Fortune's Texas Surprise, page 16
The sight of his naked body was all it took to create an ache deep in her feminine core and she realized she had never wanted any man as much as she wanted Acton at this very moment.
Turning toward her, he stepped between her legs and trailed his fingers down both of her thighs, then back up to the lower portion of her belly.
Groaning, she smiled at him. “Those hands of yours should come with a danger warning.”
Growling with pleasure, he looped lazy circles over her skin, all the while moving downward until he reached the juncture between her thighs. By the time his finger slipped inside her, she was frantically arching her hips upward, searching for the pleasure only he could give her.
Over and over he stroked her, until she reached up to curl a hand at the back of his neck and yank him down to her for a kiss. His tongue instantly found its way between her teeth and he stroked the inside of her mouth with the same tormenting rhythm his finger was making in the heated folds of her womanhood.
The attack on her senses was too much for Stephanie to take and in a matter of seconds, she felt herself morphing into a beautiful bird, soaring into the wind and flying high above the clouds.
When she finally glided back to earth, Acton’s face was hovered above hers and everything she’d ever wanted was mirrored in his blue eyes.
Her throat thick, she whispered, “You’re not playing fair, Acton.”
A smug smile tilted the corners of his lips. “All I want is to please you, Stephanie.”
“Then please me more, Acton, and more,” she begged.
He eased away from her and stood up, reaching for the nightstand. “I think I’d better find some protection.”
“Wait!” The word popped before she could stop it and he looked at her with confusion.
“I’m sorry, Acton. That didn’t come out right. I just wanted to say that I’m on the Pill. So if you’re concerned about pregnancy...don’t worry.” Just to keep her periods regular, she could’ve told him. But there was no need for that much explanation. He didn’t need to know it had been ages since she’d had sex.
The tense look on his face relaxed and then a smile brightened his face in the dimly lit room. “Oh. Okay. But still, I want to make sure we’re both protected.”
He glanced over to where Linus was lying quietly in his cradle. “No need to worry about Linus. He’s already gone to sleep.”
Stephanie held her arms invitingly up to him and he gladly joined her on the bed, then scooped her into his arms.
When he found her mouth, she wrapped her arms around him, drawing her body tightly to his. He was all heat and hard muscle and in a matter of seconds she was lost in a cyclone of swirling sensations.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she sensed his hands were cupping her breasts, roaming across her back, down her legs, then back up to her rounded bottom. Each spot his fingers touched left her skin burning and tingling with pleasure and she knew with certainty that she could never get enough of this. Of him.
Once his hands had made a tantalizing tour of her body, he turned his attention to her breasts, kissing and nipping the nipples until they were rigid and throbbing. By the time, he finally rolled her to her back and poised himself above her, quickly sheathing himself in the condom he’d taken from the bedside table, Stephanie’s insides were clawing and screaming to be connected to him. Yet when he did finally enter her, she wasn’t prepared for the shock of pleasure that lanced through her like a white-hot arrow. It was breathtaking and all-consuming, and for the space of a heartbeat, she was too stunned to move or speak.
And then from somewhere above her, she heard him groan her name and the sound shattered her momentary paralysis.
“Acton,” she murmured, her voice full of anguished need. “Make love to me. Please make love to me.”
“Yes, sweet Stephanie. Oh, yes.”
Bracing his weight with his hands on either side of her head, he began to move in a slow, enticing rhythm that led her brain straight into a mindless pool of desire. Robbed of all sensibility, her body took over and she met each thrust of his hips with reckless abandon.
Then just when she was thinking she could go on making love to him forever, she felt his pace quicken and his breathing grow harsh. Gripping his back, she tried to hang on, to slow the runaway freight train that was carrying them faster and faster toward their ultimate destination.
But she couldn’t stop it. With one final thrust, the room around her began to whirl and she was suddenly lost, riding a wave of bliss that was taking her all the way to the moon and back.
* * *
As soon as Acton had pulled Stephanie’s sweater over her head and she’d stood there before him with such a look of self-doubt on her face, he’d known he was in deep trouble.
At that moment, he’d wanted to do more than have sex with Stephanie—he’d wanted to make love to her. Real love. The kind that connected a man and a woman together until the last breaths of their lives.
And now as she was lying curled up beside him in the middle of the bed, the urge to protect her, to keep her safely by his side, had grown to enormous proportions. How had this happened? Why had he allowed it to happen?
Love isn’t something you can control, Acton. It’s something that hits you even when you think you don’t want it, or need it. So now, good or bad, you’ll just have to learn to live with it.
“It’s not been dark for very long and we’re here in bed. This is shameful behavior, Acton.”
The sound of Stephanie’s drowsy voice broke through the taunting warning winding its way through his head and he gazed down at the crown of her head tucked beneath his chin.
“It’s shameful, all right,” he agreed. “A shame that it took us so long to get here.”
Laughing softly, she turned in his arms so that she was facing him and as Acton looked into her glistening blue eyes, he knew his heart had never felt so full or content.
