Page 50 of The Rancher’s One and Only

“I’m just saying. I’m twenty-eight.”

“And I’m just saying, if I’m the one that’s going to do this, I’m going to do my level best to not hurt you. How about that?”

“That’s fair.”

He was building the pleasure inside of her again, stroking her, filling her with mindless need. He moved his thumb over her, and she was rocked with another spasm of release.

Then he withdrew his fingers, cupped her face and kissed her again before moving away and grabbing his wallet. He opened it up and took out a condom, and she watched with deep fascination as he rolled it over his length. She also felt a little bit sad that she hadn’t explored his body more before they got to this point. But she had been busy. Very busy. Breaking a record on how many times she climaxed in a set amount of time.

Then he was on top of her, between her thighs, the blunt head of him pressing to the entrance of her body. He did take it slow. And it was…tight. Unfamiliar. He was so big and she wasn’t used to this.

Then he moved in inch by agonizing inch, and she had to adjust her hips, take a breath to take him all.

She didn’t feel anything tear, though, so she was pretty sure she was correct about the absence of her hymen.

This was wonderful, but she could still take a moment to enjoy being right.

Then, she couldn’t think at all. Because he began to move. Deep, measured strokes, and the feeling of him being inside of her was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. It was like a revelation. That two people could be this close. That they could share a body. That they could share breath. She clutched his shoulders, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to cry.

This was everything. All too much, and not enough.

She worked her hips back and forth, in time with his movements. And impossibly, even as she felt stretched, even as this all felt new, she felt new pleasure building inside of her.

He whispered against her lips, “That’s right. Come for me.”

Those simple words, whispered with desperation, pushed her over the edge. The muscles in her calves tightened, and she flexed her feet, crying out her release as he began to thrust harder, faster. She looked up at his face, looked at the tendons in his neck, the absolute intensity with which he tried to hold on to his control.

And when he came, it was on a low growl, his large body trembling above hers. Had she made him tremble? Because that was the most incredible thing. It made her feel beautiful and strong and wonderful. And then, she just felt like she was floating. Above herself, above him. Amazing and free and wonderful.

“Oh my,” she said. “We had sex.”

He laughed, the sound expanding his chest, and she felt it reverberate inside of her, because he was still right there. He moved away from her then, rolling onto his side. “We did.”

“It’s…it’s very fun,” she said. “So I kind of get what all the fuss is about now.”

“It’s not always that good,” he said.

She wrinkled her nose. “Really?” Did that mean it was that good for him too? Or was he discounting her orgasms? Why wasn’t she asking him? Normally, she would just ask the question herself. Normally, she didn’t have any insecurity. But right now, she had a little bit. Just a little bit.

“What is it, Ernestine?”

Oh, he’d noticed. “Well, I was actually just wondering if you meant that it was that good for you. But then I didn’t really want to ask, because if the answer is no I think it would hurt my feelings. That is really reasonable, though, because I’m inexperienced, and the first time you do something is never going to be the best time that you do it. I probably need practice. Also, I didn’t really do anything for you.”

He was looking at her like she had grown a second head. “What do you mean ‘I didn’t do anything for you’?”

“I mean, you gave me oral sex, but I didn’t return the favor. I didn’t really touch you, I didn’t really…”

He shook his head. “As was good and appropriate. I did exactly what you asked me to do. I taught you some things about sex. But to say that you didn’t do anything for me is insane. Because that was great. It was incredible sex. For me too. That’s called chemistry, I’m sure you know something about that.”

“In a scientific sense.”

“Between two people, it’s when everything is working perfectly. It’s when the chemicals in your body create an outsize reaction. Because it’s just like that. Because you just fit. Because one of you is a reagent. That’s chemistry, right?”

He said that so eloquently. And right in her language. She loved it. He got up off the bed and walked out of the room for a moment, then returned without the condom, and with a towel.

She flushed horribly when he placed the towel between her legs, and did a bit of cleanup.

“No blood,” she said when he pulled the towel away. “So I would’ve failed the medieval-wedding-night test.”