by Linda Conrad
With slow and deliberately gentle movements, Gray ran his finger up the bra's edge and pushed, first one strap and then the other, off her shoulders. Then he peeled them both down her arms and let the bra pool at her waist.
She dropped her eyelids and flushed. But she remained still and let him get his fill of looking at her. He took in all of her. The firm swell of her breasts, her slim but muscular upper arms, the dusky-rose peaks of her nipples.
"You are so beautiful," he murmured.
She shook her head and made a movement as if to cover herself from his view. "No, I forgot all about the scars. Don't look at me."
Her words stopped the thudding of his pulse as he thought of a better reason to slow things down.
He tenderly grabbed her wrists and held her hands down at her sides. "You are gorgeous. Don't cover yourself from my view. Most of your scars are tiny. Besides, it's not scars that I see when I look at you."
She looked doubtful and hesitant. He wanted that passion back in her eyes.
Gray took one of her hands and placed it against his abdomen. "Look at my scars. Feel them. They aren't ugly, are they?"
She shook her head but kept her eyes trained on his stomach. "They seem to be in some kind of pattern," she said in a raspy voice.
The hoarse, sexy sound reignited the flame of his passion. He gritted his teeth and swore to himself before answering her.
"They are," he muttered. "The red-tailed hawk is my … sort of … good-luck charm. He flies near the sun where I cannot go, and I walk the earth where he dares not tread. We are one within the other."
He took one of her fingers and outlined the featherlike scars spreading out from his belly button. "Here. Feel the beating of his wings through me."
She moaned quietly. But when he dropped his hand, she kept her fingers playing along his sensitive skin. It was soon his turn to moan.
She'd obviously forgotten all about her shyness as she kept watching her own hand trace his scars. So he gave himself permission to drink in the sight of her. He'd really never seen a woman with so much beauty.
The clear, milky-white skin of her breasts gave way to the rosy flush of passion. Just enough of the orange, late-afternoon light shone down on her for him to see all the colors of lust in her body. The longer he watched her, the more her hardened peaks grew bloodred with passion.
His mouth watered at the sight, so he reached for her small rib cage. Quickly moving his hands around to lift her breasts, he bent to take one nipple into his mouth.
When he lapped at the peak, she jerked slightly but then arched to give him better access. And he took full advantage of her move.
He'd originally thought her breasts were small, but now he marveled at how full and rounded they felt in his hands. They fitted his palms perfectly, filled his mouth even better.
As he continued to worship her sensitive bud, she groaned, spurring him into even stronger yearning. He had to make this last. Wanted it to be good for her, too.
He sucked her deeper into his mouth, then pulled back and blew hot breath over her skin. She tasted like honey and wine, he mused. Sweet and tart.
He nipped at her once more. No, he thought, her taste was more like sage and rain. Earthy, salty and sexy.
His fingers replaced his mouth, rubbing and rolling the nubs as his lips moved up her slender neck, making their way back to her mouth. He flicked a nail over one of her peaks and she parted her lips, moaned, then panted with arousal.
Lightly biting those parted lips, he hungrily slipped his tongue between them to feast on more of her tastes. She gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin. His thickened arousal strained against the jeans imprisoning him.
Maddeningly, he fought the last constraints of their clothes. His jeans were gone in an instant and as he tugged at her jeans, she lifted her hips to help.
That one small movement, proving her desire for him, tore past the last of his resolve. He'd been without a woman for too long. The animal in him roared its needs, and his previously tentative patience all but disappeared.
With one hand he grabbed her wrists, lifted them over her head, and pushed her on her back. Gray shoved one thigh hard between her legs and bent to suckle her breasts again.
Moving lower, he nipped the sweet underside of her breast and laved his way down to her navel. Greedily, he tasted, licked, dipped his tongue inside and swirled lower.
His hunger grew. He let go of her wrists and slid his hands down to touch the tips of her nipples. Abby cried out and arched against his palms. He nibbled along the edge of her cotton panties, rejoicing at such a decadent feast.
