When they got home and stabled Charlie, Shelby checked on Gadabout, then went into the corral with a lantern and found the lost cattle. All eight of them stood at the trough, eating and drinking, and the sight of them brought stinging tears to her eyes.
"Look how happy they are to be home, where they needn't go hungry like Bart Croll's cattle! Some people might think it's silly for me to care about these poor creatures," she said to Geoff in an emotional voice, "but I don't care. They may not be very bright, but that's all the more reason for us to look out for them and protect them." She stroked the brown and white head of the nearest steer, and he looked over at her and lapped her hand.
From the other side of the corral fence, Geoff reached out and drew off her oversized gray hat, watching as her hair spilled free. "Your eight lost children are home again, safe. Let's go in now."
Cal, Marsh, and Lucius were just filing out of the kitchen, bound for their bunkhouse. "Hope you don't mind that we heated up some stew," Cal said. "Nothin' like danger to give a man an appetite!"
"Yup!" Marsh agreed, then burped and blushed, hanging his head.
"Glad to see that the boss found you okay, Miz Shelby," Cal added. "I hated to leave you there like that."
"Next time, do not," Geoff advised him in astringent tones. "I was nearly overtaken by Croll and his cousin, and Miss Matthews and I made an escape that was precarious at best. Shots were fired. In the future, I would advise you to follow your own instincts rather than allowing my... associate to persuade you to behave otherwise." He smiled then. "However, I must congratulate you fellows for rescuing our cattle and bringing them, as well as Gadabout, home safely."
Cal opened his mouth as if he would speak, but then thought better of it and simply said good night, and the trio shambled off. When Shelby went inside the ranch house, she began to shiver, hugging herself in her coat.
"What's wrong with me?" she wondered, teeth chattering so much that she nearly giggled.
Geoff, having looked in on Manypenny to assure himself that the nearly recuperated old gentleman was fast asleep, returned to wrap his arms around her. "You've had too much excitement, I imagine." The fragrance of her hair aroused him.
"It was exciting, wasn't it?" Shelby was still shaking, but there was a subtle shift in the mood as her body fit itself to Geoff's and his embrace hardened. Her face found its way beyond his open coat, seeking his flannel-clad chest. "This was the sort of night I've always longed for, but because my family are the pillars of Deadwood, I was forced to behave. I thrive on this life, though! I adore the ranch and the animals and the mountains and the river—and Cody! Just breathing on a night like this makes me happy...." And you—I adore you! Shelby thought so loudly, she felt certain he could hear her emotions.
"Might I be so bold as to add one more element to your list?" Geoff murmured with a touch of irony, still holding her close.
Her heart began to pound. "All right..." She felt her face getting hot and was glad he couldn't see.
"What about danger! Wouldn't you agree that you seem to relish being in peril?"
"Maybe," she agreed. "I have never been any good at prudence."
"No." Geoff's voice thickened as longing broke over him like a cloudburst. He'd known it was coming, but hadn't been able to predict the exact moment of impact. "Shelby... I..."
Her arms, encumbered by her thick coat, searched upward to fasten around Geoff's neck, and she turned her face up to his as if searching out the sun.
"Yes." The word was an affirmation rather than a question. A voice from a distant corner of her mind reminded her that this was absolutely outrageous behavior. "Yes."
He pressed her back against the oak icebox and he kissed her with unrestrained passion. No other female had tasted, felt, or responded to him like Shelby, and this was a matter quite beyond common carnality.
Geoff had long ago grown bored with the quest for intensified lust for its own sake. Yet, when Shelby opened her mouth to his hungry kisses, a new vista of complex sensations opened inside him. How perfectly she combined pure desire with—and a chemical reaction that only the two of them, together, seemed capable of creating.
The edges of the real world began to blur, muted by the rapture of their kisses and incendiary caresses. Staring into Geoff's brown eyes, Shelby managed to get out of her coat, and to pull his off as well. Now she was no longer shivering with cold, but hot, her cheeks flushed.
He returned her gaze solemnly. She was accustomed to good-looking men, having a father and brother who constantly turned heads, but Geoff stood alone in her eyes. Sculpted and lean and graceful as a lion, he lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the kitchen.
