The Rancher's Seduction

by Catherine Mann

  * * *

  Tally arranged and rearranged already perfectly spaced ornaments on the tree as if that could restore order to her life.

  She needed to figure out a way to tell Marshall everything about her father. But with each passing day, it became tougher. Being with Marshall every morning and night had been a passionate fantasy come true.

  From the speakers, the familiar notes of “Winter Wonderland” filled the air. Indeed. She felt those words. The sentiment. Her heart swelled in anxiety and ease all at once. This place—Marshall’s home—was the stuff dreams were made of.

  Looking around at the nativity scene, the twinkling lights on the tree, she almost felt at peace. These were the holidays she dreamed of having. Wanted more than words. Her time here was about so much more than the job.

  But before she could embrace even the thought of a future with Marshall, she would have to tell him everything.

  Three successive rings disrupted her musing. Reaching into the pocket of her black skinny jeans, she retrieved her phone. Felicity’s smiling face lit up the screen. Tally had taken the photo of Felicity when they’d gone for a short hike in the woods. The light filtering through the trees seemed to accent her friend’s effortless, natural beauty.

  With a smile on her face, Tally answered, “Hello, Felicity.” She played with the ends of her hair, rubbing the strands between her fingers.

  “Hi. I’ve missed our talks since little Stella Rae was moved out of the NICU.”

  “I’ve missed you, too. I’ll be up there tomorrow if you’re available to catch up.”

  “I would like that. I actually have a reason for calling. I wanted to share some information with you about a scholarship that came across my desk. Have you considered going back to school to become a social worker?”

  Tally was honored that her friend would think of her, but had to say, “I don’t think I could do your job.”

  “You’re underestimating yourself. You’re a natural in more ways than some people who’ve been on the job for years.”

  “I appreciate the vote of confidence. That means a lot to me.”

  “If you decide it’s something you want to pursue, you know I’ll help you however I can with a recommendation and finding the right college program for you.”

  She swallowed, envisioning her life as a social worker for a moment. What it would be like to intervene and give on that level? Tally felt her heart tighten. “Thank you. I’ll give it some thought.”

  “I’m glad. No pressure, but the offer is genuine and real. Anyway—catch me up on your life.”

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you something. As I was leaving the hospital the other day, I could have sworn I saw you in the cafeteria eating with Conrad Steele.”

  A silence. Not a long one. But a noticeable one as Tally sank into the sofa, eyes trained on the fire in front of her.

  “We ran into each other.”

  “Hmm, I’m finding maybe you’re right about my instincts for counseling work, because I hear prevarication in your voice,” she teased as she brought her knees to her chest, phone pressed to her ear.

  “He’s persistent,” Felicity said tightly.

  Tally wouldn’t push Felicity before she was ready to share. Motion outside the window caught her attention—Marshall’s vehicle coming up the drive. “I appreciate the call, and the information about the scholarship, thank you. Let’s talk more tomorrow. I need to get back to work.”

  “Let’s definitely do that. In person is always better.” Felicity’s voice echoed through the line. “Miss you. Can’t wait to catch up more tomorrow.”

  “Me, too.” Tally ended the phone call, eyes watching the window. To the dying light. To the whine of the SUV’s engine as Marshall maneuvered to the garage and abruptly stopped short of it.

  Flinging open the door, he sprinted out. Moving fast, a clear urgency in his steps because the SUV was still running. Concerned, she straightened, her attention homing in on him. Her eyes followed Marshall as he moved toward the older barn.

  A glow lanced the darkening horizon. Not the haze of the sunset after all.

  Flames shot from the older structure. The barn was on fire.

  Ten

  Marshall ran as fast as the snow would allow, his body acting on instinct. The old barn was on fire, and if it wasn’t contained, the flames could spread to the main barn, where the animals were kept. He heard Tally shouting for him in the distance. He shot a quick look over his shoulder.

  “Stay back,” he barked.

  Tally stood behind him, her open coat flapping in the evening wind. “I’ve called the fire department.”

  “Good,” he said, his feet still on the move. He couldn’t afford to wait around. “Get all the fire extinguishers from inside the house. I’ll get the ones from the main barn.”

  He could also make a quick check on the animals and ensure no sparks had found their way to the other structure. Hay ignited so damn fast.

  But he couldn’t mull over worst-case scenarios. He had too much to do. He raced into the main barn and gathered two fire extinguishers, relieved to see no signs of fire. The horses were restless, pawing at the ground, whinnying in distress. He hoped like hell none of them broke out of their stalls.

  Plunging back into the snow, he clutched the fire extinguishers and raced toward the old barn. The original structure from back in his childhood.

  The thought threatened to steal his focus.

  He touched the door and found it cooler than he expected. A relief. Still, he needed to be careful of creating a back draft when he opened the barn door. Easing it open, staying well clear to the side, he assessed the interior. Sparks flew from the fuse box. Fire licked the ground around it, encroaching onto one of the old stalls.

  The stall that had once held his childhood horse.

