Of Yesterday (5 page)

Gradually he began to remove the thorns from her hands,
working his way up each arm and down each leg. Taylor was stunned by how gentle
his strong hands could be. Each touch was warm and soft.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" He did not look up as
his eyes focused intently on each thorn.

Taylor could not help but huff. "You weren't concerned
about that when you were spanking me."

Jason continued to remove the thorns, never making eye
contact. "You had that coming."

"A
spanking
? You think I had a
spanking
coming? You can't be serious."

Jason plucked the last thorn out of Taylor's body. "I
am. And there will be more where that came from if you don't behave." He
ran his fingers along her arms, her legs and then her hands tenderly. "I
think I got them all out. Can you feel anymore?"

Taylor's head spun with all the different sensations
coursing through her. Her body stung from all the thorns and scrapes. Her ass
burned from the spanking, and her inner core throbbed with desire. She wanted more.
She wanted more of Jason's touch...whichever way he chose to give it.

"No, I think you got them all. Thank you."

Jason applied some ointment on the bigger scrapes and placed
some bandages on the ones that were still bleeding.

"You're welcome." He packed up the first aid kit
and made his way to the stairs. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Taylor's heart skipped a beat. If only he
truly
meant
what he said. Spending a night in this cowboy's bed seemed like one hell of an
idea.

When they reached the hallway between their bedrooms, they
both paused in awkward silence. There was something about Jason that made her
want to wrap her arms around him and entice her way into his bed. But at the
same time, she wanted to strangle the jerk. After tonight, she wanted him more
than ever before. Was it the spanking? Was it the strength, the over-protectiveness,
and his dominance? Or was it his gentle touch as he cared for her lovingly?
Taylor could not figure it out.

Jason was the first to break the silence. "Good night,
Taylor."

The huskiness of his voice made her heart pitter patter and
her knees go weak. God, she wanted him.

"Good night, Jason." She walked into her room and
closed the door behind her.

She turned and looked over at the naked bed, quickly
realizing that her foolish attempt to escape had left her sheets in a knotted
pile outside in the dark. She had no choice but to go to Jason to see where the
spare sheets were stored. Turning back around, she went to knock on his door.

Before she could even get the second knock to connect with
the wood, it flung open. Jason emerged, his body silhouetted by the light
shining through his window. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled
her lips to his. The warmth on her mouth dissolved away all thought, and every
sense in her body, except for touch. Fire exploded within her, leaving her
panting for air. Jason spanned her waist with his strong hands, his fingertips
meeting as he pulled her hard against him. She felt his loss of control, as a
shudder ripped through him. Taylor gasped for breath, aware of the bulge in his
pants, screaming for release. The moan she’d been trying to hold back escaped
her in a tantalizing rush. Jason’s hands tightened at her waist. He reeled her
into him, molding her to his solid chest with unexpectedly sensual, gentle
hands. Feeling more of the hard length of his sex pressing against her stomach,
Taylor craved more.

She finally remembered to breathe. Lifting her head to look
up at him, she saw nothing more than the shadowed outline of his broad
shoulders, backlit from the soft moonlight beaming through his bedroom window.

"I didn’t mean to bother you," she managed, the
words weak and breathless.

"You aren’t." He slid his hands lower, cupping her
still-tender buttocks. "You’re dangerous, Taylor." His husky words
sounded like a warning – a strained voice of reason, echoing amongst a storm of
hungry need.

Taylor wrapped her arms around his neck, seeking his
strength and command. "We hardly know each other, but I feel..." Her
voice trailed off. Taylor did not know what else to say, how else to resist a
man so able to shatter her common sense.

She ran her fingertips up the center of his chest and across
to his upper arms. Desire flooded through her as she touched him. Muscles
flexed beneath her fingertips, increasing the heat that flooded her senses.

He held her still, lowering his head, kissing the side of
her neck with his parted lips. He seduced her with gentleness. "Tell me to
stop," he commanded.

