
Caught between desire and a promise...
Compass Brothers, Book 2
Seth Compton knew from the first that his boss's daughter was all wrong for him. She was too feisty, too damned independent and, at seven years his junior, too damned young. When she comes home with a college diploma and fiancé on her arm, though, he can't quite remember all the reasons he held her at arm's length.
It's not just his jeans-tightening reaction to her all-grown-up curves. Something doesn't feel right about her impending marriage, and he won't rest until he's stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life.
The morning after her wild bachelorette party, Jody expected a hangover. The surprise? Waking up tied to a bed with sexy-as-sin Seth. He's got some wild idea about proving they belong together, but she's not buying it. Besides, she has a promise to keep that's too close to her heart to risk, especially not with a man who, until now, made his disinterest plain.
No one ever said Seth backed down from a challenge. She's going to make him work for it? No problem. Luckily for him, he has plenty of rope...
Warning: This story contains a bondage lovin' cowboy who kidnaps and hogties a cowgirl to his bed and does all sorts of naughty things to her. Fun, right?
eBooks are not transferable.
They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520
Macon GA 31201
Southern Comfort
Copyright © 2011 by Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon
ISBN: 978-1-60928-497-8
Edited by Bethany Morgan
Cover by Valerie Tibbs
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: July 2011
Southern Comfort
To our kid brothers, Tommy and Kolin. Thanks for teaching us what it means to be a good brother. For being protective and funny. For providing a shoulder to cry on and being a friend we can laugh with. This one's for you.
Seth Compton let his horse run free across the dry earth, enjoying the cloud of dust stirring around them. He and his brothers raced over the mountain ridge, heading to their favorite camping spot. Summer was just kicking in, but given the heat and lack of rain, it promised to be a brutally dry one.
Though the heat and humidity were unusual for Wyoming, they certainly didn't bother him. He loved hard earth and the loud clomping of his horse's hooves as they beat out a tempo that proclaimed his freedom. He was connected to the land, to the animals, to the fresh mountain air and even the unusually brutal sun. All of it made him feel alive and he whooped, grinning at his brothers.
The ride to the campsite went a long way to easing the ache in his chest that had started at dinner, when his older brother, Silas, broke the news he was moving away. It had shocked Seth, stunned him. Silas was the most like their pop, JD, and he was the one brother Seth never thought would leave the ranch. He figured like every ancestor who'd come before them, Silas would lay down deep, solid roots in Compton Pass. He belonged to this place, to their home, and Seth simply couldn't imagine living here without him.
While Silas was made for Compass Ranch, Seth knew his greener pastures lay elsewhere. He longed to leave, to head south and work in Texas. While attending a livestock show with his pop a few months ago, he'd met Thomas Kirkland. Kirkland lived outside San Antonio and owned one of the biggest working ranches in the state. Seth had spent most of one afternoon picking Thomas's brain about the workings on a real Texas ranch. He must have impressed the man because Thomas had sent him a letter last week, inviting him to come down after graduation to work for him. Seth kept the offer a secret from his pop and brothers. He wasn't sure why, but the time to tell them his plans had never felt right.
The setting sun drew patterns on the ground, and Seth let the images wander through his mind. Some people looked for pictures in the clouds, but Seth found them on the earth. The shadows of the trees as they neared the mountain ridge looked like an army of soldiers, standing at attention, all waiting for his command. His destiny was at hand. He could feel it. One more year of damn high school and then he would be free.
He looked back at Silas once more, worried about the deep lines carved in his brother's face. Something had happened. Seth could sense it deep in his soul, but he knew his brother. Silas would never tell him why he was really leaving. Glancing forward, he watched the backs of the twins as they rode side by side, always together. Unlike most identical twins, there was no mistaking who was Sam and who was Sawyer. The two were as alike as mud and soap. Sawyer possessed a recklessness that didn't seem to reside in the refined Sam.
They hadn't discussed their plans for the evening, but the second Silas had made his announcement to the family, he and his brothers looked around the dining table and nodded. Seth saw Silas's pain and knew he'd support his brother no matter what he did. Hell, there was a selfish part of him that was actually glad his brother was leaving. It would pave the way for his departure next summer. Make it easier. Christ, his self-seeking thought made him sick.
Tonight was about Silas, about helping his brother. Besides, Seth felt a pain grip him low in his gut. When would the four of them all be together like this again? The idea cut through him like a knife and as he slowed his horse, a piece of his childhood died.
Tonight. Tonight would be their last time together and the heaviness that accompanied that realization threatened to stop him in his tracks.
Tonight wasn't their usual laid-back escape from chores and hard work and school. It wasn't a hunting trip or the beginning of a summer vacation or a winter retreat to test their wilderness survival skills.
Tonight wasn't about playing or bonding or just being guys. It was about saying goodbye to Silas, and in part, to his youth.
They slowed as they approached their destination and ducked beneath the shelter of the mountain cypresses. The uneven terrain forced them to walk their mounts. They knew better than to risk injuring their animals.
Seth shoved his concerns to the back of his mind. Hell, it was that or fall on his knees and beg his brother not to leave. He wasn't ready to be the oldest brother, to take on more responsibility, or to serve as a role model for the twins. Those traits had rested easily on Silas's shoulders and Seth suddenly realized there was a freedom in being the second oldest. He got away with more, didn't have to toe the straight and narrow line that Silas seemed to walk so easily.
They dismounted, and Seth helped Sawyer tie the horses to some low hanging branches. Sam gathered kindling for their bonfire, while Silas patched the pit they'd left from prior visits. Silas withdrew some hot dogs from his pack and grinned. They'd just eaten dinner, but he sure as hell wasn't going to turn down a dog cooked black from a campfire. Manna from heaven.
"Si, you're bleeding." Sawyer's comment distracted Seth from his stomach.
"It's nothing." Silas tried to hide his injury, but their youngest brother was relentless.
"It is something." Sawyer moved behind Silas to get a closer look. Sawyer's next comment clued Seth in to exactly what he was looking at. "It's too uniform to be a cut."
"Did you do it?" Seth tipped his hat away from his face and glared at his older brother. Damn him. They'd talked for years of getting tattoos when they were old enough. Swore they'd go together. When Silas didn't answer, he stomped over, determined to see his brother's betrayal for himself. "Holy shit. You did. You got a freaking tattoo. Without me? Without us? You asshole!"
Silas dodged Seth's half-hearted punch toward the sore spot between his shoulder blades. While he was pissed as shit, his heart couldn't let go of the idea that Silas was leaving in the morning. He couldn't let tonight end in a fight.
Silas shrugged. "I had a hard enough time convincing Snake to ink me. If I'd brought you guys with me he never would have caved. He only did it because I'm eighteen now."
Besides, if Silas had told Seth, they wouldn't have been able to stop Sam and Sawyer from tagging along too. Their kid brothers shadowed their every move. Sometimes it was flattering as hell, but most of the time, it was just fucking annoying.
"Well, I suppose that's true. Plus he's probably afraid JD'll kill him if he finds out," Sawyer said, ever the peacekeeper.
Seth rolled his eyes at his baby brother's words. Kid thought their pop walked on water. Of course, Seth had to admit, around here, the guy did. As head of Compass Ranch---the center of Compton Pass, Wyoming---JD Compton wielded a power most men could only dream of. However, while Seth's father's money opened doors, his personality made him a born leader. When JD spoke, people listened.
Silas nodded. "Yeah, that's why I took the bandages off. Didn't want him to notice."
Sawyer persisted. "But you gotta let us see it at least."
"Sure." Silas dropped a wedge of wood on the fire and stood. Seth moved to his brother's back, standing next to the twins, as Silas tugged his grey T-shirt over his head. He caught a slight hitch in his brother's actions and realized the tattoo must hurt like hell. None of them made a sound as they studied the artwork inked on his brother's back.
The sudden silence seemed to unnerve Silas, and he began to offer unneeded explanations. "It's swollen and stuff---"
"Whoa." Seth murmured, not needing any explanation.
"It's awesome." Sam laid his palm to the right of the emblem, careful not to touch the raw skin.
"Sweet," Sawyer agreed then added his hand, on the left side of Silas's back.
"Does it hurt?" Seth couldn't resist the urge to join in, touching the area below the design.
"So bad," Silas confirmed.
"I'm still doing it. Next year. The minute I turn eighteen." Seth had never spoken truer words. He wanted this pattern. Bad. It was perfect. "Exactly like this."
"Me too," Sam chimed in. "The compass design is fucking great. And the ranch brand is perfect. It matches the one we use."
"I didn't know Snake had this kind of shit in him. The shading is so cool. It looks 3D." Sawyer's hand shook on Silas's back. "I want one now. Like yours. But without the fancy N."
"You're only fifteen," Silas barked. "Wait a while and make sure it's what you really want."
"I know what I want."
"Things don't always happen like you expect, Sawyer." Silas sighed and Seth wondered what had altered in his brother's life. Then, he considered the adjustments facing him in the immediate future. The difference was, while Seth was a bit anxious about the move, he embraced the idea, excited by the prospect. Silas didn't seem to feel the same joy in venturing out of Compton Pass.
"Is that why you're leaving?" The high pitch of Sam's question told Seth his younger brothers were taking Silas's departure hard as well.
"Yeah." Seth knew that was the only answer his older brother would give them.
"Well, some people might flip flop around. Not me. Not going to change my mind." Sawyer's words were strong, self-assured. He'd always been the most determined to prove himself despite being the baby of the group. Maybe because of it. "I'm joining the Coast Guard. Gonna see the world."
"What!" Silas pivoted to stare at their kid brother, and Seth wondered at the vehemence in his tone. "You've been watching too many freaking commercials. Your place is here, on the ranch."
"No, it isn't," the teenager whispered.
Seth nodded in agreement. Sawyer was right to dream of the world beyond their property line. They'd lived like crown princes for all of their young lives, regarded with a fair bit of jealousy and even a bit of awe by their neighbors and the other kids in school. JD Compton was the uncrowned ruler of the area. In addition to owning a fair bit of the land in Compton Pass, the town was named for Seth's great-great grandfather and JD served as chairman on the town council. Very few decisions were made in this area that didn't have JD's seal of approval. Problem was, Seth knew there was a hell of a lot more to this world than Compass Ranch and he was aching to strike out and make a stand, build a life with his own hands, rather than riding in the shade provided by his father's very large shadow.
"You're not planning to stay?" Silas's forehead creased with disbelief. "None of you?"
The look of outright betrayal on his brother's face tweaked Seth's already stretched nerves. "Don't look at us like that! I figured you'd understand. I need to get the hell out of here. Find my own place. Same as you." His secret desire fell from his lips, and he was helpless to hold back. "Not Alaska though, I hate winter. You're crazy to take on all that snow. Somewhere warm. Maybe I'll head down south." He withheld the information regarding Kirkland's invitation. He remembered Silas's tattoo and the image of his future became clear. "Yeah, that's what I'll do. A fancy S instead of an N on my compass, bro."
"What? No!" Silas threw his arms up in frustration. "It's not like that. I mean---"
"We understand, Si." Sam smiled and nodded. "I'd like to go to college. Earn a degree. Find a real job. Something where I don't have to dirty my hands to rake in cash. I'm going to have fancy clothes, a slick apartment and a kickass car. I'll party every night with the hottest girls in the city."
Seth grinned. He wasn't the only one with dreams bigger than Compton Pass. His brothers understood. They yearned for the same things.
Silas turned to Sawyer and Seth read the unspoken question, the lingering concern on his lips. Who would stay at Compass Ranch? A slight pang of guilt penetrated Seth's conscience, but he batted it away.
"Oh, no." Sawyer shook his head as he kicked a rock when Silas turned to him. "Don't give me that look. I told you, I'm not getting stuck here. Fuck that. You think someone should hang around, then stay put. It ain't too late to cancel your plane ticket."
"I-I can't," Silas said.
Seth understood his brother's feeling. Some undeniable lure was tearing them away from this place, something stronger than all of them.
"And neither can we." Seth hated the look of desolation on his older brother's face. He slugged Silas's shoulder, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. He didn't want Silas's last night to be weighted down with such heavy discussion. There was plenty of time to figure out what would come next. Seth still had a year until graduation, and the twins were only fifteen. Three years was a long time for a young man to change his mind. Maybe one or both of their little brothers would come to realize they didn't have to leave. Regardless of that, they didn't need to worry about any of that right now. He chuckled as he thought of a surefire way to make them all smile. "Come on, start the dogs. I'm starving. Jake slipped me a couple Playboys for doing his chores last weekend so he could bang Missy Trelane."
"Nice! Me first." Sam squeaked a head start for Seth's backpack as Sawyer launched himself after his twin.
Seth laughed as he watched them wrestle and call each other names. Yep, he thought, there's still plenty of time.
Seth dismounted his horse, Charlton, and tried to slap some of the dust out of his jeans. Damn, it was hot. Weather forecasters proclaimed it the hottest June in Texas in the last fifty years, and he didn't doubt it was true. The air was so thick he'd need a chainsaw to cut through it. He couldn't believe he'd ever thought he wanted to live in a hotter climate. On more than one occasion lately, he found his mind drifting back to the Wyoming nights he'd spent sleeping on the screened-in back porch with his brothers.
On warm summer evenings, they'd take sleeping bags out of the shed and sack out on the porch floor, the mountain breeze blowing over them as they told ghost stories, trying to scare the bejeezus out of each other, laughing and talking until JD finally stomped out to yell at them to go to sleep. He'd been thinking about home and his brothers a lot and wondered when he'd become prone to homesickness. He pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and tried to wipe the sweat out of his eyes.
"Hot enough for you?"
Seth looked up and saw Thomas Kirkland walking toward him from the other end of the large stable.
Seth nodded.
"Figure we could fry steak and eggs on the asphalt out there. Damn joy riders. You finish fixing that fence down on the south pasture?"
"Yep. CJ and Ronnie helped."
"I can pretty much guarantee they won't decide to sneak off in their daddy's farm truck with a six pack of Natty Light again anytime soon. Fool kids. They're lucky the only thing hurt was the fence. Could've broken their damn necks."
Seth chuckled. "Well, you gotta admit it's pretty hard to see if any damage was done to Carl's rusty piece of shit Ford. I can't believe the thing still starts, let alone runs."
Thomas agreed. "Think that's why CJ and Ronnie weren't hurt. The truck doesn't go much more than thirty miles an hour."
"Thought you'd like to know they were groaning about the belt Carl took to their hides while we were out there sweating our asses off mending the fence."
"Damn." Thomas shook his head. "I told him not to go too hard on them. Making them pay for the lumber and do the repairs was punishment enough for me."
"Yeah, well, given the fucking heat, I tend to think you're right. Besides, I'm not sure Carl hit to harm as much as to make his point. I think he hurt their pride more than their rear ends. Not fun to get your ass swatted at fourteen when you like to think you're a man and not a boy."
Thomas pushed his hat back on his head and ran his sleeve along his brow. "You've got a point there. Speaking of pride, Jody's back."
Seth tried to hide the combination of excitement and anxiousness his boss's announcement sparked. He'd been looking forward to her arrival for weeks. Hell, years. She'd graduated from college and was coming home for good. "Wonder why pride made you think of your girl?"
Thomas chuckled. "I'd like to say it's because she's my pride and joy, but I think we both know it's because that girl got in line twice the day they handed out that particular character trait."
"Three times," Seth joked. "Took her sweet time getting home, didn't she?"
"Yep. Don't know why the hell it took her a whole month to pack up her apartment. I told her I'd help her move back the weekend she graduated from college, but the damn girl insisted she had too much to do."
"Jody marches to her own beat, Thomas. You know that."
"Yeah, well. She pulled up in a U-Haul a half hour ago with ten times more shit than she left with and..."
Thomas faltered and Seth looked up, confused by the look on his boss's face. Thomas Kirkland was so much like his pop, JD, Seth swore they were separated at birth. Neither man was ever flustered, but right now, that was the only way Seth could think of to describe his boss.
"Well, Seth. She didn't just bring home a bunch of stuff. She brought home---"
A feminine voice hollering from the end of the stable cut Thomas short. "There you are. Daddy, what the hell? You know, hiding out in the stable isn't---oh."
Jody pulled up short as she approached and saw him standing there. "Hey, Seth. Thought you were out fixing a fence or something."
He removed his hat and ran his hand through his dark hair, the manners his mother had beat into his head coming to the forefront. Vicky's number one rule was always take your hat off in the presence of a lady. Problem was he was torn between calling Jody a lady and a hellion. She'd run riot over him for the past decade and half the time he didn't know which end was fucking up whenever she was around.
"Welcome home, Jody." He stepped forward and bent down to give her a hug. Her shoulder-length chestnut-brown hair smelled like honeysuckle. He had to force himself to keep the embrace quick and brotherly. His cock stirred, and he closed his eyes briefly, trying to ignore the usual arousal that accompanied her arrival. She was the boss's daughter and even at twenty-one, she was too damn young for him.
She'd been a tomboyish twelve-year-old when he first came to work on the ranch and the other hands had given him shit when it became obvious the young girl had a crush on him. Her infatuation hadn't abated until last Christmas, when he'd foolishly kissed her under the mistletoe and then shoved her away.
Since then, the easy camaraderie and innocent flirting they'd engaged in since her graduation from high school had evaporated. She'd only been home once since Christmas, but he could see in her face she was still angry with him. He was determined now that she was back to stay, he'd make things right again. He'd been thinking about her return a lot lately. Things were about to change between him and the little wildcat. He grinned at the thought.
"Thanks, Seth. Good to be back."
"Didn't get the impression you were staying," Thomas muttered.
"Daddy. Don't you think you were kind of rude to Paul?"
"Paul?" Seth asked.
"I mean we only just got here and told you our good news."
Thomas frowned. "Is that what we're calling it?"
Jody's eyes narrowed. "Yes, it is. Didn't you tell me you wanted me to find a nice man and settle down?"
"What the---" Seth crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly worried about the direction of this conversation. "You were pissed as shit when Thomas gave you that advice. Said women these days didn't need a man to be happy and you didn't plan to ever get hitched." The fight she and her father had had at the end of last summer was epic. Seth had tried to stay out of it, mind his own business, but when Jody and Thomas went toe to toe, it was hard not to hear. Neither of them understood the concept of inside voices.
Jody glanced at him and gave him a small smile that seemed too sad to be genuine. "Turns out I was wrong."
Seth fought to restrain a growl from escaping his chest. She'd brought home a man? Paul? Seth's fists clenched at the thought. "How so?"
Thomas shrugged, the helpless gesture at odds with his legendary ability to handle anything. Of course, now that Seth thought about it, Jody was the exception to her father's confident approach to life. Her mother had died when she was five, and Thomas had struggled to understand and raise his daughter since then.
Jody lifted her left hand, flashing a diamond the size of Dallas in his face. "I'm engaged."
"The hell you are." The words left Seth's mouth before he could catch them. While Thomas laughed at his reply, he could see he'd sent Jody's temper into orbit.
She retracted her hand and studied the ring, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "Really? I'm not engaged? Because I think this ring and the fact Paul got down on one knee and said, 'Will you marry me?' sort of proves that I am."
"Who the fuck is this Paul character?" Seth took two steps toward the main house, ready to confront the asshole who'd dared to propose without even bothering to meet her family first, but Jody stepped in front of him, stopping him.
"Back off, Seth. You know perfectly well who Paul is. He's been my best friend since freshmen year of college."
"That Paul? What the fuck? I thought he was gay. Hell, he spent his entire last visit here flirting with the ranch hands."
Jody closed her eyes and took a deep breath. But long before a ten count, she replied, through gritted teeth, "Obviously, he's not gay."
"Since when?"
"Since he fucking proposed to me. Why am I even having this conversation? This is none of your damn business."
He bent down until his face was mere inches from hers. "Is that right? Well, I beg to differ."
She leaned closer, and he could detect the slight scent of chocolate on her breath. Jody clearly hadn't lost her sweet tooth, though he was beginning to wonder where she'd misplaced her common sense. "You are not my boyfriend and you are not my brother. Hell, you're not a part of this freaking family at all. You are my father's foreman, which means my decision to get married is none of your damn business."
He struggled to keep his hands on his hips, rather than reach over and prove to Miss Jody Kirkland how very wrong she was. His fingers were itching to take her over his knee and spank some sense into her.
She'd made herself his business the very first day he'd come to work here and she'd climbed atop Coy, her father's newest addition to the stable. The far-from-tamed horse had taken exception to its rider and bolted across the yard, jumping a fence and sprinting across the lower pasture. Seth had chased her on Charlton for close to a mile before managing to catch up and pull the fool girl off the runaway roan.
He could still recall the way she'd trembled in his arms and looked at him like he'd hung the moon for rescuing her. By the time they'd returned to the stable, they were laughing like old friends and his position at the ranch had been solidified. As he looked into her blue eyes now, he missed the admiration and wished to hell he could get rid of the anger that had crept in instead.
"Jody," Thomas broke in. "You know full well I consider Seth a part of this family. If he takes exception to your asinine engagement, then perhaps you should listen to why."
Jody released a furious breath. "You can't object to a man who's been my friend for years."
Seth leaned back a bit. "Don't you think it's a little strange that one minute the guy's gay and the next he's not?"
"He never said he was gay."
"That's not something we needed to be told. It was kind of obvious. Is he bi?" Seth could understand bisexuality. He'd seen glimpses of it in his older brother, Silas, when they were growing up and he suspected now that his brother was back home in Wyoming, Silas would be acting on some of the feelings he had for his best friend, Colby.
Jody sighed loudly. "No. He's in love with me. Just me."
Seth knocked his hat against his jeans in frustration. "Never heard you talk about him like he was your boyfriend. You were home for Easter, Jody, and you didn't say one word about dating him. When did this so-called love affair start?"
"It turned into something more than friendship recently."
He tried to beat down the twinge of jealousy that accompanied the thought of her being more than friends with any other man. She was right. He had no claim staked on her. But it sure as hell felt like he did. "So why the rush? If you've only started dating, I don't see why---"
"Because I want to. I don't need any more reason than that."
"Just like that?" Seth tried to understand what the hell was going on inside her pretty head. The only thing missing from her haughty proclamation was for her to stamp her foot on the ground like a three-year-old. She wasn't like this. She'd never been a spoiled girl, never been prone to temper tantrums or selfish demands. She'd been a fun-loving tomboy who'd grown into his laughing, easygoing friend. This angry woman was a stranger to him, and he missed the real Jody.
"That's right. And we're not waiting. We came home to have the ceremony performed here."
"When exactly?"
Thomas cleared his throat. Bewilderment crossed his boss's face. He was sure the same confusion resided on his. There would be no help from that camp. "They plan to bring the justice of the peace out to make it official here at the ranch in two weeks."
Hell to the no! Seth would see her married to some stranger only over his dead body. He started to say exactly the same thing, but the argument that came out was much different than what he'd intended. "What about love, Jody? Do you love him?"
His softly spoken question seemed to jar her a bit and for just a second, he saw the trace of his old friend before she disappeared again behind the indifferent, cold woman who'd replaced her.
"What kind of question is that?"
Thomas leaned against the horse stall and crossed his arms over his chest. "A pretty valid one, if you ask me."
Jody turned to look at her father and shook her head. "You two really are a matched set, you know that? Way to gang up on me."
"Answer me, Jody," Seth persisted. "Are you in love?"
She studied his face and a glimmer of pain shone in her eyes. Then she nodded, turned on her heel and walked out of the stable.
It wasn't until she disappeared around the corner that it began to sink in. Seth had missed his chance with her. He'd pushed her away for too long.
"You realize you made a mistake there, right?" Thomas asked.
Seth nodded sadly. Mistake was putting it lightly. He'd fucked up. Big time. "Yeah. I guess I did."
Thomas studied his face and then chuckled. "Think we're talking about two different things. Of course, maybe not. She may be in love, son, but she didn't say with who."
Jody stormed back into the house, slamming the screen door behind her. "God damn, mother fucking, piece of arrogant shit asshole."
"I take it you ran into Seth." Paul's sarcasm drifted to her from the dining room and she glanced in that direction and caught her best friend leaning against the doorframe.
She nodded, too furious to reply.
"Took the news of our engagement well, did he?"
She closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. Seth Compton had some nerve attempting to lecture her about anything. Anything! He'd brushed her affections aside for over a decade and the minute she'd moved on and managed to say fuck him, he decided to act like he gave a shit. "He took it like the clueless caveman he is."
"Tried to talk you out of marrying me?"
"As if he has the right to tell me what I can and can't do. I offered him the position of boyfriend loads of times, and he rejected me. Now he can just take a giant leap and eat his fucking heart out."
Paul laughed. "I love your locker room language. So colorful." He took several steps toward her, stopping when he reached her. His hand drifted up to her cheek, and he brushed a stray hair away from her face. "I thought you said you were over him."
"I am."
Paul gave her a grin that said he wasn't fooled by her too-quick reply. "Jody, you can't kid a kidder."
She sighed. "I want to be over him."
"You realize that's not the same thing, right?"
She shrugged and turned away. "It's enough for me, for now."
"We don't have to go through with this. I can find someone else to---"
"No," she interjected. "I'm doing it. I want to marry you. Honest."
"But if Seth---"
She raised her hands, trying to halt his words. "He's a typical male. He wants what he can't have. If I'd shown up here available, acting the fool as always, following him around with my stupid heart on my sleeve, he'd still be dismissing me, offering up all those reasons why we can't be together. I'm sick of the game, Paul. I'm not playing it anymore."
"Fine. I get that. But that still doesn't mean you have to marry me. I'm not happy about you sacrificing your immediate future just to help me inherit my trust fund."
She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You're my best friend, and you need me. I'm marrying you."
"Well, isn't this sweet?" Seth's insulting tone set her teeth on edge again. She scowled as he opened the screen door and entered the house. "Been awhile, Paul."
Paul smiled and offered his hand. "Good to see you again, Seth. How are you doing?"
Jody resisted the urge to kick her best friend in the ass as he shook Seth's hand.
"Can't complain," Seth replied. "Besides sweating my ass off in this hellish heat, things are pretty much par for the course."
Paul laughed easily, the sound almost flirty, and Jody gritted her teeth as she watched her fiancé checking out Seth in his tight denim. Jesus. She took Paul's hand in hers in an attempt to distract him.
"Come on. I'll show you around the place. There've been a few changes since the last time you were here. Plus we need to pick somewhere for the ceremony. Still not sure if I want to set it up in the back or front yard." She started to yank Paul outside, but Seth stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to ignore the fact his touch made her so hot.
"Hold on a minute. Let me wash up and I'll join you."
She shrugged in an attempt to dislodge his hand. "Why?"
He grinned and she closed her eyes, unwilling to let his handsome face dazzle her. Fucking dimples got her every time. A quick glance at Paul nearly had her groaning aloud. Apparently, her fiancé was a sucker for dimples too.
"I thought it might be nice to get to know the guy you're marrying a little better, Jody. I mean he is going to be a part of the family very soon, and we've never had more than a couple chances to chat."
He stressed the word family throwing her father's words in the stable back in her face.
"We'd love to have you join us," Paul invited, his smile charming. She pinched his arm covertly and his grin faded quickly.
"Fine. We'll wait here. Don't take too long." She tried not to wince at her imperious tone. She hated sounding like such a bitch, but she couldn't seem to temper her bitterness around Seth. She was nursing a broken heart and doing a shitty job of it.
Seth headed down the hall to the bathroom. When she heard the door close, she turned to Paul. "Jesus Christ. What the hell are you doing?"
