Love Unbound

Love Unbound Copyright © 2023 by Danielle Baker. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner, except use of quotations in book reviews or non-commercial uses permitted under copyright law. Contact the author for more information. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are from the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events, or locations is purely coincidental. Cover design by MiblArt.com ISBN: 979-8-218-13889-9 Dedication TO MY MOTHER; MY BIGGEST FANWho has shared in all my joys and sorrows,my trials, failures, and achievements, whose love, courage, and devotion have been the strength of my inspiration, and who never gave up on this dream of mine, even when I was in doubt that I would get here. I love you. Chapter 1She stood in the barn, running the brush over the smooth back of the tall horse standing in front of her. Dust motes danced in the rays of sunlight filtering in through the windows high above her. The musky scent of hay and grain and her own sweat mingled in the air.A shadow fell across the center aisle and she turned. Her heart instantly began to pound at the sight of the man standing in the doorway. The cowboy’s face was deeply shadowed by the wide brim of his black cowboy hat. Tight fitted jeans hugged his thighs and the apex of them. The toes of his dusty boots peaked out from beneath the hem of his jeans, a black t-shirt defined the muscles of his chest, arms, and shoulders deliciously, and a leather vest hung open over his chest. Leaning with one broad shoulder against the wood frame, he folded his arms over his chest and crossed his booted ankles. He watched her from beneath the brim of his hat and her breathing began to accelerate. She wished she could see his eyes!“Don’t let me stop you,” he murmured low, his voice drawling and sexy, and she could barely make out the movement of his lips.Turning back to the mare, she continued to run the brush down the animal’s side. Her senses seemed to be on overdrive, because she heard it when he shifted away from the door and slowly sauntered over until he was standing inches away from her. She could smell his masculine scent, sweat and man, and his sweet breath as it hit the back of her neck. Her long hair was pulled into a single braid down one side of her neck.She was feeling lightheaded, his nearness was so intoxicating. She had watched him for months, working on her father’s ranch. He was handsome and mysterious. They had never spoken, but she knew he had been watching her, too.She wore tightly fitting jeans that were tucked into a pair of clean cowboy boots. A plain white t-shirt with a deep V that revealed her generous cleavage fit snuggly to her body. She had worn it on purpose, in the hopes that she would see him during her ride.She could feel his body heat radiating against her back, he was standing so close behind her. She swallowed hard just as she felt his work roughened fingers touching the soft skin at the nape of her neck, playing with the thick braid of hair. With a slow swipe of his strong hand, the braid was moved aside so it fell over her right shoulder, resting on the curve of her breast. There it trembled, as her heart was racing in her chest. The fabric of her shirt fluttered with each quick breath she took.The hand at her nape cupped her slender throat and her eyes slid closed as her head fell to the side, into his hand. His other hand slipped around her, pressing his palm flat against the taut muscles of her abdomen. Without words, he urged her back against his front. She sucked in a startled breath as his lips found the exposed skin of her left shoulder. An unfamiliar but delicious ache began in her lower belly, where his hand was pressed. Rolling her hips backward, she gasped and he groaned against her throat. The cowboy hat was knocked off his head and it landed in the hay at their feet.His breathing was becoming choppy as his hand skimmed up, over her ribcage, to cover one breast. Her head fell back and a soft moan escaped her slightly parted lips. His mouth loved her throat, kissing and suckling, as his hand cupped and massaged the tender breast it held.She could feel the hardness of his erection straining against the fly of his jeans as she pressed her rounded bottom to his front.He pulled away and a mew of disappointment slipped from her lips. It was fleeting, as he took her hand in his and turned her toward him. His aquamarine eyes were bright as they stared down at her. He reached for the brush she still had clutched in her other hand and tossed it aside. He looked over her shoulder and then back down to her. Pulling her with him gently, he guided her toward an empty stall in the back of the barn. Her heart thundered in her chest, terrified and excited at the same time.He backed into the stall, her hand still enclosed in his. They were very secluded in the back of the barn, the high walls of the stalls giving them much needed privacy from anyone that might come looking for her. He released her hand and turned, taking down a blanket from one of the pegs and lowering it to the bed of hay on the ground. Turning back to her, he tipped her chin up with one finger and lowered his mouth to hers.His lips brushed over hers, once, twice, then pressed and stayed. She gasped, and his tongue darted into the honeyed cavern, tasting all of her. One hand