As the man pushed the woman upon the bed, Tess eased upon the patchwork comforter, her head landing on a soft down pillow.
“Are you an angel?” The rich, masculine voice slid across her mind like silk.
Oh God. Now she was hearing things, because the guy on the screen was buried between the woman’s legs, moaning and humming, not teasing Tess with the sexy words she had heard earlier.
Memories of Clancy’s sensual request, “Will you be my angel tonight? Take me home? Make love to me?” parted her thighs. Her hand shook when she placed the vibrator at the opening of her swollen folds. She was so wet, slick, the toy slid in easily, filling her with cold satisfaction. Then she pressed the button and a rolling movement began inside her, pulsating against her sensitive clit to steal her breath.
“Yes,” she hissed.
Drawing her attention back to the couple on the screen, she raised her hips, meeting each push of her hand. The man glanced up at the woman with a mischievous grin as he slowly crawled, rubbing his firm body along the brunette’s lithe frame and easing his hips between her thighs.
Tess knew the moment he entered the woman, because the brunette arched her back, mouth parting on a whimper. Tess swallowed hard. She wanted to be that woman, wanted to be the one beneath that firm body, feel his rock-hard cock moving in and out of her of sex.
As a rosy areola disappeared in his mouth, Tess dragged her free hand up, finding a needy nipple, and pinched, sending electrical charges through both of her breasts. With a slide of a finger she increased the speed of the vibrator. The bunny ears stroked her clit with penetrating movements, causing her pussy to tighten. White-hot fire burst inside her pussy. She cried out. Heat surged, an echo of sensation pulsating throughout her body like a heartbeat. The exquisite moment left her breathing in small, shallow pants and her body trembling.
Slowly she dislodged the vibrator and placed it atop the nightstand before she switched the television and lights off. Rolling onto her side in the dark, she curled in a fetal position. That’s when the tears began to fall.
She felt so alone.
Chapter Three
A pounding headache throbbing against his temples greeted Clancy in the morning. Squinting, he stepped out of his Spanish-style manor into the crisp cool air. Several white, cottony clouds hung in the blue sky, but it appeared the rain had headed west toward New Mexico judging by the grayness in that direction. Moisture was good for his fields, but too much of a good thing was wearing. He’d had enough of this wet weather.
Clancy squared his Stetson on his head and began to stroll toward the barn, relieved to discover his ranch hands had already fed the stock. Bundles of hay poked out of the wire bars of the feeders hanging along the pasture fence, while his cattle and horses chomped down on the sweet-smelling alfalfa. But what lingered in his mind was the clean scent of one woman. A woman who had decided to haunt his dreams last night.
The thought reined his mind in the direction of a tall, blonde beauty with the lips of an angel. He touched a finger to his lips. Damn. He couldn’t remember when a woman had kissed him with such genuine passion, a hunger to match his own.
Then he chuckled.
Her expression when he yanked her pants down to her ankles had been priceless. Yet he’d paid for his misstep. When he’d struck the ground and looked up, his damn heart had nearly jumped out of his chest. His gaze followed those lovely long legs upward and discovered she wore no panties. All that creamy skin had lead up to a small landing patch of blonde, curly pubic hair he’d give his soul to explore.
What on earth was he saying? Tess Gilmore wasn’t his type. He preferred a more experienced woman. Bodacious and adventurous. A woman who wasn’t looking for a husband or the happily ever after, but one living for the moment and the excitement they could offer each other. No ties. No commitments.
Besides, the schoolmarm didn’t need someone like him turning her quiet, peaceful, straight-laced world upside down. Not that she’d given him any hint she was interested. But there was that kiss they’d shared. No. It had to have been his alcohol-induced imagination. He was better off staying away from the beautiful schoolteacher for both of their sakes.
The heavy barn door squeaked as he pushed it open and entered the large, spacious building. The cement pathways along each stall had already been swept, clean straw replaced in each corral, and everything in its place. Organized. Neat.
