Branded for You (21 page)

“Then I’ll slide into bed and cuddle you,” he said with a smile.

He was so sweet that she had to smile back at him. “Cuddling sounds good.”

The thirty-minute drive to his ranch went by quickly as they talked about the success of the evening. The truck vibrated over the cattle guard as they went through the gates and then he pulled the truck up to the house. As tired as Megan was, it was nice to have him come around the truck and help her climb out.

Ossie greeted them, bounding around and running back and forth from Megan and Ryan to the house and back, as if welcoming them and telling them it was time to go in.

Megan’s feet felt heavy as they climbed up the steps to the front door and she leaned on his shoulder.

“Bath,” she said as soon as they walked in and she kicked off her low heels. “I desperately need that bath.”

He smiled. “And a bath you are going to get.”

Ossie looked up hopefully, as if she wanted to accompany them and climb into the tub, too.

“Not you, girl.” Ryan grinned and ruffled the hair on Ossie’s head. “Stay here.”

Ossie lowered herself to the floor and put her head on her paws as she looked up at them with her big blue eyes.

Ryan took Megan by her hand and led her into the master bedroom where he removed his boots and socks.

In the master bath he had a tub big enough for two. He started the water, running it until it was warm before he began to fill up the tub. She took her orange blossom-scented bubble bath from her duffel and poured a goodly amount into the water. Immediately, mounds of bubbles started growing in the tub.

While the tub filled, he took her by the shoulders, turned her around, and slowly unzipped her dress. He let it slide from her shoulders, over her breasts, and along her hips until it slipped to the floor.

With her back still to him, he kissed her nape as he unfastened her bra and let it fall on top of the dress.

“I love you just like this.” He pressed his body against her almost naked form as he ran his hands along her shoulders and down her arms and up again. His clothing felt rough brushing her back, his cock rigid against her ass. Despite her exhaustion, she found desire stirring inside her.

“No fair.” She gave a soft moan. “You aren’t supposed to seduce me.”

“Mmmm…” He kissed one side of her neck and moved his lips behind her ear. She shivered as he moved his mouth to the other ear, his breath warm on her skin. He took the clip out of her hair and let the mass swing down to her shoulders.

“I love your body,” he murmured as he slipped his fingers into the waistband of her panties. “I love to see you and touch you.”

He lowered himself on one knee and then pushed her panties down to her ankles. She stepped out of them and he eased to his feet again, moving his hands along her calves to her thighs and lingering on her ass and hips. His palms were warm wherever he touched her yet she shivered as if cold.

Desire swirled inside her. It was so much more than want and need… like she had to have him more than anything she’d ever needed before in her life. She ached between her thighs and her heart beat faster.

Her belly fluttered as his fingertips trailed along her waist to the sides of her breasts. He lightly skimmed his fingers over her breasts then palmed them both as he pressed himself against her.

She swallowed as she looked at the steam rising from the tub. “The water. It’s getting pretty high.”

He gave a low laugh then leaned down to turn off the water before returning to his position behind Megan.

His body felt warm against hers and she looked over her shoulder. Her voice was husky as she said, “Take off your clothes.”

She turned to face him as he reached for the top button of his western shirt. Impatiently, she moved his hands away and unbuttoned it for him, letting her fingers brush against the hard muscles beneath. She kissed his throat, his masculine scent inviting her to run her tongue over each of his flat male nipples. She pushed his shirt over his shoulders and down his arms and they let it fall onto her dress.

He sucked in his breath as she licked a path from his chest, down his abs to the waistband of his jeans. She knelt and undid his belt buckle then unbuttoned his jeans. She drew down the zipper, exposing his boxer briefs.

She pushed his jeans over his hips and down until he kicked them aside. His underwear outlined his erection and she skimmed her fingers along the hard ridge. She slid her fingers into the waistband and pulled at the cloth, drawing it to the floor before she tossed them somewhere in the bathroom when he stepped out of them.

The skin of his cock was so soft over the steel of his erection and she breathed in his masculine scent. She darted her tongue out and tasted the bead of semen on the head and he sucked in his breath.

