The Rancher's Bargain

by Joanne Rock

  She’d used the twenty questions game to find out enough to know she cared about him, and that she appreciated his willingness to be forthright with her. Was it really necessary to have her every curiosity about him answered before she indulged in the attraction? No doubt her mother’s haste to rush into relationships had made Lydia overly cautious.

  At least, she hoped it had. She never wanted to be the kind of woman who catapulted into romance.

  So even though James wore a wary expression as he conducted his conversation with the absurdly beautiful—and overtly flirtatious—Cady, Lydia found herself thankful for the reprieve from a dicey conversation. Apparently Cady was from Royal but lived in Dallas now, and had met a few friends at the Glass House for dinner.

  “Well, I hope you know I would have attended that bachelor auction fundraiser if you’d been on the slate,” Cady teased James, winking at Lydia. “I heard it through the grapevine that’s why you took the Texas Cattleman’s Club job as president. To keep yourself off the auction block.”

  Lydia found herself smiling. That sounded like the man who preferred to work over having fun.

  They spoke for another moment before one of Cady’s friends waved her back to their table.

  “I really should go.” She made a point of squeezing Lydia’s shoulder in a friendly gesture. “It was nice meeting you, Lydia. Take care of him. He’s a keeper.”

  The woman wouldn’t have heard even if Lydia had tried to reply since she hurried away on metallic silver pumps that looked worthy of Cinderella herself. Instead, she glanced up at James, who could only shake his head.

  “I’m sorry about that—”

  Lydia cut him off and rose to her feet. “No need to apologize for having glamorous friends. I’m ready to go home, if you are.”

  “Of course. I hope you didn’t feel rushed.”

  “Not at all.” She slid her arm through the crook of his elbow, grateful for the chance to redirect the evening. “I was ready to leave.”

  “What about your question?” He readjusted her hand on his arm, covering it with his. Tucking her closer. “You were just about to throw me back in the hot seat.”

  She caught a hint of his aftershave as she glanced up at him, eye level with his jaw.

  “I changed my question,” she confided as he opened the door for her and passed the valet his ticket.

  The cool night air made her step even closer to him and he wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand an inviting warmth on her hip.

  “You did?” The question was a deep vibration of sound against her ear as he kissed her hair there.

  Pleasurable shivers raced up and down her spine, his voice enticing her. She half wished the valet wouldn’t return with the vehicle so they could stand this way longer.

  Then again, the sooner the car came, the sooner they’d be back at his home with the night ahead of them.

  “Yes.” She knew what she wanted, and she didn’t want to be cautious about it anymore. “I just want to ask you, how fast can you get us home so we can be alone?”

  * * *

  As it happened, James had gotten them home very quickly.

  Lydia hadn’t realized that The Bellamy was so close to the Double H since they’d made a stop at the shops before dinner. A fire flamed hot inside her on the ride home, her body tense from holding back now that she’d decided to move forward with this out-of-control attraction. But before she knew it, James was steering the luxury sedan into the third bay of the ranch’s main garage. The overhead door closed silently behind them.

  “I just need to pay the sitter.” He switched off the engine and exited the car, opening her door a moment later to offer his hand. “I’ll meet you upstairs?”

  She touched him only briefly, just enough to let him help her from the vehicle. If her hands lingered on him now, she feared she might not be able to pry herself away again.

  As it was, his eyes dipped to her legs where her coat parted, the gaze smoking over her skin like a caress.

  “Okay.” She nodded, breathless from the contact. From thoughts of where tonight was going to lead. “I’ll check on Teddy.”

  She hurried ahead of him when he let her inside the house, rushing up the stairs before she ran into one of the household staff or the sitter. She had used up all her restraint where this man was concerned, and she didn’t want to risk any more delays.

  Stopping by her room to shed her coat and her shoes, Lydia wondered if this was how her mother felt when she fell for a new man. Padding barefoot into her bathroom to run a brush through her windblown hair, Lydia recalled that it seemed like Fiona was in a mental fog when she met someone new. Her mom’s starry-eyed attempts to get any work done were hampered by an inability to focus, an almost giddy preoccupation with the new man. Lydia had thought it looked more like a sickness than romance. But for the first time, as she stared into the mirror and her own bright eyes, she had an inkling of that sweetly off-balance feeling, a sensation no other man had ever stirred.

  She hoped it was just because she’d ignored the attraction for so long. Surely that’s why it felt so over the top.

  Setting the hairbrush on the sleek white quartz counter beneath the rustic wood-framed mirror, Lydia left the bathroom to check on Teddy for the night.

  The nursery door was slightly open, making it easy to slip into the boy’s room. The new airplane night-light she’d bought for him glowed blue on the far side of the room, giving her enough light to see his face. Eyes closed, his arms rested on either side of his head, his green cotton sleeper snapped up to his neck. Lydia leaned over the crib to tug a lightweight blanket over his legs.

  Turning on her heel, she almost ran into a solid wall of muscle and man.

  James.

  He steadied her shoulders, his hands an inviting warmth as they slid down her arms. She realized he’d taken off his shoes, too. No wonder she hadn’t heard him on the plush carpet behind her.

