Claimed by the Rancher--A scandalous story of passion and romance

by Jules Bennett

  Pepper hesitated for all of two seconds, the longest of his life, before she threw her arms around his shoulders and threaded her fingers through his hair.

  Nolan scooped her up and carried her to the large leather sectional. Without looking, he swiped a hand over the packages, sending them clattering to the hardwood floors.

  “Nolan,” she panted against his mouth.

  “Don’t stop me,” he all but begged. Wait, he didn’t beg. He’d never begged. But he was damn well going to if she put the brakes on.

  “I need you,” she whispered.

  He gazed into her eyes, saw that desire he’d been feeling staring right back at him. Those three words were the sweetest he’d ever heard.

  “You’ll have me,” he promised.

  Twelve

  Pepper didn’t care about all the reasons she shouldn’t do this. She didn’t care that they were about to consummate the hell out of this marriage. Nolan’s lips and hands continued to torment her in the most delicious ways. Everything about this moment was so familiar yet so new. They were different people now but so very much reminiscent of the young lovers they’d once been.

  In a flurry of hands and clothes, Pepper found herself beneath Nolan. Her bare back against the leather, his weight settled between her thighs. He brushed her hair away from her face, dropping heated kisses along her jawline.

  Pepper arched her back, needing more, aching for a touch and a passion only this man could provide. Her husband. She was about to make love to her husband.

  “I don’t have protection,” she confessed, hating to discuss this in the midst of things, but it was necessary.

  Resting his weight on his forearms alongside her head, he met her gaze. “I’m clean, Pepper. You’re the only other woman I’ve not been careful with and I have regular blood work.”

  “I’m clean, too.”

  She wasn’t about to get into how she became pregnant because of a condom malfunction. Now wasn’t the time to bring that story to light.

  Pepper wrapped her legs around Nolan’s waist, locking her knees behind his back. The silent plea for him to join their bodies worked like a charm. Nolan slid into her and everything else ceased to exist. Finally. That was the only thought that entered her mind. She was finally back where she belonged.

  Nolan shifted his weight and stilled. “Am I hurting you, darlin’?”

  “No.” She trailed her fingertips over his taut, muscular back. “You’re perfect.”

  And he was. Perfect now, perfect in her life, perfect as her husband. But she refused to delve into the fact that this was all temporary. She was holding on to this moment, this man.

  Nolan’s weight pressing her into the sofa was absolutely glorious. His strength, his determination to make her his top priority, was even more arousing than nearly anything else. He cared for her, whether he wanted to admit how deeply or not. The way he touched her with such exquisite tenderness, the way he moved with her, caressing her and raining kisses all over her face and neck...it was abundantly clear that his feelings went far beyond just that of a physical relationship and marriage of convenience. This entire ordeal was anything but convenient.

  Nolan’s warm breath tickled the side of her neck as he rested his forehead against hers. Pepper was barely holding on—she didn’t want this to end, didn’t want to face the other side of their intimacy. But her body had other ideas. The faster he moved, the more Pepper lost control, until she finally could hold out no longer.

  Her entire body tightened as she clutched his shoulders. He whispered something in her ear, but she couldn’t make it out. Every part of her trembled and before she could come down from her high, Nolan followed. He arched back, the muscles in his neck straining, his shoulders tense as he tried to keep his weight off her. Even now, she was his number one thought.

  Pepper stroked her hands up and down his back as his breathing started to slow back to normal. When he eased up, she pressed her palms flat against him.

  “Stay here. You’re not hurting me and this feels too good.”

  Once he got up, they’d have to talk or wallow in awkward silence. But she wasn’t ready for either option at the moment.

  “If I’d known shopping for baby things was all it took to get you naked, I would’ve done this on day one.”

  Pepper laughed. So much for the awkward silence. “That’s not why we ended up here. I’d say it was inevitable, even though that annulment is going to be impossible now.”

  He lifted his head and flashed that killer smile. “Baby, I could’ve told you that. There’s no way I can be with you again, especially in my house, and not have you.”

  “This could complicate things.”

  “It could if we let it.” He shifted once again, somehow flipping them to where she straddled his lap and she found herself looking down into his deep blue eyes. “We’re adults, we’re married, we know this is temporary. Why can’t we just enjoy each other for as long as it lasts?”

  He made the situation sound so simple. But her heart was already tumbling and she had no doubt that she was going to leave at the end of this ordeal with a heartache. Would the pain compare to the last time? She had no clue, but she truly didn’t want to be so broken. It had taken her literally years to recover.

  “Don’t worry about tomorrow,” he told her quietly. His hands settled over her belly. “This little guy is all that matters and I’m here to make sure you both get what you deserve. And that’s a lifetime of happiness.”

  A lifetime without Nolan in her life. Once he saw that she was secure, he’d move on. He’d go back to being married to his work. He’d made no promises beyond helping her keep her baby and she should be grateful. She was grateful, but she was also greedy. Now that she’d slept with him, she feared walking away wouldn’t be an option, and Nolan wasn’t about to make this marriage permanent.

