by Katie Dowe
“I don’t read romance novels at all darling. I am more into detective stories.” She stepped back and took off her jacket and then her nightgown exposing her pale skin. “Take off your clothes.”
He stared at her for a moment and then hurriedly took them off.
*****
He helped her to clean up and put fresh sheets on the bed. They took a shower in her blue and white bathroom where she leaned back against him while he wrapped his hands around her. And they talked. “We could never get along.” She murmured as he ran the sponge over her body. “He wanted me to follow in his footsteps but I always knew I wanted to write.”
“And you did not let him deter you,” he whispered softly. He had wanted to go for a quick spin over to the club but he had almost lost her and he had a hard time staying far away from her or leaving her alone.
“Mom always shielded me from his resentment and anger. No matter how he would argue she would step in and take my side.” She took the hand he was using to rub the sponge over her skin. “Promise me that we will always discuss things first when we have our children.”
He felt his heart lurched at that. “I promise you,” he said huskily. “I also want us to wait a little bit before we try again. I want to spend some time with you baby, get to know you and I want us to do stuff together.”
She turned her head to look at him. “I would like that.”
“Good,” he bent his head and captured her lips with his. She turned to him and straddled him as she wrapped her hands around his neck. He reached between them and put his penis inside her. Alexis sank down on him and felt the familiar feel of him inside her. Her nipples hardened and created a friction against his chest as she moved against him. Kurt held her hips as he guided her, his body moving upwards to meet hers. He went in deep, his body shuddering against hers as he lose himself inside her!
*****
He took her to the club the next morning for breakfast. “They make the best scrambled eggs and sausages and besides I want to show you off,” he told her softly. He had carried an overnight bag with him and so had she. Alexis had looked through her closet and shook her head ruefully at the drabness of her wardrobe. She knew she was never going to wear anything like them again. She was going to have to box them up and give them away to some shelter.
“Isn’t it an all men’s club?” she asked him as she finished putting on her lip gloss.
“Women are allowed.” His eyes met hers in the mirror. “Besides at this time of the year there is some thing or the other going on. Leesa Wellington called me and suggested dinner at their place. I know we are supposed to be leaving later today but I was wondering if we could make it tomorrow instead.”
“We could.” She got to her feet. “How do I look?”
“Wonderful,” his blue eyes admired the soft wool dress she was wearing that was the color of ripe strawberries and her knee length black boots. Her shiny black hair drifted to her shoulders and there was a thin necklace around her neck with a medium sized cross. “There is something missing.”
“What?”
He reached into his pocket and took out a blue velvet box. “We missed the chance to make it official because of what happened and I have been walking around with this for weeks.” He opened the box and she stared at the sheer magnificence of the diamond winking up at her. “Alexis Caitlin Turner, would you do me the extreme honor of becoming my wife?” he asked her huskily.
She blinked back the tears as she looked up at him. “It would be my honor.” She whispered as she held her finger out for him to put the ring on.
*****
“Look who is here!” It was Alessandro who first saw them coming in. The place was decorated and lights were everywhere. Alexis had read about the very famous club and the wives of the members but seeing was believing!
“The chocolatier,” Alexis said with a fascinated smile. “I love your chocolates but wasn’t able to afford them as much I would have liked.”
“My apologies,” he bowed before her, his dark handsome looks highlighted by the red cashmere sweater he was wearing.
“Alessandro this is my fiancée; Alexis Turner.”
“Very nice to meet the woman who has tamed this cowboy. Come on let’s go around back the gang’s all here along with the wives. We decided to come on out for breakfast for a change.”
He led them into a huge dining room where tables were strewn all over the room. Some people were sitting while some were standing around talking. “We have company.” Alessandro announced causing the conversation to cease and all eyes turned to them.
“Cowboy Kurt is here.” A deep voice drawled.
“With his fiancé, so behave. We would not like the lovely Alexis to believe that we are uncouth.”
“Too late,” she called out causing them to laugh.
A tall beautifully dressed woman detached herself from the crowd of women and made her way over. “I am Leesa,” she stretched her hand out and Alexis took it. “Really nice to finally meet you.” She linked her hand through her arm. “Shoo Kurt and let us women talk.”
Leesa led her over to where the very recognizable faces of women she had seen in magazines and on television stood.
“This is--”
“No need. I recognize everyone here.” Alexis said with a smile. “I once considered calling up and asking for an interview.”
“Why didn’t you?” Felicia asked her.
“My then boss said it was not that type of magazine.”
“We heard about your accident. I hope you are okay now?” Ciara asked her.
“I am much better. I suppose now that I have you all here we can discuss my wedding?”
