by Carol Finch
“It’s exactly what I desire.” She traced the bridge of his nose and his high cheekbones. “And keep in mind that I do nothing halfway or halfheartedly, Crow.”
He grinned. He adored that about her, especially right now. She had made up her mind she wanted him and he couldn’t talk her out of it, even if he wanted to, which he didn’t.
For his part, Van wanted her in a way that he’d never realized it was possible to want anyone or anything in his life. She mattered to him. He desired her past the point of his resistance. Come hell or high water—or both—he was going to discover what paradise on Earth felt like. And she was it.
If Natalie asked for the moon and a few stars, he’d find a way to fetch them for her. He was that far gone. He was at the complete mercy of his throbbing desire to claim her as his own for this one magical night before she followed her dreams and schemes and walked out of his life forever.
Van vowed to make their passionate tryst an adventure unto itself. No matter how much it cost him in self-restraint, he would find a way to pleasure and satisfy her.
To that dedicated end, Van skimmed his lips over the tips of her breasts while she floated in his arms. Her soft moan of pleasure encouraged him to draw more satisfied sounds from her lips. He devoted several languid moments to flicking his tongue against her pebbled nipples, then cupped one full breast in his hand. When he suckled her gently, she arched toward him. Another breathless sigh tumbled from her lips—with his name attached to it.
He adored the raspy sound of her voice. He delighted in knowing he aroused her. He smiled against her nipple when she squirmed restlessly against him. Her hand drifted across his chest but he grabbed her fingertips and redirected them to her breast. Then he nibbled at them before he suckled her again.
“Don’t distract me. I’ve been harboring this fantasy of discovering the taste and feel of every inch of your gorgeous body since the night I put you in my bed after you passed out. That evening didn’t turn out the way I wanted.”
Her thick lashes fluttered up and she stared straight at him. “You find me desirable?”
He chuckled at the absurd question. “One look in the mirror should answer the question about how lovely you are.”
“But there have been times when I’ve wondered if I appeal to men or if…”
Her voice trailed off and he wondered if she was about to mention instances with other men. The image of her with anyone but him tormented him, though he kept telling himself he had no right to be possessive or jealous of her past affairs. After all, he had been intimate with other women. Of course, no one had intrigued him as she had, but still…
“You have no idea how much it has cost me in self-control to sleep beside you every night and restrain myself,” he admitted. “Which is why I couldn’t turn you down tonight. I have no willpower left when it comes to you.”
“None whatsoever?” She grinned so provocatively that another corner of his heart caved in. “Are you just saying that because I’m paying you?”
“Sure, sunshine. I want you to get your money’s worth,” he whispered as his hand drifted down her ribs to encircle her navel.
Her playful amusement turned to a quiet moan when his hand drifted lower to trace the curve of her inner thigh. Fire blazed through Van’s bloodstream when he skimmed his hand over the tender flesh between her legs and felt the heat of her desire burning for him.
He bent his head to glide his tongue between her lips at the same moment that he dipped his finger into her heated core. A tidal wave of need crashed over him as he stroked her gently—and simultaneously aroused himself to aching extremes. He vowed to leave Natalie as hot and hungry for him as he was for her…but at what cost to his ravenous body!
Van had never dedicated so much time to pleasuring a woman. He’d never wanted to because the women who came and went from his bed in the past only satisfied a physical craving. But this mystical moment with Natalie, while the blazing sunset turned the world to flames, was nothing like his previous encounters. He couldn’t take his pleasure with her unless she wanted him beyond bearing.
The thought challenged him to be more creative, to be gentler and more patient in his seduction than he’d ever been. He was rewarded with the sound of her breathless moans drifting across the rippling water.
“Come here,” she panted while he stroked her with thumb and fingertip.
“I told you not to rush me,” he murmured against the swell of her breast. “I’m living a fantasy.”
“You’re driving me crazy is what you’re doing,” she whimpered as her body involuntarily arched toward his gliding fingertips and lips.
“Really? Then let’s see how you react to this….” He lifted her hips to him, flicked at her with his tongue, then kissed her intimately.
She came apart in his arms, trembled beneath his lips and fingertips. She cried out his name as her body shuddered around his hands and mouth. Gasping for breath, she twisted to hook her legs around his hips.
Van was smiling at her in supreme satisfaction, for he knew he had pleasured her immensely. But when she curled her hand around his aroused flesh and guided him to her, he forgot to breathe—and couldn’t remember why he needed to.
He arched instinctively toward her as his hands settled on her hips. He drove into her without restraint and watched her eyes fly wide open. He stilled when he breached the fragile barrier that assured him that he was her first experiment with intimate passion. For certain, Natalie was his first time with a woman’s first time.
The knowledge brought him to his senses long enough to call upon his nearly depleted reservoir of restraint. Despite the ardent need that demanded that he drive relentlessly into her until he found wild release, he withdrew—and it nearly killed him.
“Crow…” she murmured as she held his gaze and hooked her hands behind his head. “Don’t stop doing what you’re doing.”
