Chapter1

by Ribbon of Rain

  A familiar ‘it’s too good to be true’ feeling came over her, but she shook it off. The time had come to risk her heart and have faith all would be well.

  His finger traced the line of her cheekbone and jaw. “When’s the baby due? We’ll have to leave a few months before.”

  “I know a midwife. I’m planning to ask her to come here to deliver the baby.”

  He frowned. “I’d be more comfortable if you gave birth in a hospital, but if you insist on having the baby here, I’ll be the midwife.”

  “You?” She’d have been less surprised if he told her he had a secret life as a ballet dancer.

  “Yes, me,” he replied, a definite twinkle in his eyes. “A few years ago, I delivered a woman’s baby in an alley. She’d been robbed and went into premature labor. The ambulance didn’t get there in time. So, as long as the doctor gives us a thumbs up, our child will be born here.”

  “You’re full of surprises.”

  “Imagine all the fun we’re going to have discovering each other.” He wound his hand into her hair and tugged her against his hard body.

  They knelt on the rug facing each other. Kat boldly trailed kisses from his shoulder down to his taut stomach. Leaning back, she grasped the hem of her T-shirt, her eyes never leaving his face as she peeled it over her heat. The hunger burning in his eyes brought a surge of wetness to the apex of her thighs.

  Jude leaned forward and ran his tongue over her nipples.

  Eyes squeezed shut, she basked in the pleasure of his thumbs gently rolling her nipples into hard nubs. “I want you,” she moaned.

  “I’m yours,” he whispered, pressing her to the rug. His mouth replaced his fingers and Kat’s body arched off the floor. His roving tongue nearly brought her to climax.

  Jude’s fingers fumbled at the zipper of her jeans, so she braced her feet on the floor and lifted her hips so he could slide them down her legs. As the cool air hit her nakedness, her fingers worked frantically at his belt buckle.

  “Slow down.” His breath was hot and moist on her neck.

  Slow down? He wanted her to slow down? A tingling low in her belly made her dizzy. The only thing on her mind was scratching the itch of sexual current that zinged through her nerve endings. “As soon as your clothes are sharing floor space with mine.”

  She felt his lips curve into a smile against her skin.

  “You’re bossy.”

  Kat lay on the braided rug and feasted her eyes on the length of his body when he stood and removed his clothes. Perfect. Just as she remembered. Broad shoulders tapered to a slim waist, continuing down to long, muscular…the trail dead-ended at his rock hard erection. Her mouth went dry.

  She lifted her arms. “Come back here.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Kat’s plan to torment Jude went awry when he knelt between her legs. Grasping her hips, he brought her butt into his thighs. Faster than her mind could process his actions, his mouth kissed the insides of her thighs. A deep moan escaped her. When his hand tangled in the triangle of curls where her thighs came together, her body went rigid. A finger slid between her folds of skin and slipped into her wet opening. More moisture flooded his fingers.

  “You’re beautiful.” Both his hands slid under her rear, and lifted her to his mouth. Her eyelids sprang open as his lips zeroed in on their target. Pleasure like she’d never imagined shot through her. God. A magic tongue.

  She gripped handfuls of his hair and hung on as her body spasmed.

  *****

  A hot tide of passion raged through Jude’s blood. He lowered Kat’s hips to the floor. Her release threatened to peak his own. His senses spun out of control at the scent of this woman…his woman. Her sweetness lingered on his tongue. Breathing like a runaway freight train, his body collapsed over hers.

  “Jude?” She stirred under him, causing a sweet stab of pain in his groin. His hardness twitched between her thighs. She blinked a few times before those green eyes looked into his eyes. He almost crumbled at the love and satisfaction he saw there.

  “I’m right here,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck. “This time I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I need you inside of me.”

  He rested his elbows on the floor and smiled.

  Her legs wrapped around his waist and his erection found her opening like a homing pigeon. Raw need took command and he pushed into her warmth, yielding to his searing desire for this woman. Kat’s passionate response so soon after her recent shattering release stunned him.

  What he’d intended to be a slow teasing interlude turned into a wild dance. Pushed over the edge by her whispered needs, his body exploded.

  Jude slowly floated back to reality still deeply embedded inside Kat’s warmth. For long moments he didn’t move, enjoying her contractions gently squeezing his penis. He had to be the luckiest man in the world.

  Eventually, he rolled away from her about to suggest they move to the bedroom. Kat was asleep. Smiling, he tucked her spoon-style into his body.

  *****

  An old woman approached the couple entwined on the floor. Sweetgrass Mendon stood over them, a smile on her wrinkled face. She knelt beside her granddaughter and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Goodbye, my little Marunga. Be happy.”

  Sweetgrass’s smile widened when Kat snuggled closer to the man next to her. “You’ve chosen well, my little Rainbow. We’ll meet again someday, but not, I hope, for a very long time.”

  Epilogue

  The day dawned crisp, a slight coating of frost on the ground. Red frolicked in the water. Vapor escaped Jude’s mouth like smoke from a locomotive. “Man, Kat. When does winter end here? It’s the end of May for God’s sake. By my calculations, this part of the country has two months out of the year without frost.”

  Kat laughed. “It’ll warm up when the sun climbs higher.” She stopped and faced him. You’ve seen a winter first hand. Are you sure you still want to live here the entire year?”

  He reached out and curled a silky piece of her hair around his finger. “I’m looking forward to it.” His fingers trailed down Kat’s cheek to cup the baby’s head, which was covered with black curls. Mary Sweetgrass Callahan’s head barely reached the top of the baby sling Kat wore.

  “I love you, Kat. Have I thanked you yet today for this beautiful little girl? When she gets older, we’ll have to live elsewhere during the school year, but until then I want her to grow up here.”

  Kat laughed and stood on tiptoe to brush her lips across his cheek. “Hmmm…sounds good. Do you know how much I love you?”

  A low-throated ‘croak’ from above drew her attention. A lone raven glided over the mist-covered water. “Grandmother,” she whispered.

  “What?” Jude squeezed her arm. “She’s here?”

  Kat pointed at the huge black bird over the lake.

  Jude looked up in time to see the raven perform a triple roll, like a fighter jet. “I’ll be damned.”

  A second raven joined the first, and they flew in tandem toward the west.

  THE END