She sat up abruptly and he froze in position, wondering if she’d suddenly changed her mind about being here, about being with him.
His heart beat faster as in the semidarkness he watched her pull her nightgown over her head and throw it across him and to the floor below.
She wore no bra and her perfectly formed breasts begged his attention as she once again lay down beside him. His hands covered her breasts and he moved his thumb across her taut nipples.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
“You make me feel so beautiful,” she replied and then gasped as his mouth took one of her nipples and he used his tongue to tease and torment the turgid tip.
She moved her hips into him, as if eager to have him take her, but he was in no hurry. Although she had him enflamed, he wanted to give her an experience to remember forever. He wanted her to be unable to forget this night with him when she finished her work and left the ranch. He wanted the memory of this night with him to be branded into her brain for the rest of her life.
He ran a hand down the flat of her stomach and touched the band of her panties. Cotton. He had expected nothing less from a no-nonsense scientist-type of woman. Still, he found them incredibly sexy.
She plucked at the waistband of his boxers, obviously ready for him to take them off. “Not yet,” he whispered. “There’s no rush. We have all night long.”
“I don’t know enough about all this to know what’s a rush and what’s not,” she confessed.
The confession dug deep into his soul. Had she been with anyone since that one terrible time in college? Was he the first man in her life to truly want to make love to her for all of the right reasons?
If so, then she was a gift to him that he didn’t want to abuse. He wanted her to experience the awe, the absolute wonder of a complete and thorough lovemaking.
He kissed her again, cupping her beautiful face with his hands. When he finished he gazed at her. “I’m going to ruin you for any other man.”
“What do you mean?” Her eyes glowed in the faint light that drifted through the nearby window.
“I’ll show you,” he replied and then moved into action to do just that. He caressed and kissed her breasts until she mewled with pleasure. He kissed the freckles on her shoulders and then continued to stroke every inch of her silky skin except beneath and on top of her panties.
It took every ounce of his self-control not to strip off his boxers, yank off her panties and take her, but he never lost sight of his ultimate goal...to brand her as his with her pleasure unleashed.
When she was writhing on the bed, he finally moved his hand over the top of her panties and began to stroke her intimately. Her low moan and the thrust of her hips against his hand filled him with reward.
He increased the pressure and speed of his fingers. Her moans filled the room as she stiffened and trembled, release sweeping over her. She gasped his name. All tension left her body and she was limp beside him.
“That’s just the beginning,” he said and crouched over her and slowly pulled her panties down her legs and off her.
He brought her to climax again and only then did he take off his boxers. He gasped in surprise as she reached down and encircled his erection. She stroked him only a couple of times before his control grew to shatter-point.
He rolled to his back and pulled her on top of him, allowing not only for the small bed space and the difference in their size, but also to let her be in charge from this moment on.
And she took control. She lowered herself onto him and when he was surrounded by her moist heat, she leaned forward and draped herself against his chest.
They remained locked together but not moving for several achingly long moments. He stroked the silkiness of her hair, and she turned her head so they could share a kiss. Then she began to move her hips against his.
Intense pleasure ripped through him and a deep, low moan escaped him. She sat up and threw her head back and increased the depth with which she took him in. He struggled desperately to maintain control, to hang on so that they could finish together.
Then she was there, her muscles contracting around him as she shuddered, and he let go and groaned with the intensity of his climax.
When the shudders had stopped, she collapsed on him and then rolled to his side. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her from falling off the small bed.
“Is it always like that?” she asked softly.
“Only with me,” he replied.
Her breathing slowed, as did his. He curled around her back. Within minutes he was surprised to realize she’d fallen asleep.
He tightened his arm around her and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair. He already wanted her again...and again. He didn’t just want her for a night or two in this room.
She was the woman he wanted as his wife. Heaven help him but Dr. Patience Forbes was the woman he wanted for the rest of his life.
* * *
Patience awoke just before dawn. The deep, even breathing coming from Forest indicated that he still slept. She didn’t move, not even a muscle. Instead she allowed herself to just experience the novelty of being in bed with a man. Not just any man, but with Forest.
His body was warm against hers and with his arm slung across her middle, it was as if she were a precious treasure he feared might accidentally fall to the floor and break.
Safe. She’d never felt so safe, so cared for in her entire life. Warmth suffused her as she remembered the night before. She’d expected a quick and uncomplicated bout of sex. But he’d given her so much more. She’d had no idea it could be so...so wonderful.
She suddenly felt the need to run, to escape thoughts of sex with him, to forget the tender, heated caresses, the depth of emotion that had glowed in his eyes as they’d joined together as intimately as two people could join.
Still, despite the impulse to escape, she remained unmoving, reluctant to awaken him. With her safe in his arms this was probably the best sleep he’d gotten since he’d taken on the job as her personal bodyguard.
It had just been sex. Awesome, but just sex, she assured herself. There was no reason for things to now get weird between them.