Paul tried to look sorry, but failed. "I forgot how good-looking Seth is."
She closed her eyes. "You cannot be serious. You're attracted to Seth? My Seth?"
"Technically, he's not your Seth. You don't want him anymore, remember?"
She frowned. "You can't have him."
"Jody."
"Don't you Jody me. We're here to fool my family into thinking we're in love and we can't wait another minute to spend our lives together. That's the only way they'll allow me to go through with this. I explained that to you. That's hardly going to work if you start coming on to Seth."
Paul nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll behave."
Jody sighed. "This is still a good plan, Paul. The stipulation in your father's will was outright cruelty, and we won't let him win."
Paul kissed her on her cheek. "I love it when you're on a mission, but this isn't your wrong to right, Jody. There are lots of people in the world who think homosexuals are freaks of nature, and my father simply happened to fall into that lot. You have to be very sure you're willing to sacrifice a year of your life. That's a lot to give up to help me meet some silly stipulation in a will. Especially if you're doing it to spite Seth."
"I'm only twenty-one, Paul, and a year isn't that long. Besides, you don't have time to find anyone else. The will says you have to be married by the end of July to claim your trust fund. Are you forgetting about your plans for it? Think of all the good that cancer research facility could do."
Paul shrugged sadly. His mother had passed away from the disease when he was only ten. Sometimes Jody wondered how different his life would have been if she'd survived. His father, a cold bastard on good days, had treated him like a leper after discovering his only heir and namesake was gay. "I guess you're right."
"There's no doubt about it. You're going to earn your master's in architecture at Cornell and then you'll build the best damn cancer research facility in the world."
Paul laughed. "I do appreciate your confidence in me, sweetheart, but trust fund aside, all I'm saying is Seth isn't the only man out there. There are other fish in the sea. What if you run into your fish while you're stuck with me?"
Jody shook her head. "There aren't any other fish for me."
Paul reached for her hand. "Oh, Jody. That's not true."
Coming home and seeing Seth again was every bit as hard as she'd known it would be. She'd put off the return as long as she could simply because she kept waiting for some miracle to occur. Unfortunately, her feelings for Seth were stronger now than ever. She pushed the thought aside, tried to bring the remaining tattered shreds of her pride to the forefront. "I've been such an idiot, Paul. I can't keep playing this Follow the Stud game."
Paul laughed. "Is this some twisted version of Follow the Leader? Have you been holding out on me, Jody? Sounds exciting."
Jody chuckled and shrugged, appreciating her friend's attempts at alleviating her pain. "It's only fun when you catch the stud. Which every woman within a ten-mile radius of this ranch has done with the exception of me."
Paul glanced back down the hall where Seth had disappeared. "Seth doesn't strike me as the type to kiss and tell."
"Oh, he isn't, but some of the women have let details slip here and there. His reputation is actually sort of the stuff of legends."
Her friend's eyes widened. "Do tell."
She looked away, clearing her throat. "Apparently, Seth has a bit of a rough edge in the bedroom."
Paul groaned. "Sweetheart, as much as I'd love to hear the gory details, I'm sporting a hard-on just thinking about it. Since your Seth is off-limits to me, maybe you shouldn't tell me too much. The temptation would be terrible."
Jody sighed. "That's just it. I've known about his preferences in the bedroom for years and I can't stop thinking about them. My body aches wishing he would---"
"Hogtie you to his bed and have his wicked way with you?"
A burst of laughter escaped her at Paul's attempt at a southern accent. "Ooo, nice use of the word hogtie. I'll make a cowboy out of you yet, city slicker. And to answer your question, yes. But Seth still looks at me like I'm some little girl he has to rescue."
Paul shook his head. "I always find that assessment of your relationship with him shocking. Clearly you should have invited him to visit you at the university. I've never met a fiercer woman. He should have been with us the night you pulverized Mark Robyns."
"He called you a fag."
Paul bent forward and kissed her on the end of the nose. "I am a fag, Jody."
"It was the way he said it. Like he had a mouth full of fuckin' manure."
Taking her hand and lifting it over her head, Paul spun her like they were dancing. It was a familiar move and one the two of them did often whenever something she said struck Paul as funny. Apparently he found her southern drawl and her penchant for bad words hilarious. "I love southern girls," he teased as they laughed.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Jody stopped pirouetting as Seth came back into the room. The lighthearted feeling Paul never failed to evoke in her disappeared as fast as pigs at slaughter time.
Paul turned and smiled. "Nope. Just dancing with my girl."
Seth studied her, his face a mixture of confusion and---she paused---jealousy? He'd never been possessive before, though God knew she'd tried to provoke that feeling in him. She propped her hands on her hips, defensively. "Do you have a problem with us dancing? It's not like we're fucking on the living room floor."
If she could have bitten her tongue off, she would have. His eyes darkened. If she still gave a shit what he thought, she would have banked her attitude, but for some reason, tweaking his temper made her smile. She'd spent a decade trying to stir some emotion in him. If anger was all she could rouse, so be it. Some petty, small part of her wanted him to hurt as much as she did. She wasn't proud of that fact, but it was there and she couldn't seem to stop it.
Paul put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. His soft tone soothed her rankled feathers. "Be nice, Jody. He doesn't strike me as a man you want to piss off."
She flushed when it was clear Seth had heard her fiancé's warning. "You should listen to Paul. I'm not real fond of this sassy tone you've acquired since you've been away."
She rolled her eyes and untangled herself from Paul's grip. "Oh my. Seth's unhappy. I'll probably cry myself to sleep worrying about that. Come on, Paul. Tour time."
She hoped her snarkiness would deter Seth from coming, but as she crossed the yard toward the stable, she looked over her shoulder and discovered him right on their heels.
As she took Paul around the property, showing him all the buildings, introducing him to the new hands and letting him catch up with the guys he'd met on previous visits, Seth was there. He answered all of Paul's questions regarding the ranch in a cool, though friendly manner. Paul toned down the flirting with Seth, but when they ran into Chase, she knew they were in trouble.
Chase Webster was sex in cowboy boots, and she had it on good authority he didn't have a preference about who he slept with either. Male, female, one, two or even three lovers at a time, Chase could be counted on to be in the middle of the fun, stirring up the local gossips for days and making hearts race with just a wicked smile and quick nod. Unfortunately, Paul was far from immune to the handsome man's charm and the two of them engaged in a conversation that skirted the line between friendly conversation and foreplay. She looked around, trying to avoid catching Seth's eye. She didn't want to know what he was thinking.
Glancing back at Chase, she was reminded of last summer and a flush heated her face before she could stop it. She figured there must be a Don't Do list somewhere on the ranch with her name written across the top because Chase had never once offered her a night of raunchy fun, though she'd fought like the devil to get his attention in hopes of making Seth jealous.
Toward the end of last August, she'd decided to go for broke. She'd donned a too-tight tank top and her Daisy Duke's and headed to the stable in search of Chase. There was very little the man did that wasn't discussed at length by every person on the ranch and she'd felt certain if she could tempt the man to make out with her, Seth would hear of it. She hadn't made it two steps into the stable when she'd heard laughter coming from the tack room. Sneaking to the doorway, she'd listened to Chase and Seth laughing at her antics.
"She's relentless when she wants something," Chase had said.
"Jody's always been stubborn." She struggled to figure out if Seth sounded entertained or annoyed, but she couldn't tell. "Guess the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree."
They laughed.
"She leaves in a few days," Chase said.
Seth sighed loudly. "I know. Not much longer."
Was he sad she was leaving or glad? Jody inched closer, wishing she could see Seth's face.
"Bunch of us are goin' into Preston tonight. Hitting the strip club. You wanna come?"
Seth chuckled. "Yeah. I think I do. Lap dance might do just the trick."
Envy flowed through her, and Jody swallowed back tears of anger. Even a woman he had to pay for was preferable to Seth. He'd never choose her.
She'd run out of the stable, packed her things and returned to college three days early. She simply couldn't stand to wait in the wings while Seth found his pleasure with every woman in the county. She'd left without saying goodbye, a fact he'd taken her to task for the following week when she'd finally caved and answered one of his calls to her cell phone. Hearing his voice, listening to him tell her about home, had thawed the ice around her heart.
She glanced over at him, surprised to find his gaze on her as she reminisced. He jerked his head toward the barn entrance. "Hey, Chase, Paul, you guys mind hanging out here? I remembered something I have to show Jody in the barn. Won't take a minute."
Paul and Chase both nodded quickly before continuing their conversation. Jody had to kick some sense into her best friend. He wasn't taking this situation seriously enough at all. There was no way her father would consent to her entering a marriage of convenience, even for only a year. He had to think they were in love. Paul was seriously messing up the plan.
She followed Seth and took several deep breaths, trying to hold on to the memory of him cavorting with erotic dancers last summer. Anger would help her survive the next few minutes. "What do you want?"
He continued walking deeper into the barn and she glanced around, hoping to discover someone else around.
"There's no one here to save you."
She narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't aware I needed to be rescued."
Seth turned and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. She squeezed her legs together in hopes of cutting off the trickle escaping her pussy. Why did he have to make her so horny?
He grinned. "Oh, you definitely need protection."
His words rankled and reminded her of Christmas break. They'd met up under the mistletoe. In typical Seth fashion, he'd offered her a quick peck on the forehead. Still a bit miffed about the summer before, she'd taunted him, called him a monk and a coward and dared him to give her a real kiss.
For the first time in her life, he'd taken her up on it. His kiss proved to be her final undoing. His lips had burned an imprint on hers and there were times when she still thought she could feel the mark. "You said at Christmas the only protection I needed was from you, so maybe I should---"
She pivoted to leave, but hadn't taken two steps before Seth grabbed her. He turned her to face him, his eyes narrowed. "Quit screwing around."
Her temper broke. "I'm serious."
He snorted out a laugh. "Like hell."
She shook her head. "It's true. I'm moving on this time."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I'm done with the come-ons, the schemes to capture your attention. I've tried all I can think of. You made it abundantly clear at Christmas you aren't interested, so I'm bowing out of the race. You don't have to worry about my relentlessness anymore," she said, using the same description he'd uttered last summer. She'd made a vow that she would move on with her life, put Seth Compton in her past. It had been easier thing to do at school. Distance helped her forget how strongly he affected her.
"It's not like your attention was exactly a hardship."
She sighed. "God, you sure acted like it. You've swatted me away like a gnat buzzing around your face for years. I. Get. It. I'll leave you alone."
"You've never bothered me, Jody."
"Yeah, right. I heard you talking to Chase right over there last summer." She pointed to the tack room. "Are we finished in here? I really need to find Paul."
"Paul's fine. Come here." He crooked a finger at her, and she fought the urge to follow him without question. "Is that why you bolted before the going-away picnic I'd planned?"
"What? No." Her gut cramped. He'd planned a picnic?
Seth closed his eyes before opening them again and giving her a look that practically demanded her acquiescence. "Damn stubborn fool."
His words infuriated her. "I'm hard-headed? Me?" She flung her hair over her shoulder. "Is this a cruel case of reverse psychology? I tell you I'm moving on and you think you can just crook a finger and I'll come running. Fuck you!"
He reached for her before she could even think to run. "I'm damn sick and tired of your mouth. I'm trying to talk to you, but you're too busy biting my head off to listen." He tucked her close, his hands closed firmly against her upper arms, holding her captive. "You tell me to fuck myself one more time, and you're gonna find yourself with a mouthful of something big and hard to keep you quiet."
She laughed in his face. "You wish you had that much power over me. You ever try and I'll cut your dick off and shove it down your throat."
He pulled her closer and did the last thing she expected. He kissed her. She tried to shove away from him, tried to break free of his implacable hold, but he merely tightened his grip. When she started to angle her face away, he wrapped one arm around her waist, while the other pinned her head, keeping her lips glued to his.
Shock held her immobile for a moment as she tried to figure out what the fuck was happening. She'd begged for this for years to no avail.
Why now? The question burned in her brain.
She opened her mouth to tell him to stop, but his tongue seized control, robbing her ability to speak, to protest. When it became obvious she couldn't break free, she simply froze. Played dead.
She refused to kiss him back. Her mind screamed for her to stay strong. It took every ounce of strength in her body not to melt into his arms, not to soften her lips and sample more of the heaven he offered.
His grip lightened, and he retreated a mere fraction of an inch. "Kiss me," he demanded.
She shook her head. "I can't." Her voice broke on the last word.
He studied her face. She dropped the barriers, allowing him to see her pain. He'd broken her young woman's heart one time too many. She wasn't coming back.
He looked toward the rear of the barn, then spoke softly. "Dammit. You make me forget myself, lose my resolve."
"I'm not doing a thing. I'm home to plan my wedding and---"
Seth shook his head, stopped her words. "I don't want to hear another peep about that." He rubbed his hand over his face, and she wondered about the dark shadows under his eyes. He was different this time. She wasn't sure what had changed, but it was clear something had.
"I didn't bring you in here to fight...or to kiss you." He pointed to a basket tucked into a corner. She could barely make out the image of three wriggling puppies.
She smiled, kneeling next to them. "Dusty's litter?"
He nodded. "She had them last week. Knew you were coming home some time this week, so Thomas and I thought we'd surprise you."
She reached down to stroke the soft fur of the little puppies, trying to forget how badly she was screwing everything up.
Seth crouched next to her. "I miss you."
She looked at him, confused, until he continued. "I don't know this Jody. You're mad at me. I'm not saying I don't deserve it, but---"
She started to speak, to refute his words with a lie, but he raised his hand to stop her.
"I understand why. I'd be a jackass not to get it. I've known about your crush on me forever."
She winced at the word crush. It had been so much more than that to her. He'd been her first love. Hell, her only love.
"I haven't been careful with your feelings, Jody, even though I've always considered you mine to protect. How's that for irony?" He shrugged. "It's just you're so damn young."
"You're only six years older than me, Seth. That's not much of an excuse."
He shrugged. "It seemed like a hell of a lot when I was eighteen and you were twelve."
"Well, it was illegal at that point," she joked. They shared a chuckle before she sobered up.
He stared at the barn door, trying to find a way to explain. When he faced her again, his eyes were sadder than she'd ever seen them. "I know that. I guess it became a habit to convince myself your flirting was more infatuation than true attraction. I didn't take your feelings for me seriously and I was wrong. I think if I'd admitted they were genuine, I couldn't have forced myself to do the right thing."
She closed her eyes and suddenly regretted her past actions. When she wanted something, she went after it with a relentlessness that could be scary. She hadn't made things easy for Seth. "I sort of did the same thing to you. I'm sorry for that."
"What do you mean?"
"You must've shown me a million different ways that you weren't interested. I ignored you time and time again. My dad always says I'm too hard-headed for my own good and a bulldog to boot. I got it in my head that we were destined to be together and I held on to that idea, never thinking for a minute that you might not feel the same."
She blinked against the tears gathering in her eyes. She wasn't about to cry in front of him. She rose quickly.
"Jody," he stood and stopped her. "I've missed you these past few months."
After Christmas, she'd gone back to school and into a No Seth Zone. She'd severed the close friendship they'd always shared despite her---she paused, then forced herself to think about the word he'd used---crush, convinced it was the only way she could protect her heart and force herself to move on.
"I missed you too. I've been acting like such a bitch since I got home. What do you say we call a truce?" She held out her hand, praying she could survive the next thirty seconds without breaking down.
He stared at her hand and for a moment, she thought he might reject her gesture. Then he reached out and wrapped his hand around it. He didn't shake it, as she intended. Instead, he merely held it, held her gaze with his. He nodded once, but she couldn't help but doubt his sincerity. He didn't agree at all.
Forcing a light smile, she edged away from Seth. "I need to find my fiancé. My life is good now, Seth, I swear. I hope you can accept that and be happy for me."
Turning, she left the barn, separating Paul from Chase before Seth could catch up with them. "I have a little bit of a headache," she said. "Mind if we finish the tour later?"
Paul gripped her hand and strode with her to the house. "Of course not. Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded, resisting the urge to turn around. When they reached the front porch, the temptation grew too strong and she glanced over her shoulder. Seth stood outside the barn, staring at her. His hungry expression said it all. He wasn't accepting anything, and they definitely weren't friends anymore.
Seth felt like a spider stalking his prey, waiting for the fly to land in his web. Jody had feigned a headache and hidden in her room last evening, refusing to come down for dinner. Paul had joined him and Thomas and the ranch hands for the meal, and Seth had to begrudgingly admit he liked the man. However, hell would freeze over before Paul stole Jody from him. There was something fishy about her so-called engagement, and he intended to find out exactly what it was.
He also planned to set Miss Kirkland straight on a few other things as well. He'd seriously fucked up, and he was determined to find a way to make things right again. She'd thought her attention to him was unwanted? She thought he wasn't attracted to her?
Jesus. He'd tossed and turned all night last night as he realized how badly he'd handled everything. When she'd been younger, it had been easy to dismiss her flirting as harmless. It wasn't until she came back home the summer between her freshman and sophomore years in college that things had gotten hard...literally. She'd stepped out of her daddy's pickup that summer in a sky blue, sleeveless blouse that showed too much cleavage and accentuated her pretty eyes far too well. Add to that her skintight jeans and his cock had inflated to dangerous proportions pretty fucking fast.
Jody might not have noticed his ogling, but Thomas had. Seth's boss had informed Seth in no uncertain terms that his little girl was going to finish her damn education and he'd forbidden any complications that might keep her from returning for the fall semester. Seth had agreed Jody needed to go to college, so he took the warning to heart and managed---just barely---to bank the fires that summer and the next.
Before she'd left Texas to attend Cornell, she'd experienced very little life outside the ranch. Seth encouraged her to enjoy the opportunity to see more of the world and to meet different people. Hell, he'd moved to Texas for the same damn reasons.
And now that you've broadened your horizons?
Seth found it more and more difficult to silence the part of him that longed for home.
He'd already stayed longer than he'd planned, living for Jody's infrequent visits. Jody sure as hell hadn't made it easy on him though. Seemed like the older she got, the more her clothes shrunk and he'd grown accustomed to spending his summers in a state of never-ending arousal.
Last summer had been the worst. Rather than following him around, she'd taken to hunting Chase. Seth had been hard-pressed not to beat the cocky cowboy into the ground. He'd issued the man weekly warnings to keep his hands off Jody and even casually made the suggestion that Thomas give the same admonition. He didn't relax his guard for one second during the three months she'd remained at home.
Then the fucking incident under the mistletoe happened, and he knew he had a problem. She'd dared him to give her a real kiss, and he'd caved. He'd been missing his family, the traditional Compton Christmas celebrations, and his brothers. Jody felt warm and soft and being with her felt too much like coming home. He took it too far, too fast and he'd been besieged with images of a naked Jody, tied to his bed as he fucked her. He wanted to claim her in a very primitive way, and he suddenly became aware of the real reason he'd never succumbed to his feelings for her.
He was a dominant male, and he'd fallen head over heels in love with the least submissive woman he'd ever met. Jody's hands in his hair, the way she tried to control the kiss proved to him there was no way he could take her the way he truly wanted without scaring her away or having her pull a gun on him.
He'd broken the kiss and brushed her aside once more. He hadn't handled the situation well, but it had been hard to think with all the blood that usually flowed through his brain filling his cock. He'd struggled for a reason and ended up giving her some bullshit line about her being too young. When she'd tried to protest, he'd tacked on a ridiculous, hurtful comment about Jody not understanding exactly what she was asking for.
She hadn't bought it. Instead she'd insisted she was a woman, not a little girl. As if the curves filling his palms weren't proof enough of that. When he'd tried to explain she needed protection from him and his darker needs, the rose-colored glasses she'd always seen him through shattered. She'd laughed mirthlessly about him using the old it's not you, it's me line on her and stormed out of his life, furious and hurt.
Her anger had only amplified since then. After returning for her last semester at school, she'd severed the lines of communication, refusing his calls. With some distance, he was able to put his concerns into words that he'd written in at least a dozen emails. Emails she'd clearly never read. He crossed his arms over his chest and bided his time. She wasn't going to delete him from her life. At least, not without hearing what he had to say first.
"Bingo," he murmured, when Jody showed up in her jeans, intending to ride. He knew his girl, knew she liked to escape on horseback for hours on end when something was bothering her. Today, she wasn't escaping to anywhere until he came clean. She was out of college, so he didn't feel honor-bound to make sure she finished the degree her father insisted on. He also wasn't about to let her throw her life away, marrying a man she didn't love. Just a few moments in Paul and Jody's presence had proven to him that while they possessed a certain friendly fondness for each other, neither of them was in love. He wasn't sure what her scheme was in terms of this rushed wedding, but she could put the idea out of her head. Last night, he'd decided there was one only one man for her and it was him. He'd ease her into his needs...somehow.
"Mornin', sunshine." He stepped out of his hiding place when she reached for her saddle. "Need a hand?"
She glared at him. The shadows under her eyes proved she hadn't slept any better than him. She started to offer an angry retort, but seemed to recall her peace offering from the day before. She'd vowed they would be friends again. Jody never went back on her word, never broke a promise. It was that deep-seated honor that made him appreciate her all the more.
"I'm fine." She started to carry the saddle to her horse, but he stopped her, taking the heavy leather out of her hands. "I'm perfectly capable of saddling my own horse, Seth. I've been doing it since I was a kid."
"I know. I want to talk to you for a minute before you take off."
"We said all we needed to yesterday. Everything's cool. I promise."
He shook his head. "Nothing's cool, Jody. We're nowhere close to that." His body temperature had risen to unhealthy proportions the second she'd entered the stable in those tight Levi's. One touch from him would leave her with third degree burns. He was on fire for her.
He placed her saddle over the top railing of a stall and gestured to the tack room. "I need a few minutes."
He knew she wouldn't protest. Not when he added, "Just a friendly chat."
She stormed into the tack room. He glanced over his shoulder and confirmed the place was empty. He'd given every hand on the ranch a different duty this morning, all of them well away from the stable. He closed the door and locked them inside the quiet space.
"Is that necessary?" she asked.
"Maybe. How's your headache?"
She shrugged. "Better, I guess."
"You guess? You don't know?" He edged closer. She took two steps back before she could think better of it. Then, in typical Jody-style, she stopped and stood her ground. He took advantage of her stubbornness with glee. Reaching up, he placed his fingers on her temples, rubbing lightly.
Her hands came up to his wrists, intent on pulling his away, but he didn't budge.
"It's better," she said. "You don't have to do that."
He lowered his hands, but he didn't remove them from her face. Instead he cupped her cheeks, tipping her face up so she had no option but to look at him. "I think there are still some misunderstandings we need to clear up."
She tried harder to dislodge him. He held tight.
"Put your hands down," he demanded. She stopped fighting him, but her fingernails still gouged his wrists.
"By your sides, Jody. And leave them there."
"Who the hell do you think---"
He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss to silence her. When she started to speak again, he nipped at her lower lip.
"You ready to listen?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Oh my God. You have a death wish or something?"
He chuckled. She wouldn't bend her will to any man's. He dropped his hands and shook his head. "Nope. Just doing a little experiment. That was sort of a test."
"What kind? How to Piss Off a Woman 101?"
"You were wrong yesterday." His abrupt change of topic took her unaware, and she frowned.
"About what?"
"You said I wasn't interested in you. You think I don't want you."
She closed her eyes and tried to turn from him. "I'm not talking about this any---"
"I do want you. So bad, it hurts."
Her eyes flew open. "What?"
"Jesus, Jody. All these years, I've been keeping my distance so I didn't give in to something neither one of us could handle."
"I don't understand."
He ran his hand along her cheek and enjoyed the slight shiver his touch provoked in her. The connection had always been there. He'd known it since the summer she'd turned eighteen. Their bodies responded to each other like opposing magnets, drawn to each other despite the innate differences that could tear them apart. "Gossip about my relationships has been flying around here over the years. What have you heard?"
She blushed, the reaction starting to prove another suspicion he had in regards to Jody.
"I've heard you like it rough."
"What does that mean to you?"
She struggled to maintain eye contact. She glanced toward the door, but he knew her pride wouldn't let her run. "I heard you like to tie women up."
"Is that all?"
She nodded. "I'm the boss's daughter. That fact pretty much guarantees folks clam up whenever I come around."
"I enjoy more than bondage, Jody. I like control in the bedroom. I expect absolute submission in my women."
She sucked in a breath and he tried to decide if her response was one of anger or surprise. "What are you saying? You want a sex slave or something?"
He grinned at her tone. Though the conversation clearly made her uncomfortable, she didn't back down from asking what she wanted to know. "I don't expect a woman to call me master or---"
She laughed. When he stopped and stared at her, she quieted. "Oh, you were serious. Shit," she muttered.
Now it was his turn to chuckle. "This is one of the reasons I never approached you. There isn't a submissive bone in your body, Jody."
"So I was right. You aren't attracted to me."
He shook his head. "You're not listening to me. I'm dying to fuck you unconscious, but I don't think you'd like the demands I'd put on you."
"You need the submission stuff?"
"It's hard to explain. It's a part of who I am. If you're asking if I could tuck it away, yeah, I could. I've spent more than a few nights with women who clearly weren't submissives, but I wasn't hoping for long-term relationships with them either. It would be like me asking you to give up riding when you're upset. You could do it, but you'd always miss it. It wouldn't be a fair request."
"Why didn't you share all of this a long time ago?"
He leaned against a nearby barrel. "What would you have said last summer if I'd told you all of this? Be honest."
She came toward him, claiming the barrel next to him. Quiet stretched for several minutes and when she spoke he could tell by her grimace her answer was bringing her no joy to admit. "I would have said it was okay. That I could give you what you need."
He reached down and grasped her hand. "You've tried to catch my attention for years. Doing some pretty out-of-character things in the attempt."
She nodded. "I guess I have."
"You climbed on that horse my first day here even though you knew it was dangerous. You've pranced around here in skimpy clothing, when you're more comfortable in your jeans. You came on to Chase last year with a vengeance, but I'm willing to bet you walked by guys like him at college every day and never gave them a second glance."
"Jesus. I knew I was pathetic, but hearing it all spelled out like that..."
He reached over and grasped her chin, applying light pressure until she faced him. "You aren't at all. You were being honest about your feelings for me. If anyone was pitiful, it was me. I made up a million lame excuses, lying to you at every turn, rather than admitting the truth."
"Which brings us right back to where we were yesterday. Friends."
He shook his head. "Nope. I can't turn this off, Jody." He leaned forward. "My dominance doesn't change a fucking thing."
"What do you mean?"
"I still want you."
"But you said---"
He pressed his cheek to her face, rubbing his rough skin against hers, trying to leave a mark. He was finished fighting it. They'd either move on or kill each other in the attempt. At this point, he didn't give a shit which way it ended---both would put him out of his misery once and for all.
"We're just gonna have to work through it." He punctuated his declaration with a kiss. He took her lips with everything he had, proving to her just how much he'd shielded from her. Jody didn't disappoint him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, opened her sweet lips and brought him in out of the cold. Their tongues tangled, and they shared the same air, the same space. Her fingers drifted to his hair, running through the thick, rough mass. He followed suit, taking a fistful of her soft, brown waves, tugging it with enough force to confirm the gossip about him liking it rough wasn't a rumor.
She groaned and followed suit, tugging his hair as well. He'd never been on the receiving end of such a touch and it certainly got his cock's attention. He was so hard, he winced at the tightness of his jeans.
He used his other hand to lift her T-shirt, stretching it over her bra. She was well-endowed, curvy, more than a handful. Christ, he couldn't wait to put his dick in the valley between her breasts. He'd cup himself in her smooth flesh, fuck her until he came, and paint her pretty pink nipples with his come.
