The Rancher's One-Week Wife (9 page)

He nodded. “I think every generation has remodeled and built onto it, but the original homestead is in the foreman’s cottage somewhere.”

“How do you know so much about the ranch?” she asked, puzzled by his knowledge of its history.

He looked a little taken aback by her question. “My family has lived here...as long as the owners have.” Although not overly common anymore, she’d heard that in years past it wasn’t all that unusual for generations of cowboys to work for the same ranch.

“By the way, I don’t recall hearing you mention the name of the man who owns the ranch,” she said, frowning.

She hadn’t much more than gotten the words out than Blake lowered his head and pulled her to him. With his mouth moving so masterfully over hers, it suddenly didn’t matter who owned the ranch. All she cared about was having him continue to hold her to his broad chest, kiss her until she was breathless and so much more.

That thought should have had her pushing away from his secure embrace. Wanting to make love and wanting their marriage to work out were two entirely different things. Or were they?

But when Blake deepened the kiss, Karly abandoned all thought in favor of losing herself in the way he was making her feel. A delicious warmth flowed throughout her body the moment his tongue touched hers and as he explored her with such tender care, her knees failed her completely. He caught her to him and the feel of his rock-hard body sent waves of longing all the way to her core.

Lost in the overwhelming need he was creating, her heart skipped a beat when he brought his hand up along her side to gently cup her breast. The feel of his thumb teasing her through the layers of her T-shirt and bra only intensified her desire, making her restless and impatient to feel his calloused hands touching her bare skin.

When he broke the kiss to nibble his way along her jaw, then down her neck to the hollow below her ear, Karly couldn’t stop herself from vocalizing what she wanted. “Blake, please.”

“What do you want, Karly?” he asked as he continued to tease her.

“You. I...want you.”

“And I want you, sweetheart,” he said, leaning back to look at her. His brown gaze held hers as a slow smile curved his lips. “Let’s go back to the foreman’s cottage.”

Needing him more than she needed her next breath, Karly let him lead her through the mansion and out the front door to his truck. On the ride back to the foreman’s cottage, reality began to intrude and by the time Blake parked the truck at the side of the house, she had begun to question her sanity. She longed for him to make love to her—and, to her own surprise, she longed for him to
love
her again—but she needed him to understand the depth of the fears and insecurities that had held her back for the past eight months. Before they could move forward into a future together, she had to explain about her past.

When he got out and walked around to help her down from the passenger side of the truck, she had to let him know about her apprehension. She had to try to make him understand so he could forgive her for not believing in them. “Blake, we need to talk before we do anything impulsive.”

He stared at her for several long moments and the heated look in his dark brown eyes stole her breath. “Karly, do you want me?”

“Y-yes. B-but—”

“I give you my word that we’ll talk later,” he said, putting his arm around her waist and tucking her to his side as he walked them into the house. “But not now. I haven’t made love to my wife in over eight months and I’ve needed you every second of every day since we left Vegas.”

His words sent a fresh wave of longing from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. She hadn’t realized it before she came to Wyoming, before she’d spent this time on the land he loved so much, but she felt the same way.

She needed him with every fiber of her being. She didn’t know how she’d gone these long eight months without him. And after they made love they could discuss why she had refused to join him here, why she’d insisted a divorce was the right decision. They could figure out where they were headed in the future after they made love. Right now, she craved the magic of his touch and the overwhelming pleasure of being one with him.

She could hardly believe what she was about to say. But as she stared up at him, she knew that from the moment she’d decided to bring him the divorce papers in person, she’d never really had a choice.

“Blake, please take me upstairs and make me forget how long it’s been.”

Seven

W
hen Blake opened the door to the room she’d been using since her arrival at the ranch, memories of the first time they’d made love caused Karly’s stomach to flutter with anticipation. It had been so long since he’d touched her and for the past eight months she’d lain in bed every night missing the feel of his skin pressed to hers, their bodies entwined in an embrace as old as time. A shiver slid up her spine and her heart skipped a beat at the thought.

When he closed the door behind them, he reached for her. Neither of them said a word as they stood with their arms around each other and simply enjoyed the moment.

As he drew back to look at her, he placed her hands on his shoulders for support before he removed her boots and socks, then pulled off his.

“Karly, I want you to know there hasn’t been anyone since we left Vegas,” he said, his brown eyes reflecting the truth in his words as he straightened to his full height and took her back into his arms. He brought his hand up to gently caress her cheek. “When we got married, I vowed that I would be faithful to you. And as far as I’m concerned, I’m still your husband until I receive papers telling me otherwise.”

She nodded. “That’s the way I felt about it, as well.”

Leaning forward, he brushed her lips with his. “I promised you we would talk about all that later, and I meant it. But right now, I intend to get reacquainted with my wife’s beautiful body.” Her pulse sped up when he reached for the hem of her T-shirt and slowly pulled it up and over her head.

“I can’t let you be the only one having all the fun,” she said, tugging his chambray shirt from the waistband of his jeans. She unfastened the top snap and slowly, methodically released the closures. She placed her hands beneath each side of his open shirt to brush it from his shoulders and her breath caught. She’d always found the hard ridges and valleys of his well-developed chest and abdomen fascinating. “Your body is perfect.”

