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  She shuddered at his words, her body hanging limply across his lap. She understood his sentiment, shared his agony. She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. After years of loneliness and longing, she was too terrified to hope for anything more than this moment.

  “Take me,” she whispered.

  Strong hands pulled her up and she saw the slightest twinge of a grin touch his lips when she winced.

  “You think it’s funny that my ass is sore?” she asked, her hackles rising.

  “Spitfire, I’ve thought of nothing but spanking that gorgeous ass since we left the bar. You’ve been a very naughty girl.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t start thinking you can boss me around just because you’re home now. I’m a grown woman, not a little girl, and nobody tells me…” His eyes narrowed as she spoke until finally her words died in her throat.

  “What part of my woman didn’t you understand?” he asked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the dark barn.

  Her mind whirled with his words. Twice now he’d called her his. Hope began to blossom in her heart but she ruthlessly stamped it down. She may give him her body tonight but he’d have to work for the privilege of holding her heart again. She’d given it to him a decade ago only to have him toss it back at her from the window of the bus that drove him off to boot camp and out of her life.

  “What happened to you taking me on the floor?” she asked, anxious to make tonight light, fun, casual, though she wondered where she found the breath to tease him. She was literally gasping in anticipation.

  “Thought you might prefer something a bit softer.” He dragged her across the barn, grabbing a blanket and spreading it over a fresh pile of hay in the corner.

  “Hay is softer?” she joked, and he chuckled.

  “I don’t have enough patience to put your pants back on and carry you to my bedroom. We’ve already wasted too much time.”

  He eased her down on the straw, reaching for the buttons of her blouse. With one quick flick of his wrists, he ripped the shirt open.

  “Jesus,” she whispered as his calloused hands reached down to engulf her breasts. He pushed her bra underneath, baring her hard nipples.

  “God, you’re sexy,” he muttered as he bent down to suck her aching flesh into his hot mouth. Her back arched as her hands gripped his head. He was still sporting the Marine-issue buzz cut, but now that he was home, she hoped to convince him to let his dark blond hair grow back. For years she’d dreamed of running her fingers through it. He played with her breasts, nipping at the tight tips, squeezing them until she was panting and on the verge of begging.

  She cried out when he stood but he shushed her gently. She lay on the blanket, feeling like a banquet feast as he looked at her with hungry eyes.

  He stood in a shaft of moonlight and as she watched, he slowly removed his shirt, then his pants. She bit her lip to stop herself from whimpering at the sight of his naked body. He was impressive in clothing. Out of them, he was breathtaking. Her gaze drifted down to his cock, barely visible in the shadows, and for a moment, she felt a twinge of fear. He obviously hadn’t lied about his intense desire. His cock was fully erect, thick and long.

  He grinned when he realized what she was looking at, dragging his fist along his hard flesh. She licked her lips, wondering what he would taste like, and his eyes darkened.

  “Come here,” he demanded. She rose to her knees, never taking her eyes away from his cock.

  “Put your mouth on me.” His voice was dark, commanding, and she found herself reacting to what she was coming to recognize as his Marine tone. Moving forward, she reached out, her hand jolting slightly when she felt the heat radiating from him. His hands cupped her cheeks as he drew her face down, directing her course.

  She’d always sensed the solid, implacable core of steel that resided inside him. The authority and strength that radiated from him made her want to follow him wherever he would lead. No doubt he was an excellent military officer.

  She squeezed her legs together, fighting back the powerful sensations inundating her body as her lips grazed the tip of his cock and her tongue darted out to taste the salty drop of fluid resting there. A growl hummed deep in his chest and she smiled as the hands on her face tightened slightly.

  She opened her mouth and slowly enveloped his hard cock.

  “Give me your hand,” he said, and she reached up. He wrapped her fingers around the base of his cock, showing her exactly how much pressure he wanted her to exert. “Move your mouth in unison with your hand, so you can love my whole cock.”

  She followed his directions, silently grateful for his help, and she wondered if he could tell she’d never done this before, never wanted to do this, before him.

  He began to move his hips slowly, pushing into her mouth with shallow thrusts that soon started to go deeper. “Open your throat. Try to swallow me.”

  Her body trembled with need, with desire at the thought of taking him so deeply. He said he’d claim her. All of her.

  Oh, how she wanted to be claimed by him.

  On his fourth thrust, she found her rhythm and took him to the back of her throat. He groaned aloud and she loved his pleased, needy sound, desperate to hear more of the same. Over and over she swallowed his head as he whispered hot, dirty words that drew pictures of exactly how much he intended to claim. She thought she should be afraid, nervous, but she’d never been the type of woman to shy away from a challenge, to turn away from what she wanted. And her body wanted him badly. She would give him this because deep inside, she wanted the exact same things.

  She began to move faster, stroke him harder, and was angry when he pulled away.

  “No,” she said, trying to reclaim his cock.

  “Not this time,” he said, pushing her hands away, lifting her face to look at him as he spoke. “I’m going to fuck your mouth soon, Liv. But this first time, the only place I’m coming is inside your pussy. Lie back down.”

