Cowboy Sanctuary (The Dixon Ranch) Page 7

  This had to end before it started. My body ached in sexual frustration while my mind wondered if I was missing out on a man who might be the one for me. Reminding myself of my plans, I got myself together enough to finish up my toiletries and crack the door open. “Is he still asleep?” I whispered, peeking out.

  “Like a log.” Brock smiled warmly, and I felt my heart lurch again.

  “I need to get dressed.” I felt like a naughty teenager standing there in my towel with him close enough to reach out and touch.

  “All right. I’ll go grab my shower then. This isn’t over, sweetheart. We’re going to talk about what happened here.” With a wink, Brock turned and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

  He was right on one count. We were going to talk. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be the conversation either one of us wanted. As I dressed, that kiss kept replaying in my mind. It had been incredible, but it could never happen again.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Family

  Brock

  She was into me. A girl couldn’t kiss a man like that without wanting more. The cold shower didn’t do a thing except freeze my ass off. I wanted her back in my arms, in my bed—hell, anywhere I could take her. The possibilities were endless as I envisioned her sweet little body bent over and holding on to a fence as I took her from behind. I had to get my little head to stop thinking for the big one or I’d never make it to my parents’ house!

  Throwing on a decent shirt and my best pair of jeans, I reminded myself that she was a good woman and had held out for a long time. Thinking about my son really got my mind back in the right place. Dana was his aunt, and she wasn’t some girl I could just roll in the hay with. Even a short-term relationship could end in disaster if we weren’t careful. Jeremy needed her in his life, and I’d never deprive her of being in his. There were definitely some things to be considering.

  I walked downstairs, and all my good intentions flew out the window when I saw her wearing a long flowing skirt and matching top that made her look like a goddess.

  “I wasn’t sure how dressed up your parents expected us to be,” she said. Glancing over my casual outfit, she nibbled her lip nervously.

  “My folks aren’t big on dressing up unless it’s for church, but you look beautiful.” Jeremy wobbled up to me and reached up his hands, putting my mind back where it belonged again. I scooped him into my arms and tossed him up slightly, his laughter filling the room in glee. “Guess we need to get going, Little Man.” We walked down the porch stairs to my truck.

  I opened the door for Dana before getting Jeremy into his seat. She got herself settled in and seemed to be a million miles away in thought. “We’ll figure this out,” I said. I wasn’t sure if I was talking to her or myself because nothing about any of this was easy.

  She nodded but gazed out her window, and if I didn’t know better I’d have thought she was ignoring me. Dana didn’t seem like the type of woman who avoided difficult situations. Case in point: going out of her way to bring my son home. Maybe she was just as confused as I was.

  My folks’ farmhouse was on the back side of my property, about twenty acres away from mine. Dana still wasn’t speaking when we pulled up in front, and I was starting to worry. We both hopped out. She got to Jeremy before I did and seemed to be holding him like a shield between us as we walked up the stairs to the wraparound porch. I didn’t know what to say to break the silence, so I opened the front door and motioned her inside.

  The whole gang was here. We moved through the foyer into the huge living room. Levi was playing in the play yard my mom set up anytime he was over, and it was filled to the brim with toys. That was enough to get Jeremy wiggling in Dana’s arms. Susan introduced herself and her husband, Matthew, before we had time to do anything else.

  I asked how their honeymoon went, and I didn’t need to fill in any awkward silence between me and Dana. Susan gushed over every detail about their time in the Bahamas. Matthew grinned and shrugged of his shoulders as if to tell me it was my fault for asking. I was glad they had a good time, but we’d missed having their help.

  Dana walked Jeremy over and sat him inside the play area with Levi, and the two boys immediately started playing. She and Susan began talking, and I was glad to see them getting along. Levi and Jeremy played like they’d known each other from birth, and since Levi was only a few months older, I knew they’d be best friends growing up. They would be around each other all the time so it was inevitable.

  My mom walked up and hugged me and then Dana, and Dana returned it, seeming a little shocked at the affection. “I’m so glad you’re here with us tonight,” my mom said. That was one thing about my mom: she never met a stranger, and she already considered Dana part of the family because of my son.

  “Thank you for having me.” At least Dana was speaking to someone, and her smile for my mom seemed genuine. She wouldn’t even look my way!

  “I’ve got steaks out on the grill. Why don’t you give me a hand?” Pop asked me. He must have had a sixth sense or something because he was a lifesaver at that moment. I couldn’t talk to Dana about why she was being so standoffish, so a distraction was needed.

  “How’s everything going? Travis told me you had your test done.” Pop was a master griller. He had won the state barbecue competition three years in a row, so I was just there to talk.

  “I won’t get the results for a while, but I don’t really need them. That boy is mine,” I boasted proudly.

  “No doubt in my mind either. He looks just like you and your brothers did at that age.” Pop flipped the meat, then turned to me with a pointed look. “How about that girl? She’s a pretty little thing.”

  “Really pretty, and a good girl too. I was gonna ask Mom about her renting out that cottage.” I walked over to the outdoor fridge, pulled out a beer, and held another one to Dad, but he declined. I forgot he was taking some new blood-pressure medicine and was trying to stay away from drinking.

