Her Prada Cowboy: McCulloch County Series #1 (11 page)

When her tears dried eventually, he
sat down on the grass and pulled her on his lap, wrapping his arms around her.
She clasped him around his neck and hid her face in his throat.  Eventually her
body relaxed and her breathing became even.

She was asleep.  He laid back and
pulled her against his side, allowing her to sleep, just holding her, watching
the clouds change shape in the sky.

How could any mother treat her own
child in such a way, and Melody for that matter?  She was a sweet person and
everyone liked her. No matter how hard he tried, he could not associate Melody
as she was now, with a woman drinking and spacing out on pills.

Shannon slept for over an hour and was
slightly disorientated when she woke up.  She was lying on Jarrod’s chest with
her legs intertwined with his.  She looked up and found him fast asleep.  He
looked younger, with the sharp planes in his face relaxed.  She reached up and
traced his jaw, the slight stubble rough under her fingers.

He was a hard man, but he was also so
tender, so caring … not a womanizer or a gigolo at all.  He was right, thinking
of him as one, gave her the excuse to stay away from him.  Her heartbeat
increased and she could not deny her feelings.

She had feelings for this man that
confused her.  They hardly knew each other, although their bodies did … very
well, but he woke emotions inside her that were so strong it frightened her.
Overwhelmed her and excited her at the same time.  Maybe she should let her
fears go and embrace what they could have together.

Maybe it was time to love and be
loved!

Now you’ve got it doll face!

Jarrod’s eyes opened and their eyes
met.  He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek.  His voice slightly rough from
sleep.

“Are you feelin’ better, honey?”

“Yes, except that your shirt is still
wet from the waterfall you tried to stop.”

“Anytime, although I sincerely hope it
is the last time you have the need to cry so much.  It broke my heart, doll
face.  I did not like it at all!”

“Jarrod.”

“Hmm?”

“Kiss me.”

He turned on his side and she slipped
off his chest onto her back.  His head lowered and his lips covered hers in a
breathtakingly tender kiss.  She slipped her tongue past his and twirled and
sipped from his mouth.  Their passion exploded.  Jarrod moaned and pressed
deeper into her, kissing her with a wild sensuality that heated her blood so
rapidly, she felt as if her whole body was on fire.

Their
hands groped, their bodies strained and their clothes flew in all directions. 
Shannon arched her back and her throaty moan echoed his growl the moment he
plunged inside her, all the way to the hilt.  She urged him on and he thrust
wildly, desperately and within minutes they plummeted into a wave of ecstasy so
high, they felt as if they were drowning.

“Forget
it, muscle man.  I am not getting on that horse!”

“You’re goin’ to have to learn to ride
at some point, doll face.”

“Why?  I live in a concrete jungle
remember … no horses there.  Only nice comfortable four wheel drive SUV’s!”

“Everyone that lives in Texas should
be able to ride!  Don’t be such a ninny.”

Shannon spun around and glowered at
him.  She slammed her fists in her waist and stamped her foot.

“I am not a ninny!  Fine!  I’ll learn
to ride a stupid horse, but not today!”

“I want to show you the ranch, and the
best way to do that is on horseback.”

“So, you’ve got a monster horse.  He
managed to carry the both of us before.  I’m sure he will manage now as well.”

“You want to … okay … come, hop up.”

“Hop up?  Are you sure you don’t just
want to throw me on his back like you did the day we met?”

“I did not throw you on his back, I
onl …”

“You did! Absolutely no concern for
the fact that I am a lady! No … just whoosh!  Up you go, chick!”

He burst out laughing and she smiled
along with him.  She approached the horse slowly, eyeing him carefully.  Her
eyes caught his and he literally scowled at her.  She leaned closer and said
against his ear.

“Stop glaring at me, you big lummox! 
I don’t weigh that much.”

He snorted and shook his head. Then
whinnied and jerked his head up and down.

“Gmphf … you’re just as vein as your
owner, do you know that?”

“Doll face … is this conversation
goin’ to take much longer?  The sun is drawin’ water.”

