GoldLust

by Sky Robinson

  Emma was really going to do this. She was going to let James touch her in the ways only a man could. It was the perfect compromise. She had lived too long, seen death too closely to worry about the unimportant things in life. It was way too late to save her virginity for marriage. She wasn’t looking for marriage anyway. What she needed was simple, James’ thick cock between her legs putting out the fire that threatened to eat her alive if she didn’t do something about it real soon.

  The muscles of James’ arms flexed as he held himself above her, strong and solid. His mouth moved to her breast and she sucked in a sharp breath as his tongue flicked against her nipple. Another jolt shot through her.

  “I need you, James.” She hadn’t meant to say the words. But she did need him, and that scared the hell out of Emma and invigorated her at the same time.

  “Not yet, sweetheart. I’m going to make sure you have to come back for more.”

  James moved his mouth to her other nipple and gave it the same tormenting treatment, circling it with his tongue and then sucking it into his mouth.

  Her moan echoed into the wilderness. It was natural for a woman to want a man to do this to her. All the animals did it out here. She was only doing what nature intended.

  James kissed down her stomach and then let his tongue slide lightly across her nub. Emma’s core quivered with need. Her hips jerked upward, needing more, needing his cock.

  He flicked his tongue against her nub again and again, and her core throbbed and just when she thought she would lose control, he moved up.

  “Please, don’t stop,” she moaned, needing the release that was so close.

  “I like it when you beg,” he said and she didn’t find the need to be offended like she should. There was another need that was much more pressing at this moment.

  James kissed her belly again, and then moved up to position his cock at her entrance.

  “Yes. Ohhhh yes,” she moaned her encouragement and thrust her hips toward him. She needed his cock, needed James.

  He slowly slid his thick rod into her heat and wetness. Her walls clenched around him, every inch torturously slow. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Her hips arched upward, urging him to move faster, needing release.

  James moved in and out another torturously slow stroke and the world started to disappear. The only thing she could focus on was the pleasure, close, about to overtake her body.

  “You’re so damn beautiful.” His words broke through her euphoric haze and in that moment, she realized she was falling in love with James. Hardheaded, conservative James.

  “Fuck me now. Please,” she moaned, needing to forget about love, needing him to take her over the edge, meet her physical needs.

  He did exactly what she asked. His thighs flexed and James pounded his cock into her over and over. And the waves of pleasure screamed through her body.

  “Aaahhhh, James.” Her quim clenched around him, clenching and releasing and repeating.

  He slammed his cock into her again and again, and then groaned and jerked as he released his seed deep inside her.

  James froze for a minute, grinned down at her in that sexy way only he could, and then he rolled off Emma. The absence of his cock left a sudden emptiness inside her that scared the hell out of Emma. It was an emptiness she never wanted to feel, never would have felt if she wouldn’t have opened herself up to James. Even in her pleasure-induced haze she could see that, see the danger.

  Emma couldn’t have this, couldn’t have James on any sort of regular basis. He was too dangerous to her heart.

  James put a blanket over the top of them and pulled her against his naked body, holding her tight, skin against skin sharing warmth.

  It felt so good, so right, but she shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be falling for James, shouldn’t be lying in his arms. Tomorrow she would come up with a plan to rid her system of this need for the man. Tonight she would let herself enjoy him—pretend things were different because being pressed up against him felt too damn good to stop.

  * * * * *

  When tomorrow came, James showed up in Emma’s camp just about sundown.

  So much for her plans to stay away from the man.

  “Let me help you with that.” He grabbed the shovel out of her hands before she had the chance to say no.

  “I don’t need your help.” She said the words out of pride, but the truth was she was tired, ready to quit digging for the day and the fact that he offered to help didn’t hurt a damn thing. Nobody would know, nobody would care.

  Only her pride didn’t see it that way. Her pride wanted to tell him to stop, tell him she could do it on her own. Which she could.

  But watching James dig, move more dirt in a few minutes than she could move in close to an hour, was not only impressive, but also…nice.

  She didn’t have to be against letting him help her or talk to her or touch her. None of it was an actual problem. The only real problem she had was the lack of gold and not knowing how the hell she would survive another winter here if she didn’t find any. Her time with James could be a pleasant break from worrying about that. He could be her pleasant distraction.

  Chapter Eight

  One Month Later

  It was midday when Emma made her way to James’ camp. Early, even for her. She’d somehow been finding her way there every evening, usually just before dark. But today she was discouraged, tired and willing to admit the only thing she really wanted to do out in the Alaskan wilderness was him.

  She should be back at her claim, searching for gold, at least until closer to sundown. There was one big problem with that. Emma had become completely convinced there was no gold.

  It was halfway through the summer and no one who had claims anywhere near hers had found any gold either. Same thing as the summer before, and the summer before that, and she was ready to give up.

  Emma watched James dig in the dirt as she walked closer. Strong muscles worked to move the earth, muscles she knew would feel good under her fingertips again.

  A branch snapped and he stopped his work to turn in her direction.