  “I’m sure she’ll approve. Something else going on between the two of you? She looks like your mom does when I get her dander up.” Pop always said keeping your wife happy meant you had a happy home, and he didn’t like Mom being upset.

  “I might have kissed her.” I felt like a teenage boy talking to my dad about girls, but I respected his opinion and knew if anyone had the right idea of what to do, it was him.

  “Seems to me you either did or didn’t. There ain’t much in between.” He was enjoying this. I could see by the grin on his face. “Did she smack you?”

  “No, she kissed me back, but I’m guessing she’s having second thoughts.” I took a gulp of my beer, feeling a little worried. I’d never had a woman kiss me like that and feel bad about it. Unless I hadn’t let things get as far as she’d wanted them to. That could be it. Maybe she was frustrated because we didn’t get to enjoy each other better.

  “I know you’re a real ladies’ man, son, but maybe she’s not that into you.” Pop chuckled, and I knew he was teasing but it knocked my ego down a notch or two. That could very well be that case too. Dana had said something about a plan for her life, and a boyfriend wasn’t part of it until her career took off.

  “I don’t think you understand that kiss we had.” I couldn’t have been the only one feeling it. It didn’t take a genius to know a woman was turned on, and Dana had been on fire.

  “Physical attraction is good, son, but without the heart being tied up it don’t amount to much.”

  My sister interrupted our conversation when she brought the salad to the deck table. “Who are you getting physical with, mister?” Susan raised her eyebrows, having caught the end of our conversation. I pulled her into my arms for a quick hug, glad she was back but wishing she’d come out at a different time.

  “That ain’t something I feel comfortable discussing with you,” I said. I loved my sister, but there were some things you didn’t talk about with ladies unless the certain lady was involved in the doing.

  “I hope it’s th
at girl inside playing with the boys. She’s got a real way with kids. A woman like that is a keeper. I wonder if she cooks?”

  Leave it to Susan to hone right in on who we were talking about. In her world, it was all about taking care of her husband and kid, making sure they were fed and pampered. I wasn’t against that mentality, but I also lived in the modern world. A woman could do all those things and have a career. There was nothing wrong with a man cooking either. My pop was one of the best home chefs out there—not that Mom wasn’t just as talented. In some ways, things stood still here in Texas, and I guess it wasn’t all bad.

  “She’s my kid’s aunt. Don’t you think it would be a little odd if we hooked up?” I was fishing for information because at this point I didn’t really care what others thought. I wanted Dana not only in my bed but in my life.

  Whoa. When had I gotten past the idea of just enjoying that beautiful body of hers? I could see her becoming part of my life as a permanent fixture. The thought made me stop in my tracks. I’d always wanted a family, and now that I had Jeremy, part of that dream was coming true, but a wife? It was way too early to be putting the horse before the cart, although it wasn’t exactly a bad idea.

  “Maybe if her sister hadn’t met the good Lord, it would be, but she loves that baby and so do you. So how can that be a bad thing?” Susan asked. “Mom filled me in on everything. I can’t leave you guys alone for a minute!” Her matter-of-fact reply was a revelation. She was right. No one would ever love Jeremy the way Dana and I did. Add in a hearty dose of sexual attraction, and that was definitely a basis for a real relationship. Wasn’t it?

  “Steaks are done. Susan, why don’t you walk in the house and see if the baked potatoes are ready to come out?” Pop saved the day again and looked at me in that knowing way that made me sure he was reading my thoughts. With tact, he waited until Susan was gone before saying, “Be sure you two are on the same page before you jump in feet first, son. Something tells me that girl has a good head on her shoulders, and she’ll want a man willing to give her the world.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” He was right about Dana. She wasn’t the kind of woman who would accept anything less than everything in a relationship. I’d known her only a few days, and it felt like I knew her better than anyone who’d warmed my bed before. She was a filly that would take a lot of persuasion before giving in to meet my needs, and oddly enough I didn’t mind putting in the work.

  I just hoped she wouldn’t remain green-broke forever. Dana had said she wanted the career before a relationship, so I could show her what I could offer, but I wouldn’t sleep with her until I knew her heart was open to the kind of relationship my folks had. Nothing less would do for us. There was too much to lose. That is, if she ever talked to me again!

  The crew piled out onto the oversize deck, arms full of plates and sides. Most important was my son being held in the arms of a woman I was determined to have. There was nothing better than these nights with my family, and seeing her fit in proved I’d be crazy to let her go. She didn’t know it yet, but I had her in my sights and I wasn’t a man who lost when I decided to play the game.

  Levi and my boy were settled in high chairs and given finger foods while we began loading our plates with beef that had been mooing in the field earlier today. Dana sat at the end of the bench near my son, and I squeezed in beside her, making sure our legs were touching. She tensed at first, but eventually relaxed as the conversation unfolded and the normal Dixon family banter wrapped our group in exploits of the day. There was always something exciting going on with the ranch or farm, and between great food and company the night passed by quickly.

