“With Colt.” Tommy smiled. “He figured she’s less intimidatin’.”
Gabe turned to Lena whose back was as stiff as a poker. He gripped her hips and forced her to turn her toward him. Then he bracketed her cheeks, lifting her chin because she wasn’t meeting his gaze. “It’s gonna be okay. Colt’s a sheriff. He’ll take good care of them.”
“I better call and tell Grandpa what’s happening. Or they’ll be on the doorstep, and he’ll be greetin’ them with a shotgun.”
She pulled away, and he let her go, even though he could tell she wasn’t happy with how fast things were moving.
When she’d entered the lodge, he turned to Tommy. “You could have waited another day.”
Tommy shrugged. “Colt was determined. Said if he left it to you, you’d screw away the summer before you got the boy registered for school.” He cleared his throat. “From the sounds comin’ from the boathouse, I figure he was right.”
Gabe’s cheeks burned.
“Bro, I don’t think he was exaggerating,” Tommy said, dropping his voice. “The two of you look like you could use a hot shower.”
“Not any of your business.”
“Just sayin’. And, dude, damn she’s hot. I can see why you fell like a ton of bricks.”
Gabe gave him a hot glare. “I’m not sharin’.”
“Didn’t expect you would. Guess those days are over.” He clipped Gabe’s shoulder. “And you a family man.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Colt said you ’bout blew a gasket. Glad you simmered down. You have to do right by that boy.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t?”
Tommy’s gaze narrowed as he studied Gabe’s expression. “No, you’ll be a great dad. But how nice is it for you the mama’s not hard on the eyes either?”
Gabe grumbled under his breath and swept past his brother whose chuckles grew louder the harder he stomped.
Inside, he glanced around.
Kayla leaned around the two cowboy’s hogging the counter in front of her. “She’s gone back to her room. Said she had calls to make.”
Gabe gave her a nod and headed straight down the hallway. When he slipped inside the door, it was to find Lena sitting on the edge of her bed with her telephone cradled between her hands.
“Did you warn them?”
“I told him he couldn’t shoot Jake’s uncle,” she said, not looking up.
“Did he agree to come with Colt?”
She nodded. “Said it was about damn time the boy met his father.” Then she did glance up. A sheen of moisture glistened in her eyes. “I didn’t know he felt that way. Like I’d made a mistake.”
Gabe strode to her and sat next to her on the bed. He plucked the phone from her, tossed it on the bed and cupped both of her hands between his. “You didn’t make a mistake. You did what you thought was best. Like you said, I was a kid. I needed to grow up first. Maybe I would have done it a lot faster if I’d had to man up sooner, but I’m here now. I want to help, not take over. I want to make things easier, not complicate your life.”
She sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. “The house, my job…”
“Details, Lena. And you don’t have to take care of anything but our boy. Let me handle everything about the move for you. As for the job, if you want to keep teachin’, I can put in a good word with the superintendent in Caldera. But you don’t have to make any big decisions right away. Settle in. See what you want to do. If you decide you don’t want to work, I’ll support you. It’s not like I can’t afford it.”
She sighed. “You make it so easy. It’s another seduction, isn’t it? Erase my problems with a wave of your hand.”
“Am I a problem?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just happenin’ so fast.”
“My brothers and me, we don’t know any speed but fast. If you need us to slow down, all you have to do is say so.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder, and the tension in his chest eased. He bent and kissed her hair. Kissing her was already so natural. Comforting her came surprisingly easy. “Can I help you pack?”
“Not even sure what I need. I’m guessin’ flip-flops and shorts aren’t appropriate on a ranch. Most of my clothes are back at my house. I only bring casual things to the campground.”
“You can wear whatever you want around the ranch, but you’ll need jeans and boots when you ride.”
Her shoulders shook. When she lifted her head there was a smile quirking up her lips. “Didn’t think I needed any clothes at all when I ride.”
A grin tugged at his mouth. “I really like your dirty mind. You sore?”
Her eyes widened. “You did not just say that.”
“Are you? If you need to take a hot bath to ease your…”
She pressed a finger against his mouth. “Any minute your brother might walk down the hall. He’ll hear you talkin’ about my pussy.”
Gabe chuckled and bit her finger. “Tommy’d be disappointed if I wasn’t horny as hell every time I got near you.”
She shook her head. “Our sex life’s gonna be private. You better learn how to watch your mouth with Jake and Grandpa always underfoot.”
“You’re the one who said pussy.”
Her mouth widened in a sheepish grin. “This is new to me, you know. Bein’ this easy with a man.”
“It’s old, don’t you mean? Our conversations always drifted to the gutter.” He leaned toward her and kissed her mouth. “Get packed,” he gritted out. “That is, if you want to christen my bed before the family descends.”
He stood, gave her body a sweeping glance that left her no doubt about what he’d rather be doing and then strode toward the door.
“Gabe?”
Hand on the door, he glanced back.
“We’re doin’ the right thing, aren’t we?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve never felt more sure of anything.”
Her expression cleared, whether because he’d reassured her or she’d decided not to appear weak, he didn’t know. He wanted more than anything to share what was in his heart, but he couldn’t risk getting shot down now. Once he had her under his roof, at his mercy, he’d let everything take its natural course.
