Learnin' The Ropes (40 page)

Baby sat near the car, wagging her gigantic tail and barking. She licked their hands as they gave her a pat on the head and told her to stay out of trouble while they were gone.

A few hours later, they pulled up at a resort at the edge of Sisters. While Lexi was immersed with wedding details, she asked Ty to be in charge of the honeymoon. He knew they couldn’t be gone very long and he didn’t want to spend too much of their precious time traveling. After searching online, he settled on the cabin at Sisters. It was convenient, romantic, and looked perfect on the website.

As he walked into their secluded cabin at the back of the property, it lived up to his expectations of providing a romantic getaway. From the sunken tub big enough for two by a fireplace to the plush king-sized bed, it was just what he hoped for.

He set down their luggage then hurried back outside where Lexi looked around, taking in the beautifully landscaped grounds.

When he made the reservation, he asked to have the refrigerator in the room stocked with an assortment of sodas and juice as well as a meat and cheese platter. A basket of fruit sat on the coffee table along with crackers, cheese, and a decadent plate of specialty chocolates.

The sun sent shimmering rays dancing around his beautiful bride. Ty had to remind himself all this was real, she was real. And she was finally his.

The weight of his gaze settled on her. Lexi turned and offered him a smile that shot straight to his heart.

“Ready to go in?” he asked as she held her hand out to him.

 “Sure,” she said, staring at the cabin. “Want to get some dinner?”

“No, ma’am.” Ty turned over her hand and kissed her palm, keeping his blue eyes focused on her green ones.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Famished,” he said, the heat in his gaze increasing.

“Then let’s get you something to eat,” Lexi said, taking a step in the direction of the restaurant on the edge of the property.

“Nope.” He swept her into his arms and carried her into the cabin, toeing the door shut with his boot.

Caught off guard by being swept into his arms, Lexi  looped her arms around his neck. Her lips were just inches from his. Suddenly, the thought of eating didn’t hold as much appeal as it had a few minutes earlier.

“I thought you said you’re starving,” Lexi whispered, uncertain what Ty was thinking.

“I am.” His voice dropped in pitch as he held her tightly to his chest. “Starving for you. Famished for your kisses. Hungry for your arms around me. Dying to taste every little bit of you.”

The air whooshed out of her as Ty captured her lips in a kiss unlike any she’d ever known. It was wild, demanding, urgent, and the most wonderful thing she had ever experienced. Heat and electricity exploded between them with a brilliant force of unrestrained passion. Lexi wasn’t aware of anything except the feel of Ty’s arms around her, his body pressed against her, and his lips moving insistently on hers.

“Ty, I love you,” she whispered as he carried her into the bedroom and let her feet slowly slide to the floor.

“I love you too, Lexi. More than anything.” He stepped around her and unfastened the hook at the top of her dress. Carefully, he tugged on the zipper. When it didn’t budge, he impatiently tugged on it.  As it finally slid down, his warm breath caressed Lexi’s neck. “Thank you for marrying me.”

When her dress was unzipped, Ty pulled it off her shoulders then held her hand while she stepped out of it and kicked off her sandals before turning around.

Lexi wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t the undiluted look of pure wanting on Ty’s face.

“You are so beautiful, Lexi Jo. Absolutely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Ty said, trying to keep his passion in check and finding it more difficult with every passing second.

There had been moments in the last month when it taxed every bit of his self-restraint to keep from taking things too far with Lexi, but he held on for this moment. The moment when she would finally be his wife.

The aching need that had started in his gut had now grown to a throbbing desire that encompassed his entire being. The sexy white lingerie Lexi wore, the gentle curves and softness of her skin, along with the pink blush in her cheeks, left him nearly undone.

His fingers shook as he pulled the pins from her hair and watched the mass of curls tumble around her shoulders and down her back.

Burying his hands in her fragrant tresses, he pulled her close and breathed deeply of the scent that was solely his wife – a combination of her warm, floral perfume, her sweetness, and the lingering hint of outdoors and sunshine.

“Oh, babe,” he moaned, kissing her neck, worrying her earlobe, searing her with his kisses.

Lexi wrapped her arms around his neck and savored every touch, every kiss from the man who had sauntered into her life and claimed her heart for his own. When she raised her lips to meet his, their kiss was filled with wanting. Lexi’s insides grew molten, her limbs languid. Finally breaking the contact, she offered Ty a seductive smile. “I don’t think this is quite fair.”

“What’s that?” Ty ran his hands over her exposed skin in delirious pleasure.

“You’re still fully dressed and I’m not,” Lexi whispered. Suddenly emboldened, she pulled the tails of his shirt from his jeans. In one smooth motion, she yanked the snaps free. Hurriedly pushing it off his shoulders, she admired Ty’s rock-hard chest and arms, tanned by the summer sun.

