Back In The Saddle

by

Desiree Holt

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Back In The Saddle

COPYRIGHT Ó 2010 by Desiree Holt

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com

Cover Art by Angela Anderson

The Wild Rose Press

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com

Publishing History

First Scarlet Rose Edition, September 2010

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

To my late husband David—my hero,

always, and my own personal cowboy.

PRAISE FOR AUTHOR

Desiree Holt

AND HER BOOKS

“With lots of action and explosive desire, Desiree weaves an exciting plot guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seats.”

~Night Owl Romance

“I can’t wait to read another story from Desiree Holt.”

~Just Erotic Romance Reviews

“Desiree Holt has shown herself again to be a force to be reckoned with in the erotic romance department!”

~Two Lips Reviews Recommended Read

“Holt pens an exciting, rapid-paced tale that’s sure to keep the pages flying. A sexy alpha male and a fiery heroine create a dynamic couple readers can stand behind. The love scenes scorch the pages, and overall, DO YOU TRUST ME is a compelling, satisfying novel with emotionally driven characters. Winner of the Holt Medallion Award of Merit.”

~RT Book Reviews

Chapter One

Molly Hayes parked the ranch pickup in the gravel lot of Rusty’s and took a deep breath then let it out slowly.

What the hell am I doing here?

She’d probably have spent another night hiding from the world at home, as content as possible considering her miserable state. But her father had given her a parting shot before he left for Fort Worth.

“Get out of the house, Molly girl. You’ve been hiding long enough. Go out and have some fun.”

Yeah, right. Fun.

“Quit letting that bastard ruin your life,” he added on his way out the door.

That bastard being her faithless ex.

Thirty years old and she’d quit a damn good job and run home to her father’s ranch to lick her wounds when her marriage to Boyd Whittaker self-destructed. Although, truth be told, her pride was damaged more than anything else. Underneath it all she had to admit the divorce hadn’t much touched her heart.

Maybe Boyd realized she didn’t love him the way she should. That he wasn’t her first choice. That he wasn’t the star of the outrageous erotic fantasies she had. Maybe it was his form of payback. Because soon enough, she’d discovered her husband had the most active zipper in Houston. His cock seemed to be busy in every bedroom but theirs.

Not that sex with Boyd had been any great shakes, unfortunately. She wondered now if his other women found it more interesting and exciting than she did. Of course, with Boyd sex was always all about him, anyway, and his imagination in the bedroom wouldn’t fit on the head of a pin.

She’d hung in there, ignoring the gossip as long as she could. But then came the day she’d arrived at his office to meet him for lunch and found him screwing one of his bimbos on the desk. The expression on their faces was so comical she would have laughed if she hadn’t been so pissed off.

“You asshole,” she’d shouted at him.

Sliding off the desk and calmly pulling up his pants, he’d shaken his head. “Language, Molly. There’s a lady present.”

She’d make a show of looking around the office. “Yeah? Where? I don’t see anyone except this piece of trash spreading her legs for you.”

She’d picked up the handiest item, Boyd’s treasured golf trophy, and slung it at the desk. She’d missed both of them but gouged a nice chunk out of the rosewood.

“Look what you did to my damn desk,” he’d shouted.

“Too bad it wasn’t your dick,” she’d shouted back.

Then she’d turned around, walked out the door, and hadn’t stopped moving until she’d reached Hayes Ranch in Littleton.

Lord knew she’d done her best to make it work, but as much as he might have looked like Chance McDaniel, Boyd was a poor substitute.

Chance.

The man Molly had been in love with since she was a naïve fifteen, and he, at nineteen, was completely unattainable. All those summers he’d worked at Hayes Ranch, he’d barely given her the time of day. She might as well have been a horsefly for all the attention he’d given her. The fly might even have gotten more.

All those outrageous erotic romances she read? She’d give anything to be living them with Chance. She might have been hiding in the house since her retreat from Houston, but through the huge window in the breakfast room she watched him each morning, supervising the men as they trained the cutting horses in the pen. Riding out to check the fence line, his body looking as if he were born in the saddle. Standing with the men at the end of the day, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the bandanna he wore around his neck, dusting his hands on the chaps he wore as much to protect himself from the cattle he herded as from the rub of the saddle.

So here she was, facing the world. Here, at Rusty’s. The old hangout. Rusty’s had been the place to hang out the minute you got to be of legal age. How many nights she’d spent here with her girl friends…and dates that meant nothing…tasting life. Trying to learn what it was all about.

Rusty’s on a Tuesday night was usually fairly quiet. Maybe she wouldn’t run into anyone. She could just have a quiet beer, listen to the juke box and crawl home in her unfortunately unwanted state.

Liar! You know why you’re here.

Leave me alone, she told her inner voice. I’m just here for a drink. Getting out.

Yeah, right. And maybe to run into Chance McDaniel.

She was well aware that Chance often came here at night for a beer and to hang out with friends. On the drive from the ranch she’d been half afraid she’d run into him—and half afraid she wouldn’t.

You know what you want. Admit it. Chance naked in a room with you, doing the most erotic things the imagination can conjure up.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled open the door and the familiar dark atmosphere enveloped her. A long bar ran against one wall, booths lined the opposite wall and tables and chairs were scattered between. In the back she could hear the clack of pool balls that signified a game in progress, and the juke box was playing some old country tune. Looking around, she breathed easier when she didn’t spot anyone she knew and slid quietly into a corner booth.

She was trying to decide what to order, waiting for the one waitress to make her way over as usual, when someone slid a frosty mug of beer in front of her. In a moment, a second one joined it. Molly looked up, startled, and there he was, sliding into the booth opposite her.

Chance McDaniel in the lip-smacking flesh.

Older now, the boy had filled out to become a mouthwatering man. Broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist, and the legs beneath the table were long and lean. The rolled up sleeves of his shirt exposed muscular arms dusted with dark hair that matched the thick black pelt on his head.

And in a tanned rugged face, the electric blue eyes were just as piercing as ever. Her hormones went into immediate overdrive.

“Hello, Molly.” The drawl was slow and easy as warm molasses.

But times had changed. Now he was the foreman at Hayes Ranch and, according to her father, doing a damned good job at it. Despite everything that had happened in her life, she knew in her gut that one touch from him could send her up in flames. As careful as she’d always been to hide her feelings from him, right now she was so vulnerable all her defenses were down.

Another reason she’d stayed inside the house. What if she ran into him and he was coldly polite? Then boss’s daughter. Or worse yet, obviously avoided her altogether.

Well, here he is. Isn’t this what you wanted?

Shut up! Just…shut up.

She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. “I didn’t order anything yet.”

A slow smile tilted his lips. “I remember you always used to order this whenever you came in with your friends,” he told her in his soft drawl. “You said a cold brew was better than water.”

Her eyes widened. “You remember? I didn’t think you even noticed.”

His gaze was smoldering. “Oh, I noticed all right.”

Her throat went so dry she had to take a sip of the beer before she could even swallow. Why couldn’t she think of something intelligent to say to him? He probably thought she’d left her brain in Houston.

“It’s great seeing you again,” she finally got out.

“Same goes, Molly.” He leaned forward, resting on his forearms. “I thought I’d bring you a drink. Have a beer with you. I know you’ve been going through a bad time, and that’s something I can relate to. So…a beer or two is good, right?”

She knew he’d been married. The devastating news had been the major reason she’d hotfooted it to Houston as soon as she had her degree in hand. Seeing him on the ranch every day and knowing he belonged to someone else was more misery than she wanted to put herself through. But now, like her, he was divorced. She’d heard about it from her father and thought she’d done a good job pretending she didn’t give two hoots about it. She had no idea what his wife had been like or what the problem had been with his marriage. But she wondered what was wrong with a woman who didn’t fight to hang onto a man like him.

“Molly?” His warm drawl brought her back to the present. “Did I make a mistake coming over here?”

She shook her head. “No, not at all. This sounds good. Thanks.”

“So, how are you really?”

“Fine, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

Angry at myself, embarrassed that I let that jerk make a fool of me. So hungry for you I’d love to jump over this table and rip off your clothes.

“Good. Glad to hear it.” That soft drawl sent shivers racing along the surface of her skin.

She took a sip of her beer, set the mug down. “And you? How are things with you, Chance?”

He shrugged. “Okay. Grateful to your dad for making me foreman.”

She smiled. “From what he says, you earned the job and you’re damn good at it.”

“He’s a good man to work for.”

The song playing on the juke box ended and another one swelled from the speakers. The whiskey-scented air drifted past her nose, and for a brief moment she was back with her friends, hanging out on the weekend, laughing and drinking and dancing. Hoping against hope that Chance would send one look her way. Now here he was, and she was as tongue-tied as a teenager.

“I don’t mean to intrude, Molly,” he went on. “It’s just…you haven’t left the ranch house since you came back. I saw you come in, and even in the dark, I could see you had the saddest look in the world on your face. I was hoping I could help you lighten up.”

She forced a smile. “I guess I haven’t had much to smile about lately.”

“That’s what friends are for, isn’t it?” Chance reached across the table and rested his fingertips on one of her hands. “We are friends, right?”

Friends! What a joke that he thought about them that way when she’d always wanted so much more. Chance could still light her fire with just a glance. Friendship wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

She dug up a weak smile. “Okay. Sure. Friends.”

“Great, then.” His slow smile made her toes curl. He touched his beer mug to hers. “Here’s to friends.”

They sat in silence for a long moment, letting the sounds of the bar eddy around them.

“How are you doing?” she asked after another sip of her beer, thinking it only polite to ask.

But Chance’s face closed up tighter than a gate on a bull pen. “I’m fine, Molly. Like I said, working for your Dad is great.”

Okay. So his personal life was off limits. Well, hers would be, too.

They sat there across from each other, neither one of them saying a word. Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood drifted out of the jukebox, and Chance stood up, reaching a hand down to her.

“Dance with me, Molly.”

Danger! Danger!

She opened her mouth to refuse him, but somehow instead, found herself rising from the booth and following him to the dance floor. Only two other couples were making use of the music. Chance tactfully led her to a corner where the lights didn’t hit them. She was stiff within the circle of his arms, moving like a windup doll, until one hand slid up her back to hold the nape of her neck.

“Relax, Molly.” His mouth was at her ear, his breath a warm breeze against her skin. “It’s just a dance. Sometimes it helps to shut out everything else and just fall into the music.”

She was trying, but his body was so warm against hers and there was no mistaking the hard thickness of his cock pushing against her through the denim of his jeans. His scent teased at her nostrils, a heady blend of something woodsy and the smell of leather and horses. She was sure he’d showered but somehow, for men who worked at ranching rather than playing, the aroma burned its way into their skin. She loved it. Always had. If she wanted to be truthful, it was almost an aphrodisiac. She shifted so she was just a millimeter closer.

What she would have given all those years ago to be where she was right this minute. But a lot of water had washed over the dam since then, and the last thing she wanted was to have Chance McDaniel feeling sorry for her.

“I…haven’t danced in a while,” she said lamely as she tried to relax in his grip.

God. Could I sound any more idiotic?

He chuckled, a low rumbling sound. “I think it’s like riding a horse. You never really forget. I think you could probably say that about everything.”

His lean fingers massaged the knot at the nape of her neck, his arm holding her against him as they shifted their bodies minimally in place. The stroking of those fingers sent shivers down her spine, but they also coaxed her to relax and move in rhythm with him. She actually found herself leaning her head against his shoulder.

“That’s it,” he whispered. “I learned music can make you forget just about any damn thing.”

She wanted desperately to ask him what he was working so hard to forget, but he’d made it very clear that was off limits. Maybe she’d give her friend Jacie a call and see what the dirt was. She hadn’t called any of her friends since she’d been back, but now curiosity was breaching her self-imposed exile.

The song ended and again another one clicked into place. Chance made no move to lead her from the dance floor. Instead, he simply kept moving in place, the two of them swaying to the music. Molly found herself lulled by the melody and soothed by Chance’s touch. Her breasts were flattened against his chest, the nipples tender and pebbled from rubbing against his shirt. Her pussy quivered with a long buried need ignited by the touch of his fingers and the feel of his body against hers.

And that thick, hard cock pressed against her like an oversized branding iron.

His fingers continued their erotic massage at her neck, and his arm held her against him as if they’d done this forever. When the music stopped this time, so did Chance’s movement. Molly looked up at him with half-closed eyes. A dark flush stained his cheeks, and the look in his eyes was anything but that of a friend. Heat blazed like celebratory bonfire.

“We’d better get back to that beer before it loses its cold,” he murmured, his voice even deeper. “Nothing worse than warm beer.”

“Right, right.”

She let him lead her back to the booth, holding her hand until she was seated again. Neither of them said a word for a long few minutes, just watched each other across their mugs as they sipped at the golden liquid.

“So,” she said at last, setting her mug down. “Did my father tell you I might show up here tonight and you should keep an eye out for the poor, pitiful wreck?”

Something snapped in Chance’s eyes. “The only orders I take from Reuben Hayes have to do with the ranch. Be damn sure of that, okay? I like to hang out here because no one bothers me. And Molly? You’re far from a pitiful wreck.”

Embarrassment heated her cheeks. “Sorry. That was a dumb thing to say.”

He reached across the table and closed a hand over her free one. Heat sizzled up her arm.

“I know what it’s like to feel that way.” There was neither pity nor humor in his voice. “But I see a beautiful, desirable woman sitting across from me who had the misfortune to make one bad choice. Something a lot of us have done. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.”

Beautiful? Desirable?

Chance fetched two more mugs of beer from the bar and coaxed her into more conversation. Molly had no idea why he was doing it, but she treasured every moment. And wished he’d ask her to dance again.

But when the beer was gone, he slid out of the booth. “I’ve had my limit for tonight. Morning comes early at the ranch.”

Disappointment stabbed at her until he reached out a hand.

“How about letting me walk you to your truck? I don’t much care for leaving you sitting here alone. And there’s no pity in that,” he assured her hastily. “Just doing what my mother taught me. Come on, Molly. We’ll follow each other home.”

Chance opened the door of the bar and stood back to let her precede him. The night had turned cool, a sharp breeze ruffling her thick brown hair, and she shivered against the sudden chill.

“You need a jacket,” Chance told her. “You probably forgot it gets colder at night here in the Hill Country than in that fancy city where you lived. Here. Come closer.”

He wrapped one arm around her and pulled her against him, his body heat flooding her.

Just a friend, just a friend, just a friend, she kept repeating to herself as they walked to where she’d parked. But when they reached her truck and she turned to thank him, tell him goodnight, he cupped her face with his big, warm hands and leaned toward her.

“Molly?” His eyes burned into her like twin torches.

“Y-Yes?”

“I lied before. I don’t really want to be friends with you.”

She started to shake. Was this his way of brushing her off? Humiliating her so she wouldn’t bother him again?

“Oh, actually I do, but what I want’s a lot more than that. I’ve waited a damn long time to do this, Molly Hayes. I hope you don’t decide to shoot me for it.”

And then his lips were on hers, soft and a little rough, brushing against her mouth, and she was totally and completely lost.

Chapter Two

Chance had shocked himself with the bold move, but it seemed as if he’d been waiting to do this forever. Years ago she’d been too young, but time had shrunk the age difference between them to insignificance. He’d often wondered if his marriage might have worked differently if he hadn’t tried to marry a substitute. But then of course there was Lori’s reaction to the sex, to the things that turned him on. He wondered how Molly would feel if…

No.

The word shouted in his head, and he banished all thought as he poured himself into the kiss. Her mouth was soft and sweet, her lips full and sensuous. He drew back ad nibbled on her bottom lip, licking around the edges before thrusting his tongue back inside that hot, wet cavern. He felt the impact of her clear through every part of his body, his cock swelling and his balls tightening with a need that was almost desperate.

Molly’s fingers were wrapped around his wrists, and at first he’d thought she meant to pull his hands away from her. It was what he’d expected. Been afraid of. But in seconds, he realized she was as much into the kiss as he was. He could feel the hard points of her nipples even through the fabric of their shirts and the soft mounds of her breasts pressing against the hard wall of his chest.

Tentatively, experimentally, still keeping his mouth fused to hers, he slid one hand from her face down her slender arm, breaking her grip on him. Slowly, his hand inched up from her waist along her rib cage to touch the bottom swell of her breast. He paused for just a brief moment, again waiting to see what she’d do. When she gave another of those delicious little sounds, he cupped her breast, gently squeezing and rasping his thumb across the nipple.

Okay, he was in desperate straits now, his cock so hard it was painful, his body sending him urgent messages. But no way could he fuck Molly Hayes in Rusty’s parking lot. Or even in the truck. What the hell was he doing, anyway? Talk about a testosterone surge. He’d just spent such a long time imagining doing the things he loved with and to Molly that, for a brief moment, his mind had taken a vacation.

With great reluctance he moved his hand back to her cheek and pulled his mouth from hers. “God, Molly, I’m—”

“If you tell me you’re sorry, I’ll give you a hard knee to the groin,” she told him. Her face was flushed with desire, her eyes slumberous, her lips swollen from the kiss.

Chance blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I’m just recovering from five years with a man who apparently didn’t find me as appealing as I thought. Don’t make things worse by telling me this was a big mistake.”

Chance blinked again. Was he hearing right? She wasn’t upset with him? Or was he misreading the signals.

He had to make sure. “You’re not mad that I kissed you?”

She stared at him as if trying to decide how to answer him. She hauled in a deep breath—making those wonderful breasts poke out at him—and let it out slowly. “I’ve wanted you to do that since I was fifteen years old.”

