The Rancher's Request

by Stella Bagwell

  Her heart aching for him, Juliet moved across the room to where he stood. His face was full of defeat and she realized she desperately wanted to take it all away, to make him laugh and smile and love again. “Oh, Matt, maybe she was planning a surprise for just the two of you.”

  Shaking his head, he glanced down at her. “If it had been a one-time thing, I would have seen it that way, too. But things like that went on all the time with Erica and they were getting worse, not better. That morning when we argued about the tickets, I told her we were going to have to have a serious talk about our marriage and then I left the house. Lex and I had work to do over in a far range of the ranch. While we were gone, Erica went down to the stables and ordered one of the wranglers to saddle up a horse she’d never ridden before. It was spirited and I told her that I didn’t want her on it.”

  “But she took advantage of you being gone and defied you.” Juliet stated the obvious.

  Nodding grimly, he said, “Lex and I were riding back to the ranch when we found her. And all I could do was ask myself over and over why she’d done it. To spite me, I’m sure. But I’m just as certain she didn’t think the reckless little ride would take her life. She wasn’t suicidal—just high-spirited.”

  Reaching up, Juliet touched his arm. “I’m so sorry, Matt.”

  His eyes were solemn as he lifted a finger to her cheek and traced a gentle circle upon her skin. “I’ve spent the past seven years trying to forget and telling myself I wouldn’t ever trust another woman. But now you’ve come along and I realize I have to trust you.” His head bent and his lips brushed her ears. “Because I want you, Juliet. Very much.”

  Her knees trembled and she clutched the front of his shirt at the same time his arms came around her.

  She whispered, “Matt, I—I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you, too.”

  His hands cradled the back of her head and tilted her face up to his. “Juliet, my darling.”

  The sweet endearment hardly had time to register in her brain before his lips descended on hers in a kiss so hot and hungry that all Juliet could do was hang on to him and hope her legs wouldn’t buckle.

  His hands left her face and met at the small of her back where he tugged her forward and against his body. Like a cat arching toward a warm, loving hand, she leaned into him and deliberately settled her hips to his, her breasts to his chest.

  The seductive move caused him to moan deep in his throat and the sound sent heat swirling through Juliet’s body. Her heart hammered like a wild thing as she opened her mouth and invited his tongue inside.

  Round and round, her senses whirled as his hands roamed her back and hips, his tongue thrust deep into the cavern of her mouth and stroked in an erotic rhythm all its own.

  By the time he lifted his head, she was breathless, her body completely boneless and she gazed at him through a rising fog of desire.

  His shadowed face was solemn and etched with need, his eyes were searching, questioning, even as they caressed. “I want to make love to you, Juliet.”

  He’d already told her that much with his kiss, she thought. But she supposed the words were giving her a chance to tell him no or to reach for a scrap of sanity that would convince her to walk away from him. But she could do neither. Not when her body was burning for him, her heart aching to be close to him.

  “I want that, too,” she whispered. “But your brother—”

  “Won’t be home tonight. Neither will Gracia.” His hands slid quickly over her shoulders and down her arms. “I didn’t purposely plan it that way, Juliet. But I’ll be the first one to say I’m damn glad we’re alone.”

  Her heart thundering in her ears, she didn’t say a word. Instead, she simply placed her hand in his and let Matt lead her out of the kitchen.

  Chapter Nine

  At the far end of the great room was a staircase, which led to a group of bedrooms. The landing was lit with tiny night-lights and as Matt led her along, she got a vague sense of the splendor of the house. Glimpses of varnished cypress floors and crystal doorknobs were a reminder of just how much their lifestyles differed. Yet the warmth of Matt’s hand around hers felt real and right.

  Near the end of the landing, Matt pulled her through a partially opened door, then shut and locked it behind him. The realization of being secluded in a dark, private space with him was enough to heighten her senses even more, and by the time he led her to the bed, her skin was tingling, her heart beating so fast she was very nearly breathless.

