Military Romance Collection: Contemporary Soldier Alpha Male Romance (6 page)

Hunter smiled. “Not the way I should have, probably, but yeah.” He squeezed Peony’s shoulders. “If you let me, I’ll ask you again later.”

“You know this child is not going to look like you,” Peony said. She rubbed her hands over her stomach. “Not at all. Not even a little bit.”

“Tell me this,” Hunter said. They’d reached the ranch house; he put the truck in park and shut it off. “Do I look like my father? At all? Even a little bit?”

Peony studied his visage intently. He could feel her studying gaze, taking in the curves of his forehead and the way his eyebrows angled over his eyes. She studied his nose and the way that he smiled and for a very long while, his chin. “No, “she finally pronounced. “You look like your mother.”

“So will our little one,” Hunter said. “That’s how these things go.”

“People will talk,” Peony said. She rolled her eyes. “Poppy will be impossible.”

Hunter opened the truck door, slid out and held up his hand to help Peony down. “So what?” he asked. “I don’t care what anyone says. I know what’s true.”

Peony slid down into Hunter’s waiting arms. “Tell me what’s true, Cowboy?”

He kissed her first, slow and sexy. “It’s true that you’re beautiful.” He let his hands slide down over her curves, a slow journey that stopped at Peony’s generous hips. “Every inch of you.”

She kissed him back and smiled. “What else is true?”

Hunter grew serious. The energy between them changed as they stood, arm in arm, face to face, and Hunter looked Peony right in the eye. “It’s true I’ll do my best for you. In every way I can, I’m going to treat you right.”

Peony flung her arms around Hunter’s neck and pulled him to her for another kiss. This one was demanding, intense and joyous. “Yes,” she said, after. “I will be your wife. We will be your family.”

They moved slowly this time, savoring every minute. Peony smiled as she undid Hunter’s bolo tie, shaking her head at the silver and turquoise slide. “Nobody wears these in Virginia.”

“We’re not in Virginia,” Hunter said, carefully undoing the zipper on the back of Peony’s dress. “Everything can be different here.”

“I’d like that,” The last of Hunter’s shirt buttons came open, and she pushed the garment from his shoulders. “I’d like that very much.”

Words gave way to kisses as they shed the rest of their clothes. Hunter smiled at the way Peony’s soft round breasts fell against the curves of her stomach once they were free from her bra. “Those are just gorgeous, darling.”

Peony pressed her hands against the outside of her bosom, hugging her massive tits together. “You’re welcome to take a closer look.”

Hunter didn’t need to be told twice. He started kissing every inch of Peony’s chest, letting his pink tongue trace swirling curlicues over her ebony slopes. He loved how dark her skin was; not black like night, but black like the thing you look for in the night; impossible to find, the object of desire can only be discovered by good fortune.

She groaned at his attentions, swaying on her feet. “That feels good, baby,” she said, sliding her dark fingers into his ashy-blonde hair. “Don’t you stop.”

“I’ve got no intention of stopping.” Hunter said. He nuzzled her bosom, letting his cheeks rest against the soft, rounded tops. “This is perfect.”

He maneuvered Peony through the house, into the bedroom. There he pulled back the blankets and laid her on the snowy white sheets. “Absolutely perfect.”

Hunter covered the curvy, lush swell of Peony’s stomach with gentle kisses. Then he reached the parting of her thighs. “Is this okay?” he asked.

“More than okay,” Peony replied. She let her legs splay wide, revealing her most tender folds. Hunter, who’d thought himself fully aroused by this point, groaned aloud as his need grew greater.

Peony, thus arrayed, resembled her namesake. Set between dark thighs, her pussy was a blossom. At the edges, her flesh was almost iridescent, a glimmering shade between black and purple. Closer to her core, the colors shifted; first amethyst, then lavender, then, almost hidden from view, a thin ribbon of pink.

Hunter’s first kiss there was enough to bring Peony right up off the bed. “Damn, Cowboy!” she yelped. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Should I stop?” he asked.

“I didn’t say that,” she replied, pressing his head back down. “I didn’t say that at all.” After that, each one of Hunter’s kisses was met by an increasingly loud chorus of sighs, groans and moans. Gradually, Peony’s legs came up and up, until Hunter’s head was almost sandwiched between her thighs. He could feel her entire body shaking. She’d pulled the sheets so hard, they’d come up off the bed.

“Oh, yeah, Cowboy,” she panted. “I’m going to come.”

Hunter pulled his head back long enough to growl, “Say my name.”

“Hun-ter,” Peony replied, stretching his name over two syllables as she arched her back. “Hunter, now!”

