The Rancher and the Redhead

by Suzannah Davis

  “You don’t have to feel obligated,” she said in a rush. “Or say things you don’t feel, but you did want me...at least up until last night.”

  “You think that’s changed?” he growled.

  “But you said—”

  “Aw, hell, woman, you talk too much.”

  Jerking her close, Sam bent his head and proceeded to kiss her senseless. She responded with all the pent-up fervor produced by the past twenty-four hours’ emotional roller-coaster ride, meeting his demands, opening her lips for his intimate exploration, pressing against him shamelessly.

  His mouth was voracious, and his hands everywhere, palming her bottom, slipping inside the soft knit of her tank top to cup her breasts, unfettered by any bra today. Her core liquefied, sweet hot honey running though her veins like the final shafts of evening sunshine spearing through the air.

  When he raised his head, they were both breathing hard, and Roni was so bemused that she hardly registered the cool dampness seeping through her sandals. Then she realized the water trough was overflowing, spreading a bog of mud in a circle around them.

  “The water,” she croaked.

  Sam glanced down, reached over and twisted the spigot, then swept her up with one arm so fast, she gasped.

  “Sam, your stitches...be careful.”

  “I’ll holler when I’m hurt.” He hitched a heel on the bottom rung of the corral and set her down on his knee. Sliding off her muddy sandals, he dangled her feet into the trough and began to splash her bare legs, rubbing his fingers up and down her calves, dampening the sheer gauze of her Gypsy skirt.

  She shivered. “What are you doing?”

  “Washing off your feet.” His hand traveled above her knee, pushing back the fabric, then ran farther up her inner thigh.

  “That’s what I thought,” she gasped. “I could get to like it, I think.”

  “Me, too.” Bending her over his arm, he kissed her again, tantalizing her with little wet forays up her legs.

  Quivering, Roni rubbed her fingers through the soft bramble of hair covering his hard-planed chest, found the bronze coins of his nipples and scored them lightly with her nails. He shuddered uncontrollably, and she smiled against his lips, sliding her hands toward his waistband.

  “Not so fast.” Lifting his head, he caught her wrist, gazing down into her breathless expression with a lambent heat in his eyes.

  She was already past pretense. “I want you, Sam.”

  “Thank God.”

  Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her into the shadowy interior of the barn. Setting her to her feet against the rough board wall, he undid her braid and spread her hair across her shoulders, kissing her, exploring her throat with his lips, licking the salty taste of her from the hollow where her pulse jumped erratically.

  Catching the strap of her tank top with one crooked finger, he drew it down her shoulder, then repeated the operation so that the garment puddled at her waist and her breasts were bared to his heated gaze. He brushed the backs of his knuckles against her nipples and watched them harden and pucker into rosy pebbled buds.

  “Oh, sweet heaven, you’re beautiful,” he breathed, his tone reverent.

  “You are, too.” Her hands were urgent, pushing his shirt down his arms so that he was bare-chested, as well. “A beautiful man, scars and all.”

  Almost as if he couldn’t help himself, he bent and brushed a kiss in the damp hollow between her breasts, then ran his lips over their upper swell. Roni groaned, needing him to touch her, and she took his jaw between her hands and guided him to the burgeoning tip, nearly fainting with pleasure as he took it into his mouth and suckled strongly.

  “Oh, Sam!”

  “Like that?” he murmured against her flesh.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Just tell me, sweetheart. Show me what you want.” Holding her by the waist, he let her guide him to a similar performance on the other breast, licking and nipping and teasing until she cried out in delight.

  Overwhelmed, Roni let the sensations take her, melting her bones, warming her blood. She loved the fine texture of his hair against her fingers, and the unique scent of him—leather and sandalwood and musk. She loved him. Rubbing her hands over his shoulders, she lightly traced the outline of his bandage, regretting his hurt with all her being, yet grateful that he was still here with her, still hers and loving her into jelly.

  When she didn’t think she could endure the exquisite torture of his lips on her nipples another minute, he dropped to one knee and bunched her skirts around her hips, running his hands up the length of her thighs.

