Wind River Cowboy

by Lindsay McKenna

  Just the way he skimmed her wound made her want to cry, but she quickly forced the reaction aside. His fingers were rough from outside work, and her flesh sang beneath his touch. “It gets cranky in cold weather, I’m discovering. No big deal. Really.”

  He studied it in the semidarkness and then lay down, propped up on one elbow, moving his hand to her upper right arm where she’d received the second bullet. “It hurts me to know you were wounded,” he told her quietly, fingers moving across the depression and scar.

  Kira felt her heart open even more if that was possible. “We both got hit in similar places that night.” She could see the thin, fine scar along his temple where the bullet had grazed his flesh, leaving him with amnesia for six months.

  “Yeah,” he rumbled, shaking his head, his hand grazing her torso, outlining her hip, “we’re a pair, aren’t we? You’re still beautiful to me, sweetheart. You always were and you always will be.”

  All the years of waiting, of carrying a deep loneliness for Garret, unable to kiss him, to savor him, to love him, conspired like a storm within her heart and body. Kira slid against him, her belly pressing into his erection as she cupped his jaw and slid her mouth over his. Maybe she was a wild child after all, bold enough to take what she wanted to share with Garret.

  All of those thoughts dissolved the moment he groaned, slowly lay on his back, took her with him. He repositioned her body over his, her legs between his as he took her mouth, ravenous to taste her, his hands roaming firmly down her back, cupping her cheeks and lifting his hips against hers.

  Fire erupted deep within Kira and she gasped as she felt the power of his erection, dampness swiftly following between her thighs. A low moan of pleasure followed as his hands curved around her breasts pressing into his chest. Sparks of heat leaped through them and she couldn’t remain still against him, his body too beautiful as it swayed against hers, teasing her in the best of ways. The past met the present for Kira as she melted into his exploring hands, feeling the sexual tension rise between them, the ache in her lower body almost painful with wanting more from Garret.

  Lost within his mouth, his tongue stroking hers, inciting her, he rolled her onto her back, his gaze locked with hers. She felt like a wild animal finally released, and as he nudged open her thighs, his hand trailing languidly down across her belly, caressing her, his fingers meeting the warm fluids collecting at her entrance, he smiled. It was a very male smile of being pleased with her body’s response coupled with intense need for her.

  Eyes closed, Kira moaned as he moved a finger slowly into her, testing her, teasing her. Gripping his thick biceps, Kira thrust her hips against his hand, wanting so much more, wanting him. Her body hummed and burned as he eased his finger from within her, settling over her, his large frame covering her like a warm blanket. As he nudged her entrance, her world started shredding apart. And as he captured one of her nipples, suckling her, she cried out, her body naturally arching upward, pulling him to just within her entrance.

  She knew she was small and she felt her body shift and open to his slow thrust into her. Fire flowed from each nipple as he lavished each one, in no hurry, tasting her as if she were some delicious dessert to be utterly savored, one sip at a time. Kira wanted this, wanted him, opening to him even more, feeling the momentary burn as he stopped, allowing her body to accommodate him. The burn soon dissolved and she made a low sound in her throat, lifting her hips, inviting him deeper into her. Just the feeling of his maleness, his muscles taut and powerful, felt as if he were holding himself under tight control, and Kira knew he must be doing all of that. He hadn’t loved anyone in years either, and she could hear a swift intake of breath between his clenched teeth as he eased into her waiting body for the first time.

  Her universe shifted, boiled, and a small cry tore from her as she met and matched his slow, deep thrusts, absorbing him, his need for her. And each time he suckled her, another sob rose in her and she bucked against his hips, hungry for more. She felt pressure and gnawing build rapidly with each of his languid thrusts. She understood he was being cautious, but her starving body didn’t want it at that pace. She opened her eyes, meeting his, her hands gripping his hips as she let him know she wanted more. Much more. Kira saw a gleam in Garret’s eyes, the same hunger she felt, and when he pushed hard and deep into her, she gasped, arching into him.

