Bowles, Jan - Branded by the Texas Rancher (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Неизвестный

Trust him? Did she trust him? Maybe she did, but she certainly didn’t trust herself where he was concerned.

  As she swung the door open, she leaned against the wall, needing some support to steady herself. Dressed in jeans and a red check shirt with a tan leather jacket, he looked every inch the cowboy. Holding his hat in his hands, his sun-bleached hair was all ruffled as if he’d just run his hands through it.

  His gaze drifted over her, taking in her bare feet and scantily clad body. It wouldn’t take a genius to work out what he was thinking.

  Swallowing hard, she ushered him inside. “Would you like a drink, Jed?”

  He shook his head. “No, I better not stay. I thought you ought to know that there’re some rumors flying around about us.”

  “Oh? What sort of rumors?” He towered over her and seemed to fill her entire living room with his brooding, masculine presence. She could just see the first signs of stubble on his jaw. Fighting the urge to run her hands over his skin, she sought safety and pressed her back against the wall again.

  “The whole town thinks we’re an item. I found out this evening when I went out. I just thought I should warn you, that’s all.”

  “That explains the strange looks I received in the grocery store on Friday. I thought Mrs. Gayle looked at me rather too closely.”

  He chuckled. “That old busybody is the hub of gossip in these parts. If you want something broadcast, just go to her. You don’t seem as upset as I thought you might.”

  Rebecca drew her brows together. She wasn’t in the least worried. She smiled. “No, I’m sure they’ve been gossiping about me ever since I arrived. It’s not the end of the world. Besides, we know it isn’t true.”

  He let out a long, slow breath and turned away from her, running his hand roughly through his hair.

  “What is it, Jed?” she asked, already knowing the reason for his behavior. Her heart ached it was beating so fast.

  “I wish it were true, Rebecca.” He took one step toward her, his gaze dark and piercing as he looked at her. Reaching out a hand, he touched the hair that fell loosely about her shoulders. “You look real pretty with your hair down. You should always wear it like this.” He wound the strands into his fingers, twisting them until his hand caressed the side of her cheek.

  Transfixed, she just stared at him, unable to move, unable to speak. Just the pounding of her own racing heart in her ears. Her unsteady breaths forced her lips to part, and she gasped for air.

  “Rebecca, you’re such a hard nut to crack,” he whispered, the deep timbre of his voice mesmerizing.

  Without really knowing why, she briefly closed her eyes and snuggled against his tender touch. Somehow he felt safe and strong, and he made her feel less lonely.

  He moved his hand to the nape of her neck, his fingers meshing into her hair. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to know how it felt when you kissed a man that made your knees go weak whenever you were in his presence. He was so close now. As she leaned back against the wall, she noticed his eyelashes caressing down onto his cheeks as he stared intently at her.

  He spun his hat onto a nearby chair and pressed his lips to hers. Her sharp intake of breath confirmed her suspicions. No one had ever kissed her like this before. Of their own accord, her hands teased into his hair, running through the golden strands, enjoying the feeling of his soft locks against her fingertips.

  His other hand circled her waist, and he pressed his hard, taut body against hers, pinning her where she stood. Overwhelmed by him, she did something she had never done before, and she kissed him back with a passion she had only ever read about.

  A moan tore from her, and she nipped at his mouth with her teeth, running her tongue over his lips as they molded their bodies together. A million nerve endings exploded, heightening her senses. His masculine scent filled her lungs, and she breathed in deeply, wanting more. His heat enveloped her, burning into her, and she pressed against him, needing more. God, how she needed more. It hurt to want and not receive.

  You’re nothing but a heathen and a harlot. Her father’s words forced their way into her brain. They didn’t belong there, and she pushed them away, but they returned, this time more forcefully. Jezebel, strumpet. Hell and damnation awaits those who sin. She didn’t believe it. How long had it been since she had even gone to church? Her father’s doctrine over the years had eventually turned her from religion. Better to seek one’s own peace with God by being a decent member of society. No need for sermons, but it brought her back to reality with a sharp bang. This was so unlike her.

