Husband for Keeps

by Kate Little

  Maybe Luke shouldn’t have punched him, she thought as she headed downstairs. Not that she approved of violence, but the look on Roger’s bloated face had certainly done her poor heart good. She couldn’t deny it. Neither could she deny how warm and protected it had made her feel when her “husband” so fiercely defended her with such unquestioning loyalty.

  But that was just part of the act, she reminded herself. Part of his job. And if nothing else, the man is good at his work, she joked to herself.

  What about the kiss? The attraction had always been undeniable, and the steamy emotions were certainly real enough. But was he just getting carried away in the role of loving partner and protector? she wondered.

  “Was I?” she asked herself as she walked under the hot, early-morning sun toward the barn.

  No, unfortunately for her every emotion on her side had been frighteningly real. Ironically, she felt more rock-solid sure of her feelings for Luke than she ever had before.

  Initially there had only been attraction. Strong attraction, to be sure, but Carey knew enough about romance to recognize simple, uncomplicated lust for what it was. In the month that had so far passed, her longing for Luke had grown even stronger. But she realized now, in the aftermath of that kiss, something else had happened, also. She had come to know him and to respect the many aspects of his complicated personality.

  Despite her criticism this morning, Carey knew that Luke was a patient, loving, surrogate father to Tyler. A job that couldn’t be easy, but one he had apparently taken on eagerly. A hard worker and uncomplaining, as well, he put out his best effort each day and had been an inspiring example to the rowdy group of hands that now answered to him. He clearly loved ranching and came to her often with new ideas for improving the way the place ran. His ideas were good, his methods much more flexible and efficient than her father’s had been.

  Luke was clearly intelligent and even witty when the mood struck him. And he could be as gentle and tender as he was strong.

  If she didn’t watch herself, she’d end up falling for him. And that would be a problem, Carey knew. She had her plans—to sell this ranch, return to California and start a new life. She couldn’t remain out here, a place that held so many unhappy memories and no promise for the future.

  And she honestly couldn’t see Luke living happily in any other environment.

  No, a real relationship between them would be impossible. And Carey had reached a point in her life when she’d had her fill of temporary romances. She wanted the real thing now and was willing to settle for nothing less.

  Carey tried to pound the thought into her sorry brain as she swung open the barn doors and prepared to muck it out. It had been her daily job when she was a girl and she’d come to find the cleaning out and laying of new straw a satisfying chore. She even liked the barn at this time of day. The sun wasn’t so high yet, and the air within was still cool from the night before. The high, shadowed rafters and the thin shafts of sunlight that filtered through grimy windows lent the place a peaceful atmosphere, distant from the world and its cares.

  A good place to work out her worries and frustrations. She pulled on high rubber boots and grabbed the big shovel and pail. As she headed to the rear of the barn a gaggle of squawking geese trotted past on their way to the barnyard.

  It was amazing what one kiss from the right man could do.

  But she had to draw the line and stand tough. She’d managed a whole month with only one significant slipup. Surely she could make it to the end of the summer without inflicting further damage? If Luke didn’t understand, she’d just need to remind him of their original agreement.

  Okay, she’d been curious about kissing him again. Nearly obsessed with it, to be honest. And now it had finally happened.

  But it would not happen again, Carey promised herself.

  Six

  Carey successfully avoided Luke all day. And perhaps he was trying to hide out from her, as well, she realized. But when supper time rolled around, there was finally no eluding each other. Carey briefly considered feigning fatigue or a headache and staying up in her room until the coast was clear. But she knew she couldn’t take the coward’s way out. She had to face Luke and when the chance arose make it clear that what had happened between them this morning could not—and would not—happen again.

  Luckily, the dinner table was bustling with activity. And distractions. Aware of Carey’s long day of work outdoors, Ophelia had insisted on preparing the meal. Thankful for the help, Carey had invited Ophelia and Willie to stay for supper. Luke and Willie talked about ranch business, and while they did not exclude Carey from the conversation, her terse answers to their questions made it clear that she wasn’t very interested in discussing a slight change in feed mix or the delayed delivery of fencing wire. After playing outside all day, the boys were a bundle of energy at the table and needed frequent reminders to settle down.