  Marshall plunged inside, dropping one extinguisher and arming the other as he closed the distance. He foamed the flames, slowing the spread. The high ceilings kept the smoke at bay for now.

  Just as the extinguisher spluttered on empty, the other was thrust into sight.

  By Tally.

  At some point, she’d joined him, staying silently back. Readying the next container. He took it gratefully from her hands and went to work on the remaining flames. With luck, he should be able to contain it until the fire department arrived and could soak it down to prevent a reignite.

  As much as he wanted to tell Tally to leave, he knew she wouldn’t. And he was grateful for her help.

  Time felt distorted. As the fire continued to press onward, nothing made sense to him. He heard a siren sounding behind him, felt Tally’s urgent hands pulling him back, but he didn’t really understand that he needed to step back until one of the firefighters stood in front of him, shouting through his face mask to move away. His heart was beating wildly, and adrenaline coursed through every muscle in his body.

  EMTs checked over both him and Tally, declaring them unharmed, attributing it to how quickly he’d subdued the flames and minimized the smoke. Marshall squeezed Tally’s hand in comfort and quizzed the firefighters.

  The general consensus was that the old fuse box had sparked with a surge, but an investigation would confirm that later.

  Now, after the fire department had left, as Marshall checked on the horses in the main barn, everything he’d held at bay came flooding over him. He replayed the scene in his mind. The feeling of hopelessness as he watched the firefighters subdue the flames. Past and present collided in his mind. His mind still filled with images of the old barn on fire, a symbol of his childhood. His family. Going up in flames.

  The gut punch of that chilled him still, reminding him what low reserves he had inside him for more loss.

  The barn felt like a last sanctuary of the past. Of what life was like before. Before his mother and sister died. Before alcoholism took ho
ld of him. Before the dark years. And now...his throat constricted. Air seemed impossible to swallow into his lungs.

  Tally’s light touch broke his thoughts. She wrapped him in a tight hug. “I’m so very sorry for what happened here.”

  The smell of smoke clung to her. Or maybe that was him.

  For the first time he noticed the soot on his hands and jeans. “Insurance is there for a reason. It can be repaired.”

  But he knew it wouldn’t look the same. Maybe the universe was pushing him to make those changes sooner rather than later.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t notice. I feel responsible for not catching it sooner. If you’d gotten home even a little later, this could have been very bad.”

  He swallowed, his eyes remaining unfocused. Looking at some invisible index of what was and all that was lost. “There’s no way your eyes can be everywhere at once. I should have upgraded the barn sooner.”

  He’d been resistant to changing that place. And now it had cost him dearly. Even so, things could have been so much worse. At least no one had been hurt.

  If Tally had gone down to the barn alone to battle the flames while he was gone... Even the unfinished thought made his gut clench. He should have had more farm staff on hand. This was his fault on so many levels.

  Guilt stung hard and deep.

  He wanted a drink.

  At least there was no alcohol on the premises to tempt him in this weak moment. He would just climb into the shower and call this day over. In fact, showering and sleeping in the vacant bunkhouse was probably the wisest course of action. He could watch over the horses and ground himself again in the world where he felt most at home.

  Tally rested a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  He flinched at her touch, his emotions so damn raw. “I’m fine. I’m relieved that you and the horses made it through unscathed.”

  “Because of you.” Her voice was soft, the only other sound the snuffles of horses settling in for the night after the fright.

  He wanted to take her, here and now. But after what she’d been through, his need felt selfish. Not to mention his control was shaky.

  Marshall’s heavy exhale ricocheted through his very core. The air tasted strange in his mouth. He needed to be useful. “Let me walk you back up to the house so you can get some rest.”

  “I don’t want to rest. After the night we’ve had, my heart is in my throat. I want—I need—to be with you.”

  She stepped closer, sliding her arms around his neck, leaning flush against him. There was no mistaking her intent and her certainty. His desire for her surged, riding the adrenaline still coursing through him.

  With his reserves well below normal and needing to feel her vibrantly alive in his embrace, he couldn’t find the will to tell her no.

  * * *

  Water from the bunkhouse shower rolled down Tally’s body. Marshall stood against her, his cast in a plastic bag, his back taking the brunt of the spray. She could hardly believe all they’d been through together, working to keep the old barn safe until the fire department could arrive.

  And they’d succeeded. Working side by side.

  Adrenaline poured from her feet as surely as the water sluicing down and off her body. Cedar-planked walls of the bathroom created a warm, humid haven. Somehow, the scent of smoke and fire felt distant in this tiny room.

  The immediate worries were past. Marshall had checked the animals over, and they appeared to be unharmed. But he’d put in a call to his farm veterinarian to look at them in the morning to make sure none had injured themselves in their stress. Thank goodness the integrity of the old structure had survived. It would require cleanup and repairs, but the barn was basically intact. It could have been so much worse.

  She slid her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek to his chest, grateful he was unharmed. The stress in his tight muscles couldn’t be ignored, and she couldn’t blame him.

  Her heart was still in her throat. She’d feared for his life as he’d worked to put the fire out. At least the animals had been secure in the main barn. Even after the fire department had arrived, they hadn’t been able to stop Marshall from helping.

