Expecting the Rancher's Heir (4 page)

“Uh, sorry,” he muttered. He couldn't tell her that he had been thinking about how much he wanted to hold her, how much his body ached to be inside her. “There are a couple of different ways to get to the falls and I was trying to decide which would be the fastest,” he said, thinking quickly. There was only one trail leading to the waterfall, but she didn't know that and he wasn't about to admit that he'd been fantasizing about stripping them both and making love to her until they both collapsed from exhaustion.

“How far is it to Rainbow Falls?” she asked as he mounted the stallion and they rode through the corral gate.

“It's only about three miles as the eagle flies, but having to skirt some of the steeper terrain and due to all of the bends in the river, it takes a few hours,” he explained.

She gave him a wistful look. “I wish I had known about this trip before we left the lodge. I'd have brought my camera. I'm sure the scenery is going to be gorgeous.”

He decided not to remind her that once he made her his wife, she would be able to take as many pictures of his ranch as she wanted, any time she wanted. But he wasn't a fool. If he did remind her of that fact, she would most likely come up with more ways they didn't know each other and be on the defensive.

That was the last thing he wanted. His plan hinged on the element of surprise. When he played his ace in the hole, he had no doubt he would have her agreeing to marry him faster than he could slap his own ass with both hands.

 

“Shane, this is absolutely breathtaking,” Melissa said as they rode single file over the ridge and around a switchback into the upland valley.

“It isn't much good for pasturing the horses, but I like to camp out here occasionally,” he said, leading the way down the slope.

“I love camping out,” she said, remembering the wonderful time she'd had when her father allowed her
to go on a couple of overnight trail rides with some of the resort's guests.

It had taken considerable thought on her part and several arguments with her father to convince him that she would be there to address any special needs of the Jarrod Ridge guests. He had finally relented, but only after she had pointed out that she would technically still be working for the resort and not just frittering away her time. God forbid that she did something with her time that she actually enjoyed, she thought, unable to keep from feeling resentful.

“What's wrong?” Shane called over his shoulder.

Jarred back to the present, she focused on the man riding the big red stallion ahead of her. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

Stopping his horse, he turned in the saddle. “I've seen happier faces on condemned felons.”

“The sun was in my eyes,” she said, hoping he would drop the matter.

“If you say so.” His expression told her that he wasn't buying her excuse, but to her relief, he let it go.

She didn't want to discuss the unreasonable demands Donald Jarrod had placed on his children. It was something she had spent her entire adult life trying to forget and she certainly didn't want to ruin an otherwise glorious day thinking about her childhood. Besides, she didn't know Shane well enough to share the dirt on a family that, up until
her father's death and the subsequent discovery that she had an illegitimate half sister, had an impeccable reputation.

They rode in companionable silence for some time before he pointed to the river. “As soon as we go around this bend, you'll see Rainbow Falls just off to the right.”

Riding side by side once they cleared the tree line, Melissa's attention once again turned to Shane. He was an expert horseman and handled the stallion with ease. But aside from admiring the way he sat the horse, she simply loved watching him.

With his black Resistol pulled down low on his brow to shade his eyes and a day-old growth of beard, he looked a little wild, possibly dangerous and totally delicious.

A tremor coursed through her and she had to re mind herself that lusting after the man was not conducive to getting her life back under control. Not only had she become pregnant because of it, the physical attraction she had for him was in danger of transforming into something deeper, something more meaningful.

Even though what she felt for him was probably nothing more than a temporary infatuation, in the end it could still do a lot of emotional damage and leave behind some deep long-lasting scars.

As devastatingly handsome and charming as Shane was, he just wasn't the type of man for her. He had the reputation of moving from one woman to
another, leaving a string of broken hearts in his wake. Given the circumstances they found themselves in now, that was one complication she could definitely do without.

He had made it clear right up front that he wasn't looking for a lasting commitment. Neither was she. She had her own business in California and she might be returning to her life there once the year required to obtain her inheritance was over. She'd reasoned that it was better not to look for anything deeper than a casual relationship until she had decided what she was going to do. After witnessing what some of her friends went through as they tried to maintain long-distance commitments, she had quickly decided it wasn't for her. Things never seemed to work out, and the hurt and disillusionment that went along with a breakup was something she definitely wanted to avoid.

