“Chelsea,” Lily called to her. She turned and hurried to the kitchen. Her face flushed. She hoped Dirk hadn’t noticed her staring at him.
Lily stirred a large pot on the stove. “Fresh green beans from the garden. I cooked a large amount. Then I can reheat them for several more dinners. I’m not quite as crazy about cooking as my sister and sister-in-law. So I cook big batches and usually freeze some and have some later in the week.”
“Do you enjoy the gardening?”
“I do. I was surprised. Being a city girl, I had little experience. Ty’s mom’s been a big help. It’s fun to watch the seeds sprout and grow. Also rewarding when you put the food on the table. Have you had a garden?”
“I grew up on a farm. My dad said the garden was my mother and my responsibility. He was a harsh taskmaster. When I left home, I promised myself I’d never live on a farm again.”
“And then you met Dirk.”
“At first I just thought he was a geologist with the same goals and outlook on life as me. By the time I found out he planned to go home and back to a ranch, I’d fallen a little in love with him.” Chelsea surprised herself admitting to her feelings, but there was something about Lily. She sensed she could trust her.
Lily’s mouth quirked up in a half grin. “A little in love. To me you’re either in love or not.”
“I fought it. He proposed to me before he went stateside. I refused.”
“Wow. And he still got a team together and went to rescue you. That says a lot.” Lily leaned down and took a baked chicken out of the oven. The delicious odor filled the kitchen. She started to carve the meat into moist slices.
“If he proposed again, what would stop you from saying yes? I see the love in your eyes for him. Especially when he’s holding Diana.”
“My life as a child was unhappy. I can’t get past the fear he’d marry me, and then begin to treat me like my father.”
“Has he done that?”
“No. And there is another reason. I’m getting over the shock of what happened overseas. I’m not sure if my boss contacted me and offered me some job I really want, that I could refuse it.”
“Does your boss know where you are?”
“He has my e-mail address, but I haven’t checked it since I’ve been back.”
“Come to visit me more often. Let me show you the satisfaction of being a cowboy’s wife.”
Chelsea laughed. “That’d be the day.”
Ty stuck his head in the door. “I put Diana down for the night. We’re hungry.”
“You poor dear,” Lily said. She pulled his head down and kissed him.
“I feel better now.” Ty grinned at her.
“You two”—Lily nodded at Dirk—“go into the dining room. We’ll be bringing the food right in.”
Chelsea carried in the green beans and mashed potatoes. Lily brought in the chicken and rolls.
“Hmmm, this smells delicious,” Dirk said. “I almost had to starve tonight. Chelsea was so busy writing her first novel she forgot all about the time.” He winked at Chelsea.
“Really? I didn’t know you wrote fiction,” Lily said.
“I don’t, but I’ve had an idea to try someday. Dirk furnished the loft with all I’d need for an efficient office. I couldn’t wait to put my fingers on the keys.”
“That’s super. Did I tell you about how I came to take care of Ty’s business accounts?” Lily regaled them with Ty’s reaction and her determination.
Ty winked at Lily. “That was that Ty guy, not Jeffrey.”
“Jeffrey?” Chelsea asked.
“That’s another story. It’s how Ty seduced me into marrying him.”
“True.” Ty proceeded to tell a condensed version of the story.
* * * *
As Dirk drove home later, Chelsea sat close to his side and curled her feet up under her. Her head lay on his shoulder.
“It was a good night. I had fun. They’re a great couple.”
“They went through many ups and downs before they found their way together. But yes, they are a quite a pair, and they love each other very much. I’m glad for both of them.”
He rubbed his hand along her leg and up her thigh. “Are you too tired to play?”
“Tired, but you might convince me to do some cuddling.”
“I like cuddling.” He turned his head and kissed her forehead. Soon they were turning into his drive. He came around and carried her into the house straight to the bedroom. Dirk put her feet on the carpet and unfastened the snaps to her cowboy shirt.