She tried to retreat, but he refused to give up her lips. He'd ached to taste her for years and he was nowhere near satisfied.
She turned her head again. "I can't breathe."
"Yes, you can." He tweaked her nipple through her bra and she gasped. "See?" He angled her lips back to his before she could offer a smartass reply. Moving both hands to her breasts, he tugged the cups of her bra lower until her nipples appeared. Glancing down, he fought a wave of lightheadedness as he scored his first up-close and personal look at her. "Jesus. You're perfect," he whispered.
She rested her forehead against his and smiled. "Too big."
"Ain't no such thing." He bent to prove to her exactly how flawless he thought she was. Her hands flew to his hair once more, her back arching toward his mouth as he sucked hard on first one, and then the other tight nipple. As he applied pressure, he paid close attention to her body's other signals. He'd waited a lifetime to get her into his arms and he didn't plan to screw it up now. Sucking on one nipple, he reached over to pinch the other, relishing the image of her pressing her legs together. He was certain he could smell her sweet juice even through the denim of her jeans.
She liked a bit of pain with her pleasure. Suddenly, he started reevaluating his idea. She blossomed beneath his attentions, making him wonder if she might accept his dominance in the bedroom. Holy shit. Rising, he released her nipple with a soft pop. "Open your legs."
She hesitated for the barest moment and once again, faint unease about her level of innocence niggled at his conscience. Then her thighs parted. He stood between them, his lips returning to her breasts, sucking as she moaned and clung to his hair.
Distracting her with his mouth on her nipple, he unbuttoned her jeans and opened the zipper. Her knees tightened on his hips, and he suspected she would have closed them if his body hadn't blocked her. He paused and studied her half-closed eyes. Her face was flushed, her breathing labored. He knelt before her, leaning forward to place a kiss on her stomach. He grasped one of her hands and lightly ran his tongue along her wrist, her racing pulse confirming his suspicions once and for all. He closed his eyes and prayed for patience.
"Just my fingers," he whispered against her skin. She shivered. He focused on her and waited for the permission he needed to have before he would proceed. She held his gaze and nodded.
He tugged her jeans and panties to her ankles, the delicate scent of her arousal would have driven him to his knees if he hadn't already been kneeling. His mouth watered for a taste, but he had to go slow. As she watched, he dragged one fingertip from the top of her chest, between her breasts, and along her stomach. He didn't stop until his finger lingered barely above her clit.
Her hands had landed on his shoulders, and her grip tightened. Out of fear or anticipation, he couldn't tell. Forging on, he skimmed through the trimmed hair of her pussy until he found the little button he sought. She reared when he touched it. With his free hand, he pressed against her flat stomach, holding her in place. The shiny juices covering the tops of her thighs warned him it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge.
He rubbed her clit again, and she moaned aloud.
"Jody."
Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her pretty blue eyes.
"I lied," he confessed. "Not only my fingers." He placed his lips around her clit and sucked on the tiny nub. He had to lean his forearm on her abdomen to pin her to the barrel as her hips fought desperately to squirm beneath his tongue.
"God, Seth."
He took her cry as permission to push her further. He ran his finger around the entrance to her body, slick with desire. Her hands returned to his hair, tugging harder than before.
"Please," she whispered.
He pushed one finger inside her far-too-tight sheath and the truth crashed down on him. Jody was a virgin. All bets were off. No man other than him would ever touch her, ever possess her. She was his, and he damn well planned to make sure she knew it.
He thrust harder when her cries grew louder, her thrashing wilder. She was riding the razor's edge of need. He prepared to relieve years of lust. He caught her gaze, savoring her passion-dazed eyes. "Come for me, Jody. Just for me."
He added another finger to the first as he sucked her clit into his mouth, harder than before. The avalanche of her orgasm rumbled through her body, and she cried out his name as she tumbled, trembling, clinging to him as if he were her only lifeline to earth.
His cock throbbed in his jeans, but he wasn't going to find satisfaction inside her body today. It was all too new. The realization of her innocence changed everything. When he took her for the first time, they would be in a bed, they would be totally naked and the ring on her finger would be his.
The thought of her fiancé sent a thread of insane jealously through him. "There's no way your precious Paul ever made you burn like that."
His statement reverberated in the room louder than cannon fire, and Jody reacted as powerfully as if he shot her.
"Oh my God." She wrenched from his hold, scurrying across the floor, fighting to drag her jeans over her hips as she moved away from him. He sat on his haunches, stunned by her response, his jaw hanging open as she yanked her bra up, tugged her shirt down.
"Paul," she whispered. "What have I done? I can't do this. I'm engaged."
"Jesus, Jody. That guy's wrong for you. You're making a mistake. Break it off."
"I can't," she insisted. "I promised him. He needs me."
"I need you."
She shook her head. "No. I can't be what you want. I've tried for years, and I've been miserable."
"You liked what I did to you." He took a step closer. When she threw her hands up, a look close to fear crossing her face, he stopped. "I'm not going to hurt you. I won't make you do anything you're not interested in. Trust me."
"You don't get it, do you? There's very little I wouldn't do for you. Even if..." She choked on the explanation, but he didn't need to hear it. He knew what she was thinking. If he asked her to play the part of his submissive, she would. Even though that role would never be a natural fit.
She ran a shaking hand through her hair. "This is over. I've spent the past few months forcing myself to move on. Fighting like the devil to put my silly dreams about you in the past. I've done that. You were right to deny us this. Now that you've shared your reasons, I understand. I need you to let me go."
"I can't."
She brushed a tear from her lashes, and it dawned on him he'd never seen her cry. All the years she'd flirted with him, she'd never used tears. And now he knew all his resistance would have faltered in the face of her crying. Standing helpless while she fought back the pain tore through his gut like a bullet. He'd give her anything to make the sadness disappear.
She walked past him, out the door, and he let her leave.
"I think we should move the wedding date up." Jody entered the family room where Paul had set up his laptop, tinkering with one of his drafting programs. Their majors at Cornell couldn't have been more different. While she'd spent four years studying Agricultural Science, Paul had gotten his undergrad degree in architecture. If it hadn't been for the dance class they'd both signed up for, their paths never would have crossed on campus.
"Two weeks is soon enough to satisfy my dad's will." Paul responded, not looking up from his project.
"I know, but we're going to do it regardless, so why wait?"
Paul's gaze finally slid from the computer screen to her. She'd come directly from the stable, and she suddenly wished she'd detoured to her room until she'd wrestled her raging emotions under control. In typical fashion, Paul took one peek at her and saw far too much.
"Jody."
"Forget it." She started to back out of the room.
Paul halted her retreat with narrowed eyes. "What happened?"
"Nothing. It was a silly whim. Forget it."
He shook his head. "While the impulsive part certainly fits your personality, I don't believe that had anything to do with your suggestion. I'm guessing you ran into the hottest cowboy in Levi's this morning, right?"
"I don't know who you mean."
Paul wasn't her best friend for nothing. She had never managed to fool him yet. That fact didn't keep her from trying.
He laughed. "Sure you don't." Then he looked at her more closely. "Holy crap. What did Seth do? Your shirt's buttoned wrong."
She glanced down, then threw him a dirty look. "I'm wearing a T-shirt, asshat."
Paul laughed. "Gotcha. Now spill."
Dammit. She'd stormed into the house and into this room, determined to set her pretend marriage in motion so she wouldn't weaken, wouldn't succumb to Seth's advances. The idea that he really had wanted her all these years threw her for a loop. So did the realization that he intended to take control of her in the bedroom. Given the amazing orgasm he'd offered her with no more than his fingers and mouth, she could only imagine what he could do if she placed herself completely at his mercy. Once he tied her to his bed, what wicked things would he do to her? Her imagination ran wild with sinful possibilities.
She glared at Paul. "I'm not discussing it."
"Bullshit." Paul rose and took a seat on the couch, patting the cushion next to him. "Come here and give me all the nitty, gritty dirty details. Don't leave out a thing."
Jody sighed and sank onto the couch. "We're getting married, you know. You shouldn't be grinning while pumping me for information about my infidelities."
Paul laughed loudly. "An affair? Jesus. That's rich. It's a marriage of convenience, Jody. Christ, it's not possible to cheat in those."
"Of course, it is. I made you a promise, and I broke it."
Paul frowned. She wondered what she'd said to destroy his humor so quickly. "We've made no vows to each other. We're friends, sweetheart. Best friends. All I've ever hoped for is for you to be happy. You've been miserable over Seth this past semester, but if the status of your relationship with him has changed---"
"It hasn't." She cut him off. If he offered to let her out of their arrangement, she'd consider it. Temptation was not something she needed right now. Not when so much good could come of her giving up a year to Paul and so much damage could come of her giving herself to Seth.
He fell silent for a moment. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "The wedding's still on. Nothing Seth can say or do..." Her insistence faltered as she considered what Seth had done. Heat crept to her cheeks.
Paul latched on to her hesitation in typical nosy-friend style. "What the hell did he do? I bet it was sexy as shit knowing that man. You've gotta give me something to live vicariously on. You've put me on a man diet with this marrying for love lie. Do you have any idea what kind of pain I'm in surrounded by all these muscular cowboys? That Chase is one fine specimen of a man and I'm positive he could do things..." He paused, allowing her to fill in the blanks.
"Jeez. We've been here twenty-four hours, Paul. Surely you can abstain a few days more. Actually, I would think you'd be thrilled by my suggestion to move the wedding up. I mean let's face it, the sooner we satisfy the marriage part of your father's will, the sooner you'll get your trust fund."
Paul shrugged. "I don't see how a couple of weeks is going to make much difference in the long run."
"It's not. That's why we should just go ahead and get it over with."
Paul winced slightly at her callous words and she hastily tried to apologize. He cut her off. "Your enthusiasm overwhelms me."
"Paul, I didn't mean that the way it sounded."
He nodded. "I know that. I also know something happened with Seth to prompt this sudden rush down the aisle. I'm starting to think I'd be smart to find someone else to help me satisfy the will. There are clearly unresolved feelings between you and Seth, and I don't think now is---"
"There are no unresolved feelings. In fact, we just had an epiphany."
Paul rose and leaned against the desk, gesturing with his hands. "Do tell."
Jody cleared her throat. While she and Paul were truly best friends and there was very little they didn't discuss openly, she wondered how to explain her new concerns in regards to Seth Compton. In the past, Paul had listened to her cry over the fact that Seth didn't want her. This morning, Seth had confessed he did. She should be over the moon. Instead, she was picturing exactly how Seth wanted her. The images flying through her head left her equal parts terrified and aroused. Not a good combination.
"Apparently Seth, um...wants more than, er---"
"More than the hogtying?"
She shrugged. "I think the words sex slave and master may have been used."
Jody fought back the urge to laugh and cry at the same time as Paul's face went pale. "Dear God," he said.
She put her hands up quickly. "No, it's not like that. I mean, that's sort of what he likes, but he knows I'm not the girl to give it to him."
Paul nodded slowly, and she watched him assimilate that idea. "And because you aren't a submissive, he doesn't want you?"
She rested her head back against the couch cushion and closed her eyes. "Oh no, he definitely wants me."
"I'm confused."
She chuckled and turned to look at Paul. "Join the club. Seth wants me, but he knows I can't give him what he needs."
"Why not?"
Jody sucked in a deep breath at her friend's question. The silence between them stretched on for several moments as Jody struggled to find an honest answer.
Paul saved her from having to respond. "Jody. If anything else should arise between you and Seth, I think you should go for it."
She frowned. "I don't understand what you're saying."
Paul walked toward her and grasped her hand. "You've been saving yourself for the guy forever. Since you seem to feel honor-bound to remain faithful during this marriage of ours, even though I don't want or expect that, I think you should do it."
Her body went still as she considered Paul's suggestion. "You're telling me to have sex with Seth?"
"I'm saying if he offers and you want to take him up on it, don't let some silly promise you've made to me stand in the way."
"I'm not going to sleep with Seth, and I'm not going to change my mind about this wedding." She felt a certain sense of pride and accomplishment as her words were strong and confident.
Paul looked at her for a long time, but she didn't crack. He sighed sadly. "Fine," he said at last.
"Fine?"
He nodded. "We'll move the wedding up. How soon were you thinking?"
She felt numb at his easy acquiescence and the realization that she would definitely be putting a period on any chance for a relationship with Seth if she married Paul, even out of convenience. "Day after tomorrow?" she asked, trying to figure out when she'd lost complete control of her life.
"Perfect. What do you say we go break the news to your dad? It's bound to be a shock to the guy, so we might as well get it over with."
She nodded woodenly, rising slowly and following her friend out of the room in search of her father. What the hell was she doing?
Paul's words kept playing over and over in her head.
Get it over with.
As they told her father their plans, they replayed, overshadowing her father's arguments that they wait.
Get it over with.
In two days, her plan to escape Seth once and for all would be complete and her heart would be shattered, broken beyond repair.
Get it over with.
"You got a minute?"
Jody looked up at the light knock on her door, nodding at her father as he stood in the doorframe. Dinner had been an awkward affair, the usually boisterous mealtime conversations muted. Her dad had not taken the news of her accelerated nuptials well, sitting at the head of the table with his eyebrows lowered, frowning at anyone who dared to laugh or even speak. If her heart hadn't been racing so, she would have laughed at the incredible speed her normally slow-eating best friend gobbled his dinner, excusing himself after only a few minutes.
"Yeah," she said. "What's up?"
Her dad walked in and she was surprised to see a large box in his hands. "I did a bit of digging around this afternoon and, well, I thought you might want this." He placed the box on the bed.
"What is it?"
"Your mother's wedding dress."
Jody's breath caught as she glanced at the box. She didn't want her father to see the tears that had suddenly sprung to her eyes. She was turning into a regular watering pot these days.
"Thanks," she said, the husky sound betraying the lump in her throat.
"Jody." Her father's voice demanded her attention and she gave it to him, hoping he couldn't see the fear, the pain, the confusion in her eyes. "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. I just thought---"
"Daddy." She swallowed, trying to find the words to express how much his gesture meant to her. "Thank you."
She expected him to launch into more of his objections to the wedding. He'd worn her out this afternoon for nearly an hour as he tried to convince her not to move the wedding up. Hell, he'd spent three-quarters of that hour, trying to talk her out of marrying Paul altogether. She closed her eyes, wearily, not sure she could withstand another onslaught of protestations.
"Well. I'll leave you alone then."
She watched him walk out, torn between relief and the desire to call him back so she could cry in his protective arms. For several minutes, she simply stared at the box. Shaking off her melancholy, she lifted the lid and gasped. She'd seen pictures of her mother in her wedding dress, but the photographs had failed to capture the true delicate beauty of the silk. She tried to imagine all the feelings her mother must have felt as she wore the beautiful dress.
Reaching out, her hand closed in a fist, just before she touched it, a feeling of shame washing through her. Her mother and father had loved each other, fiercely, powerfully. She may have been young when her mother passed away, but she knew the truth of that love as surely as she knew her own name. She felt like she was dishonoring the dress, wearing it to a wedding, not born from love, but from necessity.
Slowly, she took the dress out of the box, walking to the full-length mirror that hung on the wall. Holding it in front of her, she allowed herself one tiny moment to pretend she wasn't wearing it for Paul, but for Seth. She closed her eyes and imagined the larger-than-life cowboy who'd captured her heart, standing at the end of the aisle. She pictured Seth's face, the dimples creasing his cheeks as he smiled at her walking toward him.
"Beautiful." The voice behind her fit the fantasy. She opened her eyes and found Seth's dark brown gaze soaking in the dress...and her.
"Seth," she whispered to his reflection in the mirror.
"Your father told me you're moving the wedding date up."
She nodded, unable to speak.
A flash of pain crossed his face before it was overshadowed by anger. "Don't marry him."
She smiled sadly. "I have to."
"Why?"
She lowered the dress and turned around to face him. "I promised."
Seth shook his head. "That's a shitty reason."
She walked away from him, carefully returning the dress to the box. "No, it's not." She replaced the lid and carried the whole thing over to her dresser before returning to sit on the edge of her bed.
Seth walked over, standing directly before her. Her gaze drifted to her bedroom door, and she wasn't surprised to see it closed. Knowing him, it was locked as well.
"You're not in love with him."
She tilted her head, realizing it was pointless to continue the deceit. "No. I'm not."
"But you're still going to marry him."
She nodded. "He needs me."
She'd promised Paul and she didn't break her promises. Ever. Given the facts that had come to light about Seth and his desires today, suddenly hiding in a loveless marriage for a year seemed preferable to losing herself to this cowboy who had far too much control over her sanity, her sense of self.
"I'm not giving up," he warned her as he bent closer.
"I wish you would."
His fingers tipped her chin up until her lips were just a breath away from his. "You can't marry him when you're in love with someone else."
"Someone else?" she asked.
"Yeah." She tried to move away, tried to escape, but he trapped her to the mattress, pushing her back in a move that couldn't be described as anything more than pure dominance. "Me."
His kiss proclaimed the truth of his statement and, though she struggled for release, he refused to relent, refused to let her hide from the truth.
His fingers worked at opening the button and zipper of her jeans and her traitorous hormones broke free. She pushed his hands away when he started to pull the tight pants down, shoving the jeans over her hips herself. He'd given her just a hint of what he had to offer and, wrong or not, she wanted it again. Wanted more.
Paul's comments flashed through her mind. She'd saved herself for Seth, for this. Would it be so bad to take a tiny taste?
The second the denim cleared her knees, he lifted his foot, pushing the denim and panties completely off in a move that was rough, hungry. She opened her legs, welcomed him between. The full weight of his body crushed her. He continued to kiss her as he rubbed his jeans-clad erection against her.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to direct more of the incredible sensations toward her clit, her wet opening.
He lifted himself up on one elbow, his lips still devouring hers as he ran his fingers along her slit. He pulled away briefly, his eyes narrowing. "Why the hell are you denying this? Your cunt is dripping and hotter than a Texas summer. Enough is enough, Jody. You're planning to marry someone else, while your body is on fire for me. Don't you think it's time you admit it?"
She feigned ignorance, while attempting to get her breathing back under control. His fingers were wreaking havoc on her ability to think. "And what exactly is it you think I should be confessing?"
He grinned. "That you want me and only me."
She closed her mouth, afraid the words would slip out despite the common sense that said she had no business being here.
"Looks to me like you might need a little demonstration." He thrust two fingers into her pussy, and she gasped at the tight, delicious sensation of the rough way he was claiming her. Over and over, he pressed into her as her body began to tingle, sparkling with the bright light of her orgasm.
"You want me. Say it."
She shook her head, refusing. His thumb brushed her clit firmly and her hips began to move, seeking out the touch, looking for more. Seth bent his head and bit her nipple through her shirt. She gasped, her fingers gripping his shoulders tightly. He lifted his head. "Put your hands on the bed beside your head."
"I want to touch you," she admitted.
His gaze darkened, and she shuddered slightly at the pure dominance written there. He wasn't holding back, wasn't hiding his true spirit from her any longer. This was what she'd waited a lifetime for.
Seth, with the mask off.
Seth, willing to give her anything, everything.
"Put your hands on the bed," he repeated, his tone proving he wouldn't ask again.
She moved, letting her hands fall, palms up above her shoulders. The pose felt like surrender and for a moment, she wanted to balk, to move them back to his body.
His gaze stopped her. He devoured her, his eyes, his lips, his hands telling her how much he liked what he was seeing. His fingers began to stroke her faster, harder. "Come for me, sunshine. Let me see you explode." His words provoked the action, and she shuddered, crying out at the intensity as her hands closed into fists, but never left the mattress.
Seth didn't relent, didn't allow her surcease, as he continued to thrust harder, faster. She was on the verge of a second orgasm when he quickly pulled out.
"No," she said, anger permeating her dazed mind when he chuckled.
"I want everything from you," he warned, his dark, sensual tone sending another ripple of arousal through her.
When his finger returned, it wasn't to her pussy, but instead he pushed one wet digit into her ass. Her scream would have brought down the roof if he hadn't captured it with his own mouth, thrusting his tongue against hers as his finger plunged deeper into her ass. Her orgasm hit her like a freight train, and she clung to him as she quivered in the aftermath.
Seth's kisses didn't stop, but they grew softer. Soft enough that she managed to regain her scattered wits. She'd wanted a taste. Seth had given her a feast. She'd let things go way too far.
Furious with herself and with him for tempting her so, she turned her head, pulling her lips away from his. "Dammit," she cried. "You can't come in here and bully me like this."
He laughed. "I haven't even started to bully you yet."
An image of him tying her up, forcing her to one orgasm after another floated through her mind. "Shit," she muttered. "Get off of me." She tried to push him away, but moving her six foot two, nothing but pure muscle cowboy was a bit like trying to shove a skyscraper.
"Not yet. I have a question for you, and I want an answer."
She pursed her lips and waited, worried about what he might ask.
"Are you a virgin?"
Her heart lurched and she knew hell would freeze over before he got that answer. "None of your damn business."
He pressed her against the bed, but she refused to be cowed. "You keep saying that, but it is."
She shook her head. "No, it isn't. Go away."
Seth stared at her for a painfully, long minute, but she didn't budge. Finally, he spoke. "I don't need you to answer. I know the truth."
She sucked in a deep breath. She'd been riding a horse since the time she learned to walk. She was fairly certain any definite, hard proof of her virginity was long gone.
A brief glimpse of his earlier anger returned. "Why did you wait?"
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"If you're gonna settle for a loveless marriage, why bother saving yourself at all?"
She didn't have an answer. She'd been a silly girl with more honor than sense. She'd waited because in her heart, Seth had been her future. It was an old-fashioned notion, but she'd clung to it thinking it would prove to Seth she was worthy of him and his love.
"It was a mistake," she said quietly.
"I see."
He rose from the bed. She sat up, wrapping the comforter around her waist. The movement wasn't based on shyness as much as a way to rebuild her defenses. "You won't tell my dad, will you? About Paul and I not being in love. I really think it would be easier for him if..."
Her words died at the pain flashing in Seth's eyes. Easy didn't seem to be an option anymore.
"You gonna tell me why you're marrying this guy? It doesn't make any sense."
She shrugged. "I have a good reason. Honest."
"But you're not going to tell me what it is."
She shook her head. It felt like it was going to explode. She was on the verge of tears, something she didn't want Seth to see. "Not tonight. Later. I promise."
"No," Seth replied. "I won't tell Thomas. I've been keeping your secrets for nearly a decade. I don't plan to break that tradition now."
She smiled sadly as her mind drifted over all the confidences she'd shared with Seth through the years. The time she'd broken her mother's favorite vase, Seth helped her glue it back together. The time she'd put a dent in her dad's new truck, Seth found a mechanic to pound the ding out. The time she'd snuck out her junior year in high school to go to a party, Seth dragged her home, not betraying her to her father.
He'd been her friend, her protector and now he wanted to be her lover. The thought made her entire body ache. "Thanks."
Walking toward the door, he opened it and turned to look at her. "This isn't finished."
When she was certain he was out of earshot, she whispered, "Yes, it is."
Then, she gave in to her tears.
"You planning on pulling your head out of your ass anytime soon, son, or are you just gonna stand around and let my little girl make the biggest mistake of her life?"
Seth looked up as Thomas climbed the stairs to the front porch of his foreman's cabin early the next morning. Seth placed his cup of coffee on the table next to him. It was his day off and he'd planned to spend it alone, trying to figure out where the hell he was supposed to go from here. Jody was driving him insane. He'd tossed and turned all night, waking up three times to jerk off to the image of her as she came in the tack room and again in her bedroom. She was gorgeous, sexy-as-hell and driving him out of his mind with desires he'd never experienced.
"Excuse me?" he said as Thomas rested against the porch railing, crossing his ankles as well as his arms.
His boss had never given him any indication that he'd welcome Seth approaching Jody romantically. The only words Thomas had issued the past four years had been more along the lines of warnings for Seth to keep his damn hands to himself.
"I believe I made myself clear."
"What would you have me do, Thomas? Jody's more headstrong than Hugh Natter's bull. Trying to get that girl to change her mind on anything is like trying to dig a hole the size of the Grand Canyon with a teaspoon."
Thomas silently studied him for so long, Seth had to fight the urge not to squirm. "Never pegged you for a quitter. You gonna let that Paul character take your woman?"
Seth narrowed his eyes. "You wanna let me know exactly when Jody became my woman. Last time I glanced her way you threatened to apply the bander you use on the bulls to castrate me. That's sort of a far cry from calling me son, wouldn't you say?"
"I wanted Jody to go off to college, to get her degree. She's a smart girl and leaving this place to continue her education was good for her. You know it, and I know it. She left here a willful, opinionated, inexperienced girl. Now, four years later, she's come back to us an intelligent, mature woman. I knew you'd be a big obstacle in her way if you decided to pay that girl any attention and I knew it would be a mistake for her to stay here. She needed to see a bit more of the world, meet people who weren't ranchers, experience a bit of culture."
Seth nodded, begrudgingly. The time away from home had done wonders for Jody. "You're right."
Thomas took his admission with a smugness that made Seth want to roll his eyes. "Now she's graduated with honors and with a knowledge of Ag Science that makes her the perfect life partner for a rancher."
"Last time I looked, I was a foreman."
Thomas uncrossed his arms, rubbing his chin as he sighed. "That could change pretty damn quick with ring and a few words spoken before a Justice of the Peace."
Seth was pretty sure throwing a punch at his boss would get his ass canned quick, but he rose anyway, his fists clenched. Thomas's words were an affront to his morals and an insult to his daughter. "If you think I'd marry Jody to inherit this goddamn ranch, then you don't know me at all. How dare you haggle with your daughter's life? I don't give a fuck who you are, if you think you can sell Jody off---"
Thomas chuckled and put his hands up. "Just checking, Seth. Wanted to make sure your intentions were true."
Seth tried to hold on to his irritation, but he couldn't blame Thomas for double-checking. "Had your fun?"
Jody was set to inherit a shit-load of money from her old man one day and there weren't too many cowboys in the state who didn't know it. Difference was his family was pretty well off too and he learned a long time ago, money didn't make you happy.
Thomas's grin slowly faded. "You gotta stop her, Seth."
Seth thought of the previous night. Of how she'd come apart in his arms and how she still pushed him away. Jody had pride by the bushel and overcoming the mistakes he'd made in the past as well as asking her to go back on the promise she'd made to Paul was proving tougher than he thought.
"How?" he asked, silently praying Thomas had an answer. God knew he was running out of ideas.
"Be creative."
Seth shook his head. "Shit. That's the only advice you have? Be creative? What the fuck does that mean?"
Thomas rubbed his jaw and Seth figured he and his boss were mirror reflections of frustration. "Hell if I know. Only thing I do know is you love her and she loves you. It's time to make the insanity stop."
Thomas turned, stepped off the porch and walked away.
Insanity, Seth thought. Yep. He had that in abundance.
It was late afternoon when Seth heard footsteps on his porch. He glanced up to find Jody peering through the screened door.
"Knock knock," she said, when she spotted him.
"Come on in." He'd been in the process of making a late lunch. He gestured at the sandwich fixins in front of him. "Hungry? I make a mean ham on rye."
She shook her head. "No, thanks. I already ate. I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow."
Her wedding day. He gritted his teeth. "Unless you're here to tell me you've called the wedding off, I don't want to talk about it."
She sighed, but wasn't deterred. "I'm not calling it off, Seth, but---" she hesitated and he wondered what she was going to say. "I wanted to say some things to you beforehand."
