Page 50 of Snowed In with the Rancher

“Oh, the old boy is definitely crushing. He’s even been giving me the stink-eye if I get to close to you out in the barn.”

“Dare’s your horse, right?”

“Yeah. And Umber is Nate’s.”

“How long have you had Dare?”

“Since we bought the ranch, so almost six years. We bought Dare and Umber at the same time, then Macklin and Greenleigh a year later.”

“And the herd just grew after that?”

He laughed. “Yep. The herd just grew after that.”

She kissed his chest again. “We should probably go feed that herd, though, huh? Before they get any ideas about escaping.”

With a weary sigh, he nodded. “Yeah, we probably should. I don’t normally sleep in like this, so they’re probably already formulating a plan, or at the very least organizing a search party. Or a coup.”

Her tinkling laugh caused warmth and contentment to seep through him, so with a growl, he rolled on top of her, pinning her beneath his body, and cradling her face in his hands. He brushed the hair away, gently off her cheeks, staring down into those warm, golden-brown eyes.

She blinked back at him and smiled, looping her arms around his neck and spreading her legs so he could settle between them.

More heat, more contentment spun through him, to the point where it almost made him lightheaded. Was this love?

So soon?

So quickly?

“Maybe the herd can wait ten more minutes?” she asked, lifting her hips up so that he was notched at her hot, wet center.

He tipped his hips and gently slid inside her. “I think they could probably wait fifteen.” Then he took his woman, because even if it was only temporarily, Triss was his. And he was going to make the most of the time they had left. Claim her as much as he could, so that when she left, he was branded on her mind. Because she was certainly branded on his heart.

Triss pressed a kiss to Mercy’s nose after putting him back in his stall and the big lug swung his head over the opening. “You be good, Mr. Mercy,” she said scratching his ears. He head-butted her gently, asking for my scratches and she laughed. “Now you’re just trying to rub it into Macklin’s face.” She peered down the barn and sure enough, Macklin was watching them.

Asher appeared from where he’d been out with the chickens. “Lunch?”

She nodded. “Sounds good. My belly is rumbling.”

“Head on in and get cleaned up and I’ll join you in a moment.”

She did as she was told, making sure to give a little bit of love to each horse she passed before finally making her exit.

It’d froze hard last night since it had been so clear, but at least it hadn’t snowed anymore.

There were some gray clouds off to the north, though, that looked like they had snow in them, so she wasn’t holding her breath that this was the last of the white stuff for a while.

Stomping the snow off her boots as she climbed the steps to the front door, she peered down the long driveway toward the road, where sure enough, a plow was finally making its merry way.

“About damn time,” she muttered, watching it for another few moments.

Asher had kept the driveway plowed and cleared, but he wasn’t going to tackle the road, so even though she could get down to the road if she needed to, no cab or otherwise would dare drive out here to get her.

She’d been looking at flights nearly every day on her tablet, but hadn’t yet booked one because the weather was unpredictable and with the roads not cleared she didn’t want to book something but not be able to get to the airport for her flight.

Plus, she was perfectly content where she was.

The house was warm and cozy, the company was sexy, muscly, and good in bed, and she had two horses—Mercy and Macklin—fighting over her affections. Did life really get any better?

She hung up her coat, knit cap and gloves, then toed out of her boots, leaving them to dry by the front door.

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