While she was lost in the wonder of his physical beauty, he pressed hot kisses down her neck, across her collarbone to her shoulder.

“Is it my turn again?” he asked, sliding his fingers down her back toward the hooks that kept him from treasures he could wait no longer to explore.

“Not yet,” Lexi said with a saucy grin. She pushed him backward onto the bed and grabbed his foot. She removed his boots and socks then divested him of his belt and jeans. By the time she finished they both trembled from the sensations passing between them.

“Aunt Bertie said you put on the brand but would only let me see it. Care to show it off?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Ty looked up at her with such heat in his eyes, she thought what few clothes she had on might melt into a lacy puddle at her feet. Nervously licking her lips, she couldn’t muster the strength to draw her eyes from his.

One of his strong arms snaked out and grabbed her waist, tumbling her down beside him. Unable to restrain his desire any longer, Ty rolled on top of her, ravishing kisses down her neck, rapidly removing the last bits of fabric separating him from his blushing bride.

“Lexi Jo,” Ty whispered in her ear. “I love you so much.”

“Are you sure we have to go home already?” Lexi asked as they set the last of their bags in her car and looked fondly at the resort. “It seems like we just got here.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Ty wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck. When she turned to look at him, he suggestively waggled his eyebrows at her.

Playfully, she smacked his arm then kissed him on the lips. “Promise we’ll come back here at least once a year.”

“I promise.” Ty held her car door as she climbed inside. “We’ll come back at least once a year, my beautiful bride. Maybe next time, we’ll even get to see something beyond the resort.”

Ty waited until she had her seatbelt fastened then ran around to the driver’s side and slid in the car.

Lexi held out her left hand, studying her unique and lovely wedding ring.

Indulgently, he smiled at her. “What are you doing?”

“Thinking about how glad I am you answered that classified ad.” Lexi smiled at her husband. “I had no idea what a bargain I was getting.”

“A bargain?” Curious, he stared at her.

“Sure. I got a wonderful husband, a mind-blowing lover, a true friend, a great mechanic, a hard-worker, someone willing to learn the ropes, and the only guy Baby likes.” Lexi squeezed Ty’s hand. “Not to mention, you are quite possibly the most handsome man I’ve ever seen with that bad-boy aura, sexy eyes, tempting hair, and undeniably fine caboose.”

Ty grinned at her. “Is that so, Mrs. Lewis?”

“That is so. Just ask Aunt Bertie. Besides, when I turned around that first day and saw you standing by the corrals, you completely took my breath away.”

“You not only took my breath,” Ty said, his eyes glowing bright with warmth and love as he kissed her hand. “You took my heart. Forever and always, Lexi Jo.”

She reached into her purse and withdrew a tiny box, holding it out to him.

“What’s this, babe?” Ty asked, taking her hand in his and kissing her palm, making tingles begin at her toes where they worked their way up to her head.

“A wedding gift,” Lexi said. “Open it.”

Ty opened the box to find a set of car keys attached to a keychain with the Rockin’ R Brand. He knew the keys went to the Mustang.

“Are you serious?” he asked, studying the keys in his hand.

“Dad would want the car to be yours,” Lexi said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Besides, if you have it to drive, you won’t hog my car.”

“But Lexi Jo, I just…” Ty took a breath and smiled at his wife. “Thank you. This is perfect, but as you know, I can’t give you anything but my love and me.”

“I thought of something you can give me no one else can,” Lexi said softly, love making her eyes glow. Flecks of gold danced in the mossy green pools.

“What could I possibly give you?” Ty pressed a kiss to her wrist and worked his way up her arm. He stopped when he got to her elbow and looked at her, feeling surrounded by her love.

“A baby.”

Polenta Alla Romana

1 pound of bulk sausage (use Italian if you want a spicy kick)

2 cups of cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups of sauce (tomato or Alfredo)

2 cups of chicken broth

1 tube of Polenta

1 tbsp. butter

parsley (optional)

In a heavy-duty skillet, brown the sausage. When it is cooked, add the chicken, one cup of the chicken broth and sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.

While the sausage is cooking, break the polenta into small pieces and place in a skillet with a cup of the chicken broth and a tablespoon of butter. Simmer on medium heat until liquid is absorbed and polenta breaks down smoothly (about 10 minutes). Use a potato masher to get out all the lumps.

Spoon polenta onto a plate and top with the sauce, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and, if you like, parsley.

Thank you for reading
Learnin’ The Ropes
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If you enjoyed
Learnin’ the Ropes
,

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