  “Sorry.” He breathed the word into her ear before he glanced into the crib to see Teddy for himself. “Looks like he’s down for the count.”

  Her heart beat too fast. James still held her hand, his fingers interlacing with hers.

  “Is the sitter gone?” she asked, breathless and hoping that it sounded like she whispered on purpose.

  “She is.” He drew her out the door and into the hall with him before tugging her toward the master bedroom.

  She hadn’t seen that room on her tour of the house.

  The arched double doors at the end of the corridor had been a source of intrigue for her other times during the past weeks. Now, as he turned the handle and opened them, she stepped over the threshold into his private retreat for the first time.

  He let go of her hand to twist the lock, sealing them in the sitting area of the suite. Heavy linen curtains were drawn across one wall that she knew must be the bank of windows overlooking the front grounds. A stone fireplace held a stack of wood logs, and a steel-gray sectional sofa filled a corner near built-in bookshelves full of dark leather volumes. Framed paintings of stylized rodeo horses hung in a cluster above the mantel.

  And, on the far side of the room, a massive four-poster bed.

  James reached in the pocket of his jacket and withdrew the nursery monitor receiver. He set it on the wooden chest that served as a coffee table before returning to stand before her.

  He made a point of checking his watch before he spoke.

  “So, to answer your question from back at the restaurant, it seems I could have you home—and alone—in nineteen minutes.” He relaxed his arms at his sides. Stepped fractionally closer. “I have to admit I’m curious where you wanted things to go from here.”

  Her heart beat so loudly now she could feel the rush of blood in her ears, a vibration that drowned out everything else.

  “Would you like me to be explicit?” She didn’t know
where she found that surge of boldness, but she smoothed the lapel of his jacket between her thumb and fingers, gliding up the fabric. “Or shall I just show you?”

  She saw the flare of his nostrils. The way his pupils dilated so his eyes were almost black. She liked knowing she had that effect on him, too.

  “I think I’ve gone past the point where I can handle anything explicit.” He traced the line of her jaw with his knuckle, a teasing caress when she needed so much more. “I’ll take the hands-on demonstration.”

  Heat tickled its way up her spine. And back down. Desire tantalizing her as her breathing grew ragged.

  Arching up on her toes, she twined her arms around his neck, pressed herself to him and kissed him the way she’d been dying to for weeks.

  Nine

  Her kiss felt like he’d reached the oasis after a long slog through the dessert.

  James let the sensations roll over him as he anchored her against him. Her vanilla-and-floral fragrance, the silky sweep of her hair feathering along his shoulders, the soft, feminine curves molding to the hard planes of his body. All of it was so damned scintillating.

  And that kiss.

  Her lips moved with a ravenous hunger he’d only guessed at in the weeks leading up to this moment. For so long, she’d been the consummate professional. So careful to present her capable, efficient side to the world, that seeing this facet of her reminded him that she’d trusted him with something special.

  He refused to waste a second of it. Easing back to look at her, he placed a kiss on her cheek. Each of her closed eyes.

  “Come with me.” Releasing his hold on her, he took her hand and led her toward the bed.

  She paused a second before following him, and he realized she was reaching for the nursery monitor. Would he have forgotten? Maybe. But surely they would have heard him even from the other side of the large suite.

  She’d slipped off her boots earlier, and her feet were soundless on the floor behind him. Her long skirt swished against his calf, a teasing caress as they reached the edge of the mattress. He hit the remote by the bed to dim the lights except for the two sconces flanking the fireplace.

  He waited while she set the nursery monitor beside the remote on the nightstand, reminding himself not to rush this. To savor every moment of having her here with him.

  But Lydia wasn’t waiting. Because her fingers were already unfastening the top button of his shirt, her lips pressing a kiss to the skin she bared. Propelling him to a new tier of craving for her.

  Heat flared over his skin. He skimmed a touch down her shoulders, tugging at the belted sweater, parting the shawl collar until he could see more of the silky tank she wore beneath. He bent to kiss her neck, liking the way she arched into him. He felt her heartbeat race in the soft hollow below her ear. Lingered there until he nipped her earlobe and peeled her sweater the rest of the way down.

  Her soft moan coincided with her fingers’ speeding up on his shirt buttons. Her hips sidled against him, a sign of the same restless ache he was feeling. An ache that had become second nature to him in the last week. The trip to Houston hadn’t helped him douse it. If anything, time apart had only made him want her more.

  With a fierceness he’d never felt for any woman.

  Maybe that’s why he was so careful not to let that hunger rule him now. Being with Lydia felt like uncharted terrain for him. An all-new experience.

  “More naked,” she demanded against his ear, her voice a breathless whisper he couldn’t ignore.

  He tugged her sweater off. Skimmed the silky tank up over her head, leaving her in the long skirt and a band of sheer lace around her breasts. The rosy peaks of her nipples tempted him, but Lydia was already sliding his shirt off.

  “I meant you,” she clarified, twisting to unfasten a hook on the side of her skirt that sent the pleated wool to the floor almost at the same time as his shirt joined it. “It’s you who needs to be more naked.”

