Cowboy's Chocolate Roses (7 page)

God, she suddenly wanted nothing else. She allowed him to pull her onto the bed beside him. Josh rolled them, holding himself above her. Leaning down, he delivered a series of soft kisses along her jaw, leading to her lips. They parted on a lustful moan and Josh took full advantage, slipping his tongue in and tangling it with hers.

Pulling back, he panted, "I won't let him near you, I swear."

"I know. Please…help me forget," she pleaded, pulling him back down.

He kissed her leisurely, whispering, "Not allowed to forget this time."

"Josh," Bri gasped as he leaned down to kiss the tender flesh of her neck.

His hands slid up and down her sides, moving higher and higher until he reached the curve of her breasts. A deep moan spilled out when Josh finally brought them around to cup her mounds.

"Josh. Please, yes…" she whispered.

Josh traced his tongue over her throat, then to her ear, nipping at it lightly. Her breath caught when he plucked at first one, then the other nipple through the flimsy material of her gown. Her legs drew up around his waist, holding him more firmly to her. Josh continued to knead her flesh, his hands abruptly drifting downwards, leaving her feeling bereft. She groaned in disappointment.

Her moan turned into a gasp when he grabbed the hem of the nightie and yanked it up and off her. Hooking his fingers into the cotton of her panties, he pulled back long enough to slide them down and off her legs before settling back into place. She now lay naked and exposed, and she reveled in the feel of his body on top of her. A small cry left her lips when he slipped a hand between her parted legs, his fingers stroking at her folds. It had been so long.

Feeling her ready for him seemed to snap his control and Josh abruptly sat up. He undid the button of his jeans, shoving them down his hips, taking his briefs with them. He kneeled between her legs, bare as she, his shaft leaking as it stood at its full length. He had to be at least nine inches. Lying on top of her, he dipped his head, his hot breath on her breast. She moaned when his mouth claimed her erect nipple, and she shuddered, clutching him tighter when he closed over the small nub and began to suck, sending shock waves of pleasure and excitement rippling through her.

Her need for him grew when his hand found its way lower and he pressed against the wet folds of her pussy again, this time parting them and finding her swollen clit. Stroking her with his thumb, he slid two fingers inside of her.

She cried out his name, "Josh!"

"God, you're so wet. So ready for me already," he groaned, thrusting his fingers deep.

"Yes. Please, I'm so ready. Take me, now," she demanded. She couldn't stand it anymore, she needed him now.

"Yes. Now," he rasped and positioned himself and drove into her.

Bri screamed out in ecstasy as she came.

*****

Heat circled his cock and Bri tightened around him, her juices sliding down his length. He'd found heaven, inside this woman. Her body fit him like a glove, squeezing his prick as if to keep him inside her. Bri mewled and bucked underneath him as she lifted her own hips up to meet his. He slowly withdrew, only to plunge back in again, over and over. On his next thrust he shifted forward so he rubbed against her sensitive nub.

"Oh, God, Josh. Harder, please. Oh, God. Yes," she cried.

Bri clutched at his shoulders, her nails scoring his flesh when she urged him on.

He laughed breathlessly as he obeyed her wishes again and again, her pleasure clear on her face. He picked up the pace, thrusting harder and faster, until he wouldn't last much longer. Not willing to allow himself release until she had hers again, he slipped a hand between them, pinching her clit at the same moment he thrust in hard. Bri cried out her climax and her muscles contracted around him, ripping an orgasm out of him.

Stiffening above her, his head reared back and he roared, "Mine."

When he had nothing left, Josh rolled to the side, taking her limp form with him so she lay splayed across his chest. Lying sated in more ways than one, he felt whole and complete for the first time since he had woken in the hotel bed all alone. Josh swore to anyone listening, that he would protect her. Her and the child she carried.

*****

Josh woke later to a scream rending the air. Immediately realizing it came from Bri, he turned and gathered her up into his arms. Murmuring soft nothings into her ear, he rocked her, but she stirred to wakefulness. Her sobbing tore him in two. His body vibrated with the need to hunt the man down and exact untold amounts of pain. The agony in every cry, every whimper added just one more nail in the bastard's coffin.

"Shhh, lavender. I'm right here, honey. Nobody will get you."

