The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch

by Charlene Sands

  “I’d better go,” she whispered softly.

  He stood still and nodded, releasing his hold on her.

  He wasn’t a good actor, not even close. Anyone watching him now would guess his intentions from the way he was looking at her. At the moment he didn’t give a damn.

  She turned from him, hips swaying as she walked off the dance floor. She stopped when she reached Logan and Sophia’s sweetheart table where Audrey was standing with the baby. The entire family gathered around Connor, taking turns holding him.

  So much for being discreet. Babies attracted attention. And Connor certainly was doing that, not only with the Slades, but with many of the guests in attendance.

  Audrey handed the baby over to Kat and she braced him tight to her chest. Peeking over the baby’s shoulder, Kat found Justin again and the sensual glint in her eyes told him what he wanted to know.

  A rare kind of emotion poured into his heart.

  He glanced at his watch. The best man’s speech came next and then a few more wedding day rituals. Logan deserved the happiness he was getting and Justin had every intention of being here for him. Both the bride and groom had waited for him to return home so that he could be a part of the ceremony and celebration, but as soon as the reception was over, Justin wouldn’t delay in taking his family back up to the hotel room.

  Seven

  Standing over the crib in Kat’s suite, they watched their son sleep. Justin’s warm breath drifted over her throat, sending her mind in a direction it shouldn’t be taking. Kat had always imagined being a family like this. As a young girl, she’d clung to her dreams when life pounded her from all sides. When all she had was her mother’s distracted love and no real place to call home.

  If only the circumstances for the three of them weren’t so darn messy.

  The wedding had been wonderful, and she was greatly relieved she hadn’t been put on the spot. No one had asked her probing questions and she hadn’t had to tell any lies. Thank goodness.

  “I want to be here when the baby wakes up,” Justin said.

  Justin’s request was reasonable. He’d never been around when Connor awakened; the baby was usually in his best mood at the first light of day, cackling and smiling and affectionate. “Okay, I’ll knock on the adjoining door when he—”

  Justin grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the room. She let him lead her, though she was a little surprised by his abrupt behavior. He brought her to the parlor just outside the bedroom and pinned her against the wall. He wasn’t rough, but he wasn’t gentle, either, and her heartbeats sped with delicious anticipation. “I meant, I want to be in bed with you, when the baby wakes up.”

  Her throat clamped. “Oh,” she squeaked. “Do...do I have a choice in this?”

  Justin yanked off his tie and unfastened the buttons on his white dress shirt with one hand, while he grasped both of her wrists with the other. He held them high above her head, slamming them up against the wall. A thrill raced through her body as his mouth hovered close to hers. “You always have a choice, sugar.”

  But then his lips closed over hers and she was completely swept up a bruising kiss that took all choice away. “Yes, yes,” she uttered, as he kissed her once more.

  Her back arched away from the wall, her body responding to him naturally as she pressed against him. Beautiful desperate groans spilled from his lips and he continued to kiss her. She had an urge to touch him, to rip his clothes off.

  He might’ve read her mind, because in that instant, he yanked his shirt free, shifting to keep her hands pinned above her head. Her body heated like a furnace kicking on full steam. With nearly unquenchable need driving her wild, she moved her hips and bucked toward him. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, leaving her chest heaving, her nipples aching and her legs wobbly.

  He was muscled, ripped like a man who’d had to be strong, not for vanity but for survival. She ached to touch him, to weave her fingers through the light cropping of hairs on his chest. To feel his muscles under her fingertips and run her tongue along his belly.

  “Easy, sugar, easy,” he said, his breaths labored. “Don’t rush this.”

  But Kat needed him. She needed to feel the connection from something deep and lonely inside her. Justin was perfect, probably too good for her, and that made her want him all the more. She was from the gutter. He was bred to be a hero. None of this made sense. Except that the two of them, making love, always made sense.

  She didn’t have to deal with appearances right now. She could have this one moment, this one ounce of unabashed pleasure. It wasn’t as if she and Justin were strangers. They knew each other well, sexually. She wanted him inside her. She wanted the release that came when you placed one hundred percent of your trust in another person. “Touch me, baby. Touch me.”

  She’d nearly shouted her plea and it surprised her, how desperate she sounded.

  Justin broke the kiss, and she whimpered from the loss.

  His hand closed over her breast. “Like this?”

  Through her clothes, she felt the scorching heat of his palm as he massaged her back and forth. Jolts of electricity traveled with lightning speed through her body. Her nipples puckered in response. “Yes, oh, yes.”

  He kept her pinned and it frustrated her not to touch him back. Every time she tried to loosen his grip, he tightened his hold on her.

  His one hand did enough magic though, as he expertly rubbed the sensitive tips of her breasts. Heat puddled in her belly. Below that, she felt herself go suddenly taut. Tension built to extremes until Kat couldn’t comprehend anything but the pleasure that was about to explode inside.

  She felt her dress being hiked up, and Justin’s fingers finding and caressing her oh-so-sensitive sweet spot.