Gabe had no doubts she felt something for him or she’d never have let slip about Jake. She’d placed the ball in his court. Now it was up to him to prove he was worth the risk.
Lena had known the Triple Horn Ranch was big, but when he’d pointed to where their fence line started and then told her she could nap until they got to the house, she’d thought he was joking.
They drove miles past grassy meadows, tree-lined creeks and huge herds of cattle. The sight of cowboys on horseback, lifting their hats in the distance to greet them, filled her with a sense of wonder that, just maybe, she might be a part of all this.
The size of the ranch made her feel insignificant, like she was an interloper among Texan royalty. No matter how long she might stay, she didn’t think she’d ever grow inured to the grandness of it all.
And Gabe didn’t see this ranch as all that special. To him, it was the place he grew up, a job he couldn’t shirk because he’d been born to it.
As they drove, he talked about his life, how the seasons affected the hours, the types of chores. The fact that it was a seven-day work week, and that he hoped she wouldn’t mind, but that was what life on a ranch was like.
He worried she might find the pace a burden, then rushed to reassure her that with another woman in the house, they could divvy up the women’s chores.
She didn’t bother raising a brow at the phrase women’s chores. What was the point? Work was divided according to strength and skill. She didn’t even know how to ride a horse, but she did know how to be a mother and how to take care of a home.
If she hoped to make this work, she’d have to let him see she didn’t resent the idea of her place among the Triplehorns—if only she found it, quickly.
The thought of intruding on Zuri’s d
omain, her being the first woman in the house, left her feeling a little nervous.
“What if she doesn’t like me?”
“Who, Zuri?” With his gaze on the highway, he gave a grunt. “She’ll be glad to have a girl around to gossip with.”
“Do you know just how chauvinist you sound?”
His chest rose around a deep inhalation. “Sorry. I’m not used to havin’ women around. But I know guys like to gossip about girls. Figured you ladies would be the same. And Zuri’s been doin’ the bulk of the cookin’ while supervisin’ a cleaning lady who comes in a couple times a week. I know she’d like a break.” He turned, his gaze snagging on her expression. “Are you really worried about Zuri? I know women can be territorial.” He wrinkled his nose. “I did it again, didn’t I?”
She laughed. “Let’s agree never to talk gender politics. I’m just glad I had a boy.”
“Smack me the next time I say something offensive. Like I said, other than Zuri and the cleaning lady, we don’t have any other females on the ranch.”
“I don’t like to do the smackin’,” she murmured, looking out her window and grinning.
He jerked his head toward her. “Don’t say things like that when I’m drivin’.”
“Road’s flat. No bends. Wide shoulders. Haven’t seen more than a couple of cars since we made that last turn.” Lena fingered the top button of her pink, sleeveless shirt. She might not feel certain about how she was going to fit in at a working ranch, but there was one facet of her new life about which she felt no such ambivalence.
“We’ve still got twenty minutes,” Gabe said, tightening his hand on the steering wheel. “I’ll slow down.” Without preamble, he reached down with one hand and unbuckled his belt, unsnapped his blue jeans and tugged his zipper down.
Lena shrugged her arm past the shoulder harness of her seatbelt and loosened the band around her waist. Then she angled her body to face him. She reached into his pants and drew out his cock. It was soft but beginning to pulse. Steamy hot.
“What do you have in mind?” he asked, flicking her a hot glance.
“Just keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. I’m gonna return a favor.”
She bent and opened wide, sucking as much of his quickly expanding cock into her mouth as she could manage. She groaned around him, loving the way he tasted and smelled, musky and purely male. She suckled, making slurping sounds that made him chuckle once, but then his thighs tensed and he didn’t utter another sound.
Lena ignored her own growing arousal, although her nipples grew hard and her pussy wet. She concentrated on his pleasure, happy to show him she could be an equal partner in at least this one way.
As his length straightened, she bobbed, pulling him with strong suctioning tugs, bobbing deep and then coming up, rubbing her tongue along his shaft as her lips sucked.
The salty taste of his pre-come exploded on her tongue and she groaned, diving down to consume him, down again until the wide cap touched the back of her throat. And then she swallowed, giving his sensitive head a caress that had him cursing under his breath.
“Ten minutes,” he whispered.
“Might not be enough,” she said, coming up and fisting him. She liked the fact her fingers didn’t meet, and she pumped him as she flicked his eyelet hole with the tip of her tongue.
The car veered to the side, tires kicking up gravel. He shoved the gear stick into park, unclipped his belt, unclipped hers and scooted to the middle of the seat. He ignored her blouse, made quick work of the button of her shorts and shoved them off her legs.
With his hands guiding her over his lap, he forced her down on his cock.
Lena gave a glad shout as he filled her, ramming her hips down to take every hard inch. Then she gripped his shoulders and began to move, forward and back, up and down, letting the pronounced ridge around his cockhead stroke past her G-spot.
“Fuck, I want your tits in my mouth.”
She shook her head. “No time. And someone might drive by.”
“Think they won’t know what we’re doin’?”
