Salvation in the Rancher's Arms(75)

“Sleepy yet?”

“No,” she said. Sleep was the last thing on her mind at the current moment, with his hand stroking her shoulder, slipping beneath the loose neck of her nightdress.

“You want to talk?”

Rachel pressed her lips against his bare chest. “Not really.”

Laughter rumbled deep in his throat and a thrill shot through her. She loved the sound. She’d experienced so little of it in the past years it was like a balm to her soul.

Caleb’s hand slid slowly downward, pulling the gown as he went. She lifted enough to let it slide past her rib cage then down over her hip. When it fell beyond his reach, she kicked it off, freeing herself from any barrier between them.

She stretched against him, thrilled at his sound of pleasure as her hand slid down his hard belly, then lower still until his breath caught.

“Woman, that kind of behavior is going to get you into a heap of trouble.”

“Maybe I like trouble.”

She continued to stroke him, luxuriating in the way her touch made him harden, the way his body tightened and tensed. When his breathing became shallow, she let go and straddled his hips the way he had shown her before. Beneath her, the ridge of his mounting desire pressed into her. She moved against him, a heady sense of power surging through her. He wanted her.

His gaze feasted hungrily upon her body with such intensity, the ache between her legs increased. She rubbed against him, the friction sending a spiral of pleasure shooting through her.

She gasped. “Oh! Caleb...”

“I’m right here.” His hand moved to her belly, moving upward with deliberate slowness until he gently cupped her breast. She arched her back so she filled his palm. The hard calluses brushed her nipple and she released a sigh of pleasure, letting her head fall back as she gave in to it.

The moistness between her thighs grew. Heaven help her, but she loved and needed this man with such ferocity it was almost too much to bear. Tonight, there would be no holding back. He loved her. The knowledge thrilled her, amazed her. And tonight she would give him all she had.

Caleb raised himself into a sitting position, his hands moving to circle her back, his lips trailing a fiery path from her collarbone, up her neck until they found her mouth. With an intensity at once gentle and passionate, he kissed her, his lips and tongue igniting a passion inside of her that threatened to overwhelm.

Without breaking the kiss that was slowly driving her to the brink, Caleb pulled her down, turning them until she lay beneath him, his body covering and surrounding hers, her legs still wrapped around his hips. She pushed herself against him and was rewarded with a deep growl.

“If you keep that up this will be over before we even get started.”

She heeded his warning, not wanting this night to end, not yet. She let herself explore his body, taking in every inch and committing it to memory. The angles of sinew and bone, the scars that crisscrossed his skin, the hint of stubble growing on his chin and the smattering of hair on his chest. The curve of his buttocks and the strength in his long legs. She outlined his hands with her finger and caressed his face with her lips. Finally he settled more firmly in the cradle of her thighs and gently entered her, filling her until the need built to a fevered pitch.

Caleb drew the moment out, lowering his mouth to hers, filling his kiss with naked desire until neither of them could stand the wait another minute. The slow rhythm of their movements created a friction that drove her to madness then beyond. Pleasure and tension grew inside of her, leaving her incoherent. All she could do was grip Caleb’s muscled arms as he rose above her and hold on for all she was worth, moving with him until he, too, lost control and the wave of desire rose, crested and washed over them.

Rachel had no words for the oblivion that filled her with a sense of completeness she had never known. Her mind melted into it and her heart soared. She felt the love they shared, the trust she’d willingly given him. She had dreamed of love, but she had never dreamed it would be like this.

“I love you,” she whispered, as Caleb collapsed on top of her, holding her tightly to him, deeply afraid it would all come to an end far too soon.

“You are my heart,” he said, his voice quiet and plain in the still night. He settled his body to one side and fitted her against him. “I’m going to be wanting to do that again before morning light.”

“Good,” she mumbled, already feeling the sleep that had eluded her earlier approaching. It took no time at all before the heat of his body and her sated exhaustion drew her into a satisfied slumber.



Caleb opened his eyes as Rachel turned in her sleep and nestled against him, her small body curling into his and awakening the rest of him. Tonight, she had held nothing back. Though he was still sore from his injuries, he welcomed the oblivion her body provided and reveled in the love her heart gave.