Worth the Price

by Delilah Hunt

  “Smart guys,” she murmured, testing his mood.

  “Danika.” The shovel landed on the thick pile of snow. “I‌—‌What are you doing here?” Before she had a chance to respond, his gaze traveled to her stomach, then settled on the thick white envelope inside her hand. The surprise left his face, softened into tenderness. “You shouldn’t be here, Cailín.”

  “Because it’s painful for you to see me?”

  He let out a breath. “Because I don’t want to hurt you again.”

  “The way I’ve hurt you,” she said. “You’ve been hurting as much as I have, haven’t you?”

  “Divorce isn’t exactly the highlight of a person’s life.”

  “I know. But that’s not going to happen with us.” She held up the envelope, ripped it in half. His face froze with shock as she tore the paper into tiny pieces.

  “Why did you do that?” His eyes searched her face.

  Danika closed the distance between them. It was just as she had imagined while lying awake last night, after piecing everything together. She’d wanted to go to him, but the moon was high in the sky outside her bedroom window. Left without a choice, she willed herself to fall asleep, dreaming of this moment.

  “The only reason possible. I did it because I love you, Brandon and I know you love me too.” She stroked the back of her hand on his face. “I know why you did all of this. You thought if we remained together it would always cause problems between my dad and me. You wanted to spare me, so I’d never have to choose between the two of you, right?”

  “I only wanted to make things easier for you,” he said. “Always did.”

  She shook her head. “It wasn’t easier. Every day was harder than the last. I couldn’t understand what I’d done wrong or hadn’t done to make it so hard for you to love me. I never considered what it meant for you. How hard it must have been to put yourself up for more whispers and gossip.” A shudder ran through her at the very thought. God only knew what everyone must be saying about him for leaving his pregnant wife.

  “Your opinion is the only one I’ve ever cared about,” he muttered, still regarding her with a hint of caution.

  Danika pressed her hand to his chest and nodded. Her throat felt dry, cracking with emotion. “I know that, Brandon. And I also know what it meant for you to drop the charges against my dad. You had to do the same for the other two. They got away without a chance of you recovering the rest of your cattle.”

  He peered down at her. When he spoke his voice went velveteen soft. “I had to, Danika. Nothing else mattered except making you happy.” His glanced at the papers sodden with snow. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Very.” Her body tingled from being so close to him. Her pregnant belly bumped against him when he inched nearer. “Now that I know you love me I’m not letting go of you this time.”

  “I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said, tracing a hand along her cheek. “I thought it was the one good thing I could do for you. Be sure that a lifetime with me is what you want because I’m not strong enough to lose you again.”

  She looked at him with a shy smile. “Brandon, I’m very sure. I have three suitcases in the back of my car.”

  He drew her into his arms. “I get to hold you tonight, Caílin?”

  Her pulse quickened. A rapid sensation of heat rushing to her hands, belly and between her thighs. “Tonight and every night.”

  His head tilted and Danika raised her face, their lips brushing. His mouth felt soft and warm. She sighed into the kiss, a little piece of her soul melting into him with each touch. “I love you so damn much,” he said into her ear, accent thick and rich. “Come inside with me.”

  She followed him back to the house, Brandon’s arms around her thick waist, holding tight as if he was afraid she would fall or run away from him.

  She didn’t need another urging from him to enter the bedroom she had missed so much. He closed the door behind them and gathered her to his chest. His lips swept kisses along her face. “I’ve missed feeling your body next to mine. Let me love you.”

  She raised her head and caressed the underside of his jaw with her lips. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment, Irish. You’re all I ever wanted and all I ever will.”

  He cupped her chin. “I’m going to take such good care of you. Both of you.” His hand slid inside her sweater, pausing over her stomach before moving up to caress her breasts. “Do you have any idea how hard it’s been for me? Every time I saw you, you were more beautiful than the last time. Every inch of you, ripe, waiting for me to taste and explore the sweetness between your thighs.”

  Her clitoris throbbed. She, too, was guilty of craving physical intimacy with him during their separation. How could she not? With his brooding temper, sculpted frame and stubborn ways, her husband was all male. Just the way she liked him. Magnificently imperfect, but perfect for her.

  Piece by piece, he removed every stitch of her clothes. He stepped aside to do the same and Danika reveled in the pleasure of watching him undress. How had she managed to stay away from him for so long? Sighing, she allowed her eyes to roam, taking in another eyeful. His thick, corded muscles flexed with every move he made to rid himself of his briefs.

  Naked and aching to be filled, Danika whimpered in anticipation and hunger as her husband stood before her. She brought her legs together attempting to quell the need building within her after taking one look at his hard penis straining toward her.

  “Carrying my child suits you,” he whispered, closing his lips over a taut nipple. She closed her eyes and sighed.

  She didn’t try to protest when he lifted her, laying her on the bed. He spread her thighs and knelt between them. The heated tip of his shaft prodded against her opening. She couldn’t think, only feel as he pushed her knees up and settled between them, and thrust home. “Brandon,” was all she could manage as he locked eyes with her. “Did I hurt you?”

  She shook her head and writhed her hips. “Never. I can’t believe we went so long without this.”

  “I’ll want you every day for the rest of my life, Danika. You’ll never have reason to worry I don’t love you because you’ll always be the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me.”

  A knot formed in her throat at the depth of his words, making it difficult to speak. Liquid fire melted inside her with every stroke of her husband’s cock sliding against her walls. It had been too long. Her body rippled with intoxicating pleasure that refused to subside, long after he spilled inside her.

  As soon as her heartbeat decelerated and Brandon lay by her side, she turned to him. “I’m never letting you go, no matter what happens or what anyone says.” Danika rested her head on his shoulder, remembering everything he had done for her. “I’m so sorry those guys who stole your cattle will get away scot free.”

