In the Rancher's Arms

Six



“Has Buck already left for the poker game?”

Looking up from the computer, Tori nodded as she smiled at Eli. “He said not to expect him back until midmorning tomorrow. How were my girls?” He still wouldn’t hear of her going out to feed the bucket babies and she missed the sweet little calves.

“They’re doing just fine.” He came over to where she sat behind the desk, and, turning the desk chair to face him, he propped his hands on the arms. Leaning down, he gave her a quick kiss. “What do you say to pizza in front of the fireplace in the family room for supper?”

“That sounds nice,” she said, smiling. When she started to get up, he stopped her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, pulling her up into his arms.

“I thought I’d go turn on the oven.” She smiled. “That is a prerequisite to baking a pizza.”

“Do you realize it’s been a full day since I kissed you?” He shook his head. “That’s just not right.”

She frowned. “But you kissed me just now and earlier when we talked about my father.”

“Those weren’t real kisses,” he said, grinning. “I’m talking about a ‘down and dirty, make your knees weak and your head spin’ kind of kiss.”

“Oh, one of those,” she said slowly. She had only seen the playful, teasing side of Eli a few times, but she really liked this side of him. She found it rather fun and very sexy. “What do you think we should do about that, Mr. Laughlin?”

“I’ve given it a lot of serious thought and I think I should kiss you.” He leaned close to whisper in her ear, “It’s the second-best way I know to get to know someone.”

Her heart felt as if it stopped for a moment before beating double time. “What’s the best way?”

“Making love.” His heated look stole her breath and she couldn’t think of a thing to say.

When his mouth came down on hers, Tori closed her eyes and savored the feel of Eli’s lips nibbling at hers. He was quickly building a frustration in her that threatened her sanity. She suspected that he was doing it on purpose, too.

“Please, Eli...”

“Is something wrong, honey?” he asked as he continued to tease her.

“Please...kiss me,” she said, wondering if that throaty female voice was really hers.

“I am,” he said, sounding amused.

“No...I mean...really kiss me,” she said, suddenly short of breath.

“You mean like this?” he asked a moment before he deepened the kiss.

Stars burst behind her closed eyelids as he used his tongue to explore her inner recess and stroke her with a tender, butterfly touch. If she had thought his kisses were powerful before, those had been mild compared to the one he was giving her at the moment.

Heat flowed through her veins like warm honey as he continued his sensual assault, and an interesting sensation began to build deep in the most feminine part of her. But when he moved his hand to cover her breast, the feeling became an almost-unbearable ache as he stroked her nipple through the layers of her clothing. Her knees suddenly seemed to be made of rubber as he continued to kiss her, and she grasped his shirt to keep from melting into a puddle at his feet.

“You want to know what I think?” he asked as he continued to tease the sensitive tip of her breast with his thumb.

He expected her to be able to speak after a kiss like that and with his hand still covering her breast?

Unable to find her voice, she simply nodded.

“As much fun as we’re having right now, I think we should put this on hold while you bake a pizza and I build a fire.” He kissed her forehead and, making sure she was steady on her feet, took her hand to lead her out of the office. “We’ll reconvene in front of the fireplace in about thirty minutes to pick up where we left off.”

Her legs felt wobbly as she went into the kitchen to put a pizza in the oven and thought about his promise that they would be resuming the kiss. How much longer would they be able to hold out before the explosive chemistry between them took over and they made their marriage a real one? Was that what she wanted? She knew that she was starting to develop some very deep feelings for Eli. But was it love?

She’d never been in love before, so she had nothing to compare what she felt for Eli. If it wasn’t love, it was close, and it wouldn’t take a lot for her to fall head over heels for the man she had married.

But how did he feel about her? She knew he liked kissing her and she had felt the evidence of his desire each time he held her to him, but that didn’t mean he was falling for her. As inexperienced as she was at lovemaking, she knew for a fact that a healthy, adult male didn’t necessarily need an emotional connection with a woman to become aroused.

As she thought about her husband, she couldn’t ignore the fact that they were close to throwing the month-long moratorium on the consummation of their marriage out the window. Before that happened and things got more complicated, she needed to tell him about herself and her reasons for answering his online ad. But she still hadn’t been able to think of what to say to lead into it or how to break the news to him.

She knew Eli was a reasonable man, but would he understand her withholding the details of her background? How would he react when he learned about her changing her name, having all of her legal records altered to reflect that change and having the court records sealed to keep anyone from finding out who she really was? Would he understand just how guilty she felt for what her father had done to hundreds of innocent people?

Sighing, she removed the pizza from the oven. Before things went any further between them, she was going to have to confess. Husbands and wives shouldn’t keep secrets of this magnitude from each other.