  “Well, you’re sure a sight for sore eyes.” James’ deep voice growled out the words and a shiver shot down her spine.

  “You say that every day.” He did, and she liked hearing it every time. She liked being appreciated by James way more than she probably should.

  “I mean it every day.” He grabbed Emma around the waist, pulled her against the solid muscle of his body. “You are the best thing that’s happened to me this summer.” James pressed his hot lips to hers. “The only good thing.”

  His words were a little too honest, but the way he kissed her made it all seem to disappear into the background.

  James knew what she wanted, what she needed, and didn’t have any problem giving into his needs. Why should she?

  Because she was a woman, and too sensible for her own good sometimes.

  James wrapped his hand around the back of her head, twisted his fingers in her hair and kissed Emma hard. Tongues tangled, and heat pooled between her legs.

  Even after coming over here every day, her body finding release time and time again, she couldn’t stop the affect he had on her. She couldn’t stop the intense urges that surged through her body every time he touched her.

  Emma wrapped her hands around James’ neck, giving into the pleasure, giving herself to him. Her body knew exactly what it wanted, even when her mind tried to resist.

  “You’re here a little early today.” His grin let her know that he was okay with that fact. Not that he would keep his true emotions hidden. He wasn’t that kind of guy, and she appreciated that about him more than she expected to. It was nice to never have to guess what he was thinking, what he was feeling. James putting it all on the table gave her the freedom to not overthink things.

  “Were you busy?” she asked just to be polite.

  “I’m never too busy for you.” He let one hand wander up her side and across her breast. The m
otion made her nipple go hard instantly.

  “And I look forward to seeing your body in the light of day.” He flicked his thumb across her nipple again and a jolt shot through her.

  The man knew how to touch her just right.

  James moved down to kiss her neck, to the sensitive area he knew she loved to be kissed, and his hands worked to undo and push her pants to the ground. She didn’t fight it, didn’t resist the one thing she truly wanted at this moment in time.

  He quickly slipped her shirt off her shoulders and removed her undergarments so she was standing there completely naked, with just the warmth of the sun on her skin.

  James took a step back, let his eyes drift down her body. It made her feel a little self-conscious, but the way his eyes narrowed, showing his appreciation at seeing her in all her naked glory, made that go away. And it was replaced by pure lust.

  “You, sir, have way too many clothes on.” Emma didn’t know why she called him sir. She didn’t like the power the word gave a man. But calling him that right now didn’t seem to take anything away from her. He only had as much power as she gave him, and he used that power in so many pleasurable ways, she didn’t mind giving it to him.

  “I think you may be right.” He chuckled and worked to undo his pants as Emma tugged his shirt up and over his head until he was standing in front of her in all his naked masculine glory. Muscles over muscles flexed with every movement.

  “I usually am.” She said the words and then cringed. There was one big thing she hadn’t been right about. The gold.

  “There are more important things than being right.” He grabbed her hand and placed it on his cock. She let her fingers run down the thick, veined length of James, let her fingers sink into the coarse hair around his balls and rolled them in her hand the way she knew drove him crazy.

  “What is more important than being right?” She wanted to know where his priorities lay, wanted to know everything about James.

  “Being beautiful.” He kissed her shoulder, nipping at her skin lightly with his teeth. “And smart.”

  James moved his kisses downward, to her breasts, circling one nipple with his tongue and then sucking it into his mouth.

  She shouldn’t like it so much that he thought she was beautiful, shouldn’t care that he liked that she was smart. This was only supposed to be a physical relationship and a friendship, but it felt like so much more than that now.

  “And you’re the strongest goddamn woman I know.” He said the words with a groan as she stroked his cock again, but did he realize the torment they caused her? Did he know that she was falling in love with him? That every time he touched her she fell deeper into this swirling abyss where love and pleasure collided? Did he feel the same way, or still see them as just friends?

  James moved his mouth over to torment her other nipple, circling it and then sucking it solidly into the heat and wetness of his mouth.

  Her quim throbbed for him, needed his cock. Again. Now.

  James moved back up and his mouth ravaged hers, hungry, needy, mirroring everything she felt for him. He pushed her backward as he kissed her until she was pressed against the rough bark of a tree.

  “Turn around,” he commanded.

  Emma did and put her hands against the tree to steady herself.

  “That’s right. You’re probably going to need to hang on.” James wrapped his arms around her so he could grasp a breast in each one. He squeezed the soft flesh and tugged at her nipples until the pleasure and pain were so intermingled she couldn’t tell which was which, couldn’t tell which was causing the wetness to rush to her opening. But it didn’t really matter.

  Emma couldn’t think about what was right or good or smart when he kissed her, when he touched her like this. All she could focus on was the need, just below the surface, and too strong to resist.

  “Mmmmm.” Her moan echoed in the woods around them but she didn’t care. There was no one around to hear.

  James spread her legs, readying her for his cock. He rubbed his length against her ass and she pressed against him, needing more, needing his cock pounding into her hard and fast. Now.

