He nibbled and sucked, then swept his thumb over her clit in soft up and down sweeps, creating just the right amount of friction to bring her to the brink. He didn’t let her fall. He wanted to be inside her when she came. His own release rode him hard, but he fought it back, wanting to prolong her pleasure as long as possible. His lips pressed to the inside of her thigh again, and he thrust two fingers into her slick sheath. Her hips rolled against his hand, and he worked his fingers in and out of her. He kissed his way up her stomach to her breast and took her rosy nipple into his mouth and sucked hard as he thrust his fingers deep. Her hand slid over his head and down his neck to his shoulder. She grabbed it tight, and he did it again.
Desperate to have her, he gripped her hips and shifted her higher on the bed. Her hands never left his bare chest, sliding over his muscles even as he reached for a condom on the side table. He grabbed it, but somehow she pushed him onto his back and ended up on top of him. She straddled his hips, planted her hands on both sides of his head, and bent to kiss him. She pressed up and stared down at him, a seductive smile on her face.
“My turn.”
He didn’t know what she had in mind, but he sure as hell liked looking at her. Her brown hair hung just past her shoulders. Her breasts were full and tipped up with her rosy nipples, hard and begging for his mouth. His gaze dipped lower, over her flat belly, to the barely there strip that led straight to heaven. He wanted to bury himself deep, but lost all thought when she leaned down, kissed his neck, and her hand wrapped around his balls. She slid her hand up his aching cock and squeezed, sweeping her thumb over the thick head, her fingers working up and down it.
She pulled his boxer briefs down, freeing his swollen flesh. Her breast brushed against it as his boxer briefs swept down his legs, and he kicked them away.
Her hands swept up his thighs, and he wanted her to straddle him again, so he could bury himself inside her. He wanted to watch her ride him hard and fast.
She had other ideas.
Her hair brushed against his stomach, tickling him and making his muscles taut. Her tongue swept over the head of his cock, licking away the bead of liquid a second before she took him into her mouth, sliding down and back up, her tongue gliding along the length of him. At that moment, he lost all thought and gave himself over to the sweet torture.
So close, he called to her, “El . . .” But her name died on his lips when her hand wrapped around the bottom of his dick and her mouth came down on him, and she bobbed up and down, using her hand and mouth to drive him insane with pleasure.
“I’m so damn close. I want to be inside of you.”
She reached up his chest and snatched the open condom from his hand. The sexiest damn thing he ever saw was her licking her lips and sheathing him. He reached for her, dragging her up his body and pulling her head down for a deep kiss. He reached between them, found her hot, wet center, and sank his finger deep. She found as much pleasure in loving him as he’d found in pleasing her.
Desperate. Out of his mind. He held her hips and brought her down hard on top of him. She rolled her hips to accommodate him and they found the easy rhythm they always found when they came together like this.
She rode him hard and fast and he held on as long as he could, reaching up to stroke his hands over her breasts, squeezing her tight nipples between his fingers. She arched into his hands, offering up the bounty to his touch.
On the edge, he reared up, wrapped his arm around her waist, and rolled her under him. She landed on her back, her arms coming up to encircle his shoulders. Her fingers dug into his back, nails biting into his skin when he thrust into her hard and deep. He grinded his hips to hers, pulled out, and sank back in to do it again. Her hips moved with him, against him, away from him. They matched each other in every way. He gave himself over to her and felt the way she gave herself over to him.
Her fingers raked down his sides and her hands settled on his hips. She pulled him close, and he rocked against her hips, riding her hard, and creating a sweet friction against her clit just the way he’d learned she liked it. Her body tightened around him. He pulled out and thrust deep again, sending her over the edge on a ragged sigh, her body holding his in a tight fist that convulsed and drew from him an orgasm so intense he closed his eyes, tossed back his head, and let himself go with a satisfied groan.
Gabe fell on top of her and pressed her into the mattress. She didn’t mind his weight. In fact, she needed it. Ella wrapped her arms around his back and hugged him close, knowing exactly how he felt and why. He’d just shown her how much he loved her, but he knew she had to go and wanted to give her a reason to stay.
He must realize how much she wanted the same thing. Hadn’t she shown him?
“Gabe.”
“I don’t want to talk about your family and what you need to do. Not now. Not tonight.”
He rolled to his back, separating himself from the intimacy they’d shared but moments ago. He didn’t let her go entirely and kept his big hand splayed over her thigh. She rolled toward him. He shifted and pulled her close to his chest in the crook of his arm.
“Gabe . . .”
“Not now. Just be with me. Here. Nothing else between us.”
She kissed her way up his chest, neck, and jaw to his lips, sliding her naked body against his. She kissed him and felt the simmering heat she always felt between them pulse. She pressed her hand against his strong jaw and made him look at her. “I am here. With you. Where I always want to be.”
His arms banded around her in a fierce hug. He rolled to his side and they lay face-to-face, his forehead pressed to hers. He kissed her again. Soft, warm, sweet, and enticing, but not the start of something, just a show of love and affection and connection.