Besides, she hadn't really taken Shane's proposal seriously. That's why she had dismissed outright his outrageous suggestion that they get married. It had to have been a knee-jerk reaction to the startling news, and once he had more time to think about it, she was certain he would see reason. He would probably even be relieved that she'd had the foresight to turn him down.

The sound of rushing water brought her out of her disturbing introspection and, looking up, Melissa realized they had ridden around the bend in the river
and arrived at Rainbow Falls. It was everything Shane had told her and more.

Cascading from the ridge high above, the water fell a good seventy-five feet onto the massive boulders below, then slowing, it formed the lazy river that meandered across the valley floor. What caught and held her attention more than anything was the faint rainbow caused by the sun reflecting off the mist created by the falling water.

“It's absolutely beautiful,” she said, understanding why it had been named Rainbow River.

“I was pretty sure you would like it.” She could hear the satisfaction and pride in Shane's voice and knew he was pleased that she hadn't been disappointed.

They stopped the horses along the riverbank just out of the icy mist and dismounted. As soon as her feet hit the ground, her legs felt as if the tendons had been replaced with stretched-out rubber bands and her muscles had turned to Jell-O.

When she took a wobbly step, Shane was immediately at her side to support her. “Are you all right?”

Nodding, she took another tentative step. “I should go riding more often. Maybe then I would be in better condition.”

Shane took her into his arms. “I think you're in great shape, angel.” He laughed. “You'd have to be to twist yourself up like a Christmas bow in those yoga classes.”

“Yoga is more about stretching and relaxing the muscles.” Smiling, she enjoyed the feel of him holding her to him. “Horseback riding takes a certain amount of tensing the thigh muscles to help you stay balanced in the saddle.”

“Your thigh muscles don't seem to be all that weak when you hold on to me,” he said, nuzzling the side of her neck. His deep baritone sent shivers of excitement streaking up her spine and her legs threatened to fail her for an entirely different reason this time.

Before Melissa had the chance to respond to his suggestive words, his mouth came down on hers and she forgot all about her weak knees or the internal lecture she had given herself about lusting after the man. All she wanted, could even think about, was the feel of his lips moving over hers with such gentle care.

When he used his tongue to coax her to allow him entry to her tender inner recesses, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on for dear life. As he teased and coaxed her to answer his exploration with one of her own, a lazy heat spread throughout her body and her lower stomach tightened with the ache of unfulfilled desire.

But the spell that seemed to hold her in its grip was broken when he moved his hands to lift the tail of her pink T-shirt and the icy mist coated her bare abdomen. The breeze had shifted, carrying the spray farther than when they first got off the horses and they were both getting wet.

Shane quickly moved them out of the way, but the mood was effectively shattered and not a moment too soon. What on earth had she been thinking?

She had forgotten all about why going blithely along as if nothing had happened wasn't going to solve her dilemma. They hadn't fully discussed or made any decisions about her being pregnant, and that was something they were going to have to address in the very near future. The pregnancy couldn't be hidden indefinitely. Once she started showing, people were going to start talking and asking questions. She wanted to be ready with some answers when they did.

Unfortunately, it was always this way when Shane held her, kissed her. Sound judgment and common sense seemed to take a backseat to the passion and desire he created within her.

“I think we'd better…break out those sandwiches we made…before we left your house,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “I'm starting to…get hungry.”

His mouth curved upward in a wicked grin. “To tell you the truth, Lissa, I am starved to death right now. But my hunger hasn't got a damned thing to do with food.”

Doing her best to ignore the excitement that his candid comment evoked, she walked over to the roan and began unpacking one of the saddlebags. “You, Mr. McDermott, are incorrigible.”

He laughed as he helped her spread a blanket for their picnic. “More like insatiable, angel.”

“That may be, but do the best you can to contain yourself,” she said, smiling as she carried their lunch to the blanket.

Kneeling at the edge of the fleece, she avoided his intense blue gaze as she placed the sandwiches on plates, then opened two small bottles of apple juice. If she looked at him, there was a very good chance she would abandon her resolve and that was something she couldn't afford to let happen.

