The Rancher Next Door

by Susan Mallery

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “He’s barely settled here. Uprooting him would be difficult.”

  “Would Josie ask for help if she needed it?”

  “I don’t know.” Katie looked at him and shrugged. “I don’t know about anything.”

  He touched her face, gently laying his palm against her cheek. The warmth from him seemed to flow into her body, healing her and giving her comfort. She nearly wept when he drew his hand away.

  “You don’t have to decide tonight,” he told her. “Josie’s not going anywhere. Why don’t you think about it for a while? If Dallas is overwhelmed then you can reconsider your decision.”

  “Maybe,” she said. She drew in a deep breath. “Thanks for listening. I just—”

  “You just what?”

  She shrugged. “It was so weird. The four of us were there together. I can’t remember the last time that happened.”

  By four, she meant the children of Aaron and Gloria, but Jack would know that. He knew her family history nearly as well as she did. Robin and Dallas were Suzanne’s kids, and Blair and Brent were the babies—products of Aaron’s marriage to Suzanne. But the four oldest had been a team for the first eleven years of Katie’s life.

  “I never see A.J.,” she said. “I guess Josie does because they’re twins, but he’s disappeared from the ranch. And Josie’s been on the other side of the country since leaving for college. David is here in Lone Star Canyon, and I barely see him. Everything changes.”

  “That’s the nature of life.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  He gave her a smile. “I’ll report that to the appropriate authorities.”

  For the first time in days, she felt her mouth curve up. “Thanks. I don’t mean to be weird, it’s just that everyone is going in a million different directions. I want that to stop. We’re all getting married and divorced and moving on. Dallas told me that before the surgery Josie was asking for Del, but when I talked to her about it, she didn’t want me to call him.”

  “He’s her ex-husband, right?”

  “Yeah. So I did what she said and left it alone. But I don’t know if that was right.”

  “It’s her decision.”

  “That’s what she told me. I guess I need to mind my own business.” She took another sip of the brandy. For the first time she noticed how close he was. Her knees bumped against his. She raised the glass. “Thanks for this.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  She looked at her surroundings, taking in the brown and blue decor. The sofa and chair were covered in a serviceable plaid. The coffee table and end tables were made of oak. No rugs blurred the smooth hardwood floor. Except for family photos, there weren’t any pictures or artwork. The room proclaimed that a man lived here alone and that was how he liked it.

  She set down the glass and crossed her arms over her chest. “How can people come and go with such ease? I married a man and had a child by him, and yet he barely made a ripple in my life. If it wasn’t for Shane, I could forget I ever knew him. I have no regrets about him being gone. Again, if not for Shane, I would be happy to have never met him. How is that possible?”

  “We change.”

  “So much? Are you different now than you were when you got married? Do you remember her? Did she make any kind of mark in your life?”

  Jack knew that Katie’s questions were the result of the trauma of her sister’s accident. His instinct was to deflect her by changing the subject. Then he realized he didn’t mind talking about his past as much as he would have thought.

  “Melissa mattered,” he said slowly, thinking that the woman who had made the biggest mark in his world hadn’t been his ex-wife, but Katie. She was the one who had brought him to his emotional knees when she’d left. Melissa’s leaving hadn’t been a surprise. He’d been waiting for the relationship to end from the day they got married.

  “How?” Katie asked earnestly, her blue eyes fixed on him. “Did you love her?”

  “Yes. At first. I thought we would do well together. She was part of the geological team that came out here scouting for oil.”

  “So what happened? What went wrong?”

  He frowned. “I don’t know. She was gone a lot. After a while I figured out she would rather be somewhere else than here.” He shrugged. “I thought I would be the one to do the leaving in the relationship, but it was her.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would you leave?”

  He shifted uncomfortably. They were getting close to topics he didn’t discuss with anyone. He didn’t want to open any more doors than he already had. Somehow Katie had found her way back into his life, and he was going to have to work damn hard to make sure she didn’t find her way into his heart. He wasn’t about to be that stupid again. Not if he could stop it. Love was for fools. He’d learned his lesson.

  “I’m my father’s son,” he said evenly. “Russell walked out on his wife and kids after thirteen years. There wasn’t any warning, just some lousy note.”

  “What does that have to do with you?”

  “Everything.” He grimaced. “Don’t you ever look at Aaron and wonder how much of him is in you? Don’t you ever get scared that you’re going to start acting like him?”

  Now it was Katie’s turn to squirm. She rotated her shoulders. “Some, I guess. I don’t like to think about it. I tell myself I’m a lot more like my mom. I would never say the things he says to people and I try not to be that stubborn. I’m not always successful.”

  “I’m Russell’s son,” he reminded her again. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m capable of making anything work over the long term. I don’t want to get that far into something and one day walk out on my responsibilities.”

  She smiled. “Then don’t.”

  If only it were that easy.

  “You’re nothing like your father, Jack,” she continued.

  “You don’t know him well enough to say that. I could be exactly like him. That’s what scares me to death. That’s why I keep my life simple. No emotional complications, no involvements.”

