by Leah Brooke
Grinning, she watched him leave the room.
She had a long way to go to get to his core, but she was determined to make it there.
* * * *
Lana frowned when she saw that she’d eaten the last piece of her bacon and reached for one of his. “So we’re going to be riding on the same horse? I don’t have to ride my own?”
Raising a brow, J.W. turned his plate so that his bacon was closer to her. “You can ride with me if you want to, but wouldn’t you like to learn to ride?” He got to his feet and went to retrieve the bacon as Alice took the last slice from the pan and dropped it on the plate. “I can teach you.”
“No thanks.” Lana took another slice of bacon from his plate and bit into it. “I’d rather ride with you. If that horse gives you any crap, you can at least hold on to me when we get thrown.”
Placing the plate of bacon on the table in front of her, J.W. sat again, frowning. “What the hell kind of rider do you take me for? I haven’t been thrown from a horse since I was four years old.”
Lana grinned and took a healthy sip of her orange juice before reaching for another slice of bacon from J.W.’s plate. “Then you can hold on to me so I don’t fall off.”
J.W. glanced meaningfully from his plate to the plate of bacon in front of her before lifting his gaze to hers. “I wouldn’t let you fall off, Lana, even if I was teaching you to ride another horse.”
Shaking her head, Lana finished her last few bites of egg before stealing the last slice of bacon from his plate. “Not worth the risk.”
His eyes danced with amusement as he helped himself to bacon from the plate in the center of the table. “You don’t trust me?”
Not trusting the look in his eyes, Lana reached for her glass of juice. “I trust you just fine. It’s the horses I don’t trust.”
Alice turned from where she washed dishes. “Can’t say I blame you. I’d rather walk.”
J.W. sighed and dropped two more slices of bacon on his plate before biting into another. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Eyeing him skeptically, Lana snagged one of his slices of bacon and rose. “Not buyin’ it, cowboy.” She took her plate to the sink and finished her juice. “If I can’t ride with you, I’ll just keep my feet on the ground.”
* * * *
Once outside, J.W. led her to his horse, which had already been saddled. Aware that seeing her with him had drawn a lot of interest, and that the men were curious about her, he paused next to his horse. “I’d love to see you on top of Apollo.”
Lana looked up at his horse, her eyes wide. “No way. Good God. He’s huge.”
Rod came forward, ahead of several men moving closer from all sides. “He has to be. J.W.’s a big man.”
When Apollo blew through his nose, Lana’s eyes went wide. “Is he purring?”
Amused, J.W. smiled. “He’s excited about being ridden. Apollo hates being idle.”
“Why’s he blowing on me?”
“He’s curious. Look. He likes you.”
Lana eyed the humungous horse, unconvinced. “Uh-huh.”
Despite the shouts of encouragement coming from every direction, J.W. shook his head. “No. She’s never been on a horse before, and she isn’t ready.” Taking her hand in his, he lifted it to his lips. “Daniel told me about the incident with the camel. Just for the record, anytime you want to ride wearing a bikini, I’m all for it.”
“Do you always know everything?”
* * * *
J.W.’s slow smile made her insides flutter, the intimacy in his look making her fall just a little more in love with him.
“Of course. When it comes to you and my ranch, I want to know everything. Are you ready to go for a ride? I want to show you the ranch.”
“Not yet. I think I just want to sit on him.” Lana gulped and moved closer. “I won’t be riding. Just sitting on him, right?”
Shaking his head, J.W. smiled and reached for her. “You’re not ready for this yet. I’ll get on first and help you up.”
“No!” Stepping back, she glanced at the others. “I don’t want them to think I’m scared.”
J.W. raised a brow, lowering his hands again. “You are scared. There’s no shame in that.”
Lifting her chin, Lana glanced at Rod but kept her voice at a whisper. “I’m scared of too many things. I need to do this.”
J.W. turned to send a warning look to the others. “You don’t need to do anything but heal, and you sure as hell don’t have to prove anything to me.”