He crossed his arms over his chest, certain he wasn't going to like what she was about to say. His stance seemed to slow her momentum for a minute and she took a deep breath.
"I appreciate what you said, what you did yesterday morning in the tack room."
He scowled. "I fucking buried my face in your sweet cunt and set you off like a firecracker and you appreciate it."
She took a step closer. "Don't be crude," she snapped. "That's not what I'm talking about."
He cursed under his breath.
"For years, I've walked around here feeling like I wasn't good enough for you. I've spent most of my adult life trying to catch your attention and feeling like I was falling short because of some weakness, some inadequacy---"
"God dammit, Jody. I told you. None of that's true."
She smiled. "I know that...now. I never understood why you rebuffed me, but now that I do, I get it. You were right to fight this." She waved her hand between them and it took all the strength in Seth's body not to grab that hand, pull her toward him and prove to her how wrong she was.
She walked over to his kitchen table and claimed one of the chairs, sinking down heavily. "I can't be what you want. I can't give in to your needs without betraying who I am."
He stepped closer, taking the seat next to her. "I don't want to change you, Jody. My reasons were right at the time. You were too young, too inexperienced. Time has changed that. You've grown up and matured. You're more than strong enough to handle me now."
She laughed sadly. "No. I think we both know exactly how inexperienced I still am."
"I'm not talking about sexual experience. When you were younger, you worked your ass off trying to be the woman you thought I wanted, rather than the woman you were, the woman I adored. You know who you are now. I'm not looking to change that."
She looked down at her hands and he could see she was considering his words. She raised her gaze to his once more, her face sadder than he'd ever seen it. "I know you don't want to change it. Problem is I'm not sure you could help it."
He shook his head, but his cell phone rang, cutting off any reply she might make. He was going to ignore it, but glancing at the caller ID, he saw his father's number. His brother, Silas, had returned home after receiving some pretty serious injuries during an oil rig explosions in Alaska and he'd asked JD to call him as soon as Silas was settled in back in Wyoming.
"I have to take this," he said, opening the phone.
She nodded and started to leave, but he grasped her hand with his free one, shaking his head and indicating he wanted her to stay.
He spoke briefly to his father. The conversation was short. It was obvious from JD's comments his bedridden brother was already bored with the role of invalid. Hearing about Silas's gruff complaining went a long way toward setting Seth's mind at ease.
He'd wanted to return home immediately after finding out about Silas's accident, but his mother had convinced him to give Silas some time to recuperate and adjust to being back home. He'd suspected his mother had been trying to keep him away because it was worse than they were letting on. Talking to JD set those fears to rest. Clearly, there was another reason his mother wanted him to postpone a trip home. When JD mentioned the good care Silas's best friends, Lucy and Colby, had been giving him, the light bulb went on in Seth's brain and he grinned. Silas really was home.
"How are you doing?" he asked his dad, concerned by the weariness he detected in his old man's voice. It couldn't have been easy on his parents when they'd learned of the accident that nearly killed their oldest son.
"Hanging in there," JD said. As usual, trying to get his father to talk about himself was impossible.
True to form, JD changed the subject quickly. "Your brothers are setting up one of those video chat things on the computer. Silas said you should check your email for the day and time, make sure it works for you."
Seth and his brothers had lived apart for nearly a decade. In order to keep in touch, his younger brother Sam had started setting up conference chats for them. Seth looked forward to the chats. He enjoyed seeing his brothers' faces and hearing their voices. "I'll be sure to check my email."
He said his goodbyes and hung up. He looked at Jody as he considered all the near misses in his life lately. He'd almost lost Silas, and now he was in danger of losing her. The idea made him even more determined to win her heart.
Jody looked at him. "Your father?"
He nodded.
"Is Silas okay? He was hurt in Alaska, right?"
When he gave her a surprised look, she explained. "Dad told me about it last week when I called to tell him I was coming home."
Ordinarily, he would have called to talk to her about it, but since she'd started avoiding his calls after Christmas, he hadn't bothered dialing her number. He'd missed telling her about the day-to-day stuff. "Apparently he's bitching about being stuck in bed, so I'd say he's good. Gotta say getting the call about that explosion---" His words drifted off as he recalled the night JD had called to tell him about Silas.
Jody smiled and when she squeezed his hand, he realized he'd never released it. "I can't even imagine how scary that must have been. I know how close you and your brothers are."
He wanted to pull her to him, wrap himself up in her embrace. He hadn't known how much his brother's injury had been bothering him until he heard JD's voice. It would be so easy to fall into her arms, to let her comfort him.
"I miss them. Miss home sometimes."
"Do you ever think of going back to Wyoming?"
Her question triggered the secret desire he'd been harboring lately. He nodded. "Yeah. I do. When I was young, all I could think about was getting the hell out of Compton Pass on the fastest plane I could find."
"And now?"
"Now I'm wondering why I ever left."
If he expected her to be surprised by his comments, he would have been disappointed. "I've always been jealous of your stories about growing up."
He grinned. "Really?"
"I'm an only child and the daughter of the boss. Spent a lot of my childhood alone with my horse. I used to imagine what it would be like to be a part of a big, loving family. To have brothers or sisters to fight with, play with."
"Most of the time it was a pain in the ass," he joked, though her comments sent a jolt of homesickness through him.
She laughed. "I don't believe that for one minute."
They fell silent and for a moment, Seth was reminded of the way things were before he'd fucked up at Christmas. Then he remembered her wedding tomorrow and a wave of desperation rose.
"Jody," he started, but she raised her hand, cutting off his reply. It was obvious her thoughts had drifted in the same direction.
"Please, Seth. Please try to understand that I've made my decision. I'm marrying Paul because I genuinely believe it's the best thing for me."
"I'll never understand or believe that."
She released his hand and stood. "Then I guess there's nothing left to do, but say goodbye."
He chuckled, the sound turning to a laugh when confusion colored her pretty face. "Ah, sweetheart. That was a nice, but weak attempt. I'm not finished yet. You go ahead and fool yourself into thinking you're gettin' hitched. I'm here to tell you it's never going to happen."
Her eyes narrowed and his vivacious Jody reemerged ready for a fight.
She leaned toward him. "Get ready to be disappointed, Compton. I'm a big girl and perfectly capable of charting my course all by myself. I'm marrying Paul tomorrow and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it."
She turned and stomped toward the front door of his cabin. He waited until her hand reached out to open the screen before speaking. "See you soon," he said, taking care to lace his voice with just enough threat and promise.
She parted her lips to speak, then changed her mind. Scowling, she stormed out, slamming the screen door behind her as the seed of a plan sprouted in Seth's mind.
"You have a minute?"
Seth looked up and tried to suppress a groan as Paul climbed the three steps to his front porch. His cabin had turned into Grand Central Station today. He'd just poured what he intended to be the first of many whiskeys tonight. He nodded and gestured to the empty rocking chair beside him. "Sure." His tone didn't sound particularly inviting, a fact that clearly wasn't lost on Jody's fiancé as Paul hesitated briefly before finally taking the proffered seat. "What's on your mind?"
"I was wondering if I could ask a favor."
Seth's grip on his tumbler tightened. If the man asked him to stand up for him in his wedding to Jody, he'd be hard-pressed not to punch the guy's lights out. He was still doing his damnedest to figure out how to stop the ceremony. Thomas's and Jody's words kept drifting through his mind. He couldn't see himself storming into the church as the minister asked for objections, shouting his protest like some romantic jackass from the movies, but he certainly wouldn't rule the idea out.
"What kind of favor?"
"I suppose you know Jody is out tonight with some of the hands. Her twisted version of a bachelorette party." Paul's light laughter proved he found Jody's exploits entertaining, another begrudging point Seth had to give in the man's favor. It appeared Jody's fiancé wouldn't try to change her, wouldn't try to curb her impulsiveness and joy for life.
"I know about the party." The ranch hands had thrown the celebration together on a whim when they'd heard about her rushed nuptials. He'd had to fight the urge to threaten every last one of them if they let anything happen to her tonight. He'd also been a bit annoyed about being left off the guest list, but given the fact he'd been snapping off anyone's head who came within five feet of him, he couldn't blame the hands for wanting a break from him.
"Well, um. I was wondering if you'd ever seen Jody drink."
Seth frowned, wondering where the hell Paul was going with this conversation. "No. She only turned twenty-one in May. I assumed she did her partying at college because she's never had anything here."
"I never saw Jody have a drink until her birthday. She was always happy to be the designated driver, claiming she didn't like the smell of liquor. For her twenty-first birthday party, a bunch of our gang got together and took her out. She had two shots of tequila, and I suddenly understood why she didn't drink."
Seth leaned forward, curious. "Mean drunk?" he said, the idea sort of funny to him. He could see his feisty gal getting into a fight after a few.
"No, something a bit more disturbing."
Seth didn't like Paul's serious face. "What happens to her?"
"She loses all her inhibitions."
"What?"
Paul nodded. "I've never seen anything like it. Jody's always the life of the party, don't get me wrong. She's a fun girl with a great sense of humor, but she's always in control of herself. She says she doesn't need to drink because she can have just as much fun without alcohol."
"What did she do on her birthday?" Seth couldn't imagine Jody not being in complete control. She was too much like him in that regard.
"Like I said, we bought a couple of rounds, next thing I know she's up on stage, singing with the band that was performing that night." Paul chuckled. "She's actually a pretty good singer. Thing is it's like it wasn't her I was watching. She's singing, dancing in this very provocative, sexy way. At the end of the number, she started making out with the guitar player on stage. Needless to say, I pulled her out of there. She didn't remember doing any of it the next morning and swore off alcohol after that."
Thank God Jody had been with friends. He didn't like to consider what would have happened if Paul hadn't been there. He was glad to hear she had enough sense to know to stay away from the stuff. "Surely she wouldn't drink tonight."
Paul shrugged. "I would hope not, but Jody hasn't really been acting like herself lately. I'm not sure what she'd do. I was sort of hoping you'd go crash the party, keep an eye on her. I'd go, but as the groom, I'm pretty sure I'd get booted out quick."
Seth ground his teeth at Paul's reference to himself as groom. It took every ounce of willpower not to inform the man in no uncertain terms he'd never have Jody as his wife. Instead, he said, "I think they were headed to Philly's. I'll hop in my truck and go check things out."
Paul rose, his grin wide, as he reached out to shake his hand. "I'd appreciate it, Seth."
As Paul walked back to the main house, Seth entered his cabin, pulling off his ripped T-shirt and reaching for a clean cotton shirt. He considered Paul's words. The ceremony was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, so his time had definitely run out. Opening his closet, he bent down to pick up his cowboy boots and his gaze landed on his hunting rifle tucked against the back wall.
A grin crossed his face as the plan he'd considered earlier came back to him. He'd dismissed it as too much, too over the top, but now...
Reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, he pulled out his cell phone and called Thomas.
"Yallo," his boss drawled and Seth could picture the man kicked back in his recliner, beer in hand, watching a repeat of some golden oldie sitcom on TV.
"MASH or The Andy Griffith Show tonight?" Seth asked.
"Neither one. Found a Matlock marathon. Why are you calling me? Thought you'd be finding a way to stop this asinine wedding Jody's got her mind set on."
"Got a plan, but I need to use the hunting cabin down in Walker's Ridge."
"You're not gonna woo my girl with a hunting excursion."
Seth grinned. "No, but the cabin is secluded. Thought it might be a nice place to do a little private seduction, especially if the lady in question kicks up a bit of a fuss at the beginning."
Thomas chuckled. "I like your style. The place is yours. You still got your key?"
"Yeah, I got it. I'm also gonna need the next couple days off."
"Think a couple will be enough? Jody's pretty headstrong, you know. Got that particular character trait from her mother."
Seth snorted, knowing good and well where Jody got her stubbornness. "Why don't we say a couple to start with and I'll call you if it looks like my campaign might take a little longer?"
"Deal," Thomas said. "I'll hold down the fort here with Paul. Come up with some reason for her disappearance."
"Good. Think I could raid your kitchen before I leave? Pack up a few days' worth of food. I don't have much here in my cabin, and I don't have time to hit a store."
"Not a problem. I'll get the cook to start putting the stuff together for you. She'll have some extra time now that she doesn't have to prepare food for the party after the ceremony. Gonna be tough to have to postpone the wedding," his boss added with a chuckle that told Seth he was looking forward to making those calls.
"Thanks."
"Oh, and Seth?"
"Yeah?"
Seth could hear Thomas's soft laughter through the phone. "Way to be creative, son."
Seth walked into Philly's and immediately tried to process what he was seeing. Jody was wearing tight jeans, cowboy boots and a low-cut T-shirt that barely contained her breasts. She was also dancing on a pool table to "Redneck Woman". She was gyrating, lip-synching to the song and moving like the most seductive cowgirl he'd ever seen. He would have bet his family's ranch every guy in the place was sporting a hard-on watching her. His cock filled instantly at the image, then his anger kicked in as he watched his ranch hands surrounding the table, cheering her on.
Obviously, Paul hadn't exaggerated about her alcohol issue. His temper rose to think none of the men she'd grown up with could recognize the fact she was out of control. He pushed his way toward the table, patrons giving him dirty looks until they saw his face, and then stepping out of his way. A couple of cowboys tried to shove back and he clenched his fists, ready to pound them into dust.
"You don't wanna go there," he warned one asshole who looked like he was itching for a brawl. The man told him to fuck off, but moved aside.
Chase grinned when he saw him as Seth finally managed to get to the table.
"Hey boss. You got here just in time for the fun."
Seth scowled, and Chase's grin faltered. "How much has she had to drink?"
Chase shrugged. "Not that much actually. She's a pretty cheap drunk."
Chase's words were the straw that broke the camel's back. Seth curled up his hand and threw the fist before he could think about it. Chase staggered back, his hand flying to his jaw. "What the fuck was that for?"
"You think this is funny?" Seth yelled, pointing to Jody, who was oblivious to anything going on in the bar. A guy Seth didn't know hopped up on the table and started dirty dancing with Jody, his hands roaming over her body in a way that made Seth see red. She started dancing with the stranger, stealing the cowboy's hat and putting it on her head.
Chase looked chagrined when it was apparent things had spiraled out of control. "Sorry, boss," he murmured, but Seth didn't acknowledge his words.
He reached up and attempted to grasp Jody's waist to pull her off the table. Her new dance partner took offense and put himself between Seth and Jody. The move was a mistake.
Seth hopped up on the table. The patrons of the bar started to cheer, making crude comments about a cowgirl sandwich, encouraging Seth and the other cowboy to do a little double-teaming.
Seth's temper exploded as the other man grabbed Jody and tried to kiss her. Seth reached over and shoved Jody behind him.
"What the fuck, man?" the cowboy bellowed.
Seth was furious, but more than ready to take on every prick in the joint if they tried to touch his woman. "If you're smart, you'll go back to your table. If not, stand there another three seconds and see if I don't beat the fucking shit out of you."
The man wanted to argue, Seth could see it.
"Is she your wife or something?" the cowboy asked, apparently trying to decide how far he wanted to push things.
"Or something."
Jody was still dancing behind him, much to the amusement of the drunks in the room. She pressed her chest against Seth's back as she moved. If he hadn't been so pissed off, her motions would have sent his libido into orbit.
"Not now, Jody." Seth pushed her hands away from his waist without turning his back on the man in front of him.
The cowboy took a last look at his face and threw his hands up. "It's cool. No fight here. Just having fun." He hopped off the pool table and headed in the other direction.
Seth twisted in time to see Jody had gotten down and was doing another shot of tequila.
"Jesus." He jumped to the floor and knocked the glass away from her lips.
Some of the liquor spilled on her shirt. "Hey, what the hell?" She looked up and blinked rapidly. "Seth? You made me spill my drink. What are you doing here?"
He pulled the other cowboy's hat off her head and handed it to Chase. "Party's over, Jody."
She glanced around, confused. "Already? We just got here."
"I think you've had enough fun for one night."
She leaned closer, running her hand along his chest. "I haven't had any fun yet. Maybe you could help me with that." She began to rub her body sinuously against his once again.
He seized her hips and pushed her away, praying his rising erection wasn't visible through his jeans. "God dammit. We're getting out of here. Now!"
The ranch hands were hovering too closely, listening to every word. The gossips were going to have a field day with this. Seth Compton pulling a drunk Jody Kirkland out of her own bachelorette party.
Paul hadn't exaggerated about the alcohol. If he weren't so worried, he would be slightly amused. There was no way she would voluntarily come on to him like this. She was disoriented, confused...sexy as shit.
She reached around his hip and grabbed his left cheek. "I love your ass," she said, squeezing it as some of the hands laughed.
He stifled their humor with a dark look that promised they'd pay for anything they did now in the hot Texas sun tomorrow.
She started to unbutton his shirt, and he gripped her wrists as the ladies around them started to whistle.
One woman yelled for Jody to keep going. Jody grinned, pushing her hips against his as he restrained a groan. She was just asking for it.
Another man moved closer as Seth managed to thrust her back again.
"If you don't wanna piece of that, I'll have some," the stranger said.
Jody laughed and started to move toward the other man.
"Oh no, you don't," Seth said, holding her in place.
Unlike the other men, this cowboy didn't like being deprived and he moved closer. "Come on over here, darlin'. I'll show you how a real man does it."
Seth turned toward the stranger, sizing up the threat as he forced Jody behind him. The cowboy was about an inch or two shorter, but his aggressive stance and the scar on his right cheek seemed to bespeak he had plenty of experience with bar room brawls.
"She's spoken for," Seth said, his voice filled with menace.
"Doesn't look like that to me," the cowboy said, as a few of the man's friends rose and walked over. The four of them made an intimidating front, but Seth would die before these assholes laid a hand on Jody.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Chase and the other ranch hands stand, placing themselves firmly behind Seth.
Great. Jody had set events in motion and Seth wasn't sure how he was going to escape the evening without nursing some wounds from a full-scale battle. He didn't know who threw the first punch, but one minute they were in the face-off from hell, and the next, furniture was breaking as fists and beer bottles flew. Seth took a hard left to the jaw, which he returned with interest. He managed to land three or four more good swings, all while trying to keep an eye on Jody.
Damn woman had joined the fight. He turned just in time to see her kick the cowboy who'd started the whole thing in the nuts. The man crumpled to the floor, and Seth used his distraction to drag Jody away. Tucking her close to his side, he shoved and punched at least a half dozen other men as he made his way to the door.
"Come on." He pushed her through the front exit of the bar, the sound of glass breaking and people yelling, dimming as the door shut behind them. If he'd expected her to kick up a fuss, he would have been disappointed. She followed him like a docile puppy on a leash, a sure sign the alcohol was fucking with her head.
When they got to the truck, he opened the passenger door and helped her inside. When he reached over her to snap the buckle of the seatbelt, her arms latched around his neck.
"Hey, good lookin'," she drawled, leaning closer and rubbing her cheek against his.
Despite the fact he knew she was drunk, his cock stiffened up like a fireplace poker. "Behave, Jody."
Her tongue darted out, teasing his earlobe. "I don't wanna behave. I wanna be bad. So bad."
He gritted his teeth and pulled away. "Dammit, woman. Now is not the time."
She reached down and cupped her breasts, pushing them up. "I want you to suck on my nipples again, like you did in the tack room." Her eyes drifted closed as her fingers played with herself. Seth stood spellbound, watching her for a full thirty seconds before his brain reengaged.
"Jesus." Crossing in front of the truck, he drank in huge gulps of air, trying to cool his overheated body. She was drunk. He couldn't touch her tonight because she didn't understand what she was asking for and she was really asking for it.
He climbed into the driver's seat, surprised to find Jody had unhooked her seatbelt and was waiting for him in the middle of the cab.
Seth narrowed his eyes. "Get back in your seat, darlin'."
She shook her head and leaned closer, dragging her hand along his chest. "I wanna suck your cock."
"Fuck." He gripped her hand firmly, removing it from his chest. "Jody. You're getting married tomorrow, remember?" He didn't mention the fact he was currently setting a plan into motion that would prevent her walk down the aisle. Unfortunately, it was the only thing he could think of that might possibly stop her. He was desperate.
"That's okay. Paul said I could fuck you if I wanted to."
He frowned, certain he'd heard her wrong. "What?"
She started to unbutton his pants, but he halted her. Holding her hand firmly in his.
"Paul pointed out that I'd saved myself for you and since our marriage is one of convenience, he doesn't mind if I have a little taste before we say our vows."
He tried to focus on her words, but the second she said taste, his mind started conjuring images of everything he wanted to give her a taste of. "I'm begging you. Get back in your seat and stop talking."
She laughed lightly, the sound entirely too sexy. "I've never even seen you naked." She reached down and rubbed his cock through his jeans.
He groaned, covering her hand with his to still it. He leaned closer to her, relishing the fact that she didn't draw away. He'd grown accustomed to the leeriness in her eyes whenever he got too close. While he knew it was the tequila taking away her inhibitions, he savored the tiny bit of closeness the situation afforded him. "You're gonna get up close and personal with my cock real soon, Jody. Trust me. You just don't start something you can't finish."
She raised her chin. Even under the influence, she was indomitable. "Who says I can't finish?"
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I do. When I take you the first time, you're gonna be stone sober and begging for it. Now get back over in your seat like a good girl or I'll punish you."
She narrowed her eyes, and he smiled. Life with her would be one sweet battle after another. She opened her mouth to speak. He reached up and gripped her head, pulled her close and silenced her with a quick, hard kiss.
With his hand in her hair, he held her in place as he spoke. "Drunk or not, there's nothing I'd like more than to spank your ass after that little bar brawl you just instigated. You decide, Jody. Move over into the passenger seat and put the seatbelt back on or keep playing this game and see if I don't pull down your pants and bare your ass to God and everybody right now."
Despite the alcohol in her system, his words penetrated. She shifted back to the passenger's seat and buckled up. He started the truck and began to drive. For nearly twenty minutes she was quiet, looking out the passenger's side window, and Seth wondered if she'd passed out.
"Why did you come get me?" Her question broke the silence, and her voice sounded tired. He suspected she wouldn't remain awake much longer.
"You needed me."
She looked at him and even with a glance he could read the sadness in her eyes. "I've needed you forever. You've never come before."
His heart broke at her admission. She never would have spoken such thoughts if she weren't tipsy. He'd obviously hurt her more than he'd realized by rebuffing her all these years. He'd make it up to her. Somehow, he'd show her what she really meant to him.
He reached over and grasped her hand. "I always wanted to come. You just weren't ready."
She frowned. "And now I am?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"You're wrong." She didn't speak again and when he looked over, her eyes had drifted shut. He silently said a prayer of thanks. It would be much easier to do what needed to be done with an unconscious Jody. When she woke up tomorrow, she was going to be hungover and pissed off.
He grinned when he imagined the coming skirmish. She'd fight him tooth and nail. Odd part was he was looking forward to it. Now that he had her---with her father's blessing, no less---he planned to pull out all the stops. He was going to seduce sweet Jody right off her cute little size six feet.
He drove to Thomas's hunting cabin and parked the truck in front. He carried her inside, pulled down the sheets and laid her on the bed before sitting on the mattress at her side. She slept peacefully. He studied her face. The anxiety and worried lines that had covered her face since she'd returned home disappeared in sleep. She looked happy, beautiful. He intended to make sure she always looked that way.
He savored the image while he could. The only look he'd see on her face tomorrow would be fury. Slowly he undressed her. She'd be mad as hell when she woke up, but she wouldn't be getting married tomorrow. That was for damn sure. Once she was naked, he pulled the covers over her body. Lifting her arms above her head, he used a couple of the ties he'd packed to bind her arms together to the headboard. Then he undressed, walked to the opposite side of the bed and crawled in.
He lay for several moments with a smile on his face. Tonight was Jody's first night in his bed. He hoped there would be a lifetime more. He chuckled softly as he looked at her. God willing, maybe after tonight, he wouldn't have to tie her up to keep her there.
"What the hell?" Jody jerked awake when she realized she couldn't lower her arms.
"Mornin', sunshine."
She was startled by the deep voice and looked to her left. She was in bed with Seth. And he was shirtless. Shit. She struggled to remember the previous evening, but everything was blank. She tried to move and couldn't.
He chuckled, and she fought the urge to kick him in a place sure to wipe his smug smile away for a good long time. She started to do just that, but he dodged the blow too quickly. Grasping both her ankles before she could predict his actions, he managed to tie her legs to the footboard.
She worked hard to take a calming breath, but her heart was racing and her mind was whirling. "Why am I tied to this bed?"
"That's sort of a long story," he teased.
"Give me the SparkNotes version. Oh, and untie me while you're at it. I don't have time for your games."
"You have all the time in the world."
His words had her seeing red. "In case you forgot, dumbass, it's my wedding day. I'm not in the mood for this."
Seth's face darkened slightly. "This isn't a game, Jody. Make no mistake about that."
His gaze drifted down her chest and she realized that in her struggles, the blanket had gone south. "Fuck. I'm naked."
He nodded, his gaze not leaving her bare breasts. "Yep," he drawled.
Oh yeah. She was definitely hurting him. She wiggled again. He had her tied like a calf in a rodeo. This was not good.
"Why am I naked?" she asked. She racked her brain trying to remember what happened last night. She could recall going into Philly's and the guys buying a round. "Fuck. Tequila."
He nodded, though he didn't seem amused. "You're not a good drunk."
She tried not to groan. That wasn't exactly news. Usually she put a wide berth between her and the stuff, but last night, she'd been overwrought, frustrated, determined to erase Seth Compton from her mind for a few hours.
Well, that worked.
What the hell had she done? She looked at Seth. The sheet covered him from the waist down, but she'd seen his boxers when he tied her up. Regardless of that, an uneasy fear took root. She wanted to push it aside because the thought of it killed her, but she couldn't dismiss it. Had she given Seth her virginity? How could she not remember something so special? "Did we have sex?"
He scowled. "What kind of asshole do you think I am? Do I look like the kind of guy who'd bring a drunk girl home and fuck her?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm naked, and we're in bed together. So why don't you tell me what kind of asshole you are?"
Seth moved closer, and she tried to still the racing of her heart. Regardless of her confusion, lying in bed with him was a dream come true and she was having a hard time keeping her libido under control.
"Not that kind. Although," he paused, giving her plenty of time to consider what he'd say next, "maybe I am an asshole. I did kidnap you, undress you and tie you to my bed."
"Kidnap?" she asked with a laugh she hoped would betray her sudden nervousness. "Don't joke."
She let her gaze travel around the room, expecting to find herself in Seth's foreman's cabin. One quick look told her that assumption was wrong. "Where are we?"
"Walker's Ridge."
"My dad's hunting cabin? How the hell did we get here?" The cabin was over an hour away from Philly's.
"I drove us."
"Why?"
Seth moved even closer, his hands engulfing her waist. Only the sheet separated them.
"You know why."
She licked her lips.
"You're mine and I think it's high time I proved that to you," he whispered, just before his lips took hers. His kiss let her know exactly how captive she was. He forced her lips apart, his tongue rubbing against hers. She wanted to resist him, but nothing on earth could stop her from responding. She moved closer, cursing the ties binding her to the bed. If she could get free, she could fight this sexy assault.
"Untie me," she whispered against his lips.
He reached up and freed her from her constraints. She started to rise, but his hands moved to her shoulders, massaging out the kinks left behind by the bondage and she moaned at the glorious feeling. She was stiff, and he was hitting all the right spots.
He kissed her again. Before she could think better of it, she ran her hands through his hair, her breath catching when his bare chest rubbed against her naked breasts. Her nipples were tight, sensitive. This really wasn't good. He pulled her closer and her brain kicked in.
