 “How are you feeling, Libby?” “Cheez-n-Crackers!” Startled, Libby threw her romance novel high into the air. It landed square dab on the top of the doctor’s baldhead. “Sorry, doc. You scared me!” Libby held her chest, glad that her heart wasn’t the disease du jour. “Were you reading porn again, Libby?” Doc Mulligan loved to tease Libby Fontaine. She was as cute as she was sweet. “It’s not porn, doc. It’s romantic erotica; there’s a difference, you know.” She lay still as the physician checked her vital signs. He was listening to her heart, but it didn’t stop him from continuing his bantering. “Oh my, it must have been some good stuff; your blood pressure is slightly elevated.” Libby blushed and hid her head in the pillow. “It was pretty hot.” “Explain to me the difference between porn and erotica. I don’t believe I can live another day without understanding the variances in that particular genre.” Doc Mulligan managed to keep a completely straight face. Libby grinned; she liked when the doctor joked around. Due to the disease that she had battled for so long, opportunities to socially interact with people were few and far between. Usually, she had been too ill or fatigued to enjoy anyone’s company. Now, her blue eyes sparkled and a dimple came out to play, just past the corner of her top lip. “Not erotica, romantic erotica. Huge difference! “ Doc Mulligan laughed. Libby was such a delight. Never a frown, never a down day – no matter how bad the diagnosis. “Excuse me, O ye hedonist extraordinaire.” “Whadjacallme?” Fits of giggles escaped as the doctor made a funny face at her. “A hedonist, my dear, is a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure.” He made notes on his clipboard, all the while. “All right, that sounds like something I would be very interested in. Sign me up; I think I’d make an outstanding hedonist. Pleasure seems preferable over pain any old day.” Even though she smiled, Doc Mulligan knew that she was remembering all of the pain that she had endured through the years. Cancer could be a cruel disease. “I don’t blame you, my dear.” Refusing to be negative, he picked back up on their earlier conversation. “So, explain it to me; what‘s the difference between porn and romantic erotica?” “That’s easy.” She flipped over on her side, so he could listen to her breathing from the back. “Porn is explicit, graphic descriptions of sex. Romantic Erotica is explicit, graphic descriptions of sex; but the girl and boy love each other very much and there’s always a happy ending.” “Ah, a happy ending – that’s always good.” In his profession, he didn’t see nearly enough of those. “Yeah.” Libby grew quite. What she wouldn’t give for a happy ending. “So, Madame Hedonist, do you have vast experience - sex wise – of the explicit, graphic variety?” He knew that she didn’t, but perhaps he could persuade her to consider it. Not with him, of course. He was a grandpa! Libby snorted, laughing. “No, of course not. I’ve just read about it in books like the one I accidentally whacked you across the head with.” Straightening her hospital gown, she scootched around until she presented a prim and proper picture. “You, better than anyone, know that I haven’t had the opportunity or the strength for men or sex.” She sobered. Doc Mulligan took a small, soft hand in his. “Let’s talk, little one.” “That sounds ominous.” Libby stiffened, expecting the worst. “No, no,” he hastened to reassure her. “In fact, I have good news.” Her eyes got big and round with hope. “Good news?” “Libby, you’re in remission.” A glow of ecstatic happiness flushed her little, heart-shaped face. “Remission? Are you sure?” “Yes.” The old gentleman smiled and patted her hand. “For right now, you’re cancer free.” “For right now?” Libby waited for the other shoe to fall. “Yes.” He pulled his spectacles off and met her trusting gaze. “Libby, I won’t need to see you again for at least six weeks. We’ll do some more tests at that time. We’ll be able to tell by your blood count level whether or not the remission is a true one or just a temporary elevation due to the last blood transfusion. For now, however, I want you to get out of this bed and live life as hard as you can. I want you to travel and date and have sex and be as hedonistic as your little heart desires. Doctor‘s orders.” The possibilities skittering across her mind showed all over her face. “I’ve been working in the diner, and I have a little money saved. Doc, I could go camping and learn to ride a horse – maybe, I could even try starting my line of designer handbags…you know if I end up living, I’m going to have to find a way to support myself. I don’t want to be a short order cook for the rest of my life. And… and . . . . ” she blushed sweetly. “Meet a man and make some of those erotic, romantic fantasies come true, perhaps?” Libby was like a daughter to him. He had been treating her leukemia for over eight years. “I don’t know about that,” she shyly answered. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.” “Sure, you do.” He picked up the used, battered book off the floor. “You’ve been cramming for this exam a long time.” “Reading about something and doin’ it or two entirely different things.” She didn’t have much faith in herself. Nevertheless, this was an unexpected reprieve. “It would be fun to try.” “Yes, you need to enjoy yourself, Libby,” Doc Mulligan encouraged. “I want you to be happy.” Suddenly, Libby distinctly heard something else in his voice; a wistfulness. “You don’t think the remission is a permanent thing do you?” She said the words slowly, dreading to hear his answer. Determined not to lie to her, he took a deep breath. “With your specific type of cancer, it seldom is. There is only about a twenty percent chance that you’ll stay in remission longer than a couple of years. However, who knows? Miracles do happen. And we will get a good indication of how it’s going when you come back and visit me in a month and a half.” Picking up her hand and kissing it, he made her a promise. “We’ll pray for a miracle.” Libby squared her shoulders. “Two years is twenty-four months or seven hundred and thirty days. It’s not forever.” Wiping a happy tear from her eyes, she gave Doc Mulligan a heart-stopping smile. “But, I’ll take it.” When he stepped into the dining room, however, all thoughts of food went sailing out the window. Lord Have Mercy! She was breathtaking. He didn’t know where to look first, or where to look longest. Tight jeans encased a sweet, heart-shaped little butt that made him want to bare his teeth. Her legs were long and all he could think about was what they would feel like clasped around his hips. A form-fitting red T-shirt proclaimed that she was “Raw Honey – Sweet as Sugar, Twice as Addictive”. The implications of those words practically had him bowing at her feet. He bet her cream would taste like raw, wild honey. His fingers itched to see if he could make them meet around that trim little waist. When his eyes roved northward, tears almost came to his eyes. She bounced a little bounce in response to something funny that Jacob had said, and when she did, he wanted to step forward and catch those sweet little tits before she hurt herself. Maybe, he ought to change his job description – he could go from being a simple cowpoke to a full-time, full-service breast support man. By their jiggle and wave, there was no doubt in his mind that those tits were real and in dire need of about an hour of attention from his hands and tongue. Realizing he was about to embarrass himself, he took off his Stetson and held it below his belt buckle, effectively hiding her unexpected and tremendous impact on his libido. His smooth move did not go unnoticed by Noah, who smirked from across the room. Casually, Aron shot him the finger. Ass-hole. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had affected him this way, if ever. Watching his brothers surround the tempting little morsel, Aron opted to utilize a tactic that had come in handy when the McCoy’s would be out carousing pre-Sabrina. They had tried to avoid stepping on one another’s toes, romantically speaking. Whenever one would see a little filly that caught his eye, he would look at her and simply say one word that would alert the others that she had been claimed and was strictly off-limits to the rest of the McCoys. Stepping closer to the table, he loudly proclaimed, “Tag!” As soon as the word had left Aron’s mouth, the younger men looked up at him in surprise. Isaac bit back a snort, and Jacob simply said, “Thank God.” Their brother had finally decided to come out of hiding. Libby wondered at the word that Aron shouted. Was this some type of fire drill or a weird game that they played? She could feel him looking her, ‘God give me strength’, she prayed. Libby, as of yet, had not turned to face him fully. And he had to see her – now. “Turn around, baby. Let me see your face.” Confused, Libby did as he requested. Slowly. Uncertainty made her hesitate; but when she had made a complete 180, she heard him catch his breath and she raised her eyes. Aron. There was no way that she was going to hide the joy that she felt, so she didn’t try. Her smile lit up his world. His body began to instantly heat as if it had been graced by the warmth of the rising sun. Aron tried to move forward, but he was frozen; immobilized, entranced. Muscles that he hadn’t used in a while began to loosen, and before he knew it – Aron McCoy was smiling. My Lord, the woman had the cutest, sweetest face that he had ever laid eyes on. All he could focus on was pink, kissable lips. They were trembling ever so slightly. Aron felt the world tilt just a fraction, he wanted to follow that irresistible pull and enjoy the silky softness of that delectable mouth. He heard her let out a soft, sweet sigh. Memorizing her features, he let his eyes slide over the smooth curve of her cheek, the endearing turned up nose and cheekbones that begged to be