“I don’t want to let you go.”
“Then hold on.”
Chapter 27
Ella wanted to scream. Gabe refused to speak to her about leaving for New York. Damn man. Instead, he spent the entire morning in the stables with the horses. Understandable; they needed to be fed, their stalls cleaned, but he didn’t have to find any and every excuse not to come back to the house.
After a quiet breakfast, he called Sam at the FBI to go over what they found yesterday, and how it all tied together and led to Lela’s murder. Ella took the phone to go over the rest with Sam, and Gabe walked out the door.
Well, ignoring the situation wasn’t getting them anywhere. She tapped her fingers on the table with impatience. Her uncle would pay, but she couldn’t let his comeuppance happen at the expense of her relationship with Gabe. She couldn’t leave so much unsaid between them.
The front door creaked open. Finally, Gabe came to talk to her. She rose from the table and turned and came face-to-face with Travis. His lips pulled back in a feral smile, and his eyes narrowed. He rushed her, his determined strides clearing the distance between them in seconds, arms outstretched to grab her. She screamed and tried to back away, but he caught her by the arm and spun her around. Her back slammed into his chest and his hand clamped over her mouth, practically blocking her nose too.
With his arm banded around her stomach, he dragged her out the front door. She tried to kick him and struggled to get free. Her muffled screams barely made any sound. Frantic, she swept her gaze over the yard and barn for any sign of Gabe, but she didn’t see him. She tried to bite Travis’s hand, but he only pressed harder, hurting her face and jaw.
“Stop fighting me, you uppity bitch. Who the hell do you think you are, ruining me. I found out who you are from the men your uncle sent to find you. I’m taking you to the sheriff and collecting that reward your uncle put up for you.”
She planted her feet, trying to keep him from getting her to his truck. She twisted her sprained ankle, fighting to get free of his punishing grasp, and yelped in pain. Her breath sawed in and out from the small gap between his hand and her nostrils. Pissed off, she screamed again, hoping Gabe heard her.
Travis jerked behind her, pulling her off balance. He let lo
ose, and she fell to the ground and twisted around, ready to defend herself. No need. Gabe punched Travis right in the nose, breaking it with a sickening crack. Travis ended up on his ass in the snow and bellowed out an obscenity.
Gabe grabbed him by his coat, lifted him off his feet, and slammed him into the side of the truck. “Don’t you ever fucking touch her again.”
All hell broke loose, four cars pulled into the driveway, two of them with red and blue flashing lights swirling. A man who looked very much like a younger version of Gabe jumped out of an old Ford truck and came running. Gabe’s brother Dane.
An older man slid from another beat-up truck with “Crystal Creek Veterinary” on the door. The vet she’d hired to check on the cattle at Travis’s place. The officers were right behind Dane, but she reached Gabe first.
Gabe flipped Travis around to face the truck and wrenched his arm up behind his back, his hand pressed between his shoulder blades.
“You’re going to break my arm.”
“I’ll kill you if you ever lay a hand on her again.”
“Gabe, honey, let him go. The cops are here.”
He didn’t let up his hold, but glanced over at her. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Let him go.” She limped forward to touch her hand to his shoulder and reassure him.
His eyes scanned down her body and narrowed on her hurt ankle. He turned back to Travis. “You bastard, you hurt her.”
The rage that came over Gabe’s face stunned her. He let go of Travis’s arm and hauled back his big fist to punch him in the ribs, but Dane rushed in, grabbed Gabe by the arm, and hauled him away from Travis.
“Hold on now, bro, let the cops take care of him.”
“I’m going to fucking kill him.”
Dane pushed against Gabe’s chest, holding him off. Not an easy task. Gabe really wanted to kill Travis, who leaned against his truck, holding his bleeding nose and wailing about cows and stupid women.
“That fucking reward is mine,” Travis yelled. “Don’t even think about taking it for yourself. I saw her first.”
Gabe went ballistic, pushing against Dane’s hold. “You say one fucking word about who she is and I’ll kill you.”
Ella shook her head and pushed herself between Gabe and Dane. Grabbing hold of Gabe’s coat, she shook him to get his attention. “Listen to me. Stop.”
Gabe finally took his gaze from Travis and stared down at her. He dropped to one knee and reached for her leg, massaging her calf and checking her ankle with a soft squeeze. “Are you okay?”
She put her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. “I’m fine.”
“You’re limping again.”
“I jarred my ankle and hip when I stumbled.”
“You going to introduce me, or what?” Dane asked from behind them.
Gabe held her leg and leaned his head against her belly and let out a heavy sigh.
“I’m okay,” she repeated, because he obviously needed to hear it.
Gabe stood and pulled her to his side. “What are you doing here?” he asked his brother.
“She contacted me two days ago and told me to bring your cattle. She hired me to bring her cattle to her ranch.”
Gabe stared down at her. “You did?”
“Did you think I forgot about them?”
“No. It’s just . . .”