He wrapped his arms around her thighs and held on as Peony shook through a glorious orgasm. She stiffened when she came, long legs and arms growing rigid and strong with her passion. If Hunter hadn’t of been holding on, she would have bucked him off.

After, Peony looked down and smiled. “Wow, Cowboy.” Hunter was on top of her in a flash, his need already pressing into the very end of her juicy folds. “Please, Peony,” he said. “I need to be inside you.”

She gave him the nod and he began to move forward, slowly and gently. “God,” he groaned. “You’re like coming home.”

Penny raised her legs, hooking her ankles around Hunter’s back. “That’s because you are home.” They started rocking back and forth, smiling at each other as the moment built between the two of them. “We’re both home.”

Hunter closed his eyes and groaned. Then he was all the way in here. His blue eyes popped open, in surprise and delight. “Oh, God, Peony. I’m truly home.”

She wrapped her arms around Hunter’s neck and pulled him close as he came. “Home.”

The morning of Seth and Petunia’s wedding was bright and beautiful. The sun was shining, and the sky was blue as far as the eye could see. Hunter was finishing buttoning himself into the crisp white shirt that would go beneath his tuxedo jacket when there was a knock on his door.

“Yes?” he said.

“Can I come in?” It was Peony. She looked radiant in the sunny yellow bridesmaid gown her sister had picked.

“Of course,” Hunter said. He went to the door and took her in his arms, kissing her after carefully glancing down the corridor to make sure no one was watching.

She laughed. “You don’t have to worry about that. Mama read me the riot act this morning. The cat is out of the bag.”

“She’s mad we’re together?”

“She’s worried we’re moving too fast,” Peony said. She ran her hands over her stomach. “Mama’s no fool. She knows that it’s too soon for this to be your baby and for you to know about it.” She laughed. “Considering I’ve known you for all of two weeks.”

Hunter’s heart sank. He’d been on cloud nine, thinking at last he’d found the woman of his dreams. Now it looked like everything was going to slip out of his grasp, leaving him disappointed and alone.

“So this means?”

Peony leaned forward and kissed Hunter on the nose. “It means you’re going to have to get used to Mama giving you the side-eye for quite a while.” She shook her head. “You don’t even know. It took her some time to wrap her head around the idea of having one white boy in the family. Now we’re going to have two? And they’re brothers?”

“If it makes her feel better, tell her Jerry and Mark are both very married,” Hunter said. “The rest of her daughters are safe from the Shipman boys.”

“Nobody’s happy about how the news came out, but that’s Poppy for you,” Peony continued. “You did good by standing up when you did. Mama appreciated you putting the spotlight back on Petunia.”

“Well, it’s really her day.” Hunter slipped into his tux jacket, a sight that made Peony smile. “And that day should be starting shortly. Are you ready?”

She slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow. “As ready as I’m ever going to be.”

The ranch’s yard had been transformed into a beautiful wedding venue, with a white gazebo on one end and rows upon rows of chairs set up facing it. The flowers were purple and yellow. All the bridesmaids, including Peony, wore yellow, while Mama Rose, Hunter’s mother, and the flower girl and ring bearer wore purple.

“It’s beautiful,” Peony said, “but what a lot of work.”

“If that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get,” Hunter said, pulling her tight for a quick squeeze. The pianist, playing a piano brought at great expense and with tremendous difficulty from the local church, began the processional.

“Hey,” Hunter smiled. “This is the first time we get to walk down the aisle together.” They lined up behind the best man and maid of honor – both college friends of Seth and Petunia – and waited their turn to begin the careful slow stroll.

“Not every couple gets to do that twice,” Peony laughed. She was so beautiful, in her sunshine yellow dress, with her hair pulled back and up in a twist and her smile wide, that Hunter almost melted.

“I can’t believe this is real,” he said, and leaned in for a quick kiss.

“Be careful,” she said, fussing at him a little. “If you mess up my makeup for the pictures, Petunia is never going to forgive me.”

“Come on, you two,” Poppy urged from behind them. “It’s your turn!”

Hunter and Peony straightened up, stifled their guilty grins, and strolled carefully down the aisle. Hunter’s mother was crying, as he knew she would be, but she managed to smile at the two of them walking arm in arm.

Mama Rose had no tears, but she wasn’t smiling either. Hunter didn’t worry. Peony had told him her mother was so nervous that she was holding her breath. Peony didn’t expect her to exhale until after the cake was cut.

