by Amelia Autin
When they finally reached the horse ranch, they turned over the horses and made their explanations to the owner. He had been concerned but not unduly so, correctly assuming they’d been stranded by the storm and had wisely decided not to return in the dark.
Rennie said goodbye to Sweetwater while Gideon took care of the financial end of things. Throwing her arms around the mare’s neck, she pressed her cheek against the horse’s warm skin.
Sweetwater whinnied softly and nuzzled Rennie’s shoulder. In the span of twenty-four hours Rennie had become attached to the little mare, the way it sometimes happens, and it seemed as if the horse felt the same.
“Goodbye, girl. Take care of yourself.” Sweetwater nickered her response.
“You ready?” Gideon slid his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. Rennie stroked the mare’s soft nose one last time, then nodded. “You want to drive?”
“No. You drive. I know how much you enjoy it. Unless you’re too tired?”
His grin flashed. “The day I’m too tired to drive that car you can wheel me into the old folks’ home.”
It seemed no time at all before they were back in Wagon Wheel Gap. Gideon pulled into the motel parking lot and parked in front of the office. He turned to Rennie, hesitated, then spoke.
“What would you say if I suggested we stay over another day?” Before she could answer, he added, “I need food and a few hours of sleep, but afterward we could do something in town and have a nice, quiet dinner. If we turn in early we can leave by sunup tomorrow morning. How does that sound?”
Rennie could scarcely contain her smile. “I think it sounds wonderful.”
“Fine. I’m sure Emily won’t mind having the kids one more night, but I’ll call to make sure and to talk to my kids, since I didn’t have the chance last night. And I’ll check in with my foreman. If everything’s okay, I’ll arrange to keep our motel rooms for one more day.”
* * *
Ten hours later Rennie closed the door, kicked off her shoes and threw herself on the bed in her motel room. She pressed her fingers to her lips, reliving the last precious hours of her honeymoon, culminating with the kiss she’d just received. Gideon’s kiss.
They’d spent a wonderful day together, laughing and joking with ease as if they’d known each other for years. He’d teased her when she browsed for an hour in a tourist shop made up to look turn of the century, before deciding on gifts for his children. Then he’d bought her the lovely and expensive cameo brooch she’d admired when she thought he wasn’t looking.
He’d laughingly protested when she dragged him into the souvenir photograph store to have their picture taken in authentic costumes from the Old West. But he was the one who’d picked through the racks to find just the right dress for her to wear.
And dinner had been quietly romantic. The night they’d spent on the mountain had drawn them closer, creating an intimacy between them that went beyond the physical. They’d talked little, letting their eyes say what was in their hearts. The crowning moment came when Gideon toasted her with his wineglass.
“To the only woman I wouldn’t mind being stranded with again.”
She loved the way his gorgeous eyes smiled and twinkled at her while he kept a straight face. She loved the way his lips tilted up slightly when he was amused and trying not to show it. And she loved his nose, uncompromisingly straight and just right for his lean, tanned face with its harsh angles. In fact, she was increasingly aware that she was terribly, wonderfully attracted to everything about him.
They’d walked back to their motel hand in hand as twilight stole over them. He’d kissed her, one of those kisses that melted her insides and curled her toes. Then he’d touched her cheek and left her.
That wasn’t how Rennie wanted the day to end. Not this time. Not this last night of her honeymoon. But Gideon had made her a promise, and being the man he was he wouldn’t break it. So it was up to her to make the next move. She knew what he wanted, what she wanted. She just didn’t quite know how to go about it.
Her mind teeming with various approaches, she stripped off her clothes and took a quick shower, rehearsing opening lines under her breath. She got out and dried off, then dusted herself with lilac talc. Her body felt like a stranger’s.
