less than a week ago. But he knew that the empty bucket wasn’t the cause of his discontent. He’d seen the arrival of fancy cars and well-dressed men over three hours ago. The knowledge that Marcus had just dangled another prospective son-in-law before Jenny’s eyes tore into his gut. The thought of another man with similar plans to those of the Walters men made him sick with fury. Why was she letting her father do this? The Jenny Tyler he knew would never stand for it.
He’d been at the Triple T for almost half his life, and for the first time since his arrival he was giving serious thought to leaving. He’d stood just about all of the torment he was capable of absorbing. He was thirty years old and the foreman of the Triple T. But, in his eyes, he was nothing more than a glorified hired hand with secrets that were eating him alive.
He tripped over a loose length of lariat and then turned and kicked it, sending a cloud of dust flying as his curses echoed. A flock of roosting pigeons took to the air with a flutter of wings and feathers.
Jenny was speechless as she watched him lose his temper. For the past week, he’d been trouble waiting to happen. The first time she’d seen him really mad had been years ago when Melvin Howard had made a pass at her. She remembered he’d threatened to break Melvin’s arms and legs.
That was just about the same time Jenny had admitted to herself that she was in love with Chance McCall. No one else had ever measured up to the man who’d become her friend and champion.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Chance muttered, leaning his forehead against the rough wall of the stable hallway. He had to get a grip on himself.
“Chance! What’s wrong?” Jenny asked softly.
“What are you doing out here?” he snapped at the unexpected sound of her voice. “Surely your…guests…haven’t already left?”
“What do you care? You’ve made your decision regarding us…or lack thereof,” she said. “Whatever happens to me now is my business.”
That wasn’t exactly what he needed to hear. He knew he’d more or less given her free rein. But it wasn’t what he wanted…. It was just what had to be.
Jenny sauntered around in front of him until she was less than inches away from his face, pinned between him and the stable wall with a look on her face that would melt angel wings. She was daring him. He could feel it. Something stirred inside him. Something wild…and demanding. She refused to move…and then it was too late to ignore.
“You shouldn’t have come out here, Jennifer Ann,” he growled, just before he swooped down on her.
Jenny’s mouth opened to respond to his warning. But his lips demanded more from her than words. His groan of defeat was nothing compared to the swell of elation that swept through her as Chance lifted her off her feet and into his arms.
Nothing in her life had prepared her for the demand of his mouth as it swept across her face and neck. She sighed in supplication and wrapped her arms around his neck. Chance’s body shuddered beneath the touch of her hands and the feel of her belly brushing against the ache behind his zipper.
He turned and caught the tip of her finger between his teeth. Eyes locked, breathing slowed and then quickened as he sucked the tip of her forefinger into his mouth and rolled his tongue around it.
Jenny moaned softly and leaned against him as she lost control of her body.
“Hell,” he said softly. He started to pull away, dimly realizing that he’d just stepped over a boundary he shouldn’t have, when her whispered plea sent his sanity flying with the rope he’d just kicked.
“No, Chance,” she said. Her lips burned across his mouth and neck. “Don’t you dare stop now. Not now! Please make love to me.”
It was a plea he could not resist. His arms tightened around her. He stared at the passion on her face. Her body was soft and pliant, curving against him. Pain shot through him, marked by the swell of his anatomy
He’d been at the Triple T for almost half his life, and for the first time since his arrival he was giving serious thought to leaving. He’d stood just about all of the torment he was capable of absorbing. He was thirty years old and the foreman of the Triple T. But, in his eyes, he was nothing more than a glorified hired hand with secrets that were eating him alive.
He tripped over a loose length of lariat and then turned and kicked it, sending a cloud of dust flying as his curses echoed. A flock of roosting pigeons took to the air with a flutter of wings and feathers.
Jenny was speechless as she watched him lose his temper. For the past week, he’d been trouble waiting to happen. The first time she’d seen him really mad had been years ago when Melvin Howard had made a pass at her. She remembered he’d threatened to break Melvin’s arms and legs.
That was just about the same time Jenny had admitted to herself that she was in love with Chance McCall. No one else had ever measured up to the man who’d become her friend and champion.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Chance muttered, leaning his forehead against the rough wall of the stable hallway. He had to get a grip on himself.
“Chance! What’s wrong?” Jenny asked softly.
“What are you doing out here?” he snapped at the unexpected sound of her voice. “Surely your…guests…haven’t already left?”
“What do you care? You’ve made your decision regarding us…or lack thereof,” she said. “Whatever happens to me now is my business.”
That wasn’t exactly what he needed to hear. He knew he’d more or less given her free rein. But it wasn’t what he wanted…. It was just what had to be.
Jenny sauntered around in front of him until she was less than inches away from his face, pinned between him and the stable wall with a look on her face that would melt angel wings. She was daring him. He could feel it. Something stirred inside him. Something wild…and demanding. She refused to move…and then it was too late to ignore.
“You shouldn’t have come out here, Jennifer Ann,” he growled, just before he swooped down on her.
Jenny’s mouth opened to respond to his warning. But his lips demanded more from her than words. His groan of defeat was nothing compared to the swell of elation that swept through her as Chance lifted her off her feet and into his arms.
Nothing in her life had prepared her for the demand of his mouth as it swept across her face and neck. She sighed in supplication and wrapped her arms around his neck. Chance’s body shuddered beneath the touch of her hands and the feel of her belly brushing against the ache behind his zipper.
He turned and caught the tip of her finger between his teeth. Eyes locked, breathing slowed and then quickened as he sucked the tip of her forefinger into his mouth and rolled his tongue around it.
Jenny moaned softly and leaned against him as she lost control of her body.
“Hell,” he said softly. He started to pull away, dimly realizing that he’d just stepped over a boundary he shouldn’t have, when her whispered plea sent his sanity flying with the rope he’d just kicked.
“No, Chance,” she said. Her lips burned across his mouth and neck. “Don’t you dare stop now. Not now! Please make love to me.”
It was a plea he could not resist. His arms tightened around her. He stared at the passion on her face. Her body was soft and pliant, curving against him. Pain shot through him, marked by the swell of his anatomy
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