  Suddenly dinner was over. Ophelia, Willie and Peter left, and Tyler, who nearly fell asleep in his dessert, had to be carried up to bed.

  While Luke was upstairs, Carey cleaned up in record time and then went to the study to work on the books. Luke entered the room a few minutes later and stood by the side of her desk, hovering over her in a way that made her nervous.

  “Anything I can do to help you?” he offered. “Sort out receipts or something? I’m pretty good with numbers.”

  “I have a calculator, thanks.” She barely lifted her head to glance at him. “I’ll take this upstairs if you want to watch TV,” she added. “I’m sure you worked hard today.”

  “I’m sure you did, too,” he replied. “I know it’s not part of our original agreement, Ms. Winslow,” he said in a mock-formal tone, “but I don’t mind helping with the paperwork from time to time.”

  “Yes, well…we jumped the track from our original agreement a few times today, didn’t we?”

  As soon as she said the words, Carey wished she could pull them back. But there it was. The cat was out of the bag, and she might as well get her little well-prepared speech over with.

  Finally she lifted her head and met his gaze.

  “Since you brought it up,” Luke replied, “I’ve been thinking I owe you an apology for the way I acted this morning.”

  “An apology?” She stared down at her ledger book again, the numbers a blur.

  So now he was going to apologize for kissing her? Not just some dry peck on the lips, either, but as if she was the first woman he’d seen after being on a desert island for the past ten years.

  She was glad that her back was turned to him and he couldn’t see the deflated expression on her face.

  “I guess, in the heat of the moment, I just got carried away,” he continued. She heard him pacing nervously around the room, but still she couldn’t look at him. “Now I’m worried that I’ve stirred things up. I didn’t mean it, honestly.”

  She glanced at him over her shoulder. He stood looking at her with a sorrowful, penitent gaze that would have melted her heart. If she hadn’t been so steaming angry at him!

  Of all the egotistical nerve! To kiss her like that—and then claim he didn’t mean it! Just got carried away! Carey felt as if smoke was spouting from her ears as she shoved an envelope of receipts in a desk drawer and slammed it shut.

  “Thank you for being so…honest, Luke,” she said tightly.

  He came toward her again. “I try to be honest with you, Carey. You don’t know me very well, but I’m really not like that normally. When I was younger, maybe, I had a pretty short fuse.” She couldn’t see it, but could well imagine his grin. “But I usually have a lot more self-control now. Even when someone’s really goading me on.”

  That nailed it. Carey couldn’t stand hearing another word of this totally self-serving apology. Even though she had planned to blow the whistle on any further physical involvement herself, this was just…too much.

  What had happened to the sweet, caring man she’d come to know these past weeks? Had that been just
an illusion? Her own pathetic fantasy? For pity’s sake, had it only taken one kiss to turn him into this…this arrogant, puffed-up macho egotist?

  And one who apparently didn’t think she had any feelings at all?

  “Goading you on?” she burst out. “When did I ever goad you on? Why, you smug, arrogant son of a gun,” she blasted him. She stood up from her desk chair and turned to face him. “You were the one who grabbed me, remember?”

  Luke stared at her, genuinely puzzled by her ranting.

  “I wasn’t talking about you,” he replied, his dark brows knitted in a frown. “I never meant that you had goaded me on. Heck, you kept holding me back. I meant your cousin, Burkett. I want to apologize for the way I let him get under my skin. The way I hauled off and socked him this morning.”

  “Oh,” she said in a small voice. She tried to avoid his curious stare, but could feel it boring down on her. “I just thought…” She cleared her throat and straightened out some pencils on the desktop. “Never mind. Doesn’t matter now.”

  “Oh, I get it…” Luke replied, his deep voice laced with mirth. “You thought I was talking about us?”

  “There is no us, Luke. And I’ll thank you to remember that,” she snapped at him.

