The Cowboy Lassos a Bride (Cowboys of Chance Creek)

by Cora Seton

  Barely.

  Instead, he showed her the closet and opened a drawer in the dresser. “There’s a desk here for you, too.”

  “Terrific.”

  Her voice was small and thin. Glancing down at her, he caught her glancing up, and suddenly he knew she was feeling the same way he was. Nervous. Interested. A little excited.

  He tried to dampen that excited feeling, or at least get it under control, but he was all too aware of her standing next to him in this private place. There was a bed right there, after all—a comfortable, beckoning bed.

  “Hannah, look,” he began.

  “Jake, I…”

  They stopped. Laughed a little.

  “You first.” Jake thought she’d protest, but she took a breath and began to speak.

  “Ever since that night… when the men came for Fila—I haven’t been able to sleep very well.”

  He nodded slowly. It wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. He’d expected her to mention Bella and Evan’s wedding—what happened in the break room. They still hadn’t spoken of it despite the many conversations they’d had since. He thought about it all the time. He figured she must have thought about it, too. Instead of asking him why he’d done what he’d done, however, she was talking about the night they’d reconnected. The night terrorists had come to Chance Creek hunting for Fila. The night he’d been part of a shootout—his first and hopefully last—and Hannah had been there, too. In harm’s way. It made sense she had trouble sleeping since then. Less understandable was the blush creeping over her milky skin. He’d been around Hannah long enough to know that she blushed easily, but what had set her off now? Worry that he’d find her nightmares childish? Or something else?

  “Sometimes I’m up for hours,” she went on. “I usually end up in Autumn’s kitchen, drinking warm milk. I read or turn on the television.”

  She looked at him expectantly but he wasn’t sure what she was trying to tell him. “That won’t bother me,” he hazarded.

  Hannah bit her lip. “I guess what I’m saying… what I’m asking,” she corrected herself, “is—could I sleep with you tonight?” Her words came out in a rush and her flush deepened.

  Well, he’d be damned. She really did want him. A certain part of his anatomy stirred to life and a quick series of images flashed through his mind. Hannah undressed, reaching for him. Ready for him. “Uh… sure. You bet. No problem.” Hell. He sounded as eager as a schoolboy. Time to get a grip.

  Time to act like a man. If Hannah was woman enough to ask that favor, he wasn’t going to leave her in any doubt of his willingness to comply. He tightened his hold on her fingers, tugged her closer, slid a hand under her hair to cup her head, bent down and kissed her.

  Her mouth was as soft and sweet as it had been at the Mortimer wedding, and he thought he could spend hours just like this—kissing her like he had that night in the break room. She hesitated only a second before sighing and melting against him. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her in closer, his whole body set alight when her breasts touched his chest, her thighs pressed against his. He nibbled her lips, then searched with his tongue until she parted them with a sigh and allowed him in. The taste of her turned him on until he thought his blood would boil with wanting her.

  He waited for her to pull back, but she didn’t. In fact, she answered his kiss with a hunger of her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and stood on tiptoes to lean into him. Jake didn’t realize that he’d been edging them toward the bed until his shins grazed the mattress, and then laying her down seemed like a brilliant idea.

  He worried for a moment Hannah might not agree with him, but when she sighed again, all rational thought flew out of his head. Sliding his hands down to cup her bottom, he squeezed gently and she moaned in answer. On fire with wanting her, Jake lifted her up and set her onto the bed, quickly joining her. He laid her back against the pillows, and still kissing her, began to unbutton his shirt. Her fingers joined his in a race to get it off. Soon it was loose, and Jake chucked it over his shoulder, then turned to the business of unbuttoning her blouse.

  With him starting at the top and her starting at the bottom, it was only a moment before he could spread the panels wide and dip his mouth down to trace the edge of her bra. Trailing kisses over her smooth skin, he longed to see the rest of her.