*****
He stood aside and watched as she went through the various rooms touching the furniture lightly, her face preoccupied. He had seen the pictures of her parents and realized that she looked like her mother. The house was large and comfortably sprawling with four bedrooms and two baths and appeared cozy. A next-door neighbor had kept an eye on it and saw to it that the lawn was mowed and the flowers maintained. It was the start of winter now and snow had not started falling yet. There was a stillness about it as if it was waiting for the owners to come back home. “I am going to have to box up their stuff and give them away. Louise, the next-door neighbor said she would take some things off me and she knows someone who wants to buy the place.” She had come back to stand in front of him. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes were suspiciously moist and he knew she was reliving the moment of her parents’ accident.
“Are you sure?” he asked her gently.
She looked around again and taking a deep breath she nodded. “I was never able to come here in the past because I blamed myself.” She went into his arms and rest her head on his chest. He had become her rock and she had no idea what she would do without him. “I am sure because Murphy’s Ranch has now become the only home I want.”
His heart constricted at that. “I am happy to hear that baby.” He eased her away a little bit and looked down at her. “You want me to handle the sales for you?”
“Please,” Alexis looked into his deep blue eyes and felt love like she had never felt before. “I love you Kurt Alec Murphy.”
He went still at that. “You never said that to me before.”
“Never?” she frowned up at him. “Are you sure?”
“It does not matter because you are saying it to me now.” His hands framed her face. “I want to check out your old bedroom.”
“You want to figure out my style as a teenager?” she asked him teasingly.
“Or maybe something else.”
“Let’s go.” She wheeled out of his arms and ran towards the room with him close behind her.
“I was into boys bands at that time,” She told him with a cheeky grin as he looked at the large glossy posters on every inch of her walls.
“I would never have guessed,” he told her dryly as he caught her into his arms from behind. �
�How many nights did you spend swooning over Justin Timberlake?”
“Every night until I turned fourteen then I discovered that writing was a better past time.” She turned around and wrapped her hands around his neck. “Mom never changed my room. It’s weird.”
“She wanted to remember you as her teen daughter instead of the one who grew up and moved out.”
“You are right.” She stepped out of his arms and started taking off her clothes. “I still have my cheerleading outfit in the closet. How about a show?”
“You were a cheerleader? I should have guessed. I am not saying no to a show.”
Chapter 10
“I want to look as beautiful as you do when it is my time,” Kathy said softly causing Alexis to turn away from the mirror. It had been two days since they had been back from looking at her parents’ place and tying up loose ends. The wedding was going to be on Christmas Day which was a week away and the entire ranch was in on the decoration. The huge living room was going to be the venue as it was too cold to be held outdoors. A professional had been brought in and the place glittered with lights from the start of the large curved driveway up to the front door and all around the house. A huge pine tree was already in the living room and had been decorated as well. Stockings hung on the large mantel with all their names stitched on. Alexis’ name had been added.
“You and Jake have become somewhat of an item,” Alexis held her dress up as she made her way towards Kathy. “Any chance of it being official?”
“Jake is as stubborn as they come.” She said with a shrug as she admired the sheer white of the dress against the girl’s flawless dark brown skin. It was made out of Venetian lace and left her shoulders bare. There was a scoop in the neckline and showed inches of her skin. The skirt was voluminous and floated around her from a tiny cinched in waist. She looked like a fairytale princess. “I had to practically hog tie him into staying in the first place. At least he is talking to his father now and has told me in not so gentle terms that if I ever pull a stunt like I did before he is going to leave without saying goodbye.” She grimaced. “I told him I was pregnant.”
“So I heard.” Alexis said with a grin. “You do know that is the best way to drive a man away, don’t you honey?”
“I was desperate and I am in love with the idiot.”
“He is in love with you. I have seen him looking at you. And I persuaded Kurt not to beat him to a pulp for laying his hand on you.”
“And for that you have gained my utmost gratitude and love,” Kathy hugged her soon to be sister in law. “I have persuaded him to clean up and walk with me as one of the ushers and he reluctantly agreed. He hates dressing up.”
“So he is staying and not going home as his father wants?”
“If he is, he is certainly not leaving without me.”
“That’s the spirit.”
*****
“The good news is that it’s a soft murmur so you are not going to need surgery after all,” Ian told him as he finished the examination. “I see you came here without Alexis. Does that mean you have not told her?”
“We are getting married in less than a week. I am not going to dampen the mood. She has been through too much already.” Kurt said firmly as he pulled his sweater over his head. He ran his fingers through his hair to get some semblance of order. He had sneaked away from his men to keep the appointment with Ian because he did not want Alexis to know. “What’s the bad news?”
“What?”
“You said the good news and with you doctors it’s always followed up with the bad news.”
“I am going to monitor you closely.”
“You are already monitoring my sister closely man. One sibling at a time.” Kurt told him sardonically.
“That’s not funny and it is in poor taste.”
“I never asked about your intentions towards her,” Kurt said grimly. “What is your intention towards her?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“It is,” Kurt told him softly. “That asshole left her in a pretty bad way and I am not going to let it happen again. Friend or not.”
“You think I would hurt a hair on her head?” Ian demanded as he looked at his friend. “I have loved her since we were children.”