  “Is this your room?” she whispered.

  “Yes.”

  He left her for a moment and then a tiny lamp in a far corner of the room suddenly shed an arc of dim light around them and across a king-size bed covered with a maroon comforter.

  She didn’t have time to see more as he returned to her side and drew her back into his arms. He kissed her lips, then moved on to plant rows of kisses down her throat and onto her shoulders. As he tasted and teased her heated skin, his hands began to work on the zipper at the back of her dress.

  When it fell in a heap around her feet and his hands reached for the front snap of her bra, she moaned with desperation and began to fumble with the buttons on his shirt. After that, their movements became hurried and reckless. Clothes dropped to the floor and fell onto the bed, until both of them were undressed and their heated bodies tangled in a heap in the middle of the mattress.

  Over and over Matt kissed her lips and face while her hands raced up and down his back, over his lean hips and broad shoulders. His bronze skin was smooth and hot and she touched her lips to every available spot she could reach.

  “I’ve wanted you like this for so long,” he murmured, once he lifted his head to look down at her. “And now—I can’t get enough of you. I don’t know if I’ll ever get enough of you.”

  His words caused a flood of emotion to pool in her heart and Juliet looked up at him with misty eyes. She wanted him to say he loved her. She wanted to hear him promise the two of them would be together like this for the rest of their lives. Those earnest wishes were something she could admit to herself now. But not to him. Not yet. Tonight it had to be enough that he wanted her in his bed.

  Her face full of yearning, she reached up and traced a finger along his hard cheekbone. “After you kissed me at the wedding, I spent more than a week telling myself I didn’t like it. But I was lying to myself. Because I knew—I was sure that—”

  His head dipped and his lips began a lazy foray upon one breast. “You were sure about what?” he urged in a whisper against her satiny skin.

  Thrusting her fingers into his thick hair, she slid them against his scalp and guided his head so that his lips were at the center of her breast. As soon as his teeth closed gently around the already hardened nipple she groaned as pleasure shot through her like a sweet arrow.

  “That you—would never take a second look at me,” she said, her voice husky with need.

  He chuckled and the sound vibrated through her body to warm her heart.

  “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on,” he said as his lips explored the valley between her breasts. “Why wouldn’t I take a second look?”

  “Because you hated me—or should I say hated what you thought I stood for. But, Matt—”

  Lifting his head, he placed a shushing finger over her lips. “I made assumptions that were wrong, Juliet. But none of that matters now. I’ve come to realize this is where you belong.” Bending back to her, he rested his forehead against hers. “And I think you feel that way, too.”

  The gentleness of his words was unexpectedly tender and it swept her up on a golden cloud as she clasped his face between her hands and whispered, “Oh yes, Matt. This is where I belong.”

  Lifting her lips to his, she kissed him slowly, sweetly as she tried to express the fullness of her heart, the indescribable need she had for him. But after a moment a fire began to build between them and Matt took control with his tongue and his teeth as they nipped and searched and teased
her mercilessly.

  Juliet was breathless and on fire with longing when he finally eased his head back far enough to gaze down at her, and as he looked deep into her eyes, she thought how easy, how right it felt to be lying here with him.

  “I hope you’re protected with some sort of birth control because I don’t have any condoms around here,” he muttered wryly. “Maybe if I rummaged around in Cordero’s room—”

  He broke off as she began to shake her head. “That isn’t necessary,” she assured him. “I’m on birth control. No need to worry. But Matt—” Her brows puckered with confusion, she raised up on one elbow so that she was facing him. “Are you telling me that you don’t keep condoms because—” Knowing she wasn’t phrasing her question quite right, she stopped and started again, “When you said you didn’t involve yourself with women, you meant that literally?”

  With a self-mocking twist of his lips, he rose up on the side of the bed and gave her a sidelong glance. “That’s exactly what I meant. Since Erica’s death, I haven’t been with a woman in any respect. I haven’t wanted to be with one. Until you.”

