by Ginny Glass
“Being a rancher is my reality,” he corrected. “My dream is to be able to hang on to my family’s land, live here, work here and raise a family here.” He offered a wry smile and a soft chuckle. “I wouldn’t even mind dyin’ here, but I’d like it to be sometime way off in the future.”
“You could do all that without changing a thing.”
“Because I refuse to work myself into an early grave like my father and grandfather.” The harsh conviction behind his blunt answer made her stomach drop to her toes. His mouth twisted into a hard facsimile of a smile. “People like to romanticize it, but ranching is damn hard work for pitifully little reward. For four generations my family has killed themselves trying to hang on to this land. I decided a long time ago that I’d find some other way to do that or give it up once and for all.”
Jane froze when he reached for her. The tip of his finger brushed her cheek, and her breath caught in her throat. He tucked the renegade lock of hair behind her ear in a gesture so gentle it nearly broke her.
“I’m trying to make my dream happen.”
She blinked, but a flutter of lashes wasn’t nearly enough to break the spell. “So am I.”
His warm palm cupped her neck. The calloused pad of his thumb played havoc with the tender skin beneath her jaw. “What’s yours, Miss Jane? Maybe I can help you out.” He tilted his head, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Maybe we can help each other out.”
That husky offer did the trick.
But instead of collapsing into a ball of quivering girl goo, she launched herself at him. Her chest hit his, and her zinging hormones cried “Hallelujah!” She pressed her mouth to his with all the finesse of a middle-school girl. His arm shot out, sending the coffee mug sailing along the counter until it hit the lip of the sink then tumbled to the floor.
Shrapnel flew in every direction, but Jane couldn’t care less. His arms wound around her, strong and sure, and his mouth softened. He angled his head and fit his warm lips to hers as if they were made for one another. She found a foothold on a cabinet door and pushed up, grasping the wide expanse of his shoulders for safety and using every bit of her hard-earned skill to scale him.
Clive groaned and parted her lips when she pressed the drooping crotch of her sweatpants to the hard ridge beneath the fly of his jeans. His tongue swept into her mouth, hot and demanding, and she was more than happy to give in. Cradling her ass in both hands, he surged into her, taking the kiss deeper and deeper as she wriggled against him. The excess material made for a maddening barrier. Grunting her frustration, Jane pressed the ball of her foot to the cabinet door and wrenched her body away.
“No.”
The protest rumbled from the very depths of him as she rappelled to the floor. She flashed a sympathetic smile as she fumbled for the drawstring on her borrowed pants. “Gotta lose these pants.”
Clive blinked then swallowed hard. “Oh.” He gave a breathless chuckle and tried to steady her on her feet. “In that case, yes.”
She laughed and shifted her weight from side to side, peeling away the fleece. “Figured you’d see it my way—ow!”
He sprang to attention as she raised her foot. “Huh? What?” A tiny shard of ceramic pierced her skin, and thin line of blood trailed down the ball of her foot. “Oh crap!” He lunged for a paper napkin. “Don’t move.”
Rolling her eyes, Jane plucked the tiny shiv from her sole. “It’s fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
She huffed a laugh and snatched the napkin from his hand. “Barely.” Pressing it to the spot, she smiled when the flow slowed almost immediately. “I’ll live.”
*
Clive wasn’t about to risk her getting hurt again. Not on his watch. He scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. She squealed and playfully pounded her fists against his back. Oh, Miss Jane was a handful, all right. One he’d be happy to deal with as often as physically possible.
At the kitchen table, he shoved the piles of papers back to the corner, not caring if he screwed up the filing system he’d worked so hard to put in place. He set her on the edge. “Now, we were about to do something about those pants.”
Normally he would have taken his time, exploring each inch of her body as he removed the garments and revealed her milky flesh. Tonight wasn’t normal, though. If he didn’t move fast enough, she might change her mind. Or worse, he might change his. Besides, she looked completely ridiculous in his clothing. The oversized pieces might have served their purpose in warming her up, but he intended to take over that position beginning immediately.
He yanked off the sweatpants first, revealing the one piece of clothing missing from the stack she handed him earlier. Her panties. Not just any pair either, but a black thong that left only the tiniest sliver of flesh to the imagination. Fortunately, he had a good imagination and was more than up to the challenge. As he let his eyes wander across her body, her skin begin to flush.
Perfect. He couldn’t help but wonder what dirty thoughts sparked her reaction. Better yet, he wanted to live out every single one of her fantasies. If it took all night, well, that was a risk he was willing to take.
First, he needed to get her shirt off, though. He leaned in and grasped the bottom, but she stopped him.
“I think you need to catch up. It’s not fair that I’m half-naked while you’re fully clothed.” She grabbed hold of his shirt and yanked it over his head.
Removing his hands from her body long enough to pull them through the sleeves made him groan in frustration. He wanted her. Now. “Better?”
She nodded.
“Then I think you should be even less clothed.” He slid a finger under the waistband of her black thong and helped her pull it off.
