Read The Rancher's Untamed Heart Online
Authors: Nicole Jordan
The Rancher's Untamed Heart (7 page)
He very deliberately slid his hand out from under mine and away from my shoulder, and I thought all was lost, until he took both of his hands and cupped my face in his calloused palms. He was such a large man, I felt tiny and delicate in his grasp, feeling his fingers sliding through my hair.
He tilted my face up towards his, gently, but inexorably. I rocked forward onto my toes, ever so slightly, so that I was leaning up and towards his body.
Leaning down, he kissed me. Softly. Deliberately. His lips spread over mine, and one of his hands slid around to the back of my head and held me there, trapped against his mouth, as he eased his lips over mine, deepening this kiss until she gasp and my lips parted.
Instantly, he took advantage of this and he thrust his hot tongue between my lips, sweeping across my own and making me groan into my mouth. Just when I thought I could no longer stand the passion with which he embraced me and ravaged my mouth, he pulled away from me entirely. Without him to hold me up, I sagged, dazed, and blinked up at him.
"I want you," he said. His deep voice was starting to get hoarse. "Do you want me?"
It was a simple question, but I didn't know how to respond. I wanted him, for sure. I wanted him so badly that I could hardly breathe, but when I tried to say so, my throat froze up. Finally, after a moment that was an eternity, I reached out and, as I'd wanted to do since the moment I'd first seen this gorgeous man, I put my hand against his chest. I said nothing, just felt his collarbone under my palm. I let my hand rest there for a moment, feeling the heat of his body, before I answered.
"More than anything," I said.
He was still looking down at me.
"Can you wait long enough to get into the house?" he asked.
I shook my head and reached up to unbutton the top button of his shirt.
Suddenly, the door to the outside opened and we both froze.
"Clint?" a man called from the other end.
"I'll be right there, just showing the inspector around," Clint called back.
Carefully, silently, I pulled my hands away from the man's shirt. He slipped his broad palms off my shoulders and turned away. I was gratified to notice that he squirmed with the first few steps he took, apparently adjusting himself in his jeans. Apparently the heat and fire that were running across my skin were affecting him as well.
I took a moment to get myself together, running my hands through my hair and putting it back up in a simple ponytail. Like the gorgeous man I was watching walk away, I shook myself, trying to rid myself of the arousal and need that had been building in me all afternoon.
Watching him walk away was a treat. He was tall, at least six feet four, with broad shoulders and a trim waist, and long, long legs. I loved to watch his jeans stretch over his muscular thighs with each step, but the best part was observing his tight round ass that even the most practically relaxed of jeans couldn't hide entirely.
As the man I desired had a brief conversation with another farmhand, I went through my clipboard and checked over what I'd jotted down. Everything on the farm seemed to be in order, and I was looking forward to my visit on Friday - if Clint still wanted me.
He turned toward me and I felt a warm flare in my stomach, of hope and desire, laced with a fear of rejection, a fear that everything that had just happened was a fluke, what Clint and I had together was a shivery cobwebby potential that had been blown away by the dusty wind outside the door.
"I've got to go check a fence line. A coyote got through somehow and tore up one of our ewes," he said, all business again. His deep voice was still hoarse around the edges, just barely, and when our eyes met I found none of the embarrassment or anger that I feared, only heat.
"I need to get this information back to the office," I said. "It was nice to meet you, sir."
I held out my hand to shake his. He had a good handshake, firm, without crushing my hand - as I knew he could - in his muscular one. I broke the contact quickly, as I felt my cheeks start to flush, ever so slightly, at the glorious torture of his skin on mine.
With a nod to the farm hand, I turned and walked quickly back to my truck to drive back to the office and type up this paperwork.
Driving down a gravel road was trying, after that visit to the farm - that visit that was such a tease.
One hand on the wheel, I reached between my legs to stroke myself over my pants, to try to relieve the ache that was starting to insist on attention.