Taylor shook her head, not wanting to fight him, or fight
the fiery need in her body. "No," it was the only word she could
barely whisper. Speech was conquered by sexual need.

In one quick movement, Jason swooped her up into his arms
and carried her to the bed. Her body melted with his as she danced her tongue
in the depths of his mouth.

She needed more, she needed to feel his skin. Hastily, she
pulled his shirt up over his head and ran her hands down his chest. Relishing
in how smooth and sleek his skin felt against her fingertips, each muscle
clearly defined. Sexual attraction took on a whole new meaning.

Jason moaned as he kissed her deeper, lowering her down onto
the mattress below. With movements as graceful and gentle as before, Jason
removed each item of Taylor's clothing. Her body screamed for him, her heart
demanded, and her soul ached for him to take her. Her mind swirled as he placed
soft kisses everywhere her clothes had once been. Pleasure escalated with every
touch and with every moment she laid beneath his weight.

"I'm so glad you came over, so glad you wanted this,"
he said breathlessly.

Taylor froze, passion being replaced by confusion. "What?
You think I came over to...?"

She lusted Jason in every way, no question about that. But
she did not want him to think she came over with the intention of having sex
with him. For some reason, she did not want him to have the power of knowing
how much he drove her wild. It drove her crazy that he had the upper hand.

Jason tried to hush her as he placed soft kisses along her
neck. "Shhh... it's okay. I want this. I want you."

Taylor pressed against his chest with the palm of her hand. "Wait,
I came over here to see where the spare sheets were stored.
You
were the
one who kissed me."

Jason stopped kissing and sat up, still straddling her with
his muscled thighs. "Only because you came over to seduce me."

Taylor gasped and wiggled her way from underneath his
weight. "I most certainly did not!" She scrambled to find her
clothes, now mortified that she was naked in front of him.

He grabbed her panties and dangled them from his finger in
front of her. With a smirk, he teased, "Yes, you did."

She snatched her panties and the rest of her clothes and
quickly made her way to the exit. Completely nude, she turned around to face
him. "Do you like what you see? Well, this is the last time you'll ever
get that pleasure!"

With heat radiating from her body, both from passion and
embarrassment, Taylor made her hasty escape.

"Son of a Bitch," Jason grumbled under his breath.

He made his way back to his bed and laid his head on the
pillow that once had Taylor's flowing bronze curls sprawled out over it. He
could still smell her scent, delicious and exotic. He tossed the pillow to the
floor and propped up his head with his arm. He had to get that crazy woman out of
his head. His mind filled with images of what could have been. Visions of what
very well could have been the best night of his life.

She was the most frustrating woman he had ever met. Yet his
body screamed out for her. She was intriguing, interesting, and sexier than
anyone he had ever been blessed to see. God, she was stunning.

One moment he wanted to throw her over his knee and paddle
her ass into submission, and the next to thrust his manhood into her luscious
body. When Taylor was around, his mind blurred with a mixture of emotions.
Aggravation for one, but pure indescribable hunger seemed to conquer all.

Was bringing her here a wise choice? He knew having someone
in Mandy's life was needed. She needed a friend and a confidant during this
time and life transition. So much was going to happen and change, that Mandy
really required someone around to help guide her. But was Taylor the right
choice? Jason tossed and turned in his bed, trying desperately to solve all the
questions in his mind. Sleep was futile.

Jason stood up and made his way to the window. Looking out
at the moonlight cast on the open land, he could not help but feel a sense of
pride. This was his land, his new life, his dream. So, where did Taylor fit in
with all of it? He would be lying if he did not admit he wanted to feel himself
buried deep within her. But did he want more? Did he want more than a one night
stand? Was it just an unquestionable sexual attraction, or did he want Taylor
in his life?

