Ransom pushed the hair out of Mellie’s eyes as he looked her over. “You’re a mess. Do you want to go get cleaned up, and I can stay with her?”
“No way. I’m not going anywhere until that baby is here. You don’t have to stay.”
“If you stay, I stay.”
* * *
It took another full hour, but eventually, the foal was born, and was nuzzling next to her mother. Dr. Bressack drove down from the convention to sit with Skychaser through the rest of the process, which meant Mellie could go take a shower. As they walked out of the stable, Ransom gave Mellie a gentle rub on the shoulder.
“Why don’t you go rinse off, and I’ll make some tea? I’m a little wired and could stand to relax a bit. I bet you could too.”
Mellie nodded awkwardly, unsure of what to say. She felt like she should tell him to go back to the guest house, but she couldn’t do it. Something about the look in his eyes pulled her back from a dark place she’d been living in since Emery died, a place she never though she’d emerge from again. The whole time she showered, she couldn’t stop thinking about Ransom downstairs, couldn’t stop wondering what he was thinking, why he was being so nice to her, if it were even possible he could think of her as more than his boss.
When she got downstairs, hair wet and piled into a bun, sweats and a tank on her clean body, and saw the look Ransom gave her from the couch, she realized that maybe she’d sold herself short. She sat next to him on the sofa and he reached his hand out to her, entwining his fingers with hers. She could see a combination of desire, and fear, in his ocean-blue eyes.
“Mellie, I don’t know if…”
But then, in an instant, her instincts took over. Her need, her loneliness, they all won out over any hesitation she’d been feeling, and her fire passed to Ransom, who pulled her into his lap faster than she could move. She felt as if she’d known Ransom in her dreams her whole life, and only now was she able to finally touch the reality.
* * *
Ransom felt as if he’d been resisting his feelings for Mellie since the first instant he saw her, and now, they were bubbling over. He ran his hands over every curve of her body and his cock began instantly throbbing with desire. Mellie straddled his lap and leaned in for a kiss, a long, slow kiss that felt all-consuming. She flicked her tongue softly against Ransom’s and he was overcome with the need to rip her adorable PJs from her body, push the mugs of tea off the coffee table, and fuck her right there.
But Ransom knew that Mellie was the woman who would bring him back from the dead, and he wanted her to experience something more memorable.
Mellie ran her long fingers through Ransom’s hair, down his neck, and up and down his back, until Ransom couldn’t take any more. He placed his hands on the side of her face as he kissed her with more urgency, before sliding them down her sides, and then back and underneath her sweats, until he could feel her full ass under his fingertips. He gently squeezed her supple flesh until she writhed against his body. Ransom could feel Mellie’s need calling out to him, even through their clothes, and it was making him ravenous.
He kissed her with every ounce of his being, took hold of her body, and stood up from the couch.
Mellie wrapped her arms and legs around Ransom, and looked at him with a shocked expression.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going upstairs,” he said with a sense of urgency that made Mellie pull tighter into his body.
Ransom climbed the stairs with Mellie wrapped around him, but when he got to the top, he stopped short, and Mellie pulled back, panic in her eyes.
“What? What is it? Is it your leg? Do you not want to…”
Ransom leaned in and kissed Mellie with a smile.
“I don’t know where the bedroom is.”
Mellie laughed, her whole face lighting up as she pointed to the room at the end of the hall. He didn’t need to be told twice. As he kissed Mellie’s shoulders and chest, he carried her into the bedroom and set her down on the bed, bathed in the soft moonlight. As he lifted her tank top over her head, he was blown away by how beautiful, how delicate she was, and yet how strong she was, how much she’d lived through. His affection for her only doubled as he watched her lay back on the bed, her eyes glittering in light of the stars.
Ransom reached down to pull off his shirt, and he slipped his jeans off next, anxious to feel the touch of her skin against his own. For once, he wasn’t thinking about the past, or the pain; he was only thinking about the moment, and Mellie’s good heart, and her beautiful smile.
Ransom trailed kisses down Mellie’s face and neck, tracing his way down to her full breasts. He let his lips linger tantalizingly until he found her nipple and sucked the soft peak into his mouth. Mellie moaned softly, so Ransom sucked a little bit harder, until Mellie writhed underneath him.
When he was sure she was ready for more, Ransom slid his hands down to push away her sweatpants, revealing she wore no underwear underneath. He took a long look at the sight of her naked body, and Mellie reached up to him, letting her fingers trace along his jawline. He lifted her ass and pulled her in tight against him. His rigid cock pressed against her belly and she reached for him, stroking him up and down, pushing him close to the edge.
Mellie’s moved her hand gently, her thumb tracing across his sensitive tip and Ransom moaned.
“Tell me what you want, Mellie.”
“I want you inside me, Ransom. I need you.” The words were all Ransom needed to push him over the edge of his desire.