“They pop open nice and quick.” He threw the shirt across to the chair. For a moment, he stared at her. He loved all of her, her soft, tousled curls, stubborn chin, full, lush lips and rosy nipples peaking through the lace of her miniscule bra. He ached to feel his cock deep inside her wet pussy.
His hands reached to the front center and unclasped the bra, letting it drop. He cupped her soft breasts as his mouth tasted her pink lips.
Hot desire flashed straight to his cock. He felt her slight tremor as his teeth nibbled at her full bottom lip. Her arms had wrapped around his neck, and she threw the lower part of her body against his. She rubbed her abdomen across his hard cock, pulsing against the zipper of his jeans.
Her arms went down, and she took hold of his buckle, unfastened it, and unzipped his pants. When she pushed his boxers downward, his dick jumped into her hand. He groaned at the touch of her fingers around him. Her thumb brushed across the top. Pulling out of his embrace, she slid down and took his dick into her warm, wet mouth.
A blast of pleasure shot up his spine into his brain. Her tongue did wonderful things as she licked and sucked on his cock. He held on to her soft curls and braced his legs as sensual waves of ecstasy rolled through his body. His balls ached for relief. Chelsea, with a light grip, cupped them in her hands. He caught his breath as heat shot through his body.
“Stop.”
“Why? No. I want to finish.” Bowing her head she took him in deep and sucked. His orgasm felt like his head blew off. Ripples of blissful pleasure hit every cell in his body.
Chelsea slid upward, kissing his skin as she rose. Pivoting, she pushed and he fell on the bed.
“I think I might die.”
“Not yet. She threw off the rest of her clothes and climbed on the bed, straddling his legs. “I’m not through with you yet. Don’t you dare die.”
“If I do, I’ll be grinning. But I thought you wanted to cuddle?”
“I do. Later.”
Dirk chuckled and rolled her under him. “This time I get to feast.” He sheathed his aroused cock. Then ran his fingers through her sweet-smelling curls and tipped her head so he could ravage her delectable mouth. His teeth nipped at her lower lip, and his tongue ran along the soft interior.
Pushing her hair to the side, he nibbled on her earlobe as his hand cupped her breast.
“Does this feel good, sweetheart?” he asked as his finger raked across her tight nipple and his teeth scraped along the edge of her ear.
“Yes, but there are other areas that are hungrier for your touch.”
“Really? Show me.”
She ran her hand down across her stomach to her clit.
“There?”
“Don’t tease, fill me.”
“Ah, but teasing is another step in the dance of love.” Deliberately, he slowed. His lips tasted all along her neck and gave special attention to the spot where her heart raced against her ivory skin. His tongue went back and forth across the spot. His teeth edged along her shoulder and then moved quickly to her nipple. Gently he moved his teeth across the sensitive peak. Her moan sent his desire into the stratosphere. Would he never appease his need for this woman? And if she left, how did he recover? He pushed the negative thoughts away, and separating her pink folds, he licked from her clit to her pussy opening. He tasted her sweet essence and licked inside the opening. Her fingers were wild in his hair. She held him close and screamed his name as her body bowed.
&n
bsp; He pulled back and plunged into her tight pussy. Her inner walls pulsed with her desire. Leaning down he suckled her breast as his cock went deeper and held.
Chelsea thrashed her head back and forth and bucked under him. His orgasm shot heat and fire to the far reaches of his body, and he pumped hard as the intensity increased, sending him over the edge. Chelsea stiffened and moaned as they both came together.
* * * *
Later, Chelsea lay with her back against Dirk’s front and her buttocks curved into his abdomen. From his heavy breathing she knew he was asleep.
What was she going to do? Tonight watching him with the baby and his friends, thinking about all their times together, she’d known Lily was right. She loved him. But was it enough to keep her on the ranch?
Tomorrow she’d meet his family. Families told a lot about the members of the clan, as Dirk called them. Would they like her? Would she like them? So many questions, and few answers. She both looked forward to and yet dreaded the visit to meet his mother and siblings. She stirred around trying to get to sleep.
