With one hand, he stroked up and down her spine. He would be completely happy to stay right where they were for the rest of his life. “Chaney, girl,” was all he could say.
“Mmmm,” Chaney murmured.
“My sentiments exactly.” He smiled and closed his eyes. Even with his feet hanging off the end of the bed that was too short, he couldn’t remember ever feeling so complete.
***
Chaney smiled against Jed’s chest, delighted with the way his heart raced. They lay twined together until the air conditioning kicked on and started blowing cold air on their bare bodies. With a groan of regret, she slid off Jed and reached down for the covers. She pulled them with her as she skooched up to the top of the bed. On her way, she took her time looking at Jed’s body.
She had been right. His body had only gotten better with age, and so had his lovemaking. With his first touch, Chaney had forgotten her fears. All she could think was how wonderful it felt to be in Jed’s embrace.
His hand reached over caressing her hip. “You’re beautiful, Chaney.”
That burst her bubble. She knew better. Belle was beautiful. Chaney was okay, but not beautiful. She pulled the covers up to her chin. “Right,” she said, knowing the truth.
Jed snuggled close. “I see you still don’t take compliments very well.”
“I don’t need lines, Jed. After what just happened, it’s pretty obvious the bedroom part of this marriage isn’t going to be a problem.”
“Chaney, I don’t use lines. Even if you decided this was the first and last time we’re together, I would still think you’re beautiful. I always have.”
Hearing but refusing to believe him, Chaney didn’t comment. How could he say that when he’d left her high and dry?
She stopped her negative thoughts. Tonight she wouldn’t start a fight. She wanted to slip back into the make believe world of only sensation. Jed’s roving hand was doing a good job of sending her there, too. It stopped suddenly.
“If you’re mad about earlier, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start trouble with your foreman. I know you don’t think I have the right, but I couldn’t stand there and let him talk about you like that. I’ll talk to Dale tomorrow and see if he knows anyone--”
“Don’t bother. This has been brewing for a long time. Dave only said that because he wanted the ranch.” Chaney knew what Dave had said was basically true. No one was interested in her without the ranch as collateral. Knowing it and hearing someone else say it were two very different things.
Jed’s hand started to move again. “He’s wrong, Chaney. Any man would be lucky to have a woman like you, with or without this ranch.”
Rolling over Chaney stroked her hand up his chest. “You always did have a way with words, Jed. Right now, though, I think we’ve talked enough.” She was glad when he complied.
***
Morning light came early. Chaney greeted it on horseback as she rode out to check some of the herd.
Some would say she was running away, or trying to avoid the morning after. Chaney just needed some time to think. Out on the range as it were, she did her best thinking.
Watching the sun rise over the eastern horizon, reminded Chaney of the fact that Jed had spent the last twelve years of his life in the east. She couldn’t help wonder what his life had been like. What his wife had been like. Steve never said much about his cousin’s wife. Not that Chaney had asked. That didn’t stop her curious ears from perking up if someone else did. The only thing she’d ever heard Steve say was Jed’s wife was a looker. The tone he used said it wasn’t a compliment.
Hearing another horse coming up, Chaney shook her head deciding she’d done enough worthless wool gathering. She had a ranch to run, without a foreman to help. She also had to go into town this afternoon and present her marriage license to Mr. Pike, if for no other reason than to get his insufferable assistant off her case.
Turning her mount in the direction of the on-coming mare she smiled as her oldest hand rode up to meet her. Like her, Smitty had always been an early riser. Maybe she should ask him to take the foreman position. He definitely knew the business. She hesitated, knowing her father had never made the offer. Travis McBride had been difficult, no doubt. But, when it came to running the ranch, she never doubted his decisions. Not until after he’d gotten sick anyway.
“This ain’t where I’d choose to spend my honeymoon.”
“Come on, I took my entire wedding day off. You expect me to go on a honeymoon, too?”
