by Becky McGraw
The only thing she could do was say yes this morning when Dean asked again. This morning his proposal had been a little softer, with more feeling, but he still hadn’t mentioned feeling a damned thing for her.
After they met with his attorney, before they came here, Tina had felt a little better about her decision. She could petition the court for temporary guardianship since she was a close relative, then go for adoption in a few years if her sister didn’t show up. The attorney also confirmed her thoughts on the situation by telling her it would look better to the court, she’d have a better chance of getting guardianship and adopting Laney if she was married.
That had sealed the deal for her. And sealed her fate too. She was a married woman, and she was moving to Tyler, Texas to live on the ranch with Dean and his family. At least Hope would be there too. When things got hairy, and Tina knew that was likely to happen, she would at least have someone to talk to, someone in her court.
Dean put his hand at her lower back and ushered her out of the Judge’s chamber, then guided her down the hall to the elevator and pushed the button. “You okay, buttercup?” he asked, looking down at her.
Under the brim of his black hat that he’d put back on when they left the judge’s office, Tina could see relief in his eyes. She wished that’s how she felt. As well as Dean was treating her right now, as nice as he was being, she couldn’t help but believe she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. But it was the only decision she could make. She would just have to make the best of it. For Laney. For herself.
The elevator opened, they walked inside and Dean smiled down at her. His eyes actually smiled too, and Tina felt a little better. “We’ll just go back to the apartment and pack some of your things up, then I’ll get Cord to get a few buddies to help move the rest of your stuff to the ranch.”
She was moving. To the ranch. With Dean. With Laney. “We’ll have to get Laney enrolled in the school where Jeremy goes.”
“Yeah, there are a lot of details, but we’ll take care of it,” he said with a squeeze to her shoulders. “Don’t worry, buttercup. Things will be fine.”
They drove back to her apartment where Tina packed up four heaping suitcases, which constituted most of her and her niece’s things, then Tina walked to the neighbor’s apartment to pick Laney up. Dean loaded the suitcases into the back of the truck. Laney asked if they were going on vacation to see her mama. Tina’s heart broke, and so did the dam holding back her tears. Laney started crying too. Dean looked like he would lose his mind as he shuffled them into the truck and headed to Tyler.
With every mile that passed by outside the window of the truck, Tina’s tension grew. She had no idea how his family was going to react, how Jeremy and Laney would react, when they sat them down and told them what they’d done. Now that she thought about it, what they had done was rash, a knee-jerk solution to their situations. They could’ve just jumped out of the frying pan straight into the fires of hell.
A warm hand covered hers on the seat. “Stop worrying,” Dean said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. But he wasn’t fooling her at all. Tina heard the worry in his voice too. But he laced his fingers with hers, and surprised her when he carried her hand to his mouth to drop a kiss on the back, before he pulled her toward him. “Come over here, wife,” he said gruffly.
Tina scooted across the seat to sit beside him and he dropped his arm around her shoulders. “That’s better.”
It was better. His scent wafted down to her and she inhaled it, letting it comfort her. So did the connection she felt with his arm around her. Maybe things would be fine, she thought. Tina relaxed against Dean, and before she knew it she drifted off to sleep.
When Dean shook her shoulder, Tina opened her eyes and looked around, disoriented for a moment. “We’re home, baby,” he whispered in that sexy growl.
Tina leaned forward and looked over the dashboard and bit back a groan. There on the front porch of the ranch house was his mother and father, Dean and Hope and Jeremy. All of them looked pretty excited to see them.
“Did you tell them already?” Tina asked.
“I called Cord earlier and told him.”
“What did he say?” she asked anxiously.
“He said it was about time I got my head out of my ass,” Dean replied with a laugh, then smiled. “I hate to admit it, but I think he’s right this time.” Dean put his forearm behind her neck, and bent to drop a gentle kiss on her lips. “Thanks for marrying me.”
Tina’s heart melted in her chest. He may not have said he loved her yet, but Dean Dixon just told her without saying it. The look in his eyes said it. Everything he’d done the last few days told her that too, she realized. I show him every day that I love him.
