The Wyoming Inheritance

by Caitlin Edwards

  “Are you going to the barn dance on Saturday?” Nevin asked.

  “That’s right; it’s this weekend, isn’t it?”

  “Yep. Meri’s been baking up a storm all week for the potluck.”

  Jenna’s eyebrows shot up when she heard Cord reply, “Yeah, Jenna and I’ll be there.”

  “That’s what he thinks,” she muttered softly.

  “Hey, Cord. Come into the barn for a minute. I have something to show you,” Nevin told him.

  “Okay, and then I need to let Jenna know that she’s going to the barn dance on Saturday.” Cord chuckled. “That should really get her dander up!”

  She waited until they were in the barn before she hurried into the house. She quickly went to her room and grabbed the blanket off the foot of the bed before lying down and covering herself up with it. When Cord came in, she pretended to be sleeping. He quietly went back outside and headed home. He’d tell her later about the dance, he thought.

  When Jenna heard his truck leave, she jumped up and grabbed the phone book. Two seconds later, she dialed the number of Donald, a friend she’d recently met in town.

  While it rang, Jenna’s thoughts went back to when she’d met him a few weeks ago. She’d been having lunch with Cassie, when he walked in and asked if he could join them. Cassie was delighted; she’d known Donald since grade school, and he was a wonderful friend.

  He managed the Sheridan Feed and Grain Store for his parents, so whenever she was in town, she always made a point of stopping in to say hello.

  “Hello,” Donald answered.

  “Hi, Donald. This is Jenna.”

  “Hello, Jenna. How’s your foot?” he inquired in his gentle voice.

  “My foot’s fine; it’s all healed. The reason I’m calling is that I just heard there’s a barn dance on Saturday. I want to go, but I don’t want to go by myself. Would you be willing to escort me?” She was hoping he hadn’t asked anyone yet.

  “I’d love to go to the dance with you, Jenna,” Donald replied happily. He couldn’t believe his luck! Things like this never happened to him!

  “Only one thing, Donald. To save my pride, if anyone says anything; could you tell them that you asked me to the dance?” she begged.

  “Of course! And, to make it the truth, Jenna, will you go with me to the dance?” Donald asked with a laugh.

  Jenna grinned. “Donald, it will be my pleasure to attend the dance with you!”

  The next morning, she was sitting on the front porch when Cord arrived. He took the steps two at a time and then sat in the rocker next to her.

  “Jenna, before I forget to mention it, don’t make any plans for Saturday night,” he told her.

  She looked over at him and had to bite her lip to keep from grinning. “Sorry, I already have plans for Saturday.” Jenna knew her tone didn’t sound very sorry.

  “Well, change them,” he ordered.

  “I can’t change them,” she answered back with a tiny smirk.

  “And just what are these big plans that you have?” he asked, expecting an answer like, “I’m washing my hair,” or “I’m polishing my fingernails!”

  “I’m going to a barn dance,” Jenna informed him with glee.

  His boots hit the porch with a thud as he jumped to his feet. “You’re doing what!”

  She raised her cool blue eyes up to meet his stormy ones. “I have a date for the barn dance,” she told him again.

  “With me,” he ground out.

  Jenna shook her head; his reaction delighted her. “No, with Donald.”

  “Donald who?” he asked furiously.

  “You know, Donald Sheridan, Cassie’s friend. He asked me, and I accepted,” she told him flippantly.

  “Jenna, I don’t know what game you think you’re playing, but you better watch your step. My patience won’t last forever,” he told her ominously.

  “I’m not playing any game, Cord. Donald is a gentleman, and he doesn’t believe in beating women!”

  “I didn’t beat you, Jenna. I gave you a well-deserved spanking. There’s a big difference!” he growled, leveling a stern look at her.

  “They’re all the same in my book,” she told him heatedly.

  Without another word, Cord got up and stalked to his truck. His hand was starting to itch; he knew if he stayed any longer, she’d find herself over his knee again.

