"Yes, I think so," she answered, thinking his fingers felt warm against her face. As he held the throw about her, she slowly undid her sodden breeches, them let them fall to the floor and stepped out of them.
"Come closer to the fire," he urged, putting his arm around her.
By now she could hold the throw about herself, and he brought more flour sacks and ripped them apart to dry her hair. As she sat before the flames, basking in their warmth, he tenderly rubbed the absorbent material over her locks. "I was so cold," she murmured, catching his eyes, "so cold and frozen I thought my ears might snap right off."
Taggart grinned as he examined both of her ears, shaking them a little. "Nope, they're still attached," he answered before tossing the soaked material away and stroking her back. They both laughed; then he eased back, his expression relaxing a bit. "Lord Almighty, Fancy Pants. What a scare you gave me when I saw you fall in that creek."
Silky studied Taggart's sympathetic face and suddenly realized this was the moment to push her case for going to Charlottesville. Of course he really couldn't stop her from accompanying him to the flatlands. She could follow behind like a dog, or gallop ahead and appear out of the bushes every so often to keep him on the right trail, but it would be so much more pleasant if she had his blessing.
"Let me guide you to Charlottesville," she whispered, watching a slow frown move over his features. She clutched his shoulder with one hand, pressing her fingers into his flesh to emphasize her point. "God saved me from drowning, and I think it was to help you get to the flatlands." She threaded her voice with passionate longing. "You've just got to let me go. You just have to."
For a moment Taggart looked stunned; then a low chuckle erupted from his massive chest. "You're a foxy little minx, aren't you? If you can't go in the front door, you come in the back, is that it?"
With great delight, she noticed a rakish smile tug at his mouth. Lord, please let him say yes! she prayed, her heart doing a somersault. Let him say yes, and she'd never ask for anything again.
Taggart watched her sitting there like a wet, bedraggled kitten, her eyes shining with pleading hope. How could anyone who looked so angelic and innocent be so single-minded and so downright ornery when it came to getting her own way? he wondered, letting out a resigned sigh. "All right," he finally conceded, knowing full well he was being manipulated but admiring her spirit and tenacity nonetheless. "I might have been able to fight you alone, but now that you've enlisted divine providence on your side, I'll wave a flag of truce."
Joy burst over Silky's features like floodwaters taking a dry riverbed. "You won't be sorry, I promise you that," she vowed, a victorious smile flashing on her lips. "I knew there must be some way to convince you," she added, her face wreathed in glowing happiness, "but I didn't know I'd have to fall in the creek to do it!"
Like it or not, Taggart thought with wry amusement, it looked like the little cat would be traveling on to Charlottesville. Trying to cheer himself up, he realized she would be a great asset in crossing the treacherous mountains. Quickly his mind raced ahead, sketching out the future. After arriving, they'd put up in a hotel; then while she was doing whatever women did, he'd telegraph his information to the Union. Another assignment would be telegraphed back to him; then they'd say good-bye forever. Since money was no problem, he'd give her enough to pay her hotel bill until the weather cleared; then she could return to Sweet Gum Hollow.
Silky gazed at Taggart's thoughtful face, her heart pumping with pure, undiluted joy. "I lost my hat in the creek," she commented with a little laugh as she threaded her fingers through her hair, "and it was the best one I ever had."
Taggart smiled indulgently. "Well, I'm just glad you can speak again. I was beginning to think this might be the winter of thirty-eight all over again." She chuckled and he smoothed back her tangled locks, his big hand brushing over her face. "Don't worry about your hat. We'll take one of Jake's floppy-eared caps, and leave him money for it and all his food as well. I'll board up the door, and when the old gent breaks in, he'll find a roll of bills on the table for his trouble."
A blush warmed Silky's cheeks. "I'm so ashamed," she admitted, "so humiliated. I can't believe I actually fell in the creek like some city girl."
Taggart rose and, from the dry sink, brought back a jug of moonshine and two fin cups. "Believe me, I can." He laughed, sitting down and pouring a drink for her and one for himself as well. He put the cup in her hand, and noticed she'd stopped trembling enough to hold it. "When I saw you go under," he admitted with a worried smile, "my heart nearly stopped."
