Chapter 20

It was one o'clock in the morning before everything had been wrapped up. Jimmy was taken away by two agents who'd helicoptered in from the San Antonio office.The car with Jimmy's friends was long gone but Dean Barton, who'd flown in with the agents, assured everyone when they swept up the pieces of Virgil's organization they'd no doubt catch him in the net. At last he stood on the back porch shaking hands with Gus.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am you had to go through this," he said, not for the first time. "I should have been smart enough to see what was happening. Or to put someone else on the case when we couldn't find where all Virgil Branson's support was coming from."

"Spilt milk," Gus told his boss. "No one could have seen it."

"We got into all his personal files and discovered a bunch of properties he owns, around here as well as in other states. I'm running a coordinated effort to hit them all at once I'm sure we'll find Virgil in one of them and that will be the end of him. I'll see to it personally."

"Thanks. And I appreciate you taking care of this yourself."

Dean shrugged. "It's certainly the least I can do."

A few minutes later the helicopter lifted off. Gus watched until it was just a dot in the sky before turning back into the house. He wanted to tell Anya again how proud he was of her for the way she'd handled herself. He knew she'd been scared to death but she'd just stood silently, trusting him to take care of her, falling apart only after they'd returned to the house and she could let the tears flow.

He sat with her on his lap and fed her tea with brandy, murmuring soothing words to her until her eyelids began to droop.

Everyone finally went to bed, only to be awakened seven hours later by a call from Dean Barton that Virgil Branson was in custody. The nightmare was finally over.

"I'm going to pick up the kids," Linda announced when they'd finished breakfast. "They'll be excited to finally meet their Uncle Gus."

"We'll be heading out later today," Gus told her. "The excitement's over and we need to leave y'all in peace."

Rafe and Linda exchanged a long, knowing look.

Rafe cleared his throat. "We'd really like it if the two of you could spend a few days her. Give us all a chance to rebuild this family."

"I don't think—" Gus began.

Anya put a small hand on his arm. "Thank you. We'd like that very much. I'm sure Gus hasn't said anything to you, but my family life gave a new meaning to the word dysfunctional. This means as much to me as it does to Gus."

"It's settled then," Rafe said. "I need to get out and work with the cattle a bit while Linda gets the kids. After lunch let's talk about things and make some plans."

Guys nodded. "We'd like that."

When it was just the two of them left in the house, Gus picked Anya up from her chair, cradled her against his chest and kissed her like a man who was starving.

"It's over, darlin', and I've got a great way to celebrate. What do you say?"

"I say yes," she told him, still trying to catch her breath.

She loved being naked with him, nothing between them, skin to skin. His hands were like artist's tools, touching her in all the right places, lighting fires everywhere.

"I love you," he whispered, straddling her body.

He bent his head to capture a nipple with his mouth, sucking it hard, pressing it against the roof of his mouth with his tongue. Anya threaded her fingers through the thick silk of his hair, pressing his head to her body.

When he'd teased one nipple to throbbing hardness he went to work on the other one. His fingers lightly pinched the nipple still wet from his mouth. Twin spikes of heat shot straight to her cunt, making her move restlessly with growing need.

She was startled when he lifted his head and shifted his weight so he was farther up on her body. His engorged cock lay between her breasts, the dark plum head scant inches from her lips. Her tongue snaked out and she swiped it over the soft skin, pleased to see it flex with every touch.

Gus' hips rocked back and forth, his shaft rubbing against her skin with erotic friction. His hands pressed her breasts together, holding them against his cock as he kept up his tempo. Anya reached a hand out to grab him but he batted her hand away.

"No, darlin'. Just like this. Let me enjoy the feel of those wonderful mounds against my cock."

At the point where she was ready to defy him and wrap her fingers around his erection anyway, he backed off, slid down her body, spread her legs and without warning plunged his tongue inside her quivering pussy.

"Gus!" His name burst from her as pleasure rocketed through her. "Oh, god, Gus."

His tongue was a live wire igniting flames inside her spasming walls. She wrapped her legs around his neck, pulling him into her, moving in cadence with his clever, clever tongue. But too soon he moved from his position, sliding two fingers into her cunt and bringing them out dripping with her honey. With gentle strokes he painted the liquid on the tight ring of her anus, caressing the skin with his fingertips. Very slowly and carefully he inserted one finger into her hot tunnel, pushing past the tight muscles until her tissues flexed around him. He took his time pressing until his entire finger was inside, then pulled it out and added a second one. Their scissoring movement stretched the tightness of her rectum, the gel allowing them to move with slippery ease.

"Okay?" His voice was heavy with lust.

"Mmm," was all she could manage.

When she began to push down on his hand he flipped her over as he'd done yesterday, pulling her to her knees and bracing her with pillows beneath her.

She heard the familiar sounds of a foil packet being opened and knew he was rolling on a condom. Then his hands spread the cheeks of her ass, the head of his cock nudged her hole and with steady pressure he penetrated her. The hot dark walls of her rectum clutched him tightly as he moved in deeper and deeper.

Her pussy was clenching in response, the pulse that beat there increasing its intensity, the familiar feeling of icy heat skittering through her.

He's doing it! He's doing it!

Gus paused when he was in to the hilt, hands resting on her hips.

"You okay, darlin'?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"Breathe with me," he instructed. "In, out, in, out."

She did as he told her, breathing in each time he withdrew and out each time he plunged back in. At last she felt completely possessed by him, totally his. The last barriers falling away.

Gus leaned over her as he steadily fucked her.

"I want you forever, Anya. I love you."

"I love…you…too!"

His grip on her tightened as his tempo increased. Perspiration covered her body and her heart was thrumming hard in her chest. She rocked with him, thrusting back each time to meet him.

She felt it begin, rolling up from deep inside her, at the same time Gus slammed hard into her.

"Now," he shouted, and called her name as he flooded the condom with his release, body jerking with each spurt.

Anya's pussy convulsed over and over again, spasms shaking her body, nothing existing except for her and Gus their most intimate connection.

Finally she collapsed forward, Gus on top of her, balancing himself on his forearms. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to breathe normally again but she didn't care. She didn't want this ever to end. She almost cried out her objection when Gus withdrew from her body and left the bed to dispose of the condom. But then he was back, bathing her with a warm cloth, kissing her cheeks and her eyelids, climbing under the covers with her and pulling her still trembling body against his.

She rubbed her nose against the soft hair on his chest and reveled in the feel of his skin next to her.

"I love you," he told her, this time more quietly but no less intensely.

"I love you, too," she told him, her heat tripping as happiness flooded her.

He dressed his lips to her forehead. "Marry me, Anya. Be part of the life I've finally come home to."

She wound her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. What she saw there gave her more happiness than she'd ever expected to find.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you. Whenever you want."

"Here? At the ranch?"

"Of course. Absolutely."

"We should tell Linda and Rafe," he said.

Anya giggled. "We should probably put on some clothes first."

He grinned. "Good point." Then his eyes darkened again. "But not until I fuck you again."

She raised her eyebrows. "So soon?"

"It's what you do to me. I don't think I'll ever get enough of you, darlin'."

"I hope not."

She smiled to herself as his hands moved over her again, showing her with movement as he'd told her with words exactly how much she meant to him.

END OF PART ONE