Lana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Maybe I need to prove this to myself.”
* * * *
Looking into her eyes, J.W. saw her gaze flick to the others before meeting his again.
Understanding, he nodded. “If it’s for you, fine, but you don’t have to prove anything to me—or to them.”
Lifting her chin, Lana smiled. “If I’m going to fit in here, I’ve got to prove I’m not just a city girl. I need to prove that I’m strong enough to be here.”
Clenching his jaw, J.W. pulled her closer, regretting that he’d mentioned it. “You don’t have to prove a damned thing.”
Laying a hand on his chest, Lana smiled up at him, her blue-green eyes begging him to understand. “Please. I need to do this. Please don’t embarrass me by saying no.”
J.W. swallowed a groan. “When you look at me like that, there isn’t a lot I wouldn’t do for you.”
Lana’s slow smile weakened his knees. “I’ll have to remember that.”
“You do that. Ready?”
Lana took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. Just for a minute. Don’t let me stay on too long.” Shaking her head when J.W. started to close his hands over her waist, she turned away. “No. Let me do it.”
Although his hands itched to help her, something they would talk about later, he stepped back, far enough to keep from embarrassing her but close enough to be there for her if she needed him.
She swung her foot over with a grace that made his chest swell, but he had only a second or two to enjoy the sight of her in the saddle before all hell broke loose.
The horse reared with an angry snort and then a squeal, sending a chill down J.W.’s spine while the sight of Lana desperately trying to hold on and the terror in her eyes horrified him.
He reached for her and the reins simultaneously, wrapping an arm around her waist and yanking her from the back of his horse, turning her to place his body between hers and Apollo’s flailing hooves.
One hoof hit his back hard, the fear of Apollo hitting Lana forcing him to release her. Turning, he held the reins tight and crooned to his horse, knowing that something had to be desperately wrong for his horse to act in such a way.
Holding Apollo down, he kept crooning to him until he settled.
Once he did, J.W. checked him over, finding the problem within minutes.
Someone had placed a small piece of cactus under the saddle. Still speaking softly to Apollo, J.W. gently removed it.
Furious, he turned, holding it up. “Who the hell saddled my horse?”
Rod was already at his side. “Christ, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.” He took Apollo’s reins, speaking in Spanish to the horse in the same low tone.
Seeing Lana pale and shaking, J.W. rushed to her side, gathering her close and meeting the gaze of each of the men surrounding them. “I want to know who saddled my horse, and I want to know now.”
John, who missed very little, inclined his head toward one of their new hires.
A young man named Bud Delaney stepped forward, his face whiter than Lana’s. He gulped, clearly shaken. “I did, sir.” Sticking his hands in his pockets, he shifted restlessly. “I didn’t put that there. I swear.” Taking his hands from his pockets, he gestured toward the stable. “That other guy helped me. Tommy. He’s the one who told me which saddle was yours.”
An icy calm came over J.W., and it brought him no small amount of satisfaction to see t
he men around him take several steps back, looking at him as if he was a rattler about to strike. “We’ve got too many new men who don’t know Tommy and Buck. I want their pictures posted in the bunkhouse, the chow building, the stables, and the tack room. Everywhere.”
Turning his head, he saw Rod still calming Apollo. “And I don’t want any of the new hands anywhere near my horse or Lana’s. Is that clear?”
“I don’t need a horse.” Lana moved to stand in front of him, flattening a hand on his chest. “Is Apollo okay?”
J.W. lifted a hand to her hair, unsurprised that his hand shook. “He’s fine, but we’ll check him out. It’s more important that you weren’t hurt.”
Rod took Apollo’s reins with a smile. “I’ll check him out myself and put some salve on him. What you just did is going to be talked about for years. You held him with one hand and whipped Lana off the horse with the other. Damn, J.W. You didn’t even flinch when—”
“That’s enough.” J.W. grunted, more concerned with Lana than the way the other men eyed him in awe. “Come on, baby. Let’s go for a walk and settle you down.”