Eventually her sobbing teetered off, her breathing evened out, and he lay Bri gently back down on the bed. She once again had a peaceful look on her face and she snuggled deep into his side. Josh felt wrecked. Running his fingers through her soft raven locks, her beauty struck again. His woman. In that moment, he decided he would never let her go. Even when her father's contract no longer held a threat to his business, she would not be leaving his side. His mission in life had been made very clear.

A smile crept onto his face, and Josh slid back down next to Bri, pulling her closer against him. Breathing in the scent he had come to think of as uniquely Bri, he calmed, and a sense of peace he hadn't felt in a long time filled him. And along with peace, came sleep, with the woman of his dreams in his arms.

Three weeks later and things had been blessedly quiet on the Timothy front. Bri hadn't heard a thing and was taking it as a good sign. Maybe he had decided to move on.
Yeah, right
.
Even in her own head the idea sounded wrong, but a girl could dream.

Her parents had called almost every day. Sometimes it was her mother. She would ask after Josh, talk to Bri about any updates either of them may or may not have received from the police. Her mother seemed rather curious about what had captured her daughter’s attention in the small town of Bricker. Bri thought her mother at least suspected something more was going on, but as usual, waited for her daughter to come to her. When it was her father on the other end, things became a little tenser. The man was worried, anxious, and even a bit annoyed when Josh was the one to answer the phone. He had asked her more than once how she was able to cope with the news of Timothy’s escape and his unknown whereabouts, and she honestly didn’t know.

To stay calm, Bri tried to focus on the bright sparks in her life—Josh and their child. Not that she could tell her father that, at least not yet.

Josh had been wonderful. On more than one occasion she suffered extreme nightmares, waking poor Josh, even though he had to be up at the crack of dawn. Never once did he complain. He soothed her, and cared for her until she drifted back to sleep. They had shared his bed every night since their date. Bri felt safe and complete when he held her in his arms. The cowboy even had breakfast waiting for her when she managed to drag herself up most mornings. He spoiled her.

She didn't pull her weight, a feeling that had doubled since she'd reached her twenty week mark. It made her uncomfortable.

“What has you so deep in thought?”

Bri let out a startled yelp, holding her hand to her chest. “Oh God. I didn’t here you come in.”

“Obviously,” he smirked, making his way to the fridge and pulling out a carton of milk.

“Yes, ha, ha,” she muttered, narrowing her glare. “Make sure you use a glass for that.”

Josh paused with the carton halfway to his lips already, before dropping it and mumbling something along the lines of already married. When her eyebrow raised, the wise man kept his thoughts to himself.

Pouring himself a drink, he looked back at her expectantly. “You didn’t answer my question. What were you thinking about?”

“I want to help,” she blurted out while she played her fork through her breakfast. Again, another delicious meal cooked by Josh. “And I want to do more to help around the home.”

Josh smiled sweetly at her, his ridiculously adorable dimples showing. How the hell does a man like Joshua Kell have dimples? Seriously? It’s like breaking the laws of nature by making one man so frigging gorgeous. “You’re doing enough. Being here, carrying our child. You’ve been through more than enough.”

Annnd there was his downfall.

Bri growled, startling the both of them.

Josh frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“That right there!” she said a little more aggressively then she meant to. “I don’t need your pity, Josh.”

“Whoa.” Josh looked truly startled, not that she could blame him. “It’s not pity. I care about you. I don’t want you to stress unnecessarily.”

“You’re being overprotective.” Distantly she thought maybe she was overreacting, but this was important. She needed Josh to see her as an equal, but more importantly, she needed to
feel
like she was.

“I’m being practical,” he retorted.

“Stubborn.”

“Look who is talking.”

She blinked. “I think our conversation just went down a couple of decades in maturity.”

“I think you might be right.” Josh chuckled lightly.

Bri sighed, not willing or able to let this go. “Yes, I need support, but I need to be the one offering support too. I refuse to be the weak, little woman. I survived dammit.”

“Yes, yes you did.” Josh’s eyes sparked suddenly with an intense heat.

She flushed not just at his words but at her outburst, yet she refused to take it back. She was stronger now. Bri wanted to prove that.

“You said you were an accountant.”

“I did?” Bri was confused at the turn in conversation.

“Yes, that night. You said it had been a while since you had had a decent client base. I hate doing the numbers. I can do them. I’m not an idiot. But I hate them with a passion.” He looked like he was still trying to prove that to someone. Maybe himself?