  He tightened his arms around, kissing the top of her head. “Don’t worry about them. They got a bit cocky back in Oregon and tried out their skills on another ranch.” He grinned at her. “The owner, it seems wasn’t a stubborn mule-headed fool out to prove to his adorable wife that nothing in the world mattered except her happiness.”

  “But…”

  Brandon rolled to his back, lifting her astride him. “No buts. I mean it. I love you and that’s the end of it. Not another apology from you. From now on, we’ll focus on the good memories, the ones we’re going to make together. You, me and our baby.”

  She leaned forward, kissing him with all the love in her heart because being with and loving Brandon Sharpe was worth all the price of their heartache.

  Worth the Price

  “Do you think she knows where we are?”

  Brandon looked over at his five-month old daughter, who at the moment had her chubby hands clutched around a patch of strawberry clovers growing at the edge of the blanket she was lying on. “Not a clue,” he said, turning to his wife. “But it looks like the kid might soon be able to help the hands get rid of all the thistle that keeps popping back up.”

&nb
sp; Danika groaned. “We’re thousands of miles from Hart’s Fall and you’re talking about the ranch.” She crossed her legs on the boulder they were sharing and tilted her head at a haughty angle. “Hmph, so that’s why I’m sitting here with another Sharpe growing inside me.”

  He knew she was only joking. Danika had been thrilled when she announced to him the week after they had booked the trip to Ireland that she was carrying his child again. Her face was even brighter than last year when she’d come home with news of the first pregnancy. He was glad too, blessed in fact‌—‌with so many miracles he hadn’t dared dream about. But deep down, he was angry with himself.

  Brandon glanced at Danika. She appeared lost in thought, with her eyes closed and face upturned to the sky, basking in the spurt of sunshine that was sure to dissipate in a few minutes time.

  “You’re staring at me.” Her eyes fluttered open as she gave a quick check of the baby, hard at work uprooting the wildflowers. “My skin always gets kinda hot when you do it,” she said, avoiding his gaze. A tender smile danced across her lips.

  His heart filled with love. After everything they had experienced and done together, he still had the ability to make her feel shy from such a simple admission. Was it any wonder he found her so irresistible? Ah, but then again, Brandon thought, that was the source of his problem.

  “For months I’ve been waiting for you to say something about it. How can you not be upset with me?” he asked.

  “Upset with you?”

  Brandon closed his eyes. The image of her face moist with sweat, tears streaming down her cheeks as she squeezed his hand, apologizing that she couldn’t didn’t want to push anymore. It was beyond comprehension that after all the pain Danika endured giving birth to their child that she’d returned his desire that night almost four months ago.

  He cupped her face with his hands. “I promised I’d never hurt you again and I did‌—‌getting you pregnant so soon when you’ve barely recovered.”

  Her eyes softened on him. “If I didn’t love you so much, I’d curse you for holding secrets from me again. You didn’t force me to make love with you. Irish, as charming as we both know you can be, it is possible for me to say no. And when that day comes we’ll both be too old to remember what the question was.”

  He drew her close, shaking his head at her teasing. He’d be a fool not to find relief and pleasure in her every word. It didn’t matter what Danika said or did, her very presence alone made life a pleasure and complete joy. That she’d given him, Cassidy, the most adorable daughter in the world, who’d inherited her mother’s sparkling brown eyes and cheerful temperament, Brandon knew he was the luckiest man in the world. And not a day went by that his wife didn’t cease to amaze him.

  She rose from the boulder and looked over her shoulder at him. “Also, I think next time I’ll listen to you when you tell me it’s a contraction I’m feeling and not indigestion. Anyway, at least one of our children can say they were born on the Bar S.” Danika scooped up Cassidy from the grass she had tumbled onto. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” She rubbed her nose against the baby’s, which resulted in a gurgled squeal. His daughter stretched out her tiny arms toward him.

  Brandon reached for her, kissing her plump, warm cheeks. His gaze lingered on Danika who had one hand resting on her slightly rounded stomach and smiled. It was a smile borne of utter contentment and bliss, that didn’t let up even as they walked hand in hand across the dewy Irish countryside.

  Dear Readers,

  Thanks for stopping by the town of Hart’s Fall, Montana. I hope you’ll drop by again for the next installment, featuring Zoe and Austin. We’ll find out if those two are able to find a way to each other, despite the tragic circumstances facing Zoe.

  In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed the story of Brandon and his lovely wife, Danika. I know I’ve mentioned my love of the great Kathleen Woodiwiss before, but truth be told, I just really wanted to create a Brandon of my own. So there you have it, my hero received his name from Captain Brandon Birmingham from what other than my obsession with The Flame and The Flower.

  Danika, on the other hand, was a warm-hearted girl I envisioned. I’ve always thought the name Danika was beautiful and hence my heroine began to take form. I wanted to make her strong, rational but also led by heart. Despite her sense of responsibility and loyalty for her father, it was never strong enough to prevent her from falling in love with the so-called enemy. And that’s what I admired about Danika the most. When love comes knocking, it’s always best to answer and she did just that. My favorite type of heroine, who’s now living out her happily ever after, with her imperfect Irish cowboy.

  Delilah

  Titles by Delilah Hunt

  from Evernight Publishing

  Tempting Mr. Parker

  Riding The Storm

  Indecent Encounters Anthology

  Love Unspoken

  Christmas and Forever

  To Love A Stranger

  from Siren Publishing

  Wyoming Triple Heat

  from Changeling Press

  The Vampire’s Pet

  Hell’s Angel

  Dragon’s Lair

  Visit Delilah at www.delilahhunt.com

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Dear Readers