by Dawn Forrest
“Oh God, oh God, Joshua,” she screamed as she ground down on his thumb and cock, drawing him deeper with strong silky muscles clasping his length. He stilled, waited until the initial ripples subsided, then slowly bent her forward again, only farther than before, so that she was resting low on her shoulders with her ass high. It was a totally submissive position, leaving him highly aroused.
He removed his thumb slowly, and she gasped as her muscles closed behind it. Wiping himself on the washcloth, he then ran his hands over her ass. The sight of her presented this way excited him more than he could have imagined. He was filled with carnal lust.
Grabbing hold of her hips, he withdrew almost completely from her pussy and then plunged forward, impaling her hard and deep. He felt his cockhead butt the end of her cervix.
“Oh, you’re so big,” she cried, moving back to grind herself on him. He began to forcibly thrust into her, picking up the pace, ramming her with his cock. Their grunts and groans and the sound of his balls slapping her ass filled the room.
“Is—this—the—fucking—you—wanted?” he ground out with each powerful stroke.
He barely heard her reply through the pounding of blood in his ears, her panting, and her cries of pleasure. She pushed back, meeting his thrusts, urging him on.
“Answer me,” he commanded.
“Yes—fuck—yes, it’s more,” she cried.
“You are mine. Say it.”
“Yes.”
“Say it.”
“Yes, yours. I’m yours,” she howled, shuddering with orgasmic spasms of release.
“Rachael!” His guttural reciprocating roar drowned out all other noise as he shot copious amounts of cum into her womb. He clasped her to him as her cunt massaged his cock with powerful contractions, the likes of which he had never before experienced. It took him over the edge to oblivion and his world wheeled around. As he pulsed, he felt as if he had died and gone to heaven—his piece of heaven, Rachael.
Unable to stand, he collapsed onto the bed, his sweat-covered body over hers, remembering just in time to take the weight on his arms and not her back. Still deep inside, he held her closer and they remained that way for several minutes, slowly regaining their breath, clearing their lust-fogged minds, coming down to earth.
Eventually, he shifted and rolled onto his side, taking Rachael with him. He kissed her shoulder and neck, drowsily playing with her nearly dry curls while she stroked his leg that was over her hip and entwined her fingers with his. She snoozed for a little while and he enjoyed the simple pleasure of holding her close.
Rachael’s stomach rumbled.
“Someone’s hungry.”
His voice brought her back to full consciousness. Neither of them had eaten much earlier that morning, and it was now passed midday.
“Man cannot live on sex alone,” she misquoted with a satisfied sigh.
“Unfortunately. Do you have any food in?”
“A little. Enough for a snack, I need to stock up.”
“Okay, you prepare the food. I’ll make the coffee, and we’ll have that talk you mentioned earlier.”
“Sounds like a plan, but I’ll just take another quick shower.”
He raised his eyebrow.
“Alone, or we’ll never get fed.” She scowled playfully.
“Okay, I’ll get in when you’ve finished.”
He slipped out of her and planted a kiss on her cheek before moving to the bathroom and wrapping a towel around his waist. Rachael couldn’t keep her eyes off him, he noticed with satisfaction. She climbed off the bed and brushed past him as she headed to the shower. He grabbed her wrist and openly appraised her naked body.
“You are a beautiful woman, Miss Harrison.”
He felt his libido stir again, even after such a thorough sating.
“Why, thank you, Mr. Ryden, sir,” she said in her best imitation of a Southern Bell and turned toward the cubicle. She chuckled, then yelped, as he swatted her ass.
* * * *
Rachael marvelled at how familiar and comfortable it felt to have him there with her. They sat at her small dining table eating hastily assembled bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches. She wore a bathrobe, and he had a towel wrapped around his waist. He had asked her lots of questions about her life in England, her family, her work, and about what she liked to do in her spare time. She found that she enjoyed telling him, relating funny stories and describing her friends.