  Ranger’s prize mare had foaled last night, and it was nice to hear him talking about something other than the latest notch on his bedpost. To be fair he kept his conquests to himself around the folks, but that didn’t keep him from sharing them with me whenever he visited. I remembered those days when all I wanted was to get a sexy woman in my bed. Hell, I was pretty much thinking about that right now, only it was a certain woman.

  Pop brought up the cottage, and Mom was quick to jump into conversation because it had been sitting vacant for six months. She loved that place and hated the idea of it turning to dust without someone showing it some loving care. “You should let me watch Jeremy and drive Dana out to take a look at it,” Mom said. The excitement in her eyes was all the motivation I needed. And some alone time with Dana? I wanted to be around my boy, but quiet time was going to be hard to find with a baby underfoot all the time.

  “I could drive over tomorrow?” Dana offered.

  Tomorrow I’d be working the ranch. Sounded like she was afraid to be alone with me, but that was something I could put her fears to rest over right now.

  “No sense in putting it off,” I said. “Besides, I think my mom is dying to spend some quality time with the little guy.” Considering she was already lifting him out of his chair and holding him close, my words were easily seen as true. “We’ll be back soon,” I told Mom and Pop. I stood up, and Dana hesitantly found her feet. What was with her?

  “Take your time. Me and this little guy are going to get to know each other,” Mom replied.

  Jeremy seemed all for the idea as he tugged on the necklace my father had given my mom for their thirtieth anniversary last year. Since it was one of her prized possessions and she was laughing at his antics, it was apparent how much she was willing to welcome him into our lives. He’d already wrapped us all around his little fingers.

  Dana thanked my mom and dad and followed me outside to the truck without saying a word to me. This tight-lipped thing she had going on with me had to stop. I waited until I had slid behind the steering wheel and got us moving down the dirt road before saying, “Mind telling me what’s eating you?”

  With her arms crossed over her chest, Dana stared straight ahead, and I forced myself to look at the road instead of at her angry stance. “We shouldn’t have kissed,” she said firmly.

  That’s why she was so blooming mad? I hadn’t forced myself on her, and I felt my anger building. “You enjoyed having my lips on yours as much as I did. Deny it all you want, but you kissed me back.” I kept my words toned down even though I wanted to rage at her for blaming me.

  “It doesn’t matter how good it felt, it was wrong. That can’t happen again. Ever!” she spat.

  Gripping the wheel tightly to keep from biting out some retort that would lead to an argument, I drove without speaking until we reached the cottage. Before she could slide out, I pulled her over to me and held her close.

  “You look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want to kiss me again,” I said. My lips hovered scant inches from hers, and I could see her trembling. I was 99 percent sure it wasn’t from fear either. Instead of answering my question, she tried to pull out of my grasp. I wasn’t having that. “Tell me the truth, Dana.”

  “Just because I want it to happen doesn’t mean it can.” Those baby-blues peered up into mine, begging for a reprieve, but how could I not follow up when I knew she wanted it as much as I did?

  Lowering my lips to hers, I licked softly over the seam until she opened for me, and then my tongue darted in to claim hers possessively. She hadn’t lied to me, and it was proof of her character. I refused to back down, and I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck to draw her closer as I devoured her mouth. I wanted her to admit this attraction between us wasn’t something to be ignored. It damn near set my truck on fire it was so hot.

  When those little fingers of hers dug into my hair, giving up the fight, I knew the battle was won. I scooted over to the middle and pulled her into my lap and continued the gentle assault. I pushed up her skirt so her legs could straddle me. I couldn’t stop my shaft from rising to the occasion. Instead of pulling away, Dana rotated her hips, riding me through her clothes, and I was worried that embarrassing myself might happen any minute.

  She pulled her lips from mine in an attempt to catch her breath, but the grinding going on below
the waist didn’t stop. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she gasped.

  Probably not, since it wasn’t going to lead to where both our bodies obviously wanted it to go, but I wasn’t about to give up yet. It seemed second nature to reach my hand under her shirt and cup a breast perfectly formed for it.

  As I rubbed my thumb over her nipple through her thin bra, her soft cry of pleasure echoed loudly in the truck.

  “Damn, sweetheart, that’s beautiful,” I groaned. I couldn’t stop myself from sliding down the cup and pinching softly and was rewarded with her grinding harder against the bulge in my jeans. “I want your hand on me so damn bad,” I said. It felt incredible to have her rubbing against me, but I knew the softness of her fingers gripping would be heaven.

  “I don’t,” she murmured.

  Her words slid away as I rubbed her nipple between my thumb and forefinger, refusing to let her deny how I made her feel.

  “You don’t what?” With her body responding to my touch so eagerly, I dared her to say she didn’t want this to go further. My mind was blown at the words that escaped that perfect mouth.

  “I don’t know how to touch you.”

  If that didn’t slap me across the face with a dose of reality, nothing could. There was something incredibly hot about a gorgeous woman in your lap who had never touched another man’s shaft. Call me old-fashioned. “Maybe it’s time you learned,” I said.

  Lifting her off my lap was agony because it stopped the contact that I desperately needed. Seeing her innocent eyes widen as I unzipped my jeans and pushed them off my hips enough to pull my shaft out of my underwear was worth it.