  She faced him squarely where he stood, watching his mirthful expression become serious and thoughtful again. He licked his lips in preparation to reply, and she nearly sighed aloud with longing.

  “Well, now it’s my turn to take offense.” The look on his face told her the denial had hurt him, and she felt an answering ache in her heart. “Don’t waste your breath denying you felt something special when I kissed you this morning, Carey, because I just won’t believe you.”

  Carey started to speak, then stopped herself and pursed her lips. He was right. She couldn’t deny it. What was the point? She didn’t know what to say.

  She stood silently facing him, unable to speak, barely able to breathe as she recognized that hungry light growing in his eyes. Drawing her near, like some mysterious magnetic force.

  “Did you already forget how it was?” He took a step toward her, his hands reaching out to mold her shoulders. “Maybe I need to remind you….”

  “Don’t.” Carey forced herself to break her gaze away from his. She pressed her hand flat against his chest. “I’m not saying it wasn’t…special.” Her words emerged slowly, painfully. “It was wonderful, actually…. And I think you’re wonderful,” she told him honestly.

  Her impulsive admission ignited an eager, tender glow in his expression that was nearly her undoing. But she took a deep breath and plowed on.

  “But this…this…involvement,” she said, for lack of a better word, “can’t happen between us.”

  “Why not?” he asked softly. He leaned forward to reverently kiss her brow and then her temple. He stroked the smooth line of her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “You are one beautiful woman. Your skin is like silk. When I’m close to you like this, Carey,” he whispered, “I can barely control myself.”

  Carey sighed and closed her eyes. She felt his lips on her eyelids, her nose and her chin, raining teasing, light kisses across her face. Every place but her lips, which now thirsted to meet his.

  “For pity’s sake, honey. We are married.” His low, husky voice, thick with longing, melted her defenses even further.

  “But our agreement—” she sighed breathlessly, feeling herself cling to him, her judgment and good sense slipping away on a swiftly moving river of desire. “This isn’t a real marriage. It’s only temporary,” she murmured as his soft warm lips moved from her face to her long, smooth neck.

  She felt Luke’s warm mouth on her collarbone, sending chills racing through her, then his tongue, slipping along the edge of the low neckline of her cotton top, tasting the sensitive, creamy skin at the lacy edge of her bra. Her nipples tingled and hardened. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to speak.

  “You promised me, Luke,” she whispered.

  “I know…” He sounded almost regretful. But not quite. “Maybe you’ll just have to fire me,” he teased in a husky whisper.

  “Maybe I will,” she agreed.

  She felt his lips curve in a smile against her breast, and his onslaught of kisses and caresses continued, as if to prove that her threat was meaningless. His hands moved possessively over her breasts, stroking them to exquisitely sensitive peaks through the thin fabric of her shirt as finally, his mouth met hers in a deep, hungry kiss that stole her breath away.

  She felt dazed, drugged, with every nerve ending tingling, and a deep heat building within her, spreading like a molten liquid to every part of her body.

  With her lower body pressed close to his, Carey had no doubt about his need for her. Feeling intoxicated by her power to excite him, she moved against him, her tongue trailing across his cheek as she tasted his salty skin and felt him shudder in her arms.

  “Today was our anniversary,” he murmured against her hair. “One solid month. Did you remember?”

  “Yes…I did,” she admitted breathlessly.

  “I never carried you over the threshold, like a real husband should. But I am prepared to do so now.” Luke’s raspy whisper, ragged with desire for her, was almost as thrilling as the sensation of being suddenly swept off her feet in his powerful arms.

  “Luke—what are you doing?” Carey tried to keep her voice down so as not to awaken Tyler. She clung to his shoulders as, with quick sure steps, he carried her down the hallway and up the stairs.

  “Carrying you over the threshold of choice. My choice, that is. Your bedroom.”

  His explanation was soon followed by their arrival at her bedroom. But before they entered, he grew perfectly still. Cradling her in his strong embrace, his coal-black gaze met hers in a long searching gaze, a silent question coming from his eyes.

  “Yes.” She practically mouthed the word, her throat tight with desire.