She looked up at him, narrowing her
eyes.  With a loud
tsk
, she held out her hand.  Jarrod just shook his
head, leaned down and grabbed her around her waist and lifted her to sit in
front of him.  She was wearing a pair of shorts, so she could sit with her legs
spread over the horse’s back. She wiggled to get more comfortable and Jarrod
clenched his teeth.

“Bloody hell, Shannon!  Stop wiggling
your ass against my dick!”

She froze and scowled at him over her
shoulder.

“Language, Jarrod!”

He just grumbled and kicked Hades in
his sides.  He took off at a fast gallop and Shannon shrieked, clamping her
fists in his mane.  Jarrod wrapped his one arm around her waist and she sighed
with relief.  At least that made her feel safe and secure.  She smiled feeling
his aroused ridge press hard against her back.

“What is your horse’s name?”

“Hades?”

“Hades?  Are you serious?”

“Yes, Shannon.”

He was clearly not impressed with her
reaction to his horse’s name.

“May I ask why?”

“He is as black as the night and he was
as wild and kickass bad as hell when I got him.  He threw me more times than I
could count when I broke him in.  Broke my damn collarbone, he did.”

Shannon leaned forward and rubbed
Hades on his neck.

“Aah, poor baby!  No wonder you always
glare at people!  I would too if I was named after the God of Hell!”

Hades whinnied and nodded his head in
agreement.  Jarrod just chortled.

Jarrod
took Shannon to all the special spots on the ranch.  He had to pick her up and
carry her away from the little foals, shaking his head as she complained
loudly.

“Please, honey!  Can’t we stay a little
longer?”

The honey nearly undid him, it warmed
his heart so much.

“We can come back another time.  If we
don’t leave now, we’ll only get home after dark.”

Shannon relaxed against his chest and
took in the beauty of the prairie around them. She sighed, completely relaxed. 
Her turmoil of earlier forgotten.  She stiffened when Jarrod’s fingers caressed
over her nipples.  They tightened into hard nubs with the second flick over
them.

“What … are you doing?”

“Nothin’”

His fingers tightened around the nubs
and he tugged and rolled them slowly.  Her breathing increased rapidly.  She
gripped his thighs next to hers, licking her lips.

“It … doesn’t feel … like nothing.”

His breath was hot in her ear.  He
flicked his tongue inside her ear and swirled it around the scallop on the
outer side.

“What does it feel like?”

“It feels like … oooh!”

Jarrod pulled her earlobe between his
lips and sucked it gently.  Heat speared down her belly to pool in her
panties.  She moaned huskily, then cried out when he rubbed his fingers against
her clit through her shorts.

“Oh … my!”

Jarrod opened the zipper of her shorts
and Shannon lifted her hips eagerly when his hand found her clit beneath her
panties.

“What does it feel like, honey?”

“Oh, Babe … heaven! It feels … like
heaven!”

Her scream echoed in the air when she
climax so hard and so quickly she was totally unprepared.  Her body arched
desperately back against his chest.  She pressed her hips tighter into his
hand.  He kept rubbing and drawing circles around her clit, drawing her climax
out, until she hoarsely begged him for mercy.

“Stop … I breathe … stop!”

Jarrod stopped, but kept his hand
cupping her mound.  He leaned down and kissed her sensually in her neck.

“I love that you lose your breath
every time with me.”

He kicked Hades and he started
galloping fast, Jarrod’s hand still cupping her clit.  It was not very long
before her body tightened against him again.  She cried out in shock and
surprise as she climaxed again.  The rocking movement of Hades beneath them,
caused his hand to rub up and down her clit.  When she relaxed, Jarrod reached
lower and pushed two of his fingers inside her, smiling at her gasp of
surprise.  He pressed his thumb against her clit and spurred Hades on faster.

Shannon’s cries of pleasure turned to
screams the further they went, as the orgasms became more intense, and a new
one started the moment the previous one ended.

By the time they reached the outer
edge of the ranch house, she was panting, desperately trying to draw a proper
breath.  Jarrod wrapped his arms around her and just held her tight.  A broad
smile on his lips.

Damn, he could do this the whole day. 
He has never felt so much pleasure in making a woman climax.  She was so
beautiful, so uncontrolled when she came.  She literally fell apart in his
arms.  She made him feel ten feet tall.

