Authors: Anita Philmar
She shook her
head and grumbled at all the hoopla, “Why do we have to go through all this?”
A low bawling
sounded nearby.
Searching
through a thicket of sagebrush, she caught sight of the calf. The white-faced
newborn raised its head and peered at her with its big brown eyes. Drawing in a
dry dusty breath, she checked the horizon again. The dark, red cloud lying low
over the land crept closer.
Need sparked
through her blood at the strength of the storm. Wild and fierce, Trent’s gaze
the other day had the same hunger. Oh but, he could ignite her passion whenever
she allowed herself to think about him. If her brother hadn’t interrupted, what
would he have done? Lifted her dress and tore off her petticoats so he could
sink his thick cock into her pussy?
A drop of
moisture seeped onto the crotch of the pants she’d borrowed from her brother.
She longed to ask Trent, but between his family and hers, they hadn’t had more
than ten minutes alone in over a week. Why couldn’t everyone just leave them
alone? She still needed to question Trent about the real reason for his
proposal. To know if he loved her or just wanted her father’s ranch.
If only her
father had kept his mouth shut?
Irritated by
the interference, she swung out of her saddle, drew the reins through a nearby
bush, and collected her rifle. “We’d better get out of here before that storm
hits. First, little fellow, if you’ll just stand up and walk on over here, it’d
make this a lot easier on both of us.” She glanced around and stepped closer,
but the calf didn’t budge.
Less than a
few days old, the calf probably decided to ride out the approaching dust storm
in the brush. “Too bad your mother deserted you or she might have offered some
help.” Catherine lowered her voice. “But it’s not a problem. Trent’s hunting
cabin is not very far from here, and he won’t mind if we use it.”
Squatting on
her haunches, she carefully studied the calf. “Now you need to come out. I don’t
want to have to come in there and get you?”
“Best leave
him where he is.”
The male
voice, so close behind her, spooked Catherine. She spun around, landing on her
butt, her rifle aimed at the intruder. “What the—”
Trent grabbed
the end of her gun and jerked it out of her hands. “I ought to tan your hide.
Can’t you see there’s a dust storm blowing in?”
His
unexpected appearance lit her passion, but his harsh tone ignited her anger.
She scrambled to her feet and yelled over the howl of the wind, “I was hoping
to get this calf in before the storm hit.”
The dark
glint in his eyes would have sparked fear in most men, but she refused to bow
under his scrutiny. She straightened her shoulders and stood her ground. His
gaze dropped to her off-white cotton shirt and on to her black pants. “Why are
you dressed like a man?”
“What
difference does it make?” She stepped forward and tugged her rifle from him, no
longer caring what happened to the silly calf. She put away her weapon,
gathered the reins, then swung into her saddle. “Do what you want, but I’m
headed out of here.”
She kicked
her heels into her horse’s flanks, urging him into a gallop. She glanced over
her shoulder to see if he was following. Grit hit her face and fear bloomed in
her chest. Less than five hundred feet away, a dust cloud obliterated the
landscape. She blinked to clear her vision and caught a glimpse of Trent, but
the unrelenting wind slashed across her face and blinded her.
Stunned by
the swift moving storm, she slid sideways in her saddle from her horse’s uneven
gait. She gripped the reins tighter and turned toward Trent’s hunting cabin
ahead.
Not too much
farther.
She glanced
over her shoulder again, expecting, hoping to see Trent. Terror instantly
drenched her body in a cold sweat. The light from the sun dimmed, falling into
a twilight haze in the middle of the afternoon. A fine powder coated her
throat, and muffled her call to Trent
No answer.
But with the roar of the wind, he probably couldn’t hear her.
Too afraid to
slow down and praying he was still behind her, Catherine raced toward the
cabin. Her attention swung between the log house on the horizon and the cloud
of dust on her heels. Dust storms were deadly.