Smitty cackled his rusty laugh and dropped his rare venture into her personal life.
“Got a pretty good looking herd this year. If we can keep ‘em fed and watered we should get a good price.”
“Yep. I guess I just wanted to assure myself of that after Dave’s threats last night. Unfortunately, there’s a ton of the business part of this ranch waiting for me back at the house. I’ll leave the rest up to you for now.”
“I saw that new husband of yours out at the old barn if you’re lookin’ for him.”
She had just turned her horse away when he spoke. His tone of voice was different. Almost accusatory. She glanced back as an eerie discomfort swept over her. When Smitty just tipped his hat, she tried to shake it off. She was being silly. Smitty couldn’t possibly think as Dave had, that Jed would take charge of the ranch. A second later, she realized it wasn’t the man behind her causing her disquiet, it was the unexpected desire she felt toward her husband.
On the rest of the ride back, Chaney tried to figure out how she was going to handle day-to-day life with Jed. She purposely hadn’t given herself the time to think about it before. If she had, she wouldn’t have gone through with the marriage. Now that they were past the initial hurdle, she had to consider it.
The nights would obviously not be a problem. Granted, waking up next to Jed made it difficult to get out of bed. Her body ached in places she’d forgotten about after last night’s long session of reacquainting themselves. Chaney had still been tempted this morning to wake Jed up and work some of the kinks out before she left.
Temptation hadn’t been an issue since Jed left. She’d buried herself in her work, proving herself to her father, and helping raise her sister. There wasn’t time left to worry about a love life. On the rare times she had gone out, she compared every kiss to Jed’s kisses. That had been a good enough reason to give up.
Now, twelve years since he left, she had been proud of herself for resisting this morning. He definitely hadn’t made it easy sleeping with his arm and a leg draped over her. Just the thought of his body so close had her temperature rising. She pulled off her hat and wiped her forehead. “Get a grip,” she said, guiding her horse into the corral.
After leaving her mount in the capable charge of one of her ranch hands, she started toward the house. Chaney’s feet changed course of their own accord, walking to the old barn instead. There was an intermittent tapping coming from inside.
The early sun shining off the old wood caused quite a glare. When Chaney opened the door and stepped inside, the sudden darkness temporarily blinded her.
“Jed,” she called, her arms held out to keep her from bumping into anything. They used the barn to store old equipment until someone had time to work on it. She really didn’t feel like piercing herself with an old sickle blade or something.
“Be right there, darlin’.”
His deep voice sent a shiver up her spine. The sound of his footsteps in the darkness gave her another quiver of anticipation.
No, not anticipation, she told herself. Unease, that was it. She was uneasy because she didn’t know what to expect. Chaney had never liked being surprised.
Suddenly he was in front of her. There was no denying that it had been anticipation. The broad chest she had so enjoyed gliding her hands over last night, lost none of its appeal encased in a well-fitting T-shirt. There was a travel mug in one of his hands, the other reached up and took the hat she’d put on off her head.
“I always hated th
at thing,” he told her tossing it onto an old hay bale nearby. “It hides your eyes. I like your eyes.”
Before she could even tell him he had no right to throw her hat away, he’d cupped her head and took her mouth in a very tempting kiss.
Chaney decided maybe some surprises weren’t bad after all. Her arms wrapped around his middle as she pulled them closer together.
***
Jed dropped his mug. His hand cupped her bottom lifting her to fit him more snuggly. He deepened the kiss unable to get enough of her sweetness. The next thing he knew he had her against the barn wall and his hands were working the buttons of her shirt.
She’d wrapped her legs around his waist. Her body rubbed against his in a wonderful mix of pain and ecstasy. Releasing her mouth, he trailed kisses down her arched neck until he reached her breasts straining against her thin bra. He suckled her nipple through the shear fabric then pulled back to see the results of his attention.
“I want you, Chaney,” he told her before bending to take her other breast in his mouth. After bringing it to hard tautness, he trailed back up to her mouth. “Now,” he whispered brusquely as his lips took hers again.