  He couldn’t believe this was happening so fast—at all—but he wasn’t one to squander an opportunity. Maybe Hannah had wanted him all this time, like he’d wanted her. Now they were finally together. He slid his hands under her back and fumbled with the clasp as she arched to allow him access. When it came free, and he slipped the lacy garment from her shoulders, she moved to accommodate him, then stretched beneath him.

  The movement of her breasts entranced him and he dipped his mouth to take one rosy nipple into it. Heaven. He’d died and gone to heaven, and the angel in his arms, her white-blonde hair spread over the pillows, was his proof.

  Hannah gasped as he sucked on her nipple and swished his tongue over it. He moved upward to kiss her again, then over to her other breast, worshipping it in turn. Jake took his time over teasing her with his mouth and tongue until he ached with too much longing for her to wait another minute. When he pulled back, Hannah forestalled his questions by reaching down, unsnapping her jeans, and wriggling out of them.

  “Are you sure?” he breathed against her neck as he swooped in for another kiss. Her breasts blazed against his chest as skin touched skin and he gathered her up in his arms, held her tight and trailed more kisses under her chin, down her jaw, under her ear, and down her neck on the other side.

  Hannah nodded, and he pushed himself up to his knees, undid his own belt buckle and shucked off his jeans. He watched her all the while, taking in every inch of her body, bare to his gaze except the tiny silky panties she still wore.

  He groaned when she hooked a finger under their thin strap and pulled them off, too. If he’d had any doubts of her willingness to take things further, he was under no illusions now.

  She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  “Jake. Protection,” Hannah whispered in his ear as he covered her.

  She wanted to throw protection to the wind. Wanted to throw everything to the wind and pull Jake inside her. When she’d said yes to moving to the Double-Bar-K, this was exactly what she’d hoped for, no matter all the practical things she told herself about not getting involved with a man just before starting school.

  She wanted to be right here. In Jake’s arms. Him inside of her, moving with her. Why on earth had she stayed with Cody so long? Why on earth had she ever dated anyone else than Jake?

  He pushed back. “You’re not on the Pill?”

  “No. Not now. And even if…”

  “Got it.” He thought a second. “Hold on.”

  Bereft of his presence, she moved to draw the coverlet and blankets over her. She’d barely accomplished the maneuver when he was back. He tossed the blankets aside, climbed back on top of her and fiddled for a moment with a box and wrapper before throwing them aside, too. He gave her his full attention.

  “All set,” he said, and she wasn’t sure if he was making an announcement or asking her a question. She lay back and searched the face of the man poised above her. She’d always remember this moment, she thought; the moment just before she and Jake became truly intimate. Heat pulsed between her legs and she could stand the distance between them no longer.

  “All set,” she agreed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him down to her, met his mouth with her own, and felt the weight of him settle on top of her, his hardness pressed against the juncture of her thighs.

  Heat flooded through her. She wanted this—wanted him—more than anything she’d ever wanted before. As Jake shifted above her, settled between her legs and then nudged her core, she thought she would explode with longing right then and there.

  “Tell me,” he grunted by her ear as he pressed into her. Just enough to tease her; n
ot nearly enough to satisfy her need for him.

  “Please,” she said, holding onto him tighter, pressing her hips to his, trying to draw him inside. “Please, Jake…”

  “Hannah,” he said and plunged farther inside her. She ached for more; wanted all of him.

  “More,” she said through gritted teeth, tipping her hips, sliding her hands down his back to his ass. “More, Jake. I want more!”

  He stroked into her hard and she cried out in pleasure. Picking up his pace, he pulled out and stroked in again. Hannah held him tightly, his every movement bringing a rush of sensation that threatened to overwhelm her. She dug her fingers into his flesh, urged him on with kisses and the press of her hips. He stroked faster, harder, until all she could do was hang on and ride the wave of sensation with him. She never wanted this to end, she wanted to feel this close to Jake, this turned on by him, this overwhelmed with ecstasy for as long as she lived.