  Closing her eyes, she met and matched him, feeling her entire body tighten. Barely aware of anything except the sweat between them, the movement of their bodies in primal union, she felt Garret’s large, callused hand move down her flank, capturing her hip, anchoring her.

  And then her world exploded and she screamed, her body frozen in the white-hot grip of an orgasm that shattered through her. At first it was painful because it was so powerful and then, a second later, it turned into a throbbing, rippling pleasure that kept coming through her, never ending until she felt faint from the release. The scent of Garret’s male body, the taste of his sweat on his shoulder as she kissed his flesh and the pumping of his thrusts triggered even more pleasure within her. She floated, barely aware of anything except Garret. Kira suddenly felt him tense. He gripped her hard, stiffening, a groan ripped out of him. As weak as she felt, she pushed against him, wanting to prolong his release, to give him the same lavish pleasure he’d just gifted her with.

  The rumbling growl from deep within his chest vibrated through her. His fingers tangled into her hair, gripping the strands, straining against her. His breath was hot and moist, punctuated against her cheek and temple as he froze and then suddenly collapsed on her. A soft smile of fulfillment pulled at her lips as she curved her arms around his back, moving her fingers in soft motions up and down along his spine. Never had she felt happier than at this moment. They were coupled, and the love she felt for Garret soared into a heady place. Kira closed her eyes, joyous.

  * * *

  Garret groaned as he pushed upward, not wanting his massive weight to squash Kira beneath him. He felt shaky with release, weakened in the best way possible. Worried, he eased out of her, knowing she was so small and tight. The look on her face was bliss, her lips slightly parted, eyes closed, a flush sweeping across her upper body. Her black hair was tangled, lending to that image he’d always carried of her being a wild woman in disguise. Her hands were small and dainty and she looked fragile against his bulk. But he knew from experience that no one had a braver or a more courageous heart than this woman of his. He propped himself up on his elbow and eased to Kira’s side, bringing her up against him, her cheek resting on his upper arm, her smile lingering on her wet lips.

  “Are you feeling okay?” he asked, caressing her cheek, watching her lashes flutter. The joy sparkling in her eyes was there for him. If Garret had thought he’d hurt her in some way, he knew now that he hadn’t. The flecks of silver deep in her gray eyes told him how satisfied she was. And so was he. It felt good to pleasure Kira, to give back to her when, over the years, she’d given so much to him.

  “Mmm, wonderful,” she whispered, lifting her hand, skimming his cheek. “Couldn’t be better. You?”

  He grunted and said, “Good.” He slid some precocious strands off her clear brow, drowning in her large, half-open eyes. “I like that smile in your eyes and on your mouth.”

  “You should,” she murmured lazily, sighing. “You put them there.”

  “Really? Are you all right, Kira?” Because he wasn’t your average-size man in any respect. And she was small in comparison.

  “I’m going to be sore,” she admitted, “but so what?” and she gave him a satisfied smile. “It’s been a long time for both of us.”

  “Yeah,” he groused. “Too damned long.”

  Kira slid her hand up his thick upper arm. “But now, you know what?”

  “What?” He leaned over, skimming her smiling mouth. “Tell me,” he whispered against her lips.

  “We can make love anytime we want. The waiting is over.”

  A rumble of laughter rolled out of him.
Kira gave him a wicked look, her smile deepening, the pleasure still shining in her luminous eyes. The love he felt for her was so powerful it rendered him mute for a moment as a wave of happiness tunneled through him. He lifted his head away a bare inch, holding her amused gaze. “I like that idea.”

  “Mmm, so do I.” She laughed in a wispy way and slid her fingers through his hair. “If you only knew how many times I was so horny I wanted to jump your bones, Fleming, you’d probably die of shock because you would have lost count.”

  He laughed with her. “Oh,” he growled, kissing her temple, trailing small nips to her earlobe and then her slender neck, “I don’t know about that. I went around with a perpetual hard-on. Damn good thing those cammos we wore were so bulky. Otherwise the guys would have outed me from the get-go.” He absorbed her rich laughter, liking the amused look in her eyes.