“Wait.” She shook her head, trying to catch up. “Are you offering me a job?”

Josh moved next to her, wrapping an arm lightly around her expanding waistline. “I’m offering you a partnership, honey. Isn’t that part of marriage?”

The smirk he gave her was devilish.

“Yeah. I guess it is.” And with that thought, came another, slightly less pleasant one. “Don’t forget we are going to my parents tonight.”

Josh didn’t hide his grimace but nodded, dropping a kiss to her lips before slapping on his hat and heading out the door looking more like he was preparing for war rather than herding cattle.

*****

Josh tugged at the tie he wore for the umpteenth time, feeling as though the silk might actually choke him. He and Bri stood on the paved porch of her parents’ home. The moment he had turned his truck into the grand gates of the enormous home, his stomach had knotted up. Josh knew Bri came from money, had done business with her father, yet nothing had prepared him for the grand display before him. Or for the realization that perhaps, even with his success, Bri was just slightly out of his league.

His mother’s voice echoed inside his head, chastising himself for even thinking such a thing. Bad habits were hard to break.

“Are you okay?” Bri asked softly next to him.

He nodded, not sure he was capable of more at the moment. Bri smiled at him, seeming happy to take the lead as an elderly man opened the door to greet them.

“Ah, Miss Evans. Your parents will be thrilled you are here.”

“Evening, Will.” Bri stepped forward, hugging the man on her way passed and handing him her coat. “Sorry we’re late. Traffic.”

Her gaze slid over to him and Josh could tell she was hiding a smirk. The real reason they were late was due to Josh’s inability to dress himself. For the first time in his life, Josh had fretted over what to wear, reminding himself of a teenage girl getting ready for her first date. He’d be ashamed if he weren't so damn petrified right at that moment.

“Completely understandable,” Will assured, sharing a look with Bri before he acknowledged Josh. The twinkle in the older man’s eyes suggested he knew what really had held them up, and found it just as amusing as Bri did.

Great
.
Tonight should be a blast.

“Brianna? Sweetie?” a feminine voice called from further in the home.

“Coming, Mom.” Bri entwined their fingers as she dragged Josh behind her.

Entering into what appeared to be a sitting room, Josh plastered a smile on his face as he was introduced to Bri’s mother, Margaret. Graceful and elegant, Josh could suddenly see where Bri got her beauty from, though he wasn’t corny or brave enough to say that out loud.

“You must be Josh. I’ve heard so much about you.” Margaret’s smile was warm and sincere, yet the laughter playing in her eyes hinted that not everything she had heard had been positive. Josh barely suppressed a grimace. He could only imagine the conversation that had been happening before their arrival.

One look at the unwelcoming frown on Brian Evans’ face as he hugged his daughter was proof.

“So, how are things going on the ranch, Josh?” Margaret asked as they took their seats, waiting to be called to dinner.

Josh shifted uncomfortably, not used to such formal situations. Growing up he learned that everyone stayed out of his ma’s way while she cooked, and scrambled like the hounds of hell were on your tail when she said it was ready. If you were late or took your time getting to the table and made everyone wait, you were left to do the dishes on your own.

Once again, Josh realized just how different their lives were.

“I suspect they are going rather well for him now,” Brian muttered behind his glass of whiskey.

“Brian,” Margaret whispered, the censor clear to even Josh. However, Brian seemed in no mood to heed his wife’s warning.

Instead, Brian visibly bristled. “You expected me to act polite to a man who clearly has ulterior motives?”

Margaret rolled her eyes in a way that reminded Josh very much of her daughter. “What motives?”

“You don’t find it a tad suspect the same day he signs a contract with me that I could pull out of, he meets our daughter, who has been more recluse than anything lately, and now they are dating?”

“Dad. We can deal with that in a minute.” Bri bit her lip, a nervous habit he had noticed she had. “We have some things to tell you…about Timothy.”

Brian straightened, sitting forward on the couch. “What’s happened? I thought you were safe where you were.”

The older man’s eyes darted to Josh in accusation, and Josh bristled. “She is. That bastard hasn’t gotten near her.” He shared a look with Bri, reaching out to hold her hand tightly in his. Her parents hadn't missed the move either. “We think he may have found his way to the ranch however.”

“What?” Brian shouted.

