“Why?” she asked.
He tried to kiss her but she placed a firm hand on his chest, stopping him as she said icily, “And that’s another thing, you can’t run around kissing me. It’s not right!”
“What?!”
“Yeah! Think of Lydia!”
“Who the hell is Lydia?”
“Uh, the beautiful brunette you couldn’t keep your hands off of at Tiny Tim’s the other day?”
He stared, “That Lydia?” He burst into laughter, bending over double as he laughed up at her. Since she was feeling an annoying spurt of jealousy, Tiana was not amused at his laughter. She glared balefully at him, which just seemed to set him off the more, the dratted man! “Lydia Barrett is my kid sister’s newly-widowed best friend!”
“So?”
“So she is still very much in love with her dead husband who also happened to be one of my best friends. Trust me, she’s off limit forever. I was only consoling her that day so you don’t have to be jealous.”
“I wasn’t,” she lied.
“Yeah right,” he agreed, walking closer to her once more.
“I was not jealous!” Tiana insisted.
“Whatever you say,” he agreed huskily, placing his hands on her shoulders.
He leaned down slowly and gently pressed his lips to hers in the barest hint of a kiss. Tiana sighed and relaxed against him, all her senses unfurling in his arms as she gave herself up to the kiss.
As the now-familiar knot of tension began to build in the pit of her stomach almost immediately, she admitted the truth to herself for the first time; she was clearly teetering on the edge of falling in love with Christian.
Well what woman wouldn’t? After being treated repeatedly to his hot, drugging kisses, she was fast becoming addicted.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Christian wound his arms around her, reveling in the feel of her incredibly soft, pliant body pressed up against his. He groaned as his tongue tangled with hers; his body was stiff, hard, and ready. He knew he was dangerously close to trying to take her right there and with a sigh of regret, he slowly began releasing her lips.
Christian released her reluctantly, his hand sliding slowly from her face. She was beautiful, he thought, gazing into her heart-shaped face. She made him think of things he had no business thinking about, like how well she was fitting into his life, how he would love to have her around for as long as he could, and so on. He liked little Jamal too. The boy was a gem. His endless questions drove Rose wild but he loved them.
If she was in trouble, he thought, clenching his jaw determinedly, he would want to know about it and he would want to help her.
“Jamal, we gotta go,” he called.
The young boy materialized beside them immediately, proudly presenting his mother with a bouquet of mangled flowers which he had obviously crushed in his childish exuberance.
Tiana’s eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the flowers clutched in the tiny hand as though they were the world’s most exquisite diamonds and cried, “Oh, Jamal, I love them! They're wonderful!”
The sincerity in her voice and her apparent happiness made Jamal’s little chest puff out with pride. He grinned up at her, “They are for you, Mom.”
She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before taking the flowers from him. “You’re so sweet, baby. But you do know there’s a rule, right?”
Christian watched amused as the boy’s little shoulders drooped comically. “I have to let you know where I am always?”
“That’s the one. So you’re grounded. Two weeks, baby.”
Christian intervened, unable to bear the sight of the young boy’s sad expression, “Come on Tiana, isn’t he a little young for grounding?”
She gave him a speaking, angry glance that seemed to come naturally to all mothers and he immediately clamped his mouth shut.
“Two weeks, Jamal,” she said firmly, “and thanks for the lovely flowers.”
With a grown-up sigh, Jamal meekly fell into step beside them but he soon forgot to be sad as his natural zest for life turned everything into a tourist attraction, including a severely traumatized butterfly which flew off when the little boy approached.
Tiana grinned to herself, enjoying her son’s natural enthusiasm and Christian felt a kick in his chest as he watched that beautiful smile and the dimples that followed it.
***
The ranch came into sight within minutes and Christian hastily mumbled something about brushing Aasifa’s coat and disappeared into her stall, leaving the other two to their own devices. Aasifa’s stall was removed from others and was one of the few private places on the ranch. There was even a special bunkhouse inside which only he used when he felt like it, and today, he collapsed onto the bed almost immediately after giving Aasifa some treats.
