She stopped speaking and her eyes grew wide as they met his stare. “Wh-wh-what are you doing?”
Though every morsel of survival screamed at him to turn around and leave before he made an irrevocable mistake, he drew her closer to his body and lowered his head.
When she licked her lips, it was all he needed.
Chapter Four
Surprise rendered Rachel immobile. She should push Rusty away, slap his face, demand he leave immediately. And she certainly would do all those things as soon as she recovered her senses. Because right now all she could think about was the softness of his lips, the way he moved them over hers. He nudged her with his tongue and she opened to allow him access.
She’d made a huge mistake. Any inkling of pushing him away fled as he devoured her, swept his tongue in, touching all the sensitive parts of her mouth. He pulled her closer and she slid her palms up to encircle his neck. The hair at the back of his head was soft, the curls at his nape springy.
All of her insides turned to liquid heat. Her breasts felt as heavy as when she nursed Will. She grew damp between her legs, which were barely holding her up.
“Ma, can I go up to the loft now?” Will’s question cooled her ardor better than a bucket of ice water could.
She pushed Rusty away, her face heated as she turned to her son. “I’m about to put sheets on the bed, sweetie.”
“Why were you kissing Mr. McIntyre?”
Oh, Lord. How to explain this one? From the child’s earliest memories, he’d never seen her with a man. What must he think of her? “I was, um . . .”
“I was thanking your ma for helping me take care of Amelia.” Apparently used to being caught in awkward situations, Rusty answered Will, as cool as rain water. “How about I go with you upstairs and help get you settled in your new quarters?”
“Quarters, Mr. McIntyre?” Will grinned. “That’s like what the cowboys sleep in, right?” He skipped over to Rusty and took his hand, while Rachel attempted to pull herself together. What the devil was the man thinking, to kiss her like that?
What were you thinking to kiss him back like that?
She fussed with her topknot which wasn’t on top anymore, nor a knot. She soon gave up on that, and hurried to the chest in her bedroom to get clean sheets for both children’s beds.
***
A week later, Rachel prepared a list for her monthly trek into town for supplies. Amelia arose in the same surly mood. But after years of being shuffled around, it was no surprise.
Amelia and Will seemed to get along well, but with Will’s perpetually happy demeanor, most people took to him immediately. Rachel had tried to persuade Amelia to do some schoolwork so she could go into the high school when classes started up again after the summer. She was mainly interested to know how far along the girl was since she declared upon her arrival that she was finished with school.
Until Rachel was able to assess her schoolwork, it was important to keep the young girl busy so she stayed out of mischief. And at her age, mischief could be a serious matter. With nourishing food, Amelia had already started to put on a little weight, and the pallor of her skin had receded. Rachel hated to think the girl had not received sufficient food when she was with her grandparents, but her ravenous appetite seemed to prove that.
One area that needed work was Amelia and her father. Although he tried very hard to talk to the girl, she was determined to keep him at arm’s length. Having been dumped in his lap, and having no knowledge of him before she was dropped off, it would take a long time, and a lot of patience on Rusty’s part.
Rachel had been delighted to discover the girl had a desire to cook, and was even helpful to her in the kitchen.
“I’ll be going into town this morning, Amelia. I do that once a month to pick up supplies. Did you want to go with me?” Rachel folded the long list of needed items and tucked it into her cloth bag.
“No, Mrs. Stevens.”
Thinking Amelia would like to get away from the ranch for a while, Rachel was surprised when she turned her down. “Are you sure? A little break might be nice.”
“Actually . . .” The girl blushed furiously.
“What?”
“Well, Mac said he was going to make some pies for tonight, and I thought I’d stay and watch him. Maybe help a little bit.”
“That’s wonderful, honey. Do you need me to pick up anything for you from town?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have any money.”
“Nonsense, your daddy will pay for anything you need.”