With hearts pounding to the same cadence, her body clenched him tightly and he felt them both let go and give in to the release of complete fulfillment. Feeling as if he might pass out, Lane held her to him as they rode out the storm of pleasure engulfing them.
As the last waves of passion coursed through them, he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that the woman in his arms had changed his life forever. She had not only drained him of every ounce of energy he possessed, she had just taken away his will to fight his feelings any longer. He was in love with her and as soon as they settled ownership of the ranch, he fully intended to tell her.
* * *
The following morning at breakfast, Taylor smiled when Lane twined their fingers on top of the table. He seemed to take every opportunity to touch and kiss her. And she loved every single minute of it.
“What do you have planned for today?” she asked as she took a sip of her coffee.
“Right after I set up the poker game, I’ll be helping Judd in the north pasture,” he answered, giving her a smile that caused her pulse to take off at a full gallop. “He needs somebody to help him cut several cows from one of the herds and bring them up to the holding pen.”
“Why? Is something wrong with them?” she asked, knowing they sometimes separated cattle from the herds because of a health issue.
Lane nodded. “He noticed some cattle yesterday that looked like they might be coming down with pinkeye.”
“That’s highly contagious,” she said, remembering hearing her grandfather talk about how the disease could be passed on to the entire herd if the infected cows weren’t separated and treated immediately.
“We’ll get it taken care of,” he assured her.
“Why isn’t one of the other men helping him?” she asked, knowing they had several cowboys working for them.
“After we fired Roy Lee, we’re a man short,” he explained. He rose from the table to take his breakfast plate to the sink for rinsing, then put it into the dishwasher. “Besides, Judd knows I’m pretty good at roping and thought I might come in handy if one of the cows is reluctant to go into the chute on her own.”
Joining him at the sink, she wrapped her arms around his waist to give him a hug. “Should I plan on you being back for lunch?”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” he said, kissing her until she felt completely breathless. “But I’ll definitely be here for dinner.”
He kissed her again, then grabbed his hat and walked out of the house. Standing there watching him leave, she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when they played the poker game to decide who would control the ranch.
If he won would he be opposed to the idea of her staying longer than they had agreed on? Or in the event that she won, would his pride allow him to accept her invitation to remain on the ranch until the attraction between them ran its course?
Starting the dishwasher, she finished cleaning up the kitchen and started upstairs to unpack some of the cartons Lane had rescued from the hayloft in the barn. She was optimistically going to unpack her clothes and the few personal items she had shipped to herself with the hope that things would work out no matter who won the game.
Three hours later, Taylor came back downstairs to take a break and had just made herself a mocha latte when someone knocked on the front door. She had no idea who the visitor could be, unless it was one of Lane’s brothers or their wives. Either way, she’d enjoyed talking to them the night before and a visit from any of them would be more than welcome.
But when she opened the door, Roy Lee Wilks stood on the other side. “Good morning, Ms. Scott,” he said, taking his sweat-stained hat off in a gentlemanly manner.
“What are you doing here, Roy Lee?” she demanded. “I thought Lane told you to clear off the property and not come back.”
He nodded. “I’m real sorry about taking your stuff like I did, but I wanted to bring it to you myself.” A dark scowl replaced his friendly expression. “He ruined that idea.”
“Okay, fine. Apology accepted.” Deciding not to tell the man that she had been the one who’d discovered what he had done, she pointed to Roy Lee’s truck. “Now please leave and don’t come back.”
She started to close the door, but he wedged his boot against it. “Telling you I’m sorry is only part of the reason I’m here,” he said, removing some papers from the hip pocket of his jeans. His expression turned outright nasty. “I just thought you’d like to know a few things about the son of a bitch you’re playing house with. I’ve seen the two of you cozied up together here on the porch and you don’t have any idea what kind of man he is.”