  And for the first time, she wondered why he didn’t have full-time ranch hands on staff. She’d noticed over her time working here that day workers came through to assist with feeding, riding and walking. Family assisted as well while he recovered. Still, the bunkhouse attached to the barn was empty even though he had the wealth to hire as much help as he chose.

  This man was an island. And right now, she could see the weight of the world bearing down on his broad shoulders. And with everything that made him more honorable, she could only think of how that would make it all the more impossible for him to forgive her once he knew everything. The knife’s edge of their time together coming to an end cut clean through her. Making her ache to take everything she could for as long as she could.

  In a fluid motion, Marshall exited the shower, retrieving a massive fluffy white towel before slinging a second one around his waist. He wrapped her in the terry cloth, drawing her close to his chest. For a moment, they stayed locked together, still. Pressed against each other.

  A deep breath filtered through her nose as her skin touched his. Grabbing her hand, he led her toward the rustic four-poster bed made of sanded logs. He lowered her to the quilt before turning on the gas logs to further warm the main bedroom in the bunkhouse space.

  The flames cast an amber glow over him, a reminder of the battle they’d waged together tonight. The earthy smell of the barn in keeping with the man she’d come to know so well over the past weeks. She’d learned every inch of him, but still reveled in exploring the hard planes of him. His body was the kind honed on the land and not in a gym.

  She extended a hand to him. “Come join me.”

  “I intend to.” He peeled the sleeve off his cast, then climbed onto the bed. The mattress gave with his weight as he settled beside her. He swept her wet hair away from her cheek. “Thank you again for your help earlier.”

  “I just followed your instructions.”

  His calm had been unbelievable. She’d been a bundle of nerves.

  She still was.

  Tally scooted closer and held him tight, her face buried in his neck. She inhaled the scent of soap lingering on his skin. He palmed her waist, his touch familiar now, but still so very stirring. His hand slid upward to cup the back of her head, and he eased away to skim his mouth over her jaw, up to her ears, then sealed his lips to hers.

  The kiss exploded through her senses, unleashing all the tension inside her that had been building since she’d seen him walking toward the burning barn. He was alive, here in her arms, and she intended to celebrate in the most elemental way of all.

  She lost herself in his kiss, the feel of his flesh against hers. She was so wrapped up in sensation, she barely registered him pressing her back into the pillows. His kisses trailed down to her collarbone, over her chest and lower, lower still, until... Her breath puffed free. He nudged her legs apart with his shoulders and gave her the most intimate of kisses.

  He held her knees apart and nuzzled. Delicious sensation whispered through her. Her head pressed back into the pillow, and she gave herself over to him, a man she craved to know more about. He’d become all too important to her so quickly.

  He stroked and tasted and guided her higher and higher, her breath carrying husky moans of encouragement. His calloused hands held her thighs, and she reveled in the raspy texture of him.

  Her release crashed over her again, and again, tension from the evening rippling away on each pleasurable spasm.

  Then he inched up her body, rolling her to her side until they faced each other. His cast arm rested over her waist. His eyes glowed in the night.

  He reached for his jeans on the floor and pulled his wallet from the back pocket. He withdrew a condo
m, and she was grateful to him for remembering to take care. He sheathed himself, then eased her leg up over his hip, pressing inside her.

  Instinct and sensation took over as she welcomed him into her body. She met him thrust for thrust. Nerve endings tingled to life, simmering and singing through her.

  Their hips rolled against each other, his injured arm a sturdy weight against her waist, needing this, needing him after the night they’d been through.

  He breathed against her ear. “I can’t wait to get this cast off and make love to you unfettered.”

  “I have no complaints.” She kissed droplets of water from his chest.

  “And I intend to keep it that way,” he murmured against her ear.

  He angled his mouth over hers, their lovemaking intensifying, every time better than the last as they learned more about bringing each other to the edge of bliss and back again. The heat and glide of his body against hers stirred the tension in her higher again, bringing her close to completion a second time. Sweat slicked their bodies as they moved against each other. The musky scent of him and their passion made for a heady perfume, and she couldn’t get enough.

  His head dipped to nuzzle her neck, her collarbone, her breasts. Her hands roved over him, stroking the hard planes of his honed body. Her head fell to rest on his shoulder, her teeth sinking in lightly. His husky growl of approval rumbled against her. Her emotions were so raw and elemental tonight, and their coming together mirrored that.

  Each rock of their hips against each other stoked bliss richer and fuller through her. Her eyes squeezed closed as she held tight to him, to the sensation coursing through her, building until...sparks shimmered behind her eyelids. Her back arched into her completion, her fingers sinking into his shoulders.

  She felt his orgasm power through him, and she reveled in knowing she gave him the same pleasure he brought her. As the aftermath simmered through her, he gathered her against his chest, his hands gentle along her hypersensitive skin.

  Her forehead pressed to his neck, she couldn’t hide from the fear any longer. Having something happen to Marshall tonight would have rattled her world, too much. She couldn’t pretend this was casual, not any longer.