“I know.”
It was all he could say. His throat was too thick as powerful emotions suddenly took away his ability to speak, to think, to do anything but lean his head downward and drink from the lips he’d constantly dreamed about.
On and on, he kissed her as they both grew oblivious to the falling sun and the lengthening shadows. The more their mouths refused to part, the more Clementine began to burn with a desperate desire—a fact which shocked her completely. For a long time now, her body had refused to react to any man with any sort of pleasure or interest. It was incredible how instantly Quito had cured her of that problem.
“Clem, we…uh…I think we’d better stop this,” he finally said in a ragged voice.
“No! Quito, I—” She tightened her arms around him, desperate to keep him by her side.
Closing his eyes, he leaned his forehead against hers. “We can’t do this here, Clem.”
“Why? I can’t think of any other place I’d rather do it,” she told him.
His dark eyes opened and he studied her face for only moments before he pushed himself to his feet, then reached down for her hand.
Wordlessly she placed her hand in his and after he’d pulled her to a standing position they left the side of the stream and walked to a spot in the meadow where they were knee deep in flowers.
With the scent of wild blossoms drifting all around them, Quito lay her down in the grass and flowers and began to unbutton the white cotton blouse she was wearing.
“I don’t care why you’re doing this,” Quito muttered more to himself than to her. “And I’m not going to ask.”
“I hope you’re doing this because you want me,” she replied as she watched his big fingers fumble with the buttons.
Want her? Quito had wanted her for so many years now that he wouldn’t know what it was like not to want her.
“I’m better at showing than telling,” he said thickly.
After that, Clementine helped him ease apart the last of the buttons, then lifted her shoulders from the ground so that he could pull the blouse away from her. When his hands immediately went to her breasts, she arched against him like a cat just begging for the stroke of his hand.
He gave her that and so much more as he did away with her lacy bra, then brought his lips down over one hardened nipple.
The fact that they were making love in the light of day and in a secluded meadow was enough to push Clementine’s senses to a high point. But being back in Quito’s arms after years of emotional drought was making her whole body explode with remembered pleasure.
Quito’s need must have been as deep and urgent as hers, because he shimmied her blue jeans down her long legs and followed them with her lacy panties.
When the heel of his hand finally pushed against the wet ache between her thighs, she was desperate for him to enter her.
Writhing from one side to the other, she begged, “Hurry, Quito. Don’t make me wait. Please!”
Poised over her, he paused long enough to ask, “Are you protected, Clementine? Because I’m sure as hell not carrying a condom.”
His roughly asked question didn’t deter her. Rather, she brought her hands against his back to urge him down over her. “It’s okay. I take the pill. There won’t be a problem.”
Maybe not where pregnancy was concerned, Quito thought. But what about his mental state? What about the ache in his body that would go on and on, even long after she was gone?
It didn’t matter how his mind answered the questions, he decided. He was already in such a grip of desire, he couldn’t turn away from her. Flames were eating at his loins and pushing heated blood to every part of his body. Good or bad, having her was the only way to end his misery.
He positioned himself over her and as he fumbled with the zipper on his jeans, she wrapped her long legs around his with urgent anticipation.
“Damn it, Clem, this is crazy! But I want you. Want—you!”
The last of his words were muffled by a guttural groan as he pushed his heated shaft into the moist folds of her body.
“Oh, Quito, I want you, too. I’ve missed you so much. So much,” she whispered frantically as her hips lifted to meet his urgent thrust.
He wouldn’t allow himself to think about what she was saying. He didn’t want his heart to experience the same joy his body was feeling, but with Clementine it was difficult to keep the two of them separate and before long he’d lost himself to her completely as his body rocked with hers.
Clementine was certain the two of them had jetted backward in time. Nothing had changed. Their bodies fit together as if they were born for each other. And instead of feeling awkward about their unexpected reunion, she felt the wild, sweet pleasure of coming home.
His lips and hands were touching her in spots that had lain dead and neglected for far too long. She shivered with longing, even as her flesh heated and sweat began to glisten her skin.
Before long she could feel his strokes deepen and quicken and her own body tightened in anticipation. His teeth sank into the side of her neck and she cried out with reckless pleasure.
“Love me, Quito. Love me!”
Her voice was coming from a far distance as Quito grasped her buttocks and groaned mindlessly as he spilled himself inside her. And almost instantly he could feel her tightening around him as her hips ground against his.
For long moments their bodies continued to rock and sway with the give and take of their hungry needs. Then Quito finally collapsed on top of her, his face buried between her breasts, his hands still clutching her hips.
Long moments passed before Quito could roll away from her. Clementine shifted onto her side and propped her head upon her hand as she gazed across the few inches separating their faces. A tight grimace was gripping his features and she immediately reached out to him in concern.
“Dear God, Quito, are you all right? Did I hurt you?”
“I thought it was the man that was supposed to ask that question,” he mumbled crossly. “And I’m not an invalid.”
Leaning her upper body over him, she gently wiped the sweat from his brow. “I didn’t accuse you of being an invalid. And quit all your worrying about being macho in front of me. You’ve been seriously injured and I forgot in the heat of the moment. Did I hurt your ribs?”
