A Daring Proposal

by Sandra S. Kerns

  "Not yet," he whispered as his mouth moved to her other breast.

  He nipped and sucked until Chaney wanted to demand he take her. He, on the other hand, didn’t seem interested in rushing it. Too happy to argue anything, she let him have his way.

  One of his arms remained at her back holding her in a way that offered easy access to her breasts. His other hand swept down her side, over her thigh and touched her already sensitive nub. Reflex had her stretching away from the intensity, but his hold didn’t allow her to move as he continued to rub over her. Then he slid a finger inside her. She arched her back with the force of the fast rising passion. She could feel her orgasm building. She was almost there. His hand moved.

  Chaney lifted her head to see what was wrong. Why had he stopped?

  He smiled. That smile said he wasn’t done. A second later, she found herself on her back. He took his time kissing his way up over her belly detouring to each breast. Then he threaded one hand into her hair, holding her head prisoner as he stared into her eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled her head close.

  His kiss started out as more of a tease. He’d taste, take a little nip of her lip, sweep his tongue, retreat and then start again. Chaney was through with his teasing. She cupped his head with both hands and held him hostage while she assaulted him with all the passion he had stirred to life. She rolled suddenly, catching him off guard so he was on his back.

  Emboldened by his raised eyebrow, Chaney smiled while her hands stroked down his gorgeous chest. His erection was definitely distracting, but she had always liked Jed’s chest. It was broad, muscled, and smooth. Leaning forward she pressed a kiss in the middle of it before wiggling her eyebrows and kissing each of his nipples. She felt his low chuckle at the turned tables. When she sat back up, and stroked her hands down his taut stomach and lower, all humor left his face.

  Now his blue eyes were as intense as blue lasers burning into her. He reached for her, but Chaney chose that moment to stroke up the length of his erection. The fact that she could make his hands grab the sheets emboldened her even more.

  Her fingers feathered up and down him as she watched his face.

  “Chaney girl, you’re pla--gaaa.”

  Chaney couldn’t stop the smile his reaction to her ministrations gave her if she tried. Having this kind of power over a man like Jed was unimaginable. She was about to do something she had never done before when Jed’s hands grabbed her arms and pulled her up.

  “No more,” he said. His breath came hard and fast. “I can’t take any more.”

  Taking pity on him, she smiled down into his face and kissed him. He tried to roll them over, but again she stopped him. She pulled back and positioned herself over him. They had never done this before, but she wanted to watch him this time. Slowly, with his hands like vises on her hips, she lowered herself down his length.

  His eyes closed for a moment while she knew hers were wide. It was such an amazing sensation. Placing her hands on his chest, she lifted up just a little. His eyes opened and his fingers dug into her hips.

  “Chaney,” her name whispered from his lips as his hands moved her up and down.

  When his thumb touched her again, Chaney sucked in a quick breath. She felt herself clutch around him, pulling a groan from him though it didn’t stop his movements. How, she wasn’t sure, but she kept her eyes open and was rewarded with the amazing sight of Jed in climax.

  Every muscle in his body strained. His back arched. His jaw clenched as he tried and failed to silence a groan. He was beautiful.

  And I’m in deep trouble.

  The thought barely flitted through her mind before Jed pulled her close and reversed their positions. All thought was lost when his lips claimed hers. Damn, the man could kiss. When he broke that connection, he leaned his forehead on hers.

  “Chaney girl,” he said, though he was still breathing hard. “Damn.”

  Chaney smiled. Putting Jed at a loss for words was an accomplishment. The way he spoke was one of the many things that had drawn her to him when they were young. He loved words almost as much as he loved working with wood.

  “Damn good, or damn bad?” she asked, teasing him.

  “I doubt you need clarification,” he said lifting his head. “I can’t imagine what I did to deserve this, but I hope I do it again.”

  Chaney laughed. Heavens, to think she almost missed this because she didn’t want to admit she wanted him. Hell, it was sex, right? People had sex all the time without love.

  Not you.