“We have things to talk about and decisions to make,” she said, taking a sip from her juice.

His expression turning serious, Shane lowered him self to sit on the blanket beside her. “Let's put a hold on that for right now. We'll have plenty of time to make our plans tomorrow.” Smiling, he reached for a sandwich. “You need to take today to relax and regroup, anyway. Yesterday was a pretty rough day for you.”

It was the first reference he had made to her meltdown the night before, and she was grateful that he didn't seem overly interested in pursuing it now. “Maybe you're right.”

“I know I am,” he said, sounding so darned sure of himself, she wasn't sure whether she should kiss him or take something and bop him with it.

Either way, she decided to take his advice. There would be plenty of time tomorrow to figure what to do about a carefree affair that had unexpectedly become a very serious issue.

T
he first shadows of evening had just begun to stretch across the valley when Shane and Lissa rode back into the ranch yard. All in all, it had been a pretty good day, he decided as they dismounted. He had been more than a little pleased by her reaction to his ranch and looked forward to showing her more when they had time.

“I've been thinking that supper in front of the television would be nice tonight,” he said, leading their horses into the stable. “We can watch a movie on one of the satellite channels or pop a DVD in the player.” Unsaddling the stallion, he carried the tack and blanket into the tack room, then returned to the center aisle of the stable to do the same with
the roan. “Although, I think I had better warn you. I don't have much in the way of romantic movies in my collection.”

“Why doesn't that surprise me?” she asked, laughing as she reached for a brush to groom the gelding. “I have to admit though, a night of vegging out does sound nice. And whatever you choose to watch is fine with me. I'll probably fall asleep before the opening credits even get started.”

Finished with brushing the stallion, Shane led the animal down to his stall, then returned for Stormy. “Why don't you go on to the house and take a hot shower? It will only take me another few minutes to feed and water the horses.”

Without waiting to see if she took him up on his suggestion, Shane walked Stormy to his stall, then set about giving the animals oats and filling their water troughs. He was surprised when he turned around to find that Lissa had sat down on a bale of straw beside the tack room door to wait for him.

“I thought you were going to take a shower and change,” he said, walking up beside her.

Shrugging, she smiled. “I thought we could go back to the house together.”

He liked the sound of that and without hesitation, he picked her up and sat down to settle her on his lap. Her arms automatically circled his neck and she laid her head on his shoulder.

Damn, but he loved holding her like this. “Legs still a bit wobbly from riding so much?”

“A little. But not as bad as the first time I dismounted.” She snuggled closer. “Thank you for today,” she said softly. “I really enjoyed seeing your ranch and Rainbow Falls. It's all very beautiful.”

Her warm breath whispering over his neck and the feel of her cradled against him sent his hormones racing. His arousal was not only immediate, it left him feeling light-headed from its intensity.

“I'm glad you had a good time,” he said, shifting to a more comfortable position.

“I've been thinking, Shane.”

He didn't like the sound of her tentative tone. “About what?”

“This weekend should probably be our last time seeing each other.”

Her voice was so quiet he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. But a bucket of ice water couldn't have been more effective at putting an end to his overly active libido.

Sitting her up on his lap, he met her gaze head-on. “You want to explain yourself? What do you mean this is our last time together?”

She sighed. “Jarrod Ridge is a family-oriented resort. Some of the older investors would likely take a dim view of our having an affair.”

“What do you think is going to happen when they find out you're pregnant out of wedlock?” he shot back. The way he saw it, they'd take the news a whole lot better and be less likely to condemn if she had the baby's daddy standing beside her.

She nibbled on her lower lip a moment before shaking her head. “I've thought about that, too. I'm hoping they won't find out.”

A chill raced up his spine. She wasn't talking about…

“I'll have to check with our attorney, Christian Hanford, to see if there's a way to keep from losing my inheritance if I move back to California. But having the baby out there would keep the talk down around the resort,” she said, oblivious to the fact that she had damned near given him a coronary before she finished explaining. “You and my family will be the only ones who know that I've had a child. I know they'll keep that kind of news quiet in order to keep from jeopardizing our business.”

