Lorraine Heath (25 page)

“Has your husband told you you’re beautiful?” Jesse asked as he moved in time to the music.

“No,” Maddie said as she followed his steps.

“You’re beautiful.”

“Has your wife told you how handsome you are?”

He touched his finger to her temple. “Yes, I think she did.”

The waltz continued, but Maddie was aware of little but her husband’s eyes upon her, his hand holding hers. “A husband should have no secrets from his wife. What do you think about when you’re dancing?”

“Depends on who I’m dancing with.”

The music drifted off into silence. He whispered near her ear, “Try and slip away after the next dance, and I’ll tell you what I was thinking about that night in the barn.”

Paul stepped up. “I believe it’s customary for the bride to dance with the best man, but I’m afraid Aaron’s having no part of dancing, so I’ve graciously offered to fill in for him. You don’t mind, do you, Jesse?”

“Nope, it’ll give me a chance to dance with my sister.” He squeezed Maddie’s hand. “Don’t forget.” He eased his way through the crowd until he located Cassie, took her hand, and led her to the center of the room.

“You’re angry with me,” she said.

“Nope. I was, but I’m not anymore.”

“Good. This is how weddings should be: family and friends celebrating a new beginning. It’s the way Charles wanted it.”

“God, I miss him, Cassie.”

“But there’s so much of him here, Jesse. You can’t turn around without being reminded of him.”

They waltzed across the floor until the lyrical melody came to ah end. Jesse brought her fingers to his lips and kissed her fingertips. “Never danced with my sister before. Thank you.”

He bumped into her as someone bumped into him. He looked into Aaron’s beaming face as he cradled a black and white spotted puppy against his chest.

“Look, Uncle Jesse. Billy’s got some more puppies. He wants to give us this one as a wedding present! Will you let him?”

Jesse studied the youthful face, a face so similar to one he’d cherished as a child, missed as an adolescent. He heaved a sigh of resignation that made Aaron’s smile increase. “I reckon. What are you going to name him? Rancher?”

“Heck fire, no! I’m gonna call her Princess!”

“Her? Aaron, wait!” Jesse called out as the boy dashed away and disappeared beyond the open doors. He looked at Cassie and discovered her knowing smile was as irritating as the one her husband wore as he stood beside her. “I need some fresh air.”

He stalked through the house and stepped onto the back porch, breathing deeply of the outside air, relishing the distant scent of forget-me-not.

Maddie turned around and leaned against the beam. “I was afraid you weren’t coming.”

“I got waylaid. Appears we’ve got another dog. Her name’s Princess.”

She smiled. “That should make Ranger happy.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

She tugged on the lapel of his jacket. “I think you’re trying to change the subject, but talking about dogs isn’t going to work. What were you thinking about when we were dancing in the barn?”

He braced his strong hands on either side of her delicate face, threading his fingers through her glorious hair, his eyes delving deeply into hers. “How much I wished you were mine.”

He kissed her then as he’d never kissed her before: with the unequivocal knowledge that he could give to her all he had to give, ask of her all that she wanted to share. They were no longer thieves, stealing glances, craving touches, harboring forbidden feelings.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he lowered his hands to the small of her back, pressing her body against the length of his, kissing her deeply, savoring that to which he now had absolute rights.

In the distance, he heard a horn blast. “That’ll be the stagecoach,” he whispered, his lips hovering above hers.

“I need to get the children ready,” she said quietly.

He nodded imperceptibly before pressing his lips to hers. She slid her fingers into his hair, sighed, and lifted her mouth from his. “We’ll have overnight guests if we’re not careful.”

“Enough said.” He brushed his lips over hers. “You get the children ready. I have some things I need to see to.”

He released her and stepped off the porch. Watching his long legs take him out of sight, Maddie felt the joy swell within her. “Thank you, Charles,” she whispered. “Thank you for all the gifts you’ve given me this day.”

Maddie waved until she could no longer see small arms fluttering outside the windows, until the stagecoach disappeared through the cloud of dust and the dust settled to the ground, leaving nothing but the dimming twilight behind.