His statement to her about not telling Jeremy he loved him came back to her. That was evidently how Dean operated. He showed those he loved that he loved them.
“I’m glad I married you,” Tina said and her lips wobbled.
His eyes heated, and he drawled, “I think we need to go hunting tonight.”
“What?” Tina asked not following his abrupt change of topic.
The door flew open behind Dean and Hope said impatiently, “We’ve been waiting hours! Get out here so we can celebrate!” That answered her question about what his family would think of them getting married. Dean kissed her quickly, then got out of the truck and reached back up to help her down.
He dropped his arm around her. “Meet the newest Mrs. Dixon,” he said proudly, and squeezed her shoulders.
“Aunt Tina, what’s going on? Where are we?” Laney asked groggily from the backseat.
Tina’s happiness faded. Finding out like this would not be good for Laney. She pulled away from Dean and leaned back inside the truck. “Nothing baby. We’re just back at the ranch. Wait a second, and Dean will help you out.”
The backdoor opened, and she breathed a sigh of relief that he was already there. Now, the fun would begin. She wondered if Jeremy knew, and glanced back at the front porch. He stood behind Mrs. Dixon, looking uncertain about what he should be doing. Tina closed the truck door then walked up onto the porch.
“Can I have a hug, Jeremy?” she asked, opening her arms to him. He took one unsure step, then threw his arms around her waist. She put her head on the top of his and hugged him tightly.
“Does this mean you’re my Mama now?” Jeremy asked when she released him.
The hope-tinged uncertainty in his voice tugged at her heart. But how the hell was she supposed answer that question? Tina didn’t know what she was to him now. She just knew that she loved the kid. Cared about him. And would fight for him, just like any mother would.
Well, except for his own.
Laney pulled on the hem of her shirt. Tina looked down into the girl’s terrified face, and her heart took a plunge. “If you’re his Mama, who’s gonna take care of me now since my Mama is on vacation?”
Tina looked over her shoulder at Dean, who was standing in the yard talking to his brother. They looked to be having an argument of some kind. Neither was smiling anymore, and Dean’s fists were clenched at his sides. “I’m going to take care of both of you,” she replied with determination. It looked like Dean was going to be too busy arguing with his damned brother to help her with anything. She pulled both children to her and hugged them. “We have a lot to work out, but that’s not for you two to worry about.”
“And I’ll help,” Hope said, stepping up to hug them too.
Mrs. Dixon joined the huddle to add her comforting arms around all of them. “That’s right. We’re all family now,” she said in a trembling voice. The Dixon women had banded together, and there was nothing that could penetrate that to hurt these two kids. Not the loud voices of their men who were out in the yard arguing, not her squirrely sister, and certainly not Dean’s horrible ex-wife.
Mr. Dixon’s deep, booming voice joined Dean and Cord’s very loud discussion, and Mrs. Dixon must’ve decided it was time for them to go inside. She pulle
d back and wiped her eyes. “I made cherry cobbler earlier. Ya’ll want some? I bought ice cream to go with it.”
“Daddy’ll get mad. It’s too close to supper,” Jeremy said, glancing at Dean out in the yard.
Tina ruffled his hair, then leaned close to his ear to whisper, “We’re celebrating tonight. That cobbler and ice cream will be our dinner, not dessert. We’ll just hurry and eat it all before Mr. Cranky Pants comes inside. He can have vegetables for supper.”
Laney giggled. “Yeah, Mr. Cranky can have the vegetables.”
Jeremy eyes lit up, and he giggled. “You’re being bad.”
Tina laughed, and so did the other women, as they led the kids into the house. They sat the children at the table, before Tina and Hope got the bowls down from the cabinet. Mrs. Dixon pulled the hot cherry cobbler from the oven and spooned some into the bowls, then sat the dish in the middle of the table on a hot pad.
“Let me get the ice cream,” she said with a smile in her voice as she walked to the refrigerator. The rich pastry and baked cherry smell wafted up to Tina’s nose and her mouth watered. Mrs. Dixon took the lid off of the ice cream and put huge scoops on top of each serving of cobbler. “Eat up, before they come in,” she said with a wink for the kids.