She wasn’t on birth control and they hadn’t used a condom, but she wasn’t particularly worried about unintended consequences. Her cycle was in a place where pregnancy shouldn’t happen.
She wasn’t the woman to give him children, to believe in his dreams. This had just been sex without any emotional ties. She closed her eyes once again and tried to pretend that she hadn’t seen his heart in his eyes, that his kisses hadn’t been filled with an emotional depth.
Just a few minutes later Forest stirred, and she quickly slid out from under his arm and off the bed. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” she returned and grabbed her nightgown off the floor. She pulled it on over her head and searched the floor for her panties.
“In a hurry?” His voice held a sleepy sexiness that tempted her to jump back into the bed.
She glanced at him. He was all sexy hunk with his dark hair tousled and the sheet at his waist, exposing his muscled chest. She went back to the panty hunt. “I need to get back to my room before somebody sees me leaving yours.”
“Ah, trying to avoid the walk of shame.”
She found her panties and stepped into them. “I’m not ashamed of what we did. It was just sex between two consenting adults.”
She could swear he flinched slightly at her words. “Just a crazy chemical or whatever reaction between us,” he said.
“Exactly.” She opened his door and grabbed her room key from the top of the nearby chest of drawers. “I’ll be ready to get to work in about two hours, when the sun is up and I have plenty of light.”
“I’ll be at your door in two hours.” He didn’t move
from his position on the bed.
She went into her room and headed for the shower. As wonderful as the sex had been, she needed to wash away the scent of him that lingered on her body. She wanted to forget the whole night because thinking about it would give it more importance than she wanted.
It was even more important now that she finish her work and leave. She needed to put this experience...and Forest behind her. Forest with his lovers’ sunsets and dreams of love and family. She’d allowed him far too close to her.
She didn’t want to break his heart, but feared he’d already developed feelings for her that would never come to fruition because she didn’t believe in “feelings.”
As much as she wanted to finish and leave the Holiday Ranch, for the next four days she and Devon worked but couldn’t finish up the job.
It was Saturday afternoon when Forest stepped into the tent entrance and told her she’d been summoned by Cassie to the big house.
“Why does she want to see me?” Patience asked Forest as they left the tent. “I’ve hardly spoken to the woman at all since I arrived here. I’ve turned down all of her invitations to join her for dinner. I have nothing to say to her.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t want to see you unless it was something important,” Forest replied.
They fell silent as they continued to walk. Since the night she had gone to his room and they’d shared intimacy, she’d maintained her distance from him as much as possible.
She still ate dinner in the cowboy dining room each evening, but after eating she immediately retired to her room where she read her tabloids and indulged in other people’s lives from a safe distance.
She couldn’t imagine why, after all this time, when she was at the end of her job Cassie would want to interact with her now. But it hadn’t been a simple invitation to meet her at the big house. It had been more of a command.
She probably wanted to get an up close and personal idea of how soon they would be finishing things up and getting off her property. Nobody wanted to look out their window day after day and see a crime scene tent in their backyard.
The ranch house was a huge, attractive two-story with a wide back porch, and it was to the back door that Forest led her. He knocked and Cassie immediately answered, a bright smile on her pretty face as she gazed at Patience.
“Dr. Forbes, please come in,” she said. She looked at Forest. “Why don’t you give us an hour or so?”
He nodded and turned and walked away. Patience stepped into a huge kitchen and fought a case of nerves. Why on earth would Cassie want to talk to her for a whole hour? What could they possibly have to chat about?
“Would you like a cup of tea or maybe something cold to drink?” Cassie asked.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” Just curious and more than a little bit nervous, Patience thought. Other than a few female coworkers, Patience had shared very little time with other women.
“Then please come in and sit. I’d like to discuss something with you.” Cassie gestured her into a great room with comfortable dark brown leather furniture and windows that looked out on the pasture and outbuildings in the distance.
Patience perched on the edge of a leather chair and Cassie sat on the sofa facing her. “I understand that you’re going to Lucas and Nicolette’s wedding tomorrow with Forest,” Cassie said.
The wedding. Patience had forgotten all about it. When she’d agreed to go with Forest, she’d planned on already being gone. Now, if she didn’t go with him, he’d stay here with her and miss his friend’s big day, and that wouldn’t be right after all that he’d done for her.
“Yes, I guess I’m going to the wedding as Forest’s guest,” she finally replied. She would suck it up and go with him because he deserved the day spent among his friends and sharing in the special occasion.
Cassie tucked a long strand of her shiny blond hair behind her ear. “I don’t mean to be indelicate here, but I was wondering if you had something to wear?”
Patience stared at her, stricken by the fact that she hadn’t even considered having something appropriate to wear to a wedding. “I’m not sure that my lab coat and capris would make the right statement. Is there a store in town where I could buy something before tomorrow?” she asked worriedly.