Silky took a sip of the fiery moonshine, then looked up at him. "Mine, too. I've never been colder in my life."
Taggart drank some liquor, then feathered his fingers through her slightly damp hair so it would dry completely. "Are you warming up?" he asked, tracing his hardened palm over her cheek.
"Yes," she whispered. "I'm feeling a lot better."
His hair had grown since he'd been in the mountains, and he looked so dashing it made her pulse race. The flames threw a flickering light over his face, and she thought she detected a glint of desire in his eyes. At the same time, her heart pounded crazily and she knew she was almost recovered from her tumble in the creek. No, this sweet, wild sensation was connected with the intensity of their present situation, and it imbued the moment with a magical quality.
Lordamercy, she didn't have to suspect that she loved him, she did love him with all her heart and soul, even if she didn't understand everything about him. It seemed that nothing else on the face of the earth mattered but the present, and she would trade anything for the feel of his arms about her. "Can I ask you something?" she continued in a soft voice. "Do ... do you have anyone waiting for you at home?"
Taggart met her inquiring gaze. Lord, the girl had no idea how lovely she looked with her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed, and her auburn hair rioting over her shoulders in loose curls. What an original she was: amusing, intelligent, and ten times more intriguing than the debutantes he'd squired at the West Point balls. Her dewy lips were parted, and her breath came rapidly, her breasts rising and falling beneath the fur throw as she waited for the answer to her provocative question. "No," he answered at last, knowing he spoke the naked truth. "There is no one waiting for me at home. No one at all."
Taggart, who'd always taken women as the slightest of diversions, noticed this girl brought out his deepest feelings. Her fall into the creek had shaken him and, in a strange sense, put everything into perspective, making him realize just how precious she really was to him. She was so soft, so delicious, so tempting. Deep within him, he realized that making love to her could only mean trouble and heartache. Hadn't he fought his attraction to her for weeks now? Hadn't he tried to leave her behind in Sweet Gum Hollow? But at this particular moment, with her safe and warm before him, he wanted her as he'd never wanted another woman, and some powerful, carnal emotiona fiery life forcestormed within him, demanding he make her his.
Silky's pulse raced as Taggart lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers, his warm breath caressing her face. Like steely bands, his arms pulled her to him, and she felt his heart thudding against hers. Nothing in her experience could have prepared her for the sensations now streaking through herstill, some sane virginal part of herself cried out against this madness.
Then as his mouth seized hers in a fiery kiss, the floodgates of passion swung open within her, leaving her limp and compliant. Breathless, she relaxed against his hard chest and circled her arms about his shoulders, the fur throw falling from her shoulders as she surrendered to the fire within him.
At long last the barrier of pretense had crumbled between them, and sensual hunger flowed through her like a mighty river, sweeping away the remnants of her inhibitions. His warmth flowed over her, and the rhythm of his pounding heart spurred her own desire, frightening her with its fierceness. Gentle as a whisper, his lips nibbled over her cheeks and the throbbing pulse at her throat, making her shiver with
delight.
"Relax, little one," he whispered in a resonant voice as he ran his warm fingers over her back. "I want to pleasure you." When his hand came forward to brush over her breast, she gasped, and her whole body took on a wild, sensual glow.
Her cheek was pressed against his rough shirt, and she felt his lips on her skin as he kissed her neck and nuzzled his way to her collarbone. Leaving her skin tingling, he setfled his mouth on her swollen crest, which he suckled until she moaned with delight. Around and around his tongue swirled over the sensitive peak, flicking back and forth until an ache asserted itself at the apex of her femininity. Within seconds, her body fairly reeled with voluptuous sensation.
Her heart lurched when he rose on one knee, securely positioned her in his arms, and stood, lifting her from the floor. The intensity of the moment rushed over her like a tidal wave and turned her will to water. For a moment it seemed as if time had stopped and she was seeing his handsome face through a gauze veil. Who was this passionate stranger she'd given her heart to? Would he return her commitment of love? Seemingly sensing her fear, he slanted his mouth over hers, and the power and tenderness of the wild kiss stilled her pounding heart as he carried her to the bed. Gently he placed her on the mattress, and she lay before him, clothed only in the glory of her love.