A few hours later, Tina realized they needn’t have worried about eating fast. It was a long time before Dean and his father dragged into the house. Way past the kids’ bedtime. Two hours past the time Mrs. Dixon went to bed. And an hour later than Hope had finally headed to the bunkhouse.
Tina had no idea where she was supposed to go, so she just sat on the sofa and waited for Dean to come inside. The longer she waited for her new husband to come inside, the madder she got. This was their damned wedding night, and he was out at the barn with his brother and father half the night, probably arguing. Tina had a feeling their first fight was coming when she saw his face when he walked into the living room.
He didn’t say anything, he just shook his head as he breezed past her, huffing out a breath as he walked toward the hall. Mr. Dixon at least said goodnight, before he followed his son down the hall. Tina sat there stewing. Her suitcases were still in the back of the truck, so she didn’t have anything to change into. She slipped off her boots, pulled her ponytail down then jerked the hem of her shirt out of her jeans. Grabbing a pillow from the sofa, she punched it a few times, before she slammed it down and laid down, wondering just what kind of mess she’d gotten herself into by marrying Dean Dixon.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Dean asked gruffly, and Tina sat straight up out of a dead sleep, her heart racing in her chest.
“Sleeping! What the hell does it look like?!?” she shot back, putting a hand to her chest. Her eyes latched onto his wet muscular chest and slid down to the waistband of his loose pajama pants. Her mouth watered, and she forced them back up to his face.
“I thought you’d be in bed when I got out of the shower,” he said.
“I might have been if I knew where your bed was located.”
His eyes widened, and he looked a little stunned. “I’m sorry.”
“You should be, mister.” Tina harrumphed. “I’ve been sitting here for hours waiting for you to finish your argument and come in, then when you do, you’ve got your ass over your shoulders and ignore me.”
“I was upset when I came in. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
“Seems to be a habit for you,” she accused.
“What, arguing?” he asked tilting his head. “Or not thinking?”
She tilted her chin. “Both.”
He hesitated a moment, his jaw worked, then he said, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Three sorries in three minutes. Wish you meant even one of them,” Tina said and punched her pillow. She was about to lay back down, but he grabbed her arm.
“I meant all of them, buttercup. I don’t apologize. For anything. I’m trying to change that, but it’s going to take time.” Tina looked at his hand, then followed the delicious curves of his muscled arm up to his eyes.
“I hope you mean that too.” Unless that change was permanent, Tina didn’t hold out a lot of hope for their marriage, even though she was trying to stay positive. Dean Dixon didn’t make that easy for sure.
“I do mean it,” he said firmly.
Tina set the pillow beside her and held her hand out to him. Dean jerked her up to her feet and pulled her into his chest. He bent and picked her up by the back of her thighs. Tina wrapped her legs around his waist and put her arms around his neck, then Dean was kissing her. This making up was pretty damned good, she thought. Maybe she needed to get mad at him often. Dean pulled back and nibbled her lower lip then growled, “That’s more like it, Mrs. Dixon.”
“Show me where your room is, cowboy,” she said nipping his lower lip back.
“Gladly, ma’am,” he said with a laugh as he carried her across the living room, down the hall, and into the bedroom. He kicked the door closed behind him, then sat her on the bed. “Welcome to my room, buttercup. Now get your damned clothes off, before I rip them off.”
Dean stepped back and stood there staring at her. He saw her shiver, and wondered if Tina was remembering him ripping off her panties the other night when he made love to her by the lake. A look came into her eyes that made him think she might tease him into doing it again, and Dean would do it. Her fingers shook as she unbuttoned her blouse, and slid it off of her shoulders. She stood and removed her jeans, and Dean was a little disappointed she decided not to tease him. But then she stood back up and his eyes tracked over her beautiful body.
Goddamn, how had he gotten so lucky? Something in his life was finally going right. Tina Montgomery had married him. Not only would she be a good mother to Jeremy, and a good wife to him, she was a walking wet dream. A dream that he’d thought about every minute of every day since he met her. Now he could have her any damned time he pleased.
