Page 43 of Cowboy

“I’ve heard about this kind of thing,” she says, stroking over my hair while her eyes remain closed, and I continue to swirl my fingertip around her nipple.

“You’re going to be beautiful while you nurse.” Scarlett’s eyes slowly open. “I can’t imagine I’ll ever see anything more beautiful than a mother feeding her babe.”

“That’s a cow reference again, isn’t it?” she hisses, turning her head to the side, but I capture her chin and bring her face back to me.

“It’s a compliment. You understand what an incredible gift you have. You can grow a life inside you. You can feed that baby from your own body. It’s an amazing wonder.”

“Some women find it a curse.”

“Really? I get the whole period thing feeling like a punishment, but do you hate being pregnant?” Scarlett’s quiet as her hand lowers over her exposed belly.

“Actually, I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would.” Her fingers spread, continuing to marvel at her own ability.

“That’s my baby in there,” I say, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her belly.

“Bull,” she whispers. She’s cautious, concerned I’ll change my mind if we find out it’s not biologically mine. She’s worried my hopes are too high, but she doesn’t understand that my heart has fallen in deep. I’m in love with her and the baby. A few weeks back, when her ex showed up, she worried I was all in for only Sprout, but it’s not just the baby. I want all of her.

My fingers circle the bump of her abs before lowering to stroke over the coarse hair near the apex of her legs. Her thighs spread automatically, anticipating where I’m headed, and I don’t want to disappoint her. I never want to give her a reason to second-guess her decision to stay with me. My hand slips forward, curling over her before two fingers thrust inside.

“Babe.” Her back arches as her head tips back. She’s so wet and ready for me, but I’m taking my time. In the quiet of dawn, I just want to tease her and drag this out a bit, take her sweet and slow. Scarlett and I are pretty hot when we come together, and we’ve experienced things in a lot of unique spots in my home. Over the back of the couch. Against the wood stove chimney in the kitchen. Even on the staircase once. Of course, with her changing shape, we’ll continue to be creative, so I want this moment.

As I slide in and out of her wet heat, she’s dripping, and I’m so stiff. I’d blame it on the morning, but it’s all Scarlett. She does this to me.

“Sweetheart, I want to feel you around me.” Sensing what I mean, Scarlett rolls toward me, ready to climb over me, but I press her back. “I’ll be careful,” I tell her, knowing we both worry about squishing the baby. Scarlett researched it when I was concerned I’d hurt her, and she told me I wasn’t coming anywhere near the baby. Folding up to my knees, I position Scarlett’s lower body, slipping a pillow under her backside to tip her upward. Holding myself in place, I drag my dick, which is hard enough to hammer nails, through her slit and coat the tip. I love that being pregnant means we can go without anything between us, and briefly, I wonder if Scarlett will consider a second baby even though she hasn’t had the first.

Eventually, I slip inside, taking my time to fill her, drawing out the tension. She hisses as I get to the hilt. Her legs are pressed against my pelvis. We’re as close as two humans can get, yet it almost doesn’t feel like enough. She’s crawled into my soul, and I want to live in hers, but I fight back those thoughts, reminding myself that admitting such things is too much. I won’t be making any verbal promises. I’ll be keeping all my feelings to myself.

Pulling back, watching as I spill from her body until only the tip remains, I take a breath and surge forward, filling her once again. Staying steady, I repeat the motion as Scarlett’s head rolls on the pillow, her bright hair glowing in the dimness of dawn. She’s so beautiful. Her hair reminds me of the Engagement Tree when it’s in fiery bloom come fall. The heart of this land. She’s the heart of me.

Taking my time, I pull back and thrust forward, drawing out the sensation until we’re both panting with the need for more. Angling higher on my knees, Scarlett moans.

“What’s this?” Her voice squeaks with the change in position, allowing my shaft to rub against her clit as I move forward in this position. Her eyes spring open and widen. “Bull?”

The hitch to her voice tells me she likes this, and the tension in her body hints she’s close.

“I told you, I want to feel you. There’s no better sensation than when you come and I’m inside you.”

Her arms stretch over her head, reaching for the slats of my wooden headboard. Fingers curl around the wood strips as she moves her hips in a way that matches my dance over her, and she breaks. Her legs tighten at my hips. Her head tips back. She’s a goddess like this, all curves and arches, giving in to the power of us coming together. With that thought, I release the tension I’ve been holding back. Her orgasm sets off mine, and I spill into her, pulsing as she clenches. If she wasn’t already pregnant, she would be from this.

Lowering my hands to brace myself on either side of her shoulders, I stare down at her, still inside her. There’s so much I want to tell her. How happy she makes me. How much I love her. How thrilled I am she’s having this baby, but I keep it all locked up tight.

“Feel good, sweetheart?” I ask, knowing there’s no way she doesn’t, but what I really want to know is if she’s satisfied with me. Could she ever fall in love with me? Could she want more with me?

That night, dinner is almost ready at the main house, and I’m expecting Scarlett any minute. Joey has the television on in the den, and I’ve wandered in to see my favorite niece. When Canyon showed up with her a few years ago, our world turned upside down. Our mainly male household didn’t know what to do with a girl on the edge of becoming a teen. Thank goodness Carly took over the female matters, although I’d like to think Canyon has a good handle on these things. His love of women over the years certainly should have prepared him to raise one, which leaves me wondering how I’ll be if Sprout turns out to be a girl.

“Whatcha watching?” I ask as Joey sits on the couch, her feet up on the ottoman. The television screen comes to life with blaring music and the spinning title of KTEL. The program is titled Insider. Admittedly, I haven’t investigated the place where Scarlett told me she once worked. She doesn’t talk about it, dismissing her former employer as a modern-day gossip rag full of spoils about the rich and famous. It’s definitely not my thing. I’m not up on pop stars, movie star marriages, or even the greatest hits in music.

“It’s summertime in the city, but what about the neighboring countryside? Who’s missed some of our favorite stories? Ever wonder what happened next? In tonight’s segment, we have updates on some of our most requested stories, turning old news new again.”

The square image in the upper right corner immediately has the hairs on the back of my neck lifting. Despite it not being full-screen, I already recognize the picture as well as what the headline reads. As if conjuring it larger, the square blows up to fill the monitor, and the headline appears.

Bovine Bridegroom turns Dirty Dairy.

“Turn this shit off,” I hiss to Joey, but she’s transfixed by the image. The remote is in her hand, but she doesn’t change the channel, and the train wreck begins as a familiar-sounding female speaks.

“In a special interest story about our New England neighbor Vermont, this tale doesn’t hold the happily ever after of Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. You’ve heard always the bridesmaid, never the bride, but what about the repeat groom? Sources say this hunky dairy king has been engaged and left at the altar on more than one occasion.”

The image focuses on the backside of a cowboy, covered in muck, but zooms in to highlight the tight-fitting jeans.