Longwalker's Child

by Debra Webb

  Forcing her attention back to the flower bed, Lauren turned the rich soil with a vengeance. With a plentiful supply of bread, cookies and muffins on hand, there had been no excuse to bake today. But she could prepare for spring planting. Thankfully, Gray had been gone all day. Lauren's hands stilled in their work. She closed her eyes and relived the overpowering sensations that accompanied his kisses, his every touch. He had made the decision to go last night. Had it been up to her, he would have stayed. Lauren released a long, slow breath.

  Gray Longwalker was not at all what she had expected. Sharon had led her to believe that there was no goodness in him whatsoever. But that was far from the truth. She wondered briefly why Sharon would have lied so vehemently. Perhaps it was the hurt of knowing he had left her behind and never came back. But why punish Sarah? Especially when her death had been imminent. Gray was most likely wondering the same thing, but he never once said anything negative regarding Sharon.

  He was immensely patient with Sarah. And the progress he'd made with that old horse was nothing short of amazing. There was something magical in his touch, Lauren was convinced. He could calm her runaway emotions with those skilled hands and silver gray eyes in a completely nonsexual manner. It was a tremendous gift. The fact that he had survived his tragic upbringing and was still able to use that special talent to help others was nothing short of miraculous. Lauren had a great deal of respect for him. The bottom line was…she cared a great deal for the man, in spite of the anger and bitterness he radiated at times.

  Lauren assured herself that her feelings were simply a result of his being Sarah's father. Her love for Sarah had somehow spilled over to him. But it wasn't true. Gray was a good man, an honorable man even, there was no denying that. But he still represented a major threat to Lauren and Sarah and their future together. No matter that he seemed to like Lauren and was definitely attracted to her, he was still determined to walk away with his daughter.

  How many men would have done what he did last night? She'd been prepared to cross the line, but he'd put the brakes on. She knew he wanted her, there'd been no way to hide his desire for her. But he knew it wasn't the right thing to do and he had resisted. Lauren shook her head at her foolish delusions that he might actually fall in love with her and want to stay. Happy endings only happened in fairy tales. And this was no fairy tale. Gray Longwalker wanted his child and he wanted no part of this town. And he trusted no one. He would leave. Lauren had best prepare herself for the fight of her life.

  "Look, Mommy! No hands!"

  Lauren looked up just in time to see Sarah lose her balance and plummet to the ground. Lauren's heart dropped to her stomach. She was at her child's side with no recall of how she had gotten there.

  Sarah cradled her left arm and howled with pain.

  "Okay, sweetie, it's okay." Lauren surveyed her little body for injuries. She hadn't fallen so very far, and she'd landed on her side. No bleeding, no protruding bones.

  "Let me see your arm, baby."

  "No! No! It hurts!"

  Lauren prayed it wasn't broken, but she had a strong feeling that it was. "Let's go see Dr. Bill," Lauren urged softly as she tried to pick Sarah up. Her cries increased with every move. Panic tightened Lauren's chest. She needed help. She needed the phone. But how could she leave her baby lying here?

  The sound of a vehicle arriving jerked Lauren's gaze in that direction. Gray. Thank God.

  He was running across the yard before Lauren could call his name. He knelt on the other side of Sarah.

  "Hey, chickadee, what happened?"

  "She fell out of the tree," Lauren said in a rush. Her heart was pounding so hard now she could hardly breathe.

  "It hurts," Sarah cried, tears flowing down her cheeks.

  Gray glanced at Lauren and she saw the absolute fear in his eyes. "We need to get her to the doctor."

  Lauren nodded. "I tried to move her, but—"

  "Get in the truck. I'll bring her to you."

  Lauren knew he was sending her away so she wouldn't have to see the pain he was going to cause Sarah by moving her. Listening to the cries was enough. Lauren jerked the passenger side door open and flung herself onto the seat. Gray spoke softly to Sarah, the sound of his voice calming her. Lauren watched, bewildered, as he moved slowly toward her. By the time he reached her, Sarah was sobbing quietly.

