“I don’t have anything to say to you,” she said quickly.
“I seriously doubt that,” he said. “If nothing else, I’ll bet you’d love to tell me how wrong my father is about us marrying. He sure as hell shouldn’t have brought it up like that, but he didn’t mean any harm. You can believe that, can’t you?”
“I don’t think your father has any right to have an opinion on my marital status,” she snapped. “And neither do you.”
He leaned over the bed, feeling her shrink back from him. Something about it sparked his predatory side, and while he’d come in here with every intention of talking to her and nothing more, he couldn’t quite remember why. He wanted to touch her, to taste her again. This attraction between them, she couldn’t deny it any more than he could. She might pretend they didn’t share a connection, but her body answered his. He could sense it in the way she’d stilled, waiting for him.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said. “If you really aren’t interested in me, all you have to do is not kiss me back.”
“Keep your mouth away from mine,” she hissed. Wade leaned in closer, coming over her until his body all but touched hers. He dropped his head down, letting his lips whisper across hers.
“Just don’t kiss me back,” he said, and then his mouth took hers. In the kitchen, he’d claimed her, attacking like a man starved. He had been starved for her, still was, but this time he forced himself to move slowly. His lips touched hers once, twice, drifting back and forth, catching on the contours of her mouth. Each brush of skin sent fire rushing through him, his heart starting to beat faster, but he held himself back. This was about proving a point, not giving in to his desires. He’d tease her until she responded. Then she couldn’t deny the attraction between them. From there, all he had to do was convince her that she could trust him with her safety.
His lips brushed against her once more, and Wade felt the trembling of her mouth as she struggled to ignore his touch. Her scent hung heavy in his nose, almost as sexy as her body, and he wondered if he smelled half as good to her as she did to him. Her lips twitched once, twice, then they quivered as she opened for him. He wanted to groan in triumph, but knew that was the last thing she needed. Now was the time to woo, not gloat. He sank into her mouth, plunging his tongue into her hot opening, wishing desperately that he could plunge something harder into her.
Instead he lowered his body over hers, allowing Catherine to take his weight, pressing the hard ridge of his penis into her yielding stomach. He rubbed against her rhythmically as she reached her hands up to bury her fingers in his hair. She pulled him closer, her entire body straining toward him, and he kissed her deeply until neither of them could go without taking a breath even one second longer.
Wade gasped as he pulled away, burying his face in the curve of her neck, sucking in great gulps of air as the pounding of his heart rang through his head. Catherine strained up at him, whimpering with need. She wiggled under the quilt, spreading her legs for him, and he settled between them gladly, rubbing his c**k against her most sensitive spot. He wanted inside so badly he could hardly stand it. She wanted him just as much. Every time he ground against her she moaned, her hips gyrating with desperation. He took a deep, calming breath and forced his body to stop moving. She protested wordlessly, but he shook his head against her body.
“Do you want me to take you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I do.”
“You’d let me f**k you without the benefit of marriage?” he asked, demanding
absolute clarity. The crudity of his language stilled her, but she nodded her head resolutely.
“Well, I’m not that kind of man,” he said, pulling away from her to sit back on the edge of the bed. She seemed stunned, utterly still in the darkness of the room.
“What kind of game are you playing, Wade?” she asked finally, levering herself to sit up in bed. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the mouth before standing up.
“I won’t sleep with a woman I’m not married to,” he said. She burst out laughing.
“You’ve slept with half the county, Wade,” she said. “Ryan told me all about your adventures. I don’t believe you for one minute.”
“I’ve had my share of lovers,” he admitted. “But now I’ve decided to marry you, and I won’t sleep with you until I get a ring on your finger. If you want me, you’ll have to marry me.”
She laughed again.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Wade,” she said. “I’ll admit it, I want your body. Maybe that makes me a whore. But I’m not a stupid whore. I won’t let myself get trapped by a man again.”
“I don’t want to trap you,” he said, his voice quiet and intense. “I want you to be my partner. And I think you want it too.”
He reached across the bed, cupping her cheek and then running his hand down into the loose bodice of her flannel nightgown. She gasped, leaning closer to him. Her br**sts hung loose, and he cupped one, fingering the nipple. She sighed, and he felt his resolve fade, his c**k giving him clear orders to push her down and take her before she changed her mind.
He ignored the orders, pulling away and standing up instead.
“Nope, you don’t get me unless you marry me,” he said, forcing his voice to sound flippant. “Otherwise you’ll have to satisfy yourself. Although if you need someone to watch you or offer tips, I’m your man.”
Her shocked gasp was the only answer, and he laughed as he left the room. That hadn’t gone as he expected. He’d planned to tempt her, not challenge her. And he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t given in and bedded her for the life of him. He’d never wanted a woman more in his life.
But he’d been telling her the truth about one thing. He wasn’t willing to simply plow her and be done with it. He wanted more—marriage and a family. And until she gave it to him, she could damn well spend the night writhing in her own frustrated juices.
He knew he would.
Chapter Three
Catherine could hardly look at Wade the next morning as she tossed hot flapjacks onto his plate. The talk at the table was subdued, the ranch hands escaping as soon as they’d shoveled the bare minimum of food in their mouths. She wished she could go with them. Tension hung palpable in the air, although John seemed oblivious.
“I’m going to town today,” Wade announced. “Catherine, why don’t you pack a picnic lunch for us and come with me? I’m sure you’d enjoy the chance to visit with someone besides sweaty cowboys.”