Tiana moaned in pleasure as he pounded into her, twisting her. Suddenly, he pulled out of her and flipped her, laying her onto her back and resumed thrusting, his large, callused palms kneading her breasts as he thrust.
Fine tremors shook her from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet, leaving her sated, spent and weak as a rag doll. Christian stilled, watching her as different expressions chased across her face in the thrall of her pleasure. When she was finally sated, he resumed pounding, his face thrown back in pleasure, his teeth gritted as he concentrated on thrusting in and out of her warm sheath.
Her soft hands trailed up to his chest, caressing his nipples as he made love to her and driving him inexorably closer to the edge.
An intense shudder shook his powerful frame and he continued to slam into her deliciously, his hands tightening on her slim supple thighs. Soon, he was grunting her name as he came powerfully; pouring his seed into her tight, wet, willing passage until he was drained completely.
His gaze met hers as he pulled slowly out of her; never in all his life had he experienced anything remotely approaching this, he thought. He had sex with several women in the past but never like this. No woman had made him feel incomplete for one millisecond, but with Tiana, just pulling out of her felt like an irreplaceable loss. He wanted to be buried in her forever!
He stared down at the woman who had taken him places he never even knew existed and before he could help himself, he blurted, “I love you.”
He saw her eyes widen; felt the alarm and sudden tension in her perfect body beneath his.
There was more. “Marry me,” he added softly.
He watched the light die in her eyes as he breathed the words, but weirdly, he didn’t want to call them back.
“Marry me,” he repeated.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tiana was deliciously tired as Christian rode up to the house. She pressed against him deliberately, flattening her chest against his back and hid a grin when his breath hissed out of him in response. Over three hours of lovemaking and he was still ready to go. There really was a lot to be said for cowboys; they had stamina in more ways than one, she thought with a secret grin.
In spite of the fact that they seemed to be in accord, she could feel the anger strumming in his veins. When he had blurted out that he loved her, she had frozen. Those were the three words she had never expected to hear from him, frankly from any man ever again. She already knew she loved him desperately, but as long as he didn’t say anything, or didn’t know that, it was alright. But when he had mentioned those words to her, she had frozen in what she recognized now as fear. Perhaps Hank had left more scars than she had thought and she really needed to see a shrink or something.
But when he had asked her to marry him, she had felt very real terror. The taste was still in her mouth. It was annoying because she knew Christian would never hurt her or Jamal; at least not intentionally and definitely not physically because he was a strong man who knew his own strength. He was as gentle with his horses as though they were made of fragile china and every horse on the ranch knew him and loved him. Even the one dreadful one that loved to bite everyone! She had watched him once in the stable with the biting horse, wielding the whip but never letting it touch the animal.
Whereas, that Rick person had once let the whip hit the horse. She had been new then so she had not known it was wrong or she would have reported him at once. But even then, she had felt sick to her stomach. She was so glad he had been fired, although she never knew why.
As they rode up, Tiana noticed for the first time that there seemed to be more people moving about than usual. Everyone looked grim. Her heart leaped into her throat and she almost slid right off Aasifa’s back on her own but Christian must have guessed her intention because he grabbed her hand and held her fast, preventing her from jumping off.
He nodded towards the front of the house, and her heart settled down when she caught sight of Jamal, clad in his wind-breaker and standing with his hand protectively held in Rose’s. Her baby was safe, she realized, relaxing automatically.
Christian helped her off Aasifa and then, his gaze sharpened as he strode towards a small cluster of ranch hands.
“What’s going on?”
“Someone wet the alfalfa hay, it got moldy and it seems it was strangely given to the horses,” one of the men replied.
Christian’s hands shook with anger as he digested this information. How did someone not notice wet, moldy hay?
He asked the question of the men gathered and their embarrassed silence told him there was more. Alfalfa hay, when wet, molded and moldy hay caused colic which in turn killed horses. Was someone trying to poison the horses?
“What do you mean someone wet the alfalfa? Do you think it was done on purpose?”
“See for yourself, sir,” one of the hands invited with a flourish gesturing towards the loft in a section of one of the barns.
Christian looked around, his gaze fell on Tiana. She was holding Jamal close in front of her; her hands on his shoulders. For once since they had left the cottage, she met his gaze.
“Take him inside,” he ordered.
She turned immediately to obey and he realized she was still shaken about Hank. He needed to do something about that situation, he decided. His subconscious nagged him, was he really going to pretend he was worried about Hank right now? He had been unable to concentrate on much else since he had asked Tiana to marry him and she had looked at him as though he was not even there. Then she had added insult to injury by pretending she had not heard him, commenting on everything from the time to the weather and generally chattering a mile a minute. She had made a point of avoiding his gaze too and she had acted so uncomfortable that he had finally relented and not brought up the topic again.
His steps slowed now as he walked towards where the alfalfa was stored. His men were right, he realized within two seconds; the alfalfa was so wet, it had to have been hosed down. Besides, the bottom of the loft was soaked through with water. There had been no rain for at least a week and there certainly was no leak.
