The Golden Rules of Love: Western Romance Read Online Free PDF

were so new and so powerful she would have done anything to make him keep going.
    He didn’t answer right away; instead he kept working on her nipple. He lifted his mouth and stroked it with his thumb. “I know you’re angry at Garrett but not all men are like that. Lots of men stand by the people they care about.” His mouth came down on her nipple again.
    Annie let out a moan, barely processing what he had said. She found herself grinding her pelvis into his. His shaft was hard against her but it seemed only to fill her with more desire.  Her head rolled back and forth. “What is happening?”
    That stopped him dead. He lifted his face from her chest and reached behind her neck to hold her head so he could look into her eyes. “You mean you never…”
    “Never what?” She looked at him completely perplexed.
    He closed his eyes. “Annie, did ever enjoy being with your husband?”
    It took her a second to realize what he meant but then her cheeks flushed bright red. “That is none of your business!” She had heard other women sighing about their nights with their husbands. She had to admit, she was more than a little curious. But she would not sacrifice her happiness and her life for a few moments of… well, she wasn’t quite sure. Something deep inside told her that Mack would be able to teach her. Her cheeks turned an even darker shade of pink.
    He gave her a devilish grin in return. “I’ll sew up your clothes later. Sorry about the rip.” He stood them both up and Annie bit her lip. She didn’t want to stop. She wanted to explore every inch of his body and she wanted to feel his skin on hers.  But to keep going was utter folly. Giving herself a mental shake, she tried to push away these wanton thoughts.
    “I can sew my own clothes.” Her voice was soft, though. She bit back the urge to beg him to touch her again.
    “I know you can take care of yourself, sweetheart.” He patted her bottom like he was consoling a child.
    Her embarrassment was momentarily gone, as was her desire. Instead, irritation coursed through her. “Quit patronizing me.”
    “There’s the Annie I know.” He picked her bonnet up off the ground and placed it on her head. Annie only had a moment to wonder when it had come off before he was buttoning up her shirt.
    “We’re done?” Disappointment laced her voice.
    He kissed her again. It was long and slow and it made her toes curl all over again. “I can’t go any further and not make you my own. And you’re not ready to belong to anyone but yourself. But if you ever change your mind, Annie, I promise you--”
    “I’ll never belong to anyone again!” she shot back vehemently, then she instantly felt guilty. It wasn’t Mack’s fault she ached inside. “I’m sorry, I know you haven’t done anything. I…”
    “Don’t be sorry. Someday, maybe you’ll understand that when you care for someone and they care for you, you belong to each other.” He started pulling her out of the woods. “We’ve been gone a long time. Tongues are already going to be wagging.”
    Annie sighed. He was right. “They already are…wagging.” He frowned but said nothing and Annie held his hand as they walked back towards the wagons. She couldn’t fathom ever wanting a relationship again. But it felt so right to walk hand-in-hand with him. She took a quick glance at Mack. She could get used to him touching her, that was for sure. Was Mack right? Could a relationship be different than the one she had with Garrett? She shook her head. She ached too much to find out.
    That night, Annie lay awake for a long time and two things became clear. One, she yearned for Mack to finish what he started. Two, she could never let him touch her again. She had told him everything he wanted to know, and she hadn’t denied him a single touch. She couldn’t trust herself around Mack.
    With that said, she was beginning to see the sense in sticking close to Mack when they first arrived in San Francisco. She