In the Ranger's Arms (The Men of At Ease Ranch)

by Michaels, Donna

  It was true. He made her body and her heart feel good.

  Tonight, after she closed out the register and recorded everything in a ledger and on her laptop, she was going to return the favor. On both accounts. She owed the handsome cowboy both physically and professionally, and several propositions for his business and his body sprang to mind. With luck, he wouldn’t refuse either.

  …

  Stone took the stairs to Jovy’s apartment two at a time, his heartbeat increasing the closer he got to her door. All damn day he couldn’t wait to see her, to be with her, even though he was working on a project he’d dreamed about for nearly half a year. The joy, although prominent, didn’t compare to how he felt in the sweet woman’s presence. She easily topped his priority list, so while he’d hammered two-by-four walls together for the bunkhouse, his mind had devised a surprise he hoped she’d like.

  The door swung open as he reached the top step, and he was met by a smiling beauty wearing another of those dresses that tied at the hip. His body immediately sprang to life. “Hi, you,” Jovy said, sliding her arms around his neck as she pulled his head down for a kiss.

  God, yeah. This was it. This was what he’d thought about all day. What he couldn’t get out of his damn head. The connection to this beautiful woman who tasted hot and hungry, smelled of spring flowers, gave so willingly without putting one damn demand on him. She was a true treasure, and all he kept thinking was mine.

  He backed her into her apartment and pressed her against the wall, his heart kicking the shit out of his ribs at the sound of her moan. Sweetest cadence ever. He’d never grow tired of hearing it. Running his hands up her sides, he paused at the swell of her breasts and traced a half circle with his thumbs. She moaned again, and heaven help him, thrust against his already-throbbing erection. He saw stars and lost his breath, and if he didn’t slow things down immediately, that wasn’t all he’d lose.

  Stone broke the kiss and set his forehead to hers. “I like how you say hello.”

  She choked out a laugh between panting. “I have no control when your mouth is on me.”

  “Good to know.” He winked at her, then stepped out of her embrace. “Grab an overnight bag. I want to show you something before the sun completely sets.”

  Her hazel eyes widened with excitement. “Okay. I’ll be quick.”

  True to her word, the woman returned not four minutes later. Damn. She packed faster than some recruits he’d known.

  “Ready.” She smiled up at him.

  The urge to kiss those curving lips gripped tight, but he knew one more taste would be too much and they’d never leave. He took her bag and nodded toward the stairs. “After you.”

  It wasn’t until they were on the road that led to the At-Ease Ranch that he chanced a glance at her. Something inside his chest cracked open. She was intoxicating. The windows were down to let in the night air and he inhaled deep, surrounded by her fragrance. Her hair was loose, blowing around her face and she laughed as she tried to contain the chocolate strands.

  God, she was sweet.

  “So, Mr. Mystery, where are you taking me? To your room?”

  His groin tightened at the thought. “Later. But first, we’re going to enjoy dinner, Texas style.” Reaching across the seat, he caressed her bare leg where her dress rose just above her knee. She was so damn soft. He brushed his thumb back and forth, unable to stop, addicted to each hitch in her breath.

  “I hope it’s close.” A warm hand squeezed his leg before trailing upward, where she deployed a little thumb-brushing of her own.

  Jesus. He nearly jerked the truck to the side when her wicked forefinger traced his erection through his cargo pants.

  Not close enough.

  He pulled onto a dirt road that cut through their property and drove a half mile before he couldn’t take it anymore. The hell with it. This was close enough. He parked the truck in the middle of the field, away from the live oak trees and brush for an unobstructed view. The sun was slipping fast. He gauged they had about fifteen minutes before it disappeared completely. And if he didn’t move away from her touch, he was going to explode before the day turned to night.

  “Wait here.” Without waiting for her reply, he got out, adjusted his zipper, then quickly sprang into action, spreading his sleeping bag in the bed of his truck before he rushed to open her door. “Ready?”

  “For anything,” she replied, knocking the breath from his lungs.

  Her eagerness to please slayed him. He swept her up in his arms, holding her curves close as he walked to the back of the truck where he set her on the tailgate. “I didn’t want you to go back to Philly without seeing this,” he told her before moving aside.