“Don’t really want to, sunshine,” he replied, barely recognizing his voice, for it was hoarse with need. “Just trying to give you time to adjust to…well…to me.”
She nuzzled her forehead against his, then brushed his lips lightly with hers. “You’re sweet, but—”
Her voice dried up when he drove himself to the hilt, then retreated to plunge into her silken body again and again. He wanted to tell her that he wasn’t the least bit sweet and there was nothing gentle about the ardent needs pounding through him in that desperate moment. His body had taken command and he was hopelessly out of control.
With each frantic thrust, he felt passion’s flames scorching him inside and out. Then the fires of overwhelming desire consumed him. He clutched her so tightly in his arms that he feared he’d suffocate her when he shuddered in all-consuming release.
Sweet mercy! Van thought as he gasped for breath—and found none forthcoming. But then, if he stopped breathing altogether and died in the circle of Natalie’s arms while he was buried deep inside her, he couldn’t think of a better way to go.
The realization that nothing in his vast experiences in life remotely compared to sharing Natalie’s innocent passion nearly brought him to his knees. It was unsettling, considering this was the last night they would be together. He could never recapture the incredible sensations and the previously untapped emotions she had unleashed inside him.
He’d found the passion of a lifetime, even if it could only last one night. He smiled ruefully as he rubbed his chin against the elegant curve of her neck. He remembered how Bart had questioned his rash decision to marry Natalie when he knew so little about her and hadn’t had time to confirm her story. But being this close to her, holding her possessively in his arms and knowing that nothing else compared to this moment with her seemed worth whatever repercussions he might face.
“Crow?” she murmured against his chest.
“Yes, sunshine?”
“How much will it cost me to do this again tonight?”
He chuckled as he brushed a feathery kiss against her satiny cheek. “As i
t happens, I’m running a two-for-the-price-of-one special this evening.”
“Well, in that case…”
When she reached down to cup him in her hand and stroke him intimately, desire exploded inside him in the blink of an eye. Van scanned the area near the riverbank to make sure they were still alone then he forgot everything he ever knew because she led him ashore to make a thorough study of him. She was careful to veer away from the marshy area where hemlock grew before she urged him onto a makeshift pallet of her discarded clothing.
It didn’t take her long to discover that every experimental touch of her hands and lips drove him one step closer to crazy. His last thought, as he drew her down on top of him then buried himself deeply in her honeyed warmth, was that his bewitching wife might still be a novice at surviving in the wilds but she excelled in passion.
And there, beneath a canopy of twinkling stars and the whisper of the breeze rustling in the leaves of overhanging trees, Donovan Crow discovered defeat for the first time in years. He had surrendered to Natalie Whoever-She-Was without putting up a fight…and he loved every erotic moment of it.
Chapter Nine
Natalie awoke the next morning with a satisfied smile on her face, though she felt a mite tender in a few unfamiliar places. Not that she was complaining. The previous evening spent in the river, on the riverbank and in the shelter of their improvised tent—where she devised a few more techniques to pleasure Crow—had been incredible. Plus, he had taught her things about her body—and herself—that she hadn’t known.
She wouldn’t have waited a single day to consummate their marriage if she had known Crow was so tender and skilled at teaching her about passion. She would like to rewind time so she could spend every night sampling the erotic delights Crow had unveiled to her.
He had restrained her from completely discovering every corded tendon, muscled plane and masculine contour of his magnificent body. Now she would never have the chance to pleasure him as much as he had pleased her.
Stretching leisurely, she glanced sideways to note that Crow had left their pallet. Today was no different from any other day, she reminded herself. He was always the first to rise. He reconnoitered the area, tended the horses and built the campfire.
Natalie drew in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of smoke that drifted from the fire. She had also come to appreciate sitting by the fire, watching the hypnotic flames dance in the darkness. She had never experienced anything like it at home in New Orleans. She had been deprived of so many simple pleasures of being one with nature—and with the magnificent silver-blue-eyed warrior she had married.
Reluctant to leave the warm pallet, Natalie sat upright to rake her hands through the tangled auburn strands that tumbled over her shoulders. She grabbed the neatly folded garments Crow thoughtfully left for her and got dressed. When she stepped outside, Crow was hunkered beside the campfire, turning the prairie chicken that roasted over the flames.
When he glanced sideways, awkwardness bombarded her. There were no secrets between them now…well, except for that gigantic secret—about being the heiress to a shipping fortune—that she’d purposely kept from him.
His gaze roamed possessively over her and she blushed. He knew how she looked naked and how easily he could arouse her to the heights of breathless passion. He knew how wildly she responded to his tender kisses and intimate caresses.
Despite the beet-red blush staining her cheeks, she strived to appear nonchalant. She knew she hadn’t pulled it off because a knowing smile quirked his lips.
“Feeling okay, sunshine?”
She forced a dazzling smile and shifted nervously from one booted foot to the other. “Sure, and you?”
“No complaints.”
Well, this was uncomfortable. But she would never regret the night she had spent with Crow and she refused to let self-conscious feelings spoil her last day with him.
“I have no regrets whatsoever,” she blurted out as she walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee.
