“Lordy, how I want you and need you, woman,” he murmured.
Fires licked at Carrie Sue’s body. She kissed him greedily, her mouth seeming to ravish his neck and upper chest. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered against his muscled torso.
After several more stimulating kisses, he gathered her into his arms and carried her into the other room to lay her on the bed.
They embraced, caressed, and kissed for a long time, even though their aching bodies were screaming for release. It wasn’t necessary to whet their appetites or to enflame their senses; they had wanted this moment since meeting that morning at the home station. It just seemed natural to tantalize each other and themselves. His lips brushed over her features, and her hands caressed his lean back. His fingers trailed down her neck, and hers wandered over his shoulders. His mouth followed the path his fingers had burned down her chest, and her lips pressed against his ebony hair. He unbuttoned her gown, and she let him continue without protest.
Carrie Sue shifted to assist him with the removal of her garments. She finished unbuttoning his shirt and he yanked it off with eagerness to rejoin her, flinging it to the floor. He pulled off his boots and removed his jeans, then snuggled with her again.
He wished he could see her, but the room was too dark. Yet he remembered every line and curve on her face and body. He closed his eyes and thought of the prettiest sunset he had viewed. She was even more beautiful, more tranquil, more colorful, more inspiring. Her hair flamed like the rich reds and golds of a setting sun in the hottest of summers, or like the sleek hide of a wild sorrel racing across a sunny landscape. Sometimes her eyes reminded him of the purplish blue shade of the sky at dusk, or the periwinkle haze over the mountainous horizon. Other times her eyes were like two violet-blue flowers which bloomed in spring and demanded he gaze at them. Her flesh smelled like a morning rain, fresh and clean and scented with wildflowers. Her skin was soft, and golden where the sun had kissed it. Her body was lean, yet supple and stimulating. Pressing their naked bodies together made him shudder with need.
As he caressed her and kissed her, Carrie Sue felt like honey warmed and softened by a brilliant sun, as if she were so limp she would melt into the bed beneath them. His hands were strong, yet fondled her with amazing gentleness. His kisses were urgent, but tenderly stirring. She loved the feel of him, his hard muscles which were honed to perfection, his downy soft skin, his lithe limbs which moved with agility, the rises and falls of his shapely frame where her bold fingers wandered. She loved his smell: masculine, clean, invigorating. There was such a strength about him, such an aura of confidence, such a fiery glow which spread to her. She savored the way he made her feel, the way he worked so lovingly, so leisurely, so skillfully on her body. She had never felt this way before and she wanted to burn every moment into her memory.
“You’ve been driving me crazy with hunger, woman. I don’t think I could have resisted you another day. This is loco, but I can’t help myself,” he admitted hoarsely as he nibbled at her ear. She was exciting and mysterious. She was intelligent, but never made others feel inferior. She was gentle, sensitive, hard-working. She had a compelling strength and courage about her. Yet, she could be bold and stubborn and impulsive, a feisty spitfire.
Consumed by desire and ravenous for him, she replied, “Neither can I, T.J., neither can I.”
His lips and tongue drifted to her breasts and stimulated her to writhing passion. When his hand roamed lower and touched her where no man ever had, she arched her back and inhaled sharply. With patience and gentleness, he aroused her until she cried out for a blissful end to this madness which had her engulfed.
T.J. entered her womanly domain, knowledgeable enough to know this was her first time. Joy and pride surged through him when he realized she had chosen him for this special moment. He was very careful not to move too swiftly or forcefully. Once she adjusted to his size and presence, he set a steady pace to carry her back to the fiery heights of passion’s peak which she had left briefly.
Carrie Sue seemed to know instinctively what to do. She curled her legs over his and responded to his thrusts and withdrawals with a matching pace and pattern. She returned his kisses and spread her own over his face and neck. His back was moist and her fingers ardently slipped along its surface, admiring its feel and labor beneath them.
