Chapter 10
It was the sound of the shower that roused her from her sleep. She had tried to wait up for him, but he had told her not to bother, that he was dealing with some things and would be home late. He had sounded so weary that her heart had melted for him.
Surprisingly, his mother had been the one to inform her of the worries he was dealing with.
Pushing the sheets off her, she came to a split-second decision.
Swinging her legs off the bed, she shimmied out of her nightgown and made her way to the bathroom.
He was simply standing under the hot pulsing water, his head submerged under it.
The green and gold shower stall was large enough to hold a dozen people, and it had taken her several days to master the various sophisticated knobs.
Stepping up behind him, she pumped shampoo into her palms and went on her toes to start massaging it into his hair. He had been so caught up in his thoughts, he never realized she was there until she touched him.
"What..." He jolted and was about to turn around when she stopped him, her fingers sliding through his thick shoulder-length hair and massaging the scalp.
"I heard you had a rough day."
"Yes. Look..." He bit off a groan when she continued to knead the flesh.
"Tell me about it," she invited. She was down to his neck now, using her thumb to ease into the pressure points. It was unbelievably erotic and relaxing at the same time.
"Just..." He bit back a sigh, his hands spread on the tiles in front of him. "One of the men, Ben, had an infection which turned out to be pneumonia. Julianne..."
"And there was something about losing some livestock to a virus? Your mother told me about that. She was surprisingly chatty and friendly all of a sudden."
"She shouldn't have said anything to you. I don't want you..." He gritted his teeth when she started on the bunched muscles of his shoulders. "Julianne..."
"You carry a lot of your tension here." Spreading her fingers, she massaged the flesh slowly. "I never told you that I took a course in relaxation techniques. I was fascinated by how the body can carry tension without us realizing it and decided what the hell."
"You should be sleeping. You had an episode... Don't stop." He groaned.
"I have no intention of doing that." She slid her soapy hands down over his chest, wrapping her arms around him to give him the full effect. It was then he felt her breasts pressing into his back. Desire shot through him like a thunderbolt.
"That's enough now," he told her gruffly.
"Not nearly."
"Julianne..." His breath caught somewhere in his throat as her clever hands slid down his quivering stomach. He was as hard as steel. "Please stop."
"Not yet. I need to get you as limp as a noodle." Before he realized what she was up to, she was combing her fingers through the hairs covering his sex. He went weak and wondered how the hell his knees were supporting him.
"Don't..."
"And the only way I know how is to do this."
He let out a gasp when she cupped him. He literally felt his breath stop.
"You taught me how, remember? One night we were experimenting and you stole my breath and my senses when you started tormenting me.
I asked you after I recovered somewhat if I could do the same for you and you told me what to do.
It was something like this..." He could feel heat pouring through him like molten lava as she stroked him slowly, from root to tip.
"Remember?"
"What?" He could scarcely think, much less offer a coherent sentence.
"You told me to do this." Her clever fingers moved over the tip of him, circling the slit. His control was slipping; he felt it slipping away. He should force her to stop. He was stronger than her by far. He should, but oh good Christ! It felt so damn good and he was starving.
Resting his head on the tile, he barely felt the water from the shower running down his head and into his eyes.
His body seemed to have gotten a will of its own, and his hips were moving urgently in time to her stroking fingers.
He felt the pressure building... building.
.. building. With a groan of complete and utter surrender, he exploded, his body jerking with the violence of the climax.
Slapping his palms on the tiles, he gave in to the magnificence of it all, the sensation racing through his body like a storm cloud and leaving him weak.
He turned then, eyes dark, skin flushed. Gathering her against him, he slid to the floor, taking her with him and cradling her against his rapidly beating heart.
Tipping her head up, he studied her exquisite features in wonder.
"Are you relaxed now?" she asked with an impish smile.
Bending his head, he brushed his lips on hers slowly. "Remind me to pay you back in kind when you're well enough."
She wanted to tell him she was well enough now, but she knew better.