She realized that behind the slow Texan drawl was a quick mind keeping pace with her thoughts and that he was able to discuss a wide range of topics. He was a good listener and seemed genuinely interested in her.
She didn’t pry too much into his life, but he seemed to open up and talk freely with her about himself. She was pleasantly surprised at how easily he smiled and laughed with her. It was a side she suspected others didn’t see much. It was hard to reconcile the relaxed man at her table with the stern, granite-faced cattle rancher.
She decided that it couldn’t just be infatuation, but even though she was relaxed in his company, she was always aware of the potent sexual attraction between them simmering now just below the surface.
Rachael got up to put their plates and cups by the sink.
“Come home with me. I’ll cook dinner tonight.”
“You cook?” She was surprised.
“Hey, multitalented,” he teased, indicating to himself. “Even I have a creative side.”
“I sure bet that you do.” She purred, looking him down and up.
The atmosphere changed suddenly, and sexual tension charged the air. Moving faster than seemed plausible for such a big man, he snatched her away from the sink. Reacting quickly, she pivoted and almost twisted away but couldn’t break completely free as he pushed her toward the wall. Grabbing her bathrobe, he tugged it down past her shoulders, baring her breasts. She struggled, but it only served to reveal more of her body and caused his towel to fall to the floor. The sight of his stiff, ready cock and the feral, predatory gleam in his eyes thrilled, worried and excited her.
“I can’t get enough of you,” Joshua ground out in a lust laden voice. He kissed her roughly and pushed her hard against the wall.
Escape was unwanted and futile, but she couldn’t make it too easy, either. The warped need to know what he was capable of was too strong. Intending to deny him access, she slapped her thighs together and tried to push him back with her hands on his chest. She could have been pushing against a huge boulder for all the difference it made. He easily kicked her legs apart and, keeping them pinned against his own, pushed her up the wall while gripping her buttocks and pressing his strong body against hers. With her poised over his straining cock, he stilled. He could easily impale her, and she could do nothing about it. But he waited, needing her capitulation. After several heart-thumping seconds, she acquiesced, wrapping her legs around his waist. He slammed her down, skewering her on his thick, rock-solid length. She cried out at the exquisite initial invasion and then sobbed with pleasure as he shafted her rough and hard. It was over quickly when they shouted their simultaneous climax.
After a minute, Joshua shakily carried her to the sofa and sat down, staying inside her still-quivering cunt, gently stroking her back and kissing her face.
“You’re insatiable,” she murmured through his kisses.
“You bring it out,” he echoed back her words from the shower.
When the aftershocks subsided and her mind cleared, she realized that sex with him was the most thrilling and satisfying she had ever had. Again, he had taken her, and she had submitted. Would he be game for a bit of role reversal? An idea came to her—a way that she could explore the possibilities.
“I’ll make a deal with you, Ryden. We’ll play a game of chance and skill. Loser has to do whatever the winner wants for the rest of the day until midnight.”
He gave her a calculating look. “Whatever the winner wants? What are the rules?” Obviously he wasn’t stupid.
“Best of three games of
, uh, say, poker, although it has been ages since I last played.” She tried to sound nonchalant. It was her best game. “The winner has complete control. Obviously there are limits. For example, I promise not to paint your toes pink and I won’t hurt you…much,” she taunted. She expected to have him begging for release before the end of the night. Joshua Ryden needed to drop the reins of control occasionally, too, and she’d make sure that he enjoyed it. “You can choose the game.” She smiled innocently.
A slow, sinful grin spread across his face. “Oh, poker is fine with me, although I’m a bit rusty.”
“Okay, let’s get dressed and then play.” She eased herself off him and almost skipped to her bedroom in delight that he had so readily agreed.
He was picking up his clothes from all over the floor and dressing quickly when she returned.
“I want to avoid any misunderstanding arising from this little game we’re playing, darlin’. We need a safe word. How about red? That word immediately calls a halt to whatever we’re doing, agreed?”
