Page 2 of Belonging to the Rancher

Axe knew it the moment she knocked on his door, but there was something about the sweet, tempting brunette. Even when he saw her walking obliviously through town, or at the diner, he was drawn to her. She was a beautiful woman.

That thick, luscious brown hair, which he wanted to see spread out beneath him. Clarissa had been in his thoughts for many years. He was forty years old, and he knew he shouldn’t even be thinking about the young woman. Clarissa should be dating men her own age, out partying, or at least living her life. She shouldn’t be stuck on his ranch, cooking and cleaning for him.

But he hadn’t been able to deny her.

He’d known his fridge had been empty those six months ago, and he’d been unable to stay far away from her, so he knew she hadn’t gone shopping to get food. He expected to have no meal.

When he’d walked into his home, the scents had made his mouth water, and if he was completely honest, a bit aroused, he’d been amazed. Then he’d tasted the chicken meatballs, and they were unlike anything he’d ever had.

There was no way he could let her leave. Clarissa’s cooking was out of this world. For the last six months, he’d been spoiled. His home was completely clean and his food was pretty special as well, each meal even better than the last.

He’d had everything from stir-fry to pies, meat dishes, pasta, massive filled sandwiches. You name it, she cooked it, and then, she also topped it off with sweet pies. Apple, blackberry, coconut, chocolate, and that was just a few flavors. She also baked large batches of cupcakes and cookies.

Axe did share them with his employees, but he didn’t allow anyone else to come to the house. He didn’t want to share his woman.

His woman?Clarissa didn’t belong to him.

He glanced across to the house and saw she was looking at him. Axe hated people, and he hated the whole social scene. He couldn’t deal with small talk or the sound of giggling women.

For a long time he kept to himself, and he didn’t have to go into town that much, so he planted this vegetable garden. Through the summer he had everything fresh, and through the winter he grew what he could, but most of the vegetables he got, he froze. They were not the greatest, but they served a need for him.

Wiping across his brow, he saw how her gaze dropped down to his chest. He’d never gotten a single piece of ink. There had been temptation to a few times, but he just wasn’t interested in wasting his money on ink, nor did he have the time. Also, he didn’t trust easily.

The few housekeepers he had before Clarissa had not hidden their attraction to him. Some of them had snooped through his home and tried to find out what he was worth, or how he was able to run the ranch. They hadn’t been very trustworthy.. Clarissa had stayed in the one room he asked her to clean, and then made him a meal.

He had his ways of knowing what was going on in his home. Mainly, security cameras hooked up to his cell phone, so he was able to keep an eye on the house throughout the day. Axe had lost count of the number of times he’d caught himself watching Clarissa as she bustled around his home. It didn’t take him long to realize she’d set up a routine of cleaning, and she kept to it. He loved watching her, even if it was just cooking or cleaning. Axe knew his obsession had reached new heights, because even though he really shouldn’t have done so, he had done so.

He placed a camera inside her bedroom and bathroom. Many nights he lay awake, watching her. He knew when she was touching herself, and he also saw his name spill from her lips when she came.

Her orgasms were … pathetic. Axe knew he’d have her screaming and begging for more, if she just gave him the chance.

He forced himself to look away from her as he didn’t want to have to work with a rock-hard erection, which seemed to be his constant state when he was close to Clarissa. There were many of his own rules he was breaking for the young woman. None of his other employees were allowed to eat with him, but he demanded Clarissa do so.

Sitting opposite her at the end of the day didn’t help matters. All it did was make him so freaking aroused. He had no choice but to work his dick when he stood beneath a cold shower. Axe couldn’t even recall the last time he had a nice, hot shower. They all had to be freezing cold to get his arousal in check. Not that it helped his need for her.

Picking up the rake, he eased it through the soil, gathering up the weeds he’d just loosened. He also did a quick sweep to make sure there were no frogs lurking around. Clarissa had a fear of them. He’d been washing up a few weeks ago, when her screaming had alerted him, and he’d come running to take care of business. That business had been a small, tiny frog, and she’d freaked out. She had a fear of spiders as well. She was so adorable.

He thought about his woman, and he knew he had to stop thinking about her like that. Clarissa was not his, but he always felt possessive of her.

He wanted to take care of her, to own her, to possess her, to fuck her.

And he could do none of that, because he was her boss.

Chapter Two

Clarissa glanced across the table toward Axe.

He wore a short-sleeved deep-green shirt, and the cuff of the shirt was tight as he tensed up, sliding his knife through the peppered steak she’d cooked on the grill. She made sure to get it medium rare, the way he liked it. The peppercorn sauce was in a separate pot beside him. She served it with some green vegetables and fresh new potatoes.

It wouldn’t be long until the summer was behind them, and on course for autumn. There had been a few cold nights over the past week. The days were nice and warm, but they were getting cooler. She normally loved the colder season. She recalled the years spent with her mother as they snuggled together on the sofa, enjoying movies or reading books. Sometimes they listened to music. They were sweet memories.

With the colder months approaching, her time admiring a semi-clad Axe would come to an end. He did look good in clothes, just as good out of them. Not that she’d seen him completely naked. No, just shirtless, always with a pair of jeans or sweatpants.

Axe always kept himself busy. There was never a day off at the ranch. Even Sundays, he would go and check fences and the cattle. She didn’t mind. She always loved to do something. Sundays helped her take stock of what she had, and make a list for him to check over everything she needed in town.

Monday was her shop day, and he’d warned her to take full advantage of the empty pantry and to start filling it.

Once the snow hit, the roads were way too dangerous, and he wouldn’t allow her to leave. She found it hot that he’d refuse to give her permission to leave. It was insane for her to even think about. She’d never been told what to do in her life. Even her mother hadn’t given commands or forced her to do anything. They talked about it.

---