Page 64 of A Rancher's Bride
“She’s really lucky you’re not the vindictive type,” Kelli said.
“She’s lucky you believe me when I say it’s okay, because I’m sure you would have made her life hell in my defense, wouldn’t you, my wild woman?”
Kelli growled, but her smile was back as she covertly rocked against him in a way that had to be designed to blow his mind and shred his self-control.
They danced, trading off as others came in to steal her from him. He took his turn with the other women, the wives and daughters, but through it all he couldn’t keep his gaze off Kelli.
He’d started their week unthinkingly, but somewhere in there, the magic had happened. The blinkers had been taken off, and he’d finally figured out what was there all along.
Kelli truly was perfect forhim, not just for Silver Stone.
As the dance continued, cameras clicked. Conversations drifted from general to more specific, invitations were hinted at, and Luke knew it was a turning point for his entire life.
15
Kelli had never really thought in detail about what happened to Cinderella that night after she’d left the ball.
Oh, she knew about the escaping-down-the-stairs business and losing the shoe. Even though fairytales hadn’t been a huge part of her repertoire growing up, she’d read enough to Caleb’s girls. While Disney played it down, Kelli was fairly certain that the hours right after the ball had involved a ton of tears and regret that the beautiful adventure was over.
Those emotions were in her future as well, but as Luke led her into their bedroom she pushed aside the impending sadness and focused on here and now.
She’d been a princess tonight. Something she’d never expected or longed for, but damn, once in her life, the evening had been truly magical.
Tomorrow was back to reality, but tonight she would cling to the make-believe world and let Luke pull her into his arms again in the privacy of the darkened room.
He hummed, one of Walker’s songs, if Kelli recognized it properly, as the two of them danced in their bare feet on the soft carpet in front of the window. Light spilled over them, sparkles reflecting every now and then off the dress.
His hands held her so firmly. She rested her head against his chest and sighed happily. “I had a wonderful time. Thank you so much for bringing me.”
He chuckled. “We both fit in well. I knew you would.”
“I don’t know if this really is me,” Kelli teased, changing position so she could slide her hands around his neck, swaying against his body. “I’m a ranch hand, not a debutante.”
“You’reKelli. You’re strong, you’re beautiful, and I can’t fucking wait to be inside you again.”
A zing shot through her entire system. “Okay.”
The magic of the evening continued, and Kelli grabbed on to it with both hands as firmly as she held his shoulders.
Luke kissed her, and her mind fled. Nothing anchored her to the ground except his hands roving over her, curving under her butt before he slid one hand up the bare skin of her back and into her hair.
His lips teased the corner of her mouth before drifting across her cheek to her earlobe. “Thank God I get to muss you up now. I couldn’t decide all evening if I wanted to strip you out of that dress, or just lift the skirt and fuck you right then and there.”
A shudder struck, and another, as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth and all the oxygen in the room vanished. “That might have been awkward in the middle of the dance floor.”
He hummed, turning her to face the window. The darkness outside turned the glass into a mirror, reflecting their image back as he continued to rock their hips together. The thick length of his erection teased against her.
“Let’s pretend,” he whispered. “Say you want me.”
She lifted a hand, using the image before her to help drape it around his neck. The feel of him against her back, a wall of desire.
Part of the truth spilled out. “Desperately.”
What she held back was thealways and foreverparts of the confession, because no way was she messing up something so appallingly beautiful as tonight.
He kissed her neck. His hands settled firmly on her hips for a second before he gathered the fabric with his fingers, inching her skirt higher as he watched over her shoulder and slowly revealed more of her legs.
Bit by bit until his fingertips brushed across her thighs, and a strange gasping noise escaped her lips.