They took their places on either side of the altar. Hunter couldn’t keep his gaze from straying to Peony’s face. As the minister recited the wedding ceremony and led Seth and Petunia through their vows, his mind was racing. It wouldn’t be too long before he would be standing in his brother’s place, pledging his life to the beautiful woman he’d fallen in love with.

Everything had happened so fast, but with that speed came a certainty unlike anything Hunter had ever felt before. He knew he was supposed to care for Peony, to protect her against the world’s harshest elements and to support her in making her dreams come true. When the baby came, he’d be there to help her raise it – and with any luck, in another year or two, they’d be welcoming another child into the family.

The thought of raising a family with this beautiful talented woman made him smile. Hearing his brother proudly proclaim “I do!” made him smile even wider. And later, when they were at the reception, swirling around the dance floor with Peony in his arms while the band played, “The Best Is Yet To Come” made him smile even more than that.

“What’s got you so happy?” Peony asked.

“You,” he said, smiling down at her. “I know it’s Seth’s day, but I feel like I’m the one who won a prize.” He kissed her once, slowly, and then again more deeply. The band started playing another song, this one with a faster beat designed to get people onto the dance floor. It worked, but not on Peony and Hunter. They just stood there, kissing, as the crowd danced around them.

“I think I’m the lucky one,” she murmured against his lips. “There’s a million girls in the world who’d love to be with you, and you pick me.”

“There’s not a million girls in the world,” Hunter replied. “You’re it. The only one. All the other ones disappeared when I saw you.”

She smiled. “Are you going to sweet talk me like this all the time?”

“Every day,” he said, pulling her closer, “and every night.”

“Ah, yes,” she said, quoting his words back to him. “The cowboy ready, willing and able to meet my every need.”

“I’ll do my best,” he promised.

“And I’ll do mine,” she promised back. They kissed again, spinning in each other’s arms, dancing to their own music that no one in the crowd could hear. People smiled kindly as them as they whirled by, a pair of newlyweds in training.

“Then we’re going to be fine,” Hunter said. “Just fine.”

THE END

INTRODUCTION

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Charlie picked up his beer, took a long sip, and smiled. Normally he wasn’t much of one to spend his evening in a bar, but after the day he’d had, he figured he was entitled to a little celebration.

Three months ago, Charlie had learned that his Grandfather had passed away. It hadn’t been entirely unexpected – Grandpa Chuck had always lived life to the fullest, getting himself into adventures that most men his age never even would have considered attempting. It was a trait that served him well, first as a professional saddle bronc rider and then raising and training the cantankerous horses that made the rodeo so exciting. You needed to have a certain amount of disregard for your own well-being to spend your life trying to ride horses that were determined not to be ridden.

Charlie shook his head. Grandpa Chuck hadn’t been a man who used words like “Ironic”, but that’s exactly what his death had been. The fierce, grizzled old cowboy hadn’t met his end in the rodeo arena, and he survived years and years with mean-spirited nags in his own corral. But his first attempt at riding a skateboard had been his last.

Charlie’s younger brother David suggested carving, “Always wear a helmet!” on Grandpa Chuck’s headstone, but that suggestion had been vetoed by their older brother Matthew, who’d always been the most serious of the bunch. It’d been Matthew who had figured out what they were going to do with Grandpa Chuck’s ranch, as well.

“It’s got to be you,” Matthew had said to Charlie, during a tense video conference the three of them had had. “David’s still got six months before his tour is over – and who knows if the Army’s going to really let him go when they say they will?”

“Those sons of bitches,” David growled. It was the closest he’d ever come to saying his older brother was right about anything.

“What about you?” Charlie had said then. His life wasn’t going perfectly at that point, but he’d just landed a job at a start up in Silicon Valley. It took a lot of time – all of his time, actually – but he was sure it was going to be worth it. “It’d be a great place for you and Amy to raise some kids.”

Matthew’s face froze. “That’s not something we’re talking about doing right now,” he said. It was a statement that puzzled both of his brothers: Matthew had been asserting his plans to raise half a dozen kids since he’d been a kid himself. “We’ve got some stuff we’re working on, and anyway, there’s no way Amy would abandon her precious career to go raise horses in Texas.”

His tone softened as he appealed to Charlie. “Listen, it’s not like you have to do it forever. Just go down there, get a handle on what the situation is, and we’ll sell the place. I just want to make sure we don’t get screwed over in the process. That means we need somebody there, on the ranch, who knows what’s really involved and what’s at stake.” He smiled. “I bet it’ll take six weeks, tops. Then you can get back to building the next Google.”

Six weeks. Charlie had been on the ranch all of six hours when he knew that he was never going to leave. There was something about being there, out on the property, where the sky stretched out for miles and it was so, so quiet that he really loved.