“Do you know what I feel like at this very moment?” she asked.
“Hungry?”
Another chuckle shook her chest, “No. I feel like a princess with the world at her feet.”
His smile came from the depths of his heart. “Well, you have kissed a frog.”
“And he turned into a handsome prince.” She stretched her neck upward until she could press her lips to his. “That kiss is to make sure you don’t turn back into a frog.”
Certain that the tender feelings swelling his chest were exposed on his face, he buried it in her silky hair and tried to not to sound like he was being strangled. “Thank you for saving me from that fate.”
Her sigh fanned the side of his neck as she slipped an arm around his waist. “Seymour deserves a special treat and I’m going to give him one.”
“For what? Being a furry little beast?”
She gave his back a gentle pinch. “Seymour is a sweetheart. If it hadn’t been for him having that scratching spell I might not have ever met you.”
Amused, he lifted his head and gave her an impish look. “Hmm. You’re right. I might just give him a T-bone steak for introducing the two of us.”
The playful twinkle in her eyes dimmed as she traced a fingertip over his cheek and down to the corner of her lips. “Then you don’t regret us? This?”
Making love to Stephanie had upended everything about the man he’d ever thought he was or would be. And no matter what happened in the future, he knew this time in her arms would play a part in shaping his life.
“I’ve been wanting us to be together, Stephanie. And you’ve given me so much. So much.” Threading his fingers into her hair, he pressed a line of kisses over her cheek and down the length of her straight little nose before he settled on her lips. “No regrets, my darling. This is only the beginning for us.”
“Yes, our sweet beginning.” She’d breathed the words against his lips, and now opened her mouth to receive his kiss, wrapped an arm around his neck and snuggled her soft body next to his.
Desire stirred deep within him and the reaction had Acton wondering what was happening to him. The sweat hadn’t yet dried on his body and he was already wanting to be back inside her.
With intentions of deepening the embrace, he rolled her onto her back, but that was as far as he got before Linus let out a whimper.
At the same time, they turned their heads in the direction of the baby. As if on cue, Linus let out a hungry howl that said he wasn’t to be ignored.
“I need to get him,” she said. “It’s time for his bottle.”
She started to rise, but he put a hand on her shoulder. “You stay put. I’ll tend to Linus. Tonight you’re my princess, remember? And your prince wants to pamper you.”
Acton climbed off the bed and was reaching for his jeans, when from the corner of his eye, he spotted Stephanie sliding off the bed to join him.
As she plucked her sweater and jeans from the floor, he turned to her. “What are you doing? Don’t you trust me to take care of Linus?”
Shaking back her tousled red hair, she stepped over and placed a hand on his arm. “We’re together now. And that’s how we’re going to take care of Linus—together.”
In spite of the baby’s angry cries, Acton took a moment to lean over and press a quick kiss to her lips.
She was too good for him, he thought. And sooner or later, she would realize she could do much better than a simple cowboy. But he’d already planted his boots in both stirrups. He had no choice but to ride to the bitter end.
Chapter Twelve
Stephanie laughed as Mack and Tallulah chased after the tennis ball she’d thrown toward the end of the long fenced run. With Tallulah’s short dachshund legs, she had to work twice as hard to keep up with the terrier, but neither of the small dogs could beat Buddy to the ball.
Proud of his accomplishment, the bigger dog trotted back to Stephanie and dropped the prize at her feet.
“Buddy, I think we can safely pronounce your leg fit as a fiddle. But if you want to keep Mack and Tallulah as your friends, you’re going to have to lag back and let them win some of the time.”
The dog whined and Stephanie was fondly petting the back of his neck, when she heard footsteps behind her.
Turning, she was more than surprised to see her three brothers standing near the entrance of the chain-link enclosure. Now what were they up to? she wondered as she saw Steven motion for her to join them.
Giving the three dogs final pats on the head, Stephanie walked down the run to where her brothers continued to wait.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as she got within hearing distance. “Has something happened?”
Steven was the one to answer. “No. We’d like to talk with you. And since you’ve been gone so much lately, we wanted to catch you while you’re home.”
Home. Strange how the last two and half weeks had changed her feelings about that one special word. Although her brothers didn’t know it, the Fame and Fortune Ranch didn’t feel like home to her anymore. Her suite of rooms, which were so lavishly furnished and supplied with anything and everything she could possibly need, didn’t feel nearly as comfortable and inviting as Acton’s old farmhouse.
Steven opened the gate to let her out of the dog run, then shut it carefully behind her.
Callum said, “Let’s go sit by the pool and get comfortable.”
Stephanie didn’t have time to get comfortable. She’d promised Acton that she and Linus would be over at his house by seven this evening.
“I can’t get too comfortable. I have a date,” she said.
Dillon cleared his throat and the awkward glances exchanged among the three brothers didn’t go unnoticed by Stephanie.
“Okay, what is this about? You three look like kids caught with your hands in the cookie jar.”
Callum pointed to a cushioned chaise lounge. “Sit down, Stephanie. We won’t keep you long. We promise.”
