She entwined her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Jesse slid his hands up her sides, loosening the corset even more as he progressed. He pulled the comb from her hair, allowing it to fall around her shoulders. He caressed her curls with his fingers as though testing their softness.
Jesse broke the kiss only long enough to move his lips down her throat, gently nipping along the way. Charlene issued a quiet gasp of pleasure. He unhooked the clasps holding together the front of the garment that had started this. Perhaps, she thought, it wasn’t such a bad invention after all.
Freeing her breasts from the rigid boning, he trailed his kisses further down, wrapping an arm around her waist as she arched toward him. The fingers of his free hand found the hem of her skirts and stole underneath to follow the curve of her leg, brushing lightly against the inside of her thigh. Charlene desperately hoped he would slide further up to relieve some of the tension she felt building between her legs.
“You are so beautiful, Charley,” he whispered between caresses.
Such a simple compliment, yet it shocked her back to reality. She froze.
Jesse pulled back to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
“We can’t do this,” Charley gasped. “My father promised my hand to your employer.”
“Without giving you a chance to know him?” The expression on his face was unreadable.
“I barely know you,” she replied. “What’s the difference? And I’m certain your boss will want his ‘property’ to remain intact.”
Deep down she knew there was a big difference. She was extremely attracted to the man in front of her, whereas she might despise the man who was to arrive in a few short days. But she couldn’t allow those thoughts to take seed in her mind. She had to think of her father’s wishes for her well-being. “I’m sorry, I just can’t.”
Charley pushed past him, clasping the front of her dress together as she flung open the door and fled into the night toward the main house.
Jesse followed her path to the doorway, leaning against the jamb as he watched her go. He let out a heavy sigh and shifted the uncomfortable bulge pressing against the denim of his pants. It was going to be a long week.
For the next several days, Charlene abandoned her dresses once again for more practical attire. She needed the hard work to get her mind off of that first night. It wouldn’t do any good to lust after a man she couldn’t have. It was bad enough that, when the deal was finalized, Jesse would be a permanent fixture at the ranch.
As it was, Jesse seemed as unavoidable as her looming fate. He was around every corner as if he had been waiting for her, and on a few occasions, she accidentally brushed against him, stirring the flames once again.
Jesse even joined them for meals, at her father’s request. John wanted to get to know more about the man who would be taking over the ranch, and Jesse was his only source of information.
The ranch hand tried to make it sound as though Forsythe was every bit the gentleman in all his ventures. But of course a loyal employee would say such things. Subtle cues in Jesse’s expressions led Charlene to believe he was less than forthcoming. Things that made it look like he was ashamed of what he said. His inability to meet her gaze made her worry.
The evening before Forsythe was due to appear, she confronted Jesse in the doorway of the guest quarters as he was washing up from the day’s work. Her timing was impeccable. He was shirtless again, and she had to strengthen her resolve.
“What is Mr. Forsythe really like?” she asked without preamble, irritation tightening her voice.
He turned to face her, and it was like the first night was repeating itself. Except now she wore a shirt, pants, and vest instead of the garments she would be expected to wear once again for the businessman’s arrival in the morning.
“He’s everything I’ve said him to be,” Jesse replied, brows raised in curiosity as he walked toward her. “You’ll see for yourself. He’ll give you everything you need or want. He’s been very fortunate with his investments.”
Anger flooded Charlene in a hot torrent. “I don’t care about his money! I don’t want it,” she exploded. “The only things that matter to me are already here. I love doing work on the ranch. Will he allow that? Or am I to be the dutiful wife and wear dresses and host parties? I want my father to be happy, but he’s not unless I am. And I won’t be happy! Not like that. And I want…”
She stopped, terrified of what she’d almost let slip. She turned and stalked through the doorway, heading toward the house. Halfway across the yard, something fell in front of her eyes before tightening around her arms and waist, nearly throwing her off balance. When she caught herself, she realized Jesse had lassoed her. Slowly, he pulled the rope, forcing her back to his doorway.
Once he had her all the way inside, he shut the door and grabbed her arms. He pressed her against the wall, his bare chest so close she could feel his heat.
“Tell me, Charley,” he said huskily. “What else do you want?”
Her eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly as he ran a single finger down the side of her throat and over the swell of her breasts, finally cupping one in his palm while running his thumb over the material covering her nipple. The contact caused liquid heat to pool further south, and she could barely remember the question he had asked. He pressed into her further, his arousal brushing against her stomach.
“Tell me what you want, Charley,” he whispered next to her ear, his breath feathering her jaw.
“I want you,” she answered breathlessly. “Will he give me that?”
He pulled back slightly and looked at her with his captivating blue eyes.
“You have me right now.” Without giving her a chance to respond, he brought his mouth down on hers, entering with his tongue.
This time, she didn’t hold back, matching his passion with her own.
Jesse unbuttoned her vest, sliding it down her arms and letting it fall to the floor along with the lasso.
With her arms freed, Charley slid her hands from his muscled chest around his back, coming to rest on his tight backside. Pulling his hips closer, she could feel his erection grow harder against her.