The asshole had kidnapped her. Snatched her right out of her own bachelorette party. Oh hell no. She shoved him away and sat up, pulling the sheets to cover herself.
"How dare you," she yelled.
Seth rolled over onto his back and gave her a rueful grin. "That didn't take long."
She bent down and untied her feet. "Take me home."
"No."
Her temper snapped. "When my father realizes I'm missing, he'll hunt you down like the lowdown skunk you are and shoot you."
"Thomas knows we're here."
His words took her aback, then fired her up even hotter. "Of course, he does. The two of you probably had a real good time figuring out how you could screw up my wedding day. This won't work, you know. You can't keep me here forever."
Seth shrugged. "I'll only keep you here long enough to make you see sense."
"Ha! That's rich. You kidnapped me, Compton. There's someone lacking sense around here, but it sure isn't me. Where are my clothes?"
Seth sat up, leaning against the headboard. She tried to ignore the slight tenting beneath his boxers.
She glanced up to find Seth grinning, and she knew she was blushing. "Wanna peek?"
She scowled. Arrogant, cocky cowboy. "You've seen one, you've seen them all."
Now it was his turn to frown. "And just whose cock have you been looking at?"
She shrugged, loving the zing of her lie. "I may be a virgin, Seth, but I'm hardly an innocent."
He moved forward, and she struggled to hold her ground. She'd returned home with her future set. She'd promised to marry Paul, to help him achieve his dream of building the cancer research facility. Giving up a year of her life to make that a reality seemed a small price to pay.
What she hadn't counted on was Seth. She'd spent months trying to move on. She wasn't going to backpedal now. She needed to find some way to convince him to let her go.
"Well," he purred, his nose brushing against her cheek, his hot breath warming her face...and a lot of other parts of her body. "Since you're so experienced, maybe I shouldn't worry about taking things slow. You offered to suck my cock last night. Being a gentleman, I refused."
Heat rushed to her cheeks. Good God. She'd obviously put on quite a show. "If you were a gentleman, you'd stop playing this stupid game and give me my clothes."
He gripped her arms and before she could react, he pulled her down on the bed, covering her with his body. "I told you before. This isn't a game."
He kissed her, his hands grasping her face, holding her still for his assault. The kiss was too hot, too deep. She closed her eyes, letting the emotions it evoked wash through her. She'd lied about being experienced. Like a fool, she'd saved herself for him. Spent years turning down dates and eschewing relationships out of respect for what she thought was true love. She'd been an idiot.
If it hadn't been for Paul, she would have rectified that oversight on her twenty-first birthday. She'd gone out intent on experiencing the life she'd been denied while deluding herself into thinking Seth was the only man she ever wanted to be with. Paul had pulled her out of the bar before she could add yet another mistake to the list she'd tallied up over the years...all because she'd fallen in love with Seth Compton when she was twelve years old.
He moved back, though their lips were just a hairsbreadth away. "Let me show you what you'll be missing if you choose Paul."
His words splashed over her like ice-cold water as everything crashed down on her. Paul. The trust fund. The will. The wedding she was about to miss.
She pressed against his shoulders, and he moved back. She crawled out of the bed, embarrassed by her nudity. She should be moving beyond the stage where she was modest in front of him, but it was too new, too unfamiliar. She looked around and spotted his T-shirt hanging on the back of a chair. God only knew where he'd hidden her clothing. Grabbing it, she drew the soft cotton over her head as he moved to the side of the mattress, facing her. "I have to get out of here."
"Dammit, Jody. Do we really need to go over this again? I told you why I couldn't let things between us go too far."
"You're right. We're beating a dead horse," she said, tugging the T-shirt down, wishing it covered more. As it was, it only hit her about mid-thigh. "And you know what, hotshot, those reasons haven't changed. I'm not gonna bend over and be a good little submissive for you. I'm not gonna play some weak, helpless woman in this macho kidnapper scenario you're working on. What I am going to do is get dressed, go home and marry a man who's never pretended to be anything other than who he really is."
Her comments had struck a chord, but by the set of Seth's jaw he wasn't giving up yet. His stubbornness in the face of hers was more proof that a relationship between them would never work. Instead of compromising, they'd continue to butt heads until one of them had brain damage.
"You know what," she started. "You were wrong to wait for me to grow up. You should've snatched me up when I was young and stupid and willing to do anything for you. You let the hourglass run out."
He shook his head. "You don't get it, Jody. I didn't want the young girl with stars in her eyes. I wanted the woman I knew you could be. The woman you are now. I don't want a doormat. I want an equal. I want you."
She laughed, though the sound didn't portray happiness. "Oh the irony. You didn't want me when I wanted you. Now when you do want me, I've moved on. Life's a bitch."
Her words were harsh, sarcastic and full of shit.
"I don't believe you don't want me."
She shrugged. "I don't really care what you believe." She glanced around. She needed to get the hell out of this room, away from him before all the months she'd spent hardening her heart collapsed around her. "I need to go to the bathroom."
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then took in her appearance. Obviously, he decided in her current get-up she wasn't a flight risk. "Go ahead. I'll make us some breakfast."
She nodded once, then turned to cross the room. As she passed the kitchen counter, she spotted the keys to his truck. She could feel his gaze burning into her back as she walked away. When she got to the counter, she pretended to step on something.
"Shit," she said, bending down to brush away the make-believe annoyance while laying her other hand over the keys.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she grumbled. "Just stepped on a pebble or something. This damn cabin could use a good cleaning." She closed her hands around the keys and continued toward the bathroom. Once inside, she locked the door and rushed over to the window.
She grinned as she slowly raised the glass. Maybe she'd send someone to pick Seth up in a day or two. After her wedding ceremony.
Climbing through, she landed softly on the grass outside the window, grateful the cabin was only one story. Quickly, she dashed around the corner toward the truck. She didn't have much time.
She pulled up short when she saw Seth leaning against the hood, wearing nothing but a pair of Levi's and a big smile.
"Goin' somewhere?" he asked.
She sighed, feigning surrender. "Guess not," she said. "Here." She tossed the keys at him, aiming for his face. She didn't wait to see if he caught them.
Instead, she turned quickly and took off in the opposite direction. She'd always been a fast runner. If she could just make it to the road, maybe she'd get lucky and someone would be driving by. She could hear Seth behind her, but she couldn't risk turning to look. Her heart was racing and God help her, she was actually becoming aroused. Apparently, this kidnapping thing was starting to get to her, pushing some previously unexplored buttons.
A hard hand grabbed her T-shirt, drawing her back. She stumbled and started to fall. She threw her hands up to save herself from the hard ground, but at the last minute, Seth twisted her, taking the impact as she fell against his chest.
"Ouch," she said, perfectly aware their tumble had probably hurt him worse than her.
He grimaced. "Yeah, ouch."
She pushed up onto her elbows. "You okay?"
He lay still for a moment, and she wondered if he was taking inventory before answering her. "I'm fine, but sweetheart---"
His odd tone alerted her to the fact she was straddling his waist with her very bare ass. She could feel his erection pushing against his jeans.
"Shit." She started to stand, but Seth clasped his hands around her hips and held her in place. "Seth. Let me up."
"I wanna see something first."
Before she could reply, he tumbled her to her back, covering her with his bulky muscles. "What the hell?"
His fingers drifted down her stomach before touching her clit. She gasped, unable to speak as he touched her.
"You're soaking wet."
She tried to suck in breath, but her arousal was seriously cutting off the flow of air to her lungs.
"You like being chased, captured," he murmured against her cheek. He dipped a finger inside and she closed her eyes, trying not to acknowledge how very close she was to coming. "You liked being tied up, too, didn't you?"
She refused to answer. Shit, she couldn't answer. Every brain cell in her body was focused on the finger he was moving in and out of her pussy. Before she could consider her action, she thrust toward his hand on one retreat, her inner muscles clenching in an attempt to hold him, keep him.
"Please," she whispered, breathlessly. His touch was too light, not enough. Nowhere near enough.
Unfortunately he didn't grin or gloat or brag. If he'd done any of that, she'd have found the strength to shove him away. Instead, he added another finger to the dance and increased the speed.
She gasped when his thumb began to rub her clit in time with the pounding of his fingers. With each thrust, he moved faster, went deeper. Stars began to float behind her closed eyes and her treasonous body surrendered to his touch.
He leaned closer, placing a soft kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear. "Come for me, Jody."
His words pulled the trigger and she cried out, her inner muscles flexing almost painfully against his fingers. For a split second, a weak moment, she wished it was his cock inside her as he milked every bit of pleasure from her. His thumb stimulated her clit, pushing hard against the sensitive nub. Every time she felt herself coming down, he found another way to prolong the beautiful agony, until at last she grasped his wrist and begged for mercy.
For several minutes, neither of them moved. Jody wondered if Seth was afraid to break the spell he'd placed on her. She wished he would. Prayed he'd say something to remind her of her anger. Right now, she was wavering and she wasn't sure how much of his seduction she could resist.
And she had to resist him.
God. She had to.
Jody struggled with the ties as Seth fiddled with his laptop in the corner. After returning to the cabin, he'd promptly led her back to the bed, stripped off her T-shirt, and tied her up again, saying he needed to do something and he couldn't worry about her trying to escape. She'd tried to convince him she wouldn't go anywhere, but he didn't buy the lie. Dammit.
She heard voices coming from the computer, and she listened as Seth replied. After a few moments, it became clear he was talking to his brothers via a web link. She tried to block out their conversation, using Seth's distraction to work herself free from the ties binding her to the bed. Lucky for her, Seth wouldn't do anything to hurt her, so he hadn't tied them as tightly as she suspected he really could have.
Her ears perked up when she heard one of Seth's brothers talking about racy letters from a woman named Lucy. Typical men.
She tried to bite her tongue, but failed. "Tell your brothers it's not nice to kiss and tell. Well, I suppose this Lucy did, but sharing a note with a lover is different than tossing those fantasies to a pack of rabid, ungrateful, fickle cowboys."
"Who the hell was that?" a voice said from the computer.
Jody got excited. His brothers could hear her. "Only the cowgirl your fucking asshole brother is keeping prisoner in this godforsaken shack. Will someone please call 911?"
Seth grinned as he glanced over his shoulder at her. "Don't make me gag you, darlin'."
Another voice came from the computer speakers. "Holy shit. What is that in the background? Do I see pretty ankles tied to the end of your bed, Seth?"
"I'm Jody Kirkland. My dad is your brother's boss. He'll probably also be the man to murder this piece of shit, arrogant, limp dick when he finds out what he's up to." She knew her threat wasn't true, but his brothers didn't.
"I'll give you arrogant, but I'm guessing Seth's anything but a limp dick right now, honey."
Jody rolled her eyes at the comment. Great. So much for the cavalry coming to save her. Seth's brothers were as cocky as him.
"Argh! You're all alike. I can't believe there are really four of you. Thank God you spread yourselves out. No state should have to house that many Compton Brothers. Especially if you're all as dense as Seth."
"I like this girl," another voice chimed in.
"So you're calling the police?" She thrashed her legs hoping it might strike some chivalrous bone in one of the men.
"I don't think my mom would appreciate Seth missing out on the next ten Christmases because he's in jail. Sorry, honey. I bet he could help you make the most of the situation."
"You're all bastards. Every one of you. Asshats!"
Seth shook his head and his exasperated groan spoke volumes. "Jody. Give me two minutes. Then we'll talk, okay?"
She bit her tongue, only because it was clear none of Seth's brothers intended to help her. She'd be better off focusing her attention on getting free of the ties while he was distracted. She twisted her wrists one last time in total desperation and to her amazement, one of her hands slid free. Reaching over, she quickly untied her other hand.
A glance to her left proved Seth was still talking to his brothers. She bent to untie her ankles when she heard, "...instead of playing with the sexy woman tied to his bed, about to escape."
Great. They could see her. She tried to move faster, but one of the knots was too tight. She sprung up quickly as soon as it slipped loose.
"What!" Seth spun in his chair. When he spotted her, he rose, snagged a blanket off the foot of his bed and wrapped it around her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Leaving, moron." She thrashed in his embrace, frustrated. She'd had a taste of freedom and the idea of losing it so quickly wasn't sitting well with her.
She could hear his brothers laughing at their struggles, and she fought back a scream of fury.
One of them said, "Okay, as fun as this is, I have to be on deck in five minutes. Someone better fill me in later."
"No, there will be no filling in." Seth tossed her on the bed and marched to the camera, blocking it with his palm. "I have to go. Si, we'll talk more. Soon."
She rose, trying to shove off the blanket he'd tangled around her and her feet had no more than hit the floor before he was back on her again.
"Goddammit," she yelled, stomping on his foot as hard as she could.
He wrestled her back onto the bed, but made no move to bind her again. His chest covered her back as she was pushed facedown into the mattress.
"Two days," he said, panting slightly.
She stopped moving. "What?"
"Give me two days. If you still wanna leave, still wanna marry your gay boyfriend, I'll walk you down the damn aisle myself. Just give me two days to show you what you'll be giving up."
She lay motionless, considering his words. "Two days and then you'll take me home?"
He nodded, though she wasn't sure she could trust him to keep his word.
"And what'll happen during the next two days to change my mind?"
"You know what's gonna happen, Jody."
He lifted up enough that he could flip her over onto her back. She was trapped beneath him, his strong legs straddling her thighs. His erection was evident through his jeans. She felt certain it couldn't possibly be as large as it looked. Suddenly saving herself for Seth didn't seem like such a wise decision. He'd rip her in two.
Apparently he noticed her distress. He bent down to kiss her. "We'll go slow."
She accepted his light kisses before pulling away an inch or two. "I'm not sure slow is gonna help."
He grinned. "Have to say I haven't touched a virgin in years. Not since I was a young, stupid guy in high school, strutting around like God's gift to women."
"I see nothing's changed."
He laughed. "Everything's changed."
He was right. It had. "Seth."
"Shhh. Trust me?"
She nodded. She trusted him with her life. She had ever since the first day she met him and he pulled her off the runaway horse. He'd been the center of her universe for a decade.
He leaned down and kissed her. For all his talk about dominance, his kiss betrayed his softer side. It was gentle, tender, perfect. His hand stroked along her neck, down her side to her leg and back up again, settling on her breast. He cupped her flesh, then bent his head to capture her nipple between his lips. He wasn't trying to claim her or mark her as his.
It felt as if he was cherishing her, loving her. Her eyes closed---a defense mechanism, pure and simple---but there was no blocking out the feeling. She'd lost her heart to Seth Compton when she was only a child, and she'd spent the last few months of her life trying to deny it. Suddenly she was faced with the irrevocable truth.
"Look at me," he whispered.
She opened her eyes, saw his beloved face and couldn't hold back the tear that slid down her cheek.
Seth caught the drop on his finger, his gaze carefully studying her expression, making sure she was okay.
She was fine. Just caught in the most perfect moment of her life.
She smiled. "I don't know why I'm crying. I'm not sad or scared."
He kissed her again, then pressed his forehead to hers. "I know why. I love you, Jody."
She sucked in a shaky breath. "I love you too."
He rose slowly, his eyes drinking in every inch of her naked body as his hands began to unzip his jeans. Her lips parted, sucking in some much needed air. She felt dizzy, hot, lightheaded.
He shrugged his jeans over his hips as she watched, spellbound. His cock was bigger than it had appeared beneath the tight denim.
"Shit," she murmured, and he laughed as he climbed back onto the bed, caging her beneath him. She wondered if there could be a more wonderful feeling in the world.
He kissed her again, long, slow, wet kisses that left her feeling drunk and ready for more. His hands caressed her as his lips worshiped her. She was on fire, every inch of her skin sensitive to his stroking fingers.
Her legs parted, seemingly of their own volition, and she wrapped her ankles around his strong thighs. She wasn't sure when he'd reached for the condom, but she opened her eyes when she heard the crinkling of the wrapper. She wished...
"You aren't on birth control, are you?"
She shook her head. There'd never been any need.
He put the condom on as she watched. "We'll correct that oversight after you choose me."
She giggled. "Cocky bastard."
He shrugged good-naturedly, then all thoughts of the future were wiped away by the present. He placed the head of his cock at her wet entrance.
"Breathe, Jody."
She expelled loudly, immediately gasping for more.
"Okay?" he asked with a crooked grin.
"Terrified, excited, nervous, happy."
He pushed in a fraction of an inch. His wide head stretched her. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. He bent down to kiss her again, and for several moments, she lost herself to his lips as they caressed hers. When she came up for air, she realized he was deeper. She'd never felt so full, so utterly possessed.
"Keep your eyes on me," he said.
She fell headfirst into his hungry gaze. "Seth," she whispered, unable to put into words exactly what this moment meant to her.
Each shallow retreat was followed by a deeper thrust. She wanted to look away, hide from the intensity, the beauty, but he wouldn't let her escape. She sensed he was gauging her reactions, her pain.
"Can you take more?" he asked as he forged even farther inside.
"God," she cried, her fingers digging into his upper arms. "There's more?"
He laughed lightly. "Just a little bit. Hold on to me."
She tightened her grip and held her breath, never letting her gaze waver. He pulled out until just the head of his cock was lodged in her pussy, then he moved back in, not stopping until he was completely buried. She shuddered at the unbearably beautiful combination of pain and bliss.
Seth kissed her gently, giving her time to adjust to his invasion.
"Guess that's the end of the virginity thing," she joked when his lips drifted lower to kiss her neck.
He chuckled. "Yep."
She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to sound so smug about it."
Her taunt sent him into a fit of laughter. "You're perfect," he said. "Now hush. I need---" He didn't finish his thoughts with words, rather he let his body express exactly what he required. The gentleness of his actions as he'd initiated her body to the act of sex evaporated as his movements quickened, his thrusts becoming harder, deeper.
He reached down to rub her clit, and she cried at the mini-sparks his touch spurred in her body. She started to anticipate his downward motions, her hips rising to welcome him.
"Can't wait much longer," he said, each word broken up with a harsh gasp. "Come, Jody. Come for me."
He pushed on her clit more firmly, and she cried out as her orgasm crashed around her like waves in the ocean. She felt herself being pulled under, the tide dragging her along in a whirlwind of ecstasy. She vaguely recalled hearing his own climax, his words a continuous string of romantic curses.
Shit, I love you.
So fucking gorgeous.
God damn, I need you.
For several moments, they lay still, their bodies pressed together. Then he gave her a quick kiss and pulled out. She winced before she could shield her reactions.
He frowned. "Don't move," he said as he stood up.
"Where are you going?"
He gestured to his deflating cock. "Need to get rid of the condom and clean up."
She watched him walk to the bathroom, helpless to contain her smile. She'd had sex. She'd done it. With Seth. And it had totally been worth the wait.
She briefly considered Paul. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. If she were back at the ranch, she'd be walking down the aisle. Marching firmly and resolutely toward the wrong man.
Spending a year in marriage to him had seemed a small price to pay at the beginning. Now, as she considered twelve months away from Seth, it seemed like an eternity.
Seth reemerged from the bathroom with a washcloth. Rather than climbing back into bed, he perched beside her on her side of the mattress.
"Open your legs," he said as she blushed. He grinned. "I've already seen it, Jody.
She rolled her eyes. "I know. I'm just not, I can't be so---" She waved her hands around as he pushed her knees apart, using the warm cloth to gently wash away the evidence of their lovemaking.
"You never have to be embarrassed with me," he said. "You're beautiful. Every part of you." He finished his ministrations and placed the cloth on the nightstand. "Sore?"
She shook her head. He narrowed his eyes, proving she hadn't fooled him.
"Maybe a little. Not enough that I don't want to do it again." She ran her hand along his upper thigh, seductively.
He laughed, grasping her hand and kissing it. "That's my girl." He rose and crossed the foot of the bed, climbing in next to her. "Later."
Always her protector, she knew he'd keep her safe, even from herself and her desires. She curled up in his embrace, wondering if she'd ever been in a nicer place in her life. She lightly stroked his chest, his breath warm and steady against the top of her head.
"Stay with me for two days."
He pressed his suit and she realized she'd never responded to his request. She nodded her assent. "Okay."
"Promise me." He knew her too well, knew she would never break a promise.
"I promise."
God help her. Two days wouldn't be long enough.
Seth opened his eyes, surprised to see the sun was setting. He hadn't intended to fall asleep, thinking he'd only rest for a little while.
However, Jody had rocked his world. He lay on his stomach, grinning like a fool. Glancing over, he noticed the bed was empty.
"Fuck," he sat up, cursing himself for letting down his guard. He'd asked her for two days, and she'd promised. She'd never broken a promise in her life and now...
"What's wrong?" Jody's head popped up from behind the island that separated the bedroom from the kitchen. The cabin was small. One large room contained the sleeping, eating and living areas, the bathroom the only separate space.
He tried to hide the fact he thought she'd gone, but she grinned and he knew she wasn't going to let his mistake go without ridicule.
"You thought I left."
He shook his head, tried to deny the truth. "No, I didn't."
"You were regretting not tying me up again, weren't you?"
He rose from the bed, not bothering to hide his nakedness. Her gaze drifted to his cock. He was hard as a rock and ready for round two. His conscience told him he should go easy on her, but he wasn't sure he was a good enough man to pull it off. Then she licked her lips and he knew he wasn't good enough.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm going to whip up some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. I was looking for a pan, not plotting my grand escape."
He laughed. "You promised to stay, Jody."
She pointed the spatula in her hand at him. "That's right, I did. You should know I don't make vows lightly."
Her words reminded him of another promise she'd made.
"What's the deal between you and Paul?" he asked. The idea of her marrying a man she clearly wasn't in love with had been driving him crazy since she'd returned home. She kept saying Paul needed her, but there was clearly some piece to the puzzle he was missing, something she wasn't telling him.
She sighed, carrying the pan over to the stove. For a second, he thought she was going to ignore his question. Finally, she spoke. "My mom died of breast cancer."
He nodded, confused. "I know."
"Paul's mother did too. Did you know that?"
He shook his head.
"I think that's why he and I are such good friends. We have a lot in common. We sort of see things the same way."
He frowned. Was she marrying Paul because of some common bond over their mothers? "Seems like a poor reason to marry someone."
She smiled sadly. "It's more than that. We have a shared goal for the future."
"What sort of goal?"
Jody turned on the burner, placing the sandwiches in the pan. Her words were coming slowly and Seth began to think that whatever was driving her to marry Paul wasn't going to be that easy to overcome. "Paul's studying to be an architect. He's incredibly talented. He's going to build a cancer treatment facility with some trust fund money he's about to come into."
Seth rubbed his jaw, trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about. How was this connected to her wedding? "That's real nice of him."
She smiled. "He has to be legally married by his next birthday in order to get the money."
Suddenly a light came on and Seth began to understand. Her words triggered his temper. "You're marrying him so he can get some trust fund?"
She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. He tried to ignore the fact the pose accentuated them and made him hungry for a taste. She was dressed in his T-shirt and nothing else. "Do you know how much good can come from the research that would happen in Paul's facility?"
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "My issue isn't with Paul's plans for the money. It's an admirable thing to do. I just don't understand why you have to sacrifice your future, spend your life in a loveless marriage so some building can be built."
"It wouldn't be my whole life. Just a year."
He paused. "What?"
"According to Paul's lawyer, if he were legally married for a year, the stipulation in the will would be met. If he fails to get married, the money goes to a distant cousin."
"Maybe the cousin would agree to give the money---"
"The cousin's an addict. He'd blow every penny of the inheritance, filling his veins with drugs."
"Oh."
Suddenly her vehemence about following through with this wedding made sense. He wasn't fighting another man for her heart. He was fighting against her dead mother. He sighed. It was a competition he couldn't hope to win. Jody would gladly sacrifice a year if she thought it meant other young girls' mothers could be saved. Fuck. Even he could understand now. That didn't mean he agreed though.
"Surely there's some other way."
She shook her head. "Time's not exactly on his side. He has to be married before his next birthday, which is just a few weeks away."
Seth crossed the room and sat down. He leaned back in the chair, desperately seeking for an answer. "Seems like an odd stipulation for a will."
Jody shrugged, flipping the sandwiches. "Not if you consider the fact Paul's father was the world's biggest homophobe."
He sat up, his suspicions confirmed. "So Paul is gay."
She nodded. "The will was a punishment. Plain and simple."
"Pardon me for saying so, but Paul's father was a prick."
She smiled. "Amen."
They were quiet for a few minutes as Jody finished the sandwiches, putting them on plates and adding a handful of potato chips. She came over to the table and placed a plate in front of him. He had an ache in his gut that wouldn't go away until he asked the question he already knew the answer to. "You won't go back on your promise, will you?"
She sat down across from him, but she didn't answer. Her face said it all.
"I'm going to change your mind," he said, unwilling to consider spending five minutes without her, let alone a year. He had her here and he was going to make sure that by the time these two days were up, there was nowhere else on earth she wanted to be. There had to be an answer to Paul's dilemma that didn't include Jody. When they returned to the ranch, he'd demand to see the will. He'd fax a copy to his dad's lawyer. There had to be a loophole, an out.
She shrugged, a noncommittal gesture that tweaked his temper. Reaching over, he pulled her chair toward his.
"Hey," she said.
"Open your legs. Wrap your ankles around the front legs of your chair to keep them apart."
She hesitated.
"Do it now, Jody."
He hadn't bothered to dress and suddenly, he didn't like the fact that her body was hidden beneath his large T-shirt. He pulled the thin material over her head before she could stop him. She wasn't wearing panties. Her hands moved to cover herself, but he gripped them, applying the slightest bit of pressure when she tried to pull them free.
"Don't."
Her breathing was ragged, and he could sense her rising arousal. She definitely liked it when he took control.
He looked down at her legs which were still tightly closed. He took a deep breath and started counting to ten in his head. If she hadn't moved them by the time he reached the end, she was going to be introduced to the concept of punishment.
He hadn't made it to five when her knees parted, her ankles looping over the legs of the chair. He looked up and smiled. She narrowed her eyes, and he knew she wanted to make a smartass comment. Amazingly, she refrained.
He pointed to her sandwich. "Better eat before that gets cold."
She'd just taken her first bite when he reached over and pushed a finger into her pussy. She was wet and hot and more than ready for him.
She gasped.
"Chew," he said, when her eyes drifted closed. She obeyed, putting the sandwich back on the plate.
He thrust first one, then two fingers inside her, maintaining a steady, deep pace. Her hips began to move in time.
"Keep eating."
She shook her head, and he sensed she was close to coming. He withdrew his fingers.
"Seth," she protested.
"Pick up your sandwich and keep eating. You aren't allowed to come until your plate is clear."
"That's impossible."
He chuckled. "No, it's not. Eat."
He waited until she took another bite before replacing his fingers in her pussy. She managed to choke down two more bites, though he sensed she was struggling to hold off her orgasm. She'd just popped a chip in her mouth when he started stroking her clit with his thumb.
"Fuck," she muttered, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. Ever the Southern lady, she managed to chew with her mouth closed. Her pussy muscles clenched, and he stopped moving.
"I have to come, Seth. Now." Her tone was a perfect mix of pleading and demanding.
He looked at her plate. "You know what you have to do."
She hastily shoved a large mouthful of the sandwich in her mouth as he added a third finger to the first two. Her hands grasped the sides of her chair and tightened into a white-knuckle grip.
"Your orgasms belong to me," he whispered, leaning closer when he felt her fighting her body's natural impulses.
She shook her head. "My body belongs to me. And only me."
He removed his fingers. "Is that right?"
She moaned, trembling at the loss. "Dammit, Seth. Finish what you started."