She squeezed back her tears as Jesse drew her against his sturdy chest.

“They’ll be fine,” he said, and she felt the deep rumble of his chest.

“I know. It’s just that I miss them already.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to do something to keep your mind off their absence.”

Anticipation coursed through her as he buried first his hands, then his face in her honeyed tresses. He released a ragged sigh. “Did Charles tell you about the accident he had with the horse in the stall?”

She nodded, grateful that Charles had told Jesse of his impotence. She’d worried that her new husband would think she was more experienced than she was.

“I was there when it happened. Stallion broke two of his ribs.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “That’s all he did.” Slowly, he turned her to face him and stroked her chin with his thumbs. “Texas Rangers aren’t the only ones who lie.”

“Why?” she whispered as the importance of his statement became clear.

“Because he wanted your first time with a man to be with a man you love. His gift to you for all the gifts you gave to him.”

Kissing her tenderly, he tasted the salt of her tears. “Will your first time be with a man you love, Maddie?”

Giving him a tremulous smile, she nodded.

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, he held her tender gaze with his own. “Tell me,” he pleaded softly.

“I love you, Jesse.”

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted, how much I’ve wanted to hear you say that?” Bending, he slipped an arm beneath her knees and lifted her into his arms. “I intend to make sure Charles’s gift to you is the most precious gift you ever receive.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her face against his shoulder as he carried her to the house. He opened the door, walked through, and slammed it shut with his foot.

“Shouldn’t we wait until the sun sets?” she asked as he climbed the stairs.

“Sun’s setting now, and we’ve waited long enough as it is.”

He carried her into the Princess room, set her down on her feet, and quietly closed the door. The curtains were drawn, cloaking the room in shadows. A lamp burned low on the bedside table. A lazy fire danced within the hearth. A hazy mist rose above the water in the wooden tub resting before the fire.

“When did you prepare the bath?” Maddie asked quietly.

“Paul took care of it for me.” “I think you do like him.”

“He has his moments.” He stepped behind her. Capturing her hair, he draped it over one shoulder. He undid several buttons until the high collar of the gown revealed her slender neck. He kissed her nape, then the sensitive spot behind her ear. “I’ve thought about giving you a bath since the first night I hauled the water up for you.”

She felt his fingers travel the length of her spine, undoing the remaining buttons as they went. She closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his hands as they glided over her body, removing her clothes until they were nothing more than a silken pool beside her feet. His clothes quickly joined hers. He carried her to the tub and lowered her into the water, leaving her hair to cascade over the edge of the tub as though it were a waterfall.

She sank into the warm water and the scent of forget-me-nots wafted around her.

Sitting back on his heels, he traced his finger along the curve of her breast where the water gently lapped. The silkiness of the water offset the roughness of his finger to create a harmonious shiver along her flesh. She felt her nipples pucker as his hand dipped beneath the water to cup the underside of her breast.

She threaded her damp fingers through the thick mat covering his chest. “I wanted to do this the day you lifted me down from the stagecoach.”

“I wanted to do this every time I drew you a bath.” He lifted his palm and sprinkled the water over her shoulders, watching the water trail down, leaving beads of moisture behind.

“When did Charles tell you about his gift to me?” Maddie asked softly.

Jesse met her amber gaze. “The afternoon we flew the kites.”

“So, all these months—”

“I thought my brother was already in heaven.”

She cupped his face, drawing him near. “You were willing for him to have so much.”

“Everything I wanted.”

She nuzzled her face against his neck. “The night we spent by the campfire … before that, I’d never seen a man …”

He brought her away so her face was no longer hidden. Her cheeks were bright with embarrassment, and he loved her for it. He arched a brow. “Never?”

Slowly, she moved her head from side to side, her eyes focused on his. “I suppose I should have felt shy.” She allowed her gaze to follow the contours of his body. An appreciative smile eased onto her face as her gaze returned to his eyes. “But I thought you were magnificent, and it felt so right to look at you and touch you.” She ran her hand along his chest. “It’s always felt comforting to have you near.”

