Ryelee's Cowboy by Kathleen Ball Page B

You are
blameless. I want to make the best of it. Babies are a blessing,
Ryelee.”
    Ryelee hesitated. She couldn’t believe
she had found a man with such a generous heart. It was all so
foreign to her. “You are the blessing, Clint. You and
Rheenie.”
    Ryelee laughed when Clint picked her
up and headed upstairs to her bedroom. Every time he lifted her,
she was acutely aware of his brawny arms and wide shoulders and
shuddered in want. After the rape, she thought she would never want
any man to touch her. Her response to Clint came as a very pleasant
surprise. She actually craved his touch, if such a thing was
possible. He made her feel so many things—loved, womanly, pretty,
and sexy. He also gave her hope for a happy future. As Clint put
her on her feet, she reached up and stroked his face. She loved the
feel of his five-o’clock shadow. She ran her fingers over his
prominent cheekbones then along his firm chin and finally to his
wonderful lips. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him, and his
arms curled around her, drawing her closer. Her heart beat faster
in anticipation.
    Clint suddenly pulled away, leaving
her bereft and confused. He walked over to her window and stood
there staring out. He was so quiet and Ryelee wondered if he’d
changed his mind..
    “Clint?” She bit her bottom lip
waiting for an answer.
    Clint turned and stared at her, his
eyes full of concern. “It’s me, honey. We shouldn’t get too worked
up until we get you to the doctor tomorrow. I don’t know what I was
thinking. First I yell at you for not thinking about the baby, and
just now I did the same thing.”
    Ryelee closed the gap between them and
laid her head on his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist
and held on. “No, Clint, don’t think that way. I felt it too. I
felt the magic between us.”
    Clint finally grinned. “We do make
magic don’t we?”
    “You are a wonder, Mr.
Maloney.”
    “Let’s check that bruise and get you
to bed. Why don’t you go and put your nightgown on, and I’ll tuck
you in.”
    Ryelee liked the sound of that. He
made her feel so safe and valued. She rushed into the bathroom and
got ready for bed. She hesitated before opening the door. She only
wore a nightgown. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and
almost laughed at her concern. She wore what amounted to a granny
nightgown, with its high neck and long sleeves.
    “Okay, let’s see the
bruise.”
    Ryelee blushed at the thought of
raising her gown. However, she did so slowly, trying to lift just
the right side without showing too much.
    He gently touched her side and heard
her quick intake of air. “I’m glad you have a doctor’s appointment
for tomorrow. It looks painful.”
    Ryelee nodded. She was surprised when
Clint placed his hand on her belly. He gently stroked her
roundness. When he kissed her there, her eyes misted.
    Suddenly he released her and let her
gown drop into place. “Let’s get you into bed.”
    Clint turned back the covers and led
her to the bed. Once in bed she had expected a kiss, but she was
treated to the sight of Clint taking off his shirt. His hairy
muscular chest did things to her insides that she had never
experienced before. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but she
restrained herself.
    Clint didn't have an ounce of fat on
him. He slowly took off his jeans and socks, leaving on his boxers.
Ryelee couldn’t seem to take her eyes off his boxers. Her eyes grew
wide due to his bulging erection that even the boxers couldn’t
disguise.
    Ryelee realized what she had been
staring at and her face flamed as she quickly turned her gaze to
his face. The huge grin on his face made her laugh. “Now
what?”
    “I’m sleeping with you. I’m not
wasting a night alone with you,” he said, climbing in the
bed.
    “But…”
    “I just want to hold you, Ryelee.
Don’t panic.”
    “I’m not panicking. I just wondered
what you expected from me. I was thinking about the
baby.”
    “As you should.”