"Music?" he whispered, his breath warm on her ear, and Shelby nodded, nearly faint with pleasure. Geoff gently laid her on the sofa, lit one lamp, then put on the first record he could find. The gramophone magically produced the tinny strains of "Bring Back My Bonnie to Me," and Shelby dreamily sang along.
"My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my Bonnie lies over the sea..." she warbled while Geoff laughed aloud and pulled off her boots, then his own. He sat beside her and warmed her feet with his strong hands, softly joining in the chorus: "Brinng back! Brinng back! Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me!"
Soon the music died away and they rose together, holding hands, and went into Shelby's big bedroom.
"Manypenny?" she asked as Geoff lit the lamp by her bed.
"Snoring with gusto," he assured her.
Shelby's heart thudded again, but when Geoff turned and opened his arms, all her nerves dissolved. She went to him in her stockinged feet and hopped up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he caught her in his strong embrace. Again their mouths came together, kissing, kissing, gasping for breath, tasting, nibbling, while his hands cupped her buttocks through the trousers she'd worn for the night's adventure.
"Yes..." she heard herself murmur again. It was as if the word was pulled from the depths of her soul. All of her trembled with a fierce need to blend with all of Geoff.
He sat down on the edge of the bed so that Shelby was on his lap and they were bathed in the soft glow of the lamp. Slowly, his long fingers ran through the mass of her cinnamon curls, feeling their glossy texture, then he caressed her face.
"Enchanting," he whispered in husky tones.
She had always been self-conscious about her wide mouth, but when Geoff outlined it with his fingertip and worshiped it with his eyes, she felt sensual, touching his forefinger with her tongue. The aching core inside her grew hotter, more insistent. She found the buttons on his shirt and opened them with surprising ease, drawing a grin from him. When his shirt was open, her hands reached inside to explore the mysterious territory of his male chest. His body felt thrillingly alien to her: hard tapering contours comprised of only muscle and warm, lean flesh. Shelby had never touched a man in this way. She was on fire with not just desire but curiosity as well.
Geoff indulged her, wondering when she'd wander below his waist and discover the real evidence of his maleness. His fingers were tender yet sure as they swept back her hair and drew her closer so that he could softly kiss from her cheekbones down the satiny column of her neck. He slipped loose the buttons of her shirt, then kissed her bared shoulders with feathery softness.
Shelby closed her eyes, drifting, caught in a powerful current of new sensations. She didn't see Geoff blink at the sight of her undergarment. Instead of a boned corset, worn by every woman of fashion he'd undressed in recent memory, Shelby was charmingly clad in a fine-ribbed cotton vest that resembled a child's undershirt, with narrow straps at her shoulders. However, the thin material clung to her beautiful breasts in a manner that was anything but childlike. A harsh groan escaped his lips.
Shelby sank her fingers into his hair as he eased her back onto the pillows of her bed. Through her lashes she saw him above her as if through a mist: the incarnation of her fantasies, smiling at her tenderly, lifting her hand to kiss her palm, her wrist, the sensitive inner side o
f her arm.
"My God, Shelby, you're exquisite."
When Geoff said it, she believed him. He kissed her throat, then cupped her breasts over the soft, ribbed vest. The shivery heat between her legs became a congested ache. Quickly he divested them both of their trousers. Shelby wore only cotton drawers and when he took her in his arms, she felt the exciting evidence of his manhood pressing against her. And she wanted more. She opened her bare thighs, instinctively arching upward so that his hot ridge could separate her puffy nether lips, even through the drawers.
Passion began to overtake Geoff, not just from his own body, but from Shelby's. She was so eager, meeting him kiss for kiss, her hands wandering over him in constant exploration, her arms and legs joining in the shared embrace. Geoff found that he couldn't get enough of her mouth, or the curve of her neck where he could inhale the fragrance of her hair. Her breasts were so warm, pressing against his chest, and finally his lips trailed fire down Shelby's throat. Her nipples were puckered under the thin ribbed cotton, their dark rose hue showing through, and Geoff suckled them through the fabric, the sensation of his warm, wet mouth and cool breath stunningly arousing to Shelby.
"Oh. Oh!" She threw her head back on the pillows, straining against him, throbbing with needs she had never imagined.
