Payton's Woman

by Marilyn Yarbrough

  He turned his attention back to the heavens. “Look, there’s another meteor shooting across the sky. There should be one every minute, maybe more.”

  She glanced at the night sky, but after a moment, her gaze returned to Payton. What she saw was the most marvelous thing she’d ever seen. Starlight glimmered on his face. His eyes twinkled. His mouth beckoned. His tongue darted out to wet his lips. Moisture clung there and glistened in the soft light.

  She rolled her body to him. “If they’re not really shooting stars, do I still get to make a wish?”

  He chuckled. “Go right ahead. But odds are, meteors aren’t any more reliable than stars when it comes to making wishes come true.”

  “It’s not the stars that can grant my wish. You’re the only one who can do that.” She nibbled on her lip while wondering if she should say her thoughts out loud. “Do you want to know what I wished for?”

  Payton turned his head and gazed at her. She had a pensive look on her face. She seemed worried. He guessed her wish would be that he’d go away, since that was what she continually asked of him. That wasn’t the request he wanted to hear from her lips tonight. He only wanted to enjoy the evening with her. “I thought wishes didn’t come true if you say them out loud.”

  Her blonde eyebrows glowed in the soft light. He watched them crinkle.

  “Then I guess I’ll just have to show you instead of tell you.” Pushing up onto one elbow, she leaned over him. Her lips almost touched his mouth when he pushed against her shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” he asked even though he already knew.

  “I wanted to kiss you.”

  His gaze moved to her lips. Memories of their kisses always lingered at the edge of his mind. The thought of her lips pressed against his, her bare hand upon his naked chest burned like a fever in his mind. His blood heated. His body stiffened. He let out a groan. He wanted her. He needed her. His body ached for her.

  He pulled her to him. When her mouth hovered near his, he held her there. “Do you remember what happened the last time we kissed?”

  She shrugged, as if unconcerned with what could happen next.

  Perhaps she didn’t remember how quickly their kisses had burned out of control. But he did—far too vividly. They had been on the terrace. What had started as a simple kiss had rapidly progressed to a passionate embrace. Their desire for each other had gained in magnitude until they’d both been breathless. Their hunger had spiraled out of control and overridden their good sense. He had slipped his fingers beneath the bodice of her gown. His lips had followed to seek her breast. He’d wanted her so bad that his body had ached. Only the lack of privacy that night had caused him to stop.

  If he granted her wish and kissed her now, here in this bed made of straw, all restraints would be forgotten. She would want him. And he would have her. A nagging thought forced its way into his conscious mind. He’d made a promise—an oath. Her kisses drove him wild. If he proceeded with granting her wish, his oath would surely be broken.

  “We’d better not.” He pushed against her shoulder. “Olivia would be upset if something were to happen.”

  “I only want to kiss you.” She tried to return to him, but he kept his hand against her shoulder. Her body twisted in an attempt to shrug off his hand. Her leg curled across his lap. Her knee pressed into his groin.

  “Easy.” He grabbed her leg, but instead of moving it, he pressed her knee against his aching, throbbing arousal.

  She bent over him again, but he put his arm between them.

  “If we kiss, it’ll finish in only one way. Are you prepared for that to happen?”

  Her back stiffened. She stared at him for a moment. “Perhaps.”

  “That answer isn’t good enough. You need to tell me exactly how far you expect this to go.”

  When she didn’t answer, he decided on another course of action. A week ago she’d been upset with his playacting of raunchy behavior when they were outside the restaurant. Perhaps a second act would convince her of the perils a kiss could bring.

  Without warning he twisted her body and pushed her onto her back. He rolled on top her. His leg held her down. His hand pulled at her nightgown. His fingers edged beneath the hem.

  “Payton.” She grabbed his wrist to stop him.

  “Do you still want that kiss?”

  To his surprise, she released his wrist.

  “Yes,” she said in a throaty whisper.

  She looked irresistible in the starlight. Her face sparkled. Her eyes glistened. Her blonde hair glowed.