Clancy almost laughed. On the outside his life appeared charmed, more than comfortable, but appearances were deceiving. The truth was he had nothing of real value, nothing that he held close to his heart. Well, except for Jessie, and he hadn’t been able to hold on to her either.
A heavy sigh left his lungs, as Bella, his dapple mare, whinnied. He turned to where she stood, clawing the ground with a hoof and demanding his attention. The boys must not have given her oats this morning.
“Hey, girl.” He ran a palm down her forehead to her soft nose. She twitched her whiskers, nuzzling his hand, while she made quiet grunting noises. “Until I find out whether you’ve eaten, no honey oats for you.”
“Morning, boss.” Clancy glanced over a shoulder to see Milo Green sauntering up beside him. “Is the wicked wench trying to get you to feed her again?”
“So she’s had her oats?”
“Absolutely.” The tall, lanky man pulled the gray mare’s forelock. “Along with all the other hay-burners in this barn. She’s just greedy like most women.”
And Milo would know.
His young ex-wife had taken every penny he had saved, along with a two-year-old daughter, and ran off. At his own expense, Clancy had hired a detective to track the woman down. Milo deserved to have a relationship with his child. No one should be deprived of his or her family. Not like Clancy had.
“Heard anything yet?” he inquired.
Milo’s face lengthened. “Not a thing.” He pinched his lips together. “Guess I can only hope that Debbie is taking care of Julie. I miss her.” His voice cracked before he quickly looked away. “I thought I’d ride the fence. Look for any downed trees. We had a pretty good downfall late last night.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Clancy needed to do something to keep his mind off one delicious neighbor. “Is the quad gassed?” Instead of riding Bella, he’d take the all-terrain vehicle out. That way he could carry more supplies, including the chainsaw if he needed it.
“Yep. Already loaded too. You sure you don’t want me to tag along?”
“Nah. I need the exercise.” Work off some of the restless energy he’d acquired last night.
“Then I’ll take a look at your truck. Should have it running by noon.” Milo tipped his straw hat and wandered off as Clancy went into the connecting building where he kept his toys. Along with four matching ATVs there was a multipurpose utility vehicle, a motorcycle, a thirty-six-foot boat, and a shiny, black Jaguar.
Every man should have plenty of things to keep his mind occupied, he’d heard once. But things had never filled the emptiness in his life.
Grabbing one of the keys from the lockbox, he headed toward the vehicle containing his fencing equipment. With a tap of a button on the handle, the large garage door groaned as it climbed higher and higher. Throwing a leg over the bike and sitting down, he inserted the key and twisted. The engine roared to life. He eased his thumb against the gas lever and the quad shot forward.
He’d gone only a small distance when he heard someone yell, “You stubborn little bastard.”
As his vehicle sprang beyond the brush, he saw the woman of his dreams with a branch in her hand swatting a midsize calf on the butt. Judging by the brand, a C and a lazy W lying on its side, it was one of his calves that had trespassed onto the Gilmore’s property.
He pulled the vehicle to a stop and cut the motor. “Need some help?”
“I could have used your help when this thing trampled my sisters’ garden and ate darn near a truckload of carrots,” she hissed. “I still don’t know how he got out.” Tess was sta
ring at Clancy and must not have seen the animal move, because when she swung again, the anger behind her swing launched her forward.
She screamed, falling.
Clancy jumped off the bike at lightning speed, but it didn’t save the woman dressed in a navy-blue suit. She struck the puddle hard, raising a spray of grimy muck that flew in all directions.
Tess came up sputtering. By the icy shards sparking in her eyes, she was madder than a wet hen. She made several attempts to get to her feet, slipping and sliding, finally succeeding. But her struggle was only half over. As she tried to move beyond the puddle, sticky mud grappled with one of her feet, refusing to release her. She fought for several more seconds before relinquishing her shoe and stumbling to solid ground.