That was all Geoff needed to hear, for he had been hovering dangerously near the precipice for many long minutes. Gently, he drew off the rest of her underclothes, then held her close so that they could each savor the feeling of that full-length naked embrace. He kissed her again, smoothing back the hair from her damp brow, and waited for her incandescent smile. Shelby further responded by parting her legs to the slight pressure of his hard-muscled thigh. She found Geoff's long, lithe body to be as amazing as any sculpture she had ever seen in museums or books; she couldn't stop touching him, even in places she'd expected to be shy about. His buttocks were perfectly curved and unyielding as marble.
And he let her eventually find him, although the pleasure of her touch was nearly excruciating, and Shelby guided him into her body, jerking at the first hot stab of pain, but bravely urging him to continue.
So sweet! Geoff thought, closing his eyes against the painful ecstasy of Shelby's snug warmth all around him. Her fingernails dug into his back, her mouth uttered low cries against his throat, her firm, rounded breasts seemed to scorch the surface of his chest. And each thrust was more exquisite than anything he'd ever felt in his life. There was so much he wanted to give to Shelby tonight, but his traitorous male body galloped toward fulfillment—and when it came, in a burning, shattering explosion, Geoff wondered if he could survive.
Primitive sounds seemed to be wrenched from the depths of his soul, and Shelby would never forget them. She clasped his shuddering body to her own, their sweat mingling, their hearts thundering in unison, and understood what it was that had bound her own parents together over the years. It was a bond of fire, the ultimate act of sharing—of intimacy, and of exposure.
Geoff buried his face in her neck and she stroked his hair, murmuring, warm from head to toe with satisfaction.
"Shelby..." he whispered in reverent tones.
"I know." Her eyes stung. She blinked and tasted her own salty tears. "I know."
Chapter 10
"Just what the hell is goin' on here, I'd like to know!"
Dimly, Shelby registered the familiar voice, then felt how sore her muscles were. She was exhausted. Without opening her eyes, she turned toward the wall, seeking to shut out the rude voice, the morning—but instead she was blasted with a windowful of bright sunshine.
A hand whacked her backside. "For Pete's sake, wake up, Shel!"
Where was Geoff? The last time she'd checked, he had been right here in this bed, spooning with her, holding her so tenderly...
"I'm not gonna ask you again, you little hellion!"
When a hand caught the edge of the sheet she had tucked under her chin, Shelby hurtled awake. Good God! It was Uncle Ben—he was real, here in her room—and she was naked! Her eyes opened in terror and she gripped the sheet and quilts with both hands, holding fast to her modesty and her secrets, while hot blood flooded her cheeks. "For heaven's sake—leave me alone! How dare you barge in here like this!"
Benjamin Avery looked chagrined. "Geez, Shel—it's almost ten o'clock in the morning an' the whole house is asleep! After I been gone this long, you can't blame me for wonderin' what in Sam Hill is goin' on in my own house!"
Her guilty blush deepened as Ben held up two coats in one hand, then mismatched boots with the other. "I—Well..."
"I come in the house and I find these coats on the kitchen floor, then these boots in front of the sofa, and a kerchief lyin' in between! When there's clothes all over the house and nobody around or answerin' my call, I began to think maybe you'd all been murdered!"
Shelby wanted to crawl under the covers and hide. "Where is Geoff?" she inquired in a tiny voice.
"Sawin' logs, when I checked. And I'm not talkin' about the kind that we burn in the fireplace." Ben shook his head disapprovingly. "Mr. Manypenny's sittin' up in bed reading Collier's and waiting for somebody to bring him breakfast. Told me he's been sick! Geez, Shel, that wonderful gentleman coulda died by the time you hauled your spoiled little rear out of bed and—"
"That's about enough from you!" she cried, rallying. "I didn't mean to sleep so late, and I'm certain neither did Geoff, but the fact is that we're both tired after a night of successfully rustling our own cattle back from Bart Croll's ranch!" It pleased her to watch Ben's eyes grow big as he took in this news. "As for Mr. Manypenny, he's doing quite well now, and if he truly wanted or needed something, I'm confident he could get it unaided." She drew herself up with dignity. "Now then, if you'll allow me some privacy, I shall dress and join you. I'm very anxious to see Titus—and Jimmy—and hear all about your trip! Was it wonderful?"
