by Joanna Blake
Inheriting the Virgin
A Western Cowboy Romance
Joanna Blake
Bella Love-Wins
Inheriting the Virgin
A Western Cowboy Romance
Bella Love-Wins and Joanna Blake
Copyright 2018 © All Rights Reserved
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
A Free Sample from Joanna Blake
1. Clint
2. Pheonyx
3. Clint
About Joanna Blake
A Free Sample from Bella Love-Wins
Blurb and Author’s Notes
Prologue – Jackson
1. Dahlia
2. Jackson
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About Bella Love-Wins
Also by Bella Love-Wins
Prologue
James
The rain lashed the exterior of the stables as the wind whipped through the eaves. The horses were restless, shifting in their stalls. So far, we’d been able to keep them calm.
The thunder crashed and I pulled out my flask, handing it to the wild-eyed beauty in front of me. She was different tonight. Her prim exterior had been washed away by the storm and sweat.
She cocked her eyebrow in disapproval but took the flask all the same. I stared at her throat as she drank deep, coming up sputtering.
I took the flask and put my lips where hers had just been. I tipped my head back and drank, my eyes never leaving hers.
This was it. No matter how vexing she was, or how much I disagreed with damn near everything she said, I’d known from the start that things would end this way.
With her in my arms, my lips on her throat and my cock buried deep inside her. It was the only way.
I’d never stood a chance.
1
James
I slammed the truck door, and squinted. It was too damn sunny out here today. I probably wouldn’t have even noticed if I hadn’t drunk half a fifth of bourbon the night before.
I hadn’t slept well all damn week, and booze was the only thing that seemed to help. It was strange sleeping on land that wasn’t yours, or anybody else’s. The house, the ranch, the stables, none of it was mine even though I was running it.
The Rocking Horse Ranch was beautiful and I loved it. The horses, the cattle, the land itself was as familiar to me as the back of my own hand. I’d poured blood, sweat and even some tears into it over the last decade. But it belonged to Hank, the old man who’d taken me under his wing so long ago. The man whom I loved like a father, even though we weren’t blood.
And now he was gone.
I wondered briefly if I should take off my hat before I went into the lawyer’s office. It was in one of the fanciest buildings in town, and I wasn’t sure what the dress code was. Then I shrugged. I was a man who had worn whatever I damn well wanted to my entire life, Hank wouldn’t expect me to stop now.
Still, I wanted to do right by him. He’d been cantankerous at times, but the old man had a heart of gold. I’d discovered that the first time I caught him talking to the horses when he thought no one was looking.
I nearly smiled at the memory.
The man had cooed and fawned over those creatures like a mother with her baby cradled against her chest. I had cleared my throat and watched him turn beet red. That was the first year I’d been on the ranch, and I’d never let him live it down.
I exhaled and patted my hat. It was staying. I’d take it off in church and that was about it.
Hell, I’d worn the damn thing to bed a few times.
Speaking of bed… there was a real honey standing by the curb, fussing with a parking meter. I looked her over and grinned. She was a curvy little thing, all soft angles and glowing skin. Her profile was an attention grabber too. Pretty was an understatement, with her button nose, pouty lips and shiny light brown hair.
But it was the rest of her that had me wide awake for the first time in days.
Kapow, the woman was stacked.
Lady luck smiled on me as the woman dropped her coins and bent over to pick them up. I was by her side in a minute, using my most charming drawl.
“Let me help you with those, darlin’.”
She glanced over her shoulder at me and I froze, almost forgetting to breathe. I’d thought her pretty, but I was wrong. She was movie star beautiful. Her bright blue eyes knocked the wind right out of me. She glared, pressing her full pink lips into a line.
“No, thank you!”
I didn’t stop picking up the coins, or getting a good look at the cleavage exposed by her button down shirt. She smelled good too.
Kind of like… fresh baked muffins. That was it. The woman smelled sweet and satisfying, all at once.
I inhaled deeply and decided she deserved a ride on the merry-go-round, just for smelling so damn sweet.
She got the rest of the coins and stood. I took my time, taking in all the ‘sights’. Then I gave her a slow smile. The kind that made women melt.
Not that I’d melted anyone in a dog’s age.
“Here you go, sweetheart.”
Her eyes narrowed and her spine straightened. That only served to push her breasts out in a spectacular fashion. My smiled widened so far it felt like my face might crack.
“I didn’t ask for your help, and you can stop looking down my shirt!”
“Now, can I help it if the view is good from up here?”
I slid a coin into the slot as she pushed me out of the way.
“Don’t be disgusting.”
“Appreciating the finer things in life is important. And you are more than fine.”
“That cowboy charm might work on someone else, but I’m not interested.”