He closed the zipper of her shorts and
kept his arm wrapped around her waist.  He breathed warmly in her neck.

“You okay, honey?”

“I’ll get you back, Jarrod Parker! 
Mark my words!”

He chuckled and whispered wickedly in
her ear.

“Aah
doll face … I can’t wait!”

Everything
settled into a routine from that point.  Shannon spent most weekends between
the ranch and Sheila’s.  The problem they encountered has still not been
resolved, but Shannon could not pick up any further sabotage to the campaign.

Before she realized it, another month
has gone by.  She was due to spend the weekend with Jarrod on the ranch. Rocco
dropped her off at the private airfield where James was waiting for her.

“Howdy, Missy.   We had a surprise
birthin’ and the Boss is still helpin’ the vet.  Said to take you ta the
house.”

“Thank you, James.”

He nodded and chatted nonstop until he
parked the truck in front of the ranch house.  Shannon walked inside and she
sighed.  It felt like home.  She smiled wryly.  She actually missed the place
during the week.  It is so relaxing and quiet, you could hear the whisper of
the breeze around the corner of the house.

She went to the kitchen, looking for
Rosa, but she was not there.  She was hungry as she missed lunch and it was
already after two. Scrunching around in the fridge found her some left over
roasted lamb and she sighed.  She quickly made a sandwich and winced when she
replaced the mayonnaise with apricot jam and added a slice of cheese on top. 
Pregnant cravings were clearly not distinctive to once usual taste buds! 
Lately she craved apricot jam with everything; something she normally never
ate.

Grabbing a bottle of soda, she sat
down at the table and quickly ate the meal, wondering where Rosa was.  Once
done she rinsed the plate and turned around with a smile when she heard
footsteps behind her.

Her throat closed up, a band tightened
painfully around her waist and she could not breathe.  She trembled so badly,
the bottle of soda slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.

Melody shocked to a halt.  Her eyes
wide and she shook her head.

“Shannon, darling, please don’t be
scared!  I promise … Oh Lord, I promise I will never, ever lift my hands to
you!  I still can’t comprehend that I was so out of it, that I did that to you
all those years … Shannon stop!  Come back … oh darling, please!”

Raw sobs tore through her chest and
she sat down, bending over in grief.  Her own daughter was absolutely terrified
of her.  Dylan walked in and immediately wrapped his arms around her.

“What is wron’, darling.”

“Shannon … she is terrified of me …
she just … she just tore out of here!”

“It’s okay, darlin’.  Give her time.”

“I’m afraid … I don’t think she will
ever … forgive me!”

“Where did she go?”

Dylan worried that something might
happen to her if she just ran out to the prairie.  There are snakes and all
sorts of dangers around.  Jarrod would never forgive them if anything had to
happen to Shannon.

“I don’t know … she just ran off.”

Dylan went outside and looked around
the house and the paddocks, but could not find her.  Rosa was in the kitchen
when he walked back in. 

“Where is Nonnie?  James said he
dropped her off a while ago.”

  “She is upset, Rosa and ran
outside.  I looked, but I can’t find her.  Do you have an idea where she might
have gone?  Jarrod will be livid when he gets here and we don’t know where she
is.  Would she perhaps have taken a horse?”

“Oh no, Nonnie can’t ride a horse
yet.  Jarrod is teachin’ her, but she prefers to ride with him on Hades.”

Rosa called James and asked him and
the ranch hands to start looking for her.  Two hours later Jarrod drove in and
there was still no sign of Shannon.  Dylan ran his hands through his hair. 
Melody sat wringing her hands and Rosa bit her lip in worry.

He strode through the door with a wide
smile on his face, expecting Shannon to wait for him with Rosa.  The smile faltered
when all he encountered were morose and worried expressions.  A hand clamped
around his heart.

“What is going on here?”

“It’s Shannon.  Melody came across her
in the kitchen and she ran off.  We have been lookin’ for her for hours.”

James came skidding through the door
behind Jarrod and nearly ran into him.

“We found her!  She’s in Hades’
stall.”

“What!”

“Yeah, but we can’t get near her. 
Hades keeps us all out.  He even nipped David on his arm.”

“Bloody hell!”

