Deanna Tompkins

by Blue Mountain Passion

  They arrived to the festive music of several fiddles. Most women were dressed in silks and finery so elegant they could have been attending a ball, while many of their partners had managed little more than a new pair of Levi's and a freshly washed cotton shirt.

  "May I have this dance?"

  Meagan shook her head at Stephen. "Dance with Sarah."

  "I will," Stephen acknowledged, “but right now I want to dance with you."

  "Dance with the man," Sarah ordered as she moved up beside them, “I’ll have plenty of time to torture his feet later.”

  Meagan laughed out loud. "I don’t think he’ll fare any better with me. I've never danced before,” she confessed.

  "Well," Stephen grinned, "you'd never sewn before, either, and Gloria actually looks good, for Gloria."

  Meagan searched the crowd and spotted Gloria, with Cole at her side, several feet away. Her heart sank as she watched Gloria move closer to Cole. "She does look great, doesn't she?"

  "Don't sound so happy," Stephen teased.

  She straightened her back. "You're right." She offered her arm to him. "Let's dance."

  Stephen led her into the street, which was serving as the dance floor, and swung her to and fro as they wound their way in and out and around couples. Just when Meagan thought she was getting the hang of it, she was tossed to a different partner, rotating in a circle. She went one way, when she should have gone the other, running into several poor souls who got in her way. Laughing hysterically, Meagan was relieved when Stephen claimed her again. Glancing up, the gleam in her eyes was replaced by surprise. "Cole!"

  "Hello, Meagan."

  He moved easily, gracefully, and she followed his lead, her feet automatically moving with his. He twisted her around, linking first one arm through hers, then turning and linking the other. They skipped around each other, pressing their bodies first close then flinging them wide. It was quick and demanding, and Meagan's breathing increased from the exertion. It was wonderful, dancing with him. The song ended entirely too soon.

  Meagan smiled her appreciation, then turned away.

  "Stay, Meagan. Dance another with me."

  She was about to comply when she noticed Gloria approaching. She had no intention of making a fool of herself in front of Gloria by ogling her date. "I think your date's coming to claim you."

  She spun away without another word. She knew Cole didn't want to be with Gloria, but it still didn’t sit right with her. She found a spot just outside the crowd to watch the activities without being in the way.

  Her heartbeat quickened as her gaze fastened on Cole, who now held Gloria in his arms. His cowboy hat and jeans had been replaced by a black suit, uniform in color except for a long waistcoat, which was just a shade lighter, bordering on gray. He'd sacrificed his cowboy boots for a pair of black Oxford's. He looked sophisticated, handsome, and sexy.

  He turned his gaze her way, as if he sensed her watching him. His warm gaze traveled lazily over her before his eyes made contact with hers. Meagan turned away. It was crazy, wanting him so much. She kept her back to the dancers, and Cole, as the last notes of the song filtered through the air.

  "Dance with me, Meagan."

  His voice startled her. She felt his breath on her neck, and shivered with anticipation. "I can't. You came with Gloria."

  "I want to dance with you, Meagan."

  She turned into his arms and met his gaze. His eyes smoldered with an emotion so intense it frightened her. She lowered her gaze.

  "Don't turn away from me this time, Meagan," Cole pleaded as he traced a line with his finger from her cheekbone to her jaw then slid it sensuously over her parted lips.

  "I need to kiss you," he confessed in a husky whisper as he lowered his head towards her, urging her chin up with the tips of his fingers.

  Meagan's eyes froze on Cole's lips, full, firm, sensuous. She leaned closer against his hard frame. His lips descended to hers so slowly it was as if time stood still. His touch, so gentle, was like a butterfly’s wings against her skin. Heat radiated from his body and engulfed her much like a sultry summer’s night. His kiss deepened as he demanded the passionate response she gave without hesitation. She needed this as much as he seemed to need her.

  Cole's lips left hers. Meagan was ready to protest when a shrill scream penetrated her dazed senses. It took several seconds for Meagan to register the commotion nearby. A large crowd had formed several feet away.

  Cole grasped her hand in his. "Let's go somewhere quieter."

