Wade’s moan of frustration was everything she’d hoped it would be, and she couldn’t keep the smile off her face as he lunged toward her. He tackled her, flinging her back onto the grass and pushing her hands up above her head. He held them there, looming over her, his face dark with frustration. For a moment she felt fear, but then her mind registered that this was Wade, not Ryan, and she didn’t need to be afraid.
At least, that’s what her head told her. Catherine’s body had other ideas. Her heart thundered in her chest, her entire being poised to fight or run.
“You little tease,” he ground out, eyes flashing at her. “I’ll bet you have no idea how dangerous it is to do that to a man. That’s a good way to get yourself raped.”
She licked her lips, took a deep breath and smiled at him. Time to be bold, not chicken.
“It’s not rape if the woman is willing, Wade,” she said. He groaned and fell on her, kissing her wildly, pushing a knee between her legs and thrusting his raging penis against her. She lost all sense of time and reality, everything in her body focused on his touch, so that she hardly noticed when his hands let go of hers. He reached down to her skirt, pulling the heavy fabric of her dress and petticoats up. Then his fingers reached between her legs, sliding into her pantalets and plunging into the moist opening hidden there.
“Dear heavens,” she moaned, eyes closing as his clever fingers found the spot she’d only ever explored in the darkness of her room at night. Wicked, wicked man…
He flicked it, running his fingers against it over and over until all the blood in her body seemed to rush down toward him and her head felt light.
Wade pulled away and she whimpered in protest, but he only scooted down the blanket, dropping his head down to that spot he’d touched earlier. His tongue was like hot, white fire against her nubbin, wiggling and fluttering until her heart pounded in her ears. She felt a terrible tension growing stronger and stronger deep inside, and every breath caught in her throat. Catherine strained up toward Wade, needing something from him that was just out of reach. He seemed to sense her distress, giving a low, mocking chuckle against her flesh that vibrated through her skin all the way down to the nerves.
She shuddered, moaning and gasping, and then he pulled away from her. “What do you want, Catherine?”
She had trouble understanding him at first, her need overwhelming everything else. But then he asked again, and she heard the gloating triumph in his voice.
“I need you to keep touching me,” she whispered. “Dammit, Wade, I need you to finish it.”
He shook his head, making little “tsk-tsk” noises, then raised himself to his feet and turned away from her, straightening his pants.
“Do you want to marry me, Cat?” he asked, the question tossed over his shoulder. “I’m not looking for a mistress, remember?”
She threw her skirts down, flushing deeply, hating him so much in that moment that she’d have shot him dead if she had a gun. Her entire body felt restless, itchy with desire. It was all she could to keep herself from walking over and rubbing against him like a barn cat in heat.
“Doesn’t feel so good, does it?” he asked, his tone strained. She didn’t answer, getting up and gathering the picnic supplies as quickly as she could. Then she threw them in the back of the wagon and pulled herself up onto the seat. She considered grabbing the reins and leaving without him, but he was too quick for her, reaching up and snatching them before she had the chance. Then he swung up beside her and clucked at the horses to go.
“You might want to pull some of that grass out of your hair,” he said shortly. “Otherwise everyone you see will know exactly what we were doing.”
Catherine felt her face grow hot, and jammed her bonnet up and over her head. She tied the strings tightly, refusing to acknowledge him.
Her little game with Wade hadn’t turned out like she’d planned at all.
Chapter Four
“Mrs. Masters spoke to me about the teaching position,” George Reynolds mentioned to Wade as both men leaned against the counter in the post office. Wade grunted.
“She’s a better candidate than we’d hoped for, that’s the truth,” Reynolds continued. “But I can’t help but wonder if she’d last. She’s never lived on her own before. You think she’s up to the challenge? I suppose she could always board with one of the families, but she said the house was one of the greatest attractions for her. What do you think?”
Wade stayed silent for a long moment, choosing his words carefully before he spoke.
“She’s young and pretty,” he said. “Do you really think she’d last all term without getting married? It’s been a full year since Ryan died.”
Reynolds gave him an assessing look.
“Anyone courting her?” he asked.
“Not my place to say,” Wade replied. “We’d sure hate to lose her out on the ranch,
though.”
“You trying to tell me something?” Reynolds asked. “I know you’re not on the
board, but you give enough support to have a say in the decision. We couldn’t have
built the school without your family’s help.”
Wade opened his mouth to speak, then closed it as Catherine walked into the post
office, heels clicking on the polished wood floor. She held a largish bundle wrapped in
brown paper. Fabric for a dress?
“I’m finished at the store,” Catherine said brightly, smiling as she saw Reynolds
standing next to him. “Why, Mr. Reynolds, I was hoping to run into you today! I
wanted to ask you if the board has made a decision about the teaching position yet.” “I was just discussing it with Mr. Masters,” he said, and his expression grew puzzled. “Mrs. Masters, did you fall down?”
She shook her head, offering him a questioning look.
“No, why do you ask?”
“You have grass all over your skirt,” he replied.
“I told her to be careful where she sat when we stopped for lunch,” Wade interjected, keeping his voice utterly bland. “But she’s so impetuous. I guess she rolled right off the blanket. You know how women are.”
Reynolds looked startled, and Wade had to bite back a smile. Catherine’s eyes spat fire, but she kept her smile firmly in place.
“We stopped for lunch at the swimming hole after visiting with the Watsons,” she said. “I guess I wasn’t as careful as I should have been. The picnic blanket wasn’t very large, and I like to give my brother-in-law plenty of space when he eats. You know how cowboys are, you don’t want to get between them and their food.”