At first, she was afraid he would tell her they should wait until they were married, but instead he lifted the small box that held Keiko and took her hand, dragging her willingly down the hall to her bedroom. Once inside, he sat the dog down and turned to her, placing his hands on either side of her cheeks, gripping her and kissing her like a man starved of love.
Without releasing her lips, he pushed her pajamas down and she kicked them out of the way. Letting go of his mouth, she gasped for air, her lungs seizing, breathing deeply she gulped in the smell of Jim. Tiny needles of sensation flooded her senses alerting her there was no backing out. The man who'd rescued her, the man who had given her sanctuary, the man her chest tightened and her heart pounded at the sight, would soon be her lover.
Placing her fingers on the waistband of his bottoms, she let her hands slide inside, slipping the material along his smooth skin down past his hips, his thighs, his knees.
He shoved the garment off and embraced her, the touch of his naked flesh against her own sent a flood of longing until she feared she would faint from the pleasure. A lustful need overwhelmed her, making her ache with the bliss of being held in his arms as desire ricocheted like a bullet through her body.
With his manhood nestled in the vee of her legs, her body thrummed with tension, as his hands gripped her back, her nerves stretched taut with sexual need.
Feeling his pulse throbbing in his neck.
"Shadow, damn do you know how long it's been since I was with a woman?"
"Only one man has slept with me and he left me over a year ago. No one since then," she said. "What about you?"
"Three long, lonely years," he said, nipping at her throat. "Three long, lonely years spent waiting."
"Please don't wait any longer," she sighed, her breasts aching as his eager hands skimmed over her flesh, searing her with a heat that pulsed with hunger.
When his fingers caressed her intimately, she gasped, shivering at his touch. Fumbling between them, she wrapped her hands around his manhood and stroked him, enjoying the strength of him beneath her fingertips. The urge to make him ache as much as she needed him spurred her on. And she did need him. All of him.
Leading her to the bed, he gently nudged her down and followed her. Lavishing her nipple with his tongue, he swirled it around and around before he plucked the orb into his mouth, suckling until she moaned in desperation.
Gripping the sheets, she had never felt this kind of pleasure before. Never savored such intimate kisses, touching caresses that fired her blood and left her hungry for more. The only other man she had sex with never worshipped her body like Jim.
Trailing his fingers down her stomach, he slipped his digits into her slickened folds as she moaned, "Jim."
"I'm here," he whispered, his mouth a caress against her belly.
Sliding farther down, his tongue caressed her and she moaned the sound loud in the darkened room. Passion swelled inside her, focusing on this man between her legs. Crying out in ecstasy, she felt the orgasm like a tsunami rushing at her slamming into her as she cried out his name. "Jim."
Tensing at his tender strokes, she shook as she came apart beneath him.
After her lungs no longer stuttered for air, she lay there sated and bewildered at the experience. Nothing had ever prepared her for the tumultuous feelings erupting between the two of them. Never had she enjoyed such a connection with a man.
"Condom?"
"I don't have one," she said with a groan. "Never needed one."
With a sigh, he looked over at her. "The one I have is three years old."
"What are we going to do?" she asked.
Gazing at her, she could see he wanted her in the worst way and she wanted him. If they had sex, they would be taking a huge risk "I'm not on the pill," she said. "There's no need, I don't sleep around."
"My condom is old because, I don't sleep around. Let's try to use it," he said. Jumping up, he sprinted out of the room, running up the stairs. In a few minutes, he ran back into the room, and she had to contain her giggle. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he opened the package and quickly rolled the rubber over his penis.
Coming up the bed, he slid between her legs, his knees, spreading her wider as the heat of him rested at her entrance. "Now, where were we?"
"You were about to take me to the moon and back again," she said, glancing into his intense brown eyes. "You're the pilot and I'm the vessel for the journey. Treat me right."
Chuckling, he kissed her deeply, his lips covering her own, before he released her mouth. "I aim to please."
With a groan of surrender, like he'd been holding back for weeks, he pushed into her. Raising her bottom, to meet him, she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Oh, Jim."
A moan of pleasure escaped as she gave herself up to him, grateful for the way he pounded into her, commanding and demanding she give him her all. And she was. Her heart was open and with clarity she realized if she wasn't careful, she could fall in love with this man.
This conservative man whose life was nothing like her own. She saw a side of him she didn't think many people witnessed. A caring, loving man, who was lonely.
Joined, they flew into the night, their bodies connected, their souls bonding as they reached higher and higher for that elusive goal, knowing she wanted this night to last forever. Just when she thought she would lose her mind from the desire, he would change the tempo, prolonging the bliss just a little longer.
Finally, when she thought she could not hold back another second, he groaned, "Shadow, come with me."
And she did. As the thrusters exploded, she held on tightly to Jim, getting lost in his gaze as together they fell back to the earth as one.
Breathing heavily, he rolled off her and laid by her side silently.
For several minutes, they lay beside each other with their fingers entwined, quietly stunned at the awesomeness of what had just happened. Never in her life had she ever relished in lovemaking like this. So passionate, so intense, so loving.
