Kaitlyn pushed her hair out of her face with frustration. “I know what he told Mama and me, that everything was taken care of and the house was now his.”
“We’ll figure it all out.” Wayne spoke with reassurance that she found calming as he guided the truck out of the parking lot. “Are you up for eating out for lunch?”
“I want to get home and start looking for those papers.” Papers that might not exist but she prayed were there.
“You do need to eat,” Wayne pointed out.
She shrugged. “But at home I can grab a sandwich and work while I eat.”
Wayne shook his head. “I have the keys and I can hold you captive.”
She raised her brows. “Wayne—”
“That barbeque place is still there,” Wayne said. “Food is just as good.”
Her stomach growled in response and he grinned. “All right,” she said with a laugh. “As long as I can get a pulled pork sandwich.”
“With extra barbeque sauce, the way you like it,” he said.
She smiled. “Just the way I like it.”
• • •
It was some time after noon when they arrived back at the Rocking B Ranch. Kaitlyn hadn’t been eating a lot since her issues with depression started, so she’d surprised herself by eating a whole sandwich along with a good helping of baked beans and a nice-sized portion of coleslaw.
As they walked up the porch to her front door, she said, “You have a ranch to get back to. I’ve taken up enough of your time.”
“Hey.” He caught her hands in his and brought her close. “I have ranch hands who can handle the place when I’m gone.”
She gave him a smile. “It doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to get rid of you, so all right.”
“I’ve just got to arrange a few things,” Wayne said as he pulled his phone out of his holster. “I’ll be right there.”
When she let herself back into her house, it was cool and dark and she felt the depression on the edge of her mind. She could feel herself starting down the dark path as everything went through her mind.
I’m going to lose the house. I’m going to lose my home.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not going there. I am not going there.”
She pulled back the curtains and sunlight chased away the darkness in the corners of the room and in her mind.
When she looked out the window, she studied Wayne as he spoke on the phone. He had one hand braced on his truck, the other holding the phone. He had big hands, strong hands. She loved the way they felt on her body, the calluses rough against her soft skin. She had never forgotten how gentle they could be when he was making love to her, or how wildly erotic his touch was when he’d taken her hard and fast.
He was tanned from hours of working in the sun, the hair on his arms dark against his flesh. His shirtsleeves were rolled up and the muscles of his forearm flexed as he moved the phone away from his ear. He dialed another number then brought the phone to his ear once again.
He filled out his western shirt that showed the breadth of his shoulders and the way his torso tapered to his lean hips. He faced away from her and as her gaze traveled down his backside, she truly appreciated Wrangler jeans and the way they hugged a cowboy’s butt. His thighs were hard and muscular, his legs long, and she perused him all the way down to the toes of his cowboy boots.
She slowly looked over him as she brought her gaze back up. He turned and she couldn’t see his eyes that were shaded by his cowboy hat until he pushed up the brim and looked at her. Even as he spoke on the phone he gave her a slow and sexy grin.
Heat flushed her cheeks and she felt weak-kneed at the pure sexuality in his look. But she didn’t stop watching him until he snapped his phone shut. She left the window when he started toward the stairs, trying to decide where to start.
She put her hands on her hips as she looked around the living room. Unpacked boxes were still stacked in one part of the living room. When it was all said and done, would she be grateful that her cousin had packed so much of her grandmother’s things so that she didn’t have to?
The door creaked open and she looked over her shoulder to see Wayne closing the door behind him. She faced him as he took his cowboy hat off and set it aside. He approached her and he grasped her upper arms and brushed his lips over hers. He smelled of fresh air and sun-warmed flesh.
When he drew away she smiled up at him. “How about a glass of iced tea?”
“Would love some.” He followed her as she went into the kitchen and watched her fill two large glasses with ice. Then she retrieved a pitcher from the fridge and poured the tea into the glasses.
He took a tall glass from her when she offered it. “Thank you,” he said before taking a long drink.
“I need to change out of this skirt.” She set her own glass on the countertop after drinking from it. “And get to searching.”
He set his glass aside, brought her into his arms then kissed her. His breath was warm above her lips as he said, “Why don’t I help you get out of that skirt?”
Chapter 8
So much passion was in Wayne’s eyes that it made Kaitlyn dizzy with want and need. A thrill went through her belly and traveled straight between her thighs as he kissed her and pushed her up against the counter. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him with just as much intensity as he was kissing her.
A sense of urgency seemed to race through both of them. He pushed her shirt up and she helped him pull it over her head and he threw it aside. She had no idea where the blouse landed. He unfastened her bra and freed her breasts before tossing the bra somewhere over his shoulder.
Cool air tightened her nipples and then his warm mouth covered one and he sucked. She gasped and leaned her head back as he captured her other nipple and lightly bit it before sucking it, too. He moved his mouth from one nipple to the other, driving her crazy with desire.
Her breathing came harder and faster as he drew back. He pushed down her skirt and it dropped to her bare feet, leaving her clad only in her black panties.