Jesse groaned deep in his throat. He tugged at her shirt, yanking it free from her pants, breaking contact only long enough to pull it over her head. The garment fell carelessly to the floor as he lifted her hips to push his firm shaft against her core. Her nipples hardened as they brushed against his skin. The material remaining between them created a delicious friction, causing Charlene to grow even wetter.
As though Jesse could sense her arousal, he kissed a path to the fullness of her breasts, taking a nipple into his mouth and suckling it taut while stimulating the other with his fingers, nearly sending her over the edge.
Charley gasped and wrapped her legs around his waist, arched her back, and rubbed herself against his throbbing erection. Now the last bit of clothing they wore was becoming an annoyance, a barrier to be torn away.
Jesse cradled her in his arms and carried her to the bed, coming down on top of her. Moving his mouth to hers once again, he lifted first one of Charley’s legs, then the other, to remove her boots. He slid down her body to unbutton her pants and pull them off in one smooth motion. Then he undid his own pants, allowing them to drop to the floor before stepping out of them and running his hands slowly up her legs. His steely cock skimmed against her sensitive flesh like the softest velvet, and just the sight of Jesse unleashed a fresh wave of moisture between Charley’s thighs. She wanted to feel his thick arousal inside of her, filling her. But he didn’t enter, and she thought the wait would be the death of her.
“Are you certain you want this? If we keep going, there’s no turning back.”
The look of concern in his eyes was enough to convince her. He must know as well as she what might happen should Forsythe realize she was no longer untouched. But she didn’t care about the consequences.
“If I am to be miserable for the rest of my life,
tied to someone I care nothing about, I want to have one night of happiness. I want my first time to be with you,” she said quietly.
A hint of a smile touched his lips.
“You can be very persuasive. I promise to be gentle.”
He reached to the side table and came back with a shiny boot spur in his hand. Before she could question him, Jesse began to lightly roll the spur along her breasts, tickling her erect tips with the rowel. He traced the curves of her ribs and stomach, leaving her caught between laughter and moaning. Moving further down, Jesse trailed along the tender flesh of her thighs, following the path with light kisses. Slowly, he spread her apart, running the chilled metal along her moistened slit.
Charlene bucked in exquisite torture as he rolled it up and down her clit with varying pressure. Before she found her release, Jesse dropped the spur on the floor and sank down, settling his mouth at her core. His tongue laved at her folds, and he sucked and nibbled at her aching mound, gently inserting one and then two fingers inside her. The combined sensations were unrelenting, and she cried out, her body trembling.
Before she could fully recover, Jesse moved up her body again and pressed the tip of his erection against her opening, slipping ever so slowly into her until he was sheathed nearly to his base.
Jesse stilled as Charlene became accustomed to the length of him. After the initial pressure had passed, she pushed herself even further down. She wanted everything he could give her. He pulled out nearly all the way before thrusting in again, and she could feel the tension escalating.
Jesse cupped her buttocks and lifted her, pressing their bodies together as he pushed harder into her, increasing the rhythm, leisurely at first, but growing in intensity. His pubic bone rubbed her mound as he moved, recreating what his mouth had done before. Charley’s muscles clenched around him, and she was nearly frantic as she urged him on, not wanting to lose the sensation of him pumping in and out of her slick opening. Their combined shouts of release echoed as Jesse quickened his pace to an earth-shattering level, and she felt his cock jerk as he exploded inside of her. Together they collapsed in exhaustion, their bodies still spasming, reluctant to separate.
Over the next few hours, they enjoyed each other again and again, filling the night with tender heat. As the sky began to lighten, though, Charley knew she had to return to the house to prepare for Forsythe. As she dressed, tears burned her eyes.
Jesse brushed the hair from her neck and kissed her sensitized skin as she pulled on her boots.
“I wish he was you,” she choked out as she slipped from his grasp.
She ran out before he could stop her.
In the morning, Charley stood on the porch with her father and Jesse as a wagon filled with trunks arrived. She couldn’t meet Jesse’s gaze, and she felt sick when she saw the only person on the wagon.
As promised, she had dressed much as she had that first day. She couldn’t find her comb, though, so her hair hung loose.
Jesse wore what Charley figured was his Sunday best. He looked incredibly handsome. The man driving the wagon, however, was overweight and looked to be in his fifties. Just as she’d expected. Charley wanted to cry.
“You made good time, William,” Jesse commented cheerfully.
“The trains were actually on schedule, if you can believe it.” The other man chuckled. “I admit, I was rather shocked you came to a decision so quickly, Mr. Forsythe. I rather thought you would take another week or change your mind altogether. The telegram was a bit of a surprise.”
Charley looked at Jesse in astonishment.
“What can I say, William? I know something good when I see it,” he responded, looking directly at Charley when he spoke. “Mr. Solt? Charley? Allow me to introduce William Canton, my personal accountant.”
“You’re Forsythe?” Charley sputtered.