  Chapter Five

  Just when he thought he’d finally got through to her, she pushed him away. Her eyes were wild as she stared at him, her breathing as heavy as his own.

  “I’m sorry, Jed. I don’t know what came over me. That’s not at all like me.”

  He placed both his hands against the wall, on either side of her head. He wouldn’t give up without a fight. “Maybe that’s the real you, only you’ve never allowed yourself to express it before.”

  She shook her head, a knot of confusion on her brow. “No, I assure you, I’ve never acted like that with anyone.”

  While a sense of satisfaction washed over him that she had given him a part of herself, he wondered if the reason for her change of heart was far simpler. He stroked a hand into her silky soft hair, pushing the strands back from her face. “Rebecca, if you’re a virgin, just say.”

  A strangled laugh escaped her lips as her eyes flew to his. “I’m twenty-eight, no.” She bit her lip. “But I’m acting like one. I must be, or you wouldn’t have said it.”

  “You’re just scared to be yourself, that’s all.”

  “I’m pathetic.” Irritated with herself, she pushed past him and walked to the door. With her eyes downcast, she whispered, “Maybe you should go, Jed. I can’t give you what you want.”

  “I disagree.” When Rebecca had opened the door to him, she’d taken his breath away. Dressed in a silk robe and with her hair flowing around her shoulders, he had seen her pure beauty for the first time. Immediately he had wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her with an urgent desire that had consumed him these past few weeks.

  Now that they’d kissed, there was no way he would just walk away. He wanted her now more than ever. If that meant coaxing and cajoling for the next millennium, then that’s what he would do.

  “I like you, Rebecca. You’re a very passionate woman. All you have to do is let go of the past.”

  “I thought I’d left it all behind in England, but it seems I brought that emotional baggage with me.” She looked at him. “I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you.”

  He kissed her cheek. “You haven’t disappointed me one bit. Now I know your hidden depths. There’s no way I’m giving up.”

  “Really?”

  Her fragility overwhelmed him. “Yes, really. I’m not as selfish as you think.”

  She walked with him to the door. He turned to her and smiled. “I’ll see you in the week when I pick Annie up from school.”

  “Jed.” Her hand touched his. “I do like you, Jed.”

  “That’s good. You know I like you, too.”

  He saw the inner turmoil on her features as she fought for the right words to say. “I’ve never felt like this with a man before.”

  He nodded. That was a good sign. “Do you want me to stay?”

  “I want you to stay, but if I said I was scared, would you think me an idiot? Because I feel like one.”

  “No, of course not.” All he saw was a beautiful, vulnerable woman who just needed to find herself. “Rebecca, there’s nothing more I wanna do than spend time with you, but if I walk back through this door, I want you to know I won’t be leaving ‘til daybreak.”

  * * * *

  With his eyes burning into hers, he walked back inside. He tossed his hat aside and immediately pulled her into his arms. His kiss, rough and possessive, branded her lips.

  As she melted into him, he caressed her face, her neck. He str
oked a hand into her hair as he whispered against her ear, “I wanna fuck you real bad, Rebecca.”

  “Jed, do you have to be so crude?”

  “I’m just a Texas rancher, darlin’. I don’t have any fancy words to woo you with. But I’m thinking you like the way I talk. You just won’t admit it yet.”

  Powerful and strong, he turned her on like no other man ever had. When he lifted her into his arms, her pulse rate increased. He played her caveman fantasy with relish.

  “I guess you know where my bedroom is,” she whispered against his neck, “since you’ve repaired every window in the house.”

  He grinned. “And very nice it is, too. The perfect place to get to know each other better.”

  She giggled as he took the stairs two at a time. Her weight seemed to mean nothing to him. The man had an energy she found exhilarating.

  When the door finally closed behind them, she flicked on a switch, bathing the room in subdued light from the lamps either side of her bed. Everything familiar to her soothed her nerves. The brass Victorian bed had a hand-embroidered bedspread of cream and gold thread. The two prints of her favorite childhood pet dogs, Casper and Milton, hung on the walls.