Why did everyone's opinion matter so much to her? For that matter, why did the whole family protect the Jarrod Ridge reputation as if it were as valuable as the gold in Fort Knox?

“Why the hell are you protecting the resort above all else, Lissa?” he asked before he could stop himself. But once the words were out, he couldn't really say he regretted the question.

She looked stunned. “What do you mean?”

“Why are you scared to death about what everyone is going to say or think?”

Shane knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he had a feeling that it had been drilled into her as a child that appearances were everything and the reputation of the resort came before anything else.
Even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness or well-being.

Her body stiffened and he knew he had hit the nail on the head. “My father's death caused enough upheaval. Jarrod Ridge doesn't need unrest among the people with a vested interest in its success,” she insisted. “We need their funding to bring more events to the resort.”

He could tell she was avoiding having to answer his questions. He decided to let that slide for now. But eventually she was going to have to stop putting that damned resort and its precious reputation ahead of her own wants and needs. And if it took him having to bring that to her attention, he was up for the challenge.

“I'm one of the investors in the resort and I couldn't care less what the majority of those old goats think.”

He pulled her close and wondered what kind of childhood she'd had. If being put to work at the age of eight and her unrealistic concerns about gossip were any indication, it had to have been miserable.

“But we aren't going to talk about any of that now,” he said, determined to change the subject. “This afternoon, we made an agreement to get this all straightened out tomorrow. I'm going to hold you to that.”

Deciding not to give her the opportunity to argue the point further, he captured her mouth with his. Resistant at first, he felt her begin to relax against him
as he traced her perfect coral lips with his tongue, then coaxed her to open for him. His blood heated and his body reacted as it always did when she was in his arms. When he stroked her tongue with his, he could tell from her soft moan that she was as turned on as he was.

Unfortunately, sitting on a bale of straw in a stable had to be one of the least sensual places on earth. Cursing himself as nine kinds of a fool for starting something he couldn't finish until they went to the house, he groaned and reluctantly broke the kiss.

“I think it's about time we took that hot shower,” he said, setting her on her feet.

“We?” she asked as he rose to take her hand in his and hurry her toward the stable doors.

He didn't even try to stop his wicked grin. “I've decided it's about time for the ranch to ‘go green.' We'll save water by showering together.”

 

When they reached the house, Shane stopped only long enough to remove their boots, then led Melissa toward the stairs. No matter how foolish it might be, she willingly followed him straight into the master bathroom.

She was determined not to think about this weekend being the end of their affair or the loneliness she would suffer once it was over. It might not be smart, but she wanted to store up the memory of his tender touch and the strength of his lovemaking. She would
need them on those lonely nights that lay ahead of her once they stopped seeing each other.

“You do realize you're way overdressed for a shower, don't you?” he asked, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he closed the door.

She smiled. “I could say the same thing about you, Cowboy.”

“Really?” He reached for the snaps on his chambray shirt as he took a step toward her. “I'm pretty sure I can remedy that.”

“Don't.” She reached up to remove his hat, then hanging it on the doorknob, took his hands in hers and lowered them to his sides. “Let me see if I can take care of it for you.”

Releasing the first closure, she kissed his tanned collarbone. “That wasn't too difficult,” she said, lightly skimming her nails along his skin as her fingers traveled on to the next snap. She flicked it open, then pressed a kiss to the newly exposed skin. “Neither was that.”

His abdominal muscles contracted when she continued on to the next one. She smiled as she slowly released each closure to nibble and kiss his perfect torso. “I think I'm starting to get the hang of this.”

“Oh, I would say you've become quite proficient at it.” His voice was husky and when she glanced up, the heated look in his blue gaze stole her breath.

As they continued to stare at each other, she finished unsnapping his shirt and tugged the tail of it from the waistband of his jeans. Parting the lapels,
Melissa moved to push the garment over his shoulders and down his arms.

Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed at his sculpted chest and abdomen. Unable to resist, she touched the hard ridges of his stomach with her fingertip, then traced the thin line of hair from his navel to where it disappeared into the waistband of his jeans. She was rewarded with his sharp intake of breath.