“If you want to talk about perfection—” he paused and reached behind her, releasing the clasp of her bra “—you’re the one who’s stunning.”

The appreciation in his dark eyes stole her breath. But when he cupped her breasts with both hands, then kissed each hardened tip, her knees wobbled and she had to place her palms on his chest to steady herself.

The moment her fingers came into contact with the thick pads of his pectoral muscles, he shuddered and she knew he loved having her touch him as much as she loved having him touch her. Inspired to give him as much pleasure as he was giving her, she continued her exploration of his body and let her hands drift down to his belt buckle.

When she paused to glance up at him, he grinned. “Don’t stop now, sweetheart. This is just starting to get interesting.”

“That’s one of the things that I’ve always found amazing about you,” she said, unbuckling the tooled leather strap of his belt.

“What’s that?” he asked, his breathing sounding a bit labored.

“You openly encourage me to do the same things to you that you’re doing to me,” she said, releasing the button at the top of his jeans.

“That’s a big part of making love, sweetheart” he said, teasing her nipples with the pads of his thumbs. “It’s about trust and the freedom to learn what we like and how to bring the most pleasure to each other.”

She wasn’t all that experienced, but she had a feeling not all men were willing to be vulnerable with their partner. Her heart swelled with emotion at the thought that Blake was secure enough in his manhood to trust her that much when they made love.

When she smiled and took hold of the tab at the top of his fly, he drew in a deep breath. “Don’t get me wrong. I love what you intend to do,” he said, his smile so sexy it sent her pulse racing. “But an excited man and a metal zipper can be a real bad combination.”

She gazed up at him as she eased one hand inside his jeans between his cotton underwear and the zipper. “Maybe this will keep you safe,” she said, delighting in the heat she detected in his eyes as she eased the offending zipper down over his insistent erection.

But she hadn’t anticipated the effect his arousal would have on her. The feel of the hard ridge against the backs of her fingers caused heat to flow through her veins and her insides to feel as if they had turned to warm pudding.

By the time she finished the task of unzipping him, she felt as if she might go up in a puff of smoke. But when she looked up at Blake’s handsome face, his eyes were closed and a muscle worked along his lean jaw as if he might be in pain.

“Are you all right?” she asked, concerned.

He opened his eyes and his slow, sexy grin sent a shiver up her spine. “Sweetheart, do you have any idea what it does to a man when a woman touches him like that?”

“Even through your underwear?” she asked playfully.

Laughing, he nodded. “It’s a thin barrier and a real sensitive area. I’d have to be a eunuch not to react.”

Moving her hands to his sides, she carefully pushed his jeans and boxer briefs down his lean hips and muscular thighs. When she lowered them to his ankles, she caressed the backs of his knees and strong calves. Rewarded with his deep groan, she realized that something as simple as skimming her hands down the backs of his legs could bring him pleasure.

When he stepped out of the denim and cotton, then kicked his clothing to the side, she bit her lower lip to keep a tiny moan from escaping. “You’re absolutely beautiful. I’ve always thought so.”

Shaking his head, he pulled her to him. “Women are all gentle curves and soft, smooth skin. That’s beautiful. But men are too angular, hard and hairy to be anything but passable at best.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” she said, gazing up at him.

He surprised her when he raised one dark eyebrow. “Really? I’m standing here without a stitch of clothes on and you had to mention the word
short
?”

In truth, he was a man who had nothing whatsoever to be insecure about and the humor in his eyes told her he knew it. She couldn’t help but giggle as she placed her hands on his wide chest.

“I suppose that was a poor choice of words. But do you really want to talk about my word choices now?” she asked, running her index finger down the shallow valley between his chest and navel.

“No.” He kissed his way from her cheek down her neck to her collarbone. “I fully intend to take the rest of your clothes off, lay you on that bed over there and spend the rest of today and tonight loving every inch of you.”

When he lifted his head, his gaze caught and held hers as he reached to release the button at her waist, then lowered the zipper. His smile held so much promise as he ran his index finger along the elastic waistband of her bikini panties, Karly thought she might melt right then and there.

As he began to ease her jeans and underwear over her hips and down her legs, the tantalizing abrasion of his calloused hands on her skin caused her heart to skip several beats and a delicious shiver to run through her. When she stepped out of the garments, the heated appreciation in his dark eyes took her breath away.

“Gorgeous,” he said, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her.

The feel of her breasts pressed to his hard, hair-roughened chest caused her knees to give way. But when he caught her and pulled her more fully against him, his strong arousal nestled against her soft lower belly. The feel of it made Karly’s head spin.

Without a word he led her over to the bed and pulled back the comforter. “I’ll be right back,” he said, walking over to where their discarded clothing lay on the floor.

As she watched, he picked up his jeans to get something from his wallet. When he returned, he placed a foil packet on the bedside table and stretched out on the mattress beside her.

Gathering her into his arms, he smiled. “I’m assuming you still aren’t on any kind of birth control.”

