Page 36 of The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

Gabe pulled her close to hold her and she nestled against him.

“Tonight, I want you to stay right here with me,” he said.

“It’s where I want to be also,” she said, smiling. “I’ll stay tonight.”

“I’m thinking,” he mused aloud. “Maybe we shouldn’t go back to Dallas until Wednesday.”

“We should stick to our original plan. We go back Tuesday and announce our engagement. I’ll be staying at your house so it won’t matter whether we’re on the ranch or in Dallas, unless you have something pressing here.”

“No, I don’t. I just don’t have as many interruptions here and I really don’t want interruptions—or to share you with anyone.”

“That’s nice,” she said, drawing her fingers over his shoulder and bicep, down along his arm. “You’ll have to share me because I have a business to run,” she pointed out. “We need to go out Tuesday night and that’s when we’ll get engaged and tell everyone. But when we go back to Dallas, I’ll be staying at your house.”

“So far, that’s the best part of this plan,” he said, winding long locks of blond curls around his fingers and letting them fall to pick them up again. His fingers lightly brushed her ear, every contact making her tingle.

“Later in the week or over the weekend, take a day so we can come back to the ranch. I want you to myself. You can get a day off because you own the business. Better still, take a couple of days off so we can be uninterrupted.” He nuzzled her neck while he ran his fingers across her narrow waist then drifted lower, until she caught his hand and placed it at her waist again.

“Let me catch my breath,” she said. She nestled against him, loving the feel of his arms around her, enjoying being with him, talking, touching and kissing each other. It was an idyll that would end when the fake engagement ended.

“This will be a big week in my life,” she said. “It already is a big week because I’m here in bed with you. I think by the end of the week I’ll be ready to take a day or two off. That’s probably a good idea in a lot of ways.”

“I think it’s a fantastic idea, darlin’. A day we both need.”

She smiled. “You don’t need any such thing,” she said. “It’s a day we both want.”

“Oh, I need you, Meg. You’re special in my life,” he said, his words warming her all over.

“How I wish that were true, Gabe, but I know better.”

After a moment, during which time she continued stroking his back and winding her fingers in his hair, she said, “I’ve been thinking. I’m sorry that this is going to hurt my family, but they’ve pushed me into a corner trying to get me to marry someone I don’t love.”

“By this time next year you won’t give any of that much thought, so don’t worry too much about it now.” He looked into her eyes, making her heart skip a beat, before he leaned closer to kiss her.

She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back, their tongues stroking, hot and wet, each touch making her want to make love again. She held him tightly, enjoying being happy in his arms and refusing to think about the future. In minutes he rolled on his back and lifted her on top of him. She kissed him, sitting astride him.

As he fondled her breasts, making her need him again, she felt him harden beneath her. In minutes, each knowing when the other was ready, she rose up, then eased down on him. As he entered her, she closed her eyes and threw her head back, riding him as he bucked beneath her.

He thrust slowly, making her moan with pleasure as he fondled her breasts. She pumped with him, moving faster, tension and need building with her until she could not contain it.

When she climaxed, she cried out. Thrusting faster, he reached his climax. Then, finally, she fell on top of him. She held him and turned her head to kiss him, feathery kisses along his shoulder, his neck and his jaw.

Exhausted but well sated, she was held against him. Their bodies were hot, damp from exertion. She smiled and toyed with the unruly locks of hair that fell on his forehead. “Do you ever run out of energy? I can’t move. But I’m so happy.”

“Darlin’, you can’t imagine how happy I am,” he said, running his hand lightly over her bare back. “And if I have some extra energy, it’s because I’m with you and you tease it out of me. You’re beautiful. I want you here in my arms the rest of the day and night. Don’t get out of bed.”

She smiled. “Ridiculous man.”

“I used to give you marbles or chocolate to bribe you to get you to do what I wanted. How can I bribe you to stay in this bed with me all day?”

“Promise me we can touch and feel and kiss all day,” she answered in a sultry whisper while she ran her tongue over his ear.

He groaned, crushed her against his chest and kissed her hard. She wrapped her arms around him to kiss him in return.

Finally, she pushed against him, putting some space between them. He gave her a questioning look and she placed her hand on his jaw. “Hold it, cowboy. You’re going to wear me to a frazzle and I think we missed some eating along the way.”

“I’d like to eat you up,” he whispered, kissing her throat.

“Whoa. Do you hear my stomach with a rebuttal? I would like to have dinner. We have been in this bed almost the whole time since we got here and my stomach is definitely hungry.”

---