Dread crawled
down her spine. She tugged on the reins and her horse slowed to a trot. “Trent
is used to this type of weather and he wouldn’t want me to wait, but…”
She turned,
and the wall of dirt shriveled her courage to the size of a prune. The full
weight of what could happen to Trent pressed down on her shoulders, and she
slumped over the saddle horn. “He can’t die.”
Her horse
stopped in front of the cabin.
Catherine
slid from the saddle. Her knees wobbled under her weight, and she held on to
the saddle horn to stay erect. She scanned the path she’d just followed.
Nothing moved in the limited range of her sight.
He was okay.
He had to be. All her dreams for the future, for the ranch…they meant nothing
if Trent wasn’t with her to share them.
She drew the
reins over her horse’s head, holding tight so he wouldn’t bolt, and wrapped the
thin leather around the post.
“Okay, boy,
we’ll give him a few minutes. Then…” Catherine sank against the rough log wall.
She buried her head in her hands. “God, please don’t let anything happen to
him.”
****
The hazy view
ahead revealed only a horse near the cabin. Trent blinked and searched the area
again. Panic bubbled through his gut. He kicked his horse and rocked in his
saddle with the increased pace. The calf in his arm bellowed.
“Catherine,”
Trent yelled, but the wind muffled his voice.
A figure
stepped from behind the horse, and relief swam through him. He flexed his
shoulder to ease the tension and led his horse to a stop beside hers. “Get
inside,” he barked and swung from his saddle with the calf in his arms. “I’ll
take care of the horses.”
He rushed
around the corner of the cabin and entered the small lean-to position next to
the side wall. He dumped the calf in center of the shed and started for the
door. It opened before he could reach it.
“Catherine,
what the hell are you doing?” He grabbed the reins for both horses from her and
led them inside.
Furious with
her for not obeying his order to get out of the storm and strung out from fear
for her safety, he grabbed her arm and half carried her toward the cabin. Once
inside, he slammed the door and pulled her around to face him. He saw the
tracks of tears on her dirty face just before she flung her arms around his
waist.
“My god,
Trent, what took you so long?”
He wrapped
his arms around her. On the trail to the cabin, he’d imagined all sorts of
horrible things happening to her, afraid she would veer off the path and get
lost. She must have experienced the same hell. The tight bands around his heart
loosened as she trembled and tightened her hold.
“Catherine,
I…” A knot formed in his throat. He closed his eyes and squeezed her tighter.
The possibility of losing her had plagued him for the last hour. He’d stopped
by the Turnberry’s ranch to warn them about the storm and had found her gone.
What had possessed her to venture out into this weather? Why risk her life for
a silly calf? The woman should have been held up in the house, safe and sound.
He grabbed
her shoulders and looked into her frightened face. Damn it, she should be
scared. She could have died. “Don’t ever pull a stunt like this again.” He
shook her to drive home the point. “Understand?”
Anger flared
in her eyes. She flung her forearms up and dislodged his grip on her shoulders.
“Don’t tell me what to do. I’m not some silly city girl. I have a ranch to run,
which, by the way, you knew about before you asked me to marry you.”
Tears again
streamed down her face. She shuffled sideways to break free, but he blocked her
escape and pinned her against the door. He leaned close, so close her breasts
brushed his chest. Desire sizzled with anger and heated his blood. How could
she not know how much he cared about her? Ranch or not, he couldn’t live
without her.
“You know as
well as I do that’s not the reason I want to marry you,” he ground between his
teeth. “And as your huband, it’s my responsibility to keep you safe.”
A silent
battle sparked between them as the constant pinging of debris against the cabin
filled the quiet room. The walls groaned from the abuse.
Trent absorbed
her beauty, her strength, her determination. Here, she’d put him through hell,
and she still refused to back down. Most women would be quivering under his
glare and the threat of the storm, but his woman had grit. She understood the
rough life of living on a ranch in Texas. If things got tough, she wouldn’t
desert him. His doubts eased, and he softened his grip on her shoulders.