I shook my head, starting to wonder what had her all worked up. I was just expressing interest. I wasn’t pawing her or anything. She wasn’t married. I’d checked her ring finger first thing.
“Suit yourself, darlin’. I’ll see you around.”
“I doubt it.”
I just smiled, tipped my hat and walked away. Little did she know how small this town was. Even though I spent most of my time on the ranch, I might find time to swing into town more often if I knew I stood a chance of bumping into her.
If nothing else, I knew I’d see her in my dreams tonight.
2
Kate
I reached inside my truck for my sunglasses hanging on the sun visor above the driver’s seat and slipped them over my eyes. This big, ruggedly handsome cowboy had no idea who he was dealing with. He picked the wrong woman to hit on and at the worst possible time, but at least he was smart enough to walk away when he did. After my ninety-minute drive to make it to Temple from Austin, Texas, I didn’t have the luxury of time to stop and chat with anyone I knew, let alone a stranger with some of the worst pickup lines I’d heard in ages. Even if he was all dense, corded muscle underneath that plaid shirt and dusty blue jeans. Even if that lustful stare as his eyes grazed down my body did things to me I couldn’t admit.
Closing the door, I locked the pickup truck with the key. This rust bucket had come off the assembly line ages before the automotive industry came up with remote locks. But right now, I couldn’t think about the relic Momma had left me. I was on my way to meet an estate attorney I’d never met before, t
o talk about the details of how I was named in my uncle’s will. I had no grand expectations or assumptions about why. Sure, I was Uncle Hank’s last living relative, but he had so many people working for him, surely the ranch would go to one of them, or to all of them, somehow. My guess was there were souvenirs he wanted me to have. Things like family heirlooms, photo albums, and maybe some items belonging to my mother that he wanted me to hold onto. Maybe the matching locket to the brooch Momma gave me before she passed. It was the one thing I had that always helped me feel close to her.
But I had to be here, no matter what. It was bad enough that I’d almost missed his funeral. I’d ended up arriving late, and had stayed near the back of the crowd of attendees, who were mostly strangers. Then I’d had to speed back for my shift. Still, I was glad to have made it, even for a short time. Momma would’ve wanted me to be there if she were still alive. I needed to pay my respects, like she would’ve, but life almost got in the way. And by life, I meant my waitressing job back in Austin. The same job I’d have to brave another ninety-minute trip on the highway to get back to after this meeting was over.
If I was lucky, I’d be there early for my afternoon and dinner shift. Hopefully, some of those tips from tonight would help cover the gas money I’d paid to drive here. My regular pay was barely enough to cover my rent every month. And I always had to set some aside to buy food for Peyton, my ginger tabby cat. I could grab a meal here and there at the diner for myself, but Peyton needed his special brand of cat food. Otherwise he’d be nipping on the edges of my overstuffed sofa and my evenings for the next little while would be spent cleaning up more than my fair share of hairballs.
Not that I had anything else to do during my spare time. My life was waitressing and caring for Peyton.
Stepping up on the sidewalk, I checked the time and headed toward the lawyer’s office. I’d put enough coins in the meter to last an hour, so with any luck, I’d be back in time to move the car. I definitely couldn’t afford to pay a parking ticket on my income.
As I pushed open the entrance door of the law office, I took off my sunglasses. A cheerful looking receptionist sat at the front desk, a phone handset at her ear as she spoke to someone. Giving her a polite smile, I waited for her to wrap up her phone call.
“Good day,” I greeted her after she hung up. “I’m Kate Sheridan, here to meet with a Mr. Edwards.”
“Hello, Miss Sheridan. Have a seat. Mr. Edwards will be right with you both.”
Both? I glanced behind me just in case the receptionist had thought I wasn’t alone. No one was there. Her desk phone rang again, so I put it out of my mind and looked around the busy waiting room for an empty seat.
That’s when I saw him.
The big, rugged cowboy from outside. He was sitting in the corner with his feet stretched out and his arms folded. A broad smile was on his face when our eyes met. And the only available seat was beside him.
No.
Just no.
I wasn’t about to get within spitting distance of this brute. Turning in the other direction, I found a space at the end of a row of chairs and leaned against the wall. I spent hours every day on my feet, working as a waitress, so putting up with a few minutes standing in a waiting room was nothing.
I was about to reach my hand into my purse for my phone when the receptionist called my name, followed by some guy’s name I’d never heard before.
“Mr. Edwards will see you now,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’ll show you to one of the meeting rooms down the hall.”
“Thank you,” I answered, and heard the word echoed from across the room.
From him.
Mr. Brute.
“I’m sorry, I think there’s been some kind of mistake,” I told the receptionist, ignoring the fact that Mr. Brute had crossed the waiting room in three or four ground-eating steps and was now at my side. And that smile from earlier was now a wide grin. “I’m supposed to be at this meeting alone, I believe.”