  Then she felt him take one, two, three swift steps to her bed, and she was finally on her feet, standing directly before him. The time for speaking had stopped and as he turned to quietly shut the door, Carey lit a small candle on her bedside table.

  Then they were together again, Luke reaching for the edge of her shirt and swiftly pulling it up over head, as Carey’s eager fingers exploded the snaps of his soft denim shirt and pushed it off his arms.

  A dark mat of hair covered his muscular chest, tapering down his flat stomach to disappear enticingly under the edge of his belt, and Carey could not resist reaching out to caress his hair-roughed skin. She smoothed her hands over his hard biceps and pressed her lips to his chest, covering the warm, tanned skin with seductive kisses. Her tongue circled and sucked one flat male nipple, and he groaned out loud, the loose circle of his embrace tightening around her like a steel band.

  His head dipped, his warm mouth seeking and finding hers to tilt her head back in a soul-searing kiss. Their lips met and melded as they savored each other. Carey was barely aware when Luke’s fingers nimbly unfastened her bra, and it slipped it off her arms, the sudden sensation of cool air on her bare skin a momentary shock. But the coolness was soon replaced with Luke’s soft, hot mouth moving over her silky skin, as he dropped to his knees, his strong hands cupping and caressing her full breasts, lifting them to his lips as his tongue swirled around her dark, tight nipples.

  Exquisite sensations rocketed through her body, making her feel weak and dazed. She clung to his strong shoulders for support as an aching, wet warmth grew even more intense at her womanly core. She moved against him, holding his head in her hands, her fingers twining in his dark hair as the pleasurable ache took her even higher.

  They dropped to the bed, a tangle of mouths, arms and legs, Carey driven by a hunger that she had never known before for complete union with this man. She felt as if she could never get close enough, never touch or taste him enough. The sheer scent of his skin was all she ever wanted to breathe from now on.

  She felt her jeans unfastened, and strong cares
sing hands moved within, sliding down her flat belly and under the edge of her panties. His fingers sought and found her sensitive core, expertly stroking her to a tingling peak of mindless pleasure.

  The onslaught continued as she moved her hips against his hands, sighing deeply with pleasure and need. He cupped her head in one hand, his other buried in her thick hair.

  “You are so beautiful, Carey,” he whispered reverently as he continued to stroke her, matching the rhythm of her movements. “You take my breath away,” he confessed. Carey trembled, the ache within her demanding to be filled, craving to be satisfied.

  She pulled back slightly and with trembling hands, swiftly unfastened Luke’s jeans and slipped her hand under the waistband of his briefs. He felt hard and hot against her hand, throbbing as her seductive touch first teased and then thoroughly satisfied him. Luke kissed her fervently, the power of his response almost frightening her. He rolled away from her a moment to swiftly shuck off his jeans.

  When he moved back and took her in his arms, they lay side by side and stared deeply into each other’s eyes. The candlelight flickered in warm shadows over his dark, smooth skin and to Carey his eyes looked as black as night, a tempest of passion brewing in their fathomless depths.

  Closing her eyes, Carey fitted herself against him. His fingers glided lightly down the length of her thigh, pausing at her knee as he lifted her leg and hooked it over his hip, then he moved inside her in a smooth, hard stroke.

  She shivered with pleasure at their joining, her fingertips digging into his shoulders. Then he began to move inside of her, gently at first, murmuring words of excitement and delight. She matched him, sigh for pleasure-filled sigh, groan for groan. He filled her, completed her, like no other man before. She yearned for the heat and light he built inside of her to last forever, yet urged him on even harder, feeling her excitement rising to the peak of ecstasy.

  Then their rhythm grew stronger, harder and Carey rolled on her back and slipped below him. Luke lifted himself above her, her legs wrapped tightly around his hips as he moved deeper and deeper with every thrust, satisfying her more completely than she’d ever dreamed possible. Her fantasies of making love to Luke had been great—but the reality far surpassed her wildest daydream. It was more sensual, more pleasurable, more thrilling than she had ever imagined—and even more frightening in a way.