“Good to know,” Kurt used his gloves to slap him on his shoulder. “I will be watching.”
“Tell Alexis.” Ian called out to him as he strode from the room, jamming his hat onto his head as he did so.
“In due time.”
*****
“You are not ready and besides it’s like ten degrees outside.” Kurt told her as he pulled off his boots, keeping his socks on for a while. It was cold! Even with the fire in the hearth it was taking a little time for him to thaw out.
“I want to go back on a horse Kurt and not Sugarplum. She is sweet but I want something less docile.” She came and sat at his feet and looked up at him. His blue eyes darkened as he took in the way the rich red lace looked against the rise of her breasts. Her thick black hair tumbled around her face and she looked as sexy as hell. He had a hard time being around her and not being aroused.
“If it had been some other horse that night you would have probably died.” He reminded her grimly. “You are not ready.”
“Okay, so we ride together.”
“Alexis, we are getting married in a few days. I kind of want you to be in one piece for that time.” He lifted her chin and bent his head to brush his lips against hers. “Please baby I don’t want you going out there on your own. It is cold and dangerous. Cattle are scattered everywhere and even though we have built a shelter for vagrants there is still the danger of them coming around. Please listen to me.”
“Not until you promise me that we will ride together.”
He sighed softly. “We will ride together. And I need to know something. I know you have been cleared to start working again, but are you sure?”
“I am sure and I hate sitting around doing nothing. Since I have found out that I am a writer I have so many ideas how to spin the ads for Murphy’s supplies.”
“Mother and Tessa tell me you are working late hours’ baby.”
“I have nothing to do until you get in and you get in around midnight or later. I am not going to be the typical wife who is allowed to do housework or cook. You have people for that and I am not complaining because I hate housework. My point is this: I love what I do and until it reaches spring and I can go outside and help pick fruits and pick up eggs or whatever, I am not going to sit around and watch television while I wait up for you. And before you tell me that you expect me not to wait up for you, spare yourself the trouble. I am waiting up.”
He stared at her for a moment and his expression was unbelievably tender. “I was not going to say that. I love that you wait up for me. I am afraid that you are going to get tired of my late nights and early mornings but I promise you that I will never neglect you baby.”
“I know how demanding your work is Kurt and I am not some woefully neglected woman who is going to feel as if her man is stepping out on her. I knew what you were before we got involved. I am cool and do you know why?”
He shook his head in bemusement. “I love your mother and sisters. We get along great! So I am very comfortable here.”
He hauled her up into his arms and held her close. “If you were not I would have moved and taken you anywhere you wanted to go,” he murmured huskily.
“I know,” she framed his face and looked at him tenderly. “Your love for me makes me believe that there is nothing I cannot face — we cannot face. You are the man I have been looking for without realizing that I was looking for anyone. You are the best man I know and I get pretty overwhelmed with what I have. I love you Kurt.”
“I will never get tired of hearing that,” he said hoarsely.
“Then I will continue to say it over and over again. I cannot wait to be your wife.”
“Thank you my love.” He whispered humbly.
*****
“You could come and sleep in my bed for a change. This is adventurous and all that but I am getting tired of picking out hay from my hair.” Kathy said softly as she spayed her fingers onto his chest.
“I am not shacking up with you. I am sure your mother would love that.” Jake said sardonically.
“It’s not exactly shacking up. Mother is okay with us seeing each other and of course Kurt is cool with it.”
“The answer is no Princess,” he told her as he rolled away to go and get his clothes. It was early hours in the morning and in about an hour he had rounds to make and horses to feed.
“God! You are so stubborn!” she cried out in frustration as she looked up at him. He had pulled on his denims and left it unopened and his chest was bare. His few months hauling hay and helping to train the horses had toned him even more. He was hard working and had earned the grudging respect of the men including her brother. “We are together Jake, when are you going to start accepting that?”
He climbed back onto the hay and twisted his fist into her thick blonde hair as he looked down at her. “If I had not accepted it, I would have dumped you the minute you lied to me about being pregnant and I would have hightailed it out of here.” He bent his head and kissed her roughly causing her insides to curdle as she clung to him.
He moved away and reached for his shirt. “You have a tuxedo fitting this afternoon.”
“Again?” he sighed in frustration wondering how on earth he had allowed Kathy to trick him into saying yes. The girl had him wrapped around her pretty little fingers and he hated it sometimes!
“Just this once.” She smiled up at him.
“We roll out in ten,” Her brother’s deep voice from the doorway caused both of them to almost jump out of their skin. “Kathy put some clothes on and go on home. It’s cold out.” He looked at Jake coolly. “Meet you at the corral Montgomery.”
“Look what you did!” Jake pulled on his sweater and searched frantically for his work gloves and hat. “He is going to fire me and you are not coming with me.”
“Relax,” Kathy could not help but be amused at the situation. “He knows we are together.”