Terms of a Texas Marriage

by Lauren Canan

  In the ensuing silence, he assumed she realized how close she’d come to losing her resolve, that there would be no turning back. The bedroll moved as she shifted her body. But instead of turning away, she kissed his chest, her teeth nipping his skin, her tongue tasting his heated flesh.

  Like a man driven by forces beyond his control, he pushed her fully onto her back, pressed her down into the thick bedroll. Warm and pliant, her flesh conformed to his like the rain that filled each tiny crevice of the parched earth.

  In that moment, he knew it was no longer a bluff to get her to leave. She was his wife, regardless of the circumstances. And he wanted her. Oh, how he wanted her. He needed to feel his hard flesh sheathed inside. She was his. And he’d make damn sure she knew it. His mouth found hers, plunging his tongue inside, loving the taste of her, the feel of her. And this time Shea kissed him back.

  With a moan of defeat, Alec kissed her deeply, urgently, with a hunger that threatened to consume him. He heard her whimper, and the blood pounded in his ears. His hand followed the exquisite contours of her body, cupping her perfect breast, his thumb teasing the taut nipple. He left her lips, kissing down her throat to the supple flesh he held in his hand, teasing the small nub. She arched her back, pushing her chest toward him with a soft moan and he gave equal attention to her other perfect breast. With his hand, he traced over her belly, then lower to the silken curls that framed the center of her desire.

  “Alec,” she whispered, need heavy in her voice as she pushed against his hand.

  The pain in his loins became unbearable as raw, primitive instinct took over.

  He moved fully on top of her and she opened to him. His hand fisted her hair, drawing her head back, allowing him greater access to her mouth, and like a starving man, he fed.

  Alec raised his head and through the flashes of radiant light, he looked into the blue iridescent depths of her eyes and with a hoarse, almost feral growl, he pushed inside.

  The thunder rolled, escalating in power, mirroring the intensity of their joining. Shea struggled to accept him, her body stretching as his power filled her. She knew no fear of the storm. Her mind and body were consumed with Alec, all senses tuned to him. She could no longer think. Only feel. And the feeling was incredible. Every movement of his big, powerful body propelled her higher. Her arms slid up and over his broad shoulders to circle his neck, her fingers gripped his thick hair.

  Alec’s lips returned to hers, his tongue pushing deep. His hands cupped her head, holding her where he wanted her to be and a pressure inside began to build, causing a need that was almost painful in its intensity.

  “Alec!” she cried out against his lips.

  “I know, babe. Let it happen.”

  Rotating his hips, he pushed hard and suddenly her desire crested and her mind shattered into a million brilliant pieces. She cried out his name as wave after wave of complete and total fulfillment coursed through her body.

  He kissed her again with animal hunger. He began to move with a driving force, bringing her to the edge of mindless release for a second time. She clutched at his broad shoulders as his hands moved to cup her hips, lifting her, filling her, until, with a wild growl, he reached the summit of his own release. He shuddered against her as the spasms of his completion vibrated through him, and pushed her over the top yet again.

  Spent, he collapsed on top of her. His heavy weight made it difficult to breathe, but she never would have asked him to move away. Surrounded by his musky scent she could feel the rapid beating of his heart. Wrapped in the warmth and protection of his arms, she floated slowly back to earth. Outside their shelter the rain continued to fall.

  It was as though neither of them was inclined to move for fear they would somehow lose this sweet accord, this exquisite joining of their bodies and souls. She wanted this moment to go on, for him to hold her like this forever.

  Rising up on his arms, his eyes captured hers, his thumb gently tracing the contours of her lips. In those moments, time stood still.

  Finally, he eased from her but held her close.

  “Did I hurt you?” he asked, bringing her hand to his lips.

  “No.” She smiled and gently touched his face.

  She knew the pain would come later.

  When this situation was over and Alec said goodbye.