He grabbed hold of one of her ankles and tugged her toward him. She kicked a little and giggled as he ran a hand up her calf. She quickly gave in when he replaced his finger with his mouth, trailing soft kisses up from her foot to her inner thigh. He wiggled his eyebrow at her before squatting down in front of the table.
Fuck. He never would have guessed that the California princess who seemed more like a granola-loving tree-hugger than a Rodeo Drive shopper would be completely clean-shaven. No complaints on his part. He let his tongue slowly venture toward her hood. A few quick flicks of the tip against her sensitive flesh made her writhe and call out his name.
With his elbows, he spread her legs farther apart, giving him better access. After his initial soft touch, he decided to wage a full assault on her body. He focused on her clit, making wide spirals in until he reached her sweet spot. She sighed and moaned each time he did, her fingers scraping his scalp and tugging at his hair. And then he’d back up, spiraling back out until her breathing slowed and she started to fidget again.
Each pass was a little faster than the previous, allowing her less time to recover.
“Please.” She moved her hands to his shoulders and dug her nails into his skin.
“Patience.” As he said the word, he took her clit in his mouth and sucked. It did the trick and she shattered, her hips bucking against the table. He waited for her to come down. When she relaxed, he sat up and gave her the best smug smile he could manage.
“You said something about making sure this evening was fair?”
“What exactly do you have in mind?”
“Oh, I think you know.” Clive released her and took a few steps toward the other end of the table. He searched the mountain of papers piled on the table where he stored the mail, found the condoms he’d set there earlier and waved them in the air like a trophy.
“Do you always keep your protection in the kitchen?”
“Not mine. Yours. I found this in your pocket when I was putting your clothes in the dryer.”
“Oh my God.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I forgot I stuck those in there.”
“A likely story.”
Clive nestled between her legs again. “Now, where were we? I think I was about to get that shirt off of you.” He tugged
the shirt over her head, and it slid easily off her. Finally, a benefit to having her in his clothes. He covered her mouth again, groaning as she drew on his lower lip, drinking her essence from his skin. Electricity shot between them as his tongue swirled around hers. He leaned her back until she rested against the tabletop.
It’d been too long since he’d had a woman supine beneath him. Meeting potential dates wasn’t exactly easy in the middle of nowhere, and he didn’t find a lot of spare time to make it in to town. How lucky did he have to be to have a new hot neighbor?
All at once the reality of the situation dawned on him. She wasn’t his neighbor. Jane was the woman selling the land next door. The land he wanted to purchase.
Clive stood up and stared down at Jane. Her plump lips called to him, but he refused to give in. This couldn’t happen between them, not like this. “We can’t do this.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice was high-pitched and strained.
“I don’t trade sex for favors. I like you, Miss Jane. A lot. God knows I would love to take you right here on my kitchen table, spending all night getting to know every curve of your gorgeous body. Every time I sat down for a meal I’d remember how beautiful you looked laid out here, ready and waiting for me. I’d get hard just walking into this room. You have no idea how much I want that, but it can’t end up like that.”
“Why the hell not?”
He could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears. Face bright red, Jane stared at him, her green eyes narrow and focused.
“Because you’re currently in the middle of making a decision that will affect the next steps in my life. I want you, but I also want your land. Those two things shouldn’t be tied to one another, though.” He sank farther back, releasing her hips and instantly missing her heat. “I don’t trade on sex and I know you don’t either.”
“You’re so sure you know me, aren’t you? Well, maybe the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.”
“Really? Then you aren’t letting your feelings about your birth mom cloud your judgment? You’re certainly letting your personal feelings about her business affect how you think about her as a person.”
That did it. He thought he’d seen her mad earlier that day, but clearly that was only the warm-up act. The real show was just beginning. Her eyebrows pulled tight together and her lips narrowed. “I’m thinking about the best options for my future.” She grabbed the flannel shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head. “And who said I was going to sell anyway? Everyone just assumes I will, and you know what they say about assuming.” As she slid off the table, she pushed Clive farther back. He could feel the fire coming off of her. “Where do you get off judging me anyway? You’re basically keeping this land because of some sense of sentimental attachment.”
You’ve done it now. How did he get so stupid? Women didn’t show up at his doorstep very often and one when finally did, he managed to run her off. This was exactly why he was still alone. “I think you misunderstood me. I wasn’t condemning you for having feelings about the house. I was telling you that you should have them.”
“Excuse me?” She froze, arms awkwardly positioned around her chest where they’d been arranging her clothes. He couldn’t tell if her sudden shock was a good or a bad thing, but at least her speechlessness gave him a chance to explain himself.
Then again, talking hadn’t gone terribly well so far for him. “That place over there is the only tie you have to your mother. I can’t imagine what sort of feelings you have for her right now. You didn’t really know her or your father. She thought she was doing right by you, sending you away, but I don’t doubt for a minute that you feel differently. That might change eventually, once the wound isn’t so raw. People around here were awful fond of Miss Dolly and not for the reasons you might think. She was a caring woman who gave a lot to the community. People loved her. You might grow to think the same way about her, if you give her a chance.”
“So I should just forget the fact that she gave me up?”