Dirk’s hand cupped her breast. “Sleep. Don’t worry. It will all work out.” He kissed her neck and held her tight. Then he went right back to sleep.
She slept fitfully and was glad to see light shining around the edges of the curtains. Chelsea slipped carefully out of bed to not wake Dirk. She took her clothes and went across to the bathroom she’d used before changing to Dirk’s room. After a quick shower she dressed in jeans, an aquamarine silk shirt, and her boots. She’d cook them a full breakfast before their trip. If she kept busy, maybe she wouldn’t be a bundle of nerves when she got to Dirk’s mother’s home.
As she’d expected, the scent of bacon frying, biscuits baking in the oven, and coffee percolating brought Dirk to the kitchen. His hair was damp from the shower and his jeans hung low on his hips.
“What a way to wake up. I followed the wonderful smells.”
“Looks like you showered first,” Chelsea said, and smiled.
“I did, and brushed my teeth like a big boy. For that, I deserve a kiss.” He pulled her close, and his warm mouth captured hers. Her hands went to his chest, and then around his neck. She leaned her body totally forward. Hard-muscled arms wrapped around her. His tongue moved into her mouth and tasted and tangled with hers.
Desire sizzled in her body. The ding of the oven broke the spell. She pushed Dirk back. “Behave. I have a good meal cooked. We aren’t going to waste it.”
He put his forehead down to hers. “I was afraid you were going to be practical and not let me sweep you off your feet.”
Dirk kissed her mouth and started back to the bedroom. “Let me grab a shirt and I’ll join you.”
“I kind of like you as you are,” she hollered at him.
He stopped and faced her. “There were a few manners my mother really enforced. One, you never came to the table without a shirt. To this day I can’t even do it if I’m alone.” He strode on to his bedroom.
“Five well-mannered sons? I can’t wait to meet this woman,” Chelsea mumbled to herself.
None of the breakfast was left but a few biscuits. Dirk sat back and picked up his cup of coffee. “I need to run or do some type of exercise before getting behind the wheel. With all the food I ate, I’ll get sleepy.”
“Do you run? I used to.”
“I haven’t had time lately. We could start running early together. Short distances at first. There are some nice paths around where you can run and view nature. It’s a good way to start the day.”
“Let’s do it, starting today. I’ll clean the kitchen first to let our meal settle.”
“And I’ll straighten the bedroom, pack some colas in the cooler, check the car. But we can’t start today. We’d have to shower again and redress. I don’t like to be late.”
“All right, tomorrow then.”
She watched him head back to his room. His mother’s rule two must be to always make your bed. She’d noticed that about him. Today might be fun after all.
* * * *
Dirk took the back roads. Chelsea admired the scenery, tall pines, fields full of wildflowers, and always in the background the snow-covered mountains. There was a peacefulness about the land that she’d forgotten. A sense of being home where she belonged.
When she’d wiped out her painful memories of home, she’d also gotten rid of the memories that were good. The feeling she’d had for the land. It was scary to think the land was pulling her in and wrapping itself around her heart. To keep her confusing thoughts from running around and around in her head, she turned to Dirk.
“Tell me something about your family before I get there. I need to have a way to keep their names and what they do in my brain.”
“No one expects you to be able to remember us all in one meeting, but I’ll give you a brief rundown. I’ve already mentioned my older brother, Clayton, runs the family business, and us if we’d allow it. He’s thirty-four and engaged to a very thin, very snobbish socialite. I believed he picked her for her background. Whatever he does, he has a purpose.”
“You don’t believe he loves her?”
“I’m not sure anyone does but her parents. You’ll see what I mean. She’s sure to come with him. The easiest one of us to remember is Grace, the only girl. She thinks she wants to be a fashion designer. She’s apprenticing with some big fashion house in New York.”
“You sound like she’s not really serious about her goal.”
“We’ve all spoiled her. She just started this apprentice job. The first time someone yells at her, she’ll come home.”