More. He needed ever more tastes of her. He placed his hand on the heated inside of her sensitive thigh, and at the same time licked slowly down through her panties to the tender spot at the base.
He felt her quiver through the cotton. Tasted the warm wetness spreading over her and heard her cries of pleasure. She drove her hand through his hair, grabbing great handfuls and at the same time tugging at his shoulders, beckoning him to move back up her body.
He did, and she violently kissed his lips, moaning and pleading with everything she had. She writhed and squirmed, sounding as desperate as he felt. Something wild and free had entered their bodies. The sensations were magical, unearthly and beyond any vision.
He tugged at her panties and sat up to drag them down and away from her body. As he shifted to straddle her, he found her eyes watching his jutting sex with fascination.
He stilled, let her drink him in. And then she reached out to touch the sensitive flesh. Tentatively she used her index finger to stroke his tip. It moistened at her touch, and that seemed to both encourage and excite her. She rubbed, slipping down first one side and then the other, causing him to have to bite his tongue to stay still.
The expression on her face was pleasure mixed with amazement. A little niggling thought at the back of his brain warned him to take it easy, that she had never witnessed a man in full arousal before. But his body demanded that he go just a little farther first.
When she dipped a finger back into the slick fountain at his tip, then placed that finger to her mouth and sucked at the taste of him, he lost his last thought entirely.
With a groan he prepared to answer the mating call that swept over both of them. He watched her eyes flash with passion as she raised her hips toward him with a deep moan.
He urgently lifted her buttocks in his hand and positioned himself for a tantalizingly slow slide into the inviting cavern between her legs. She spread her knees wide. He linked hands with her and leaned down on one elbow.
As he slowly entered her wet warmth, a feral groan of pleasure tore from his throat. He hesitated, giving her body time to adjust to his, then moved deeper. She tensed, and he felt a resistance that confused him for only a moment. Then it all made sense.
"You're a virgin," he gasped and fortified himself in preparation to withdraw.
She grasped at his shoulders. "No, please, Gray. Don't back away now. I want you."
He stilled, didn't know which way to turn. Then he looked down into her eyes. Whether it was his imagination or his passion, he could never be sure, but he saw the eyes of Pia, the Great Mother, beckoning him to follow his instincts and his desires.
Abby wrapped her legs around his waist, driving him deeper inside her. She gasped once, then suddenly there was nothing in the world—nothing but heat and tightness and Abby moaning in his ear.
"Please," Abby begged again, as she pulsed with desire.
He knew she pleaded for something that she'd never known. Something he could give her, teach her. The carnal demand became an imperative. It was his honor to show her the pleasures of man and woman.
Pulling her up tightly to his chest and holding her close, he thrust deeply. Her cries turned to sobs, deep and guttural and animalistic. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders, and he lost his way again, forgetting all but the demands of both their bodies.
He bit her shoulder,
sucked and tugged at her nipples. The craving turned to insanity. But Abby stayed with him. She arched, straining her neck and pushing her hips upward.
She fought like a wildcat, but it was her own body's resistance that she warred against. She couldn't know how this would end. But he knew.
"Let go, Abby," he gasped. "Let it take you."
He reached between their bodies and flicked his thumb across her swollen nub. Abby arched her back to an impossible angle and screamed. Her body shuddered around him, pulsing with wet, slick pleasure.
Gray picked up the speed of his violent thrusting until he too let go. From somewhere in the distance, he could swear he heard the shriek of the red-tailed hawk. He threw his head back, answering the call with a howl of release.
And all was right with his world. Nothing could touch them now. No power on earth was stronger than what he'd found in Abby's arms this day.
* * *
Nine
« ^ »
Gray's body shuddered against her. He collapsed, rolling them both on their sides while keeping Abby tightly entwined in his embrace. Her breathing was ragged and she fought to regulate it like he'd taught her.
