“I hate to say this, but I’m sure I smell like the back end of that heifer.” She stepped back.
“I didn’t notice.” He reached for her again.
She stopped him with a straight-arm to his chest. “I did. Meet me back here in ten minutes. After showers. I promise to make it worth your while.” She winked, then hurried as fast as her bum leg would allow toward her bedroom. Maybe she was giving herself a little time to calm down. Or him time to reconsider. Honestly, where had all this lust come from? But she couldn’t deny it seemed to be on both sides. It didn’t take her long to get clean and even shampoo her hair. Smelling like roses was a vast improvement. She donned underwear and her typical jeans and shirt. Yes, she was going to make him work for this. If he met her like he’d promised, there were going to be fireworks.
He was there, sitting at the kitchen table looking scrubbed and hungry, but not for leftover meat loaf. He bounded to his feet as soon as she appeared.
“Now why did I think you’d be in a slinky robe and nothing else? I should have known better.” He moved in and slipped his arms around her waist. “Not that I object to this. It’s you. A lady rancher who can pull a calf into the world without blinking an eye.”
“I didn’t have to pull it. He slid out on his own. All I did was watch in case mama needed my help.” Sierra leaned against him. “Now where were we before I took a whiff and decided I wanted to do this right?”
“Here.” He picked her up and almost ran down the hall toward her bedroom. When he stopped by the side of her bed, she expected him to drop her on it. Instead, he laid her down gently then ripped off his shirt.
“Stop.” She gazed up at him. “Let’s get something straight, Rhett.”
“Planning on it.” His grin was wolfish.
“I’m serious. Why are you being so careful with me? Is it my leg?” She leaned up on her elbows.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” He sat beside her. He popped open her snaps and leaned forward. He was about to kiss the dip between her bra cups when she stopped him with her palm on his forehead.
“Stop. I mean it.” She left her shirt open. She wasn’t stupid. This was going to happen. She was so turned on she was melting in all the right places. But this had to be said.
“What’s the matter? I didn’t plan to rush this. But you started it this time. God, I love snaps.” He held his hands out by his sides. “Is this some kind of game?”
“Not at all. But listen to me.” She ran her hands over his chest again. She just couldn’t get enough of it, him. She wanted to open his belt and see what else he had to offer. Not yet.
“I’m listening.” As ordered, he wasn’t touching her, but he gripped the bedspread. “You’re killing me. You know how pretty you look in that pink bra? I can see your nipples pressing against the lace. Turned on, aren’t you?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I can see that they’re a slightly darker pink than that lace. Do they ache as they rise and fall with every breath you take?” He was using his writer’s skills to paint a picture, his eyes narrowed as he studied her.
“There’s a pulse pounding in your neck. I got your heart rate up even though all I did was talk. What would happen, I wonder, if I touched your nipple? Pulled that sweet bud into my mouth and drew on it. Hmm? You’re breathing faster now. And you just had to lick your lips.” He took a breath and licked his lips. “Jesus, Sierra, you’re killing me. Am I allowed to kiss you before you tell me whatever the hell you’ve got on your mind?” He leaned forward as if he was going to do it regardless of her answer.
“No. Stop trying to distract me, Rhett.” Sierra knew his words had worked too well. She had to concentrate to remember why this was so important. She tried to slow her breathing. Not possible. His gaze burned her everywhere it touched. He moved closer so his hip pressed against hers. But he was still being careful. If he would just throw his leg across her and take her as hungrily as she wanted…
“Are you distracted?” He did lean down and breathe against the lace of her bra, torturing her and making her shiver with delight and longing.
Oh, God, but she was on fire. “Let me get this out!” She knew she sounded desperate. Yes, desperate enough that he raised his head and looked at her.
“What is it?”
“I am not going to break, Rhett. My leg will not shatter again. Yes, I limp when I’m tired. Okay, I limp all the time. And my leg hurts when it’s about to rain or if I overdo things. But I am not fragile. Throw me down, make serious love to me. Treat me as you would any woman.” She gave in and slid her hand into his jeans. Oh, yeah, he was hard and ready and his whole body jerked when she squeezed him. “I want you. And I plan to have you every which way there is. Are you up for it?”