  * * *

  “Shea—” Alec’s voice called to her, bringing her back from the blissful realm of sleep. “Shea, hon, wake up.”

  She moaned her disgruntlement and attempted to snuggle back into the heavenly cocoon of their soft makeshift bed.

  “Come on, sweetheart.” Alec kissed her before pulling the warmth of the bedroll away from her. “I think we’re about to have company.”

  Before she could respond, a piercing light shattered the darkness, followed by the sound of an engine and tires bouncing through the small pools of water in the rain-drenched earth.

  Struggling to sit up, she pulled the top of the sleeping bag around her. “What is it?”

  “I think we’re being rescued.”

  “Rescued? What time is it?” The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the sky was still black.

  “Just after midnight.”

  “You both all right in there?” Hank’s voice called from the truck as he pulled up in front of the foundation. “Got kinda worried when the storm broke. Figured I’d better come out and check.”

  Her eyes locked to Alec’s, she didn’t immediately move. Then, with a grimace, he rolled onto his side and reached for his jeans.

  Shea found the blanket he’d been using, pulled it around her, gathered her wet clothes and stood up. Hank’s arrival had effectively melted away the sweet fantasy and slammed her back to reality.

  What had she done?

  She didn’t look in Alec’s direction as she walked toward Hank and the truck.

  The trip back was made in silence, her earlier intentions to wring Hank’s neck now overshadowed by confusion. She must be crazy. How could she have made love with the man who threatened to take away her ranch and everything she cherished?

  A slight tremble ran down her spine and she pulled the blanket more tightly around her. Alec reached out and turned up the heater. But it wasn’t the temperature in the truck’s cab making her feel chilled to the bone.

  Entering the house, she went straight upstairs. Maybe, with any luck she could be in bed and feign sleep when he got there. She quickly grabbed a clean T-shirt and panties, entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. Stepping under the spray, she leaned forward, placing her forehead against the shower wall, and let the hot water stream down her back.

  Had she been wrong in making love to Alec? She didn’t love him. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t fall in love with him. It had been hormones. Or the rain. Or momentary insanity. She gritted her teeth. This would only make everything worse.

  Shower finished, she dressed for bed and pulled open the bathroom door. Alec stood in front of her, very tall, very imposing and very male. He was clad only in a towel slung low around his hips. He must have showered in the bathroom downstairs. He watched her with those cat eyes, alert to the emotions she tried to hide.

  She forced a smile and moved to step around him. He caught her arm as she passed, gently halting her forward motion.

  “Do we need to talk?”

  She kept her vision focused on the floor. She didn’t want to see the mockery in his eyes or the smirk that would be back on his face. “No.”

  He placed a finger under her chin, forced her to look into his eyes. Her gaze dropped lower, to his mouth, full, defined and capable of so much passion. There was no mockery. No contempt. No smirk.

  “I disagree. I just made love to my wife, and now she doesn’t want anything to do with me.” He watched her intently, his head tilted in question. “I’d like to know why.”
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  She shrugged. “I... It’s awkward, Alec. For me. I mean, I’m not sure—”

  “Where we go from here?”

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  He moved forward, resting his hands against the wall, his well-muscled biceps on either side of her head, and leaned down to her. “I say we take it one day at a time.” His raspy voice was deep and wonderfully disturbing. He moved to her neck, nipped at the sensitive skin just below her ear. “I can’t tell you I’ll call off the project,” he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. “There is already too much time and money invested and too many people involved,” he murmured before moving to the other side of her neck and repeating the wildly arousing little bites. “But there has to be a way to work this out.”

  Every nip sent tingles of hot current jolting through her. He was doing it again. He was seducing her with his touch and his voice. Oh, how she wished they’d come together under different circumstances. But right then, she couldn’t quite remember why it mattered.

  “But for now I see no other immediate changes that are required.” The look on his face told her he was serious.