Someone had done this on purpose, he realized, all the hair at the back of his neck standing.
Could Hank have penetrated the estate? But someone would have seen him, he argued within himself as he made his way back downstairs. Just like that, he realized that only he and Tiana knew about Hank. It meant the man could stroll on in, easy as you please, and kidnap Tiana and Jamal.
He would paste the man’s picture all over the ranch, he resolved.
“Return to your posts, everyone,” he said.
The men began to disperse silently, some of them shooting him searching looks as they did so.
He made to stroll back towards the house but a loud cry forced him to whip around in alarm.
“My truck!” someone yelled.
“Mine too,” another responded.
Christian surged forward, and gulped. All the tires of the truck had been slashed!
“Alright these are no more coincidences. We are officially under attack and from whom, I have no idea. I expect everyone to hold a rifle from this point and be extra-vigilant,” he barked. “Somebody get me the Sheriff’s office and I will also need a vet!”
Christian sighed inwardly as he watched them scurry around; it was going to be a long day; a very long one.
***
Hours later, it was a tired and very irritable Christian that pulled himself into his quarters, cussing as he shed his shirt and jeans. He had not had a bite to eat since breakfast by the spring cottage and now his stomach was growling. Of course, by the time he had finished making love with Tiana, the food had gone cold and what little fruit they had with them had been unappetizing to him because he had been occupied contemplating her refusal to even discuss marrying him.
Not to mention, when the police had arrived, they had spent hours grilling him as a likely suspect and the next hours wondering if Tiana was, because some bright bulb among his men had thought to m
ention that the problems started just after Tiana showed up.
In fact, the cops had focused on her so much that he was convinced that the only reason they had not hauled her ass downtown was because he had provided her an alibi for the night of the fire and also they had both been in full view of everyone when the slashed tired had been noticed. Of course the men had driven the trucks to the front of the barn just that morning so it stood to reason that the slashing had occurred right in front of the barn when everyone was focused on the alfalfa.
Slowly, he edged into his bathroom, his frustration peaking as his eyes trailed past his empty bed. He and Tiana had become lovers just this morning but with all the frustrations of the day so far, it felt like a million light years away.
He stood beneath the spray of the shower, letting the cold water rinse away the sweat and tiredness. The hunger however, was another matter. Perhaps he would have to go down to the kitchen and look for some food.
Minutes later, Christian stepped out of the shower, droplets of water slowly sliding down his body. He grabbed a towel and dried off his body. He was toweling his hair dry when he walked into his room and noticed the scent.
Hastily, he whipped the towel off his head and stared, his unerring gaze flying to the tray sitting beside the bed and the woman reclining on the bed wearing nothing but a big smile.
“Tiana?” he breathed.
“I brought dinner. I thought you might be hungry,” she added unnecessarily
Christian hurriedly dug in, savoring the delicious taste of the meal with every bite. When he was done, he shoved aside the plate and turned to Tiana, his eyes gleaming with the spark of desire she had lit.
He wanted her; he was a weak, pathetic man, he told himself cheerfully. Give him one whiff of Tiana Walker and he would come running, his tongue lolling out like a damn drooling bulldog.
“Jamal,” he began.
“Is sleeping soundly. I bolted the windows and doors though and for good measure, I brought a baby monitor,” she told him, brandishing the little object merrily.
Her heart warmed within her. Here she was, butt-naked in his bed and his first thought had been of the safety of her child? The man would make some woman very happy someday.
He chuckled at the baby monitor, the sound low, dark and sinful like hot chocolate on a cold day.
“I love it when you laugh or smile,” she said quietly, tracing his dimple with one slim finger.
With a groan, Christian leaned over her and took her lips in his, rolling as he kissed her, until she was on top of him.
“I want you to ride me,” he murmured. “And I want to watch you do that.”
Tiana moaned as he deepened the kiss, thrusting one large powerful palm into her hair. His tongue tangled with hers in a wildly erotic dance that sent juices pooling between her legs and made her shift restlessly against him. Her breasts were pressed flat against him, their soft weight cushioned between his chest and hers.
Tiana felt herself begin to drift into the sensual web being spun by Christian as his hands caressed her naked body slowly, sensuously, intimately.
His knuckles skimmed her breast, making her breath catch in her throat. His knuckles began to skim her breasts in circles while his tongue dove deeper into her mouth. His breath came hard and fast as he fought for control.
Tiana’s hands wound about his head, refusing to let him pull away as she deepened the kiss. She released his lips and sat up a little, bringing her breasts to level with his face. Christian’s mouth closed greedily around one nipple and Tiana sighed in pleasure.
She moaned her encouragement as he suckled her, sending bolts of pleasure shooting through her. Christian rolled with her again, ending this time with her under him as he leaned down to explore her tantalizing, voluptuous body with his hands and mouth. Her big brown eyes shone back at him filled with liquid desire. Christian couldn’t resist; he leaned down and took her mouth in a short, savage kiss, his lips warm, firm and hungry as they opened over hers. His finger dipped into the spot between her thighs and began to rub her clitoris, going harder and faster as moisture seeped onto his fingers.