“They can know, but I’d just as soon they don’t see my tits bouncin’ in your face.”
His chuckle pulled a grin from her, and she jounced again.
“Your pants are gonna be wet.”
“Don’t give a fuck. I’ll hold my cowboy hat in front of my dick.”
“Lord, I love your sexy talk.” She leaned close, wrapped her hands around the back of his head and kissed him as she gave him shorter strokes.
Then his hands were under her shirt. He slipped his fingers under the band of her bra. The moment he pinched her nipples, she bit her mouth to keep from screaming.
“That’s it baby, that’s it,” he said, kissing her neck. “God, I loved your mouth on me. Felt like you were tryin’ to suck my come all the way from my toes.”
“Sounds nasty.”
“Tell you what I want to suck…”
“Later. We’ll have time when we get there, right?”
“Only if God doesn’t have a sense of humor.” His head fell back, and he tightened his hands on her bottom. He pushed her up and down, faster and faster, until sweat trickled down her back and she couldn’t catch her breath.
Gabe licked her neck and the side of her cheek, catching salty streaks. Then he touched her asshole and Lena screamed, cramming down his cock, bouncing up, rocking her body hard against his as her orgasm swept through her, tightening her core then rushing outward like a sonic wave.
She worried he wasn’t there with her, but then he dug his fingers into her flesh, squeezing her globes so hard she knew she’d have bruises, and his hips jerked off the seat as he fucked into her, his stiff, straight cock hammering inside her.
When they both slowed their motions, she rested her forehead against his.
“That help with your nerves?” he asked.
“What nerves?” she gasped.
“Exactly.”
She smiled and kissed him, opening her mouth to touch her tongue against his. When she pulled back, his half-closed eyes simmered. His mouth curved.
“You look very satisfied with yourself.”
“That’s because I am.” He cradled the back of her head. “I love you, Lena.”
He waited. And she knew he wanted her to give him back those same words, but the part of her that was still scared they were moving too fast kept her mute.
“Better get dressed,” he muttered.
Feeling as though she’d flunked a test, she eased off his cock and sat on the seat beside him while she pulled on her underwear and shorts. “I want this to work.”
“Then don’t think too hard. Don’t doubt my intentions.”
“It’s hard. Good Lord, you just came back into my life yesterday.”
“I’ve been in love with you for years. Never loved anyone else.”
She shot him a shocked glance. “But you never came back.”
“I was a boy. And as I became a man I figured out you hadn’t been near as serious about me.”
She shook her head. “That wasn’t true. But I was ashamed. Of getting knocked up by a boy not out of high school.”
Gabe’s steady glare held her. “There were only two years separating us. You were in college but you were a kid too, Lena. I was still old enough to know how I felt.” He grabbed her left hand. “Why did you keep that ring?”
Her fingers curled. She shook her head. Tears leaked from her eyes. “It made me feel…connected to you. Like it hadn’t been just a dream or some tawdry episode. Every time I looked at it, I was reminded of your face when you told me goodbye.”
“I said I loved you. That I’d wait.” His voice was even, his words filled with conviction.
Lena uncurled her fingers and stared at the ring. Just a little silver band with a speck of a diamond in the center. “And you did,” she whispered.
Gabe tucked a finger under her chin, he studied her face and a smile began to stretch.
Lena l
eaped forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, giving in to the tears from a rush of happiness that swept through her. “I loved you too. But I couldn’t admit it. And seeing you again, some part of me knew it was you, because I’ve never ever been that way with another man. I swear it. I wanted you in an instant, and when you were inside me, I suddenly felt whole. It scared the heck out of me.”
They held each other, Gabe dropping kisses on her cheek and squeezing her so tight she could barely breathe. When he let her go, she drew in a deep breath and laughed.
The ride to the ranch house took five minutes. All the way home, he held her hand, gliding his finger on the promise ring.
Epilogue
Gabe sat on his horse, holding the reins of Jake’s pinto as his son boarded the school bus.
At the top step, Jake turned and gave him a cheeky grin. “See you tonight, Dad.”
Gabe smiled back, waving as the doors closed and his boy made his way to his seat. Rather than have his dad drive him in his pickup each morning, Jake preferred practicing his riding. The daily ritual was one they both enjoyed. Jake had taken to riding and life on the ranch like he’d been born to it. When he wasn’t in school, he was in the barn, learning to muck stalls or riding with Gabe and his brothers when they moved the cattle from pasture to pasture.
Gabe remembered their first meeting. His son had taken a step toward him, looked into eyes that were the same gray as his own, and asked, “Are you my dad?”
There wasn’t a dry eye among any of the people crowding the driveway to greet Jake and Mr. Twohig.
Gabe had gone down on one knee and opened his arms. The hug they’d shared as he’d gruffly said yes was the first of many.
Pulling the reins of his horse, he pointed him back to the house and the woman sitting on the top porch step. Lena had yet to join them on their morning rides, but it was going to be a while before he’d allow her to sit a horse. Not until she healed after the birth of their child, scheduled to arrive at the Triple Horn in early May.
A girl this time. And he couldn’t be happier. Colt’s little girl would need a playmate.
In Too Deep Page 6
