The Cowboys Heart 1

by Helen Evans

  Hudson moved away from me and grabbed the hem of my shirt, lifting it off over my head. As soon as he had it off, I reached behind my back and removed my bra. My nipples hardened under his gaze. He let out a shaky breath, his gaze caressing me the way his hand had just did a few moments ago.

  “You’re beautiful, Heather.”

  I smiled and reached for him, pulling him back down on top of me. Chuckling, he gathered my skirt and bunched it around my waist before settling between my parted legs. I could feel his erection straining behind his jeans, my thin, cotton panties doing nothing to mask the sensation of him there. I braced my heels against the floor and lifted my hips, grinding against him. He let out a throaty moan and pushed forward, pinning me between him and the floor. His body was so hard and warm on mine.

  Grasping at his shirt, I yanked on it until it was off. The brief glance I got of his chest before he was on top of me again was impressive. Tanned flesh, a dusting of dark hair, rippled muscles, flat, defined abs. I had the sudden urge to lick ever glorious inch of him. Hudson closed his mouth around my nipple, suckling it before moving to the next. The sensations wracked my body, made me tremble in the best possible way.

  He kissed down my stomach and back up again, stopping to tease my breasts with his tongue, taking his time, teasing me in a torturously fantastic way. “Kiss me,” I gasped, unable to take another moment of his teasing.

  His lips came down hard on mine in a bruising tangle of tongue and teeth and panting breaths. Then I felt his fingers brush over my sex and then slip under the elastic band. I gasped and lifted my pelvis, making his thumb land on my clit, exactly where I wanted it to be. He rubbed me gently, his pace steady and firm.

  “Hudson,” I whimpered, my orgasm steadily building inside of me. I couldn’t believe I was so close already. He’d barely touched me, but then again, it had been a really long time.

  “Trust me,” he said at my ear, his voice raspy and full of need. He eased a single finger inside of me, and I clutched at his arms, my fingernails digging into his biceps. “I’ve got you, baby. It’s okay.”

  I closed my eyes and did as he said – I let go. I let him touch me, give me pleasure, bring me to much needed, glorious release. My body writhed against his hand, wanting him to go deeper while at the same time wanting him to keep doing exactly as he was. Keeping his finger inside of me, he pressed his thumb to my clit, rubbing it while simultaneously stroking my inner walls. My orgasm was intense, physically draining me yet also making me want more.

  Hudson smiled, his eyes dark with desire. “You okay?”

  “Mmm hmm,” I hummed, my eyes still closed, a satisfied smile on my face. Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I could feel him. His body heat rolled over me, his breath tickled my face. When I felt him move away, I cracked open my eyes to see him unzipping his jeans, tugging them down over his hips. I watched with fascination as he removed his boxers, leaving his manhood bare and exposed to my gaze.

  He was big, much bigger than Phillip, and a wave of fear washed through me. What if it hurt? What if I wasn’t good enough? What if he found me boring and decided he no longer wanted to be with me… Like Phillip had done?

  “I’ve wanted you since the moment I met you,” he said, retrieving a condom from his wallet and rolling it down his length.

  “You have?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  He smiled and looked down at his erection. “Look at me, Heather. Look how hard I am. Does it look like I’m lying?”

  “No,” I breathed out, unable to take my gaze off him. Everything about him was so perfect, so manly. I wanted to devour him.

  “Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  He sighed with relief and removed my panties then my skirt. Lying naked in front of him like this made me feel vulnerable, exposed, but also cherished. He looked at me with so much love and adoration, emotions I wasn’t used to seeing in a man’s eyes. Kissing me, he settled between my legs again, this time his hardness pressing at my entrance. I sucked in a breath when he entered me, expelling it fast when he was all the way in.

  Hudson moaned, resting his arms on either side of my head. “You feel so good.” He nipped at my bottom lip as he began to move. Slow and steady, his body perfectly aligned with mine like we were made specifically for each other.

  “Yes.” I met his thrusts with my own, both of us finding a comfortable rhythm. Our moans and ragged pants filled the room while we made love, our hands and lips exploring one another.

  “I’m not going to last,” he said through clenched teeth, “it’s too good.”

  I wrapped my legs around him, tucking my feet under his butt and rode his motions, both of us edging closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy. My vision blurred, and the room started to spin. “Hudson.” I chanted his name as if it would somehow anchor me, but it didn’t. I continued to feel like I was floating outside of my body, unable to do anything but feel. And holy God, did it feel good. So good.

  “Come with me, Heather, please.” His voice was strained, and he swelled inside of me, making me cry out with pleasure.

  Seconds later, I came for the second time, Hudson doing the same. He collapsed onto me, his face buried in my neck. I stroked his hair and sighed. “That was incredible,” I said.

  He laughed. “Yeah, it was.” Putting his weight into his arms, he peered down at me. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” So much love filled my heart, I was afraid I must burst.

  “Dinner’s probably ruined.”

  I laughed. “That’s okay. This is so much better than pizza.”

  He smiled. “Mmm, I like the way you think.”

  If I had my way, I’d stay right here all night, just like this. And based on the way he made no effort to move, I’d guess he had no intention of doing anything else tonight either.