  His knee slipped between her thighs. His hand slid under her bottom. His fingers dug into her flesh as he pulled her to him. Heat from her body penetrated through his trousers to his leg. He groaned in agony as his mind tried to recall his plan to bring her to her senses.

  His own senses spun out of control. Her scent invaded his nostrils. He smelled the sheen of her hair, the glistening of her skin, and the sheer essences of her femininity. His hand skimmed up her naked thigh. Her skin felt smooth, her body firm. He stopped near the place his fingers ached to touch. She would be hot and wet, and he needed to touch her.

  “Kiss me.” This time it sounded like a plea rolling off her lips.

  His body tensed. Thoughts of an oath floated across his mind. If he kissed her, all would be lost—unless he’d already lost control. He leaned over her and nuzzled his face into her neck. His lips nibbled on her sensitive skin. The back of his knuckles brushed across her golden curls. He turned his hand and touched her feminine flesh. Her legs eased apart. Her back arched. His fingers slid across her sleek, moist skin.

  They both sucked in their breath as he caressed her tender flesh. She grabbed at his shoulder. Her fingertips pressed into his skin. Her body tightened. Her hips rose up to him.

  His fingers slid lower. He parted her softness with a single stroke. His thumb caressed the tiny, swollen bud hidden between her thighs.

  A moan tumbled from her lips. Her body twisted and shuddered beneath his touch.

  His own body shivered. She was tight and wet, and he needed her. He craved to be inside her.

  “Julia, I want you,” he whispered next to her ear. “Tell me you want this too.”

  When she didn’t answer, he lifted his head to see her face. She seemed lost in ecstasy. Her eyelids squeezed shut. Her lips parted. Her head rolled from side to side, as if denying the desire stirring in her body. She wanted him. He didn’t need to hear her say the words.

  He could have her, and she wouldn’t protest. He only needed to unfasten the buttons on his trousers. Then he could slide inside her sleek, hot body, and stroke her desire higher and higher until they both lost themselves in mind numbing pleasure.

  “Bloody hell.” He dropped his head and rested his forehead against her shoulder. His fingers slipped away from her body. “We have to stop.”

  “No, Payton.” She gripped his arm in an attempt to bring back his hand.

  “We can’t. I made a promise.”

  Some semblance of sanity returned to her. She relaxed her grip. “A promise? To who? Mrs. Baxter?”

  He didn’t feel ready to tell her about the oath he had made to himself. If she thought the reason he wouldn’t make love to her was because of Olivia, he’d let her believe that. “She’ll be very disappointed with us if anything should happen.”

  “She doesn’t have to know.”

  “Julia.” His soft voice carried through the still night.

  She released his arm. Her legs clamped together. She tugged the nightgown down to her knees. “You’re the one who’s disappointed with me.”

  Even in the darkness, he saw the blush creep into her cheeks. “I’m not disappointed.”

  “Yes, you are. I can hear it in your voice.” She covered her face with her arm. “I behaved shamefully. I was too bold.”

  “No, you’re not.” He pulled her arm from her face. “I’m not ashamed of you. I’m thrilled that you want me. And I certainly want you. It’s just that—�
�

  “I know. You made a promise.” She turned her face from him. “I’ve ruined your evening. We should go back inside.”

  “No, you haven’t ruined anything. And I don’t want to go inside.” He slipped his arm beneath her shoulders and pulled her to him. “I just want to lie here with you in my arms and look at the stars.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Good God,” Betsy said. “What is taking that girl so long?”

  “Something about her gown not fitting properly,” Sylvia said. “She wants to wear a different one.”

  “She’ll wear the one I ordered her to wear, by God, or else.” She leaned forward in the chair and grabbed a rolled cigarette from the silver box. “I don’t know what has gotten into that girl lately.”

  “It certainly isn’t the captain. She still has that virginal look.”

  A string of profanities spewed from her mouth. She flopped back in the chair with a huff. “It’s been almost a month. What is wrong with the man?”