He chuffed an unsteady laugh. “Molly, when you were fifteen I was nineteen and hadn’t yet learned to kiss like that. Besides, you weren’t even legal and your daddy would have had my hide.”

He still had her up against the side of the truck, his hands gentle against her cheeks. For a brief moment, he had a vision of her stripped naked, spread out on the hood of the truck, her pussy temptingly open to him.

Jesus, McDaniel. Get your head out of your pants.

“I didn’t think you even looked at me.” Her voice was slightly unsteady, heat still flashing in her eyes.

“Oh, I looked at you all right. But you were off limits to me.”

“And now?”

“Now I want to do things with you that…” He stopped, shook his head. “This is not good, Molly. You’re just coming off a bad divorce—although I can’t imagine there’s ever a good one—and not thinking straight.”

“Me? I’m thinking straight for the first time in years.” She smiled at him. “If this is a mistake, it’ll probably be the best one I’ll ever make.”

“Your father—”

“Thinks you do a terrific job and probably wishes I’d married you instead of Boyd.”

Chance sucked in a deep breath. “Molly,” he began.

She touched her fingers to his lips. “Don’t say a word. Let’s not spoil this.”

“I was going to say if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll forget all my good intentions and strip you naked right here at Rusty’s.”

Her laugh was tremulous. “Funny. I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Molly, will you come home with me? Now? I don’t want to make things awkward for you with your father. My house is pretty far away from the main house and has its own little driveway. No one would see you—”

“It’s okay. Dad left for Forth Worth this afternoon. There’s no one to spy on me.”

He couldn’t help the smile that crawled over his face. “Well, now. Isn’t that fortunate? Will you follow me?”

He held his breath, waiting for her to change her mind. Decide this was a bad deal for her. He had absolutely no idea where her head was at this particular point in time. After all, he’d only offered her tonight.

For now.

“Right on your heels, cowboy.”

****

I’m crazy. That’s the only explanation for this. I have lost my freaking mind.

Molly repeated it over and over like some kind of mantra as she followed Chance down the narrow gravel driveway. His house, built on the edge of Hayes Ranch property, sat well back from the road. It was concealed further by ancient oaks that rose in his yard like mammoth sentinels.

When she pulled in next to his truck, for a moment panic seized her and she nearly turned around and raced back to the safety of the ranch. But she’d wanted this for so long, dreamed about it for so many years, she wasn’t about to run away from it now. Still, as she climbed down from her truck she was a little shaky.

Chance was right there beside her, helping her, his hand warm on her arm. His face was in shadow, the brim of his hat shading it from the moonlight, but there was no mistaking the heat radiating from him.

“Still time to change your mind, Molly.”

Was that an edge of uncertainty in his voice? No, not him. Not the completely confident Chance McDaniel.

“Not a chance,” she said, grinning at her play on his name.

His fingers tightened slightly on her arm, then slid down to lace with hers as he led her to the house.

Molly knew her father had built this for Chance when he’d gotten married. He’d just been promoted to foreman, following Jerry Russell’s long overdue retirement, a sign of her father’s confidence in someone so young. That obviously meant he’d lived here with his wife, whose name Molly had made it a point not to remember. Would there still be touches of her in the house? Mementoes of the brief marriage?

What had gone wrong between them, anyway? Her father hadn’t said much and she hadn’t asked questions. And Chance had made it perfectly clear tonight the subject was off limits.

As soon as he turned on a table lamp in the living room, Molly got a clear picture of a very masculine home. Comfortable wood and leather furniture. Polished wood floor with a colorful woven rug to give it warmth. A big flat screen television hanging over a stone fireplace with a wide heart.

Off to the left she could make out a dining room and kitchen and straight ahead was a short hallway.

The bedrooms.

Covertly she looked around to see if there were any lingering feminine touches, but this was definitely a place where a man resided, even to the stack of newspapers on the heart, the jacket draped over a chair and a coffee cup on the table in front of the couch.

“I’m usually much neater than this.” His voice held an apologetic tone.

“No, no. It looks fine. Just fine.”

Then he was in front of her, arms winding around her, his warm breath like a soft breeze on her face.

Molly pushed her hands flat against his chest, panic suddenly washing through her.

“Wait, wait, wait,” she squeaked. Squeaked? She actually squeaked?

“What is it?” His mouth was so close she nearly forgot what she was trying to say.

“I…I haven’t done this for a while. I mean…”

“It’s okay, Molly. Just like I said about dancing. It’s no different than riding a horse. You never really forget.”

Then his lips brushed against hers, soft as a feather, and his tongue traced the outline of her mouth. She trembled with a need greater than anything she’d ever felt before, desire blooming in the fluttering walls of her cunt and the swollen points of her nipples.

His hands were like hot gloves on her back, his fingers splayed against her spine, one hand traveling to her nape to thread his fingers through her hair. When his tongue danced along the seam of her lips, she parted for him, welcoming him, opening her mouth wide. His teeth scraped gently along the surface of her tongue, and bolts of electricity struck at every nerve.

The kiss was a production, both soft and hard, a seduction of her mouth and her mind. He licked every inner surface, teased it with the tip of his tongue. And all the while, his fingers danced along her spine, traced the curve of her ass, then cradled her head to hold her to him.

Held tightly against his body, she could feel every hard muscle, including the thick ridge of his cock pressed insistently against the curve of her stomach. Molly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself even closer, wondering what he’d think if she tore off her clothes in a frenzy of desire to feel her naked skin against his.

Without breaking the kiss, he bent and lifted her into his arms, carrying her down the short hallway and into what was obviously his bedroom. He bent low near the bed to turn on the bedside lamp before setting her on her feet. His eyes were so filled with lust Molly actually shook from the force of them.

“I want to see every inch of you.” His voice was thick and warm, low and deep.

“You, too,” she whispered.

“You got that right, darlin’.”

He unbuttoned her blouse slowly, tracing each area of skin with his index finger as he exposed it. When the last button had been disposed of, he pulled the tails of her blouse from her jeans and pushed the fabric down her arms. She hadn’t thought the fire in his eyes could blaze any brighter until he looked at her breasts swelling over the lace edging of her demi-bra.

“Jesus,” he breathed and licked each swell slowly with the tip of his tongue.

Molly shivered and clutched at him, not sure she could remain standing. She didn’t even realize when or how her bra disappeared until she felt Chance’s hot, wet mouth closing over one nipple and pulling on it, lips clasped tightly around it.

“Ohhhhh.” Molly tilted her head back and gripped harder at Chance for support. She could feel the wetness at her cunt and the insistent throbbing that began deep in her womb and radiated through her body.

“Your nipples are like candy, Molly.” Chance focused his gaze on her. “Like lollipops. I love sucking on them, tasting them, holding them in my mouth. God, they taste so good.”

He turned his attention to her other nipple, giving it the same treatment, then scraped each bud delicately with his teeth. His big hands cupped her breasts, kneading them as he licked and nipped. Molly heard funny little whimpers and realized they were coming from her mouth. If Chance didn’t stop sucking and pulling on her nipples pretty soon, she was going to come before she even got her jeans off.

Clumsily she reached for the snaps on his shirt and yanked, pulling the fabric apart. A soft sigh whispered through her has her hands made contact with the soft pelt of hair on the hard wall of his chest. She scraped her fingernails over his flat male nipples and was rewarded with a guttural sound low in his throat.

She felt his fingers busy at the button and zipper on her jeans, then she was lifted and placed carefully on the bed. Chance’s eyes glittered as he yanked off her boots and stripped the jeans down her legs, tossing them aside. He bent forward and gripped the lace edge of her bikini panties with his teeth, slowly dragging the fabric away from the curls covering her mound. His hot breath fanned against her, and a shiver chased itself over her skin.

“I don’t just want to see all of you. I want to taste you.” He ran his tongue across the top edge of her curls. “Every mouthwatering inch.”

In seconds her panties were gone, his hands had spread her thighs and his eyes fastened on her pussy with evident hunger.

“Jesus, Molly. You have the most beautiful cunt I’ve ever seen. I have to have a taste.”

He pressed the lips open with his thumbs, leaned down and lapped the length of her slit, his groan of delight pulsating in every muscle. Heat sizzled everywhere in her body, and she knew she was wetter than she’d ever been. When he took her clit gently between his teeth and tugged, tiny spasms rocketed through her, a small orgasm that made her wrap her legs around his neck and pull him closer.

His tongue probed at the entrance to her channel, lapping up her cream, then flicking her now very sensitized clit. She wanted him inside her. Wanted more. But apparently he was bent on teasing and tormenting her.

“Please, Chance,” she begged.

“Please what?” His voice was like warm molasses running slowly over gravel.

“Please…you know.”

He put his mouth right over her pussy and laughed, the sound an erotic rumble. “I’d love to please you, but you have to tell me what you want.”

“You’re killing me,” she cried, tightening her legs around him.

“Tell me what you want, sugar. Be real explicit.”

“I want you to…fuck me.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He chuckled again, a slow, lazy sound. “But I have a lot I want to do before we get to that, sugar.”

He unwound her legs from his neck and bent them at the knees, planting her feet on the mattress. Stretching her arms out, he placed them on either side of her head.

“Just like that. Stay just like that. Don’t move. I want to watch those gorgeous breasts and that juicy cunt while I finish taking off my clothes.”

Chapter Three

She heard the snick of his belt buckle being unfastened and the swish as he pulled the belt through the loops. He toed off his boots, his eyes never leaving her body, then disposed of his jeans and boxers. Her own eyes widened when his cock sprang free, long and thick and swollen, the head a deep plum color, the sac of his balls hanging heavy beneath it.

Holy shit! He made Boyd look like a toothpick in comparison. Her pussy muscles clenched at the thought of receiving that hot erection in her body.

Chance dropped to his knees, clamped his hands on her thighs and spread them apart as wide as he could. When she felt his tongue stroking her again, Molly arched her hips off the bed.

“Inside me,” she panted, “Please.” And for a moment her mind strayed.

What is with me? I never, ever talked to Boyd like that. He always said it offended him. Was he like that with his other women?

But then she couldn’t think any more, because that very educated tongue was thrusting in and out of her pussy, licking her slit from end to end, flicking over the exquisitely sensitive knot of her clit. She was so aroused she was sure if he kept it up, she’d come again. And in the next instant she knew that was exactly what he had in mind. His tongue pushed in and out of her faster, harder, and one hand moved so his fingers could lightly pinch her clit.

Chance was like a maniac, sucking the pulling and stroking, never letting up for one moment, until the first spasm began to roll through her. She thrust her hips at him more forcefully, and he responded by sliding one hand beneath her and lifting her to his mouth. His busy tongue never stopped as ripple after ripple shuddered through her and the muscles of her cunt clenched around his tongue.

The only time he lifted his head was when she moved her arms so she could grab onto him with her hands.

“I said don’t move them,” he warned and smacked her bottom lightly.

The light slap, rather than bringing her orgasm to a crashing halt, sent unexpected tremors racing through her and the intensity of her spasms increased. As the climax broke over her fully, she pushed her hips at him as hard as she could and cried out while her body shuddered and his tongue lapped up her cream.

She was still panting, her body covered with a fine sheen of perspiration, when the last aftershock subsided. Chance rose from the floor and leaned over her, his face coated with her cream, the scent of her musk mingling with his in an erotic blend of perfumes. When he kissed her, she tasted herself on his tongue and lips, and an electric thrill shot through her.

“I could eat you up with a spoon,” he murmured against her mouth. “But of course, then we’d never get to anything else.”

Shifting her position on the bed to make room for himself, he climbed up beside, pausing for a moment to bite gently at each nipple. Molly had already had two orgasms yet her body still felt primed, on edge. Something deep inside her that apparently had been sleeping for a very long time had awakened and filled her with an unfamiliar craving for more. Much more.

He hovered over her, bracing himself on his hands. “You liked that little slap I gave you, didn’t you, Molly? No, don’t look away,” he ordered when she turned her head. “I felt the heat surge through you.” He brushed his mouth against hers. “I wonder what else you’d like.”

She was wondering the same thing.

“Do you know how I really like my sex, Molly?” He stared into her eyes as if his gaze could drag the answer from her.

Finally, she stammered, “H-How?”

“Hot, heavy and hard. I want to spank that gorgeous ass until it turns red and the heat streaks into your juicy little cunt and makes it flood with your lube. I want to tie you to the bed and fuck you senseless.” He drew in a ragged breath. “Does that frighten you, sweet Molly? I told myself driving here that I’d keep things low key tonight. Not scare you off. Make sure you wanted me as much as I wanted you.”

“Y-You wanted me?”

His laugh was frayed around the edges. “Sometimes I think I’ve wanted you forever. It’s been hell since you came home watching and waiting and wondering…”

“Wondering what” Was she hearing right? She was the one with the long distance crush, not him. Wasn’t she?

“Wondering if the time was finally right for us to get together. If your marriage had been such a disaster that you’d be turned off no matter how long I waited.”

And what about yours? Why won’t you even talk about it?

“If life was finally in the right place for us to get together. So let me ask you again, Molly. Does anything I want scare you?” He chuffed a breath and lifted slightly away from her. “If I’m going too fast here…”

“No.” She touched her fingers to his lips. “I mean, no, you’re not going too fast. I just…”

He stilled above her. “Just what? Come on, Molly. Spit it out.”

Heat crept up her face. “I may be thirty years old, Chance, but there’s a lot about…this…kind of sex I don’t know. I’m not…”

Tension stiffened his body. “Do you want me to stop?”

Molly shook her head. “No, but…”

“Do you want more?”

Mutely, she nodded. God help her, she wanted whatever he would give her and then some.

“Then it’s all good.” He let out a slow breath. “There are things I want to tell you…” He stopped, shook his head. “No. Let’s just enjoy ourselves. See how much we enjoy ourselves. And you can call a halt any time you want. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered. “But Chance?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“If you don’t fuck me pretty soon, I might have to spank you.”

He burst out laughing, but then immediately sobered. “Get ready for a hard ride, sugar.”

Chance took her hands and wrapped the fingers around two of the spindles on the headboard. “Don’t move them. No matter what.”

He began a slow journey over her body with his lips and his hands, licking, sucking, nipping, scraping his teeth over sensitive places like her navel and the under slope of her breasts. When he reached her cunt, he took his time pulling at her curls with his teeth, nibbling on her clit, lapping her juices into his mouth.

Molly writhed beneath him, wanting desperately to reach for him, score his back with her fingernails. But obediently she continued to grip the headboard, shivering as wave after wave of lust washed through her.

Chance was an artist, his tongue the paintbrush, and every place he touched her body he left heat and need. His mouth was hot and greedy on her cunt, his lips and tongue tasting every surface, drinking in her cream. Every nerve ending fired, every muscle clenched, as he drew her up to the edge again and again, only to back down, ease her down, and then start again.

She was startled when he rose to his knees, unclenched her hands from the headboard and draped her gracefully over his lap. His muscular thighs supported her, but it was his magnificent cock pressing into her breasts that totally made her lose concentration.

“What—?”

But then his hand came down on her buttocks, not a gentle smack but not too hard, either. She squirmed on his lap as heat streaked into her core.

“Beautiful,” he breathed and did it again.

For some reason, she had no desire to protest or squirm away. Rather the lust that had been rising and falling within her began to crest again. The spankings stopped for a moment, and she felt lean fingers probing into the wet well of her pussy.

“Oh, yeah,” he murmured. “Nice and wet. You really like this, don’t you. God, who’d have thought Molly Hayes would like it down and dirty.”

It was so strange. Instead of his words offending her, she was shot with another bolt of consuming lust, the pulse in her womb beating like an insistent jungle drum.

“How about this, Molly?” He trailed his wet fingers through the crevice of her ass. “Have you ever been fucked here?” One finger pressed softly against the tight ring of her anus.

Holy shit!

Something dark and voracious unwound inside her, crawling through her, speeding up her pulse and making the blood in her veins boil. Boyd had never, ever been interested in anal sex…at least with her. But she’d certainly read about it, heard about it enough from her friends. The ultimate thrill, they’d all told her. And in her fantasies, she’d imagined doing that very thing with Chance McDaniel.

“Oh, darlin’, you are getting so very hot and juicy.” His fingers probed her pussy again, scraping lightly against the inner walls, finding that spot and sending her into another small orgasm that made her shake and tremble in her position across his knees.

Chance lifted her again and placed her back on the bed. His lips just a millimeter from hers, he said in what was almost a whisper, “We’re going to do that, sugar. That’s a promise. If you don’t run away from me. But not tonight. Because if I don’t fuck you right now, my heart might stop beating.”

He wrapped her fingers around the spindles again, took a moment to grab a condom from the nightstand drawer and rolled it on one-handed. Then he bent her legs back at the knees, opening her wide to him, gave her a hungry look, and slowly pushed his cock inside her.

He stretched her with his size, but every pull of her vaginal muscles sizzled her nerves. Every slow thrust was a long, erotic pull at all her senses, every movement of his hips a choreographed part of the sensual dance they were doing. Because she couldn’t touch him with her hands, it only enhanced each and every flare of nerves, the heavy pulse rocketing through her.

Unable to hold back, she moved her legs and wound them around his waist, digging her heels into his back, silently urging him to move faster, faster. She was stretched out on a rack of pleasure, her body so taut she thought it would snap, yet at the same time, a soft cloud of pleasure wrapped itself around her. Everything ceased to exist except the two of them, his big body over hers, his thick, hard cock sliding in and out of her in slow, sensual strokes, and the tiny quivers in the walls of her pussy that were building slowly to something much more intense.