  Valiantly ignoring her conscience, she wrapped her arms around Jed’s neck. “Well, I’m not telling. You’ll just have to wonder and hope you stumble upon it again.”

  “I’ll work on that,” he said, rolling to his side. “But don’t expect it in the next few hours. I think you’ve gotten everything you can out of this old horse tonight.”

  Rolling so her back was to him, she let him pull her close. He had positioned his arm just right for her to use as a pillow and she did. Sleep tugged at her in moments with his heat surrounding her. A small smile pulled at her lips as the thought flitted through her head, that it might not be such a bad year after all.

  ***

  Chaney was a little surprised that the morning, although still a bit strained was not as bad as the day before. It seemed they’d come to an agreement in the dark. They would enjoy each other for the time they were together. They would not confuse mutual consent for anything more. Emotions played no part in their arrangement.

  Then Thursday came almost blowing that plan out of the water.

  Chaney had almost forgotten about her birthday. Once she had taken the marriage license into the lawyer’s office, she didn’t think about it. Then Jed and Martha threw her a surprise birthday party. Where he found the time, she didn’t have a clue. He had been working long hours fixing up the old barn because he hadn’t found a suitable place he wanted for his shop. Then he’d had equipment delivered and spent hours placing everything. At least, that’s what she’d thought was going on. When Martha sent her down there with a plate because he said he wouldn’t make it up for dinner, she learned the truth.

  The birthday party. She hadn’t had a party since she was ten; his thoughtfulness had her throat choked with emotion. Thankfully, the gifts she received were all gag type, which helped to keep her from breaking into tears. That would have been a very un-Chaney thing to do. Then again, so was the way she let Jed know how much she appreciated the effort later that night.

  ***

  Chaney caught herself daydreaming about that night on Friday while Jed worked in the shop. Her mind kept wandering while she tried to plow through paperwork in the office hoping to get most of it out of the way so she could enjoy the evening when her sister got home.

  After she finished a call concerning her foreman search, she decided to go outside and stretch her legs a little. When she stepped out onto the front porch, she saw a limousine pull up to the ranch house. She was confused because she thought Belle was coming home later in the afternoon. They were supposed to meet at Dale’s house, not here. She walked down the steps.

  As she reached the ground, the door of the limo opened and a high-heeled foot appeared. A long nylon covered calf followed the foot and eventually the rest of a tall, model thin, exquisitely dressed woman. Chaney stopped her forward motion as the woman turned back to look in the car. She spoke sharply to whoever was inside before turning back toward Chaney.

  A manicured hand slipped sunglasses down her perfect nose while heavily made-up eyes gave Chaney the once over.

  “Go get Mr. Sampson,” the woman ordered.

  The denigrating tone of the woman’s voice had Chaney’s hackles rising. “Excuse me?”

  “I told you to go get your employer. Are you deaf?”

  “My boss?” Chaney said her voice deceptively low. She wanted to know whom she was dealing with before she ate her up and spit her out. “And who would I tell my boss, is asking for him?”


  “His wife,” the woman said.

  “You’re Jed Sampson’s wife?” Chaney almost choked on the words. Steve’s words came back clear as crystal, ‘she’s a looker.’ His knack for understatement was amazing. While Chaney stared in disbelief, the woman turned back to the car again and screeched at the other person inside. The shrill sound of her voice brought Chaney out of her stupor.

  “I guess you mean ex-wife, since I happen to be married to Jed now,” Chaney said smoothly, stepping closer to the limo.

  The woman spun back to face Chaney. This time, the sunglasses came all the way off and there was no doubt the woman was evaluating her. “You’re what . . . I mean who Jed married?”

  Oh Chaney would enjoy bringing this one down. The image of her hand crashing into the woman’s surgically improved nose popped into Chaney’s mind. On the heel of that thought, was the thought of how much the woman could sue her for doing so. Not that it wouldn’t be worth it, but the ranch couldn’t handle the expense right now.

  “Yes, this is my wife,” Jed’s voice answered the woman before Chaney could move beyond her bloody daydream.

