by Sasha Gold
Her soft laugh made him wish he could see more than just her shadowy silhouette. It was better this way, though. A night beside her would be unpleasant enough without seeing her in whatever she wore to bed.
“My grandfather said we get violent storms around here.”
“Some. But no big trees near the house, so at least you don’t need to worry about that.”
She was silent until a rumble of thunder shook the house. “Is it all right if I stay here until the storm passes?”
“It’s just fine.”
She lowered her head to the pillow and he fell back to his. Through the window, he could see lightning streak the sky. While it was a strong storm, it had little of the force or fury of many storms that rolled through the countryside. At least, not yet.
Chapter Five
Rachel
When a blast of thunder boomed and rattled the windows, Rachel awoke, sitting bolt upright. A scream died in her throat. Where was she? The room looked familiar but it wasn’t her room. Then she remembered not only inviting Luke to spend the night, but crawling into his bed, too.
She let out a trembling breath.
“Hey.” His voice, edged with concern, filled her with gratitude but she couldn’t help feeling embarrassed, too.
“I don’t usually do this.”
“I’m sure you don’t. I don’t usually do this, either.”
She lay back down. “I’ll still respect you in the morning.” Another blast rocked the house. “Holy shit, Luke. I can’t stand it.”
“You need a distraction?”
She could hear the smile in his voice.
“It’s a little late for that. You should have distracted me right away.”
“Better late than never.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Kiss you.”
A thrill went down her spine, but she couldn’t help feeling a little vulnerable next to the big cowboy, especially after she’d hopped in his bed. She found him aggravating and arrogant and sexy and handsome. He had to know she was attracted to him.
She’d wanted to know what his lips felt like since she first caught sight of him. “Remember, you said you were going to be a gentleman.”
“I am. I’m only going to kiss you. I’m not going to fuck you.”
She gasped, feigning indignation. “Luke, I didn’t ever think I’d here you say the f-word. I declare, such salty language.”
He pulled her against his chest and lowered to kiss her. “Shut up, Rachel,” he said against her lips.
She let out a small moan, part surprise, part pleasure. His kiss was tentative, at first. A gentle question. The way his warm lips brushed hers drew a response from her body. She lifted her arms, looping them around his neck. He deepened the kiss, stroking her wickedly, pressing against the seam of her lips until she submitted.
If the first touch of his lips was a spark, the kiss that followed blazed like a wildfire. His hands trailed down her body to explore. She should stop him. She should push him away. Who knew where this might lead? Nowhere good.
She’d been kissed before, but never like this. Her thoughts spun out of control as she tried to comprehend this was Luke kissing her. Luke Hardeman. He demanded nothing less than total surrender as he took her breast, cupped and brushed the nipple with his calloused thumb.
Writhing beneath his touch, she clung to him as waves of pleasure ebbed and flowed through her body. He pressed against her, his iron-hard erection branding her.
Another roll of thunder shook the house and for a moment, Rachel directed her attention to the storm raging outside the window. Tension gripped her and Luke felt it, too, growling softly next to her ear.
“I won’t let a tree fall on you,” he said.
She could hear the smile in his voice.
“I could help you relax.”
“You could?”
“Mm…there are ways of forgetting everything. Do you need me to explain this to you?”
“Of course not.” Panic flared. “I’m not on the pill.”
“No one said anything about sex. I’m just going to give you something else to think about, darlin’.”
His voice was rough, and that growl, combined with his sexy offer, made her want to know more. He unbuttoned her shirt but she stopped him. She didn’t want him to see her breasts. A flash of lightning could illuminate her imperfections.
“Not the shirt,” she whispered.
“No?” he murmured against her lips. He ran his finger along the hem of her shorts. “What about these?”
Her breath caught. This was entirely new territory for her, but her heart thrilled that he wanted her in this way. She could let go. Just this once. He’d show her things she didn’t know and she’d keep her scars a secret from him.
“Yes,” she answered.
When he tugged her boy shorts down, she helped him by lifting her hips. He pulled up her shirt to bare her breasts and kissed the tight bead of her nipple. Heated pleasure shot down her spine. Nothing had prepared her for the feel of his mouth on her tender skin. Threading her fingers through his hair, she held him to her breast.
Her scars were on her back, and as long as she stayed this way, lying on her back, he wouldn’t see or touch them. His touch on her breasts made her writhe with pleasure.
Leaning over her and holding her in his arms, he seemed huge. Powerful and sheltering. She felt small and vulnerable, yet protected. She knew what he intended to do and every cell in her body was lit with desire.
Trailing kisses down her body, he nudged her knees apart. His mouth on her breasts, a moment before, had driven her wild, but this would make her lose her mind. He kissed her, teased her with his tongue and pinned her to the bed with his strong grip.
His mastery of her body stole all rational thought. She belonged to him. He brought her close to the edge and then kept her from falling into bliss. He teased until she writhed and begged and then slowly, deliberately, built her up and made her come. Before she could recover, he made her shatter once more.
