Her Texas Cowboy Protector (The Winchester Cowboys #3)

Chapter Eight

Landon lay on his side and gazed down at Natalie, who was wearing nothing but a delicate pair of black lace panties.

She hooked her fingers in the waistband of his boxers and slid them down.

He smiled and took them the rest of the way off.

She turned toward him and clasped his butt cheek in her hand. “That’s more like it.

He chuckled, brushing a lock of her hair back from her face. She was beautiful, her eyes alight with devilry. He tilted her chin toward him and kissed her thoroughly, deeply, taking his time.

She sucked in a breath as he drew away and smiled up at him. “I love how you kiss me.”

“That’s because I love kissing you.” He touched her bottom lip. It was full and incredibly soft. “Your mouth was made for kissing. Did you know that?”

She shook her head, her eyes never leaving his.

He kissed her so gently that he barely felt her mouth.

She sighed; her eyes still closed even as he drew away. She whispered, “That made me tingle...everywhere.”

“Good.” With the tip of his tongue, he traced the line of her jaw. Then he blew a soft puff in her ear, making her visibly shiver. He smiled at this sign of her growing arousal. He found that special place behind her ear and brushed it with a kiss.

She gave a tiny gasp and clasped his arm.

He moved to the hollow of her throat and stroked it with his tongue. He felt her fingers tighten. He trailed his tongue down and circled her nipple, but stopped short of taking it into his mouth, and she arched into him, her hands moving to his head.

Smiling, he did as she wanted, stroking her swollen nipple with his tongue, then sucking hard as she held him to her.

Pleasing her had aroused him. He was hard, thrusting out from his body.

She reached for him, and he sucked in a breath as she clasped him firmly in her hand. Moving down, she took him into her mouth. He gasped, his heart pounding, as her tongue circled him. He held her head in his hands as she took in more and more of him. The hot, wet sensation nearly drove him over the edge.

Then she moved up, her tongue stroking him, and then back down again. He groaned and whispered, “Oh God, honey.”

She moved faster and faster, up and down, as ecstasy built inside him.

He cried out, eyes shut, as waves of pleasure washed through him. He had to stop her. Had to. He grasped her shoulders. “Stop! I can’t—”

She shook her head and kept on. He gave into the wild urge threatening his control. He moaned, “Natalie!” and let go.

She continued to stroke him as his head swam with the ecstasy rushing through him.

As his pulse began to slow, he drew her up and clasped her to his chest, kissing her temple. “Honey, that was amazing. Thank you.” He stroked her hair, cuddling her head against him.

“You give me so much pleasure. I wanted to please you too,” she said quietly.

“Believe me, you did.” His heart was still thudding in his chest, although not quite as hard as before. God, she was good.

He urged her to her back and looked down at her.

She ran her hand across his chest. “You’re so strong. I love looking at you.”

He smiled and cupped her breast in his hand. “I love looking at you too, gorgeous.”

She chuckled. “Thanks.”

He rose and hooked his thumbs in her panties, drawing them down and then off.

She stared up at him, her eyes wide and sparkling with anticipation.

Seeing her naked quickly made him ready again, and he put on a condom before moving between her legs. She sighed as he spread her thighs farther apart. When his tongue entered her, she gasped and clasped his head.

He thrust deep several times, and she moaned. Then he stroked up, finding her sensitive spot and taking it into his mouth. She moaned her pleasure, her thigh muscles tight. He rubbed it with his tongue, and she cried out, tossing her head to the side. He did that again and again until he felt it harden, and he knew she was close.

He stroked her until she cried, “Landon!” and began to pulse in his mouth. She arched up as he rose above her. When he slid inside her, she was hot and wet, ready for him. He thrust again, hard this time, and she clasped his butt, her legs encircling his waist.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he began his rhythm. He was already so close, and his strokes were deep and fast. The small sounds of pleasure she made had his heart pounding hard. Her hands clasped his shoulders, her nails digging in. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and ecstasy shone in her face.

