Heart of Mine (Bandit Creek) (10 page)

His tongue flicked across her lips, probed the seam of her mouth. The kiss in the barn had been her first but he hadn't used his tongue. Yet she didn't question. She trusted Jake completely and opened for him. His tongue was deliciously wet and very thorough. Laura's body flew into a flurry of sensations. Her belly clutched, her breasts swelled. He lowered her shoulders back onto the floor, pressed his body fully against hers. His arousal was hard and insistent.

Between her legs a restless ache grew. As if Jake knew, he ground his hips against hers.

A gasp tore from Laura's throat, causing Jake to still. When cold air replaced his warmth and she no longer felt the full weight of him, Laura opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away." He brushed her hair back from her temple.

He was sorry? Was he sorry he'd kissed her? Sorry he'd started something he had no intention of finishing?

His fingers smoothed the frown from her forehead. "I'm not sorry for what we're doing, Laura, or what we're about to do." He gave her a rakish look. "But we're going to finish this upstairs, in a bed. My bed."

He helped her up, deftly unbuttoned her jacket. His hands caressed her shoulders, then her arms as he slid the garment from her wrists. Grasping a sleeve in each hand, he used her jacket to hold her against him. With his arousal still prominent against her belly, Jake murmured endearments in her ear. His tongue slipped around her earlobe, as hot and wet as his kiss had been.

"I want to see you, Laura. All of you. I want you naked and undone beneath me."

Mercy. A flash of burning heat consumed her. Did men really say such things to their wives? She didn't know. She didn't care. She simply knew Jake did and, shamelessly, it excited her.

Beneath the white cotton of her nightgown Laura's breasts were full. Her nipples beaded tight and the movement of her nightgown scraping them heightened her desire. Would he touch them?

As though he heard her thoughts his gaze slid down. His pulse pounded in his neck. She expected him to stroke her, but instead he dropped her jacket and turned. Pressing a bare foot to the door he pushed it closed. Stepping over the fallen garment he swung her into his arms.

"I'm going to do things properly this time," Jake said as he carried her easily up the stairs. She knew to what he was referring, and knowing the truth was about to come out added to Laura's nervousness. But it didn't deter from what she wanted most. Jake. Only Jake.

Jake had never craved a woman this much in his life. And while his heart hammered and his loins throbbed for release, he forced himself to remember that this coupling wasn't about his needs. He'd promised himself that his wife would be satisfied when next they were together and, with that vow echoing in his head, Jake set about his goal.

Setting Laura down onto his bed, Jake sat next to her. Her braid had come mostly apart after he'd thrown her to the floor thinking she was an intruder. Tugging on the ribbon, he tossed it to the ground and delved his hands into her hair. Silken strands wove between his fingers. He brought a fistful of them to his lips. The same floral smell that had lingered on his pillow, tormenting him for days, filled his senses. After days of wondering, of trying to pry the lid on his memories, he was about to discover every secret Laura's body held. It was going to kill him to go slow.

Letting her hair sift through his fingers, he worked the rest of her braid free. Her hair was long, almost to her waist. Some fell over her shoulder while the rest glided down her back. A vision of her naked but for her hair covering her breasts filled Jake's vision. Hungry, he licked his lips.

He brushed the hair off her shoulder. Intrigued by the pulse he saw at the base of her neck, Jake leaned in, pressed an open-mouth kiss to it. Laura's breath shook, her head tipped back. Jake didn't refuse the invitation. He bathed her neck with kisses, moved from the base of one ear to the next. Her blood pounded beneath his mouth, her quick breathing filled his ears.

Guiding her onto her back, Jake lay next to her. With feather-light touches he traced the bones that peeked over the neckline of her nightgown. Then, using the tips of his fingers only, he skimmed his hand down her chest, through the valley of her breasts. His knuckles brushed the soft fullness. Laura's eyes blurred. Jake's penis begged for mercy.