Fists and teeth clenched, she mumbled something he didn’t understand, but her next words were clear as day. “That’s it. You’re dead,” she growled, continuing to rave at the dumb animal that had found a patch of grass to nibble and ignore her. “I’ll have your ass on the table for dinner tonight.”
Clancy wasn’t sure this was the right time to tell her the calf belonged to him. Cautiously, he placed a booted foot on the barbwire that had come loose due to a heavy tree branch that lay across it. Carefully he stepped upon Gilmore property.
She skimmed her gaze down the front of her and her expression fell. A heart-wrenching groan left her trembling lips. “I’ll be late and it’s my first day.” Tears bloomed, threatening to fall, but she held them contained. “What am I going to do?”
“I’ll take care of the calf and fence. You go clean up.”
“I have to get this beast back in his pen.” She wiped a hand across her cheek, spreading a streak of mud across her face.
The sight nearly made him laugh, but he stopped himself. Odds were if she saw his merriment, he might find his ass on her dinner table next to the calf.
“Uh. Tess. The beast, as you call him, happens to be one of mine.”
“Yours!” Her eyebrows rose so high they almost touch her hairline. Her eyes widened before they narrowed to small slits spitting fire. “Arghhh.”
“As you can see, lightning struck that tree over there.” He pointed to a singed, black trunk of a large oak tree. “Broke a branch clear in two. These things happen on a ranch, but I’ll take care of everything.”
Her mouth parted as if she planned to ream him a new asshole, then she spun around. On one shoe she limped away, her arms swinging with enough fury to propel her forward.
Clancy looked at the innocent calf still chowing down on his breakfast, clearly unconcerned about the theatrics revolving around him. Returning to his quad, Clancy slipped on his gloves and retrieved a rope before returning to capture the animal and lead him back over to his property. After quickly rigging a makeshift fence, he hurried to follow the woman’s footsteps.
Cold mud seeped through Tess’s clothing, sending a chill straight through her. What the hell had she gotten herself into? Standing on the back porch and covered head to foot in slimy guck, her body shook, barely holding back her tears, regrets and anger.
Who was she fooling?
She knew nothing about ranch life. Sure, they had animals in California, but this was on a larger scale, not just a hobby. She was a city girl—a teacher—not a rancher.
As she peeled off her soiled jacket, she wished Levi and the girls hadn’t left early for school to pick up a couple of friends. Nothing was working out how she’d planned today. She shimmied her skirt over her hips and it slipped down her legs, falling to her feet. Stepping out of the mess, she kicked her foot, slinging the last of her expensive shoes across the wooden floor to slam against the house.
Damn Clancy Wiseman.
The large, black heifer casually making mincemeat of the girls’ garden belonged to him. Rose and Rachel would be devastated when they saw the damage.
Looking down at her ruined silk shirt, Tess plucked at the buttons and jerked the garment off. For two cents she’d make Clancy pay for her soiled clothes and shoes. She cast a despairing glance toward where she had last seen him and froze. Her breath caught when she met intense eyes staring into hers. Tess hadn’t even heard Clancy’s approach, but she felt his heated gaze creep slowly up her nearly bare body.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” His deep, throaty voice slid across her skin, raising extra goose bumps.
First her pajama bottoms, now this. The way she was going, the next time they met she’d be stark naked.
Her modesty had already flown the coop. There was no use in trying to cover up. Still, it made her blush when she spun around, knowing he got a picture-perfect view of her derriere in the thong she wore. But as she moved across the porch to the backdoor, her foot landed on her silk shirt and beneath her.whish. The slick fabric slid across the wooden floor, jerking her feet from
She promptly fell on her butt with an umph.
The echo of booted steps pounded up the stairs and across the deck. Before she could catch her breath, strong arms assisted her to her feet and pulled her tight against a rock-hard chest covered in leather. The chill of the material seeped into her flesh.
She trembled.
“You hurt?” he asked.
