by Lynda Chance
The next few days, she prepared his food and did her best to avoid him. She didn't eat with him, claiming she had already eaten or wasn't hungry. He grumbled about that, but she did her utmost to ignore him and do the best job she could while staying virtually hidden from him.
She stayed busy by baking large quantities of desserts for the cowboys and researching her grandparents on the internet. She wasn't getting very far on the last endeavor. Taylor wasn't a very distinctive last name, and she didn't have much else to go on.
But for now, she was comfortable on the ranch, even though she was avoiding Travis like the plague.
That came to a cataclysmic end one day at noon when he came into the house for his lunch. She heard the back door open, and she decided to slip out to the front swing. She opened the front door and stepped out. She hadn't taken one step when she let out an ear piercing scream.
Travis ran straight through the house at the shrill shriek and came to a sudden halt as Selena turned and stood panting with her back against the door.
Her chest was heaving, and her body was shaking so hard she couldn't control it.
Her eyes were wide, and her face washed of all color.
"What's wrong?" Travis stood watching her gulping in oxygen.
" Ser--serpiente." Selena said the word and began to hyperventilate.
Travis saw the fear on her face and that was all the translation he needed. "You saw the old snake that lives under the house?"
Selena tried to digest his words. He had a pet snake? "Wh-what? You l-let a rattle--
rattlesnake live under your h-house?" Selena was shaken up at the thought of that thing living under the house.
"No, it's not a rattlesnake, Angel. That was the old bull snake that likes to sun himself on the front porch. He's not poisonous. He just looks like a rattlesnake.
That's his defense. In nature, his looks take care of him. He can't hurt you." He took a step closer.
Selena tried to calm her racing heart. She had almost stepped on the thing, and it had taken off like a shot, back under the house. She put one hand to her heart and the other over her mouth, like she was attempting to cut off another scream.
Travis took another few steps until he stood within touching distance. Selena looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. "I don't like him."
That old bull snake had been living under the house longer than Travis had owned the ranch. But he was a dead snake if Selena said the word. "He kills the mice and keeps the bigger rodents from getting close to the house. But if you don't like him, I'll shoot him. No problem."
Selena didn't like mice, either. Now that she knew about the snake, she would be careful to give him a wide berth. "N-no. It's okay."
"That's brave of you, Angel. Are you sure? I can kill him for you, easy." Travis gave her a small smile and lifted her chin. "I think maybe he deserves to die, for giving you such a scare."
Selena trembled even more as she realized that once again, she was in his arms.
"N-no."
Travis slid his arms around her back and started to rub them gently over her. "Well, you've had a bad scare." His hands slid to the small of her back and up again. "I want to do something to make you feel better. If you won't let me kill that snake, there's got to be something else I can do for you." His words were an innuendo, meant to entice.
Selena shook her head. "No. I'm f-fine."
"You sure?" His head lowered and he gently kissed her lips. She stood still in his arms. His lips brushed back and forth across hers. He moved them to her ear.
"You've been so brave. I want you to forget about that old snake and think of more pleasant thoughts." He gathered her more closely in his arms as he whispered those words.
Travis held her close and waited for an opening to kiss her more fully. She felt so good in his arms and it had been days since he had held her like this. Days since he had seen her except for a few seconds at a time when she would dance out of his reach, out of the room he was in.
She started to speak. To deny she needed anything from him. "No, I'm f--"
He cut her off with a kiss. His mouth swooped down on hers and he thrust his tongue deep, mimicking the sex act. If he couldn't take her that way, he could at least have this. He held her tightly and loved her with his mouth. He thrust his tongue deeply in her mouth until she was out of breath and turned her head away to drag in oxygen. He rained kisses on her cheeks, her forehead, her chin, and her ear.
She moaned his name. He picked her up and carried her over to the couch. He sat down on the big sturdy sofa and kept her in place on his lap. His mouth returned to hers, and he started a seduction of lips and tongue that had her panting in seconds.
She tried to turn her head away. "N-no. No, Travis."
He pulled her face back to his and clamped it in place with his large palm. He looked deep into her eyes. "Please, baby. Let me kiss you. That's all, I promise.
Just kisses."
She continued to look at him and didn't answer. He clamped his mouth down on hers again. He wooed her with his lips, his tongue swirling around hers. His hand taking long swipes up and down her torso and thigh, going from the indent of her waist to the softness of her thigh and back again.
Selena felt inundated by pleasure. Her mind was a boggle of emotions, excitement screaming through her veins, desire so intense she wondered that she had never experienced it before. She felt the strength of his body surrounding her and the hardness of his erection growing underneath her. This was an intimacy that couldn't go on much longer without some relief.
The thought had no more come to her when she felt his hand pushing up her shirt.
She broke her mouth free and turned it away from him. "No, Travis." She panted and waited, desperate for him to stop, desperate for him to continue.
He continued.
He slid his eyes from her face to the flat, white stomach revealed by the low-rise jeans and the shirt, now bunched around her breasts. God, she was beautiful. And responsive. And beautiful. Holy shit. She was going to be the death of him.