He eased back and she met his searching eyes. "I didn't want this to happen," he murmured, his passionate tone spurring her anticipation, "but it seemed to be in the cards all along."
She let her gaze travel over his rugged features. "Some things were meant to be, and I have a feeling this is one of them."
He made no reply, but the spark of desire in his eyes darted fire through her veins. Why was she letting this happen? she asked herself one last time, her body already languid with desire. Everything in her warned caution, but it was as if fate itself had decreed the moment, and all the longings they'd both harbored for so long now surged forth, demanding their passionate due.
He sat on the mattress, and the expression of aching need on his face quickened her heart with excitement. When he pressed a kiss on her palm, a sweetness welled up within her that reminded her of rosebuds opening their petals to the morning dew. She vaguely knew their lovemaking was rash and ill-advised, but it was so precious, she just couldn't suppress the overpowering desire rushing over her. "Lie beside me," she whispered, her bosom tightening with emotion.
For a flickering moment her words hung in the air; then slowly he stood, and, his gaze never leaving hers, he unbuttoned his shirt. A shudder of pleasure passed through her as he finished undressing and cast his boots and garments aside. Diffuse light washing over his powerful body, he stood before her. She scanned his broad shoulders, welldefined chest, and lean stomach before letting her gaze drift downward to his hairy chest and aroused flesh. How wonderfully made he ishow stunningly perfect, she thought, the symmetry of his bronzed muscles touching her heart.
He stretched beside her and drew her close, his warmth and musky scent washing over her. Tenderly he brushed his lips over her face, then captured her mouth in a fiery kiss that left her weak with passion. His tongue flicked wet and bold against her lips, and a full, ripe sensation eddied through her as his questing tongue plunged deeper into her mouth. One hand moved to her breast and he caressed it until her skin glowed with a shimmery warmth. With practiced ease, his fingers toyed with her pebbly nipple, while rapture burst within her like a flight of birds taking wing.
He rained kisses over her forehead and her hair, then gently took her hand and placed it over his long hardness, eliciting a soft gasp from her lips. "Don't be afraid," he rasped, the deep resonance of his voice triggering a new audacity within her. With a shaky hand, she pleasured him, tentatively at first, then more boldly, luscious surprise racing through her bloodstream as his flesh became harder still under her questing fingertips.
He put his hand over hers, and as she continued her administrations, he moaned her name, sending a delicious shiver down her spine. With firm strokes, he tantalized her swollen nipples, and keen pleasure flamed within her, shaking her with its intensity. Exquisitely attuned to her passion, he branded her lips with an achingly tender kiss, foreshadowing breathtaking things to come.
A hot flush rose from her bosom as he moved his mouth to a rosy nipple and suckled first one sensitive peak, then the other. She felt herself writhing, heard herself moaning, as she surrendered to a wild carnal feeling she never knew existed. Her breath caught in her throat and she dug her fingers into his back, enjoying the incredible pleasure pouring through her.
She gasped with agonizing delight as his fingers seared a path to her feminine softness, then delved into it to tease her bud of desire. She thought she might faint with ecstasy before he could satisfy the sweet, tormenting ache he'd aroused within her. She caught her breath and shuddered with pent-up anticipation.
"Let me make love to you," he whispered as he raised his head, sexual excitement glinting in his heavy-lidded eyes.
"Yes, teach meshow me," she answered through trembling lips. She scanned his bronzed face, memorizing every line of his craggy features, and for a moment it was as if she were seeing him with her heart as well as her eyes, seeing his courage and tenderness, and everything she loved and cherished about him. Once again she thought of the consequences of their passion; then, lost in the lush atmosphere of the moment, she gave in to the overpowering need consuming her.