  As they stood in the shadows with his face so close she could touch her lips to his with minimal movement, the concern over the ranch faded somewhat. Yet she knew the only thing they’d truly accomplished was admitting their mutual desire for each other.

  Mutely, she nodded, and his mouth came down over hers. The stubble of his beard scratched her skin, but she didn’t care. God help her, at this moment she didn’t care.

  With a barely concealed moan, Alec scooped her into his arms and carried her to their bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them.

  Eleven

  The distant rumbling of thunder announced the approach of yet another summer storm. The humidity was high, the air thick. Alec found Shea in Scotty’s bedroom, opening a window to allow the gentle breeze to penetrate the room’s stuffiness.

  “Does it always rain this much in Texas?” he asked from the doorway.

  “Summer showers,” she replied, turning to smile at him. “By mid-August we’ll be wishing for some of this rain.”

  “Hey, Dad! Look what I won at the fair!” Scotty ran into the room fresh from his bath. Just after breakfast, Hank had taken him and Cody for a day at the county fair, giving Alec and Shea the entire day together without distractions. They hadn’t wasted a second.

  Scotty proudly grabbed a huge stuffed owl from atop his dresser. The oval face, covered in gray feathers, framed two huge round eyes. “Isn’t it cool? Cody just won a stuffed bear. Boy, I was lucky, wasn’t I, Daddy?”

  “You sure were, son,” Alec replied, smiling at Scotty.

  “And I got to ride with Hank on his horse in the parade, and we ate hot dogs with ketchup, and we got some of the candy they threw from the...uh...uh...” He looked at Shea.

  “Floats,” Shea supplied.

  “Yeah, from the floats. Then we saw the biggest pig get a ribbon, and Leonard Mabry let me brush his goat.” He actually stopped and took a breath. “It was cool, Dad.”

  Grinning, Alec leaned over and placed a kiss on his son’s head, then rustled the soft hair. Shea turned down the covers of the small bed. “Okay, in you go, cowboy.”

  Scotty ran to the window and carefully placed the owl on the windowsill. “Hank said this old owl will bring me luck. I’m gonna set it here so it will see me when I ride Marty.”

  The day after they’d been stranded at the old ruins, Hank had introduced Scotty to his first horse. Marty had indeed been a perfect choice, moving slow and gentle as though he knew his young rider was just learning. After only an hour of simple instruction, Scotty had been off and riding, making endless circles around one of the larger corrals.

  The boy turned and jumped into the center of the mattress with a squeal and a giggle. Alec smiled and leaned over to tuck in his young son for the night.

  Shea slipped out of the room, giving father and son some bonding time. The wind had picked up, and the sheer draperies fluttered gently inside the master bedroom. Suddenly, the rain began to fall, pelting against the top of the house, falling in heavy sheets from the edges of the roof. She walked to the dresser and took out a soft cotton T-shirt in preparation for her shower.

  Large hands came to rest on her shoulders, their grip a welcome deterrent against the rain’s sudden chill. Alec’s arms came around her, pulling her back against his chest. His chin rested on her head.

  “Thank you,” he said quietly.

  “For what?” A quizzical frown covered her face as she turned to her husband.

  “For all you do for Scotty. And for me.” He grinned. “Or, maybe I should I say to me.”

  “Both are my pleasure.” She beamed.

  “Come here,” Alec whispered, pulling her down onto the bed and settling himself next to her. He began unbuttoning her blouse.

  “I would like to know the name of the idiot who invented buttons,” he muttered. “And why my wife insists on wearing clothing with them on it.”

  “What would you have me do? Wear nothing but T-shirts?”

  “You’ve got it partially right. Just leave off the T-shirt.”

  She laughed, and he leaned over and placed his lips on hers.

  She was so focused on Alec at first she ignored the cool, wet sensation on her forehead. As the feeling persisted, it became an irritant, breaking her focus and causing her to push Alec away. She sat up and wiped at her temple, noting the moisture on her hand.

