Her eyes lit up. “Really? You don’t mind if I do?”
“All in good time. Right now, you need to wash up.”
He had no intention of letting her go out to the field for a while yet. But he decided he wouldn’t tell her what he was planning. After he released the critters into the yard, he returned and set the empty sacks on the hook by the door. He set the gloves on a small table then entered the kitchen where Patty was washing her hands in the basin.
He couldn’t recall a time he’d seen a more beautiful sight, and he wanted nothing more than to make love to this strong woman who didn’t let little things like snakes and rodents disturb her. This was a woman who wanted to wear pants so she could go out and ride a horse. She loved everything about ranch life. He thought for years that she had only been with her pa because she had nowhere else to go, that because she was a woman, her choices this far out West were limited. But now he knew better. She was here because she wanted to be here, and she would never have the desire to find a big city to live a more “civilized” kind of life like his mother had.
Patty looked over at him, probably just noticing him. “I’m done,” she said and wiped her hands on the towel. “I’m going to change into some pants since you don’t mind. I’ve been anxious to check out the land and see what you have ever since we married.”
“Don’t change yet,” he told her before she could run upstairs. “We should make up for lost time first. But, I got to wash my hands as well.” If he was going to touch her, the last thing he wanted to do was touch her right after he handled mice, even if he’d been wearing gloves.
He quickly washed his hands, all too aware that she watched him with furrowed eyebrows. Considering how many times she’d made it a point to show off her body, he was surprised she had no idea what he had in mind. When he was done, he turned to face her and gave her a wicked grin.
“I haven’t made you my wife yet, sweetheart, and that’s something,” he placed his hands on her hips and drew her into his arms, “that I fully intend to fix.”
She blushed. “Now?”
“Yep.”
“Right this minute?”
He chuckled. “I believe that is what ‘now’ means.”
“Well, yes, I suppose it does. I mean, I…well, you…um…”
“Patty.”
“What?”
Noting the way her face grew even pinker, he lowered his head and kissed her. She was so adorable when he caught her off guard. When the kiss ended, he said, “I didn’t think anything spooked you. You could go after snakes and mice without flinching, but I mention consummating our marriage, and you act like you got spooked.”
“That’s silly. I’m not spooked. I…I…” She shrugged and averted her gaze so she was no longer looking him in the eye. “I just didn’t expect it, that’s all.”
“Probably because I haven’t been making this easy for you. But you have nothing to worry about now. I won’t be pushing you away anymore.”
“Would it bother you if I took the lead sometimes?”
“No,” he softly admitted and pressed her closer to him, delighted by the feel of her soft breasts. It didn’t take much to get him aroused when it came to her. “I like it when you show me that incredible body you have. But,” he quickly added before she got the wrong idea, “remember that you’re for my eyes only.”
“I’ve never been meant for anyone but you, Greg. You ought to know that by now.”
Her eyes sparkling, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, snuggling his erection against her abdomen. Oh yes, he was going to make her his wife in every sense of the word, and he was going to enjoy every moment of it. Lowering his head, he kissed her again, this time letting his lips linger on hers. She let out a soft sigh, and he deepened the kiss.
Weeks of suppressed desire came racing to the surface, and before he knew what was happening, their tongues were intertwined and he had her back against the table. In his mind, he knew he ought to be a gentleman and take her to the bed. But at the moment, such logic flew out the window, and all he could do was get caught up in the moment. She was made for his pleasure, and in turn, he’d offer her pleasure that she’d only find with him.
Lifting her by the hips, he set her on the worktable so that she was sitting in front of him. He pressed himself between her legs and groaned. He had no idea that being with her this way could be so intoxicating, but all sense of time faded as he became aware of her—and only her. And better yet, she was responding very well to him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him into her embrace.
As much as he wanted to stay in that position, he was too eager to explore her. He brought his hands to the front of her shirtwaist and undid the buttons, struggling to find the patience required so he could be careful. He made it down a couple buttons without any problems when he got stuck on the fourth one down, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to slip the button through the slit in the fabric.
Giggling, she ended their kiss and leaned back so she could unfasten the button herself.
“I don’t want to rip the fabric,” he explained, his pulse racing with the thrill of watching her unfasten the rest of her buttons.
While she removed her shirtwaist, he rushed through the process of removing his own clothes, and he didn’t mind it when a couple of the buttons on his shirt went flying across the room, though he did take more care when it came time to take off his pants. Shirts were easier to fix, after all.
Turning his gaze back to her, his eyes greedily drank in the sight of her lovely breasts as she took the chemise off and set it aside. She then unbuttoned the skirt, and since he was already undressed at this point, he helped her. He grunted when he realized there were bloomers, two petticoats and stockings he also had to remove.
“I think you wearing pants will make things a lot easier in the future,” he said as he finally slipped the last of her layers off. Why women had to wear so much, he didn’t know. Maybe it was to drive men senseless.