“Just follow me, ma’am. Mr. Edwards will explain everything.”
“Oh, all right.”
She led us to a small boardroom and held the door open. “If you’ll both have a seat, the lawyer will be in shortly.”
“Thank you,” I answered, and walked around the large, mahogany table. Settling into a seat at one end, I waited, and made a point not to make eye contact with him.
“Howdy, miss,” Mr. Brute drawled from across the table. “Seems to me that you and I have something in common after all.”
“I don’t see how,” I said under my breath, but he must’ve heard me anyway.
“The Rocking Horse Ranch. You must be Hank’s niece. He used to talk a lot about you.”
This wasn’t good. Not a good sign at all. “You knew my uncle?”
“I sure did. Worked for him on that ranch for a decade.” He paused for a few moments, seeming to weigh on what to say next. “I believe we got off on the wrong foot outside. My apologies if I offended you. The name’s James Longhorn.” He extended his arm across the table and offered a handshake. I wasn’t quite ready to take the brute’s hand, but some movement at the boardroom door caught my attention, saving me from having to appear rude.
“Good morning, Miss Sheridan, Mr. Longhorn,” said the man in the smart looking business suit as he walked in with a sleek laptop folded under his arm. “I’m Russell Edwards. Thank you for coming.”
“Hello,” we both replied almost in unison.
“Are we expecting anyone else?” Mr. Brute asked. Okay, so he’d said his name was James, and he’d apologized for acting like a jerk, but I didn’t feel any inclination to stop calling him what he was. I wasn’t about to let him off the hook just because he’d worked for my uncle or, for whatever reason, was also named in his will. He was still a brute.
“No. It’s just the two of you.” Mr. Edwards took a seat in the chair nearest the door, placed the laptop on the table, and opened it. “I understand that you’re both busy folks, and that you’ve driven a bit of a distance to be here, Miss Sheridan, so I’ll do my best to keep this meeting as short and concise as possible. Let’s get down to the details of Hank’s will.”
“Of course,” I answered. “Thank you for understanding.”
Mr. Edwards opened a file on his laptop and proceeded to read through a document written so formally, I couldn’t get beyond the legalese of words like whereas, hereinafter, and the parties shall, to understand the intent of the will or what I’d actually inherited. After a few minutes, he asked, “Do you have any questions?”
“Only one,” Mr. Brute said before I could speak. “Can you repeat everything you just said, except in simple English? I’m a rancher. All that big city talk don’t mean much to a working man like me.”
Mr. Edwards nodded and cleared his throat. “In a nutshell, Hank left the ranch to you...both of you, in equal shares.”
“Sorry, what did you just say?” I asked, swallowing as I heard the tremor in my voice.
“His main stipulation is that you must both reside on the homestead and contribute to the day-to-day operation of the ranch for a minimum of six months before the property and business are transferred to your names.”
“But…” I couldn’t find the words to respond to this development. Uncle Hank left half the ranch to me?
“There must be some confusion,” Mr. Brute piped up. “I’m just an employee.”
I looked over at him. Was he actually objecting to his share too? Maybe we did have something in common.
“There’s no mistake, Mr. Longhorn. And Miss Sheridan, his terms call for you to commence the residence requirements right away.”
“Right away as in...today?”
“Within a week of today’s meeting. Would either of you like me to go over the document again?”
“Yes,” I answered. “In laymen’s terms if you wouldn’t mind.”
Now, I was paying attention.
3
James
I rolled the toothpic
k in my mouth, staring into space. A horn honked and I realized I was sitting still at the only traffic light in this part of town.
The light had turned green, and I hadn’t even noticed.
“Sorry.”
I lifted a hand, glancing in the rear view mirror.
Wouldn’t you know it; it was that fancy gal from the lawyer’s office.
She’d been madder than a hornet’s nest when we’d walked out of there together. The truth was we were not together, which she made abundantly clear. She even wanted to contest the will, or some such nonsense.
Hank had wanted me on that ranch, and I was going to honor his wishes. She could do whatever she damn well pleased. Though, I had a secret wish that she’d do it in those shiny black heels of hers and little else. Maybe something lacy and easy to take off. Thigh high stockings would be good, but not necessary.
The woman was sexy as hell, but it was also downright annoying the way she seemed to contradict every damn thing I said. Of course, if I got her in my bed, I’d keep her too busy to talk.
I shook my head, pulling ahead so she wouldn’t honk again.
She did it anyway.
HONK HONK
I grimaced. Even the honk was annoying.
I wasn’t about to let her pass me though. I let my foot press down low on the gas. The pickup was ancient, but a damn good truck. A solid, sturdy hunk of metal. She ran great too. I should know since I’m the one who’d rebuilt her from the bottom up.