For years, Charlie had been a bundle of nerves and anxiety, not knowing what the future would hold or what role he was supposed to play in it. For the first time, standing on his Grandfather’s ranch, watching the three dozen horses who lived there grazing calmly in their corrals, those tense feelings just melted away. He was completely at peace. He knew where he was meant to be.

It had taken a lot of work. First he had to convince Matthew and David that they didn’t need to sell the ranch. Matthew had been particularly anxious to cash out quickly, but Charlie had managed to convince his brother that once he got the saddle bronc business back to running at its full potential – Grandpa Chuck had clearly let some things slide as he got older – his share of the profits would be much greater than what he’d realize from an outright sale now.

David’s concerns were more pragmatic. “Charlie, do you know anything about horses?” he asked. “Anything at all?”

“I can learn,” Charlie had replied. “Maybe it’s better I don’t know anything, anyway. That way I can learn how to do things right, instead of being hung up on how I think things should be done.” He’d laughed. “I didn’t know anything about software when I got started, either, you know.”

“That’s comforting,” David laughed. “But if it’s what you want to do, who am I to tell you no?” He yawned. Afghanistan was nearly ten hours ahead of Texas time-wise, and he was clearly ready for bed. “Just remember, look out for the back end of those things. They kick.” Then he grinned. “And stay away from the front end of those things. They bite.”

“When you put it like that, it sounds like they’re dangerous,” Charlie said, causing his brother to laugh some more. “Seriously, I’ll be careful. You be careful too.”

“Always, man. Always.”

Charlie shook his head. He loved his little brother, but he didn’t want to think about him, or how much danger he was in, right now. There was nothing he could do about that. What he could do, and what he had been doing, was work with Wyatt Roderigurez, one of the rough stock industy’s most respected consultants. It had cost a fortune to get Wyatt to come out to the ranch, but he did come, and his assessment that the ranch and herd had real potential had given Charlie hope.

Wyatt had been particularly enthusiastic about Bad Ass, the charcoal-colored saddle bronc that had been his Grandfather’s pride and joy. “This is a horse with great bloodlines,” Wyatt said, “and of course, his performance in the ring makes all the difference.” For many years, no one had been able to ride Bad Ass; he was a legend on a circuit full of tough, ornery horses. “I don’t know why your Grandfather never chose to put him to stud.” Many of the mares on the ranch were pregnant; it wasn’t that Bad Ass couldn’t perform in that department. “But you could absolutely do that and get some money coming your way,” Wyatt had advised.

Making this happen took some work. Before Bad Ass could start his second career as a stud horse, he needed to be checked and certified by a vet. Then there was tons of paperwork involved in advertising the horse’s availability and appeal. This including researching who Bad Ass’ parents, grandparents, and great grandparents were – work that was not made any easier by Grandpa Chuck’s haphazard record keeping system. Charlie had spent countless hours going through boxes full of paper and file cabinets stuffed to over flowing with all kinds of documentation before finally finding what he needed tucked away in Grandpa Chuck’s kitchen cabinet drawer.

But now the work was done. Bad Ass’s services were now being marketed to rough stock breeders all over Texas. He’d had his first “dates” today – a process that had turned out to be far more clinical and complicated than Charlie had expected. Luckily, the other rancher was very experienced, and helped walk Charlie through the process. Now the fledgling rancher had a few thousand dollars in the bank, and some folding money in his pocket.

And there was a good-looking, short, little blonde, with curly hair, bright blue eyes and an incredibly curvy body smiling at Charlie from across the bar. Yes. Things were definitely starting to look up.

“Fortune favors the bold,” he said to himself, and asked the bartender if he could buy the pretty blonde a drink. When the beer was delivered to her table, she picked up the bottle, held it in his direction, and smiled. The music was loud enough that he couldn’t hear what she said, but he was a good enough lip reader to work out, “Thank you!”

Charlie took this as his cue to walk over and introduce himself. “Hi!” he said.

“Thanks for the drink, Cowboy,” the blonde said. Her eyes flickered quickly up and down over his form; her smile deepening as she took in his broad shoulders, narrow waist and relatively tight-fitting jeans. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Charlie,” he said, sticking out his hand. “Charlie Daniels.”

She laughed. “Really?” She took a sip of her drink before shaking his hand. “I thought you’d be much older.”

He laughed back. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard the joke. “It’s a family name,” he said. “And my folks were big country music fans.”

“Are you a musician?” she asked. “Do you play the guitar? Are you in a band?”

