The Love Ranch (BWWM Romance) (11 page)

He stared down at the woman who had taken him places he never even knew existed and before he could help himself, he blurted, “I love you.”

He saw her eyes widen; felt the alarm and sudden tension in her perfect body beneath his.

There was more. “Marry me,” he added softly.

He watched the light die in her eyes as he breathed the words, but weirdly, he didn’t want to call them back.

“Marry me,” he repeated.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tiana was deliciously tired as Christian rode up to the house. She pressed against him deliberately, flattening her chest against his back and hid a grin when his breath hissed out of him in response. Over three hours of lovemaking and he was still ready to go. There really was a lot to be said for cowboys; they had stamina in more ways than one, she thought with a secret grin.

In spite of the fact that they seemed to be in accord, she could feel the anger strumming in his veins. When he had blurted out that he loved her, she had frozen. Those were the three words she had never expected to hear from him, frankly from any man ever again. She already knew she loved him desperately, but as long as he didn’t say anything, or didn’t know that, it was alright. But when he had mentioned those words to her, she had frozen in what she recognized now as fear. Perhaps Hank had left more scars than she had thought and she really needed to see a shrink or something.

But when he had asked her to marry him, she had felt very real terror. The taste was still in her mouth. It was annoying because she knew Christian would never hurt her or Jamal; at least not intentionally and definitely not physically because he was a strong man who knew his own strength. He was as gentle with his horses as though they were made of fragile china and every horse on the ranch knew him and loved him. Even the one dreadful one that loved to bite everyone! She had watched him once in the stable with the biting horse, wielding the whip but never letting it touch the animal.

Whereas, that Rick person had once let the whip hit the horse. She had been new then so she had not known it was wrong or she would have reported him at once. But even then, she had felt sick to her stomach. She was so glad he had been fired, although she never knew why.

As they rode up, Tiana noticed for the first time that there seemed to be more people moving about than usual. Everyone looked grim. Her heart leaped into her throat and she almost slid right off Aasifa’s back on her own but Christian must have guessed her intention because he grabbed her hand and held her fast, preventing her from jumping off.

He nodded towards the front of the house, and her heart settled down when she caught sight of Jamal, clad in his wind-breaker and standing with his hand protectively held in Rose’s. Her baby was safe, she realized, relaxing automatically.

Christian helped her off Aasifa and then, his gaze sharpened as he strode towards a small cluster of ranch hands.

“What’s going on?”

“Someone wet the alfalfa hay, it got moldy and it seems it was strangely given to the horses,” one of the men replied.

Christian’s hands shook with anger as he digested this information. How did someone not notice wet, moldy hay?

He asked the question of the men gathered and their embarrassed silence told him there was more. Alfalfa hay, when wet, molded and moldy hay caused colic which in turn killed horses. Was someone trying to poison the horses?                    

“What do you mean someone wet the alfalfa? Do you think it was done on purpose?”

“See for yourself, sir,” one of the hands invited with a flourish gesturing towards the loft in a section of one of the barns.

Christian looked around, his gaze fell on Tiana. She was holding Jamal close in front of her; her hands on his shoulders. For once since they had left the cottage, she met his gaze.

“Take him inside,” he ordered.

She turned immediately to obey and he realized she was still shaken about Hank. He needed to do something about that situation, he decided. His subconscious nagged him, was he really going to pretend he was worried about Hank right now? He had been unable to concentrate on much else since he had asked Tiana to marry him and she had looked at him as though he was not even there. Then she had added insult to injury by pretending she had not heard him, commenting on everything from the time to the weather and generally chattering a mile a minute. She had made a point of avoiding his gaze too and she had acted so uncomfortable that he had finally relented and not brought up the topic again.

His steps slowed now as he walked towards where the alfalfa was stored. His men were right, he realized within two seconds; the alfalfa was so wet, it had to have been hosed down. Besides, the bottom of the loft was soaked through with water. There had been no rain for at least a week and there certainly was no leak.

Someone had done this on purpose, he realized, all the hair at the back of his neck standing.

Could Hank have penetrated the estate? But someone would have seen him, he argued within himself as he made his way back downstairs. Just like that, he realized that only he and Tiana knew about Hank. It meant the man could stroll on in, easy as you please, and kidnap Tiana and Jamal.

He would paste the man’s picture all over the ranch, he resolved.

“Return to your posts, everyone,” he said.

The men began to disperse silently, some of them shooting him searching looks as they did so.

He made to stroll back towards the house but a loud cry forced him to whip around in alarm.

“My truck!” someone yelled.

“Mine too,” another responded.

Christian surged forward, and gulped. All the tires of the truck had been slashed!

“Alright these are no more coincidences. We are officially under attack and from whom, I have no idea. I expect everyone to hold a rifle from this point and be extra-vigilant,” he barked. “Somebody get me the Sheriff’s office and I will also need a vet!”

Christian sighed inwardly as he watched them scurry around; it was going to be a long day; a very long one.

***

Hours later, it was a tired and very irritable Christian that pulled himself into his quarters, cussing as he shed his shirt and jeans. He had not had a bite to eat since breakfast by the spring cottage and now his stomach was growling. Of course, by the time he had finished making love with Tiana, the food had gone cold and what little fruit they had with them had been unappetizing to him because he had been occupied contemplating her refusal to even discuss marrying him.

