An Outlaw to Protect Her

by Harper St. George

  He gave a slight nod so that he wouldn’t dislodge her hand. “It happened the same night as the other. The night the Reyes hacienda was raided by the Derringers.”

  She didn’t seem horrified or upset. There was calm acceptance in her expression, an acknowledgment. They were both survivors. “It makes you look dangerous,” she said, a teasing light in her eye. “When you’re angry you look downright vicious. And now...”

  “And now?” he prompted.

  “You look like the big bad wolf, waiting to eat me up.”

  “Hmm...not a bad idea.”

  She giggled, the light and happy sound washing over him and filling him up with sunshine and contentment.

  “You’ll need to take off your dress first.”

  She nodded and turned so that he could work the fastenings. His fingers, thick and clumsy, trembled as he unfastened each tiny button. He took advantage of her exposed neck and placed an openmouthed kiss at her nape, letting the tip of his tongue drink the salty sweetness from her skin.

  She sighed and moved back into his touch. “That’s lovely.”

  He nearly laughed at her description. He’d take lovely. As he unbuttoned her dress, he kissed his way down her spine until his lips found the cotton fabric of her chemise, then he kissed back up, loving the chill bumps his touch raised on her skin.

  “Take this off,” he whispered in her ear when he’d finished.

  She moved away to take the garment off and step out of her shoes, carefully placing the dress in the armoire. He sensed some hesitation in her, so he took the opportunity to sit on the edge of the bed and take off his boots. He’d gone back to his own clothes since he’d been on watch. Well aware that they might not progress past kissing and touching tonight, he vowed to pace himself and ignore the hunger roaring through his veins.

  When he was left in his pants and she only in her chemise, she walked over to stand in front of him. His hands were drawn to her, catching her by the waist and pulling her closer. She was smiling a little, but there was fear in her eyes now.

  “We don’t have to do more tonight.” His voice was husky and rough.

  “No...it’s not that.”

  His fingers tightened in the chemise and he placed a kiss in the tantalizing dip between her breasts where the fabric met her skin. There was a ribbon holding it together and he wanted to pull it apart. To see her breasts. To taste them.

  “You can tell me.”

  “I want to do more, I’m just...” She shook her head and ran a hand over her face in exasperation. “I don’t like that I’m afraid, but I am.”

  He ran his hands up her rib cage and back down, stopping short of her breasts. “Does it feel good when I touch you?”

  She nodded.

  He took in a deep breath, taking in her rose scent. In the back of his mind warnings flared, but he ignored them. He ignored everything but the woman in front of him. “You get to set the pace, Glory.” To demonstrate his point he brought his hands up again, stopping just under the fullness of her breasts. He met her gaze before he went further, silently asking for permission. She gave him a nod and he took them in his palms. The mounds barely filled his hands. Her nipples were tight against his palms, and her lips parted as he gently tested their weight.

  “More?”

  She nodded again, and he shifted his hands, circling her nipples with his thumbs. She gasped and bit her lip, leaning into his touch. He could barely make out their shadow in the dim light, which taunted him, making him want to see her even more. Gently, he stroked over her nipple, drawing another sound from her lips.

  “When you’re ready, untie the ribbons so I can taste you.”

  * * *

  Glory felt her nipples harden even more under the skillful touch of his hands and fingers. He continued to gently knead her breasts, playing with her nipples, which were hard little peaks under her chemise. She moved slowly, her fingers trembling, but she untied the ribbon and the fabric gaped apart. Wanting nothing more than to feel his hands on her bare skin, she grabbed them and brought them to the opening. He pushed the fabric aside, his fingers eagerly seeking her skin. His callused palms were slightly rough as they raked over her smooth breasts, sending flares of heated pleasure across her skin. His hand was so large as it closed over her that it encompassed her entire breast.

  They were opposites in so many ways on the outside, but on the inside they were the same. He understood her in ways she couldn’t explain. He worked her nipples between his forefinger and thumb, tugging slightly. She gasped as darts of electricity shot directly to her belly. Liquid heat pooled between her thighs, making her rub her thighs together to alleviate some of the tension.

  “I want your mouth,” she whispered.

  A soft growl came from his lips as he closed his mouth over one the beaded peaks. The rough hum sent desire spiraling to her center. From his rough hands to the purely masculine sounds he made, she loved every part of him. His gaze never left hers as he tugged with his mouth and teased her with his tongue. The strength went out of her knees, forcing her to hold on to his shoulders to keep upright. She felt drunk all over again, only this time he was her brandy.

  Finally he pulled back, placing a kiss on each breast before pushing her chemise down and off her arms so that it fell to the floor. She was left naked before him, completely exposed in a way that she didn’t think she’d be comfortable with. And she wasn’t. The vulnerability had an immediate dampening effect on her need for him.

  The familiar squeeze of panic in her chest made it hard to breathe. Her fingers felt numb on his shoulders, craving his warmth but unable to feel it. This was a mistake. She should’ve insisted on staying clothed. Her scar was there, between them, and it would always be there no matter what she did.