He strode toward her. “Your father knew you would react badly to my proposal. We’ve been communicating for months. He thought it best if you got to know the real me before I told you. Broadwell was my mother’s maiden name. I use it when I don’t want undue attention.”
She stared at him in disbelief. He frowned slightly at her reaction. “Charley, please say something.”
Tears began to flow down her face. His shoulders relaxed, and he raised his hands to bracket her cheeks while his thumbs smoothed away her tears. She placed her hands on his chest and felt something rigid in his pocket. It was her hair comb. He had been carrying it with him. “You’re exactly what I want,” she whispered.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and he swept her up, capturing her mouth with his and carrying her toward the guest quarters.
“Well,” John said to William, “I guess the rest is just ceremony.”
The two men laughed as they went inside the main house.
SMALL-TOWN FAMOUS
Lissa Matthews
“What in the hell were you thinkin’, Bethann?”
“I was thinkin’ that little bitch better keep her hands off o’ my man.”
Tommy sighed and tried hard not to smile. He needed to stay stern with her. “You can’t go ’round town totin’ your shotgun like that. You shoulda known the sheriff would lock you up. For Chrissakes, Bethann, he’s my boss!”
“He only caught me ’cause it was his precious little princess I was aimin’ at.” She snorted. “Well, that and someone called him. When I find out who, you better believe I’m gonna tan their hide. They’ll be lucky if I don’t fill it with buckshot.”
Tommy shook his head at the woman behind the black iron bars. She sat on the bench on the far side of the cell with her arms crossed over her chest and her right leg crossed over her left. Bethann Pritchard was spitting mad.
He’d been in love with her all his life, and she with him, and never once in all their eighteen years together had she ever acted like this.
He slid his arms through the bars and linked his fingers. “Why are you so jealous all of a sudden?”
“Jealous? You think I’m jealous?” Bethann stood faster than lightning and stomped her way across the concrete floor to stand nose to nose with him. “Jealous ain’t got nothin’ to do with it, Tommy Martin.”
“Then what does it have to do with? What’s gotten into you?”
She tilted her chin in defiance, but it was just for show. He could see the angry tears in her eyes. “You like her, and I’m tired of her sniffin’ around what ain’t hers. Time for her to go back to wherever it is she came from.”
If Tommy hadn’t seen it for himself, he would never have believed it. Bethann was pouting. “I like ever’body, baby.” Judging by her deepening scowl, that didn’t even come close to appeasing her.
She kicked out at one of the bars, and he stepped back just in time. “But I see how you look at her.”
Tommy pushed up his cowboy hat. He wanted to make sure he got a real good look at his woman during this conversation. He also wanted to make sure she could look him in the eyes without anything getting in the way. “And how do I look at her?”
Bethann dropped her gaze to the floor and dug the toe of her scuffed boot into a divot in the floor. “Like you want her,” she mumbled.
He eyed her skeptically. “Uh-huh. Is that all?”
Her head whipped up so quick Tommy nearly had to take a step back. “Is that all? Ain’t that enough?”
“Well, in all honesty here, I was expectin’ a little more than that. That’s not enough for you to go carryin’ your daddy’s double barrel down Main Street in the middle of the day, scarin’ folks.”
“Every single person in this town knows me, and I didn’t scare anyone. Well, ’cept for her. I don’t like the way you look at her ass in those little cut-off shorts and those tiny shirts. It’s a wonder she wears anything at all. There’d be more left to the imagination if she was naked.”
He contemplated her, his back teeth gnawing on the inside of his cheek, his mind doing everything it could think of to keep him from smiling. “So, is it that you’re jealou
s ’cause I look at her ass, which is kinda hard to miss when she puts it in my face, or is it ’cause you wish you were still that young?”
“You son of a bitch.”
“Your eyes are a bit greener than usual, baby doll.” From the look on his lover’s face, Tommy was damn glad to have the jail cell bars separating them. Where Bethann’s temper was concerned, he knew a blessing when he saw it, and her not being able to get a hand on him when he made his confession was definitely a blessing.
Before he opened his mouth again, he backed away a couple steps. “I’m the one who called the sheriff.”
“You what?” she asked, her voice dropping low and menacing.
He would pay for this when she was released and they got home—the narrowing of her eyes told him that—but he’d already known it the second he placed the call. “I called him and told him he needed to come get you.”
“You? You had him put me in jail?”
Even though she was still speaking in that low tone that scared the bejesus out of everyone who knew her, he wouldn’t show fear, and he wouldn’t back down. “I did.”
“Why?”
“It’s his daughter you’re jealous of and his daughter you bought the shotgun outta hock for. You’re outta control.”
She sneered. “You don’t know the meanin’ of out of control, but you just wait. When I get outta here, I’m gonna—”
God, she was full of piss and vinegar. There wasn’t a woman on the planet who could hold a candle to her. He was so whipped. “No. This will be resolved while you’re in there. I’m done walkin’ on eggshells with you whenever another woman is in the same three feet of space I am. We’re gonna settle this here and now.”
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