Naked, she padded into the bedroom and took out the one and only nightgown she possessed, bought for this very purpose. Usually she slept in an oversize cotton T-shirt, but tonight she needed the confidence of something truly feminine. On the hanger in the store the nightgown hadn’t seemed like much—a sleeveless, full-length froth of diaphanous white layers. But when she’d tried it on she’d known it was perfect for her. The draped material curved gently above the soft swell of her breasts and delicately cupped them, then fell to the floor in a filmy cloud that swirled around her legs as she walked. And though the gown was designed to entice, it hinted rather than revealed.
She slipped it on, the silky folds caressing her skin and sending pleasurable shivers through her. Gideon had done this, had awakened her body to sensual awareness. A fine trembling seized her, and she drew on the long-sleeved matching peignoir to distract herself. She had to tie the ribbons at the throat three times before she got them right.
In the bathroom she brushed her teeth, then peered at herself in the small mirror. She looked pale, even more so than usual, so she applied a little lipstick, then blotted most of it off so it wouldn’t be obvious. There wasn’t much she could do with her hair—her dark curls refused to be styled—so she brushed out the tangles and left it at that.
Finally there was nothing left to do, but still she hesitated.
“I’m scared,” Rennie told her reflection.
But that wasn’t quite true. Not scared, exactly. She was nervous. That was more like it. She wanted this, wanted Gideon. But so many things could go wrong, snapping the fragile threads of trust they’d just begun to weave between them.
There was her inexperience. Her one previous sexual encounter years ago had been a disaster. Rennie knew the mechanics of sex, but she didn’t want to have sex with Gideon. She wanted to make love with him. Would desire guided by instinct be enough?
And what about her scars from the car crash? They probably weren’t as bad as she thought, but would Gideon be turned off by them? Or would he pity her? She’d almost rather see rejection or indifference in his hazel eyes. Anything but pity.
Maybe we could make love in the dark. Maybe I’ll just keep my nightgown on.
“Maybe this is a bad idea.” The spoken words startled her.
No! I want this one night alone with Gideon. I may never have the chance again. Once we’re home there’ll be so many distractions and demands on both of us. Lovemaking may be limited to stolen minutes at the end of an exhausting day or brief morning interludes before the children wake up. Now’s the time to do this. Now, when we have privacy and all night long to get it right.
Getting it right. That raised another question. Gideon was a big man. Big in every way? And she was small, especially compared to him. Would he...fit?
Rennie’s laugh held a touch of hysteria. She could just picture Gideon’s expression if she walked up to him and asked, “Oh, by the way, would you mind terribly if I measured you before we start to see if we’re physically compatible?”
This is silly. Gideon isn’t going to hurt me. On the contrary, he’ll be a wonderful lover. All that power and passion. He’ll woo me with teasing words and sweet, drugging kisses. Dark and sweet. Deep and sweet. Then he’ll touch me with those hard yet gentle hands, and...
Warmth invaded Rennie’s body as she imagined the two of them intimately entwined. Gideon moving with her, within her, in the oldest dance.
Her heartbeat quickened. Was she ready to play with fire?
Tonight. It has to be tonight.
Before she could change her mind, Rennie moved swiftly to the connecting door between their motel rooms. She pressed her ear against the wood panel. Silence. Was he already in bed?
Sh
e took a deep, steadying breath, then knocked. There was no answer, so she knocked again, harder this time.
“Yeah, just a minute.” Interrupted in the act of removing his shirt, Gideon shrugged it back on but didn’t bother to button it before opening the door.
He stopped dead at the sight of Rennie in the kind of silky, not-quite-there-but-not-quite-bare thing that was the stuff male fantasies thrived on. He exhaled suddenly and looked away, then focused on her face.
“What’s up?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t remember a single one of the lines she’d practiced. They all flew out of her head at the sight of Gideon, barefoot, with his shirt hanging open, revealing a golden thatch of hair that arrowed down and disappeared into the front opening of his jeans. The top button of his jeans was undone, and her eyes rested on it. Her mouth went dry and she swallowed.
“Rennie? Is something wrong?”
She forced her gaze upward and shook her head. “May I come in?” She hated the breathy way her words came out, but she couldn’t do anything about it.