  Jenna laughed delightedly after he was gone. “I guess I showed you,” she chortled. Now maybe he’d get the hint that she didn’t want anything to do with him. But, was that true, a little voice in her head kept asking. Deep down, she knew she’d deserved the spanking he’d given her, but she’d never admit it to him! And, she just realized she loved sparring with him; it made her feel so alive! She frowned, or was it him that made her feel alive? She shook her head; she didn’t want to think about that.

  Jenna didn’t see Cord for the rest of the week, and then it was Saturday. She’d talked to Meri to find out what she should take to the potluck and advice on what to wear. She felt excited as she loaded the food into her car and headed for the Millers’ barn. She’d told Donald that she’d meet him there; it would be easier that way, since he lived so close to it.

  Cord was standing outside the barn when she arrived. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him; she couldn’t believe how great he looked! If she hadn’t sworn off him for good, she’d be thinking about jumping his bones right now. She couldn’t help but get a whiff of his cologne when he walked over to help her carry in the food. He even smelled heavenly, she thought with a sigh, staring at the patch of hair visible on his chest.

  Jenna was trying to remember why she’d decided not to have anything to do with Cord, as she watched his muscles ripple when he grabbed the cooler out of the trunk. Oh yeah, he likes to spank women for no reason, she reminded herself. She gave a long sigh. Okay, so she might have given him a reason to spank her. Still, did he have to do it so hard? She was still standing there staring at his back, when he set the cooler down and headed toward her with a determined look on his handsome face.

  Without saying a word, he pulled her into his arms. After cupping her chin with his large hand, he covered her mouth with his. She sighed in pleasure, and then flung her arms around his waist. It was mostly for support, since she didn’t think her legs could hold her up.

  He pulled his head away and traced her swollen lips with his index finger. “Remember that when you’re dancing with Donald tonight,” he told her.

  Reacting purely on impulse, she raised her arm and slapped him across the face. Then her eyes widened with horror as she watched the red handprint form on his cheek. She couldn’t believe she’d just resorted to violence.

  “That, young lady, was a big mistake,” he told her in a voice seething with anger.

  Reaching out, he grabbed her arm and headed for the side of the barn. When she resisted, he paused long enough to lift her up and toss her over his shoulder.

  “Cord! I’m sorry! Please… put me down!”

  “You’re going to be a lot sorrier very shortly,” he told her savagely.

  Jenna gasped when she suddenly found herself facedown over the hood of his truck. She tried sliding back off, but his arm held her in place. She started begging when she felt him raising the bottom of her skirt up, but he ignored her pleas, and his hand began peppering her nylon-covered bottom with hard smacks.

  She was blinking back tears of pain when he finally set her back on her feet. Cord placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her face up to his. “If you ever slap me again, you’ll find yourself over my knee, getting your bare bottom smacked. And, Jenna, next time I won’t worry about privacy.”

  When he noticed the tears brimming in her eyes, he pulled her into his arms. Bending down, he kissed her softly. His tongue touched her lips, and he pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. She pressed against him, relishing the feel of his hard body next to hers. When he ran his tongue down the side of her neck, she felt a thrill run through
her.

  He kissed the base of her throat before finally setting her away from him. Cord watched her beneath hooded lids for a few moments, and then intoned, “I hope you enjoy the dance, Jenna.”

  She put her fingers up to her mouth and watched him turn and head for the barn. Her lips were still warm from his touch. Holy cow! Can that man ever kiss, she sighed dreamily.

  She couldn’t help but notice that Cord danced with nearly every woman there except her. Was he still mad at her, even though he’d spanked her? Or, maybe the kiss wasn’t as good for him as it had been for her. It was starting to bother her that she spent so much time watching Cord, when she should be concentrating on Donald. Sweet Donald, she thought. Jenna noticed right away that a shy woman named Terri had a crush on Donald. But, what really made her wonder, was that when she questioned Donald about Terri, he blushed!

  When the band began playing a lively song, Donald jumped up. “Come on, Jenna. Let’s dance,”

  “Oh, I need to use the rest room! Terri’s sitting over there all by herself. She told me earlier that she loves to dance, so why don’t you ask her, this time?” Jenna asked him.