Jarrod spun around and tore across the
yard towards the stable.  He did not stop and ran into Hades stall, only to
encounter a furious super large stallion, which suddenly did his name proud.

He stomped on his feet and threw his
head up and down.  Jarrod saw Shannon sitting on the ground in the corner of
the stall with her hands around her legs.  He could see her trembling from
where he stood and he cursed.  He reached out his hand to try and calm Hades
down and he nipped at his arm.  He jumped back and glared at Hades.  Hades
glared back, shaking his head rigorously.

“Shannon, honey … are you okay?”

She just nodded her head, but did not
move.  Jarrod tried shoving Hades out of the way, but he turned and pressed him
back against the stall wall, snorting angrily.

“C’mon boy … I just want to help her.”

Hades shook his head and snorted again. 
He turned his head and looked at Shannon and stepped closer gently, lowering
his head and nuzzling her hair.  Her hands loosened around her legs and she
lifted her arms to hug him around his neck.  He whinnied softly.  Jarrod and
James gaped at the scene in front of them.

“It’s okay, baby … I’m fine now.”

Her husky voice reached them and
Jarrod’s eyebrows raised.

Baby?  She calls this damn devil,
Baby?

He skirted around the stall wall until
he stood next to them.  Hades lifted his head and he stared at him, then he
blinked, nodded his head and stepped away.  Jarrod went on his haunches next to
Shannon and stroked her hair.  She turned her head and her haunted eyes met
his.  He cupped her cheek in his hand and smiled at her.

“You scared me, doll face.  You can’t
just disappear like that.”

“I am twenty eight years old, Jarrod
and I am terrified of my mother.  Why am I still so scared of her?  Why can’t I
just get … over it?  For so many years I never even thought of what she did …
now … I …”

He sat down next to her and pulled her
into his arms, her head resting on his chest.

“It is the first time you came face to
face with her since it happened.  It is normal that you would react like this. 
I am sure it will get better from here on.”

“I … am not sure I will ever be able
to forget what she did to me.”

“No one expects you to, honey.”

“But she’s married to your Dad!”

Her voice sounded so sad and so
forlorn, he just wanted to hold her and never let her go.

“Stop worryin’ about it.  We’ll work
it out.”

He stroked her arms and was relieved
that her trembling had stopped.  He rose and pulled her up with him.  Shannon
turned to Hades before they walked out of his stall.  She hugged him around his
neck and kissed him on his nose.

“Thank you, Baby … you are such a
beauty.”

Hades whinnied and switched his tail. 
Jarrod swore the stallion even smiled!

“Baby?  Since when do you call him
Baby?”

“Tsk … he is as sweet as a baby.  None
of you really understand him.”

The moment they got outside the
stable, Jarrod bent down and picked her up in his arms.

“Jarrod, put me down!  I am fine now.”

“Shh, doll face.  I want to carry
you.”

Oh Lord, this man is more than any
woman can ever ask for!

Yet, you still have not told him about
the babies.

I am worried he would be upset.  I
still don’t know if I am even ready for this!

Still not a good idea to keep
procrastinating. You’re eight weeks along already!

Yeah,
I know that!

It
did not help her conscience when her Obstetrician repeated the same sentiment,
when she went for her checkup the following week.

“I strongly urge you to tell the
father sooner, rather than later.  Especially if you are currently involved
with him still.   We really need to know his blood type as soon as possible.”

“I will, before my next visit.”

“You seem to be having a very easy
pregnancy.  No nausea or dizziness and you are very healthy.  You are one of
the lucky ones.”

“Except for my constant craving for
apricot jam!  I eat it with everything!”

He chuckled, signed her file and
walked her to the door.  She was smiling when she got in her car, not noticing
the black SUV parked a short distance from her. 

The rest of the week was so busy with
the launch date nearing rapidly, that she fell asleep the moment her head
touched the pillow at night.  She even missed Jarrod’s phone calls when he
phoned at night, which angered him to no end.

Jarrod was waiting for her in her
office when she arrived on Thursday, his face like thunder.  He attacked
immediately, his voice raspy and tight with anger.

“Who is he?”

She frowned and skirted past him to
stand behind her desk.