Chapter 40

Maddie tried to roll over but a large male body seemed to be blocking her way. Not to mention the male arm looped across her midriff holding her in place. And...oh, oh. The softening male penis still lodged in her rectum.
Every muscle in her body felt as if it had been stretched and stepped on by a herd of wild mustangs. She was sore in places she didn't even know she had, yet she was filled with an enormous feeling of satisfaction unlike any she'd ever had before.
The great heat from the fireplace seemed to have died down, although Maddie wasn't cold. With the backup generator on heat wasn't a problem. Still, they probably should toss some more wood on the fire.
She had no idea how long they'd slept, or even what time it was. And moving didn't seem to be an easy option.
"Zach?"
"Mm hmm?" His voice was lazy and thick with sleep.
"Wake up. What time is it?"
He licked the edge of her ear and kissed her cheek. "Time to have more great sex." He kissed her again. "Time to make love."
Love. Did he really mean it? He hadn't once mentioned it last night. Not even when he'd told her why he'd staged that rotten goodbye scene, or why he wanted the ranch. Was she deluding herself? Making something where there was nothing?
And the issue of the ranch still sat there like the elephant in the room.
Beside her, Zach stretched, yawned, slowly pulled out from the clasp of her body.
Reaching between them, he divested himself of the condom, found a paper napkin that had fallen to the floor earlier and rolled the used condom into it. He rose like some graceful jungle animal, holding her in his arms, the throw twisted around her.
"We need to kick up the fire," he commented. "And look." He carried her to the window. "The storm hasn't let up a bit."
Sure enough, a thick sheet of ice still covered everything. Icicles dripped from the roofline and the parking area looked like a skating rink. The wind was still blowing, whipping at the ice-laden branches of the trees. Maddie put her arms around Zach's neck and leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling cocooned and protected from the raging weather outside.
"This is so unusual for the Hill Country," she commented. "It's gotten cold before but I've never seen an ice storm like this. And lasting for so long."
"Me, either. It's almost as if someone's using black magic on the weather."
"Think everything's okay in the barn?"
"I have one of the two-way radios in my jacket pocket. I'm sure everything's fine. You've got a good crew on this ranch, darlin'. But I'd better check on them, just in case."
He settled her on the couch, then retrieved the radio from his jacket. She heard him talking to the hands, his voice low and calm. Steady. The kind of man she needed. But did he need her? He'd said a lot of things but none of them had touched on the subject of love or permanence.
"All safe," he reported, coming back into the living room. "Cattle, horses and men all safe and accounted for. Everyone's got food - animal and man - and the heaters are working well."
"Good." Growing up on a ranch Maddie knew what problems could arise if they weren't prepared for emergencies.
"We'll need to check the winter pasture as soon as this ice melts but they've got a lot of protection from trees up there."
He prodded the embers in the fireplace to life, then added three logs. The dry wood caught quickly, flames snapping to life. Then he bent down and picked her up again.
"I feel like Scarlett O'Hara," she joked.
"Am I as good looking as Rhett Butler?" he teased.
"Better," she answered in a low voice.
Zach started down the hallway with her.
"Where are we going?"
"Shower. I think we earned one." That wicked look was back in his eyes. "Besides, I can't wait to rub soap all over that delicious body." He pressed a light kiss to her lips. "And make love to you again."
"And we talk about the ranch," she reminded him. "Don't think you're getting out of that."
"It's on my Top Ten list," he assured her with a wink.
Zach had been attentive and caring and the sex couldn't have been better. She understood his explanation of what had happened ten years ago although it still hurt that he hadn't felt he could share his troubles with her. He'd brought the big Christmas tree and done other things to make her feel good. But she was suddenly feeling a touch of unease creep over her. He hadn't yet said anything about love and he was still avoiding any discussion about the future of the ranch. She wished she knew what he was thinking. What was going on in his mind.
Please don't let him be playing me for a fool, just like I thought he was before. Please let my instincts be right this time.
But once they were standing naked in the shower stall, her mind ceased to work and her body took over. The stall was barely big enough for the two of them, forcing them into close proximity and raising Maddie's heat level several notches. She wanted to run her hands over Zach's muscular body and touch every inch of it.
The size of the space didn't seem to faze Zach at all. In fact, he used it to his advantage, pulling Maddie against him as he raised his hand to adjust the spray, holding her against him with one arm. When he reached for the liquid soap they were pressed together from shoulder to knee and his hard cock was like a hot wire against her flesh.
He smiled down at her as he reached for the liquid soap and began to work up a lather with his hands.