The climax caught her totally unawares, breaking over her with the fierceness of a volcano. Chance’s body tensed above her, stiffening, before he dipped his head and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. They rocked together, an erotic dance that pushed her deeper into the fiery explosion, made her body shake and every nerve fire as if a match had been touched to it. Using her legs she levered herself more tightly against him, pulled him into her as deeply as she could and rode out the storm, shaking and shivering and crying his name.

Chapter Four

Molly poured herself a cup of coffee and carried it to the window, watching the activity in the corral and the yard next to the big barn. Her father had called first thing that morning with the news that he’d bought a new bull, champion stock.

“Paid through the nose for it,” he admitted, “but it will be worth it. Took up most of my time yesterday though, so I’m staying another day to attend to some more business.” He paused. “You’ll be okay?”

She chuckled. “Daddy, I’m thirty years old. I’m not going to expire because I married an asshole and came home to lick my wounds.”

“Well, get yourself out of the house, will you? I called Chance with all the details about the bull. It’s arriving around noon. Maybe you could go out and take a look at it.”

She grinned, even though he couldn’t see her. “And do what? Say hello? I’d only be in the way. Okay, okay,” she said quickly when he started to protest. “I’ll wander outside for the big arrival. So, are you saying you won’t be home until tomorrow?”

“That’s it, Molly girl. You should get yourself into town instead of hiding inside with the television.” He paused. “Maybe Chance would grab a bite with you tonight. He’s been kind of a lone wolf since his divorce, and the two of you used to be friends, didn’t you? Don’t know why I didn’t think of this before.”

Molly had to stifle a hysterical laugh. If she and Chance hadn’t been friendly before, they certainly were now.

“I’ll see. I’m sure he has plans, but thanks for suggesting it, anyway.”

The less her father knew about her and Chance the better until she had an opportunity to see where this thing between them was going. Whatever it was.

She’d crawled home at three o’clock, insisting she needed to sleep in her own bed, sore in every muscle, including some she didn’t even know she had. Now she knew what women meant when they said they’d been well and truly fucked. Even a long, hot shower had done little to soothe her aches.

But they were pleasant aches and she wasn’t complaining about a one of them. She’d certainly never figured Chance McDaniel for a man who liked his sex rough and hard. She’d always thought of him as Mr. Clean, great in the saddle but with no frills. My, my, what a revelation last night had been. She wondered what he’d say if she told him all the things he wanted to do were the very things she’d fantasized about since she was old enough to know there was more than one position to have sex.

As she stood at the window, Chase rode into the barn area on his big Appaloosa, swung out of the saddle and led his horse into the barn. She waited, knowing he’d be removing the horse’s tack, then asking one of the hands to rub him down and put him in his stall. Apparently he wasn’t planning on riding out again anytime soon.

Then he was striding back out into the open, and tiny frogs began doing a jig in her stomach. Today he wore a chambray shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his muscular forearms, and jeans that even from a distance looked worn. He lifted his hat, wiped his forehead with his arm and settled the hat back on his head.

Immediately the muscles in her cunt started to quiver, moisture flooded her crotch and her breasts ached. Images from the night before flashed across her addled brain, and a pulse low in her womb began to throb with insistent need. Oh, god.

He hadn’t exactly said anything definite about seeing her again. When she’d gotten dressed to leave, he’d stepped into his jeans and walked her to her truck, pulling her in for a long, hot kiss.

“I’m not done with you yet, Molly Hayes,” he’d said in that deep, low drawl of his.

But what exactly did that mean? Would he see her again tonight? Next week? Next month? Next year?

Shut up, Molly. You sound like a lovesick teenager.

And in a way she still was that girl who’d wanted the handsome cowboy more than her next breath.

She noticed that again today two of the hands were working the new cutting horses in the pen. Well trained quarter horses were as necessary as money in the bank to a rancher. They could herd cattle and cut out calves with an efficiency that seemed effortless. Molly knew that ease came from long hours of training, like that she watched now.

Two more of the men forked hay into the back of a huge truck with heavy duty tires. When it was full, they’d drive it out to one of the pastures where cattle were fenced. People thought cows could just graze on what grew out of the ground, but Molly knew fat cattle came from specially grown hay and nutritional grain that supplemented what the cattle foraged from nature.

She was about to refill her coffee cup when she heard the rumble of a truck coming down the driveway. A shiny black cattle truck with Murdoch Cattle painted on the side pulled into the open area in front of the barn. The driver made a u-turn and stopped with the rear of the truck facing the barn opening.

The hay truck was full now, and Chance and the two hands approached the truck. The driver, a hefty man in the requisite jeans and work shirt, climbed down from the cab, shook hands with them, and they walked around the truck. They stood talking for a long time, the driver pointing frequently at the truck.

Molly’s curiosity was piqued. What could possibly take so much discussion before unloading a bull? Dumping the rest of her coffee in the sink, she squared her shoulders, opened the back door and headed out toward the barn. She stopped and took a moment to inhale the air, the scents she’d grown up with and loved more than any perfume on the market—hay, cattle, horseflesh, sweat and sunshine. She drew the aroma deep into her lungs, wondering why no one had ever blended it for aromatherapy.

As she approached the truck, Chance walked back into the barn, returning with a coiled rope in his hand. Was the steer so ornery they had to rope him to get him into place?

“All I know,” he was telling the man, “is Mr. Hayes said if anything happened to this bull, we’d all be looking for new jobs.”

The driver nodded slowly. “Told me the same thing. I drove this truck here like I had a baby riding sidesaddle.”

“All right, then,” he said. “Let’s get it done.”

The bull stomped as the truck was opened, the ramp lowered and the chute rails extended. Chance whirled his rope through the air almost before Molly realized he’d raised a hand. The noose landed on the horns of the snorting bull who stared at everyone with wide eyes. The other two hands stood by on either side of the bull, ready to assist at a moment’s notice.

“He’s got good manners,” the driver said, “for all his orneriness. You talk nice to him and he might just walk inside like a real gentleman.”

“We’ve got his stall ready for him,” Chance said. “Let’s give it a whirl.”

Watching cattle unloaded was far from a novelty for Molly. What fascinated her this time was seeing how Chance handled it, speaking in soft tones to the massive bull, keeping a tight grip on the rope but not pulling or tugging. Everyone was sweating, and she didn’t think it was just from the heat of the sun. If more than two thousand pounds of an angry Santa Gertrudis bull got loose, there’d be seventeen kinds of hell to pay.

This was the first time Molly had seen Chance do anything but rope, herd, brand and menial chores around the ranch. His confidence with the bull amazed her. Tension was evident in every line of his body yet he continued to speak to the bull as if coaxing a small child.

Just when she thought they’d have to resort to something else, the bull stepped out of the truck, down the ramp, and allowed Chance and the other two men to lead him into the barn. He looked for all the world like a king descending from the throne. In moments, the stall door slammed shut, and the driver let out his breath in a whoosh of sound. Chance came strolling out of the barn in his loose-hipped gait, once again wiping sweat from his face.

He held out his hand to the driver, who had just finished closing up the truck. “Thanks. You delivered him in good shape.”

“No problem. Glad he’s your problem now, not mine.” He climbed into his truck, cranked over the big diesel engine and pulled away up the driveway.

Molly was staring after the truck when she heard the crunch of gravel behind her.

“Slumming with the hired help?”

She spun around, anger heating her cheeks. “Excuse me?”

The smile on Chance’s face disappeared, and he held up a hand. “Whoa. Sorry. Just making a joke. And apparently not a very good one.”

“Is that how you see me?” she demanded. “Is that how you think I see you? Because if it is…”

“Stop.” He took a step closer.

For a second, Molly thought he was going to kiss her, but he simply put his hands on her shoulders. Heat simmered in his eyes, but his face was dead serious.

“Sometimes my sense of humor gets me in trouble, Molly. Forget I made that stupid remark, okay?” He lifted a hand and brushed a stray wisp of hair from her face. “Can I redeem myself by asking you for a return engagement? Tonight?”

Tonight? Her heart kicked into double time.

“Um, yes. Tonight. That would be…nice.”

“Oh, trust me, sugar. It will be a lot more than nice.”

She looked over his shoulder and saw the two hands emerge from the barn, heading toward the hay truck.

But her temper that had risen at his remark was still lurking beneath the surface and she couldn’t help biting back at him. “Aren’t you afraid your cowboys will think you’re making nice with the boss’s daughter?”

Anger streaked across his face like a sweep of wind, then disappeared.

“Let’s get something straight right now.” He clenched his hands into fists. “I don’t need to romance you to get ahead on this ranch. I’ve worked my ass off for nearly fourteen years to get this job and I’ve earned every hour of it. And the men who work for me know that. Secondly, the fact that you’re Reuben Hayes’ daughter has more to do with how you feel about it than me. When I see you, I see a beautiful, desirable woman.”

“But—”

“Not done yet. We got something started last night, Molly, that has nothing to do with our so-called positions in life. If you want out, just tell me. Don’t conjure up excuses. Otherwise I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Her eyebrows raised. “You’re going to pick me up here? You don’t want me to, um, meet you or anything?”

He cupped her chin, ignoring the stares of the men climbing into the cab of the hay truck. “Are you ashamed of me? Do you not want people to know about us? Especially your dad”

What about us, she wanted to ask. She’d wanted this so badly for so long. And he’d said he felt the same way. But what if this burned hot and bright and flamed out? What if it fell apart? What if she really was a disaster in the bedroom and last night had just been…whatever? Where would that leave the two of them, both living on the ranch? Seeing each other every day? And her still lusting after him and knowing she’d been a big disappointment to him.

He studied her face, waiting for his answer.

She shook her head. “That’s so far from the truth it’s not even in the same book.”

His voice dropped even lower. “Was last night too much for you? Is what you know I want more than you can deal with?”

Mutely, she just shook her head.

“Then I’ll pick you up at seven. Anyway, your father’s away until tomorrow so you’ve got a reprieve, if that’s really worrying you.”

I’m worried I won’t measure up. Is that what happened with your wife?

She wet her lips. “Even if he was here, I’d still have you pick me up. Okay?”

A slow smile crawled over his face. “Okay. See you tonight. And just to ice the cake, I’ll even feed you.”

Chapter Five

Molly changed clothes three times before she was satisfied.

What difference does it make? I’ll be out of them before I can hello.

She blushed at the thought and suppressed an urge to giggle, finally settling on new jeans and an embroidered shirt.

Hair up or down? A lot of makeup or a little?

She looked at herself in the mirror in disgust.

I am what I am. He liked it last night. If he doesn’t like it tonight, too bad.

She dithered so long over whether to wait inside for him or meet him outside that the doorbell rang, making her decision for her.

“Well. Is wow enough to describe how you look?” His expression was hot and hungry, his eyes lingering on her breasts and the crotch of her jeans.

“Works for me,” she grinned, suddenly shy.

He reached for her hand. “Come on. I’ve got two good steaks just waiting to be grilled.”

A couple of the hands were just coming in from riding fences when he ushered her up into the cab of his truck. Chance waved at them casually but kept his attention focused on her.

“Ranch gossip spreads fast,” she reminded him.

He reached over and squeezed her thigh. “No big deal. I’m not trying to hide anything.” He slid a quick glance at her. “Are you?”

Was she?

She let out a long, slow breath. “Nope. Not me, either.”

His hand touching her relaxed. “Good. So let ’em talk.”

During the ride to his house, she kept trying to think of something to say, but Chance, sensing her nervousness, turned on the radio and began to hum along with the tune.

Finally, he took one of her hands in his, squeezing gently. “You can still change your mind, Molly. I’ll understand. And no hard feelings.” He grinned. “If you’ll pardon the pun.”

She had the sense that, for whatever reason, he was as nervous about this as she was, and that made her relax a little.

“If I wanted to change my mind I would have done it last night,” she told him. She tilted her head a little to get a better look at his face. “Don’t tell me you’re nervous.”

He shrugged. When he spoke, his voice was flat. Uninflected. “Sometimes you just never can tell about women.”

Okay. Was this the ex-wife thing again? She decided silence would be her best answer.

“I have beer and wine,” he told her when they were inside his house. “What’s your choice?”

“Actually, I think I’d like a beer.”

He pulled two bottles from the fridge, opened them and handed one to her.

“I’d have thought after Houston your taste ran more to wine than anything.”

“You brought me a beer last night,” she reminded him.

He shrugged. “That was Rusty’s. The best thing they serve is beer.”

He tilted his bottle and she touched hers to it. They each took a long swallow, watching the other carefully.

Chance blew out a breath. “Screw it.” He took her beer and set it on the counter next to his then drew her into his arms. “Come here, Molly. I’ve been waiting all day for this.”

His mouth was hot on hers, first light then heavy, his tongue tracing the outline before licking the seam. She opened for him willingly, letting his tongue inside. It danced everywhere like a wild flame, scorching every surface. Heat surged through her body, soaking her already damp crotch and sending a tingling sensation to her breasts. What exactly was it about Chance McDaniel that he could make her explode with just a simply touch?

One hand clasped her head, holding it in place, while another splayed against her ass, pulling her hard against his swollen cock. She pressed her hips into him, rubbing herself back and forth against the thick shaft that threatened the burst free from his jeans at any moment.

Chance broke the kiss, trailing his lips across her cheek and finding the tender spot beneath her ear. He licked it gently, sending shivers dancing along her spine. His teeth nibbled lightly at the lobe of her ear, then scraped the column of her neck.

“I think dinner might have to wait,” he murmured, his lips at the hollow of her throat. “I need my appetizer first. And I can’t wait.”

His hands make fast work of her clothes. Tonight he was much faster removing her clothes, stripping her quickly as he kissed her mouth, her neck, the swell of her breasts. She toed off her shoes and kicked them to the side as he pulled her jeans and thong down her legs. His warm hand palmed her pussy and one lean finger explored her folds.

“God, you’re so wet already,” he breathed.

He inserted one finger and she rocked back and forth on it.

“Jesus, Molly, you just do it to me.”

Reaching his hands to cup her ass, he lifted her and, in one fluid motion, laid her out on the kitchen table, brushing the newspapers on it to the floor. Bending her knees back, he exposed her cunt to his gaze, all but licking his lips.

“Do you every play with toys, Molly?” he asked, his breathing uneven.

“T-Toys?” Did he want to know about her vibrator? How could she admit to something so personal?

“Yeah, toys.” He slid his tongue the length of her slit and looked up at her with her juices glistening on his mouth. “I like toys. All kinds of toys. Ever try Ben Wah balls, for example? Or a vibrating butterfly?” Desire darkened his face. “I’ve even got one I can control with a remote. Ever try them?”

Quick pulse beats thudded through her, waking up that dark desire coiled low in her belly. The throbbing in her pussy increased in intensity. She wanted to ask him a million questions about what he was saying, but her tongue seemed stuck to the roof of her mouth.

He lapped at her again, drew a line from her clit to her navel then up to the valley between her breasts.

“I think I’ve been holding onto them just waiting for you, sugar. Yes, I’d have to say that’s what I’ve been doing.”

He put his lips over her clit again, tugging on it and nipping lightly with his teeth. Little mewling sounds came out of her mouth, sounds that turned deeper when Chance bent to his task in earnest. There was no area of her pussy he left untouched by his mouth. Every inch was thoroughly licked, thoroughly tasted, thoroughly nipped and nibbled. When at last he thrust his stiffened tongue inside and began to fuck her with it, she had to clench her hands to withstand the explosion of sensations.

She wanted to come. Needed to come. But Chance again teased and played, taking her right there and then backing off until she was sure she couldn’t stand it one more minute. She heard herself sobbing and pleading with him. Her hands reached for his head, tugging on his hair.

Finally, finally, he thrust his tongue one last time, pinched her clit, hard, and she exploded, pouring into his mouth. He held her as she convulsed, spasms rocking her, shaking her. He sucked her dry, staying with her through all the aftershocks, until she lay spent and gasping.

When he moved so his face was close to hers, she could see her cream on his mouth and chin. And when he kissed her, she tasted herself, a tart yet sweet taste that threatened to arouse her all over again.

He brushed light kisses on her mouth, then straightened. “Don’t move. That’s an order. I’ll be right back.”

She wasn’t sure she could have moved, anyway, but she lay there, eyes closed, wondering what he was doing. She opened her eyes when she heard his boots on the hardwood floor. His smile was both sexy and predatory as he held up a small box.

“A little treat for you, sugar.” He opened the box and removed two smooth metal balls connected by a thin string of some sort. “Ben Wah balls. Ever seen them? Used them?”

Used them? Boyd probably would have laughed her out of the bedroom. But she certainly knew about them from all her surfing on the Internet. She’d figured at least she could learn about these things, toys to enhance sexual satisfaction, even if she had no one to use them with.

Her eyes widened when she looked at the metal balls. “Where did you get them? Are they…” No. she couldn’t ask him if he’d bought them when he was married. She clamped her lips together.

“Are they what, Molly? Believe it or not, I bought these for you. Just for you.”

She stared at him. “Since last night? But…”

He stroked a thigh, his fingertips light as feathers. Her inner muscles clenched.

“When the time is right I’ll tell you how long I’ve had them. And why. Last night I told you I’d been waiting a long time to be with you and I meant it. But for tonight, we’re just going to enjoy everything. All right?” He dusted his fingers over her nipples. “Are we good to go?”

