taking her hands to place them back on his chest. He took several deep breaths, then reached beneath his pillow. “I want you so much, I’d rather not finish the race before you get to the starting gate, sweetheart.”
When he arranged their protection, he took her back into his arms and kissed her as he nudged her knees apart. Then capturing her gaze with his, he gave her a smile that sent heat coursing through her veins. “Show me where you want me, Fee.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, she guided him to her and he joined their bodies in one smooth thrust. He went perfectly still for a moment and she knew he was not only giving her time to adjust to being filled completely by him, he was also struggling to gain control.
“You’re so beautiful and perfect,” he finally said as he slowly began to rock against her.
“So are you,” she managed as her body began to move in unison with his.
Fee felt as if she had been custom-made just for him and as Chance increased the rhythm of his thrusts, she became lost in the delicious sensations of their lovemaking. Heat filled her as she started climbing toward the fulfillment they both sought.
Unable to prolong the inevitable, she reluctantly gave herself up to the tension building within her. As waves of pleasure coursed through every cell in her being, she clung to him to keep from being lost. A moment later, she felt his body stiffen and knew he’d found his own satisfaction.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders when he collapsed on top of her, Fee held him tight. She had never felt closer to anyone in her entire life than she did to Chance at that moment and she didn’t want the connection to end.
The thought that she might be falling for him crossed her mind and caused her a moment’s panic, but she gave herself a mental shake. It was true that she cared for him more than she could remember caring for any man, but that didn’t mean she was falling in love with him. Chance was intelligent, caring and the most selfless man she’d ever met, and any woman would be lucky to win his heart. But she wasn’t that woman.
* * *
The next morning as Chance got dressed, he smiled at the woman curled up in his bed. Fee was sound asleep and he wasn’t going to wake her. They had spent most of the night making love and she had to be every bit as tired as he was. But he had chores to do and a ranch to run. Otherwise, he’d crawl back in bed, make love to her again and then hold her while they both slept.
As he stepped out into the hall, he regretfully closed the door behind him. He had never met any woman who felt as good or as natural in his arms as Fee did. She was amazing in just about every way he could think of, and even though she was a good nine or ten inches shorter than his six-foot-one-inch frame, when they made love they fit together perfectly.
Yawning as he entered the kitchen, he smiled when he thought about why he was so tired. “Gus, Fee and I are going into Cheyenne later this morning,” he said, walking straight to the coffeemaker to pour himself a cup of the strong brew. “Is there anything you need me to pick up while I’m there?”
“Can’t think of a thing,” Gus said, opening the oven. “Where’s Fee?”
“The storm kept her awake most of the night,” Chance answered, going over to sit down at the table. “I thought I’d let her sleep in this morning.”
When Gus turned, he stared at Chance for several long seconds before he slammed the pan of biscuits he had just removed from the oven onto the butcher-block island. “What the hell are you thinkin’, boy?”
“What do you mean?” He was used to Gus and his off-the-wall questions and normally managed to figure out what the old man was talking about. But Chance had no idea what he’d done to piss the old boy off this early in the morning.
“I wasn’t born yesterday,” Gus said, shaking his head. “That storm moved on just past midnight and if you hadn’t been awake with her, how would you know she didn’t sleep?”
With his coffee cup halfway to his mouth, Chance stopped to glare at his old friend, then slowly set it down on the table. “Watch it, Gus. You’re about to head into territory that isn’t any of your concern.”
“That little gal up in your bed ain’t the kind of woman you bed, unless you’re willin’ to change her name,” Gus said, ignoring Chance’s warning.
“When did you become an expert on the subject of women?” Chance asked, doing his best to hold his anger in check out of respect for Gus’s age and the fact that he was more like family than an employee.
“I never said I was an expert.” Gus walked over to shake his finger at Chance. “But there’s women you have a good time with and the kind you court for a while and marry.” He pointed his index finger up at the ceiling. “That little gal upstairs is the courtin’ kind.”
“She’s not interested in getting serious any more than I am,” Chance said defensively.
“That may be what she’s sayin’,” Gus insisted. “And she probably even believes it. But I’ve heard how she goes on about you and the look in her eyes when you walk in a room.” He grunted. “Your momma wore the same look every time she looked at your daddy.”
“Yeah and we both know how that turned out,” Chance muttered.
“Boy, don’t go judgin’ a man till you walk a mile in his boots,” Gus advised. “Your daddy loved your momma more than life itself.”
“Is that why I’ve got a half sister from the affair he had with Hannah’s mother?” Chance shot back before he could stop himself. He loved that he finally had a sibling, but the truth of the matter was, Charles Lassiter had cheated on his wife and that was something Chance wasn’t sure he could ever come to terms with.
“Your daddy made a mistake and till the day he died, he did everything he could to make it up to your momma.” Gus shook his head. “She forgave him, but I don’t think he ever did forgive himself.”
“Well, that’s something I’ll never have to deal with,” Chance said, shrugging. “You can’t cheat on your wife if you never get married.”
Gus stared at him for a moment before he sighed heavily. “I never took you for a coward, boy.”
Before Chance could tell Gus to mind his own damn business, he heard Fee coming down the stairs. “We’ll finish this later.”
“There ain’t nothin’ to finish,” Gus said stubbornly. “I’ve said all I’m gonna say about it.”
“Chance, why didn’t you wake me?” Fee asked, entering the kitchen. “I wanted to help you feed Belle and her mother this morning.”
“I thought I’d let you sleep in.” Rising to his feet, Chance walked over and got a cup from the cupboard to pour her some coffee instead of taking her into his arms and kissing her the way he wanted to. “I know the storm kept you up last night and thought you could use the sleep.” When Gus coughed, he glared at the old fart a moment before he walked over to set her coffee on the table. “I’ll go out to the barn and give Slim the list of things I want him and the boys to get done today. Then after breakfast we’ll feed the cow and calf before we take off to go into Cheyenne.”
Her smile sent his hormones racing. “Great! I’ll help Gus finish