Tori only hoped that when she did talk to him about it, Eli would take her motivation into consideration and recognize that she’d had no other choice. Maybe then they could continue moving forward with their relationship and be free to make love without her feeling guilty about her deception.

* * *

While Eli finished building a fire in the stone fireplace, he thought about Sean’s phone call. As of yet, the man hadn’t been able to find anything, other than her claim to have experience with ranching, to indicate that Tori had lied about her background. He had gone on to say that at this stage of his investigation if something were terribly amiss, he usually had something concrete or at the very least a strong lead to follow. He did caution that nothing was conclusive and it might even take another week or so to conclude the investigation, but he wasn’t anticipating much of anything turning up.

As Eli stared at the crackling flames, he told himself that it should only be a few more days and he would know for sure what decision to make. But his body was having a hell of a time listening to his mind and it had been that way since he’d watched her get off the plane in Cheyenne. And what happened yesterday sure hadn’t helped matters. After seeing her luscious body when he’d stripped her out of her wet clothes, then lay with her in his bed as he shared his body heat with her, all he had been able to think about was making her his.

He took a deep breath. All he had to do was keep his hands to himself and not allow his hormones to cloud his judgment just a little longer. But it was going to be a true test of his fortitude. He could never remember wanting any other woman the way he wanted Tori. And knowing that it was perfectly acceptable for a man to make love to his wife wasn’t helping, either.

“I hope you like pepperoni pizza,” she said, walking into the room carrying a serving tray. “I wasn’t sure what your choice of drink would be, but I took a chance on beer.”

Turning to take the tray from her, he set it on the coffee table. “Good call, honey.” He smiled. “Nothing beats having a beer with pizza.”

Her sweet smile caused a warmth to spread throughout his chest. “I’m more of a cola kind of girl myself.”

“Do you like mixed drinks?” If theirs had been a conventional relationship, it was something he would probably already know about her.

She shrugged. “I’ve had a few that aren’t bad, but for the most part, I stick to soft drinks and iced tea.”

He nodded. “And you drink coffee at breakfast.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” she asked, laughing.

For some reason, a streak of heat shot through him at the speed of light and it took every ounce of his willpower to keep from reaching for her. What the hell was wrong with him? He was in real trouble if something as simple as the sound of her laughter sent his libido into overdrive.

Deciding that sitting next to her on the couch might prove to be more than his self-control could handle, he asked, “Would you like to have a pizza picnic on the rug in front of the fireplace?”

She nodded. “I think that would be fun. I haven’t been on a picnic in years.”

“And it will be several more months before a picnic outside is possible,” he said, lowering himself to the rug. Sitting face-to-face with a pizza between them should help him keep things in perspective and be a hell of a lot easier on his overtaxed willpower.

When they were settled on the colorful Native-American rug in front of the raised stone hearth, the glow from the fireplace bathed Tori in a golden light. She looked like an angel and Eli found it damned near impossible not to reach for her. With sudden clarity he realized it wouldn’t matter where they sat or how far apart they were, as long as they were in the same room he was going to have a struggle keeping his hands off of her.

She placed a couple of pieces of pizza on a plate, and when she handed it to him their fingers touched and it felt as if a bolt of electric current shot straight up his arm. He took a big gulp of his beer and hoped that would cool the heat building within him. It didn’t help.

Sweat popped out on his forehead and he almost groaned aloud when she licked a drop of pizza sauce from her finger. “Is something wrong with the pizza?” she asked when he continued to stare at her.

“No, I was just thinking that after we finish eating, I should probably go check on the mare and foal,” he said, thinking quickly. Maybe a brisk walk in the cold night air would help clear his head and bring his traitorous body back under control.

“Is there a problem with them?” she asked, taking a sip of her cola.

“Not really,” he said truthfully.

“Did you feed them earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Then why do you need to check on them again?” she asked, looking puzzled.

He sighed heavily. He had never been, nor would he ever be, the type of man who took what he wanted from a woman without her being just as ready and willing as he was. But how was he supposed to tell her that all he could think about was making love to her until they both collapsed from exhaustion without frightening her? Hell, even he found the intensity of his need a bit unsettling.

“They should be fine,” he finally admitted. He finished his pizza and the beer she had brought him without tasting any of it. “Would you like to watch a movie tonight?”

“Since we watched a romantic comedy the other night, I think we should watch something you’re more interested in tonight.” Her sweet smile sent his blood pressure off the chart. “Although, I would prefer one that isn’t too scary.”

“In other words, you don’t want to lie awake listening for things that go bump in the night,” he said, getting to his feet to retrieve the remote control.