“You've got a good start there, angel,” he encouraged. “Don't stop now.”

“I don't intend to.” Unbuckling his leather belt, she shook her head. “I was always taught not to quit until a job was finished.” She released the button at the top of his jeans and toyed with the metal tab below. “And to make sure the job was done to the best of my ability.”

Slowly, intentionally, she pulled the zipper downward. By the time she eased it over his persistent arousal to the bottom of his fly, Melissa wasn't certain which one of them was having more trouble drawing their next breath.

“Oh my, Mr. McDermott,” she teased as she lightly touched the bulging cotton of his boxer briefs. “You seem to have a bit of a problem.”

His big body jerked as if an electrical charge had coursed through it. “You caused my current dilemma. Now what are you going to do about it?” he asked through gritted teeth.

The feral light in his eyes caused a delicious
warmth to spread throughout her being. “What would you suggest I do?”

“Finish what you started.”

Smiling, she put her hands on his sides, then slipping her fingers inside both waistbands slid his jeans and underwear over his hips and down his legs. He quickly stepped out of them, then kicked them to the side.

She took a moment to appreciate his perfection. Her heart skipped several beats as she let her gaze slide from his handsome face down his torso and beyond. Muscles developed by years of hard ranch work padded his shoulders and chest and his stomach was taut with ridges of toned sinew. Every cell in her body tingled as she took in the beauty of Shane's male body and his strong, proud arousal.

“I love your body,” she found herself murmuring.

“It was made just for yours, angel.” Lifting the hem of her T-shirt, his grin was filled with such promise it sent goose bumps shimmering over her skin. “Since you've been so nice and helped me out, I think it's only fair that I return the favor.”

“I think so, too,” she said.

As methodically as she had removed his clothing, Shane removed hers and tossed them into the growing pile on the bathroom floor. When he removed the last scrap of silk and lace, he stood back.

“You're absolutely gorgeous, Lissa.” He pulled her into his arms, and the feel of hard masculine
flesh touching her much softer feminine skin caused a need within her so deep it reached all the way to her soul.

“I think we'd better take that shower while we still have the strength,” he said, his voice hoarse.

She waited until he adjusted the water, then stepped under the luxurious, multiheaded spray. When he joined her, Shane turned her away from him, then reached for a bottle of shampoo. As his large hands began to gently massage her scalp and work the shampoo down the long strands, Melissa didn't think she had ever felt anything more sensual than having him wash her hair.

Neither spoke as he rinsed away the last traces of shampoo, then reached for the soap. Working the herbal-scented bar into a rich lather, he held her gaze as he slowly smoothed his hands over every inch of her body and by the time he was finished she felt more cherished than she ever had in her entire life.

“My turn,” she said, taking the soap from him.

Treating him to the same sensuous exploration, she took the time to commit to memory every muscle and cord of his perfect physique. When she finally touched him intimately, she watched him tightly close his eyes. His head fell back and a groan rumbled up from deep in his chest a moment before he took the soap from her, rinsed them both thoroughly, then gathered her to him.

He lowered his head and the moment his mouth came down to cover hers, she put her arms around his
wide shoulders and her eyes drifted shut. She could feel herself being lifted and automatically brought her legs up to wrap them around his lean hips. They fit against each other perfectly, and when he entered her with one smooth stroke, Melissa reveled in the feeling of being one with him.

As water sprayed over them from all sides, their wet bodies moved together in perfect unison, and all too soon, she felt herself start to climb toward the peak of completion. Her muscles tensed as the need grew and intensified. Then, as if something inside of her broke free, pleasure filled every fiber of her being and stars danced behind her tightly closed eyes.

Almost immediately Shane's body surged within her a final time and he crushed her to him. She held him just as tightly as he rode out the storm and found his own shuddering release.

When she finally gained the strength to move, Melissa leaned back to look at his handsome face as he still held her to him. For the past couple of months, she had told herself their affair was strictly physical and she could walk away from it at any time with no regrets. She now realized that she had been deluding herself. From the moment he introduced himself at a meeting between her family and the Jarrod Ridge investors, she had not only been attracted to him physically, she had been drawn to his charming personality and easy sense of humor.