“Shit, lady, I am yours.” He threw himself on top of her, using his elbows to keep from crushing her, then took her mouth hungrily. There was no more talking. One of his hands worked open her bra. He grasped her breast in his hand then rolled her aching nipple between his fingers. Suddenly his mouth took over.
Sierra groaned her pleasure before she got busy opening his belt buckle. She ripped the belt out of the loops then tossed it aside. His jeans were next. Of course he’d gone for the button style. Stupid. Zippers were so much easier. But she got them all open and found him hot and heavy in her hand again.
He rolled her so that she sat on top of him. Her blouse and bra went sailing. “Beautiful.” He went right to work on her jeans. She reached down to help him. Of course she could tell him over and over again that he couldn’t hurt her, but he was still being careful. It would take time and proof that she wasn’t going to break before he believed it. By the time his hand slipped over her bottom, taking her panties and jeans with it, she was beside herself with need.
“I have a condom in my pocket.” He looked around like a wild man. “Where the hell?”
Sierra laughed and kicked away her jeans then found his on the floor. After that they managed what needed to be done. She didn’t tell him that she wasn’t comfortable on her knees but he seemed to figure it out. He was above her when he finally pushed inside.
“Oh, God!” She gripped his shoulders, the feel of his strength outside and inside more than she could have imagined. Her breath stalled until he moved and took her with him. They fit perfectly. A chant of “More, more, more!” seemed to build inside her. Had she ever been this filled, this completely connected? No more thinking, as waves of pleasure took over and he kissed her endlessly. When Sierra thought she’d found ecstasy, he pushed her even further.
He whispered things in her ear no man had ever said to her. Poetry that praised her body, her moves, her very essence as she gave and gave and then took from him. He had a way with words, seductive words, this man who wrote for a living.
The room blurred, pain that never seemed far away suddenly vanished. Sierra breathed through a rush of such pleasure she thought she might drown in it. Never had she let herself go like this. Floating down to earth took a while. It wasn’t a journey she was eager to take. Earth was where bad things happened. Earth was where people didn’t love her.
Not that this had been about love. No, this had been about pure pleasure. She’d take it. She lay staring at the ceiling, too wired to fall asleep. Rhett kept his arm around her, heavy but reassuring. She wasn’t alone. He clearly cared about her. It was a good feeling. She was glad to let the world go away for a while and just float.
Of course, that wasn’t the Sierra MacKenzie way. She was responsible, wary, and for good reason. She’d never told Rhett the details about her accident. Tomorrow she would. She’d seen no signs that he felt pity for her, but that was always in the back of her mind. He hadn’t flinched when he’d seen her scars, either. But he seemed good at hiding his thoughts.
She didn’t really know him. Had she made a big mistake, taking this stranger in and allowing him to steal a piece of her heart? His hand moved over her br
east, and she turned to see him watching her. Mistake or not, she wasn’t about to shove him out of bed and lose the best lover she’d ever had.
“Round two?” She smiled when she felt something nudge her hip.
“Round two.”
* * * *
Sierra had just come out of the shower with a towel around her when there was a knock on her door. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. Was it really almost nine?
“Sierra? Your phone has been ringing for a while now,” Rachel called. “Everything all right in there?”
Wonderful, fantastic. A masculine arm snaked around her middle, under her towel. “Fine. I’ll be out in a bit.” Sierra stuck her hand out through a narrow crack in the door. “I’m, uh, not alone. Can you save us some breakfast? For when we’re ready for it?”
Rachel dropped her phone into her hand. “Well, sure. Sorry I bothered you. Ignore the phone. I can be outside for a while with the chickens. Then I’ll work in my garden. Reckon I can put two plates in the oven and you can fetch them yourselves. When you’re ready.” The housekeeper chuckled then went whistling down the hall.