While Tori carried what was left of the pizza back into the kitchen, Eli flipped through the movie channels, searching for an action-adventure film. Surely watching something with spies, car chases and a gun battle or two would be a safe bet for both of them. He could get interested in the storyline and it shouldn’t be something that would keep her awake all night.

As he channel surfed for something suitable to watch, it bothered him that with each passing day he was thinking less about their marriage as a business arrangement and more about it becoming real. That wasn’t supposed to have happened. At least not right away.

Oh, he had expected to develop a fondness for the woman he chose for his wife. But that was as far as he figured it would go. He also thought that it would be somewhere in the distant future and not to the degree that it clouded his judgment.

“When I looked out the kitchen window, I noticed that it’s starting to snow again,” she said, walking back into the family room.

Deciding to give it more thought while he was freezing his ass off under the spray of a cold shower, Eli settled himself on the couch. “Does the idea of more snow bother you?”

Was she getting tired of all the snow? Would she start complaining like his college girlfriend had done?

He almost hoped she did. It might put things back into perspective and help him get his priorities straight.

When Tori sat down beside him, she shook her head. “I love watching it snow. It’s so pretty and peaceful.”

Her enthusiastic expression was genuine and had him chastising himself for comparing her to his ex-girlfriend. They were nothing alike.

He put his arm around her and, drawing her close, kissed the top of her head. “Maybe we can take the time to make a snowman tomorrow.”

“Really? I’ve never made one before.” She snuggled against him. “I would love doing that.”

As the movie started, Eli glanced at the woman beside him. He liked doing things that made her happy, liked watching her wonderment at all of the new things she experienced. And he definitely liked the way she felt tucked to his side.

Damn! He was in real trouble.

Settling back against the couch, he tried to concentrate on the movie, but with Tori’s sweet scent surrounding him and the warmth of her hand through his shirt where it rested on his chest, there wasn’t a chance in hell that was going to happen. All he wanted to do—all he could think about—was kissing her again and a whole lot more.

Finally giving up, he threaded his fingers through her long, golden-brown hair and tilted her head up until their eyes met. “I’m going to kiss you until we both gasp for breath,” he said. “Then I’m going to kiss you some more.”

“I’d like that very much,” she said, her violet gaze never wavering from his.

Without a thought to the consequences, he lowered his mouth to hers. He didn’t want to think about how he would suffer through yet another cold shower or the sleepless night he faced lying in bed thinking about her being just down the hall. Nor did he want to analyze why he was willing to overlook her deception. Kissing her was quickly becoming as vital to him as the air he breathed and he couldn’t have stopped himself if his life depended on it.

When her lips parted in a soft sigh, he slipped his tongue inside and, to his satisfaction, she leaned into him as if she wanted to be as close to him as he wanted to be to her. Stretching them out on the couch cushions, he pulled her on top of him and relished the feel of her delightful body aligned with his.

As he explored and teased her soft inner recesses, Eli could feel the tightening of her nipples against his chest through the layers of their clothing and his body’s response was instantaneous. He was harder than hell and needed her more than he had ever needed anything in his entire life.

Breaking the kiss, Eli tried to remind himself of all the reasons that making love to her would be a bad idea. The investigation wasn’t complete and they had a signed prenuptial agreement stating that they would wait a month to get to know each other before they consummated the marriage. At the moment, none of that mattered. All he wanted, all he could think about, was making Tori his in every sense of the word.

“I want you, Tori.” He kissed his way along her jaw to the hollow behind her ear, drawing a whimpering moan from her. “I want to take you upstairs to my bed and spend the entire night getting to know you the way a husband knows his wife.”

“I know it’s...probably too soon...but I want...you, too,” she said, sounding delightfully breathless. “But there’s something I need to...tell you.”

“What’s that, honey?”

“I don’t know what the protocol is for a situation like this, since I’ve never—”

“You’ve never made love before?” He wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly.

She caught her lower lip between her teeth for a moment as she shook her head. “No, but that isn’t—”

“You’re a virgin?” Eli’s heart stalled, then beat against his rib cage like a bass drum in a holiday parade.

“Yes.”

A surge of heat flowed throughout his body and he had to take a deep breath to regain his control. No other man had ever touched his wife and Eli knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he wanted to be the one and only man to have that privilege.

Capturing her lips in a kiss that left them both gasping for some much-needed air, he stood up, then, taking her hands in his, pulled her up from the couch to stand in front of him. “Do you want to waive the moratorium and make this real between us, Tori?”

She looked a little dazed. “Y-yes.”

There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation and it was all Eli needed to hear. Taking her by the hand, he started toward the stairs.

