The Cattle Drive [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic) (11 page)

Feeling his way down her hip to her thigh, Michael slowly once again lifted her leg higher toward his hip, allowing him to move deeper within her. He loved watching her when he rocked closer into her as she arched into him, as if she couldn’t get close enough. Her soft, featherlike moans tickled his ears as he pleasured her, taking her mouth again.

Rachael was in heaven. Her body was flying high as Michael took her to that wondrous place she had so long forgot. The pure intoxicating pleasure of being lost within a man’s touch was quickly coming back to her. She remembered the feel of the erotic touch, the aroma of the heat of the moment, and the sight of pleasure on his face. She was doing this to him. She was taking him on this journey with her, and he loved it.

The soft glide of his cock within her was eliciting the warmth and power that had overcome her. She thought she had lost this part of her, and now it was found. She just felt. The feel of his weight upon her, the feel of his cock within her, and the feel of his kisses and his touch was more than she could have ever hoped for. She was in heaven once again.

The pulsing pounding of his cock began to pick up tempo, and he moved in and out of her pussy. The panting and moans were becoming louder as the pulses of her cunt muscles ignited, sending her careening into another world. Michael’s thrusts became more potent, and with three hard plunges, he emptied his cum as it shot out into her womb.

Lying there breathless, Michael couldn’t believe he had once again taken Rachael. Something had to be done about their close proximity. It was explosive.

“Okay. I will work your ranch,” he said, panting, and then he proceeded to remove himself from her embrace.

Standing naked before her once again, he started getting dressed. Michael was not a shy man, and as she realized that, she saw that he was still fully aroused. Trying very hard to cover the shocked look upon her face, she just shrugged her shoulders. “Well, that was a lot easier than I thought.” Rachael managed to find her clothes, and soon she, too, was dressed. She scooted to the edge of the bed and sat, watching him put his boots on.

Michael looked over and noticed that she was smiling just a little, and it amused him.

“So, answer me this. Did you plan this?” Michael said, standing and buttoning up his jeans. Rachael got up and walked to the door. She turned to him once again with a teasing grin. “I was looking forward to an orgasmic ending, and I got two!” she sweetly said, walking out his bedroom door.

Michael just stood there in shock.
Damn she’s really good.
After getting himself dressed, he headed downstairs to find Rachael with a cup of coffee waiting on him. “Thank you,” he said, taking the cup from her.

Rachael just stood there smiling at him. She had never felt so at home before, like she belonged here with him. It was unnerving. She knew she had to get her emotions under control if this was going to work. Yes, she needed him. She needed his expertise with ranches to get her through this drive.

After several ads in the paper, she still couldn’t find a drover that she could trust. Yes, most of the men who answered were good men, but there was something they all lacked. Michael, on the other hand, had an ample amount of what she was looking for, hardworking, strong, knowledgeable with the workings of a true cattle ranch, and god help her he was a breath of fresh air. He excited her. When he smiled, she lost all sense of reality. That in itself was trouble, but she could control herself.

Or that was what she thought.

* * * *

Michael sat at the table looking at her. He had to admit, she had some major balls. Not any woman would walk into a man’s bedroom, climb into his bed, and seduce him into doing what she wanted.

That took guts.

Thinking of what he needed to do, he couldn’t get the feel of her out of his head. He could not allow her to be a distraction. Would she affect how he went about doing things? He did know that he could not allow her to deal with him alone. Then there was Henry. He couldn’t leave his son alone. This whole mess was getting more complicated by the minute.

Michael was left with no choice. He had to allow Henry to help. He didn’t want to, but he knew he couldn’t stop him if he himself was helping. With his mind made up, he looked at Rachael and quietly said, “I’ll be right back.”

Walking upstairs, he walked down the hall and opened the door to Henry’s room, kicking his son’s bed, waking the sleepy teenager.

“What the hell?” Henry said, sitting straight up in his bed.

“Get up. You wanted to be a ranch hand. Well, you just got your wish. Meet me down stairs in five minutes. Time to go to work,” Michael said before leaving his son’s room.

Michael and Rachael were arguing when Henry came downstairs with his boots in his hand, looking like he was sleep walking.

“You can’t just take over!”

“If I am the drover, I sure as hell can.”

“I never asked you to be the drover.”

“Have you hired one yet?”

“Well, no but…”

“I’ll take the job.”

“Michael, I didn’t offer it to you. You can’t just assume it’s yours.”

“I’m the drover, or I am going back to bed.”

“Damn it, Michael. You can’t do that!” she yelled.

“I just did!” he shouted back. Rachael stood firm facing him, but when he didn’t budge, she huffed and threw her cup against the wall and stormed out of his house.

“You sure know how to sweet-talk the ladies, Dad,” Henry said, yawning.

“Here, drink this. You’re going to need it,” Michael said, handing his son a cup.

“Dad, I don’t drink coffee,” Henry said sleepily.

“You do now. Let’s go,” Michael said angrily, walking out the door.

* * * *

They arrived at Rachael’s to a crew of fifteen men waiting on their boss lady. Michael parked the truck and yelled, “Who’s the foreman?” When Michael saw a man in his late forties saunter toward him, Michael quickly walked over to him, and together the two men walked off toward the barn, stopping only once due to a stunned Kenny.

Kenny turned and looked for Rachael, and when she nodded scornfully, it didn’t take long for the foreman to shout, “Saddle up, boys. We have a herd to move.”

Henry ran toward Kenny and his father, and as they entered the barn, Kenny threw a saddle at Michael and watched him walk toward Jasper. Within minutes, he had the horse saddled and mounted. Henry just stood there in shock.