He skimmed his hand along the curves he had memorized by the campfire. “I’m going to touch all of you tonight, Maddie.” He glided his hand along her hip. “But not in the tub.”

Giving her a tender smile, he stood. He reached for the towel warming in front of the fire. She smiled as the shadows played over his bronzed flesh.

He tossed the towel on the bed, then slipped his arms beneath her and lifted her from the water. He laid her on the bed and slowly used the towel to dry her arms. He twisted around and began to dry her legs. She traced her finger along the scar on his back. Then he threw the towel aside.

“I’m still wet.”

“I know,” he said as he stretched out beside her. “But whenever I’d walk to the creek, this is what I’d think about.”

Maddie was cool where the water glistened upon her body. He dipped his face between her breasts, and she felt the warmth of his mouth as he lapped up the droplets. Burying her fingers in his hair, she moaned softly, growing warmer as he trailed his mouth over her flesh, sipping of her.

He lifted his eyes to hers. “Ah, Whiskey, you’re so sweet.” He kissed her slowly, savoring the feel of her mouth mating with his, plundering that to which he now had an absolute right.

Maddie ran her foot up his calf, then down, reaching until her toes touched the top of his foot. She glided her hands down his back, over his body, reciting the poem she’d memorized so well that night by the campfire. Tonight, the poem would end differently. Tonight, she would explore that which she hadn’t dared to explore before.

She slipped her hands between their bodies and wrapped her fingers around him. He growled deep within his chest and deepened the kiss. Responding as she had so often in her dreams, she took what he offered and demanded more. She stroked him, marveling at the velvety smoothness. He tore his mouth from hers and trailed his lips along her throat.

“Ah, Whiskey.” He blazed a trail downward, exploring the peaks, then descending to the valleys, tasting, teasing, caressing with an infinite tenderness. He left nothing unexplored, and she reveled in his exploration, discovering a beauty of sensations unleashed by his touch.

Beside the campfire, he had been tethered, touching her in ways that created a warmth, but now he touched her in ways that created a need, a need to know how the poem would end. “Oh, Jesse!”

He lifted his face from the valley between her thighs and moved up, lowering his mouth to hers. She kissed him deeply with a yearning that rivaled his own. He hoisted himself above her. Instinctively, she lifted her hips to receive him, and he plunged into her sweet depths.

She released a small cry, and he froze.

“Oh, God. I hurt you.”

She shook her head. “Only a little.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, his voice ragged. “I’m so sorry, Maddie. I wasn’t thinking.” He eased down to his elbows and grazed his knuckles along her cheek. “I’ve never had a virgin.”

She smiled, the teasing smile he loved, and asked, “Is this your first time, too?”

“It’s my first time with a woman I love.”

Tears gathered in her eyes.

“I love you, Whiskey.”

Plowing her fingers through his hair, she pressed him down and brought his lips to hers. Their tongues danced a slow waltz to a melody created by their hearts. Slowly, their bodies began to follow the same rhythm. He eased out of her.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered as she pressed her hands to his hips.

He smiled. “I’ll come back.” He eased his way back. “Did that hurt?” “No.”

His motions continued, slow and easy, like the ocean lapping upon the shore. When she failed to flinch, his movements intensified. When she smiled, he released all the passion he’d been holding back.

Maddie felt the full power of this man as his thrusts carried her to new heights. She fell into the obsidian depths of his eyes, feeling the sensations increase in intensity, almost beyond bearing. She closed her eyes.

“Don’t close your eyes,” he ordered through labored breaths.

She opened her eyes, holding his, as he carried her farther from shore. She gasped as a wave of sensations hit her, followed rapidly by another. Then the final wave rolled over her, but instead of taking her under, it lifted her to new heights'. She cried out, clinging to him as his body shuddered repeatedly with his final thrusts, his low moans creating the perfect final verse.

For long moments, replete, they did little more than gaze at each other. Then he smiled at her. Her face was relaxed and totally at peace. Her mouth curved up in a small semblance of a smile. “What are you thinking?” he asked.

