Under the Cowboy's Control

She gasped.

He groaned.

Her breasts were incredibly perfect, small white mounds, spilling over the top of her bra. Her chest heaved, pushing them toward him with each breath. His gaze broke away from them and went in search of her eyes. What he saw there, humbled him.

Trust. She trusted him to do what he said he would.

Just kisses.

Holding her eyes, he lowered the shirt and covered her breasts, but left her slim white stomach bare. He put his hand there possessively and covered her mouth again with his. He drank from her like he was a dying man and thought he would be if he couldn't have her.

Images of picking her up and taking her to his bed, stripping her naked and spending the afternoon tasting her slim, pale body cascaded through his mind. But she was young and innocent and he didn't want to ruthlessly seduce her.

But he could do it. He knew he could have her.

He just couldn't come to grips with dishonoring her that way. She would be unhappy and upset and would blame him. A conversation from a few days ago pushed into his head. One of us should marry her. The visions of her naked body became more graphic. More tangible. The pale, slim legs spread out on his bed at night. Every night. Waiting for him after a long, hard day on the ranch.

Selena felt his grip on her intensify. His mouth became harder, plundering hers.

His tongue was wild, out of control. She stiffened in his arms. He didn't notice and the assault on her senses continued, unabated. She began

to struggle in his embrace. She managed to wedge her arms between them and push on his chest.

She ripped her mouth from his and turned her face away, gasping for oxygen.

Travis registered her withdrawal and gritted his teeth. He closed his eyes and fought for control. He pushed her off his lap and stood, leaving her limp on the couch, her wounded eyes watching him.

He reached down and picked up his Stetson and slapped it back on his head. His eyes roamed over her. Her lips were wet and swollen, her long, silky hair streaming wildly around her. Her shirt was twisted around her torso, and the pale, white skin of her stomach tormented him.

The situation was unsustainable. He gave her one last speaking glance and left the house, his lunch untouched.

Selena closed her eyes and let out a jagged sigh. That had all been her fault. If she had watched her step, she would have seen the snake, and she could have closed the door and tiptoed to her room while he was in the house. It was, after all, the kind of evasive move she had been making for days.

But it was so difficult. He was so handsome, so compelling, and she craved his kisses. But if she wasn't careful, she would have no family, no money, and no virginity. In her mind, it was the only thing of value she had to offer a future husband.

Her mother had always warned her of the dangers of men who made no promises.

Of men who wanted only one thing from a woman. Making love was for marriage, and girls who didn't wait for marriage, ended up being passed from one man to the next. It was always a girl's responsibility to say no. A man would never stop unless he was made to.

But her mother had neglected to tell her about how hard it would be to say no. She had never told her about arousal or desire or how intense the feelings would be.

She had always made it sound so simple. Just say no. Well, it didn't always work out like that. Suddenly, she understood why girls became pregnant out of wedlock.

Bad girls weren't always bad. Pregnancies happened.

She couldn't let it happen to her. She needed to have a plan. Make some money.

Find her grandparents, something. With renewed determination, she sat down at the computer and began a new search.

****

Juan came to the house at about two o'clock, and with a grin splitting his old face, told her that she needed to follow him to the implement barn.

Catching the joy on the old man's face, Selena smiled and followed him out in the sunshine. It was a sunny, glorious day. "What is it, Juan?"

"Kittens, Senorita." His strides were long, and she skipped once or twice to keep up with him.

"Kittens! That's wonderful." The implement barn was way across the compound. It was a different building from the one where the horses were kept. The barn they were headed to housed the tractors and the farming equipment. Like most areas of the ranch, she had never been there.