by Leah Brooke
With every brush of his lips. “Real romantic, cowboy.”
J.W. growled, a raw sound filled with need. “Romance goes out the fucking window when I’m inside you.”
“J.W., I need—”
“I know exactly what you need, darlin’. I just hope you trust me enough to give it to you.” With a speed that stunned her, he slid his cock free, easily overcoming her struggles to reach for him. Flipping her over, he brought her to her knees, chuckling softly. “Stop struggling. You’ll get what you get when I give it to you.”
Fisting her hand on the pillow, she pushed back in a desperate attempt to get his cock back inside her. “You’re just plain mean, cowboy. Oh!”
She stilled at the feel of his thumb slipping into her pussy, sucking in a breath when he slid it free again and replaced it with his cock. “Yes!”
Being on her knees with her ass in the air felt sinfully decadent.
His cock seemed to go deeper than before, her position making their lovemaking even more carnal.
Shocked when his thumb pressed against her puckered opening, Lana instinctively tried to pull away. “J.W.?”
“Just relax, baby. I told you I’d give you what you need.”
Lana cried out at the slide of his finger over her clit, and distracted by that and the slow, deep strokes of his cock, she pushed against him, gasping when his thumb pushed into her ass.
“Oh! Oh God.” Sensation layered over sensation, the tingling heat racing from her ass, pussy, clit, and nipples overwhelming. Within seconds, pleasure and heat took over, her body tightening on his cock and thumb. “J.W., I can’t. Oh God. I’m—”
“Gonna come?” The satisfaction in his voice increased her own pleasure, the sense of belonging solidifying even more.
Slowing the slide of his fingers over her clit, he slid his cock deep and groaned. “You’re mine, Lana. Make no mistake about that.”
Lana smiled at his arrogance. “We’re lovers, J.W. I’m not asking for more.” She shifted slightly, biting her lip to hold back a moan at the feel of his thumb shifting in her ass.
She couldn’t believe how wicked it felt to be touched that way, but with sudden insight, she realized that nothing would be off-limits to a man as arrogant as J.W.
His raw masculinity thrilled her, making her feel feminine and vulnerable, but his support gave her a strength she desperately needed.
Withdrawing his thumb and slipping his hand from under her, he flattened his body on hers, pressing his lips to her temple. “I took you again without a condom, baby.”
Turning her head to give him better access, she let her eyes flutter closed with a moan. “I noticed.”
Slipping his cock free, he lowered himself to his side behind her. “You don’t seem too upset about it.”
The possibility of carrying his child gave her a warm feeling inside. “I told you that I’m perfectly capable of taking care of a child. If I’m pregnant, I want the baby very much.”
“But not me?” His hands tightened on her waist. “If you think you’re getting rid of me—”
“I never said anything of the kind. I said that I’m not going to let you think you’re responsible for me.”
“I’ve got news for you, darlin’. Everything about you is my business, and if you’re carrying my baby, you’re definitely my responsibility, a responsibility I want more than you could imagine.”
Chapter Seven
“Do you have any plans for today?”
Lana smiled and stepped under the shower spray to rinse her hair. “No. Why?”
“Your mother just called, and my mother called me. They want to take you out to lunch and show you around town.”
Feeling more rested than she had in a long time, Lana turned off the water. Pushing the curtain aside, she stepped out of the shower, smiling at J.W., who leaned against the doorway, sipping coffee. “You didn’t have to wait. I know you have a lot to do back at the ranch.”
She knew he’d waited so that she could take her time in the shower, and she knew he’d stood in the doorway, not to watch her but to make sure she could see him and to talk to her to let her know he was there.
A small thing, but huge to her.
He took another sip of coffee, watching her over the rim. Lowering his cup again, he let his gaze rake over her, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. “I have people working for me for a reason, Lana. Besides, I’m rewarded handsomely.”
Aware of his continued scrutiny, she dried herself and tossed the towel aside, loving the way he looked at her. “Still, it’s late. I haven’t slept this late in a long time.”