  Chapter Eight

  Another two months had passed. Things on the ranch were becoming smoother, the repairs were made, and I wasn’t pouring endless amounts of money into it. Although, it wasn’t making a profit yet, either, and finances were tight. My savings were completely wiped out, and if something didn’t give soon, I’d have no choice but to get a job, which would be a nightmare while still trying to run the ranch.

  On the bright side, Hudson and I continued to see each other every night. He made me so happy; I couldn’t imagine my life without him now. I only wished Jamie would be nicer to Hudson, but Jamie made his feelings clear – He hated it here. Hated my relationship with Hudson, hated that his father and I were divorced. He had high hopes of moving back to the city and reconciling with his father. It had broken my heart to have to tell him – again – that his father and I were never getting back together. The same devastated, ‘my life is over’ look had clouded his eyes right before he ran up to his room and slammed the door. He didn’t speak to me the rest of that night and most of the next. I sighed. My son hated everything lately, and I was at the top of that list.

  I hoped, with time, he’d come around to the idea of me and Hudson, because I had no intentions of ending things with him. I loved him, and he loved me. We made it each other better, and Lord knows I wouldn’t have survived around her without him. He’d been a true Godsend, a miracle.

  I brushed the stray strands of hair from my face and blew out a breath. Now that the ranch was running better, I finally had time to devote to the cleaning and repairs inside the house, starting with Grandma’s office, which had turned into a junk room. There were so many boxes stuffed full of papers and files. I don’t know how she lived like this. The clutter drove me nuts.

  Closing yet another box of items to throw away, I lifted it and set it outside the door for pick-up. Richard said when I was finished he’d gather the boxes and dispose of them. As I turned to go back in the office, a crumpled envelope caught my eye. I bent to pick it up. There was a bright green sheet of paper inside, and it was from the local gas company. “That’s weird”,
I thought. I pulled the paper out and read. My heart raced and my eyes widened. My hands even began to shake a little.

  “We have reason to believe there is a large amount of oil beneath your property, and we’re interested in the prospect of exploring this. Please contact us at your earliest convenience to discuss this matter,” I read.

  Holy crap! I put my hand over my chest and fought to catch my breath. My knees were shaky, and I was having trouble wrapping my mind around this letter. There was oil under the property? If that were true… “Wow.” I shook my head. There’s a lot of money in oil. If I could strike a deal with the gas company, it would solve all my problems.

  Clearly Grandma had opened the letter, but had she ever called about it? Did she think about it? I know she never did it, but why? Well, there was only one way to find out. I grabbed my cell phone and called the number on the letter.

  ***

  I was waiting in the driveway when the bus pulled up and Jamie got off. I was so damn excited, I couldn’t stand still. “Mom?” he asked, giving me a confused and concerned look. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing!” I threw my arms around him and hugged him. He pushed me away in that way teens do when their moms hug them or show them any affection in public. I laughed. “In fact, everything is fantastic.” I looped my arm through his and turned him toward the house. “I have a lot to tell you.”

  He stopped and turned to face me. “Are we moving back to the city?” Excitement flashed in his eyes, and my mood turned sour.

  I frowned. “No, we’re not going back to the city. I told you already, I’ve got too much invested in this ranch to just walk away.”

  “Not if you sell it,” he grumbled.

  Refusing to let him get me down, I straightened my back and took his arm again. “There’s oil on the property, Jamie.”

  “Oil?” he asked with disbelief and contempt. “So what? Who cares?”

  “Jamie, don’t you realize what this means?” I rolled my eyes. “Oil means money, and money means…”

  “We get to go back to the city?” he asked hopefully.

  I sighed with frustration. “No,” I snapped. “We’re not going back to the city, now stop asking me that.” When he pulled away from me, a pang of guilt stabbed at me. I truly did feel bad about snapping at him, but I was so tired of him asking me the same question over and over again. His life here would be so much easier if he just accepted this was home now.

  “Fine. So tell me what’s so great about living on top of oil.” He stormed toward the house and I rushed to catch up.

  “I’ve agreed to lease a small parcel of this land to the gas company so they can drill for oil. They’re paying a large sum of money plus royalties on whatever they collect and sell. This means no more struggle.” I clutched his hands and searched his face, hoping he showed an ounce of the enthusiasm I felt. “I can do what needs to be done around here; I can afford to send you to whatever college you want to go to… See, Jamie? This is good for us. It’s an answer to my prayers.”

  “Yeah, what about my prayers, mom? Huh? What about what I want?” he shouted at me then ran inside, slamming the door behind him.

  I covered my face with my hands and fought back tears, wondering if he would ever forgive me. He blamed me for everything – the divorce, his father’s absence, moving here. Nothing I did would make it better, except agreeing to move back to the city, but that just wasn’t a possibility. I had a life here, and he did too. Granted, it wasn’t the same as the city, but he still had friends here. He only had to give it a chance.

  I entered the house and found Jaime standing in the kitchen. His arms were crossed over his chest, but he didn’t look as angry as he had a moment ago. “The oil…it’s a good thing, and I’m happy you found it.”

