Lady Jane and the Cowboy (5 page)

Chapter Seven

Red had been teased a
lot as a kid, but the sidelong looks and snickers he got from his crew every
time he laid eyes on Jane were something else. He wanted to do a whole lot more
than lay his eyes on her. She was addictive. He was naturally open, honest and
straightforward, and he was acting like a love sick puppy, it had to be obvious
to anyone with eyes.

“So, what’s on the
agenda today, boss?” asked Cory, his knowing gaze flitting from Red to Jane.

Red watched Jane who
was doing her prim little housekeeper routine, and washing dishes with big
oversized rubber gloves on, wearing another one of her soft pretty skirts and
flimsy blouses. He had to admit that her hands were incredibly soft though,
especially when she…

“You just gonna stand
there like a love sick fool all day, or are you going to tell us what you want
done?” Alex snapped crossly. Red knew he’d been pretty taken with Jane too, and
couldn’t quite hide the mile-wide jealous streak he’d developed.

Jane wasn’t wearing
pantyhose today. Red’s blood began pumping faster and he wanted the crew out of
there now.

“You can all go over to
the south pasture and mend fences. Honey will bring your lunch.”

“No picnic today?” Cory
teased, giving Jane a wide gap-toothed grin.

“No, I have other plans
for Jane today,” he admitted. “You’ll have to make do with Honey.”

“Gee, thanks!” Honey
said, sounding both half amused and half annoyed.

One by one the ranch
hands filed out. Alex stomped off first, crashing the kitchen door shut behind
him. Honey took off to do some grocery shopping, leaving the pair alone.

Red turned to Jane the
instant the house had emptied
out,
sliding a hand
around her waist he nuzzled her neck, and surreptitiously slid her skirt up and
over her hips. Then chuckled deep and low in his throat when he realized that
pantyhose
wasn’t
the only item of clothing she’d
skipped today. Her soft round bottom was bare. He unzipped his jeans and nudged
her legs apart, quickly pressing up against her entrance and sliding deeply
inside, she gasped, her hands still encased in the long rubber gloves braced
against the kitchen counter. He’d never see her as prim again.

He was a lost cause,
she got to him in ways no other woman ever had. He’d never been into risky
behavior, and there was a small chance they could be interrupted, but she was
just too much for him to resist. When finally they both sagged up against the
kitchen sink, bodies thrumming in the aftermath, he quickly zipped up, slid her
skirt back into place and allowed her to turn in his arms. Slowly she pulled
off her long rubber gloves and a sudden zing of unrest hit him hard in the gut.
Protection.
He hadn’t used any at all with her, it
hadn’t even occurred to him. His hand shot up to rub his furrowed brow.

“Red?
What’s wrong?” Jane asked, concerned at his sudden odd change in behavior.

“Jane, I’m sorry! I
never even thought about it, I was so taken with…well, with you,” he half
laughed and groaned in dismay. “We didn’t use protection. Please tell me
you’re…on the pill?”

“Red, did you read any
part of my profile?” she asked, standing back crossing her arms and watching
him.

He shook his head,
“Honey set up the whole thing, I didn’t think she was even serious,” he
admitted. “She kind of sprung everything on me at the last minute. She worries
about me being alone after she gets married in a few weeks and… so Jane, please
tell me, should I be worried? Am I looking at a potential future fiancée here, or
a possible mom-to-be?”

“You’re safe, Red. I’m
kind of flattered that I made you lose control though. But…I doubt either one
of us is ready to bring a baby into this.”

Jane smoothed her skirt
a little, and Red, breathing a giant sigh of relief, watched her motions and
his body reacted, knowing exactly what was under there and how exposed and
ready she could be.

Relieved that there was
nothing to worry about, and vowing to take the time to actually read Jane’s
folder later. He tossed all his cares aside, lifted Jane into his arms and
strode up the stairs to his room.

