Hanchart Land (3 page)

"Why not? I'm thirty years old, and I haven't found the proverbial perfect woman, yet, so . . ."  Susan cut him off sharply. "So you'll settle for an imperfect one?" she snapped, hurt and angered by the pain even though she knew she was far from perfect.

Luke's eyes flashed and his jaw clenched, but he continued in a steady tone. "So, I'll settle for a dependable mate who isn't a society nitwit only interested in money and social standing."

His explanation soothed her temper somewhat. She didn't like the idea of being someone he would settle for if he couldn't find anyone better, but she did empathize with him about the social pressures.

It was easy to understand his distaste for the women who'd thrown themselves at him over the years because of his wealth and social status. She'd seen more than her share of scheming mothers with pushy daughters vying for the Hanchart name and money.

There had been plenty of normal, sincere women, too. She knew he'd had lovers and women who truly cared about him. Shane had delighted in telling her about Luke's women. But as far as she knew, he'd never proposed marriage to anyone.

The proposal was tempting until Susan gave it a little more thought and considered the physical side of the matter. Her relationship with Shane had been platonic for the most part. After one nightmare of a night when he'd forced himself on her, she couldn't imagine intimacy with any man. She desperately wanted children, but she wasn't sure she had the courage to conceive them.

A blush stole up her cheeks as another thought came to mind. "I hope you aren't another one of those men who think it their duty to service a sexually deprived widow," she asked, half angry, half embarrassed.  Luke's gaze sharpened. He was close enough she could feel the increased tension in his body. He grabbed her elbow and turned her more fully toward him.

"No, I'm not," he snapped. "Who's been bothering you?"   Susan wasn't about to tell him a couple of Shane's so-called friends had paid her visits to offer themselves for her pleasure. She'd been confused at first, then stunned and furious.

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle," she assured. She'd used a shotgun to run off one particularly persistent vulture when her verbal refusals hadn't been sufficient.

"Have you been feeling deprived?”

The question brought a wash of hot color to her face. "No," she snapped.  Luke studied her flushed cheeks. He didn't understand her embarrassment or the flare of temper. She wasn't an innocent, so the question shouldn't have flustered her so much. Still, the touch of color to her deathly pale cheeks was a vast improvement.

"Are you afraid of intimacy with me?" His voice was suddenly low and intense.

Susan was taken aback by the question. Shane had often taunted her with details of Luke's exploits with women. He'd labeled his virile cousin as rough and ready, but she hadn't believed much that he said.  Luke might not have any trouble verbalizing the question, but she had trouble answering it. The history of their personal relationship was complex.

He'd been especially kind to her after her parents' deaths. They'd shared a few dates, and she'd woven a few romantic dreams around him. Their relationship hadn't developed very far, but there had been some strong chemistry between them.

That’s when Shane had entered the picture. His envy of Luke had no bounds. He set about charming Susan away from his cousin. When that didn’t work, he'd blackmailed her into marriage. She’d been too overwhelmed by her own problems to worry about Luke's feelings. She’d been thankful he’d kept his distance these past two years because she always felt a jumble of conflicting emotions when he was near.

"Susan?" he prompted her out of her reverie. "Are you afraid of me?"

Her eyes widened and met his. Even though he had a reputation for having a quick temper and of being ruthless at times, she'd never feared him. How could you be afraid of a man who crooned to baby animals, had a gentle touch with all his livestock and a caring attitude about everything and everyone around him?

“I'm not afraid of you," she finally managed. Wary, yes. Shane had made her wary of all men, but she wasn't afraid. "I'm just finding it hard to take it all in. Why are you so certain we could make it work?"

Chapter Two

Instead of offering her more explanations, Luke reached out and pulled her into his arms, his eyes never leaving the ever-widening brilliance of hers.

Susan flattened her hands on his chest and tilted her head toward him with a gasp of surprise on her lips. Then he took her mouth with his own. He was neither rough nor particularly gentle, but he kissed her with the strength and sureness of a man who knew what he wanted. He tasted like morning coffee, a little tart, a little sweet, and kicked her adrenaline into overdrive more swiftly than caffeine.