She arched beneath him, and cried out his name. “Luke…”
Pleasure ripped through her body, her second orgasm even more powerful than the first. She struggled to regain her breath. She was lost to him, even to herself. Her thoughts were not her own and her body wasn’t either. As wave upon wave of pleasure coursed through her body, she was only aware of how helpless she felt, gripped in his powerful embrace.
Thunder exploded nearby but she didn’t even flinch. Sinking into the bed, bathed in oblivion, she let him tuck her into his arms. His heartbeat was strong and fast, but slowed as he held her.
“You’re a virgin,” he said.
She could hear the edge of surprise in his voice. All her friends had lost their virginity years ago. They’d probably fall over from surprise if she ever confided in them about what she’d just let Luke do to her. A flush of awareness came over her.
“I don’t feel like a virgin.”
His chuckle rumbled in his chest as he stroked her back and held her. Despite the blasts of thunder, she felt herself drifting towards sleep. She awoke sometime later when the storm was just a distant rumble. In the inky darkness, she fumbled for her shorts and slipped them back on. He lay beside her and somehow, she knew he wasn’t sleeping.
In her confusion, she hadn’t given any thought to his pleasure and she wondered what the etiquette was on this type of thing. Should she offer? Should she slink off to her bed?
“Don’t go,” he said, simply. His hand wrapped around her wrist and he tugged her back down. “I want you here beside me.”
She allowed him to pull her close. Closing her eyes, she thought about his words. I want you here beside me… His words soothed and comforted her. What had she gotten herself into by coming to Luke’s bed? In the morning, they’d hear the reading of the will and he’d tell her goodbye. She was certain of that, but at least she had tonight with her protector. Tomorrow, she’d have to figure out what to do. If she ha
d the money, she’d offer him a bigger salary, but she had the feeling the man was after a lot more than money.
Chapter Six
Luke
The next morning, Luke stirred in the dark, pre-dawn moments to find Rachel in his arms, her blonde hair spread across his chest. She felt perfect there. He wanted to keep her tucked right beside him. What he really wanted to do was press her back to the bed, tear her tiny shorts off and that thin shirt too, and sink into her sweet warmth.
He’d had a small taste of that sweetness last night and that, combined with her nestled next him all night, had left him with an almost painfully hard cock. Listening to her soft breathing and inhaling her enticing scent made him wild with need.
Even though he’d taken liberties with her the night before, he wouldn’t push her for more. Fucking her there in the four-poster bed, just as the sun rose, sounded about as close to heaven as he could imagine, but Rachel was a virgin and she’d trembled beneath his touch. She was frightened of the prospect of sex and just like approaching a skittish mare, he needed to take his time with her.
He drifted off to sleep and awoke sometime later to the aroma of coffee and bacon. He washed and dressed and strolled into the kitchen. Rachel worked at the stove and didn’t hear his approach.
She wore yoga pants and a t-shirt. Her hair hung down her back, loose and damp. As she moved around, the tips of her blonde hair brushed the small of her back. His gaze hung there for a moment, caught by the sensuous, unguarded view and then he let it drift down to the way her yoga pants hugged the curve of her ass.
Jed liked to drop comments about women needing to dress like women. The subject came up when they went to the auction and women-ranchers walked around in jeans and boots. The old man hadn’t approved and Luke was certain he wouldn’t have approved of the sexy little pants his granddaughter wore this morning.
His blood heated. Again. Or was it, still? He needed a distraction. Coffee. That’s what he needed.
“Good morning,” he said, quietly.
She let out a cry of surprise and spun to face him. Instantly, her face colored a deep crimson. He knew, without a doubt, she was thinking of last night. Averting her eyes, she crossed to the coffee pot on the counter.
“How do you take your coffee?”
“Black.” He sat at the table. “You wearing that to the lawyer's this morning?”
She set a mug of coffee in front of him and frowned. “I’m wearing a skirt and blouse and sandals, if that meets with your approval. Did Jed tell you I needed help getting dressed?”
He suppressed a smile. They were back to circling and sparring, but if she’d given him the least bit of encouragement, he might have hauled her back upstairs and finished what he started last night.
“I like to be helpful in any way I can,” he shot back.
He teased, of course, but her eyes widened with a fragile expression he hadn’t anticipated.
“You could be helpful by taking me to the lawyer today.”
“Of course, I will. I told you.”
“I didn’t know if things would be weird between us.”
“They’re not weird.”
“I don’t know how to drive Jed’s truck. It’s a stick shift. And I sold my car before I came. I had a student loan payment I needed to cover.”
He nodded. “I can show you how to drive a stick, if you like. It’s not hard.”
“I asked Jed if I could get someone to teach me but he said he didn’t want a woman touching his truck.”
“Your grandfather had some out-of-date ideas. I’ll teach you. You’re smart. I’m sure you’ll get it right away.”
Her lips curved with the hint of a shy smile before she turned to the stove. “I made you some bacon and eggs.”
He eyed her backside. “Nice.”
“If you’re agreeing to teach me to drive the truck, are you agreeing to stay on after they read the will?”
She returned to the table with a plate piled high, steam lifting off a heap of fluffy eggs and several strips of crisp bacon.