But it was no use. There were too many other dazzling thoughts and convulsing tingles quivering around inside her right now. She wanted desperately to stay right here forever, with his slick, sticky skin all warm and cozy surrounding her.
What had just happened? She'd felt drunk, loopy and giddy, spinning on some kind of sensual high. This? This was what making love was all about? Wondering why she hadn't tried it before, she supposed the thought that such an intimate coupling of bodies would be so incredible had simply never entered her mind.
Abby couldn't keep this to herself, she had to share her feelings with Gray. "Wow! That was fantastic." The bubbling, exuberantly girlish giggles left her embarrassed.
At first he said nothing, just bent his head to place a gentle kiss on her hair. He kissed his way to her forehead and then, with a tenderness that was almost heartbreaking, he kissed the scar on her cheek.
"We … I … shouldn't have been that rough. Are you okay?" Gray whispered against her. He lifted up and leaned on one elbow to gaze into her eyes.
Was she okay? She tried to focus, but her body was still pulsing and thumping with sensation. She'd wondered if her aches and pains would be much worse after all she'd done to her body. However, just the opposite was true. Certain parts of her body had gone numb but others simply felt light and energized.
"I'm a little dizzy but, no, nothing hurts," she said with a murmur. "Besides you weren't any rougher than I was."
She lifted her hand and ran a finger around his lips, loving the mere fact that she could do such an intimate thing.
His eyes suddenly changed from soft and unfocused to dark and sensual. The look in those nearly black pools was dangerous, conflicted, as though he were fighting some terrible inner demons. He moved his powerful body against hers and kissed her deeply, drinking her in and draining from her kiss everything he seemed to be seeking.
He arched his hips aggressively and Abby realized that their bodies were still connected. And on top of that, Gray was apparently not finished with showing her about lovemaking. She felt the burgeoning thrust of pleasure as it sent rippling currents throughout her body again.
"I've gone mad with wanting you," he groaned. "I know this is wrong. You'll be in pain later." He gasped when she pushed her hips against his groin.
"Abby, we're not protected," he moaned through gritted teeth. "And I still can't make a commitment to you. This should not happen again."
The power overtook her. And what she wanted was more.
That's what this feeling was, she'd decided. A woman's power to make a man do what she wanted. Abby placed her lips against his chest and licked her way down to his nipples. He grew thicker inside her and shuddered against her belly.
This time they moved in slow motion. He kept their bodies joined together as they lay on their sides. Drawing in and out from her in a tantalizing way, he teased until she begged.
Then he reached a hand to pluck at her nipple, bending his head to suck on her neck. She heard herself panting, crying, sobbing out words that made no sense.
Gray's breath came in shallow pants, as well. The flushed sensation spread across her body again, and she knew she was close to spinning off the edge of the world.
Just as the thunder began to ring in her ears, he withdrew. She gasped but he quickly positioned himself at the crease between her hip and thigh. Placing two fingers deep inside her, he flicked his thumb over her most sensitive spot. They convulsed together as their ecstatic cries mingled in the silence of the late afternoon. Abby's world tilted when the climax rocked through her body, and she felt Gray pump his seed onto their pallet of hides.
Finally her trembling subsided, and they lay sated and sweaty, wrapped in each other's arms. When all her senses returned, Abby rolled slightly, to find more breathing room. The cold, wet spot she brushed her bottom against reminded her of what Gray had done.
She touched his forehead and stroked his cheek, making lazy circles with her fingers. "Are you all right?" she breathed in a hoarse rasp.
He smiled at her, and she felt her heart leap. "I'm more than okay," he said and kissed her lightly on the tip of the nose.
Gray's hand wandered down her neck, across her breasts and down her arm. "You aren't at all as slender as I thought," he said quietly. "Your muscles are firm, sexy … magnificent." He ran his fingers down her thigh, learning her body and making her skin ripple in response.
"And you—" she blushed and stammered "—you're more than I … bigger than I would've…" Lying here naked, after all they'd done together, she still felt herself turning the colors of a soft sunset.