“You needed it.” Still watching her, he took another sip of coffee, apparently in no hurry to get back to the ranch.
Lana shrugged and reached for her scented lotion. “You didn’t have to stay while I took a shower.”
Flashing a smile, J.W. lifted his cup again. “And miss this?”
“Pervert.”
Lowering his cup again, he eyed her steadily. “I told you I’d wait until you’d finished. You need some help with that?”
Hiding a smile, Lana shook her head. “No. Thank you. I think I can do it myself.” Aware that his eyes followed the movement of her hands, she took her time, smoothing the cream on her legs. “I feel bad that I’m keeping you from the ranch.”
“No need. Are you sore?”
Lana’s cheeks burned. “Just a little. It’s not bad at all.” Sliding a glance at him, she squirted more lotion into her hand. “You’re blunt as hell, aren’t you?”
“No reason not to be. How’s your bottom? A little salve there might help.”
A shiver of desire went through her. “I’m sure I can guess what that would lead to.” Smoothing the lotion on her arms, she shook her head again. “I’m fine. Can we talk about something else?”
Lifting his gaze to hers, he raised a brow. “Such as the fact that you look more rested, and that there’s no reason to be embarrassed because you slept late in my arms, or because you enjoyed your shower because you knew that I was out here and no one was going to break in and hurt you?”
“You make me sound neurotic.” Shrugging to hide her embarrassment, Lana smoothed lotion on her stomach and breasts. “I guess I am. I’ll admit that I’m still scared to be alone. I’m scared that someone is going to be here when I come home, hiding somewhere. I’m scared that someone’s going to break in. I just don’t want my parents or brother knowing that. Daniel has enough on his mind, and my parents are older, and I don’t want them upset.”
Striding toward her, he set his coffee cup on the counter and held out his hand for the lotion. “I won’t say anything to them. Anything you tell me stays between us.” Squirting a generous amount of lotion into his hand, he bent to kiss her shoulder. “Just don’t try to hide things from me. I won’t let you. Lift your hair out of the way so I can put this on your back.”
Accepting the bottle, Lana recapped it and set it back on the counter. Grabbing a towel, she bent at the waist and wrapped it like a turban before straightening again, amused at his hungry groan. Meeting his gaze in the mirror, she smiled at his look of confusion as though he was trying to figure out how she’d done it.
“When you stick that ass out at me, I forget how fragile you are.”
“Fragile? I’m five ten in bare feet.”
J.W.’s slow smile sent another wave of lust through her. “Almost a foot shorter than I am. Just a little thing, but you’re not neurotic. Just a little scared.”
Closing her eyes, she couldn’t hold back a moan at the feel of his strong hands working the lotion into her skin while easing tight muscles. “I don’t want to be scared. I feel like a damned baby. It pisses me off.”
“I can understand that, but I’m not gonna let you shut me out.” Working his hands slower, he massaged the cheeks of her bottom. Parting them, he nuzzled her neck while running his fingertip lightly over her puckered opening, creating an erotic tingling sensation there.
“Of any
thing, darlin’. We’re all in.” Wrapping both arms around her waist, he nuzzled her neck again, something that had quickly become a habit of his.
She had to admit she liked it.
“You get to me, baby.” Flattening one hand on her abdomen, he tilted her head back to his shoulder, taking her lips in a searing kiss that made her head swim.
Lifting her arms, she wrapped them around his neck, smiling up at him when he lifted his head. “You get to me, too.” Turning in his arms, she caught his face between her hands. “This is moving so fast. J.W., we hardly know each other.”
He smiled faintly, running the backs of his fingers down her cheek. “And yet here we are.” He patted her bottom. “If I wasn’t afraid of hurting you, I’d take you back to bed and show you just how good we are together.” Cupping her cheek, he ran his thumb over the scar. “Even without makeup, this is hardly noticeable. You’re stunning. Beautiful. Sexy as hell, and if it wasn’t for the fact that you’re newly opened, I don’t know if I’d have the willpower to walk away from you. Just knowing that I was the first makes me very possessive toward you. I’ve never been possessive of a woman in my life.”
