"i know."

every time she moved, those damn pretty tits swayed enticingly and he couldn't keep his eyes off them. just a little closer...

cash licked his lips.

her saucy smile disappeared. an all-knowing feminine look glinted in her eyes. "but guess what? i've decided i don't care if you get off. you can watch me get off." she tossed the scissors to the floor and straddled his pelvis on her knees so his dick bumped into her ass.

cash clenched his butt cheeks together.

lord she looked beautiful. with her tousled blonde hair. her pink lips swollen from their kisses. tan lines criss-crossing her arms from slaving outdoors. the smattering of cinnamon-colored freckles across her chest. the curve of her ribs flaring into hips a man could sink his hands into. her long legs, especially the strong muscles in her thighs from spending her life astride a horse. the bright red nail polish on her dainty feet-about her only concession to her femininity. he loved every square inch of her. he stared hungrily at her.

not that she was paying attention to him.

gemma flattened her palms on her belly and slid them up her ribcage. she arched.

her fingers fluttered higher. then those ivory breasts were cupped in her hands and she strummed the pink tips with her thumbs until they drew into hard tips. she moaned.

his hips lifted slightly.

"that feels good. mmm. but do you know what would feel better?"

my lips?

"this." watching his face, she sucked her fingers into mouth. "mmm." she kept sucking, letting him get a flash of that naughty pink tongue.

oh, he knew what damage that tongue could do. bring a man to his knees with one wicked swipe.

gemma eased her wet fingers out of her mouth, smiled, then used them to twist her right nipple. the fingers of her other hand glided down her stomach to the thatch of golden curls. the tip of her middle finger dipped down into her slit. played around with the opening to her pussy and her ass as she rocked her hips forward, letting him see everything, letting him how she pleasured herself. she pushed two fingers in deep.

his cock jerked hard.

her moan was only slightly sexier than the moist sucking sounds of her fingers moving in and out of her pussy.

then her fingers returned, glistening with her juices, to rub her clit.

cash groaned. he couldn't tear his eyes away from this woman who held nothing back. in bed or out.

her hips undulated, she said, "oh, yes," as she touched herself like he wasn't here.

screw that. he was here.

"gemma. you're killin' me. you proved your point. let me touch you."

and then she was in his face. "why should i? you won't let me touch you. in fact, i don't even get to see you naked. it's been nearly three months you've spent in my bed."

"you can touch me right now."

she rolled her eyes. "so i had to ask myself: am i that disgusting that you can't stand to look at my body when you make love to me?"

his jaw dropped. "jesus. no!"

"is it because i'm too old?"

"no."

"if it's not the body, then is it my face?"

"for christsake, no!"

"then it must be you."

his pulse pounded.

"you're not scarred, or tattooed, or ashamed of the size of your big dick either. so, why is it, cash big crow, that it always has to be so damn dark between us?"

silence.

"i will leave you handcuffed here all night and all day if you don't answer. i might even stretch it out to two days. you know i don't make idle threats. call this my pre-emptive strike."

he probably deserved that. "gemma, sweets, please."

"no sweet-talkin', no bullshit. tell me what in tarnation is goin' on with you and why we are always in the dark."

"because i don't want you to know. i don't want you to see..." he squeezed his lids hard. but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

"see what? please. cash. look. at. me."

cash opened his eyes. "see that i love you."

gemma didn't speak.

"i've been in love with you for two years. from the first moment i saw you at the ardmore rodeo. you were perfect; a horsewoman who loved the land, who loved her stock, who was loyal to her friends. a sexy cowgirl who was smart, and smart-mouthed and could hold her own with rodeo cowboys and queens alike. but you were still grievingfor your husband and it broke my goddamn heart. so i bided my time, actin' like your friend, when in fact, i've been a lovesick fool for you for years, gem, waitin' and hopingyou'd notice me. give me a chance.