  She meant to step back, but his hands tightened on her hips and he slid off the bed onto his knees before her. He stared up at her as if she were perfect. His hands moved over her skin in a caress far too gentle for their size. Bending slightly, he kissed her stomach, her navel and below to the vertical scar that stopped at her pubic bone. She didn’t realize that she was breathing in short pants until he raised his head to give her that hint of a smile that she’d come to associate with him.

  “Beautiful.” It was one word, but it said so much. She didn’t pay attention to the scar or the fact that he could see it. She was so consumed with him that she couldn’t see anything past him.

  Her fingers gently brushed his black hair back from his face, and he turned his head, placing a kiss on her palm. Then he went back to kissing her belly, her legs, only to place a final one on the russet curls that covered her sex. A shiver went through her body, cold and hot at the same time. A mix of pleasure and anxiety to match the push and pull going on within her.

  His large hands moved up her leg, past the bend of her knee to gently knead the muscles of her thighs. She widened her stance to give him room and he took advantage, taking his touch higher before retreating again. He did this a few times, and each time she held her breath as he got closer to the apex of her thighs. A pleasurable ache had begun to bloom there. The concept of arousal wasn’t foreign to her. She’d felt it before, particularly when he kissed her, but she’d never experienced it like this. With a man ready and waiting to stoke the flames higher.

  She could even feel the tension coming off him. If she looked down, she knew that she’d see the large bulge in his pants that had pressed against her earlier. He was as aroused as she was, and he was holding himself back, drawing it out to make it as good for her as he possibly could. Tenderness swelled in her heart as she stared down at his face, a face that had become precious to her.

  The next time he moved his hand up her inner thigh, his fingers grazed her sex. She gasped aloud at the sensation, the ache became a dull throb, begging for more of his touch. When he brought his hand up again in that slow, teasing caress, she took it with
hers. His heavy-lidded stare dared her to go further, so she brought his fingers to her. He grinned, gently moving his fingertips over her, spreading the dampness he found there. She moved her foot out farther to ease his way, and he found her swollen. Waves of need pulsed through her when he touched that particular place. Using her own moisture, he slicked the pad of his finger over her again and again until she was panting aloud. Her cry filled the air when she felt the wet heat of his tongue replace his finger.

  He rose to his feet, but didn’t stop the delicious motion of his hand. His other came up to tip her head back so that he could claim her mouth in a deep kiss. She liked it. She actually liked the way his hand gripped her hair, the way her naked breasts were pressed against his solid chest, and especially the way his other hand gave her pleasure between her legs. She even liked that she could faintly taste herself on his tongue. Her hips rocked with his movement, needing even more. When he broke the kiss, she actually laughed.

  He smiled down at her, but his brow was furrowed at the same time in question.

  “I didn’t think I would enjoy it this much,” she confessed. Relief mingled with the pleasure, giving it sway to coil ever tighter in her belly, asking for more. More of him. More of this. Her own palms moved down his smooth chest to rub over the rough hair that led down into his pants. Hesitant but determined to overcome her anxiety, she moved her hand down farther, stroking over the bulge in his pants. She was rewarded with his rough exhale of pleasure.

  “We don’t have to do more than this,” he whispered. His hands moved to her hips and she got the distinct impression that she’d just made him go weak in the knees. A thrill of power surged within her.

  She squeezed gently, testing out the feel of him. She wasn’t certain how far she could go with him, but she hadn’t reached her limit yet. “I want to see you.”

  He reached down and finished unfastening the buttons down the front of his pants. She watched his movements with her breath stuck in her throat, anxious to see all of him. Slowly the fabric parted and he pushed his pants down his thighs. His manhood sprang free to stand tall and thick against his belly. He didn’t move, giving her the time she needed to study him. She’d been prepared to feel the familiar coldness of fear creeping over her, but she didn’t feel that. Or rather it was a faint echo pushed to the far reaches of her mind. Curiosity had taken its place with need following close behind.

  She gently took him in her hand, enjoying the way his breathing became harsh in response to her touch. He liked what she was doing and that knowledge somehow fed her own desire, making it burn hotter. His skin felt like silk here and so hot. Her fingers couldn’t quite touch her thumb as they wrapped around him. His large hand covered hers and he showed her how to stroke him and bring him pleasure.

  As she moved, she was torn between watching her movements and watching his face. His eyes were hooded, mere slits in his face as he stared at her. They were nearly black. Yet, despite the intensity of his expression, he managed to keep his gentleness. He never touched her or urged her further than she wanted. She felt that if she turned away from him in that moment that he would honor her need for time, and that, more than anything, urged her forward. She let him go to draw him down for a kiss. Her tongue stroked his, and the hard length of him pressed hard and eager against her belly. An answering pulse beat between her thighs, and she moved against him, loving how hard and strong he felt against her.

  She wanted more, and that knowledge was exhilarating. It spurred her forward to take a leap of faith and go further. “More,” she whispered against his lips.

  His answering groan reverberated inside her. The heat in her belly coiled even tighter and higher, reaching for something. “Glory,” he whispered, placing openmouthed kisses across her jaw and down her neck. His teeth raked over her skin, sending the flame of pleasure burning in her belly ever higher. She closed her eyes and gave into all the good things he made her feel.

