With This Ring (Denim & Spurs Book 1) Read online

  She did as he’d ordered and lay on her bed, body flushed and hot with want. Her focus riveted on the rigid length of his cock. Goose bumps exploded on her skin as she trembled with anticipation. He fisted one hand around himself, and she licked her lips as he stroked. Once. Twice.

  “Arms above your head,” he said, his voice a low thrum of pleasure.

  She complied and gasped when the first of the cold hit her heated skin. He drew a line down between her breasts to her belly button. Then he dipped his head and began licking it off her.

  She tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him to her as he followed the trail he’d left. He was absolutely correct—dessert should be eaten first. And once he’d had his fill, she and the chocolate would have her own fill.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dustin turned his head and glanced down at the woman who slumbered against him. The snow fell outside in what he would call a blizzard. He’d done all he could last night to point out to her that they did know one another.

  All except tell her you love her. Yes, well, he was a bit hesitant on that. Last woman he’d said that to had been Charlotte, and that hadn’t gone so well for him. He loved Samantha. He knew that just as he knew he was in Maryland and it currently snowed outside. He knew it as he knew the sun was rising and he needed air to breathe.

  Would it help him to hear it from her first? Possibly.

  She stirred against him, and he brushed a kiss along her forehead. He could tell himself that she was the one who changed the subject anytime it got too personal and dealing with what was between them. And she had, but she wasn’t the only one.

  “Why can’t you just say you’re coming home, Samantha?” he asked the quiet.

  “Because I am home.” Her reply, while slightly muffled, wasn’t hard to hear.

  That lingering frustration rose again. “This isn’t your home. You’re a Texas gal and belong back under the wide open skies, riding the range, being with friends and family.”

  She didn’t try to pull away from him. In fact, if anything she crawled closer and he wished there were no clothes between them so he could tell her with touches what he was apparently too chicken to say with words.

  “Maryland’s not that bad, Dustin. And I have friends here, more than I ever had in Branchwater. Besides, what would I do there? I refuse to move home and take work from my father. Not to mention there are other farriers around.”

  Let me take care of you. He moved his hand up under her long shirt and relished the feel of her warm smooth skin beneath his palm.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but the phone rang. With a disgruntled groan, she rolled over and reached for it.

  “Hello?” Samantha’s entire body tensed, and he rubbed her back, offering immediate support. “Yes, sir, I’ll be right there. I’ll bring Dustin with me. He can help as well.” She ended the call and rolled to her feet.

  He followed suit. “What’s going on?”

  “They have some horses down with colic. Not sure what’s going on, but a bunch of the hands haven’t made it in yet because of the weather. They need help.”

  He didn’t need to hear any more. They dressed swiftly, and he was on her heels as she led the way to the barn. At least it was warm in there for it was freezing outside. It didn’t take long, and he was at one end of an arena walking a gelding warmblood.

  Dustin watched Samantha as she walked and talked. When more of the family arrived, he took the time to just observe. She spoke their language and as he stared, he saw something he’d not seen in Texas, aside from a few occasions. The joy on her face told of pleasure. Yes, the situation was serious, but she was happy. She was with family.

  The knowledge dropped a rock in his stomach. He couldn’t compete with that. What could he offer her? What would she do on his ranch all day? He wouldn’t expect her to work if she came with him. This was part of the problem. He couldn’t force her to give it all up for him. Surely, there had to be a better way.

  Tearing his gaze from her, he patted the muscled neck of the gelding and encouraged him to keep moving. Time passed and finally the vet arrived. Turning over his charge, he searched for Samantha. She stood with Rolf deep in conversation.

  At the side of the arena, he shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for her. She looked at him, gave him a smile, and gestured it would only be a few moments. While he waited, he thought about last night.

  Holding her in his arms as they fell asleep, he couldn’t get over how much he’d missed having her against him. It wasn’t as if they’d been sleeping together for years but the way he’d missed it, the time may as well have been so long. Hell, he had regressed to the spot he’d been at the night she brightened his life after the non-wedding and was waxing poetic.

  The little girl who dashed around shot him a blazing grin, and he tipped his hat at her in return. She had a head full of incredibly pale ash blonde curls that bobbed as she moved around. Her hot pink coat had a horse’s head in jewels on the back, and she had black thick pants on. Then her boots matched her coat in the vibrant hue. She skidded to a stop before him and peered up.

  “Hello,” she said, waving a mittened-hand. “I’m Kjerstin.”

  “Ma’am,” he replied, briefly tugging on the brim of his Stetson.

  “Why are you here?”

  He could hear her accent. Crouching down, he thumbed back his hat and stared into her startling pale blue eyes. “I’m a friend of Samantha’s.”

  “We call her Finn.” She sounded imperious.

  “I’ve known her since she was your age.” Okay, so maybe not that long. “We’re friends.”

  She sniffed, apparently unimpressed. “She’s family.” A frown. “Are you going to try taking her from us?”

  “Take her?”

  “Get her to leave.” She crossed her arms and tapped the toe of her pink boot. It stood out so against the sand covering the arena floor.