"last year i thought you were finally gonna take a chance. but you weren't ready to move on. i didn't know if you'd ever be ready. 'bout killed me to let you go. but i did.

when you came to me, offerin' me a job, offerin' me the dream of bein' with you every day... i'm such a selfish bastard. i knew if i didn't claim everything i wanted from you up front, you'd give me scraps and i'd probably take them. but i found my pride and demanded all or nothin'. it floored me when you said yes."

"i wouldn't have asked you, or said yes to you if i hadn't wanted you. all of you."

she smirked. "i'm a little stubborn in case you hadn't noticed. but you aren't answering my question. why the darkness?"

"i hid your eyes that first night because i didn't want you to regret bein' with me, especially when i sorta forced your hand. and i sure as hell didn't want you to look down at me when we were both naked for the first time, and remember back to the last time a man had made love to you, and wish i was steve."

she didn't move.

"then i heard you cryin' afterward. it hurt like a son of a bitch. i didn't mean for it to go this far-with the blindfold, the darkness, and the funky sexual positions. but i knew i'd never be able to hide how i feel when i look in your eyes as i'm lovin' you. i wanted to wait until there might be a chance it didn't scare you and...you might love me back some day."

gemma opened her mouth.

"let me finish. bein' naked, in body and soul, that's when i can't blame my goofy face every time i look at you, on the sun, or dirt, or gas fumes. that's when you can see that you are everything to me. it's like my fantasy come true, lettin' me touch your body, be a part of your life, givin' me a place to live, getting to do work i love. acceptin' my daughter and my past."

"i see all that in your eyes, cash. but you were so busy hiding from me, that if you would've bothered to look, you'd see the same exact thing in mine."

he swallowed hard. "i'm thirty-eight years old and i've never been in love. made me wonder if i knew how to love." he didn't bother to hide his need or fear from her. "will you teach me?"

"yes. but you know more than you think."

"uncuff me. gemma, let me hold you. please."

gemma unfastened the handcuffs. cash rolled her to her back and crawled on top of her. he didn't move. he just gazed into her pale blue eyes, eyes shining with love. for him. damn humbling.

"can i stay right here and look my fill, since i've been denyin' myself the pleasure?"

"it's the only pleasure you've denied yourself."

"true." he smiled. "will you give me the pleasure of becomin' my wife?"

"cash-"

"it'll be a bumpy road. some people ain't gonna like the fact you married an indian.

they'll think i married you to get my hands on your ranch."

"the joke's on them, because we both know you want to marry me to get your big red hands on my body."

he grinned. "you are one horny widowed lady."

she smacked his ass. hard.

his eyes narrowed. "you will pay for that later. dearly. anyway, as for family issues that might be a problem once we're hitched. i have a grown daughter i'm finally learningto be a father to after two decades. i'd like to think the worst is behind macie and me, but it might not be. are you okay with that?"

"plus, there is a difference in our ages."

"why the hell does that matter?"

"it doesn't. that's what i'm trying to tell you."

"what? that none of the issues we'll be facin' as husband and wife will matter?"

"no, they matter, but will you at least let me say yes to marrying you before you start laying out all our future problems?"

cash froze. "you didn't say yes yet?"

"nope. ask me again." gemma slid her arms around his neck. "ask me as you're making love to me. lookin' in my eyes."

"whatever the lady wants. i'm never turnin' the lights off again."

"be a little hard to sleep."

"there won't be a whole lot of sleepin' goin' on tonight."

chapter thirty-six

two weeks later...

the dappled gray filly pranced inside the training arena. she'd trot up to the fence, but the second macie held her hand out to touch her, the high-spirited horse would whinny and race away.

"pretty, ain't she?"

"gorgeous. she seems to have a mind of her own."

"like all good fillies do."

macie laughed. "what's her name?"

pause.

"you can name her whatever you want since she's yours."

"mine?"

her dad said, "yep."

hoofbeats faded as the horse galloped to the other side of the fence.

"you bought me a horse?"

"yeah."

macie squealed and threw her arms around his neck. "omigod, i think i'm gonna cry."