Page 64 of Whispers of My Skin

Joel follows me out, and as he stands next to me, he speaks in a quieter, calmer voice.

“I’m just worried that you’ve changed your mind about me, about everything, Tara. I didn’t know it at the time, but you married me thinking you were terminally ill, thinking you wouldn’t have to put up with me, or our circumstances for very long. Now it turns out you’re not ill after all, I’m thinking you’re looking for a way out of our hasty marriage, and going off to college provides you with a convenient excuse, knowing I’ll remain here taking care of Redlands.”

Holy shit! Is this really what’s going through his head? It never occurred to me this is how he’d see things. My anger deflates like a burst balloon.

“Come here, you stupid, stupid man,” I whisper, turning to face him.

“Did you just call me stupid?”

“Yep. Because if you can’t see that I married you because I love you, that I’ve always loved you, and that I will always love you, then you must be pretty stupid.”

Without warning, Joel picks me up and throws me over his shoulder.

“What the…? Stop acting like a caveman, Joel Sadger, and put me down!” I protest, thumping his back with my fists. He just slaps my butt in response, then carries me into the bedroom, where he throws me down on the bed.

“I think the problem here is that we’re both suffering from a helluva lot of pent up sexual frustration. So I figure we’ll both feel a lot fucking better once that sexual frustration has been relieved,” Joel grins as he pins me down on the bed.

“Oh you do, hmm?” I grin back. “Guess you might have a point. All the signs seem to back your theory.” I run my hand over the large erection pressing against his jeans.

“Uh huh, they sure do,” Joel whispers as he slips his hand inside my drenched panties, and then rips them down my legs.

I’m crazy with need for him, all I want is to feel him buried deep inside me.

My clothes quickly disappear, tossed on the floor next to his jeans and his plaid shirt.

We’re skin to skin, nothing separating us, his mouth running over my body, his lips tempting me, his fingers caressing every inch of my skin.

He flips me over so I’m lying face down on the bed, then raises my hips, and leans over me to whisper in my ear.

“You’re mine, Tara Sadger. I’ll never let you go, you’re never going to escape from me.”

I groan as he thrusts deeply into me.

“I never said I wanted to escape, Joel.”

“Good. Because you’ve met your match and to prove it, this cowboy is going to spend all night taming you.”

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about college,” I comment later, while I’m naked and lying on his chest, playing with one of his dark nipples. “Joel, I need you to understand why I want to do this, why it’s important to me.”

“Make me understand, then,” he sighs. At least he’s prepared to listen now. Men can be such primitive creatures. Lesson learned. Just give them sex and you’ll have them eating out of your hand.

“Since finding out my illness had been misdiagnosed, I feel as if I’ve been gifted with a second chance at life. And I think it’d be criminal to waste that second chance, so now I want to do all the things I didn’t think I have time for. I know there are a lot of things I’m not physically capable of doing on the ranch that you can, but I still want to pull my weight. Once I’m qualified, I’ll be capable of taking on the ranch admin.”

“And that’s why you have to go to college.” It’s not a question, it’s a statement.

“Yes, that’s why I have to go to college.” That’s the truth, even if he doesn’t like it.

“Next you’ll be telling me you want to live in San Antonio, so you don’t have to drive over every day. You’ll make new friends, go to parties, meet frat boys. You’ll be busy immersing yourself in college life while I’ll be here alone, missing you like crazy.”

“Joel, the ranch is close enough to campus for me to commute, so I’ll be home every night. And I’m almost thirty, not a young girl who needs to party every night.” I sigh. “And as for those frat boys? Didn’t anyone tell you? I’m a married woman, and I happen to be madly in love with my very handsome husband.”

“Are you?” he asks in a playful tone. “Tell me how much you love that lucky husband of yours. Or better still, show me, since actions speak louder than words.”

“My husband is a very jealous guy, so I don’t think I should. In fact, I’d strongly advise you to behave yourself.”

He laughs. “You’re right, and I promise to behave… badly.”

Joel pulls me over to lie on top of him, and I lean up on my elbows to look down at his face.

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