“Everything. I know. But I did not forget what that asshole did to me, or the fact those animals were not being cared for properly. I told you I just needed to make a couple of phone calls to make it all right.
“I called Dane, and then I had the vet set up the men and trucks to move the cattle off Travis’s ranch this morning. The sheriff was supposed to arrest Travis.”
The vet, Dr. Potts, stepped up next to her and offered his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Wolf.” She shook it. “Travis was already headed in this direction when we arrived. The sheriff’s men arrived moments later, and we followed Travis here, though not in time to stop him from pushing you, and Gabe from tearing a strip off his sorry hide. I only wish we’d been a few minutes longer so Gabe could finish the job after the way Travis has neglected and mistreated those animals.”
“What the hell is going on?” Gabe asked.
“I’ve tried to talk to you all morning, but you shut me out.” Tears welled in her eyes.
“Sweetheart, I’m sorry.” Gabe tried to step toward her, but the officer stepped in, took his hands, and handcuffed him.
“What the hell,” Gabe said, his voice tinged with suppressed anger.
“You can’t go around punching people—even if they deserve it,” the officer added under his breath. “Let’s go. We’ll take this down to the station and sort out who instigated the fight. Travis is bellowing about pressing charges for assault.”
Travis kicked and bucked in the backseat of the other car, cussing and carrying on, his shackled hands holding a wad of bandages to his bloodied nose. “The reward is mine,” he wailed.
The officer turned to her. “Meet me down at the station. I’ll need your statement. I spoke with Special Agent Sam Turner earlier this morning. He assured me you are headed back to New York to meet with authorities in connection to your sister’s murder and that you had nothing to do with it.”
“I’m leaving as soon as I clean up this mess with Travis and Gabe.”
Satisfied, the officer walked Gabe to his car and helped him into the backseat.
Strong hands clamped onto her shoulders and squeezed her tense muscles. Dane stood behind her, staring at Gabe from over her head. “I’ll go get him.”
“You take care of that.” She pointed to the massive semitrucks driving past Gabe’s house, headed up to her ranch. Gabe stared at the trucks going by, hauling her sick cattle. She didn’t know how many trips it would take to move them all, but she’d have them safe and in her pastures soon. They’d be well fed and tended to properly thanks to Dr. Potts’s help, and the men she’d hired to help Gabe. Now, all she had to do was convince Gabe to take over her ranch the way he’d planned, but on a much larger scale. “I’ll handle Gabe. And Travis.”
“Go get ’em, honey.”
She shook her head. “You’re a lot like your brother.”
“He’s not going to be happy you kept him in the dark about this.”
“I wanted to surprise him.”
“We live a simple life. Surprises like this don’t happen every day.”
The sheriff’s vehicles pulled out of the driveway. She never stopped looking at Gabe until the cars disappeared out of sight.
Dr. Potts walked back to his truck. “I’ll follow them on down the road and make sure they get settled.”
Dane remained behind her. “Now what?”
“I finish what I started.”
“So, back to New York?”
“For now.”
“What about Gabe?”
“What about him?”
“The way I heard it from Blake, Gabe is in love with you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Yes, you do.”
She turned to face him and stared up at his dark eyes, so close to the familiar ones she’d grown used to giving her that same penetrating look.
“I have something I need to do. Because of that, Gabe and I have left talk of the future for later.”
“Is that why you did this, because you want a future with him?”
“I set him up at the ranch because it’s his dream, and I understand that. My father had a dream and worked to build his legacy, and it was taken from him far too soon. I won’t let that happen to Gabe. He wanted it. He’ll have it. I told him I’d make it right, and I will.”
“So, not the spoiled rich girl you try so hard to get people to believe you are.”
“I don’t really care what people think.”
“No. But you care what he thinks.”
“Gabe knows who I am.”
“Maybe he does. I bet you terrify him.”
“Why is that?”
“Because he’s probably thinking what I’m thinking. You won’t last one year out here before you’re begging to go back to the city to shop, order take-out, catch a movie, eat at a fancy restaurant, anything to be away from here and the isolation that is a part of life living on a ranch.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t know me, or what I want.”
“Just let him down easy, that’s all I ask.”
“I would never do anything to hurt Gabe. He saved my life.” In so many ways he’d saved her. From that deserted road. From the life she thought she had to live to meet everyone’s expectations. From herself for going along with everything and never once taking a second to discover what she really wanted and why she hung on to pieces of the life she’d had with her family on the ranch. She loved her horses, going to the country music bar, staying home over going out. Would she miss her life in the city? Probably, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t go back once in a while, because what she’d really miss was her friends. But she’d keep in touch through email, texts, and phone calls.
“I hope you mean that. I’d hate to see yet another woman make him a promise she doesn’t mean.”
“Not going to happen. Now, please, take care of the ranch and let me take care of Gabe.”
“When will you both be back?”
“I’m not sure. Gabe will want to return as soon as possible. It might take me a bit longer.”
At Wolf Ranch Page 23