  He peered across to where the woman in discussion stood laughing. It hit him how much Samantha meant to them if they’d discussed her leaving such that this child overheard. Her eyes sparkled and even from this distance, he could tell she was happy. “Would it sadden you if I said yes?” Dustin glanced back at the child.

  “Yes.”

  “She’s really happy here?”

  “Of course. We love her, and she knows it,” the girl answered.

  Wise words from a young child. Dustin sighed and pushed back to his feet. “Seems she loves you as well.”

  “And she rides really well.”

  “I know.”

  She sidled next to him and leaned against him. “Do you ride?”

  “I do. I raise and sell cutting horses.”

  “Are you here to work?” she asked.

  “No, ma’am. I just came to visit Samantha.”

  “Why do you call her that?” She moved in front of him and leaned back against his thighs.

  Samantha looked up and a small smile curved her lips when she saw them. Then she went back to the conversation holding her attention.

  “It’s her name,” Dustin answered. His indecision at what to do gnawed at his gut. She hadn’t lied when she said she was home. This place, these people were a home to her. But he wanted to be.

  “She told me to call her Finn.”

  He understood what the child was doing. “I promise I won’t take her with if she doesn’t want to go.”

  “She won’t.” Kjerstin pushed away and glanced at him over her shoulder. “By Mister Cowboy.”

  He wasn’t sure of the emotions that raced through him at the sight he witnessed. Samantha bent down and swept the child up in her arms, a wide grin on her face as she nodded at something Kjerstin said to her. Then there was the kiss she pressed to her cheek.

  Working his lower lip with his teeth, he waited for her to return, keeping his gaze on the floor. Eventually her hand settled on his arm and he glanced at her.

  “Thanks for helping.”

  “Colic’s nothing to laugh at.
Glad it all worked out.”

  She rolled her shoulders and rubbed the back of her neck. “Me too. Come on, I could use some coffee.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Tell her, his mind yelled. Tell her you love her.

  “I see Kjerstin found you.”

  “She’s adorable. Thinks the world of you. How old is she?”

  “Six. I’m fond of her as well. The entire family actually.”

  After they had some coffee back at her place, she lay down and left him alone with his thoughts. He stared at the divider keeping him from seeing her and imagined he could. Exhaling heavily, he got up and rooted through her drawers until he found what he sought. Paper and pencil.

  Leaving the note on the table, he placed something over it and got his things gathered. He paused beside the bed and brushed some hair from her face, memorizing her features. Knowing she slept, he whispered, “I love you, Samantha.”

  Then he left.

  * * * *

  Finn opened her eyes and stretched. She sat up and looked around. That was some dream. Her dreams were the one place she could allow her true feelings to be expressed for there was no lingering potential for repercussions. And this one had reached high marks by ending with those three little words she wanted to hear from him more than anything. I love you.

  In her world, he’d leaned down, stroked a hand down her cheek, and whispered the words to her. Right before getting down on one knee and asking her to marry him. She snorted and rolled her eyes. Get real, Finn. She bent over and reached for her boots and tied them back on before rising from the bed.

  “Dustin?” she called out as she stepped from behind the partition. Part of her had wished he would have joined her in bed but despite the fact he hadn’t, she still felt comfort just knowing he was there.

  He didn’t answer so she called again. Still nothing and she stopped. Her place wasn’t big enough for him to be hiding anywhere. A quick look told her he wasn’t in the bathroom. The scent of coffee drew her attention, and she made her way to the pot, grateful to see a fresh pot brewing. Man could brew a damn good pot of java.

  As she fixed her cup, she thought about Dustin and how she was going to handle his appearance. She didn’t want to stay away from him and as he said, they did know about one another. Yes, she knew more than he did but to be fair, she’d been in love with him for so long.

  Okay, I’ve admitted I love him to myself. Apparently, it’s not been a secret to Daddy or Mrs. Pendle. So, why is it so difficult for me to tell him that?

  She stopped stirring in the sugar and took a drink. “I’ll tell him when he returns. I don’t know what will happen or where things will go from there, but I have to tell him.” She smiled at herself, grateful to have come to that decision. With a sigh, she spun and braced her back against the counter and stared across her small kitchen.

  In the middle of the dark wood sat a small piece of white paper along with a chain. She frowned and stepped closer, eyes widening as she realized what lay on the paper. The bracelet she’d lost the night in Texas. The night their lives had intertwined once again.

  Biting her lower lip, she set the mug down with a trembling hand and picked up the pewter links. “He’d had it? This entire time?”

  Her heart had broken when she’d been unable to find it. A gift from her father when she left Branchwater to find her own way in the world. To think that all this time, it had been with Dustin.

  She pressed the bracelet to her lips and squeezed her eyes shut before looking at the note. His writing, scratchy and male, scrolled along the lines. Reaching out, she turned the paper so she could read it.

  Samantha,

  There are a wealth of things I wish I had ability to be able to tell you, however, I can’t find the words. I see you here and I realize perhaps this is your home. People who love and respect you surround you. You work around the horses you love so much. It shows in everything you do, the sparkle in your eyes, the laughter in your heart and soul.