  She did so, shivering with anticipation, but he mistook her reaction. “Shit. I should have taken you inside. Are you cold?”

  “No, just lonely down here by myself. Come warm me up, Rem,” she whispered.

  He smiled at her request, reaching down to pull a condom out of his pants. “Are you on the Pill?”

  She shook her head.

  “Get on it,” he said as he opening the wrapper and slid the condom on.

  She grinned at his gruff, no-nonsense tone and wondered if she’d really have to bother with the doctor’s appointment. It certainly seemed as if Rem intended this affair to last longer than just one night. She savored the thought of keeping him in her bed, in her body. What would it feel like to be able to hold him to her for weeks, maybe months, and to call him her lover?

  She’d clearly never have to guess what Rem wanted in the bedroom as he was a master at making his desires known. He bent down and knelt at her feet. “Open your legs, spitfire,” he said, and she blushed at the thought of showing herself to him in such an intimate way.

  He gripped her knees and pulled them apart. “Like this,” he said as his gaze drifted down her body.

  She squirmed under his intense scrutiny and he frowned. “You never have to be embarrassed with me, Liv. You’re beautiful.” He reached down to touch her and for a moment she thought she detected a slight tremor in his hand. Perhaps she wasn’t the only one affected by the intensity, the passion of the moment.

  His fingers drifted along the insides of her thighs as she struggled to hold herself open for him, the desire to grab him and pull him on top of her at war with her ability to wait patiently.

  “Hurry,” she whispered, and he chuckled.

  “No.”

  “Dammit, Rem, I—” she muttered, her words cut off by a sharp slap to her pussy. Her head reared back in surprise as her body rocketed to life with arousal.

  “What did I say about that language?” he asked.

  She wanted to throw every four-letter word in the book at him, frantic for more. Chri
st, she never knew, never realized how sexy a spanking could be. Lucky for her, she was an expert at pushing Rem’s buttons. She anticipated all the ways she could provoke him into giving her more “punishments”.

  “Why does that grin have my insides churning?” he asked, and she realized her thoughts must be apparent on her face. He didn’t wait for an answer as his hands drifted to her clit, his fingers pinching the swollen flesh until she was panting, pleading. How could he elicit so many glorious sensations with just a touch, a pinch, a kiss?

  His lips drifted down to replace his fingers and she gasped.

  “God, yes,” she hissed as his tongue explored then tortured her needy flesh. He dipped his tongue inside her pussy and she felt as if she would shatter. He leaned up for a moment, sucking one of his fingers into his mouth, tasting her essence before returning to her pussy. His hands joined his mouth this time, one hand toying with her clit, his other delving lower, uncovering more secrets and showing her there was even more pleasure to be had than she’d suspected. He pushed his wet finger into her ass to the first knuckle as her hips jolted up in surprise and desire.

  “I’m going to claim all of you,” he breathed against her cunt.

  “Take me. All of me,” she whispered, her breath deserting her. He moved over her, taking her mouth in a kiss that tasted uniquely of Rem…and her.

  The head of his cock nudged at her wet opening and she closed her eyes in relief, in gratitude, as he slowly pushed inside.

  His progress was slow and she heard him hiss then curse. “So tight, so fucking tight.”

  She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist as he forged in another inch. He looked up into her face and she repeated her earlier words. “Take me, Rem. I want you. Now.”

  He kissed her once before rearing back and slamming into her to the hilt. She screamed as her body protested—and she tried to push him away before she thought better of her actions.

  “Fuck,” he muttered, his body suddenly still. He looked at her, his gaze a mixture of anger and awe. “Is there something you want to tell me, Olivia?”

  She’d expected his annoyance, had even foolishly hoped she could hide the truth. “Would it have made a difference?” she asked, throwing the ball back in his court.

  “If you’re asking if I would have taken you if I’d known you were a virgin, the answer is yes. The difference is I would have gone slower, easier, been gentler with you.”

  She laughed lightly. “And that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. I want hard and fast and soon, dammit,” she added when he continued to remain motionless.

  He leaned down to kiss her, chuckling. “Jesus, Liv. You’re perfect for me. You were definitely worth the wait. Hell, I’d wait ten more years for you if I had to.”

  She raised her eyebrow. “Rem Bradley, I don’t want to wait ten more seconds. Now move.”

  He lifted up onto his hands and moved. Oh boy, how he moved. Although she’d asked for hard and fast, his sexy slide into her body was slow and sweet and exactly what she needed. He kissed her gently as he made love to her and she found her heart melting a little bit more from the heat of his touch.

  The pressure built up more quickly than she would have imagined and she cried out with him as they were both lost in the moment—and for the first time in her life, she felt at home, at peace.

  She was in love with him, had always been in love with him.

  Dear God, she was so screwed.

  Chapter Three

  Rem looked out the window of his father’s— Shit, his office, and watched Liv work with a new mare in the paddock. He’d been home a month and the realities of what it meant to run a working ranch were just now sinking in. He would never have been able to make it through the day without Liv’s guidance and he grinned as he thought about the irony of it all. His father had worked him and Jeb as hard as full-grown ranch hands when they’d been younger, pounding every bit of ranching wisdom he could spout into their heads. Liv, the tagalong, had been the only one to listen, to learn. She loved this ranch, their home.