“We should probably discuss something first,” she said, sounding a little hesitant.

“Do you want me to make love to you?” he asked as they climbed the steps.

“Yes, but—”

“I don’t want you to worry, honey,” he said, kissing her when they reached the top of the stairs. “We have all night and I promise to make sure you’re ready for me.” He kissed her again. “And if there’s something else you think we need to talk about, it can wait until later. Right now, I’m going to make love to my wife.”

* * *

His reassuring promise and the sound of his deep, sexy voice caused Tori’s knees to wobble, and she forgot all about whatever she wanted to tell him. Nothing mattered but the man standing in front of her and what they were about to share.

As he led her down the hall to his room, her heart beat double time. She had waited her entire life for this man and this moment. Eli might be a millionaire, but he was honest, hardworking and had been more considerate of her than anyone she had ever known. She knew without question that she had fallen in love with him.

When he opened the door, led her over to the bed and turned on the bedside lamp, she realized that the promise he’d made the day before was about to come true. She was going to be lying in his bed with his arms around her and neither of them were going to be wearing clothes. The thought sent a wave of heat coursing through her so strong it threatened to swamp her.

“Tori, look at me.”

Raising her gaze to meet his, the smoldering heat in Eli’s dark brown eyes held such promise it stole her breath. “I don’t want you to worry about protection,” he said, his voice low and intimate. “I’ll take care of everything.”

“Thank you,” she said, meaning it.

She hadn’t given the matter a second thought. But as much as she would love to have a child, becoming pregnant right away might not be for the best. She wanted time for them as a couple, to nurture their relationship and enjoy each other for a little while before they started a family.

“I got to take your clothes off yesterday,” he said, smiling as he caught her hands in his and brought them to the front of his shirt. “Your turn to take mine off me.”

Tori knew Eli was allowing her to set the pace of their lovemaking, that he wanted her to feel completely comfortable with her decision to share her body with him. She loved him all the more for it.

As she unfastened each snap closure on his chambray shirt, she became more confident, and by the time she reached his belt buckle, she didn’t hesitate to unbuckle the tooled-leather strap. When her fingers brushed his taut belly she heard his sharp intake of breath and glanced up. His eyes were closed and she couldn’t help but rejoice in the fact that she instilled that degree of desire in the man she had come to care for so deeply.

Enjoying the feminine power coursing through her, she finished removing his shirt, then reached for the tail of his undershirt. As she raised it up and over his head, her eyes widened. Eli’s chest was as beautifully sculpted as she’d imagined. His pectoral muscles were heavily padded, his nipples small round disks nestled in a thin cover of dark hair. Trailing her index finger down the shallow valley separating the rippling muscles of his abdomen, she stopped at his navel.

“Your body is beautiful, Eli.” On impulse she leaned forward to press a kiss to his wide chest before tracing the line disappearing into the waistband of his jeans.

“I’ve been called a lot of things...” His deep laughter sent intense longing to every part of her. “...but beautiful is a first for me, honey.”

“It’s true,” she said, releasing the snap at the top of his fly. Noticing the bulge straining against the zipper, she caught her lower lip between her teeth for a moment. “Oh, heavens, I hope I don’t...”

“Yeah, maybe I’d better take care of this,” he said as he carefully lowered the metal tab. When he finished unzipping his fly, he smiled as he guided her hands back to his waist. “You’re doing just fine. Feel free to continue.”

As she slid the denim down his muscular thighs, she was glad that he had removed his boots when he’d come inside from feeding the bucket babies earlier in the evening. At least she wouldn’t have to struggle with those, as well.

When he stepped out of his jeans and kicked them aside, her heart skipped a beat as she reached for the waistband of his boxer briefs. The evidence of his need was undeniable.

Concentrating on ridding him of the undergarment and his socks, she didn’t look at him until they had joined the rest of his clothes on the floor. Then, taking a step back, she caught her breath. Eli was absolutely magnificent. The perfect specimen of a man in his prime. A very aroused man.

“We’re even now,” he said, taking her into his arms.

“I wasn’t aware there was a competition,” she said, smiling up at her handsome husband.

He shook his head. “There isn’t. I just thought you’d be more comfortable if you weren’t the first one out of your clothes this time.”

“Thank you, Eli,” she said, meaning it. “But I get the feeling you aren’t the least bit intimidated about my seeing you naked.”

“Nope,” he said, pulling her sweater up and over her head. He tossed it on top of his clothes and reached for the front clasp of her bra. “The modesty gene isn’t nearly as strong in men as it is in women.”