  Which brought her right back around to that heartache she didn’t want. A little too late to be having regrets, she reminded herself. She needed this marriage, needed Nolan, and her feelings didn’t matter in the long run.

  When he slid his hands up her abdomen and over her breasts, Pepper let the worries go for now. It was getting late and her husband clearly had other plans...

  * * *

  The pounding on the door jolted Nolan from sleep. In a tangle of arms and legs, he quickly realized he and Pepper hadn’t moved from the couch. Apparently they’d worn each other out.

  With a quick glance, he saw that his wife was still asleep. Her dark lashes lay against her creamy skin, her slightly parted mouth sorely tempting him to ignore the knocking and remain right where he was...taking full advantage of those lush lips.

  Pepper stirred, and Nolan quickly untangled himself. He wanted to get to the door before the uninvited visitor woke her.

  Scanning the room, he finally spotted his boxer briefs and jeans. He danced from one leg to the other down the hallway, and he’d just gotten the jeans zipped when he reached the door. He quickly flipped the lock and jerked the door open.

  “Oh.” Annabelle jumped back, a hand over her heart. “I thought you were home, but...”

  She raked her eyes over him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you’d still be in bed.”

  Nolan propped his forearm on the edge of the door. “It’s okay. Late night.”

  “Winnie made extra rolls and a casserole for you.”

  It was then he noticed the large basket in her hand. Damn it. He didn’t want to be rude, but he also didn’t want her coming in and risking seeing Pepper wearing nothing but bedhead and whisker burn.

  “I can take it.” He reached for the basket, but she eased it to the side and raised her brows.

  “You don’t want to introduce me to your wife? We’re sisters-in-law, so I really should get to know her.”

 
Nolan combed a hand through his hair and groaned. “She’s—”

  “Right here.”

  He cringed at the sound of Pepper’s sexy, sleep-roughened voice behind him. Risking a glance over his shoulder, he got an eyeful of her. Even with her hair in disarray, her face void of any makeup, and her curvy body wrapped in the gray throw he kept on the sofa, Pepper was truly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  “I’m so sorry.” Annabelle stepped over the threshold, forcing Nolan to move back. “I just assumed Nolan would be at work and I’d get to sneak a visit with you privately.”

  Nolan closed the door behind her—apparently they were getting company whether he wanted it or not. He loved Annabelle like a sister, but he wasn’t quite ready to share Pepper with anyone just yet.

  “So you thought you’d come quiz my wife and get in some girl talk?” Nolan asked, reaching to take the basket.

  Annabelle flashed him a sheepish smile. “Maybe.”

  “Well, let me throw some clothes on,” Pepper said. “We can kick Nolan out and get that talk in. I’m so excited to meet you. Mostly I’m excited to have another female around.”

  Annabelle sent him a wink as she strode on into the house. Fantastic. Despite being a man who didn’t want to get sucked too far into this family lifestyle, he’d slept with his wife, forging an even deeper bond, and now his soon-to-be sister-in-law was fostering her own special connection with Pepper. And that bond would be worse because women stuck together. So if he did anything wrong or hurt Pepper in any way, Annabelle would naturally side with Pepper. Then she would tell Colt, and Nolan would have to hear about it from his baby brother.

  The inevitable snowball effect already gave him a migraine.

  One thing was for sure, Nolan didn’t want to stay around for this little meeting. He had a few days off and he intended to get back to his roots and enjoy some old-fashioned manual labor. No doubt Colt would appreciate the extra hands.

  Besides, this would give him some space to figure out where to go from here. Turned out he wasn’t done with Pepper. Not by a long shot. They’d consummated their marriage, but he wanted more. More of Pepper in his life...and in his bed. This marriage might be in name only for the sake of her unborn child, but as long as they were man and wife, he fully intended to use that to his advantage. He doubted he’d get too many complaints from Pepper if that satisfied smile on her face this morning was any indicator.

  He couldn’t wait to get back and have her all to himself again.

  Thirteen

  “I should apologize about barging in, but I’ve been dying to meet you.”

  Pepper laughed, appreciating the woman’s candor. “These cinnamon rolls smell delicious.”

  “Yeah, Winnie is a master in the kitchen.”

  Pepper sat down across from Annabelle. Once Nolan had left—more like made tracks getting out of his house—Pepper had led Annabelle out into the enclosed patio room. The mouthwatering aroma of the fresh pastries had reminded Pepper just how hungry she truly was. Last night had...well, it had been nothing short of amazing and magical and all of those euphoric adjectives that came to mind when describing the best sexual experience of her life.

  “And she didn’t want to bring these and check me out herself?”

  Annabelle laughed as she tore apart a gooey roll. “She said she remembers you from when you and Nolan were together before. She said she always liked you and I could take a turn coming. But be warned. She’s preparing more food for tomorrow and will be here to pay you a visit.”

  “I’ll be fat by the time this marriage is over.” She smoothed a hand down her swollen midsection. “Well, fatter.”

  “You’re stunning.” Annabelle’s brows rose as she twisted the diamond engagement ring on her finger. “So you’re only married for the baby?”