He must have been there for a long time, completely lost in thoughts of Tiana that by the time he knew what was happening, it was evening. He jolted as he realized someone was calling his name softly; it didn’t take a genius to figure out who.
What in all of creation was she doing here? He had left the damn house to get away from her and now there she was!
“Christian?” she called again.
He kept silent hoping she would go away.
She knocked against the door of the bunkhouse and then poked her head around the edge, dimpling when she caught sight of him sprawled atop the bed. She had changed out of her customary jeans and t-shirt and was wearing a short flared dress that stopped mid-thigh. Her small feet were encased in casual flip-flops, her toes painted an exotic shade of red.
What had he done to deserve this torture, he wondered, even as his eyes helplessly feasted on the bare expanse of straight legs peeking beneath her dress.
“Hey, you,” she breathed. Then gulped, when she saw what he was wearing, or not wearing. He had on his usual pair of jeans but other than that, he was naked from the waist up. He had a hard, heavily muscled, corded chest with straining biceps and flat, washboard abs that tapered into a slim narrow waist.
The delicious aroma hit his nose first; lemon meringue pie! He sat up immediately, even as his stomach growled so loudly that she heard it clear across the room from the doorway.
She laughed, her voice tinkling like bells as she carefully averted her eyes from that naked, well-muscled chest and said, “I guess you are happy to see me; or at least your stomach is.”
“Tiana? What are you doing?” he asked sitting up. Why would she come here? Couldn’t she tell that he was avoiding the house only so he could keep his hands off her?
“I made you a pie. Dinner was a long time ago and you must be hungry.”
“You shouldn’t be cooking. Today was your day off,” he protested even as his hands stretched automatically for the pie.
She laughed and deposited in the plate into his hands, watching gratified as he tore off the covering and immediately began to scarf down the food so fast it was a wonder he didn’t choke. She spied a fridge in the corner and rummaged through it for a bottle of water. He didn’t even look up until he had eaten at least half of the pie then he began to slow down, eating at a more decent pace.
“This is delicious,” he declared. “Absolutely fantastic! You should start a cookbook, you’d be great at it. Famous too,” he told her earnestly, sincerity blazing on his features as he chewed some more.
In that moment, Tiana finally admitted to herself that she loved him. He believed in her when no one else ever had? No one had ever praised her talent and told her she could make something great of it.
Christian chewed harder, licking his lips as he tried to focus on the food and not the tantalizing woman who had ill-advisedly sank onto the edge of the bunk bed, within arm’s reach.
“You really think I can write a cookbook?” she asked, in a voice that made his already growing arousal harden even faster.
He polished off the rest of the lemon meringue pie, shoved the plate at her and said, “Trust me, if half the recipes in that
book taste this scrumptious, it would be an instant bestseller. Now there you go. Thanks, Tiana.”
She looked over in confusion as she collected the plate and then dropped it onto the floor beside the bed.
“I was hoping to stay and chat awhile. Jamal is asleep and I’m kind of bored,” she informed him.
Christian’s face almost cracked with the effort it took him to keep smiling and refrain from voicing the thousand curses running through his brain. Tonight of all nights, he was not certain that he could keep his hands off of her; his gaze kept returning to the long, smooth, expanse of her legs exposed by the short hem of her dress.
“Uh, I’m tired and I don’t think...”
“Kiss me!” she said, impulsively before she even knew she was going to say that.
“Excuse me?”
“Kiss me!” she ordered firmly, more certain that she needed to feel his lips on hers as she moved closer to him on the bed.
That was all the encouragement Christian needed. His hands reached for her and in one fluid motion, he had moved her straight into his lap. Their mouths connected eagerly, held and tangled as they both deepened the kiss. He drew back, his gaze scanning her face. His eyes were hooded, his mouth wet from hers while his chest rose and fell rapidly to match her own hasty breathing. The signs of his arousal did nothing to quiet her own and she reached for him again.