Her reply was to wind her arms around his neck giving as much as he in the kiss.
Jed unhooked her legs from his waist. “Chaney,” he whispered her name while his hands worked the buckle at her waist. An arrow of pure pleasure ripped through him when he felt her hands tugging at his t-shirt and then unbuttoning his jeans.
When she reached inside his jockey shorts and stroked her hand over him, he couldn’t stop the groan that came from deep inside. He quickened his efforts to free her of her clothing.
As he pushed her jeans down, he encountered the top of her boots and knew he’d never get the jeans off her in time. Leaving them gathered below her knees he pulled her to him and kissed the soft tangle of curls covering her womanhood. Chaney’s fingers dug into his shoulders and soft whimpers of desire escaped from her lips. Sensing she was nearly at the brink, he stood, lifted her and laid her on the floor then entered her swiftly. He silenced her groan by taking her mouth in a kiss mimicking their lovemaking. It took only seconds for him to join her in release, arching back and barely swallowing the growl that threatened to erupt from his throat.
When his body would allow, he relaxed against her. He felt the racing of her heart against his chest. The feel of it, knowing she wanted what had just happened as much as he did, gave him a sense of peace he hadn’t known in years.
“Good morning,” he whispered into her hair. “And I thought this morning would be awkward.”
Her hand glided over his bare backside before swatting it.
“It’s going to be awkward if someone comes looking for us.”
Jed lifted up on his elbows and smiled down at her. “They’d forgive us. It is our honeymoon, you know.”
He watched tension replace the passion in her face. It was like watching a cloud cast a shadow over one place in a valley while the rest is in full sun. Then her hands were pushing against his shoulders.
“Really,” she said. “We need to get to the house for breakfast. I’ve got work to do, a foreman to find, fences to mend.”
Jed rolled to the side releasing her. He watched as she quickly covered herself as if she didn’t want him to see her body. After last night and now this morning, it seemed rather strange. He stood and pulled his own jeans up.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No,” she answered but didn’t look at him. Instead, she finished buttoning her shirt then found her hat.
“Talk to me, Chaney. To make this work, we have to communicate.”
With the hat he despised firmly planted on her head, she faced him. He knew a barrier when he saw one and he didn’t like this one, not one bit.
“Look, you need to remember that this is a business arrangement, not a real marriage. We are not on a honeymoon. Honeymoons and happily-ever-afters are for fairytales.”
The sting of her words was more powerful than any bee he’d ever had the misfortune of running into. He supposed she was right though. It was his fault for trying to fall back into the closeness they’d had before. If she hadn’t called him on it, he might have forgotten his vow to love no one but his daughter.
“Duly noted.”
He bent down to pick up his mug. When he stepped beside her, he lifted the hat off her head. When she started to object, he held several pieces of hay he’d pulled from her braid in front of her face and then replaced the hat. “We wouldn’t want anyone to think there was any monkey business going on out here,” he said, tunneling his fingers through his own hair as he stepped away.
“Don’t get mad, Jed. You know as well as--”
“I’m not mad, Chaney. I’m not fifteen anymore.” Jed stared at her for a minute. “So, what was it you came out here for?”
“I wanted to tell you breakfast would be ready soon.”
Jed let the lie go. Not that he thought she had come out to the barn to do what they had done; he just didn’t believe she would bother to tell him something he already knew having spent a good part of his life on a ranch. “Then we should go.”
He glanced back at her stiff posture and balled fists. He knew she was spoiling for a fight. Jed knew the reason, too. The fact that she enjoyed making love to him drove her crazy. He couldn’t blame her there. If he physically desired someone he detested, it would make him furious, too. He certainly hadn’t forgotten how she felt about him.