  “Sam, what—oh!” She gasped in surprise and clutched at his shoulders as he tasted her through the thin silk triangle of her black bikini panties. “You can’t—”

  “Watch me.” With a twist of his strong fingers, he snapped the black satin ribbons holding the panties at her hips, then cupped her buttocks to hold her immobile while his tongue did wicked things to her.

  Gasping, her head reeling, Roni’s heart raced and her excitement built, centering in the place where Sam was fast driving her beyond coherence. She quivered, feeling herself losing all semblance of control, but he held her still, allowing no resistance, delving with his tongue and fingertip into the dewy petals, feasting on her intimately until sensation exploded and she cried out.

  Standing, he caught her as she sagged against the barn wall, capturing the final echo of that tremulous sound within his own mouth as he kissed her deeply. Inhaling his breath, she tasted her own essence and the sharpness of his arousal, and the fire that had barely subsided began to flame again.

  Frantic, she fumbled at his belt buckle, loosing it and sliding her hands beneath his waistband, cupping and cradling the heavy weight of his engorged sex, reveling in the sight and touch of her man, a man on fire for her. Moaning, Sam crushed her to him, then helped release his fly. She rose on her toes as he pulled her hips up, meeting him eagerly, then arching her neck with the fine shock of pleasure as he eased into her wetness.

  Twining her leg around his, Roni locked herself against him, letting him fill her, complete her, holding on for dear life as the universe quaked. Sam pressed his mouth against her neck and braced one hand against the wall at her back, moving in a rhythm that took her breath. Faster and faster, he made her his in a way she’d never dreamed, spinning her through a kaleidoscope of sensations until she catapulted over the edge of ecstasy again.

  At her heartfelt cry, Sam loosed his own control, plunging into her with a powerful thrust, then shuddering at his own completion, holding her hips against him as though he could absorb her, making the two of them truly one being. Shaking, shuddering, they clung to each other, leaning weakly against the wall, their bodies still joined, slick with moisture and the sweet aftershocks of release.

  Catching her face between his hands, Sam licked at her lips, nibbled at her chin. Satisfied beyond all imagining, she threaded her fingers into his hair and stretched like a cat, languid and sensual and murmuring.

  “What was that?” he asked, his mouth against the pulse in her throat.

  Her throaty chuckle made his body leap. “I said, that’s more like it, cowboy.”

  He drew back to grin at her, his smoky blue eyes dancing wickedly with promise. “Lady, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

  Eight

  He was as good as his word.

  “That’s a disgustingly smug look on your face, Mrs. Preston.”

  “Uh-uh.” Roni smiled at Sam’s lazy comment, but didn’t open her eyes. The morning sun streaming through the bedroom window fell across the tumbled sheets and their tangled, love-dampened bodies.

  “A cat-lapping-cream expression, in fact.”

  She snuggled closer to him with a sigh of contentment. “Mmm.”

  Barely contained amusement made his voice gravelly. “I might even say, you’ve acquired a look-at-me-I’ve-been-thoroughly-ravished aspect.”

  Roni’s smile grew wider, and she allowed her fingers to drif
t down the flat plane of Sam’s belly. “I’ll remind you that you have only yourself to blame, Mr. Preston.”

  Chest shaking with laughter, he caught her wrist. “You, ma’am, are shameless.”

  Laughing now, Roni swiftly straddled him, holding him down with her hands to his shoulders and grinning at him mischievously. “Aren’t you glad?”

  Sam’s eyes darkened at the vision of naked wanton hovering above him. “Damn straight I am.”

  Hooking an arm around her neck, he pulled her down, kissing her deeply, thanking his lucky stars for this moment, for this woman. They’d loved throughout the night, making up for everything that had gone wrong that first time, exploring each other, moving into realms of passion and tenderness Sam had never thought to experience.

  What a surprise she was! Alternately shy and bold, teasing and demure, but always willing, eager for him, meeting each advance of his with a sensual parry of her own. He couldn’t get enough of her, reaching for her again and again, making up with a vengeance for all those weeks of frustration.

  He marveled at how well they fit, how passion and familiarity and yet the uniqueness of their new intimacy melded into something extraordinary. The future lay before them like a golden river on which to sail. If he felt a pang that he could not return her profession of love, that was quickly squelched by the knowledge of what he could give her in terms of physical affection. And with male pride, Sam knew he’d satisfied her over and over. It would be more than enough.