  “But?”

  “Is it safe?”

  I nodded and then shrugged. “For the most part. There are some risks, but they’re minimal. It’ll be fine.” I studied him, realizing just how worried he was about this. Maybe that’s all this was – worry. Maybe he didn’t hate the idea or being here. “A representative from the gas company is coming out here tomorrow to talk to me, to explain the process and the risks. You’re welcome to stay home from school so you can be here if you want.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.” I smiled, hoping he’d take me up on the offer. It would do both of us good to have a mother son day. If he stayed home, I could cook him his favorite breakfast like I used to, take him to lunch, maybe let him buy a new video game before we had to meet with the gentleman about the oil. “We can make a day of it if you want.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you know.” He gave me a half smile then went up to his room.

  Well, it wasn’t exactly the reaction I’d hoped for, but it was better than yelling at me and demanding to go back to the city. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was probably just his nerves making him act the way he was. Once I got the information, I could share it with him, and he’d see there was nothing to worry about.

  I set about making dinner, humming softly to myself, feeling pretty good about the future when I heard the side door open. “Richard? Is that you?”

  “No, it’s me,” Hudson said, entering the kitchen. He walked up behind me, slid his arms around my stomach and kissed my cheek. “But if you’d prefer to have your ranch hand in here with you, I’m sure I can go find him.”

  Turning in his arms, I gave him a proper kiss. “Hmm, no, you’ll do.”

  He laughed, the sound filling me with so much joy. “I’ll do?”

  Giggling, I nodded, kissing him again. “Yeah, you’ll definitely do.”

  “Good, because I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled me closer, the evidence of his arousal pressing against me. If only we were alone right now… “So,” he stepped back, clearing his throat, “how was your day?”

  “Oh my god! You’ll never believe what happened!” I led him to the table and made him sit, then I divulged the details of my day – finding the letter, calling the gas company, their offer. He sat silently until long after I finished. When the moments ticked by and he still didn’t answer, I said, “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

  He sighed. “I’m glad you’re excited, but do you really think it’s a good idea?”

  I stared at him, stunned and hurt that he didn’t share in my excitement. “Of course it’s a good idea. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  Hudson shrugged and avoided my gaze. “Just seems dangerous is all.”

  I stood. “Well, it’s not.” What was with everyone being so negative about this? Couldn’t anyone see how great this was? Sure, there were risks, but there were risks with everything in life. I went to the counter and finished putting seasoning on the steaks. Behind me, Hudson remained at the table, not saying anything, the silence between us awkward and tense.

  “Do you even know what this entails? It’s not just you this affects you know.”

  Spinning around, I glared at him. “And what does that mean?”

  “Our properties touch, Heather. And while the gas company will stay on your property the noise and equipment and land disruption will affect my animals, the operations of my ranch.” He stood and came over to me. “And the Jennings… They’re on the other side of you. How do you think they’ll react to this?”

  My jaw dropped as realization sunk in. The Jennings, now it all made sense. Their desperation to buy the ranch, their scare tactics and threats. They must have known about the oil, that was why they wanted the land. They didn’t want it for the property or the house or the ranch. They wanted what was beneath it. Oh, those sneaky rotten… now, more than ever, I was going to do this. Nothing or no one was going to stand in my way.

  Chapter Nine

  Once I signed the contract with the gas company, they wasted no time getting on the property and drilling. It was noisy, but so far there hadn’t been any issues. Jamie was more excited about it, too, especially since we know had money to do things. I splurged
and spoiled him when we got the first check. All talk of returning to the city seemed to have died on his tongue. Things were peaceful for once. Hudson still wasn’t thrilled with my decision, but he didn’t have to be. It was my choice to make, and he supported it, even if a little begrudgingly.

  “Whoa, easy Biscuit.” I pulled on her reins, guiding her to slow down a little. I think she was just as excited to be ridden as I was to ride her. The last time had been weeks ago when Hudson and I inspected the ranch for needed repairs. I promised myself I was going to ride more regularly, and that started today.

  We rounded the corner edge of the property when I noticed the Jennings brothers lurking around. I slowed Biscuit to a stop. “Can I help you gentlemen?” I kept my voice loud and firm. Inside, I was terrified. They were four big men. If they decided to attack me, there was no way I’d be able to defend myself.

  “You shoulda sold to us,” Buck said, venom lacing his words. “That oil and the money you took for it belongs to us.”

  I snorted. “Nothing on this ranch has ever belonged to you, and it never will. It would serve you well to remember that.”

  Buck sneered a mix of a smile and a scowl. I had to stop from physically cringing at how evil he looked. “It doesn’t belong to you, either! Noreen was days away from selling to us, and then you swooped in and took it. A true woman would honor her grandmother’s wishes.”

  My eyes widened, and my heart raced. Anger boiled in my gut. “How dare you! I know damn well she never had any intention of selling to the likes of you four.”

  Buck stepped closer and for a moment I was worried he’d climb the fence and come after me. Instinctively, I backed Biscuit up, prepared to make a fast retreat if necessary. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, but I promise, you’ll found out soon enough.” His brothers snickered, and I glared at them.