Embracing Hope (Cowboys of Sagebrush Rose #5)

Chapter Eight

The farmhouse felt like a palace compared to the bunkhouse.

And the shower with the rain shower-head felt like heaven.

He hadn’t had a hot shower in days, not to mention one longer than three minutes. He scrubbed his body with soap that smelled just like Hope and stayed under the stream of water.

An image of her filled every corner of his mind. She had opened up to him tonight—they’d opened up to each other. She was the first person he’d told about that day in detail.

He swiped his hands over his wet face and closed his eyes, leaning against the cool tiled wall. He sliced his hands through his hair and massaged the tight muscles in his neck. He couldn’t shake the image of her straddling his lap, her eyes full of desire, and her lips pouty. He’d been so hard if a swift wind had come along, he would have shot the zipper out of his jeans.

Isaac couldn’t lie to himself. He’d wanted to push her skirt higher on her waist and sink himself into her wet pussy. He remembered how tight and slick she was. How supple her body had been. How she’d arched into him, spreading her legs wider in the offering. The thought made him shiver and moan. The sound was absorbed by the spray of water.

His cock shot up.

She could almost make him forget that he wasn’t relationship material—and he certainly wasn’t marriage material.

And she needed to marry.

Hell, was she even marriage material?

Why would Sam demand that his daughters marry or lose their claim on the ranch?

If Isaac went out on a limb, he’d guess the idea of death would make just about anyone want to tie any loose strings. He didn’t doubt for a moment that Sam loved his children. While he and Isaac were talking, the seasoned man talked about his daughters in a loving way. Anyone could just about judge the father for his demand, but unless someone walked a mile in his shoes, they didn’t have much right.

The thought of raising five girls made Isaac cringe. Raising them as a single dad and as feisty as the Rose sisters were would make a man go crazy. He could barely imagine raising one daughter, let alone five.

He hated to hear about the man’s illness. Hated that for Hope.

A wave of unease washed over him. Isaac understood what Sam’s daughters might face, having lost his own father five years ago. Sam’s illness could jeopardize the merger. The patriarch’s expertise and invaluable skills were crucial to the successful integration of the two companies.

Shutting off the water, he stepped out of the luxurious walk-in shower and grabbed the towel off the rack. The material was soft as butter, reminding him of Hope’s skin. He closed his eyes and fantasized about having her again, repeating what they’d shared in that dinky hotel room. She’d undressed in front of him down to a thin see-through lace bra and itty-bitty pink panties that had a wet spot in the crotch. She’d been turned on, and he’d wanted her so badly he could barely fill his lungs with air.

He groaned and opened his eyes, rubbing the towel over his damp hair.

He’d learned quite a bit about Hope that night they met. She liked it rough and could give as much as she took. He’d enjoyed edging her, taking her to the very edge of the cliff only to bring her back, then repeating the act until she lay in the cheap bed sheets quivering with her need.

She’d been so wet that the second he drove inside her tight pussy, even wearing a condom, he’d been fighting himself to keep from coming fast. He’d failed, but the following two times, he’d taken things slowly, and spanked her pretty heart-shaped bottom until his handprint reddened her pale skin. He’d practically shot his wad before he even got back inside of her. Even then, he spread her legs and buried his face in her slick pussy. He breathed in, still smelling her musk scent.

And when she’d sunk to her knees and wrapped her sweet mouth around his cock, he knew he would have died a happy man. She sucked him to the very edge several times until he thought he would explode. But she wouldn’t let him come. She’d take him there only to draw him back in a turnabout-is-fair-play move.

He dropped the towel on the rack and settled himself at the sink. He swiped his hand through the condensation on the mirror and took a good look at himself. CJ would kill Isaac if he knew the mess he was creating here in Sagebrush Pine. His brother liked things done by the book.

Isaac had a woman back home—or rather did have one until recently— and they had an understanding. She didn’t want a relationship any more than he did. The situation worked great…until he experienced Hope. Damn. She’d showed him what he’d been missing all along. And he wanted more. And more.

The sex had been mind-blowing, but not the only thing he found intriguing about her. Physically, she could be classified as the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Those exotic blue eyes surrounded by thick, black eyelashes seemed to loosen the bricks in the wall around his heart. She appeared innocent but didn’t have an innocent bone in her body.

He needed to put up a stronger wall. This time next year, she’d be in a marriage of convenience, and he’d be…where?

Great question.

CJ had been after Isaac since returning home to find someone he valued and settle down. For a man like his brother who fell in love and married, he didn’t understand what the holdup was with Isaac. Hell, he didn’t even understand what his problem could be called. He loved women. He appreciated them. He loved soft curves and wanted to hold them through the night.

But long term? When he was still having nightmares?