Cassie smiled. “Bitterroot is great if you’re looking for a new pair of cowboy boots or a plaid flannel shirt, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of semiformal wear. Most of that kind of clothing is either special-ordered in or women go shopping in Oklahoma City.”
“I don’t have time to go to Oklahoma City,” Patience said more to herself than to Cassie. Making such a trip would take a huge chunk of time out of her day, time she needed to continue her work.
“Never fear, I’ve got you covered. Upstairs I have several dresses I’ve never worn because I got them for a ridiculously low sale price and bought them even though they were a bit too small for me. You know, I depended on losing those five pounds that as of yet haven’t gone away and probably never will. One of them should fit you perfectly.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” Patience protested, even though she had no real alternative.
“Of course you can,” Cassie replied and jumped up. “Come on, let’s head upstairs and raid my closet. It will be fun.”
Reluctantly Patience got up and followed behind Cassie as they climbed the stairs. Why was this virtual stranger being so nice to her? Why had everyone on the ranch been so nice when she could be such a disagreeable witch?
Cassie led her into a large bedroom with an adjoining bathroom that was obviously the master suite. “When my best friend, Nicolette, and I packed to come here I had no idea what to expect, so I filled my suitcases with formals, semiformals, silk slacks and blouses.” She shook her head and smiled. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into becoming an Oklahoma ranch owner.”
She opened her closet door. “Since then I’ve added an array of appropriate ranch clothes to my collection.” She scooted clothes aside and reached to the very back and pulled out several short dresses that still had tags hanging from them.
“I’m small, but you’re even smaller, so one of these should fit you just fine. Why don’t you try the silver and black one on first and then the lavender. Leave the mint green dress for last.” Cassie moved to the door. “Call me when you’re ready so I can see each one of them on you and we can make a final decision.” She left the room and closed the door behind her.
Patience ran a hand down the silk material of the beautiful black-and-silver short-sleeved dress. She’d never worn anything as gorgeous as any one of the dresses on the bed.
She knew the wedding was planned for five at the Methodist Church in Bitterroot and at six there would be a reception at a nearby community center.
Knowing she had no real options, she quickly removed her blouse and capris and pulled on the first dress. “Okay, I’m ready,” she called through the door.
Cassie entered and eyed her critically. “The length is all right, but it does nothing for your beautiful skin tone and it’s a little big in the boob area. It would do in a pinch, but let’s see how the others look on you.” Once again she left the room.
Patience took off the dress and slipped on the next one. The lavender was proclaimed by Cassie to be too long and just not right.
The sleeveless mint green dress felt right the moment Patience pulled it on. It was a tiered chiffon that seemed to float around her yet emphasized her petite shape.
Cassie clapped her hands together at the sight of her. “I just knew this would be the one,” she exclaimed. “And now for shoes.” She bent down in the bottom of her closet and pulled out a pair of silver high heels. “These should work. Try them on.” Patience stepped into the heels and found them a perfect fit.
“And now, a nice set of silver earrings and some makeup and you’ll be good to go.
” Cassie pulled out a plastic bag from one of the drawers and tossed it on the bed in front of Patience.
She opened it to find a new tube of pale pink lipstick and mascara and a tasteful dangle of never-worn silver-tone short earrings. She looked up at Cassie in surprise. “Did you plan all of this?”
Cassie sat on the edge of the bed, appearing pleased with herself. “I was in town yesterday and thought about you. I figured a woman who digs around in the dirt and works with old bones probably hadn’t brought with her much of anything to go to a social event.”
“I swear I won’t spill a drop of anything on the dress and I’ll pay you back for the other things.”
“Nonsense, it’s all my gift to you, including the dress and the shoes. Besides, no matter how much I starve myself I’ll never get into that dress, and it looks so lovely on you.”
Patience blinked away a sudden burn of tears. Jeez, something about this ranch and the people here affected her on a level she’d never experienced before. “Why? Why would you be so kind to me? I’ve scarcely given you the time of day since I’ve been here.”
“You’ve been working. I understand that you haven’t been here to socialize. In the short time I’ve been in Bitterroot I’ve learned that this is what the people here do...they help each other in times of need. Besides, I know how much you mean to Forest and that tells me you’re a wonderful person.”
Cassie stood. “And speaking of Forest, he should be back here in a few minutes. I’ll just get out of here so you can change back into your regular clothes.”
Minutes later the two women went back down the stairs. The beautiful green dress was hung and covered with a white cleaner bag. The shoes and other things were in a separate bag.
“I don’t know how to thank you,” Patience said when they reached the kitchen. “I could write you a check for everything.”
“Don’t offend me by taking away my joy at giving you a gift. You can pay me back by having a wonderful time tomorrow with Forest. Forget all about work and murder and enjoy the atmosphere of love and friendship.” Cassie looked toward the back door. “And look, here comes Forest now.”
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