  She leaned forward and rested her hands on his thighs. “I’ve got news for you, cowboy. You have a five-foot-three-inch complication sitting right in front of you. You can deny it all you want. You can run, you can even try to hide, but I’m back in your life. What are you going to do about that?”

  Chapter Eleven

  J ack didn’t want to answer the question. Trust Katie to force him to look at something he didn’t want to see. He didn’t want to get involved with her and he told himself he wasn’t, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and damn if he hadn’t missed her when she’d flown to Los Angeles four days ago.

  “You should have stayed in Dallas,” he said gruffly.

  “Liar. You’re glad I’m back.”

  He glared at her. “Do you have to argue about everything?”

  “Just about.”

  She gave him a satisfied smile. His gaze narrowed. Did she really think she was going to win this round? Well, he had news for her.

  He leaned forward and slipped his hands under her thighs. She started to squirm away, but he was too fast. He pulled her up and toward him, shifting her from the sofa to his lap. Her arms came around his neck. She opened her mouth to protest, but he wasn’t interested in talking anymore. He planted his mouth firmly on hers.

  All the fight went out of her in a microsecond. She sighed his name even as her body pressed against his. She was soft and yielding, and he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone. What had started out as a quick way to teach her a lesson had turned into something much more. Now he was the one learning the truth.

  When they’d made love in the line shack, he’d been caught up in the past as much as in the present. He’d always expected to be Katie’s first lover, and a part of him had wanted to know what it would be like to be intimate with her.

  But his curiosity had been answered. He no longer cared about the past or the future. There was only the present, and that w
as the woman in his arms. His body ached in such a way that he knew if he didn’t have her soon, if he didn’t lose himself inside her and feel her body release around his, he would cease to exist. She was as essential to him as breathing.

  “I want you,” he whispered against her mouth, feeling desperate and frantic. He ran his hands up and down her back, then tugged her shirt free of her jeans.

  “Yes,” she answered, her mouth on his, nipping and kissing and licking.

  Heat flared between them, burning so bright and hot it was a wonder they didn’t go blind. Even as he fumbled with her buttons, she tugged at his. Their hands bumped; their arms pushed each other out of the way. His erection flexed painfully, and they weren’t making any progress.

  “You first,” he said with a low chuckle.

  He dropped his hands to her legs to let her unfasten his shirt. As she worked, her fingers brushed against his bare skin, making him shiver. To make sure the torment was shared, he slid his hands up her thighs, running his thumbs along the inside seam of her jeans. He kept going until he reached the place where the seams met. Once there, he rubbed, feeling her through the layers of fabric.

  She gasped, then swore. She pushed his hands away so she could drag off his shirt. When the fabric fell away, she pressed her mouth to his and drew his hands back to her woman’s place, then rubbed her palms against his back. He teased between her legs, touching her, moving up and down, making her arch and writhe, as if she needed more of him.

  Suddenly he needed more, too. He unfastened her jeans and pulled the material open. He slipped his fingers between her panties and her skin, reaching for her center-most place. He brushed the tiny spot of her surrender.

  She nearly rose into a standing position. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. When his tongue entered her mouth, she sucked on him, making his arousal surge toward her. The heat between them increased. Every cell in his body screamed for release. He wanted them both naked. He wanted to touch her everywhere and have her touch him. His arousal grew more painful as blood pooled in that part of him.

  And still he continued to touch that tiny spot. She stiffened as her breathing increased. Faster and lighter until she broke the kiss to arch her head back and call out his name. Her entire body shook with the pleasure of her release. She bucked and pressed and slowly sank against him.

  Jack held her close. He could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The rapid rhythm matched his. She drew back enough to take his face in her hands. Her eyes were wide and dilated, her skin flushed, her mouth swollen and damp from his kisses.

  “You do that really well,” she said, her voice a little husky. “You must practice.”

  “I have a part-time job in town. Two afternoons a week. I’m generally booked up for months in advance.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Any room for another client?”

  “I might just have something. If not, you’re an old friend. I’d always make room.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  He put his hands on her waist and set her on her feet. She was a little shaky, but managed to stay upright. He rose and took her hand.

  “Come on,” he said, leading her out of the living room and toward his bedroom. “I want to show you something.”

  She laughed. “I’ve seen it. I’m very impressed.”

  He bent and kissed her. “I meant my bedroom.”

  “Oh. I’m sure that’s nice, too.”

  He left on the hall light but didn’t bother with any lamps in the bedroom. Enough light spilled in to show the shadowy outline of the big bed. He stopped next to it and reached for Katie’s shirt. She stood still and silent as he unfastened the buttons and pushed the garment down her arms. Her bra quickly followed.

  Her nipples were already tight points. The soft illumination made her skin glow. He couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect, more beautiful. She had plenty of curves to cup and squeeze and taste. She was soft where she was supposed to be and so very feminine.

  He knelt on the floor in front of her and tugged off her boots and socks. Then he pulled down her jeans and panties. She rested her hand on his shoulder while she lifted first one leg, then the other as he carefully finished undressing her. When she was completely naked, he asked her to sit on the edge of the bed.