  His hands tightened on her hips as he lifted her, setting her up on the bed. She moved back, giving him room and he came down between her thighs. She gasped at the sudden contact of his hard manhood against her open sex, but he didn’t make a move to do more. He kept his weight on his knees as he bent over her to take a nipple into his mouth, sucking deep before teasing her with his tongue.

  She writhed beneath him, caught up in the pleasure of his hot mouth and the decadent feel of his hardness stroking against her where she throbbed, making her aware of just how empty she felt there. He groaned her name again but this time it was a plea, a request, a need for more that she understood. She instinctively answered, throwing her arms around him and pulling him down, needing everything he could give her.

  Except the moment his weight came down on top of her, a subtle change began to happen. The hands that had been so pleasing a moment ago, roughened from years in the saddle, now felt hard and abrasive. The solid strength of his chest wasn’t comforting and attractive as it had been moments ago. It now seemed unyielding and oppressive as it pressed her into the mattress. His mouth, once hot and decadent, belonged to someone else.

  “Glory?” His deep voice cut through the fog that she hadn’t even realized had moved between them. She opened her eyes to see him rise above her. “Are you with me?” he asked.

  “What happened?” Her voice didn’t sound like it belonged to her.

  He gave her a tender look. “You left me.”

  Her heart fell, but he only smiled, and before she could think of what to say he had flipped their positions. She was sprawled across his chest trying to figure out what he was about as he moved a pillow behind him. Before she knew it, he sat back against the headboard, and she was across his lap.

  “Kiss me.” His voice was soft, but there was a subtle order in his tone.

  She marveled at the contradiction he was and gently pressed her lips to his. She intentionally didn’t deepen the kiss because she wanted to know what he’d do. He was grinning when she pulled back.

  “Do you trust me?”

  She did. He’d sensed that she’d needed to stop before she had regained her equilibrium enough to say the words. “More than anyone.”

  His eyes stroked down her face to her lips and back up again. “Then watch my hands.” He put his right hand through the bronze spindles in her headboard, grasping one tight, and then did the same with his left hand. “I promise to keep them here. You can tie them there if it makes you feel better. Do with me what you will. You’re in control. We do only what you want.”

  She stared at him in shock. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you can curl up at my side and take a nap, explore until your heart’s content or climb on. The choice is yours.”

  She couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped her lips. Amusement shone from his eyes, but he was still as hard as ever between them. The heat that had languished a bit inside her, flared back to life, and she squirmed on his lap. “Are you certain?”

  He nodded. “I want tonight to be good for you, Glory.”

  He might live by his gun, but he was the most caring man she’d ever met. How could he be real? But he was real and he was hers. For tonight. She tried not to dwell on the pang of bittersweet uncertainty that shot through her.

  She moved slowly, her palms becoming familiar with every dip and swell of his chest. She turned in his lap and straddled his thighs.

  His breath came out in a slow exhale as if he’d been holding it. “Thank God. I was afraid you’d choose the nap.”

  A laugh bubbled up and out of her. Being with him was so easy. He was right. This felt better, like before when they had stood together. She didn’t feel overpowered or overwhelmed by him and the need inside her came flooding back.

  Holding on to his shoulders for leverage, she moved forward until his shaft was pressed against her belly. Her swollen sex throbbed as she rocked against his hard length. He groaned deep in his throat and the sou
nd nearly slayed her. She kissed him, his familiar taste drawing her back down into the throes of arousal. She rocked again, loving the sounds he made in response. Who knew that bringing him pleasure would be so addictive? Very soon she wanted more, so she rose up over him, her fingers digging into his shoulders to hold herself steady.

  Inch by slow inch she lowered herself over him. She was so slick that the thick head of his manhood pushed right in. He let out a harsh exhale that matched her gasp. The fullness of him inside her felt incredible. She moved to test out the sensation, pulling up to nearly dislodge him before sinking down even farther. His entire body tensed. He kept his word but the muscles of his forearms flexed as he gripped her headboard, and she worried that her bed might not survive him. She did it again and again, working herself onto him until he was fully seated within her. They both let out a cry as he slid home, and she fell against his chest.

  He kissed her temple and very gently moved his hips, flexing within her. It was all the encouragement she needed. Wrapping his hair around her fingers, she rose over him, moving slowly at first and then faster as she gained confidence. Flutters of pleasure deep in her belly urged her onward. He felt so good inside her that she forgot everything else but him and what was happening between them. Her entire world narrowed to them, to the way he throbbed inside her.

  “So beautiful.” His harsh voice rasped across her skin.

  Heat spiraled through her, tightening the coil of pleasure inside her tighter and tighter until the tension exploded within her. She cried out and his voice was husky as he urged her higher, so that she was riding the crest of her pleasure. When she started to come down, he followed her over, his hips pumping upward as he pulsed within her, finding his release.

  She was able to watch his face as he came. To see his eyes at the exact moment when he fell apart. He was beautiful. Rough and gentle, hard and soft. Perfect. She held him against her as they both came down, all the while wondering if she’d ever experience a more flawless moment in her life.