Yes, yes, yes!

She wanted to shout it at him, but she settled for a nod. She wanted to ask him why they couldn’t discuss what he’d said right now, but with the ribbon of arousal winding through her, she couldn’t even form words, much less think.

He touched one of the tiny balls with a fingertip. “These here are extra special. They have a tiny vibrating tongue inside them for extra stimulation.” He bent and placed an open-mouthed kiss on her pussy, then straightened again. “Hold your knees, Molly, and pull them back to your chest. I promise you’ll love this.” He dropped his voice. “It’s all for your pleasure, sugar.”

She felt the coolness of the metal as he inserted the balls into her vagina, pushing them with his finger to seat them properly inside her. When he was finished, he took her hand and helped her off the table, giving her another brief but hot kiss. The tiny balls shifted inside her.

“It feels…strange,” she told him.

“A good strange?” he asked.

“Yes. Good. I think.”

He grinned, a hungry look on his face. “Walk across the room for me, Molly. Tell me what happens.”

She hadn’t taken more than four steps before she felt the balls sliding back and forth and tiny vibrations shimmering through her cunt. She had to stop and steady herself.

“Ohmigod!” She turned to look at him. “They make me feel…tingly.”

One corner of his mouth tilted up. “Tingly?”

“You know…” She was too embarrassed to actually tell him if she walked around with them long enough, she’d probably come without him even touching her.

But just like last night, he wasn’t letting her off the hook. “I want the words, Molly.” He walked over to stand in front of her, hands on her shoulders. “Does it make you want to have an orgasm? To climax?”

She nodded.

“Say it.”

“They make me want to come,” she whispered.

“I like to hear you say the words. It makes me hot.” He kissed her. “Now I think it’s time for me to grill the steaks.” He winked. “You can toss the salad.”

Her jaw dropped. “You want me to walk around with these…things in me? Fix a salad naked?” she glanced at the table. “Eat dinner where I just…we just…”

He nodded. “I do. Got a problem with that?”

She knew he was just waiting for her to object to something. And she sensed it wasn’t in an effort to humiliate her. This was some kind of test, and she didn’t plan to fail it. She smiled at him, although it was a bit shaky what with the vibrations humming insistently in her cunt.

“No problem.”

“Okay.” He let out a breath. “Salad fixings are in the fridge. I started the grill before I went to pick you up so it should be just about ready.”

If Molly could find one word to describe the dinner, it was interesting. For one thing, she was completely naked while Chance was still fully clothed making dark, erotic images flash through her mind. Every time she lowered her eyes to the surface of the table, it reminded her that they were eating on the very surface on which he’d just brought her to climax with his mouth. And just to disrupt her concentration even more, whenever she shifted in her seat, the little balls bumped together and the metal tongues inside them set off a fresh wave of sensations.

Chance ate his steak and drank his beer, keeping up a running conversation about nothing, but his eyes never left her nipples, which by now were so hard and swollen she wished he’d put his mouth on them and relieve the pressure. She wasn’t sure exactly how she ate anything at all, but at last Chance rose to clear the plates away and stack everything in the sink.

She was standing there, rinsing them off, when she sensed him behind her and felt a quick slap on her ass, a stinging that radiated through to her thighs and her pussy and sent those erotic little balls rolling around. Immediately her body was caught in the grip of a minor orgasm, every part of her shaking as her cunt muscles clenched and clenched and clenched.

“Oh, god.”

Molly gripped the counter tightly and closed her eyes, letting the spasms take her completely. Memories of last night and the spanking blossomed in her brain. Chance’s hand landed on her ass one more time. Then another.

“How does that feel, Molly?” His voice was thick and deep, like warm honey. “You like that, don’t you. God knows, I love making that pretty ass turn bright pink. It makes my dick so hard I’m afraid it might break.”

Once more, his hand came down on the cheeks of her buttocks. Each time his hand made contact the heat streaked directly to her cunt. The little Ben Wah balls bumped each other with each convulsion, the tongues inside them adding to the quaking inside her.

He moved up behind her, his body pressed against her, his hands reaching around to cup her breasts.

“I love your breasts,” he hummed. “See how they fit so nicely in my hands? And these nipples. God.”

His thumbs rubbed her taut buds and sensation streaked right to her cunt. The quivering escalated, her muscles gripping and releasing the Ben Wah balls with a rhythmic cadence. She squeezed her thighs together and leaned back against Chance’s solid body.

“Oh, yeah, squeeze those nice thighs like that. I love it when you come like that, Molly. Love to see it, feel it ripple through your body.”

He licked the tender spot where her neck and shoulder joined, then bit down lightly, sending a fresh spate of cream erupting from her pussy and a last ripple of aftershocks.

She was spent, yet at the same time, just like the night before, still craving more. How was that even possible?

Chance scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hallway to his bedroom. Tonight the lamp was already on, bathing both of them in its warm, amber glow. He stood her on her feet and bent his head for another deep kiss, his hands busy with the snaps of his shirt and the buckle of his belt. Molly wondered how he’d managed to get himself completely naked without ever breaking contact. But there he was, the hair on his chest rubbing sensuously against her nipples and his magnificent erection prodding at her as if it had a mind of its own.

He cupped her face with his warm hands, his eyes boring into hers.

“You sure you’re okay with all this, Molly?” Was that just the hint of unsteadiness in his voice? “It’s important to me that you are.”

She tried to read the emotion in his eyes. “Chance, are you all right with this? Is there some reason you keep asking me the same question?”

His mouth whispered over hers. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this, Molly Hayes. I don’t want to do anything to frighten you off.”

Warmth coursed through her. “You could never frighten me. I want whatever you want.” She wet her lips. “Maybe I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, too.”

“Have you?” His lips were still so close to hers his words echoed in the well of her mouth.

“Yes,” she hissed, desire building inside her again. “So touch me. Do whatever you want. Just do it. Please.”

Chapter Six

All those stories she’d heard from friends, all the ones she’d read in books, flooded her brain. Whatever he had in mind, she wanted it.

“Last night I told you I wanted to fuck you in the ass. Do you remember?” As if to emphasize his words, he ran his hands over the globes of her buttocks, his thick erection prodding the soft swell of her tummy.

“I remember.” She could barely get the words out as dark thoughts flooded her mind. Oh, yes, she wanted his cock there. The thought of it sent delicious shivers racing through her.

“We need to get you good and ready though, sugar. I don’t want to hurt you, and I’ll bet my best horse you’re tighter than a drum back here.” His fingers trailed through the crevice between the cheeks of her buttocks. “No one’s ever fucked your ass before, have they.”

It wasn’t a question. Molly ducked her head, ashamed of her pitiful sexual history.

“Hey, hey, hey!” He tilted up her chin. “I’m glad, okay? This will all be special between us.”

His kiss was soft and tender, but desire simmered beneath the surface and his cock flexed against her. Then, with fluid grace, he lifted her to the bed and arranged her on her hands and knees. She felt the soft brush of his lips on her ass, then the welcome heat of his slap on the still heated skin.

“Jesus, Molly.” His breath hissed out. “Spanking your ass is something I could get used to doing real easy. Maybe one of these times I’ll tie you to the bedpost and just spank you til you come.” Slap! “Would you like that, darlin’?”

Oh, lordy! Just the thought of it set up the tremors in her cunt again.

Chance’s finger traced the line of her slit, and she heard him suck in his breath.

“Holy hell, sugar. You are wetter than Morgan’s Creek.” One finger slid inside her, and she pushed back on it, muscles clamping around it. “Oh, yeah. Real juicy. You love those spankings, don’t you? My kind of woman.” He dragged a fingertip up to the tight opening of her anus and pressed lightly against it. “Now we have to work on you here. Don’t move, Molly. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

She bit her lower lip, waiting impatiently for him to touch her again. The little balls rolled against each other each time she moved, sending shards of pleasure through her already stimulated cunt.

Molly nearly jumped when she felt Chance’s warm, work-roughened palm on her ass again.

“Relax, sugar.” He placed soft kisses on her skin. “You don’t know how much spanking that gorgeous butt of yours and watching it turn a beautiful shade of red turns me on. But I’ve got something else to make you feel good. You’ll love this, I promise, but you have to relax.”

“Relax?” How could she possibly relax? She tried to crane her head around to see what he was doing. “What have you got there?”

“It’s a butt plug, to help stretch you a little. Get you ready for me.” He moved his hand so she could see what he was holding. It resembled an extra thick dildo with soft flanges at its widest point. She’d secretly wondered what one would feel like inside her. Now it seemed she was going to find out.

“Last little tap here, sugar.” Chance smacked her lightly, then licked the warm spot with his tongue. “Now comes the toy. Got to make sure you’re ready for me when we get to this.” He leaned over her again, his mouth close to her ear. “And I promise you, Molly, we will get to it.”

“Mmmm,” was all she could say.

“The last thing in the world I want is to cause you pain.” He paused. “Bad pain, I mean. Good pain is…really good. Really good. So. We’re doing this right. And you’ll love how this feels inside you.” He paused. “Okay?”

“Yes.” She was breathless with the anticipation now that maybe finally, finally, she would get to experience all those things she’d secretly hungered for. Only she wished he’d just get to it. What was with all the talking? All these questions? Chance certainly seemed like a man who knew what he was doing. Why was he so worried about her reaction?

Get on with it.

Then she swallowed a laugh. Proper Molly Hayes desperate to fall into a whirlpool of eroticism? If Chance only knew.

He smoothed his hand over the curve of her ass again, caressing it with slow, even strokes. Just his touch sent the little balls in her pussy bumping into each other again and tremors skittered over her like dancing butterflies. He placed another soft kiss on the tender skin at the same time his finger probed into her rectum, pressing a cool gel into the tissues, rubbing it just enough to set off sparks inside her. That dark hunger that had been unfolding inside her blossomed into full blown need, and icy heat skittered over her skin. More gel, more probing, and all the while he murmured to her erotic words, telling her how good this would be, how much she’d love it.

He leaned over her, his mouth close to her ear. “Take in a deep breath, sugar.”

Molly felt pressure at her anus and breathed in as deeply as she could.

“Now let it out,” Chance said. “Real slow.”

As she did she felt something slowly being pushed inside her ass, something thick and smooth that stretched and burned even as it sent erotic shivers though her. And those wicked little balls began their erotic dance again.

The assault on her body was instant. Her heart raced, and her pulse hammered the blood through her veins as her pussy convulsed over and over again. Spasms shook her as a climax gripped her, shaking her and making it nearly impossible to stay on the position she was in. If Chance hadn’t caught her around the waist, she’d have fallen forward, writhing on the bed.

As last the shudders subsided, leaving her gasping for breath yet strangely still unfulfilled. She wanted Chance inside her. Now, right now.

“Oh, darlin’, you are so responsive.” His slow drawl was like molasses running uphill, thick and warm.

His wide hand splayed across her buttocks, centered over the butt plug he’d pushed inside her. His other hand reached between her thighs and stroked her pussy.

“Feel good, Molly?” His voice was rich with desire. “Loved that orgasm, sugar. And see? You’re dripping wet.” His hand smoothed over her ass again. “We’ll leave it in there for a while and take it out before you leave. I want you to put it in every morning after your shower.” He leaned over her and bit the lobe of her ear. “Another few days and you should be just about ready for me.

Her skin felt hot and cold at the same time, and the pulse in her womb drummed its insistent beat. When Chance rolled her over to her back she could feel the plug inside her, stretching her, pressing against tiny nerves. He bent her legs back and placed her hands on her knees, leaving her open to his gaze. She had never felt so exposed in her life. The sensation of the plug was so intense, the presence of the balls so powerful, she knew he could see exactly how they affected her.

“Stay just like that,” he commanded. “Don’t move.”

He kept his eyes locked on hers, watching her while he took his swollen cock in his hand and slowly stroked it from root to tip. Just looking at him doing that ramped up the desire spreading through Molly. She wet her lips with her tongue, sliding it back and forth.

“Jesus, Molly,” he breathed.

He crawled up onto the bed beside her, stretched out and maneuvered them both until he was on his back and she was between his knees. Her mouth was inches from his erection and the heavy sac of his testicles. Her mouth watered at the sight, and she itched to taste him.

“Go ahead,” he urged, reaching to stroke himself again. “Let me feel those soft lips around my cock, sugar.”

Still adjusting to the strange feeling of the plug inside her and those devilish little balls pinging her nerves, she leaned forward, wrapped her slim fingers around his shaft and licked the velvet head with the tip of her tongue. Chance jerked beneath her tongue, and a slow moan rolled up from his throat.

Chance watched her, his eyes burning with lust and desire. She swept her tongue over the plum-colored head again, and his cock flexed in her fingers. The heavy beat of his blood pulsed through the thick vein that wound around the steel-hard shaft.

“You’re killing me here,” he said, his voice rough.

“I want to take my time,” she teased, and licked again.

But then the urge to take him fully in her mouth overwhelmed her and she slid her lips slowly down the shaft, tilting her head just enough to take him deep. She deliberately let the broad head slide against the roof of her mouth as she moved her lips lower and lower.

He threaded his fingers through her hair to steady her, and suddenly the feel of his hands gripping her made her freeze. Boyd had been really big on oral sex—for him, not for her—but he’d always been so abrupt about it.

Stick that thing in your mouth, Molly. Suck it. Faster, faster. Get me off. Now.

And he’d hold her head so tightly his fingers dug into her scalp while he thrust in and out of her mouth. She had an instant image of him holding her head prisoner, fucking her mouth with a rough movement that gave her no pleasure at all. Her fingers tightened convulsively on Chance then opened and dropped away. She jerked her head back, her teeth scraping the length of his shaft, making him jump.

His eyes widened, a questioning look in them. “What is it, Molly? What’s wrong? We don’t have to do this if you don’t like it.”

She bit her lip. “It’s not that. I really want to. It’s just that…”

“Just that what?” he prompted.

She looked away from him. “Could you…not hold my head?”

“Ahh.” She heard awareness in his voice. “Bad flashback?”

She nodded, still unable to look at him.

“Molly.” He sat up with a slow, fluid movement. Two fingers beneath her chin turned her head toward him.”

“Look at me, sugar.”

She shook her head again.

“Look at me, Molly.” His voice was firm, gentle and demanding at the same time.

She raised her gaze to his face, afraid of what she’d see there. But the only expression was one of concern.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Please don’t be sorry. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” He kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks. “Molly, I want to do everything with you. Things we haven’t even discussed.” He put his lips to her ear and whispered, “I want to tie you to my bed and eat you until you can’t come anymore. But I don’t want to force you into anything.”

“You’re not. Honestly.”

“Listen, maybe we should just call it a night. Let things go.”

“No.” She shook her head vigorously. “I want to do this, Chance. I want to do everything with you. Could you just…not hold my head?”

For a moment he said nothing. Then he tilted her face up again and brushed his mouth against hers. “Yes. I can do that for you.”

She grinned at him, then playfully shoved at his chest. “Then lay back down on those pillows right now, cowboy.”

She noticed that Chance now kept his hands deliberately at his sides as she took him in her mouth again. As thick as he was, he filled her completely, leaving little room for her tongue to maneuver around. Still she managed to tickle the sides of his shaft as she drew him in deep, again rubbing him against the roof of her mouth.

One hand cupped his balls, tickling the soft skin of the sac. Sitting as she was on her heels, the broad plug filling her dark channel rubbed inside her every time she shifted. If she twisted her body just right, it moved in an erotic rhythm as she worked her magic on Chance’s cock. She forgot about Boyd, forgot about bad memories, and was completely lost in a sensual fog, her focus only on the plug doing its thing in her rectum and the thick shaft swelling even more in her mouth.

“Molly.”

Was that Chance? Why was he saying anything?

“Molly, sugar, please.” His hands touched her shoulders, lightly first then gripping harder.

She stopped the movement of her head and hands, blinked and looked at him as if in a haze.

“What? What’s wrong? Am I doing—”

“You’re doing fine.” His voice sounded strained. “Too fine. I’d love to come in your mouth, but we’ll save that for another time. Right now, I want to be inside your pussy. Okay?”

Reluctantly she released her hold on him. “Okay,” she answered in a shaky voice, giving his cock one final swipe with her tongue.

Chance raised himself up, lifted her from where she knelt between his thighs and in seconds she was flat on her back, looking up at him.

“Molly.” His mouth was barely an inch from hers, his eyes filled with a raging heat boring into hers. “Will you let me tie your hands? To the headboard?”

She blinked, remembering one of the books she’d read that described a scene like that. She’d be completely at his mercy but…But he wasn’t Boyd and she needed to keep remembering that. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak as a delicious shaft of heat speared though her.

“Don’t move,” he told her.

He left the bed only long enough to open his closet, reach inside and pull out two ties. Then he was back, winding the soft material around each wrist, pulling her hands back over her head and tying the fabric to the spindles in the headboard. The heat in his eyes burned even brighter and his breath came faster.

“You know I’d never hurt you, right?” he asked, the fire dimmed slightly by a touch of uncertainty. “It’s just, this is the way I like sex. And there are so many different things to explore.” He licked the surface of her lips lightly. “But all you have to do is tell me to stop and that’s it.”

She looked at him for a long time, his warm breath fanning across her cheeks, his big hands cradling her cheeks, a look of such earnest desire on his face it pulled at her heart.

Now or never, Molly girl. It’s what you wanted and never had, right?

“I want it all with you,” she said, putting everything she felt into her words.