His eyes gleamed in appreciation, then turned serious once more. "Abby," he began. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"What? Oh, you mean about being a virgin?" She shrugged it off. "It wasn't important. Besides, I really had no intention of … doing what we just did. I didn't know—" She hesitated, tried to remember to breath. "Is it always that spectacular?" she asked, with the wonder of it still cracking her voice.
His expression grew tight, hard. "No … no, it's never been that way before for me."
Suddenly he was withdrawing from her emotionally. She could feel it. Dang. She didn't want this to end so soon.
He rolled away and sat up on their makeshift pallet on the floor. "Abby. Listen to me. I shouldn't have done this. But I lost myself in you. That's not sensible, especially for a man with other commitments and pledges to keep."
"What commitments? Are you engaged to someone else or something and haven't bothered to tell me?"
He shook his head, the look in his eyes turned downright grave. "Not yet. But I am committed to the nemene. When I marry, it will be to a woman that is chosen by the elders for me." He turned his head, looked away for a minute. "I know that the woman I marry must have the blood of my ancestors to bring sons to the tribe. It is our way."
The anger flared in her with swift sharp barbs of spite. "Yeah? Well, who wanted you to make a commitment, anyway?" She knew she sounded childish but she couldn't seem to help herself. "All I ever asked for was a pretend engagement."
She crawled away from him and got to her feet, looking for her clothes. "I was only joking about it being so great. I didn't really mean it. And except for keeping the neighbor boys off my back, I would never have considered being engaged to someone like you."
He moved quickly, grabbed her by the shoulders. "I'm not good enough for the heiress of Gentry Ranch, is that it?" His eyes were hard now, black and blinded with temper.
She'd sucked in a shocked breath at his fury. "No," she huffed. "Don't be ridiculous, that's not it. That's not what I meant at all." His anger had somehow dissipated hers. "I just meant that we could never work things out, since you don't want to stay in Castillo County. While I, on the other hand, can't think of anyplace else I'd rather be."
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br /> Her shoulders slumped and she realized his hands were still gripping her. "Let go of me," she said calmly.
Gray looked down at his large hands and jerked them away from her like a flame too hot to touch. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I never meant to hurt you," he said softly.
"You didn't," she lied. "I'm fine."
She pulled up her bra, which she'd suddenly realized was still around her waist. Then she scooped up her shirt, jabbed her arms into the sleeves and began to button.
"We have to talk about where we go from here," he said carefully. "There's still our fake engagement and a stalker out there who doesn't seem to care too much whether you get in his way or not."
Abby felt bruised. Not in the physical sense, of course. Although she did have a few new aches in places that had never hurt before. But her spirit was battered and it confused her. The only thing she seemed to have left was a little pride.
"I have my commitments, too, you know," she said dryly. "Our deal is not all one-sided. The elders in my vision said I was to warn you and watch out for you." She pulled on her jeans and looked around for her boots. "I intend to do my duty and save your high-and-mighty tribal rear end. I'm sticking with you, Gray. Like we said. There's nothing you can do to shake me loose."
He reached out to steady her, laid one hand lightly on her shoulder. "Yes. We will finish our charade. Now that we know the truth, we'll find out who's been doing this."
Letting his hand drop back to his side, Gray turned sadly and retrieved her boots. "Here," he said, handing them to her. "And Abby…" His voice sounded so tentative, so unlike Gray, that she wondered what he wanted to tell her.
"I still owe you my life. That will never change. I'll stick by you, have no fear of that. But we must not repeat our actions of today. We should maintain a friendship and protect each other, nothing more."
Yeah, she thought. Anything else was too danged hard. "I agree, Gray. Nothing more." They dressed in silence.
Riding toward the Gentry Ranch, just as the first evening star twinkled in the heavens, Abby thought about her promise to stand by Gray. He'd saved her life and had agreed to her silly charade. She knew she owed him and decided to do everything in her power to keep him safe.