  He removed his jacket and threw it onto the Queen Anne chair, then shrugged off his boots and socks. After unbuttoning the cuffs on his shirt, he stood in front of her and took her hands in his. He pressed them to his chest. “Take it off me, Rebecca.”

  With trembling fingers, she began to unbutton his shirt. Starting at the top, she worked her way down one by one. Her mouth had gone incredibly dry. Occasionally, she would flick her gaze to his. The molten heat in his eyes as he stared at her mesmerized her like nothing she had known before. The intensity of the moment mounted as she finally freed the last of the buttons.

  A small whimper escaped her lips as she pulled the shirt off his shoulders and removed it completely. His perfectly toned body now stood before her in all its glory. Each clearly defined muscle on his chest drew her attention. The rise and fall of his breathing equaled her own. All I have to do… She reached out then and touched his bare flesh.

  His skin felt warm and the muscles beneath honed. Her fingers drifted over him, feeling each delicious ripple of his taut body. The well-defined pectorals. The washboard stomach. With every stroke of her fingers, she felt him respond to her touch. Desire pooled in her stomach. She had never wanted any man as much as she wanted Jed.

  Suddenly, he stopped the movements of her hands with his own. “Now it’s my turn.” His voice deep, his eyes dark and probing, as he stared at her.

  Slowly, he undid the tie on her robe then peeled it back. It dropped to the floor, revealing her pale blue nightdress. Her hardened nipples showed through the silk material, aching to be touched. Her breasts heaved in anticipation as he slipped the thin straps from her shoulders, and it, too, pooled at her feet.

  The window was open, and the cool night air feathered across her body, heightening her feeling of letting go. His gaze caressed her bare flesh. “I knew you would be perfect.”

  He pulled her into his embrace, his one hand winding into her hair, the other hand slowly travelling down her body. He kissed her lips as he circled her breast with his work-roughened hand. He tweaked the nipple with his finger and thumb until she moaned against his mouth.

  He maneuvered her to the bed and slowly pressed her down onto it, covering her with his body. Drifting her fingers over his face, she took in every masculine detail. The high cheekbones, the strong jaw now covered with stubble. She liked the way it rasped against her skin. Smoothing over his manly brow ridges, she threaded her hand into his hair. The soft locks spilled pleasingly through her fingers.

  When she looked into his eyes, she believed a hunger existed that only the joining of their bodies would quench.

  “You’re so perfect, Rebecca. I could eat you alive.”

  He feathered tiny kisses down her torso. His tongue lashed against her nipples, tasting, teasing, and biting the dark pink areolas as she writhed with pleasure. His mouth drifted over her skin. When he moved lower, he forcefully pushed her legs apart, his thumbs spreading her neatly trimmed pussy wide open to his gaze. “Jed, no.” When his tongue lashed over her clitoris, she arched into the exquisite feeling. Jason had never done that.

  He did it again, this time more forcefully, lashing and sucking at the same time. “Becky, you taste so good.” A warm glow spread through her. He’d called her Becky. No one had ever called her that before.

  His tongue licked her entire slit, circling her clit with long, sweeping movements. It was all she could do to keep breathing. Her hands fisted in his hair. He speared one then two fingers deep inside her pussy, penetrating her with a possessive authority.

  Then it started, a heavy pressure building, rolling, and surging forth. The delicious intensity overwhelmed and consumed her until she finally cried out in ecstasy as her orgasm crashed through. She’d never had an orgasm before. Jed had literally taken her breath away.

  She lay on the bed completely calm as he moved from her and began to shed the rest of his clothes. He smiled at her. “Now you look a bit more relaxed, honey.”

  “I am. Thank you, Jed. That was my first orgasm with a man.” Her voice cracked with emotion.

  “I figured as much, Becky. I’m real pleased it was me that gave it to you.”

  Overwhelmed with emotional feeling, she wiped a teardrop from her eye. The idea that she had been frigid had made her deliberately turn away from men. Yet, Jed had ripped that notion from her head in less than five minutes. For that she would be eternally grateful.

