The way Catherine wanted him too.
The length of his body was hot against her, all too easy to feel through the thin
fabric of her work clothes. Her mama had always warned her that leaving off her corset and petticoats would cause her trouble. But who could bear wearing the hot garments doing chores around the ranch? She’d planned to put them back on after returning to the ranch house. After all, respectable teachers always wore their stays… And now would be a real good time to head home and put them on, she thought. She pushed back against Wade, trying to free herself. Instead of giving, he moved closer, and the unmistakable feel of his hard erection pushing against her butt grew so prominent that she couldn’t pretend not to feel it.
“You don’t need to worry about her,” Wade said. Catherine glanced down at the stallion as he reared up over her mare, then closed her eyes resolutely.
“Ladies don’t see things like this,” she said, hoping it would go quickly. He gave a low chuckle.
“Really?” he said. “You had a pretty strong opinion a moment ago. Afraid?”
Catherine tried to stomp on his foot, but he pressed her so close to the wall that she couldn’t move. She sighed in frustration.
“Wade, this isn’t what I want.”
“For Ginger or yourself?” he asked, pushing his hips up against her butt, pressing his hardened penis into her soft flesh. It felt good. It had been so long since she’d touched a man like that. She reminded herself firmly that just because a male feels good at first doesn’t mean it’s worth a woman giving up her freedom.
“You shouldn’t do that, Wade,” she said. “You know better. You’re like a brother to me. We’re family.”
His bark of laughter was harsh, filling her ears and making her wince.
“You’re never been like a sister to me,” he said. “I still don’t understand why you were crazy enough to marry my brother, but he’s dead and you can’t tell me you regret it.”
Silence hung between them. He was right, and they both knew it. She’d look like a fool if she tried to deny her relief when the sheriff told her about Ryan’s death. In a brothel, no less. He’d made her life a living hell. Failing to mourn him left her feeling guilty, though. No proper woman would be happy to lose a husband, would she?
“You’ve been very good to me since Ryan’s death,” she said, choosing her words carefully. He nudged against her again, and she stiffened and spread her legs, unwittingly copying the mare’s stance. She realized her mistake in an instant as he rubbed against her, but couldn’t bring herself to back down. She didn’t want to show him any weakness at all. Dear heavens, how could such a difficult man feel so good? She could sense her ni**les hardening. Traitors. She needed to draw a line with him. Quickly.
“Your father too. I know he meant it when he said I could live here as long as I want. But the time’s come for me to move on.”
He froze behind her.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’ve applied for the teaching position in town. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it,” she said, her voice calm, as if his organ weren’t all but entering her from behind. She sensed the tremendous tension in his limbs, knew it was taking a great deal of self-control for him to hold back his reaction to her news. She really should have waited until a better time to talk to him.
Perhaps in front of witnesses. Too late now…
“You keep house for me and Dad, and you’re an important part of this ranching operation,” he said. “Nobody wants you to leave, Catherine.”
He crowded against her further as he spoke, and her breath caught. She could smell him, the tang of his sweat and the dirt, and just a hint of horse too. A working man’s scent. Every breath made her more uncomfortable, and she knew all too well what her foolish body wanted from him. Even at his worst, Wade’s physical form had always called to her. The image of Baron penetrating Ginger leapt to mind, and she shivered.
He thrust himself up at her imperiously, demanding her surrender with his body language. Liquid heat rose up along her legs. It would be so easy to give in to him, to let him toss her skirts up and take her body as surely as Ginger’s had been taken. Catherine took a deep, steadying breath. Successful teachers didn’t give in to wanton urges. Of course, she wasn’t a teacher yet. Stay focused, she reminded herself.
“We can talk about this later, Wade,” she said, her voice sounding far firmer than she felt. “It isn’t right for you to be this close to me, whatever our relationship. Let me go back to the house.”
“Are you sure you want to?” he asked, his voice deceptively smooth. He pulled one hand from the window and smoothed it down along her bodice. It skimmed over her ni**les, and she felt the way his fingers jerked spasmodically the instant he realized she wasn’t wearing anything but her dress and a thin chemise.
Then his hand cupped her breast, giving the nipple a little pinch. He might as well stick his hand between her legs, given the way sensation tore through her. She buckled against him, and he brought his other hand around to support her weight. Now he held both br**sts, pulling her back to his body, grinding her bottom against his arousal.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to keep doing this?” he asked, his voice a whisper. He let one hand drop down, pulling at the fabric of her dress until he reached
“Are you sure you don’t want me to keep doing this?” he asked, his voice a whisper. He let one hand drop down, pulling at the fabric of her dress until he reached under the hemline, skimming his fingers across her thigh.
Catherine gasped. His touch was like fire, and need tore through her so fast it hurt. With the pain came sudden clarity, and she wrenched herself free of him, banging into the wall painfully. Then she whirled to face him. Why couldn’t the darned man give her some space?
“You don’t get to touch me,” she said. “Ever.”
“This has been brewing between us for a long time,” Wade said, his eyes hard and steady. “When I came home and found you married to my brother, I kept my hands off you. I didn’t want to, but I did. And when he died I gave you time to recover. But it’s been a year, Cat. It’s time for us to sort this out.”
His words caught her off guard. Had it really been a year since Ryan’s death? She thought about the date, and realized he was right. Exactly right. Today was the anniversary. She gave a little shiver.