Before the man could launch into a full on interrogation, Josh held his hand up to silence him and explain, “The same day we were informed of his escape, that very night Bri and I returned to the ranch and found a doll left on the porch. I can go into details later, but a note left on it hinted that Timothy was behind it.”

“But how,” Margaret asked, bewildered. “How could he get there so fast? Find her?”

Josh shook his head. “We don’t know, and we can’t be certain it was him who left it, but I called Noah, his our Sheriff. He sent the doll and the note off for testing, and nothing conclusive came up. Noah thinks it was a warning. Considering it’s been a little more than three weeks since the incident, he is even willing to believe it was some kind of parting shot on Timothy’s behalf.”

Brain narrowed his eyes on him, and Josh met his gaze head on. “So what happens now?”

“Noah isn’t willing to let his guard down. Not with something like this. So we keep our eyes open and Bri is never left alone.” Josh swiped a hand down his face as he sighed, “The good thing about a town our size…we know when someone new comes in. People are quick to talk. Some sheriffs might be willing to let their guard down, but not Noah. He has his men patrolling around my ranch and the town regularly, he is working with the city department, and he won’t stop until Timothy is locked back up or dead.”

Brian seemed pleased enough with his answer. Probably the only thing the man had approved of as far as Josh was concerned since he turned up on his doorstep.

“There is something else we have to tell you though, Daddy,” Bri said startling him. She had been mostly quiet while he had explained things to her parents. Then her words registered and his heart sank a little. So much for Brian’s approval…it was nice while it lasted.

Josh cleared his throat. “Ah yes. Bri and I were hoping to share some news with you both tonight.”

Bri squeezed the hand he still held. “Really good news.”

“If it’s so good then why does Joshua here look like he is about to face a firing squad?” Brian asked with one harsh eyebrow raised.

“Because you’re about as subtly as a brass tack?” Bri batted her eyes innocently at her father, making Josh pathetically attempt to hide his laugh behind a cough. Then in true Bri style as he had come to learn, she ripped it off like a band aid. “We’re getting married.”

Oh shit
, t
he woman really needed to give him a heads up before she did that crap.

Getting married? You barely know one another!” Brian shouted, his face heated with anger.

“We know enough, Dad,” Bri interrupted her father’s rant, sighing. “I know that Josh is a good man, who looks after everyone around him. He is honest, kind...and he will make a great father.”

“What?” Brian’s face turned unbelievably redder. Josh feared the man might actually have a heart attack.

Josh placed a hand on Bri’s shoulder, bracing himself. “Bri is pregnant, sir.”

Her mother gasped. “Oh, Bri. Are you?”

“Yeah, Mom. Josh and I are having a baby, and we couldn’t be happier,” she rushed out. “We know this is sudden, but when it works...it works.”

“How the hell can you say this works? You barely know the man.” Brain was belligerent now. “This blond bastard got you pregnant, and we’re supposed to be happy for you? After everything you went through?”

“Dad. I know you’re just concerned—”

“Concerned? Oh, I’m more than that.”

“Sir. I understand your shock, but I suggest you lower your voice when speaking to my fiancée.” Josh knew the challenge he was putting down. For a man like Brain Evans it was like a red flag to a bull, but he had to make a stand, had a point to prove. Bri may be the man’s little girl, but she was Josh’s future.

“You smug bastard. How dare you issue demands in my house.”

“And how dare you speak to him that way,” Bri shouted abruptly. She had been quiet, almost subdued until now. Bri raised her hand to cut off whatever her father was about to say. “I have done nothing but respect your rules, follow your orders since I was a child. When I came home broken and lost, you and mom saved me from falling too deep and I will always love you for that. But now? It’s time for me to live, Dad. And I need you to respect that. It may have happened faster than we would have liked, but I’m okay with that.”

Bri placed a hand on her stomach and glanced up at him. The way her eyes locked with his. The pure joy, happiness...and determination, made Josh feel like his world had shattered and reformed into something bigger and brighter.

He raised a hand, cupping her cheek, soft skin rubbing against his palm as she nuzzled in. “More than okay with it,” his voice was hoarse, emotion tightening his chest.

Over Bri’s head, Josh could see Brian’s shoulders droop, as if he had lost most of his fight in the face of his daughter's conviction, but Josh knew he wasn’t mistaking the gleam of pride in the older man’s eyes either.

Yeah, things were definitely going to be okay.