  She sucked in a breath. “Stone, this is amazing.” Gaze still glued to the sunset, she scooted all the way back and patted the spot next to her. “Hurry up. You’re going to miss it.”

  Not a chance. He joined her, and although he wanted to taste the enthusiasm she exuded, he didn’t want her to miss out on a Texas sunset. The best kind. Surrounded by nature.

  Leaning against the back of the cab, he draped his arm around her and pulled her in close. A sharp thrill shot through him when she immediately settled into his side, one hand gripping his hip from the back, the other palming his abs while she rested her cheek against his chest.

  “This is amazing,” she repeated in a whisper, the catch in her throat reverberating through him.

  He replied by squeezing her tighter as he watched the sun lower slowly, almost lazily, as if it never wanted to leave. God, could he relate. He glanced at the woman in his arms. Stone didn’t want Jovy to leave. There…he admitted it to himself. Yet no way in hell would he ever ask her to stay. She had a legacy to run. A life in Philadelphia. His legacy was here in Texas.

  Stone’s time with the incredible woman in his arms was slowly fading like the sun before him. The brilliant orange horizon, made brighter by the sun’s rays reflected in the clouds scattered across the dark blue sky, was a clear analogy for Jovy. She was light. Joy, warming many with its mere presence. He was the dark blue sky, rising up to meet the day’s end and usher in the night, the two only meeting briefly to mix and mingle in a spectacular fashion, to share a breathtaking moment before parting ways. It was as inevitable as it was amazing.

  She released a breath and tipped her head to look up at him. “Thank you.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and an invisible band tightened around his chest when they spilled down her face.

  He brushed each one away with his thumb. “You’re welcome. I wanted you to experience it before you go.”

  Sadness momentarily dulled her bright gaze, but she blinked it away. “Thanks,” she repeated, then grabbed his hand and brushed his knuckles with her lips. “I’ll never forget it. Or you. Ever.”

  Damn, how could her words hurt and feel good at the same time?

  She cleared her throat and pulled out of his arms. “So, um, didn’t you say something about food?”

  He could’ve kissed her for the change in subject, except he knew exactly where that would lead. No dinner. And he hadn’t brought her out to this secluded spot on his land to devour her. At least, not yet. Jovy willing.

  “Sure did. It’s right here.” He grabbed a cooler on his right and set it between them. “Vince packed us each something quick before I left.”

  She lifted the lid and smiled. “Chicken for you, and…my strawberry salad with walnuts and mint? How’d he get a dish of it?”

  “Beats me.” Stone shrugged, snapping and shaking the chemical lights he removed from the side pocket of his cargo pants. He’d used chem-lights during so many ops he saw them in his sleep. They were the backdrop to many of his dreams, including his nightmares. But thanks to tonight, they would forever remind him of Jovy. The orange glow mirrored the last rays of the setting sun and bathed the sexy woman in a warm light.

  Not even the shadows could take away her beauty. He watched, fascinated, as her face grew animated when the conversation steered
to their childhoods, favorite music, sports, and movies. By the time he finished the last of his cold chicken and plate of the surprisingly delicious strawberry salad, he discovered the woman had a penchant for classic rock and a love of action flicks, and always rooted for the underdog.

  Stone wasn’t falling for the woman. He had already fallen. Hard. “That was delicious.” She grabbed his empty plate, stacked it on hers, then set them both aside. “I can hardly wait for dessert. I hope it starts with an S and ends in tone.”

  And just like that, Stone was as hard as his name. “I like the way you think.” He cupped her face and kissed her long and deep, taking his time to savor her essence, committing it all to memory for when that was all he had.

  When they finally broke for air, he set his forehead to hers while they each worked to regain control of their breathing.

  “I like the way you like the way I think,” she said between breaths, running her hand down his chest to slip under his shirt, her hand warm and daring as she stroked his skin while lifting his shirt. “Time for that dessert.”

  The last rays of sun disappeared and darkness settled around them beyond the glow of the chem-lights cocooning them in the back of the truck. Heat rushed through Stone’s body fast and fierce. He needed to get her naked. Wanted to see Jovy’s lush curves bathed in the orange light.