He raised his head and she felt almost frantic as she unbuttoned his shirt. Maybe it was everything that had happened or maybe it was just the fact that she wanted him. Whatever it was, she knew she needed him and she needed him now.
She pushed his shirt over his shoulders and he took it the rest of the way off and dropped it as she ran her palms over his muscular chest. She loved the feel of him beneath her palms, loved the feel of his big, hard body pressed against hers.
He kissed her again and she grasped his belt buckle and unfastened the belt before pulling it out of the loops. The buckle hit the tile floor and then she went for the button of his jeans followed by the zipper.
She slipped out of his grasp, went down onto her knees, and pulled his jeans down his ass to his thighs. She drew his cock out of his briefs and looked at it with pleasure rising inside her.
Wayne’s heart hitched in his chest as Kaitlyn wrapped her fingers around his erection. She licked the come off the tip and his cock jerked in her hand. She made a soft sound of pleasure before she slipped her mouth over his erection.
He almost couldn’t breath as she went down on him and she moaned as she started sucking him. She kept her grasp on his cock and moved her hand in time with the motion of her mouth. Her other hand held the weight of his balls and she gently squeezed.
With a groan he tipped his head back and closed his eyes. He let himself enjoy the wetness of her mouth, the heat that traveled straight through his cock. She swirled her tongue as she sucked and he clenched his teeth from the power of the sensations gathering in his groin.
His heart was beating faster, his breathing more irregular. He opened his eyes, lowered his head, and watched her suck him. Just seeing her head bob up and down made the feelings even more intense. She gave a soft purr and he felt the vibrations travel through him.
“Look at me, Kait.” His voice was hoarse as he gave her the order. “I want to see your eyes.
”
She raised her eyes and met his gaze. The passion in her stormy gray eyes showed that it excited her to give him pleasure. Knowing that she loved doing this to him, for him, brought him closer and closer to an orgasm that hovered on the edge.
He slid his fingers into her white-blonde hair and clenched the strands that were silky and so soft to the touch in comparison to the rigidness of his erection in her mouth. He grasped her head and guided her so that she moved even faster up and down his length. He felt his cock hit the back of her throat and she gave another moan of excitement.
The orgasm that had started building in him grew more intense and brought him closer and closer to a precipice that he was close to falling over. He ground his teeth hard. He didn’t want to come too soon. He wanted to come inside her beautiful body.
He clenched his fists in her hair and forced her to stop. “No more.” His voice was harsh with unfulfilled desired. “I want to be inside you.”
She let him slip from her mouth and her lips were moist as she looked up at him. Her skin felt so soft beneath his palms as he grasped her upper arms and helped her stand and then he kissed her hard. His lips lingered over hers as he kissed her again and then he picked her up by her waist and set her on the countertop.
He moved his hips between her thighs, forcing her legs apart and braced his hands on the countertop to either side of her hips. His cock pressed at the center of her panties as he leaned in close.
“You smell incredible,” he murmured as he drew in her light musk and a feminine scent that about drove him out of his mind. He nuzzled her hair, inhaling more of her scent, filling himself with it.
She slipped her hand between their bodies and grasped his cock and he almost groaned again from her touch. “I want you inside me,” she whispered in his ear. “Please come inside me.”
“Not yet.” He kissed her hard then stepped back and grasped the waistband of her panties.
A thrill went through Kaitlyn as she raised her hips while Wayne tugged the panties down. He tossed the black silk on top of the rest of their clothing. The countertop felt cool and erotic beneath her ass.
She ached between her thighs and desire was heavy in her belly. She was wet for him, so wet. And he was going to make her wait?
“Move your ass closer to the edge of the counter,” he instructed her even as he helped her.
She shifted her hips, moving until she was sitting on the edge of the countertop. Her heart pounded as he lowered himself to his knees between her thighs. He slid his callused palms under her ass and buried his face between her thighs.
A cry escaped her and she had to brace her palms on the countertop behind her to gain her balance. She closed her eyes and fell into the sensations. The feel of his mouth against her, his lips and tongue on her folds and her clit, was enough to drive her out of her mind. Her arms trembled, as if they might not hold her up. He devoured her, licking her, sucking her.
Her thighs trembled as she felt herself coming closer and closer to orgasm. Lights spun in her mind and she almost couldn’t see straight. She forced her eyes open and looked down to see his dark head between her legs, his hair soft on the inside of her thighs. He looked up at her and a thrill went through her belly as she watched him going down on her.
She was so close to climax, so close to coming that the lights in her mind were growing brighter. She found herself squirming, trying to hold back her orgasm but it was too powerful.
It tore through her and she cried out as she climaxed against his face. He pressed harder against her, licking and sucking until her eyes were wet with tears.
He got to his feet and kissed her. She was breathing hard and she still felt weak from her orgasm. He placed his cock at the entrance to her core and as his gaze met hers he thrust inside her.
