Read Online The Rancher and the Redhead by Suzannah Davis - Free Book Online

deep trembling struck her soul with wonder. Sam, what are you doing to me? Whatever it was, she couldn’t get enough, and she strained against him, opening for him without conscious choice, following an instinct as old as the ages.
    Boldly he tasted her, wild honey and thyme, spice and sweetness, more addictive and exciting than anything he’d ever known. When the tip of her tongue met his, both aggressive exploration and tender enticement, he groaned and she shivered.
    â€œAmen.”
    The minister’s good-natured reminder of the proper place for such things broke them apart, blushing and red-faced amid the teasing laughter of the onlookers. The guitarist began a celebratory song, and the guests rose and congratulated the happy couple in an impromptu receiving line.
    â€œDarling!” Carolyn enveloped her daughter in a warm hug. “Every blessing. You’ve made me so happy. I always knew the two of you were just meant for each other.”
    Still dazed by the onslaught of unexpected sensations Sam’s passionate kiss had stirred, Roni accepted her mother’s hugs and salutations with a glazed look and blazing cheeks. Meant for each other? Is that what people thought? But somehow, something elemental had changed in the blink of an eye and the touching of lips, and now Roni didn’t know even what she thought herself. Her heart still pounded, and a heady taste, the essence of Sam himself, lingered on her lips, branding her, unnerving her, making her wish that they hadn’t been interrupted.
    Which was shameful, for hadn’t they agreed this wasn’t something they needed or wanted right now? Dear God, how had things gotten so out of control so quickly? she groaned inwardly. He’d meant it as a joke, hadn’t he?
    Jinks hugged Roni, then passed her on to Krystal, who was holding Jessie. “I knew you were holding out on me.” Krystal laughed her teasing accusation. “Immune to Sam’s charms, my eye. You lucky dog.”
    â€œKrystal, please!” Roni’s cheeks were scarlet. To hide her embarrassment, she took Jessie and hastily tried to straighten what was left of her headdress.
    Her friend gave her a sassy wink. “Enjoy, I say.”
    Meanwhile, Jinks had moved on to shake Sam’s hand, his booming voice carrying clearly. “Congratulations, my boy! That’s quite a gal you’ve caught yourself. You be darned good to her, you hear?”
    Roni barely stifled a groan. Was all this gushing by her relatives necessary?
    â€œYes, sir. That’s a promise,” Sam was saying. He caught her eye then, and though his words were for Jinks, the amusement in his look was shared with Roni. Somewhat reassured, Roni turned away to greet another well-wisher.
    With an effort, Sam tore his gaze from his bride and tried to douse the flame that had stirred within him by putting on his affable cowboy grin, the one that had hidden his true feelings from rambunctious steers and drunken bullies and demanding females for so long and so well. He hoped it worked equally well on curious wedding guests, for he sure as hell had no explanations—for himself or for anyone else—for the conflagration that had nearly gotten out of hand between him and Roni at the altar.
    Holy Jehoshaphat! What a danged fool he was. His lusty reactions were likely to scare off the girl before they even got a good start on this thing.
    Shaking the hands of innumerable well-wishers, Sam’s gaze kept going back to the woman laughing and accepting congratulations nearby. They milled through the crowd, visiting and showing off Jessie, conscious in a way like never before of each other’s every movement. Whenever she caught his eye, her color rose and her gaze slid swiftly away again. Sam inwardly cursed the streak of cussedness that had made him pull such a damn-fool stunt.
    But it was odd that, until the moment he’d kissed her, he’d never really noticed her mouth,