Janice put her palm against his cheek. “I’m not used to having someone show such concern.”
“Your parents didn’t?”
“Stiff upper lip and all that.” She spoke in a light tone.
Drake took a shortcut to the house. His mother waited in the yard, her hands clasped.
They stopped, and Drake helped Janice dismount. “I’ll be back after I take care of the horses.”
“Come in, dear. What you need is a good hot bath and a cup of tea. There’s a whirlpool tub in my bathroom. I’ll show you.”
She led Janice around behind the stairwell to a hidden doorway. “This is Joe’s and my room.” She indicated for Janice to enter. “The bath is on the right.” Janice walked around the large bed and into a bright, blue bathroom. Mrs. Terrell turned on the water. “Here’s a towel and one of my robes you can wear to go upstairs to your room. I’ll bring the cup of tea there.”
“Thank you. I don’t understand why Drake got so very upset. Actually, other than losing my breath for a moment, I didn’t hit hard, thanks to the thick grass.”
Mrs. Terrell sat on a chair by the tub. “Obviously we’ve not completely recovered from our loss. Candice seemed so healthy. We were sure she’d be fine. She told Ty not to worry the day she went to the hospital. It promised to be a long delivery. She said for him to go home and rest.
“When they called him, he didn’t get there in time. He’s never forgiven himself, and none of us can forget. Drake cares for you. Seeing you hurt must have brought back those other memories. Enjoy your bath. I’ll see you upstairs. By the way, I didn’t call the doctor.” She winked.
Janice undressed and sank into the hot water. She leaned against the back of the tub. The heat soaked into sore muscles. Mrs. Terrell had thrown in some bath beads, and the fragrance of jasmine rose around her.
She’d said Drake cared for her. He certainly portrayed a man who was deeply involved. All this talk of ranches, riding, and living on the land had begun to worry her. Her comment to him about buying a ranch hadn’t been serious. She tried to visualize herself living like Samantha and Jackson. She’d be leaving her career behind, moving from an exciting city to a place miles from town, and a small town at that.
This ranch was forty miles from the nearest town. And did Drake want to live in Montana? Her questions gave her a headache.
What would she say if he’d taken her suggestions seriously? Did she love him enough to upset her whole life for what he wanted? She pulled the plug on the water that had grown cool and dried with a fluffy towel.
His mother’s robe was the right color for her, a deep emerald green, but short. She hurried upstairs before she met any of the men. Holding the robe close around her, she stood at her window and stared across the prairie. A different world from hers.
* * * *
They prepared to leave after breakfast. Janice got hugs from Drake’s parents and Brent. She had to admit she was beginning to enjoy the warm, open affection they showed to each other and her.
Ty came strolling into the farmhouse at the last minute carrying a box. More reticent than the other members of his family, Janice did not expect him to walk across the room, put the box on the table, and lean down to give her a gentle hug.
“You have to come back and keep working on riding a horse.” His mouth quirked up at the corner in a half smile. “Drake said you’re headed for Texas, and I suspect you’ll be needing a pair of boots with all these ranches he’s taking you to on your vacation.” Ty reached for the box and put it in Janice’s hands.
“I checked with Mom and discovered you and Cindy wore the same size shoe. I’m sure she’d want you to have these,” he said and pointed to the package.
Janice lifted the cover and inside lay a lovely pair of woman’s boots.
“They’re beautiful. Are you sure you want me to have them?”
She saw him blink to keep the tears back. He’d reached out and covered her hands with his and now they tightened.
Ty cleared his throat. “I’d be pleased to know you were wearing them.” He spun around and retraced his steps, going out the back door without another word or glance. Mr. and Mrs. Terrell held hands. Tears were evident in their eyes.
“He’s never been willing to remove any of her things from his house. He’s packed them up, but they’ve stayed in the storage room,” Mrs. Terrell said. “He obviously took a sincere liking for you, Janice. Thank goodness, he’s taken this first step, finally.”