traced with his tongue. When he met her gaze, Aron was surprised by the beautiful color of her eyes. They were huge, a deep dark violet, surrounded by smudgy dark lashes that made them look like amethysts nestled in velvet. Knowing she expected him to say something, he tried to get his brain to engage with his mouth. All he could manage was “Where did you come from?” As if his words released the brakes on his feet, he found himself walking up to her as bold as could be; there was no way he could hold himself back. He had to be as close to her as possible. She stood her ground, bless her heart. Time slowed down, and she lost herself in the wonder of his nearness. For years, she had dreamed of the day when she would be this close to Aron. He was a big man. Shoulders as wide as a John Deere tractor were encased in a crisp, white western shirt – the kind with the silver snaps. As she looked at him, she couldn’t help to think how it would feel to reach right up, grab that shirt right under the collar, and just jerk it open. Those snaps would come in handy if one wanted to get him naked in a hurry. She bet that his chest was magnificent; ripped and sculpted. He would look just the way that those heroes were described in those romance novels that she loved to read. Would his skin be smooth or would he be sexily furred? Damn, it would be fun to find out. ‘Look up, Libby, look up’ she thought to herself. She knew that her eyes were hung up just north of his belt buckle. Gravity and lust were pulling them south. With a jerk, she looked up and when their eyes clashed, she felt it clear down to clitoris. God, he was potent. If she didn’t touch him, she would die. She took a deep breath … ‘All right,’ she thought, ‘let’s go for casually friendly.’ “Aron, it’s good to meet you. Thanks for letting me fill in for Bess. I promise to work hard, and I will take good care of you, I promise.” Geez, how lame could you get. Oh, well. She offered him her hand. She would take care of him, no doubt about that. He would lay awake tonight imagining the ways that she would take care of him. Aron forgot about the ten pairs of eyes that were watching them in rapt attention. He just had to touch. A handshake was much too mundane to satisfy this particular need. His hand met hers. First touching the tips of her fingers with his own, he slid the palm of his hand up hers, before finding the pulse at her wrist with his forefinger. When he could feel the beat of life that flowed through her veins, he caressed that spot, memorizing the rhythm. A sweet little gasp escaped her lips and she shivered. Fuck! Her whole body trembled, as if in the first throes of orgasm. Aron closed his eyes, realizing that this woman was capable of turning him inside out. Libby leaned toward him; her breasts almost touched his chest, almost. She could feel her nipples swell in greeting. It was as if there was an irresistible gravitational pull between her body and his. Shyly, she looked up at him; his eyes were the color of a dark blue lapis. If she were more schooled in the ways of men, she might have thought she read desire in those lazuli eyes. Not possible. This was Aron. And she was just – just Libby. “Our supper is getting cold. Do you think you two could tear yourself away from each other long enough for us to eat?” Isaac always said just what he thought. At the break in the incredible tension in the room, the boys began taking their chairs. “Shut-up, Isaac. Mind your manners.” Aron didn’t turn loose of Libby’s hand; instead, he turned it over in his own and led her by it to the dinner table. Waving at Jacob to move out of the way, he held the vacated chair out for Libby to sit in. It was the chair to the right of his. Jacob had to move to the other side of the table. He didn’t mind. “I need to serve the food,” Libby began. Aron pointed to the stove and then to Joseph, who stood and proceeded to pass the lasagna and the garlic bread to Noah, who started it down the table for the family to each dish a portion of the delectable food into their plate. The boys were bamboozled; they had never witnessed their older brother acting this way. He was eating Libby up with his eyes, as if she was a lioness in heat and he was the predatory head of the pride, the only male allowed to mate. Looking around at the puzzled expressions, he ordered. “Eat.” They instantly obeyed. Turning his attention to Libby, he realized he was still holding her hand. It was his eating hand, so he was eventually going to have to turn it loose. Reluctantly, he did so. Now, getting down to business. “Libby, I’m Aron, the eldest of these useless rascals.” His eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. Libby wanted to reach out and soothe the sexy little wrinkles. He had a heavy five o’ clock shadow that she would give a thousand dollars to feel rasp across her breasts. Whew! It was a good thing she didn’t have a thousand dollars or she would be propositioning him right here at