of that. But this business of the teaching job… He couldn’t allow that to happen. He’d
hardly ever see her, and worse, every man in town would be able to court her. He had
no illusions as to how long she’d last—young, single women who knew how to work
were hard to find. One as pretty as Catherine was as rare as the sparkling gems he held
in hand.
He’d have to convince her to marry him, that’s all there was to it. And unlike his
original plan, where he’d hoped woo her long and slow until she fell into his arms
without thinking, now he had to get right to work. Catherine’s parents might be dead,
but they had been well-respected in the community. She’d get the job, no question
about it. The school board would be thrilled to have her.
He had to put a stop to it. Immediately.
Resolved, he swung his legs off the bed and strode to the door. He’d never been a
man to wait once he’d made up his mind, and tonight was no different. He walked out
into the hallway, glancing under his father’s door to make sure his light was out. Sure
enough, it was. John slept like the dead these days, and his hearing wasn’t much better.
Catherine’s door was at the end of the hallway, the same room she’d shared with Ryan.
He wondered what it had been like for her as a young bride, moving into her father-in-
law’s home under the control of a man like Ryan. Hellish, he imagined. In all honesty,
he probably should have expected her to try to bolt before now.
And he could kick himself for not thinking about money for her. She was right—
everyone else who worked on the ranch got paid, yet they’d just expected her to be
20
Catherine’s Awakening
happy with a roof over her head. Wade shook his head. He just wasn’t used to thinking
about stuff like that. In his mind they were already partners. She could have as much of
his money as she wanted.
When he got to the door, he raised one hand to knock, and then thought better of it.
After all, what did he expect, that she’d invite him in with a welcoming kiss? Instead he
reached down and opened the door, stepping inside quickly and quietly. He heard her
gasp, the breathy noise she made rushing straight to his cock. It was always like that
around her. Everything about Catherine turned him on, even when she was spitting fire
at him for something he’d done wrong.
Especially
when she was spitting fire, he thought
ruefully.
“You get right out of here, Wade Masters,” she said into the darkness, sounding like
an enraged kitten. He laughed, and then something flew through the air and hit him in
the head.
“Goddamn it!” he muttered, rubbing his head and reaching down to find the
missile. A book. “What is this, your Bible?”
She didn’t answer, and he knew he’d guessed right. He gave a low chuckle.
“You really should do something about your temper, Catherine,” he said. “You’ll
get yourself into trouble one of these days. I should tell the school board about this.”
“Care to explain to them why you were in my bedroom after dark?” she shot back.
“You leave, right now, and we’ll pretend this didn’t happen.”
“I’m not leaving. We have to talk,” he said. He walked across the room, sitting
down on the soft bed. He felt her body roll toward him, and the quick movements she
made as she scrabbled back across the mattress.
“I don’t have anything to say to you,” she said quickly.
“I seriously doubt that,” he said. “If nothing else, I’ll bet you’d love to tell me how
wrong my father is about us marrying. He sure as hell shouldn’t have brought it up like
that, but he didn’t mean any harm. You can believe that, can’t you?”
21
Joanna Wylde
“I don’t think your father has any right to have an opinion on my marital status,”
she snapped. “And neither do you.”
He leaned over the bed, feeling her shrink back from him. Something about it
sparked his predatory side, and while he’d come in here with every intention of talking
to her and nothing more, he couldn’t quite remember why. He wanted to touch her, to
taste her again. This attraction between them, she couldn’t deny it any more than he
could. She might pretend they didn’t share a connection, but her body answered his. He
could sense it in the way she’d stilled, waiting for him.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said. “If you really aren’t interested in me, all you have
to do is not kiss me back.”
“Keep your mouth away from mine,” she hissed. Wade leaned in closer, coming
over her until his body all but touched hers. He dropped his head down, letting his lips
whisper across hers.
“Just don’t kiss me back,” he said, and then his mouth took hers. In the kitchen,
he’d claimed her, attacking like a man starved. He
had
been starved for her, still was,
but this time he forced himself to move slowly. His lips touched hers once, twice,
drifting back and forth, catching on the contours of her mouth. Each brush of skin sent
fire rushing through him, his heart starting to beat faster, but he held himself back. This
was about proving a point, not giving in to his desires. He’d tease her until she
responded. Then she couldn’t deny the attraction between them. From there, all he had
to do was convince her that she could trust him with her safety.
His lips brushed against her once more, and Wade felt the trembling of her mouth
as she struggled to ignore his touch. Her scent hung heavy in his nose, almost as sexy as
her body, and he wondered if he smelled half as good to her as she did to him. Her lips
twitched once, twice, then they quivered as she opened for him. He wanted to groan in
triumph, but knew that was the last thing she needed. Now was the time to woo, not
gloat. He sank into her mouth, plunging his tongue into her hot opening, wishing
desperately that he could plunge something harder into her.