  His eyes opened wide. “You think she’d dance with me?”

  “I know she would. Now go,” she ordered, and pushed him toward the chair that Terri was sitting in. She watched with a grin as Donald stopped in front of Terri. Seconds later, he led her out to the dance floor.

  Jenna’s gaze was fastened on Cord, and she watched with mounting anger as he went up to yet another woman and asked her to dance. She couldn’t help but notice the woman was dressed in tight-fitting white jeans and a matching fringe jacket. Jenna wondered if she’d needed a shoehorn to pull her jeans on. Then she frowned at the cat-like look on the woman’s face as he led her around the floor. She looked like she’d just been called to dinner, and Cord was the main course!

  “I see Cord’s dancing with the widow,” said Cassie, coming to stand next to her.

  “She’s a widow?”

  “Yeah, a black widow. She eats men alive,” Cassie grinned. “And she’s been trying to get Cord into her web for a long time.”

  Jenna didn’t even notice that Cassie had wandered away; she was too busy watching the widow plaster herself against Cord.

  “How dare she,” Jenna muttered to herself. Cord was hers!

  Oh my God, what am I saying? Jenna asked herself with a groan. Then her eyes narrowed, as she watched the widow reach around behind her, slowly sliding Cord’s hand down to rest upon her round bottom. Jenna was furious; she wanted to yank the bleached blonde’s hair out by the roots right there on the dance floor.

  She wondered what Cord would do if she ran out there and ripped the hussy from his arms. It might even be worth the spanking she knew she’d have coming, to get the widow away from him. Jenna blinked back tears, as she realized just how much she wanted that stubborn cowboy. How did it happen, she wondered. Even though she hated the fact that he was bossy and didn’t think twice about turning her over his knee whenever he felt it was necessary, she’d still managed to fall in love with him!

  Jenna was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice the dance had ended, and the band was now playing a different song, but she knew when Cord came up behind her by the scent of his cologne. He reached out, pulling her against his rock hard body. “I think this is my dance,” he whispered into her ear.

  She turned around to face him, as he took her arm. He escorted her out onto the dance floor, and then pulled her into his arms. She bit her lip in concentration, as he started moving to the music.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, pulling her even closer to him.

  “Oh, yes! Very much,” she sighed, and snuggled against him.

  He chuckled. “I meant at the barn dance.”

  She felt her face turning red and buried her head in his chest.

  “Cord? I really am sorry,” she whispered solemnly, touching his cheek.

  His hand slid down her back to lightly pat her bottom, and he smiled down at her. “You’ve been forgiven, honey. Just don’t do it again.”

  “I won’t, Cord. That’s one lesson I learned the hard way.”

  He chuckled. “It seems to me there’s a lot of lessons you’re learning the hard way.”

  Jenna didn’t answer, since she knew he was right. She felt fire race through her veins when his hand lightly traced her spine. The top of his shirt was unbuttoned, exposing a mat of dark hair, and she had the worst longing to run her fingers through it. She knew she’d relive this memory of him holding her so close to him, in her lonely bed tonight.

  “It looks like Donald’s found a new friend,” Cord mentioned when the music ended.

  She looked up and saw that Donald was still holding onto Terri. He looked like he wasn’t letting her out of his sight. Lucky girl, she thought. She couldn’t hold back a smile; she was glad the two of them had found each other.

  Jenna let out a loud gasp when Cord suddenly twirled her around, as the music started up again. The dance was a fast one, so she had a hard time keeping up with all the moves he made. It seemed like he was constantly turning her one way or the other! She was out of breath when the song ended, and he headed for the keg with her in tow.

  “You better hope it’s not milk in that keg,” she warned.

  His laughter rang out, as he pulled her into his arms. “If it’s milk, I promise I won’t make you drink it!”

  “Well, it’s about time,” she replied sassily.

  He poured her a glass of beer, and they walked outside, carrying their drinks. She listened to the crickets chirping. “It sure is a beautiful night,” she told him, looking up at the shining stars.

  His gaze roamed over her trim figure. “You know what would make it a more beautiful night?” he asked gently, as they found an empty bench and sat down.