Where did they go from here?
Chapter 6
Early the next morning, Jim rose from the bed trying not to disturb her. For the last hour, he lay awake, wondering what in the hell had he done. For the first time in three years, he let down his walls. Shadow, the least likely woman he would have ever considered and had sex with her.
Standing at the door, he looked back at her all cuddled up in bed and he wanted to do nothing more than join her. Make love to her once again.
Yet there were no more condoms. And what she didn't realize was the one they used last night, had ripped. Even now she could be pregnant with his child.
At the very idea, he had to get out of here. He needed to step away and give himself time to rationalize what just happened. If he stayed another minute, he'd be tempted to make love to her again, consequences be damned.
Walking out the door, his chest tightened. He didn't want to go, but his responsibilities called him. The animals needed fed, there were barns to clean and fences to mend. But that wasn't why he was leaving.
He was almost running out of the bedroom afraid of the feelings building for this woman. Afraid to let his heart experience love once again. Afraid if he gave her his heart, she would leave him just like everyone else he loved had left.
Closing the door softly, he sighed and ran his hand over his face. What the hell did he do now?
Could that damn Cupid superstition be real? No, no, he refused to believe in superstitions or spells or any kind of hocus pocus nonsense. This here was just coincidental.
There was a beautiful woman - not the type of woman he normally dated--lying in bed that he knew he was falling for. And that frightened the hell out of him.
Shadow rolled over and felt the bed, searching for Jim. Last night they'd made love and she'd been amazed at the passion he evoked. Her hand came up with nothing but empty space and crisp cool sheets. Memories washed over her and her chest filled with fluttery butterfly feelings of happiness.
After growing
up with her mother's revolving bedroom door, as a teenager hearing the sounds on the other side of the wall, she held off on sex until she thought she found the right person. And then after six months, she came home to an empty apartment and a note.
At first, she wondered if her luck in men was going to be like her mother's. But after meditating on what she wanted in life, she decided maybe she was meant to spend her life alone.
Maybe the fairy tale worked for everyone, but not her. After all, her life up to now had not been the norm. She didn't have the television family with the mom who stayed at home and took care of the children.
Instead, her life had been the exact opposite, a single working mother who thought you should change boyfriends like you changed underwear.
Maybe the universe had something besides true love and happily ever after in mind for her. Until the night she broke down right outside Cupid and a man who danced around the Cupid statue rescued her along the highway. Could that piece of rock have placed her in Jim's path that night?
Shadow believed in prayer and meditation and crystals and being one with God and the universe, but finding love because of a superstition? Even that seemed a little far-fetched to her.
Rising out of bed, she sighed. Jim would be tending the animals and she should take a shower and work on the article. Today might be a good time to do the first draft on the Cupid story.
Ten days had passed since he picked her up on that highway. Sooner or later, Jim was going to ask her to leave. Sooner or later, her insurance would settle and it would be time to go. It better be sooner because her heart was beginning to get involved.
An ache gripped her chest at the thought of saying goodbye to Keiko, but more importantly, Jim.
Later that day, her cell phone rang. Glancing down at the number she saw her editor's name.
"Hi, Todd, what's up."
"Checking to see how your feature is coming."
What could she say? After last night, she knew Jim would not approve of her writing a piece that showcased the town's statue. And yet she had an obligation to her editor if she wanted to continue publishing with Texas Love Magazine.
"Just finishing up," she said, realizing if she didn't give him something, she would never write for this magazine again. Already because of her missed deadline, Todd almost lost his job. He'd given her a second chance, but a third would one would not be forthcoming.
There was no choice, she had to produce the article, even if Jim didn't like her telling the world about the town he loved. Jim would be hurt she had written it here in secret while he offered her his hospitality.
Torn between knowing what she had to do and what she wanted, she decided to try a different angle.
"You know the more I hear about this superstition, it doesn't seem to be as interesting as I hoped."
Silence permeated the airways between them and she understood this was probably not the thing to tell the man who gave her jobs. After all, he had a publication to print and it better be filled with newsworthy articles or they would find someone else to create their rag.
"Todd, are you still there?" she asked feeling uncertain.
"Your article is due in one week. At that time if your contribution is not on my desk, then you could send me something on a gold tablet and I'd reject it. Do you understand," he said, his voice tense enough, she sensed the celestial vibrations of anger stretching out and shaking her.
"I didn't say I would not get the story, I said I didn't think it sounded very compelling."
"Good, lie if you need to. Just make certain it's a vibrant story I can publish."
Clenching her hands, she paced the floor of the dining room. How did she get out of writing this to make Jim happy, but also keep producing for the magazine she loved?
"You'll have your piece."
"Great, I'll be looking forward to reading the tales of Cupid," he said as he hung up the phone.
The front door opened and Jim strolled into the house.
"Bye, Todd," she said and disconnected.
"Who was that?" Jim asked, his dark eyes zeroed in on her.
"An editor I work with," she said, setting the phone down, worried about how she was going to make Jim happy and satisfy Todd.
