Page 61 of Rancher's Strength

He pushed up onto his hips, his hands spreading my legs wider for him as he slid just the head of his cock into my wet folds—teasing me, making me whimper. Did he want me to beg? I would. I wasn’t above it for him.

“Ryder, please.” I moaned as the tip if his hard cock sloped over my clit.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this? It hasn’t been long since you were hurt.” What an ass. He knew full well we’d waited as long as we’d needed to make sure I was healed. Now, after two mind-blowing orgasms, he was edging me.

“I swear, Ryder. I’ll flip you over on this bed and take your cock myself if you don’t hurry up.” Gnashing my teeth together, I was on the verge of another orgasm, but I wanted him in me when it happened.

“Oh, you’re becoming very demanding, Mrs. Saffort.” He laughed.

“And you’re a tease, Mr. Saffort,” I huffed as I reached between us to grab his shaft, but as soon as my fingers brushed it, he thrust inside me.

“Fuck, baby. You feel like heaven,” he moaned as he slowly filled me to the hilt, and I cried out at the sensation of being one with him. We didn’t move right away as I gripped onto his shoulders. Our eyes locked together as if we could have a whole conversation just by looking at each other.

His movements were slow at first, letting my body adjust to his massive size. But I didn’t want slow. I wanted more. It had been too long since we’d been us. Everything that once held me back from him was gone. It was just the two of us again, like it had been in the beginning—before I started making decisionsfor both of us, before I convinced myself I wasn’t enough. But I knew better now. I was enough for him. I always had been.

Lifting my legs, I wrapped them around his waist, pulling him as close as he could get to me. He laughed into my lips. “You always did need me.”

“Always. All yours,” I managed to pant, the friction building between my legs already.

“You going to come again for me, sweetheart?” he growled, sliding his hand between us.

His thumb went to my swollen clit as he rocked his body in the same slow motion he circled my nub.

“Yes, like that,” I panted, keeping my eyes on his hooded gaze as my breathing quickened. I was so close, so damn close, and he knew it, adding just the right amount of pressure as I gripped harder onto him. I grabbed his forearms and hung on for dear life.

My orgasm hit me hard, my whole body shaking around his as I held on hard to his shoulders, afraid I would burst right there. I cried out, but he muffled the sound with his mouth, dipping his tongue against mine. “You’re going to have to learn to be quiet, like the old days,” Ryder muttered against my mouth. He was right, and while I’d enjoyed trying not to get caught, I also enjoyed making sure he knew how much pleasure he brought me.

“I can feel how hard you came for me, sweetheart, and you’re soaking everything. Fuck,” he murmured, his thrusts harder as the aftershocks of my climax rocked through my body.

“Do you want me to come for you, Lex? Are you going to take all of my cock?” he growled, circling his hips against mine.

“Yes, come for me,” I panted, my legs like gelatin as I tried to keep them gripped around his waist, thrusting my hips up to meet his over and over again. He slammed hard into me, andI cried out as he spilled inside of me, the warmth flooding my already heated body.

I collapsed back onto the pillows, and Ryder gently followed, resting his head on my chest, my heart beating wildly against him. I reached up, running my fingers through his hair, relishing the time we’d just shared together. We didn’t say anything for a while, with only the sound of our labored breathing filling the air.

Then, finally, he looked up, his eyes almost glowing in the moonlight. He smiled, “I love you, Lexie.”

“I love you too, Ryder,” I said, sealing my words with another kiss.

Epilogue

Three Years Later

Lexie

The wind blew softly across the open prairie, and I turned my face into it, loving the feeling. Hoots and laughter from the kids playing on the bales made me smile. I should be telling them to stay off and not get their good clothes dirty, but I didn’t even care today. Life was good, and we needed to find joy in it.

Ruby and Sawyer had worked through a lot of their feelings in therapy, but we’d decided they would keep going until they wanted to stop.

My dad had passed away about a year after Ryder and I got married. Mom was lost for a while and miserable in Everton, so one day, Ryder went there and packed her up, moving her back to Weston Gap. He’d bought her a cute little house, and she was back in the book club with her friends.

Lydia and Faith were still going strong, and I secretly hoped Lydia would find the courage to ask her to get married. The town had embraced Faith, and they saw how good she and Lydia weretogether, so life had been kind of idyllic for them in the small, backward town.

A big, warm hand slid over my back, up my shoulder, and gently rested on my neck. “You smell good,” I said as I leaned against him, letting his cedar and citrus scent fill my nose.

“Better than I was smelling.” He softly chuckled. Ryder had been up most of the night dealing with calving issues, and I wished he could’ve rested a bit, but we didn’t have the time today. “We have five kids. Who’d a thunk it.” Shifting, I wanted my arms around him and held him tightly.

“I’m glad we could keep them together. They’ve been through so much.” I watched the five kids run around the yard and couldn’t keep the smile off my face. “Are you ready to make them permanently ours?” I looked up and watched his eyes mist over, and all he could do was nod. The pain in his eyes was a remnant of his childhood surfacing. He wasn’t one of the kids who got chosen, and being able to make that dream come true for three siblings was his true calling.

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