But the wait was worth it, for when she was finally naked, he never saw a lovelier sight. Her breasts were the perfect size, and her legs were slightly parted, hinting at the dark hair between them. He parted her legs further, giving no sense of embarrassment at openly staring at her. He was too wrapped up in his desire for her to care at the moment, and by her heavy breathing, he sensed that she wasn’t the overly shy type. He glanced up at her and noted the flicker of arousal in her eyes, which told him she didn’t mind his open study of her body.
Her gaze went to his erection, and that suited him just fine. She could definitely explore him while he was exploring her. The fact that she was even interested in him—instead of trying to avert her gaze so she didn’t have to look at him—further aroused him. He parted her legs further and let in a slight intake of breath. Below the dark curls was her entrance, and even if he’d never been inside a woman before, he knew, without a doubt, that he’d love nothing more than being inside her.
What made it even better was the fact that she was his wife, his companion, his lover. And she didn’t mind reaching forward to touch his penis, her fingers tracing his head then gently moving forward to his shaft.
He let out a moan and encouraged her to wrap her hand around him. “That feels like heaven, sweetheart,” he murmured. “And you look wonderful.”
Now that he’d had his fill of looking at her, he brought his hands to her breasts and caressed them in a manner similar to the way she was caressing him. The pleasure of her touch made him that much bolder in his exploration of her. Leaning forward, he kissed her neck while he continued running his thumbs along her nipples, both excited and pleased when she shivered in delight.
He moaned, not at all shy about expressing his enjoyment, and as he hoped, she wasn’t shy about expressing her pleasure either. In fact, it turned out she was quite vocal, especially when he brought his hand between her legs and traced the wet folds of her flesh.
“Yes, enter me,” she whis
pered then shifted her hips so that one of his fingers slid into her.
He closed his eyes and tried to memorize the soft moist flesh as it clenched around him. After a few seconds, he slid another finger in and was rewarded with a groan.
“That feels good, Greg,” she rasped and guided his thumb to her sensitive nub.
She lifted her hips, and his fingers went deeper into her. Bringing her hand to his, she showed him how to rub her sensitive nub in gentle circular motions. Then she leaned back and rocked her hips to help him establish the rhythm of his thrusting fingers.
He watched her, fascinated at the way her breasts bounced as she continued rocking her hips in wild abandon. He wanted nothing more than to hear her final cry of pleasure as she reached her peak. She kept repeating his name and begged him to keep going, not that he had any intention of stopping. This was the most exciting thing he’d ever done in his life.
Her cries grew louder until there was the final cry, and as she screamed his name, her flesh clenched tightly around him. He stilled his fingers, noting each time her body clenched then relaxed a moment before clenching again.
When she was done, she wrapped her legs around him and guided him into her. He groaned as her hot flesh accepted him. She let out a slight gasp as he widened her entrance, marking her as a woman who’d now been claimed. He waited for a moment, straining against the urge to move as he studied her.
“Patty?” he asked, finding it hard to concentrate but willing himself to for her sake. “Are you hurt?”
“A little sting,” she whispered as she shifted her hips and leaned back. “That’s better.” She tightened her legs around his waist to pull him deeper into her. “It feels good, Greg. Keep going. Make me your wife.”
He slid out of her then pressed into her, careful to make sure he wasn’t hurting her. This time she didn’t wince. Leaning over her, he did it again, and she let out a moan of pleasure. Relieved, he gave himself completely to the moment and established a rhythm that would result in his eventual climax. Had he not taken care of himself recently, he would have spilled his seed already, but since he had, he was able to take his time and fully enjoy the process of claiming her.
He purposely alternated between going fast and slow, noting that when he slowed things down, he was able to put off his orgasm. This only served to make things that much more pleasurable, and when he finally reached his peak, the intentional delay was worth it. Never before had he experienced this much fulfillment. And now, as he rode wave after wave of pleasure, he couldn’t help but wonder if he should keep her in the house for the rest of the day.
No, he promised he’d take her out riding. And there were some areas on the land where it was private enough that they could do this again. He groaned as he imagined taking her outside. He’d pack a blanket, of course, and let her go on top of him so she wouldn’t have to risk the discomfort of being on the ground. Yes, he’d definitely make love to her while they were out. A grin crossed his face. Maybe he’d even take her twice. Or three times. Maybe there were some interesting things they could try while riding a horse. The possibilities were endless, and he was excited to try each one.
“What are you smiling about in such a wicked fashion?” she asked.
He opened his eyes and noted her interest was piqued. He lowered his head and kissed her. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he promised then helped her off the worktable. “First, we need to get you in some pants.”
“You’re really going to let me go riding in the pasture?”
“Of course. But we’re only taking one horse.”
“One horse? Why?”
He kissed her and gave her behind an affection squeeze. “Remember that day when we went to church and we shared one horse? I want to do that again. Except this time, we’ll make it interesting.”
“Oh.” Then her eyes lit up with understanding and she blushed. “Oh!”
