The Texas Rancher's Vow

He kissed her throat, her shoulder, moving lower to her breast. She had never felt as beautiful, as wanted as she did at that moment.

A liquid warmth filled her as he sucked her nipple into his mouth, rolling it with his tongue. Writhing against him, she sifted her fingers through his hair, kissed the top of his head. Gasping, she arched her back, surrendering to him.

When he rose again, smiling, the kiss turned maddeningly slow and sensual. She let her fingers play, too, until he groaned, turned the dial and guided her inside the glass-walled shower. Then he drew them both beneath the generous spray, cupped her head in his hand and kissed her again, the delicious heat of him countering the slowly warming water sluicing over them. Again and again he kissed her, until she gave herself over to his demand, and their bodies were plastered together.

When she could stand it no longer, he caressed her tenderly and groaned. “You’ve got me so off task.”

It felt very on task to her.

He leaned over and kissed her again. “I intended to get cleaned up for you first.”

His eyes met hers. Another thrill slid through her. Another whisper of arousal…

Matt reached for the soap, grabbed a washcloth from the hook. Aware this was her every fantasy come true, she watched as he rubbed the bar into a nice thick lather, then set it back on the shelf and began running the cloth over his body with the same steady expertise he did everything else.

Shoulders. Chest. Thighs…

Feeling left out of what looked like an awful lot of fun, Jen caught his hand, extricated the cloth. “Allow me.”

He chuckled, his eyes darkening. Acquiescing, he leaned against the shower wall.

“I’m an artist,” she whispered, grabbing the sprayer, too. “I learn best through touch.” And what she wanted to learn most, Jen discovered breathlessly, was him.

Every dip and nook and cranny, every hard plane and rigid muscle, was washed and rinsed, touched and loved.

Turning her on.

Turning him on.

Suddenly the soapy cloth dropped and the kissing commenced. The next thing Jen knew, he’d grasped her wrist, shut off the water, and was heading for bed.

His bed.

Which was, she soon discovered, infinitely comfortable. Especially with Matt stretched out beside her.

Pausing only long enough to roll on a condom, he steadied her, hands on her hips. “Still time to turn back,” he said, his voice rough with desire.

Her own passion ready to explode, Jen shook her head. She would die if he didn’t fill her soon. “No way.”

“Then let’s get you good to go.” He slid down to the apex of her thighs, held her open, kissing and ravishing, until she was shuddering and gasping for air.

Jen clutched at him. “Now, Matt. Now…”

She felt his smile against her thigh. He moved upward. “My pleasure.”

Being filled by him was like nothing she’d ever felt before. Jen opened herself up to him as he began to move in exactly the right rhythm to send her soaring. Emboldened by her pleasure, he thrust hard again, finding his own shattering release.

He kissed her through the climax, through the aftermath, and even after that. Jen had never had anyone want her once the passion had faded. It was a delicious sensation, sweet and satisfying, the tenderness between them a palpable thing. Which was why, she knew, she had to get out of there.

Fast.

* * *

MATT KNEW IT WAS TOO MUCH, too soon. He’d hooked up with Jen, anyway. And not for the strictly physical reasons she might suspect. He hadn’t led her down here to seduce her into bed. He had come back down here to get away from her, from the closeness that threatened every time they were alone together.

And even when they weren’t.

She had a way of looking at him, of understanding what was going on with him even when he didn’t say a word.

He wasn’t used to feeling understood—by anyone.

Up until now, it hadn’t bothered him. Life was just easier that way. When he could keep everyone at arm’s length.

The last place he wanted Jen was at arm’s length.

Yet there she was, just minutes after they had both climaxed—out of his arms, out of his bed. Sheet draped modestly around her, she was gathering up her clothes, one by one. As if he hadn’t already committed every inch of her sweet, luscious body to memory. And, he was willing to bet, she was equally familiar with his. Not that there wasn’t room for improvement. They still had much to explore in the lovemaking department. In fact, he was already getting hard. “You really don’t have to rush out. No one else is here, nor likely to be.”

Jen managed to wiggle into her rose-colored bikini panties without dropping the sheet.

Unable to do the same with her bra, she dropped the sheet, turned her back to him and sat down on the bench at the foot of his bed. Head bent, she fastened the clasp of her bra in front of her, then twisted the lacy white fabric around and pulled it up over the globes of her breasts. Over her slender shoulders.

The straps fell into place with a snap.

Jen’s chest rose and fell as she drew in a bolstering breath. “That’s not really the point, Matt.”

She turned to face him yet again, her nipples poking through the lace, belying the casual disregard of her words, whether she wanted them to or not.

Aware that his nipples were still erect, too, Matt folded his arms behind his head and lay back against the pillows, watching her. Wanting her.

Wondering if she had any idea how completely desirable he found her. Or how much he wanted to repeat their mind-blowing sex.

“Then what is the point?” he asked softly, irritated that she felt it necessary to lie to him about what she was really feeling.

Color flooding her cheeks, she pulled her tank top over her head.

She looked even sexier clad in just panties, bra and tank, her long silky legs and dainty feet planted defiantly apart.

Jen snatched her jeans off the floor and tugged them up over her knees.

The stone-colored fabric, worn and soft, pulled taut across her flat tummy. The waistband rested just above the line of her panties, revealing her sexy belly button. And cupping her sleek thighs and delectably round butt in a way that drove him crazy.

He sighed in disappointment as she tugged the hem of her tank down over her hips, cutting off his view of bare, silky skin.

A mixture of exasperation and defiance gleamed in her eyes. “You want honesty?”

Matt lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Nothing but.” He was certain, one wrong word from him and he’d never have the chance to lure her into his bed again.

Jen came close enough to perch on the foot of the mattress. Still safely out of reach, she gave him a level look. “I meant what I said to you earlier. I accept that I’m done with roller-coaster romance and dreams of happily ever after. I know it’s never going to happen to me. I don’t expect it…and I don’t want it.”