She was stiff and unresponsive at first while her mind and body dealt with the shock of being so close to him, actually touching him for the first time in years. He was furnace hot, rock solid, and pure male.

It had been a long time since she'd been kissed, really kissed by someone intent on giving and taking pleasure. She wouldn't have expected to enjoy being so close to any man, but the scent, feel, and taste of him was unique.  His mouth was firm but surprisingly warm and tantalizing. His scent was a mixture of fresh air and pure male. His hands on her waist were hot and huge, nearly spanning it, but his grip wasn't too tight or forceful.

She'd kissed her share of men, yet she'd never enjoyed kissing anyone as much as Luke. For years now, forgetting the impact of his kisses had been a necessity of survival, but this reminder sent a flood of reaction washing over her.  Susan found herself slowly relaxing and enjoying the embrace. Her lips softened to better fit his and responded with growing fervor. His tongue sought and gained entrance into her mouth and then everything changed with a fierce rush of long-denied passion.

Her body became more pliable as she molded herself closer to him. She slid her arms over his shoulders and then wrapped them about his neck. He drew her more firmly against his hard body, so tight she could feel the growing evidence of his arousal. A small gasp escaped her when he slowly ground his hips against her stomach. Something deep within her went liquid in response. She sunk the fingers of one hand into the thickness of his hair and clung to his head, demanding more.

When his tongue had completed a thorough exploration of her mouth, she stroked hers against it, and felt a shudder ripple over his body, fusing them even closer.

He continued to plunder her mouth while he eased her back against the wooden door of the stall. Then he held her captive with the strength of his hips while one of his hands slid beneath the hem of her shirt. A low moan escaped Susan as his long, strong fingers sought and cupped her right breast. Currents of hot electricity coursed through her, leaving her quaking in the wake. Combined moans of pleasure swirled in their mouths as his thumb stroked one nipple into pebbled hardness and then shifted to give the other nipple equal attention.

Susan trembled and her knees grew weak. She sunk both hands into his hair and clung to the thick mass while her mouth grew more insistent against his. Their kisses became deeper and longer and more intoxicating. Luke slid a hand up her back and unclipped her bra. Then he was lifting her shirt high enough to enable him to caress both bared breasts with his big, callused hands.

She was coming apart at the seams. They'd done some petting in the past, but he’d had never taken such liberties, never made her burn so high so fast. Her hands clutched his head, drawing him closer while arching her back to give him more freedom. She was stunned by the violence of her own responses, yet unwilling to stop the onslaught. The low, primitive groans being drawn from deep in Luke's chest assured her he was equally affected. Maybe it was just a man's reaction to a woman, two mature adults starving for human contact, but she was beyond caring.

Their kisses became more inflamed and their breathing more erratic. Susan felt the heavy thud of his heart and the throbbing thrust of his arousal. His fingers stroked and plucked at her nipples, making her wild with need. Her legs quivered until she was afraid they would crumple beneath her.

Luke solved the problem by thrusting a hard, jean-clad thigh between her legs and shifting it tightly into the cradle of her thighs to support her weight. Then he dragged his mouth from hers and pierced her with a searing gaze. "I have to taste the rest of you," he insisted, his tone savage.

Before she could catch her breath or respond, he was simultaneously lifting her and dipping his head under her shirt. At the first touch of his lips on her breast, she nearly went wild, clawing at his shoulders, twisting and turning in reaction to the sweet torture.

"Luke!" She cried out with the sheer intensity of desire created by the sucking pressure he applied to first one nipple and then the other. She knew her breasts were sensitive, but she'd never felt a man's greedy mouth on that sensitive flesh. The reality of it was stunning.

"Luke!" She managed to whisper a strangled cry.

"Our babies would find nourishment here and so would their daddy," he told her, his tone deep with arousal as he continued to suckle at her breasts.  His words shot more heat through her limbs. She felt the emptiness of her womb and craved a fulfillment she'd never known. Her body actually ached with wanting.

