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One hand landed on her butt and pulled her to him while he continued the maddening movements on her breast. "That's not true, baby. Remember the snakes?"
Her disjointed brain tried to keep up with the conversation as her body was drowning in passion. "I--that was different--I walked too far from the yard, I didn't know."
"Something like that could happen again."
"No--I'll be more careful."
"It's driving me crazy. Every day, all day. The thought of something happening to you--"
"Nothing will happen to me. You taught me how to shoot, you showed me the ranch--"
Her words came to an abrupt stop when his hands landed at her throat and he began unbuttoning her dress with quick, jerky movements.
When he came to her bosom he stopped, and pulled in a long, shuddering breath. "I shouldn't have been so damn selfish, marrying you, forcing you to live in such an isolated place." His eyes ran over her repeatedly, focusing on the line of her collarbone and her breasts under her camisole.
"You didn't force me," she disputed on a quick breath.
"I didn't give you a choice."
"I didn't want a choice."
He reached up and gripped her shoulders. "You're too small," he paused as his eyes ran over the line of her throat, "your skin is too soft and white for this kind of life." His fingers landed on her collarbone and he moved it back and forth. "You're too delicate--your leg already puts you at a disadvantage out here. I never should have thought this would work."
He pulled her closer and his mouth landed on hers in ruthless intent.
She let him take the agonizing kiss and then broke away and held him at arm's length, her chest heaving. "Don't send me away--please, please don't give me up just because of my leg--"
He cut her off as the hands that were fastened on her shoulders tightened with unyielding intensity and he lifted her off her feet so that only her toes dragged the ground. "I'm not giving you up!" He glared at her with savage denial. "I'll never give you up. I'll give up the damn ranch before I give you up."
Emma blinked up at him as his meaning became shockingly, amazingly clear. Tears came to her eyes as she lifted her hands to his cheeks. "It's all right, Luke. You don't have to worry over this. You can have both. I promise you, nothing will happen to me. I'm always careful, I won't take unnecessary risks."
"If I find out you've been going anywhere near that stallion, I'll take you over my knee and you won't be able to sit for a week." The animal he was referring to was the prized stallion he kept for inseminating the mares. The horse was kept in a paddock by itself and Emma had mentioned before that she thought the horse was lonely. Luke had warned her repeatedly the horse was dangerous.
Her breath hitched as his intoxicating fingers danced ever so softly over her nipple while the threat in his words was a disparity that brought a ravenous sexual hunger screaming inside of her. Her eyes began to slip closed.
"You understand me?"
"Yes. I haven't--" She tried to focus as consuming need began to swirl around her. "I won't go near the stallion."
His hands continued to hold her unmercifully and his brows drew down in a grimace. "You'd better not." His eyes held hers and the words were laced with anxiety.
"I won't. And I promise I'll always be careful."
"I'm afraid you won't be."
"Don't be afraid," she tried to soothe.
"Well I am!" He clenched his jaw and his nostrils flared as he ran his gaze over her again. A deep glitter lit his eyes and his mouth flattened in agitation. "In fact there's only one thing that eases my mind, only one thing that keeps me sane--" His words stopped in the middle of that thought as he took one quick step forward and pushed her backwards, and then one more until his legs tangled with hers and she felt herself being dropped to the dirt ground.
He followed her down, and his mouth covered hers as he began devouring her with lips and tongue. One of his knees was positioned at her hip, and the other was pushed between her legs, and shockingly, she realized that he was on top of her, looming over her body and kissing her with a ruthless intent that in a sudden flash of clarity, she knew she didn't want to end.
He hung over her on all fours, and she couldn't stop a shudder as his hand fell to her throat and he began unfastening the rest of the buttons that ran down her dress.
It happened so quickly, she was startled when he took his mouth from hers and with one grasping movement, seized both sides of her dress and ripped it over her head. As he lifted to his knees to fling the garment away, she rose up on her elbows in mild panic. As much as she wanted the walls to be lowered between them, finding herself on the dirt floor of the barn wasn't something she'd remotely considered. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, knew in fact, from his words of only moments ago, that he cared for her, maybe even more than he would admit. But he was sexually threatening nonetheless, and she was rendered helpless as his body enticed hers with masculine domination. Her heart banged loudly in her chest.
Luke felt the moment when nerves took her. She shifted restlessly beneath him, and she had a thunderstruck look on her face, no doubt from the position she found herself in. But there was also a sensual aura about her, an irresistible curiosity shining from her eyes that inflamed him. Her utilitarian dress was serviceable and practical; there was no reason the small buttons and coarse material should have sent him into paroxysms of unmitigated lust.
And yet his body was gripped in a maelstrom of raging desire; he was swollen to his fullest, his erection rigid and engorged, and his brain was taking directions from the lust rampaging through him. He felt the need to soothe her, keep her quiet until he could get her clothes off, because he knew that when he had her naked skin under his hands, she wouldn't be able to fight her inner desires anymore.
But when he flung the dress away, all he found was more cloth. More material, to hinder him once again. He felt the growl rise up his throat at the further restrictions, and before he could stop himsel
f, he pulled her to a sitting position and jerked first one petticoat, and then the next, from her pliant body.
His temples began to throb, his throat closed up and he could barely suck in enough oxygen as he stared down at the delicate white lace of the chemise that was all that was protecting her from his gaze.
Without hesitation, he lifted his hands to the material and lifted it over her head and then tore her pantalets off with quick, jerky movements.
His head fell to her nipple and he began suckling her breast as he pushed both legs between hers and lifted her thighs up and around his waist.
"I want you. I'll always want you."
"Yes."
Her single word of agreement only seemed to inflame him and he lifted himself from her and began ripping at fastenings of his pants. He shoved them down until his erection pushed up and hung threateningly in the space between them.
He came down over her, and lifted her hands above her head and fastened them together with one of his and then lifted her chin up until he was staring down into her face. "Nothing can happen to you, baby," he said as he thrust with his hips in an inexorable force that impaled her completely. She sucked in a breath as his eyes held hers.
"Nothing will," she gasped as stars began blinking in her brain.
He began stroking them toward orgasm immediately. His mouth fell to hers and in direct contrast to the thrusts that demanded her total acquiescence, his lips and tongue worshipped her softly, begging for her participation in the communion between them.
She gave it to him unstintingly.
As he held her tightly and so beguilingly, Emma knew. She knew he loved her. It was what was driving him crazy during the day, his need to protect her. His need to have her, to keep her. Delight raced down her spine and she mewled beneath him as his mouth worked at her nipple and she felt herself begin the slippery slide toward sensual relief.
Her internal muscles clenched, and she felt the surge of strength come upon him that told her that he was coming with her.