Drake put his arm around Janice’s shoulder. “We need to leave for the airstrip. Our pilot will have the jet ready to go.”
Brent drove them in his father’s truck. “I’m going back to Houston to follow up on some questions that still bug me. I’ll call if I find any important information.”
“Thanks, I appreciate the help,” Drake said. The truck slowed to turn into the parking area by the airstrip. When he stopped, Drake helped Janice out.
“Be careful, you two,” Brent said. “Are you sure you don’t want protection in Saddle Creek?”
“Jackson and I will be on watch. I’d expect whoever it is will have something grand planned for our return to Houston.”
“Not if I can prevent it. Have a good trip.” Brent waved as they hurried toward the jet’s stairs.
Once they were inside and with the door shut, the plane began to taxi to the end of the runway. Drake checked Janice’s belt and then sat in the chair closest to her.
“We’ll be at Jackson’s in time for dinner.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing Sam. You don’t think we might be bringing danger to them, do you?” Janice frowned at him.
“Nope. Except for the first night, we’re staying somewhere else, not with them, just in case this crazy person does come to Saddle Creek. Which I doubt he will. How would he know we were going there or where we’d be staying? But if he did find out someway and follows us, he’ll be looking for you and me, not them.”
“Which is some consolation, I suppose,” Janice said.
“Right now let’s think of more pleasant things. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve made love to you?”
“A few days?” Janice quirked her eye at him.
“An eternity of hours.”
He removed his seat belt and unfastened hers. “We have hours of flight ahead. I know a great way to spend the time.” Drake picked her up and headed toward the bedroom.
“Maybe I have other ideas,” she said.
He threw her on the soft, wide bed. “I’ll change your mind.” He began to undress. His eyes never left hers as each piece of clothing hit the floor.
First, his wide, tanned shoulders were revealed and his six-pack. Next, he sat and pulled off his boots, and then snapped open his jeans, unzipping and pushing the pants to the floor. He wore no underwear.
Tall, nude, and gorgeous, he leaned over her. Janice’s heartbeat moved into overdrive. His smoldering inspection covered her body and sent heat flashing through her. A hunger grew at the junction between her thighs and fluid seeped from her pussy. When his hand traced along her arm and up to her neck. Her heartbeat fluttered like a bird trying to escape its cage. He put his knee on the bed and crawled toward her, laughter and lust reflected in his eyes.
“You have too many clothes on,” his low, husky voice purred, sending a ripple of desire skittering across her skin. He straddled her and began to undo the buttons of her blouse. Everywhere his fingers touched sent a zing of electricity straight to her pussy.
Her fingers wrapped around his aroused cock. He was warm, his skin velvety, and yet hard underneath. With her other hand, she cupped his sac. He tried to appear unaffected, but she smiled to see the quick bite to his lip, and a slight tremor in his hands as he undressed her.
Raising her, he removed her blouse and bra. His hands covered her breasts. “Beautiful, softer than any substance, and”—he leaned close, took a deep breath, and licked across her tight nipples—“smells like jasmine and tastes like the sweetest
strawberry.”
Her hand began to move up and down his cock. He closed his eyes and groaned. For the next few minutes, he lightly caressed her breasts as she touched him, slid her fingers along the edge of the head of his cock, and carefully stroked his balls.
His drawn, flushed face was evidence to her that the hot pleasure his touch built in her, her hands and fingers did the same to him. Her breasts responded to his light touch and sent an aching desire straight down to the deepest part of her vagina. Her sensitive nipples tightened and stood out begging for his attention. His quick nip sent shivers up her spine. Time moved slowly. At one point, he stopped her.
“You still have on too many clothes.” He undid her jeans and moved away from her to pull her pants off and throw them to the floor. Her panties followed. He spread her legs and stroked from her ankles to the top of her thighs. Separating her wet folds, his tongue licked across her clit. Her body bowed in pleasurable anguish. A hot ache to have him inside her grew.