Rachael paused for a moment, realising the full extent of what she’d started. Joshua certainly seemed more experienced than her, although she suspected he’d never been on the receiving end. Nevertheless, she was fairly confident that, this time, she’d be giving it to him.
“Good idea. Make sure that if necessary you say it loud and clear.” She smirked.
He snorted but said nothing.
“The rules are that you can fold a maximum of three times and not lose, okay?”
“Fine with me.”
Rachael slowly and clumsily dealt the cards and saw a brief expression of sympathy on Joshua’s face. No doubt he was thinking that it would be like taking candy from a baby. It obviously came as somewhat of a shock to him when he lost the first hand. He sat back, slightly stunned. He’d been complacent, just as she’d planned. He should have folded but she had bluffed. She had pouted and looked unhappy with her cards, when in fact they had been good. She tried hard not to gloat.
“Wow, just lucky, I guess.” She smiled sweetly at him while picking up the cards and shuffling them like a croupier. She winked at him as she expertly dealt the cards. Yep, he’d been duped and he now knew it.
“Best of three, darlin’.” He reminded her.
He smiled like a politician, and she didn’t trust it. Joshua won the next hand.
“Just luck, I guess.” He grinned, but it had been a close thing and he didn’t look quite so cocky.
The seeds of worry began to germinate in Rachael’s mind. She’d bloody well miscalculated. Joshua was not a man to underestimate. He deliberately dealt the next hand awkwardly and slowly, watching her with a sarcastic expression the entire time. The fun gleam in his eye when she had suggested the game now seemed a lot more sinister.
Stay focused on the game, Rachael.
He put his hands behind his head, looking relaxed and displaying his bulging biceps. Bastard. She knew what he was doing: trying to distract her. Keeping her eyes on her cards, she slowly licked her lips and then traced her finger around her mouth, tapped her teeth, and occasionally sneaked her tongue out to touch the finger, looking like she was concentrating hard and not being suggestive at all. When she peeked up through her eyelashes, it took all of her effort not to smirk because he was staring fiercely at her mouth.
He cleared his throat and looked at his cards. His face was a mask of neutrality.
Aha, Lady Luck loves me. Rachael was relieved to see that her hand was very strong. Ryden was in for one big shock. The guy wasn’t used to losing.
Carefully schooling her features, she quizzically raised her eyebrows. “Well?”
“Mmm, I think I’ll stay in.” His voice gave nothing away.
“Well, okay. Me, too. Let’s see what you’ve got.” She leaned back confidently.
“Ladies first,” he insisted.
She didn’t mind. She had a good hand. Rachael watched his face as she laid down her full house. He remained impassive, and he continued to stare at her, probably stunned, poor thing. She tried, unsuccessfully, not to grin like the cat that got the cream.
“Oh, don’t worry, Joshua,” she said with barely contained glee. “You’ll come to see it as a win-win situation…in the end.”
“Oh, no doubt about that.” He suddenly looked smug as he revealed his hand, a straight flush. Rachael blinked. No, it couldn’t be.
“Bugger me,” she whispered.
“I intend to,” he drawled.
Her eyes popped open wide. She was lost for words.
A small smile tugged at his lips. “Grab your things. I’m taking you home to Sweet Water. I want to demonstrate my,” he made little quotation marks in the air, “creative side.”
Bloody hell. She knew that she was in trouble now.
Rachael packed an overnight bag, including a skirt, as instructed by Joshua. She still couldn’t quite believe that she had lost the game. She had to give Ryden his due, though. He was behaving like the perfect gentleman, gracious in his victory. She wasn’t sure if she trusted it, like the calm before a storm. Her pussy tingled, but her backside clenched in panic. She had never been fully taken there, just finger play and certainly nothing as large as his cock.
She was determined to appear cool and carefree, so when she returned to the living room, she flashed him her brightest smile.
“Ready. I’m all yours.”
“Yes, you are.”