Damn. That made him sweat.

His lack of commitment alone made him a deal-breaker for Hope

Or did it?

If she wanted to keep her share of the ranch, then yeah.

That meant he needed to keep his distance. No touching. No fantasizing. Business only.

Could that be possible?

When he and Hope were together, their attraction resembled a cyclone.

He should have called and told his brother about the situation, but Isaac felt a little differently. He wasn’t ready to leave Sagebrush Rose if his brother asked him to, and he wanted to stick around longer and see what came.

This wasn’t like him. Allowing his emotions to get in the mix.

Not only was his logic on vacation, but he was becoming quite a softy, but not in his body, which remained as hard as a rocket.

A groan released from way down deep in his chest, right there where he stored the emotion for her.

He massaged the ache out of his temples. He wished he could easily remedy his desire for Hope.

His gaze automatically fell to the deep white scars on his chest where the roof had collapsed on him. There were days he wanted to return and relive that moment when he’d made a split-second decision that caused the worst turn of events. The sound of the blast echoed through his memories. A distant scream as everything turned black. Then, waking up in a hospital bed, covered in bandages and hooked up to machines. He would have changed places with any of those children that day.

CJ told Isaac that he needed to stop punishing himself. How did a man do such a thing? He'd tried to compartmentalize that day in the recesses of his mind, but guilt plagued him like a disease nearly every day.

He was a different man back then — on top of the world. He bled red, white, and blue and thrived on his missions. He felt as though he was bringing justice to the world. However, he made a grave mistake. Until that point, he had been in control of his life.

When he came home feeling like only half a man, he threw himself into ranch work. Each day was lived on autopilot as if he were a robot. He would read until he fell asleep at night, only to wake up and start the routine all over again. He had known Denise from his past, and they established a friends-with-benefits arrangement that addressed his needs. He had been devoid of emotion and desire—until Hope came along. She was a ray of sunshine breaking through the darkness.

He liked knowing that he still had some feelings. And possibly a sliver of desire to have his own family one day.

Growing up, he and his family had been close. They went on vacations, sat down in the evening at the dinner table and discussed their days, and had big holidays with family and friends invited. Back then, Isaac had been quite the playboy, yet he knew one day he’d want to settle down.

Dreams could change.

Now, he wanted to be alone.

Did he though?

He enjoyed spending time with Hope but wanted to get to know her better.

Now, just thinking of her, an image spliced his mind. Her naked body underneath him. Ripe and willing. Giving and wild.

His dick bounced and hardened again, and he wrapped his fist around the stiff appendage. Maybe if he pleasured himself, he could sedate some of the desire throbbing within him. He slid his hand over himself, squeezing harder and firmer until he felt sickened that it made him want to bury himself into her even more.

If he had half a brain, he'd call CJ and tell him fuck it. He was coming home. Let his brother take over from here on out. Yet, that meant Isaac wouldn’t see Hope again. That might be for the best, but could he actually bring himself to do it?

Pulling on his clean clothes, he took off downstairs searching for Hope. He finally found her outside, staring up at the dark sky.

“You see something?” he asked as he joined her.

She didn’t peel her gaze away. “Sometimes I stand here staring and realizing how small I am in the universe. How small my problems are compared to the bigger picture.”

“It certainly is a gorgeous view.” But he wasn’t referring to just the sky. Her skin and eyes glowed in the moonlight.

“Can I trust you?”

Her voice was so soft he wasn’t sure he heard her correctly. “Pardon?”

She then peered up at him, her expression somber. “Not to leak the information that I told you about Daddy’s cancer. The book. The marriage demands.”

“You can trust me.”

“Calling your brother wasn’t the first thing you did to pull the plug on this merger?”

He rubbed his jaw, his beard still damp from the shower. “Although I’ve made it clear that I don’t think this business deal is a good investment, I’m not lacking in compassion.”

“But you will tell him?”

That was the million-dollar question. “The real question is, if you and your sisters don’t want this merger and Sam…” He couldn’t form the words on his tongue. “What happens then?”

She crossed her arms over her waist. “I may not want the merger, but I believe that Daddy knows his business and wants this to happen. With that being said, I want what he wants.”

“Even marriage with someone you don’t love?”

One corner of her lips played with a smile. “You seem concerned about my relationship status. Wren is looking better by the minute.”

He felt the stab of jealousy in his dick. Why did he feel that emotion? He had no right to feel anything but wanting what was best for her. The truth was, thinking of another man touching her, hearing her soft whimpers of pleasure made him want to wring someone’s neck.

How in the hell did he get himself into his mess?

“I should go,” he muttered and stepped toward the door.

“Of course you should. If you can’t handle the heat, you should get out of the kitchen while you still can.”