  Why lie? It wasn’t like they had to pretend to be in love. Love didn’t exist, not for them, anyway. No matter how much Pepper felt for Nolan, she knew better than to hope for a happily-ever-after with him. She was a grown woman, a realistic woman, and had her eyes wide-open.

  “I just want to keep custody,” she explained, pulling apart her roll. “The father of my baby passed away, something I didn’t know until recently, because we had parted ways before I even found out I was expecting. He paid me a lump sum of money as his way of support and wanted to be left out of the upbringing.”

  “Sounds like a jerk,” Annabelle muttered. “Sorry. Go on.”

  Pepper put a bite in her mouth and nearly moaned as the flavors exploded on her tongue. This might be the best thing she’d ever tasted.

  “They’re amazing, right?” Annabelle said around her own bite.

  “I can’t even find words,” Pepper groaned. “Where was I?”

  “Discussing why your marriage is going to end.”

  Pepper took a sip of her juice and ripped off another bite. “Nolan and I have a history. I don’t know what all Colt has told you.”

  “He pretty much gave me all the details of the past.”

  That made this conversation a bit easier. “Then that brings you up to speed on why this is so awkward for us now. I mean, those old feelings are there, but then there’s so much going on and we definitely aren’t the same people we used to be.”

  Annabelle reached across the table and patted Pepper’s hand. “Honey, life knocks us all down, but it’s those feelings deep down, those that you can’t ignore, that pull you through.”

  Pepper drew in a shaky breath. She didn’t want to count on those feelings that lived deep inside her. Those were the ones that scared her, the ones that kept her up at night and made her wonder.

  “Well, I’ve got so much going on right now I can’t even think about my feelings for Nolan.”

  “You love him.” Annabelle’s matter-of-fact tone had Pepper stilling. “I saw it in the way you looked at him. He loves you, too, or you wouldn’t be here.”

  “Oh, I’m not so sure about that,” Pepper laughed, trying to lighten the intense mood. “He’s a player. That much I know for sure.”

  “Maybe so, but he’s never brought another woman here. Colt said he’s been very adamant about that. He thinks of this place as some type of sanctuary, someplace he can escape everything and be alone. His job is demanding and so is the ranch.”

  Pepper waved a hand in the air before diving back into her roll. “He married me to help me out of a bind...that’s all. It would’ve looked rather silly for us to live separately. Besides, my apartment had a slight fire. It’s getting renovated now.”

  Annabelle quirked a brow and smiled. “But he didn’t have to do anything, did he? He could’ve let you deal with everything on your own.”

  No, no, he didn’t have to step in, but guilt often made people do things they otherwise wouldn’t. Pepper wasn’t going to keep defending her position, because she was exhausted and Annabelle clearly had stars in her eyes. Of course she was happy, engaged to an Elliott brother and raising twin babies. Her whole world was perfectly in place. Pepper wanted to visit there for just a bit. What she wouldn’t give to have just one day of pure bliss and no worries...

  “Let’s not talk about my crazy life,” Pepper said. “I want to hear about your girls. Nolan said you have twin girls. I bet you’re tired.”

  Annabelle laughed. “It’s challenging, for sure. But they’re so sweet and fun.”

  “I’d love to meet them.”

  “Of course.” Annabelle took a drink of her juice, holding on to her cup as she swirled the liquid. “They’re with my dad right now. I didn’t know if I should bombard you with my zoo for our first meeting. I didn’t want to scare you in case I liked you and wanted to be friends.”

  With a laugh, Pepper leaned back in her seat and shook her head. “Please. I’d love to be bombarded by babies. I have no idea what to expect
and I’m terrified.”

  “That’s understandable,” the other woman told her with a sympathetic smile. “Why don’t you come down to the main house and you can meet them? Unless you have something else you’re doing this morning.”

  Pepper smiled, feeling like she was making a new friend, and one she desperately needed. A female ally could quite possibly be the outlet she needed to get through.

  Because in a few hours, Nolan would be back and they’d have to talk about last night. She wanted to know where they’d go from here. She didn’t want to play that female card and ask for a label on their relationship—this complicated mess was too chaotic to try to define. But she did feel that she deserved to know what he was thinking and feeling.

  And she’d be sure to guard her own emotions until she knew. Getting a broken heart from Nolan Elliott once in her life was all she could handle.

  * * *

  “If you slam one more thing, I’m going to make you leave.”

  Nolan gripped the brush, ready to fling it back into the bucket, but caught himself. He’d been in a pissy mood since leaving his house. Probably right about now, he figured, the women were knee-deep in gossip, and he’d wager a bet that every topic had his name on it.

  He scowled, wishing Annabelle had never shown up at his door with those damn cinnamon rolls. The last thing he’d wanted was to leave Pepper after their incredible night together. He’d wanted to stay, to take her upstairs, and do it all over again. But would she welcome this new twist in their relationship? Or would she put the brakes on because she didn’t want to get too attached? He knew Pepper well enough to know she led with her heart.

  When he’d first left, he’d been in a great mood, thinking of last night and how happy Pepper had seemed. But then reality settled deep and now that devil on his shoulder was putting negative thoughts in his head.