"I'm looking forward to it." She stroked his chin. "We're starting to look like prunes."
"Hmm. Thanks for... you know."
"The hand job?" she supplied wickedly.
"For that, yes." He chuckled softly. "Only you."
"I need to say something."
"Okay." He fully expected it to pertain to the topic or something to do with the ranch.
"I love you."
He felt the jolt straight through his nervous system.
"I kinda knew that already."
"Smart ass. So, I was thinking, since I'm already knocked up and we're shacking up, we might as well get married." Her eyes twinkled in amusement at the stunned look on his face. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?"
"What did you say?"
"You didn't see that one..."
"Before." His hands gripped her arms so he could ease her away to look at her fully. "Before that."
"I am knocked up..." She grinned at the frustrated look he sent her. "I want to get married."
He had waited so long for her to declare her love for him and to hear her say it again, that he had been getting impatient.
Now here she was talking about marriage.
He had spent the entire day feeling the pressure of work bearing down on him.
The responsibilities of his position, combined with the news about his employee, had made it a very bleak and weary day.
Now he could feel his spirits lifting, and it was because of her.
"Cat got your tongue?" she teased as he continued to stare at her.
It was then he became aware that the water was still pouring down on him.
Gathering her close, he found the strength to haul himself up with her still wrapped in his arms. Turning the water off, he grabbed towels as he stepped out of the shower and strode into the bedroom.
Laying her down carefully on top of the covers, he started wiping the moisture from her skin gently.
"I'm starting to get an inferiority complex here. A woman does not like to propose to a man and just have him stay mute."
"Shut up," he advised mildly as he sat at her hip. "How soon?"
"I was thinking December."
"How about next weekend? I could pop into town and get a special license, and we get hitched right here." His hands framed her face and he wasn't surprised that they were shaking.
"What's the hurry? I'm already knocked up," she pointed out. Now that she had decided, she could feel the urgency. His mother, the frank conversation between them, had cleared the way.
"I don't want to run the risk of you running out on me again.
Next weekend." He stroked her satiny cheek slowly.
"There's going to be a barn dance to welcome the fall weather.
We could go into town, get married and have a celebration here as long as the doctors clear it.
Unless you want the whole white wedding with all the trimmings. "
"And if I do?"
He quirked a brow at her. "Weren't you the same woman who sarcastically told me that the marriage is the most important part of the relationship, and you did not see the need to be entertaining a bunch of people you barely know and possibly don't like? For just one day?"
"You remember all of that?"
"I remember everything you ever said to me.
I also recall thinking that it was my luck to hook up with the most unromantic woman I've ever known.
" He tucked a few strands of hair away. "And also, the only woman I will ever love.
Yes, darling..." he added huskily. "I want to marry you and was working up to demanding that we tie the knot.
Thank you for making a stressful day incredibly wonderful. "
Lifting her hand, she cupped his cheek. "You're most welcome. So, it's decided then?"
He nodded and then grimaced. "Mother is going to want a different arrangement."
"We will just have to persuade her that this is what we want."
Barbara stared at the couple with a frown. She was just getting used to Julianne invading her space and now they were facing her with this monumental announcement. A marriage in a week, less than that.
"A civil ceremony? You're Bryson McNab. People will expect something lavish." She rose from her desk and went to pour her tea from the silver tray the maid had just brought in.
"That means nothing to me," Bryson told her dryly. He had slept in this morning with the idea of announcing the news and had hoped there wouldn't be any objections. He loved his mother dearly and was aware of the tremendous sacrifice she had made for him.
Late last night, Julianne had further revealed some painful details of what his mother had told her about her pregnancy and subsequent labor and the fact that his father had been elsewhere during the entire experience.
His heart bled for her, and he vowed that Julianne would never have to question the fact that he loved her completely.
"But darling..." She carried the tea back to her desk and perched on the edge. "What about December?" she argued. "It's just a few months away and we could make the proper arrangements. It would still be short notice, but we could hire wedding planners..."