  She went over the edge with a rush of feeling, and cried out as Jake bucked against her in his own release. Arching against him, she rode the sensation until she collapsed against the pillows, numb to her fingertips from the power of her release. Jake fell on top of her and she welcomed the weight of him.

  “These next two weeks are going to be so much fun,” she said, luxuriating in the feel of him. Tracing a lazy finger down Jake’s back, she felt him stiffen.

  “Next two weeks? I thought Autumn’s guests were staying for a month.” He pushed himself up on his elbows and gazed down at her.

  “Right. I meant month.” Whoops—she’d nearly blown it. Jake thought she meant to stay here at least until Autumn’s guests went home in the new year. Well, that was fine with her. She’d stay here as long as she possibly could.

  The intent, infatuated look in his eyes from just moments ago faded into something else, something deeper. “I want more than a month,” Jake said. She blinked up at him, suddenly cold. Something serious was coming. Something more than she was ready to hear. A chill rushed down her spine, perking her nipples into hard peaks.

  “Hannah Ashton,” Jake said. “Will you marry me?”

  ‡

  Chapter Six

  Hannah’s eyes went wide and she tried to pull back, but trapped as she was beneath him, she had nowhere to go.

  “Jake, I…”

  “Hold on, let me finish,” he rushed to say, knowing he had moments to fix things before he lost her completely. They were still joined together, something that made this moment transcend simple intimacy. He knew he had just risked everything. Whatever he said next would make or break them. “I want you, Hannah. I know it’s too soon. I know I should wait, but I can’t wait to tell you how I feel.” He bent to kiss her. “I want to wake up to you. I want to go to sleep with you, and I want to spend as many moments in between with you as I can. I think we can build a life together here that will beat just about anything else the world has to offer. You’re a pretty woman, Hannah, and I thank God for that, but what really turns me on is your mind.” He tapped her temple. “I can talk to you like no one else. Do you know how sexy that is?” He slid out of her an inch or two and slid back in, just enough to remind her how suited for each other they were in that department, too. “Say yes to me, Hannah. Let’s do this together. Let me make your dreams come true. What do you say?”

  “I… I… Jake, we just…”

  They’d been with each other less than an hour. The enormity of what he’d done crashed down on him like a bucket of ice water. “Oh, man,” he groaned, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against her chin. “Oh, hell, I just blew it, didn’t I?”

  “No, but… we’ve only…” She still wasn’t able to say a complete sentence and Jake couldn’t blame her. Talk about rushing things.

  “Okay, hold up.” His mind raced. “You know how I feel now, and I know,” he kissed her nose, “that at the very least you’re attracted to me. That’s something. We’ll just pretend I didn’t propose to you and give it a little time before I try it again. Okay?” He disengaged himself from her and rolled to his side to give her space.

  “It’s just… I have plans.” Hannah scrambled up to a seated position. She scooted back against the headboard and pulled a sheet up to cover herself. Jake instantly missed the view. Still, he figured he’d better take a moment to dispose of the condom and set himself to rights.

  “Wait a second, would you?” His trip to the en suite bathroom in his bedroom down the hall took less than a minute. When he returned, he took her hand. “Tell me about your plans.” He rubbed circles against her palm then traced up her wrist with his finger. Her skin was soft and smooth and he longed to kiss it, but he wanted to hear her more.

  “I’m going back to school.”

  He stilled. “Really? I thought you already had a degree.”

  “I do. I need to upgrade a few classes and then I’ll go to veterinary school.”

  He dropped her hand. “Veterinary school. You want to become a vet?”

  She nodded her head vigorously. “I’ve wanted to for years.”

  Jake quickly tried to revise his vision. He’d work on the ranch. She’d work in town. She’d be gone from morning to night. Disquiet filled him at the idea. That wasn’t exactly what he’d hoped for. He’d wanted an ally at the ranch, someone to be just as involved as he was. He’d pictured them doing chores together and poring over books and computers at night figuring out what to try next. If she was a vet she’d have a different life outside of his—a separate life. She’d have her own issues and plans to work on. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

  Would she change her mind if she got to know the ranch—and him—better? Could her interest in animals be funneled into the cattle and other critters they decided to raise?

