“Not here, Clare. I don’t want people seeing you gone like this, baby.”
My words seem to wake her from her lust-filled fog, and her cheeks burn with embarrassment. When she tries to pull off my lap, I hold her to me tighter so she can’t go.
“Not yet, darling. Just let me enjoy you for one more second.”
I nuzzle my face into her neck and smell her sweet apple scent. She wraps her hands around me, and her fingers grip the short hair at the back of my head. My Stetson fell off in our make-out session.
“I get lost when you kiss me,” she whispers.
Running my hands up and down her back, I smile against her skin. “Good thing I’m right here to find you when it’s over. Now come inside and let’s make this legal.”
I open the door, slide out, and discreetly adjust myself before I help her out of the truck.
It doesn’t take long for us to fill out our paperwork and then get the form. All that’s required is proof we are who we say we are, and then we need to wait three days. I watched Clare fill out the form stating that she’d never been married before, and it made me smile. I like knowing that she hasn’t ever done this before, because she sure won’t be doing it again.
When we get in the truck to go back to the farm, she tries to sit on the passenger side again, but once again I grab her thigh and slide her over next to me as close as I can get her. Hell, I’d ride with her in my lap if I could, but I’d be too busy feeling her curves bounce on me that I’d probably run us into a ditch.
“Which farm is that?” she asks as we ride down a road close to home.
“That’s the Johnson ranch. They’ve had a problem recently with cattle prices on their ranch and the owner has been trying to undercut me on calves. I told him he can buy from me, but only at fair prices. I’m afraid the guy they let take over is going to get them into trouble.”
“What happened?”
“The family that owns the farm wanted to sell but couldn’t get the money they wanted. So instead of waiting it out, they brought in someone to run the place, and I think he might be trying to pull one over on them.”
“Oh, that’s awful,” Clare says, and I hear the worry in her voice.
“I need to call and talk to the owner today anyway to see if they’ve seen Sammy. Might need to check and make sure he’s keeping his eye on the place.”
“Who’s Sammy?”
“Our best bull. He’s made more calves on this farm than he’s probably willing to admit. Maybe he just wandered off looking for some loving.” I look down at Clare and give her a wink. “Can’t really blame him. I think I know how he feels.”
Her cheeks burn and she looks away from me and crosses her arms. “Oh, yeah? He’s just gonna go around to all the farms nearby, hopping from bed to bed? Sounds terrible, if you ask me.”
I can’t help but laugh at her words. “No darlin’, I don’t think he’ll be getting into anyone’s bed. And I meant that I know how he feels what with the way I chased you into town today. I suspect I’d follow you to the end of the earth if it meant getting close to you.”
Her arms uncross, and I take her hand in mine, bringing it up to my lips. I kiss the back of her hand. Everything about her is soft. She’s really not made for a farm life. I’m going to have to keep an eye on her.
That blush hits her cheeks again, making my cock ache even more. It’s going to be a long three days before I can make her mine.
Chapter 7
Clare
I can’t stop looking over at Cash while he drives us back to the farm. Every time I try to sneak a peek, I swear he fights a smile. One of the dimples under his short stubble gives him away.
This man is so confusing. Or rather, what I’ve gotten to know about him in the past twenty-four hours is confusing. He can go from barking orders to acting sweet as peach pie. I want to smack him for being a brute, then melt into one of those kisses he keeps laying on me. It’s messing with my head. I’m not sure I even like him. Lie. I shake my head at myself. Or maybe it’s not a lie. I more than like this man.
Maybe this whole mail-order-bride thing isn’t going to be so bad after all. I was worried about who I’d get roped with. I never thought I’d I have to worry about losing my heart to someone. I’d pushed the thoughts of romance aside, but now they’re starting to bleed back in every time Cash touches me.
I go from crazy mad to a pile of goo that wants to climb his giant body. I’ve never in my life acted like this with a man. He makes my anger wash away, turning to lust. I wonder how far I would have gone if Cash had let me. He’d been the one to pull us back.
“I want you to stay away from Brandon.” Cash easily slips back into his commanding tone, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I snap my eyes up to him. I like Brandon. He’s nice. He and Earl are really the only people I know here.
“I’ll spend time with whoever I choose,” I snark back
“Don’t push it, Clare.” His eyes narrow on mine as if in warning before focusing on the road. I’d come here planning to play nice. Be a doting wife, just try to get by for a while, but for some reason with Cash I can’t stop myself from pushing back.
Then a thought hits me, one that warms me deep in my stomach, reminding me of things he threw at me when he came up on Brandon and me in town. Mine, he’d said. I’d gotten the warm feeling then, too. “Are you jealous?” I raise my eyebrows almost in disbelief.