***

Later that evening, Red
leaned back against the pillows on his large four poster bed and finally began
leafing through the folder the agency had sent him on Jane. The pictures were
adorable. He had both the printed and computer versions, but he wanted to sit
in his room undisturbed and read quietly while Jane and Honey were both out
doing some shopping. Jane was starting to fit in quite well here, he didn’t
know how this would end, but at the very least he had a sexy cheerful
housekeeper for the next year. His conversation with Jane earlier in the day
rang in his ears, and the sudden fear that hadn’t even truly been fear, but
more a realization that Jane could have become pregnant, had hit him hard in
the gut. Not so hard though, that after her reassurances, he wasn’t able to
carry her upstairs almost at a run and ride her hard right here on the edge of
his own bed! It was just the right height for him to lay her down and
toss up
her skirt and plunge deeply inside her warm
welcoming depths. And to watch the slide of his own hard flesh against hers
from his higher vantage point as he’d spread her thighs wide. Then when he’d
touched her in just the right spot between her petal soft folds, he’d watched
her come for him…her pale cheeks flushed, lips parted, head tossed back…he
groaned, he was getting hard—and distracted. He really needed to read the
damned file. But hearing Jane return, he tossed it aside once more and went to
find her.

***

Jane was amused, when
only seconds after her
return,
Red opened her bedroom
door and approached, his intent clear, his expression eager.

“Slow down, Cowboy,”
she said, and laid a restraining hand on his massive chest the instant the door
to her room closed behind him. They’d made love twice today already, but he had
a voracious appetite, one that suited her just fine, but right now she wanted
her own way. “This time we’re doing it my way.”

It was obvious that Red
was not used to allowing a woman to take over, he was bullish in his enthusiasm
at times, yet tender too. She needed to show him exactly what he was missing. A
long slow lovemaking session was in order. She traced her fingertips over his
hard chest feeling his heartbeat escalating beneath her
touch,
looking up into his deep penetrating gaze she saw both humor and desire.
He quirked a brow.

“Can you go for that?”
she asked softly, her lips only inches from his.

“Yeah, I can go for
that.”

Jane advanced on him,
and very slowly undressed him. Taking her own sweet time, and every time he
made to lift her in his arms, wanting to carry her to the bed, she shook her
head. “Down, Cowboy!” she’d said it half a dozen times and made him half laugh
and moan at the same time, as she knelt down, kissing her way along his thighs
past his thrusting erection and then back up to finally take possession of him
with what he’d playfully assured her was a very talented mouth. When she’d
eventually allowed him to move he’d taken over and made her scream, loud and
clear, proving that she wasn’t the only one with a talented mouth. Thankfully
they were alone in the house.

Later that night when
Jane was sound asleep, Red slid from the bed and into his own room. Switching
on his bedside lamp he retrieved the folder he’d been too horny to read
earlier. And finally attempted to give it his full attention, but three
lovemaking sessions with Jane had depleted his energy and left him relaxed and
lethargic, he slid it into the drawer of his night stand and dozed.

Chapter Eight

“Jane…” Red groaned in
frustration after his umpteenth try at fastening the ridiculous little black
bow tie, why they couldn’t have used clip on ties he honestly didn’t know.

It was Honey’s wedding
day and he was giving her away. She’d asked Jane to be one of her bridesmaids.
The whole town would be there. He smiled down at Jane as she hurried over to
tie his bowtie with her small efficient hands. He couldn’t resist, he kissed
her, inhaling her familiar fragrance,
he
adored
everything about her. She’d been here for almost a month and she was everything
he could possibly want, kind and sweet, helpful to everyone on the ranch, and
fortunately for him, both sensual and adventurous in the bedroom with an
appetite to match his own. Whenever he started to get a little too rushed in
his haste to be inside her, she would slow him down with her gentle caresses
and then ride him hard after she’d practically worked him into a complete
frenzy. Their climaxes were always earth shattering. Just thinking about her
lovemaking now had him harder than a rock.

“Red, we have to go
soon!” she gasped when his kisses became more insistent.

He groaned. “Jane just
being in the same room with you makes me…”

Honey tapped on the
door. “You ready, Jane?”

“She’ll be there in
five minutes,” Red answered for her as he turned the key and advanced on Jane.