  For a moment she was overcome by his confession as she tried to grasp what it all meant to him and to her. And then with a little cry, she scrambled to her knees and flung her arms around his neck.

  “Oh, Matt,” she whispered fervently as she smattered kisses across his face and down his neck. “Let me make love to you. Let me make this special—as special as I can for you.”

  With a hand against his chest, she nudged him back to the mattress and once he was lying flat, promptly draped herself over him. Instantly, his arms came around her waist to hold her tight, while he buried his face into the curve of her shoulder, where he mouthed against her, “You already have, my darling.”

  His words were like precious diamonds dropping into Juliet’s heart, plugging the holes of lonely uncertainty that she’d carried for so long. Matt wanted her and no one else. The fact filled her with an incredible glow that filtered out through her lips as she kissed him, through her fingers as she stroked him.

  Like dry kindling on a rain-starved desert, the contact of their bodies sparked into flames and driving need quickly took control of their movements.

  When Matt finally rolled her onto her back and entered her with one hard thrust, Juliet’s senses soared to a higher place where there were no sights or sounds, only golden clouds enveloping them with delicious heat.

  For Matt, he couldn’t touch her enough. His lips couldn’t stop kissing hers or tasting her soft skin. His hands kneaded her breasts until other places called, like her hips and thighs and the concave beneath her belly button. And each place his fingers explored was followed by the hungry search of his lips, the seductive glide of his tongue. Until the burning need in his loins took complete control and the only thing he could focus on was driving himself deeper into her heated body.

  His thrusts grew desperate and frenzied. Sweat rolled down his face and onto his chest. Beneath him, he could hear her soft cries of pleasure, feel each rise of her hips as they met his to give him more. And then more.

  Matt tried to pause the need clawing at his body, to keep the incredible fire between them burning forever, but it was impossible to hold back the storm raging inside him. He’d drunk and drunk from her, filling his thirsty soul; now all he could do was pour everything, even his heart, back into her.

  Long moments passed before Juliet realized she was back on earth, lying in the middle of Matt’s bed. The heavy weight of his warm body anchored her to the mattress, making it impossible to move. But even without it, she couldn’t have found the strength to lift her hand. She was drained. And yet she’d never felt happier or more complete in her life.

  As her breathing slowed, so did Matt’s, and eventually he rolled off her. Lying on his side, he reached to push the tangled blond hair from her face.

  “I hope I didn’t hurt you,” he said.

  She opened her eyes and with a drowsy smile summoned enough strength to roll toward him. “I’ve never felt so wonderful.”

  Her hand rested on his chest just as he was releasing a heavy breath and she realized he’d been anxious about her response. The notion made her marvel that he could doubt himself or her reaction. He’d filled her with so much joy she’d thought she might burst from it.

  With a groan of relief, he pulled her toward him and she slipped her arm around his waist and cuddled the front of her body next to his.

  “Neither have I,” he said as he rested his cheek against hers and stroked the back of her head.

  “Then you’re not—sorry about this?”

  With a comical frown wrinkling his face, he eased his head back to look at her. “Now why would I be sorry?”

  As she gazed upon his dark features, she realized he’d become everything to her. All her hopes and dreams had somehow slowly wrapped around this man and it was impossible to separate them. And Juliet prayed she would never have to. Because she loved him. There was no use trying to deny what was already in her heart.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you waited so long and I—”

  She broke off as doubts trickled through her mind like slow-moving molasses. Yet her expression must have conveyed some of her concerns, because he placed a comforting hand alongside her face.

  “Juliet, my sweetheart, don’t ruin the rest of our night with questions. Morning will be here soon enough and I want us to enjoy the time we have left.”

  Dipping his head back to hers, he began to nuzzle a row of kisses along her throat and across her chest. The enticement was enough to distract her and hardly a moment passed before desire, low in her belly, began to resurge with a vengeance.