God, he had to let go. She was too good. Too amazing. He thrust once, twice, and a third time. A frenzy of ecstasy hit him hard, and he cried out, his head thrown back, as he pulsed inside her. His head swam in dizzying pleasure.

Moments later, as his body finally quieted, he lay down beside her.

She rolled over and put her arm around his waist. “You’re so good at pleasuring me.” She stroked his cheek. “You’re amazing. I love making love to you.”

His heart filled with warmth, and he drew her fingers to his lips. “And I love making love to you.” Her long, dark hair curled nearly to her waist, and he took a strand between his fingertips. “You’re so lovely. Just looking at you makes me happy.”

She smiled and drew her arm tighter around his waist. “Hold me close tonight. I want to dream of you.”

He smiled. “I will. And I’ll dream of you too.”

Wednesday evening, Natalie opened a second bottle of wine in the kitchen while Rachel, Jordan, and Landon continued to discuss their plans for their hiking trip into Mexico. As she walked into the living room, Rachel held up her glass.

Natalie grinned. “I see I’m just in time with this bottle.”

Rachel patted the end of the sofa beside her. “You sure are.” As Natalie filled her glass, she added, “I’m really getting excited about this.” She turned to Landon. “It’s great that there are easier climbs there too.” She clasped Jordan’s hand and leaned against him. “Anyway, we can always find something else to do.”

Natalie smothered her surprised smile. So, Jordan and Rachel had definitely become an item. They made a striking couple, with Rachel’s light-blond curls and Jordon’s bright auburn hair and pale, lightly freckled complexion.

Landon, who sat in the recliner, had shared Potrero Chico’s website with them. As his thumb made swift swipes on his phone screen, he said, “If you look, you’ll see suggestions for places to stay in the surrounding area. I think we should book a house in Rancho el Sendero.”

After a moment, Jordan said, “I see it.” Then he added, “Yeah, it looks great. We’ll share the expense.”

Rachel nodded, still staring at her phone. “Of course. Let’s do it.”

“I’ll go ahead and set it up. We can get square later,” Landon said.

“Let’s pack some coolers of food, too,” Natalie said.

“Jordan and I have a big one. We’ll fill it with easy-to-fix stuff,” Rachel said.

“I’ve got a big cooler, too, and can put some things together. I also have one a bit smaller that I’ll pack with drinks,” Landon said.

“Don’t fill your cooler up. I want to bring some food as well,” Natalie said. “And I’ll bring four or five bottles of wine, too.”

Rachel clapped her hands with a soft laugh. “This is going to be so much fun. I can’t wait to go.”

“Right?” Natalie glanced at Landon. “So, you said peak climbing season starts after mid-November. That’s when we’re going?”

“That’s what we’ll shoot for. I’ll call tomorrow to make all the reservations, then I’ll text everyone with what I’ve come up with.”

Jordan slung his arm around Rachel’s shoulders. “We’re up for it anytime. Neither of us will have a problem getting loose from the office.”

“I should be okay to go, too, with three weeks’ advance notice,” Natalie said.

Landon put his phone in his pocket and smiled. “I’m glad we got together tonight. I’ve wanted to go to Potrero Chico for a long time, and having friends along will make it so much better.”

It was after ten when Rachel and Jordan said their goodbyes. As the door shut behind them, Landon took Natalie into his arms. “I’ve wanted to kiss you all evening, gorgeous.”

She chuckled. “I need to get one of those double recliners if the four of us are going to get together on a regular basis. It was no fun sitting across from you all night.”

He kissed her behind her ear. “Next time, sit on my lap.”

She laughed. “Maybe I will.”

He clasped her butt and lifted her up.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her from the room. When he got to her bed, she clung to him, a wave of strong emotion sweeping through her. It was the intensity of her feelings for him and her rising arousal—but even more than that, it was a dawning awareness that something pivotal was happening to her. Something life-changing. If she let her emotions go a little further, there would be no going back.

She closed her eyes and kissed his neck as her heart thudded in her chest.

He cupped her head in his palm. “You okay, honey?”

