baby, they’re not—”
“Shh.” Nate pressed his finger against her lips to stop the protest. “They’re perfect. Exactly the size and shape I’ve been looking for,” he teased.
“Nate.”
Keeping her tucked firmly in the scissor-hold of his legs, he leaned back and let the sunlight from above shine down on her. With the gentlest touch his eager fingers could manage, he stripped the bra off her, then feasted his eyes on her beautiful body, from the puckered, rosy tips of each breast to the fertile swell of her belly.
The sun dappled her naked skin, giving her a golden glow. He touched his finger to one bright spot and felt her shiver. When she’d quieted, he touched another. The tip of her chin, the indentation at the base of her throat, the subtle valley between her breasts.
“Nate.” His name on that hopeful, husky plea thickened his blood and sent it pulsing through him.
She liked a good argument. Nate summoned a grin and used her own words against her. “The males on this ranch took an informal survey. And we decided you’re the sexiest thing in the entire state of Texas.”
“We?”
“Me.” He rocked his hips over hers, but fought to hold himself back. “I think you’re sexy. The other guys have to find their own woman.”
“Don’t encourage Rocky—”
“Forget the bull.” In more ways than one. He was burning with the need to do this. Now. “This is you and me and the Texas sun. Nobody else.”
He palmed her breast. She trembled. “Everything about you…” He kissed the other breast. Her knees jerked up; her fingers dug into his shoulder and chest. “Is perfect.”
“Nate—”
He stopped her protest with a kiss. He wasn’t going to hear any arguments about not being pretty enough. He just couldn’t see it. “You sure you want a beat-up old warhorse like me to be the one?”
She framed his face between her hands. “I’ve never wanted anyone else. Not like this.”
Jolene pulled him in for a tender kiss that quickly spun out of control. Nate kicked off his boots and freed himself from his jeans. When she wrapped a curious hand around his aching shaft, he nearly came unglued. “Easy, angel.”
“Hurry, Nate.”
He got rid of her jeans and panties and slipped his fingers inside her tight, weeping channel. She was primed to explode and so was he. He bent her knees up and slipped between them, propping himself up on his elbows to protect the child inside her.
“This might hurt some,” he cautioned, nudging her slick heat.
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down, demanding a kiss. He eased himself in partway, retreated.
“More.” She nibbled the jut of his chin, thrust her hips beneath his. “More.”
He pushed in again, farther. Retreated.
“Nate!”
He grinned at her sharp, breathy request.
Swirling torrents of white-hot need clashed with the soul-healing power of her acceptance—her desire—for him.
He plunged in a third time and found retreat was no longer an option. He buried himself to the hilt, meeting every thrust of her hips, loving every greedy demand of her hands and mouth.
Again and again he took what she offered and gave back everything in return until the storm building between them struck with full force. Jolene arched her neck and cried out, the tremors inside her cascading all around him. Nate ground his hips, threw back his head and emptied himself inside her.
When he could think once more, Nate rolled onto his back and gathered Jolene in his arms to rest on top of him. Her legs tangled with his. She fingered the bandage on his shoulder and sucked in deep, calming breaths. He secured her against him with one hand on her bottom and the other at her neck beneath the tangled, silky fall of her hair. A gentle breeze through the roof cooled their sticky skin.
“I feel so good. I…I liked it. A lot.” She groaned and buried her face in his chest. He could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. “Oh, God, that sounded so naive.”
Nate tipped her chin up and kissed her forehead. He looked deep into those blue eyes, feeling humbled by her honesty. “It sounded like a mighty nice compliment. And if it means anything to you, I liked it, too. A lot.”
Her answering smile forgave sins and sparked dreams. But he wasn’t ready to leave the moment and face either one right now. So he kissed her once more and tucked her up tight against him.
Nate willingly held her until she grew heavy and he knew she’d drifted