  Now.

  “Let me help.” He grasped the hem of his shirt and ripped it over his head, his whole body tightening as her hungry gaze devoured his torso. He could barely think straight; need was coursing through his body so fast he had to fight to take things slow. “Now you.” His fingers closed around the string tied at her hip, and with a sharp tug, her dress parted to reveal a sexy red bra and matching lace thong.

  Holy shit, he’d died and gone to heaven.

  “Let me help.” She threw his words at him with a suggestive smile curving her lips while shrugging out of her dress, then proceeded to knock the wind out of him when she unhooked her bra and paused. Damn woman was killing him. Still holding his gaze, she dropped the bra, and his mouth watered as her breasts bounced free.

  “Lie down,” he urged, his voice rough with the need eating him from the inside out. “I’ll get the rest.” He had to get his mouth on her. Now.

  As she stretch out on her back, he leaned over her, kissing a path down her throat to each breast, licking each tip until they tightened to hard peaks and she squirmed beneath him.

  “Stone…”

  He smiled against her hot skin as he made his way down her quivering belly to the scrap of lace covering his treasure. “I know,” he murmured, pressing his lips to her upper thigh, kissing a path up to the lace, then covering her center with his mouth. “You’re so wet.” Heat spiked through his groin in an almost painful throb and continued to hammer his body as he slowly removed the last piece of clothing from her body.

  Finally. He sat back on his heels and stared at her gorgeous, luscious curves bathed in the soft orange glow. “You’re so damn perfect, Jovy.” Starting at her ankles, he ran his hands over every inch of those glorious curves until her breathing was just as labored as his and need shook her body.

  “Stone…I need…” Her voice trailed off as if she couldn’t decide what she wanted.

  But he knew. Hell yeah. By now, he knew her body better than she did, and he made it his mission to answer every demand. “I’ll take care of you.” He grasped her ankles and bent her at the knee, sliding her feet until her heels met the curve of her ass. His heart stopped and mouth watered at the sight of the feast sprawled out before him. “So damn perfect,” he breathed before covering her center with his mouth like before, only this time no lace separated him from her sweetness.

  She sucked in a breath and her hands grasped his head. The uninhibited show of need spurred him on. He shoved both hands beneath her and held her still while he licked right up her center, then back down, his body on fucking fire at the little mewls coming from her throat. She tasted so sweet and so hot he’d never get enough. Over and over, he lapped at her, eventually pulling a hand free to add a finger into her slick warmth, heightening her pleasure, holding off her orgasm as long as he could.

  “Now…Stone…”

  As her walls began to tighten around him, he sucked her into his mouth, brushing his tongue over the spot he knew drove her nuts. Jovy cried out, grasping a handful of his hair as she bucked. Ah, hell…she could make him bald for all he cared. It was so damn worth it. He added another finger and changed the angle, hitting different spots, drawing out her climax until her moans faded and hips stilled.

  With one last lick, he released her and drew back, his heart catching at the sight of her spent body, slick with a light sheen of sweat, nipples standing at attention, gaze heavy-lidded with a satisfied glow burning brighter than all the sticks surrounding them combined. She was a sight he’d never forget, and the urge to sink inside her slick warmth had him yanking off his boots.

  “Hurry, Stone.”

  He swallowed a curse, fighting to hang on as his balls tightened with that very need. A few deep breaths restored enough control for him to finish stripping and roll on a condom. He bent down to kiss her lips, slipping his tongue inside, reveling in her moans and the way her hands slid around his neck. She made him want to hear more. He released her mouth to kneel back. “Put your legs over my shoulders.”

  Her eyes widened. “I…um…okay. But you’re going to have to help. They sort of feel like rubber right now.” She lifted her legs and he helped guide her feet over his shoulder, bringing her center in perfect line with his erection.

  Holding her legs, he slid his tip inside her sweet heat and had to grind his teeth to fight the urge to shove in all the way. He didn’t want to hurt her. At this angle, taking it slow was the key. But damn, she felt like warm silk. As soon as her body began to relax, he pushed in farther, nearly seeing stars at the exquisite feel of her body welcoming him home.