“Good. Because everything I have to give, I’m giving to you.”

Then he was between her thighs, spreading them wide, lapping at her slit, licking her cream. His teeth tugged at her clit, the tip of his tongue teasing at it. His thumbs pressing the lips of her pussy open were setting off rockets inside her. She’d never thought the feeling of helplessness created by her position would be so stimulating but being in the power of someone she trusted was an incredible aphrodisiac.

She tried to hitch her hips at him, silently urging him to hurry, hurry, hurry.

Chance laughed softly, the sound vibrating through the walls of her cunt. “You taste so good I could eat you forever.” The muscles in his face tightened. “But if I don’t get inside you pretty soon, I might self-destruct.”

His slid two long fingers inside her wet channel, probing gently until he found the string connecting the two Ben Wah balls. Gently he pulled them from her body, letting them bump and drag against tiny nerves along the way. Just like that, she felt another orgasm building.

Chance tossed the little balls to the side, pulled a condom from the nightstand drawer and sheathed himself with one hand. He took a moment to look down at her, drinking in the sight of her stretched out before him, hands bound, the plug nestled in her ass, her face flushed with pleasure, body quivering with anticipation. He’d wanted this for so long. Longer than he’d even admitted to himself. The young girl had grown into a desirable woman, lush and tempting. And he wasn’t able to resist that temptation.

Spreading her wide, he positioned the head of his cock at the entrance to her cunt and slowly pushed inside her. The plug narrowed her channel and made the fit tight. So tight his balls drew up and his blood pounded hard as his own climax spiraled up from deep inside his body. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and called up every bit of control he had.

Not yet, not yet, not yet.

Letting out a slow breath, he bent forward and captured a nipple in his mouth, tugging on it and sucking it deeply. Molly’s cunt muscles quivered around the thickness of his shaft and her breathing was rapid. He could almost see her heart beating against her ribs. He moved to the other nipple, giving it equal treatment, trying to prolong everything.

But it was so tight—so tight—inside that hot little pussy, the plug pushing against him from the other side of the thin membrane—he just lost it. His hips pistoned as if of their own accord, pounding into her with jackhammer speed and force. Again, again, again. Delicious little noises crawled out of her throat, and she tugged on her restraints as her hips rose up to meet his.

When she threw her legs around him and dug her heels into the small of his back, he was lost. They fell over the edge together, whirling in a black velvet void surrounded by a barrage of fireworks. He knew nothing except the pulsing of his cock and the clenching of her muscles around him.

At last he drew in a shuddering breath, opened his eyes and looked down at her, delightfully spent, exhausted from the intensity of their lovemaking. Very carefully he withdrew from her and moved off the bed on shaky legs. Disposing of the condom, he padded back into the bedroom to release her restraints. Crawling onto the bed beside her, he wrapped his body around her, one hand cradling a breast.

“Stay with me tonight,” he whispered. “Wake up with me in the morning.”

When she hesitated, he tensed. What was she worried about? Had he pushed her too far? Would she turn out to be just like…

She released a small sigh. “All right. But you have to make the coffee in the morning.”

He chuckled as relief swept over him. “It’ll have to be early. My boss gets pissed if I’m late for the job.”

She put her small hand over his where it lay on her breast. “And I don’t think it would do me any good to plead your case. So, okay. Early is good.”

He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and pulled her closer to his body. He had even more ideas for Molly Hayes in his bedroom. He just hoped she’d be all right with them.

His last thought as he drifted off was that he might have to go to Houston and beat the shit out of that asshole ex of hers.

Chapter Seven

The ranch was just beginning to come to life when Chance and Molly drove in shortly after six the following morning. The yard was filled with men cranking up the day’s routine.

The hay truck was being loaded for another run, cattle in the near pasture were bawling their welcome to the day and two of the hands were just heading off to ride fence. Today, rather than using their horses, they rode out in an all terrain vehicle. Maintaining the fences was a never-ending job. One break and thousands of dollars worth of cattle could be lost or injured.

The men in the yard stopped what they were doing to stare at them with curiosity.

“I’d say we’re definitely out of the bag now,” Molly pointed out. “Although I’m sure the two guys last night have already passed the word, anyway.”

“Good.” Chance came around to open her door for her. “Less competition for me. Let’s make sure they know the score.”

He lifted her down from the cab, pulled her against his body and gave her a hard, deep kiss. His tongue probed her mouth, dueling with hers, and his hands cupped the cheeks of her ass, pressing her against him. When he released her, she was breathless. A couple of the men watching were brave enough to let loose with a couple of wolf whistles.

“Be ready tonight at seven,” he told her, then stared into her eyes. “That okay?”

Molly nodded. “Seven it is.” Already her body was stirring at the thought of what new things he had in store for her.

“And don’t forget what to do with that little toy I gave you.” He touched her purse where he’d placed the butt plug.

Heat flooded her face. “I won’t.”

“Okay. Got to get to work. You’re father will be home before long, and I sure don’t want him to think I’m taking advantage.” He said it with a grin, but it rubbed Molly the wrong way.

“Let’s get something straight right now, okay?”

Chance frowned. “What?”

“Last night you said you didn’t have to kiss up to me for your job. That you earned it and worked damn hard at it, right?”

He nodded, still frowning.

“Then don’t make jokes about who I am. Please? Whatever happens with us, Chance, your place here is whatever you make it, not what happens because of me.”

His face sobered at once. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. What I feel for you has nothing to do with who you are. At all.”

She studied his face. “And what do you feel for me, Chance?”

He just grinned. “See you at seven.” And he walked away toward the barn.

Well, that got her nothing. Except a really hot kiss.

Molly smiled and waved to the men as she mounted the steps to the back porch. She was fully aware, though, that regardless of what both of them said, neither could predict Reuben Hayes’ reaction to this situation. She just hoped it would be a blessing rather than a curse. And she wondered if Chance would mention it to him or leave it up to her.

On her way through the kitchen, she grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee from the big pot their housekeeper, Josefina, kept filled all day. Checking the clock on the stove, she estimated her father would be home before too long. Even on business trips he was an early riser and their financial situation allowed him the luxury of his own place, his own landing strip and his own hangar.

“Just makes good sense to be efficient about travel,” he pointed out frequently.

She took her time showering, letting the hot water soothe all the sore places in her body. She hated washing away Chance’s scent on her skin, but she sure couldn’t go around smelling like sex all day. She spent extra time washing her hair and grooming her body, although she planned to take a hot soak in the tub before dressing for tonight.

There was a moment of confusion as she stared at the plug she’d pulled from her purse, trying to figure out just how she was going to do what Chance wanted. But she covered it generously with lube, as he had done, found herself a good position and slowly pushed it inside.

She had just pulled on fresh jeans and a T-shirt when she heard the back door slam and her father’s voice booming up the stairs.

“Molly? I’m home. Come on down and have a cup of coffee with me.”

He was sitting at the table in the breakfast room, his big legs stretched out in front of him and a mug cradled in his hands when she came downstairs.

“Have a good trip?” She kissed him on the cheek, then went to refill her own mug.

“If you saw that bull then you know I did.” He sipped his coffee, waiting for her to join him at the table.

His silence made her nervous. Normally she couldn’t get him to shut up.

“Great looking bull,” she agreed at last, desperate to find out if someone had dropped her bombshell on him. She didn’t have long to wait.

“So. Seems like you took my advice to get out right to heart.”

“And you say that because?” She blew on the hot liquid.

“Don’t play coy with me, missy. Understand you spent the night at Chance McDaniel’s.”

“Oh. I guess you’ve already been plugged into the ranch gossip line.” Of course.

“Not at all. Chance himself came up and told me about it. Said he didn’t want me to hear about from someone else. That there wasn’t anything to hide.” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “That right?”

Warmth surged through her at the realization that Chance had been so upfront with her father about their growing relationship. Molly set her mug down carefully, choosing her next words.

“Daddy, I’m thirty years old. I’ve been married and divorced. I didn’t think I needed your permission to have a sleepover.”

Reuben gave her a long, slow look. “That’s right. You don’t. But you’re coming off a bad situation and I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing. That it’s not some knee jerk reaction.” He paused. “Besides. Chance has had his own troubles, you know.”

I’d know more if I could get him to talk about it.

She clamped down on her irritation. “Who are you more worried about? Chance or me?”

“Both of you.” He leaned forward and placed one of his meaty hands over her small one. “You’re my only child, Molly, no matter how old you are. With your mama gone, I feel a dual responsibility. But Chance McDaniel is one damn fine young man, responsible and a hard worker. I can’t say it wouldn’t please me to see the two of you together, but I’d hate for something to happen to screw that up for either of you.”

She found a smile for him. “Don’t worry. We’re both adults and we both know what we’re doing.” I think. “And it’s going to be all right.” I hope.

“Okay, then.” He pushed back his chair and stood up. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Chance. If there turns out to be a problem, work it out like the adults you tell me you are.” He rinsed his cup, set it in the sink and lifted his hat off the counter. “I’d better get out there and see to that bull.” He started to open the back door, then stopped. “You know, Molly, there’s a place for you here at the ranch if you want it.”

“Oh?” She grinned. “I guess you can always use an extra hand around the barn.”

His face darkened with momentary anger. “Don’t sell yourself short. You didn’t get that fancy education to shovel horse shit. John Trammel wants to retire and move to Arizona where the rest of his family is. Hayes Ranch could sue a smart brain as the ranch manager.”

She stared at him, stunned. For one thing, John had been running the ranch for her father—at least the business end—for as long as she could remember. For another, he’d never once said anything about her being a part of this operation.

She was so startled for a moment she couldn’t think. “You actually want me to be part of the ranch operation?”

He sighed. “Molly, you’re my only child. All that’s left of our family. You’ve worked as hard as the men and know about all there is to know. If I’d thought you were interested, I’d have talked to you about this when you got your fancy degree.”

“Why didn’t you?” she asked, curious.

“Timing,” was all he said. “But I’m not getting any younger, and I want to make sure the ranch is in good hands. Chance McDaniel has probably turned out to be the best foreman around, but someone’s got to pay attention to the paperwork and details. It doesn’t appear you’re in a hurry to get anywhere now so I thought…”

“I don’t know what to say.” And what would Chance think about this? If he was intending to make their relationship permanent, working together like that would be far too uncomfortable.

“Think it over,” he said, as if reading her mind, “and see where this thing goes with Chance. You feel like you’re interested, we’ll sit down and work it out.”

Then he was gone, leaving her sitting in her chair in a cloud of astonishment.

****

Molly had chosen not to hang around the ranch all day, worried that Chance would think she was dogging him, so she’d taken herself off to San Antonio, deciding to do some clothes shopping. Everything she owned reminded her of Boyd and Houston, and she wondered if she shouldn’t just burn it all. It was close to six by the time she got back and Chance’s truck was still parked near the barn. Was he working late? Had he changed his mind about tonight? Had her father talked him out of it?

She shut off her chatterbox brain and headed upstairs for the hot soak she’d promised herself. She reinserted the plug and pulled on a tiny lacy thong, part of her shopping expedition. No bra. She could be bold, too. Selecting a new pair of jeans and tank top from one of her shopping bags, she looked out of her bedroom window. Yup, Chance’s truck was still there. Giving her hair one last fluff, she turned over all the options available and made some contingency plans.

At seven when Chance knocked on the back door, she was waiting for him. He was covered with dust, his already scuffed boots were even more banged up and his face had smears where he’d wiped sweat. He grinned apologetically.

“I’m sorry, Molly. Time got away from us—”

She held up a hand. “Stop. I was raised on a ranch, remember? I know how that happens. We’re good as long as you aren’t here to cancel on me.”

He shook his head. “Never that. But I need to shower and I haven’t done a damn thing about dinner.”

She winked. “Then isn’t it a good thing I took care of that.” She lifted a covered foil pan from the counter. “Josefina’s enchiladas. I filched them from the freezer. All we have to do is heat them in the oven.”

His grin showed off his even, white teeth. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

Her heart stuttered.

It’s just an expression, Molly. Don’t get your panties in a twist.

“No, but I’ll give you plenty of opportunity. I’m ready.”

They’d barely pulled out of the ranch driveway before Chance said, “I let your father know about us this morning.”

“He told me. That’s good, Chance. I don’t want to feel we have to hide this—whatever this is.”

“I agree.” He rested his hand on her thigh. “And to be honest, Molly, I don’t know what this is yet, either, but I damn sure want to find out.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

His hand tightened slightly as he tensed, then relaxed again. “Sure. Go ahead.”

“Night before last, at Rusty’s. Were you just looking to take me home for a tumble in the hay?”

He was silent for so long she wondered if she’d made a mistake asking him that.

“It was never about that, Molly,” he said at last. “I hadn’t planned to say any of this until we got more…comfortable with each other, but I can’t ever remember a time I didn’t want you. Only, when I was nineteen and you were fifteen it wasn’t even near the realm of possibility.”

“But you got married,” she protested. “What about that?”

“Yeah, what about that.” He was silent again, obviously chewing it over in his mind. “There’s a lot about my marriage I need to tell you, and I will. Maybe even later tonight. The best excuse I can give is she wasn’t you.”

“And the worst?”

“That’s for later.”

The minute they reached his house, Chance headed for the shower and Molly set the pan on the counter, turning on the oven to preheat. For a few minutes she wandered around the house, listening to the faint sound of the shower running. When the buzzer sounded to tell her the oven was ready, she slid the enchiladas into it and headed toward Chance’s bedroom. Through the partly open bathroom door she could see him standing naked, towel drying his hair. His cock was semi-erect, but even in that state it was more than impressive.

With her hands trembling only slightly, Molly took off her clothes, folding them neatly and placing them on a straight-back wooden chair. Then she softly padded over to the bathroom and pushed open the door.

“Need me to finish drying you off?” she teased.

Chance lowered the towel and looked at her with eyes burning with need. He dropped the towel, pulled her against him and took her mouth in a hungry, needy kiss. His tongue traced the inside of her lips, the line of her gums, the roof of her mouth, then thrust deep inside, sweeping against her own small tongue like a marauding predator.

Molly clutched at him, pressing her body against his, rubbing her sensitive breasts against the crisp hair on his chest. His cock swelled and flexed against her softness. She loved the feel of the hard muscles in his arms and back almost as much as she loved the feel of his cock inside her.

Breathless, she broke the kiss, pulled away and turned around.

“I wore it all day.” She spread the cheeks of her ass to show him the plug. “I only took it out this afternoon for my bath, but I put it back in right away.”

“Jesus, Molly.” He ran his hand over the curve of her buttocks, fingertips touching the flange of the plug. “Just looking at that thing in you gets me so hard I could hammer nails.” He turned her so she was facing him and brushed his mouth against hers.

His soft kisses were just as erotic as the hungry ones, calling to all of her senses. How was it that this one man touched her and she opened to him like a flowers?

“I have another present for you,” he whispered against her lips.

“For me?”

“Uh huh.” His breath whispered into her mouth. “I think I want to give it to you now. That okay?”

“I like presents,” she told him. “Is it like this one?” She reached a hand back to touch her ass.

“Sort of. Come on.” He led her by the hand into the bedroom, pulled back the covers on the bed and arranged her with great care. “Spread your legs for me, sugar. Open those beautiful thighs as wide as you can and bend your knees.”

She fastened her gaze on him, watching as he took a small box from the nightstand drawer.

“That’s some busy piece of furniture you’ve got there,” she teased, trying to hide both her nervousness and anticipation.

His eyes darkened as he looked down at her. “Lots of toys for you, Molly. Think you’ll like them? You like what we do?”

Okay, enough with dancing around the issue.

“Chance, before we go any further, there’s something we have to talk about.”

His entire body tightened as if she’d dropped a noose over his head. “Oh? And what might that be?”

“You keep asking me all these questions. Do I like this? Is this okay? Am I okay with it? What’s going on here? If I didn’t like…” She waved her hand at the night stand and the box in his hand. “I’d have told you do. So what’s going on? I want to know before you give me my next little present.”

Chance let a breath out on a long, slow exhale, nudged her over and sat down beside her. “Okay, I guess you deserve answers. But fair’s fair. You have to tell me about Boyd.”

She nodded. “All right.”

“I met Sabrina my senior year in college. Truth be told, she reminded me of you in many ways.” He grimaced. “But you know what they say. There’s only one original. Anyway, we graduated, she went home to Austin and went to work and I came here to work on the ranch full time.”

“I remember when I heard you’d gotten married.”

“I took my time,” he told her. “Thought I was making sure everything was right. But I’d learned by then the things I enjoyed in the bedroom and I really didn’t want to have to pass on them. I introduced Sabrina to some of it while we were engaged and she seemed okay with them. But…”

“But?” she prompted.

“But apparently she was just reeling me in. Because once she had that ring on her finger and the honeymoon was over, she shut the door on me. Told me she hated all of this. It disgusted her. And if I loved her, I wouldn’t need any of this to—as she said—enhance our sex life.”

“So what happened?”

“You don’t need all the gory details. Just know that she never let up on me, never stopped digging at me, even when I said fine, we’d do things whatever way she wanted. But about that time I realized I really didn’t love her at all and she sure as hell didn’t love me. The last fight we had she said some things that really hurt. And then it was over.”

“So you’ve been wanting to make sure the same thing isn’t going to happen with me.”

“Doesn’t that make sense?” He brought his face close to hers. “I’d hate it if you felt the same way. I want you, Molly, and not just for one night. But I want us to want the same things in bed.”