She gasped and cried out as he took her. His cock felt so big and thick, filling her completely. She felt whole when he was inside her, like a missing part of her had returned.
He caught her nipple in his mouth and she arched her back, her hands still braced on the countertop. He sucked as he fucked her, driving her nearly frantic with need. She was still so sensitive inside from her orgasm that every movement he made was even more intense.
“Wayne, please,” she cried out, not even sure what she was begging him for. “Please…please…”
He slammed into her harder and harder. “Come with me, honey.” His voice was harsh, raspy as he spoke.
His words were the catalyst. Her orgasm slammed into her and she screamed. She grabbed hold of him, as if afraid she was going to fly off the countertop.
At the same time he shouted, a guttural shout that reverberated through her. He continued pounding in and out of her and she was nearly sobbing from the incredible sensations spasming throughout her body.
He finally stopped moving, sagging against her even as she fell against him. They seemed to hold each other up as his cock continued to pulse inside her throbbing core.
“Counter sex.” She laughed against his neck. “Beats any other use for a counter that I know of.
He drew away from her and grinned down at her. “Just wait until it’s time to do the laundry.”
“Mmmmm…” She smiled. “Washing machine sex. Can’t wait.”
Chapter 9
Kaitlyn changed into a pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt before she started her hunt for records and possibly a safe. She went through everything in her father’s study while looking for the paperwork, while Wayne searched the house for a safe.
Before she started searching, she flipped through the mail that was in a tray on her father’s desk in the study. Her father had lived there so long that just in the time she’d been there a pile of catalogs for everything from vegetable seeds to tack; newsletters from various clubs and organizations even though her father hadn’t been involved in any—that she knew of; and other pieces of junk mail.
The only things substantial that had been delivered were three pieces of mail. One was the notice that the fee for the license plate tags was due to be renewed on the old Ford truck that was currently in the barn. The truck had been passed on to her with everything else so she would have to get the title in her name and renew the tags.
The second envelope included a doctor’s bill. The third was a final bank statement from the account she’d closed out that had been her father’s. She set the bills and statement aside to deal with later.
Next she went through the file cabinets. There were records on transactions relating to the place when it had been a full, working ranch: feed bills, tack, and any number of other bills of sale. Everything was organized by type of bill and year. There were also livestock pedigrees for his prize bulls over the years and pedigrees for his horses.
“If Daddy kept track of who sired his bulls, then he certainly would have a record of the agreement he made with Uncle John over the property,” she said to herself as she rifled through the file cabinets.
Going through her father’s records brought back memories from when it had been a good-sized working ranch. Two ranch hands had worked with her father for years with the cattle and horses. After her mother died, her father had gradually sold off most of the livestock, but he’d kept the lands.
She smiled when she ran across the pedigrees for the Australian shepherds her father had as ranching dogs over the years. She’d grown up with Darby and then Ossie. She missed having a dog as a friend like she’d had when she was a girl. They were working dogs but they’d been part of the family.
For a moment she paused and looked around the study, at the familiar surroundings. When she was a little girl she had loved to sneak in and look at the old-time pictures of the ranch, cowboys, cattle, and horses. The room always smelled of leather and the old books on the shelves behind the desk.
She went to the shelves and ran her finger over the bindings of collections by Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, and Harold Bell Wright, among others. Her own bedroom shelves were loaded with The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Ch
erry Ames, and the Bobbsey Twins. The collections had belonged to her mother from the time she was a little girl. Even though they were old fashioned and dated, Kaitlyn had loved reading them.
Of course now she read books on an e-book reader, but she planned on always keeping the hardbound books on her shelves, if only for sentimental reasons.
As she moved away from the shelves she looked over the room with its wooden rocker, leather recliner, and cowhide rug at the center on the floor. Her daddy had been meticulous and that had never changed over the years.
Memories tumbled one over another and then a memory came back to her. Her father had been sitting behind his desk while she played with toy horses and ponies on the rug in front of the desk. In the memory, as clear as if it was yesterday, her daddy had told her he had wanted her to have the ranch. Had wanted her to have everything.
She sank onto the rocking chair. Then why was the deed still in her Uncle’s name, too?
“Daddy,” she said aloud. “Please show me where to find whatever proves that this house, this ranch, belongs to me now.”
She hadn’t expected an answer but still a sense of disappointment went through her. Well, she had checked the file cabinets. Now to check the desk.
Just as she was moving around the desk, the office door creaked. She startled and looked to see Wayne standing in the doorway.
“Hey, sexy.” He walked into the room, took her in his arms and kissed her. She sighed and her stomach flip-flopped as she remembered how he had taken her on the countertop earlier. “Any luck?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I went through so many file folders and papers that my paper cuts have paper cuts.”
He caught her hands in his and kissed her fingertips. “Better?”
“Oh, yes.” She leaned into him for another kiss. “How was your hunting?”
“Nothing yet,” he said. “I did find an old locked gun cabinet in your father’s closet and a locked wooden chest in your mother’s sewing room.”
Lace & Lassos Page 7