  She whimpered when he lowered her into Lauren's lap, but she didn't cry out as she had before when Lauren tried to move her. Tears streamed down Lauren's cheeks. She closed her eyes and fought to hold them back.

  "She's going to be fine."

  Lauren met his now-serene gaze, and somehow she knew he was right. As long as he was here, everything would be fine.

  But when he left, Lauren's whole life would fall apart.

  * * *

  LAUREN STOOD in the doorway of Sarah's room and watched as Gray covered the sleeping child. She had a fracture, but it wasn't so bad. The neon-green cast would come off in a few weeks. Pain medication had her sleeping like a baby now. Lauren closed her eyes and relived the heart-wrenching moments at the hospital. She had watched Gray mesmerize his child while the doctor and nurse did what they had to do. He'd kept her calm the entire time while Lauren had stood in the background sobbing silently.

  He had done what Lauren could not. She could never have comforted Sarah the way he had. The two connected on a level that went far beyond the typical. She was his child. There was no way to deny that. No way to make it untrue. Whatever happened in the courts, Lauren would never be able to put the scene she had witnessed today out of her mind. Gray Longwalker loved his child, would take good care of her in every way. Lauren no longer doubted his capability.

  But, God help her, she wanted to pretend it wasn't real. She wanted things to be the way they used to be…before he came into their lives. She wanted her baby back. A sob escaped her and Lauren clamped her hand over her mouth.

  His arms went around her and he pulled her into the protection of his warm body. "Shhh. Sarah's fine," he murmured. He ushered Lauren into the hall far enough to close the bedroom door.

  He brushed the tears from her cheeks and smiled reassuringly. "It's not so bad. She'll be as good as new in a couple of weeks."

  But will she still be mine? Another tear trickled past her lashes.

  Still holding her close, Gray kissed that lone tear away. "There's no need to cry," he murmured against her skin.

  "I should have been watching her more closely. I—"

  "Don't do this to yourself." The fingers of one hand threaded into her hair and pressed her against his chest. "You didn't do anything wrong."

  Lauren relaxed in his protective embrace. The sound of his voice made her want to crawl inside his skin and stay there forever. His bare skin felt hot beneath her cheek where his shirt opened at the throat. His scent made her light-headed. She inhaled deeply, then turned her hungry mouth to that patch of sleek skin. She kissed him, her lips lingering on the smooth flesh. He stilled, save for the thundering of his heart. She kissed the pulse pounding at the base of his throat, then moved up that corded column, her lips tasting, teasing.

  She kissed his chin, then the shallow cleft there. His fingers tightened in her hair, not holding her back, but poised to do just that. The fingers of his right hand were splayed over her back, unmoving. He wanted to resist. Lauren could feel the battle raging inside his tense body.

  "You're upset," he said raggedly. "You don't know what you're doing." He groaned when she touched her lips to his jaw.

  Her hands slid up his sculpted chest, then around his neck. "I know exactly what I'm doing," she murmured. Tiptoeing she tasted his mouth, taking her time to enjoy the fullness of it. She pressed firmly into his arousal and his breath shuddered. He held her back, her face only an inch or so from his. His eyes were fixed on her mouth. Slowly, seductively, Lauren licked her lips. She felt his tension escalate. His restraint was crumbling. Hers was already gone.

  He moved closer, his lips almost touchi
ng hers now. A fierce stab of desire made her breath hitch; his echoed the sound. Then his mouth covered hers. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly. Fire raced through her veins, heating her from the inside out. Her body melded with his, his arms strong around her, and Lauren knew there would be no stopping this time.

  Lauren felt herself being lifted, knew they were moving down the dark hall, but she cared only that he kept touching her with his mouth…with his hands.

  Gray shouldered open her bedroom door, stepped inside and then pushed it shut with one foot. He settled Lauren on her feet next to the bed. The bedside lamp cast a soft glow over and around them. His fingers tugged her shirt from the waistband of her jeans. He stopped kissing her only long enough to pull the shirt over her head. It fell to the floor. One callused palm glided over her rib cage, then to the closure of her bra. It joined her shirt on the floor. Lauren shivered when he knelt and those same hands slowly removed her sandals and jeans. Feeling vulnerable, she quickly crossed her arms over her breasts.