He lifted an eyebrow, because she didn’t make a move to remove her bra or her panties. He took a step toward her and Tina squealed as she scrambled up onto the bed, her hands fumbling behind her to remove her black lace bra. She threw it over the side of the bed, then he saw her staring at something with a strange look on her beautiful face, while she removed her panties.
His eyes followed hers and he realized she was staring at his tie, which was laying on top of his wrinkled dress shirt. She dragged her gaze away, but it snagged on the bedpost before she looked at him again. Dean read her like a book. He knew what was going through that gorgeous head of hers. He heard her gasp when he walked toward the dresser and snatched up his tie.
“Lay down at the foot of the bed,” Dean said roughly as he turned back toward her.
Tina gnawed her bottom lip for a second, before she scooted to the end of the bed and laid down with her hands resting on her midsection. “Grab the bedpost, Tina.”
A shiver passed through her, as she hesitantly reached above her head to loosely grip the wooden post. Yes, this is definitely what his beautiful new wife wanted. Dean had no problem with giving her what she wanted. At all.
Dean’s dick got rock solid as he straddled her body, and reached above her to loop the tie around her wrists. He pulled the knot tight, then jerked it even tighter. She whimpered and squirmed beneath him and he felt her knees clamp together. That wasn’t going to work.
She wanted this, but she needed to relax to be able to enjoy it. He scooted back off the bed and went to the closet. He flipped on the light inside, then searched around on the top shelf until he found his pigging string from when he did tie-down roping in high school. He’d saved it as a memento, and was thankful he had now. He flipped off the light and walked back to the bed. Tina’s wide eyes fell to the rope in his hands.
“What’s that for?” she asked in a trembling voice.
“You ask too many questions, buttercup,” Dean said, as he walked to the bedpost.
He quickly looped the string around her wrists, then removed his necktie. He chec
ked to make sure she was tied tight, then he took the necktie and lifted her head. He put the thick part over her eyes and tied the ends. Tina bit her lip, and pulled against the rope. It looked like she was having second thoughts. Or she was making him think she did. He’d find out.
“Be still, or I’m going to tie your feet too,” he threatened, as he took a moment to let his eyes soaked up the sight of her full cherry tipped breasts begging for his mouth. Tina gasped, but her body stilled, and she seemed to relax.
Dean stood over her and stroked his hand over the smooth skin of her shoulder to her breast. Her skin felt like silk under his hand as he passed his palm over her hard nipple. Tina groaned arching her back into his hand, and Dean got harder, painfully hard.
This woman was as hot and responsive, hotter, than any woman he’d ever been with. She evidently loved his touch. And he loved fucking touching her—loved—no he didn’t. Not yet.
He wasn’t falling into that trap so soon. Trusting her yet. He thought he knew her, but Dean was taking his time this time. Using his head, instead of thinking with his dick. But who the hell knew what the future held? All he knew was he wanted this woman every minute of every day. And now he could have her. Would have her over and over again. Any damned time he pleased. That was something to build on right?
Her muscles quivered under his hand as he slid it over her stomach down to her navel. He rested his hand right above her mound. “Spread your legs, Tina,” he said and she unclamped her knees a little. “Wider,” he growled, grabbing her knees to shove them apart. The muscles in her legs jerked, and he saw her throat bob a few times, but she didn’t resist.
“Good girl,” he praised, patting her thigh as he went to the side of the bed to crawl between her legs. Dean was about to have his answer to the question about whether his wife tasted like honey between her legs. “Don’t you dare scream, or I’ll gag you too,” he warned as he eased down onto his elbows. Dean took his time, letting her anticipate what he was going to do.
He spread her folds and saw the glistening pearls of her excitement. Her breathing got faster, her stomach muscles rolled, but she didn’t scream. He looked up to see her head to the side, her lower lip being mangled by her teeth. Dean hadn’t even touched her, and his wife looked to be near an orgasm already. He pushed back from her sat up to watch her.