“Never better,” she said softly. Then she looked into his eyes and smiled.

Landon glanced over at Jordan, who was having a problem with Gunny, the gelding Ken used as his backup ranch horse. “Your reins are crooked, Jordan. Each side needs to be the same length.” Jordan was using a round rein, so Landon added, “Put your hand in the exact middle of the rein, and you’ll be fine. Gunny has a sensitive mouth, so when your reins aren’t even, it bothers him.”

“Sorry,” Jordan said and quickly adjusted his grip on the rein.

Landon had invited Rachel, Jordan, and Natalie down for the weekend, and although Jordan had said he’d ridden a few times before, he was still struggling a bit.

Natalie reached down and patted her horse’s neck. “You’re a good boy, Dasher.”

Landon had been kind of worried about putting unskilled riders on the two working ranch horses, but so far, Dasher, his dad’s horse, and Gunny had behaved like gentlemen. Rachel was riding Old Ben because he’d gauged her to be the most likely to lose control and fall off if something unexpected happened.

He was taking the trio to a pasture where there were flat rocks they could sit on and absorb the rays of the warm fall sun as they ate the picnic lunch his mom had packed for them. She’d sent fried chicken, potato salad, and canned peaches. He’d driven there before they’d set off and had left the cooler as close to the spot as he could.

Natalie rode beside him as their two friends rode behind. “How far away is this place we’re going?” she asked.

“We’re going through two pastures to get there. It’ll be a nice ride. I’m glad there’s not much of a breeze today. This is perfect riding weather,” he said.

She smiled. “I loved Old Ben, but this guy is amazing. He’s exciting to ride. I can feel his muscles bunch and move when he walks. It’s like he could do anything.”

“Dasher’s a great horse, and Dad’s trained him well. He’ll get on a cow in a heartbeat so Dad can rope her. Dasher’s just that fast.”

“What do you call his color? It’s kind of orange,” she asked.

“He’s a sorrel with white socks on his front feet and a star on his forehead.”

“He’s beautiful. Is he a Quarter Horse like yours?”

“Yep. All our horses are registered Quarter Horses. You can’t beat them for working cattle.” He patted Reggie’s neck. “Reggie here, he’s quick on his feet and fast. Makes my job easy.”

“I’d love to see you rope sometime,” she said, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Next time we move a herd, I’ll invite you down. I’ll make a point of roping something just for you.”

She laughed. “I can’t wait.”

He glanced back and noticed that Old Ben was falling behind. “Kick him with your heels, Rachel. He’s just being lazy. These younger horses move faster than he does, and he’s not putting in the effort to keep up.”

“You sure?” Her voice sounded hesitant, and she didn’t immediately comply.

“Don’t worry, he’ll just go into a nice soft jog. You’ll barely notice, but he’ll catch up. He just needs to know that you’ll make him,” he said.

“Okay. Here goes nothing.” She kicked him a couple of times, and the old horse jogged up beside Jordan’s.

“There you go,” Landon said. “Just do that every time he starts lagging behind, okay?”

“Okay, I will. That wasn’t so bad.” Rachel smiled, looking more confident as she let go of the horn.

Thirty minutes later, Natalie said, “I see the cooler. Are we there?”

“We sure are.” He looked over his shoulder and said, “Nobody dismount until I help you. See that tree off to the right? We’ll tie the horses there.” He angled Reggie that way, and the others followed.

Ten minutes later, the horses were all tied up and everyone was walking out the kinks in their sore legs. He said, “Let’s head on over to the rocks and have lunch. Jordan? You and I can carry the cooler.”

The flat rocks were just a short distance away, and the horses were still in sight. He and Jordan put the cooler down on one that was particularly level, and he opened it, handing out plastic plates and forks. “Mom packed an excellent lunch, and there’s plenty of it, guys.” He opened the container of fried chicken and set it out, then did the same with the potato salad and the bowl of home-canned peaches. “There’s bottled water in the cooler.”

“This looks delicious,” Rachel said.

He put large spoons in the potato salad and peaches. “Dig in, everyone. We don’t want any leftovers.”