  Yes, they were a matched set now, paired for life, and he was determined to enjoy every minute of it. Lifting her hips, he guided her onto himself, groaning in pleasure at the way she gloved him, warm and tight, and prepared to do just that.

  * * *

  “You keep this up and neither of us will be able to walk,” Roni gasped in mock protest sometime later.

  “I’m willing to risk it.”

  She gave a rueful chuckle. “Easy for you to say.”

  “Oh, yeah? You’ve just about crippled me.” Rising from the bed, Sam hobbled to the door, evoking more giggles from Roni. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

  The white bandage across his shoulder blade was a stark contrast to his bronzed back, and she frowned slightly at the sight of it. “All this, uh, activity didn’t hurt your back, did it?”

  “Believe me, I had other things on my mind.” He waggled his eyebrows Groucho-style. “Want to share a shower, Curly?”

  Rolling her eyes, she pitched a pillow at him and snuggled down in the sheets. “Are you always this insatiable?”

  “Only where you’re concerned.”

  That pleased her enormously, and she gave him a smile that took his breath.

  “You’re very tempting....” The bedside phone jangled, and she reached for it with a disappointed sigh. “That’s probably Krystal wondering what’s going on.”

  “A humdinger of a honeymoon, that’s what. Think she would keep Jessie another night?”

  Hand on the receiver, Roni laughed and shook her head. “Go take that shower. Better make it a cold one!”

  Sam came back to the bed, kissed her senseless and murmured against her lips, “Won’t do a bit of good, Curly. I’ve got it bad for you, and that’s a fact.”

  He walked to the bathroom, leaving Roni stunned and melting. Making love with Sam was the most glorious thing she’d ever experienced, and joy filled every cell of her being. So what if he hadn’t said he loved her? Every tenderness, every caress, every kiss said it louder than any words ever could. He was gun-shy, too hurt by his first wife’s desertion to risk that kind of commitment yet, but it didn’t matter. They had time to spare, time to grow together and learn the depths of each other’s souls, and Roni had no doubt that one day Sam would say the words she longed to hear. She hugged the certainty to herself.

  The phone rattled under her hand again, and she came out of her bemused state with a start of surprise. “Uh, hello? Oh, hi, Mom.”

  “Are you all right, Veronica?” Carolyn asked, her voice tinny on the line. “You sound odd.”

  Blushing, Roni plumped pillows against the headboard and sat up, pulling the sheet over her breasts. “Everything’s fine, Mom.”

  “Sam and the baby?”

  “Just wonderful. When are you coming to see how much Jessie’s grown?”

  “Actually, Jinks wants to drive in for the Flat Fork rodeo on Saturday. We’ll spend the night at the old house, if that’s okay.”

  Roni curled a lock of hair around her forefinger, listening to the sound of Sam’s deep voice as he sang off-key in the shower. A shower with new pipes and nozzle and knobs, and every cent of the check she’d written to Steve Cutler was worth it for the enjoyment Sam was getting. She felt a twinge of regret that she hadn’t joined him, then perked up. There was always next time.

  “Roni, are you there?” her mother asked. “You know, the rodeo—parade, barbecue, events?”

  Roni focused her wandering attention. “Oh, is that this weekend?”

  “You mean you forgot the biggest shindig of the year in that little town? Honestly, where is your mind these days?”

  “I’ve been kind of busy, Mom.”

  Carolyn’s voice went dry. “I can imagine. That Sam is one good-looking cowpuncher.”

  “Mom!”

  “Now don’t go all prudish on me, Veronica Jean. You’re not the daughter I raised if you aren’t making the most of a man who obviously adores you. Are you happy, honey?”

  A soft smile curled Roni’s mouth. “Yes, Mama, I am. Deliriously happy.”

  “Good. That’s what I told Jackson.”

  “What?”

  “That no-good scoundrel called here looking for you.”

  Roni frowned and sat up straighter. “He did? What did he want?”

  “Something about a job you did for him on Apache Tears being so impressive, his producers want you for another project.”