She stroked her fingers across his cheek. “Would it shock you to know that I’ve fantasized about doing these very things with the right man? Read about them in erotic romances? Even talked to a couple of women about them? So no, Chance, none of this turns me off. Especially with you.”

She could see the level of tension decrease visibly, and the kiss he gave her held as much emotion as heat.

“Then I guess I’d better give you your present.” He opened the box and took out a beautiful metal butterfly, its multihued wings catching the light from the lamp.

“What’s that for?” she wanted to know. “You’re not going to pin something to me, are you?”

“No, sugar. You’ll love this.”

He took out a tiny tube of something from the box, squeezed a little ribbon of it onto one finger and rubbed it on the ridge of the butterfly’s spine. Then he squeezed out a little more and rubbed it into her clit. Finally, he pressed the butterfly’s wings together to open a tiny clamp in the spine and placed it on the tip of her clit.

“Now watch,” he told her.

He pulled out the last item in the box, a small black rectangle, and pushed the button on its surface. Immediately the butterfly began to hum and its wings began to flutter. The vibrations shot straight into Molly’s cunt and radiated through her body.

“Ohmigod,” she whispered.

He cupped one breast with a hand, his thumb rasping the nipple. “Feels good, doesn’t it.”

She nodded mutely.

“I love toys, Molly. And I’ve wanted to share them with you for a very long time.” He licked one nipple. “I waited and waited for you to realize you’d made a mistake with that asshole in Houston. And when you came home after he did you wrong, I began collecting these little presents, hoping that now we were both a lot older, it would be our time to use them.” He licked the other nipple. “And that it would turn you on as much as it does me.”

“Chance!” she wailed, as her body bucked under the sensations of the butterfly.

“You like that, sugar? With this little remote I can turn that butterfly on any time. Or turn it off.”

He depressed the button again and just as quickly the vibrations stopped.

Her eyes widened. “Why did you stop?”

He grinned. “Don’t want to use it all up at once.” He took one of her hands and placed it over his rigid cock. “Besides, just watching you gets me too excited. And we’ve still got dinner to eat.”

“You want to eat dinner now?”

He chuckled. “Anticipation is half the pleasure. Come on.” He helped her up from the bed and pulled on his jeans. “You get to eat naked again.”

Chapter Eight

“Why not you?” she pouted.

“Why not me what?” he asked.

“Why don’t you eat naked? I like to look at you, too.”

“Because if I don’t keep my dick in my pants, our evening may be very short lived. Come on now. The food should be just about ready.”

Tonight Chance surprised her by pulling a bottle of a nice white wine from the fridge and filling two goblets.

“Wine?” Molly asked. “I thought you were strictly a beer and bourbon drinker.”

“Hey, I have class, sugar. It’s just hard to see it sometimes for all the horse shit I’m covered in.” He brushed a kiss over her forehead as he placed the glasses on the table.

For the second night in a row, Molly sat at the table facing Chance, naked except for her earrings, the butt plug and the beautiful butterfly. And Chance might as well have been naked, his lower half concealed buy the table and above it, a feast for her eyes, his hard, muscular chest with its soft pelt of fine curls, broad shoulders, arms with rippling muscles the bespoke the ranch work he did. It was all she could do not to drool.

She wondered if this “thing” between them was going to last and if he’d always insist she eat naked? The edges of the butterfly pressed against her inner thighs, forcing her to sit with her legs slightly apart. The fabric of the seat cushion rasped against the pouty lips of her cunt, arousing her even more.

She was trying to concentrate on her food, but Chance’s next words startled her. “So tell me about Boyd the Bastard.”

Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

“You know. Your ex. At least that’s what your father calls him.”

She couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped her lips. Leave it to her father. She kept her story brief and to the point, leaving out the goriest details.

“Let me say that, just like Sabrina wasn’t me, Boyd wasn’t you. And leave it at that.”

He reached across the table and covered one of her hands with his.

“I’ll never cheat on you, Molly. Ever. And I’ll take very good care of you.”

“W-What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that as soon as I get my brain straightened out so I don’t make a mess of things, I want to talk about us. But right now, all my brain can think about is the naked woman sitting across from me and the things I can do to her with that little butterfly.”

He speared a forkful of enchilada, a wicked look on his face.

Molly stilled, her own fork in midair. “What’s that look for, Chance McDaniel?”

His moved his hand to the remote. “I think we should spice up the meal a little, don’t you?”

The moment he depressed the button the little butterfly began its humming dance and her entire body responded. The tiny bundles of nerves in the walls of her cunt responded like bees to honey and the muscles quivered with little convulsions.

Molly’s fork dropped to her plate. She had all she could do to hold herself in place without trying to eat at the same time. She looked across the table at Chance, her gaze trapped by the heat in his eyes.

“Like that, sugar?” he drawled.

She nodded, not sure she could trust herself to speak.

“You have no idea how many nights my hand gave me the relief I needed while I imagined you wearing this. Thought about the sweet cream gathering in your pussy.” He dropped his eyes to her breasts. “About watching your nipples harden and pucker like they’re doing right now. Made me so hard it hurt to touch my dick.”

They stared at each for long seconds until he pressed the button again and the butterfly stopped moving.

Molly took a sip of her wine, then ran her tongue across her bottom lip. “Do you…”

No, I will not ask him.

“Do I what, darlin’? Go ahead. Ask me anything you want.”

“Do you…you know…do that a lot?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Do what? Words, Molly. Remember?”

“You know,” she repeated. “Use your hand.”

A slow smile crept across his face. “You want to know if I jack off when I’m thinking of you?”

Heat crept up her cheeks, and she took a big swallow of wine. “Uh huh.”

“Why, darlin’, of course I do.”

She could almost visualize him lying naked on his bed, his big fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking rapidly to bring himself to orgasm. She didn’t need the butterfly to send a fresh surge of liquid through her pussy. That image alone was enough to do it.

Chance’s soft laugh rolled over her like a warm blanket. “Want to watch me, darlin’? I’d be happy to do it for you.”

Go on, Molly. Here’s your chance for everything you wanted.

She nodded again, her mouth so dry she couldn’t form words.

“Finish your dinner, and I’ll put on a show for you.”

She had little memory of the rest of the dinner. Chance was so busy turning the little butterfly on and off she was barely able to do anything but hold herself in place as the shudders raced through her again and again. Chance cleared their dishes, his hot smile sending shivers dancing along her skin. Then he refilled both their wine glasses and led her back to the bedroom.

“Here’s what we’ll do, Molly.” He shucked his jeans and tossed them casually on the chair on top of her clothes. “I’m going to lay that delicious body of yours on the bed and tie your hands like we did last night. Then I’m going to sit facing you, and while the butterfly does its thing I’ll stroke my dick for you, maybe play with my balls. That turn you on, darlin’?”

“Y-Yes.”

He cupped her face gently and rubbed his lips against hers. “Yes, what, Molly?”

“Yes, being tied up and watching you…masturbate…turns me on.”

He kissed her, brief but hard, one quick plunge of his tongue. Then he lifted her to the bed and stretched her out, spreading her legs and placing her arms over her head on the pillows. The ties from the night before were still lying on the night stand, and he made quick work of her wrists, fastening the ends of the ties to the headboard. Crawling onto the bed facing her, he maneuvered his legs so they were inside hers and he could hold them open. In one hand he held the little remote; the other wrapped around his swollen erection.

“Here we go.” His voice was a heavy rasp in the air.

He pressed the button and the butterfly vibrated again. At that same time he began to stroke himself, slowly at first, then faster as the butterfly did its work and she writhed on the bed. Molly wanted to close her eyes to let the sensations grip her, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the motion of his hand on the thick shaft.

His eyes never left her, watching her face, staring at her shuddering cunt. She wanted that cock inside her, but at the same time, she was mesmerized by the action of his hand on it. One drop of fluid appeared at the slit in the plum-colored head, and he smoothed it over the skin with his thumb. Then, unexpectedly, he leaned forward enough to rub it against the sensitive lips of her cunt.

Molly jerked at his touch and twisted on the bed.

Chance smiled, that slow, hot smile of his, leaned back and resumed stroking himself.

She knew he could tell when her reaction to the butterfly became more intense, her arousal growing higher and higher. He increased the movement of his hand on his cock, dropping the other hand between his thighs to cup and fondle his balls.

Molly didn’t think she’d ever seen anything quite this erotic. No, she knew she hadn’t. Who the hell would she have done this with, anyway?

The climax broke over her with without warning, shaking her as if she was nothing more than a leaf in the wind. Her clasping pussy demanded something to fill it, but what she wanted was in Chance’s right hand. In seconds, his body tautened. He threw his head back and cum spilled over his fingers.

When the last spasm had left his body, he reached beside him for the remote and turned off the butterfly. As soon as he moved his legs, Molly squeezed hers together, hard, trying to satisfy the demand inside her that the orgasm had left unfulfilled.

Chance straddled her, catching his weight on his legs so he didn’t crush her. He rubbed his thumb over her lips.

“Lick it off, sugar.” There was that low, hot voice again. “Go on, taste me.”

She licked her lips obediently, his taste a heady combination of salt, sweet and male musk.

Chance shifted again, climbed off the bed and carefully removed the little butterfly. He covered her mound with light kisses.

“Still want me inside you, don’t you,” he teased.

Molly nodded, watching his every move.

“You know what they say. Anticipation is half the fun.”

“Chance, please,” she begged, still riding that sharp, hungry edge of need.

“I want to make sure you’re really ready,” he teased.

“I am, I am.” She twisted on the bed, hitching her hips toward him in a silent plea.

****

Holy hell!

He hadn’t really wanted to come, just show her how he did it, but the sight of her with that butterfly, her sweet, pink pussy quivering from the vibrations, was more than he could handle. His problem was he wanted to do everything at once with her. If he could have figured out a way to fuck her with his cock, his hands and his mouth and use all the toys at the same time he’d have done it.

The thing about it that really turned him on was Molly’s obvious enjoyment. The women who had turned him on to what they called “sexual enhancements” while he was at college had been older, more experienced, and knew what the hell they were doing. And they had led him into a path of sensuality that gave him pleasure he’d never dreamed of. The disaster with Sabrina had nearly destroyed his desire for sex completely.

After his divorce, he’d spent a lot of nights dreaming about Molly, imagining how she’d be. All those feelings about her he’d kept pent up for so long stirring inside him. He’d wondered if she shared his feelings at all.

Then she’d come back from Houston, divorced and hiding in that big house. If she hadn’t shown up at Rusty’s, he wasn’t sure what he’d have done. Because he’d been in love with Molly Hayes for what seemed forever. And now, instead of an innocent teenager, she was a woman with a mind of her own.

He had two questions to answer. One, did she feel the same way about him? And two, would she enjoy sex the way he did or would it be another catastrophe like Sabrina. He had the answer to the first one…a big, fat yes. Now he just had to find out the second without cutting his own legs out from underneath himself.

He looked at her now, spread out before him like a tasty, sensual feast and his mouth watered. He just needed his cock to get hard again and they’d be in business.

“Here, sugar.” He knelt beside Molly, lifting her head with one hand and holding the wine glass with the other. “Gotta keep up your energy.”

“Chance?”

“Yeah, darlin’?”

“I want you…” She lifted her hips suggestively. “Inside me.”

“And that’s where I’ll be. With the little pussy so tight from the plug in your ass that I’ll have to squeeze to get in there.” He leaned his face close to hers. “Wanna help get me ready?”

She nodded, her eyes wide.

Carefully he straddled her like he’d done the night before, being careful not to put too much weight on her slim body. Wrapping his fingers around his cock, he rested the head on her damp lower lip.

“Suck me, sugar. I sure do love to feel your mouth around me.”

The pleasure was so intense when she took him inside that hot wet cavern that he had to close his eyes. Shivers raced along his spine and his balls tightened. Because her hands were tied, he held his shaft for her, moving it slowly in and out, fucking that sweet mouth with steady even strokes. God, she was such a treasure. More than he’d ever dared expect. He just hoped he didn’t screw it up.

He opened his eyes and saw Molly’s big green ones staring at him, tiny pinpoints of heat dancing in the irises like flecks of gold. His erection was hard now, he was nearly at the point he needed to be. Then Molly opened her mouth wide and dragged her teeth along his length and he was there! There!

He pulled away and scooted back down her body. Snagging a condom from the night stand and rolling it on, he lifted her legs and draped them over his shoulders. Guiding his cock to the opening of her pussy, he thrust in on one long, heavy stroke.

Jesus!

Molly locked her ankles behind his neck and lifted up to him. She just looked so damn hot, lying there with her hands tied, her nipples harder than diamonds, her hot slick pussy gripping his cock like a wet fist. He’d died and gone to heaven. That was just the damn truth.

Bracing himself, he rocked his hips and began the slow, steady climb to nirvana. The plug in her ass made her channel so tight, every movement squeezed him and sent bolts of lightning shooting through him.

They were both so close that it didn’t take long. He drove into her hard, fast, again and again. And then, like rockets on the fourth of July, they exploded, shuddering and shaking. He cried out her name, but it was lost because she was screaming his, over and over.

Spent, he barely had the energy to untie Molly, stagger to the bathroom, dispose of the condom and find his way back to bed. He crawled in beside Molly and spooned her against him, his hand cradling her breast just like the night before.

Realized he’d found the place he’d been searching for all his life.

And hoped Molly felt the same way.

Chapter Nine

Once again the ranch was coming to life when Molly and Chance drove into the yard just after six. They climbed out of the truck and in full view of everyone—maybe even her father—Chance wrapped his arms around her and kissed her as if he hadn’t seen her in forever.

“Hard day today,” he told her. “We’ll be cutting out the new calves, moving them to a separate pasture.”

“All hands to the ready,” she grinned.

“You got it.” He blew out a breath. “I don’t know exactly what time I’ll be done but I expect it will be late again.”

“Chance, you didn’t specify—”

He touched her lips with one finger. “Maybe I should have. I’m putting a claim on all your nights, Molly.” He paused. “If that’s okay with you?”

There was that trace of uncertainty again. How could she tell him the warm feeling his words gave her without presuming too much.

She swallowed, hard. “That’s fine with me. I…um…would like that very much.”

Relief washed over his face and he kissed her again, though more briefly. Just a bare touch of the lips.

“I’ll be late. I can feel it.” He raised his eyes and looked over her shoulder. “And there’s your father. He’ll have my ass if I don’t get to work.” He kissed her again, “Or maybe for messing with his daughter.”

Molly giggled. Giggled!

“I’m over twenty one, Chance. And besides, you already let the cat out of the bag yesterday.”

She heard the crunch of her father’s boots behind her, then his hand on her shoulder.

“Morning, kids.” He kissed Molly’s cheek. “Chance, you think y’all can hold off on that until we’ve got all the calves cut out? ‘Course, I sure don’t want to disrupt your cuddling time.”

Molly was stunned to see Chance actually blush, but he stood his ground. “Just telling your daughter I’ll be late getting to her tonight.”

“Hurry it up then.” Her father started off, then turned around. “I think the two of you have wasted about all the time gettin’ to each other you’re allowed. Sure glad to see you aren’t wasting any more.”

Molly smiled and buried her face against Chance’s chest. “I guess that answers all our questions. But how—”

“Smarter than both of us, I guess.”

“Why don’t you give me your key? I can go on ahead later and fix something for us to eat.” She bit her lip. “That is…I mean…”

“It’s fine, Molly. I want you to.” He pulled a key off the ring and handed it to her, then put his mouth next to her ear. “Maybe tonight we’ll see if that plug’s been doing its work.”

Heat surged through her as he winked at her and walked away. And maybe tonight they could actually talk about where they were heading. Together.

The day alternately dragged and sped by for Molly. Her father and Chance were both gone the entire time. She knew her Dad usually left Chance to supervise things like this, but they also had a pleasantly large crop of calves and everyone was on their toes to make sure none of them got hurt in the cutting process.

Finally, late in the afternoon, she drove into Littleton to the grocery store, then on to Chance’s house. Something simple and easy to fix, she reminded herself, as she worked in the kitchen. Spaghetti sauce could sit and everything else could go in at the last minute. With the sauce simmering she set the fat candles she’d bought into glass holders, took them into the bathroom and lit then, and drew a bath in the huge tub, dumping ocean breeze-scented bath salts into it.

She was lounging in the tub, sipping at a bottle of beer, her hair piled on top of her head, the candles flickering, when she heard Chance come through the door.

“In here,” she called.

“Wow!” He lounged in the doorway, his Stetson pushed back on his head, arms crossed and a hungry look in his eyes. “I could sure get used to coming home to this every night.”

“That right?” She answered him casually, but her heart was hammering. She knew they were going to talk about their relationship and she just hoped he wanted the same thing he did.

“Damn straight.”

“Why don’t you start by hopping in here with me right now? This tub’s big enough for two.”

He was out of his clothes in seconds, climbing into the still steaming water and positioning himself behind her, his legs stretched out on either side of her. Molly lifted the wash cloth she’d been holding in her free hand and passed it over her shoulder to him.

“I’ve just been waiting for you to get here and wash my back.”

“Always glad to oblige a lady.”

She could feel his hard cock bumping against the cheeks of her ass as his strong hands rubbed soap into her back and sluiced it off with the wash cloth. Every nerve in her body was standing at attention and begging for his touch.

But she had something to run by him before she let herself fall into this sensuous cloud.

“Chance?”

“Mmmhmm?” His hands moved around to cup her breasts, his thumbs rubbing back and forth against her nipples.

