Rancher's Choice

by Kylie Brant

  Kaly’s knees were weak and she leaned heavily into him. She’d had no idea that her breasts could be so sensitive. She felt each pull of his mouth deep in her womb, setting off a chain reaction of passion signals all over her body. He did not let up on his sensual ministrations, one hand going to the button on her pants. He unfastened it, sliding the zipper down slowly. His hand eased in and stroked her satiny stomach, which quivered in response. He moved lower then, brushing over her silk-covered mound seductively.

  She caressed Jackson’s shoulders and back wildly. She wanted to return the sensual explorations that threatened to drive her wild, but she lacked the control and the experience to reciprocate. Every flick of his tongue set her nerve endings on fire. She squirmed sensuously against him, eager for every feeling he evoked from her. Jackson lifted his lips to hers and bestowed upon her a devouring kiss. He pushed her jeans down and followed their trail along her silky thighs with his hands. Lowering Kaly back onto the bed, he dispensed with her jeans, leaving her clad only in silky bikini panties.

  He gazed at her lying in the center of his bed, looking seductive and quintessentially female, and he could feel the hunger in him begin to throb painfully. The sight of her filled him with exultant masculine satisfaction and raging passion. She moved restlessly beneath his regard, and he lowered himself beside her, leaning half over her. Their lips met again as he pressed his chest gently to hers and rubbed himself against her breasts.

  Kaly gasped at the unfamiliar pleasure. “Jackson, please,” she murmured, and mindlessly arched her back, eager for a firmer pressure. His rougher torso rasped her softer, more sensitive skin delightfully, but soon that wasn’t enough. She needed to touch him, explore his body as he did hers. Her hands slid up his sides and moved between them. He obligingly lifted away a bit, and she caressed his chest shyly. At his hiss of indrawn breath she grew bolder, stroking him, smoothing her hands over his bulging pectorals. With one finger she touched the arrow of hair descending toward his jeans and followed the trail, slipping daringly into the unfastened waistband. He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss into it.

  Kaly opened her eyes and looked uncomprehendingly at him and he answered her unasked question huskily. “I love your hands on me, honey, but not this time. I’m too close to exploding as it is. If you keep teasing me like that I won’t last any longer than a teenager.”

  Kaly blushed deeply at his frank admission, but something within her swelled with womanly pride that she could wring that kind of raw desire from a man of his experience. He evoked such churning, unfamiliar passion in her she was fiercely glad she could wreak similar feelings in him. She tested her newfound power by moving her lips to his chest, her tongue flicking daringly at the button of his nipple.

  Jackson foiled her teasing by rolling over, pulling her on top of him. He lifted her above him so that her breasts swayed temptingly close to his lips, and once again he closed his mouth around a nipple, batting at it playfully with his tongue. Kaly closed her eyes slumberously and pressed demandingly closer to his mouth. He obeyed her unspoken request and his cheeks flexed, as he suckled her strongly.

  Kaly almost sobbed as the pleasure mounted in her, and she moved unconsciously on top of him, squirming and rubbing against his bigger, harder body. Her movements were sending him into orbit, and Jackson’s hand went to her silk- clad bottom, pressing it still. His fingers delved beneath the stretchy elastic to the smooth skin beneath. He fondled her firm bottom and impatiently pulled the panties off so there would be no impediment to his play.

  He rolled over again, landing Kaly partially beneath him. She trembled with anticipation and the beginning curls of trepidation as his avid gaze devoured her in all her nude splendor. His hand lay on her silky stomach, gentling her trembling. One finger twirled teasingly in her navel before his fingers moved slowly down to curl in the honey-colored thicket of her womanhood. With his lips just above hers, their gazes locked, his thumb found the bud of her desire, and Kaly jerked helplessly. Jackson leaned down to kiss her and her arms came up to his chest to knead the muscular expanse.

  Their kiss became deeper, wilder, even as Jackson moved one finger along her moist heat and barely entered her, keeping up the pressure with his thumb. Kaly bucked beneath him, on fire, and whimpers came from far back in her throat. He slowly eased one long finger inside, stroking and probing her tight moistness until she was sobbing, her fingers clenched painfully on his hard biceps.