At least her voice had come down a couple of decibels. He knew better than to get in the middle of family stuff, especially other people’s, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. If there was a button out in front of him, he just had to push it. “I was suggesting no such thing. You can be as mad as you want for as long as you want. I’m trying to tell you that your mother might not be the villain you’re making her out to be.”
“Is this the great advice of the man who’s trying to use his relationship with my dead mother to snatch up a prime piece of land?” She looked around, presumably searching for the sweatpants she’d been wearing. He hoped she wouldn’t spot them on the rug by the back door.
“No, this advice comes from the man next door who has been through his fair share of family problems.”
“I see. And does he have any other great words of wisdom?” She put her hands on her hips and leaned to one side.
Oh, it was a slippery slope. He was tempted to say so many things, but settled on something less likely to end with him bent over on the kitchen floor clutching his groin. “Don’t make any decisions right away. Give it some time. Get to know the land, then, if you think it’s in everyone’s best interest, sell.”
Her smile dripped saccharine sweetness. “And does ‘everyone’ include you?”
“I wouldn’t want to rule anything out.” Resisting her when she batted her eyelashes at him like that was impossible. Common sense was for people who had nothing to lose. Right now, all his options involved her walking out on him. One of them offered him the opportunity to have one night of passion before she slammed the door in his face.
Choosing the latter was the only reasonable option. He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. Resistance, but only for a second. Once she melted into him it was as though the past few moments had never happened. They were together, kissing and exploring, with no thought to any potential consequences.
She wrapped a leg around his waist and he hoisted her off the floor and put her back on his kitchen table. Before she could lie back, he yanked her shirt over her head, relegating it to the place on the floor where it’d been earlier. He lowered his head and suckled one of her nipples, nipping and licking it until she moaned and tugged at his hair.
Just getting started, he released it with a pop. “This arrangement…” he murmured before he started on the other side. She responded by grabbing hold of his waistband and fumbling with the fly of his pants. Each time she’d almost have it worked out, he’d flick the tip of his tongue across her nipple. Without fail, it broke her concentration. “It’s got nothing to do with our business dealings.”
She gave a little nod. Whether it was agreement or impatience, he didn’t know. She traced the outline of his dick with her fingernails and, frankly, he didn’t care. A frustrated groan told him to back off.
“I won’t go easy on you just because I’ve seen you naked,” he whispered, pulling away just enough to allow her the satisfaction of finally managing to undo the zipper.
Using the ball of his foot, he managed to pull the legs down. When he released her to bend down and remove the garment from around his ankles, Jane pushed back and started to recline.
She opened her mouth, but he didn’t let her speak, instead he pressed his lips against hers. He’d thought being this close to her with clothes on was an amazing experience, but without anything between them, it was—wow! That was all he could come up with to describe the sensation of her soft, delicate skin pressed against his. Her tight nipples rubbed against his chest, a feeling that left him clinging to the edge of his self-control.
“You sure this is okay?” He hated to ask. It was an opportunity for her to reconsider.
“Will you shut up already?” The edges of her lips twitched before curling upward into a half smirk.
Clive didn’t need to be told twice. He leaned forward and pressed his tip against her entrance. It was a good thing he’d gotten the condoms earlier, because he nev
er would have torn himself away now. He set a new record for getting the condom out of the foil and rolled over his cock. As he settled back between her thighs, she raised her hips, taking him by surprise. “Patience, woman.”
“You keep using that word.”
“And I’ll repeat it until you get the meaning.”
She showed him just how well she understood by thrusting her hips toward him.
It was good enough for him. He slid into her, taking his time and enjoying every pleasurable second as he buried himself balls-deep inside her. As she arched her back, he pressed his lips against her elongated neck. Jane sighed and tilted her hips, nearly undoing him in the process. He moved a hand to her hip, trying to hold her back, but failed. She was stronger than she looked and determined to get exactly what she wanted.
Each thrust sent him hurtling further toward climax. He tried to set the pace, drawing out each stroke until she moaned and grabbed his ass, pulling him in closer. Their moans and sighs filled the room until he was unable to distinguish between their voices.
Two could play that game. He lowered his head and suckled her breasts, remembering from earlier all the places that had made her squirm and squeal. This effort was equally as productive, her sighs quickly turning to pleas.
“Don’t. Stop.”
Clive had no intention of disobeying that order. He pounded into her harder, all the while flicking his tongue over her nipple. Jane panted and dug her nails into his skin. It hurt, but he didn’t care. Hell, the marks would be a reminder for the next several days of just how good this night had been. There’d be no wondering if he’d somehow dreamed the whole affair.
“I—” was all she managed to get out, followed by a string of vowels that didn’t sound like any words he’d ever heard before. Her body spasmed beneath him as she came. He kept up his thrusting rhythm as best he could. The sensation of her inner muscles clenching tightly around him was too much and he only managed a few more strokes before his own orgasm overtook him.
It took Clive several moments before he was able to breathe, let alone move. Fortunately his feet were firmly, though shakily, planted on the ground so he didn’t have to worry about squishing her. Without a word, he kissed her forehead and pulled out.
