Chapter 3

Leigh put her horse, Cutter, away and gave him a little bit of sweet feed as a treat before going into the house. It was dark downstairs, and she figured that Daphne had already gone to bed. Cy’s horse was in the barn, so she knew that he was home. Leigh hung up her coat and hat and took off her boots before mounting the stairs.

Just as she passed the washroom, someone grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand over her mouth and pulling her roughly against them.

“Do I need to be jealous of you and Cotton?” Cy growled in her ear.

His warm breath grazed her skin, and her pulse jumped in response. His free hand traveled up over her midriff to cup her breast. Heat pooled inside when his thumb stroked over her nipple, and she swallowed a moan as it tightened. Smiling against his palm, she shook her head.

Cy laughed softly, kissed her cheek, and released her. “I’m glad to hear that.”

He practically dragged her into their room and shut the door. Leigh saw that he’d been reading one of his law journals. He was always reading up on new investigative and forensic techniques. She also noted that he was shirtless, revealing his muscular torso and arms.

She looped her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Hello, Detective.”

His short beard and mustache were pleasantly scratchy. She hadn’t been sure at first that she would like him with a beard, but she had to admit that it looked good on him. Cy had told her that he often grew one for the winter. Unlike his cousins, who seemed to have inherited more Comanche traits than he had, Cy was able to grow a beard, and a fine matting of short, dark hair covered his chest.

“Hello, honey. Did you have a good day?”

“Two calves were born, and they’re healthy, so I’d call that a good day.”

Cy leaned forward, buried his face against her neck, and inhaled her scent. She smelled of horses, hay, and Leigh; a combination that drove him crazy. “Good. We need healthy calves. Which kinds?”

“Hereford and Longhorn.”

When Cy’s teeth scored the sensitive skin near her ear, Leigh couldn’t hold back a moan. His hands traveled down her back to cup her rear end, giving it a playful squeeze.

She squealed a little, and he laughed.

“I keep telling you that that tickles.”

“And I keep telling you that I do it because I like hearing you make that sound.”

The heat in his gaze made her temperature rise. “Shut up,” she said, pressing her mouth to his.

Cy chuckled against her lips and then sucked in a breath when he felt Leigh’s fingers skim over his stomach before going to his trouser buttons. She took advantage and deepened the kiss. He tasted of beer and some sort of dessert. They weren’t two flavors that usually went together, but everything tasted good on Cy.

While she worked on his pants, he unbuttoned her blouse. After a few moments, Cy broke the kiss so he could see what he uncovered as he parted the garment. “You’re so beautiful.” He grazed the backs of his fingers down over her camisole and brassiere. His blood heated in anticipation of caressing and tasting her full breasts. “I have to be the luckiest man on Earth.”

Leigh’s cheeks flushed, and she smiled. “Are you going to stare all night or actually do something?”

Cy just laughed at Leigh’s blunt question. It was her way of deflecting her shyness over his compliments. His wife was a passionate lover, but his words of appreciation brought out Leigh’s bashful side. He helped strip her remaining garments from her delectable body and buried his hands in her silky, honey-brown hair. Their naked bodies coming into contact set off a red-hot flare of desire in Cy.

Leigh moaned as she felt his stiffening shaft brush against her stomach. She slid her hands down his powerful chest to take him in her palm. Everything about her husband was gorgeous, including that part of him. As his lips trailed kisses down her neck, she thought how different Cy’s lovemaking was from her first husband. Cy was a more demanding lover, but Leigh still felt his love for her in every kiss and touch.

He picked her up, laid her on the bed, and stretched out next to her. Leigh sighed and closed her eyes as Cy’s hands roamed over her. He cupped a breast and closed his mouth around her nipple, drawing it deep into his mouth. Leigh arched her back and squeezed his bicep when he flicked his tongue over the tight peak.

Cy loved the way Leigh sounded and tasted. No other woman had ever excited him the way she did. She was everything wrapped up in the most delicious package. Intelligent, kind, strong, and so beautiful that it made him ache with longing. He controlled himself for as long as possible before his restraint snapped.

Leigh’s ardor had reached the same fever-pitch, and she parted her thighs in a wanton invitation. His dark eyes gleaming with a heat that rivaled the sun, Cy rose over her and settled his lean hips between her legs. With a wicked smile, Leigh reached between them and guided his hard member to her entrance.

Her lips parted, and she moaned as he filled her. Hooking a hand around the back of his neck, Leigh pulled him down so she could kiss him. He answered her demand with a groan and almost devoured her mouth, his warm tongue gliding against hers in small, fast motions that mimicked what was about to occur. Unable to hold still, Leigh writhed under Cy, conveying her urgent need for fulfillment.