Loving Ranger

by J. C. Wilder

  “Thanks.” Cowboy gave her a weary smile.

  Pip hurried over to help unload the basket. Once that was done, Sissy wanted to take a peek at the carvings Ry and Ranger were doing. Her jaw dropped. Jace had captured Frank’s stallion, Cochise, in full gallop. From the intelligent gleam in his eye to his mane flying in the breeze, no one would ever mistake this for just any horse.

  “It’s beautiful, Jace.” She touched the horse’s flank with one finger. “I’ve never seen anythin’ like it.”

  “Thanks, Sissy.” He touched her cheek. “That means a lot.”

  Ry was putting the finishing touches on an inscription at the foot of the lid. She frowned over the strange lettering.

  “What does this say?”

  “It’s a Lakota blessing for a safe journey.”

  She smiled into his dark eyes. “You did good, big brother.”

  Ryan’s nod was jerky before he turned away to select another tool. The oldest Diver wasn’t one for long conversations.

  Jace touched her elbow. ”How are you holding up?”

  “I’m okay.”

  His mouth quirked. “You’d say that even if your arm was falling off.” When he reached for her, she went to him eagerly and gave him a chaste kiss. “Is that all I get?”

  “Sugar, you’re dead on your feet. That little peck is all ya can handle,” she teased.

  “I wouldn’t bet on that if I were you.” His fingers dipped beneath the hem of her shirt.

  “Promises, promises.”

  “Never let it be said I’m not a man of my word.” He raised his head. “I’m going to put my girl to bed, and I’ll be back in a few.”

  Heat rushed to her face, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at her friends. She heard Cowboy laugh and Pip said something, but she was too busy trying to make a swift getaway. Jace was right on her heels, and once they were outside he took her wrist and pulled her back into his arms.

  “You’re something else, Sissy Kolchek,” he murmured. “Everything about you fascinates me.”

  When his teeth grazed her earlobe, she closed her eyes. Despite her exhaustion, her hormones were ready to dance. He began moving, their steps awkward and slow since they were wrapped around each other, but she didn’t care. If he led her straight to the bowels of hell she wouldn’t fight him as long as his arms were still around her.

  “The way you came in and got everything organized.” His kiss was hot and moist. “Thank you seems inadequate.”

  How could he still be talking? They’d barely touched and the only sentence her mind could put together was, “take me now”. When his lips found hers the kiss was slow, deep and incredibly sexy. Their tongues slipped and slid against one another, tasting, teasing. The kiss turned greedy and impatient, and she moaned when he touched her breast through her shirt.

  “If I don’t get inside of you—”

  She didn’t give him a chance to finish the thought. Sissy shoved her way out of his arms stopping a few feet away. Her hungry gaze slid over his body as liquid pooled between her legs. Jace’s eyes were now a stormy blue, and his breathing was harsh.

  “While thank ya is a lovely gesture,” her voice was a purr, “I think, with a little persuasion, ya might come up with something’ more fittin’.”

  When she reached for the hem of her T-shirt, his nostrils flared. “I think we can come to an arrangement.”

  Sissy laughed as she whipped the shirt off over her head. Surprise flashed across his face when she threw the garment at him before turning to run.

  The element of surprise didn’t give her much of a head start. The sound of his boots close on her heels only made her speed up. The house was too far away and she’d never make it so that left the stables. At the last second, she feinted left then veered right toward the open doors.

  She gave a shout of laughter when she heard his boots slide on the gravel drive. “What’s the matter, Ranger? Can’t ya keep up with a girl?”

  The growl he made was evenly laced with frustration and amusement. “You’ve already lost, Sissy. You just don’t know it.”

  The stables were dim but she was familiar with the layout. Someone had left a bucket in the center of the aisle, and she was forced to jump over it. When Jace booted it out of the way it hit the wall with a clang. A few horse heads appeared over the stall doors to see what the fuss was about.

  When she felt his fingers touch her waist, she tried to put on a burst of speed, but it was too late. Using their forward momentum, Jace steered her into an empty stall filled with fresh straw. Tripping over her own feet, she landed on her stomach with her pursuer on top of her, his arms braced to keep from crushing her.