  “No, what?” she said, leaning against him.

  “To take you home and spend the rest of the night making love to you,” he admitted softly.

  Her breath caught in her throat at his words. She was sure that she loved him, and this might be the only chance she ever had. Jenna knew she’d probably regret it tomorrow, but just for tonight, she wanted to find out what it was like for him to hold her in his arms all night.

  Chapter Five

  Cord’s arm went around Jenna’s back, pulling her even closer. “Well, what’s the answer?”

  “What about Donald? I came here with him.”

  “I’ll go tell him that I’m taking you home. He’s still talking to Terri, so I don’t think he’ll mind.” His voice was husky as he placed tiny butterfly kisses along her neck. “I want you, honey.”

  The glass of beer she’d drunk gave her courage, so she only hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. “I want you, too, Cord. I’ll go wait in your truck.”

  He grinned, kissing her quickly. “I’ll only be a moment.”

  Jenna watched him hurry off, then stood and slowly headed toward his truck. She couldn’t wait to run her fingers over his hard body. Since she’d realized earlier that she loved him, she was anxious to explore her feelings further.

  Neither of them said a word during the ride to her house. He finally turned the radio on, which gave her the chance to take her mind off what was about to happen.

  It didn’t take long before he turned onto T-Bar land, which caused her to start getting nervous. What if she disappointed him, or vice versa? Her gaze drank in his sleekly muscled profile. No, that wasn’t possible; just looking at him excited her!

  When he stopped the truck, she started giggling. Cord looked over at her in confusion. “What’s so funny, sweetheart?”

  “You’ve got me so hot and bothered that I forgot my car’s at the barn dance!” she told him disgustedly.

  He chuckled. “Then I guess I’ll just have to drive you back there tomorrow.”

  Cord watched with amusement when she nervously flung her door open and quickly jumped out. She gave him a scar
ed look before heading toward the house.

  Once inside, she turned to him, “Cord, can I get you a cup of coffee?”

  He grinned as he pulled her into his arms. He could feel her nervousness even before she started shaking. “All I want is you.”

  “I want you, too, Cord,” she murmured into his shirt.

  Jenna hugged his neck when he reached down to lift her in his arms. While he carried her into the bedroom, she kissed his neck tentatively. He slowly slid her down the length of his body, sending thrills of delight through every nerve that touched him. His fingers lifted her chin and his head swooped down to take possession of her lips.

  Jenna closed her eyes in pleasure while he sucked and nipped at her bottom lip. Then he unbuttoned her shirt, slipping it off her shoulders, leaving only her lacy bra. A shiver ran through her when he stepped back to look at her cleavage, his eyes hooded, a half-smile on his lips. But instead of touching her breasts, his hand moved to her back, unsnapping her bra. Half-naked before him, Jenna stood motionless, hoping he liked what he saw. When she met his eyes, she knew, and a warm rush flowed through her as he stroked the flat planes of her stomach, moving slowly upwards.

  Jenna stared in fascination at the tanned skin below his neck, and then she suddenly grabbed the snap openings of his shirt and jerked it open with one quick pull. The hard muscled chest in front of her was a feast to her eyes. She wouldn’t admit it to him, but she’d wanted to touch him for a long time. Now she finally had the chance, and her fingers slid smoothly over him, just as his thumb found her nipple. She jerked in response when he slowly rubbed it back and forth. Groaning, she slid his shirt down over his shoulders, reveling in the feel of his massive biceps.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and watched as he dropped to his knees, lifting her foot up to rest in his hand. Jenna heard her shoe hit the floor just seconds before she felt the light touch of his fingers gently caressing her stocking-clad feet. She closed her eyes when his hands ran up the insides of her legs and slowly slithered down, bringing her stockings along with them.

  Then Cord stood up and pulled her into his arms, pressing her soft breasts against his hard chest. She arched her back and whimpered when his hand traced around the waistband of her jeans before deftly unsnapping them. He slowly peeled them down her legs. His lips feasted on the toned flesh while gradually uncovering it.