“What’s the matter, Henry? Saddle that horse, and let’s go,” Michael said firmly.

“Dad, what are you doing?”

“I am going to teach you how to move a herd, so let’s go. The steers are getting hungry,” he said as he quickly rode out of the barn.

* * * *

Over the next month, the ranch was bustling with new hands and lots of things to do. The ranch took on a new life with the upcoming cattle drive. The crew took right away to Michael, following his lead and accepting his orders. Even Henry was amazed at how much his father knew, and he, too, took ranch life quickly like he was born to do nothing else.

Rachael still oversaw the ranch but left the day-to-day running to Michael. At first it caused a lot of arguments, and some of them were explosive, but after several concessions and compromises, they had worked most of the kinks out. She would concentrate on the orders and finding more hands, while Michael was left with the herd.

After a week, she realized that she actually preferred it. Not seeing him was the best thing for everyone concerned. She would sit in her office for days before she would have to face him, but when she did, all the tension between them would erupt the moment they saw each other. By the third week, Michael took to sending Henry to deliver messages. Though the crew thought it was absolutely hilarious, Michael didn’t. He just refused to have to deal with her. She was unreasonable and too damn stubborn. Obviously with not all the kinks worked out, he figured it would be best after the first fight to give her a wide berth. His job was to make sure that she kept her ranch and to see the cattle safely to Montana, not to get involved with a hot-headed, obstinate woman.

Hell would freeze over before he talked to her again.

Rachael had the same sentiments. She would find some ranch hand out and about, and send him off with some command for Michael, only for them return to the ranch, saying, “He said no.” Being told what to do and how to run her ranch was too much. Even after she insisted that he wear the ranch’s walkie-talkies, she still could never get him to answer the darn thing. Communication was a must, and he was making everything too damn hard, trying to avoid her.

She was at her wit’s end.

* * * *

The crew had the herd on the move, and per Michael’s orders, they kept them moving across the valley toward the feeding ground. It took the men the better half of the morning to get the heard rounded up, and once they had them moving toward the feeding ground, Kenny found Michael. One look and Michael knew it was another message from
her
.

“Well. What does the diva want now?”

“She said for you to get your ass up to the house right now or you’re fired.”

Michael just laughed. She may fire him, but he knew by tomorrow he would be back in this saddle and out with the herd. Still laughing, he turned, heading toward the boys to help them move the herd.

“Boss, I wouldn’t ignore this one. She was crying.” Michael stopped his horse and looked at Kenny. He knew by the man’s expression he wasn’t lying.

‘What do you mean crying? Rachael doesn’t cry.”

“I know. I have never seen it myself. But something has upset her.” Michael just sat there, stunned. Then a thought occurred to him.

His father!

“I am going back to the house. Keep Henry out here and make sure he learns. I will be back in an hour.” Michael quickly pulled on the reins, turning Jasper toward the house. He gave the Appaloosa a swift kick and rode fast.

* * * *

Michael was riding the horse hard when he saw the house and slowed the animal to a slow walk. Within minutes, he dismounted the horse and tied it up to the porch. He quickly walked into the house, making his way to her office. He stood at the open door, and he watched her go through the papers on her desk.

She was crying.

Her hands were shaking. She was too immersed in what she was doing to even realize that he had entered the room. He could tell that something had upset her, but he thought it was more frustration than sadness that was plaguing her. As he stood there and watched her, she frantically tried to find something. Thinking he should help, he was about to take a step when she screamed and threw everything on her desk to the ground.

Okay, this little hellion had one nasty temper, he would agree to that, but there was no cause for her to go ballistic. Walking over to her, he gently kissed her forehead. She ignored the affectionate touch and continued her search.

“Rachael, it’s three in the afternoon,” he softly said.

“What did you say?”

“I said it’s three in the afternoon.”

“The herd needs to be moved to Fuller’s Bend.”

She hadn’t even looked at him. She was so caught up in her own little mess she didn’t realize that he stood there smiling at her. Thank God, too. He figured if she did, he wouldn’t have much flesh left after she ripped it from his body. Thinking quickly, he tried to get her mind off of what was bothering her.

“How about I get naked and let you run your hands all over me like you’re doing those papers?”

“What did you say?” she said, still ignoring him. Okay, she was going to be difficult, he thought.

“How about we act out that dream sequence once more. I still owe you that orgasmic ending,” he whispered near her ear.

That did it!

Rachael stopped what she was doing and slowly turned her head to find Michael inches from her face. “The herd needs to go to Fullers Bend,” she said, turning her attention back to the papers on the floor.

“Already done. Why don’t you take a break and go for a ride with me?” he said, putting his hands on her arms and standing her up to face him.

Shrugging off his hands, she replied, “I can’t. I have too much to do.”

“It will keep,” he said firmly, turning her back around to face him.

“I said no!” she yelled at him. Michael grabbed her by the arm and quickly kissed her. She was fighting him hard, but as his tongue entered her mouth, her resistance faded, and soon she had her arms around his neck.

Michael slowly kissed her lips, and as he nibbled at her ear, he whispered to her, “I wasn’t asking you.”

Rachael moved her head away from him and looked at him.

“I can’t,” she barely uttered.

“Yes, you can,” Michael said, giving her one more kiss, and then he quietly left her standing there speechless.

Michael was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her. He had been racking his brain for the last week on whether to tell her the truth or not. He knew he couldn’t just continue on working with her without giving her some warning of what awaited in Montana. That she mortgaged the ranch. If she didn’t fill all these orders, she would be left without anything. He knew if he told her she would be madder than a wet hornet, but his conscience wouldn’t allow him to continue on this charade.