He couldn't imagine going through the rest of his life not knowing what it would be like with her. He had never wanted anything this badly before. Nothing. Not a woman. Not the ranch. Not the world championship. Not even leaving home and getting away from his old man.
She was beginning to take on an importance that he couldn't control. His hand pushed the shirt up farther, and her breasts were revealed to him through the white cotton of her bra.
She gasped.
He groaned.
Her breasts were incredibly perfect, small white mounds, spilling over the top of her bra. Her chest heaved, pushing them toward him with each breath. His gaze broke away from them and went in search of her eyes. What he saw there, humbled him.
Trust. She trusted him to do what he said he would.
Just kisses.
Holding her eyes, he lowered the shirt and covered her breasts, but left her slim white stomach bare. He put his hand there possessively and covered her mouth again with his. He drank from her like he was a dying man and thought he would be if he couldn't have her.
Images of picking her up and taking her to his bed, stripping her naked and spending the afternoon tasting her slim, pale body cascaded through his mind. But she was young and innocent and he didn't want to ruthlessly seduce her.
But he could do it. He knew he could have her.
He just couldn't come to grips with dishonoring her that way. She would be unhappy and upset and would blame him. A conversation from a few days ago pushed into his head. One of us should marry her. The visions of her naked body became more graphic. More tangible. The pale, slim legs spread out on his bed at night. Every night. Waiting for him after a long, hard day on the ranch.
Selena felt his grip on her intensify. His mouth became harder, plundering hers.
His tongue was wild, out of control. She stiffened in his arms. He didn't notice and the assault on her senses continued, unabated. She began
to struggle in his embrace. She managed to wedge her arms between them and push on his chest.
She ripped her mouth from his and turned her face away, gasping for oxygen.
Travis registered her withdrawal and gritted his teeth. He closed his eyes and fought for control. He pushed her off his lap and stood, leaving her limp on the couch, her wounded eyes watching him.
He reached down and picked up his Stetson and slapped it back on his head. His eyes roamed over her. Her lips were wet and swollen, her long, silky hair streaming wildly around her. Her shirt was twisted around her torso, and the pale, white skin of her stomach tormented him.
The situation was unsustainable. He gave her one last speaking glance and left the house, his lunch untouched.
Selena closed her eyes and let out a jagged sigh. That had all been her fault. If she had watched her step, she would have seen the snake, and she could have closed the door and tiptoed to her room while he was in the house. It was, after all, the kind of evasive move she had been making for days.
But it was so difficult. He was so handsome, so compelling, and she craved his kisses. But if she wasn't careful, she would have no family, no money, and no virginity. In her mind, it was the only thing of value she had to offer a future husband.
Her mother had always warned her of the dangers of men who made no promises.
Of men who wanted only one thing from a woman. Making love was for marriage, and girls who didn't wait for marriage, ended up being passed from one man to the next. It was always a girl's responsibility to say no. A man would never stop unless he was made to.
But her mother had neglected to tell her about how hard it would be to say no. She had never told her about arousal or desire or how intense the feelings would be.
She had always made it sound so simple. Just say no. Well, it didn't always work out like that. Suddenly, she understood why girls became pregnant out of wedlock.
Bad girls weren't always bad. Pregnancies happened.
She couldn't let it happen to her. She needed to have a plan. Make some money.
Find her grandparents, something. With renewed determination, she sat down at the computer and began a new search.
****
Juan came to the house at about two o'clock, and with a grin splitting his old face, told her that she needed to follow him to the implement barn.
Catching the joy on the old man's face, Selena smiled and followed him out in the sunshine. It was a sunny, glorious day. "What is it, Juan?"
"Kittens, Senorita." His strides were long, and she skipped once or twice to keep up with him.
"Kittens! That's wonderful." The implement barn was way across the compound. It was a different building from the one where the horses were kept. The barn they were headed to housed the tractors and the farming equipment. Like most areas of the ranch, she had never been there.
" Si, Senorita, but two of the kittens are like nothing you've ever seen before. Just wait. And the mama, she is so proud." They reached the dark barn, and she followed Juan inside. They waited by the entrance until their eyes adjusted to the dimness inside.
"Okay, we must be quiet and not startle the proud mama. She is nursing her babies, si?"
Juan led Selena over to a dark corner of the building where a stack of tires was located. They stood and peered around them, and Selena made out the mama cat with five babies nursing. "Oh, they are wonderful," she whispered.
" Si, they are wonderful. But can you make out the differences in their colors? See, three of the babies are mottled, calico kittens." He pointed to the three little patchwork kittens.
"Yes, I see. And I see two little black and white kittens." Selena studied the kittens intently.
Juan let out a small chuckle. "Look more closely. Those two aren't kittens. They are skunks."
Selena straightened and gasped. "Skunks? She looked over at Juan, dumbfounded.
"Si. Travis found the two little skunks this morning, abandoned. A coyote must have gotten the mama skunk. He brought the two little ones to the mama cat, to see if she would accept them. So far, she has." Juan looked back down at the ragged group of animals. "But look, the mama can't figure out the difference in smell. She keeps cleaning them."