T.J. couldn’t believe this was happening for him. Lady Luck was finally smiling on him. This fiery treasure had been dangled under his nose for twelve days but he never thought he could claim it and enjoy it, or be allowed by cruel fate to do so. Maybe she was his good luck charm, the woman to change his life, his means of escaping his troubled past. She was here with him, joined to him as no other person had ever been, responding to him as no female ever had. It wouldn’t have worked out with Arabella; Carolyn was proving that at this moment.
He didn’t know much about love, but he had heard enough to know what he was feeling for this woman had to be love, and that she was responding to him because she felt it, too. But how would she feel about him tomorrow? Next week? Next year? He had vengeful promises to keep, promises made before this mute one to her. How would she feel when she discovered he was little more than a hired killer? A man who used his guns and skills to solve other’s problems? She would hate him when he walked away from her soon, hate him for misleading her tonight. And he had misled her by allowing her to believe this action would lead to marriage, for she was that kind of woman. He couldn’t marry her until he settled some old debts…if he survived. By then, since he couldn’t explain anything to her, she would be lost forever. Maybe that was why he had needed her so badly tonight, maybe why he had taken this perilous risk. For some reason, he didn’t have the strength to leave Tucson without knowing her this way.
Passions built higher between them, taking away his fears and worries. His mouth covered hers, his tongue dancing wildly with hers. He felt her tense and arch, her nails digging into his back but not as painfully as the barbwire had done.
Over rapture’s peak they fell together, riding on ecstasy’s powerful waves. They came together blissfully, almost savagely, until they were drained of all tension. They lay nestled together on the damp sheet, reluctant to move apart, reluctant to speak and break the magical spell around them.
Carrie Sue’s head rested on his chest and she listened to the thundering of his heart which surely beat with the same emotions that filled hers. She loved him and he belonged to her now. She had wanted him; she had staked her claim on him. She had branded him with her love and he could never run free again like the wild mustang he had been. By coming to her tonight, he had surrendered his freedom, he had torn down the wall around him, he had exposed his feelings for her.
T.J. heard her sigh peacefully as she snuggled closer to him. He wished it could be this way forever for them, but it couldn’t. Should he tell her the truth about their situation? No, he didn’t want to spoil this special night, or hurt her so soon after it. He would tell her tomorrow, tell her as much as he dared.
When he realized that the woman in his arms had fallen asleep, he gingerly shifted her to the other pillow to keep from awakening her. He rose from the bed and dressed. A dim glow entered the door from the lamp in the next room. He looked down at the dark form in the bed and his heart pained him deeply. She had been so honest and giving with him, but he had not done the same with her. She had let down her guard to allow him to enter her life, but he couldn’t back away from his destiny. He retrieved his holster and hat. He locked the door from the outside and shoved the key under it into her room. Stealthily he left the boarding house without being seen or heard.
Carrie Sue stretched lazily and yawned. She felt wonderful, rested, happy, free. She knew T.J. was gone, else she would have sensed his presence and inhaled his manly odor the moment she awoke. Her hands moved over the bed where she had first experienced blissful love. Yes, love, she vowed peacefully. No matter what happened to her now, she loved T.J. and he loved her. They would have each
other.
Carrie Sue bolted upright in bed. No, she warned herself, she couldn’t be so dreamy-eyed and naive. Fate always stepped in and ruined things for her! She had to walk slowly and carefully this time. Making love was not the same as being in love. What if T.J. didn’t feel the same way? At least not yet? And if he did, what should she tell him about herself? When should she expose the dark truth? Would it change things between them? What if she remained as Carolyn Starns and told him nothing about her criminal past? If she was never unmasked…No, she argued with herself, she couldn’t continue her lies into their future. If he learned the truth weeks or months or years from now, it could damage their relationship.
“You’re riding too fast down an unfamiliar path, Carrie Sue. First, you need to discover his intentions before you mark your trail for him to follow.”
The daring desperado remembered something else: she hadn’t told T.J. what she had learned yesterday from Martin Ferris. Perhaps she could go to the bank, withdraw the money for Charlie, then head for the stable to see if her love was there checking on his horse. If not, she could…wander to the place he was staying and see him under the public pretense of eating there.