  “What did I tell you, Sis?” He nuzzled her neck. “You lost.”

  “I’m not so sure ‘bout that,” she panted.

  “Admit it, you’re crazy about me.” He nipped at her shoulder.

  “Nope. Not gonna.”

  “I win and now you’re mine.” He kissed the back of her neck, and she shivered.

  Mine.

  “And now that I have you where I want you, I can perform wicked acts upon your body.” He bit her shoulder.

  “Think so?”

  Her mocking tone was strangled into silence when she felt his erection pressed against her butt. When he kneed her legs apart a rush of liquid heat shot to her core. With one hand he unhooked her bra before moving down to the skirt she’d borrowed from Josie. His firm hands squeezed her butt cheeks before shoving the cloth up around her waist.

  “Are you wearing what I think you’re wearing?”

  His drawers.

  “Ya like ’em?” She pushed her backside upward. “I don’t mind borrowin’ clothes but I wasn’t gonna wear you’re sister’s panties.”

  “So you wear mine?”

  “Well, yeah. Didja want to have lewd thoughts about a woman wearin’ your sister’s panties?”

  The only response was a slight choking sound.

  “Besides, I look good in your drawers.” She wiggled her hips again.

  “Damn, woman,” he growled. “Every time I see your ass I just want to grab it.” His big hands landed on the part of her anatomy he was admiring. “Kiss it. Bite it. Spank it.”

  His words evoked images of hot, sweaty sex. When he squeezed the globes she moaned. The scent of horses, leather and hay added to the imagery sending liquid fire cascading down her spine. He’d barely touched her and she was ready to go. How did he do that?

  When his hands left her, she looked over her shoulder. His attention was focused on opening his jeans and she became more aware of how vulnerable her position was. Not that she was worried. Actually, being ravished while face down in the hay and still dressed was pretty damned hot now that she thought about it.

  She heard his throaty growl of approval followed by the distinctive sound of his hand sliding over his cock. Sissy started to look over her shoulder again but he didn’t give her enough time. Taking her by the waist, he hauled backward her up to sit in his lap. Facing away from him, she arched upward when she felt his thick length through the thin fabric of the boxers.

  “Like that, little girl?”

  Her answer was incoherent. His strong hands held her in place and all she could do was feel what he did to her. When his rough hands covered her breasts, liquid heat raced to her core. Her eyes slid closed, and she moaned when he tweaked her nipples.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  Without warning he lowered her into the straw once more. She felt him tearing at the boxers but when she moved to help him, she realized he wasn’t taking them off. Instead, he wrenched the front opening down between her legs until he could touch her feminine flesh. She had no time to appreciate his rough caress before his fingers left her and the head of his cock took its place.

  His entry was swift and hard causing her to cry out. When he began to thrust she arched her back taking him as deeply as she could. Animalistic groans from deep in his chest added to her arousal. With every s
troke he hit the G-spot dead on. Jace knew how to touch her but this the raw, animal coupling in the straw was taking it up a notch…or ten.

  “You feel so good.” His teeth grazed her neck.

  Her skin was on fire and the need for release burned hot throughout her body. Her cries mingled with his as their mutual hunger took control. His grip on her waist was a hair’s width from being painful, but she relished the evidence of his passion.

  His left hand dipped between her legs and with the lightest of strokes she howled as she went over the edge. Her body shook with the force of her orgasm, but he didn’t stop there. If anything his thrusts became more powerful and a second orgasm came close on the heels of the first. Vaguely, she was aware of his deep moan then the pulsing of his cock as he came. With a final hoarse shout, he collapsed over her.

  Sated with multiple orgasms, Sissy was pretty sure she’d won that race after all.

  Chapter Seven

  It was close to eleven when Jace headed over to Sissy’s. He’d teased her unmercilessly about wearing his boxers so she’d decided to go home to do laundry. He chuckled. His drawers never looked as good on him as they did on her.