“My father said something real strange to me yesterday.”

His hands stilled. “About us? Or me?”

She shook her head. “No. Well, maybe, in a way. He told me John Trammel’s leaving the ranch. Moving to Arizona.” She paused. “He told me the ranch manager’s job is mine if I want it.”

She felt the sudden tension in his body, then his thumbs resumed their tantalizing movement.

“What did you tell him?”

“Nothing yet.”

His teeth nibbled on the tender spot where neck and shoulder joined. “Are you thinking about it?”

“I never thought he’d make me a part of Hayes Ranch operations. But I’ve got a business degree. I know ranching. I’d really like to do it. Except…” She bit her lower lip.

“Except what?”

His hands began rhythmically squeezing her breasts and disrupting her concentration.

“It would mean we’d probably be thrown together a lot. And I didn’t know how you’d feel about it.”

Her heart tightened painfully as she waited for a long time for his answer. Had she been misreading everything so badly?

“I think you should do it,” he said at last and bit down on her neck.

She shivered. “You do?”

“Uh huh. It goes right along with what I planned to say later on.”

“Oh?” Her heart resumed its normal beat, but anticipation skittered through her. “And what’s that?”

“Later,” he teased. “Isn’t that what I said?”

They made bathing a sensual activity, washing each other and teasing each other until they were both ready to explode. At last Molly reached her toe out and pulled up the drain stopper and let the water drain away. Chance climbed out of the tub and wrapped a big towel around himself, then lifted her and dried her off carefully. Tossing the towels aside, he carried her into the bedroom where she’d already turned back the covers.

“Dinner can wait a while, right?”

“Yes.” She reached up and touched his cheek. “What did you have in mind?”

He lay down beside her, turning her to face him, his fingers stroking her cheek.

“Molly, I know we’ve only been…together for a couple of nights, but we’ve known each other forever. And I’ve wanted you it seems for as long as I can remember. But the timing was never right.” He chuffed a breath. “I tried to make it work with Sabrina. The things I like in the bedroom turned her off, but the plain truth is, she wasn’t you.” He kissed her softly, then licked her lips with the tip of his tongue.

“What are you trying to tell me?” She searched his eyes, trying to find some answers there. “That the sex between us is great? I think we both know that.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m not doing this very well. Molly, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I’m hoping you want the same thing.”

Her pulse was racing. “So, are you saying…”

“I love you, Molly. I want to be with you forever.” When she didn’t say anything, he frowned. “Am I making a mistake here? Assuming something?”

She finally found her voice. “No, not at all. I love you, too, Chance. And I want the same thing.”

“Thank god.” His voice dropped. “I wasn’t sure until this minute that you felt the same way. Loved me like I love you. I can’t wait to show you how happy that makes me. Right now.”

“Oh?” Her mouth curved in a slow grin. “And how do you plan to do that?”

“Like this.”

The kiss was deep and powerful, his tongue searching every surface of her mouth while his hands stroked her back and his body pressed against hers. One hand moved up to thread through her hair, holding her in place so his tongue could work its magic. When she was almost totally breathless, he lifted his head and shifted their bodies around on the bed. Before she realized what was happening, she was flat on her back, her legs raised, and Chances mouth was doing wicked things to her pussy.

He licked her everywhere, lapping the length of her slit, teasing her clit with the tip of his educated tongue. Thrusting that tongue inside her, mimicking what he wanted to do to her with his cock. Molly clenched his hair in her fists and arched her hips up to him, riding his tongue until she felt only the sensation of it inside her and the heat it spread through her body.

When he sat up abruptly, she cried out in frustration. “What are you doing?”

“Easy, sugar. I just wanted to get you ready for the big show.”

He turned her over and maneuvered her until she was on her hands and knees, the pillows stuffed beneath her to give her support. Very slowly he eased the plug from her ass, his hand cracking down on the flesh as soon as the toy came free.

Molly jerked, then wiggled her ass at him.

“You like that, don’t you.” His laugh was low and sensuous. “And I love doing it. I love to see that skin nice and pink, streaks running down to your pussy.”

His hand came down on her again, and yet again.

By now, between the wonderful things he done to her with his mouth and the spankings, she knew she was dripping wet. And needy. She wanted him badly enough to beg for it if she had to.

“One more for good measure,” he said, bringing his hand down to her flesh again. “Then we get to the main event.”

She was trembling with arousal, wishing he’d hurry before she self-destructed. In a moment his fingers were prodding her anus, slicked with something cool. When they slid inside her, the fit was tight but not painfully so. He slid a third finger in beside them and scissored them, stretching her tissues, rubbing in the gel.

“That plug’s done its job, darlin’. You are so ready for me.”

Then his cock was prodding at her, pressing against her. His hands were on the cheeks of her ass, spreading them wide.

“Deep breath, Molly. Just like we did with the toy.”

She hauled in as deep a breath as she could. When she let it out, Chance pushed forward, slowly and steadily, until his cock was completely inside her. There was a brief flash of icy hot pain, but pleasure soon overtook it. Dark satisfaction crawled up through her, seeping through every pore, lighting every single nerve ending.

“Reach down and touch yourself.” Chance’s voice was so thick and raw she almost didn’t recognize it. “Go on, sugar. Do it.”

She moved one hand down between her legs and found her clit.

“You just rub that little bundle of nerves,” he told her. “And when I say so, pinch it real hard. Okay?”

She nodded, unable to say one thing.

His hips set up a rhythm motion, moving his cock in and out of her dark channel, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The sensations clawing through her were unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She moved her body to the same tempo, riding his cock, taking him as deep as she could.

The orgasm was like a living thing twisting up out of her belly, reaching, reaching, reaching. Chance’s hands tightened on her as he pounded into her.

“Now, Molly,” he shouted. “Do it, now.”

She pinched her clit as hard as she could…and exploded. Chance gripped her hips as his cock flexed and pulsed inside her and her cunt spasmed again and again. She fell forward, unsure if she would survive the aftermath, Chance moving with her. The only sound in the room was the grating noise of their breath seesawing in and out of their lungs, although her heart was pounding so hard she was sure it, too, could be heard.

It could have been minutes or hours when Chance finally rolled to the side, taking her with him, still connected to her. He kissed her neck, brushing away the damp tendrils of hair. Then her cheeks, her ear, biting the soft flesh of the lobe.

“You’re mine, Molly Hayes. And don’t you ever forget it.”

“Same goes,” she managed in a whisper.

“It’s been a tough ride,” he said, “but I guess you could say we’re both back in the saddle again.”

“I’ll ride with you anytime, cowboy,” she murmured.

And for the first time in as long as she could remember, Molly knew she was where she belonged.

About the Author

Desiree Holt has lived a life of excitement that brings the color to her writing. She was a summer fishing guide, a summer field hand where she was one of only three women working, a member of a beginning ski team that skied in competition (and no, no broken bones!). She spent several years in the music business representing every kind of artist from country singer to heavy metal rock bands. For several years she also ran her own public relations agency handling any client that interested her.

Desiree is twice a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award, a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as a CAPA Award, winner of two Holt Medallion Awards of Merit, and is published by four different houses. Romance Junkies said of her work: “Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.”

Visit Desiree at

www.desireeholt.com

or www.desireeholttellsall.com

Also Available

Cocked & Loaded

by

Desiree Holt

When Jamie Randall kicked the dust of Amen, Texas from her heels, she swore neither the town nor the bad boy she'd given her virginity to would ever see her again. Yet here she is, returning under a cloud of disgrace, not a penny to her name or a soul to welcome her—least of all the sheriff.

Jamie Randall—a decade hadn’t lessened the bitter taste of her name. Zane Cameron had only been good enough for sultry summer sex. But the local hell raiser is the sheriff now and determined to run her hot little body off the worthless piece of land her father left her and right out of his sleepy little town. Just as soon as he scratches a twelve-year-old itch.

Explosive passion changes Zane’s mind, but before they can explore their feelings, strange events threaten Jamie and it becomes obvious someone else wants her out of the way. Dirty money, cold-blooded murder, and deadly secrets interfere with Zane’s plans to convince Jamie to give him a second chance.

Chapter One

Zane Cameron stared at the figure walking out of the supermarket. He lifted his sunglasses just to be sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. When he heard she’d showed up two days ago, he was sure someone was pulling his leg. But no, there she was. Jamie Randall. Big as life. Not even a hint of shame or embarrassment for either her leave-taking or her current situation.

The last time Zane saw her she was a flowering eighteen-year-old who’d teased him with her body, then left town so fast her heels kicked up a cloud of dust. All she left behind was a drunk for a father and stinging words for Zane. And, of course, a bitterness and resentment that built up in him all these years.

Now here she was again and he smelled big trouble.

He watched her wheel her cart to her shiny dark blue SUV. A symbol of her ill-gotten success. The worn jeans and old Texas Tech T-shirt were little camouflage for what had become a lush, ripe body. Thick blue-black hair pulled back in a ponytail bounced as she moved. Huge sunglasses barely concealed the tight set of her face. And where he’d expected her walk to still be graceful and tempting, now it was purposeful and angry.

Five feet four inches of sexual dynamite that he hoped wouldn’t blow up in his face.

No one could miss the fact that Jamie was mad at the world, both about being home and the circumstances that brought her here. Well, no madder than he was at the way she’d left, despite everything between them. Or everything he’d thought was between them.

She loaded the groceries into the truck, climbed in, and slammed the door. He didn’t need to follow her as she roared out onto the highway. He knew exactly where she was going. What he needed to do was get his anger under control, the rage that always bubbled up whenever he thought of her. A rage heavily colored with lust. In twelve years, that feeling had built itself to quite a level.

Get over it. She wasn’t worth it then and she’s not worth it now.

So why, after all these years, did his traitorous dick still get hard whenever he remembered her naked body? Why did his hands twitch, remembering the feel of her young breasts in them? His nose still remembered the scent of roses and honeysuckle in her hair. His mouth, the taste of her tempting juices. One would think by this time he’d have himself under control.

Except Jamie Randall was like a festering sore inside him, one he needed to lance and get rid of, once and for all.

All these years, he’d been able to deal with the way she’d just flat out left him because she’d been far away in a different life. But to see her every day now, to know the contempt she’d held him in, would be an impossible situation.

No way was she coming back to Amen, Texas and twitching her ass in front of his face. She left town once. He planned to make sure she did it again. Jamie Randall would have to leave whether she wanted to or not. Only this time it would be on his terms and not until he’d satisfied a twelve-year-old itch.

Easier said than done, cowboy.

He cranked the engine a little too hard, and pulled away from the curb, heading out on the dusty highway. She should be home by now. There was no time like the present to get on with business, but it wasn’t business he was looking forward to.

All the way to the scrubby patch of land her father had left her, Zane talked to himself. Face her. Get it over with. Move on.

The caliche driveway leading to the old Randall house was potholed and bumpy, a sign of long neglect. The house itself was a reflection of the man who’d lived there, alone. Decaying, rotting away, making a pretense at something but not quite pulling it off.

He pulled the department’s big Expedition in behind Jamie’s smaller SUV and cut the ignition. As tiny as Amen was, he hadn’t been in this house since Jamie left town. He didn’t even want to go there now, but the whole mess from the past was like dry toast stuck in his throat.

Suck it up, man. Speak your piece and get it over with.

Taking his time, he climbed out of the car and walked up the cracked cement path. The inside door stood open and, through the screen door, he could see her moving around in the kitchen. Gritting his teeth, he raised his hand and knocked on the wood door frame.

“Go away.” The words had a harsh bite to them. “No curiosity seekers allowed today.”

Zane cleared his throat. “Jamie, it’s Zane Cameron.”

She froze in place, then turned in his direction. For a moment, he wasn’t sure she’d even come to the door. Finally, she padded over the wood floor on bare feet, slowly, not rushing. He guessed she wasn’t any more anxious for this meeting than he was.

“Well, well,” she drawled. “Nice of you to drop by, Sheriff. Did you come to arrest me?”

“I came to talk to you. How about letting me in?”

She shook her head, the tight, angry look still on her face. “I don’t think so. I’m in no mood to play Twenty Questions today.”

“Damn it, Jamie. Open this door.” He pulled, but the door was latched on the inside.

“Go away. I can’t think of anything we have to say to each other.”

“Oh, I have plenty to say. Open the damn door, or I’ll break it down.”

Nice going, asshole. Smooth.

She stared at him through the screen. Then he heard the snick of the latch being released and she stepped back to allow him to enter.

“Okay.” She posed arrogantly in front of him, hands planted on her hips, mouth in a thin line. “Say what you came to say and get the fuck out of here.”

It was obvious she’d been working. A few wisps of her hair had straggled loose from her ponytail, clinging to her cheeks like threads of fine silk. A smudge of dirt decorated her straight nose, and a thin scratch marred the smooth, tanned skin of her slim forearm. As unglamorous as a woman could look, yet somehow, she was more tempting than if she’d been wearing a slinky dress and high heels.

Zane had to resist the urge to stare at her breasts, outlined by the soft T-shirt material. Mature Jamie Randall’s breasts were making his mouth water and his palms itch. But they also made his dick want to stand at attention again so he shut down his mind. All he needed was an erection right now. Then again, maybe that was exactly what he needed. “Nice language you’ve learned since you’ve been gone.”

“That’s not all I’ve learned.” Her blue eyes, the color deepening to navy, flashed. The thick lashes framing them only enhanced the intensity of her fury. She was like a time bomb set to go off. “Anyway, pardon my lack of social graces, but I’m not in a very good mood right now. I don’t have the patience to take crap from anyone, so what is it you want?”

“I came to find out why you’re here in this, let’s see, what did you call it?” He frowned. “Oh, yeah. ‘Godforsaken town you’d never spit on again.’” His pent-up anger, stored away all these years, wanted to rise up and overtake him.

“Well, we can’t all make the choices we’d like to.” Jamie’s gaze swept over his face, studying him. “So. I’ll ask you again. Why are you really here? You trying to run me out of town, Sheriff?” She spat out the last word as if it had a bad taste to it.

“Seems to me the last time you and I had a conversation, I distinctly remember you saying you wouldn’t come back to Amen unless hell froze over.” His eyes never wavered from hers. “Must be mighty cold down there right about now.”

And that’s how cold it would be before she threw her lot in with him, she’d told him. Twelve years ago he was just the half-breed son of a man always in trouble. She’d been willing to fuck him all right—fuck the half-breed with the legendary dick—but then it was adios.

He waited for her to comment, but she stood there, silent, vibrating with anger. Her nipples pushed stiffly against the thin fabric of her T-shirt, and a pulse beat heavily at her throat. Sex and anger. Two sides of the same coin. He had to suppress an urge to rip off her clothes and run his hands over that now-adult body. Time hadn’t diminished one bit of the lust he felt for her. Damn it.

At last she shook her head and took a step back. “If you came for all the sordid details of my fall from grace, you wasted your time. Read the newspapers. They had plenty to say. So is that it? Are we done?”

“Not by half.” He moved closer to her. “You’re damn straight I want to know why you’re here and when you’re leaving. I can’t believe this is some big homecoming for you.”

Yes, when will you get out of my life again and leave me to my accustomed misery?

“Well.” Her voice was bitter. “You don’t mince any words, do you?”

More silence. He forced himself to outwait her.

“Why the hell do you think I’m here? I guess I’m lucky my drunk of a father got himself killed and left me this worthless piece of property. Which is a damn good thing since, at the moment, it seems I have no place else to go.” She stuck out her chin in defiance. “Why? Are you planning to run me off?”

Yes, if I could. But first I’m going to fuck your brains out the way I’ve wanted to do all these years since you ran from me. This time you’ll take more than a little taste of the half-breed Zane Cameron with you.

He shifted his weight. “Just trying to keep up with what’s going on in my little corner of the world. I heard you were living in some fancy condo in Florida.”

“Why, Sheriff,” she drawled. “I didn’t know you kept up with my activities.”

Gritting his teeth, he barely held onto his temper. “We have a newspaper here in Amen, in case you forgot. And surprise, surprise. I have a computer and know how to use it.”

“Oh. Well, then.” She unclenched her fists and shoved her hands in her jeans pockets. “I’m sure you read all about my big scandal and just salivated over my fall from grace.” Her voice had a spiteful quality to it.

“We don’t get that much to talk about here in Amen,” he retorted, determined to give it right back to her. “Local girl makes bad is a hot topic of conversation.”

She stared at him again, then turned to walk toward the kitchen. “Coffee should be ready now. If you’re going to grill me, you might as well have a cup.”

He hated the fact that the movement of her hips still mesmerized him and his fingers curled with the remembrance of touch. Common sense told him to refuse the coffee and get the hell out of there. Forget about anything but staying away from her. But then, he’d had plenty of times when he and common sense didn’t even shake hands.

He distracted himself while waiting by glancing at his surroundings. The inside of the house didn’t look any better than the outside. Scarred wood floor. Walls covered in grimy paint without a picture or anything to relieve the depressing sight. Furniture worn down to the bare bones. Dust everywhere.

He spotted the cleaning supplies on the chipped Formica counter. She’d need a lot more than soap and disinfectant to make this place habitable. And no matter how much she scrubbed, she’d never get the stink of whiskey or the dark presence of her miserable father out of it.

“So,” her voice broke into his train of thought. “Tell me.” She was busy taking chipped mugs out of a cupboard and filling them. “How did someone like you end up sheriff of Diablo County? I thought for sure you’d be on the inside of the jail looking out.”