“Five minutes?” Jane
teased.

“Hey, I can work
quickly when I need to,” he chuckled against her lips.

“Our wedding
outfits...” Jane laughed.

“Easy fix.” He slid the
gown quickly from her shoulders until it pooled at her feet.

***

After what they had
shared only a short time earlier, Red knew he should be feeling something other
than the sensual aftermath of loving Jane. But he was befuddled as he watched
Honey and Tony celebrate their wedding. He was happy for them, but now that
he’d leaped in head first with Jane, he knew he ought to be able to make up his
mind about marriage with
her,
it was a part of the
whole bargain. She’d given herself to him wholeheartedly, but marriage was
something he took as serious as a heart attack. And even though he was
admittedly somewhat crazy about her, he realized he still didn’t know that much
about the petite little English woman who was sharing his home and his bed,
other than she was sweet natured and apparently really liked sex. But would
that be enough for a lifetime commitment? The folder still lay unread in the
drawer of his nightstand. He shrugged off his deep thoughts and refocused once
again on the moment, and Honey’s special day. Tonight, he planned to do a
little reading. It was time he got to know the real Jane Sinclair on more than
a physical level.

When Red returned home
that night with Jane, there was something about the sudden emptiness of the
house that got to him after the months of Honey’s wedding preparations and
excited chatter.
A certain
finality. Even though all
had gone incredibly well with the wedding, Honey was permanently gone. Oh,
she’d be here on and off, but she belonged to Tony now, he was her priority and
Jane should be, or could be, his.

He wanted it all, was
that too much to ask? The easy going friendship he’d shared with his cousin,
the sensuality he shared with Jane, the warm homey atmosphere of a family life.
Could he have that all wrapped up in one person? He needed to stop putting it
off and figure out exactly who Jane Sinclair was, before he got in any deeper.
He was beginning to feel like his heart might be getting involved here. But
what if she saw this as a just fun way to spend a year in America? She
continually teased him, calling him ‘Cowboy’ as though she got a kick out of
saying the word. Everything was still new, a novelty to her. And when the
novelty wore off, would she go home? Would he be left standing here wearing his
heart on his sleeve, with an empty house and an empty bed, both lonely and
horny?

Red kissed Jane
goodnight. She seemed surprised, but didn’t argue when he said he had some
paperwork to take care of. She went to her room to soak in a relaxing bath. It
had been a long day for everyone.

Red sat down on the
bed, wearing the remnants of his once crisp tuxedo, now wrinkled from a full
day of celebrating with family, friends and neighbors. As the day had
progressed, his thoughts of a future with Jane had grown stronger and deeper.
He was physically exhausted and his emotions were tied in a knot. But he
couldn’t put off reading her profile any longer. He tossed the jacket aside,
removed the tie and cumber bund, rolled up his sleeves and leaning against the
old solid oak headboard he finally began to read.

Lady Jane Sinclair.
Aged twenty eight…wait a minute.
Lady
Jane Sinclair? She really was an English aristocrat? A sudden tightness began
in his chest and only grew as he read on.

Raised in Yorkshire at
Sinclair Manor, a sixteenth century manor house on the edge of the Yorkshire
moors. She’d gone to a prestigious English boarding school, and Cambridge. Oh
crap! He was just an episode in this woman’s life wasn’t he? A brief interlude,
sex and fun with an American cowboy, or something like that, before she returned
home to get on with her real life. But wait, her home was being lost to the
government, due to those crazy English taxes he’d heard about somewhere. Huge
taxes that had robbed many English aristocrats of their ancestral homes and
drove many celebrities overseas, was that why she was here? He remembered her
thrilled reaction to the antique dining table, she was used to history and
antiques…she’d grown up with them. He rose and walked over to switch on his
computer, his boots felt filled with lead, and he realized, he’d not only come
to care for her, he’d fallen for her. Hook line and sinker. And he would never
be able to keep her. He was even more certain of it when he saw the colorful
website of Sinclair Manor. The disparity between her lifestyle and his, hit him
like a punch in the gut.