“If nothing’s wrong,” he said slowly, “then maybe this isn’t the best time.”
“Please.”
“Rennie, I...”
She placed her hand on his arm. “Please. I’m not very good at this. I don’t know the procedure.”
Understanding dawned, and his body hardened in one wild rush. He pushed the door wide. She entered and closed the door behind her, then braced her back against it. He took one step toward her, close enough to smell the perfumed warmth of her skin, close enough to see the barely discernible tremors that shook her. But he didn’t touch her. He didn’t dare. Before this got out of hand he had to know for sure.
“Does this mean what I think it means?”
Soft brown eyes met warm hazel ones. “You said...you said it was my decision.” Her fingers tugged loose the ribbons at her throat and the peignoir slid open. A slight shrug of her shoulders and it fell in a gossamer pool at her feet. “I’m saying yes.”
“Oh, God.” He curled one hand around her waist possessively, pulling her toward him, and caressed her cheek with the other, tilting her chin up with his thumb. His lips brushed hers, warm and firm, yet gentle. And then not so gentle.
“I want you, Rennie. God knows I’ve been going crazy with it.” His voice was hoarse as he struggled to keep himself under control. “But you have to know how it is with me. It’s been a long time, maybe too long. If you change your mind even a few minutes from now, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”
If he was trying to discourage her, he was going about it all the wrong way. Her breasts ached from just the simple contact with his bare chest, the thin fabric of her nightgown rubbing against her skin as he moved slightly, adding to the exquisite pleasure.
“I won’t change my—” She caught her breath sharply, shivering when his tongue discovered the delicate shell of her ear.
“Be very sure,” he whispered just before his teeth tugged gently at her earlobe.
“I am sure.” She wrapped her arms around Gideon’s neck as she’d longed to do the night before, and pressed her body all along the length of his.
He made an incoherent sound and swung her effortlessly into his arms, then caught her mouth with his own in a rough claiming. She clung to him as he carried her the short distance to his bed. He laid her on top of the bedspread and followed her down, unwilling to let her go even long enough to pull down the covers. This time his kiss plundered, his tongue sliding deftly through parted lips to the moist warmth within. Again and again he took her mouth. She could scarcely breathe but she didn’t care. Here was the fire, the passion she’d dreamed of. Nothing else mattered.
When he finally released her mouth, her lips were swollen and throbbing, and her lungs gasped for air. But the respite was brief. He sought the fragile hollow of her throat, nuzzling, tasting. She moaned when his lips trailed down, seeking and finding one hardened nipple through the silky material of her gown.
Her hands clutched his shoulders and her back arched, giving him greater access. He immediately took advantage, wetting the fabric with his tongue and lightly nipping her with his teeth before drawing her nipple into his mouth. Liquid warmth blossomed deep inside her, and her legs tightened involuntarily. Electric pulses flickered through her body as he suckled, tiny shock waves radiating from the point of contact to her core, arousing her unbearably. When he sought her other breast she whimpered. The velvet torture went on and on, and she clung to sanity by her fingertips.
Gideon’s hands shifted from her waist to her hips, pulling her farther beneath his powerful body. The hardness of him only emphasized her yielding softness. He lifted his mouth and their eyes met in open acknowledgment of what was happening between them. Without conscious thought she ran her hands down the column of his neck and over his chest, loving the feel of him. She inhaled deeply. His musky male smell, overlaid with plain soap and water, mingled with the scent of lilacs that came from her—a potent combination that aroused her even further. With a daring she never knew she possessed, she slid her arms underneath his and urged his body closer, then planted a string of kisses along his jaw.
Gideon almost lost control in that moment. He rained savage kisses over her face, her neck, everywhere he could reach. Desire pounded through his body, his arousal straining against confining denim. He groaned and settled his jeans-clad hips firmly on hers, using his knee to part her legs, then ground his aching fullness against her loins. But it wasn’t enough. He needed her naked. He needed to be naked himself. Impatiently he tugged at the neckline of her nightgown, desperate for the feel and taste of her bare skin. When the material refused to give, he growled his frustration.
