’re learning to lasso,” Clayton told her.

  “Ah.” She wanted to continue watching them, but Clayton kept walking so she followed to see where he’d take her.

  They stopped at a fence and looked over a pasture where Shane and two other men she recognized as ranch workers were on horseback rounding up cattle.

  “What are they doing?” she asked.

  “Loading them up to sale.”

  Her gaze turned at the sound of an engine to see a semi pulling to a stop. “Sale?”

  “You do know that beef sold in the grocery stores comes from cattle, right?” he teased.

  She nodded woodenly. “Yeah. I just … well, I didn’t think about that.”

  “We’re the largest supplier in the area.”

  That meant some of the beef she’d bought, cooked, and eaten had most likely come from the East Ranch.

  “You’re not going to turn into a vegetarian, are you?”

  She laughed and shot him a look. “No. I love meat too much.”

  “Once the calves are born in January, we’ll start branding in March. It’s a big affair that goes on for a month or two depending on how many calves we have in the different herds.”

  Branding. Her gaze locked on the E on the hind end of a cow in the pasture. “You mentioned selling cattle to others.”

  “It’s not our biggest market, but we do. People pay a pretty penny for our stock.”

  “What is done about your brand on the cattle?”

  Clayton put an arm on the fence. “There’s paperwork involved to prove that the new owner has the right to whatever cattle he’s bought from us.”

  “And the brand?”

  A small frown formed. “If it’s a small rancher, he may leave the brand. There are some who rebrand the cattle. Why? Some frown upon rebranding because it harkens back to the days of cattle rustling.”

  Her heart started thumping as she realized what had been bothering her. The brand she’d seen in the paperwork at Gloria’s was similar to the Easts’.

  “Abby?”

  She forced her gaze to him. Her ears were ringing, her palms sweaty.

  “What is it?” Clayton asked with a worried frown as he grabbed her arms.

  “The brand.”

  He swiveled his head to the cattle before looking back at her. “What about it?”

  “Everyone knows that brand. It’s just an E.”

  Clayton’s frown deepened as he shrugged. “You can’t use an elaborate brand, or it won’t be clear on the hide.”

  “No, you don’t understand.” Her hand was shaking as she brought it to her forehead. “It’s easy to manipulate.”

  He stepped closer to her. “What are you trying to say?”

  She swallowed hard. “Last week, I was keying in invoices f
or one of Gloria’s clients. He registered a new brand. 4B.”

  “People register brands all the time,” Clayton said.

  Abby pointed to the herd. “You’ve had cattle stolen. How easy would it be to rebrand over the E with a B?”

  Clayton’s lips thinned as he stared at the cattle. “Very fucking easy.” His head jerked back to her. “Who was the individual?”

  “I can’t remember. We don’t pull up names, only the numbers we assign clients.”

  He yanked off his hat and shoved a hand through his hair in frustration.

  “I’ll find out who it is,” she declared. “It’ll be easy.”

  “And can get you into serious trouble,” he said with a shake of his head.

  She lifted her chin. “I’m going to do it. If it is your cattle, they were stolen from you. The person or people responsible should go to jail.”

  Suddenly, there was a shout behind them. Abby turned to find Brice with his hands in the air, celebrating his having lassoed the horned hay.

  Chapter 23

  If anyone was going to be put in a position of danger, it should be him. Clayton tried to tell Abby that, but she wouldn’t listen.

  When they’d sat down with his parents during lunch Sunday afternoon to tell them her theories, it had been his mother, not his father, who had exploded in rage. The four of them spent the remaining hours coming up with a plan, a strategy that didn’t include Clayton doing any of the dirty work he was accustomed to.

  All too soon, the weekend had come to an end. It had been pure hell to watch Abby drive away with her brothers. And while he’d actually slept deeply within in her arms, Sunday night, he didn’t so much as doze.

  He watched the sunrise while fighting with himself about whether to go to Abby’s or let her go through with the plan. When he’d lost the battle and decided he needed to see her, he’d discovered every key to every vehicle on the ranch was missing.

  And he knew who was to blame—his mother.

  “She’ll be fine,” his father said when he found Clayton standing at the back door where the keys were kept on hooks.

  “She won’t. I need to do this.”

  “But you can’t, son. You wouldn’t know the first thing about what to do or what to look for.”