Carrie Sue bounded eagerly out of bed. She used the water pitcher and basin to remove the sights and scents of rapturous lovemaking. She quickly checked the sheets, relieved to find no telltale blood there. She donned one of the prettiest dresses in her closet and a matching sunbonnet, bravely allowing her tawny red mane to flow freely down her back. She felt aglow, as if nothing could go wrong today. After speaking briefly with Mrs. Thayer, she was off to the bank and the livery stable.
Sheriff Ben Myers was in the bank. He smiled genially and greeted her. Carrie Sue did the same with him. Recalling that the rewards were one thing keeping her love in Tucson, she inquired innocently, “When do you expect the rewards for those stage bandits to arrive? I’m certain Mr. Rogue wants to get them before he leaves town.”
Sheriff Myers’s left brow lifted quizzically. “Did he forget to share with you, Miss Starns? I paid him that day you two arrived. The bank always keeps a fund for rewards so bounty hunters and the likes won’t have to hang around waiting for them. When they come in, I just replace the money I withdrew. Is he cheating you out of your part?”
“Oh, no, sir,” she vowed. “I told him I didn’t want any of that blood money. I just wondered why he was hanging around so long. Drifters don’t usually do that, do they?” Carrie Sue hoped she didn’t sound like a blithering idiot.
“No, ma’am, they don’t. I think he just wants to rest up a spell before heading out. He ain’t been into no trouble here, so I leave him be. Men like to do heavy drinking and gambling when they get unexpected money in their pockets.”
They chatted for a few more minutes before Carrie Sue left with the money to pay for Charlie, from Carolyn Starns’s account. She fretted over T.J.’s lie, but did she have any room to fault him when she’d concealed worse things from him? Maybe he had only used that excuse to explain why he was lingering here because he hadn’t wanted her to know how he felt about her.
The beautiful redhead reached the livery stable which was within walking distance from the bank. The smithy met her at the door as he was leaving for his midday meal. When she asked if T.J. Rogue had paid him for Charlie, the dirty but amiable man nodded. She thanked him for finding the pinto for her and asked about Nighthawk’s injury.
The burly man who had more muscles than wits sent her a cordial grin. “Rogue’s black stallion is fine, Miss. He ain’t got no injured leg.”
“A stone bruise under his front hoof,” she clarified.
He scratched his greasy head and replied, “Nope. He was in perfect shape when Rogue got here, and he’s still thataway. ‘Course he needs a good run. Rogue’s been renting a horse from me for some crazy reason. That black stallion is strong; he don’t need no rest.”
Carrie Sue laughed at what appeared her mistake. “Perhaps I misunderstood. I thought his horse must be injured since he was riding a strange one. Anyway, thanks for helping me find Charlie.”
“You want me to give Rogue a message if he comes by?” he offered.
“No thanks. I’ll have someone take the money over to his hotel. Since the bank was closed Saturday and I didn’t want to risk losing Charlie to another buyer, he loaned me the payment.”
“You got a good deal. That’s the best horse in the territory. I told Bill I wouldn’t show him to nobody but a good buyer.”
Carrie Sue headed for the boarding house to get her dirty clothes to take to the laundress before she went shopping for a saddle. She was baffled by T.J.’s two lies. If Nighthawk wasn’t hurt and he had received his rewards, what was keeping him in Tucson? If he had needed a woman, there were plenty for sale in the saloons, and he had plenty of money in his pockets. Had he stayed because of her? For what reason? Because she was irresistible as he had claimed last night, or because he knew or suspected who she was?
Surely the famous T.J. Rogue, a Texan, had heard of the Stover Gang, and might have met some of its members. But he wasn’t an outlaw and he seemed determined not to become one. She knew from gossip that he was a troubleshooting gunslinger who hired out for pay, but he wasn’t a cold-blooded killer or a bounty hunter. At least she had never heard of him doing such things. He had to move around a lot because she had never run into him.