Zane’s gut clenched and bile rose in the back of his throat. “You mean, how did the good citizens manage to elect a half-breed to keep the peace? Maybe they figured I could run around with my tomahawk and scalp anyone who pissed me off.”

“Damn it, Zane.” She whirled, her eyes burning into him like wildfire. “That’s not what I meant at all.”

“Oh, no?” he challenged. “You made it very plain when you left here that I had nothing to offer you. Me and my kind, you said. No mistaking your words. You couldn’t get away from me and Amen fast enough.”

“Is that what you thought? Well, you’re wrong. The only one ever sensitive about your Comanche blood was you. That had nothing to do with my reasons for walking away from you.”

“Yeah, right. Your alcohol-rotted father couldn’t have made it any plainer. And you were right there with him when he made his little speech.”

“One loser was the same as another to me. No matter what he said, I wasn’t talking about just you but all the losers in this stinkhole. Your heritage had nothing to do with it, and you damn well should have known it.” She poured the hot liquid into the mugs.

“Should I?” He accepted the mug she handed him. Their fingers brushed, and he had to work to control the shock at the electricity the brief contact generated. Oh, god, this was worse than he thought.

“Anyway, that wasn’t the reason I asked the question. I just want to know how someone wilder than the wind ends up as a lawman.”

His face hardened. “We all change, Jamie. You certainly did.”

Her laugh was like ice falling on glass, not tinkling but chilling. “So this call is really all about my recent notoriety, right? Well, here’s the long and short of it. I’ve joined a very elite group of reporters who got scammed and drummed out of the corps. Lawsuits and legal fees broke me, and the condo was the first thing to go. I’m back here because I have no other choice.” Her mouth twisted in a caricature of a smile. “Does that give you the satisfaction you were looking for, lawman?”

“Listen, Jamie—”

“I’ll bet you’ve read every story about my firing, all about how I’ve been blackballed in the industry, and enjoyed the hell out of it. Right?” She took a healthy swallow of coffee, grimacing as she realized how hot it still was. “But that’s okay, Zane. You can join a very big crowd.” She watched him over the rim of her mug. “Listen, I’ve got stuff to do so say what you came to say and get out.”

He leaned against the wall, trying to get a fix on her. He couldn’t help the way his eyes swept over her body. He wondered if anyone could look as disheveled as she did and still exude raw sex. She was still lithe and toned, and the memory of those graceful legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper into her, made him want to pull out his dick and take her on the hard floor right there.

He wondered, too, what she’d say if she knew how he really liked his sex. The things he really wanted from her. The kind of demands he wanted to make on her.

His jaw worked as he dug for his hard-won iron control, the control that seemed to be slipping with Jamie in front of him. He exhaled slowly.

“What happened to you, Jamie?” Yeah, what happened to those pie-in-the-sky dreams that made you look at me and this place like dirt? “God knows I hated your ass for the way you ran out of here, but you said you had a plan for your life, being a top investigative reporter. And it sure looked like you were well on your way to completing it. How could you pull a stunt like you did?”

She shrugged and stared at a point beyond his shoulder. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I got sandbagged.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” She sipped at her coffee, still staring at nothing. “Don’t believe everything you read in the papers, Zane. Or hear on television. I, of all people, know firsthand how the news can be manipulated.”

Zane narrowed his eyes, waiting for her to go on.

She sighed, a heavy sound, as if the weight she carried was too much to bear. “Someone gave me a tip about a scandal in the Miami-Dade Police department. I met with two sources who gave me what I thought was proof of their authenticity. All the evidence they pointed me toward seemed to prove out their story.”

“And?” he prompted.

“I broke the story, and included the mayor in it, smearing just about everyone I could. I thought for sure I’d win the Pulitzer for it. My boss was salivating.”

“So what was the problem? Did you trip over yourself running down the yellow brick road? What I read said you’d made the whole thing up.”

She made a sound of disgust. “That’s not my style, and people should have known it. If I was anything, it was gullible and stupid. I had visions of the New York Times begging me to come to work for them. All the networks calling me for interviews.”

Zane sipped at his coffee, waiting while she gathered her thoughts. He’d heard and read the stories. He wanted to hear her version from her own mouth. Get it settled, take what he came for, then tell her to leave.

“Well, it turned out the whole thing was an elaborate hoax, engineered by the mayor’s opponent in the upcoming election. Every other news outlet got the real story and I got fired. And sued, right along with my newspaper.” She ran her finger around the rim of her cup. “One day I’m the golden girl, the next no one will touch me with a ten-foot pole. End of story.”

Zane put down his mug. “Well, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to hang around Amen. Nothing here for you, and you know how people talk. Sell the property and get on with it.”

Yes. Please get the hell out of my life again.

Jamie’s face took on a hard look. “Do not presume to tell me what to do. I’ll stay here as long as I damn well please. Maybe until this place falls down around my ears.”

Zane moved closer to her so they were barely a breath apart. “Don’t do this. You’ll be happier if you’re gone.”

She raised her eyebrows? “I will? Or you, Zane Cameron? This is really all about getting even, isn’t it?”

“Why, Jamie.” He looked her up and down. “What would I have to get even about? I got over you and your lousy attitude a long time ago.”

“Yeah, right,” she snorted. “That’s why you hightailed it over here to ride my ass.”

Zane didn’t even think about what he did next, just knew he had to get his taste of her before running her out of town. He took the mug from her hands, put it on the counter, gripped her head in his palms, and took her mouth.

God, it was just as hot and sweet as he’d remembered. Lips like spun silk, a taste like sugar. A thrill of satisfaction ran through him that her nipples, pressed against the cotton of his uniform shirt, were stiff and hard. And, that without thinking, her mouth opened and accepted his tongue. He pressed it against the roof of her mouth, devouring the soft wetness, and skimmed the insides of her cheeks and her lips. His hands held her head like a vise, as if he’d never let her go. If his cock was hard before, it was painful now, pushing into the softness of her belly.

She still smelled of strawberries, and the scent inflamed him. He wanted to fuse himself to her, suckle her nipples until they swelled to twice their size. Slide his fingers into that hot, tight pussy of hers and bring her to a breathless orgasm like he used to give her. Put his mouth on her cunt and drink of her sweet, sweet juices. Oh, yeah, he’d get his.

God, I’m losing my mind.

He finally lifted his mouth just a fraction. “In two seconds flat I could have you stripped naked and flat on your back, my cock buried deep inside you. And you’d love it. You know that, don’t you?”

With sudden strength, she jerked her head away and pushed at him. Hard.

Zane blinked to focus and never saw her hand coming as she delivered a stinging slap. He grabbed her wrist as she drew back for another blow. “Do that again, and I’ll turn you over my knee.”

Her eyes smoldered. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Even way back then you wanted to push the envelope with sex. I’ll bet you’ve learned a lot of new tricks since then.”

He yanked her up against his body, holding her in an iron grip. “I don’t remember you running away screaming.”

“I might shoot you this time, lawman. Just because you piss me off.”

They stared at each other for a long moment before he let her go.

She backed away, rubbing her wrists, her eyes stabbing at him like daggers. “Get the hell out of my house. And stay away. It’ll take a lot more than your macho swagger to run me off.”

“We aren’t done, Jamie. Not by a long shot. Keep that in mind.”

He was at the door when she called his name, and he turned. “What?”

“Where’s my father’s old truck?”

“You mean the one he ran off the road in? It’s totaled.” He frowned. “Why? You sure can’t do anything with that hunk of junk.”

“I’d like to get it. I can at least sell the undamaged parts for scrap.”

Zane raised an eyebrow. “Money that hard to come by now?”

“Yes. Not that it’s any of your damn business. So where’s it at?”

“Duke Warren’s got it at the junkyard. That is, if he hasn’t crushed it yet. You could maybe make some kind of deal with him.”

“Fine. Oh, and Sheriff?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks so much for stopping by. But don’t bother doing it again. You aren’t welcome.”

The sarcasm in her voice was sharp enough to draw blood.

“Is that a fact? Listen to what I’m saying. There’s no place for you in Amen. You need to take care of business and get out of here.” His gaze raked every inch of her body. “But before that happens we’re going to handle our unfinished business. Then I can get you out of my life for good.”

He slammed the door to the Expedition and ground the engine, tearing out of the driveway. He sped down the highway until he reached a hidden turnoff where he could pull in, away from passing traffic. Turning off the ignition, he leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and twelve years disappeared as if they’d never happened.

****

Zane spread the quilt he’d carried from the truck onto the space beneath the oak trees. Thirty feet away the waters of Fallen Creek shushed over pebbles, moonlight reflecting off its surface and peeping through the trees. He stretched out full length and reached a hand up to Jamie, feeling the trembling in her fingers.

“It will be all right,” he assured her, although his own insides were quaking.

All the heavy petting they’d done up until now, touching each other, crossing new boundaries, had them in such a fever pitch of excitement that waiting for tonight had almost been a hardship.

Shyly, Jamie lowered herself to her knees beside him, then folded her body against his, her head on his shoulder. Her soft breasts pressed against him, and he could feel her nipples poking against the thin fabric of her sundress.

No bra!

His cocked jumped behind the denim fly of his jeans.

Her skin was so soft as he caressed her arm, and her scent—ripe strawberries—filled his nostrils. He couldn’t wait to taste her. Everywhere.

Shifting his body, he tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes. “Are you sure, Jamie? I don’t want you to—”

She pressed a fingertip against his mouth. “I’m not a kid, Zane. I know what I want.”

“Darlin’, you’re eighteen years old.”

“Old enough to vote and drive,” she told him.

“And I’m four years older than you.”

“And we both know we’ve been working up to this for a long time.”

“I want you to know this is very special to me.” His voice was so thick with controlled lust he almost didn’t recognize it.

“Me, too.”

“What happens when you go away to school?”

“I won’t be going anywhere unless I get that scholarship. Let’s not worry about that now.”

“Jamie, our lives are so different. Amen is my home. You want out of here. What can we possibly—”

She pushed herself up. “Are you saying you don’t want me?”

“You know that’s not true.”

He wanted her more than she could possibly know. But they had no future. All she’d talked about this past year was leaving Amen behind. And him, too, he was sure.

But he was through arguing. His body was telling him he’d done enough talking. He traced the outline of her mouth with the tip of his tongue, then the seam of her lips, sliding inside when she opened for him. Her mouth tasted like it always did, sweeter than heaven, setting fire to every nerve in his body.

One hand stole beneath her skirt, sliding the fabric up to her waist. He stilled when he encountered nothing but naked skin.

“No panties, Jamie?”

She gave him a shaky laugh. “I didn’t want to waste more time than we had to.”

“Then, darlin’, get ready for a hot ride.”

He rolled her to her back and spread her legs wide, saw her pussy outlined in the moonlight. Kneeling between her thighs, he pressed his thumbs on her labia and gently peeled them back, exposing that hot, honey opening to him. Like a starving man he lowered his head and traced her slit from end to end with his tongue. Her juices were already flowing and tasted like sweet cotton candy.

He licked every inch of the heated flesh, lapping up her feminine cream as fast as it flowed. Soft little moans floated from her throat as he flicked his tongue at her clit, then nibbled at it lightly with his teeth.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted, bending her knees and planting her feet on either side of him.

Sliding his hands beneath her hips, he lifted her to his mouth and feasted. His tongue probed every inch of her cunt, the tip searching out the sweet spots, his teeth taking little nips here and there then returning to her clit again. When he rimmed her vagina with his tongue, then swept it lower toward her anus, she gasped and pushed herself at his head.

He spread his fingers so the tips reached into the cleft of her ass, but he held himself back from probing any further. One virgin hole was enough for tonight.

When he thrust his tongue inside her again, the walls of her pussy quivered and her cream thickly coated his tongue. God, she was so hot. He wanted to wrap her up and run away with her, keep her all to himself.

He lowered her hips to the quilt, and she protested in a low voice. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

“We’ve only just started, darlin’.”

His hand trembling on her zipper, he managed to pull the rest of her dress over her head. His mouth watered at the sight of her tempting breasts, nipples pointing straight at him. He bent and took them in his mouth, one at a time, nibbling and sucking, pressing them against the roof of his mouth.

Jamie reached for him, her hands yanking away the leather thong he used to tie his hair back, then threading through the loosened strands.

He cupped her breasts, molding them in his palms, pressing the soft flesh with his fingers as he continued to suck at the tips.

When she reached down to tug at his T-shirt, he lifted his head. “Give me a minute.”

He’d rapidly stripped off his clothing, the night air cool on his naked skin. He couldn’t take his eyes from her, her body, so tempting, so sweet, so hot. If only he could keep her forever.

He fished a foil packet from his jeans pocket before dropping them to the ground again. In seconds, he had himself fully sheathed. He didn’t want to have to stop again for anything.

Then he was over her again, kissing her breasts, the valley between them, her navel, swirling his tongue over the soft pubic curls, tormenting her clit.

His cock was so hard he was afraid it would break if he hit it against something. All the play and experimentation, all the nights of fucking her with his fingers, of her sucking him until he exploded in her mouth, couldn’t hold a candle to what awaited him.

He lifted her legs over his shoulder to give himself better access and to make penetration easier for her. Testing her with his fingers to make sure she was still well lubricated, he pressed the head of his penis against the mouth of her vagina and pushed gently. He felt her tense beneath him and held still, giving her time to adjust to even that small intrusion. His own body was taut with lust and desire.

When her body relaxed again, he pushed a little further into her warm, wet channel and reached to tweak her nipples. Murmuring to her, soothing her, whispering erotic things he wanted to do to her, he pushed slowly until the head of his dick touched the thin barrier.

“Hold on, darlin’,” he gasped. “One little pinch. That’s all. I promise.”

He flexed his hips and pushed, hard enough to break through. She cried out, and he stilled, giving her time again to adjust.

“Okay?” Sweat was pouring from his body, and his blood was boiling.”Do you want me to stop?”

“God, no,” burst from her lips. “Don’t stop.”

“Okay. Okay.”

He rolled his hips and set up a slow, steady pace, watching her through slitted eyes as her breathing changed and her blue eyes stared up at him. Slowly, in slight increments, her body accepted his cock completely, her moist heat so tight around him it stole his breath. Her cunt was like a wet fist gripping him, squeezing him.

Don’t rush, don’t rush, don’t rush.

But in a moment, the tempo of her body changed, her legs wrapping around his waist, heels digging into the small of his back.

“Do it,” she panted. “Do it now.”

He increased his pace, moving one hand to take her clit between thumb and forefinger, stroking it harder and harder. The arm he braced himself with shook with the effort. He gritted his teeth, waiting for the sign she was ready to climax. When the tremors began in her vaginal channel, he thrust harder, again and again, until her orgasm roared through her, taking him with it, and he emptied himself into the latex reservoir, his cock pulsing until he was afraid he would never stop.

When he collapsed on top of her, bracing himself on his forearms, his heart thundered and his pulse raced like a roller coaster. He dragged air into his lungs in huge gasps. Finally, he rolled to the side, his penis still inside her body as he pulled her against him. His hand caressed her arm and her back; his fingers sifted through her hair.

“Are you all right?” he asked, seeking the truth in her eyes.

She smiled at him. “More than all right. Maybe perfect.”

“Did I hurt you, darlin’? I tried not to.”

“Only for a second. And then...God, Zane. It was like nothing else I’ve ever felt.” Her eyes glittered. “It was...like magic.” She molded her body against his, her hand making little circles on his chest.

He brushed kisses on her cheeks and forehead, then took her mouth as if he’d never get enough of it again. Her heart beat as fast as his, her uneven breath mingling with his. There were so many things he wanted to do with her. To her. He wondered how far he could push her before she left him behind in the dust.

Pushing the hair back from her face, he gave her one light, last kiss. Then he slid reluctantly from her body and stood up, disposing of the condom in a handkerchief and stuffing it in his pocket. He pulled out another square of white cotton and knelt between her legs, tenderly wiping away the evidence of their coupling and planting a soft kiss on her pouty lips.

She had given him a gift tonight, and he would treat her with the proper respect. If only he didn’t know deep inside that Jamie Randall thought staying in Amen was like a bird trapped in a cage. And he had no idea how to change her mind.

****

Zane opened his eyes and glanced quickly around him to make sure he was still hidden and alone. The memory of that night remained so vivid it might have happened yesterday. Despite their bitter parting, he’d never been able to completely kill his feelings for her. God knows he’d fucked enough women, trying to erase the imprint of her body from his memory. The feel of her like a wet glove around him. The unbelievable feeling of that first time.

He certainly had enough regrets. He’d tried to tell her things would be different between them, that he wanted more from her than just sex, and she might have believed him if he hadn’t made a stupid mistake.

Two nights later, he was in the Roadkill Bar, drinking with his buddies, tying one on for no good reason at all. And Darlene Esquivel had come onto him full force. It was tragically unfortunate that he’d been all but fucking her against the side of his pickup when Jamie pulled into the parking lot of the Gas ’n Go right next door.

The sex they’d had after that was just that—sex. She was once again on her kick of blowing away the dust of Amen and him, too. Nothing he said could make a difference. Only her absence had allowed him to deal with it.

But now she was back.

Damn it.

His skin was burning and his body ached. One kiss and he wanted her more than ever before. He wanted her worse than a doper wanted his next fix. Zane knew, one way or another, he’d have her, and then he’d be even sorrier than he was now.

Jamming his foot down on the accelerator, he laid rubber pulling back onto the highway and tearing off down the asphalt.

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