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Billy swore viciously.
And Cherry woke with a start.
It took her a second to realize how exposed she was, and she grabbed at the sheet as she sat up and drew her knees to her chest. Her blue eyes were wide and wary. “What are you doing in here?”
“I came to wake you up. You overslept.”
She glanced at the clock, then dropped her forehead to her knees and groaned. “I must have turned off the alarm.”
“I figured as much when you didn’t show up in the kitchen. I’ve already had my breakfast. I left some coffee perking for you. The kids’ll be up in a little while. You probably have time for a quick shower.”
Thinking about her naked in the shower had about the same effect as contemplating kissing her. Billy needed to leave, but he was too aware of what Cherry would see if he stood right now. So he went right on sitting where he was.
Unfortunately, she now had the sheet flattened against herself, and he could see the darker outline of her nipples beneath the soft cotton. He found that every bit as erotic as seeing her naked.
“Hell,” Billy muttered, shifting uncomfortably on the edge of the bed.
“What’s the matter?”
Billy’s lip curled wryly. “I’m not used to looking at a woman in bed without being able to touch.”
“Oh.” She clutched the sheet tighter, exposing the fact that her nipples had become hard nubs.
Billy bolted to his feet and saw her gaze lock on the bulge beneath his zipper. He froze where he was, his body aching, his mouth dry.
He watched her until she lifted her eyes to his face. Her pupils were enormous, her lips full, as though he had been kissing her. She was aroused, and he hadn’t even touched her.
“Tell me to go, Cherry.” He wanted to consume her in a hurry, like ice cream on a hot day. He wanted to take his time and sip at her slow and easy, like a cool mint julep on a lazy summer afternoon.
She licked her lips, and he felt his body harden like stone.
“The girls will be up soon,” Cherry reminded him. “I need to get dressed.”
Heaven help him, he had forgotten all about his daughters. He shoved a distracted hand through his hair and huffed out a breath of air. “I’ll be working on the range today. If you need anything…”
Cherry smiled. “Don’t worry about us, Billy. We’ll manage fine.”
“All right. So long.”
He was almost out the door when she called him back.
“Billy?”
He turned and found her standing beside the bed with the sheet draped around her in a way that revealed as much as it covered. “What?” he asked, his voice hoarse from the sudden rush of desire he felt.
“You didn’t kiss me goodbye.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea, Cherry.”
Before he realized what she had in mind, she closed the few steps between them and lifted her face to him. “I thought a lot about our situation last night, when I couldn’t sleep,” she said earnestly. “And I realized that if we’re going to convince Mrs. Trask that this is a real marriage, we’re going to have to act as much like a happily married couple as possible.
“Zach always gives Rebecca a kiss goodbye in the morning.” She gave him a winsome smile. “So, pucker up, Mr. Stonecreek, and give me a kiss.”
She didn’t give him much of a choice. She raised herself on tiptoe and leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
Billy gathered her in his arms and pulled her close as his mouth opened over hers, taking what he had denied himself only moments before. His hands slid down her naked back, shoving the sheet out of his way. Then he held her buttocks tight against his arousal with one hand while the other caught her nape and slid up to grasp a handful of her hair.
He took his time kissing her, his tongue thrusting hard and deep, and then slowing for several soft, probing forays, seeking the honey within. She made a moaning sound deep in her throat, and he gave an answering growl of passion.
When he let her go at last, she gave him a dazed look through half-closed lids, then grabbed at the sheet that had slid down to her waist and pulled it back up to cover herself. He grinned and said, “That was a good idea. I think we’ll keep it up.”
It took all the willpower he had to turn and walk out the bedroom door.
Cherry watched Billy go this time without calling him back. She was still quivering from his kiss. She forced her wobbly legs to take one step, and then another, as she headed for the bentwood rocker where she had thrown her robe. She slipped it on and let the sheet drop to the floor.
She was tying her terry-cloth robe closed when she heard a knock on the door. She hurried to open it and found Billy standing there with his hat on, his hip cocked, and his thumbs in his front pockets.
“Did you forget something?” she asked.
Not a thing, Billy realized. He remembered exactly how she had looked in bed. And you look as delicious in that robe as you did in bed. He couldn’t very well tell her he had come back just to look at her again. So he said, “I forgot to say good morning.” He smiled and tipped his hat. “Mornin’, ma’am.”
