Chapter 17
Kate woke slowly. The pale gray light from the window illuminated huge flakes of snow. She blinked at the window, and her brain kicked in. Tegan. She could feel him behind her, his hand heavy on her waist. She turned onto her back to see him. Going any farther would be painful. The stitches pulled a bit, but they weren’t terribly uncomfortable.
Without opening his eyes, Tegan said, “You slept well.”
“I did. I think I was exhausted.” She wrapped her hand around his arm. “Thank you for taking care of me last night.”
He opened his eyes and smiled at her. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You did. You knew exactly what I needed.” She moved a bit to see him better. “But you could help me this morning.”
Tegan frowned. “Anything. What do you need?”
“You.” She moved his hand from her stomach, where it landed when she rolled onto her back, to her breast. “I need you.”
“Are you sure?” He lifted onto his elbow and stared down at her. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m not ready for a gymnastics event, but I do want you to make love to me. I want to feel us together. To feel our connection. I need it.”
Tegan leaned down, and she closed her eyes, waiting for his kiss, but he diverted, and his lips landed on the shell of her ear. His warm breath sent shivers of excitement through her body. Her need for him went from wanting to desperate by the time he’d kissed his way to her breast. Kate grabbed his shoulders and held on as he worked her breasts with his fingers and mouth. She arched under him as her body became more and more heated. One of his hands found her core, and he moaned when he entered her. He lifted his head. “So hot and wet, babe.”
“Only for you.” The truth slipped out, but she didn’t care. The others were nothing like Tegan. She’d never been that needy with any of them, and right then, she was thankful for that. He moved back up to her lips and kissed her as he centered at her core.
Tegan worked himself into her with short strokes. Her legs wrapped around his toned abs and muscled back. She arched again, and he slid home. “God.” He dropped his head to her shoulder and shuddered.
She nodded but kept her eyes closed, not wanting to break their connection. She felt him lift a bit, and that was when she opened her eyes. Tegan’s blue eyes stared at her. “You’re mine,” he said as he withdrew and then entered her again.
“Only yours,” she agreed. He dropped for a kiss. The way he kissed was breathtaking and life-altering. He owned her. Anything he wanted he could have. The dynamics of their relationship were one way. His way, and so help her, she never wanted anything else. He was magnificent, powerful, and in charge when they made love. He broke the kiss so she could gasp for air and then started the assault all over again. She broke over the cliff so unexpectantly she gasped, and a sound of pure satisfaction came out of her as her orgasm rippled through her body. Her arms and legs disappeared, and she floated on a weightless breath as he finished above her. Kate reached the stars once again and reveled in the boundless experience only Tegan could give her. He rolled onto his side and carefully arranged her so she could lay on his shoulder.
Kate shifted and then sighed in complete contentment. “We’re good together.”
“Better than good.” His hand rubbed up and down her arm. “You’re going to marry me.”
She chuckled. “Am I?”
Tegan’s hand stopped. “Yes. You don’t have any option.”
She hummed in happiness. “But you’ll need to ask me. Properly.”
His hand started rubbing her arm again. “I can do that.”
“And we have to wait until I get my business off the ground. I don’t want people to think I’m a money grabber.”
Tegan barked out a laugh. “No one knows about my grandfather’s money except you. No one is going to think you married me for my money. They’ll probably pity you for having an idiot as a husband. One who can’t put two words together in front of a woman.”
She lifted onto her elbow. “You say everything with your eyes, Tegan. Anyone who knows you knows that’s the truth. What you couldn’t say last night when you grabbed me from the truck, I knew what you were feeling because of the expression in your eyes.”
“I’ve never been so fucking scared in my life. That bastard … I want to hunt him down and shoot him.” He ran his finger down her cheek to her chin, holding it there. “I didn’t protect you, but I swear that will never happen again.”
“You had no idea your house was being broken into, and it could have just as easily been Lawrence or you here. Do you think that man would have been easier on either of you? No. He’d probably have tried to kill you instead of just whapping you on the head.”
Tegan shook his head resolutely. “Doesn’t change the fact you’re mine, and I wasn’t here to stop him from doing what he did.”
She smiled at him. “I don’t think you can be with me every minute of every day.”
Tegan lifted a single blond eyebrow. “Watch me try.”
She laughed. “I don’t think so, lover.” She leaned down and kissed him. “This lady needs her space the same way you do. Besides, the Army didn’t train me to be a wimp. They trained me to take charge and to lead.”
He shook his head. “You don’t want to lead.” His hand snaked around her neck. “You want me in charge.” He pulled her down for a kiss. When she lifted, she couldn’t think of a single reason Tegan shouldn’t take over every aspect of her life. And then she laughed at the ridiculous thought. “As true as that is in the bedroom, I’m afraid it won’t work out for the day-to-day things. You know me. I’m not a shy retiring princess you can put in a tower and defend with a shiny coat of armor and a sharp sword.”
He stared at her. “But, God, I want to do just that.”
“And that’s what makes you so perfect.” She adjusted a bit to get more comfortable. “You are perfect for me, Tegan. Don’t change. Don’t ever change.” She laid down on his shoulder again.
“I don’t know how to do that, so I think you”re safe there.”
She hummed and melted into him. “Good.”
He drew a deep breath. “Senior called me last night before you got back from Doc’s. Said he had to be in on Monday to get the report from Ken and file an insurance claim. He wanted to know if you would meet him at the diner at eight. He wanted to talk to you about your practice.”
She closed her eyes. “That’ll work. I’ll drop off the kids, have some coffee with Edna, and then talk to Senior.”
“Then come to the stockyard and see me before you go back to Lawrence’s,” Tegan added.
“Do I need to do that?” she teased.
“You do. You most certainly do.” His phone vibrated on the bedstand. Tegan lifted up carefully and reached over her to grab it because he was now on her side. “Hello,” he answered while lying back down. “Yeah, no worries. Okay. Yep, on Monday. Bye.”
She glanced at him questioningly. “Ken said with the snow we got last night, heading down the draw in the back pasture is a no-go. He wanted to go over everything again on Monday and get me to sign a statement.”
“That makes sense. How much did we get?” She looked out the window.
“Four or five inches.” Tegan stretched. “I have to go feed the animals and make sure the warmers are working.”
“I’ll make breakfast,” she said, sitting up. “Where are my clothes?”
“On the chair. I washed and dried them last night.” Tegan pointed to the chair in the corner of the room. “I wanted to check the front door anyway, so I got up about one and put them in the dryer. I was still awake when the buzzer sounded, so I went down and got them for you.”
She blinked at him. “Did you sleep at all?”
“A bit here and there. When I get the door fixed, I’ll be able to sleep better.” Tegan pulled on a pair of long underwear and then his jeans. “Give me an hour?”
“I’ll have a hot breakfast waiting.”
Tegan bent down and kissed her. “Thanks.” He grabbed his shirt and then the gun off his nightstand.
“Do you think you’ll need that?” Kate asked.
“I don’t want to need it and not have it.” Tegan reached into the closet and pulled out a gun belt. He winked at her as he left the room.
Kate listened to him as he whistled through the house and smiled at the happiness in the tune. She got out of bed and looked out the window. The world was coated in white, and the beauty of the sight was something to behold. Kate caught a glimpse of movement and chuckled as Doodle hopped through the snow to the chute. No doubt he was heading to meet Tegan.