  Meagan was about to comply when a second scream rent the air. Her curiosity got the better of her and she pushed her way through the crowd and focused on the scene before her with a mixture of horror and disbelief.

  Gloria stood in a pile of rags. Her dress was torn and dragging the ground. She was in the process of pounding her fists into the chest of a nice young cowboy, who was having a difficult time knowing exactly how to defend himself. "You good for nothing, awkward, stupid scoundrel," she wailed. "My dress. Just look at my dress."

  "I barely stepped on the hem,” the cowboy said loudly to the crowd. “The whole thing just seemed to fall apart. It weren't my fault." He held his arms up as Gloria jabbed at him again.

  Meagan felt a bit sick as she witnessed the scene. She approached Gloria on reluctant feet and stuttered an awkward apology. "Gloria, I didn't mean for this to happen. I was tired, and in a hurry. I..."

  Shocked at the loud smack that echoed through her ears, it took Meagan a moment to realize she'd just been slapped. Tears flooded her eyes and threatened to spill over. She wasn't sure if it was from the humiliation, or the pain.

  Cole appeared behind her, his eyes probing hers. "Are you okay?"

  Tears of humiliation and regret spilled freely from Meagan's eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't..."

  "I know." He reached toward her, but Gloria grabbed his arm.

  "Get me out of here, Cole McAllister. Get me out of here right now."

  Cole turned an apologetic glance Meagan's way then guided Gloria past the snickers and hoots. Gloria seethed beside him in the buckboard, not speaking a word, which suited Cole just fine. He headed straight home after dropping her off, not in the mood for the festivities any longer. As he neared the house he noticed Stephen and Sarah standing together on the front porch. He dismounted and approached the pair. He nodded politely to Sarah before turning concerned eyes to his brother. "How's Meagan?"

  "Upset."

  Nodding, Cole thought that had been obvious. "Where is she?"

  Stephen shrugged his shoulders. "She went for a walk. She insisted we come straight back, and once we got here, she left. She said she needed to be alone, to think for a while."

  Cole nodded. "I'm going to find her."

  "Go easy with her, Cole."

  A somber nod was all the response Stephen got before Cole strode away. It was dark, but he didn't bother grabbing an oil lamp. It was a clear night and the moonlight lit his way along the familiar ground. It didn't take long for him to find her. She was sitting under a tree, near the stream, just where she'd been with Toby and Jeremy on their special picnic. The light of her lamp illuminated the entire area with an eerie glow.

  As he approached her, he noticed her abject posture. Her shoulders were slumped, her head down. She was deep in thought, and he was upon her before she looked up. Tear filled eyes stared into his as he knelt beside her.

  "Hello, Meagan."

  Meagan was ashamed, and humiliated. She'd worked hard on Gloria's dress. She'd so wanted to prove she was capable of doing women things. She couldn't do anything right. Silent sobs racked her body as she turned her head. "Go away."

  "I can't do that, Meagan." Cole sat down beside her and reached out to grasp her hand in his. He caressed the back of it with his thumb. "I'm not angry with you, Meagan."

  His words broke her resolve to keep her distance and she flung herself into his arms. Mumbling into his shirt, she resisted when he tried to pull her away.

  "Meagan, honey, I
can't understand a word you're saying."

  Looking up at him then, she saw amusement lurking on his features. "I said I guess I'm not so good at sewing, after all," she hiccupped, her lip quivering as tears threatened again.

  Cole's mouth twitched with amusement. "I am curious how you could make something look so good, yet be put together so poorly."

  "It did look good, didn't it?"

  "It looked great," Cole agreed. A wide grin split his face. "What possessed you to attempt to sew that dress, anyway?"

  "I guess the same thing that possessed me when I agreed to cook for you," Meagan confessed with a broken sob.

  Cole threw his head back and roared with laughter.

  "It's not funny!" Meagan pounded his chest with her fist, doing little damage. "Gloria was humiliated."

  His eyes twinkled. "She was, wasn't she?" Cole shook his head. "I couldn't believe it when I saw her standing there, in the middle of a huge crowd, throwing a fit as her dress fell apart around her."