“Wait.” Rennie’s hands closed over his, then pushed lightly against his chest.
He froze. For one terrible moment he didn’t know if he’d be able to stop. He’d wanted her forever, it seemed, and now, when he was this close to having her, he didn’t know if he was strong enough not to take her by force, if necessary. His mind wrestled with his body for endless seconds, then he cursed and rolled off her.
He threw one arm over his eyes against the brightness of the overhead light. His chest heaved as he fought the primitive urge to coerce her. Damn it, he’d warned her!
He heard a soft rustle and felt the bed shift as Rennie left it. A clicking sound puzzled him, then the overhead light flicked off. With a muttered oath he sat up, then stopped abruptly.
Rennie stood beside the bed, her face in shadow. The light from the bathroom, the only light in the room, outlined her body through the filmy gown. As he watched, she reached down to the gown’s hem and slowly pulled it over her head. She was naked beneath it.
“I thought...” He swallowed thickly. “I thought you’d changed your mind.”
She knelt on the bed and touched his face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t realize.” Then she kissed him, a passionate, wanton, yet strangely innocent kiss.
Eons later he broke the embrace and stood up, but only to tear off his clothes. Sudden shyness made her avert her face at the rasp of his zipper, so she rolled down the covers and slipped between the sheets, pulling them up to her chin. She looked at him then. Naked, he was even more magnificent than he was clothed. Even the dim light couldn’t hide the taut muscles that corded his arms, thighs, abdomen. And his manhood rose strongly, proudly, in readiness.
Her nervousness returned. He was so perfect, while she was so flawed. She’d turned off the light before removing her nightgown so he wouldn’t see her scars, but she knew they were there and the knowledge added to her nervousness. As if he understood, he gently removed the sheet from her hand and pulled it down, exposing all of her to his gaze.
“You are so beautiful,” he said hoarsely, as he joined her on the bed. His eyes confirmed his words, and suddenly her shyness melted away. Then his mouth found hers, and passion flared between them again.
He couldn’t seem to get enou
gh of her. His hands roamed her body at will, caressing, enticing, teasing her to fever pitch. His lips held hers captive, his tongue stroking in and out of her mouth in imitation of what was to come.
He reminded himself he had to go slow as he parted her thighs. When his fingers slipped through the folds of her womanhood she gasped. He rubbed the tiny nub there gently, firmly, feeling her surrender in degrees. He loved the sounds she made, breathy little moans of pleasure that came from deep within her and raised his own level of arousal another notch. And when he slid one finger carefully inside, she cried out in sweet agony and tore her mouth from his.
“Please...”
She was already wet for him, but he needed more. She was tight around his finger, almost virginal. And he knew it had been a long time for her. He wanted her so ready that she wouldn’t even notice the pain of his entry, so aroused that she would welcome his possession to assuage that ache. He shuddered and gritted his teeth, praying that his tenuous control would hold long enough.
Rennie couldn’t bear it. The things he was doing to her, the sensations that flooded her body, were so incredibly exquisite as to be close to pain. She thought she’d known desire, thought she’d understood what her body was capable of feeling. She hadn’t even come close.
Words to describe what she was feeling eluded her, but if she couldn’t tell him, she could show him. She could give him the same pleasure he was giving her. No shyness now. It seemed the most natural thing in the world for her hands to seek him out, wrapping around his sex and caressing him instinctively as he trembled and groaned his pleasure.
Then he caught her hands and held them still. “No more.”
“But I...”
His voice was harsh with strain. “If you don’t stop it’ll all be over.”
“Oh.”
He kissed her, a blazing kiss of masculine hunger, then he poised himself between her thighs, holding his weight on his arms. She clung to him, wanting him, unwilling to wait any longer to belong to him in the most elemental way. He began to enter her, slowly but inexorably, a steady pressure that forced her body to accept his. And it hurt. She tried not to let her expression show just how bad the pain was, but it was impossible. She turned her face away to hide the tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.