  Maybe. It was worth a shot.

  “How about this. We give it two weeks to see if your plans and mine go together. Then I’ll ask you again.”

  This was all going way too fast. She’d come here planning to share a bed but nothing more. Now they’d made love once and he wanted to marry her?

  “That’s not very long.”

  “It’s long enough,” he assured her. “We’ll either know we’re compatible or we’ll know we aren’t. Trust me.”

  He was so sexy sitting among the tousled covers, his muscular chest right there for the touching and the rest of him beckoning to her, too. Could she marry this man? She instantly pushed the idea away as ridiculous. What about school? What about her new career? She wouldn’t derail that because they’d had sex.

  The best sex of her entire life.

  On the other hand, the thought of climbing out of this bed and leaving Jake’s house forever left her cold with dread. She liked Jake a lot. She might be able to love him. She doubted she’d figure that out in the next fourteen days, however.

  She’d heard his hesitation when she told him her career plans. He’d dropped her hand like a hot coal. For all his insistence afterward that their plans might go together, she figured his first reaction told the truth—they didn’t fit at all.

  And she refused to sacrifice her plans for his. She’d have to leave him when the two weeks were up, and if she was smart she’d leave him right now.

  But there was Gladys to think of.

  And herself. If she couldn’t spend a lifetime with Jake, at least she could spend thirteen more nights with him.

  “Okay,” she said. “We spend two weeks together and we don’t mention marriage until the time is up.”

  “Then I get to ask you again?”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her answer would still be no.

  Jake shifted to join Hannah where she leaned against the headboard and drew the covers up around them. He hadn’t gotten the answer he wanted, but then he hadn’t meant to propose quite so soon. Waiting two weeks was a hell of a chance; he wouldn’t have time to find another woman to marry. But he wouldn’t find another woman he wanted to marry no matter how much time elapsed. It was Hannah or no one. In fact, he cou
ldn’t think too deeply about what would happen if he didn’t eventually convince her to marry him. It was one thing if they missed the deadline and he got kicked off the ranch. It was another thing altogether if she refused to ever become his wife. There wasn’t another woman in Chance Creek he wanted the way he wanted Hannah.

  She leaned against him and he relaxed a little. Hannah liked him, that was obvious. Making love to her was better than anything he’d ever experienced before and he already wanted more, but a silence stretched between them and he figured he’d better fill it.

  “I’ve been making some plans of my own.”

  “Really? What kind of plans?”

  “Changes to make around the ranch.”

  She was so beautiful he wished he could pull her into his arms and go back to making love to her, but he figured if he tried she’d get mad and leave. Women liked to talk at the strangest times and this was one of them. He couldn’t put a ring on her finger, but she was still in his bed, still naked, still interested in what he had to say.

  “I want to add a bison herd, for one thing. I’ve done some reading about them. Did you know they’re far more hardy than our cattle? They’re built for our winters; you barely have to help them through. Their meat is better for us. Since it’s a specialty meat you can charge more for it. I don’t see why we shouldn’t have a herd.”

  “Gladys would like that.” She turned to him with a smile and her breast grazed his arm, sending heat straight through him.

  Jake couldn’t help himself. He tilted her chin up and kissed her softly on the mouth. “We could set up relationships with restaurants and distributors.” Her hand slid up his arm to his shoulder and she kissed him back. Jake lost his train of thought. “I want to talk to you, slow things down a bit, but the truth is…”

  “What?” She leaned into him, arching her neck as he trailed kisses down it and gasping when he bent down to cover one nipple with his mouth. “Jake.”

  Her arms slid over his shoulders and she allowed him to tilt her back until she lay on the bed. “Jake, we should really…” But her hands caressed his back and shoulders, and she moved with him as he began to nuzzle her breasts.