From her breasts, Jake's hand spread over her belly. He flexed his fingers over her taught abdomen before he dipped his hand lower. Hellfire. She was naked beneath her nightgown. Jake's blood surged. It wouldn't take but a second to lift her gown, to shed his pants and bury himself within her. Sweat broke out across his shoulders and forehead. No. No. There was more yet to be discovered.

Under the virginal white of her gown, he felt the curls that covered her sex. No doubt they'd be auburn as the rest of her hair. Imagining it had him gnashing his teeth to keep his waning control leashed. Testing how far he could push himself, Jake cupped her. Laura's hips arched at his touch.

"You're so sweet." Using the nightgown, he gathered a handful and rubbed her, knowing just where she ached. He circled, stopped. Circled some more. While one hand tormented her womanhood, the other cupped a breast. Softness filled his hand. Her back arced. Her hips ground against his hand. Her moans encouraged him but it wasn't enough. He needed to touch her without the impediment of clothing. He grabbed the hem of her nightgown.

"Lift your hips, darling."

She watched him, eyes wide, but did as he asked. When it gathered at her waist, he helped her sit. Then, with his heart in his throat, he drew it over her quivering breasts and up her arms. It was tossed to the floor in the same forgotten manner he'd tossed her jacket.

Moonlight fell over her. Jake thought he'd gone to heaven. Her breasts were snowy white with perfect pink peaks that jutted as though searching for his lips. Lifting one in his palm, he ducked his head and his mouth closed over her. Laura's fingers dug into his shoulders.

He lay her down, moved over her. He'd yet to take his pants off but the last barrier of clothing between them only tormented him more. Made him hungrier. As did her unfocused gaze as she reached for him.

"Not yet." He placed her arms at her side, returned his attention to her body. He jiggled her breasts in his hands, imagined them doing the same when he finally drove into her. He kissed one perfect globe, then the other, flicked his tongue over the peaks.

"Jake."

He smiled. Empowered that he was driving her as crazy as he was making himself, he raked his gaze over the rest of her. A narrow waist, slender hips and a perfect triangle of chestnut curls that teased him to discover what lay within them.

Hell if he wasn't going to find out.

Laura had never imagined herself acting wantonly. She wouldn't have thought herself that brazen. But with Jake, it was hard not to be. His touch scorched her. His half-lidded gaze, his lusty words drove her beyond reason. He looked at her like she was the richest dessert--one he couldn't wait to devour. His touch built a need within her womb, a need she couldn't fill. Only Jake could.

Which was why, when he slid to the foot of the bed, when he shackled her ankles with his hands and slowly spread her legs she didn't resist. Until she realized his intent. She'd expected him to touch her there, with his hands. She'd enjoyed his mouth on her nipples, but not--

"Jake!"

He held her thighs apart and he was far stronger than she was. "Trust me, Laura."

"I do, but--"

"Then let me taste you, all of you."

If she weren't lying on the blankets she'd have whipped them over to cover herself. "But surely--"

"Shh. Watch."

She couldn't. Her eyes jammed closed, she held her breath. She felt his breath first and again her legs wanted to close. Jake chuckled. He was between her legs and laughing and--Mercy! His tongue flicked over her, one long sweep of sin. Laura's body quavered. Her hands fisted in the covers.

"Sweeter than I imagined," Jake said.

He worked his mouth over her like she was a candy stick from Eaton's Confectionary. It wasn't long before Laura forgot her protests and her thighs fell open. With each pull of his mouth, he drew her higher, tighter. If she were a violin string she'd snap any second. Needy, she writhed against him.

"I can't… I can't--"

Jake moved up her body and silenced her with his kiss, which both soothed and further excited her. Still missing something, Laura ground her hips against his. His erection pressed against her and through the fabric of his pants she felt his heat.

His hands trailed her from shoulder to waist. He lifted his hips enough to get his hand between them. His tongue slipped into her mouth. His fingers slid into her heat. Her whole body convulsed.

"Jake!"