  It was enough to topple her.

  Spasms wracked her body, everything went hot and tight. Quick, short gasps spurted from her mouth from the sudden, unexpected release.

  It was crazy. It had only taken seconds for Justin to completely arouse her. Still fully clothed, and so surprised, she’d had one of the best orgasms of her life.

  Thank you, Justin Slade.

  Her eyes slowly opened as she came down to earth. Justin looked on in awe and spoke with reverence. “Amazing.”

  Somewhere along the line, he’d released her hands and she was now free to touch him, but before she could lay a hand on his chest, she found herself being lifted up and carried away.

  She had the good sense to remember Connor. “The baby.”

  “We’ll keep the door between the suites open. We’ll hear him if he needs us and we’ll check in on him later.”

  For the first time since she’d met Justin, she didn’t mind hearing the “we” in Justin’s command. “Okay,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  His bedroom was in shadow. Justin loosened his grip on her and she slid down his body, balancing on her high heels once her feet touched the carpeted floor. He took half a step back to look at her. Then she brought her fingertips to his toned, bronze chest.

  He trembled from her touch and a fierce possessive gleam sparkled in his eyes. She stroked him more, laying the palm of her hands flat on his chest. He closed his eyes slowly with an expression of pure pleasure. Then she let her hands roam free, touching every cord, every ripple of muscle under his skin. It unnerved her how much she wanted to please him, to hear his soft groans, to see his arousal displayed in the veins popping in his neck and the breadth of his taut body tightening even more.

  Then she rose up to run her tongue along the seam of his lips. He took her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly until her limbs went limp. A sexy thought entered her mind and Kat wasn’t going to play shy. She whispered her desire over his tempting lips. “I want to touch you, Justin. But you can’t touch me back yet.”

  His eyes narrowed on her
cryptically. “You want to torture me?”

  A throaty chuckle escaped her throat. She thought of all the reasons she might want to torture him, but that wasn’t her intention at the moment. Tonight was about satisfying pleasure. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted Justin at her mercy. With a tilt of her head, she asked, “Would you consider it torture to have me touch you?”

  He gave it one second of thought and the hot glint in his eyes told her he was ready for anything she might send his way. He pulled her close and kissed her again, whispering, “Hell yeah, if I couldn’t touch you.”

  “You’ve already touched me plenty.” She’d gone undone in his arms. “I want to reciprocate.”

  His brows arched. “I’m not gonna refuse an offer like that.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He didn’t hesitate to nod and smile. “Do your damage, Kat.”

  “Okay, then.” With a keen sense of triumph, she spun around. “Will you unzip my dress?”

  He stepped closer, his breath whispering over her shoulder. He planted tiny kisses there and up the back of her neck. Goose bumps erupted everywhere. “You’re touching.”

  “We haven’t started yet.”

  He eased the zipper down past her waist and his fingertips lingered on the curve of her spine just above her buttocks.

  Kat’s skin tingled in response. “I see I have a cheater on my hands.”

  “And they say cheaters never win.” His fingers skimmed over the slope of her derriere.

  She shuddered in response. “I’ll get back at you for that,” she said on a stifled breath.

  “I’m hoping you do.”

  A gasp broke from her throat and she whirled around to face him. His eyes devoured her. She’d never seen hunger as strong or powerful before. If she wasn’t careful, she’d lose her nerve. “Will you lie down on the bed?”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Undress for you.”

  “I’m there,” he said. And he was. In seconds, Justin was sprawled across the king-size bed, waiting for her. Memories rushed forth of making love with Justin before and she knew tonight would be equally satisfying.

  She slipped her dress over her hips and gave a wiggle. Violet material pooled at her feet. She took a little step over it. Next came her bra and panties; as she hastily removed them, she suddenly felt less bold than a minute ago when she suggested this. She shot Justin a quick glance. He gave her an encouraging nod, his expression filled with patient, reverent awe.

  Oh, how she wanted him.

  There was no backing out now anyway. She stood naked in the shadows and came forth into a ray of light slicing through the window.

  * * *

  Justin rolled to his side, braced an elbow on the bed and watched Kat move toward him. If he wasn’t so damn turned on, he’d be amused at her sudden shyness as she approached the bed. She was one hundred and fifteen pounds of creamy, smooth-skinned perfection. She had big breasts, a tiny waistline and curvy hips. Her hair was the color of rich French vanilla ice cream and her lips were as juicy as ripe apples.

  When she put her knees on the bed, Justin rolled onto his back, giving her room to join him. He put his hands behind his head, lacing his fingers tight. The lady wanted to play this game and he wouldn’t deny her.

  “Close your eyes,” she said as she lay down next to him.

  “That’s not part of the deal. I like watching you.”

  “You’re going to like what I plan to do even more.”

  He shut his eyes. Immediately, the mattress dipped a little and he felt her presence. The aura that was Kat, along with her heady perfume, intoxicated him. For a minute, she said nothing. Did nothing. He was about to protest, until she moved a little closer and soft strands of her hair brushed over his face. He breathed in sunshine and freshness. Then her lips covered his.