He stood up and walked to the bed. Reaching beneath it, he pulled out an overnight bag. When he'd picked up the groceries from the ranch house last night, he'd gone to Jody's room to pack some extra clothes for her. The devil in him had prompted him to rifle through her nightstand drawer.
He opened the bag, pulled out the treasure he'd found and turned back toward her.
Her eyes narrowed. "Where did you find that?"
"Where do think?"
She rose, angrily. "Did you go through my drawers?"
He grinned. "I thought you might like some clean clothes. Have to admit I didn't expect to find this." He waved the vibrator he'd found in front of her. "Bit disappointed to see it's still in its wrapper."
She shrugged. "It was a gift."
He walked closer to her. "From who?"
She smiled smugly, clearly happy to have gotten his goat. Damn woman would always keep him hopping. "My fiancé."
Seth frowned. "Just how good a friend is Paul?"
She laughed, good-naturedly, and let the joke go. "He gave it to me the night he proposed. Said he'd always make sure his wife was well provided for. He was kidding, of course. I thought it was a pretty funny gag at the time."
He was glad she had a friend like Paul in her life. He'd worried about her going off to college so far from home. Paul had filled a void and kept her safe. He admitted to himself he owed the guy a great deal of gratitude for that.
"Doesn't explain why you never tried it."
She rolled her eyes. "He only gave it to me a couple of weeks ago. I've been packing up to come home. Time hasn't exactly been on my side."
"Well, now it is."
"What do you mean?"
"Go lay on the bed. I think you and I need to have a little heart to heart about who owns this body of yours."
She walked to the bed, but she wasn't cowed. "You can talk until the cows come home, but that's not gonna change the fact that my body and my orgasms belong to me."
He tried to stifle his smile. This was going to be fun. She crawled up onto the bed, taking care to make sure he got a very good look at her bare ass before she rolled over onto her back. She beckoned him with a finger and he struggled to look stern. She was topping from the bottom. Obviously it was time to take off the kid gloves and teach Ms. Kirkland a little lesson in submission.
Walking to the kitchen sink, he opened the package containing the vibrator and washed it. He took his time. Through the reflection in the kitchen window, he could see Jody squirming on the bed. She'd been close to coming on the chair. It wouldn't take much to push her over the edge. He'd have to tread that razor's edge lightly. Before she came, she'd know without a doubt that her body belonged to him. He aimed to wrap her up so tightly in lust and desire that she'd never consider marrying another man, promise or not.
He walked to the foot of the bed. Jody lounged, trying to give the appearance of nonchalance, though he detected the slight tremor in her hands and her accelerated breathing.
"Open your legs," he said softly.
For a moment, he thought she might refuse. Then she gave him a smile sexier than silk sheets and spread herself open for his perusal.
He could see she was wet even from several feet away. She wanted this, wanted him. "Touch yourself. Get yourself hot, but don't come."
She bit her lower lip and again he sensed her nervousness, her desire to withdraw. However, his girl was nothing if not resilient. Her fingers drifted down her bare stomach slowly before lightly rubbing her clit.
He watched quietly for several moments as she toyed with the firm nub, her fingers moving faster before dipping inside her pussy. He let her stroke herself several times, enjoying the flush covering her body, her breasts. She was hot. Hell, he'd say she was on fire.
"Stop," he demanded.
Her fingers paused, still buried deep within her cunt. Her breathing was labored.
"Seth," she whispered. "I need you."
He grinned, climbing onto the mattress. He knelt between her parted legs. "Taste yourself."
She licked her lips nervously, slowly dragging her fingers out of her pussy.
He leaned closer as her fingers moved toward her mouth. "Rub your juices on your lips. Pretend it's lip gloss."
She grinned and rolled her eyes, but she obeyed.
"Now lick your fingers."
She stuck two digits in her mouth, sucking on them in such a provocative way his vision went black for a second.
"You're going to do that to my cock very soon," he whispered.
She glanced down at his erection letting him know she was more than ready for that reality.
He grasped her wrist, pulling her fingers out of her mouth with a light pop. He needed to get back on track or he'd be the one begging for release, not her. He lifted his right hand and showed her the vibrator.
Without speaking, he put the toy at the opening to her body and pushed it inside slowly, but steadily. He kept his eyes on her face, watching for any discomfort. He wasn't forgetting the fact that she'd been a virgin a few hours earlier. Once the toy was fully enveloped in her hot flesh, he flipped the switch on the bottom on low speed.
She jolted as it started vibrating.
"God," she said on a breathless sigh.
"You like that?"
She nodded, her eyes drifting closed.
He bent down, lifting one of her breasts in his palm and directing her nipple to his mouth. He didn't hold back, didn't refrain from taking her exactly the way he'd always dreamed of. He sucked on the turgid tip roughly, giving it the occasional bite. She groaned, writhing on the mattress.
"Please," she whispered.
"You need more?"
She nodded, without opening her eyes. He reached down and increased the vibrator's speed. She cried out loudly, her hips gyrating wildly, as he turned his attention to her other breast.
When he sensed she was getting close to coming, he quickly turned off the vibrator.
She trembled, her eyes flying open. "What the hell?"
"Who owns your orgasms?" he asked, repeating his question.
Her teeth clenched and she refused to answer.
He smiled. "Stubborn girl."
Leaning forward, he placed soft kisses on her throat until he felt her pulse calm. Once her impending need to climax passed, he turned the vibrator on once more. Bypassing the lower speeds, he cranked the toy up to its highest setting. Her head flew back against the pillow, her hips thrusting uncontrollably.
He gripped her hips tightly, holding her still as he moved downward until he could suck her clit into his mouth. Her legs started to clench around his head and he pushed her knees farther apart, giving him more access to her sweet arousal. Nipping her tight bud, her cries grew louder, more frantic.
When her orgasm seemed imminent, he pulled the vibrator out completely.
"God dammit," she screamed.
"Who owns this pretty body?"
She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her waist. He wondered if the movement was for self-defense or comfort.
"You," she whispered.
He smiled. "Say it again."
She blew out a frustrated breath. "You. You own my body. I'm yours, Seth. I've always been yours."
He tried to recall if he'd ever heard a more beautiful sentiment. No force on earth could have stopped him from kissing her at that moment. He moved over her body and placed his lips on hers. He could taste the tang of her arousal there and it drove his higher. Dragging his tongue along her soft lips, he tried to show her how much her words meant to him.
Rising at last, he quickly donned a condom and pushed inside her, memorizing the beautiful expression on her face as he took possession of the precious gift she'd given him. Slowly, he moved inside, the two of them finding their rhythm, their cadence. Neither of them rushed to find their release. Instead they let the power of the moment close around them and when they reached the peak, they dove into the light together.
Jody smiled when she noticed Seth's gaze on her face. She'd been lying on her side since waking up, studying the tattoo on his back, as he slept peacefully on his stomach.
"Like what you see?" he asked, giving her a shit-eating grin.
"You know I do." She reached out and ran her finger over the tattoo that had fascinated her for years. She'd caught more than a few glimpses of it, mainly in the summer when Seth pulled off his T-shirt on the piping-hot days.
He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly as she outlined the dark shape, following each intricate line. "That feels nice," he mumbled after a minute or so.
"A compass?"
His eyelids rose slowly. "Mmm hmm. I grew up on Compass Ranch. You knew that. My brothers and I all got the same tattoo."
She nodded. "The brand in the middle? That's the one you use on the ranch?"
"Yep."
She touched the bottom of the tattoo and paused. "The S on the compass is bigger than the other direction marks."
He turned onto his side, facing her. Reaching out, he pulled her closer until they were chest to chest, nose to nose. He wasn't the only one suddenly wide awake. His hard cock pressed against her stomach, and she felt her pussy clench with need and desire.
"I got the tattoo right before I left home. I was young, cocky, wild and ready to see the world. In my mind, all my dreams were gonna come true in Texas."
She wrapped her arm around his waist, loving the closeness between them. For years, she'd wondered what it would be like to share a bed with Seth. Dreamed of engaging in pillow talk.
"Did they come true?" she asked.
"You're in my bed, aren't you?"
Her heart lurched at his sweet words.
"Sweet talker," she said, struggling to get the lighthearted words out. This moment, hell, the past twenty-four hours, had sent her world spinning. She was dizzy and giddy and happier than she thought possible.
He leaned closer and kissed the tip of her nose. "How about a shower?"
"Together?"
He laughed. "I have one more day with you, darlin'. You're gonna be hard-pressed to keep me more than an inch away from you."
She pushed closer. "I don't remember complainin'."
He gave her a hard, quick kiss, before rising and climbing out of the bed.
She started to pull on a T-shirt, modesty still winning out despite the fact Seth had probably seen more of her naked body than she had. He'd studied every nook and cranny of her throughout the night, the light of the moon casting a romantic hue on the bed as he made love to her time and time again.
"No clothes," he said, taking the T-shirt out of her hands. "It's a quick trip."
She felt herself flush, but willed her embarrassment away, taking his proffered hand as he led her to the bathroom.
Bending down, he turned on the hot water and she watched the small room quickly fill with steam. Together, they stepped into the stream and she sighed blissfully as the heat hit her stiff muscles.
"Sore?" he asked.
She shook her head once, but stopped when he narrowed his eyes. "Maybe. A little. You've been giving me quite a workout."
He grinned. "I haven't even started yet."
She glanced down at his erection as a naughty idea came to her. "Makes two of us."
Before he could consider her comment, she knelt before him and gripped his cock tightly in her hand.
Seth hissed with surprise, but he didn't move away. Instead, his hands grasped her head, pushing until she was looking up at his face. She immediately saw the dominant man she'd met yesterday reemerge. His face was set, determined, and hungry.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She wasn't sure what he was asking, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt she wanted this next experience, this new adventure. She nodded.
"Have you ever given a blow job before?"
She shook her head. She'd saved herself for him. Always. For him.
His gaze darkened with lust. "I'm going to teach you what I like."
She tightened her grip, cupping his balls with her free hand to let him know she was ready for anything.
His fingers gripped her wet hair almost painfully. She groaned and felt a gush of arousal between her legs.
"I won't," he paused, swallowing heavily. "I can't make this easy for you, Jody. I want this too fucking much."
She didn't reply with words. Instead, she bent forward and sucked the head of his cock into her mouth.
The fingers in her hair began to direct her motions and she let him draw her along, let the heady excitement of his control drive this game. Thrusting into her mouth, he gradually went deeper until he brushed the back of her throat. She started to gag and tried to retreat, but he held her in place.
"Look at me." His voice was commanding, and her pussy fluttered at the sound. She raised her eyes to his face, his cock buried deep in her mouth.
"I'm going to fuck your mouth. I want to take you hard, fast."
Her breathing accelerated and she sucked as much air as she could through her nose, trying to will her heart to stop racing. She was scared, excited, horny as hell.
She grasped his hips, digging her fingers into his muscular ass to let him know she was ready.
It was his turn to groan. Using his hands to hold her in place, he took her mouth in earnest, giving her everything he'd warned her about, everything he'd promised. It took several tries before she was able to swallow his head, but she soon caught the rhythm. Seth pumped into her mouth, his fingers tangling in her hair almost painfully. Jody pressed her legs together, dying for some relief of her own. She kept one hand wrapped around the base of his cock, while the other massaged his balls.
Seth murmured dirty, sexy words as he took her and she closed her eyes, envisioning the erotic pictures he drew in her mind. When she sensed he was getting close, she released his balls and moved her fingers farther back, exploring the crack between his legs.
When she pressed a finger against his anus, Seth jerked.
"Fuck," he cried.
Refusing to relent, she pushed the tip of her index finger inside the tight hole while Seth's thrusts grew more frantic, less controlled.
"God dammit, Jody. I can't---" His words gave way to the explosion wracking his body, and she felt the first spurt of his come splash into her mouth. She swallowed as jet after jet erupted. When every drop had been spent, he reached underneath her arms and lifted her. She stood, thrilled when his lips claimed hers. His heated, passionate kisses told her without words how well she'd done.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. Finally, he moved away, resting his forehead against hers.
"I love you," he whispered.
She smiled, grateful for the spray of the shower as it masked the tears forming in her eyes. Surely it wasn't possible for someone to feel this complete. Then she considered her promise to Paul.
For the first time in her life, she suspected she was about to go back on her word.
Seth released a long breath and started to stretch. His eyes flew open when he realized he couldn't move. It was mid-afternoon, the bright sunlight streaming into the room from the window momentarily blinding him. Blinking rapidly, he tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
Wiggling his wrists, he looked up to find his hands bound tightly to the bed. A quick flex of his legs proved the same held true of his feet. He was flat on his back and trussed up tighter than a package in Santa's sack.
"Hiya." Jody's soft voice drifted over him and he glanced to his left, surprised to see her sitting in the chair by the desk, watching him.
He narrowed his eyes. She was still naked, a state he knew she struggled with despite everything they'd done to and with each other in the past two days.
"Having fun?" he asked when he spotted the self-satisfied grin on her face.
She giggled softly and nodded. "Oh hell, yeah."
"Untie me," he said, trying to keep the menace from his voice. She was tugging on the tiger's tail and she didn't seem to realize it.
When she rose and crossed the room, the mischievous look in her eyes told him she knew exactly what she was doing.
"Jody," he added warningly.
"Shhh," she said, leaning forward and placing her finger against his lips. "There's a little question I've been pondering and I think this is the best way to get my answer."
His jaw clenched and he tugged against the ties holding him to the bed. He'd never been the captive, always the captor. He wasn't sure he liked this turn of events. "Sweetheart, if you have a question, all you have to do is ask. You don't need to go to such lengths. Now untie me."
She shook her head. "No. I don't think you'll give me the right answer...without persuasion."
He pulled harder against his bindings and she laughed.
"Seth. I was raised in the South. My little league wasn't soccer or tee ball. It was rodeo and my club was 4-H. You're not gettin' loose 'til I say so."
He threw her the dark look that never failed to strike fear in the ranch hands. "Jody. Stop fucking around and untie me. Do it now and your punishment won't be too bad. Keep up this game and I'm gonna make you pay."
She rolled her eyes and he frowned. Foolish girl didn't have an ounce of fear in her. If anything, she seemed amused by his anger.
Seth restrained a growl and tugged once more, wondering how much strength it would take to break the headboard.
That thought was washed away when Jody climbed onto the bed, throwing one leg over his body, straddling his hips. Despite his annoyance at being rendered helpless, his cock responded to the wet heat of her pussy, resting just a couple inches away.
"Don't you wanna know what my question is?" she asked.
He sucked in a deep breath and decided to humor her for the moment. "What do you wanna know?"
She ran her hand along his chest, then pinched his nipple roughly. "We determined that you control my orgasms, that my body belongs to you. I was wondering who owned yours?"
She punctuated her question by leaning forward to bite his shoulder. She'd certainly taken to the concept of rough play. Problem was she was turning the tables on him. He was amazed by how much that fact didn't bother him. She was sexy as shit and he couldn't wait to see what she'd do next.
Rather than capitulate, he decided to provoke her. "My body's mine, darlin'. Always has been. Always will be." It was a lie. He'd belonged to Jody Kirkland for years. He may have slaked his needs with other women in the past, waiting for Jody to grow up, but that didn't change the truth. He was hers and he would be until the day he died.
Her eyebrows lowered, her face betraying her impatience just as he'd known it would. He gave her a cocky, unconcerned grin that irritated her even more.
"Wrong answer."
She dragged her fingernails down his chest slowly as he watched. His wildcat was marking her territory. His cock thickened more. Jesus. She was spectacular.
"Careful, Jody. Everything you do now is adding to the tally. There's going to be a reckoning. Bear that in mind."
She tilted her head haughtily. "Maybe you should focus on the question at hand. I didn't like your first answer. Care to reconsider?"
She lifted up onto her knees, moving slightly. When she lowered to his body again, she took care to cover his erection with her pussy. She held his cock in place against his body, surrounding it with her wet warmth. He swallowed heavily when she began to move her hips very slowly so that her cunt rubbed his cock in a way that was too good, but not near enough.
"That's a real nice massage, babe," he taunted. "Untie me and I'll show you what that cock can really do for you."
She smiled, but didn't stop her tantalizingly slow strokes. "Give me what I want and I'll be more than happy to untie you."
He feigned stupidity. "What is it you want again?"
Reaching behind her, she cupped his balls with one hand. He gasped when she began to squeeze them tightly.
"Careful, angel. You don't wanna damage the crown jewels there."
She laughed lightly and released him. "You liked it when I played with your ass in the shower earlier."
He'd been shocked by her touch and surprised by how much he liked it. He'd never let a woman touch him there before. Hell, he'd never let a woman take control like this either. Jody had a lot to learn about submissiveness.
"Maybe I should get my vibrator," she said.
He shook his head. "Don't even think about it. I'd hate to break your daddy's bed, but if you try to stick anything up my ass besides that little finger of yours, we're gonna have some mass destruction."
She bent down and kissed him. "We'll work up to it."
He nipped her lower lip before she could sit up again. "No. We won't."
Running her hands along his chest, she moved until they rested on his stomach. As he watched, she lifted one to her own pussy.
"What are you doing?" he asked, lacing his question with warning.
"Playing."
He lifted his hips as much as his bindings would allow. "These ties don't change anything, Jody. Your orgasms are mine. You can play all you want as long as you remember you need permission to come."
She lowered her eyes, acknowledging his comment. Her finger stroked her clit slowly at first, building in speed and strength until she was panting. Her hips were moving as her arousal rose. He felt the juices from her cunt sliding along his hard-on and he swallowed hard, fighting to maintain control.
Just when he thought she was about to break his rule, she stopped, pulling her hand away.
"You want me."
Her words weren't a question. Given the size of his cock and his own labored breathing, he'd say his desires were a foregone conclusion.
"You're mine," she whispered. As she spoke, she rose slightly, placing the head of his cock at the entrance to her pussy. "Say it."
He closed his eyes as she pressed down, taking the head of him inside. "I'm yours, Jody. Only yours."
She didn't move again, and he opened his eyes to look at her. She was smiling. It was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. "And I'm yours."
She pushed down, taking him to the hilt. He gritted his teeth against the incredible sensation. Her inner muscles clenched against his sensitive flesh as she rose and fell, the motions shallow at first. Slowly, the strength of her thrusts grew until she was riding him with abandon. Creating a memory he felt certain he'd carry with him 'til the day he died.
"Cup your breasts," he said, as he watched her move.
She reached up to push the creamy white globes together and his hips jerked against her harder. Over and over, she moved, but it still wasn't enough. He needed more, needed it all.
Finally, he cried out. "God dammit, Jody. Untie me."
She seemed to sense his deeper, darker needs. She stopped moving, still holding him tightly within her body. Turning at the waist, she looked like a bit of a contortionist as she worked loose the knots at his ankles. Once his legs were free, she bent over his chest, reaching up to free his hands. They kissed as she untied him.
The second his independence was gained, he rolled, shoving her roughly beneath him. He pushed in twice before his brain engaged and he realized why she felt so fucking good. He wasn't wearing a condom. As much as he wanted to say to hell with it, he knew Jody still had a decision to make.
She chastised him when he pulled out. "No," she cried.
"Shh. Condom."
She blinked several times, and he knew her omission hadn't been intentional. She'd forgotten as well.
"Shit," she whispered. "Sorry."
He grinned. "You're going on the pill. Soon. That felt too fucking amazing."
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly as he reached for a condom. The brief respite gave him time to regain his wits. As he covered himself, he swatted her left thigh. "Roll over. Get on your hands and knees. I want to take you from behind."
She turned quickly. The moment her ass was displayed before him, he lifted his hand and smacked it.
"Hey," she said, trying to move away. He'd expected her attempted escape and was prepared. Grasping her waist with his left hand, he gathered up a large handful of her long tresses with his right.
He pulled her upright by her hair, sensing her growing excitement. She loved his rough touch. Once he had her back to his chest, he leaned forward until his lips touched the shell of her ear. "I warned you. You played with fire and now you're going to feel the burn."
Her body trembled and he fought to maintain control. "Put your head on the bed, but keep that pretty ass up."
She complied and he immediately placed three smacks on her ass. He paused, praying the soft moan she gave was one of enjoyment. Dipping his fingers into her pussy provided the proof. She was drenched. He dragged his fingers out slowly, then gave her several more hard swats. Her ass flushed. Finally, his patience in tatters, he gave in to his own needs.
Placing his cock at her opening, he reached around her, cupped her breasts and lifted her upper body up against his. She was trembling and on the edge.
"You want to come?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I'm going to fuck you hard. So hard, you'll never forget who you belong to."
She turned to look at him, her mouth opening to speak.
He silenced her with a kiss. "And I'm going to prove that I'm yours. Only yours."
She smiled, and he moved her until she was once again on her hands and knees.
"Hold on," was the only warning he gave as he pushed in to the hilt. He didn't pause or give her time to adjust. He couldn't. At this moment, he needed to fuck her or die.
He pounded into her without respite, without mercy and she responded to his hard blows, moving into them, silently begging for more. His fingers clenched against her waist, and he suspected she'd have bruises there tomorrow. He wanted to feel guilty about that fact, but he couldn't. Shit, he knew the sight of them would only make him want to claim her again. He'd never felt this overpowering need to possess.
She screamed as she came, the sound long and loud and glorious. It was too much. He followed her. His climax so strong, his eyes rolled back in his head. As the last drop of come was squeezed out by her clenching pussy, he froze for an instant. He hovered over her, trying to prolong the moment as long as he could.
She moved first, collapsing onto her stomach with a soft groan. He lay next to her, gathering her close, pulling her back to his chest. He cradled her in his arms and felt sleep begin to claim them again.
"You're mine," she whispered, long after he thought she'd drifted off.
He placed a soft kiss on the back of her head. "Always."
A buzzing noise woke Seth up. Glancing around the dark cabin, it took him a few seconds to figure out that the sound was coming from his cell phone on the nightstand. A glance at the clock showed it was only nine in the evening. He and Jody had spent a couple of long, active days. No doubt it had caught up with them.
Consulting the caller ID, he was surprised to see Silas's number. He sat up as he answered the phone.
"Si?"
"Hey. Tie your girl up right this time. Gotta distract you from your life of crime for one minute."
Seth chuckled at his brother's joke as he stood and turned to look at his sleeping hostage. "Not sure it classifies as that anymore. Hard to kidnap the willing."
Silas grunted. "I don't know which Compton ancestor is responsible for passing us the get-lucky gene but I do appreciate it."
Seth grabbed his jeans from the floor when Jody turned. She remained asleep, and he decided to continue this call on the porch. He didn't want to disturb her. Grinning, he considered how worn out she probably was.
Si didn't speak. He waited with more patience than he was generally known for. Had the blast altered him? Or...
"Is something wrong?" Seth asked as he trapped the phone between his shoulder and ear, while he tugged on his jeans.
"Yeah. I'm afraid there is."
Afraid? Si didn't get scared by shit. Not even the crazy jobs he'd worked, which would have frightened the piss out of any sane man, had fazed his brother.
Seth walked outside and took a seat on the front porch step. No doubt, he was about to swallow a dose of bad news. "What is it?"
"It's JD, Seth. He's sick."
"Sick how?"
"Hell if I know, but something ain't right. Stubborn bastard won't see a doctor."
"Like you would if it were you? Hell, you practically got your leg blown off and you fought the hospital staff until they shipped you halfway across the continent just to get rid of your ornery ass. Didn't bother to call your brothers for help either, did you?" Seth shook off the lingering sting.
"Fuck. Don't you think I've taken enough shit from Colby and Lucy? Focus. We're not talking about me. JD's favoring his side and his coloring is off. Kinda like his perma-tan faded into a weird orange since the last time I saw him." His brother cursed softly. "Caught him hacking up blood too."
"Jesus. Get him to the damn doctor."
"I tried arguing with him. You know how much good that does."
"Yeah, works about as well as it does on you. Two peas, both of you."
"I even threatened to sic mom on him." Silas groaned. "He promised to kick my ass, and he meant it too. The only time I've ever seen him really look worried. Look, it's not like I can throw him over my shoulder and hobble to the doctor on these goddamn crutches."
Seth ran a hand through his hair, his mind trying to process the idea of his larger-than-life father falling sick. He'd never had a cold that Seth could remember, never mind something...so severe. "I'll come home."
"I know you have shit hitting the fan down there..." Silas released a loud sigh.
"Yeah. And you wouldn't ask if you didn't have to." Seth dropped his face into his hand. "Thanks for calling when you needed someone this time. I'm not a kid anymore. I'll figure it out."
"Sooner would be better."
"Yeah," Seth said. "I'm getting that."
"Call me when your flight is booked. I can't drive and Colby's gotta hang around here for some welcome home thing Mom's planning for tomorrow afternoon, but I can send one of the hands to the airport."
"No worries. I'll rent a car. Be there as soon as I can."
"Thanks, Seth."
As Seth closed the cell phone, he sat on the step, letting the silence envelop him. JD was sick. He was going home. Part of him wanted to wake Jody, wanted to soak up all the comfort he knew he could find in her arms.
The two days was over. She'd been true to her word and tomorrow he'd have to set her free to make her decision. He wished he knew for sure she'd choose him, but unless he could find a loophole in the will, she'd feel honor-bound to abide by the promise she'd made to Paul. Besides, how could he ask her not to marry the man when it was clear there was so much good that could come from it?
He thought about Silas's description of JD's illness. What if his father had cancer? What if Paul's research facility found the cure that could save JD? He rubbed his eyes wearily. When had his simple ranch life become so complicated?
He rose tiredly and returned to the cabin. Finding a piece of paper and a pencil, he sat at the kitchen table to leave Jody a note. He needed to get home to his family, and she needed time to think. As much as it killed him to do so, he had to let her go, give her space to decide her own future. He wrote the words written on his heart and prayed they would be enough to convince her to give them a chance.
Propping the note up on the kitchen table, he quietly packed up his stuff and loaded it in the truck. Returning to the cabin, he stood by the bed to take one long, last look at the woman who held his heart in her hand. He'd let her sleep. One last, peaceful night of sweet dreams. Tomorrow would be here too soon.
Locking the door behind him, he climbed into the truck, unaware of the slight breeze from the open window that blew his note off the table and under the couch.
Jody climbed into the truck, riding back to the ranch house in silence. She'd been surprised to discover herself alone when she'd woken up. She'd dressed, searching inside and out for a sign of Seth, but there'd been nothing. All his things were gone, as well as the truck. He'd left her without a word. She hadn't had more than a few minutes to process that horrible realization when a horn honked outside.
Smiling, thinking he'd returned, she'd rushed to the door only to find Scotty, one of the ranch hands waiting to take her home. A few quick questions proved that her escort didn't know anything more than Seth had asked him to pick her up.
As the Texas landscape passed by her at fifty miles an hour, she wondered about Seth's sudden desertion. The closer she got to home, the more obvious the answer became. She'd run him off with her power play. She'd tied him to the bed intending to show him that she was strong enough to be his woman.
Foolishly, she'd fallen asleep before telling him she'd made her choice. She wanted Seth Compton. Wanted to spend a lifetime with him. However, after one silly, impetuous action, she'd driven him away. He'd tweaked her pride the first day they'd spent together, insisting that he owned her orgasms and body. While she certainly didn't mind commending those things to his oh-so-capable hands, she wanted an equal share. She wanted him---all of him, body and soul.
When did it go wrong? When they'd drifted off to sleep, she'd been so sure of their love. Their happiness. Why did he leave?
Sadness gave way to confusion and as they turned onto the lane that led to her home, confusion gave way to rage and hurt.