  She moved quickly now that she’d made up her mind to go through with this night, but James had been waiting so long to touch her he wanted to savor everything about her.

  Sheer gray lace hugged her hips at the juncture of long, slender legs. The sight of her made him realize that taking his time wasn’t going to work. Not when she trembled that way, her fingers jittery with anticipation and need.

  He reeled her closer, wrapping her in his arms. Kissing her until some of that tension turned hot. Molten. She gripped his shoulders and he lifted her up, clamping an arm around her waist. He reached behind them to rake back the covers before he laid her down, her hair spilling over the pillowcase.

  Lying down beside her, he kissed and touched her, finding the places she liked best. A kiss under her ear. A touch on the curve of her hip. Skimming across her belly. Cupping the lace between her legs.

  The soft, whimpering sounds she made while he caressed her fueled his restraint, every throaty sigh steeling his resolve to wait. To bring her pleasure first. Ignoring the heated ache for her, he shifted all his focus on Lydia.

  Ever so slowly, he rolled away the thin lace barrier over her breasts so he could tease one nipple with his tongue. She wrapped a hand around his back, palm splayed, holding him close. Drawing on the taut peak harder, he slid aside the lace between her legs, stroking her there.

  Her breathing grew harsh, her short nails grazing his skin. Her back arched, her hips pushing against his hand until the tension broke in lush spasms that racked her whole body. A beautiful release that filled him with as much satisfaction as any of his own. He kissed her neck in the aftermath, holding her close until her heartbeat slowed a little.

  * * *

  Still a little dazed by the sweet shimmer of every nerve ending, Lydia had almost caught her breath when he slid out of bed. Before she could protest, she watched as his hands moved to his belt.

  Just like that, the heat inside her flared again. That fast, her body reminded her of a new ache. The hunger for him returning. Wriggling out of her twisted lace underthings, she shed her clothes while he tossed aside the rest of his and returned to the mattress beside her.

  He placed a condom on the nightstand. Gauntlet dropped.

  She wrapped herself around him, arms twining behind his neck while he rolled her on top. She could feel how ready he was for her and it sent another shiver through her. Anticipation mingling with breathless desire.

  When he kissed her this time, there was no holding back. No careful wait while she found release. This kiss was hungrier, a little less controlled. And she loved it.

  She explored his body with her hands and mouth, reveling in the perfectly formed muscle, the taut strength evident with every flex and movement. When she kissed lower, though, tempted to give him the same kind of pleasure he’d shown her, he rolled her to her back. Pinning her briefly to the bed before he knelt up to find the condom on the nightstand.

  She arched against him, hurrying him with frenzied movements of her hips. Her hands. She couldn’t wait another moment.

  And then, finally, he made room for himself between her legs. Entered her with a slow, perfect slide of their bodies together. The sensation stole her breath, her body slowly accommodating him while ribbons of pleasure trickled through her. She closed her eyes, savoring it, wanting to hold on to it for as long as she could.

  But he started moving, and the magic of that only took her higher. Hotter. She was mindless again, all caution shredded and burnt to ashes as she clung to him, chanting her pleasure against his ear while they drove each other wild.

  By the time he took her hands in his, holding them over her head while he kissed her, she was lost to everything but this moment and the man. He reared back to look at her, his dark eyes locking on her for a long moment before he lowered his head to suckle her breast.

  Sending her catapulting over the edge, release sweeping through her in one exquisite wave after anoth
er.

  She wasn’t sure if the squeeze of her body was what spurred his release or if he’d been that close already, but their voices mingled in a hoarse song of fulfillment. His a throaty shout, hers a high cry of perfect bliss.

  He rolled to her side afterward, tucking her against him while she breathed in the scent of his skin. His jaw rested on her hair, the slight bristle of whiskers catching on her hair. She nuzzled deeper into the crook of his neck, more content than she had a right to be.

  But she refused to think about that now. Not when everything inside her glowed with pleasure. She planned to hold on to this feeling for as long as she could. To simply be.

  As their breathing slowed and Lydia thought she might doze off, a wail erupted from the speaker on the baby monitor.

  A real-world reminder that this night hadn’t changed anything and that she still had a job to do. Nothing could have brought home faster the fact that she’d just slept with her boss.

  But even as she righted herself to find her clothes, James gently pressed her shoulders back to the mattress.

  “I’ll get him.” He brushed a caress over her hair. Kissed her forehead. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  She thought about protesting, since she really didn’t mind. She had missed Teddy today while he’d been with the sitter and she found herself looking forward to seeing him, if only to comfort him for a few minutes before putting him back to bed. But her nanny training told her it would be better for James to do that. To build the bond between the toddler and the man Lydia hoped would become his father.

  “Okay.” She smiled as James stepped into his boxers and shrugged his way into a T-shirt. “Thank you.”

  But as she watched him scoop up his phone and leave the room, she couldn’t help but think it strange that her professional life had dictated her actions now instead of her personal preferences. Even though this evening had been the furthest thing from professional.