  Before she could assimilate her thoughts, another drop of something cold and wet hit her head then trickled down her scalp underneath her hair.

  “Shea, what’s wrong?”

  She swung her legs to the side of the bed as another droplet of water splattered onto her shoulder and ran down her arm. She sprang from the bed. “Oh...Alec, it’s—”

  At that moment, with a sickening groan, a section of the ceiling above the bed collapsed, sending a downpour of accumulated rainwater squarely onto Alec’s head.

  With a shriek, she scampered back from the bed as a flash of lightning illuminated the room. Startled, she took in Alec, sitting on the bed, his hands held ineffectively above his head as a river of water cascaded down.

  “Cool!” Scotty called out as he opened their bedroom door, no doubt hearing the loud crash as well as her shriek. His eyes were wide at the spectacle in front of him. “Hey, Dad, can I—”

  “No!” Alec didn’t give him a chance to finish the question. “Go into the bathroom and get a towel,” he barked as he rolled off the bed, sending Scotty running down the hall.

  Shea stood to the side, staring incredulously at her husband, who appeared to be in shock. He placed his hands on his hips and stared up at the heavily dripping ceiling, a look of amazement on his features.

  Shea clenched her fists in a weak effort to contain her amusement but lost the battle as a fit of giggles overpowered her and she gave in to a moment of full-fledged laughter. Scotty returned with the towel, his giggles joining hers at the sight of his father standing drenched beside the bed.

  “It’s not that damn funny,” he growled, which brought an encore of laughter from both of them. Alec snatched the towel from his son’s hands and began to blot his head and neck.

  “Hey, Daddy, you want some soap?”

  Shea clamped her hand over her mouth and turned away from Alec as she fought to restrain the laughter. Suddenly, she was hoisted up into his arms.

  “You think it’s so funny?”

  Before she could answer, she was tossed through the air, landing with a splash on top of the completely soaked mattress. There were matching screams and giggles from Scotty as he came to rest on the bed next to her.

  * * *

  “Why? Why go to the trouble of checking the foundation of a house you only
want to tear down?”

  Shea watched as Alec checked the flashlights while he waited for Jason to arrive.

  “Because I want to know that it’s safe. Obviously we won’t be moving out as quickly as I’d originally anticipated.” He shot her a knowing glance, his lips pursed to subdue the grin. “As old as this place is, it could be a death trap. I’m not about to endanger Scott’s life—or yours—by taking that chance.”

  “Well, I think you’re making this bigger than it is. You’re going to extremes.”

  “I don’t care. There may not be anything holding this house together but the paint and even that’s beginning to crack. I’m going over every square inch. It obviously needs a new roof.”

  “Oh yeah? How can you tell?” They’d spent the night in her old room and while it was not as comfortable as their new bed, especially for a man of Alec’s size, Shea had slept peacefully. The cold rainwater shower hadn’t dampened his sexual appetite, and after they’d managed to get Scotty back to sleep, Alec had wasted no time proving it.

  “Yeah, Daddy,” Scotty chimed in. “How can you tell?” A quelling look from his father did little to silence his giggles, but he scooted out of his chair. “I’m gonna go see what Hank’s doing.”

  “Breakfast will be ready in an hour,” Shea called. “Tell Hank to have you back here by nine.”

  “Okay,” he replied, as the door slammed behind him.

  “This is serious, Shea,” Alec said as he poured another cup of coffee. “How long has it been since this house was checked?”

  “Checked for what?” She put the strips of bacon into the large iron skillet. The sizzle and aroma immediately filled the air.

  “Wood rot. Termites. Faulty wiring. Leaking pipes. Any number of things.”

  She shrugged. “I really don’t know.”

  “How long since the roof was replaced?”

  She again shrugged her shoulders. “Dad always said he was going to have it repaired, but I don’t think he ever got around to it. We’ve had some leaks from time to time, and the roof was patched in those areas.” She’d hoped that would suffice until there was money for a new roof.