Maybe her lover was on a secret job here, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t tell her about it. Maybe he’d been paid by the Garret line or someone else to protect that gold shipment, which would explain why he hadn’t stolen that yellow treasure after the attempted holdup and why he was so resolved to get it to Tucson safely. That would also explain why he’d been close enough to the stage to give assistance. Or perhaps he had gone into the bounty hunting business and had been after those men who tried to rob the stage.
Or perhaps he was after Martin Ferris again. He did ask a lot of questions about the slain schoolmarm. Maybe he was working for her family or a friend of Helen Cooper’s. Maybe Martin Ferris had made enemies with someone else or was harassing Carrillo again. Something had happened between the two men long ago and perhaps it hadn’t been settled to T.J.’s liking. A horrible thought entered her warring mind, surely Martin Ferris wasn’t the one responsible for that barbwire incident! If so, it was a good reason for Martin to fear T.J. and want him dead. Or, want him slain for intruding on his affairs years ago. T.J. was interested in Martin and asked plenty of questions about the offensive man. If he was after Martin again, that told her why he kept warning her away from the vile beast. And if that was the case, she needed to avoid becoming entangled in their private war and drawing attention to herself.
But none of those possibilities revealed why T.J. gave her the impression he was hanging around Tucson for a crucial reason, as if he was waiting for something to happen or someone to arrive. Half the time she felt as if she were being watched, but by whom? By Martin Ferris for personal reasons or because of her tie to that handsome Rogue? By T.J. for personal reasons or because of her association with Martin Ferris? Perhaps she was being used by either or both men to get at an old enemy. Whatever was between the two powerful men, she must not get involved!
In the beginning, she had warned herself that T.J. Rogue could be perilous to her future. He could unmask her by accident, or by intention. She had been rash to get this close to a man like him, especially so soon after meeting him. But she had fallen in love with him and couldn’t help herself. Merciful heavens protect her if T.J. was pursuing the Texas Flame! And heaven help him if he had duped her! She would never let him take her in or lead him to the Stover Gang!
Back off from him, Carrie Sue, and see what happens. If he makes no threats or intimidating moves, you’ll know he isn’t after you for your reward. If he is after you for yourself, he’ll fight to keep you. But if he’s trying to get to Darby, he’ll slip up and expose himself.
“Carolyn,” Martin Ferris called out from behind her.
&nbs
p; Carrie Sue gritted her teeth before she turned to speak with the man. “Good day, Mr. Ferris.”
“You busy?” he asked, looking her over appreciatively.
“I have some chores I’m tending,” she replied, not in the mood to banter with him this afternoon.
“What if I tag along and we can chat?” he coaxed.
“Some of them are personal, Mr. Ferris. I have a great deal to do before classes start in two weeks. I hope you don’t feel it’s necessary to warn me a second time against seeing Mr. Rogue.”
“You’re a smart woman, so one warning is sufficient. Have you seen him again?” he questioned boldly.
Carrie Sue met his gaze without smiling. He was dressed and groomed immaculately, but he was beginning to sweat and flush. “Do you have the right to ask or to interfere?” she responded coolly.
He sent her a falsely rueful smile. “I’m afraid I do. The town council asked me to handle the problem.”
“I wasn’t aware there is a problem, sir.”
He withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped at the beads of moisture on his face and the backs of his hands. “If you persist in this repulsive friendship, I assure you there will be.”
“Explain why that’s true,” she coaxed in a demanding tone. “Why is Mr. Rogue so disliked and disrespected here?”
“Because you’re a respectable lady and he’s a no-count drifter.”
“Are you certain of your facts, sir?” she challenged.
Martin Ferris looked shocked by her behavior and words, then annoyed. “Why are you so determined to see a man like that?”
“You misunderstand. That isn’t the point. I just don’t like being ordered about by anyone. I’m not a slave here, sir. I was hired to teach school, and I’ll do it efficiently. As far as I’ve witnessed, Mr. Rogue is a kind and polite gentleman. I’ve met many so-called upstanding citizens who aren’t as nice or as good as he appears to be.”
Kiss Of The Night Wind Page 15