  Roni gave an indelicate snort. “That’s about Jackson’s speed all right. Still trying to get something for nothing.”

  “I don’t know,” Carolyn mused. “He did say the word hire at least once, and he sounded pretty desperate.”

  “Well, at least that’s a switch. But I’m not interested in helping Jackson out of his latest frying pan, and he hasn’t called.”

  “No, I wouldn’t give him Sam’s number until I’d checked it with you first.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Having Jackson call here is the last thing I need.”

  “I did say I’d pass on his number if you were interested.”

  “Well, I’m not. But if he should happen to call back, tell him I can be hired—at an exorbitant fee—and to take it up with my agent. Knowing Jackson, that should end the matter.”

  “I always knew you were a sensible girl.” There was a gabble of talk on the other end, then Carolyn said, “Jinks says hello, and we’ll see you on Saturday.”

  “We’ll look forward to it.” Hanging up the phone, Roni chewed her lip and stared off into space, more than a little befuddled by this unexpected intrusion back into her life by Jackson Dial.

  “Problem?” Sam stood in the doorway, a towel draped around his hips, scrubbing his fingers through his damp hair.

  “Huh?” Coming to, Roni made an instant decision. Things with Sam were so new and so good, she didn’t want to risk even a moment of disharmony with something as immaterial and passé as her old flame. She shook her head. “No problem. Just my mother telling me about someone trying to track me down for a job, but I’m not interested. By the way, she and Jinks are coming for the rodeo this weekend.”

  “It’ll be great to see them.”

  Roni tilted her head and gave Sam an innocent look. “Say, can I ride Diablo in the parade?”

  “What? Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” He cast a jaundiced eye over her sultry smile and the forefinger she crooked at him in invitation. “Oh no, you don’t, Curly...”

  “What’s the matter, cowboy?” she pouted. “Afraid of a litt
le old-fashioned horse trading?”

  “In a word, yes. Woman, I think you’re dangerous.” His blue eyes glinted as he dropped his towel. “But then I’ve always been a man who liked living on the edge.”

  * * *

  With a rousing rendition of “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” the Flat Fork High School Mustang Marching Band led the annual rodeo parade past the boisterous crowds lining the sidewalks of downtown Flat Fork. Colorful floats sponsored by the local 4-H Clubs, Lions Club, Boy Scouts and various churches and businesses followed the band on this hot and sunny Saturday afternoon, and nearly one hundred mounted cowboys and cowgirls decked out in every sort of raiment from silver-trimmed Spanish saddles to Indian war paint and sequins to a simple working cowboy’s leather tack brought up the rear.

  Seated proudly near the front of the pack atop a prancing Diablo, Roni couldn’t contain a grin of pure delight. Other women might have diamond rings and dozens of red roses as proof of their lover’s devotion, but she had Sam’s precious ebony stallion—at least for the moment—and his indulgence of her whim gave her a warm fuzzy feeling that made her heart bubble over in happiness.

  As they approached the courthouse square, Roni searched the crowd eagerly, then spotted the tall blond man in a bright blue Western shirt and white hat identical to her own. He held a bright-eyed baby cowgirl with flyaway russet curls whose miniature shirt matched her parents’—an indulgence in family pride that was almost expected in the warm extended community of Flat Fork. Carolyn and Bud stood beside Sam and Jessie, watching over a stroller with a trio of helium balloons tied to it.

  “Jessie...hi, baby!” Roni waved. Sam pointed her out to the child. The little girl frowned, waved uncertainly, then suddenly dimpled and blew her mother a kiss. Roni laughed and returned the gesture.

  “Love you, too, sweetie.” She shouted over the tumult to Sam, hoping he could read her lips. “Meet you at the fairgrounds.”

  Sam nodded his acknowledgment and gave her a thumbs-up.

  As the parade moved toward the outskirts of town where the rodeo arena was located, Roni chatted with the other riders and enjoyed the camaraderie among her old friends and neighbors. The field used as a parking lot was a jumble of vehicles and horse trailers, and the pungent odors of the fairgrounds—hay, cotton candy, chili peppers, manure and diesel exhaust from the carnival rides—greeted her as they approached.