  Wrapping her arms around him, she said, “I want the same thing, too, Matt. Very much.”

  By noon the next day Juliet thought her head would be falling against her chest from the lack of sleep, but when she left the newspaper office to walk down to the Cattle Call, she felt like skipping and singing. There wasn’t a tired bone in her body and the radiance must have shown on her face when Angie came to take her order.

  “Wow! Did you get some sort of new makeup or something? You’re positively glowing today,” the waitress remarked as she pulled an order pad and pencil from her apron.

  Propping her chin on a fist, Juliet gave the other woman a wide, dreamy smile. “No new makeup. I just feel good today.”

  After a furtive glance around the busy diner to make sure another customer wasn’t waiting, Angie slid into the chair opposite Juliet. Leaning over the table, she said in a low voice, “All right, tell me what’s happened and don’t try to say it’s nothing but a happy day. I’ve never seen you looking like this.”

  Juliet’s smile turned a little wicked. “Sorry. I can’t do that. It’s too personal. Let’s just say things are changing for the better.”

  Leaning back in her chair, Angie rolled her eyes. “Oh God, you must be talking about a man. Now I’m actually getting worried.”

  A frown replaced Juliet’s grin as she placed her handbag under her chair. “Don’t start getting all cynical on me, Angie. Women do need the male race once in a while. Even you.”

  The other woman’s head wagged thoughtfully back and forth. “Maybe. But usually wherever a man walks, trouble walks right behind him and then a woman has two things to deal with.”

  Trying not to let Angie’s dour attitude get to her, she pointed a finger at the waitress. “You need to get out more. And by the way, how’s Melanie doing?”

  At the mention of her daughter, the waitress’s expression went soft. “Fit as ever,” she said fondly. “And if I haven’t thanked you before for giving us Doctor Saddler, then I’m thanking you again. I’ve never been one to ask for charity and I—”

  “It isn’t charity to ask for help once in a while,” Juliet corrected her. “Especially when the asking is for a loved one rather than yourself.”

  Thoughtful now, Angie began to draw doodles on the edge of the small order sheet.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. And Doctor Saddler is really, really nice. She didn’t make me feel belittled in any way. I was surprised. I thought with her being from that family on the Sandbur that she’d have her nose in the air a bit. But maybe they’re just regular folks like we are, Juliet. Isn’t that a thought?”

  No, Matt could never be a regular man, Juliet thought. Even if he didn’t have a dime, he’d be special in her eyes. He’d driven her home this morning in the wee hours before the crew began to stir out in the ranch yard. And though the two of them had been alone in the house, she’d known he’d ended their time together because he’d wanted to protect her reputation and not have the wranglers seeing her leave the ranch at an indecent hour. In many ways he was a gentleman and that thought curved her lips with a faint smile. The first time she’d met him, she’d believed he was a heathen. How much her image of the man had changed since then, she mused.

  “Well, the Saddlers and Sanchezes might be regular folks in lots of ways, but they’ll never be like us, Angie.”

  Her expression a little weary, the waitress rose from the chair. “You’re probably right about that. And I’ve got to get back to work. Better tell me what you want to eat. A salad?”

  Juliet waved a dismissive hand at her. “No way. I want a big greasy cheeseburger with potato chips on the side.”

  Angie looked as though she’d been struck with a two-by-four. “Have you gone crazy?”

  Chuckling, Juliet said, “No, I missed breakfast and I’m very hungry.”

  Shaking her head, Angie pointed an accusing finger at her. “There’s something wrong with you and sooner or later you’ll tell me about it.”

  The only thing wrong with Juliet was a desperate yearning to be with Matt again. But this morning when he’d dropped her off, he hadn’t mentioned calling her or even when the two of them might get together again.

  Still, she couldn’t believe their time apart would last for long. Not if he’d felt anything close to what she’d experienced in his arms.