“Shame on you. Have a little faith in her. I bet she had to fight all of you to get out on her own.” Chelsea saw Dirk was thinking about what she said. His cheeks flushed.
“Damn, you’re right. We’ve been doing to her what I hate for Clayton to try to do to me.”
“What about the other brothers?”
“The third brother, Rand, just got his MD, did his internship, and then his residency in internal medicine. He’s engaged, too. His future wife is also a doctor.”
“Wow, that will be a busy household. Did he always want to be a doctor?”
“Yes. Rand is very organized, and once he knew the direction he wanted to go, he went straight for it. Graham is next in line. He studied history. A waste of time and money as far as Clayton is concerned. But Graham has always walked to the beat of a different drummer. He drives Clayton even crazier than I do.”
“Has he taught history?”
“No. He traveled and saw the places he’d studied. He recently came home and is writing a book.”
Chelsea chuckled. “That must have had Clayton pacing the floors.”
“I’m sure the top of his head blew off when he first heard. To be fair to Clayton, when Dad died, he jumped in and took over. He’s done a good job, but he missed that period in your life when you play, party, discover what you really want. The yoke was put around his neck, and he accepted it.”
“Deep down, you really admire and love him, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but don’t tell him. I just keep hoping he’ll meet a real woman who will show him the fun side of life. It won’t happen though. He’ll be married before he has a chance.”
“I feel sorry for him.”
“Me, too.” Dirk turned left onto a narrow two-lane road. This starts our ranch. We’ve not widened the road. It discourages strangers.”
“Smart idea. But quick there’s one more brother you haven’t mentioned.”
“Ah, yes. The youngest, Sam. He’s in charge of the ranch. He loves the land and the work. After he got his degree in agriculture, with a minor in animal husbandry, he came right back home. Sam is the peacemaker. You’ll see.”
Dirk turned toward a white house that sat on a knoll. Gardens were in full bloom around the verandas that were on at least three sides. The green lawns slanted downward to a small lake where a gazebo sat, with lattice woodwork, beside the water.
“What a beauti
ful setting. It must have been a wonderful place to grow up.”
“It was. I wish Dad was alive so you could meet him. He was great. He gave each of us individual time, encouraged our interests. He and Mom were great parents. I’m not sure how many baseball and football games they attended. Mom was a Girl Scout leader. Some days the house was overrun with girls. All of us boys literally ran for the hills.”
Dirk parked beside a large SUV and came around to open her door. His warm, funny at times, commentary about his family had relaxed her. She looked forward to putting faces to names.
But what would they think of her and her relationship with their brother? What was their relationship? She didn’t know the answer to that question herself.
Chapter Twelve
They walked up several steps before the walkway became flat. A slim, medium-height woman in a pale yellow dress welcomed them.
“You made it. I’m so glad.”
“Mom, you know if I said I was coming I’d be here, and we’re ten minutes early.”
“So you are. Who is this lovely lady?” She smiled at Chelsea.
“Chelsea Pearce, this is my mother, Mrs. Brodie.”
“Not Mrs., call me Jane.”
“I can’t do that, Mrs. Brodie. My parents said it was disrespectful to call an—” she hesitated. Mrs. Brodie’s eyes twinkled like Dirk’s when he had her in a tight spot.
“I believe the word is an elder person. You were not to call him or her by their first name?”
“Yes.”
“I like her. She’s been taught well,” Mrs. Brodie said to Dirk. Then she turned to Chelsea. “But I insist on Jane. It is quite acceptable around here. Come in and join the rest.” She winked at Chelsea. “I’m sure you’re excited about meeting us all at once.”
She liked his mother. She was friendly and funny. Chelsea took a deep breath, caught hold of Dirk’s hand, and stepped into a beautiful house. Creamy walls complemented the dark wooden floors and the light-blue furniture. Several vases, full of fresh flowers, sat on small tables scattered around the room.
Cameron, Paige - A Fling with the Billionaire Cowboy [Wives for the Western Billionaires 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Page 10