  A small giggle escaped from Meagan's lips. She raised her hand to smother it. "She was quite angry with me, wasn't she?"

  "She was furious," Cole agreed as he bellowed with laughter.

  "Cole," Meagan couldn't suppress a grin, "this isn't the least bit funny."

  "Meagan," his entire body shook with laughter, "you couldn't have planned that scene better, had you tried."

  Light laughter filled the air as Meagan pictured Gloria in her mind. "She looked rather silly, didn't she?"

  He couldn't even answer as he pulled her into his arms. It wasn't long until they were both laughing so hard their sides hurt. Each time one would make an effort to stop, the other would start again.

  Finally their laughter ceased. They sprawled out against the bare earth, flat on their backs, exhausted, the tension relieved. They listened to the bugs singing in the trees and the creek flowing by. It was peaceful and comforting. It was as if they were the only two people on the face of the earth. It seemed natural to turn to each other.

  "Meagan." Cole looked deeply in her eyes, needing to see her reaction to his question.

  "Yes?"

  "I need to ask you something."

  Meagan's eyes roamed freely over his face. She loved looking at him. "Okay."

  "It's about Stephen."

  Meagan chewed absently on a piece of grass. "What about him?"

  "How do you feel about him?"

  "He's terrific," Meagan responded enthusiastically, knowing how close Cole was to his twin.

  "You like him then?"

  "Of course I like him." Meagan smiled as she recalled all the time they'd spent together. "I was always excited to see him, when he visited me and pa. Sometimes he'd stay an extra day or two just because I asked him to."

  "And I never came," Cole mumbled quietly.

  Meagan ignored Cole's words. There seemed to be no point in bringing that subject up again. "Why are you asking me this, Cole?"

  "Do you love Stephen, Meagan?" His voice was strained.

  Meagan considered this carefully. Several seconds later she responded honesty, "I guess I do."

  Cole flung himself on his back and shut his eyes tightly, fighting against the pain her words brought him. His gut wrenched in agony and his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as he fought to regain control of his emotions.

  "Cole, what is it?" Meagan scooted closer to him, touching his arm. "What's wrong?"

  He jerked away. "Don't touch me Meagan. I can't take it."

  "Cole, I don't understand." Meagan was frantic now. "What have I done to upset you?"

  Tortured eyes turned her way. "How can you ask that, Meagan? You tell me you're in love with my brother, and you think that's okay with me?"

  "I never said that," Meagan denied vehemently, sitting straight up and crossing her arms in front of her.

  "Meagan, don't tease me," Cole pleaded as he studied her face. "You just said you loved Stephen."

  "Yes, I did," Meagan confirmed with a small nod, "but I didn't say I was in love with him."

  "Damn it, Meagan, what's the difference?"

  She gestured with a sweeping motion of one arm. "It’s like night and day, Cole. It's the difference between sunshine and rain, fire and ice, life and death." Meagan faced him then, her voice never calmer, never more certain. "It's like loving someone like a brother, as I do Stephen, and loving someone with all my heart and soul, as I do you."

  Cole pulled her to him. She felt his hands trembling as she melted into his arms.

  "I've needed to hold you like this for so long," Cole confessed in a suffocated whisper. "You've haunted my dreams each night, and made me need you more each waking hour. It's like a drug I can't rid myself of. I don't know how you did it, but you've cast a spell over me I can't fight. I don't want to fight it anymore, Meagan."

  Frightened by his intense stare, Meagan lowered her lashes and started to pull back. Cole tightened his hold, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Never pull away from me again, Meagan. I can't take your rejection any longer."

  She looked deep in his blue eyes and saw a vulnerability there. A vulnerability she'd never imagined possible from such a strong man. She was powerless to resist the pull of it, and relaxed into his arms, allowing his hard body to press against her softness, enveloping her like a warm blanket.

  Cole studied her perfection, loving the way the breeze lifted and tossed her hair. Frolicking shadows played across her face, illuminated by the light of the lamp. She was so beautiful. His hand shook as he reached up and caught a wayward strand between his fingers. His eyes focused on her rosy lips, watching in fascination as her tongue darted out and moistened them in an unconscious movement before disappearing back inside the recesses of her mouth. "Meagan."