Unfortunately, right then, my phone rang and I had to stop before I'd even truly begun. It was my boss, checking on the inspection. I told her that it went well, everything was in order, and I intended to go back on Friday afternoon to complete the non-surprise inspection that Clint Cannon was due for. I mean - the inspection that Clint Cannon' farm was due for.
My boss didn't seem to notice any difference in my manner, so I was able to get off the phone fairly quickly, after assuring her that I was on my way back to the office to submit the day's paperwork.
I spent the next three days in a near-lather of excitement, waiting for Friday evening. On the day I met Clint Cannon, I was able to spend an evening all to myself with a bubble bath and a glass of wine, and take the edge off of some of the tension that had built up over the hours leading up to me slipping out of my work shirt and stepping out of my jeans. Unfortunately, the next few days were very busy ones, and when I got home I simply kicked my shoes off, pulled my clothing off, and fell into bed.
Friday morning dawned bright and clear, though. I woke up an hour early to give myself a chance to prepare for the day.
I started with a shower, taking my time and washing every inch of my body with coconut-scented soap and a soft loofah. I paid particular attention to my breasts, soaping and rinsing them repeatedly, in the hopes that they would be as soft and silky as possible, in case they were seen by someone other than me... and, I'll admit it, the desire had built back up within me to a steady ache, and the soft touch of the loofah on my breasts and nipples felt incredible. I shivered as I imagined Clint’s tongue tracing the path that my fingers were taking.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to linger in the shower all day and think about what could happen later. I needed to get out and get dressed and ready to see Clint again.
I turned off the shower and stepped out, taking my old towel and rubbing myself dry before walking down the hallway into my bedroom.
As I opened my underwear drawer, I hesitated. Normally I wore sensible white cotton panties and a beige bra without a hint of lace or decoration, but if things went well I didn’t want Clint to think I was boring or dowdy.
Underneath the rest of my underwear, I dug through and pulled out a little navy blue lace thong that an ex-boyfriend had bought me. I had refused to wear it then, in my college days, but something about the strange man I’d met a few days before made me feel bold and exciting. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any bras that were anything but dull - when did that happen?
After my efficiency with my panties and bra, it took me twenty minutes just to decide what to wear. I couldn’t put on anything that would call attention to me when I went into the office, but I didn’t want to wear anything unflattering, either.
I ended up in a pair of jeans that were just a hair tighter than most of my work pairs, and a white t-shirt that was a little too small. To make it work-appropriate, I wore a summer-weight dark blue sweater. There! My bra and panties might not match, but at least I had some sort of consistency in my outfit. Besides, everyone says dark blues look amazing against my skin.
When I went to work that morning, I sat at my desk in front of my computer and finished up the reports from the past few days that hadn’t been essential enough to do immediately. Just before 11 o’clock, I went to see my supervisor in her office. We had the same boss, but she was senior enough to me that she could sign off on my plans.
“Sarah?” I asked, knocking on the frame of the open door.
“Come on in,” she said, and smiled at me.
I walked into the office and took the seat she gestured at.
“I am going to head back out to the Cannon’ farm,” I said. “After that, I think I’ll probably head straight home. I’ve put out all of the fires that needed to be taken care of before Monday.”
“All right, that sounds just fine. If you’re done a little early, don’t worry about coming into the office to make up the time, I know you stayed several hours late on Wednesday,” she said. Glancing out the door to make sure no one was in earshot, she leaned towards me with a conspiratorial grin. “So, do you have any fun plans this weekend? Any dates? It’s been almost a year since you and Justin broke up, it’s past time for you to go out and meet someone new!”
Normally, when Sarah spoke of finding someone new, I just laughed and moved on, but this time I blushed redder than red and she pounced.
“I knew it had to happen eventually! Who is the lucky fellow?” she asked.
“There’s no one, Sarah,” I said. “Really, I have to get going or I’ll be late.”