Not to mention, when the police had arrived, they had spent hours grilling him as a likely suspect and the next hours wondering if Tiana was, because some bright bulb among his men had thought to mention that the problems started just after Tiana showed up.

In fact, the cops had focused on her so much that he was convinced that the only reason they had not hauled her ass downtown was because he had provided her an alibi for the night of the fire and also they had both been in full view of everyone when the slashed tired had been noticed. Of course the men had driven the trucks to the front of the barn just that morning so it stood to reason that the slashing had occurred right in front of the barn when everyone was focused on the alfalfa.

Slowly, he edged into his bathroom, his frustration peaking as his eyes trailed past his empty bed. He and Tiana had become lovers just this morning but with all the frustrations of the day so far, it felt like a million light years away.

He stood beneath the spray of the shower, letting the cold water rinse away the sweat and tiredness. The hunger however, was another matter. Perhaps he would have to go down to the kitchen and look for some food.

Minutes later, Christian stepped out of the shower, droplets of water slowly sliding down his body. He grabbed a towel and dried off his body. He was toweling his hair dry when he walked into his room and noticed the scent.

Hastily, he whipped the towel off his head and stared, his unerring gaze flying to the tray sitting beside the bed and the woman reclining on the bed wearing nothing but a big smile.

“Tiana?” he breathed.

“I brought dinner. I thought you might be hungry,” she added unnecessarily

Christian hurriedly dug in, savoring the delicious taste of the meal with every bite. When he was done, he shoved aside the plate and turned to Tiana, his eyes gleaming with the spark of desire she had lit.

He wanted her; he was a weak, pathetic man, he told himself cheerfully. Give him one whiff of Tiana Walker and he would come running, his tongue lolling out like a damn drooling bulldog.

“Jamal,” he began.

“Is sleeping soundly. I bolted the windows and doors though and for good measure, I brought a baby monitor,” she told him, brandishing the little object merrily.

Her heart warmed within her. Here she was, butt-naked in his bed and his first thought had been of the safety of her child? The man would make some woman very happy someday.

He chuckled at the baby monitor, the sound low, dark and sinful like hot chocolate on a cold day.

“I love it when you laugh or smile,” she said quietly, tracing his dimple with one slim finger.

With a groan, Christian leaned over her and took her lips in his, rolling as he kissed her, until she was on top of him.

“I want you to ride me,” he murmured. “And I want to watch you do that.”

Tiana moaned as he deepened the kiss, thrusting one large powerful palm into her hair. His tongue tangled with hers in a wildly erotic dance that sent juices pooling between her legs and made her shift restlessly against him. Her breasts were pressed flat against him, their soft weight cushioned between his chest and hers.

Tiana felt herself begin to drift into the sensual web being spun by Christian as his hands caressed her naked body slowly, sensuously, intimately.

His knuckles skimmed her breast, making her breath catch in her throat. His knuckles began to skim her breasts in circles while his tongue dove deeper into her mouth. His breath came hard and fast as he fought for control.

Tiana’s hands wound about his head, refusing to let him pull away as she deepened the kiss. She released his lips and sat up a little, bringing her breasts to level with his face. Christian’s mouth closed greedily around one nipple and Tiana sighed in pleasure.

She moaned her encouragement as he suckled her, sending bolts of pleasure shooting through her. Christian rolled with her again, ending this time with her under him as he leaned down to explore her tantalizing, voluptuous body with his hands and mouth. Her big brown eyes shone back at him filled with liquid desire. Christian couldn’t resist; he leaned down and took her mouth in a short, savage kiss, his lips warm, firm and hungry as they opened over hers. His finger dipped into the spot between her thighs and began to rub her clitoris, going harder and faster as moisture seeped onto his fingers.

“You are so wet, baby,” he crooned as he kissed her.

Tiana’s hand enclosed his huge, thrusting member, caressing the very tip.

“Now,” she moaned, pleading.

He rolled onto her, holding his weight on his elbow as he slowly rubbed the head of his penis against her glistening, wet entrance, drawing identical moans from both of them.

“Marry me,” he breathed, poised at her entrance, his tip nudging her as he bent to take her lips in one of those slow, drugging kisses he did so well.

Tiana’s confused eyes lifted to his, “Huh?”

“I said it before and you acted like I was only saying that because we had just been together. So before we make love again, answer me this, Tiana; will you marry me?”

“You already have a fiancée,” she reminded him, desperately.

He tensed, his muscles bunching under her arm as anger swept through him, swift and hot. “Lauren is not my fiancée. Why do you think I asked Mother to find other accommodations for her guest starting tomorrow?”

“You did?”

“Yes. She’s a nice enough girl but I don’t love her.”

“And I take it you love me?” she scoffed. It was almost like standing outside her body and watching herself in action. She tried to stop herself but for some reason, she could not.

Face it, Tiana, you want his love so much that you are actually afraid to accept it, her subconscious sneered.

And therein lay the rub. She was scared to accept his love because it was better to have never had it than to get used to it only to lose it and spend months or years pining for it.

His face froze as he said, “I just said I did. In case you need to hear it again, I love you.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, “Come on, Christian, can’t we discuss this later? I need you now,” she pouted.

His face became blank, wiped clean of all expression as he then slowly, very slowly, released her and rolled off of her.

“I think you need to leave, Tiana. I have a long day ahead tomorrow. Gotta show a few new hands how to rope steers and I need my strength for that.”

“What? Now? Aren’t we going to...” she began.

But he had already rolled away to face the wall.