  “Now lay down,” he murmured, still on his knees.

  She gave him a quizzical look, but did as he requested. When she was stretched out and relaxed, her legs hanging over the edge of the bed, he pressed a kiss to her inner thigh. She sighed.

  Moving slowly, he worked his way up her soft skin. She was pale and sweet-tasting. He put his hands on her belly, then slid them up until he cupped her breasts. Her full curves filled his palms. He stroked her sensitive skin, moving closer to her nipples but not yet touching them. He felt her body tense in anticipation. He didn’t disappoint.

  At the same moment his thumbs and forefingers lightly teased her nipples, his tongue swept against her secret place. Katie gasped, then whimpered. Her knees came up, and her heels rested on the edge of the mattress. His body surged in response, but it wasn’t time yet. He wanted to do this for her first.

  He moved slowly, deliberately, always in tandem. Hands on breasts, tongue between her legs. Circling her, tasting her, pleasing her, making her shiver and call out and suck in her breath and beg desperately for her release. Her magnificent reactions thrilled him. He’d always tried to please his lovers, but no one had reacted to his touch like Katie. She was vital and alive and wonderfully responsive.

  Her fingers brushed against his head. “I’m close,” she breathed.

  He stroked a little faster, a little lighter, gauging her pleasure by the shudders in her muscles. Her belly contracted and her nipples got harder.

  “Jack, please.”

  Her voice was angel music. Her need made it impossible for him to stop. He continued to love her, swirling around and over, licking and circling until everything within her grew still. Now, he thought, with intense satisfaction. He kept his movements steady as she froze for another heartbeat then convulsed around him.

  Her voice broke in a high, keening sound. Her muscles trembled and shook as her hands grasped him. She arched toward him, wanting it all, and he was there to provide everything. He slowed, still moving, until the last quiver ended and her body was limp. He rose and picked her up to slide her more fully on the mattress. He gathered her against him and held her.

  She clung to him with all her strength. Something damp fell onto his chest. He held her closer as she began to cry. Tears turned into sobs. Harsh sounds clawed their way out of her throat.

  “It’s all right,” he murmured. “I’m here.” He rocked her, patiently waiting for the storm to pass.

  Usually he hated a woman crying, but this time he knew what was wrong. In the past couple of months Katie had faced one crisis after another. Moving back to Lone Star Canyon, dealing with her new job, her father, having to leave the Fitzgerald ranch and finally Josie’s accident. It was too much.

  “I’m sorry,” she said between sobs. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”

  “I do,” he said, brushing her hair away from her face and kissing her tears. “One kind of a release led to another. Just relax. It’s fine.”

  She sniffed and looked at him. Her nose was red and her eyes swollen, and she was still perfectly lovely, he thought.

  “Why are you being so nice? Guys are supposed to hate it when women cry.”

  “We do, but this time it’s not about anything I did, so it’s okay.”

  That made her smile. “Oh, I see. You can handle it as long as you didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Of course.”

  She laughed and wiped her face. “Thank you.” She made a vague gesture toward her naked body. “For understanding and for, well, you know.”

  “Ah, the great ‘you know.’”

  “Jack!” She pushed him, pressing her hands flat against his shoulders. “I’m being serious.”

&
nbsp; “So am I.”

  He rolled her onto her back and bent to kiss her. She opened for him immediately, and he explored her mouth, savoring the familiar sweetness that had always been Katie. Her fingers reached for his belt and unfastened the buckle. She worked the button, then lowered the zipper. Her small hand reached inside and found his hardness.

  She encircled him with a gently firm grip and moved up and down. Her touch brought him instantly to the breaking point. He had to put a restraining hand on her wrist.

  “Not yet,” he murmured, still kissing her. “I want to be inside of you when I lose it.”

  He stroked her back, then her hip and rear. He lowered his head and kissed her breasts, nibbling and licking until she was gasping again. He took her face in his hands and kissed away the last traces of tears. She opened her eyes and gazed at him.

  “I want you,” she whispered. “But this time we have to use protection.”

  Her words froze him in place. He played them over in his mind and realized their significance. They hadn’t used anything the last time they’d made love. He wasn’t sixteen anymore so he didn’t carry a condom in his wallet with the unrealistic hope of getting lucky. He hadn’t had a steady relationship in a couple of years, so he hadn’t much thought about pregnancy.

  Jack rolled away and sat up. He reached into his nightstand drawer and found an unopened box of condoms. As he drew out the square package, he couldn’t help wondering if Katie was already pregnant. Could that have happened with just one time?

  He waited for the fear and horror to flood him and take away his desire for her. Nothing happened. He carefully probed his mind looking for concern or panic, but there wasn’t any. Until Melissa had walked out on their marriage, he’d always assumed he was going to have a bunch of kids. Then she’d left and he’d promised himself to never fall in love again. Which meant he wasn’t likely to get married. Therefore he had no children in his future.

  He’d thought he’d made peace with that idea…until now.