* * * *
Surprising him by pulling away, she approached Rod. “What he just did was hard to do, wasn’t it?”
Rod grinned, telling the other men to get back to work before addressing her. “No. It was impossible. He stood in front of a rearing horse—a horse that weighs almost two thousand pounds—and physically held him by the reins. One-handed. Do you have any idea how powerful a horse is? He also took a hoof to the back and still held on to both you and Apollo until he could get you to safety.”
Shaking his head, he smiled again. “Hell, J.W., no wonder you never get into fights. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
Alarmed that J.W. had been hurt, she pulled at his arm to turn him, but he didn’t budge, so she had to rush around him instead.
Wincing at the dirt mark high on his back, she touched it gently, leaning around him to see his face. “Does it hurt?”
Snagging her around the waist, J.W. pulled her in front of him. “I’m fine.” Frowning down at her, he ran a hand over her hair. “Are you all right?” His eyes widened, the look of horror on his face startling her. “Hell. The baby.”
“J.W.! We don’t even know—”
“Are you bleeding? Do you hurt anywhere?”
“No. I’m fine. I—”
“You have no business being on a horse anyway. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I just wanted to show you the ranch, and I thought it would be safe as long as you rode with me.”
“J.W., I need to look at your back.”
Bending, he kissed her forehead. “My back’s fine. Come on. I want you to lie down for a while.”
“I don’t want to lie down.”
“Too bad.”
In less time than she could have imagined, she found herself dressed in nothing but her panties and one of his large T-shirts and bundled into bed. “I’m not staying here, you know.”
J.W.’s dark brow went up, and crossing his arms over his chest, he paused beside the bed to look down at her. “Yes, Lana. You are.”
Lana didn’t want to encourage him by telling him how sexy he looked when he was being arrogant, but when he got that hard look in his eyes, her pussy clenched with desire. “The only way I’m staying in this bed is if you’re in here with me.”
A muscle worked in his jaw, telling her that she was getting to him. “You need to rest.”
The need to challenge his authority proved as strong as her need for him. Sitting up slightly, she reached for the hem of the T-shirt he’d just bundled her in and slowly lifted it over her head. “You’re a smart man.” Hiding a grin at the lust that flared in his eyes, Lana slid her panties off and tossed them toward the end of the bed. “I need something else. Let’s see if you can figure it out.”
“You just got jostled pretty good. I don’t think sex is a good idea.”
Sitting up, Lana let the covers fall to her waist, giving him her best pout while arching to show her breasts to their best advantage. “But I ache. I thought you said you would take care of me.”
Although he didn’t change position, a small smile tugged at his lips. “I didn’t realize that you were such a manipulative woman.”
Shrugging her shoulder, Lana smiled. “I guess there’s a lot you don’t know about me. Want me to leave?”
Stripping out of his shirt, he eyed her steadily. “Not a fucking chance in hell. You belong here, and you’re staying.” Gripping the covers, he slowly slid them down her body. “Spread your legs.”
Lana blinked, stunned at the surge of heat that seemed to explode at her slit. “Excuse me?”
His dark brow went up again, the arrogant gesture making her pussy clench. “You heard me. Since you have no problem with manipulating me, I think it’s only fair that I can do a little manipulation of my own. You want that hunger satisfied, I’ll satisfy it, but in my way.”
“Or?”
J.W.’s lips twitched again. “Or I leave and you take your nap.”
Lana smiled, enjoying the game. “You can’t make me. In case you’ve forgotten, I was a virgin. That didn’t mean I didn’t have desires. I can take care of myself just fine.”
J.W.’s eyes narrowed, his body tense as he strode to her side of the bed and stood over her. “What the hell does that mean?”
Pleased at his reaction, Lana leaned back on the pillow, her years of modeling making it easy to strike a seductive pose. “It means that, if you leave me this way after arousing me, I’ll have to rely on BOB to give me pleasure.”