The truck pulled up in front of the ranch house and Jody wearily rubbed her hand over her face, frustration and fury whirling inside her.
"Jody," her father said, coming out on the front porch as she emerged from the truck.
She had to bite back her anger. Her father had given Seth his blessing. Let the man kidnap her away from her home, miss her wedding. And for what? So he could simply abandon her when things didn't work out.
She glanced over her shoulder toward the foreman's cabin. Seth's truck wasn't there. She needed to find Paul. To explain why she'd missed the wedding and ask for his advice. She could use a friend right now.
Then, she was going to find Seth and demand answers. If the jerk thought he could leave her without a hi or bye, he had another think coming. She'd show him.
"Where's Paul?" she asked brusquely as she passed her father without accepting his proffered hug and walked into the house.
"Well," Thomas rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't really know."
Jody whirled on her father, her fury flying out. "What do you mean you don't know? You sent him away, didn't you? It wasn't enough that Seth had to fuck up my wedding plans, you decided to add your own piece to the pie by forcing him to leave."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Thomas said, raising his hands in surrender. "Nobody sent anybody away. Paul vanished the morning of your wedding day. I went to tell him you were missing, only to find him gone. Chase is AWOL too. Haven't seen hide or hair of either of them in two days."
"He's missing?" Jody felt the fight leave her. She was drained, tired, bewildered and depressed.
Thomas nodded. "Yeah. What happened with Seth, honey?"
She shrugged, wishing she knew. "I guess it didn't work out."
Her father frowned. "I don't believe that."
"He's gone. He left me in the cabin alone without a word."
Thomas put his hands on his hips. "He left without explaining why?"
Jody looked at her father and suddenly she realized he'd talked to Seth since last night. She nodded, unable to hide the pain any longer. "He was just gone. What did he tell you? Where is he now?"
"He's flying to Wyoming." Her dad consulted his watch. "In fact, his flight is probably just taking off."
"He's going home?"
Thomas nodded. "There was an illness in the family. He was needed back there."
Jody worried for a moment that something had happened to Silas. She'd thought Seth's brother was on the mend, but maybe he'd suffered a relapse. Even so, that didn't explain why he left her without a word. "Did he leave a message for me? Maybe a note?"
Thomas shook his head slowly. "I assumed you knew he was leaving."
"He didn't tell me anything. Just slunk away like a thief in the night." She sounded like a bitter, angry woman, but she couldn't rein in her resentment and pain.
"It was a misunderstanding. It had to be."
Jody shook her head, but her father wouldn't listen. "He'll land in a few hours. Get some rest. Calm down, then call him. Talk to him. I'm telling you right now, there's gotta be a logical explanation."
There was no way she could tell her father about the truth behind Seth's desertion. There could be no other answer. She'd come on too strong, pushed him away. She couldn't be the woman he wanted. He wanted a good, little submissive and she'd failed the test. "No," she said at last. "He made his decision. He's gone."
Her father's temper snapped. "God dammit, girl. For once, can't you swallow some of that damn pride? Call Seth."
She narrowed her eyes and leaned closer. "All I've done is swallow my pride where Seth is concerned. If one more mouthful goes down, I'll choke. Seth Compton is history. And I'm going to bed."
Thomas fell silent, his shoulders sagging. She turned toward the front door, rather than have to see his concern and the worried lines on his face.
Jody climbed the stairs to her bedroom, slowly. Realization dawned hard. She'd lost Seth and in the process, she'd lost herself. Closing her door and locking it, she crossed the room and collapsed on her bed, giving in to the tears she'd held at bay since waking up.
Seth climbed out of the rental car he'd picked up at the airport. After Silas's call, he'd returned to his cabin, packed his bags, and booked a flight on the first plane headed to Wyoming. He landed in Casper and drove the two hours to Compton Pass in record time. Throughout the trip, he thought about Jody. The way she looked when he'd left her.
He prayed he'd made the right decision. He'd asked her for two days and dear God had she given it to him. He'd spent the best forty-eight hours of his life lying in her arms. The time had only solidified his belief that she was the only woman in the world for him.
Silas's call had put a period on that. The idea that JD could be sick---hell---that he could be dying cut through Seth's gut like a machete. His father was indomitable, larger than life. He'd grown up knowing there wasn't a force on earth that could take down his rugged father.
He looked across the yard at the crowd of people. He'd shown up just in time for a party he vaguely recalled Silas telling him about. It was in full-force. He hadn't made it two steps from the car when his mother's excited yell reached his ears seconds before she engulfed him in a long, hard hug.
He smiled. He was home.
"Hi, Mom." He smiled down at her.
"Two of my boys home," she said, her hand resting lightly on his cheek. "And it's not even my birthday."
Silas hobbled up behind Vicky. Seth tried to keep his face implacable, though it was hard to see his sturdy brother looking so broken as he crossed the yard on crutches.
"What a surprise," Silas said. His tone cued him in that, while Silas had called him home, his parents weren't expecting him. Obviously JD was still pretending all was well.
"I wanted to come home when I first heard about your accident. Mom told me to give you time to settle back in." It wasn't a lie and it helped smooth over his unexpected arrival.
"Seth?"
He turned to see JD standing behind him and he felt like the breath had been knocked out of him. Silas was right. It was bad. His father's skin tone was off and there were distinct lines around his eyes and mouth that bespoke pain.
"Hey, JD," he said. He embraced his father, the hug lasting a shade longer than their usual greeting. Seth didn't want to pull away and he sensed JD didn't either. This wasn't going to be easy.
He let his mother drag him around, introducing him to new arrivals to the ranch and neighborhood, while forcing him to reacquaint himself with countless others.
His heart wasn't into the party. His mind wrestled between two worries, Jody and JD. While it felt good to be home, he knew Compass Ranch was in for some big changes. And without Jody, he wasn't sure he was ready for them.
Jody sat in the living room, staring at the television, not caring that it wasn't even on, when she heard a commotion in the front foyer. She'd hidden in her room for four days, struggling to pull the pieces of her shattered heart back together. Her father had tried to console her, tried to convince her to call Seth, but she wouldn't play the fool for him again. Never again.
Glancing up, she was surprised to find Paul in the doorway. "Hey," she said with a forced smile.
Paul's genuine grin faded as he looked at her. "What the hell happened?"
She chuckled at his question, the sound quickly turning to a sob. Paul was across the room in an instant, sitting on the couch and pulling her into his comforting embrace. "I screwed up everything," she said, between gasping cries.
"I don't believe that."
"It's true. I pushed him away."
"Seth?" Paul shook his head. "No way. You couldn't push that guy away from you with a two-ton truck."
She looked up at her beloved friend's face and realized she needed to get out of Texas, away from this place where she was surrounded by memories of Seth. "Let's run away. Go to Vegas right now. We can elope."
"Jody. No."
"Paul, please. It's the answer to both of our problems. I can't stay here." She started to rise. "We can pack up and be on the next flight to Nevada before the sun sets."
Paul tugged on her hand and pulled her back to the couch. "I can't. Hell, even if I could, I would never do that to you. Running away isn't the answer."
"Why can't you? We're running out of time. Your father's will---"
"Has been satisfied," Paul interrupted. "I've met the stipulation. You're free of your promise."
She tried to process his words, understand what they meant. "How?"
Paul smiled, the happiness he obviously felt, busting at the seams. "I found the loophole. The will only said I had to get married. It didn't say my spouse had to be a woman."
The pieces fell together and suddenly Jody understood Paul's absence. "You eloped."
He nodded.
"With Chase?"
He laughed and nodded again. "Oh my God, Jody. He's perfect. Sexy and fun and amazing."
"You're in love with him." She'd never seen her best friend fall for anyone. To see him in such high spirits made her happy and miserable at the same time. Did Paul think she wouldn't keep her promise? If Seth hadn't abandoned her, would she have followed through? No. She wouldn't have. She'd made that decision in the hunting cabin. Even so, she hated that her friend had reason to doubt her. "Did you think I wouldn't marry you?"
Paul gave her a rueful grin. "I was afraid you would marry me. Terrified you'd sacrifice your future to keep a promise to me. I want you to be happy. You're my best friend, Jody. I love you. You're never gonna be happy without Seth."
"Great. Nice to know what my future holds. Eternal misery."
Paul frowned. "Where's Seth?"
Jody blinked hard, brushing away her tears. She couldn't believe she had anything left inside her to cry. "Wyoming."
"Why?"
She shrugged, unable to find the words to explain.
"Maybe you should start at the beginning," Paul prompted.
"He kidnapped me from my bachelorette party and took me to my dad's hunting cabin."
Paul smiled. "Holy shit, that's romantic."
Jody laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I guess it was. We, um, well, we had sex."
"I figured as much. And?"
"And it was amazing. Earth-shattering. Perfect."
Paul nodded slowly. "I'm not hearing the catch yet."
Jody rose, pacing around the room, wondering how she could explain. Hell, she wasn't even sure she understood. "He left because of me. I think I came on a bit too strong."
"Define too strong."
Jody leaned against the living room wall and took a deep breath. "I tied him to the bed. Made a few demands."
Paul burst into laughter.
She crossed her arms over her chest, her anger building. "Glad you find this so amusing."
"No," he said, sobering up. "It's not funny. It's a misunderstanding."
She rolled her eyes and slammed her hand against the wall at her back. "Why does everyone keep saying that? He's not here. He left without a word, without a note right after I tied him to the bed. I told you what he wanted, Paul."
"A sex slave?"
She shook her head. "A submissive woman."
"Did you let him take control of you in bed, Jody?"
She started to point out the fact that she'd tied him up again, but Paul stopped her with a wave of his hand. "Besides your one so-called lapse in judgment, did you submit?"
She considered her actions, the way Seth had controlled her orgasms, pulled her hair, spanked her. At the time, it had all seemed sexy, hot as hell, but now she realized she had submitted to him. She'd handed her body over to Seth because she trusted him and knew he'd never hurt her. "Yes. I did."
"And you're convinced his departure isn't a misunderstanding."
She nodded sadly. It was no mistake.
"Well, then. He's a fucking asshole," Paul said, rising, his voice laced with fury.
His words sparked the anger that had been buried deep beneath her pain. "Yeah," she agreed. "He's a prick."
Paul walked over to her, pointing his finger at her face. "That jerk owes you. You've spent years saving yourself for him. Does he seriously think he can abduct you from your own bachelorette party, steal your virginity and then saunter off into the night without a goddamn word?"
"You're right!" Her fury exploded and she suddenly felt stronger than she had in days.
"He owes you, Jody. He owes you an explanation and a fucking apology."
Paul's anger and uncharacteristic use of foul language spurred her on and suddenly her path was clear.
"Oh hell yeah, he does. That's it. I'm going to Wyoming."
"Good," Paul said loudly. "You go north and you demand he give you the respect you're owed. Don't take no for an answer."
"You don't have to worry about that," she said, walking toward the hallway. Seth had promised to always be hers. An idea flashed and she decided to give Seth a lesson in what exactly that word meant to her. "That asshole is going to get his. Mark my words."
Thomas and Chase were standing in the foyer watching Jody stomp up the stairs when Paul came out of the living room.
"Where's she going?" Thomas asked.
Paul grinned. "To Wyoming."
Thomas ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "How the hell did you convince her to do that? I've been trying to get through to that stubborn girl for days."
Paul leaned his elbow on the banister. "What reason did you give her to go to Seth?"
"I told her she needed to swallow her pride and let the man explain to her why he had to leave."
Paul rolled his eyes as Chase laughed.
"Amateur," Paul teased. "The best way to get Jody to act is to stoke her anger, get her fired up. She's madder than a wet hen, and I have a feeling that emotion isn't gonna simmer down until she's standing in front of Seth."
Thomas swore under his breath. "Shit."
Chase crossed the room and put his arm around Paul's shoulders. "Sounds like Seth better have a damn good reason for leaving her or he could get hurt."
Paul chuckled. "As mad as she is, he might want to protect all the protruding parts of his body."
"Or just the important one," Chase joked.
They all glanced toward the top of the stairs and Thomas cursed again. "Christ. The poor guy won't know what hit him by the time she's done."
Seth sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office with Silas and JD on his fourth day home. They'd run a gazillion tests on the poor guy two days before. The doctor had called the ranch earlier and asked them to come in. Seth knew it was bad news. Doctors had no compunction about telling someone they were fine over the phone. Face to face meetings weren't good.
They'd been cooling their heels for nearly an hour. The nurse had come in twice to apologize. Apparently there'd been some small emergency. JD offered to come back tomorrow, but the nurse refused to let him leave. None of them had said anything in the last thirty minutes and Seth felt like he was about to come out of his skin, his mind whirling over his father's health and Jody.
She hadn't called since he left her in the cabin. He'd tossed and turned every night, worrying about what her silence meant. In his note, he'd promised to give her time to make her decision. He'd also vowed to stand by her decision. Problem was he didn't know how much time she needed and he'd thought she'd call to tell him one way or the other. Between worrying about her and JD, he was living with a perpetual headache.
"Mr. Compton," the nurse said, opening a door between the waiting area and the examining rooms. "The doctor will see you now."
JD rose slowly, Silas and Seth following suit.
"You boys don't---"
"Save your breath, JD," Silas interrupted. "We're comin' back with you."
JD nodded, muttering, "Headstrong, stubborn, pigheaded."
"Fruit doesn't fall far from the tree," Seth joked, wishing these next few minutes were already over. His stomach was in knots.
They walked into the doctor's office and Seth was surprised to see a young man sitting behind the desk.
"Where Doc Cahill?" JD asked.
"This isn't his area of expertise. He referred your case to me," the young doctor said. "Mr. Compton, I'm Dr. Philips."
"You can call me JD. These are my sons, Seth and Silas."
The doctor shook their hands and then gestured that they all take a seat. "I'm an oncologist, Mr. Compton."
The word oncologist hit Seth like a punch to the chest.
"Yeah. I figured that much," JD said.
Dr. Philips walked behind his desk and resumed his seat. He picked up a medical chart and opened it. "You have stage three pancreatic cancer."
Seth looked at Silas. One look at his brother's face told him he understood exactly what those words meant.
Dying. Their father was dying.
"How long do I have?"
JD's question told them all he knew the prognosis as well.
"Mr. Compton, there are---"
"Dammit, man, if you can say cancer, you can say JD. Something tells me you and I are gonna be spending a bit of time together these next few months. Let's do it on a first name basis. I'm JD."
Seth almost felt sorry for the young doctor. It was clear he was new to this practice. Treating JD would certainly be an initiation by fire.
"My name's Ron. Ron Philips."
"Well, Ron. It's nice to meet you. Now, I'm sure you've got a whole spiel ready to lay out for me and I know my sons are gonna want to hear it. Before you do that, let me tell you a few things. I'm not doing radiation and I'm not doing chemo."
"JD," Silas interjected.
"No, son," JD said. "I'm not going to spend what time I have left sitting in a hospital." He turned back to the doctor. "There's no cure for what I've got, right?"
Dr. Philips shook his head. "There are things we can do to try to prolong your life, but no, ultimately this type of cancer is fatal."
JD nodded. "Thanks for your candor, Ron."
"God dammit, JD," Seth exploded. His world was falling apart. "Can we just ask a few questions, maybe get some options before you dismiss everything out of hand?"
JD put his hand on his shoulder, and Seth swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. He refused to break down, refused to cry, even though every part of him wanted to yell at the top of his lungs about the injustice, the unfairness of this situation. "Seth, it's gonna be okay. Hell, I'm nearly seventy. Had a good long haul with a pretty gal and four boys a man can be proud to call son. Can't ask for more than that."
Seth sat stiffly, fighting desperately to hold it together.
"Now, you boys go ahead ask Ron your questions."
Silas leaned forward, his face creased with pain, though Seth wasn't sure if it was his leg or his heart that was bothering him more. "Mom's gonna wanna know how long." The words sounded like they were being ripped from his brother's chest and Seth felt a new ache as he considered Vicky. Losing JD would kill her.
Ron cleared his throat and Seth found a new respect for the young man. It couldn't be easy working day in and day out with patients who were facing death. "Maybe a year. More likely less than that. Five to eight months is probably a better estimate."
"Five months. Jesus," Seth whispered, unable to hold the words in.
"Well, hell," JD said, rubbing his chin. "That doesn't give us much time. I was hoping to get you more settled at the ranch, Silas. I know you've still got about a year of physical therapy ahead of you for your leg and---"
"I'm moving home," Seth said, cutting off his father's words.
JD turned to him, frowning. "I can't ask you to leave Texas."
"You didn't ask." Seth crossed his arms over his chest and dared his father to contradict him.
JD chuckled. "Like looking in a mirror sometimes. Nothing I can say will change your mind, will it?"
Seth shook his head. JD reached out and put his hand on Seth's shoulder. Seth was surprised by the strength in his grasp. He'd bet his whole life savings that JD would make it an entire year.
"It'll be good to have you home again. Thank you," JD said softly. The words were his undoing. Seth nodded and rose quickly. He had to get out of the room, out of the stifling air before he lost it.
He looked at Silas and figured the desperation in his face must've showed.
"Why don't you go get the truck?" his brother said. "Me and JD can finish up here. We'll meet you out front."
Seth nodded stiffly and headed for the door. He felt like a jackass for leaving, but too many things were crashing in on him at once. His life was moving too fast. He was losing everything that mattered to him.
Jody. JD. His life in Texas.
As he considered the last, he realized that wasn't a loss. Texas meant Jody and without her, that place wasn't anywhere he wanted to be.
Compton Pass was home. It was green mountains, Vicky, his brothers and JD.
A small choked cry escaped before he could call it back. He walked out the front door and sucked in a long, deep breath of fresh Wyoming air. Looking back over his shoulder, he studied the small square office building. Such an innocuous place. It seemed like a place that tore a man away from his father should look more like a prison or a rundown slum or hell on earth.
He cleared his throat and swiped away the wetness on his face. He wasn't going to cry in front of JD or Silas and God knew he had to pull himself together before they faced Vicky. He needed to be strong for her.
His cell phone rang and he rushed to pull it out of his back pocket, praying it was Jody. A quick glance at the screen told him it was Sam. Seth took a second to compose himself before answering.
"Hey, bro," he said, his voice sounding too husky.
"Hey, Seth."
Sam's voice sounded nearly as gruff as Seth's. Of course, the fact that his brother was calling him pretty much guaranteed shit had hit the fan. Either that or Sam had sensed the crushing weight on Seth's heart despite the two thousand miles between them. It wouldn't be the first time one of his brothers had reached out in a moment of need. More often it happened between the twins, but sometimes it happened to them all.
They may have chosen different paths, but in times like this, they stuck together. Sam had achieved his dreams of landing a big city job by working long hours as he climbed to the top. Personally, Seth couldn't understand the appeal of living in a noisy, smelly city like New York, but Sam seemed to thrive in the smog.
"What's wrong?" Seth wished without hope that his brother had called to help instead of piling on more misery.
Sam fell silent for a second. "Who says something's wrong? Where are you? You sound...fucked up. I thought poker night wasn't 'til Wednesday. Are you hungover?"
"No. It's not... Look, I c-can't think right now. Focus on the point. You called me. Pardon me for saying so, but you don't sound like you're skipping through daisies yourself."
"I'm coming home."
Seth surrendered. He plopped onto the gravelly grass at the edge of the parking lot when his legs refused to hold him. He tried to process his brother's words. The bitterness in his brother's tone made it clear he considered this a curse rather than a blessing, but it couldn't have come at a better time for the family.
"Thank God."
"What the hell?" Seth pictured Sam finger-combing his ultra conservative haircut. "I tell you my cock ruined seven years of hard work for one moronic, not-even-that-great fuck and you say Thank God?"
"Yeah." The lump Seth had managed to swallow reformed in his throat. He needed to say the words. He needed to explain how utterly their world had changed even if his brother didn't know it yet. God, if he couldn't tell his brother without falling apart, how could he expect to be worth shit when they told Vicky. "It's JD."
His tone said it all.
"What the fuck? Seth! Don't stop now. Jesus. What's going on back there?"
Seth cleared his throat and forced the ugly truth from his lips despite the fact saying the words made the horror seem more real. "JD has pancreatic cancer, Sam. He's dying."
There was no sound from the other end, and Seth cursed himself for giving his brother news like this over the phone.
"Christ," Sam choked, his voice breaking slightly. "I'll be home tonight."
"When does your flight get in?" Numbness settled in Seth's core. They couldn't fix this, but having Silas and Sam with him would help. "I'll pick you up."
"Six hours from now. Don't worry. I'll find my own way. You have more to worry about than me."
If Sam only knew. Jody's sweet smile flashed through his mind. "Don't be a dumbass. I'll always be there for you. We'll talk on the ride in. I could use an ear myself, okay?"
"Yeah. Okay." Sam mumbled as if to himself. "Pancreatic cancer. There's no hope, is there?"
"Not for JD."
Then Sam said the one name Seth wasn't ready to hear. "Sawyer."
Seth closed his eyes. As hard as it was to tell Sam, Sawyer would be a hundred times worse. While he and Silas and Sam thought JD walked on water, Sawyer was convinced their father created the water. "He doesn't know. Fuck. I'm sitting here outside the doctor's office. Mom doesn't even know yet."
He could hear Sam's heavy sigh through the line, could picture the devastation on his brother's face. "He's out at sea. Got that special assignment he's been gunning for. He left yesterday."
"How long will he be away?"
"Two months. When he gets back, he has two week's leave at which point he told me he was turning off his phone and fucking himself into oblivion."
Seth grinned. That sounded like his kid brother. "Has he decided about re-upping yet?"
"No," Sam said. "I think he was gonna figure out his future while he's at sea."
Seth considered that. "Maybe we should let him make that decision before we tell him about JD."
"Shit," Sam muttered. "He'll kill us."
"Like you said, he's not gonna be able to come home for at least two months. Let him have this time to get his shit together. If things take a turn for the worst, then we'll get him home sooner. Somehow."
"Okay. So you haven't told mom?"
Seth closed his eyes wearily. "No."
"I wanna be there when you do." Sam's voice was regaining its strength.
Seth soaked it in. Let it wash through him. "Okay."
"So I'll see you at the airport."
Seth stood up. "Yeah."
"I'll text you the flight info. Seth?"
"Yeah?"
"We're gonna get through this, right?" Sam's voice took him back. Reminded him of the time his younger brother had broken his leg after falling out of the hayloft. Seth had carried him to the truck, while Sawyer ran to get their folks. Sam had only been ten at the time, and he'd looked at Seth as his savior, asking him if his leg would be okay, if he'd be crippled or walk with a limp.
He said now what he said then. "We're gonna get through this just fine."
He hung up the phone, praying his words were true. Seth stiffened his spine and walked toward the truck.
He could do this. All he had to do was put one foot in front of the other.
He could do this.
Seth was surprised by how natural it felt to be back home, sitting around the dinner table with his family. Sam had shown up late last evening. Along with his brothers and JD, they'd broken the news about their father's cancer to their mother.
Seth had wasted countless hours throughout the day worrying about Vicky's reaction, but he should have put the time to better use. His mom was the perfect counterpart to her tough-as-nails husband. She took the news calmly, nodded as they spoke and asked quite a few questions. Luckily Silas had been strong enough to stay put at the doctor's office to get the answers for her.
Afterwards, she simply stood and excused herself. He'd never seen his mother fall apart, never seen a chink in her resolute spirit. JD had followed her out of the room and Seth knew they would comfort each other in private. For her sons, Seth had no doubt Vicky would continue to put on a brave face, offering each of them a comforting shoulder and a sympathetic ear, but he was concerned how she would handle her grief when JD was gone.
Seth looked around the table, studying the composure of his family and he felt humbled by their strength. JD was calmly discussing a problem they were having with one of the ranch hands with Silas and Colby, while Vicky and Lucy laughed about some local gossip regarding the preacher's wife and one of the less devout members of the congregation.
Only Sam was unusually quiet. Seth knew there was a story behind his sudden trip home. Something involving a woman. Something painful. He'd pull him aside tonight with a bottle of Southern Comfort and get to the bottom of it. Maybe Sam could offer him some advice in regards to Jody.
They were just finishing up their meal, when the doorbell rang.
"Damn. Who visits at suppertime?" JD grumbled, rising slowly.
"I'll get it," Sam offered, but JD waved his hand for his brother to sit back down.
"Naw. I'm the closest." JD walked out of the dining room and the conversation continued, as Silas and Colby began filling Seth and Sam in on some of the more recent improvements they'd made to the ranch. Seth had been gone a long time and it would take a while to get up to speed on the way things worked at Compass Ranch.
JD reappeared at the doorway. "Uh, Seth. Maybe you should come out here, son."
Seth felt all eyes at the table looking at him as everyone recognized JD's bewildered tone. The unshakable man was definitely floundering over something out of the ordinary.
"Oookay," he said, drawing out the word and rising slowly.
As he walked to the doorway to the front foyer, he was aware that everyone in the room had risen and was following him. He chuckled softly. Nosy family.
His laughter died when he saw Jody standing just inside the front door to his family's home. She was in her mother's wedding dress.
She looked haughty and irritated.
She'd never looked more beautiful.
Seth studied her silently, trying to find his words while wondering what the devil she was up to. Finally, he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Nice dress."
She ran her hands along the silk skirt. "I wore it for you."
He narrowed his eyes. "For me? Not Paul."
She shook her head. "Paul's still at the ranch."
"What about the will? The marriage of convenience? Your promise?" He stressed the last question, knowing it was that damned promise that was fucking with his future happiness.
She blew out an annoyed breath. "Paul's married. The will's been satisfied."
He was confused. She'd married Paul?
"Why are you in Wyoming if you married him?" He wanted to wince at the bitter tone in his voice. The stress of the last few days had worn on him until he thought he'd shatter under the pressure.
She scowled. "I didn't marry him. Chase did."
"Chase?" he asked.
She shrugged and, for the first time, he saw a touch of fear in her eyes hidden behind the anger. Her demeanor didn't make any sense. She was clearly furious, and unless he was misreading her body language, a bit anxious. He'd asked her to choose him and made it clear he would respect her decision. Why was she so mad? So nervous?
"Apparently there was a loophole in the will. It only said Paul had to be married. It didn't specify that the spouse had to be a woman."
Seth heard Silas chuckle softly behind him, but he didn't acknowledge it. He couldn't focus on anything except her.
Jody took a step closer. "Regardless of that, Paul said he wouldn't have held me to the promise. Said he'd started looking for another option the day we showed up at the ranch."
"Why?"
"Because of you." She shook her head. "No, because of me. Because of us. The way---" Her words faltered and again he was struck by the idea that she wasn't sure of his feelings.
Then Seth considered the brief time he'd spent with Paul at the ranch. Now that Seth was away from the situation, he could see that Paul had been pushing him and Jody together.
Letting Seth take Jody to the barn to see the puppies while he stayed behind with Chase.
Asking Seth to drag her out of the bachelorette party.
Encouraging Jody to sleep with Seth.
Paul knew her, understood her. Paul knew she'd never willingly break a promise, so he broke it for her. "Good friend."
"He thinks so."
Seth gestured at to the white silk. "That still doesn't explain the dress."
"Apparently you and I have a very different opinion of what forever looks like. I thought I'd let you see my version. You left without saying goodbye," she said, her voice equal parts accusation and pain. She glanced around at his family. He got the feeling their presence was holding her back from really tearing into him. What the hell had he done to piss her off?
"I wrote a note. I explained why I had to come home, Jody."
She frowned, angrily. "No. You didn't. There was no note."
