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The Cowboy Lassos a Bride(28)



Jake bit his lip, fighting for control. This position allowed such deep  access into her, spread her so wide for him it was hard to hold back. He  pulled out and pressed in, and nearly came undone.

Figuring he'd better get to it or lose himself altogether, he started to  rock his hips, moving inside her. Hannah moved with him, riding him up  and down with little cries of desire that urged him on. He increased his  pace, holding nothing back until she bounced in his arms, her breasts  bouncing, too. They mesmerized him.                       
       
           



       

Jake gripped her hips and pulled her toward him as he thrust against  her. He couldn't stop himself now if wanted to, and he didn't want to.  Hannah clutched the desk, arched her back and met him stroke for stroke.  He could tell from her cries she was close …  close …

With a final moan she threw back her head and shuddered against him, her  release overtaking her. Jake went over the edge with her, his thrusts  slow and deep. When they were done, he lifted her up, carried her to the  bed and climbed on with her, still joined together. Lying side by side,  Jake stroked her hair gently. "I'm glad you didn't give up on me,  Hannah."

"Me, too." She snuggled in close.

"Don't think we're done here, either," he whispered into her ear. "Because we're just getting started."

She kissed him on the chin. "I'm counting on that."

When Hannah woke up the next morning, she found Jake propped up on one elbow, watching her.

"Morning," she said softly, all too aware of everything they'd gotten up  to the night before. She sat up, and a delicious ache between her legs  reminded her all too well of every position they'd tried out during the  night. She'd never been in a relationship like this, where nothing was  off the table. When Jake suggested something-usually with his body, not  his words-her body couldn't wait to meet him halfway. She swung her legs  over the side of the bed and stood up, knowing she was giving Jake an  eyeful. Hoping she was. "Jake … "

"Do you have to get up already?"

"Don't you?"

"We have time for one more round. A quickie. Please?"

How could she resist a handsome man when he begged? A handsome, naked  man who was climbing off the bed to come after her and take her in his  arms? When he pulled her close for a kiss she couldn't resist kissing  him back. When they parted she looked over his shoulder at the diamond  winking on her finger. Engaged. She was engaged to Jake.

"Please?" He nuzzled her neck.

"Okay. One more round," she said against her better judgment. Soon Holt  would turn up for their daily showdown. She didn't want Jake here to see  that, so she'd have to make this quick.

But they weren't quick and by the time they were showered and dressed,  Holt was overdue. Hannah dreaded Jake running into his father now that  he knew what Holt had done. That confrontation was bound to get out of  hand.

She followed Jake downstairs. "You better get going." She glanced toward the door nervously.

"I'm going." But he didn't go. He popped a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster and found a plate.

"But if you don't hurry you'll-" She bit off the end of her sentence.

"I'll what?" When she didn't answer, Jake came to stand close to her. He  tipped her chin up, traced his thumb over her lips, and a shiver of  desire rippled through her from stem to stern. "I'll what, sweetheart?"  He dipped his head to kiss her and Hannah rose on her tip-toes to meet  him. She figured sooner or later Jake's kisses would become old hat, but  for now each one was special, a new exploration of his mouth, of him.

"Well, well. This is sweet." Holt opened the door without preamble.

Jake jerked back in surprise. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Running late?" Holt made a show of looking at his watch.

"Just seeing my girl off to work." Jake's voice had a hard edge. He  dropped a kiss on Hannah's forehead and steered her toward the door.  Maybe he didn't want her present for their showdown, either. Hannah went  to collect her purse and coat.

"Hold up there," Holt said when she tried to slip past him toward the door. "Don't you have something to tell me before you go?"

That ought to do it, she thought.

She was right.

Jake stepped before him, his hands on his hips. "I'll do the talking for  her, Dad. Yes, we slept together last night. Made love three or four  times, didn't we, Hannah?"

Hannah closed her eyes. Was she really supposed to answer that?

"I know all about your threats and the way you forced Hannah to be with me. You ought to be ashamed of yourself," Jake went on.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself for the way you've dragged your  feet this long instead of settling down. Not my fault you needed some  prodding."

"It is definitely your fault," Jake said. "Maybe the reason I've dragged  my feet so long is I'm afraid to bring a wife to live near my pain in  the ass father!"

"You saying you want to leave? Because if you do there's more where you come from. Ned would be happy to manage the place."                       
       
           



       

"Well, maybe he should!" Jake exploded. "Maybe I'm sick and tired of you  pushing me around! Maybe it's time for you to back the hell off!"

Hannah slipped between them and bolted out the door.

Jake watched her go. So did his father.

"Maybe you better think hard about what you really want," Holt said when  she was gone. "I'm not interested in threats or tantrums. You know the  deadline. Get married or get out."

He strode from the house and slammed the door behind him. Jake swore and  pulled on his outer gear. No matter how angry he was, there were still  horses and cattle to feed and jobs to attend to and if he stuck around  inside these four walls he'd explode. He found Ned in the barn some  minutes later mucking out the horses' stalls. He wasn't Jake's first  choice of people to talk to-not by a long shot-but he had to talk to  someone, and Ned would have to do.

"You won't believe what Dad did."

"I bet I will." Ned flung a forkful of muck into a wheelbarrow.

Jake hesitated. Ned was right-they all knew Holt was capable of just about anything. "He forced Hannah to sleep with me."

Ned chuckled. "Did he now?"

"He did! The old man is a lunatic."

Ned stopped shoveling. "Know what I've seen every day this week?"

"What?"

"You and Hannah cuddling and kissing every minute you think you're alone."

Jake frowned. "You've been spying on us?"

"I didn't have to spy. You're out on your front porch smooching every damn morning."

"Well, still … "

"Still what? Maybe Dad pressured her into something, but it ain't sleeping with you."

Jake blew out a breath. "It still isn't right; the way he interferes with us."

"Kind of like the way you interfered with me? Forcing me to rent a room to Mia?"

Ned had him again. Damn, this wasn't going the way he wanted it to. "That's different."

"Really? How?" Ned leaned on the end of the pitchfork and waited for an answer.

"All right, maybe it isn't different. But what the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"About what?"

"About everything! Take Hannah, for instance. She's going to marry me  and then leave me high and dry for four years." At Ned's puzzled  expression Jake gave him a rundown of the situation. "So I get a wife  and I get to stay in control of the ranch, but I end up alone for the  next four years. What's the good of that?"

"Seriously? You're asking me? If you keep control of the ranch, I get shafted again."

"You've always known that's the way it would be." Jake didn't need one  of Ned's sulks right now, even though his brother was right. Ned  couldn't help being born second any more than Jake could help being  first. It was pure luck. Good luck for him, bad for Ned. Wouldn't he be  as sour as Ned was if the tables were turned?

"Fine. You're right-I always have known I'd get the shaft in this  family. So let's talk about you." Ned's voice was thick with sarcasm.  "You know what your problem is? You've got to turn around your thinking.  Stop looking at Hannah's four-year absence as an obstacle."

"How else can I look at it?"

"As an opportunity."

Jake found his temper fraying. "What kind of opportunity could it  possibly be?" For once couldn't someone just answer his questions  directly? Did everyone in his family have to play games?

"It's an opportunity for me to run the ranch if you go with her." Ned's quick grin didn't reach his eyes.