  Sweat broke out on Jackson’s face, and every muscle in him tightened as he watched the sweet anguish twist Kaly’s countenance. He felt the edges of passion crowd closer, threatening to take him over, and he rolled off her to stand next to the bed.

  Her eyes opened and she watched as he peeled his jeans over lean masculine hips: her breath caught in her throat. All he’d been wearing were the jeans, and the rigid proof of his desire was instantly, achingly exposed. Kaly trembled at the sight of Jackson’s nudity. She’d known he was a big man, but unclothed he seemed almost overpowering. The broad shoulders, deep chest and huge biceps were echoed in the long, muscular legs and throbbing manhood. For the first time, she felt panic begin to well in her. She sat up on the bed, uncertainty clouding the passion in her face.

  Jackson recognized the brief flare of alarm in her wide eyes and moved next to her, soothing her in his embrace. “I won’t hurt you,” he whispered hoarsely. He lifted her chin with one finger, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Nothing will happen until you’re ready. Do you trust me?”

  Kaly’s eyes were locked with his and her mind didn’t register the strangeness of his question. She didn’t think he could help but hurt her emotionally when their relationship ended, as it surely would. But she didn’t believe he would use his strength against her. In this instant, under these circumstances, she knew she trusted him completely to take the greatest care of her, and she nodded mutely.

  Jackson let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He felt an unfamiliar tenderness for this woman and set out to assure her that she was safe in his arms. She was aroused, but he wanted her mindless with desire, until his presence was all she could focus on. He wanted to wipe out the memory of any man who had come before him and fill her senses, her mind, her body, with him. He used all his expertise, not thinking of it as such, intent only on bringing the most exquisite pleasure to her.

  Kaly writhed slowly on the bed, under the tutelage of his hands. Callused fingertips moved pleasurably over her softer skin. His knowing hands were everywhere, stroking the skin in back of her knees, kneading the bottoms of her feet, caressing her breasts. He touched her intimately, with more knowledge of her body than she had herself. He took her lower lip between his teeth, even as one hand moved to her womanhood. The tender dual assault left Kaly unable to do more than respond. Liquid heat spread through her as Jackson began a rhythmic stroking. Her heels ground into the bed as the torturous pleasure mounted.

  He wanted their love play to last forever. But the look of anguished passion on Kaly’s face and her body twisting sweetly under his combined to snatch away the remnants of reason. He could feel his control fleeing and moved to protect her while he was still capable. Divining his intent, she touched his arm. “No.” Her whisper stopped him. “It’s all right. You don’t have to.”

  He moved back to her. “Sure?” he murmured, his lips brushing hers.

  “Very sure,” she sighed, her eyes fluttering closed again.

  Jackson knelt between Kaly’s thighs, letting her feel his pulsating presence. He held her mouth in deep kisses as he rasped his chest across her tender breasts. His hand inched between their bodies, finding unerringly the heart of her desire, and Kaly whimpered, feeling a coil of tension draw unbearably tighter at the delicious sensations. The delight became almost unbearable, and her body twisted against his, her head tossing mindlessly on his pillow. Only then did he carefully flex his taut buttocks and push slowly into her, stopping when he heard her surprised gasp.

&nb
sp; Kaly’s eyes fluttered open at his possession. It had been a long time for her, and her body tensed slightly at the feel of his pulsing desire. Her fingers clenched tightly on his shoulders. She wanted him, needed the feel of him inside her. He loomed over her, his massive torso blocking out the dim light. His face filled her world as their gazes meshed and he watched her take him.

  “It’s all right,” he murmured. “Let yourself relax. I’m not going to hurt you. You trust me, remember?” He held himself above her on his elbows, his face a taut mask of passion, and struggled to keep himself from taking her in a long, deep thrust that would end his torment. He felt Kaly relax a little against him and inched farther inside her, before stopping again to let her body adjust to his intimate invasion. He gritted his teeth as he felt her delicate inner quivering to accommodate him. He pressed inch by agonizing inch into her, until finally he was buried inside her, as deeply as he’d dreamed of. Waves of ecstasy threatened to overtake him as he struggled to remain still. He could feel with every fiber of his being, the tight, moist sheath cradling him so intimately.