“Was that awkward? Should I have skulked down the hall to my room before she arrived?” Rhett hadn’t bothered with a towel. His warm, damp body pressed close.
“I’m an adult. I can entertain men in my room anytime I want.” Sierra turned and kissed him. “Umm. I guess I should care who called me so early.” She let him whip off her towel. “But I really don’t.”
“I feel used. But I can take it, insatiable woman.” He tugged her toward the bed. “Have your way with me.”
“I do believe I will.” She laughed and set the phone aside. She could deal with the calls later. She had no intention of letting reality ruin her day just yet. She threw herself at Rhett and they tumbled to the bed. Fun and pleasure, something she’d been missing for too long. Maybe she was insatiable because she’d needed this. Had denied herself in her determination to prove how damned independent she could be. Suddenly that just felt lonely. Enough thinking. It was definitely overrated when there was a clever man touching her, kissing her and setting her on fire. By the time she heard her phone ringing again, she’d found yet another reason to spend the day in bed. Why wouldn’t people leave her alone?
“You’d better see who it is. Your brother might be trying to reach you.” Rhett looked completely relaxed and self-satisfied. He should. “I need time to recuperate anyway. If you have more in store for me.”
“I’m hungry. I thought I smelled biscuits when I opened the door. Sausage too.” Sierra reached for the phone.
That earned her a light slap on her bottom. “And you kept me in bed?” Rhett reached for his jeans. “I’m going after those plates. Breakfast in bed. One of my favorite things.” He bolted out of the room, not even bothering to close the door behind him.
Sierra pulled up the sheet in case Rachel changed her mind and came down the hall in search of laundry. Then she scrolled down her missed calls. Of course that last caller had given up. Not her brother, but the Dallas area code. She knew better than to call back, but she listened to the voicemail. Not all of it. Brubaker again with a sales pitch. No way. Delete. There were the usual spam calls, then one from Sally Ann, Rachel’s daughter.
Now that did get her attention. They hadn’t really been friends since the summer of her accident. Oh, they saw each other, it was unavoidable with Rachel working here, but what had bonded them had been their love of barrel racing. After the accident, Sierra had been out of it and Rachel had quit paying for Sally Ann to enter competitions. Her daughter had been given a choice, ride for fun or prepare to go to college.
Sally Ann had defied her mother and wound up marrying young and foolishly before she graduated from high school. When that marriage had ended, she’d come home and gone to work at the Trading Post. It proved a good place to meet men. Lucky for her she’d connected with Will Jackson, who’d been from a rich family, something she’d always claimed was a requirement in her next husband. Her marriage to Will had seemed to stick. Too bad her husband was an obnoxious bully. He was still rich, though. Could he be part of the Oxcart group?
Curiosity made Sierra call Sally Ann back while she waited for breakfast. The phone was answered right away.
“Thanks for calling me back, Sierra.” She could hear what sounded like wind noise around Sally Ann.
“Is this a bad time? Are you driving?” Sierra took the cup of coffee Rhett handed her with a smile. He set his on the nightstand on the other side of the bed, then left the room again.
“I am, but this is hands-free. Will always sets me up with the latest Corvette. You should see it. Pretty sweet. Hang on. I’ve got the top down and it’s damned noisy.” There was a whirring sound. “I’m pulling over and putting up the top.”
“Sally Ann? Call me back when you’re ready.” Sierra hung up and took the tray Rhett handed her. “Where did you find the trays?”
“Rachel had set them out. She obviously was encouraging us to make a morning of it. I really like that woman.” He grinned. “Anyway, now we’re all set.” He settled in beside her. Sierra picked up her phone when it rang. “This must be Sally Ann again. She was putting the top up on her Corvette.”
“I saw it. Nice car.” Rhett continued eating right after he reached over and pulled down the sheet that had been covering Sierra’s breasts. “Carry on.”
“I will.” Sierra smiled. “Eat.” She jerked up the sheet again. “Hi, Sally Ann.” She would not look at Rhett. He loved to play with words and with her. “What’s on your mind?”
