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“Here,” Carter said taking her hand. “See what you do to me.”
She let him guide her hand to the bulk between his legs. Shocked by its size and hardness, Melanie tried to withdraw her hand but Carter would not let her. Slowly she touched it through the denim material. Carter groaned. He turned his attention to her nipples and to her shock; he brought his mouth on one and gently sucked it.
He used his hand to rub the other nipple. A strong aching need to be filled grew inside her. Just when she thought she could not take it anymore, Carter stopped all movement and held her to him in a crushing embrace.
“I’m afraid that I can’t control myself anymore,” Carter said.
He released her and then gently as though dressing a child, he tucked her breast back into her camisole, and pulled up her dress. To her surprise, Melanie did not feel a shred of embarrassment as he handled her breast. She gave a low moan when he flicked her nipples with his finger one more time.
“Shall we take the herd back to the ranch,” he said to her when he finished dressing her.
“Yes,” Melanie answered.
When they were leaving, Melanie took one last glance at the clearing. It felt peaceful and it soothed her soul. This would be her spot, she decided. It would always hold sweet memories of the first time she and Carter had kissed.
Chapter Thirteen
Hoss’s pacing irritated her, but Stephanie held her tongue. She sat still on the seat facing the window as they awaited Carter’s return. He hadn’t spoken to her since the day she had dropped the news on him. Despite her fear over Carter’s reaction, she felt madly excited.
Melanie Marriot had changed everything and the sooner she left the better. Stephanie had contemplated having a proper relationship with Hoss, but the other woman’s arrival had brought out her feelings for Carter. She wanted him and she would have him, Stephanie thought. She knew exactly what she wanted and she wanted Carter to herself.
Laughing voices alerted her to their arrival. She had not heard the hooves of the horses and before she could gather her thoughts, they walked into the drawing room. Stephanie took in Melanie’s flushed face, her disheveled hair and the dazed, satisfied look on her face. Her heart twisted with a combination of pain and anger.
Hoss had stopped pacing and was glaring at Carter.
“We’d like to speak to you—alone,” Hoss said, barely controlling his anger.
Carter looked from Stephanie to Hoss. “Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of my fiancé.”
He took Melanie’s hand and pulled her to him, tucking her under his arm. That would be the last time he would be holding her, Stephanie thought. Power filled her as she thought of the bombshell she was about to drop. Just as well that Melanie was there. Stephanie gave her two hours and she would be out of Circle One and back to where she had come from.
Taking her time, she got to her feet.
“Well,” Carter said, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.
“She’s pregnant Carter!” Hoss blurted out to Stephanie’s annoyance.
To her further annoyance, Carter did not react. He shrugged his shoulders.
“Don’t you see? It could be either you or me,” Hoss shouted.
Carter’s eyes narrowed and to Stephanie’s deep satisfaction, his jaw clenched, a sign that the implications of her pregnancy were now dawning on him.
“Carter, what do they mean?” Melanie asked.
She disengaged herself from Carter’s arm and stood facing the three of them.
“What I mean is that Carter and I were lovers,” Stephanie said.
“Before you took up with my brother,” Carter said, his voice cold.
Stephanie squeezed her eyes and tears instantly formed. Before long, a steady stream of tears was trickling down her cheeks.
“You took advantage of a young, inexperienced girl?” Melanie said, her expression horrified.
“Inexperienced?” he snorted.
Melanie lifted up her hands in disgust and her shoulders slumped. Stephanie watched all her movements with suppressed glee. Without another word, Melanie exited the room.
