Resisting the Rancher (Redwood Falls 3)

And she was curious enough, tempted enough to wonder what it would be like if he really came to care for her. Sex with Jeff McIntyre was already so explosive she could hardly comprehend it, but would it get even better if he loved her? He seemed to only allow himself so much, as if taking anything more would somehow give her a power over him that he wouldn’t allow.

But what if she were able to knock down that wall between them? What if he turned out to be the kind of man she’d only read about in romance novels? The kind who adored and worshipped their wives until the day they died?

Could that be in the cards for her? Was it possible? Did men like that really exist? And if he was one of them, could he learn to love a second time?

If nothing else, he was an enigma. And one so tempting she’d been unable to deny his request for marriage.

And now, as she sat next to him with his hand clenching hers in a death grip, she only prayed she’d done the right thing.

****

Jeff had made reservations at the Hilton in Forth Worth, and now, he wasted no time in hustling Janet upstairs via the elevator. She seemed more nervous than she had on the drive, if that were even possible, and he really wanted to feel sorry for her.

But he couldn’t seem to dredge up an ounce of compassion, at least not at the moment. Maybe after he’d accomplished the immediate coupling that he had in mind, then maybe he could slow down, take a deep breath and try to act like a normal human being for the rest of the weekend.

But normal was far from what he was feeling. As he watched his wife move to the corner of the elevator and stare at the numbers as the lift rose higher, all he felt was a burning need to bury his cock deep inside her.

It was an ache he’d been feeling since the first moment he’d seen her, but he knew that his motivation had changed. He’d gone from simply needing to fuck her, to feeling a burning need to tie her down. To keep her in his life. And it was a feat that was damn near accomplished. He already had his ring on her finger, her signature on the document, and now all he needed was to seal the deal by consummating their marriage.

It couldn’t happen fast enough.

It had taken everything he possessed, every ounce of control he’d been able to muster, not to escort her to his bedroom the very second they’d gotten home from town.

He knew it would have embarrassed Janet, even if he did think that her mother would have merely smiled and taken Hannah without a quibble—he had to admit, he really liked that woman.

But he hadn’t wanted to embarrass Janet in front of her mother. He hadn’t wanted everything to be about him, or at least, he hadn’t wanted it to seem so.

So now, his balls were bluer than blue not only from the wait he’d endured, but from the burning knowledge that she belonged to him now, body and soul.

And if she thought she was ever getting away from him, she seriously had another think coming.

But he wouldn’t scare her with that information—no way in hell. No, scaring her wasn’t his intention at all, it would be in stark opposition to his new goal in life. He wanted his wife happy, content to live in his home, happy to mother his kid, and goddamn if he didn’t want her to be thrilled to share his bed.

And he would make damn sure that she felt all of those things. He didn’t totally understand his burning need for her to be happy with him, but he wasn’t going to question it. And just as soon as he had this one last detail accomplished, he was going to dedicate his fucking life to making sure she was happy so that leaving him wouldn’t ever cross her mind.

****

Janet walked into the hotel room but didn’t have much of an opportunity to look around. As she dropped her purse on the bureau, she heard the distinct snap of the deadbolt on the door.

Jeff dropped their bags and immediately started emptying his pockets. Keys, wallet, pocket knife.

He glanced at her and their eyes caught and held. As he stared at her across the five feet that separated them, his fingers slid to his shirt and he began unbuttoning it, with a speed that made her breath hitch. She stood suspended as his fingers fell to his cuffs and loosened them as well, all while watching her with calculating eyes.

With his shirt hanging open, he sat on the king-sized bed and began stripping off his boots and socks, his intent more than obvious. Her heart began racing as she realized this was going to happen right here and right now. She couldn’t say she was disappointed, not at all, if truth be told. During the drive, her need had turned almost desperate as she’d contemplated her now-husband. The more penetrating his looks had become, the needier she’d become as a result. How would it be now that he’d gotten his way with the marriage?

That question at least partially answered, the pulse began beating so hard between her thighs that she could barely stand still.