  Ten minutes later he reached the unmarked drive just north of the 3C Bar & Grille. Driving past a small pond then over a slight rise, he saw the trailer Sissy called home. The watery moonlight was kind to the rusty hulk, softening the faded paint and banishing the air of neglect that shrouded the place. It was a nice chunk of property, five acres in all, but he didn’t like her living here alone. With the Grille as her closest neighbor, the place was too isolated for a beautiful woman.

  Its only saving grace was the trailer couldn’t be seen from the highway. The slight incline topped by a thick line of trees and underbrush lent an air of total seclusion. Less than twenty yards behind the trailer was a fast-moving creek, the only access to her place from the west. Popular with local fishermen, the creek could be crossed on foot but only if one could swim.

  He could understand why Sissy was so attached to the place but the cop in him only saw the potential weaknesses. For someone looking for a place to commit a crime, Casa de Kolchek would be ideal.

  After parking his truck next to hers, he got out and walked around the side of the trailer. One set of sliding glass doors opened directly into her bedroom. Through the open blinds he saw her hand dangling over the side of the bed. She had a neon-green bandage on her index finger.

  Sissy didn’t have the dainty hands of a pampered princess like Pip’s sister, Kara. Her nails were short and neat and her skin work-roughened. They fit her personality. Practical, capable and sturdy though he doubted she’d appreciate the comparison.

  Most people made the mistake of thinking she was ignorant. They took one look at her voluptuous curves then heard the heavy accent and immediately assumed she was a hick with more boobs than brains. He felt sorry for any fool who dismissed her out of turn. Sissy loved nothing more than a spirited debate and she regularly creamed Josie at Jeopardy.

  On the ranch, she’d ask questions about everything she saw. When something broke she was usually more interested in seeing how it worked than finding a quick fix. Sissy didn’t let many people close to her so few ever saw this inquisitive, almost child-like side of her. Pops called her a character, but Jace longed to call her something else.

  His.

  He waited for the mild panic that usually followed the thought of making a commitment, but it never came. Instead he was struck with a sense of how right it felt. Even though he foolishly tried to distance himself after the first time they made love, she was still his first thought upon waking each morning. Many times it was her face he saw before he fell asleep. But it wasn’t until he saw her at the ranch late Saturday afternoon that he realized what he was missing.

  She completed him in ways he’d never imagined.

  When he held her in his arms it was comfortable. They not only fit together physically, they also blended seamlessly into each other’s lives. At the end of the day he wanted to come home to her. It was her voice he longed to hear each morning, and it was her lips he wanted to kiss every night.

  Pausing only long enough to remove his boots, he reached for the door. His jaw tightened when he realized it was unlocked. Silly fool still wouldn’t listen to him and keep the door secure. He’d weld it shut if she didn’t start taking her safety more seriously.

  Slipping into the small bedroom with barely a sound, Jace stood over the bed, watching her sleep. She was facing away from him, and the bluish moonlight leached all the color from her skin rendering warm living flesh into cold, hard marble. The sheets were tangled about her legs, and he grinned when he noticed the miniscule thong she wore.

  Mine.

  His groin tightened painfully. With her face scrubbed clean and relaxed in slumber, she looked as innocent as a child. He couldn’t wait for the Ramirez case to be closed. He wanted to ask her out on a real date. Maybe dinner or they could go to the old movie house in the center of town. In the balcony they could make out like a couple of kids. Smiling at the thought, he reached for her.

  Hell, I’m in love with her.

  He froze as if every muscle had turned to stone.

  “Ranger?” Her voice was heavy with sleep making her accent thicker than usual. It was the call of a siren and he could no more resist her than he could fly. A warm, sexy smile touched her lips. “I was dreamin’ ’bout you. Didja just get in?”

  “Yeah.” His voice was little more than a croak.

  “Mmm.” She stretched, her body twisting toward him. The movement caused her breasts to thrust forward and he realized she wore one of his T-shirts. Her nipples were clearly visible beneath the thin cotton shirt and his IQ plummeted to that of a toadstool.