Drake positioned himself with his head between her legs and tasted her. His tongue moved along her folds and slipped into her opening. Waves of desire flooded across her body. She moaned, “Please take me hard.” Her body moved closer against his mouth, aching for relief. In response, he sucked on her nub and his fingers rubbed her breasts and pinched her nipples, sending fire snapping along every nerve.
She pulled at his shoulders, trying to move him up and in her. He ignored her plea and licked her juice, suckled on her most sensitive spot, and had her thrashing her head as the pressure built to an explosive height. Just when she began to tumble over the edge he plunged into her oversensitized pussy.
Her scream of ecstasy echoed off the walls.
Drake continued to pound into her, pulling her buttocks up and going deeper. Another wave hit her as he went deep one last time, and groaned out his own relief.
Her inner muscles continued to pulse around him as she clamped hard on his cock. Gradually, her inner and outer tremors slowed and faded. Drake had rolled to her side, his heavy breathing in her ear.
“I don’t think you enjoyed that episode,” she said. “I must try harder next time, and not be the only recipient of such delight.” She smiled at him and brushed his hair off his forehead.
“Definitely, if I can ever move again,” he managed to gasp out between deep breaths. “I will expect you to work much harder on trying to please me.” His eyes raked along her body, stopping for a second at her full breasts, and then at her pussy. He pulled her close and nuzzled his head between her breasts. “Sleep. The pilot will alert us in time to shower and dress.”
Janice ran her hand through his thick, dark brown hair. His breathing quieted. His long, lean body relaxed against her. She held him close and wondered what in the world she was going to do. Her love for him grew each day, especially seeing him with his family. She barely remembered her original impressions of him.
He was not what her family would want for her. Her mother and father had loved her fiancé, Ted. He had been cultured, reserved, much like her father when she thought about him now. Their affection had been much less explosive, more a gradual respect and admiration, increasing until he asked her to marry him. She’d thought her life would be unruffled, calm, predictable. Nothing like her time with Drake.
She hated to admit the truth, but Ted had been more a close, affectionate male friend. Their few sexual encounters had been quick, sweet, and respectable. Not the hard, fast, uncontrollable fire that raced in her with Drake’s slightest touch of his hand or mouth.
Her mother would turn up her nose and declare her daughter had lost her mind to carry on in such loose moral behaviors.
She’d emphasized women must demand men treat them with utmost respect in all places, including the bedroom. Whores, loose women behaved in the awful actions mentioned on television.
She could not believe the gross information put out today in the media and expected her daughter, Janice, to remember who she was and whom she’d hurt if she was to involve herself in the tiniest bit of such goings-on.
Janice had been embarrassed by her mother’s lecture, and relieved that she never repeated it. Apparently, she assumed her daughter would be completely obedient in all areas, at all times.
And Janice had been, until Drake, the handsome man asleep lying against her body, had stormed her defenses, knocking every one of them down. She gazed along his long, lean body and thought of how mysterious and dangerous his eyes could look at times. He was her own personal conquering hero. She smiled at the thought.
And for the moment, Drake had made her forget both her parents’ instructions, and the man intent on killing them.
Chapter Nine
Samantha and Jackson were at the airport when they landed. “I’m so glad you’ll be with us tonight,” Samantha said. “We’ll stay up late and talk.”
Jackson smiled at his wife. “Thanks for warning us, honey. Drake and I will go to my study and drink my good bourbon.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Drake agreed.
They all got into Jackson’s car and were soon at the house. “I can’t wait to see your new baby girl, Jessica,” Janice said.
“I can’t believe she’s already three months old. I told Jackson since we have a girl and boy our family was complete, but he thinks four is a much nicer number than two.” Samantha smiled and glanced back at her husband.
“You’re really very happy, aren’t you?” Janice asked.
“I can’t explain how much.”