  “I never saw it either.”

  “Black ops,” he intoned, grinning.

  Kira snorted and laughed. “You’re so full of it, Fleming.”

  “No, I’m full of you,” and he slanted a long, hot, hungry kiss across that smiling mouth of hers. It was like kissing hot, living sunlight as she returned a molten kiss with equal hunger and love. And it was love; Garret was sure of it. Gradually, he ended the kiss, caressing her lips, tasting her, soaking up that careless, satisfied smile of hers. She was wanton and wild, just as he’d thought she would be, and it made him feel good. As a lover, she was willful and bold, and she let him know without any words exactly what she wanted from him. It didn’t get any better than this. There was a natural trust between them that had been building for years. Just the way she’d opened herself to him, willingly, pulverized Garret with gratitude.

  “Maybe,” she said, “but you still have your moments.”

  “Guilty.” His chest felt filled with so much joy he thought he might explode. Kira’s returning smile tore at his senses.

  “I still love you,” she whispered, her smile dissolving, seriousness in its place. “I just can’t believe we’re here, Garret. Together. We loved each other all that time. We both carried the same secret.”

  Garret knew what she was saying and brought her flush against him, taking her mouth, his hand drifting down to her hip, caressing her long, curved thigh. She was like dessert drizzled with rich chocolate, soft, alive, willing and supersensitive to his every touch, every kiss he gave her. There was love in every movement of her hips against his, her mouth lush and exploring against his.

  They had had four years of unrequited love for each other. Neither able to say anything. It was a torture Garret never wanted to live through again. Looking back on it now, he couldn’t believe he’d managed it. But he had. And so had Kira. She was an incredibly strong woman.

  He heard a sweet sound vibrate in her throat as he caressed her breast, feathering the nipple with his thumb, feeling her respond sensually, her leg coming over his, pinning it so that her hips could coax his erection back to life. Garret was shocked at how hard and thick he was already becoming. That had to set a new record.

  It was Kira, he realized, taking her lips, moving his tongue across her lower one, listening to her hum in that sweet way, her hands ranging down between them, fingers curving around his awakening erection. Garret swore she could bring a dead man back to life with the way she moved her fingers languidly around him. He groaned, thrusting into her hand, wanting more, wanting her.

  This time everything came at a slower pace, one where each of them could acquaint the other with their bodies, their scent, their texture. This time there was no urgency.

  Garret lay Kira out on the bed, sliding his fingers through her hair, feeling the strong silk of the strands, watching her eyes grow cloudy with arousal, knowing that massaging her scalp was pleasuring her in another way. He had nothing against sex, but he also liked to taste, smell and feel all parts of his woman, to worship her in quiet, subtle ways, all designed to build another orgasm.

  Her body was like a recipe, providing food for his body, for his heart and soul. Kira fed him with the way she looked at him through half-closed eyes, those sweet sounds that made him feel good and that he was giving back to her. And when her body moved as he caressed her here and there, that combination of languid movement on her part, the sounds whispering from between her lips, the way her expression grew hungry and engaged, all were one hell of a turn-on for him as well.

  This time Garret kissed, nibbled, licked, lightly nipped his way from the nape of her neck all the way down to her small, dainty feet and perfectly formed toes. He left no part of her untouched. He wanted to love her in a different way, letting her know he would lavish every inch of her, without exception. He paid particular attention to the two depressions and scarred areas where she had been wounded. At one point he looked up and saw tears in her eyes, as if she realized by kissing and licking them, by soothing them with his mouth, he was trying to take away the pain and bad memories . . .

  When he arrived at the juncture between her thighs, he heard her sigh with anticipation as he stroked her entrance with his fingers, feeling the fire burning brightly within her once again.

  Garret couldn’t resist the urge, ever so slowly, to enter her once more, watching and delighting in her expression, those erotic sounds coming from the back of her throat, that hardened him even more if that were possible. And this time he kept the pace languid, like a deep, slow-moving river so that when he brought Kira to orgasm, he’d triggered a powerful avalanche of pleasure that brought her to ecstasy.

