“Catching snowflakes, darlin’?”
“Yep. We don’t get a lot of snow in New Mexico, and I’ve always wanted to do this.” She grinned then turned her face back up and stuck her tongue out again.
“Well, you go right ahead and play in the snow. I’m going back inside. It’s too damn cold out.”
“This from a man born and raised in Montana,” she teased.
“Yep.” He entered the cabin and closed the door.
Lanie laughed then walked up the steps, stomped her feet, turned the knob, and entered the kitchen to see Trent standing with his back to the countertop, facing her with his arms folded.
“Done playing?” he asked her.
“With the snow, yes. But I plan on playing with you later.” She grinned when he groaned.
Trent pushed away from the counter, sauntered to her, and cupped her face in his hands then lowered his lips to hers.
“I’m game if you are,” he whispered against her lips then he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her.
Lanie threw her arms around his neck and stood on her toes. Trent raised his head.
“I think I’m going to have to start picking you up, so I don’t break my neck. You’re so short.”
“Good things come in little packages,” she said, smiling.
“Damn right they do,” he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up to kiss her again. She wound her legs around his hips.
“I’m starving,” she said when he lifted his lips.
“For me?”
“Of course, but food first. You’ll need your strength.”
Trent laughed. “I like the way you think.”
He set her down then moved to the stove as she took her hat, coat, and gloves off. She hung them up then glanced around.
“Where’s Ginny?”
“Outside. Could you let her in?”
“Sure.”
Lanie walked to the French doors and saw Ginny sitting on the deck staring at the doors. She stood and barked when she saw Lanie. Lanie opened the door, and Ginny ran in then headed for the kitchen where she found Trent then she shook her body throwing snow everywhere.
“Hey!” Trent yelled when it landed on him.
“Do you have a towel for her?” Lanie said, laughing.
“By the doors.”
Lanie picked up the towel and the next thing she knew, Ginny was sitting in front of her with her tongue hanging out. She looked excited at the thought of being wiped down with the towel. As soon as Lanie squatted down, the dog laid down and rolled to her back. Lanie briskly rubbed her dry.
“I think she likes this way too much,” she said.
“Yeah, I’ve created a monster. She knows what that towel means.”
Lanie shook her head and continued wiping Ginny off. Once she finished, she hung the towel on the back of the chair beside the door. Ginny ran through the cabin then came back and barked at her.
“I don’t know what you’re saying, Ginny.”
“She’s saying it’s time for a biscuit.”
“You do spoil her.”
“And?”
Lanie sputtered out a laugh and shook her head. At least he didn’t deny it. She watched him as he put the steaks on the broiler pan and the potatoes in the microwave. When he bent over to slide the steaks into the oven, her eyes went instinctively to his ass in those tight Wranglers. The man could be an advertisement for the brand. He straightened up and turned to look at her. Her eyes went to his fly, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from groaning. As she moved her eyes up to his belt, tight T-shirt, to his face, her face flamed when she met his eyes, and he raised an eyebrow. She cleared her throat.
“Let’s go to the living room. None of this will take too long. Once the steaks are about done, I’ll nuke the potatoes. The salad is already finished. I didn’t ask you what kind of dressing you like. I only have Ranch.”
“I love Ranch.”
“How do you like your steak?” he asked as he moved closer to her.
“Medium rare,” she whispered. Since when did talking about steaks make her hotter than a chili pepper?
Trent stood in front of her, reached for a strand of her hair, and rubbed it between his fingers.
“So soft. Just like the rest of you. Your skin is like satin,” he said.
“Trent…” She closed her eyes.
“You have no idea how much I love hearing you say my name. Especially when I’m buried deep inside you, and that feels like home to me. I’m going to hate to leave.”
“Then don’t.”
He stepped back from her. “You know I have to, Delaney. I’d stay if I could.”
“I get it.” She put her arms around him. “Let’s not talk about it.”
“All right.” He said then picked her up.
Lanie wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He carried her to the sofa, laid her down, and covered her body with his. She could feel his hard cock pressing against the juncture of her thighs. She arched against him making him groan. He moved his face to her neck then nibbled his way up to her earlobe and tugged on it with his teeth then he slid his lips across her cheek and took hers in a deep kiss. His tongue moved into her mouth as his hand cupped her breast then he rubbed his thumb across her nipple through her bra. When she sucked on his tongue, he pressed his hips against her hard. Lanie slid her tongue into his mouth and kissed him back with all the passion she could. She loved him so much, and it was going to kill her when he walked away but for now…for now, she’d be with him until the day came that he told her he was leaving. Trent lifted his lips from hers.
“I have to check the steaks,” he said as he looked down at her.
“Yes, I don’t like burnt meat.” She smiled.
“I’ll give you burnt meat.” He growled as he pressed his hard shaft against her. “I’ll be right back.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Hold that thought.”