She rubbed her fingers lightly up and down the left side of his rib cage. The bullets he’d taken had left blue jagged scars upon his dark skin. She gently stroked the welts of healing flesh while thanking God the damage hadn’t taken his life.
“Only a little,” he answered.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, then bending her head, she kissed him softly on the mouth. “I only want to give you pleasure, Quito.”
Her long hair slipped forward to create a blond curtain around her face. Reaching up, he pinned the silky strands back to her shoulders so that he could see her eyes.
“You did. And I thank you.”
The corners of her lips tilted to a sexy grin. “My pleasure, Sheriff.”
She was treating this whole thing as though it was the most natural thing in the world for the two of them to be making love. And he figured it would be best if he could treat it the same way. After all, it wasn’t to be taken seriously. Clementine had simply gotten the urge to have sex and he’d been too weak to resist her.
“Uh, I think we’d better get up. The sun is almost down and we haven’t eaten yet.”
Sitting up, Clementine looked toward the west where low mountains hid the last bit of an orange sun. “You’re right. But—” Twisting around, she ran her hand across his hard stomach. “I could forget about eating, if you could.”
Grimacing, he zipped his jeans and pushed himself to a sitting position. “I happen to be starving. And I think we need to let our heads cool. And clear.”
A pained expression filled her eyes as she placed her hands on his shoulders to halt his movements. “Quito,” she said with soft disappointment, “please don’t regret what just happened. I t
hink it was wonderful. And I think—” She reached up and stroked a forefinger against his cheek. “That it was wonderful for you, too.”
Closing his eyes, he turned his face to one side. The breath he heaved from his lungs told her he was upset even before he spoke a word. “I’m not dead yet, Clementine. I can enjoy sex with a woman.”
Hurt by his cynical tone, especially after what they’d just shared, she dropped her hand and eased back from him. Of course it had been sex between them. She couldn’t call it love. They’d been apart too long. And to think that Quito could ever love her again, would be darn foolish on her part. She’d smashed any hope of being loved by him when she’d hightailed it back to Houston.
“Well, thank God for that,” she said, determined not to make it an issue. “If that bullet had been a bit lower you might have wound up impotent. And no doubt that would have left a lot of women around here very unhappy.”
He looked at her, rolled his eyes, then grunted a laugh. “A lot of women? Just a handful is more like it.”
And Clementine already hated them all. She couldn’t bear to think that any woman, other than her, had spent time in Quito’s arms. But she had to stop and remind herself that she’d left him a free man. And since that time she’d married Niles Westcott. A fact she’d very much like to forget.
“You always were a modest man, Quito,” she said with a wicked little smile.
Rising to her feet, she gathered up her clothes, where he’d tossed them upon the grass, and quickly stepped into her jeans. By the time she was buttoning her blouse, Quito had also stood and was eyeing her with that quiet, Navajo way of his.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“I was just thinking.”
Forgetting the last button on her blouse, she closed the distance between them and slipped her arms around his waist. “I am a changed woman,” she murmured gently. “The Clementine you just made love to would have never walked away from you eleven years ago.”
He drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
Clementine didn’t miss the faint bitterness twined through his words and her glance at him was tinged with sorrow. “That wasn’t my reason for saying it,” she tried to explain. “It was just something I wanted you to know.”
“All right. So now I know it,” he murmured.
But he didn’t necessarily believe it, Clementine thought, as he eased her arms from around his waist. Well, it would be stupid of her to expect a few words from her lips to convince him. Besides, maybe in the long run it didn’t matter whether he believed that she was a changed person. Even if Quito were to beg her, she couldn’t stay here.
Clementine tried not to think about that dark fact as he reached for her hand and led her toward their waiting supper.
Chapter Five
The next morning Clementine was about to leave her hotel room to have breakfast when the telephone beside her bed rang.
Tossing her handbag atop the tumbled covers, she picked up the shrilling instrument, wondering who would be calling her so early.
“Hello,” she answered.
“Clementine! It’s Victoria Ketchum. That is, Victoria Ketchum Hastings now,” the woman added with a contented laugh. “I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time. I called early because I was afraid you’d be out later in the day.”
A wide smile crossed Clementine’s face. She’d never expected her old friend to call her. She’d been afraid Victoria had probably frowned upon her leaving Quito all those years ago and marked her off her list of friends. Apparently that hadn’t been the case.
“How very nice to hear from you! How are you?” Clementine asked her.
Victoria laughed. “Busy. Happy. What about yourself?”
“I’m keeping busy, too.” She wished she could truthfully add the happy part, too. But Clementine hadn’t been happy for the past eleven years. There wasn’t any use in trying to pretend otherwise.
“Are you wrapped up with anything this morning?” Victoria asked quickly. “I have about an hour before my patients start to arrive. I thought we might have coffee together and catch up.”
“Actually I haven’t even had breakfast yet,” Clementine told her. “I was just about to get some when you called.”
“Great! I was in too big of a rush to eat anything before I left the ranch. Let’s meet at the Wagon Wheel and have one of those horribly fattening breakfasts,” she suggested with a wicked laugh.