Gazing at Jim, she didn't know what she expected after they'd made love, but a welcoming kiss would have been nice. Instead, he seemed cold, his body rigid and his normally warm brown eyes less than friendly. Maybe, something happened to one of the animals or was he regretting last night.
"How was your day?" she asked, trying to reach out to see where the lover from last night disappeared.
"Stressful. Spoke to Kyle. We may have an epidemic going around infecting the cows. One that would ruin some area ranchers. Not as bad as mad cow, but still concerning and it's calving season." Running his hand through his hair, he gazed at her. "Did you talk to the insurance company today?"
Did this mean he wanted her gone?
"Called the adjustor and left a message. Just waiting for his return call."
Nodding, he sighed. "I'm going to go shower and change."
Turning to walk away without so much as touching her, she was almost convinced he regretted last night. Somehow, she needed to confirm her intuition.
"Jim" she called.
Halting, he turned to face her. "Do you regret what happened between us last night?"
His expression tightened and then he moved toward her, stopping when he stood in front of her. Reaching out, he let his fingers trail across her cheekbone.
"Last night was special. This is about me. Got a lot of things on my mind, right now." He kissed the top of her head, like you would a sister or a child and walked away.
Searching out Keiko, she picked up the tiny puppy and held her against her chest. The dog made little mewling sounds that made Shadow's stomach ache with love.
She hadn't come to Cupid looking for love. In fact, Shadow avoided the emotion since her boyfriend packed up and left in the middle of the day. So why did she miss Jim and why did his withdrawal wound her?
Maybe they weren't meant for marriage and kids and forever. Anymore, her life had no certainty about anything except she yearned for the closeness felt with Jim before.
He could have tonight, but tomorrow, they would play a game and if he didn't participate, her meager possessions would be bundled and once again she would be on the road.
Chapter 7
Jim walked into the house and noticed how quiet it seemed. In the last few weeks with Shadow staying with him, he liked to come home and listen to her somewhere in the house. It didn't seem quite as lonely and he realized enjoying her being there was one of the reasons he hadn't pushed her to leave.
After spending the night in her arms, he was confused. The damn condom had broken, which should terrify him, but instead he felt hopeful. If she were with child, she would have little choice but to stay and marry him.
Yet, his thinking was irrational, and if anything, illogical. In fact, he prided himself on being steadfast, true, conservative and rational. Which meant the best thing would be for her to start her period and leave his house.
But was that what he wanted. No.
Going in search of her, he sought the comfort of her embrace. He needed to feel her in his arms, hear her voice. Knocking on her bedroom door, she didn't respond.
Slowly he opened the door, where he saw the playpen she had purchased for the puppy. The little girl that he never thought would live, lay all curled up asleep. The dog had grown in the last week and Kyle said she had a good chance of surviving.
Relief filled Jim at the news. Amazing how quickly they both became attached when something depended on you for life.
Kind of like a baby.
Shaking his head, he saw the note taped to the pen and his heart sank, his chest seized with fear. After last night, she probably had decided she wanted nothing else to do with the cold cowboy. Yanking the paper off the playpen, expecting the worst, he read.
Game: Hide an
d Seek
First clue: Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
Laughter rumbled in him. The woman certainly knew how to keep things interesting. The clue made him think she was hiding in the hayloft, waiting for him.
Hurrying out the door, he strode over to the barn surprised to find a second note.
Good job, Cowboy. I'm looking for a man with a big tool.
Why in the world would she go to the tool shed? Could she be waiting for him primed and ready. Not exactly a romantic setting.
Strolling across the yard to the outbuilding, he found another piece of paper taped to the door.
You Tarzan - me Jane.
The treehouse. This one was a little further, but he took off into the pasture, where a big oak nestled the treehouse he and his brothers had built years ago. When he reached the bottom, he looked up. Dangling her feet over the edge, she sat on the platform drinking a beer.
"About time you showed up," she said. "All this alcohol and no one to share it with. I began to worry, you'd have to carry me down if I drank it all by myself."
"Well, someone sent me on a wild goose chase."
A grin spread across her face. "So you would be glad when you found me."
Crawling up the stairs nailed to the side of the tree he pulled himself up onto the floor, swinging his legs over the side he scooted next to her.
"Hi," he said and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
"Hi," she said, her gaze a curious inquiry.
"Okay, you're right. Yesterday, I was competing for head jackass."
"You think?" she said laughing. "I didn't know if I should pack my bags and go home or stay and hope today is better."
"I'm glad you stayed," he said. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I get all wrapped up in my head with my thoughts going ninety to nothing. Whenever a problem is bothering me, I have to think and yesterday was one of those days. Contemplate my actions."
Like an idiot, he'd almost lost her. Right now, he craved more time with Shadow.
"And today," she asked.
With a shrug, he smiled. "The confusion is less, the concern still there, but what can I do? The woman I wanted to see is right here beside me. Today is a much better day."
Cupid Help Me! (Return to Cupid, Texas Book 4) Page 8