With a sigh, Ransom ground his hips into her, kissing her neck as he arched to slide his cock between her legs. He pushed his rigid shaft through her folds, up and down, gently. Mellie moaned and wrapped her legs around his hips, trying to pull him in closer, urge him on.
Over and over , he stroked against her, arousing her delicate skin until she cried with need. With soft kisses, over and over, pressed against her lips, Mellie began digging her nails into his back and pushing herself against him.
“Now, Ransom. I need you now.”
He grinned as he pulled back and brushed her long hair away from her face. “Tell me how badly.”
After a soft pop on the back of his head, she pulled him harder against her, and whispered, “Stop talking about it and just do it, you fool,” with a smile.
“With pleasure,” he said as he pulled his hips back and entered her with a single thrust, pushing inside her warmth until he’d buried himself inside of her completely. Her body clamped down around him as she reached her limits and she cried out as her powerful orgasm tore through her.
Ransom stayed with her through her orgasm, pressing his thumb against her clit, pushing her more and more into the deepest valleys of pleasure. Together, they fell into a rhythm of passion, and all of the need they felt spilled out in their cries of ecstasy. Everything that Mellie had been without since Emery died, everything Ransom had been missing in his years away from the rest of the world, all rushed out in a moment of unbridled desire.
Ransom leaned down and kissed Mellie, biting gently at her collarbone, her shoulders, and her neck. When he returned to the curve of her jaw, Mellie turned first, pulling him into a passionate kiss, tracing along his lips with her tongue. That was the final push; Ransom’s body went rigid as he thrust one last time inside of Mellie. His cock throbbed inside her as his own orgasm ripped through him, letting himself go over and over deep inside of her warmth. It was only seconds, but it felt like an eternity of one perfect moment, and when it was over, Ransom collapsed down next to Mellie on the bed.
As Mellie ran her fingers through his hair, she whispered with a sly smile, “I don’t remember putting that in the ad.”
* * *
The next two months passed by in a flurry of riding lessons, upgrades to the stables, and nights spent together in the ranch house. Mellie hadn’t been so happy in a long time, but one thing still weighed heavy on her, and that was how she was going to tell Ulysses about Ransom. She’d managed to put hi
m off in terms of bringing Ransom to the farm for Sunday dinner, but she knew she couldn’t get away with it forever.
Mellie knew that Ulysses didn’t expect her to stay alone for the rest of her life, but she was sure he was going to have trouble adjusting to the idea of her with anyone but Emery. He was an old dog, set in his ways, and more than anything, she didn’t want to lose him. As happy as she was with Ransom, she wanted to put off telling her father-in-law for as long as possible.
Until she couldn’t put it off any longer.
It was a busy morning on the ranch when Mellie started feeling like she had the flu. She was tired as hell, and couldn’t shake a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, so after the morning rides were wrapped up, Ransom drove her to the doctor in town. While she was in the back getting checked out, he sat in the waiting room, reading a magazine that hadn’t been relevant in about a year. He was just getting ready to ask the receptionist what was going on when Mellie walked out, her face pale and her hands shaking. Ransom rushed over to her, assuming the worst.
“Oh, no. It’s not… did they find something?”
Mellie laughed with tears in her eyes, “Oh, they found something all right. I’m pregnant.”
Ransom’s eyes went wide, first with panic, then with happiness. “No shit! A baby? My baby? We’re… a baby!”
Mellie took Ransom’s hands in hers and led him outside so they could talk without a waiting room full of nosy townsfolk listening in.
“Listen, we didn’t plan this, and I know this might not have been the life you planned, so if you don’t want to stay, I understand.”
Ransom gave Mellie a gentle slug on the shoulder.
“Gee, thanks buddy. I back my stuff and be gone by sunset.”
Mellie furrowed her brow until Ransom started to laugh.
“What are you? Nuts? This is better than any kind of life I ever imagined for myself. You’re smart and strong and beautiful and I love working on the ranch. The only thing better than spending my life with you on Hickory Pond is spending our lives together with our family there.”
Mellie threw her arms around Ransom and gave him a long, slow kiss. But then she pulled back, her face registering a realization that made her nervous.
“What’s wrong?” Ransom asked with his own pang of panic.
“Nothing much. We just have to go tell my former father-in-law about all of,” she gestured to Ransom and her stomach, “this, and hope he takes it in stride. And I’m not sure he will.”
“No chance of me charming him?” Ransom asked with a smile.
Mellie chuckled, “Less than no chance. Let’s just hope he’s not in one of his ornery moods.”
* * *
Mellie and Ransom drove up the long driveway to Ulysses’ farm, and pulled around in front of the farmhouse. It was late enough in the evening that all of Ulysses’ farmhands had gone home for the day, and Ulysses was sitting out on the porch drinking a glass of sweet tea in the porch swing. When he saw Mellie get out of the truck, he smiled big and waved, but then he saw Ransom, and his smiled faded.