Her ruminations were interrupted by his deeper than deep voice. “How ‘bout you get undressed, darlin’?”

Yeah, and now she had goose bumps to go along with the butterflies. There was something about the controlled motions of his body that was making her nerves beat as forcefully as the pulse that pounded relentlessly between her thighs.

Studying her, he cocked his head to one side as he stood and began unzipping his jeans with a leisureliness that was offset by the fire that smoldered on his features. “You okay?”

Too befuddled to answer, she nodded her head just once, unable to keep her eyes from the sight of his unclasped jeans, jeans that were barely holding onto his hips—with no briefs in sight. She swallowed hard, jerking her eyes back to his, a river of lust flooding her system.

Walking toward her on bare, sexy feet, he clenched the tail of her t-shirt in his hands. “That’s good, sweetheart.” And then he lifted the shirt from her head and let it drop to the floor at his side. One strong, callused hand landed on her face, cupping her jaw, while the other twisted the snap on her bra, her breasts spilling out.

Her lips began quivering, her insides a mess, a wave of cataclysmic heat running like quicksilver through her system.

Sliding his hand into her hair, he leaned over and kissed her. Hot and hard, his tongue going deep, searching her mouth as his other arm wrapped around her like a steel band. Heat from his body infiltrated hers and coursed through her veins, lighting her on fire.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. His muscles tensed before loosening as his grasp on her intensified. Her entire being flooded with passion. And it was a passion for him and him alone. It felt so right to be in his arms.

Her heart thumped from the electricity of his touch as a current of awareness flowed between them. His mouth was perfect, his taste was perfect, as were the muscles in his shoulders as she clung to him.

He lifted his head and stared down at her. “You’re beautiful.”

A tingle of delight rushed down her spine as she almost swayed where she stood. “So are you,” she whispered, the fact that he was now her husband making her lightheaded.

His hand trailed down her cheek, over her shoulder, and down her arm before his fingers entwined with hers. There was power in his hold, but no force. Just a masculine brawn that showed his strength—a strength so much more powerful than hers—and it was enough to make her nipples tighten as a pagan need settled between her thighs.

He pulled her over to the bed until they stood next to the side. His hands landed on the snap of her jeans and her fingers came up and covered his, her emotions all over the place. He stalled, looking down at her. “There’s no getting out of this, sweetheart. I hope you realize that.”

Her heart rate increased; his words thrilling her yet momentarily confusing her, until she realized he meant their marriage. She tried to calm her breathing to a more even level. “We just got married. Why would I want out already?”

He didn’t answer; his eyes became hooded as he shrugged his shoulders, giving her no further indication of what he was thinking. But he had a one-track mind as he moved her hands away from the clasp of her pants and put her pal

ms firmly on his chest, as if they were keeping him from his goal.

With that, he unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, before pushing her into a sitting position on the side of the bed. He stripped her sandals from her feet and a moment later, stripped the clothes from her lower half.

She was one-hundred percent, unequivocally, naked. Her heart pounded and her instinctual response was swift; she scrambled away from him and pulled the covers back, crawling under them.

He stood back, straight and tall, almost lazily, but he watched her with an imposing force of will that made her dizzy. His eyes narrowed a bit, his pecs tightening. He was beyond compelling as he studied her with that gleam in his eyes, his magnetism almost a tangible thing. Her pulse quivered as a delicious shiver trickled down her spine. He wasted no more time, pushing the jeans from his hips and stepping from them.

He pulled the covers away from her with a sudden movement as one masculine knee landed on the mattress, the other following suit.

She swallowed tightly as he moved over her and began spreading her thighs by climbing between them. Her breathing caught as she realized his intent. She’d thought he’d do his usual, give her an amazing climax with his mouth and hands before coming over her. But she was wrong—he was about to plunge into her right now—and as wet and ready as she was, there was a problem—there was no condom in sight. “Jeff—” she began, only to be silenced as his tongue invaded her mouth.

He ruthlessly kissed her as he settled between her thighs, and he was right there, ready to impale her.