Cherry laughed.
And then, because he was looking for an excuse to spend more time with her, he said, “I wondered if you’d like to join me for a cup of coffee before I leave.”
“I should get dressed,” Cherry said, tightening the belt on her robe. “The girls will be up soon.”
“You’re right about that.” Billy searched for something else to say, because otherwise he would have no excuse to linger.
“By the way, I never got around to telling you, but you’ll need to go grocery shopping today. The ranch has an account at the store in town. I think Harvey Mills already knows we’re married—I doubt there’s anyone in the county who doesn’t know by now—but just in case, I’ll give him a call and tell him to put your name on the account. Feel free to get anything you think we’ll need.”
It was more than Cherry had heard Billy say at one time since she had met him at the pond. But the words had nothing to do with what he was saying with his eyes. His eyes were eating her alive. Her heart was pumping hard. Her breasts felt full. Her mouth felt dry.
She cleared her throat and said, “Shopping. Got it. Anything else?”
“Not unless you’d like that cup of coffee.”
Cherry slowly shook her head. She had to send him away or she was going to invite him into her room. “I need to shower and dress before the girls wake up. Have a nice day, Billy.”
“Yeah. I’ll do that.”
When he didn’t leave, she raised a brow and said, “Is there something else, Billy?”
“If you want, I can go with you later today to see your family…to explain things.”
Cherry felt a sense of relief. “Thanks, Billy. I’d like that.”
“Well. I guess I’d better get started.”
It took him another moment or two before he moved away from the door. She watched his sexy, loose-limbed amble until he was gone from sight, then scurried up the stairs to the shower.
However, when she reached the bathroom, it was locked. She would have to wait her turn. She leaned against the wall, a towel over her arm, one bare foot perched atop the other and waited. And waited. The door never opened.
She leaned her ear against the door, but there was no sound coming from inside. She knocked and said, “Is someone in there?”
No answer.
“Raejean? Annie?”
Nothing.
She walked down the hall to the girls’ bedroom. Their unmade twin beds were empty. She checked the other doors along the hall and found an office and Billy’s bedroom, but no sign of the children.
“Raejean!” she called loudly. “Annie! If you’re hiding somewhere up here, I want you to come out right now!”
Nothing.
She crossed back to the bathroom door and listened intently. She thought she heard whispers. She banged on the door. “I know you two are in there. I want you to come out right now.”
Nothing.
She grabbed the doorknob and yanked on it, then slammed her shoulder against the door as though to break it open. “Open up!”
Nothing.
Cherry leaned back against the wall and sighed heavily. She hadn’t counted on this sort of misbehavior when she had nobly volunteered to rescue Billy’s daughters from their grandmother’s clutches. Right now, Mrs. Trask was more than welcome to the two of them!
Cherry smiled. Actually, she had pulled the same trick on one of her foster parents. She had spent almost two days in the bathroom before hunger finally forced her out. Which gave her an idea.
“All right, fine, stay in there. But you’re going to get awfully hungry before the day is out. I’m going downstairs to make myself some blueberry pancakes with whipped cream on top and scrambled eggs and sausage and wash it all down with some hot chocolate with marshmallows.”
Loud, agitated whispers.
The bathroom door opened and one of the twins stuck her head out. “Whipped cream on pancakes?”
Cherry nodded.
An identical face appeared and asked, “Big marshmallows? Or little ones?”
“Which do you prefer?”
“Little ones. Mrs. Motherwell only bought the big ones.”
“Then we’ll cut them into little pieces,” Cherry suggested.
“All right.” Annie shot out of the bathroom before Raejean could stop her and took Cherry by the hand. “Let’s go.”
Cherry waited to see what Raejean would do. The twin obviously wasn’t happy to see rebellion in the ranks. She seemed unsure whether to stay where she was or abandon the fort. Her stomach growled and settled the matter. Raejean left the bathroom and headed down the hall toward the stairs, ignoring the hand Cherry held out to her.
Cherry realized as she followed Raejean down the stairs, Annie chattering excitedly beside her, that she might have won this battle, but the war had just begun.
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