Releasing her, he picked up his coffee cup, pausing at the doorway to turn to her. “This is just the beginning, baby. I’ll pick you up later, and we’ll go out to dinner. Why don’t you think about moving out to the ranch? You’re going to end up there sooner or later. I don’t see the point in waiting.”
Still thinking about J.W.’s parting words, Lana went to her closet, picking out a beige cotton skirt that fell to just below her knees. She automatically started to reach for the cream-colored top she’d taken to wearing with it, pausing with her hand over the hanger.
Dropping it again, she turned, studying the brighter colors and more revealing clothing that she’d hung on the other side.
The memory of the way J.W. had looked at her had her reaching for a bright orange blouse, one that she hadn’t worn since before the attack.
Before she could change her mind, she grabbed the orange blouse and left the closet, going back into the bedroom to dress.
She’d just finished getting dressed when the phone rang. Hoping it was her brother to tell her that Kristen was in labor, she raced to it, grinning when she looked at the display and realized the call was from her neighbors in New York. “Hello?”
“Hey, honey. How are you doing?”
“Evan! I’m great. I just put on the orange blouse I bought in Paris.”
“Yeah? That’s great, honey. It looks good on you. I’m glad you’ve decided to get out of those drab colors you’ve been wearing since—”
“So how are you? How’s Jack? I miss you guys.” Checking her reflection in the mirror, she smiled to herself, hoping that her mother would be happy with her choice and would stop worrying.
She had a flutter in her stomach as she turned away from the mirror, and fighting the urge to run back to the closet to change, she left the room and went to the kitchen.
“We’re fine. The more important question is, how are you?”
Seeing the pot of coffee J.W. had made earlier, she paused in the doorway, the reminder of J.W.’s presence giving her a warm feeling inside. “I’m fine.” Continuing on to the living room to make sure that she’d locked the door behind J.W., she smiled. “It’s nice to be home.” She made her way back to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of the dark brew, grimacing when she took a sip. Setting it down, she moved to the refrigerator for some milk. “I’m doing great.”
“Liar. Are you still having those nightmares?”
Adding milk to her coffee, she took another sip, grimacing again and reaching for the sugar, injecting a teasing note into her voice that she hoped would ease his worry. “I’m okay. I think I found a cure for those nightmares.”
He paused as if surprised. “Yeah? What’s that?”
Grinning, she leaned back against the counter. “A cowboy. A little over six and a half feet tall. Broad shoulders. Narrow hips. Cowboy butt. Wears a cowboy hat pulled down low.”
“Holy shit!” Evan laughed out loud and turned to tell Jack what she’d said. “Jack’s jealous now because I want one. Where’d you meet him?”
“Friend of the family. His mother and mine are actually best friends. His mom had a party, and he came up behind me and scared the hell out of me. I made a scene. Embarrassed myself and everyone else.” She took a sip of coffee to ease the lump in her throat, using her thumb to trace a pattern in the countertop. “Anyway, when he’s with me, I sleep better.”
Evan must have heard something in her voice because his lowered, filled with sympathy. “You finally found the man you can trust. I told you when you fell in love, it would be hard and fast.”
Setting her cup aside, she smiled and reached for a paper towel to wipe her eyes. “I didn’t mean to.”
Evan laughed softly. “That’s the best time to fall in love.”
Lana’s laugh came out as a sob, and more tears fell. “I’m broken. I can’t fall in love with him.”
Evan laughed softly at that. “You don’t get to choose that, honey. Wait a minute. You’re not saying that because he doesn’t treat you good, are you?”
“No.” Shaking her head, Lana picked up her coffee cup and went to the table. “He treats me like I’m fragile. I don’t want to be fragile.” Frowning, she lowered herself to the chair and wiped away another tear. “Now that I say that out loud, I realize how true it is. He’s a very masculine man. Strong. Sturdy. He’s a rancher. He’s tough, but he’s so gentle with me. Too gentle.”