  "Don't be shy, Lauren," he urged softly. "You're beautiful. Let me look at you." His eyes spoke of fierce need, but he made no move to touch her. He waited patiently for her to relax.

  She moistened her lips and shoved aside the second thoughts surfacing in the far corners of her mind. She resisted the urge to tremble as she slowly lowered her arms to her side.

  His beautiful smile and the awe in his eyes shattered the last of her trepidation. Lauren had never been looked at quite like that, as if she were some rare and delicate treasure. Without taking his eyes off hers, Gray unbuttoned, then shrugged out of his shirt. He stood, the heat in his gaze searing straight through to her soul.

  Lauren wanted him as she had never wanted any other man in her life. She wanted to make him feel. She wanted to make him believe…to make him love…her. The realization made her want to weep. How could she have fallen for this man?

  "I want you, Lauren Whitmore." His declaration was blunt, guttural and punctuated by the sound of his lowering zipper.

  Desire shot through her at the primal quality of his voice. "I want you, too," she said, her own voice little more than a whisper. She did want him. Whatever the future held for her, Lauren knew without a doubt that she wanted Gray Longwalker to be her lover. She wanted to give him something no one else ever had, her innocence…her complete trust, if only for the moment. She had never wanted this before, not even with Kevin, not like this.

  Never taking her eyes off his mesmerizing movements, Lauren sat down on the edge of the bed, then eased back onto the mound of pillows. Unable to help herself, she openly admired his undeniably male body. She didn't want to wait anymore. In her heart of hearts Lauren knew that if she didn't seize this moment, it would pass, and something precious would always be missing in her life as a result. All that made her who she was warned her not to make that mistake.

  He toed off his boots, then stripped off his jeans and briefs in one smooth motion. Next he stretched out on the bed beside her. He was beautiful, strong and sleek. His wide hand moved over her abdomen, then down to her bikini panties, evoking tremors in her heated flesh. Without hesitation Lauren lifted her hips for him to push away the final barrier between them. He nudged one knee between her thighs and rested his weight against her. His heavy arousal pressed her with its urgency. Anticipation thrilled through Lauren with the heady feeling of naked male flesh against hers. All thought fled with the first brush of his lips.

  His first touch to her femininity sent sensations so hot, so incredibly wild spiraling through her body that Lauren shuddered and writhed uncontrollably. Gray suckled each breast in turn as he stroked her until she felt ready to explode.

  "Gray, please," she whimpered. She couldn't think, she could only react to the wonderful feelings he awakened in her body. Lauren had no idea how to tell him what she wanted, only that she needed…something.

  He shifted more fully onto her and captured her mouth with his own. His hands slid over her body, both soothing and inciting her frenzy. He parted her lips and teased her tongue, thrusting and retreating repeatedly, inviting her to join the dance. Tentatively, Lauren touched her tongue to his and then followed into his mouth. His unique flavor tantalized her. His tongue stroked against hers, making every part of her body long for all of him.

  Lauren smoothed her hands over his strong back, reveling in the amazing contours of his masculine flesh. His scent, leather and sandalwood, made her crazy with want. Unable to resist any longer, she followed her body's instinct and arched against him. He groaned in response.

  As if sensing her urgency, Gray moved his other leg between hers and pressed his length against her center. Lauren clung to him then, hopelessly lost to new and dizzying sensations.

  Slowly he began to move against her, tantalizing but not penetrating. Fire flamed to life inside her, and the mounting tension twisted tighter. She wanted to scream with need, to beg for something she couldn't name.

  He drew back slightly, then nudged her entrance. Lauren cried out at the feel of him.

  "Look at me, Lauren." It was a command, pure and simple.

  Lauren obeyed, her gaze connecting with his dark, glittering gray one.

  "I want you to remember the man who takes you for the first time."

  Lauren gasped at the first sensation of penetration. By slow degrees he entered her. The stretching, burning pleasure-pain sent shock waves quaking through her entire body. He stopped all too soon, and Lauren made tiny sounds of protest. She struggled to arch into him, to force him deeper, but his strong thighs pinned her to the mattress. His face was taut with restraint.