  Ripples of pleasure were flooding Kaly’s being, making it impossible to focus on anything else. Her world narrowed to Jackson and the feelings his body wrung from her. Control slipped away, leaving only scorching passion in its wake. She writhed beneath him, sobbing, reaching for that ultimate pleasure that seemed just out of reach. He was so...oh...it was...

  Jackson waited until Kaly’s hips rocked him, signaling her unconscious desire. He pulled almost completely out and sank into her again. A cry emanated from Kaly at the rapturous feelings overtaking her. Strong hands gripped her hips as Jackson set a rhythm that she was helpless not to follow. He thrust into her over and over, and she whimpered involuntarily as desire carried her up over its edge. Her whole body tightened as she bucked frantically beneath him, and then her world exploded; shattering colors swam before her eyes, and she was flung over the edge, crying his name.

  Feeling her satisfaction, Jackson reached even more frantically for his own, lunging into her with ever-increasing power until he, too, shouted hoarsely, caught up in the maelstrom of his own release.

  Chapter 10

  Kaly held him for a long time as their breathing gradually returned to normal. When Jackson raised his head and looked down at her, she forced herself to meet his gaze, although she had never felt more open, more vulnerable, in her life. She read with disheartening certainty the male satisfaction stamped on his face, but also a softness, an almost tender look she’d never seen there before.

  He studied her silently, pushing her heavy, tousled mane gently away from her face, tracing her delicate features with one finger. She looked fragile beneath him, the exhaustion he read in her countenance tempered with the content look of a well-loved woman.

  “You’re on the pill?” he asked.

  She nodded, her eyes dropping diffidently. “The doctor thought it would...I was so irregular...”

  He nodded. A more urgent question was eating him, though, had been burned into his brain when he’d entered her. His passion eased, it again teased his mind and he asked it bluntly.

  “You haven’t had much experience, have you?”

  Kaly stiffened and turned her face away. She pushed at his shoulders, intent on rolling away from his intent regard. Jackson resisted her attempts to free herself from his scrutiny, and waited for her reply. Unable to get away, to hide from that experienced voice, she answered in brittle tones, “Sorry I wasn’t up to your usual standards.”

  He frowned, and forced her chin up with one long finger. When she finally looked at him he growled softly, “That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it. It’s just that you’re so…so small. I could tell that you don’t...” He searched for an expression that wasn’t as coarse as the one that sprang to his mind. “You haven’t...been with many men.” He brushed his lips against her nose, her cheek, her forehead. “Have you?”

  Kaly avoided his eyes but gave a slight shake of her head.

  A surge of exultation coursed through Jackson at her admission, though he was incapable of explaining the source of the feeling. He knew he was being crude, but that didn’t stop him from pressing her further. For some reason, it seemed imperative for him to know.

  “Two?” he guessed.

  He read his answer in the faintly indignant look on Kaly’s face, but scarcely dared to believe it. “Only one?”

  She refused to meet his gaze, but he knew he’d guessed accurately. His arms tightened protectively around her before he became belatedly aware that his weight held her pinned to the bed. He rolled over and cradled her head against his chest.

  His eyes stared unseeingly at the ceiling. A primordial instinct he had never felt before had flooded through him at her disclosure. He had never been a possessive man. That made this euphoria he was feeling even more inexplicable.

  He’d known Kaly wasn’t like most of the women he’d dated, those who knew the score and were willing to engage in an encounter with a man without expecting more from it than mutual pleasure. But he had expected that such a lovely, intelligent woman as Kaly would have had many admirers. It was exhilarating to find out that he wasn’t one of many, and he was struggling against an arrogant male impulse to make sure no other man ever trespassed again.