Tonight had certainly proven that he cared. Seeing her fall
from the window had scared him half to death. Spanking her had given him a
sense of...ownership of sorts. He felt possessive, and protective. But at the
same time, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and place soft kisses all over
her body. Removing each thorn and attending to her scrapes had been agonizing.
He hated to see her in any discomfort and wanted to whisper soothing words. All
of the emotions going through his head left him unsettled. For the first time
in Jason's life, he did not feel in control.

****

The next morning, Taylor stood in the kitchen gazing out the
window at the livestock. Slate-gray skies and threatening thunder clouds formed
the backdrop for the day to come. Daydreaming about Jason, she ran her fingers
along her lips, remembering the way his kiss seared its way into her entire
being. They had been so close to becoming one. Merging their bodies together,
and exploring each other in ways she could only fantasize.

She worried about the awkwardness between them this morning.
But when she woke up to find him gone, she felt a sense of relief. She was not sure
how Jason would treat her from this point on. Could they forget what happened
and move on? Could they look at each other and not wonder what would have happened
had she not left his bedroom? Could they keep it from happening again? The
biggest question was: did she want it to happen again?

Her thoughts were broken when Mandy walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Taylor." She looked around. "Where's Jason?"

Taylor shrugged. "I guess he had to get to work early."
She smiled at the blonde virtue before her. "I made you some breakfast.
Afterwards, I thought maybe you and I could go to the garden and see what we
have in store for us."

Mandy's smile dominated her entire face. "That sounds like
fun!" She clapped her hands in glee. "I hope we can plant tomatoes.
Jason and I love tomatoes."

"Tomatoes it is, then."

Mandy clapped her hands in glee. "Yay! What about you,
Taylor? What's your favorite fruit?"

"I love lemon trees. There's something really special
about having fresh lemons in your kitchen. It reminds me of my grandma. She had
a bunch of them in her back yard when I was a kid."

"I never met my grandma. It was just my mom, dad, Jason
and me. And then when they died...well, then it was just the two of us."

"I was raised by my grandma," Taylor confessed. "When
she died, it was just me. You're lucky you have your brother."

"I am. He takes really good care of me."

Taylor made her way to the table with the breakfast she had
just made them, displayed nicely on the plates. "Do you mind me asking
what happened to your parents?" Asking the question was risky. But Taylor
really did want to get to know them better.

Mandy took a bite of the bacon and mumbled, "They
drowned. Their boat flipped over." She paused for a moment and just
stared. Her eyes darkened. "I was only ten." As if flicking a switch,
she suddenly smiled. "But they went to Heaven and they left Jason here so
we could have each other. So, it isn't all that sad."

Taylor studied how quickly Mandy went from sad to happy. Her
way of coping was always turning things around to be positive. It was odd,
unsettling, and different than what Taylor was used to. No self pity. No
negative. Watching the way Mandy could paint a bright picture, with even the
darkest colors, was inspiring.

"I like you, Mandy. You truly make me smile every day."

"Well, you should never go a day without one."

They sat in silence and finished their breakfast. Mandy
grabbed the dishes and began washing them in the water Taylor already had prepared.

"Taylor? Do you like my brother?"

Mandy's question startled Taylor with how direct it was. "Yes,
of course. He's a very nice man. He seems to really want to give you the best."

"No," Mandy stated.

"No?"

"No. He wants to give
us
the best. You're
included in this family too, Taylor. He really likes you."

Taylor smiled. "I hope so. I haven't really ever had a
sense of family before. I really like this idea of your brother's. The town and
community, I mean."

Mandy shrugged. "He has big dreams. But I worry that
sometimes he is trying to
build
happiness...when what he really needs to
do, is
find
happiness."

Taylor was lost in her thoughts as she kneaded the bread
dough for the evening's supper. Since arriving on the ranch, she had cooked,
cleaned, chopped, planted, picked, milked, peeled, and washed everything in the
way an old-fashioned woman would be expected. She was so exhausted she could
barely see straight at the end of each day.