Chaney hated him, but she wouldn’t let that lose the ranch. Heaven forbid anything come between her and her damned ranch. His anger grew remembering the one thing that had been able to come between them when they really did love each other. With that, he realized how right she had been. He needed to remember this was only business. Love had nothing to do with it. With that reminder, his anger evaporated. After a long tense moment, Chaney huffed passed him.
“I’d recommend taking the scowl off your face unless you want everyone to know how you really feel about me.”
Jed almost laughed at the glare she aimed at him over her shoulder. The urge to laugh became irresistible when that glare turned into a gaze complete with a smile so sweet it could give him a cavity. His arm went around her shoulders without warning as he laughed.
“I always knew you should have been on the silver screen. You can change character faster than anyone I know.”
They met up with several of the hands on their way to breakfast. Jed kept his arm around Chaney’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head after holding her chair for her at the table.
They might not have a real marriage, but he’d make it look as real as he could. At least in public. He’d have to think about their sleeping arrangements. Making love to Chaney could easily become addictive. He didn’t need to add any more problems to his already screwed up life.
***
Chapter Five
Chaney worried all day long that the confrontation in the barn would put a damper on her and Jed’s sex life. She needed to get pregnant. Okay, so she wasn’t quite ready to give up the birth control yet. She had to be sure she could face him walking away from her, before she considered facing him walk away from a child as well. To do either, they needed to make love. No, no, no. Not make love, have sex. There was no love involved.
Keep telling yourself that. Just like you ignore the guilt twisting your gut for not telling him about getting pregnant. Why did her damned morals keep pulling at her conscience? He didn’t care. He walked away before. He didn’t know. Shut up! I’ll tell him. Later.
Chaney pressed her hands over her ears as if it would stop her conscience from bothering her. She couldn’t listen to it. This was a matter of saving her livelihood. She had to stop worrying and think of a way to convince him sleeping together without love was okay.
When they went to bed that night, she hadn’t come up with anything. Her worries grew when Jed stayed as far on his side of the bed as possible. Lying with his hands behind
his head staring at the ceiling, he wouldn’t even look at her. Much too proud to make the first move, Chaney rolled over and feigned sleep.
Wednesday had been tense when they were around each other. Otherwise, both kept busy most of the time with their respective businesses. Jed started cleaning out and repairing the barn for a shop. Chaney cleaned up messes left for her by Dave. She had done the same yesterday and that had kept her from going to town with the marriage license. Therefore, she had added that to Wednesday’s chores. On top of that frustration, she kept trying to understand why her father never offered Smitty the foreman’s position.
Between the ranch and trying to figure out what to do about Jed, by Wednesday evening Chaney was exhausted, but when she stretched out in bed she couldn’t sleep.
Jed again lay with his hands behind his head staring at the ceiling. She tried to do the same, hoping the quiet steadiness of his breathing would lull her to sleep. It didn’t work. Instead of putting her out, it had her wondering how quickly she could make him breathe harder.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered.
Jed remained silent. Chaney thought that maybe he had actually fallen asleep. Lifting on her elbow, she gazed at his face in the dark. Two intense orbs met her gaze. They were so dark in the night they appeared black. Before she could do more than stare, Jed pulled her on top of him and was kissing her senseless.
It took less than a second for her to respond. Kissing him was a little bit of heaven, but she wanted more. Her body screamed for more, had been since they walked out of the barn Tuesday morning. Breaking the kiss, she stared into his eyes as she pushed up and straddled him. She grabbed the hem of the T-shirt she’d worn to bed and slowly pulled it over her head. When Jed’s hands immediately covered her breasts, Chaney couldn’t have stopped the sigh of desire that escaped her lips if she wanted to, and she didn’t. She wanted, no needed him to know she desired his touch. How else was she going to get pregnant?
When Jed levered himself up to suckle her breast, all reasoning left Chaney. She was lost in the haze of desire. The way he positioned himself and pressed her back against his thighs had his erection pressing its hard heat against her shameless dampness. If she could move just a little, she could have him inside.
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