That was apparent. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned that he didn’t have a stitch of clothing on, while she was quite self-conscious that he was about to see her completely nude for the second time. But when he brushed the straps of her lace bra from her shoulders, the look of appreciation in his dark eyes instantly erased all traces of her inhibitions.

“You’re perfect,” he said, cupping her breasts with his hands.

The feel of his calloused palms against her smoother skin sent a river of desire flowing straight to the most feminine part of her. But the touch of his lips as he kissed each hardened tip caused her to think that she might just go up in flames at any moment.

“Does that feel good, Tori?” His words vibrated against her nipple and sent a shock wave from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.

“Y-yes.”

“The feelings are only going to get better,” he said, reaching to unbutton the waistband of her jeans.

When he lowered the zipper, he slipped his hands inside the elastic band of her panties, then, skimming them along her hips and thighs, quickly slid the denim and lace down to her ankles. Stepping out of them, she braced her hands on his shoulders while he knelt to remove her socks.

Rising to his feet, he took her into his arms. The feel of his body against hers and the hard ridge of his erection pressed into her lower belly caused her knees to give way.

He caught her to him, then swung her up into his arms. “Why don’t we lay down?” he asked, placing her in the middle of his king-size bed.

When he stretched out beside her, he immediately pulled her into his arms and kissed her until light sparkled behind her closed eyes. She loved Eli’s kisses, loved that he made her feel things she had never felt before.

“We’re going to take this slow,” he said, nibbling kisses down to the slope of her breast. “I want you to trust me and feel completely comfortable with everything we do.”

Before she had a chance to tell him that there was no one she trusted more, he captured her nipple with his lips and she couldn’t have found her voice if she had tried. She was lost in the delicious sensations he was creating in every part of her body, and for the first time in her life she felt truly cherished.

As he continued his attention to her breasts a lazy heat began to flow through her veins and caused a tightening deep inside of her feminine core. But when he moved his hand down her abdomen to the apex of her thighs a shiver of nervous anticipation ran the length of her.

“Part your legs for me, Tori,” he whispered against her skin.

Closing her eyes, she did as he commanded and when he gently touched the most sensitive part of her, a tingling excitement streaked straight up her spine. He stroked her with a featherlight touch and she felt as if she would melt from the exquisite sensations he created.

Tori felt an emptiness deep inside of her that she knew in her heart only Eli could fill. She needed him to make her feel whole. She needed to feel as if she was a part of him.

“Please...Eli,” she said, unable to verbalize what she wanted.

“Do you want me, honey?”

“Y-yes.”

He slipped his finger inside of her and she thought she would surely be reduced to a cinder as a wave of pleasure so strong she had to remind herself to breathe washed over her. Lost in the delicious feelings flowing through her, it took a moment for her to realize that Eli had rolled away from her to retrieve a foil packet from the bedside table.

“This probably isn’t going to be as pleasurable this first time as it will be later on,” he said, kissing her with such tenderness it brought tears to her eyes. “But I promise to make this as easy for you as I possibly can.”

Nudging her legs farther apart with his knee, he held her gaze with his as he guided himself to her. Slowly, carefully, Tori felt his body push into hers, and she held her breath.

“Try to breathe normally, honey,” he said, his voice sounding strained. “It will be more uncomfortable if you’re tense.”

When she concentrated on relaxing her body, he gave her a smile that warmed her all the way to her soul as he lowered his head to cover her mouth with his. Lost in his kiss when he pushed past the barrier, Tori realized that it hadn’t hurt the way she had anticipated.

“Are you okay?” he asked, raising up on his elbows.

“Yes,” she said, realizing it was true.

A fine sheen of perspiration covered his forehead and she knew the toll his restraint was taking on him. He was giving her time to adjust and she loved him all the more for it.

“Tori, I need to love you now,” he said, gently drawing the lower part of his body back, then pushing himself forward.

As he set a slow pace, she marveled at the feeling of truly being one with the man holding her. She had never felt more connected emotionally with anyone in her entire twenty-six years as she did with Eli.

But all too soon, the delightful sensations he created within her began to change into an urgent need and she instinctively knew she was close to the culmination they both sought. Eli must have sensed her need for release because as he thrust into her, he moved his hand between them to touch her intimately. Tiny feminine muscles immediately tightened deep inside of her a moment before pleasure rippled throughout her entire being.

As Tori slowly floated back to reality, she felt Eli go perfectly still a moment before he surged into her a final time and she knew he’d found his own relief from the passionate tension that had held them captive. Reluctant to end the bonding of their bodies, she held him close when he collapsed on top of her.

If she’d had any doubts, they had just been erased. She wasn’t sure how it could have happened so quickly, but she had fallen hopelessly in love with Eli.