“Tiana, you’re driving me out of my mind,” he murmured in between kisses as he trailed his lips down her neck to the scooped neckline of her dress.
Christian’s hand tugged the neckline a little lower, exposing the tantalizing swell of her breasts. Her breasts were firm and soft, he noted, as his lips eagerly kissed her cleavage. Tiana gasped and clutched his head tighter to her chest.
Christian shifted the neckline of her dress to exposed one lace-covered breast. His penis swelled in his jeans, almost bursting his zipper. Her nipple was so dark it was almost black and as he looked down at it through the lace of her bra, it beaded into one hard, inviting little point. With a groan, he bent his head and took the nipple in his mouth through the lace of her bra, enjoying her gasps of pleasure as he eagerly suckled her.
Tiana’s hands caressed his head, urging him on as he sucked her breast while his hands wandered to her silky smooth thighs, raising the short hem of her dress even higher.
Christian slowly smoothed one callused palm upwards towards the juncture of her thighs, enjoying her gasps of pleasure as he moved closer and closer to her panties.
“Please,” she gasped, writhing in his arms.
He slid his hand the rest of the way and gently caressed the crotch of her panties. Tiana’s hips shook, as she strained forward in his arms. She was wet, he noted, as he caressed her through her panties; dripping wet as a matter of fact.
Slowly, he edged the panties to the side and dipped a finger into her wet, tight, welcoming warmth, raising his head to her lips to swallow her cries of ecstasy.
“You are so fucking tight,” he groaned, sweat beading on his forehead as he slowly thrust his finger deep inside her to the hilt. Her vaginal muscles clamped down tightly around the finger and he groaned as he slowly pulled it out and thrust it in again.
“Please, Christian,” she gasped, his name rolling beautifully off her tongue in her New York accent. “I want you inside me! Now!”
Christian slowly pulled his finger out of her and held her gaze as he dipped the same finger into his mouth and pulled it out slowly, tasting her. She tasted wonderful! All his senses were humming with desire as he looked at her and it was all he could do to keep himself from tearing the clothes right off her body.
“I want you so much, baby,” he crooned as he moved her off his lap and positioned her in a sitting position at the very edge of the bed.
He knelt in front of her, his penis erect and pointing straight towards the juncture of her thighs. Slowly, he rubbed the head of his penis against her creamy wetness, surprised to note that his hand was shaking a little.
He looked up, his gaze holding hers as he rubbed the tip of his penis against her once more in slow, torturous movements that wrenched a sob of desire from her throat.
Gentle yielding shone back at him from her big brown eyes and then just as he was about to thrust home, a loud bang shattered the silence of the night and shook the very rafters of the bunkhouse, effectively startling them out of each other’s arms.
A mixture of alarm and adrenaline surged through Christian, bringing him to his feet. His gaze flew to Tiana; her eyes were wide with fright as she hurriedly shoved her panties into place, thrust her feet into her flips flops and arranged her dress.
“What could have made that sound?” she asked as he too hastily pulled a shirt over his head.
“I don’t know. But whatever it was, it can’t be good,” he said as he hurriedly dragged on his boots and ran towards the door. “Wait here, Tiana. It could be dangerous out there.”
Her heart turned over in her chest. She had never had someone looking to protect her. “What about Jamal?”
“He’ll be safe in the house,” he yelled as he ran from the room.
Tiana fretted for about two seconds, unable to bear the strain of waiting. What if Hank, her ex-husband, was out there? He had threatened to take Jamal once he got out of prison.
A frisson of alarm worked its way down her spine like a cold finger of fear and in seconds, she was moving, running as fast as her legs could carry her. Her baby was alone, she thought with a sob. What if Hank was in the house?