  When her hand cupped the inside of his left knee the ability to speak deserted him. His tongue was glued to the top of his mouth. She gave his leg a playful tug, and a lightning bolt of sensation shot straight to his groin. Who knew the back of his knee was so sensitive?

  “What are ya waitin’ for, big man? Gimme some sugar.”

  Christ but she was beautiful. Asleep, she was poetry but awake, she was a ballad. With her 1940s pin-up girl figure, Sissy was all warm, generous curves and sweet fragrant flesh. There wasn’t an inch of her body that he didn’t know intimately yet still he hesitated, half afraid to reach for her. How had she worked her way into his heart without realizing it?

  “Baby, is somethin’ wrong?” Her smooth brow puckered.

  Not waiting for an answer, she got to her knees. Her gaze was dark and solemn. In their depths he saw comfort and acceptance, two things he didn’t realize he’d been looking for. She pulled him into her arms and simply held him. Tucking her head beneath his chin, her embrace wasn’t remotely sexual by any means. Jace couldn’t remember the last time he’d let a woman simply hold him.

  Her long hair licked at his arms and the mingled scents of shampoo, lemon body lotion and laundry softener was soothing. This wasn’t the first time she’d seemed to know what he needed before he did. Sometimes he wondered if she could read his mind and that was scary as hell. He felt as if he’d climbed out of a dark cellar and into the bright sunlight.

  Her restless hands stroked his back then fisted in his shirt. When she lifted the hem he silently helped her remove it, letting it drop to the floor. She made an appreciative sound in the back of her throat then kissed him in the center of his chest. Her tongue flicked against his skin, and he burrowed his hands in her soft hair. He couldn’t fight her, fight this, and he no longer wanted to.

  His abdomen tightened when fingers moved to his belt. The rattle of the buckle was followed by the grate of metallic teeth then a whisper of worn denim ended in a silky sigh. Gently she began to stroke him, and he felt her gaze on his face measuring his response.

  His blood thickened, and the only sounds were of heavy breathing and the slide of bare skin on skin. His cock lengthened and grew thick between her hands. Jace grit his teeth against the avalanche
of lust that slammed into him. He struggled for control but his hips had a mind of their own, and he began to move.

  The little minx was going to kill him.

  Their gazes met, and he saw a certain satisfaction in her cat’s eyes. She’d bewitched him. Slowly, she lowered herself to touch him with her tongue. Pleasure pulsed through his veins when she licked away the tear of fluid that emerged from the tip. With little, kittenish swipes of her tongue, she caressed him from the base to the tip.

  “Every inch of your body is glorious.” Her breath was hot against his skin. “I like it when ya watch me.”

  The most he could manage was a guttural groan. The air around them grew thick, making it harder to breathe. Taking him firmly in hand, she swirled her tongue over the crown before taking him inside. Seeing his cock disappear into her mouth was almost more than he could bear. She’d proven herself to be an eager student for she’d learned how he liked to be touched. His hips rocked in tune with her strokes and licks.

  When he felt the brush of her nails over his balls, he realized she meant to take this to its inevitable end. By the time he managed to stop her, black spots danced before his eyes. Seconds later, he had her on her back, and he came down over her.

  “How often do you wear my shirt to bed?”

  “Most nights,” she hissed. Her body arched upward.

  Lowering his head, he clamped his teeth over one hard tip and suckled her through the cloth. Her startled yip was all the encouragement he needed. He nibbled, sucked, plucked and teased her breasts until the cloth was saturated, and her thighs were locked around his hips.

  Reaching between her legs, he pushed aside the thong to touch her slick heat. She moaned when he stroked her clit, and the sound sent every nerve in his body into overdrive. Playing with Sissy was well and good but he was done letting her set the pace.

  His mouth came down on hers, and the kiss was hot, deep and hungry. He could spend days just kissing her. Sissy didn’t hesitate to express her need, and she gave as good as she got. Her hands moved over his body, gripping, teasing, tugging, as her nails danced over his skin. His hips began to move when she played with his nipples sending heat to his groin.