  Sylvia let out a long sigh. “I haven’t had any success with him either.”

  “He’s accustomed to being bound up on ship with only men.” Betsy drummed her fingers on the top of the desk. “It’s possible his tastes run in that direction. Perhaps I should have offered him a young boy.”

  “If you’ve ever watched him when Julia walks into a room, you’d know exactly the direction his tastes run. He doesn’t bother to hide his hunger, nor his lust. Sometimes I wonder how the man manages to walk when she’s on his arm.”

  “She’s going to have to grab more than his arm if she wants to lose her virginity.” She lit up the cigarette and threw the spent match in the direction of a small crystal bowl. “Have you told her how to go about it?”

  “I’ve tried, but she always stops me. Said her mother explained it to her years ago.”

  “I’ll wager her mother didn’t tell her the finer points. Does she know there’s more to it than lying on her back and crying for the man to stop?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know that it matters. I should think the captain knows enough to get the job done. The problem is she’s not in a hurry to lose her virginity. She’s still innocent enough to believe in love and marriage and all that rot.”

  A tap at the study door attracted the women’s attention.

  “Come in,” Betsy said in a voice that conveyed her anger.

  You wanted to see me?” Julia entered the room, her eyes downcast.

  “Elsie said you were being difficult.” She took a drag on her cigarette. The smoke bellowed out of her mouth in a long stream. “What seems to be the problem? That gown fits you perfectly.”

  “It’s too revealing.” She put both hands to the bodice of the sapphire-blue gown in an effort to shield her breasts.

  “Nonsense.”

  “But it is. The front is cut so low that I’m afraid if I bend down to retrieve my handkerchief, my bosom will fall out.”

  “Oh,” Sylvia murmured. “How titillating.”

  “Then don’t bend over,” Betsy said. “I’m sure that any number of men would rush to your aid should you drop your handkerchief.”

  “I would still prefer to wear something else.” She didn’t want to wear this gown. This was the same one she had worn the night Payton had come to her rescue at the Devil’s Lair. If he saw her wearing it tonight, she feared it would remind him of their first meeting. Then he may start asking questions again.

  “And I prefer that you wear it.” Betsy crawled from the chair. She placed both hands in the center of the desk and leaned forward. “Do you have any idea how much that gown cost me?” she asked, but didn’t give Julia time to answer. “All your gowns have to be special made. You’re such an oddity of nature that I can’t have the old gowns altered to fit you. You’re way too tall for a woman. And those shoulders of yours. They’re much too broad.”

  She glared at Betsy before getting her anger under control. Her gaze shifted to the carpeted floor. “Nonetheless, I’m afraid I’ll have to wear something else. Elsie can’t find the gloves that match.”

  “It doesn’t matter. After what that gown cost me, I intend to get some use out of it. You’ll wear it with, or without the gloves.”

  “White gloves should do quite nicely,” Sylvia said. “Although I believe your hands will be that last thing any of the men will be looking at tonight.”

  “Why is your hair up that like?” Betsy’s grating voice asked. “I told Elsie I wanted it loose and hanging down your back.”

  “It was down.” Her hand fluttered over the simple circle of hair she’d fashioned at the nape of her neck. “Since we’re going to an evening affair, I decided to pin it up so it was off my shoulders.”

  “It wasn’t necessary to put it up. Young, unmarried women can wear their hair down. That is, if they are virgins. You are still untouched, aren’t you?”

  “Most certainly,” she blurted out, shocked by such a personal question.

  After staring at her for a moment, Betsy agreed. “Of course you are.” Her voice displayed annoyance.

  “Frankly, Julia darling, I’m surprised,” Sylvia said, although she didn’t look surprised. “You don’t seem a bit worn out by fighting off the captain’s advances these last few weeks.”

  “He’s been a perfect gentleman,” she defended him.

  “I don’t believe that for a moment,” Sylvia said. “That first night on the terrace, the lusty captain couldn’t keep his hands off you. Then the next night at the theatre, he practically forced your hand into his crotch.”