“Right on track,” Ransom said as he walked up the stairs beside Mellie.
Ulysses didn’t get up from the porch swing; he just kept rocking back and forth, eyeing Ransom up and down like a prize pig.
“Melinda. Is this the mysterious ranch hand I’ve been hearing so much about for the last two months but haven’t been allowed to meet?”
Mellie sat down in the chair across from Ulysses and pointed for Ransom to sit in the chair next to her. “Pop, this is Ransom. He’s been working at the ranch, and he’s been a huge help. But, a few months ago, we started seeing each other.”
Ulysses stiffened up. At least he wasn’t yelling yet.
“He’s a good man, an honest man, and a hard worker. And I know it’s going to be hard to understand. It’s been hard for me to adjust too. But pop… we’re having a baby.”
That was it. Ulysses stood up so fast, the glass of tea in his hand sloshed all over the place, and he chucked it out into the yard.
“Well, if that’s the case, then you don’t need me no more, and you sure as hell don’t need my son’s ranch. I’ll give you thirty days to pack your things, and you two can find your own damn way!” Ulysses shouted as he stomped off into the house.
Ransom turned to Mellie with his jaw dropped. Mellie’s head was in her hands, and she lifted it up with a sad smile. “That actually went better than I expected.”
Ransom stood up from the chair and went to follow Ulysses into the house. Mellie grabbed at his hand, but he shook her away. “I’ve got this, babe.” He didn’t look back, for feat she might try and stop him from talking the old man down from the rafters.
When Ransom got inside, he found Ulysses leaning against the bar, sipping from a glass of scotch. Behind the bar, several war medals were framed, along with pictures of young men in uniform. Ransom walked up to Ulysses’ side, and tried to keep his posture low and respectful.
“You served too, sir?”
Ulysses grunted in the affirmative, but didn’t say anything. So Ransom kept going. “I was a SEAL myself. Wounded in combat. After ten years in the service, just got my walking papers and a Purple Heart and was sent on my way. I was in a dark place when I met Mellie, and she brought light to my life. The same way I can see brings light to yours, and the way I bet she did to your sons. I’m not trying to replace anyone, sir. I just want to be there to support her, and hopefully, get to know you too.”
Ulysses looked over at Ransom, really looked at him, like he hadn’t yet, and Ransom could see his eyes soften. He was a gruff old bastard, but Ransom could tell that when it came to Mellie, he was all heart.
“If you hurt that girl, I’ve got a shotgun and a hell of a lot of property. I can make it look like an accident.”
Ransom reached out a hand, and Ulysses took it. “That’s fair sir.”
Mellie poked her head around the corner, “Everyone still alive in here?”
Ulysses huffed. “For now, anyways.”
Mellie walked into the room, put her arms around Ulysses, and whispered to him, “I will always love Emery, and I will never leave you behind. It’s just… time for me to move forward with my life, pop.”
With a kiss on the forehead, Ulysses gave Mellie a gentle punch. “Just be happy, angel.”
As she looked at Ransom, standing in the middle of the room, tall and proud, she was sure for the first time in a long time…
She would be.
*****
The End
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Here is a FREE bonus 11000 word romance story “The Navy SEAL Cowboy” by Cassandra Michaels
The Navy SEAL Cowboy
Chance Westley walked off the small plane on to the tarmac at the Coyote Creek airport, a duffel bag containing everything he owned slung over his shoulder. Chance hadn't been in Montana in three years, not since he'd gotten his orders to report to the base before getting sent to the Middle East. When he'd signed on to become a Navy SEAL, he never imagined that so much of his life would pass him by while he served his country. His parents passed away, his sister Julie got married and moved to Ireland with her new husband, and now Chance had nothing left but the family home in Coyote Creek.
He never regretted a day he had spent in the Navy, especially as a member of the elite SEALs. It had never been easy, but Chance had worked hard, and he'd risen through the ranks quickly. He loved his work, but when it was time for him to go back to the States, it didn't occur to him that he'd have to find a regular job. He had no idea what he was going to do outside the service, but Chance figured he had some time to mull over his options while he settled in at the house he’d grown up in.
As Chance rode the bus from the airport to the side of Coyote Creek, he re
alized he didn't recognize any of the faces riding with him. Could three years really have changed a town that much? Chance was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that a group of teenagers were staring at him and giggling. They were daring each other to go over and talk to him, but not one of them had the courage.
In his twenty-eight years, Chance never had any idea how good looking he was. Even on a bus, after thirty-eight hours of travel, with a smattering of five o’ clock shadow and tired eyes, he looked like a cowboy out of an Old West film. His jaw was as chiseled as a marble statue, and his whole face lit up when he smiled. His sandy blond hair and big, brown eyes gave him the air of a movie star, but his quiet demeanor left every woman he came into contact with trying to save him from the invisible specter of his sadness.
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