  "Easy, baby," he murmured, his gray eyes still searing into hers. With slow, sinuous strokes he began to move shallowly inside her. He shivered with his own tenuous grip on control.

  Tighter and tighter the tension coiled at her core. Lauren strained toward release, but Gray would not relent. He continued the slow shallow strokes until colored lights danced before her eyes. Lauren pressed against his spine, wanting, needing him to mate fully with her—to complete his possession. He groaned and defied her attempts to push him over the edge of control.

  The first clutch of climax seized Lauren and she cried out his name. She sucked in a sharp breath as he moved a fraction deeper and her feminine muscles tightened painfully around him. She couldn't wait…she would die if this delightful torture continued.

  His rigid control crumbled as Lauren surged upward and forced him past the thin barrier. Gray uttered an agonized, primal sound. Pain sliced through Lauren, followed immediately by a crashing climax. Her cries of release ignited his fury, and he buried himself fully inside her. Gray held absolutely still while the waves of completion shattered through her, his eyes held that same tenderness she always saw when he looked at Sarah. The depth of need that accompanied that tenderness made her weak. In that instant Lauren knew that she loved him. And she had shown him, in the only way he would understand. A man like Gray Longwalker would never accept pretty words or trust promises. So she had given him the most precious thing that belonged solely to her—her body.

  His eyes frantically searched hers before he took her mouth with abandon. He flexed his hips and sealed their bodies as one, held and then retreated. Gray pressed his forehead against hers and pounded into her with long, solid thrusts. She watched the kaleidoscope of emotions move across his handsome face as climax claimed him with a fierceness that both frightened and fascinated her.

  He groaned, and his heavy body relaxed against hers. Gray brushed his lips over hers and rolled to her side, pulling Lauren close and holding her tightly. She blinked back the tears that threatened, too overwhelmed by her own emotions to speak. Gray stroked her hair, and Lauren sensed that he wanted to say something but was reluctant to begin.

  Long, pensive moments later he broke the silence. "I will always treasure what we just shared," he said softly.

  Lauren closed her eyes and allowed his uncharacteristically sweet words to echo inside her. She could face the con
sequences tomorrow, but tonight she wanted to relish the afterglow of their lovemaking.

  Gray closed his eyes against the emotions raging inside him and held Lauren close to his heart. From the very beginning he had known there was something between them…something that pulled at him like nothing else ever had. He had never known this feeling before, a kind of tenderness that made him want to hold her forever, the emotion almost suffocating with its intensity. And with that came the same kind of protective instincts that Sarah evoked in him…but his feelings for Lauren were infused with raw lust.

  He released a long, ragged breath. Gray had come to Thatcher to claim his child, to give her his name, but he had given her something he had no idea he could…his heart. The first time he held Sarah something moved inside him, and that tiny stir started an emotional chain reaction that culminated in feelings he hadn't known he possessed. Each time he looked into his child's eyes the momentum increased, sending Gray hurtling into previously uncharted territory. He had come here to claim Sarah, but she had claimed his heart.

  And somehow Lauren had made her mark on that territory, as well.

  He pressed a kiss to Lauren's temple. "Sleep," he murmured. "I'll check on Sarah in a little while."

  She nuzzled against his body, and he stirred. Making love to Lauren once would never be enough.

  * * *

  LAUREN PARTED THE BLINDS and peeked out to see who had just parked in her drive. Buck.

  Thank God it wasn't Gray.

  She stepped back from the dining room window and shoved a handful of hair behind her ear. Lauren didn't really feel like company at the moment. But at least if Buck were here when Gray arrived, he'd likely go straight to the bunkhouse without stopping by to see Sarah.

  Memories of last night's lovemaking with Gray rushed through her. How would she ever survive this man? She had awakened this morning to find him gone. He hadn't returned yet, and it was nearing dinnertime. She didn't want to wonder where he was or why he'd left without telling her, but she did. She had muddled through the day with Rosemary acting suspicious and Sarah wanting a drink or something else every five minutes.