He stared at her for a long, silent moment. “You sure about that?”
“Positively certain. Which reminds me…how much do I owe you? Another thousand?” She set aside her coffee cup, then reversed direction to reenter the tent and retrieve her money.
When she walked back to him, she playfully grabbed his hand and laid the money in his palm. “Paid in full, Crow. A pleasure doing business with you,” she said in a playful tone.
He frowned as he stared at the bank note, then handed it back to her. “That won’t be necessary. The pleasure was all mine. But mind telling me how you came to have these large-denomination bills?”
She inwardly winced, then mustered an impish grin. “Robbed a bank.”
“Interesting. Come to think of it, you paid for my name on the marriage license with large denominations, too. And you do seem to have an endless supply of funds with you.” His wary gaze zeroed in on her. “I heard a thief struck the railroad near Fort Worth recently. That wasn’t you, was it, sunshine?”
She batted her eyes at him and drawled. “Of course not, dear. I’ve been saving up for this trip west for a long time.”
Despite her playful tone, he continued to stare skeptically at her with those penetrating silver-blue eyes. Then he refocused on the large bank note. Curse it, she should have asked the banker for smaller bills when she made the withdrawal from her account. She had been careless and Crow was nothing if not a well-trained detective who asked all sorts of probing questions when his curiosity was aroused—as it was now.
She dropped a kiss on his lips, hoping to distract him. It must have worked because he said, “We are three or four hours from Taloga Springs.” He put meat and bread on her tin plate, then handed it to her. “It’s a tough place because it sits near the cattle trail to Dodge City. Cowboys ride into town to blow off steam at night. Gamblers and grifters hover around to prey on the drovers. Most of the women in town are paid by the hour. Cattlemen in the area are constantly feuding with each other over free range, water rights and missing calves. Fights break out on a regular basis so pay attention to what’s going on around you.”
“I’m not planning to remain in town but one night,” she assured him between bites. “I’ll catch the stagecoach to Dodge City to see what a real cow town is like before I head to Colorado to view the mountains. I plan to make use of my widow’s digs, just as I did during my trip to Wolf Ridge.”
“Just don’t expect to be spared from robbery if your coach is stopped,” he warned as he eyed her somberly. “I don’t know how much money you still have stashed in your clothing but if you are too protective of your satchels, thieves will become suspicious and turn your luggage inside out.”
Natalie inwardly cringed at the prospect of losing the Robedeaux-Blair jewels, some of which had been transported from France with the original family when heads rolled during the revolution.
“I assume from the look on your face there is more money tucked away. Otherwise, you couldn’t afford this cross-country adventure. Am I right?” he questioned intently.
“I do have a stash to support myself until I decide where to settle down and find a job,” she hedged, hoping to dissolve his suspicions. “But it is true that my business dealings with you have diminished my funds.”
“Sorry, but I don’t—”
“Work cheap,” she finished for him. “I know.” She couldn’t quite meet his gaze when she added, “You were worth the price, Crow.”
“Glad to be of help. Client satisfaction is important.” He rose to his feet to pour leftover coffee on the fire. “Time to pull up stakes and pack our belongings. The road near Taloga Springs can be dangerous for travelers so we will parallel the path as much as possible. The town isn’t called Hell’s Fringe for nothing.”
Natalie swallowed the last bite of her breakfast, then spread out the glowing coals so they would burn out quickly. She gathered the dishes and headed to the river to wash them while Crow packed away the makeshift tent.
Although he was friendly enough this morning, he had distanced himself from her. She wondered if that was how men dealt with women after a casual evening tryst. Well, he needn’t try to discourage her from hanging all over him, she mused irritably. After all, she did not intend to demand more of him than she had asked last night.
“What did you expect, fool?” she chastised herself as she practically scrubbed the finish off the coffee pot and tin plates. “That Crow would fall at your feet and declare undying love for you after your tryst?”
It would have been nice, she thought. At least then, she would have known there was something interesting and attractive about her that appealed to him besides the fact that she was female and she had made herself available to him. At least she hadn’t had to wonder if he was attracted to her fortune. That was a first for her.
“You’re a fine one to talk about caring for a man, just for himself, after the bargain you struck with Crow,” she grumbled at herself. “You made the mistake of liking him a little too much—”
“Talking to yourself, are you, sunshine?”
Natalie was so startled by the sound of his voice that she pitched toward the river—and would have taken a swan dive into the water if Crow hadn’t grabbed the nape of her shirt to steady her.
“Do not sneak up on me, damn you,” she snapped as she struggled to bring her racing heartbeat under control—and prayed he hadn’t heard what she had said about him.
“Sorry. Sneaking up on people is part of my job.” He hoisted her to her feet and helped her scoop up the dishes. “I’m told that I excel in sneaking.”
There was something about the way he stared at her that caused alarm bells to clang in her mind. The look in his eyes was even more remote and distant than it had been at breakfast. Arousing Crow’s suspicion was dangerous business. She’d give anything to know what he was thinking.
She pasted on a casual smile, hoping to mask her growing concern. “Something wrong, Crow?”