She sighed softly. “I was thinking about Charles.”

“That’s what a man wants to hear after he’s just made love to a woman. That she’s thinking about another man.”

He dropped a quick kiss onto her lips and made a motion to move off her. She cupped his face, halting his movements. “Don’t move away. I was just thinking what an incredibly beautiful gift Charles gave me.” Lovingly, she trailed her fingers over his face. “I can’t even begin to imagine what it would feel like to have another man’s body nestled within mine without love surrounding us. If I’d known it was supposed to be this beautiful … I never would have walked into Bev’s.”

He buried his face in her hair. “Ah, Whiskey.”

“I didn’t know it was supposed to be like this, Jesse.”

“Neither did I,” he replied raggedly.

“Didn’t you?” she asked incredulously.

Taking her hand, he pressed her palm against his pounding heart. “What I feel here, I’ve never felt before, not for anyone. You’re the finest gift I’ve ever received.”

With tears in her eyes, she whispered hoarsely, “I want to make you happy.”

“You already have,” he said just before he lowered his mouth to hers.

Charles had slept with his arm draped over Maddie’s stomach. Jesse slept with his body draped over hers. She awoke with the certain knowledge that she was indeed sleeping with a virile man. She stretched her toes until she could rub them across the top of his foot. She smiled. It felt much nicer when she was snuggled beneath him in bed and not dangling from a tree branch.

He shifted his body, and she used the opportunity to roll toward the edge of the bed. His arm snared her and dragged her back beneath him. She studied his face. His eyes were closed and his face was completely relaxed. “Jesse?”

He moved not one muscle. She blew a soft breeze beneath his chin. His nose twitched. She kissed the center of his chest and heard a gentle purring in his throat. She waited, and he began to snore softly. “Jesse?”

When he didn’t respond, she began to ease out from beneath him as though she was a caterpillar moving sideways. She thought of Aaron and wondered how he was enjoying his adventure. Everything seemed so quiet without the children around. As she sat up, Jesse’s arm snaked out and pulled her back.

“Where are you going?” he asked, his voice thick from sleep.

She shifted so she could face him and threaded her fingers through the hairs on his chest. “Thought I’d get you some coffee.”

One corner of his mouth tipped up. “Don’t you think I’ll be in a good mood today?”

“Oh, I plan to keep you in a good mood, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to start your day off right.”

He shook his head as his eyes darkened. “I’m changing my habits. I’m not starting the day with coffee anymore. I’m starting it with Whiskey.”

His mouth swooped down to capture hers, and she was the one who purred. Wrapping her arms around him, she felt his muscles undulate as he nestled between her thighs. He entered her slowly and moved lazily against her. She squeezed her thighs, and he groaned, deepening his thrusts.

He kissed the tip of her nose, she kissed his chin. He kissed the sensitive spot below her ear, she kissed his throat, following his Adam’s apple as it slid up and down. He kissed her shoulder, she kissed his. Then he raised up, and the lazy movements melted into a frenzy of thrusts. Maddie eagerly greeted his thrusts until she shuddered beneath him, until he shuddered above her.

He dropped to his elbows, his breathing labored. She ran her hands along his damp back, knowing now why she found sweat so appealing on this man. He smiled down on her. “Good morning.”

She returned his smile. “Good morning.”

He rolled to his side, bringing her with him. “I may never drink coffee again.”

She laughed and snuggled against him. The fire had died away long ago, but they’d never bothered to dim the lamp. It still shone on them. Maddie popped up and looked toward the window. Jesse’s hold on her tightened.

“Let me up for a minute,” she said.

“Where are you going?”

“I want to see something.”

His arm came away from her. She slid out of bed, padded on bare feet to the window, and pulled the curtain aside. He raised up on an elbow and enjoyed the splendid view of her backside. Then he enjoyed watching her rush back to the bed and slip beneath the covers.

“The sun’s not up yet,” she said as she snuggled against him for warmth. “I want to go look at your dream as the sun comes up.”