  Kaly was appalled at his blunt questioning, and with her innate modesty she was still reeling from what she had just revealed to him. But in the aftermath of desire, which Jackson had satisfied, in the middle of his bed, still lying close to his hard body, she was strangely helpless to deny him anything, even something as intimate as her past. She felt his eyes on her, and it took all the courage she could summon to meet that navy gaze.

  Jackson’s rough hand massaged her spine soothingly, and Kaly unconsciously relaxed against him. “Tell me about him,” he requested quietly.

  She enjoyed his rhythmic caress for long moments before beginning softly, “We had plans to marry after graduate school.” Kaly stopped here for a moment. She snuggled against him, not relishing having to rehash the past. Both his hands had joined in the soothing motion along her back. She arched slightly into him as one large hand rubbed the base of her spine. The hypnotic movement was making her drowsy.

  “Midway through our programs,” she continued, “Philip lost his scholarship. He started to press me to marry him right away. He wanted me to quit, get a job and put him through school.” She paused, before adding reflectively, “I think the worst thing about it was thinking I knew him so well and finding out how poor my judgment actually was.”

  They were silent for long minutes as Jackson reflected on the man who had been fool enough to toss this woman away. “His loss,” Jackson pronounced finally, rolling her half over and rising on an elbow above her. He bent his head to hers, his intent plainly written on his face.

  Kaly’s eyes opened wider and flickered down his body involuntarily. “More?” she asked ingenuously.

  Amusement showed on his dark features. “Much more,” he promised. He rained kisses on her face as he drew her under him and began to weave his spell once again. She gave herself up to his compelling caress, and they moved together again in the language of love.

  Bright streamers of sunlight painted the room when Kaly finally awoke the next day. She was disoriented, looking about confusedly for long moments before the happenings of the night came flooding back to her. She sank into the pillow, biting her lip. Jackson had obviously risen and dressed long ago. It was his habit to rise early, and from the direction of the sun, Kaly guessed that it was close to noon.

  She rose and began to pull on her clothes hurriedly, wincing as her movements reminded her of tender muscles. He had made love to her over and over last night, arousing her after she thought she was depleted of energy and then starting again. Jackson had shocked her with his need for her. She had shocked herself with her answering need. Her cheeks grew pink at the memories. His reputation as a lover was well deserved. Her experience couldn’t match his, but she was
darn sure she didn’t like waking up in an empty bed the next morning.

  She glanced quickly around the room to see if she had forgotten anything. Her eye caught sight of a rose lying near the pillow she had slept on. She walked slowly over, bending to pick up the fragile bloom. One of Peg’s long-stemmed beauties, it was the palest blush of pink and tightly budded, just beginning to open. All the thorns had been carefully cut off.

  Kaly brought it to her nose and inhaled the gentle fragrance. A tiny smile crossed her lips at Jackson’s unexpected thoughtfulness. She shouldn’t read too much into the gesture; he’d probably done this for countless other women. But she couldn’t help the warmth his consideration caused. He must have known she would focus on this rose now, instead of on her awkwardness in rising from his bed.

  After placing the rose in a vase on her desk, Kaly worked for several hours that afternoon, determined to finish everything before Jeff returned. She progressed steadily, turning down Peg’s invitation of breaking for a late lunch. Instead, she sipped a diet soda as she typed, ignoring the housekeeper’s dire predictions of what skipping a meal would do to her system. She was so engrossed that she failed to notice she had a visitor until he was standing right in front of her desk.

  “So, it’s just as I thought. You are a prisoner here slaving away for Jeff Roberts.”

  Kaly had to smile at Paul Whitfield’s theatrical tone. She pushed her chair back and greeted him warmly. “Paul, what a pleasant surprise. I didn’t know you were expected today.”

  Paul seated himself on the corner of her desk, his expensively shod feet crossed at the ankle. He shrugged in response to her comment. “I’m not. I wanted to see you. I figured it would be weeks before Jeff let you get away from the office again, so I thought I’d drop in and see how you were doing.” He lowered his voice and leaned toward her. “You look even prettier than I remember.”