She dropped
her gaze, and a different emotion crossed her face—fear? Maybe regret? She bit
her lip, and lust streaked to his groin. Her hands drifted to his chest, and
she whispered, “I’m sorry, Trent. I didn’t mean to scare you. I forgot how
quickly a dust storm could blow in.”
Her apology
pleased him, showing him she understood his concern and wasn’t above reason. He
shifted, and the rough texture of her shirt scrapped his palm. “Where did you
get these clothes?”
“They’re Joel’s.”
“Then you
shouldn’t be wearing them.” Trent tugged her shirt from the pants and lifted it
over her head.
“I can take
them off if you like,” she whispered in a seductive voice as he tossed the
shirt onto the table beside them.
“Oh, no, I
don’t want a slow strip-tease. I want them out of my way.” He dropped to one
knee and tugged off her boots. He made quick work of the closure on the
breeches and ripped them from her body in one sweep. “Now.”
He crowded
closer, pressing her against the door. The fragrant scent of her sex flowed
around him and increased the impression that all was right in his world. He’d
been an idiot to doubt her ability to be his wife. She was perfect—now—in the
future—and for the rest of their lives.
“Trent…” She
gripped his head.
The desire to
taste her drew him to her silken pussy.
One lick.
He ran his tongue
along her wet folds and his taste buds watered.
“No, I…”
Another
stroke and he found the moist center. Hot. That was the only word to describe
her.
Her fingers
dug through his hair, and she shifted her feet wider apart.
He circled
her clit with the tip of his tongue.
“Please,
Trent.” Her heavy breathing competed with the wind outside.
Trent closed
his lips around the delicate nub and tugged lightly. A scream erupted from her
throat and spasms pulsed against his mouth. Cream spilled onto his tongue, and
he lapped up the rich treat until her orgasm ebbed.
The hands in
his hair slid to his jaw, and she drew him from his knees. “Why don’t we get
you undressed now?”
Ah, fuck, he wouldn’t
last long enough for her to take her time undressing him. Not with his fingers
roaming her plush ass, and his rock-hard erection separated from the curly hair
covering her mound by only a thin layer of fabric. He had to claim her as his.
“God,
Catherine…” He captured her mouth and drove his tongue deep, mimicking the
action of his cock driving into her cunt. Wild little cries escaped from her,
confirming her reawakening need for him.
He squeezed
her ass and drew her onto her toes. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around
his waist. Moist heat seeped through his pants and greeted his groin. He tore
his mouth from hers and lowered his head to suck her nipple into his mouth. The
rough texture of his pants rubbed against his cock as he ground his hips
against her wet center.
A cry sprang
from her mouth. She squirmed and once more wove her hands into his hair. “Please,
Trent, I need you.”
“Just a sec,”
he grumbled and used his weight to hold her against the wall as he unbuckled
his belt and unbuttoned his pants.
Her arms
locked around his neck and her legs around his waist while the material on his
hips slid lower. His cock sprang free, and he palmed his shaft to guide the
swollen tip into her heat. A quick thrust and he sank deep into her heavenly
body.
“Trent!” She
arched her back.
“Oh, but I
love that you’re a screamer.” He grabbed her ass and pumped deeper. Every fiber
of his being shouted for relief. He rocked his hips and set a frantic pace that
rivaled a galloping stallion.
“Yes,” she
moaned, and a soft blush colored her skin.
Trent pounded
in and out. Perspiration trickled down his spine and their combined scent
intensified his lust. He shifted one hand between their bodies and found her
clit.
With a
screech, she threw her head back against the door. The walls of her pussy
clenched his cock and slammed him to the end of his endurance. He drove deep,
buried to the hilt. His cum spewed into her, branding her as his. As the last
pulse of his release died away, a smile split his lips at the possibility of
his baby growing inside her. He laid his chin on top of her head and worked to
catch his breath.