Lanie laughed as he pushed up and away from her and walked to the kitchen. Sitting up, she ran her fingers through her hair trying to straighten it. That man made her so hot. She would have gladly had sex with him on the sofa, but she wanted to go over every inch of him later.
“Dinner’s ready, Delaney,” he called out from the kitchen.
Lanie pushed herself up from the sofa and walked to the kitchen.
“Do you need any help?”
“No, ma’am. I’ve got this. Please take a seat. What would you like to drink?”
“Water is fine.”
Lanie pulled out a chair and took a seat. When Trent set a plate with an enormous T-bone and a baked potato down in front of her, she looked up at him.
“Am I supposed to eat all of this? This steak is huge.”
“Eat what you can. I didn’t know what you’d want on your potato, so all the fixings are here.” He set a plate down with shredded cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and green onions on the table.
“I like butter with salt and pepper.”
“Butter with salt and pepper? That’s all?”
“Yep.”
Trent shook his head and muttered under his breath as he cut his potato open and piled all the fixings on it, along with butter, salt, and pepper. Lanie giggled listening to him as she cut into her steak, speared a piece, and put it in her mouth. She moaned at the taste.
“Good?”
“Fantastic.”
“Good. Eat up then we can go to bed.” He winked at her making her cheeks heat up.
Chapter Eleven
Trent stared at the beautiful woman across from him. He knew it was going to kill him to leave her. But taking her with him wasn’t possible. He worked more hours than he slept, and marriage needed more than that. Marriage? He swallowed the piece of steak before he choked on it. He never wanted to fall in love with her, but he had. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but he couldn’t imagine not having her in his life. You won’t have to imagine it. You’re going to live it.
/> “Are you all right?” Delaney asked him as she reached for her water and lifted it to take a drink.
“Yes. How’s your steak?” He speared another piece.
“It’s wonderful. You’ll make someone a good wife,” she said laughing.
“Very funny. Come to think of it, have you cooked any dinners for us?”
“Lasagna.”
“Nope. Connie cooked it, you just heated it up.”
“Um, I can’t cook,” she murmured.
“Excuse me?”
“I said I can’t cook,” she growled as she glared at him.
“You work in a diner, and you can’t cook?” Trent burst out laughing.
“I don’t need to cook there. Uncle Owen does all the cooking.”
“What do you survive on?”
“Anything I can pop into a microwave.”
He chuckled and shook his head. For some reason, it didn’t surprise him a bit that she couldn’t cook. He didn’t know why but it fit her somehow. She was a whirlwind and probably never slowed down long enough to learn how to cook. He looked at her to see her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. He shrugged then dug into his baked potato. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t cook, she made up for it in other areas. Like the bedroom. She was hot as hell between the sheets. He sobered when he realized he’d probably never find a woman that compatible with him again. She was it. She was the one he’d always love, and it hurt like hell that he couldn’t have her. Damn it to hell. He never should have come here, but the thought of never having her in his life made his heart ache. There was no way he could take her to Billings with him. Trent had seen so many couples break up or leave. A good many of the men who’d been there when Trent was first hired, had left to work on a much smaller ranch. It was their marriage or their job, and they’d chosen their marriage. But they’d all been young and didn’t have a problem starting over at another ranch. It was too late for Trent. He’d had plans for his own place, and he’d always wanted to get married, but now he wouldn’t have either one. It wouldn’t be fair to Delaney. She deserved a husband who would come home to her every night. Have babies with. It would never be him because the thought of having children he’d never spend enough time with, hit his stomach like an anchor sinking. He grew up without a father, and he wouldn’t wish that on any kid. He placed his fork down and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth then tossed it onto his plate.
“Are you all right?” Delaney asked him.
“Yeah, just not as hungry as I thought.” He scooted his chair back, making it screeched along the floor, then stood, picked up his plate and carried it to the sink. Once he cleared off his plate, he placed it in the sink, rested his hands on the counter, and hung his head. Son of a bitch. He jerked when he felt her arms wrap around his waist, and she placed her cheek against his back.
“There’s just no compromise, is there?” she whispered.
Trent took a deep breath, turned to take her in his arms, and rested his chin on the top of her head.
“I don’t see one,” he murmured.
“Then we need to make the most of our time together, don’t you think?” She looked up at him.
“Yes. Delaney—” He stopped when she put her finger over his lips.
“Shhh. It will just upset us more. Let’s go to bed.”
“All right. Let me put Ginny out. You go ahead, and I’ll be right there.”
He stared into her face and watched as she blinked her eyes quickly then she rose on her toes, kissed his lips, and walked down the hallway. He ran his hand over his face then tilted his head back and stared up at the ceiling.
“Why bring her into my life if I can’t be with her?” He shook his head then entered the living room. “Come on, Ginny. Time to go out, girl.”
Ginny jumped down from the sofa and ran to the door. She sat down and looked up at him as if she knew something was wrong.
“Guess you’ll be the only permanent female in my life, huh?” He opened the door, and she ran out, across the small deck and down the steps to disappear. The light beside the back door showed the snow still falling. He wasn’t sure how much was predicted, but he didn’t care either. He just knew that once the weather cleared for a few days, he’d be going back to Billings.