  “Well, Jed, darling, you always did have a common side I couldn’t relate to.”

  If Jed hadn’t come up beside her at that very moment and clamped his steel band of an arm around her shoulders Chaney would definitely have decked the witch.

  “What do you want, Johanna?”

  Before answering, the woman turned to the car a final time and this time dragged the other person out. Chaney was shocked to see an adorable little girl slide off the seat and stand beside the woman.

  “Ashley!” Jed released Chaney and knelt as the little girl ran into his open arms. Tears coursed down the child’s face.

  “Edward and I had a change of plans, so I decided you could have her while we’re gone. This changes nothing. She’s still mine. Your little scheme, marrying this . . . this farmer to win custody won’t work.” She motioned to the driver and he went to the car’s trunk and pulled out two small suitcases. “We’ll be gone for two weeks. Enjoy her while you can. It may be the last time you see her.” With that threat, the she-devil climbed back in the car and slammed the door.

  Chaney stood rooted to the same spot she’d been in when Jed had let go of her. She was there when the limo pulled down the driveway. Ashley? Custody? Scheme? Farmer? Her temperature rose with each question, and it had nothing to do with the blistering sun they stood under.

  As much as she wanted to lay into Jed, she couldn’t cause the child he held in his arms any more anguish at the moment. The girl’s tears had subsided and a timid smile was trying to peak out. Chaney stepped to the suitcases. “Why don’t we go inside and see if Martha has some cookies for you after your trip.” Picking up the girl’s bags Chaney walked into the house.

  After setting the suitcases by the stairs, she led them into the kitchen.

  “Martha, I have a surprise for you. Jed’s daughter has come to see us.” Chaney spoke quickly and smiled hoping her housekeeper would take the hint and not say anything to upset the little girl.

  When Jed stepped fully into the room still holding his daughter in his arms, it struck Chaney how similar the two were. There was no way Jed could ever deny the child. Ashley was a miniature of her father from her blonde hair and blue eyes, right down to the overly serious expression on her face as he introduced her.

  “Ash, this is Miss Martha. She takes care of Chaney’s house and cooks for all the people that work here.” He turned so they were facing Chaney. “This is Chaney, your step-mom.”

  The negative sound of the term grated on Chaney’s already ragged nerves. “Just call me Chaney, and I’ll call you Ashley.”

  The little girl shook her head. “Ash, that’s what Daddy calls me. Only mother calls me Ashley.”

  “Okay, Ash. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Chaney said holding out her hand, and she realized it was a pleasure. Despite the fact that it was a shock, and she was furious with Jed for not mentioning he had a daughter, Chaney couldn’t regret meeting such a sweet child. She also noticed the child said mother and not mom. It seemed the ex Mrs. Sampson was much more proper than she or Jed.

  “Can I stay here?” Ash asked after shaking Chaney’s hand. “I know Mother didn’t ask. But is it okay?”

  Her timid voice and obvious expectance of a negative answer tore at Chaney’s heart. “Of course you can stay here. This is your home anytime you want it to be. To prove it, we’ll celebrate your first afternoon with us by having a party for lunch.”

  The little girl’s face lit up like an angel. “A party? For me? Really?”

  “Really,” Chaney said, sneaking a quick glance at Martha to see if she would agree. The smile on Martha’s face let Chaney know everything would be okay.

  Everything except the fact that Ashley’s father might be dead before her party ever started. Damn, she couldn’t believe he’d kept this from her. Her indignation cooled only a bit knowing she was keeping her own secrets.

  “I tell you what, Ash. I’ve have some business to take care of right now, but you and Martha can start the plans and I’ll help as soon as I can. Okay?”

  When Jed’s daughter reached out and hugged Chaney’s neck saying, “Thank you,” Chaney knew she was in deep trouble. She learned the steel mesh around her heart had a weak link. “You’re welcome,” she whispered back, because emotion clogged her throat. Chaney left the room without looking at Jed.