  He grinned as he remembered her lovely face this morning as she lay in his bed, her hair tousled around her on the pillow. He loved to watch her sleep.

  He’d moved her into his room the day after he’d taken her virginity in the barn. Shaking his head, he still couldn’t get over the fact that she’d never taken a lover. She was amazing and he fought back the ache in his chest that told him he didn’t deserve her.

  Gazing outside, he watched Liv slowly mount the horse. She’d spent days preparing to break it, getting it used to her and the saddle so she could ride the mare. He stood and walked to the window, forcing back his worry as the horse pranced nervously. He could see her patting the horse and speaking to it. She was a natural equestrian and sometimes he teased her about her ability to get along better with horses than people.

  He shook himself for his anxiety and returned to the desk, trying to force himself to concentrate on the paperwork that had piled up since his father’s death. While Liv was a born rancher, she clearly preferred the outdoors to working inside. He worked his way through the mountain of invoices and bills while trying to decipher his father’s system of bookkeeping.

  He glanced over to check on Liv’s progress just as the horse reared up. She was managing to keep her seat, just barely, but that was all Rem saw as he ran through the house toward the stable. As he approached the fence, he could see Liv leading the horse back to its stall. She smiled when she saw him standing there.

  “Taking a break?” she asked.

  “I saw the horse rear up. Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “Damn bee stung her. How’s that for bad luck? Of all days. Going to try again tomorrow. She’s completely spooked now.”

  “You didn’t fall off?” he asked, aware that his tone was terse. His body was tense from the fear that she could have been hurt.

  “Fall off?” she asked, her voice filled with fake affront. “Just who the fuck do you think you’re talking to, cowboy?” She laughed as one of the ranch hands took the horse from her and she walked over to place a quick kiss on his cheek. “Worried about me?”

  He forced himself to relax but as soon as he smelled her skin—a combination of soap, horse and sweat that was oddly arousing simply because it was so Liv—he felt a different part of his body tense up.

  “Very worried about you,” he said, grasping her hand and tugging her toward the house.

  “Where are we going? We’ve still got a lot of work to do today.”

  He glanced over at the fence he’d promised to mend this afternoon and shrugged. “We’ll get back to it eventually. There’s the issue of your punishment to take care of first.”

  “Punishment?” she asked, and he detected the slight breathlessness that accompanied the single word. His Liv was a sucker for a good whipping. Always set her off quicker than firecrackers in July.

  “I counted two curse words.” His spankings had done little to deter her foul language. In fact, he was beginning to suspect she used the words more frequently just to force his hand.

  “Damn,” she muttered, breaking into a big grin when he stopped to scowl at her.

  “That’s not funny, Liv,” he said as they walked into the house and up to their bedroom.

  Their bedroom.

  He loved the sound of that.

  Leading her to the bed, he released her and placed his hands on his hips. “Get those jeans off, woman. I’m gonna have to start putting you in skirts and keeping you inside where you’ll be safe and sound. Besides, I don’t like bein’ kept waiting so long when you’ve been naughty.”

  Liv merely shrugged at his threat and he had to fight to remain impassive as she shimmied the tight denim off. The woman could work her curves better than a damn stripper—and she knew it. His mouth went dry at the sight of her bare bottom.

  She turned to face him, her gaze seductive, her smile sweet. She was a rare mixture of angel and minx and he struggled to figure out
which part he loved most.

  Loved…

  What would she say if she knew how he felt? He’d sensed her hesitance whenever he spoke about a future together. Despite his insistence that she was his and he was here to stay, he could feel her doubts.

  She frowned and he wondered what she’d seen in his face.

  “Rem? You really were worried, weren’t you?”

  He walked forward and pressed his forehead against hers. “I just want you to be careful, Liv.”

  “I am careful,” she assured him. “I’ve been riding horses since I was five. You know that.”

  “What I know seems to be losing the battle against what I’m feeling. I just need you to promise you’ll always take care of yourself.”

  She kissed him lightly. “I promise,” she whispered.

  He pulled away slightly to look into her chocolate-colored eyes. They twinkled mischievously and he shook his head at how easily she could sway his moods, set his mind at ease.

  “While you’re handing out promises, I’ll have the one about you not stepping foot in Stan’s Bar again. You’ve managed to avoid offering that one several times,” he said. The fact she wouldn’t promise to avoid the dingy bar was becoming a bone of contention between them.

  She shook her head. “I’m not promising that.”

  “Why not?” he asked irately.

  “Because you and I both know that sooner or later, you’re gonna piss me off. When that happens, I’m going to Stan’s. Believe it or not, that place is the perfect cure for my anger.”

  Rem closed his eyes for patience, trying to decide if he really wanted to know the answer to his next question. “Please tell me every time you go there you don’t start a major brawl.”

  She laughed delightedly and he fought back the growl growing in his chest. He’d heard her bragging about their fight to several of the ranch hands a couple days earlier.

  “No,” she said. “That was actually the first time things got so exciting.”