“I’ve been hearing a lot of talk in town about that senior living project someone wants to build around here. Some pretty nasty things have been said about you, Sierra. It’s got me worried, hon. Will heard someone burned down your barn out of spite. Cause you won’t sell to that Dallas group. Is that true?”
“Why, thanks for your concern, Sally Ann.” Sierra picked up her coffee. “I appreciate that. It’s true they’re calling it arson. We can only guess who did it or why. If Will knows something, he should tell the sheriff. You’re right. I’ve been getting a lot of pressure from the folks in town. I’d think Will would be one of them who wants that development here.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind it, but he has plenty of business already at the dealership. Instead he keeps carrying on about another big deal he has in the works.” Sally Ann sighed. “Fast food! Can you believe it? He went to one of those franchise fairs in Houston and now that’s all he can talk about. As if he doesn’t already work six days a week, fourteen hours a day.”
“That’s too bad. Makes it hard on a marriage, I’m sure. So you don’t think he’s in on this senior development deal?” Sierra glanced at Rhett.
“I have no idea. But Will is a business owner. You have to know that in a place like Muellerville any new development that’ll bring in lots of people will help the existing businesses. That’s why so many of the folks in town are counting on the senior living project to pump up their bottom lines, honey. You’ve got a lot of townspeople against you for holding it up. Have you thought about how it will be to live here if you ruin this thing? What if the feed store won’t deliver to you? If Ellie won’t serve you in the café or Bill down at the John Deere outlet won’t service your tractors?”
“All of those people are invested in the Oxcart deal?” Sierra realized Rhett had stopped eating. Sally Ann was loud and he could no doubt hear all of this.
“Oxcart. Yes, that’s the name of the company. Stupid name, if you ask me. What does it mean?” Sally Ann was tapping something. Her nails on the steering wheel? She’d been vain about her fingernails, even when she’d been barrel racing. “Listen, I’ve always considered myself your friend, Sierra. You know what I mean? Ever since we rode together in those contests.”
“Sure, we were friends.” Had they been? They didn’t ride together; they were c
ompetitors. Sally Ann had wanted to win but had never managed it. Her temper fits when she lost were legendary.
“I’m just trying to give you a heads-up. You should hear them down at the Twist and Curl. Annie is threatening to turn you away the next time you need a haircut. What are you going to do then? Go all the way to Houston for your trim?” Sally Ann swore. “Would you look at this? That bitch sheriff is stopping to see why I’m on the side of the road talking on my phone. As if this isn’t a free country.” She slapped something, probably her dashboard. “Aw shit. I’m still in a school zone. I just dropped off the kid. Now she’s getting out her ticket book. I cannot have one more ticket. Insurance is already sky-high. Will is gonna blow his top.”
“You’d better deal with this, Sally Ann. It’s against the law to talk on a cell phone in a school zone.”
“Hands-free? I don’t think so. If that bitch sheriff wants to be reelected next spring, she’d better cut me a break. But think about why I called, Sierra. Why not sell a little slice of your land and make everyone here happy? It would sure make your life easier in the long run. Take care, girlfriend.” Sally Ann ended the call.
Sierra dropped her phone on the bed. Girlfriend? “Well, that was interesting.”
“You got some friendly advice. Better than the threats you’ve been getting.” Rhett attacked his plate again, right after he pulled down her sheet. “She’s not wrong. Living in this town will be hell if you make all of those people lose money or business when the deal goes south.”
“Unfortunately, that’s true. It’s something to think about.” Sierra picked up her biscuit. Then she turned to face him. He was eating steadily but caught her movement and stopped with the fork halfway to his mouth.
“What?”
“You buttered my biscuit.” God, she might just fall in love with him.
“Of course I did.” He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. He tasted of grape jelly, sweet and then sexy as his tongue touched the corner of her lip. “Mmm. Sausage crumb. You are one very special lady. Can we spend the day in bed?”
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