Smiling when he adjusted his jeans and the fact that his erection pressed against his fly, Lana waited for the explosion.
Instead, J.W. clenched his jaw, his eyes going hard and cold. Easing to sit beside her on the bed, he ran a hand over her breasts and down to her belly. “And just who the hell is Bob? Someone I have to kill?”
“Bob. Battery Operated Boyfriend. Doesn’t give me a hard time and is always there to give pleasure without the crap that goes with it.”
“Really?” The unmistakable threat in his tone, combined with amusement and the anticipation of the challenge ahead, sent quivers of delight through her, quivers that she suspected he felt under his slow-moving hand. “Has Bob given you any pleasure since we became lovers?” His hand slid lower, his fingertips light on her mound.
Lana tried to move away, his touch making it difficult to focus, but J.W. held her in place with a hand on her thigh. “Would it matter? It’s not cheating.”
J.W. eyed her for several long seconds. “No. It’s not cheating, but I don’t like the idea of you getting pleasure from something with batteries instead of from me. Where is it?”
Lana giggled at his expression, shaking her head when his eyes narrowed to slits. “I’m not telling you. You’d throw it away.”
“No. I wouldn’t.” Bending, he touched his lips to her nipple. “I’d watch while you used it on yourself.” Sliding a hand behind her back, he ran his tongue over her nipple while sliding his other hand between her thighs again. “I want to know everything that pleasures you. I’ll even use it on you myself.”
He lifted his head slightly, his smile strained. “Do you really think I’m gonna let you close your thighs against me and then get your pleasure from a fucking vibrator?”
Lana gasped when he forced her thighs apart, crying out at the feel of his callused finger on her clit. “Your back!” She reached for his injured back and started rubbing gently, her heels digging into the mattress as the pleasure mounted.
Her clit felt huge, every slow slide of his rough finger over the delicate bundle of nerves pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
“Fuck my back.” Bending closer, he touched his lips to hers, nipping lightly. “My back isn’t what hurts right now.”
Holding him close with her hands tangled in his hair, Lana writhed against him as much as his hold would allow. “Take me.” Heat flowed everywhere,
the tingling sensations growing with a speed that left her breathless.
J.W.’s smile, one of pure male arrogance, sent a delicious thrill through her. “Come for me.”
Lana gasped as he changed the angle of his caress, stroking her clit exactly the way she needed to go over.
With a cry of completion, she pressed her heels into the mattress and came hard, her clit throbbing in time to her heartbeat.
Clinging to him, she buried her face against his throat, low cries of pleasure escaping when he continued his smooth strokes. “Please! Oh God. I can’t take any more.”
J.W. growled in his throat, a threatening sound of male purpose. “This isn’t your fucking vibrator. You don’t get to say when you’ve had enough. I do.”
Changing his position, he moved to kneel between her thighs, staring down at her with glittering eyes. “You’re gonna come again but, this time, with my mouth on you. I want those juices. They belong to me.” Spreading her thighs wider and hooking them over his shoulders, he stared up at her. “Just like the rest of you.”
Although Lana thought she knew what to expect, the feel of his hot tongue on her already sensitive and swollen clit proved to be more than she could have imagined.
Bucking against his hold at the too extreme pleasure, Lana cried out his name again and again, each cry becoming more desperate than the last. Gritting her teeth against the need to dig her heels into his sore back, Lana cried his name.
He held her thighs in an iron grip, using his tongue with a startling accuracy to send her over again. Still holding her, he slid his tongue lower to lap her juices, and no amount of writhing could deter him.
She shook helplessly, tingling everywhere, even to her fingertips.
Spent, and still trembling from her orgasms, she slumped in surrender.
She didn’t have the strength to struggle, every movement weak and lethargic.
Her low, breathless moans seemed to spur him to greater heights of possessiveness, and with slow precision, he cleaned her thoroughly.