“There hasn’t been a reason for it,” she said honestly. She’d intended to talk with her doctor about it once she returned from Las Vegas, but when it seemed that their marriage had ended she hadn’t bothered.

“It’s not a problem,” he said, kissing her forehead. “It’s my job to take care of you and protect you, even if that protection is from me.”

“Thank you,” she said, touching his lean cheek. She’d been so caught up in the moment, she hadn’t given protection a second thought.

He stared at her and the look in his eyes was breathtaking before a slow smile curved his lips. He lowered his head to kiss her with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes. No other man had ever shown her so much reverence or been as devoted to bringing her pleasure as Blake. And in that moment, she knew that no other man ever would.

When he deepened the kiss, he brought his hand up to cup her breast and tease her nipple with gentle care. Her pulse sped up as ribbons of desire coursed through every part of her and an ache began to form deep inside. A mixture of impatience and anticipation filled her as he moved his hand to caress his way down her side to her hip then her knee.

As he continued to stroke her tongue with his, he slowly moved his calloused palm along the inside of her thigh. When he touched her, it felt as if an electric current skipped over every nerve in her body and she couldn’t stop a tiny moan from escaping.

Needing to touch him as he was touching her, she moved her hands from his wide chest down his abdomen to his lean flanks. She felt him shudder against her and, encouraged by his reaction, she moved her hands lower. When she found him, she stroked his length and tested the heaviness below. He suddenly went perfectly still a moment before a deep groan rumbled up from his chest. He broke away from the kiss to take several deep breaths.

“Sweetheart, as much as I hate to say it, I think you’d better stop...and let me catch my breath,” he said haltingly. He trapped her hands in his and placed them back on his chest. “If you don’t, you’re going to be disappointed and I’m going to be real embarrassed.”

“It’s been so long,” she said, knowing that if they didn’t make love soon she was going to go out of her mind with longing. “I need you, Blake.”

“And I need you, Karly,” he said, reaching for the foil packet he’d placed on the bedside table earlier. Arranging their protection, he nudged her knees apart and rose over her. “I promise next time it won’t be as rushed.”

If she could have found her voice she would have told him that she couldn’t have waited any longer. But words were impossible when he guided himself to her and she felt him slowly begin to fill her.

As her body stretched to accommodate his, her chest tightened with emotion. She had never felt as complete as she did when Blake made them one. It had been that way in Las Vegas—it was that way now. And she knew in her heart that’s the way it would always be. He was her man—her other half—and no amount of time or distance or fear or insecurity would ever change that.

Her heart stalled as she realized she’d fallen in love with him all over again. But as she stared up at his handsome face, she knew that wasn’t true. If she was honest with herself, she’d have to admit she’d never fallen out of love with him.

“You feel so damned good,” Blake said, oblivious to her realization.

Deciding to think about her sudden insight later, Karly noticed his clenched jaw and the strained expression on his handsome face. It reflected his struggle for control and his determination to bring her pleasure before he found his own.

“Please make love to me, Blake,” she said, wrapping her arms around him as she arched her body into his.

Groaning, he lowered his lips to hers and to her delight, he began to rock against her. Slow and gentle, she was certain his movements were calculated to bring her the most pleasure he possibly could. He made her feel as if she was the most cherished woman on earth and that it was his privilege to be with her.

But all too soon the tension he was building within her gathered into a coil of longing in her most feminine parts. Blake must have sensed her readiness because he increased the depth and strength of his strokes. Just when she thought her body would shatter from the exquisite tightening inside of her, she was suddenly set free. Pleasure flowed through every cell in her body and she felt as if she might faint from the beautiful sensations that seemed to go on forever.

As she slowly began to drift back to reality, Karly felt Blake’s body surge into her one final time. He tightened his arms around her as if she was his lifeline and held her to him as he found his own shuddering release.

When he buried his head in the pillow beside her, she stroked the dark brown hair at the nape of his neck and reveled in their differences. His weight felt absolutely wonderful pressed against her and she felt surrounded by his much bigger body.

“I’m too heavy for you, sweetheart,” he said, levering himself up on his forearms. He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek as he smiled down at her. “Are you all right?”

“I’m wonderful,” she said, nodding.

“You can add
amazing
to that, as well as
exciting
and
beautiful
,” he stated, brushing her lips with his. When he moved to her side, he pulled her to him and covered them both with the comforter. “It’s been so long since I made love to you, I’m afraid my control wasn’t what it should have been. I give you my word that the next time I’ll make sure to give you more pleasure.”

She shivered with anticipation at the thought of having him make love to her again. “As much as I love that idea, I think it would be best if we discussed a few things first,” she said, knowing that even though this had been wonderful, everything had become a lot more complicated.

When he failed to respond, she moved her head from where it was pillowed on his shoulder to look up at him. His eyes were closed and she could tell by the movement of his broad chest that he had fallen asleep.

Karly kissed his chin and closed her eyes. He was probably exhausted from working with the stallion he had been training most of the day.

She yawned and snuggled closer to him. It might be for the best that he’d fallen asleep before they could talk. She needed to come to terms with the newfound knowledge that she was still in love with her husband, as well as decide what she wanted to do about that insight.