Laughing, he kissed her again. “Go on upstairs and get dressed in clothes that are easy for me to take off.”
While she hurried to obey, he put his clothes back on.
Chapter Sixteen
“Well, look who’s finally smiling,” Archie called out the next morning as he entered the barn.
Greg finished saddling his horse before saying, “I wouldn’t be so eager to upset the man who has the final say over whether or not we can have another square dance.”
Archie’s eyebrows rose in interest. “You’re going to let us have one?”
“Once we catch the man or men responsible for stealing the cattle, yes.”
“It’s got to be men. No one can do it alone. There’s no way.”
“You’re probably right. Whoever is doing it has a good strategy.”
“Yep.” Unfortunately. “They aren’t dumb.”
Greg finished tightening the straps under the saddle and started putting the bridle on the horse.
“You going to check on the cattle?”
Greg nodded. “You and Randy be sure to take a nap. You won’t be any good if you’re too tired to focus on your work.”
“Will do, boss.” After a moment, Archie asked, “Aren’t you going to take Patty with you?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”
The only reason he told Archie that was because Patty was heading in their direction in a pair of jeans and a shirt. Though she wore clothes suited for men, she looked very feminine since the pants only accentuated her curves. In fact, she looked way better in pants than she ever did in a dress or skirt. Getting her out of those clothes was the best thing he ever did for his eyes. He glanced at Archie who smiled appreciatively at her figure.
“Need I remind you that when I offered her to you, you didn’t want her?” Greg growled.
Archie’s eyebrows rose innocently. “I wasn’t thinking anything wrong when I was looking at her.”
“You’d better be thinking of what songs you want Herb to play at the next square dance.”
“Point taken.” As Patty came near them, Archie waved to her. “The boss says you look real good this morning.”
A pretty shade of pink graced Patty’s cheeks. “Thank you, Greg.”
Though Greg hadn’t come out and said that to Archie, he figured it was Archie’s way of making amends for gawking at her, so Greg forgave him for staring at her when he had better things to do. Greg waited until Archie headed for the bunkhouse before he pulled Patty into his arms and kissed her. “You do look good,” he whispered.
“I’m glad you don’t mind the pants,” she replied and kissed him again.
“Mind? I prefer it, sweetheart.” Before she could ask him why, he lifted her by the waist and set her on the horse.
“You don’t want to take separate horses this time?” she teased.
“And miss out on holding you? I don’t think so.”
He got up behind her and settled into the saddle. She really was a natural on a horse. She had perfect balance and was comfortable on it. Yesterday he had wanted to take his horse, but when hers put up enough of a fuss, he opted to take hers instead. He did the same this morning. Horses could be jealous when their owners didn’t ride them, but his horse wasn’t so particular. Though she didn’t need him to wrap his arm around her waist, he did because it gave him an excuse to touch her.
“Where to?” he asked as he led the horse into a trot.
She shrugged. “Maybe we should go around the perimeter of the fence and see where the cattle rustlers might be coming in.”
“The ranch hands and I have made sure the area is secure, but I certainly don’t mind another pass through. We could have missed something the first time.”
She didn’t reply, and he gave her a gentle nudge. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just that you… Well, never mind.”
“What is it?” he encouraged.
“Have you considered that it might be an inside job? That maybe one of the ranch hands is helping someone else with the theft?”
&nb
sp; He frowned, not liking the idea. “I hadn’t thought of it, but it’s possible.”
“I know it’s not a pleasant thought,” she said. “But if you and the others checked for the vulnerable spots on the property and didn’t find any, then it makes sense someone under your employment could be letting cattle out.”
“I get what you’re saying.” And she was right. It made sense. He released his breath as he thought of his ranch hands. “Got an idea of which one it might be?”
“Lyle.”
He blinked in surprise. She didn’t even have to think about it. “How long have you suspected him?”
“I thought he was up to something the first day I got here.”
“You did?”
“It was a feeling.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it. I saw him from the bedroom window and thought it’d be a good idea to keep an eye on him.”
He nodded. “I don’t get the same feeling about him that you do, but I’ve heard women are better at this kind of thing than men are.”
“You did?”
“You sound surprised.”
“Well,” she began as they came across the first corner of the fence on his property, “I guess Evelyn doesn’t know as much as she thinks she does.”
“Evelyn Heiser? From church?”
“That’s the one.”
He rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t pay her any mind. She thinks she knows everything, but she doesn’t. Her poor husband is a good reason why men should avoid marriage.”
She wiggled around and straddled him, her legs wrapping ever so nicely around his waist. He slowed the horse and glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one else was close enough to see what they were doing. With a smile, he turned his attention back to her and kissed her, not at all hesitant to let her know what he had in mind.
She chuckled. “Greg, I want to know more about Evelyn. What is her husband like?”
He grimaced. “He’s not as interesting as this is.” He shifted so that his erection rubbed against her.
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