“Only my pride.” But that wasn’t exactly true. Her ass throbbed from the impact. She’d probably have a nasty bruise and she was cold.
“You’re shivering. Let’s get you into the house.” He turned the doorknob, but it wouldn’t budge. “It’s locked.”
“Of course it’s locked,” she groaned, feeling completely defeated. “My keys are in my purse, which is sitting on the hood of my car.” Which just happened to be in the front yard, where anyone driving by would catch a glimpse of her in nothing but her bra and thong.
Could this morning get any worse?
“I’ll get your keys,” he said.
Releasing her, he shrugged out of his coat and placed it around her shoulders. An all-masculine scent touched her along with an underlying hint of his cologne, a spicy concoction that almost made her melt in its embrace. She pulled the jacket closer around her. Partially because she needed the warmth it offered, and the other reason she’d rather not think about.
Without another word, he tracked back across the porch and disappeared around the corner, leaving her in silence and her own damn thoughts.
Yes, the man was chivalrous, but she had to remember she wouldn’t be in this position if it weren’t for him. And then there were those rumors that both frightened and intrigued her. She was still stressing when he returned.
“Here you go.” Slipping the purse into her hands, he waited until she fished out her keys and handed them to him. Then he opened the back door and held it open so she could enter.
Expecting him to remain outside, she turned to thank him and smashed into his unyielding chest. His arms snaked around her to keep her from falling yet again.
“We have to quit meeting like this.” He chuckled, his laughter dying when their eyes met. His darkened, while hers felt as if they were trapped in a seductive web of desire. He smoothed a large palm across her cheek. “Tess,” he whispered. Bowing his head, he lowered his lips to hers.
Her mouth watered. She clenched her fingers around her purse, while her pulse thrummed like white lightning through her veins. But before he could kiss her, she gasped, ducking out of his arms.
“I gotta go.” She snatched her keys from his hand. “Here.” Slipping from his jacket, she pressed it into his hands, before she darted toward the archway leading into the living room. Hesitating, she briefly glanced over a shoulder. “I trust you’ll ensure that no more of your animals do damage to my place?”
Clancy ran a thumb and forefinger along the rim of his Stetson. “Sure thing, ma’am.” A smile twinkled in his sexy blue eyes.
Tess stepped through the opening and collapsed against the wall on the other side. Her heart beat so fast it made it difficult to breath. She heard him chuckle and the door close behind him.
The man was bad for her he
alth.
Wasting no more time, she headed toward her room, tossing her purse on the bed along with the discarded outfits that hadn’t made the cut this morning. If she hurried, maybe she wouldn’t be too late.
Peeling off her bra and thong, she jumped into the shower and rinsed off. It only took seconds and she stood on the bathmat toweling dry. A few splatters of mud remained in her hair, but she’d brush it out when she got to school. Plucking the hairpins from the bun atop her head, she finger-combed the golden hair tumbling around her shoulders.
After donning underclothing, she grabbed the midthigh, plaid black, red and white skirt with the matching red sweater and quickly dressed. The clock next to her bed on the nightstand said time was ticking. Hopping on one foot, she slipped her other foot into a shoe and was out the door in a flash. Hollow heels slapped against the floor as she ran through the house and the front door, locking it before she headed for her car.
Getting into her vehicle, movement to her right caught her attention and she stopped midway. The groan rising in her throat died when she realized it was Clancy and not another pesky calf. On his hands and knees, he was attempting to put to right her sisters’ garden. He raised a hand and waved. She offered the same before slipping behind the wheel and turning the ignition. As she sped down the driveway and out on the street, she realized something.
Perhaps there was more to her roguish neighbor then the bad boy rumors.
Chapter Four
Clancy stepped out of the windy afternoon into the warmth the elementary school offered. A plump, brunette administrator at the front desk raised her head at the sound of the door clicking shut behind him.
As he approached she smiled up at him. “Mr. Wiseman. How nice to see you. Here to pick up Shelby?”
Bound by an Angel Page 3