  And only then did he allow himself to partake of her, releasing hotly into her loving, damp body.

  Her nurturing arms surrounded him afterward as he lay half on top of her. His mind had shorted out, and as he curled his body around her, his heart opened fully and Garret allowed himself to feel the full depth of his love for the woman in his arms.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  There was a knock at their back door on Christmas morning. Garret rose from the table. He and Kira were enjoying a cup of coffee after breakfast. “Stay there. I’ll see who it is,” he told her.

  Kira nodded. Her body was warm and satiated. She’d awakened at dawn with Garret and they’d made love a third time. The hunger she felt for him, to sleep in his arms and then to wake up and love him again, was like a dream come true. The soreness in her lower body testified that it wasn’t a dream, but a hot bath later would take care of that. She heard voices and realized it was Noah and Harper. She smiled as they entered the kitchen and lifted her hand to them.

  “Hey, guys. Merry Christmas.”

  Noah grinned and handed Garret a wrapped gift to hold. “Merry Christmas, Kira. Harper and I are here to deliver your gift.” He hung up his jacket and hat, taking the wrapped box from Garret.

  Harper smiled shyly and said, “Merry Christmas, Kira. You look happy.” He hung up his gear, following Noah to the table, where they both sat down.

  Garret went to retrieve two more mugs and brought over the coffeepot. He poured the coffee and replaced the pot on the counter. Turning, he walked over and sat down at the head of the table, Kira at his left elbow. “You two are up early considering this is a day off.”

  Harper grimaced. “Sort of a day off. Noah and I just got done feeding all the horses.”

  Kira smiled at them. “It’s cold out there. Your noses look like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

  Harper touched his and said, “It’s going to be ten above this afternoon. Warm for this time of year.”

  Noah pushed the large gift toward Kira. “Here,” he said, “this is from Harper and me.”

  Kira moved her cup aside and gave him a quizzical look. “What is it?”

  Crowing, Harper said, “Like we’re going to tell you?”

  Noah snickered. He picked up his cup and drank some of his coffee. “You need this, Kira. Open it.”

  She felt a thrill go through her as she tore into the wrapping. She could never understand people who very carefully opened a gift, ensuring no tears
in the paper or anything else. As the paper fell away, she gasped.

  “Oh!” she cried. And then she broke into a huge smile, her hands moving over the Lowepro camera bag. “You guys,” she whispered tearfully, giving them a grateful look. “You shouldn’t have done this! These bags don’t come cheap.”

  Harper reached across the table and squeezed the hand resting on the black ballistic nylon bag. “Actually, it was Garret’s idea. He told us he was getting you a camera and that you needed a bag to carry it in.”

  “Yes,” Noah said, “and between us, we could afford it, so wipe that stricken look off your face, okay? We didn’t sell our children into slavery to buy that for you.”

  Garret chuckled.

  Kira shook her head, giving Garret a dirty look. “You set them up.”

  “Well,” he hedged, amused, “sort of.”

  “Phooey, you did.”

  “Do you like it?” Noah pressed.

  “I love it. Professional photographers prefer a Lowepro camera bag,” she said as she unzipped the top and opened it up. There was plenty of padded space for the camera, the lens and anything else she wanted to protect while in transit. “It’s wonderful. Thank you . . . both of you,” and she stood up, walked around the table and gave each vet a kiss on the cheek and a huge hug.

  Noah, embarrassed by her emotional outpouring, rubbed his warm cheek and chuckled uneasily. “Now, since the old man is out of here, you can devote your spare time to going out with this dude,” he hooked his thumb in Garret’s direction, “and start shooting landscapes and wildlife and making more money.”

  Kira touched their shoulders, squeezed them and walked back to her chair, which Garret pulled out for her. “You guys are real coyotes. I had no idea what Garret was up to.”

  “Do you like the camera, Kira?” Harper asked.

  “I love it. It’s exactly like the one I had in Afghanistan.”

  “Can we see it?” Noah asked.

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll get it for you,” Garret said, “stay sitting.”