He grinned; he couldn't do otherwise. Her muscles clasped tightly around his fingers as she found her release. Relentless, he teased her, drawing out every moment of her climax. Only when she was limp beneath him did he withdraw. He stayed close, held her to his side while she regained her breath. Her fingers toyed with the hair on his chest. Her breathing tickled. Still throbbing for his own release, he waited for her to recover.

Finally, she pushed herself onto an elbow, looked down into his face. "You didn't…You haven't…"

He chuckled. "Ends up I had another gift for you." He came off the bed, shucked his pants. "Now we'll do this together."

Her eyes were on his erection. She seemed both scared and excited. Surely she'd seen it the time he'd bedded her? Or maybe it had been too dark. Either way, she'd felt him before and he'd just ensured her body was ready.

He moved to roll over her. Her hand on his penis stopped him. If she wanted to touch him, far be it from him to argue. Stacking his hands behind his head, Jake lay at her side. She was timid. Her touch was gentle and hesitant. The innocence behind it drove him wild. She wasn't a virgin, but damned if she wasn't acting like one.

Damned if he didn't like it.

But after minutes of breath-like touches that were driving him to the brink, he took her hand and wrapped it around his shaft. With one hand over hers he showed her how to stroke him, with the other he plucked and played with her nipples. Soon they were both panting. And he'd reached his limit.

Moving over her, he positioned his sex against hers. Feeling her heat, her wetness against him, Jake growled. Then with a hard thrust, he entered her, breaking a barrier that shouldn't have been there.

Laura cried out.

Damnation! Jake tensed. His eyes, he knew, were as wide as hers.

"How in Hell is it possible that you're a virgin?" he demanded.

SEVEN

Laura wanted to escape but Jake wouldn't let her. He kept her underneath him. He stayed inside her. No matter how hard she pushed at his shoulders, he wouldn't budge.

"Jake, move!" When he wouldn't, she turned her head and scrunched her eyes closed.

"Darling, don't do that. Laura, look at me."

"I can't," she answered.

He chuckled. "We're naked and I'm still inside you. Seems looking at me is the easy part."

Confused by his humor, Laura opened her eyes. Gently, he ran his knuckles over her cheek. "Explain this to me."

"Can we not…stop? Get dressed?"

"Tell me this first." Gentle, brown eyes caressed her. "A moment ago you were willing to make love with me. Has that changed?"

He still wanted her? "No, that hasn't changed."

"Good. I haven't changed my mind either."

Desire filled his eyes again and he rocked his hips forward. Laura gasped, but it wasn't from pain. It felt amazing.

"You shocked me, however, and I want to know the truth. You were naked in my bed. I thought we'd slept together. Clearly we didn't, so what happened?"

It was strange talking in the position they were in and yet what better time? They were naked; there was nothing and nowhere to hide. And so, Laura told Jake everything, from the drink her father had drugged, to his dragging Jake to bed, to threatening his daughter to get in next to a man she'd never spoken to.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to be a part of hurting you but he left me no choice."

Jake kissed her forehead, then her nose. "Something about the whole thing was off from the beginning. Your tear that morning, your vow to your father that you'd never hurt me."

"I wouldn't."

"I know. I think I've always known. I'm sorry I accused you that day of being just like him. I should have trusted my instincts about you. You've never been anything like your father."

He couldn't have said anything better. His words filled her heart, filled it until her love for him spilled over.

"Jake, I didn't marry you as the lesser of two evils. Neither did I do so only to escape my father."

He frowned. "Then why?"

"Because," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Because I love you. I have since I was a young girl."

Surprise and delight shone on Jake's face. "I never knew."

"You never had eyes for me and since we never ran in the same circles, it was easy to hide."

He held her gaze endlessly. The moon moved across the sky, shifting the shadows in the room. When he lowered his mouth to hers, it was a gentle kiss. A sweet kiss. After the passion he'd shown moments ago, Laura wanted more. She opened her mouth under his, flicked her tongue over his lips.