“No, not me,” Charlie admitted, grinning. “I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.”

Her laugh was starting to grow on him. “Well,” she said, “I can’t give you a hard time about your name. My parents named me after the first computer programmer.”

Charlie stepped back for a moment, his mind spinning. Then he said, “Nice to meet you, Ada.”

For the first time, Charlie saw the blonde’s real smile. It was both surprised and genuine. Having seen it once, Charlie was determined to spend the rest of his life seeing it again and again, for it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“Well done,” Ada said. “Not many people catch that reference. You’ve passed the first test!”

“I was with a startup before I decided to get into ranching,” Charlie admitted. “But how many tests are there, exactly?” he asked.

“Just one more,” she said. “Do you like to dance, Charlie Daniels?”

“I’d like to dance with you,” he replied.

“Then let’s go try out your two-step,” she said, standing up and taking his hand. Her friends looked at each other. Some eyebrows were raised, but nobody said anything as Ada led Charlie onto the dance floor.

“I have a confession to make,” she said, once they were out of ear shot of her friends.

“And what’s that?” Charlie said. He’d been enjoying the feel of her hand in his. Ada was quite a bit shorter than he was; the top of her head came to just below his chin. She smelled really, really good – some combination of flowers and spices that was making his head spin.

“I’m a terrible dancer.” She laughed, moving smoothly into his arms as the music started.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m never going to be able to tell.” They laughed, and he confessed, “The last time I danced, it was my big brother’s wedding.”

“So you have a brother?” Ada leaned in against Charlie, just a little bit. It felt good to have her up against him, warm and sexy.

“Two brothers,” he replied. “Matthew and David.”

“The three amigos,” she smiled. “Do all y’all live around here?”

“No,” Charlie said. “They both live far away. And so do you--” he smiled-- “judging from that accent.”

“You caught me.” Ada laughed. “I’ve been trying to sound Texan, but my Charleston slipped out. I’m down here for work – I went to college with Lee Anne over there.” She nodded her head toward the table. “You think she’s wild now, you should have known her then!”

Charlie laughed like he knew what she was talking about. “What about you?” Ada’s blonde eyebrow arched upward quickly, so he added quickly. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

Her body language relaxed, and she said, “I’m the only child of my parents. My Dad was like a Vulcan. He could see no logical reason to have more than one kid.”

“And he named you Ada?”

“My Mom wanted to name me Penelope.” Ada laughed. “So I’m glad he got his way.” The song changed, and more couples came onto the dance floor. She guided him to a less crowded corner. “I do have a step sister now. Her name is Cassie. She’s four.”

“That has to be a little weird.”

Ada shook her head. “No, she’s adorable. A really sweet little kid.” Then she laughed. “And so is his father. But what are you going to do? You can’t tell your parents anything.”

“To be fair, mine couldn’t tell me anything either,” Charlie said. He looked Ada right in the eyes. She was looking back hard. “I’d just do what I wanted to do.”

“And what do you want to do?”

“Right now, I really want to kiss you,” he said.

“Well, that sounds pretty good to me.”

Their lips had just met when there was a crash on the other side of the bar. There were two guys kicking the daylights out of a third; he was down on the floor and bleeding. People were getting out of the area rapidly. Charlie thought he could hear a siren. Then Ada’s friends were right there with them, grabbing Ada by the arm and saying, “We have got to go.”

She was gone in the blink of an eye. Charlie started to follow, but then the guy getting beat up let out a moan that made it sound like he was going to die. At that moment, Charlie knew he couldn’t run. He didn’t have it in him to watch the guy get killed without trying to save him.

He charged the bigger of the two assailants, hitting his shoulder right into the guy’s back as hard as he could. The big guy wasn’t expecting it and lurched forward, face first into the wall. When he turned around, he was wide-eyed and yelling.

“What the fuck! Who the hell are you, man?” He was waving his arms in the air. His cheeks were shaking with every word. It was clear he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. There was a tattoo on the side of his face, but Charlie couldn’t tell what it was. “Why you messing in this?”

“Get off him!” Charlie shouted. “You can’t be killing that guy. It’s wrong!”

The big guy paused, stopping mid-step to laugh. “It’s wrong.” He turned to address his partner. “You know what, Bird Boy? This shit’s wrong!”

A pair of cops arrived on the scene, guns drawn. “Everybody freeze! Hands up. Stop what you’re doing right now!”

Charlie put his hands up and stepped back toward the wall. The big guy did the same, keeping his eyes on Charlie all the while. The guy on the floor, who’d been getting pounded on, tried to get up on his feet.