“I promised you a bath.” He grasped her shoulders and drew her to her feet. “And that’s what I’m going to give you before all of these bubbles are gone.”

She smiled and he leaned down and kissed her, a soft delicious kiss that somehow renewed her. He helped her into the tub and she sank into the water and slid beneath the bubbles and gave a soft moan of pleasure. She closed her eyes and smiled as the exquisite feeling of a warm bath relaxed her.

Water splashed over the side and onto the tile as Ryan joined her. She opened one eye and saw his smile as he sat on the opposite side of the tub and put his legs to either side of hers. The faucet was on the side of the tub between them, so it wasn’t in the way. They could both relax and enjoy the wonderful warm water.

He crooked his finger. “Come here.”

She raised her eyebrows, but when he motioned to her again she obeyed, scooting closer to him, bubbles clinging to her body.

“Turn around and sit between my thighs,” he said.

“What do you have in mind?” she asked him.

He raised a wet hand and pushed hair behind her ear, leaving a wet trail along her jaw. “Just turn around.”

She did as he said and he adjusted her so that she was a few inches away from him. Then he picked up a cup that was on one corner of the tub beside a bottle of shampoo. He scooped up a cupful of water from the tub then poured the warm water over her hair.

The water felt good as it rushed over her scalp. He poured two more cups of water over her head until her hair was soaked. He poured an apple-scented shampoo into his palm and began working it into a lather in her hair.

She sighed as she relaxed into the feel of him massaging her scalp. When he was finished, he ran clean water from the faucet and let the warmth flow down her head, rinsing the shampoo away. The bubbles ran in rivulets over her breasts and into the bathwater.

After he’d washed away all of the shampoo, he picked up a washcloth from the counter beside the tub and wet it before pouring bath gel onto the cloth. He began by soaping her neck, moving the cloth over her shoulders and down her back.

He had her lean back into him so that she was resting her back against his chest and he could lean over her. He soaped her breasts and paused to play with her soap-slicked nipples, causing her to gasp with pleasure.

When he finished with her front, he adjusted her so that he could wash her legs and her tired feet as well.

As he took gentle care of her, she thought about what an incredible man he was. She loved everything about him and couldn’t help but want more of him every time they were together. His strong arms around her and the feel of his wet skin against hers as he soaped her body was heavenly.

“I feel so relaxed.” She sighed. “I don’t know if I can move again.”

“The water is getting cool. Besides, I have plans for you.” He moved aside her wet hair and kissed her ear. “Let’s get you out of this tub.”

“Do I have to get out? It feels great.” She groaned, but good-naturedly.

“Yep.” He moved her gently so that he could climb out of the tub. He took her hand and helped her step onto the rug beside the tub. The bathroom was no longer steamy since the water had cooled.

He grabbed a thick towel and rubbed her with it, drying her soft skin. He toweled her hair then ran a comb through the strands. After he had dried himself off, he led her out of the bathroom to his bedroom.

Despite the exhaustion of the day, and the continued aches in her body, she felt desire continue to move within her. When they reached the bed, she faced him and linked her arms around his neck. He settled his hands on her waist and looked at her for a long moment before kissing her softly.

“Lie on the middle of the bed on your belly.” He ran his finger along her lower lip. “I have something planned for you.”

She remembered when he’d had her get on her hands and knees on the bunk in the camper and a thrill went through her. She wondered if he had anything like that in mind.

“Go on. Lie down.” He gently directed her to the bed where he pulled away the comforter and the sheet. “I’ll be right back.”

She settled herself on her belly, resting her head on her folded arms, her face turned to the side. She watched him return with a bottle of lotion.

He sat on the edge of the bed and squirted lotion onto his palm then set the bottle aside and spread the cool substance across her back and her shoulders. The lotion had a light pleasant scent. His callused fingers were warm as he started to massage her shoulders.

His firm touch sent ripples of pleasure through her. His massage was deep and sensual as he worked out the kinks and knots in her neck and back.