22
Catherine’s Awakening
Instead he lowered his body over hers, allowing Catherine to take his weight,
pressing the hard ridge of his penis into her yielding stomach. He rubbed against her
rhythmically as she reached her hands up to bury her fingers in his hair. She pulled him
closer, her entire body straining toward him, and he kissed her deeply until neither of
them could go without taking a breath even one second longer.
Wade gasped as he pulled away, burying his face in the curve of her neck, sucking
in great gulps of air as the pounding of his heart rang through his head. Catherine
strained up at him, whimpering with need. She wiggled under the quilt, spreading her
legs for him, and he settled between them gladly, rubbing his cock against her most
sensitive spot. He wanted inside so badly he could hardly stand it. She wanted him just
as much. Every time he ground against her she moaned, her hips gyrating with
desperation. He took a deep, calming breath and forced his body to stop moving. She
protested wordlessly, but he shook his head against her body.
“Do you want me to take you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I do.”
“You’d let me fuck you without the benefit of marriage?” he asked, demanding
absolute clarity. The crudity of his language stilled her, but she nodded her head
resolutely.
“Well, I’m not that kind of man,” he said, pulling away from her to sit back on the
edge of the bed. She seemed stunned, utterly still in the darkness of the room.
“What kind of game are you playing, Wade?” she asked finally, levering herself to
sit up in bed. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the mouth before standing up.
“I won’t sleep with a woman I’m not married to,” he said. She burst out laughing.
“You’ve slept with half the county, Wade,” she said. “Ryan told me all about your
adventures. I don’t believe you for one minute.”
“I’ve had my share of lovers,” he admitted. “But now I’ve decided to marry you,
and I won’t sleep with you until I get a ring on your finger. If you want me, you’ll have
to marry me.”
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Joanna Wylde
She laughed again.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Wade,” she said. “I’ll admit it, I want your body. Maybe that
makes me a whore. But I’m not a stupid whore. I won’t let myself get trapped by a man
again.”
“I don’t want to trap you,” he said, his voice quiet and intense. “I want you to be
my partner. And I think you want it too.”
He reached across the bed, cupping her cheek and then running his hand down into
the loose bodice of her flannel nightgown. She gasped, leaning closer to him. Her
breasts hung loose, and he cupped one, fingering the nipple. She sighed, and he felt his
resolve fade, his cock giving him clear orders to push her down and take her before she
changed her mind.
He ignored the orders, pulling away and standing up instead.
“Nope, you don’t get me unless you marry me,” he said, forcing his voice to sound
flippant. “Otherwise you’ll have to satisfy yourself. Although if you need someone to
watch you or offer tips, I’m your man.”
Her shocked gasp was the only answer, and he laughed as he left the room. That
hadn’t gone as he expected. He’d planned to tempt her, not challenge her. And he
couldn’t understand why he hadn’t given in and bedded her for the life of him. He’d
never wanted a woman more in his life.
But he’d been telling her the truth about one thing. He wasn’t willing to simply
plow her and be done with it. He wanted more—marriage and a family. And until she
gave it to him, she could damn well spend the night writhing in her own frustrated
juices.
He knew he would.
24
Catherine’s Awakening
Chapter Three
Catherine could hardly look at Wade the next morning as she tossed hot flapjacks
onto his plate. The talk at the table was subdued, the ranch hands escaping as soon as
they’d shoveled the bare minimum of food in their mouths. She wished she could go
with them. Tension hung palpable in the air, although John seemed oblivious.
“I’m going to town today,” Wade announced. “Catherine, why don’t you pack a
picnic lunch for us and come with me? I’m sure you’d enjoy the chance to visit with
someone besides sweaty cowboys.”
Catherine sucked her breath in, glaring at him as she spun the offer over in her
head. It would give her a chance to check on the teaching position, and to see some of
her friends. On the other hand, it would mean several hours spent with Wade in the
wagon. What was the blasted man up to?
“I thought you didn’t want me pursuing that job,” she said finally. “Why would
you make it easier for me?”
He smiled at her benignly.
“You aren’t a prisoner here, Catherine,” he said. “I don’t want you taking the job,
but I can’t force you to do anything. And you mentioned you wanted to buy some
material for a dress.”
“I don’t have any money,” she said flatly, raising an eyebrow at him. “Remember? I
work for free around here.”
“That’s an oversight,” he said. “You’re a family member. You can buy whatever
you need. Just put it on our tab at the store.”
She shook her head, wishing she could make him understand. Putting something
on the ranch tab was not the same as having her own money.
25
Joanna Wylde
“Oh, and here’s this,” he said, sliding a handful of gold coins across the table. She
scooped them up, and then gave him an incredulous look.