She remembered her screamed declaration earlier, and judging by his expression, he did, too. She cursed her Celtic ancestry as she started to blush bright red.
“Rachael,” he spoke tenderly. “Never feel embarrassed with me. It’s just us, darlin’. Whatever happens is just between us.”
She held his gaze and her heart flip-flopped. He looked so sincere and utterly doable, and she knew that she was falling hard. He reached out and embraced her, gently raining light kisses on her eyes, nose, cheeks, and finally mouth.
“Come on, let’s go home.”
Home? It wasn’t her home but she like the way he said it. He picked up her bag, held her hand and walked to the Jeep.
“I’d prefer it if you came with me, but I think that you’d rather take your Jeep.”
He was perceptive. She wanted to have the option to leave at any time without having to rely on anyone else.
“See you soon. No stopping along the way to help an injured fly.”
He looked reluctant to leave her. Maybe he thought that she was going to bolt.
“But they look so helpless on my windshield.” She chuckled.
“That’s what wipers are for.”
“Oh, so cruel, but don’t worry, I won’t skip out on you. A deal is a deal.”
Seeing Joshua in this unexpectedly caring and charming light, she relaxed but couldn’t help wondering what he had planned for the evening. The plans she’d had for him were quite possibly along similar lines. Improbable though it was, she felt aroused again, excited by hinted at dark desires.
* * * *
Joshua watched her leave and had to remind himself that she was his for the rest of the day and all night if he could help it. He was elated that she had just handed him the golden opportunity to explore her kinky side with fewer inhibitions because she could tell herself it was just part of the game. As he saddled up Star, he’d decided not to do the obvious thing straight away but instead to spend the rest day courting her.
He had liked listening to her tales of life in England. She clearly loved her work and was anxious to be licensed in Texas. Not only could she look after herself, but he also knew from the way she had behaved toward his sister that she cared about others. She was kind to the animals in her care, but not weak. Vets often had to make difficult decisions when it came to dealing with creatures in pain and distress.
Joshua enjoyed the way he didn’t have to over-explain things to her. She was a good listener, and he had talked more about himself to her than he had with anyone else outside of his immediate family. Even so
, he had omitted to mention much about their other family business. Sure she knew that the ranch was large and that they provided Colin with a lot of business, but she didn’t appear to know about their company Sweet Oil.
Experiences with some women had taught him to be wary. His wealth had attracted gold diggers interested only in material gain. Rachael, however, didn’t seem too interested in material wealth. He discovered that she enjoyed simple things like outdoor pursuits, such as hiking and running, but that she also loved to curl up at home with a good piece of fiction and a glass of wine.
Janet and James would most likely be home, so he would cook a family meal. After a little wining and dining, they would retire to his wing of the house and the real fun and games would begin. He hoped that she would stay the night.
When Janet was younger, he never had women over to stay. He always went back to their place after making sure that either James or Isabella were home. When Janet left for college, he’d had his lady friends over to the house, but even so, none had ever actually slept, really slept, in his bed. He had always taken them back to their homes first, even though they were usually worn out by that time. He realized that he’d been a cold bastard. He couldn’t imagine sending Rachael home. He instead imagined snuggling up to her and waking next to her in the morning. It was a pleasant fiction that he wanted to make a reality, and, with that thought in mind, he mounted Star and headed for home.
Chapter 5
As Joshua approached the ranch house, he felt a warm swell of satisfaction. He preferred how the house and gardens appeared from this angle of approach—secluded and private. The large pool reflected the lazy, warm light of the afternoon onto the walls of the house, giving it an ephemeral quality and evoking calmness and serenity. The overall beauty of the gardens was a product of good landscape design, careful plant selection, irrigation, and maintenance. There were pretty pathways under the shade of jasmine vines and bougainvillea leading to secluded benches with views of the surrounding countryside. His mother had started the garden because she had wanted a relaxing haven for the family, and he had merely continued with her design ideas.