Rich Rancher's Redemption

“I’m just getting started,” she said and lowered herself onto him. Her head fell back and her spine bowed as she took him deep inside. Reaching up, his hands covered her breasts, his fingers tweaking and pulling at her hardened nipples. Her moans mingled with his as she moved on him, setting a rhythm that pushed them both into a race for completion.

He dropped his hands to her hips and rocked beneath her, pushing even higher into her depths. Jillian groaned with every slick slide of his body into hers. His hands tightened on her hips and he used his own strength to help her move, to keep up the sharp, fast pace leaving them both breathless.

Jillian met his gaze and never looked away as she began to move on him more quickly. She saw need burning in his eyes, felt it in the grip of his hands. That amazing chorus of sensations opened up inside her again and Jillian raced to meet it. To jump into that chasm filled with fire and light and explosions of pure pleasure.

Bedsprings shrieked and breathing sighed into the room as they moved as one, each of them striving to reach the conclusion they knew was coming. And when it did, Jillian shouted in surprise at the force of the climax slamming into her. She rocked wildly, drawing it out, making it last as long as possible and while her body was still trembling with release, Jesse leaped with her. The two of them tumbled into the abyss, holding tightly to each other to cushion their fall.

* * *

Jesse looked at the woman lying beside him on the loud, uncomfortable bed and knew he was in trouble. He’d thought that being with her would ease the need that had been clawing at him for weeks. Instead, all he could think about was having her again.

Before Jillian, the women in his life were like ghosts, appearing and disappearing from his world without leaving so much as a ripple in their wake. Jillian, though, had been causing nothing but ripples since the moment they met.

“Okay,” she murmured, “now it’s my turn to say I can hear you thinking.”

His mouth twitched as he rolled to his side and propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her. God, she was beautiful. “All right, yes. I’m thinking.”

She reached up and cupped his cheek in her palm. “You don’t have to.”

“Don’t have to what?”

“Give me the speech.” Her mouth curved and her beautiful eyes warmed.

There was a single light burning in the apartment and that soft, golden glow lay across her naked body like early-morning sunlight. “What speech is that?”

Smiling, she brushed her hair back from her forehead, then draped one arm across her belly. “You know the one. It starts off with That was great, babe. But you know, I’m not the commitment kind of guy.” She paused, then added, “And it always ends with I’ll call you.”

Not much he could say to that since he’d given different versions of that speech too many times to count. This was the first time he didn’t want to say any of it. And the one time it was most important to do exactly that.

“Jillian…”

“Relax, Jesse,” she said, giving him another smile. “I don’t need any promises from you. We both went into this knowing that it wasn’t forever. I’m not going to beg you to stay.”

Why the hell not?

And why did it irritate him that she was being so damn reasonable and understanding?

She laughed and shook her head. “You’re insulted.”

“What? No.” He scowled. “Okay, maybe a little.”

“We’re business partners, right?” Jillian rolled out of bed, walked naked to the closet. He admired the view of that truly excellent butt and was disappointed when she reached into the closet, pulled out a short, pale blue robe and slipped into it.

She tied the belt at her waist, whipped her hair back over her shoulder and shrugged. “It’s better for the business if we just forget all about tonight.”

“Forget about it.” He repeated it because he could hardly believe she was saying it. Jesse was pretty sure that tonight’s festivities were burned into his brain. He’d have as much chance of forgetting what happened here as he would holding his breath for the next fifty years.

“Well, yeah.” She walked to the bed, sat down on the edge and leaned in to kiss him. “This was great. I mean, really great. But I’m not expecting you to throw yourself at my feet pledging eternal love.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes, it is.” She tipped her head to one side and looked at him quizzically. “Do most women spend the night with you then start building wedding dreams?”

“No, but they’re not usually in such a hurry to brush me off, either.” And he didn’t much care for the feeling of being discarded. He had a momentary regret for the women he’d dismissed so easily and a touch more respect for the one woman who had taught him what the others had felt.