the supper table. Finding her voice, she managed to answer. “I know who you are, Aron. When you played ball for Kerrville, I rarely missed a game,” she confessed shyly. “Why don’t I remember you?” He visually caressed every nuance of her face. She was exquisite; he wanted to have her for supper, rather than the lasagna. Libby racked her brain for a way to answer that question that wouldn’t give away too much of the sad truth. Leukemia had come calling, and effectively took her out of all social circles. She didn’t have to answer, thankfully, Jacob came to the rescue. “You were the alpha male, Aron. The rest of us mortals merely existed on the outskirts of your orbit. Libby’s twenty-five; she would have been in junior high when you were reigning supreme on the football field and behind the lockers.” “I hate I overlooked you; I bet you were as cute as a button.” He never even looked over at Jacob. Accepting the passed around dishes from Joseph, who sat at his left, he filled his plate with lasagna, and then he served Libby’s plate. “There you go, sweetie. Eat up.” Apparently, it was important to Aron that everybody eat their fill. More than likely, this was his way of ensuring their well-being. “Thanks, I hope you like the food.” Libby’s appetite was completely gone; or rather, it had changed its focus. Now, her appetite was for one scrumptious cowboy who was setting her heart to racing a mile a minute and making her sweat in places that didn’t bear thinking about. Nathan, who sat to her right, elbowed her. She jumped and faced him. “Hey! What was that for?” “This is the best food I’ve ever put in my mouth, Libby. I want you to stay with us forever.” Instead of making her feel complimented, the words served to sober her up. Forever. She didn’t have forever; she had two years, at the most. Maybe. Two years to live a lifetime, and Tebow ranch was where she would begin. “You had better never let Bess hear you say that, Nathan.” Noah shook his fork at his younger brother. “How long will you be with us, Libby?” Joseph reached for the butter, even though the garlic bread already dripped with the creamy condiment. “I guess it all depends on how Bess’s granddaughter gets along. Maybe three months, six at the most – that is – if you’re pleased with my performance.” At her words, Aron groaned - audibly - out loud. All eyes turned to him, and he had the good grace to look slightly chastened. The innocent words that had come from her tempting mouth had gone straight to his dick. He definitely wanted to be on the receiving end of one of her performance, and by God, he needed to perform in the worst way. “I’m sure that we’ll get along just fine.” There. That sounded like he was halfway sane. “Have you ever lived on a ranch before, Libby?” Noah asked between bites. “No, but it’s always been a dream of mine. While I’m here, in my spare time, I would like to experience everything about ranch life. I want to learn to ride a horse, rope a calf; I would even like to help with the harder work like branding.” This confession made the boys all talk at once. All of them were volunteering to teach her their specialty. “Hey!” Aron quelled the racket. When all was quiet, he simply stated. “Whatever Libby wants to learn, I’ll be the one teaching her.” At Libby’s confused look, he tapped her on the end of the nose and smiled another one of those ten thousand watt scorchers. Effectively, he changed the subject. He didn’t know how he felt about the other boys spending time with Libby. She might not be Sabrina, but he didn’t want another woman coming in between him and his family. Besides, he wanted Libby all to himself. “How do you know, Bess?” There, that seemed like a safe enough topic. “She and my Mom were friends for years. They went to school together. Mom’s gone now, my Dad, too.” “So, you’re all alone. Sorry, baby.” Aron looked serious for a moment, then he continued eating. Libby went back to her food, then something wild started happening under the table. Several times, she felt his knee bump hers – linger – then rub gently. Once could have been an accident, but three times? It had to be intentional. The implications had Libby’s head spinning. This attention from Aron was more than she had ever dreamed possible. “I’m grateful to Bess for bringing you to me.” Aron’s softly whispered words flowed straight to her breasts. Instantly, her nipples swelled and hardened. Before she realized it, they were eagerly protruding, and the thin little T-shirt was an insufficient barrier from prying eyes. Seeing the effect his words had on her, Aron instantly excused himself and in a moment returned with one of his shirts from the laundry room. Draping it over her shoulders, he whispered. “Slip this on, sweetheart.” He winked at her as she flushed as much from arousal as embarrassment. “I’ll take care of you, baby.” It had gotten quiet at the table, “What?” Aron challenged. “Libby was cold.” Aron was in lust-shock; pure lust-shock. His