“You are so wet, baby,” he crooned as he kissed her.
Tiana’s hand enclosed his huge, thrusting member, caressing the very tip.
“Now,” she moaned, pleading.
He rolled onto her, holding his weight on his elbow as he slowly rubbed the head of his penis against her glistening, wet entrance, drawing identical moans from both of them.
“Marry me,” he breathed, poised at her entrance, his tip nudging her as he bent to take her lips in one of those slow, drugging kisses he did so well.
Tiana’s confused eyes lifted to his, “Huh?”
“I said it before and you acted like I was only saying that because we had just been together. So before we make love again, answer me this, Tiana; will you marry me?”
“You already have a fiancée,” she reminded him, desperately.
He tensed, his muscles bunching under her arm as anger swept through him, swift and hot. “Lauren is not my fiancée. Why do you think I asked Mother to find other accommodations for her guest starting tomorrow?”
“You did?”
“Yes. She’s a nice enough girl but I don’t love her.”
“And I take it you love me?” she scoffed. It was almost like standing outside her body and watching herself in action. She tried to stop herself but for some reason, she could not.
Face it, Tiana, you want his love so much that you are actually afraid to accept it, her subconscious sneered.
And therein lay the rub. She was scared to accept his love because it was better to have never had it than to get used to it only to lose it and spend months or years pining for it.
His face froze as he said, “I just said I did. In case you need to hear it again, I love you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, “Come on, Christian, can’t we discuss this later? I need you now,” she pouted.
His face became blank, wiped clean of all expression as he then slowly, very slowly, released her and rolled off of her.
“I think you need to leave, Tiana. I have a long day ahead tomorrow. Gotta show a few new hands how to rope steers and I need my strength for that.”
“What? Now? Aren’t we going to...” she began.
But he had already rolled away to face the wall.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tiana unhappily loaded the dishwasher, her gaze fixed on an unseen spot. He had been avoiding her. It was two weeks since he said so much as a word to her and even though Lauren had, true to his word, packed up and left the very next day, Christian’s attitude towards her had not softened in the least.
In fact he had avoided her so pointedly that Jamal had started to ask if Mr. Langfield was mad at them. It didn’t help that her feeling of being watched had increased and she was damned if she was going to tell Christian that.
From the corner of her eye, she saw someone run past the kitchen window, crouched low, with a hoodie over their head. Curiously, she angled her head to see better; she caught merely a flash of wine-colored hair and then the person was gone. It had to have been a woman, she decided. The build was too slight to be a man, especially not Hank. Lauren was gone though, right?
Thinking of Lauren reminded her of the last time she had seen the other woman and Tiana immediately forgot about the crouching figure she had seen. Laura’s eyes had been puffy and swollen almost shut from crying. She had looked nothing like her usual polished, cosmopolitan self. She had been clad in a t-shirt and jeans of all things, her hair was swept into a careless ponytail and her face was scrubbed clean of all makeup.
“This is all your fault you know,” Lauren had spat, glaring at Tiana across the huge expanse of the kitchen.
The skillet slipped from Tiana’s hand as she jumped.
“I’m not sure I follow you,” she had said politely, even though she knew, God help her she knew.
The heartbreak on the other woman’
s face had been so obvious that even a blind man could have seen it. Focusing on it had helped Tiana pretend her own heart was not breaking in her chest.
She had known immediately though that the woman was referring to Christian.
“Christian called off our engagement. He’s offered to compensate me for the effort it took me to come here!”
“I... see?” Tiana repeated.
“It’s your fault, you stupid bitch,” Lauren had yelled angrily, all the veins in her neck standing out in stark relief. Then before Tiana could so much as respond, Lauren had turned on her heel and fled.
Tiana sighed now, her hands drying some plates. It was ironic that in two short weeks, she had managed to burn just about every meal, annoy everyone in the kitchen and on the grounds, and alienate everyone generally but Jamal. She had also managed to skip meals so much that she felt a little faint.
Her baby was the one person not mad at her, she thought smiling as she thought of the roses he had taken to bringing her every day. He had apparently wrapped the head gardener around his little finger too because the man had taken to having a single rose ready for Jamal to take to his mother every day.
She had been miserable for two weeks, she admitted to herself, and Jamal was becoming worried. She could see the worry in his young eyes when he looked at her these days and that worried her. She didn’t want her son worrying about anything but being a kid. Even her studies had suffered. She had been unable to do anything at all in the two weeks since their quarrel.
With a sigh of exasperation, she dumped the last of the silverware to drain and wiped off her hands with a towel.
She loved Christian, she admitted silently to herself. She was in love with him. But somehow, admitting it to herself was one thing, and saying it to him was something entirely different. But Christian made her feel alive, he made her feel joy beyond anything she had ever felt, he made her want to do things she had never done before like ride a horse across a field or make love in a cottage.
The Love Ranch (BWWM Romance) Page 8