The smell of burning... stuff hit her nose first as she exited the bunkhouse and then she saw the absolute chaos outside and gasped. Horses ran wild in every direction while cowboys worked furiously to try and corral as many of the animals as they could. A few yards away, great gusts of fire flew merrily into the atmosphere, burning bright and yellow against the night sky, as one of the stalls burned to the ground.
In the distance, she saw Christian shouting instructions to his men as he also tried to lead some of the horses away from the chaos. Blaring sirens signaled the arrival of the police and firemen and with a last glance at the back of Christian’s head, Tiana turned and ran into the ranch house taking the stairs two at a time. She burst into her room and straight through the connecting door to Jamal’s room.
He was not in bed!
All the blood drained from her face, blinding fear choking her as she screamed wildly, “Jamal? Where are you? Jamal!”
She ran into her room, screaming his name wildly, her eyes bouncing in every direction.
Her closet opened the tiniest bit and Jamal’s little face peeked out, his lower lip trembling as he said, “Mommy?”
“Oh, baby,” she screamed, relief coursing through her as she ran to scoop him into her arms. “My baby,” she whispered, bursting into tears as she feverishly kissed his curly hair and every inch of his beloved face.
“Don’t cry, Mommy. I’m okay,” Jamal assured her, patting her cheek with his little hands to reassure her.
Her bedroom door flew open before she could respond and she jumped and cowered, drawing Jamal protectively into her embrace as her eyes flew to the door.
It was Christian, she noted, relaxing.
“I came as soon as I could. Is he alright?” he asked, also kneeling beside her and taking Jamal into his own arms.
She watched with wide eyes as Christian lovingly kissed her son all over exactly as she had done and then he held the boy’s chin, gazing deep into his eyes and asking if he was hurt. Jamal shook his head and flung his little hands around Christian’s neck, hugging him tight.
In that moment, Tiana slid helplessly all the way in love with the ruggedly handsome cowboy who loved her son like his own.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“So they ruled the fire arson?” Tiana asked absently two weeks later as she bent over a new roster she was drawing up for the month.
She had taken to drawing up a chore roster for everyone in the kitchen each month and so far, it had worked
wonderfully since the first roster. The kitchen was the size of a large conference room and she was seated at the large table for twenty at one corner of the kitchen. Some of the ranch hands preferred to eat in there while others preferred to eat in the dining room of the ranch house.
She smiled to herself as she looked around the kitchen; it looked nothing like the chaos she had walked into a month ago. Fewer quarrels broke out among the kitchen staff because everyone knew exactly what they had to do each day. The only fly in her ointment at this point, was this constant feeling of being watched. She had been unable to shake it for weeks, which was why she tended to become a permanent fixture in the kitchen these days it was the one place where she didn’t get that prickly sensation of being watched.
Lately, Christian had become an almost permanent fixture in the kitchen too, showing up at odd times unannounced, often to steal a scone or cupcake. One time, he even stole a kiss before ducking out of the kitchen. She loved not knowing just when he was going to show up. She also loved the way everyone seemed to treat him with affectionate respect and never fear, even though he was the boss of them all. She would never admit it but she was starting to look forward to the way he appeared without warning each day in the kitchen.
This was one such day. She had been preparing a duty roster for the twenty kitchen assistants when she heard his deep voice right behind her. A glow of warmth spread through her immediately but she had deliberately schooled her features into one of resignation as she looked up into his grinning ruggedly handsome face.
“The fire department did rule the fire arson,” he told her as he chewed an apple. “Now there will be hell to pay with the insurance investigators. They’re still trying to ascertain who was where, when. Of course I’m a prime suspect.”
“You?” she gasped.
“Well I stand to gain the most from the insurance thingy,” he said cheerfully as he bit into his apple once more.
His breezy unconcern gave her pause, and then she breathed, “Oh my God, you’re rich!”
The Love Ranch (BWWM Romance) Page 5