Samantha led the way inside. The men followed, carrying the suitcases.
A blond-haired, blue-eyed child toddled into the room with a young woman close behind. Samantha scooped her son into her arms. “I believe you’ve met Colin’s nanny,” she said to Janice. Janice nodded and greeted the woman.
Samantha carried Colin and led Janice into a pink bedroom to see Jessica. She lay on her back, kicking her feet in the air. She had her father’s golden brown hair and the same intense blue eyes.
“She’s going to be a heartbreaker, Sam.”
“That’s why I’m practicing my aim with my gun,” Jackson teased as he and Drake entered the baby’s room.
Jessica gave a loud cry. “You pick her up, Jackson.” Samantha looked across at Drake and Janice. “She knows his voice and cries to be held every time he speaks. Definitely a daddy’s girl.”
“Can I hold her?” Drake moved to the side of the crib.
“Do you know how?” Samantha asked.
“Of course. Well, I haven’t held many babies. But it can’t be hard.”
Samantha laughed and, reaching in, picked her daughter up and put her in Drake’s arms. “Just be sure and support her head.”
Apparently surprised to see another man holding her instead of daddy, Jessica stopped crying and stared at Drake. She blinked her bright, blue eyes, put her thumb into her mouth, and went to sleep.
Jackson touched his shoulder and said quietly, “You’re a natural, old man.”
Janice stared at the awe on Drake’s face. He raised his head and their eyes met. Something shifted in Janice’s heart, and she knew her life had changed forever.
* * * *
The men had said good night and retreated to Jackson’s study. They left Samantha and Janice to visit. Samantha popped corn, turned on an old movie for background noise, and joined Janice on the long, soft sofa.
“Tell me everything,” Samantha said.
“About what?” Janice said, playing coy.
“Spill the beans. I saw your face in the nursery. You’re in love with him.”
“I am. He charged my fortress and knocked all my defenses down.”
“Are you glad?”
“I think so. We’ll see how it all works out.”
“Do you want marriage and children? I’d say from his expression today while holding Jessica that he’s ready.” She laughed. “I wouldn’t have thought so two years ago when we first met him, and he looked so dark and dangerous.”
Janice grabbed a hand full of popcorn. “I know he didn’t feel that way even three months ago. I’m not sure I trust the sudden change.”
“Love can do that to you.”
“You believe he loves me?”
“Do you?”
“I’m beginning to think he does. I hope to heaven I’m right, because I’ve completely lost my heart to him.”
Samantha leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Janice. “Believe me, it will all turn out right.”
“Spoken by a wife who’s madly in love with her husband.”
“Madly?”
Janice giggled. “Completely crazy about him. You look at Jackson and glow.”
“I have to agree. And your day is coming.”
They ate popcorn, discussed children and love in general. But since Samantha didn’t mention the man trying to hurt her or Drake, Janice didn’t bring it up. She suspected Jackson had refrained from telling Samantha so she wouldn’t worry.
* * * *
“Here are the papers.” Jackson slid the contracts across the desk to Drake. “Look them over and, if you agree, sign on the dotted line, and you’ll own a ranch.” He strolled across the room and poured two glasses of bourbon, bringing one to Drake.
Drake read through the contract and signed at the bottom. Jackson witnessed his signature.
“You have to be at the title company at three tomorrow, and they’ll finish up the process.” Jackson took a sip of his drink. “Drake, are you sure you’re going to be happy settling on a ranch, giving up the excitement of your job?”
“If you’d asked me a few months ago, I’d have said hell no.”
“I gather Janice changed your mind.”
“She did. And today I’m surer than that first day I called you.”
“I’m glad you’re going to be nearby. What’s happening with the stalker?”
“He’s covered his tracks. But Brent is good. If there’s a clue, he’ll find it.”
Cameron, Paige - The Billionaire Rancher Buys a Wife [Wives for the Western Billionaires 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Page 9