She found herself lulled into a state where she felt like she was floating on fluffy clouds high above. She drifted in and out of consciousness, relaxing completely into his touch.

When he stopped his massage, she sighed and didn’t think she’d be able to move again. He switched off the light and slid into bed beside her before taking her in his arms and holding her close to his warm body.

Despite the rigidity of his erection against her, all he did was hold her as she drifted off into a deep sleep.

Chapter 24

Ryan woke before Megan did and left to take care of chores. He thought of her warm body in his bed and he got his work done in record time.

When he returned to the house he slid into bed beside her. Her lips were soft as he gently kissed her awake. When she smiled at him he slipped inside her and they greeted the morning with a passion that had him on fire.

After breakfast, he drove Megan back to Prescott so that she could help her mother and sister prepare for another day at the restaurant. Ryan figured he’d volunteer to do what he could. If tonight was anything like yesterday, they would need all of the help they could get.

When they reached the restaurant, Ryan parked and he and Megan walked through the back door and into the kitchen.

Tess looked frantic and Margaret was in near hysterics.

Margaret wrung her hands, her voice high. “How could this have happened?”

Tess hurried to Megan. “Thank God you’re here.”

Concern was written on Megan’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“We’ve been getting calls all morning.” Tess looked close to tears. “People are claiming they have food poisoning. All of the people who got sick ate the chicken parmesan.”

Ryan frowned. He’d eaten a cowboy steak rather than the chicken.

Megan’s jaw dropped. “Food poisoning?”

Tess nodded. “Nine calls already and we had at least twenty people order that dish.”

“We’re always so careful.” Margaret’s eyes were rimmed with red. “We use only the best and freshest meats. The chicken was delivered the day before yesterday. We took some of it home the night before the grand reopening, and had it for dinner, and none of us got sick. The chicken here at the restaurant was kept refrigerated and the refrigerator registers 36 degrees. It didn’t sit out at all.” She shook her head. “It makes no sense.”

“What about the company you bought it from?” Megan asked.

Tess shook her head. “They haven’t had one complaint yet.”

Ryan stood beside Megan, his expression grim. “You’re right. This doesn’t make sense.”

“We sanitize everything.” Margaret looked panicked. “It’s the first thing we train our employees to do. I went through it immediately with Julian when he started with us yesterday.”

“Julian Taylor.” Ryan turned the man’s name over in his mind. He’d been at the poker game. He’d been fairly quiet, but he’d been friendly enough with Meyer.

“Yes,” Tess said. “Do you know him?”

Ryan nodded. “I met him last week at a poker game. I don’t know much about the man. He keeps to himself.”

“He does,” Tess said. “You don’t suppose he didn’t keep his cooking utensils and cutlery clean…”

“I made sure everything was done correctly,” Margaret said. “I’m positive that everything was absolutely as clean as could possibly be.”

“Mom is obsessed with cleanliness,” Tess said. “There’s no way it could have been the utensils.”

The kitchen phone rang and everyone looked at it.

“I’ll get it.” Tess had a look of trepidation as she went to answer the phone. She answered, “Hummingbird Café,” in a voice that sounded positive and perky, at complete odds with the concern on her features.

She listened then said, “You have my apologies and we will give you a coupon for two free dinners.” Her features grew more distressed as she held the phone to her ear. “I understand,” she finally said. “Again, you have our apologies.”

When she’d put the receiver back on its cradle, she turned to the others. “That was another customer and his wife, and both had the chicken. They’ve filed a complaint with the Health Department.”

“What do we do?” Margaret continued wringing her hands. “This will spread through town like wildfire.”

Ryan turned it over and over in his mind. Something wasn’t right here, something that nagged at him.

A knock came at the back door and Tess opened it. Her face paled as she saw a balding man and a tall woman, both with clipboards.

“I’m Inspector Reginald McDonald with the Health Department.” He indicated the woman next to him. “This is Inspector Janice Canton. We’ve received multiple reports about food poisoning from food served by your restaurant. We’d like to come in.”