  Meagan didn't want to talk. She liked the way he was looking at her too much. With reluctance, she whispered, "yes?"

  "I want to kiss you now."

  Her heart raced frantically in her chest as she nodded. "Yes."

  He lowered his head slowly, his eyes never wavering from hers until he was too close to focus. Meagan shut her eyes, unprepared for the jolt of desire that coursed through her as his lips touched hers. She moaned with the power of her need.

  Cole's mouth covered hers hungrily, with an urgency that shocked him. He forced himself to slow down, to give her time to adjust to his passion. He teased her lips with his tongue, pressing it gently against her teeth, waiting for an invitation to delve deeper. Meagan parted her mouth for him, moaning with pleasure as he plunged deeply inside, exploring the recesses of her mouth, tasting her.

  He tore his lips from hers and lowered his head, searing a path down her neck to her shoulders. He followed the moist trail back to her lips and then continued along her cheek bone before he whispered, his breath hot against her ear, "I need you, Meagan. I need you so desperately it hurts."

  A sense of urgency drove Meagan to press even closer, and she placed her hands behind his head, encouraging him without words. He reclaimed her lips, crushing her to him as his hands roamed freely across her back, undoing the tiny buttons of her dress with ease. He slid it from her body, leaving her bare to the waist except for the transparent silkiness of her chemise. He eased her onto her back, never releasing her from his kiss as he lowered himself next to her, pressing his leg between hers.

  A surge of excitement coursed through Meagan. Carried away by her own response she arched toward him, pressing against him instinctively, her soft curves molding to the contours of his lean, hard body, unaware of the invitation she was sending his way. Her hands explored the lean muscle of his back and she gasped in pleasure at the first contact of his hand against her breast.

  Her nipples, taut beneath the thin fabric of her chemise, responded to his touch, and she was frightened by the intensity of her reaction. She arched her back, allowing his hand to roam freely as she reveled in the tingling sensation forming deep within her.

  A cool breeze caressed her bare skin as Cole pulled away from her, and
Meagan whimpered in protest, reaching for him. She stopped, frozen in place as she watched him remove his clothing until he was bare to the waist. He glistened like polished bronze in the moonlight, and Meagan's eyes glazed over with desire as she feasted on the sight of him.

  He lowered himself to her, his body partially covering hers as his hands slid across her ribs before sliding slowly over her breast to her shoulders, slipping the chemise lower, leaving her breasts bare to his gaze.

  His eyes raked boldly over her before teasing the rosy peak of first one breast, then the other with his fingertip until Meagan thought she'd burst with her need.

  Meagan allowed her hands to roam freely over his back and then slid them around to his chest, loving the strength of his rippling muscles and course hair next to her palms. She ran her hands up his neck, curling her fingers into the thick masses of black hair. She cupped his head in her hands and urged him toward her, tilting her head and accepting his kiss with an eagerness that shocked her.

  His hand moved lower, sliding beneath the material that gathered around her waist, exploring her taut stomach before finding his way to her hips, caressing her, teasing her. She arched up with an explosive gasp as his hand moved between her legs, and the force of her reaction shocked her into whispering, "I'm frightened, Cole."

  Her voice was deep, her tone husky, her words like a caress as they escaped from between her lips. They barely scratched the surface of his consciousness as desire raced through his blood, and it was only as he felt her stiffen beneath his fingertips that he withdrew his hand, bringing it up to caress her cheek softly as he whispered hoarsely, "what's wrong, Meagan?"

  Her eyes, filled with undisguised passion, and doubt, stared back at him. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what you want."

  Cole moaned with the intensity of his need as he took her hand and guided it to him. "Do what you feel, Meagan. Give yourself to me, hold nothing back." His voice broke with emotion as he whispered quietly, "just love me."

  Meagan touched him then. He tensed beneath her fingers, sucking in his breath as if in pain. She quickly removed her hand, worried she'd hurt him.