big hands cupped her soft, little face. Out of nowhere, she turned her head and kissed his hand – his stiff rod jumped in his drawers. While she had been working around the kitchen; he had been enjoying himself, studying every inch of her delectable body. Aron couldn’t believe it. Libby was absolutely perfect. Perfect breasts. Perfect hips. Perfect legs. Perfect for him. “Libby, may I kiss you, sweetheart?” He moved his thumbs over the pretty pink blush on her cheeks. “Don‘t say no. I think I’ll die if I don’t get a taste of you.” Goosebumps rose over every square section of her body. Aron wanted to kiss her! “Please,” was all she could manage. When he lowered his head to capture her lips, he blocked out all the light. She welcomed the darkness; it was momentous, like the total eclipse of the sun. God in heaven! Aron didn’t rush, he relished. Beginning with the softest kiss imaginable, he let their lips introduce themselves, one to the other. Light little caresses, delicate little forays with his tongue that made Libby want to reach out and grab it with her teeth. She made a tiny little grunt of frustration that made Aron laugh with delight. “You are too cute.” She couldn’t resist, her hands wouldn’t be still. She placed them on his biceps and explored the intriguing bulges. “Hmmm,” she groaned as she felt them tighten under her exploration. Aron still hadn’t kissed her fully, he nibbled on her top lip and licked at the corners of her mouth, all torture designed to heat her up into a tizzy. Standing on tiptoe, she tried to take over the kiss. Waiting a lifetime for something made one highly impatient. Before she knew what was happening, Aron had picked her up and sat her bottom down on the kitchen counter. This put their heads on the same level, and he didn’t have to bend over. With one hand, he swept her knees apart and stepped in-between them. Reaching behind her, he clasped her hips and pulled her forward. “Wrap your legs around my waist; I need to feel your heat.” Shaking with desire, she complied with his wishes, but she let hers be known also. “Kiss me right, Aron. Full on the lips. I’m so hungry for you.” At her frank request, he stepped back to take it all in. She was delightful! “You little minx,” he reached over and bit her where the soft skin of her neck met her collarbone. “I’m getting to it, don’t be so impatient. I’ve waited a lifetime for someone like you, so let me play.” Despite his instructions to be patient, she just couldn’t. Feeling brave, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him forward. He grunted with approval. “Hell, yeah.” Then, he gave her what she wanted. Finally. Fitting his mouth over hers, he sucked on her lips, taking in all of her sweetness. Her little tongue darted out and met his full on. They twirled and swirled, tasting and nipping, devouring one another. Thank God for her erotic romances, she knew exactly what to do. Hooking her feet behind his knees, she pressed herself to him. He pulled away from her, resting his head on her shoulder, breathing harshly. “My God, Libby. You’re like a little stick of dynamite.” Holding him tightly, she kissed his neck, taking little bites, then soothing them with her tongue. “Is that bad?” His heart was racing, but then so was hers. When he wasn’t able to answer, she finished her thought. “And to think, this is my very first kiss.” It took a moment, but her words finally sunk in to Aron’s thick skull. Fighting reality, denying what he had heard, Aron let his lips brush over her neck, up the smooth line of her jaw, and around to the tender place under her ear. “What did you say?” Surely, he had heard wrong. Libby hadn’t stopped her sensual onslaught. She was about to give her first hickey – ever. He tasted so good. She sucked on his neck like she was auditioning for Twilight. She wanted more. Reluctantly, she stopped long enough to answer him. “You’re my first kiss. My life so far hasn’t been exactly normal. I’ve been sort of isolated and out of circulation; family problems,” she offered against his skin. With one last sweet kiss, Aron pushed back from her until only their hands were touching. “Baby, are you telling me that you are a virgin?” He didn’t look happy. Well, hell. Libby could sense that everything had changed. She felt guilty. Why should she feel guilty? Somebody had to be her first. “Yes,” she slowly answered. “Damn.” Aron backed off, even more. She reached to pull him back, but he evaded her touch. Embarrassed, Libby let her hands drop. “I don’t do innocents, love. I refuse to be the one to besmirch your virtue.” Besmirch? Besmirch? “What if I want to be besmirched?” she questioned, more disappointed than she ever thought she could be about anything. “Oh, baby.” Aron put his hat back on and gently picked her up off the counter and sat her down. “You don’t know what you’re asking.” With those last sad words, he turned and walked away. Continues... | 
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