“Sounds perfect, honey. You deserve a good man. Just make sure he treats you the way you deserve.”
“But he deserves more. He’s strong and needs someone strong to love. Not me.”
“He sounds like a man who knows what he wants. Go as slow as you need to, but don’t shut the door on love. Love will get you through anything, and I want you to keep in touch. I want to hear all about it, but for now, I can hear the tears in your voice, so we’ll talk about something else. Let me tell you about the open house they had at your condo this past weekend. It was packed. Don’t be surprised if you get an offer soon.”
* * * *
Cutting into his steak, J.W. glanced at her blouse again before meeting her gaze. “I like that color on you. Did you think about coming to stay at the ranch?”
Glancing across the table at J.W., Lana speared a crisp piece of lettuce. “Thank you. Of course I’ve thought about coming to the ranch.”
She hadn’t thought of much else all day.
Looking around the family restaurant he’d brought her to, Lana smiled. “J.W., I really appreciate the offer, but I can’t move in with you.”
Scowling, he reached for his glass of tea. “Why not?”
“Because we hardly know each other.”
J.W.’s lips twitched. “Baby, we know each other. Is your salad okay?”
“Yes. J.W., are you listening to me?”
“Of course, baby.” Lifting a brow, he dug into his food again. “But I’m not blind. I know that you don’t want to admit to your family that you can’t sleep and that, when you do, you have nightmares.” Pausing, he gave her a smile filled with male satisfaction. “You slept just fine when you were all curled up next to me.”
Amused despite her embarrassment, something she suspected he’d planned, she stabbed a small tomato. “I wasn’t all curled up next to you. I was sleeping on my own side of the bed and you kept crowding me. You’re too damned big. You take up most of the bed.”
“Hmm.” J.W. nodded soberly and took a sip of his iced tea. “So the fact that you slept half on top of me, your breast pressed against me, your hand gripping mine, and your leg on my cock is my fault because I take up too much room.”
“Of course.” Lana shrugged and reached for her water, not willing to admit how much his solid presence next to her during the night had allowed her to sleep for the first time in months. “Every time you moved, it was like an earthqu
ake. I was holding on to you so I wouldn’t fall out of bed.”
The truth was that she couldn’t even remember him moving, and when she woke up, he’d been in the same position he’d been in when she’d fallen asleep the second time.
Sitting back, he eyed her steadily. “You have to admit you slept better in my arms. There’s no reason you can’t come out to stay at the ranch.”
With a sigh, she set her glass down again, staring at it for several long seconds before meeting his gaze again. “J.W., I can’t stay with you just because I sleep better. My brother and Alice have both told me about you. You’ve never let a woman move in with you because you like your privacy too much.”
J.W. frowned and stabbed another bite of steak. “I don’t like presumptuousness, and I prefer to pick who I live with, not have it done for me.”
“Well, I don’t like having decisions made for me any more than you do. I admit that I like sleeping with you, but safety and chemistry aren’t reasons to live together.”
“Why not? You’re making it difficult when it doesn’t have to be. What’s so damned complicated about staying at the ranch? You’d have Alice for company during the day, or you could go out whenever you wanted. I’ve got over a hundred men working for me, and someone’s always close by. If you feel threatened, all you have to do is ring the bell right outside the back door and men will come running.”
Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his, and without looking down at it, he slid his thumb unerringly over the scar on her wrist. “The house is big enough for you to have some privacy when you want, and you and I can have the nights to…” He lifted her fingers to his lips. “Explore this chemistry between us.”
Ripples of pleasure raced up her arm, her nipples beading and tingling sharply. “Damn it, J.W., I just moved into that apartment.” Grinning, she decided to tease him. “Besides, I heard that if a woman moves herself into your bedroom, she soon finds herself looking at the other side of the front door. Why would I risk that?”