Nan Ryan (45 page)
Authors: Silken Bondage
His hand gently cupped the crown of her dark head. He said, “Sweetheart, what is it?”
She tightened her hold on his ribs. “Johnny it’s … broad daylight.”
“I know it is, angel. Does it matter?”
She took a quick breath. “It just seems … decadent to make love in—”
“Ah, baby, baby!” He chuckled and pressed her closer. “You’ll find that making love in broad daylight is natural and enjoyable.”
“Mm?” she murmured, unconvinced. “I don’t know.”
Johnny kissed the top of her head. “No matter then, sweetheart. We’ll simply wait for night.”
Nevada lifted her head and smiled at him. “You don’t mind?”
“Not at all,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “We have the rest of our lives.” Johnny kissed her. Then he kissed her again. And once more. His kisses grew hotter, longer, and Nevada clung to him and sighed and felt a lovely warmth spreading through her body.
And while the
Eastern Queen
slowly steamed down the muddy Mississippi in the hot morning sunshine, Johnny lovingly undressed his bride in the privacy of their luxurious stateroom. Nevada never put on the lovely white peignoir. She lay naked in the sunny bed with her husband and sipped champagne and touched and kissed and played and realized that Johnny was right; making love in broad daylight was quite natural and very enjoyable.
And when Johnny rolled onto his back and lifted her astride him, Nevada welcomed the warm, glorious sunlight that filtered in through the sheer white curtains. It allowed her to clearly see the expression on her husband’s handsome face as she raised up on her knees, wrapped loving hands around his pulsing erection and guided him into her.
“Ah, sweetheart!” he said as his lean brown hands went to her hips and she sank down onto him. They made sweet, slow, satisfying love while the bright summer sun hid nothing of their close intimacy.
It was glorious!
So glorious that before the hot sun finally set they made love several more times—and not always on the bed. After lunch had been rolled into the suite, they ate a few bites, then made love seated there at the damask-draped table. At midafternoon they wetly mated in the huge marble bathtub. And as the last blood-red rays of the lowering sun bathed their bare, sweat-slippery bodies with a pink warm light, they made love stretched out on the plush carpet at the foot of the bed.
Stretching now and smiling, Nevada thought they must surely be the most decadent couple who ever drifted downriver. And the happiest. They had not been out of their stateroom since their wedding four days ago. Downright shameful!
She yawned sleepily and closed her eyes.
And heard a voice beyond the porthole, declaring they would be passing Memphis in half an hour. Her eyes came open. She smiled. And touched her sleeping husband’s chest.
“Johnny.” No response. “Johnny, darling, wake up.” Nothing. She raised herself up on an elbow. “Johnny.” She tickled his chest, leaned over and kissed him, teasing at his lips with her tongue and teeth.
Slowly he came awake. His hand came off the pillow and went into her dark, tousled hair and his mouth opened beneath hers. She raised up, smiled, and said, “If I ask a foolish favor, would you grant it?”
He inhaled, raking his fingers through her long silken hair. “If you want me to make love to you, I’m not sure I’m capable right this minute.”
She laughed and kissed him. “Not that. I’d like to go out on deck.”
“Like this?”
She gave him a teasing jab. “No, not like this. I want to get dressed and go out for a few minutes. Can we?”
“Mm.” He yawned lazily. “Mrs. Roulette, my sweet, I’d be honored to accompany you on a midnight stroll.”
They laughed and played as they hurriedly bathed and dressed. Out in the moonlight, at the boat’s white gingerbread railing, they watched the lights of Memphis, Tennessee, come up.
Nevada stood clutching the railing, her eager eyes searching expectantly. Johnny stood just behind, his arms around her waist, his chin resting tightly atop her head. Smiting, he knew exactly what his bride was searching for.
They spotted it at the same time.
The old
Moonlight Gambler
, its tights ablaze, music wafting out from its many portholes, moored at its permanent berth on the Memphis levee. Nevada smiled with delight as she looked at the bobbing, blinking craft where first she’d seen her husband.
Were the girls still there? Lilly and Julia and Belle and Betsy. Probably so. Recalling with childish joy that evening aboard the
Moonlight Gambler
, Nevada turned in her husband’s arms, looked up at him, and laughingly repeated the girls’ excited words.
“Johnny Roulette’s back in town!”
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1989 by Nan Ryan
Cover design by Connie Gabbert
This edition published in 2012 by Open Road Integrated Media
180 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014
FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA
