Page 58 of Rancher's Heart

I shot him a glance.

He pushed himself up from the table and leaned over bracing himself on his hands. “Oh, I saw that flicker in your eyes, I’m getting warmer. Something he said?”

“I’m having chamomile, do you want some?”

“Oh I want something that’s for sure. Come here.”

“Let me just get the kettle on.”

“Elle. Come here.” He looked more devious than I’d ever seen before, menacing almost, at least that’s how it would have appeared if I hadn’t come to know him so well. When I rounded the table to him he grabbed my hips and pulled me close, rested his forehead on my stomach in a move that was surprisingly gentle compared to what I’d anticipated. After a few moments he pulled back “I’ve done all the nudging I’m going to do for tonight. Your resistance speaks volumes. But know this,” he said, lifting my t-shirt enough to press a kiss to my bare skin sending a shiver of desire through me, “you will be vulnerable with me tonight one way or another. It’s clear it won’t be emotional.”

My heart sank. Why was I doing this? I didn’t want to hold back. More than anything I wanted to be ready to speak the feelings that were swirling within me into reality. “Griff, I–”

“Not now.” He rose from his chair, hands still on my hips and spun me around “Get to the room.” He leaned over my shoulder and in a deliciously gruff tone, whispered in my ear, “I’ve got plans for us.” His large hands snaked up my waist and cupped my breasts. Griff’s big hands engulfed them and I leaned back into him, too incapacitated by his touch to remember his order. “Move.”

I did as he said and we walked, somewhat awkwardly out of the kitchen, the space between us never increasing more than an inch on the way to his room. He let go of me, and I stood there in the middle unsure of what to do with myself. Griff walked over to the chair he had in the corner of his room and sat down. “Strip.”

I sucked in a breath, my cheeks flushing in an instant.

“Now’s not the time to be coy, woman. You’re mine and I think you need a reminder of that. Now be a good girl, and do as you are told.”

His use of the word ‘mine’ echoed through my mind until it was all I could hear. I wanted more than anything to be his. Completely. Without any pause or hesitation, this was my opportunity to prove that to him. At least in the way I was capable of.

I pulled my phone from my pocket, put on some music, and slipped the elastic band from my hair, shaking it loose, and allowing it to fall around my shoulders.

If a show is what he wanted he was going to get one. Bending over I flipped it and ran my hand down my body. Griff licked his bottom lip and I took a few steps closer to him, popping the button on my jeans open. “I only have one rule.”

“And what might that be?”

I hooked my thumbs in my waistband sauntering over to him before turning and lowering my pants as I bent over to step out of them while giving him a close view of my ass in the barely there panties I’d chosen earlier with the thought that we might end our night in the bedroom.

Griff groaned and brushed his fingers over the dampening gusset.

“No, no, no,” I said, spinning away. “The rule is you can look but you can’t touch.”

His dangerous smirk settled over his features and he leaned back in the chair lifting his hands in surrender.

“Aren’t you just full of surprises?”

I swayed to the music enjoying the way his eyes traced over my entire body as I stripped away the rest of my layers, baring all to him.

“Stand up,” I said, my voice almost unrecognizable, but he did as I asked. My heart raced, and I hoped my hands wouldn’t shake as much as I expected them to. Reaching up I pulled open his shirt, and lifted his hands to pull open the snaps at his wrists. I ran my hands over his bare chest, it was warm under my touch, as he shrugged the rest of the way out of his shirt and it landed on the floor.

“So you can touch me but I can’t touch you?”

Letting my hands drop to his belt buckle I popped it open, and undid the button, before reaching for the zipper. “Is that a problem?”

“You’ll pay for this.”

I arched my brow, and let my eyes trail down his body, until they reached the outline in his jeans. Before I could run my hand over his confined cock, he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. Crossing the short distance to the bed, he dropped me on it and walked to the closet.

“Hey! I said no touching!”

“Don’t worry, baby, I won’t do it again.” He said as he came back to the bed with two ties in his hands. “You were only supposed to strip, not toy with me.” He tossed them on the bed and I looked over at them in anticipation suddenly unconcerned by my own quest for dominance.”

“Spread your legs.”

I did as I was told without hesitation.

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