  Her kiss jerked his body to attention.

  Instantly, he knew keeping his hands off would surely kill him.

  Her slender delicate fingertips grazed over his skin, lightly, gently, and she removed her mouth from his to drizzle dozens of tiny kisses onto his throat. He took a deep swallow and maintained his position. Next she nipped at his earlobe, her teeth nibbling, her breath coming in short bursts as the fingers of one hand probed below his waist.

  She worked at his belt buckle and then unzipped his dress pants.

  What came next tempted him to reach for her and wind his hand in her hair, but he held firm, keeping both hands behind his head, his fingers entwined.

  Kat worked magic on him, her mouth, her tongue making him crazy. He bucked and arched, feeling her hair caress his belly, her soft cheeks brush against his skin. He broke out in a sweat, beads of moisture pooling on his brow, his head thrashing back and forth on the pillow. She made mush of his resolve. He was ready to cave, ready to cry uncle, but he didn’t want her brand of punishment to end. It was too good, too damn exciting even if it was killing him at the same time.

  He loved the sexual being that she was. He loved that she was uninhibited. Every touch, every damn stroke of her tongue was meant to give them both pleasure. No wonder he hadn’t forgotten that one night they’d had together in New York. While his memories of her appearance had begun to fade when he was stationed overseas, the memories of making love to Kat hadn’t. They had kept him warm on many a cold night. Being Brett that weekend had had only one advantage...making love with Kat.

  His groans filled the silence of the room. Every fiber of his being battled to claim her, to untie the imaginary bonds on his hands. His body was on high idle, ready to race toward the finish line. He wanted to take her...now.

  He shook with uncontrollable force, trying to take his mind other places. But it wasn’t working. All he could think about was fishing a condom out of his pants pocket and bringing them both to completion. “In my pants, get it,” he managed to say, opening his eyes.

  Kat didn’t hesitate. She must’ve sensed he was on the brink. He watched her get the condom and rip the package open. When he was sheathed, she rose over him and straddled his legs. Lying on the bed, seeing Kat above him, blonde and beautiful and seductive, knocked him ten ways to Sunday. It was more than having great sex with her. It was more...so much more.

  She went slow and easy, and he could tell it’d been a long time for her. She moved cautiously at first and Justin kept pace, aching to slam into her, to release the pressure that had built from a small tornado into a raging twister. But he wouldn’t hurt Kat. He wouldn’t do anything to ever harm her.

  Her movements grew more frantic and she took him faster and faster until she breathed out, “Touch me, Justin. It’s okay. Please...I need you to touch me.”

  Justin didn’t need any more encouragement. He brought his hands to her hips and guided them both home.

  * * *

  Sated and drowsy-eyed, Kat lay on the bed nestled up to him. Justin ran a hand along her body, letting her warmth and softness sink in. He stroked the slope of her breast and brushed a kiss into her hairline.

  “Do you think I should check on the baby again?” she asked.

  “We just did ten minutes ago. He’s out. Let’s give it a few more minutes and we’ll both go in again.”

  “Okay. Mmm, feels good.”

  “Me touching you? I’m trying to make up for lost time.”

  “That, too,” she purred, snuggling closer under the covers. “But it feels good having someone else to rely on with Connor. I never thought I’d say that.”

  “You can always count on me.”

  “I know.”

  “You put me through hell, you know,” he whispered, splaying his hand over her waist and giving it a squeeze.

  “Really?”

  “You’ve been killing me in small doses since I met you at Mattie’s house. You
’re beautiful and talented and I’ve wanted to be like this with you since the second I caught sight of you bending over that old clunker when you were trying to fix that tire.”

  She chuckled. “That must’ve been a sight.”

  “You kidding?” He smoothed his hand over the curve of her hip and blew out a breath. “You don’t see sights like that when you’re overseas.”

  “But you’re a civilian now.”

  “Yeah...feels weird in some ways. In other ways it’s pretty much perfect.” He gave her hip a little squeeze to prove his point.

  “How is it weird for you?”

  He didn’t really want to talk about the weirdness of coming home. About people’s perception of him, how everyone expected him to behave in a certain way because that’s how they remembered him in the past. But because Kat had asked him in earnest and seemed to really want an answer, he offered, “Combat changes you. It puts life in a big ole glass bowl and makes you see what’s really important. You bond with people you might never ordinarily associate with, and they become important to you on an everyday basis. Your life is contained in a small cylinder of space. Your focus, your mission, the friendships you develop are all a part of that cylinder. If that makes any sense?”

  “Yeah, I think it does. And when you lose someone, the cylinder gets even smaller.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “That’s how it works.”

  “Justin, will you tell me a little bit about Brett? Not now, if you can’t. But maybe in the future? I’m curious about him.”

  His chest constricted at her request. He cradled her closer in his arms as his thoughts turned somber.

  “What do you want to know?”

  She laid her palm on his cheek, her fingers soft against his beard stubble. “He was your good friend?”