Seth was confused, then a light went on and her attitude suddenly made sense. Shit. If she didn't see the note, then she must've thought he'd left her.
Christ. No wonder she hadn't called. Yet here she stood, swallowing her pride and setting herself up for possible rejection. She was one of the bravest women he'd ever met.
"Oh God, Jody. I'm so sorry. I swear to you I left a note on the kitchen counter. At the cabin. I told you my family needed me and that I had to leave. I said the two days were up and the decision was yours to make. I begged you to choose me."
She was silent for several moments. Her face betrayed so many emotions, all tumbling one after another---he couldn't keep up. Anger, confusion, relief, hope.
Then, she smiled. "You begged me?"
Sam laughed and Seth threw his younger brother a dirty look. "Let's just say I asked emphatically."
Jody's grin grew. "I think I like the sound of begging better."
JD snorted. "Dear God, son, you need to marry this one."
Seth chuckled, his father's words reminding him that his family was probably wondering what the hell was going on. He hadn't mentioned Jody to anyone, not even Silas. There'd been too much to consider with JD for him to unload his secret fears about losing the love of his life to anyone. "You're right, JD. I do."
Jody walked closer and some of the tension drained away from her face. When she was right in front of him, she stopped. There was still something holding her back. "I was afraid when you left without a word that I'd---"
She glanced around at their audience.
Seth didn't take his eyes off her. "Afraid you'd what?"
She lowered her voice. "Gone too far. When I tied you to the bed."
"Oh fuck, yeah," Silas said. "You definitely need to marry her."
Seth laughed and ignored his brother. He raised his hand and touched her face. He'd been fighting the impulse to drag her into his arms since spotting her in the doorway. "Christ, Jody. I love you. I love your sassy, smartass comments. I love the way you lose your inhibitions when you drink, though I can promise you'll never do tequila shots with anybody but me. I love how independent and smart and loyal you are. You're the only woman in the world for me and if you wanna tie me up every night for the rest of our lives, so be it."
As he finished speaking, he bent down on one knee as Jody---and his mother ---gasped. He took her hand in his as he looked into his beloved's beautiful face. He quickly spotted a tear in her eye. "I love you, Jody Kirkland, and I wanna marry you. Wanna tie myself to you in the most binding, forever way possible."
She sucked in a breath that sounded suspiciously like a small sob, and then she nodded. "I want to tie myself to you too."
He kissed her hand, rising quickly to seal the deal with a stronger sentiment. He claimed her lips, only vaguely aware of the squeals of delight from his mother and Lucy, the loud, joyful laughter of his father and brothers.
"Well, hot damn," JD said. "Looks like we got a wedding to look forward to."
His father's words permeated the lust consuming him and he pulled away, suddenly concerned. Jody blinked in surprise at his quick retreat.
"I wanna get married right away," he said, realizing time wasn't on his father's side. There was no one he wanted at his wedding more than JD. "No long engagement."
Jody laughed and pointed to her dress. "Sweetheart, if there was a minister here, I'd marry you tonight."
"Oh no," Vicky cried out, rushing over to where he and Jody stood. "I want a proper wedding. We can hold it right here at the ranch. Lots of flowers and friends and a big-ass party afterward."
Jody turned to Vicky, grinning. "That sounds terrific."
Vicky paused in her planning, realizing she was putting the cart before the horse. "Hell, darlin', here I am organizing your wedding and I haven't even introduced myself. I raised my son to have better manners, but it's clear he's a wee bit too distracted tonight to do the introductions himself. I'm Vicky Compton, Seth's momma."
Jody reached out to shake his mother's hand, but Vicky shook her head, reaching out instead to envelop Jody in a big hug. "Nope. None of that," Vicky said, tightening her grip. "You're gonna be my daughter soon. And given what I've just seen here tonight, I'd say you and I are gonna get along real good."
Seth watched Jody return the embrace and saw the first tear fall. When they parted, Jody quickly swiped at her damp cheek. "I'm Jody Kirkland."
"Kirkland?" JD asked, coming to stand beside his wife. "Thomas's little girl?"
Jody nodded.
"Well, now, I've had the opportunity to talk to your daddy quite a few times over the years. Great man."
Jody smiled, proudly. "Yes, he is," she agreed, accepting JD's hug.
Seth introduced the rest of his family as they each took turns hugging his bride-to-be, welcoming her to Compass Ranch.
Finally, his parents and brothers returned to the dining room, so that he and Jody could be alone.
They grabbed her suitcase out of the car, and Seth carried it to his bedroom. She studied his childhood room as he shut and locked the door behind them.
"Nice room," she said.
He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his fingers rubbing the soft silk.
She laughed softly. "My father going to have a field day with the I told you so's."
He pressed a light kiss on the top of her head. "What do you mean?"
"He said you'd never leave me, that your sudden disappearance would be easily explained and that I'd misunderstood."
He turned her, bending down to kiss her. "I'm so sorry about that damn note. I don't understand---"
She placed her finger against his lips. "It's okay. We're here now. Together."
Her words, though wonderful, reminded him of why they were in Wyoming.
She studied his face, a frown creasing her brow. "What is it? What's wrong?"
He blinked, amazed at how astute she was. Having her here was the answer to a prayer. He'd felt alone and adrift for days, trying to come to terms with his father's illness. Now that she was with him, the cracks in his composure widened. He swallowed, unable to speak.
"Damn," she whispered, turning quickly. "Take this silly dress off me. It's too bulky. I need to be closer to you."
He unzipped the dress, watching as she pushed it off. Stepping out of the voluminous material, she took his hand in hers. She was wearing only a bra and panties, but even that glorious sight couldn't wipe away his fears, his pain.
"Tell me. Say it fast. It'll be easier. Daddy said you came home because of a family emergency. I thought it was because of Silas, but he looked fine just now."
"My father is dying," he said, the words shattering him.
She didn't say a word. Simply led him to a chair in the corner and pushed him into it. The second he sat down, she climbed onto his lap and gathered him into her embrace. She wrapped her arms about his neck and held him tightly.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Her words were his undoing and he let the tears he'd held at bay fall. Men weren't supposed to cry, he'd always heard that, always been able to abide by that unspoken law. This time he couldn't. He was with Jody and she'd never judge him as weak, never think less of him for falling apart. He locked his arms around her waist and let her comfort him as the tears fell.
They were silent for several minutes as Seth soaked up her warmth, let her strength renew his spirit. He wasn't alone anymore. That realization made everything so much easier to bear.
Finally she loosened her hold, leaning back to look at him. With gentle hands, she wiped away the wetness on his face. "I love you." She followed her words with a soft kiss.
She started to pull away, but he followed her lips, not wanting to let her go. He gripped her face, holding her close as he let himself fall into her kisses. He needed to escape. Needed something pure and good and wonderful to wash away the heavy feelings weighing him down.
"Make me forget, Jody. For a little while, take me away from here. I need you."
She placed her hand against his cheek, nodding once. She leaned forward to place her lips on his---the light touch soothing, comforting.
Then her fingers reached for the buttons on his shirt. He deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth. He wanted her, more than he'd ever wanted anyone.
She sensed what he needed as her fingers moved faster along the buttons. By the time she reached the last two, she gave up and pulled the shirt apart roughly, the material tearing.
He rose, lifting her off his lap, but not leaving the sanctuary of her lips. He kicked off his shoes and, together, they hastily worked to free him of his pants. Backing her up slowly, he trapped her legs against his mattress as he stripped off her bra and panties. They were both panting by the time he pushed her onto the bed.
Her legs opened to welcome him, and he didn't waste a second as he accepted all that her body offered. He pushed into her wet heat in one thrust, both of them groaning with relief and arousal. For the first time since returning to Wyoming, he knew he was truly home. With Jody by his side, he could handle whatever life threw his way. She gave him strength and hope.
He pounded into her body, each thrust a promise that he'd always care for her, always be there, always love her.
They came together, a rush of power and joy flowing through him. It wasn't until he pulled out that another realization crashed down on him.
He looked at her face and saw she'd recognized the same thing. She smiled, showing him she wasn't mad.
"Maybe it's a good thing we're planning a quick wedding. Given the fact, I can't seem to remember the damn condom," he said.
He rolled to her side and caressed her cheek as they lay facing each other on the bed.
She put her arm around his waist, her hand drifting up to touch his tattoo. "I hope we did make a baby," she admitted. "I want a family, just like yours. Lots of kids."
He chuckled. "Not exactly like mine. I want a little girl. One who looks just like you."
She kissed him softly. "You might regret that wish one day."
He shook his head. "Never. I want her to have your chestnut hair, your bright blue eyes..."
"My impertinent ways and love of four-letter words?" she added, teasingly.
He laughed, rolling over to tuck her beneath his body. His cock was hard and ready for her again. "Especially those two things."
"I love you, cowboy."
He kissed her as he pressed into her body once more. "I love you too, darlin'. Now how about we try again to make that sassy little girl?"
About the Authors
Jayne Rylon and Mari Carr met at a writing conference in June 2009 and instantly became arch-enemies. Two authors couldn't be more opposite. Mari, when free of her librarian-by-day alter ego, enjoys a drink or two or...more. Jayne, allergic to alcohol, lost huge sections her financial-analyst mind to an epic explosion resulting from Mari gloating about her hatred of math. To top it off, they both had works in progress with similar titles and their heroes shared a name. One of them would have to go.
The battle between them for dominance was a bloody, but short one, when they realized they'd be better off combining their forces for good (or smut). With the ink dry on the peace treaty, they emerged as good friends, who have a remarkable amount in common despite their differences, and their writing partnership has flourished. Except for the time Mari attempted to poison Jayne with a bottle of Patron. Accident or retaliation? You decide.
Jayne and Mari can be found troublemaking on their yahoo loop at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Heat\_Wave\_Readers/join
You can follow their book-loving insanity on Twitter or Facebook or send them a personal note at contact@jaynerylon.com or carmichm1@yahoo.com.
Look for these titles by Jayne Rylon
Now Available:
Ménage and More
Nice and Naughty
Three's Company
Dream Machine
Men in Blue
Night is Darkest
Razor's Edge
Powertools
Kate's Crew
Morgan's Surprise
Kayla's Gift
Compass Brothers (with Mari Carr)
Northern Exposure
Coming Soon:
Eastern Ambition
Western Ties
Powertools
Kayla's Gift
Devon's Pair
Look for these titles by Mari Carr
Now Available:
Because of You
Black & White
Erotic Research
Tequila Truth
Learning Curves
Rough Cut
Happy Hour
Power Play
Compass Brothers (with Jayne Rylon)
Northern Exposure
Coming Soon:
Black & White
Slam Dunk
Compass Brothers (with Jayne Rylon)
Eastern Ambition
Western Ties
All roads lead home when that's where you've left your heart.
Northern Exposure
© 2011 Jayne Rylon and Mari Carr
Compass Brothers, Book 1
Silas Compton always had his eye on Lucy, the veterinarian's daughter. He was even content to wait for the girl of his dreams to grow up before getting anywhere near her with his family's double-edged legacy.
Waiting around led to fooling around with his best friend---and an impulsive eruption of desire that Lucy's innocent eyes weren't meant to see. Figuring Compton Pass wasn't big enough for either the three of them or the pain he'd caused, Silas let loose his tightly reined wanderlust and headed for Alaska.
Ten years later, when an oil rig accident sends him home, he braces himself for the reopening of old wounds. Instead he finds himself in the care---and welcoming arms---of Lucy and Colby, whose marriage has plenty of room for the man they both still love. And forgive with all their hearts.
As things start to unravel at Compass Ranch, Silas must dig deep for the strength to assume his rightful place in the Compton family...and lay the foundation for a future with his lovers. If he can forgive himself.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Northern Exposure:
"Colby! JD!"
Lucy didn't give a damn if she spooked every animal on the ranch. The screen door to the main house slammed behind her. She screamed for her husband again as she tore along the porch and crossed the yard, past the freshly painted barn.
Ranch hands stared at the unusual display, several jogging after her to offer assistance. None of them would do.
In the distance, she caught a glimpse of the two men she sought astride gorgeous mounts. When she waved her arms but kept running, they spurred the horses to a gallop. It was silly. She couldn't reach them faster than they could ride back. Still, she didn't bother to stop herself from ducking between the rails of the fence to intercept them a millisecond sooner.
Thank God they hadn't left for the outer pastures yet.
On any other day she might have taken an instant to admire the two powerful men racing side by side---the owner of Compass Ranch and his foreman---as they barreled down on her. Right now, she needed the arms of her husband as she delivered terrible news.
The stuff of a parent's nightmares.
Colby started dismounting before his horse had come to a complete stop. He dropped beside her, cupping her shoulders in his broad hands to peer at her tear-stained face.
"What's the matter, Luce?" His sun-kissed cheeks appeared pale, an impressive feat. "What is it?"
He shook her a bit when the truth strangled her.
JD pried Colby's fingers from her arm then snuggled her into a paternal embrace. In the six years since her dad had suffered a massive heart attack and died while treating a foal in the middle of the night, JD had taken over as her honorary father. After raising four sons and countless ranchers, he got a mite protective over his little girl.
He smoothed her hair, shooting a glare at Colby after inspecting the red marks lingering on the skin bared by her tank top.
"Shit! Sorry." Her husband whipped his hat from his head and slapped it on his thigh. "You're killing me, baby. What's wrong?"
Lucy gulped, reaching for his hand. He cradled it this time, begging her with those sky blue eyes not to say their worst fear aloud. She couldn't give him what he hoped for.
"It's bad." She smothered another sob. "It's Si."
"Oh, Jesus."
"Is he..." Even tough-as-nails JD Compton couldn't finish the thought.
"He's alive, but seriously injured. There was some kind of explosion. He's been in the hospital for three weeks." Regret knotted her guts, making it almost impossible to continue. She drew one ragged breath, then another and another. "Twenty-three days. Suffering. Alone. With no one by his side when the doctors weren't sure he'd pull through."
Relief chased terror across the faces hovering over her. She could relate. Her heart hadn't stopped stuttering since she'd taken the call from a concerned nurse who had the good sense to ignore Silas's idiotic request not to notify his family.
From one caregiver to another, Lucy could understand. Sometimes the patient couldn't determine the best course of treatment. She owed the woman big time.
"The fool broke his femur, three ribs, sustained countless lacerations, contusions and burns. Plus, he had one hell of a concussion. Internal bleeding and the damage to his lungs caused the most concern, though. He's had seven surgeries and they say he'll probably always walk with a limp."
Anger had replaced the initial horror swamping her as the woman in the Anchorage hospital relayed the extensive list of Silas's injuries. How dare he keep his family ignorant when he needed them? She'd had enough of his arrogance. What gave him the right to steal other people's choices?
The girl she'd been might have been bowed beneath his heavy-handed ruling.
The woman she'd grown into certainly would not.
"The oil company is recognizing him as a hero. They say he saved hundreds of lives when their safety equipment failed." She glanced between JD and Colby.
She'd shared the brief phone conversation she'd had with Silas's roommate a couple months ago. She hadn't been able to stand the silence when he'd stopped emailing his brothers for two weeks, cutting off her information pipeline. The guys had tried to reach out to Silas when she pestered them. None of the three had gotten a response.
So she'd broken down and dialed, expecting to hang up on Silas's terse greeting like usual. Instead, the unfamiliar man on the other end of the line had startled her into making a betraying gasp. She'd begged him not to tell Silas she'd called. After he'd agreed, she couldn't help prying, just a little.
Silas had picked up extra shifts. No biggie there. She'd wondered if he had finally moved on when the sweet man on the other end of the line appreciated her genuine concern and expressed curiosity about Silas's history. Lucy had given him enough to help him understand the situation. It had hurt, but she'd hoped Silas could find some measure of happiness. In fact, she hadn't worried when he dropped off the grid this time because she assumed his obvious lover had kept him too busy for correspondence.
The poor man. "Red Covington died in the blast."
JD made the sign of the cross.
Colby swept her into his arms, surrounding her with his gentle warmth and reliable shelter. God, how she loved this man. So much, she accepted that she could lose him when Silas came home.
Tomorrow.
After a decade of exile, Prince Silas would return to his kingdom. Colby might still be under his spell. Denying her own infatuation would be pointless, though she wasn't the one in danger of being captured.
The passionate exchange she'd interrupted between Colby and Silas had fueled her best dreams and worst night terrors for ten long years. Never far from her mind, she remembered it often. How it had boiled her blood and frozen her heart.
The two men she craved wanted each other.
Not her.
Despite her naïve attempts at seduction, both men had kept her at arm's length. Colby had held her hand, kissed her sweetly and melted her heart but neither had shown her the raw lust she'd discovered they were capable of. At least not then. After Silas left, Colby had gradually warmed. She had no complaints about their love life but neither had he shown her that abandonment to raw obsession again.
Only one person had inspired that in him.
"They're sending Silas home. I arranged the flight with the hospital. Judy agreed to take over three of my homecare patients to clear time in my daily schedule. They're releasing him into my care." She cupped Colby's jaw with her trembling fingers. Could he read her understanding? His enduring desire for the other man didn't make her prize him less. No, even more, because he'd remained faithful to her all this time when she couldn't give him everything he needed, no matter how badly she wished she could. "Our care."
"Silas is coming home?" Colby sounded like she felt. Dazed. Excited. Terrified.
"Silas is coming home." JD whooped then hugged them both, a solid arm around each of them. "Things are gonna work out. The way they always should have been. You'll see."
Colby watched his wife jog to the house. She'd left Silas's mom, Victoria, inside. The woman had probably already rung half the state to arrange all they'd need to bring her eldest son home.
Colby distracted himself from worrying about the man he'd called his best friend once by studying Lucy's fine ass in those snug jeans, the curves highlighted by her soft pink shirt and the wild mass of her untamed hair. He adored those fiery curls, especially when they fanned over his chest each night as they fell asleep together.
She issued a watery smile over her shoulder before ducking inside. The quiet desperation thinning her lips made his stomach do flip-flops.
"What the hell are you going to do now, boy?"
"Don't have a fucking clue. Go on as usual, I suppose." Like anything could be normal with Silas at Compass Ranch again.
"Your wife is in love with my son. Has been since she was no higher than my knee."
"You think that's news to me, JD?"
"And what about you? Gonna admit you want Silas too?"
There's only one man she needs to believe in. Him.
If You Believe
© 2009 Crystal Jordan
Unbelievable, Book 1
When it comes to her love life, the name of Aubrey Mathison's coffee shop says it all: "Bean There, Done That". There's only one harmless man in her life right now---the homeless one parked outside the shop. Except the crazy things he says keep coming true.
She has to laugh at "You'll meet your soul mate today", though. Divorce taught her that men as gorgeous as sexy police chief Price Delacroix are not to be trusted. She's totally up for a one-night stand, but more than that? No, thanks.
Price bears his own scars from the past, but he knows instantly that Aubrey is his. How to convince her he wants more than to be her personal jungle gym? Cut her off. That means no more mattress gymnastics---until she starts seeing things his way.
Aubrey is just as determined Price's campaign to wear down her resistance is going to fail, no matter how wickedly determined he is. Until her resident prophet spouts a new prediction: her soul mate's life is in danger...
Enjoy the following excerpt for If You Believe:
Mr. Crazy Man was back. He hummed a little before speaking again. "Dogs are bad luck for you today."
Shit. She hunched her shoulder and spun away. "Thanks."
If she went her normal route home, she'd have to pass by the dog park that made up a corner of the town square. Maybe she would try a different way. Just for the change of scenery. Change was good for the soul, wasn't it? If she went by the dog park, it just seemed like too much self-fulfilling prophecy.
Taking a left off the main path where she usually took a right, she wandered into the older district of town that had great Victorian houses. She'd always loved that style of architecture, but Scott had wanted modern. Now that she lived alone, it just seemed like too much upkeep. And maybe it was because she was afraid it would put her one step away from crazy cat lady to rattle around in a big old house like that. She turned the corner on to her street. She had four blocks left to go.
"Woof." Her blood ran cold at the deep bark that came from behind her. A lot of people walked these streets in the evening. And took their dogs with them.
A kid of about twelve had lost the leash on his Great Dane. The air went whistling out of her in what might have been a high-pitched squeak.
It wasn't that she believed Jericho or anything, but the fire thing had kind of creeped her out. Watching that pony-sized excuse for a dog running at her made her blood run cold. Anyone would freak out. It had nothing to do with Jericho's warning. Nope. Not a thing.
She backpedaled as fast as her legs could carry her just the same. The back of her ankles hit something that yelped and the next thing she knew she was going down hard on the pavement. Her back arched when her tailbone made sharp contact with the ground and all the breath rushed out of her lungs. Curling into a fetal position on her side, she wrapped her arms around her knees and tried remember why she didn't want to die right then.
When she opened her eyes, a pointy little muzzle snapped in her face as a dachshund yapped. Dog breath, blech. She groaned and pushed into a sitting position. A strong arm wrapped around her back to cradle her against a wide chest. Price Delacroix.
"Don't move, Aubrey." His deep voice rumbled, and that was all it took to get her hot and bothered. Her sex dampened at the sound of his rich, deep tones. The way he smelled. The hardness of his muscles against her body. Thank you, Jesus.
"I'm fine." She tried to pretend the breathiness of her voice was just from having the wind knocked out of her. The way her nipples tightened and her muscles softened told her it was a lie.
"You took a hard fall. Stay there." His words were almost harsh, but his touch was gentle when he brushed her hair away from her face. She fought the urge to lean her cheek into his palm. Everything about this man made her react.
Her original assessment that the two of them were destined to burn up the sheets was dead on. She really wanted to try him on for size. She'd bet he fit just fine. "I'm really all right, Chief."
"Price. You'll call me Price." His other arm slid under her bent knees and lifted her as he stood.
She squeaked and clutched his shoulders. His soft T-shirt bunched in her fingers as she held on tight. "Don't drop me."
A wicked grin flashed over his face before he focused on her eyes. Some of her panic must have shown because he cuddled her closer. "Not a chance, sugar."
"Is she all right, Chief Delacroix?" Mrs. Chambers, the biggest gossip in town, reined in her wiener dog and stared at the two of them.
"Oh, she's fine. Ma'am." He dipped his head in a nod, dismissing the older woman while he turned to walk up the driveway in front the big Victorian on the corner. She sighed in envy when she saw it.
She glanced over his shoulder at Mrs. Chambers. An avid gleam entered the older woman's eyes as he mounted the porch. Pitching her voice low, Aubrey had to warn him. "Look, I know you're new in town, but Mrs. Chambers---"
He nudged the front door of his house open, and then kicked it shut behind them. "Will spread it all over town that I carried you into my house? And will probably embellish it by saying that I practically stripped you on the sidewalk and fucked you against the street lamp."
She always got anything she wanted...
Scandalous
© 2010 Karen Erickson
Playing with Fire, Book 3
A teenage crush on her big brother's boyfriend. It was one of the few times in her spoiled-little-sister life that Alexa had to swallow the word "no". She got over it, or she thought she had---until her brother's wedding brings Eric back into her life, as flirty and fun as ever. It never mattered to her that he's gay. Attraction is attraction.
One illicit kiss, and their reconnection blows her mind and rekindles girlish hopes. Then he sets her away from him and runs like hell.
Eric can't believe that a woman's touch arouses him. Not just any woman, but sweet Alexa, and he can't help but want more. Desperate to come clean, he confesses all to his steady boyfriend, Brandon, expecting anger. But Brandon's intrigued. He wants to meet the woman who's tied Eric up in knots. With luck, maybe she'll relight the spark between them.
Alexa may have lost her chance with Eric, but the consolation prize---a fling with him and Brandon, is too tempting to resist. She never expected to love both men, or to secretly yearn to belong to the one who commands her body like no other...
Enjoy the following excerpt for Scandalous:
Alexa went still at Brandon's seemingly innocent words. Well it was his tone that was innocent---his words were anything but.
"Then what would you say if I told you that you could have sex with Eric, but I'm part of the bargain. Would you be interested?"
She accepted their invitation for drinks and ended up getting propositioned within minutes of arriving? What the hell?
And what the hell was wrong with her that she was actually considering it?
"You don't have to answer that," Eric said, reaching across the table to give her hand a gentle squeeze. His expression was full of both understanding and worry, and she wondered if he even knew his boyfriend had been going to mention something like this.
Her gaze drifted back to Brandon and noted the tension in his firm jaw, the rigid line of his impossibly broad shoulders. The guy was a regular Adonis. She bet if she stripped him naked he would be male perfection personified. And his face...no wonder Eric fell for him. It was a thing of pure masculine beauty with the most gorgeous set of lips she'd ever seen on a man.
The thought of those lips wandering over her skin, kissing her mouth, sucking on her nipples, sent a rush of tingles cascading throughout her body.
"I'll answer it," she finally said, once she recovered her voice. "Is that why you guys invited me out tonight? To see if you could get in my pants?"
"Of course not," Eric said at the same time Brandon offered a simple "yes".
The two men glared at each other, and she had the insane urge to giggle uncontrollably.
"I have a tendency to believe Brandon over you, Eric," she said, her voice soft, her breath lodged in her throat as she waited for their reply.
Eric sighed and shook his head. "Fine. It was his idea. He became interested when I told him I kissed you and became...aroused."
A little thrill filled her at the thought that their outrageous kiss had caused the same reaction within Eric as it had for her. "I told you it was intense."
"It was," Eric admitted, his gaze skittering in Brandon's direction.
Brandon didn't seem bothered by his admission in the least. "He's never been interested in a woman before. Not like he's interested in you, Alexa. And that interests me."
She finally couldn't contain it any longer; she laughed. Laughed and laughed even as the server brought over their plate of appetizers. Her hunger was long forgotten as she considered this odd situation she found herself in.
Months of the single life and she'd been okay with it. She hadn't found anyone who interested her and that had been fine. She had her vibrator when the urge for an orgasm came over her. She viewed it as stress relief more than anything.
But now she had not just one but two gorgeous guys interested in her. Two gay guys who...what? Wanted to include her in their kinky sex games? Did they both want to fuck her at the same time? Were they exhibitionists and wanted to fuck each other while she watched?
Her pussy grew wet at the thought. These two gorgeous men, naked bodies entwined, mouths wrapped around each other's cocks. Brandon sinking his cock inside Eric's body and both of them moaning...
Her cheeks flamed, and she took another much-needed drink. "So you want to fuck me."
Eric nearly spit out the potato skin he'd been munching on. "Jesus, Lex."
"I want to get to know you first," Brandon said quietly as he watched her carefully. Damn if she didn't want to squirm. "I think something could---happen if we let it."
"This is weird," she said with a slight shake of her head.
"Don't question it," he said, his deep voice low, rippling along her nerve endings and making the tiny hairs on her arms stand up. "Just go with your gut reaction. What's it telling you to do?"
She studied his face, his hazel eyes, his beautiful, sinful mouth. God, he really was gorgeous. The most gorgeous man she'd ever encountered. And Eric certainly was no slouch. He was beautiful in his own right with the dirty blond hair and sharp masculine features. She knew many of the women and even a few of the men in the building cast envious glances her way---only because she sat at the table with two of the most handsome men in the entire bar.
"My gut's telling me that you're crazy." She paused and let her words sink in, experienced a little thrill when she caught the worried glimmer shining in his eyes. "And that I'm crazy for even considering it."
"You'd consider it?" She heard the shock in Eric's voice, and she laughed again.
"I would. Now tell me how you boys are going to convince me this is the right thing to do?"
"This has nothing to do with right or wrong." Brandon's expression was intense, subdued.