“I wouldn’t leave you in a bind, Rachel.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I won’t leave you without a foreman. I’ll stay on until I find someone to replace me.”
“I could always get Sebastian to take your place.”
Luke tensed at the man’s name. Sebastian was the newest hire and full of hot air. He’d been hired on to help with a round-up and had been trouble from the start, drinking, carousing, fighting. Luke had spoken with Jed several times about the cowboy, but Jed hadn’t wanted to let him go, saying they needed the extra help. Luke could just imagine Sebastian eyeing Rachel. She was innocent and vulnerable. The bastard would take advantage of her at his first opportunity.
“Not Sebastian. If I stay on, the first thing I’ll do is fire that little shit-weasel.”
“I don’t like him too much either, but I can’t afford to fire anyone if I don’t have a foreman. Of course, I don’t even know if I can afford to keep anyone on either.”
“I won’t leave you until you have someone you can depend on.”
She bit her lip. “What if I can’t pay you?”
He pulled his plate closer and gave her a heated gaze. “You can pay me with breakfast in the morning.”
Her mouth flattened with irritation. “How can you afford to work without getting paid?”
“I have money of my own. I’ve wanted to buy a ranch for the better part of a year, but I didn’t want to leave Jed when he was sick. Now I’m going to stay until you’re situated.”
She looked at him warily. “Why do I feel like there’s more to that? Like there are some conditions attached.”
“Like last night?”
“I don’t mean last night. I mean… you’ll take over and act like the ranch is yours. Fire people and stuff like that.”
“I will fire people and hire new people. I’ll do a lot of things that Jed was too stubborn to agree to and if you want me to stay on, you’ll agree to let me have my way.”
A slow blush of pink crept along her skin.
He shrugged. “Take it or leave it, but you’re not promoting Sebastian.”
She didn’t respond right away. Instead she poured herself a coffee and sipped it as she looked out the window. Her hand trembled as she lifted the cup to her lips. He wanted to comfort her, but he wouldn’t allow himself to touch her, not until she agreed to his terms. When he was done with breakfast, he rose and went to the door.
“I’ll be back in two hours to pick you up. That should give you some time to think over my offer.”
With that he left the house and went to the horse barn where he found Sebastian, handed him a few bills from his wallet and told him to pack his things. Luke told him he had thirty minutes to pack and leave the ranch. Luke hadn’t intended to intimidate the man, but he must have, judging from how quickly he cleared out. Luke watched with satisfaction as Sebastian’s truck disappeared down the driveway.
Chapter Seven
Rachel
Luke’s truck sat a little higher off the ground than the small car Rachel used to drive. She eyed the height with dismay and second-guessed the outfit she’d chosen to go to the lawyer’s office. A silk blouse, with a lacy bra that was barely visible and a pencil skirt that clung to her hips. Her girlfriends always commented on how well the skirt fit her. Anytime she walked into a room wearing her favorite skirt, every single man stopped talking mid-sentence… that’s what her friends claimed.
If Luke noticed, he gave no sign. He held the truck door open and smirked. “Should I lift you into the truck?”
The heels she wore offered a little more height, but not enough. She wanted to let him help her but the amusement in his voice rankled.
“I can manage just fine.”
She tried again and felt her skirt tighten across her backside. Luke stood behind her, one hand on the door and the other resting on the truck, caging her with his heroic build. The chuckle rumbl
ing from his chest was anything but heroic.
“Almost got it,” he taunted, his voice low and rough. “Why don’t you try again, darlin’?”
“Fine, Luke,” she snapped. “Why don’t you just help me so we can get this over with?”
“As much as I’m enjoying watching you try to get into my truck with that sexy-as-hell skirt, I’m happy to get my hands on you, too.”
Before she could fire back a sharp reply, he settled his hands around her waist, grasping her gently but firmly. His heated touch burned her skin. Standing a few inches from her, the warmth of his body sent a wash of desire over her turbulent thoughts.
He tightened his hold and lifted her. When he set her on the seat, he leaned in closer and a growl rumbled deep in his chest. His behavior was far from appropriate. No man had ever been so free with his attention and touch, but she could hardly protest. She’d allowed him to do far more last night.
“Luke,” she whispered. “What if the other men see you?”
“They won’t. They’re out fixing fences. Damn, you smell fine.”
She should push him away. Instead she grasped a handful of his shirt, a crisply ironed, buttoned-down shirt and curled her fingers around the material. Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead against the steely span of his chest. She wished she could borrow some of his strength, steal a little of his resolute conviction.
“I hate uncertainty,” she said.
He cupped her jaw with a touch so tender it made her heart quake. In an instant, he’d gone from flirtatious to protective.
“It’ll be all right.” His voice was gentle. He gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, lingered a moment longer and then pulled back. He smiled at her. “I suppose I’ll have to help you down from the truck, too?”
She nodded.
He grinned. “I might not mind being your foreman, after all.”
He shut the door, circled the truck and a moment later they were on the road to Colter Canyon. The trip passed uneventfully with him asking a few questions about teaching. She explained that she’d been drawn to education from her desire to reach the children who fell through the cracks.