Selena watched the cat lick the two little skunks repeatedly. She took long swipes with her tongue, trying to clean the scent from the two little black and white bodies.
The other three kittens nursed alongside, contentedly.
A vision of Travis finding the skunks and picking them up and bringing them to the mama cat tickled her brain. Only a kind, gentle man would try to save the lives of two baby skunks. Pleasure tingled down her spine at the thought.
"Won't they spray?" Selena leaned closer.
"They shouldn't. Not yet, and not if they don't get scared. Hopefully, they will feel no threat, and we won't have a problem. Time will tell. Stranger things happen every day."
Selena turned back to Juan. "Thank you for coming to get me. Thank you for sharing this with me. It's like a little miracle."
"You're welcome, Senorita. I must get back to work. You can come visit them anytime, if you like. You can find your way back to the house, si?" He turned toward the door.
" Si, Juan, and thank you." The old cowhand left and she turned back to the little animals, intrigued. She had never seen anything like it before in her life. The mother had temporarily given up on cleaning the skunks, and lay back and closed her eyes, resting and nursing the babies. Selena reached out and softly stroked the animals. She made gentle cooing noises as she petted them.
Travis walked back into the house at three o'clock, his stomach rubbing against his backbone. It wasn't a good idea to go without lunch. He did too much physical labor on a daily basis to miss a meal. He walked into the kitchen and looked at the empty table. Selena had put the food away. He walked over to the fridge and opened it, looking for a wrapped plate that contained his lunch. He didn't see anything. He hadn't had time earlier to even notice what she had laid out for him, before he had heard her scream. He didn't know if it was sandwiches or something hot. Sometimes she served him leftovers from the night before. He didn't know what he was searching for.
He hollered her name. "Selena." He stood with the refrigerator door open, expecting her to make an appearance. "Selena, I'm starving."
She didn't come.
He shut the door and went to search for her. The house was empty, and she wasn't on the front porch. He got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he remembered the shattered look on her face at lunchtime. He walked in her room and saw her few possessions neatly placed on the desk. Relief washed down his spine, and irritation took its place. Where the hell was she?
He slammed out the back door and headed for the bunkhouse and kitchen. Maybe she was with Slim again. Before he could get there he saw Clinton leave the implement barn. A dark haze of suspicion gripped him. He stalked in that direction, pure anger fast replacing irritation. Clinton mounted his horse and rode in the opposite direction before he was even halfway there. Next, Slim and Gus came out of the barn, and all at once he knew what he was going to find.
Selena sat on the ground, her chin propped up on her hands, watching the squiggly little animals. One by one, the ranch hands had heard about the skunks, and for the past hour they had been coming and going from the implement barn.
Hearing the gruff men whisper and trying not to make any noise made her smile.
They were just sweet, gentle men. Every one of them had been amazed to see the little skunks nursing the mama cat.
Selena heard the door open again and saw Travis walking across the barn, straight for her. Her stomach quivered and she stiffened her spine. She pushed to her feet and turned to face him, all in one quick movement.
They stood staring at each other, each lost in their own memories of the afternoon that had just past.
A look passed over his face, and Selena decided to take no chances. She made to brush right past him. He reached out and grabbed
her arm. His hand completely wrapped around her. His thumb moved back and forth, and their eyes clashed.
"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was deep, but not loud.
"The house." She pulled her arm from him and walked away.
He was right on her heels.
She hurried from the barn and across the yard. She didn't stop until she was through the door and in the kitchen. She had been outside in the heat for well over an hour and stopped at the sink for a glass of water.
The door clicked shut, and she knew he was in the kitchen, watching her. She looked out of the window over the sink and drank the water.
Finally he spoke. "I'm starving. I want food."
Selena thought he sounded like a caveman. I want this. I want that. Do this. Don't do that. She expected to be clobbered over the head with a club at any moment.
Her face broke into a smile at the thought.
"What the hell is so funny?" Tension radiated from his voice.
"Nothing." She moved to the microwave oven and set the timer for two minutes and pressed the button to heat up the leftovers for his lunch.
Travis watched her delicate little back. She purposely didn't turn to face him. He wanted to see her eyes. He decided to turn her attention.
"Do you like the skunks?"
That was all it took. She swirled around and her face lit up. " Si, Travis. Y-yes. They are wonderful."
Happiness exploded from her. Her eyes flashed and twin dimples popped out on her cheeks. Travis wanted to reach out and touch her so bad he could taste it. He was fairly salivating; he wanted it so badly.
"I picked them up because of you, you know." The minute the words left his mouth, he was appalled he had said them.
Her eyes widened. "R-really? For me?" Her words were a breathless whisper.
He decided to go with it. Hell, it was the truth. "Sure. I don't need any damn skunks.
I thought you might enjoy watching them. I heard about this old farmer years ago, up in the Panhandle, who raised a couple of baby skunks. I knew that the mama cat would probably accept them. She was nursing her babies, anyway. So I picked the damn things up."