  She sucked in a gasp of air at the crude remark. Payton had only behaved that way to get rid of Sylvia. “He hasn’t conducted himself in that manner since that night.”

  “Oh, come now,” Betsy said. “The next day, if I hadn’t returned with Sylvia when I did, he would’ve succeeded in deflowering you right there on my sofa.”

  “He hasn’t tried to do anything like that again. In fact he hasn’t even kissed me.”

  “You’ve been alone with him several times over the last few weeks,” she pointed out. “Do you really expect me to believe he hasn’t tried to steal a kiss?”

  “But it’s true.” Julia felt as perplexed as they. Her mind searched for an answer. “Perhaps it’s because of Olivia. I mean, Mrs. Baxter. The first night at the ranch, she warned Captain Tyler to behave himself. Otherwise he’d answer to her.”

  “Mrs. Baxter may exert some influence on the captain while he’s under her roof,” Betsy said, “but once he’s out from under her watchful eye, I doubt the captain concerns himself with her opinion.”

  “The two of you went somewhere alone just the other day,” Sylvia said. “Didn’t he try to take liberties with you then?”

  She shook her head. “He was probably distracted with everything happening around us.”

  “And what could possibly distract him?” she asked.

  “Well...” Her mind whirled as she recalled all the exciting distractions. Her exuberance flowed out into her voice. “This one man walked across a little rope that was suspended way above us. And another man blew fire from his mouth. And then this other man kept sticking his head into a lion’s mouth.”

  “What in God’s name?”

  When Julia realized they stared at her with puzzled looks on their faces, she subdued her excitement. “Captain Tyler took me to the circus.”

  “The circus?” Sylvia said in surprise, but her tone changed to tedium. “How droll.”

  “I didn’t think so. I found it all very thrilling.”

  “Too bad the Captain didn’t find you equally as thrilling,” Betsy said. “Then we would be done with this.”

  “Done with what?” Julia stared at Betsy, hoping to divine the meaning from her face.

  “Never mind.” She waved her hand through the air. “It’s time for us to go. We’ll be just late enough so when we arrive at the party, we’ll attract an appropriate amount of attention.”

  ****

  Nearly ever
yone in the room paused with their gaiety, their gazes directed on the latecomers as they appeared in the entryway. Sylvia walked beside Betsy as she slowly and dramatically made her way into the crowded room with the help of the ebony cane. Julia trailed at a respectful distance, her eyes downcast, her white fan opened in front of her in an attempt to hide her exposed breasts.

  “Let’s find somewhere to sit,” Betsy snapped. “I don’t want to chance being trampled in the rush.”

  “So much for being an oddity of nature,” she heard Sylvia quip.

  Julia attempted to follow after Betsy and Sylvia, but a circle of men gathered around her and gave her no quarter.

  “Miss Anderson, may I have the pleasure of this dance?”

  “Thank you for asking,” she said to no one in particular, for she wasn’t certain who had asked, “but I’ve only just arrived. I need to catch my breath.”

  They all agreed. The men stood motionless as she did exactly that. It seemed a natural function—the taking of air into one’s lungs, and then expelling it. But the men stared at her as though transfixed with the process. Each intake of air made her breasts appear to swell. The movement caused the sapphire-blue silk that barely contained her heaving bosom to strain at the seams.

  Aware of the direction of their gazes, she pressed her opened fan closer to her breasts. That action made the men stare more intently. Some even appeared to stand on their toes in an attempt to peek over the edge of the fan.

  “It’s warm in here.” The temptation to use the fan for its correct purpose occurred to her, but she held it motionless in front of her. “I should think something cool to drink would refresh me.”

  A couple of the men scrambled off to do her bidding, but the others crowded closer to take up the vacated space.

  “You’ll all have to move back. I’d like to find a place to sit down. This present situation doesn’t allow me to walk without stepping on someone’s toes.”

  A few of the men moved aside, and a pathway opened for her. She wanted to leave the crowd of men behind, but she hesitated when she spotted Payton on the far side of the room.