Taggart gazed down at her, considering the perfection of her sweet face. In the flickering light, her long lashes cast shadows on her cheeks, and her auburn hair fanned out on the pillow in a tangle of silken curls. As impossible as it seemed, this girl of the mountains excited him more than any woman he'd ever met, and the thought of awakening her to womanhood sent hot blood whipping through his veins.
He wanted to pleasure and cherish her, and with a soaring feeling he realized that lovemaking had never been like this for him beforeso deep and rapturous. Giving way to his heart, he reveled in the glorious emotion, and a fresh, reborn sensation lifted his spirit. With her soft, trusting eyes and creamy skin she looked like an angel, and he gathered her luscious body close to his, her womanly aroma firing his desire to a white heat.
Silky felt his tongue leisurely swirl about her aching nipple, unleashing a pulsing sweetness between her legs. He reclaimed her mouth, and as his searching fingers slipped between the silken folds of her moist flesh, she quivered with desire. Never did she dream it would be this waya pleasure so keen it bordered on pain. How she wanted him. Wanted to feel his powerful masculine strength making them one forever.
He nuzzled her ear, speaking endearments before his taut body slid over hers. She thrilled to the warmth and scent of him as he braced his arms, supporting his weight on either side of her shoulders. "I think you've bewitched me," he whispered roughly, gazing into her eyes. "I want you so badly."
For a second her rational mind cried out at what she was doing. Still, at the same time she couldn't deny herself the opportunity of tasting bliss.
He claimed her mouth in a sweet-hot kiss, then entered her with gentle power. There was a moment's pain, and then breathtaking pleasure leaped within her like a wild flame. He began to move and his matted chest brushed her bare breasts as she wrapped her arms tightly about him. With sure, slow movements, he thrust into her firmly and deeply, and she clung to him, lulling pleasure rising within her. Lost in rapture, she noticed a deep, languid satisfaction steal through her body as he increased his speed, teasing her sensibilities to a boiling point.
Fluttering little kisses over her face, he roughly whispered, "Open your legs a bit wider, my darling."
She did as he asked and felt his hard manhood plunging deeper into the recesses of her quivering body. Trembling, her legs clenched his slim hips, and he stroked faster, confidently building and deepening her passion. Overcome with excitement, she stifled a cry of pleasure as he tenderly labored her toward a breathless climax.
A new sensation welled within her like a rising
tide. Beginning at the core of her being, it stole through every limb, leaving her flesh glowing with unspeakable pleasure. By now she was operating on raw instinct and she arched herself against his hard abdomen, total abandon overtaking her. Her heart thundered as she reached shuddering release, her body, mind, and spirit caught up in a blaze of ecstasy. With one last thrust, he spilled his hot seed inside of her and an all-consuming fire swept through her, snatching her breath away.
Time dissolved as they fell through starry space together, united in a splendor that emanated from the life force itself. For long moments, the pair glided through the heavens, then at last slowly floated earthward together, their spirits bound in glory. As her turbulent heartbeat slowed, he slumped against her, then turned to his side and held her in his arms, his hands worshiping her flesh. He caressed her breast, leaving it warm and glowing, and a gentle smile moved over her lips.
In her mind they were now handfasted, man and wife in the sight of God, but without the benefit of a marriage ceremony. The idea was not new to her. Sometimes mountain couples lived as common-law man and wife for years until some circuit-riding preacher came through to perform a legal ceremony. Hadn't her own parents, whose love had been as strong as that of any couple she'd ever known, been handfasted for months?
She'd given her heart and body to Taggart and she trusted he would do the right thing, although they'd never spoken of marriage. The most sacred bonds were made with the heart and not the tongue, she thought with reassuring certainty. He might not be able to marry her now, with his duties to the Confederacy, but later he would wed her in a church and take her home to meet his family. She knew he would.
Joy rose within her as she thought of their new relationship. Surely they'd become one flesh and spirit. What was a wedding or a marriage license when her own heart told her they should be together? Taggart was her man, and she was his woman, as long as they both lived, and no one could ever change that fact. As he cradled her in his arms, rapture touched her soul and a peaceful sensation settled over her, dissipating all her worries.
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