****
Lanie entered the bedroom and stripped then crawled under the covers. She did her best to keep the tears at bay, but they fell anyway. What would she do once he left? How could she go on without him? She had no idea, but she’d enjoy being with him as much as she could, and when he left, she’d let him go. She had no choice because he wouldn’t ask her to go with him and no matter how many times it had gone through her head that maybe she could go with him, she could handle the isolation on the ranch because she’d be with him, in her heart, she knew she couldn’t. Why did he have to work on a ranch like that? It made her wish he could get his own place, but she also knew that took a lot of money and he’d had it before his mother got sick. Now his dreams of owning a ranch were gone. She quickly wiped her tears away when she heard him walking down the hallway. His boot heels clacked on the hardwood floor then he stood in the doorway and stared at her. She watched as he took a deep breath then entered the room, pulling his T-shirt off over his head as he made his way to the bed.
Trent sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his boots off. She scooted across the bed, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed his back. He put his hands over hers, lifted one and kissed the palm then he stood, unsnapped his jeans, lowered the zipper, and shoved them down, along with his boxer briefs. She ran her eyes over his perfect ass. The man had it all. He turned, tugged the covers back and slid between them then pulled her against him and kissed her forehead.
They laid together for a long time without saying anything. He nuzzled her hair with his nose. She rolled over on top of him and kissed his lips. His hands cupped her face until she moved down his chest and moved her tongue over his nipples then moved down to his belly, and she could feel his cock hardening against her. Sitting up, she ran her hand down his six-pack stomach and wrapped it around his cock. Sliding down his legs, she put her mouth down over him and sucked. Trent groaned and thrust his fingers into her hair. She sat up and stared into his eyes.
“I’m going to give you a night you’ll never forget,” she whispered before putting her mouth over him again.
“I’m never going to forget any of them, Delaney,” he said quietly.
Lanie blinked tears away and continued to suck on him. When she cupped his balls in her hand, he jerked. She pumped her fist along his hard length as she took him in her mouth as much as she could. Trent sat up and moved his hand between her legs and ran a finger along her slit. His thumb rubbed against her clitoris, but she shifted back from him.
“This is for you, baby.”
“Delaney,” he moaned as he fell back on the bed. “I need to be inside you. Please.”
“Condom?”
Trent grabbed a condom from the bedside table and handed it to her. She tore it open with her teeth and rolled it down over him then she moved up and slowly slid down over him. Placing her hands on his chest, she slid up and down on him, rocking her hips. Trent sat up and kissed her long and hard.
“Delaney,” he whispered against her lips.
“Don’t even think of taking over here, cowboy. I’m going to ride you until the end.”
Trent flopped back again, groaning, making her laugh. His hips jerked against her, and she knew he wanted her to go faster, but she wasn’t ready for that yet. There’d been a few times he’d taken her to the edge and never let her tumble over until he was ready. Payback was a bitch because she planned to do the same to him.
When her belly began to flutter, she knew she was going to plunge over. She removed her hands from his chest, cupped her breasts, and looked down into his eyes as she continued to rock her hips. She bit her lip and groaned.
“Fuck,” Trent said between clenched teeth. “I can’t wait any longer, darlin’.”
/> She laughed then gasped when his thumb moved against her clitoris pushing her over, and she cried out his name as she came. Trent sat up, wrapped his arms around her, flipped her to her back, pounded into her until he throbbed inside her, and growled low in his throat. He buried his face in her neck, kissed her there then he raised his head and stared into her face, and she couldn’t stop the tear from falling. He kissed it away then rolled off her to lay on his back.
After they both caught their breaths, Trent swung his legs over the side of the bed, stood, and entered the bathroom. Lanie wiped her cheeks as tears kept falling. Damn it! She knew he didn’t want to see her cry, but she couldn’t help it. She loved him, and she was going to lose him. Had she ever really had him though? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! She should have never gotten involved with him. When he came out of the bathroom, she rolled to her side away from him and let her tears go. The bed dipped when he crawled in behind her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her back against him. He rested his chin on her shoulder, his cheek against hers, and she felt a tear land on her face. Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she knew he was hurting as much as she was.
“Do you—” She cleared her throat. “Do you think it’s possible to fall in love in three weeks?”
Silence met her for a few seconds, and Lanie was so afraid that she’d said the wrong thing. His arm tightened around her, and he kissed her neck.
“Yes,” he whispered and said no more.
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as sobs wracked her body and when Trent buried his face against her hair and held her tight, it made his answer even more bittersweet.
****
Trent brushed his fingers across her bare shoulders and rolled her to her back. He pressed his lips to hers and raised his head and looked deep into eyes the color of summer grass and knew he loved her more than anything. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers again and made love to her until all that was heard was the sound of their mingled breaths.
Trent Men of Clifton, Montana Book 9 Page 12