He shrugged, chastened. "Yeah, I guess. Not the word I woulda picked, but sure, it fits. Sorta like the word 'duchess' seems to fit you these days...." Backing out the door with a victorious grin, Ben felt generous. "I s'pose I could make some coffee while you get dressed, Your Grace."
"I'd really appreciate that, dear Uncle Ben." Shelby willed herself to ignore his gibes, favoring him instead with her most winning smile, which she held in place until the door had closed behind him. Then she went limp, nearly overcome with the new realities of her life. Even Ben Avery, who thought her quite capable of almost any wild act, would not suspect that she was naked under the covers and had spent most of the night in the splendid embrace of an equally naked Geoffrey Weston.
She colored anew at the thought.
Shelby longed for a hot bath, but instead she slipped into a navy-blue skirt and fresh white shirtwaist with a high collar. Standing in front of her mirror and brushing her hair, she gazed at her reflection and alternated memories of Geoff's touch with a search for visible signs of the changes she had undergone overnight. Surely, now that she was privy to the secrets of womanhood, she must look different....
It was so difficult to come back down to earth, and Shelby scarcely knew how to react when she emerged from her bedroom to find Manypenny shuffling into the main room of the house. The elderly manservant was impeccably clad in dark, faintly striped trousers, a white shirt, gray silk vest, and a striped tie. He even wore shoes, although they weren't tied very well, and his efforts at barbering himself had been less than successful.
Shelby rushed to his side, touched by his dignity. "Mr. Manypenny, how handsome you look!" She slipped a hand through his arm and felt him lean against her as they walked toward the kitchen. "Are you sure you're well enough to be up and around? You know, your strength won't return all at once. What does Geoff say? I hope you let him help you get dressed."
"If I may be so bold, Miss Matthews, I would offer the opinion that his lor—ahem! Rather I should say Mr. Weston—is currently behaving with a deplorable lack of discipline." He shook his big head to indicate just how deeply in disgrace Geo
ff was. "I believe he has only just decided that the morning is sufficiently well-aired to merit his attention."
Shelby laughed at Manypenny's starched wit. "I've been very lazy myself, sir. Last night we had to rescue our cattle from the neighboring ranch, and I think we're both very tired this morning."
"I daresay." Each syllable was so weighted with irony that Shelby reddened, wondering if he knew more than she and Geoff had imagined. She was spared a reply, however, by the sight of Titus Pym, who was pouring himself a cup of coffee and watching her with a twinkle in his eyes. When Manypenny spied the Cornishman, he reached for a chair back and said, "There is your friend, Miss Matthews. Go and greet him; you must not give me a thought."
Shelby helped him into a chair, then rushed to embrace Titus, surprised by the tide of affection that broke inside her. "Oh, Mr. Pym, I've missed you. It seems that you three have been gone an eternity!"
Surprised by the tenacity of her hug, the little man drew back and scanned her face. "Are you all right, my dear? I don't mind telling you that I had second thoughts while we were away, for your parents entrusted you to my care, and, well..." He tossed a meaningful glance at Mr. Manypenny, who was reading the newspaper the men had brought from town. Titus finished in a conspiratorial whisper, "We don't really know these folk very well, now do we? Have they been kind to you?"
"Yes—of course! And you know that I'm much too bossy to allow anyone to run roughshod over me." Shelby released him then and began pulling out pans. "I know it's after ten o'clock, but I imagine everyone could use a nice late breakfast, like the kind we used to have on Sundays after church. Pancakes and eggs and bacon—wouldn't that taste delicious?" She realized that she must appear over-animated, but couldn't seem to stop herself. While cracking eggs, sifting flour, and slicing bacon, Shelby explained to Titus how ill Manypenny had been, then went on to effectively dramatize the spring blizzard, the discovery of the lost cattle, the journey she and Geoff had made to Cody to report to the marshal, and the purchase of the gramophone. She was flipping pancakes, and the bacon and eggs were sizzling, when the back door opened and men filed into the house.
Wildblossom Page 13