body close to his. Her head lay against his chest, her arms encircling his waist. Her hair smelled like fresh cherry blossoms. His nostrils were filled with the sweet sent, causing another spark to ignite within him. Sam felt like he was catching on fire as his blood began to race through his veins.
He cupped her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. God she was beautiful. He wanted to kiss her, but knew that he shouldn’t.
Going against his better judgment, he lightly caressed her bottom lip with his thumb until she parted them. It was his undoing. He bent low and touched his mouth softly to hers, tasting the sweetness.
Loren moved her arms upward to wrap them around his neck while he continued to softly explore her mouth. Sam could feel the surging fire begin to grow stronger inside him. The hot flames of desire were urging him on with each new spark. He wasn’t sure how far Loren would let things go and he didn’t trust himself to stop if she didn’t ask him to. He knew that he needed to break the kiss, before things went way too far; before he couldn’t stop himself.
Suddenly, Sam ended the kiss and gently pushed her away from him, holding her at arms-length. She looked up at him, confused.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” he told her, releasing his hold on her. He watched the look on her face change from confusion to embarrassment. “I’m sorry.” His mind had just gone blank. He didn’t know what else to say.
Loren lifted her h and and softly touched his lips. “Don’t be.” Turning away from him, she opened the back door and walked inside. He was left standing alone on the deck in the pouring rain.
He just stood there staring at the door for a moment, trying to clear his thoughts. What had just happened? He had not intended to kiss her, but the honest truth was that he wasn’t sorry that he had. Loren had awakened a fire within him and it was still burning.
He tugged at his Stetson and pulled it lower on his head before heading in the direction of the barn. He glanced back once as if he hoped Loren would be standing in the open door calling for him to come back.
He was half relived that she wasn’t because he felt sure that he would have returned to take her into his arms again and this time he wouldn’t push her away. He wouldn’t end their kiss until he had his fill of her. Lord help him, this was going to be a rough few months.
Chapter 9
After the first few days on the ranch, Loren was pretty much beginning to like her new home, except for the hard work that Sam made her do every day. The work seemed endless and he pushed her hard.
She was so tired every night when she went to bed, that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She had to take a soaking bath each night to wash away the dirt and grime of the day. Her mornings were started with a quick shower to help her wake up and face the day ahead.
One day she had complained t hat he was pushing her too hard. His only response was to tell her to go back home to Mommy and Daddy if she couldn’t handle it. Running a ranch was hard work and if she couldn’t do it then she didn’t need to be there.
She guessed that is what he wanted her to do. If she went home, he would have the ranch all to himself again. Out of pure stubbornness, she had decided that she could take whatever he dished out. This was her ranch, and with God as her witness, she was not leaving.
By the time Friday rolled around, she was bone tired. The weather was starting to turn cooler with November approaching and she wanted nothing more than to stay huddled beneath the warm covers.
She forced herself to sit up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Every muscle in her body ached. Loren pushed herself to a standing position, and slowly walked to the shower in the hopes that the hot water waiting for her, would soothe away some of the soreness.
Once inside the shower, she just
He cupped her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. God she was beautiful. He wanted to kiss her, but knew that he shouldn’t.
Going against his better judgment, he lightly caressed her bottom lip with his thumb until she parted them. It was his undoing. He bent low and touched his mouth softly to hers, tasting the sweetness.
Loren moved her arms upward to wrap them around his neck while he continued to softly explore her mouth. Sam could feel the surging fire begin to grow stronger inside him. The hot flames of desire were urging him on with each new spark. He wasn’t sure how far Loren would let things go and he didn’t trust himself to stop if she didn’t ask him to. He knew that he needed to break the kiss, before things went way too far; before he couldn’t stop himself.
Suddenly, Sam ended the kiss and gently pushed her away from him, holding her at arms-length. She looked up at him, confused.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” he told her, releasing his hold on her. He watched the look on her face change from confusion to embarrassment. “I’m sorry.” His mind had just gone blank. He didn’t know what else to say.
Loren lifted her h and and softly touched his lips. “Don’t be.” Turning away from him, she opened the back door and walked inside. He was left standing alone on the deck in the pouring rain.
He just stood there staring at the door for a moment, trying to clear his thoughts. What had just happened? He had not intended to kiss her, but the honest truth was that he wasn’t sorry that he had. Loren had awakened a fire within him and it was still burning.
He tugged at his Stetson and pulled it lower on his head before heading in the direction of the barn. He glanced back once as if he hoped Loren would be standing in the open door calling for him to come back.
He was half relived that she wasn’t because he felt sure that he would have returned to take her into his arms again and this time he wouldn’t push her away. He wouldn’t end their kiss until he had his fill of her. Lord help him, this was going to be a rough few months.
Chapter 9
After the first few days on the ranch, Loren was pretty much beginning to like her new home, except for the hard work that Sam made her do every day. The work seemed endless and he pushed her hard.
She was so tired every night when she went to bed, that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She had to take a soaking bath each night to wash away the dirt and grime of the day. Her mornings were started with a quick shower to help her wake up and face the day ahead.
One day she had complained t hat he was pushing her too hard. His only response was to tell her to go back home to Mommy and Daddy if she couldn’t handle it. Running a ranch was hard work and if she couldn’t do it then she didn’t need to be there.
She guessed that is what he wanted her to do. If she went home, he would have the ranch all to himself again. Out of pure stubbornness, she had decided that she could take whatever he dished out. This was her ranch, and with God as her witness, she was not leaving.
By the time Friday rolled around, she was bone tired. The weather was starting to turn cooler with November approaching and she wanted nothing more than to stay huddled beneath the warm covers.
She forced herself to sit up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Every muscle in her body ached. Loren pushed herself to a standing position, and slowly walked to the shower in the hopes that the hot water waiting for her, would soothe away some of the soreness.
Once inside the shower, she just
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