  He placed his cock at her entrance. She was so wet, so ready for him, every inch of skin on her body tingled in anticipation.

  And then he slammed into her in one long stroke, holding his cock deep inside. Every muscle tensed around it.

  He pulled out, leaving her empty for just a second before plunging in hard and fast again.

  Emma adjusted her hands on the tree trunk, held on tight as James slammed into her again and again, his thrusts bringing her higher and higher until she couldn’t focus on anything. The forest around her became one big blur.

  James pinched both her nipples as he thrust into her again.

  It was so intense, too much to take as the pleasure erupted inside her. Her entire body tensed as the waves rolled through her.

  James groaned, slammed into her one more time and held his cock deep inside her as his heat shot into her depths. His hands were still on her breasts, holding each one solidly as his body shook again, emptied itself and then finally relaxed.

  “Touching you, doing this feels so right.” His words were slow, relaxed.

  “Ummhmm.” she agreed, but there was more to consider than what felt right. She needed to consider her future, and as much as her body wanted, James wouldn’t be a part of it. Not for much longer anyway.

  She needed to move on, stop living this dream. There was no gold. There was no reason for her to stay any longer.

  “This friendship thing is working out very well.” His voice showed his contentment with their situation, but her stomach turned.

  He didn’t feel the same way she did. He didn’t need anything more than this and she shouldn’t want anything more from a man like James. She had to stay away from him to keep any sensibility. Her life couldn’t continue like this. Something had to change.

  Chapter Nine

  The next evening Opal and Emma sat in chairs at opposite ends of the living room, each with a book in hand. It was a comfortable situation. An unexpected one too. If someone had told Emma three months ago she’d be sitting and reading in the same room as a prostitute, she would have laughed at them.

  Emma looked up to see Kate bounce through the doorway, a smile beaming from ear to ear.

  “What happened to you?” Kate was such a sweet girl, and Emma was glad to see a smile on her face and a bounce in her step again.

  “Just finished another great day at work.” She grinned and it was obvious that there was something other than just work going on between Kate and Carter, the man who ran the hardware store, but Emma wasn’t going to say anything. Kate would talk about it when she was ready. “I’m just going to freshen up a little bit and then go back to Carter’s house.”

  “Have fun.” Emma said, and meant it. Kate was a sweet girl, and she deserved happiness.

  Several minutes later Kate bounced back down the stairs and out the door.

  Emma and Opal sat alone in the quiet of the house. Not for long though, because Opal’s customers would start coming soon. Emma would retreat into her bedroom and put cotton in her ears to drown out the noise. She didn’t want anything reminding her of James and the pleasure touching him could bring. She couldn’t have that, couldn’t keep him any longer.

  “What are you going to do when the summer ends?” Emma said, not wanting to think about the future, but she couldn’t go on much longer without some sort of plan. She had enough money to either last through the winter or move. She couldn’t deceive herself any longer. The smart thing would be to make a change while the town was still booming, get out while the getting was good.

  “I haven’t really thought about it yet.” Opal marked the page in her book and set it down. “I’ll probably stick around here, got nowhere else I need to be. What about you?”

  Emma thought for a minute, but she knew what she had to do. “I’m going to have to leave. I’ve spent enough time and money on t
his dream. It’s time to let it go.” She could hear the disappointment in her voice even though she tried to hide it.

  Her comment must have piqued Opal’s interest because the woman now sat on the edge of her chair watching Emma. It was obvious a plan was rolling around in that mind of hers.

  “Would you be interested in selling the house? I would love to buy it from you. I’d be willing to pay you whatever the fair market value is.” Opal wrapped a blanket around her legs and grinned. “I’ve never had a place of my own.”

  Selling the house to Opal would make things easier for Emma. She would have enough money for a good start somewhere else, but she hated facing the reality of leaving here. She would miss Alaska, but what else was there to do? Emma had to face the facts. There was no gold on her claim and she was soon going to have one more mouth to feed. She rubbed her belly and glanced out the window.

  There was no definite proof that she was pregnant, no bulging belly and she’d only missed one cycle, but in her bones she knew there was a baby growing in there. She’d read enough about pregnancy to know the signs. The nausea she felt every morning was only another fact to prove she needed to get away from here, go someplace safe to raise her baby.

  “Yes. I’ll sell you the house.” Emma had to go back home, had to move closer to family. She was going to need all the help she could get with the baby.

  She hadn’t told James about being pregnant, but he’d made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t interested in children. “Alaska is no place for those damn little rats.” Rats, he called them. No, she wouldn’t tell him about her situation. He would live his life more peacefully up here if he didn’t know, and she and the baby would be better off without interference from him.

  * * * * *

  Three weeks after agreeing to sell her house to Opal, Emma hiked up the trail back to her claim. She needed to pick up a few of her things. Oh hell, who was she kidding? She wouldn’t need any of her mining stuff ever again. She was going to see James one last time to say goodbye. She should just leave, send him a letter or something, make things easier, but she needed to see him once more before she left. It was the right thing to do.