There had always been an element of primitive excitement when Luke was near, but it had been carefully reined. She'd never realized how explosive the passion could be. Grasping his head, she dragged his mouth back to hers for longer, deeper, hotter kisses.

Their bodies strained closer, stroking each other from thigh to chest until they were oblivious of everything else. Heat built to incinerating levels until Mariando, offended by lack of attention, butted them strongly with her head. Their precarious balance was threatened.

He reacted swiftly, steadying her while watching her with eyes that devoured her features until she felt raw and exposed. His voice was hoarse when he spoke. "We'd better put an end to this right now," he insisted, eyes burning like hot steel. He sucked in a deep breath before continuing.

"I could take you standing up right here," he insisted tersely. "And the hell with privacy."  His gruff words made Susan's stomach muscles clench and her breasts swell with heaviness. She knew he was an extremely private person. So was she, but she'd been equally affected by their embrace.

It shocked her to realize how passionate she felt in his arms. Her body's reactions were more fierce than anything she'd ever known. It was a little frightening, and her first instinct was to completely withdraw from his embrace.

"You shouldn't be so shocked," he told her, continuing to support most of her weight. "I've always known the passion between us would be explosive."

Susan hadn't known, nor had any idea. She wasn't sure she liked the wild feelings he aroused, but it was a relief to learn Shane hadn't destroyed her ability to respond to a man. Still, she was shaken. She made a determined effort to steady herself on her own two legs and regulate her erratic breathing. He helped right her clothing with so much ease she felt no embarrassment.

Then Luke allowed her to put a small distance between them, but his eyes boldly announced she couldn't escape what was between them.

"You can run, but you can't hide," he warned. "You might not want involvement, but I think we just proved you're not indifferent to me."

Susan was having a difficult time calming her riotous emotions. She was amazed at how much pleasure she'd found in his arms and the inordinate amount of pleasure he seemed to derive from her responses.  Was she really a wanton widow? No. With a mental shake of her head she conceded the idiocy of that thought. She'd certainly never known the kind of passion he’d just stirred in her. Still, she wondered if he thought her wanton, believed she was a widow in need of a man. The thought heated her already over-warm flesh.

"You think the physical attraction is enough to sustain a marriage?"

"Not even close," he returned bluntly. "But it's a damned good start. Granddad says the chemistry jump-starts a marriage, then the man and wife have to work their butts off to make a lasting commitment. I'd say we have all the sparks for a good jump-start."

The heat in her face never had a chance to recede. He kept her so completely off balance. But the mention of the Hanchart patriarch had her frowning. John and his wife, Alma, had raised Luke after their son died at an early age. John had long since given the reins of the ranch over to Luke, but he was still active and verbal about what he liked and didn't like.

"Did John have anything to do with your marriage proposal?" she asked, holding his gaze with difficulty.  "Not hardly," Luke drawled. "He's been nagging me for ten years to get married and give him great-grand babies, but no more now than usual."

"He and everyone else in this area would have a field day with a marriage between us," she warned. Was the flicker of tension in his eyes annoyance or satisfaction that she was obviously taking his proposal seriously?

"I don't give a damn what anybody else thinks," he stated succinctly.  Susan didn't think he cared much about his local popularity. She searched his features to see if there were any telltale signs of concern.

"People can be cruel."  Neither of them elaborated, but they both knew people would criticize her for marrying so soon after Shane's death. They'd call Luke a lecher and accuse him of preying on her vulnerability. Some would call her a slut and a gold digger. There would be no secret about marrying to keep the family's land holdings intact. Nothing was ever really private in so small a community.

The Hanchart money and power would prevent them from becoming social outcasts, but things could get very unpleasant. The rest of the Hanchart family might be the worst offenders.

Susan would prefer to isolate herself on the ranch and ignore popular opinions, but she knew that was nearly impossible.

"I can handle it," Luke assured her. "Can you?" She gave him a sad smile. "Talk is cheap. There was a time when it would have bothered me a lot." That was when her parents were living and her family had been a pillar of the community, before her life had been shattered into a million pieces. "Very little bothers me now."