  Now her body thrummed with a newfound sexual desire. It demanded fulfillment in the most carnal way possible.

  When he was completely naked, her gaze drifted over him. He was everything she wanted in a man and more. He had a powerful physique from long days working a ranch. His body was broad with strong muscular thighs and biceps to die for. The breath seized in her throat at the size of his fully erect cock glistening with pre-cum. She shook her head. He was so large.

  “Jed…I don’t think…”

  He smiled as he saw her worried stare. “Don’t you worry none, Becky. I’ll help you.”

  He knelt on the bed then ripped a condom from its foil packet with his teeth. He began rolling it down his shaft. He looked at her, his eyes dark pools. “Normally I’d ask you to do this, but I just don’t trust myself. I don’t want to shoot my load just yet.”

  Then he lay between her legs and stroked his hand into her hair. He kissed her lips. “I’ve wanted to do this for weeks.”

  “Me too.”

  “I know, all those furtive looks. You’ve practically turned me into an insomniac.”

  She laughed. “Then you shall sleep well tonight.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think we’ll be doin’ any sleeping, Becky. In fact, you can count on it.”

  His sheathed, hard cock pressed against her vagina. He covered her mouth with his, and she moaned against his lips as the head of his penis penetrated her. He waited a moment then pushed himself farther inside her, inch by slow, deliberate inch, pausing each time until he was seated fully to the hilt. Stretched beyond belief, she savored the delicious feelings running through her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  When she nodded, he began to slowly withdraw and then press back inside her again. With his weight channeled down his powerful arms, he rose above her, strong and incredibly virile. The lamplight carved out his muscular body in fine detail, showing his well-defined muscles to perfection.

  “Jed.” She stared into his eyes.

  He thrust into her. “You like that?”

  Oh, God, he felt so big. Nerve endings she never knew she had came alive, demanding fulfillment.

  He thrust again, only harder this time, making her body arch like a bowstring. She gripped onto his powerful shoulders, digging her nails into the taut sinews as they flexed with every movement he made.

  He thrust again an
d smiled as she moaned with pleasure. He kissed her neck, biting her earlobe, then whispered, “Turns you on, don’t it? My hard cock deep inside you.”

  A moan tore from her lips. His words, coarse and basic, ignited a fire inside her. A fire that would not go out until she had given herself to him completely. “Oh, Jed. I want…” Her voice trailed away as he thrust once more deep inside her.

  “I’m gonna fuck you till you’ve come, and then when you think you can’t take any more, I’m gonna fuck you again.”

  Jed talking dirty turned her on far more than she could ever have imagined. Arching into the exquisite feeling, she pressed against him, wanting everything that he could give her. Feverishly, she kissed his lips, tasting his mouth with her tongue, exploring his body with her hands.

  She wrapped her legs around him and squeezed his buttocks, pulling him harder inside her.

  “Say it, Becky. Say what you need.”

  “Oh, Jed, harder, please.” She had never felt more alive as a woman. Each stroke of his cock rubbing against the inner muscles of her vagina brought her untold pleasure. Each penetrating thrust deeper than she thought possible. It felt like he was inside her womb.

  He raised the tempo. “Yeah, we’re like two peas in a pod. You like it fast and hard just like me.”

  “Jed, please. Jed, that feels so good. Please, Jed.”

  Then it began, and the pressure built, rising up from deep inside her, building in power, until it pushed her to the very edge of reason. Staring into his eyes, her mouth opened in surprise at the power and ferocity of her climax as it shattered inside her. The intensity of the sexual sensations coursing through her, made it impossible to think straight.

  Her whole body tightened around his thick length. Her stomach muscles quivered and contracted as her pussy clamped and milked his cock repeatedly.

  With barely a pause, he continued thrusting through the aftershocks, taking her further and further into ecstasy. In delirium she moaned out his name, “Jed, oh, Jed,” she whimpered as he repeatedly pumped his huge cock inside her. Finally, when she thought she would faint, he came, erupting deep inside her aching pussy with a loud, satisfied growl.