  Jovy cried out and lifted up to take in more. “God, Stone…”

  “I know,” he muttered, pulling most of the way out before driving back in. “You feel so damn good.”

  She nodded, her eyes fluttering closed as her mouth opened to emit a sexy, low sound he felt straight to his tightening balls. He wasn’t going to last. Being inside her was too damn incredible.

  “More…” she panted, her fingers clutching the sleeping bag as her head thrashed to the side.

  Mesmerized by her bouncing breasts, Stone held on to her thighs and leaned forward, pounding into her, again and again, spurred on by her cries and the feel of her walls tightening around him.

  As she flew apart, calling his name over and over, he shoved in hard and deep, holding her still as he came with her name on his lips and the incredible vision of her forever imprinted on his heart.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The sun slivering through Stone’s shades the next morning brought things full circle. Last night, just after sunset, he’d had a warm, willing, naked woman in his bed. His truck bed. And this morning, after sunrise, he had the same warm, willing, naked woman in his bed at the ranch. The only difference was this time, she was asleep and he had handful of her sweet ass. Pressed against his side, Jovy fit into him perfectly, one leg tossed over his thighs, while she set a hand on his chest, over the heart she owned.

  And the incredible woman did own his heart. Just the fact that she was in his bed proved it. Stone never brought women back to the ranch, let alone his bed. But with Jovy he never hesitated. In fact, he’d outright planned it. That’s why he told her to pack an overnight bag. He wanted her here. Hell, he wanted the beauty anywhere he could have her. But it was more than sex. He wanted to share things with her, things he took for granted like sunrises and sunsets. Meals. Jokes. Work. A horseback ride. She made all those everyday occurrences special.

  Yeah, he sounded like a damn greeting card, but it was the truth. He wanted to share his life with Jovy and was going to tell her just as soon as he figured out how they could make a
long-distance relationship work. Considering he’d never had a long-lasting regular relationship, he wasn’t sure how to go about it. The army had come before anything. But now that life was gone, and if there was one thing he was good at, it was planning and execution.

  Like last night. He planned to pleasure Jovy several times and he did. Under the stars, in his bed. In the shower down the hall just before dawn. Luckily, last night, the guys had already gone to bed when they’d arrived. He was able to be selfish a little longer, spending time with just her. Exploring her body and their connection. He couldn’t get enough. Every time with her was even more incredible than the last. But now that it was morning, and he could hear the guys up and about, their alone time was fast coming to an end.

  For the first time ever, he wished he’d had the bedroom with the bathroom attached. But when they’d first moved in, he didn’t care. He took the one closest to the stairs. Brick ended up with the master bedroom, which was funny, considering his brother had made it clear he wouldn’t be hanging around once the company and ranch were on solid footing.

  “Mmm…” A soft, sexy mumble hit his ears before Jovy stretched against him, sending awareness straight to his groin, and stirred his dick to life with the scrape of her fingernail over his nipple. “Good morning.”

  “Yes, it is.” He kissed the top of her head while he trailed his fingers up her soft curves. “Sleep well?”

  “Very. Someone wore me out.” She tipped her head to smile up at him.

  Satisfaction warmed his blood. He returned her smile. “You’re welcome.”

  “No. I’m lucky.” She winked. “What time is it?”

  He turned his head to glance at the clock on his nightstand. “Going for eleven.”

  Her head jerked back while her eyes widened. “Wow. I’ve never slept in this late in my life. You spoil me.” She pressed a kiss to his side, then another to his chest. A second later, he was hard as a rock as her wicked lips headed south.

  Just a little lower, he silently urged, then sucked in a breath when she found her target, her sweet mouth surrounding him in a warm, wet bliss. Yeah…there…right the fuck there. He closed his eyes and bunched the covers with his fists, allowing himself a few moments to enjoy the feel of her working him over. The slide of her mouth as she took him all the way in, then pulled back, was a little piece of heaven, but when she brushed the tip with her tongue and did some funky roll maneuver he grasped her shoulders and pulled her off.