  You were wrong in that I was out of your league. It is you, Samantha, who is out of mine. I don’t know how I ever believed I could compete. I have returned your bracelet, although to be honest, I wanted to keep it. To keep a part of you with me. Happy life, Samantha Mallory.

  Yours for eternity,

  Dustin

  She read it four more times before she realized the little spots gathering on the paper were her tears. Setting the paper down, she swiftly attached her bracelet, then went for her phone. She dialed Dustin but didn’t get a response. The call went straight to voicemail. She hung up before leaving a message.

  I don’t know how I ever believed I could compete. Those words ran a litany through her head. He was gone. He’d come all the way here and had left.

  “Two options, Finn. Let it go and move on with your life or go to him and give him yet another chance to tell you.” She moved toward the door before her own words had even faded from the air. Tugging her coat on, she fought against the wind and snow to the large main house where Rolf and his family lived. Pressing the bell, she waited, shivering, for the door to be answered.

  Rolf himself got the door and waved her in. “What are you doing out in this weather? I said to stay in and stay warm.”

  She tugged on her gloves and shifted her feet, suddenly unsure of how best to proceed. This family had been her second home since the day she left Branchwater, Texas.

  Rolf led her to the living room and seated her by the fire. “You’re leaving us.”

  She peered up at him, his pale hair gleaming in the flickering light, staying silent as words had escaped her. He crouched beside her and settled a hand on her thigh.

  “This cowboy who came here. He came for you, ja?”

  “I’m not sure if he did or not. But I know I have to go and see if we truly have…something.”

  “Look at me,” he ordered in Norwegian. “You have something. We all saw the way he watched you. He may not be able to tell you in the way you want, but he is yours and no one else’s.”

  “I don’t know about that,” she replied in the same language. “We’re so different.”

  “Which is what makes love so important and special. Our differences. Go, find out. You will always be welcome back here.” He leaned close and brushed a kiss over her cheek. “You are part of our family. And always will be. Now, go get your cowboy.”

  She hugged Rolf and headed back to her place. Packing, she felt this lightness in her heart she’d not experienced before. Despite the pressing need to leave immediately, she knew it wouldn’t be all that smart and so climbed into her bed and slept.

  * * * *

  A week later, she pulled into the drive leading up to the Diamond J. There were a few vehicles she didn’t recognize down by the barn, and she parked while watching some horses being loaded in the trailers.

  She hopped out and zipped her jacket up. While it wasn’t as cold as the weather she’d left, it wasn’t balmy either. A few more horses went easily into the trailer, and she meandered in that direction.

  Connor spied her first, and she gave him a small smile. He nodded his head and ducked back in the barn. When he returned, Dustin was with him, clad in all his usual attire of tight jeans, shirt, boots, and today he wore a sheepskin jacket with the lining. His Stetson sat low, covering his face, hiding his eyes.

  “Did you want to?” she blurted out, closing the rest of the distance to him.

  His head jerked up, allowing their gazes to meet. Immediately that intense passion arced between them. “Samantha, what are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Did you want to?”

  He stopped right in front of her. The blue of his eyes piercing her soul and all she longed to do was jump into his arms. He glanced around, and she followed suit. Five men stood there watching them. She didn’t budge, as it was now she would find out her truth.

  He returned his gaze to hers. “Did I want to what?”

  “Compete.”

  He gave a sharp nod as recogn
ition filled his cobalt gaze. “More than anything in this world.”

  “Then why’d you leave? And why didn’t you keep the bracelet?”

  “I told you why.”

  “Not good enough, Dustin. Tell me.”

  “Last woman I said it to,” he shrugged, “well, you know how that turned out.”

  “I’m not her, and I want to hear the words.”

  His nose flared, and she felt her stomach drop to her feet. “Never mind, I have my answer.” She whirled around. “Sorry to have bothered you.”

  He grasped her arm before she could go another step. “Why haven’t you told me?” He turned her back to him.

  “I did. I told you I loved you all through school.”

  His gaze flashed. “You said did, not do.”

  She clamped her mouth shut and went over their conversation. He was right. She’d mentioned it in the past tense. “You think I would drive through that snow to come here because of a feeling in the past?”

  “No more than I would drive through it to get to you.”

  Finn blew out a breath. “Are we going to go around in circles on this?”

  A grin tipped the corners of his mouth, making her realize even more how there would never be another for her. “Looking for me to rope you?”

  “Waiting for a cowboy to go after what he wants.”

  “Any cowboy?” Connor asked from the side.

  “Shut up, Connor.” Dustin never looked at him, only reached out and pulled her closer by the sides of her jacket. “Stay.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you love me.” She began to frown, and he tipped up her chin. “And because I love you.”

  Would you look at that? Those words were way better hearing them in person than in a dream.

  Grabbing the fleece on his coat, she tugged, drawing him closer until they were nose to nose. “You’re in the middle of something here, I interrupted. Sorry.”

  “I’m not.” He kissed her. “Connor, handle this. I have something else to deal with. Guys, thanks for coming, and sorry, but I have another meeting to deal with.”

  “Go on, man,” one of them shouted. The men laughed, and she didn’t mind.