Jordan took three pieces of chicken and a large dollop of potato salad. “I’m saving the peaches for dessert.”

Soon, they had all found perches on the rocks and were busy eating.

Natalie paused, swallowing what was in her mouth. “This place looks a lot different than most of your ranch. I haven’t noticed rocky places in the other pastures you’ve shown me.”

“No, this spot is unique. Our place is mostly flat and free of large stones. Don’t get me wrong, the soil is rocky in lots of places, but we don’t have stones like this anywhere else,” he said.

“It’s pretty in a rugged sort of way,” Rachel said, setting a chicken bone down on her plate.

“I think so. I’ve seen rattlesnakes here during the summer. This time of year, they’re not much of a problem.”

“Yikes!” Rachel looked worriedly around her.

He chuckled. “They find their dens once the weather turns cold. Don’t worry.”

Curious about his companions, he asked, “Jordan, where did you grow up?”

“I was born in Dallas and lived there until right before I started high school. Then my family moved to Austin for my dad’s job. He worked for a tech company and got transferred there. After high school, I went to UT for my undergraduate degree, then went on to get my law degree and found my job when I graduated.”

“Did you always want to be a lawyer?” Landon asked.

“I don’t know about always, but I did by the time I got to college. I watched my dad get blown by the winds of the tech world and wanted a more stable job that would make me a good living. Being a lawyer seemed to fit both requirements.”

He nodded and glanced at Rachel. “How about you, Rachel? Where did you grow up?”

“I grew up in a tiny town in East Texas. You wouldn’t know it. We didn’t have much money, but I always got good grades and studied hard. My senior year, I entered the county beauty contest and won, and it came with a two-thousand-dollar scholarship. I went on to the regional contest and won that too. It offered a five-thousand-dollar scholarship. Then I received another scholarship that I’d applied for at graduation. I took a two-year paralegal certification course at community college with my scholarships and began looking for a job.” She smiled at Jordan. “When the Allen firm posted their opening, I applied immediately. After an online Skype interview, I traveled to Austin and Jordan interviewed me. When we finished, he offered me the job.”

Jordan’s answering smile was filled with warmth. “She’s been a great fit. Everyone at the firm depends on her.”

Rachel glanced down and smiled. “Thanks, Jordan. I love my job.”

“Sounds like you’re great at it, Rachel.” He dumped his bones in the trash bag he’d bought and put his dirty dishes in the other bag. “God, I’m full. That was good.”

Natalie did the same and sat back on her rock, heaving a sigh. “All we’d better do is walk on the way back. I don’t want to jostle my overfull belly, let me tell you.”

He grinned. “Mom’s cooking does that to you.”

Rachel and Jordan put their dishes away, and Landon put the containers and bags back into the cooler. “Are we ready to head back?”

“Sure,” Natalie said.

“Yep,” Rachel said and stood up again.

Jordan grabbed the handle of the cooler. “Lead on.”

The ride back was quieter. Everyone was full and a bit drowsy. Landon opened and then closed the pasture gates as they all rode through. The horses knew they were headed back to the barn and had an extra spring in their step, even Old Ben.

He called his dad about fifteen minutes from the barn, and he came and helped him unsaddle and turn the horses out. Then they all went back to his cabin.

As they walked in the door, he said, “How about we all rest for a while?”

A chorus of agreement came back, and he grinned.

Jordan and Rachel settled on the air mattress as Natalie took off her light jacket. “What a great day this has been.” As they entered his bedroom, she wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. “I don’t know if I can actually sleep, but lying down and resting sure sound good.”

He kissed her forehead. “I’d like that too.” He took off his boots as Natalie did the same.

A moment later, he was lying with her cuddled against his chest. He closed his eyes and sighed, warmth washing through him. This afternoon, he’d barbecue some steaks for dinner, and his mom had invited them over for breakfast in the morning. His friends were happy—and that made him happy.

He kissed the top of Natalie’s head. She patted his chest, and the gesture went straight to his heart. It didn’t get more perfect than this.