To keep the peace, she took a seat. Steven sat down in a chair opposite her, while Callum and Dillon chose to remain standing.
“Is something going on with Mom and Dad? Or our sisters?” Normally, Stephanie tried to talk with the family back in Fort Lauderdale on a weekly basis, but she’d been so busy these past few days that she’d not taken the time to call or text.
“No. They’re all fine,” Dillon assured her.
“It’s you that we’re worried about,” Steven said. “You’ve been going out practically every night for the past two weeks and—”
Seeing where the conversation was headed, Stephanie held up a hand. “That is my business. Just like where you three go is your business. I don’t try to butt into your lives, so why are you trying to butt into mine? It’s ridiculous!”
“Ridiculous? Really?” Steven said, shooting the questions back at her. “How many times have we seen you locked away in your room, crying your heart out because some jerk called it quits?”
Stephanie couldn’t believe how much she wanted to reach over and slap her brother’s face.
“Listen, Steven, maybe you think you’re trying to protect me, but what you’re doing to me is worse than dealing with a no-account boyfriend! I need for the three of you to believe in me! To trust me to use good judgment—not just about men, but every important decision. Instead, you treat me like a silly teenager with her head in the clouds.”
From the smirk on Steven’s face, she could see her remarks had rolled off his back without making a dent in his mind-set. “Have you ever stopped to think that’s what you’re acting like?” he asked.
Callum sighed, then said, “Look, Stephanie, you’re a Fortune. That makes things different for you.”
She looked at him with disbelief. “Are you saying that makes me better than other people? Better than Acton?”
Callum shook his head. “That’s not what I’m implying at all. It just means that there are some people out there who might want to take advantage of us—of you—because you are a Fortune. We just want you to take things slowly before you jump into a situation where you might get hurt.”
In spite of her being a foster mother to Linus and her new newfound feelings for Acton, her brothers couldn’t see that she was changing and evolving into a much stronger woman. They still saw her as gullible Stephanie, who’d never been able to pick a worthwhile man for herself. The idea cut her deeply.
Swallowing at the ball of emotion in her throat, she said, “So you think Acton is out to use me. Or he’s after my money. Is that it?”
“Stephanie! We didn’t say anything like that!” Dillon scolded.”
“No. You didn’t have to,” she said bitterly. “It’s pretty obvious that you’re all afraid I’m getting hooked up with a loser—again.”
“Look, Stephanie,” Stephen spoke up, “We’re not judging Acton. We don’t even know him—yet. We just want you to take your time and use your head. Not just your heart.”
Acton had opened her eyes and her heart, Stephanie thought. But trying to convince her brothers of that would be useless.
“Look, you three, I appreciate the fact that you want me to be happy. If that’s the real purpose behind this meeting,” she added crossly.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Steven asked, “What other motive would we have, except your happiness?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe all this high-rolling and wheeling and dealing you three have been doing around Rambling Rose has gone to your heads. Maybe you’re afraid I might marry my cowboy and that would embarrass all of you!”
“Oh, Stephanie!” Callum rolled his eyes. “It’s not that at all!”
Steven actually jumped to his feet. “Are you planning on marrying this Donovan guy?”
Was she already dreaming about becoming Acton’s wife? Of being the mother of his children? Even if she was, she had no idea if Acton’s future plans were headed in the same direction as hers. Yes, she’d spent every available night she could find with him, and during that time, their passion for each other hadn’t dimmed. It had only grown hotter. But that didn’t mean he was in love with her. Or that he wanted to make her his wife.
Yet even with the uncertainty of her future looming before her, Stephanie had never been so happy and she wasn’t about to let her three meddling brothers spoil it for her.
Jumping to her feet, she said, “I’d never tell you three what my personal plans are. You’d only try to ruin them!”
She hurried toward the house, leaving her brothers staring worriedly after her.
* * *
In spite of the drizzly morning, Acton, Shawn and their dad were trying to finish building a section of fence when the last spool of barbed wire they’d been stretching reached the end.
“Well, that’s it for now,” his father said as he tossed the empty spool into the back of his pickup truck. “It’s almost time for lunch, anyway. After I eat, I’ll drive into Rambling Rose and pick up a few more spools of wire. You guys go do what you want until I get back.”
The tall, lean man was in his midfifties, but looked and worked like a man twenty years younger. As Acton watched him step up into the truck and drive across the open pasture, he wondered if his mother had brought up the subject of Acton seeing Stephanie to his father. So far his dad hadn’t mentioned a word to him, but that didn’t mean he was unaware of his son’s new girlfriend. Ramsey Donovan had always been the kind of father who thought it best to let his older children make their own decisions—and their own mistakes—in order to learn from them.
“I think I’ll go back to the ranch house and eat with Mom and Dad,” Shawn said. “I didn’t bring any lunch with me, did you?”
“No. I’m going to drive into Rambling Rose and see if Stephanie can get away from Paws and Claws long enough to have lunch,” he told his brother.