  Once in the safety of her office, Chaney leaned against the door and took a deep breath. As deep a breath as she could anyway with a band of pain surrounding her chest. It wasn’t the little girl. Jed’s daughter was wonderful. Even after only a few minutes, Chaney knew that.

  Of course, the child could have been hell on wheels and Chaney would have loved her anyway. She was Jed’s daughter and that was enough. But it hurt, too. It hurt to know that if that horse hadn’t thrown her twelve years ago, Ashley could have been her daughter.

  Tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Pushing away from the door, she walked to the window and stared unseeing at the land spread before her. She would not feel sorry for herself. Jed had made his choice and she had to live with it.

  He’d walked away from her and married a woman Chaney could never begin to compete with in looks or anything else. Johanna was in a class all her own. Though Chaney believed the woman’s nose was perfect thanks to a surgeon, you couldn’t start with a lemon and end up with a peach. Before the tweaks, there had been beauty. Johanna’s comment concerning Jed’s common side had been meant for Chaney, of that she was sure. She was common, even compared to her own sister. Boy, Jed had taken a big step backwards coming home.

  He divorced her.

  She shook her head. That didn’t matter. The divorce could have been her choice. Maybe she decided there was too much of his common side. Yeah, right. Jed’s common side consisted mainly of his family here, and his work ethic. It had nothing to do with his intelligence or appearance. The man looked as comfortable in a tux as he did in jeans and a T-shirt. She bet he’d turned more than a few heads in his Navy uniform. Before she sunk further into thoughts of Jed’s assets, fear grabbed her by the throat.

  Johanna had said something about Jed fighting for custody. If he were fighting for custody of Ashley, what would he do if Chaney became pregnant? She hadn’t expected him to want a child. She’d been sure he wouldn’t have a problem giving up responsibility for a child’s welfare. What was she going to do now? Thank God, she hadn’t stopped her birth control yet. At least this way she wouldn’t have to worry about fighting him. Now all she had to do was figure out some loophole to keep the ranch without getting pregnant.

  ***

  Jed knocked but when he didn’t hear an answering word he turned the knob and stepped into the office. He didn’t have to search hard to find her. Chaney stood in front of the window with her arms wrapped around her middle. She probably felt like he’d sucker punched her.

  “I’m s
orry doesn’t seem like enough.”

  Chaney didn’t respond. She remained standing in front of the window refusing to look at him.

  “I was going to tell you about Ash, but things have been a little tense. I am sorry though. Don’t worry you won’t have to lift a finger. Ash is my responsibility. Not yours.”

  “I wasn’t worried and I won’t mind her being here. She’s your daughter. I meant what I said. She’s welcome here whenever she wants. I just wish you had told me before we got married.”

  “Why? I mean besides the obvious, not being blindsided reasons. Would it have made a difference?”

  “Maybe.”

  Jed was confused. She said his daughter was welcome, but she might not have married him if she knew about Ash. “Why? You still needed a husband to keep the ranch. Now you know I needed more than a building for my shop. I need a wife to help win custody of my daughter.”

  “Never mind, Jed,” she said finally turning from the window so he could see her face. “Are there any other surprises I should know about? Is your wife going to change her mind and take you back?”

  She looked more fragile than he’d ever seen her. Jed was used to Chaney being strong and stubborn. Her accepting, almost defeated attitude was odd.

  “No other surprises,” he told her as she walked behind the desk. “As to Johanna taking me back, that won’t happen. I filed for the divorce, not her. She could beg and I wouldn’t take her back. The woman’s a class ‘A’ bitch. Always has been, always will be. I did my time.”

  “If you felt that way, why did you marry her in the first place?”

  It was hard to hold Chaney’s gaze while he tried to come up with an answer. He couldn’t tell her his ex had seduced him while he was in a drunken fog. One of the yearly drunken binges he had commemorating his refusing to stand up to Chaney’s father. How could he tell Chaney he got his commanding officer’s daughter pregnant while he had been drinking trying to forget her? He couldn’t. First, it would ruin her memories of her father if she believed him, and second she wouldn’t believe him anyway.