Heaven only knew how deep and dark Clementine’s spirits were this morning. Just hearing Victoria’s cheerful voice helped to lift her back into the sunlight.
“I’d love that. When should I be there?”
“Right now! I’m just a few blocks away. If you walk, we should be there at the same time.”
“Walk?” Clementine questioned.
Victoria chuckled. “Yes, walking. It’s good for you.”
“Oh, yeah. Right, Doc,” she replied with a laugh. “See you there.”
Hanging up the phone, Clementine snatched up her handbag and hurried from the hotel. The morning was clear and already very warm. As she walked along the sidewalk, she didn’t much notice the street traffic to her left or the landscaped businesses to her right. She was thinking back to the first time she’d met Victoria. Clementine’s father had always made a point of attending the local political fund-raisers and that night she’d gone along with him. She had not expected to meet anyone even close to her own age, but Victoria had also been attending the function with her own father, Tucker.
Clementine’s father had purchased horses from Tucker and the two men had become friendly. It was only normal that their two daughters should meet. And when Clementine was led over to a group of people, one of which was Victoria, her gaze stopped dead on the dark, tough sheriff standing near her elbow. Neil Rankin had also been with them, and he’d welcomed her into the little group with several jokes, mostly of which were directed at himself. Victoria had also been warm and friendly and Clementine had been drawn to her immediately. But it was Quito who’d made her pulse flutter and her cheeks burn with awareness.
At first he’d seemed not to notice her at all and had said very few words before their little group had broken up and scattered to other spots around the room. So she’d been surprised when, a few minutes later, he’d walked up and invited her to dance.
One waltz in Quito’s arms and she’d been lost. It hadn’t mattered that he’d said very little to her while they’d moved slowly around the dance floor. Something about the way his strong arms had held her, the way his dark brown eyes had looked into hers had shattered every thought, every dream she’d ever had of any man. That night he’d walked straight into her heart. And he’d never left.
With a soulful sigh, she tossed back her long blond hair and looked around to get her bearings. Across the street, on the corner was the Wagon Wheel diner. A tall, slender, dark-haired woman was standing near the entrance and Clementine knew instantly that the person was Victoria.
Picking up her pace, she jogged across the street and waved to Victoria as she drew near.
“You beat me,” she called to her friend.
Victoria hurried down the sidewalk and flung her arms tightly around Clementine. “Clementine! How wonderful to see you again,” she said through happy tears.
Clementine pulled back just far enough to look at Victoria’s beautiful face, then she hugged the woman again. “I’m so glad you called,” she admitted, her eyes going misty. “I didn’t know if you’d want to see me or not.”
“Don’t be silly,” Victoria chided, then breaking their hug, she slipped her arm around Clementine’s waist and urged her toward the diner’s entrance. “Come on. We can talk better inside. And I need to order and eat before it’s time to go back to the clinic.”
Inside the diner, the two women made their way through the crowd until they found a booth that had just emptied. It was near a plate glass wall that overlooked Main street and as they t
ook their seats Clementine thought how quiet and simple it would be to drive to work here in Aztec in the mornings. The cars and trucks lined up at the red light were seven or eight deep. But compared to the twelve lanes of traffic in Houston, this was nothing.
“How did you know I was here?” Clementine asked as they both settled themselves on the brown vinyl.
“Neil phoned me.” Her eyes glowing, Victoria smiled at her. “It’s so great to see you. And you look fabulous!”
Clementine smiled self-consciously at her friend’s compliment. “Not really. But you—I can’t believe you’ve had a baby! Your figure is still just as perfect as ever.”
Victoria waved that notion away with the flip of her hand. “I’m hidden under this loose-fitting blouse.”
Clementine started to speak, but a waitress suddenly arrived at their table. After the woman had taken their order and gone to fetch their coffee, she picked up the conversation where Victoria had left off.
“I can tell you’re not hiding any baby fat,” Clementine told her.
Still smiling, Victoria said, “I guess Neil told you about me getting married and having children.”
Clementine nodded. “Uh-huh. He also told me about Ross and Seth getting married. Sounds like you Ketchums have really been walking down the aisle here lately.”
“Yes. Isn’t it wonderful? Finally I have children and sisters-in-law and hopefully I’ll get some nieces and nephews soon.”
Clementine smiled wanly. She couldn’t help but be envious of Victoria’s loving family. She’d been the only child of Wilfred and Delta. And as for a family of her very own, she’d pretty much shelved that idea once she’d discovered Niles’s true character.
“I’m truly happy for you, Victoria. Although I was sorry to hear about your father passing. I know how close you two were.”
Victoria’s head bowed slightly and Clementine could see her friend was still feeling the grief of her father’s death even though a few years had passed.
“Yes. We were close,” she said huskily. “But in the end his health was really, really bad. He was on oxygen and in a wheelchair. To be honest, once he couldn’t straddle a horse anymore, he wasn’t the same man. It took all his will away.” She looked across the table and smiled briefly at Clementine. “But let’s not waste the morning talking about sad things. How long are you going to be in Aztec?”
From Here to Texas Page 6