Riding West (10 page)

“That certainly made my uncomfortable state when I tried to go to sleep last night worth it,” he murmured, breaking the silence of their post-coital afterglow. “It was bad enough when I would get a raging erection from just thinking about you miles away, but lying in my bed with your very tempting naked body next to mine took discomfort to a whole new level, believe me, sweetheart.”

He still felt fairly hard and big between her open legs despite his recent climax. Celia lifted her head and smiled playfully at her husband, arching her brows. “You have yourself to blame for that one, Mr. West. Next time, wake me up.”

One long-fingered hand caressed her back. She could feel the calloused hardness from all the work he did handling ropes and other tools, but the touch was gentle and almost reverent. Against the clean white pillowslip, his hair looked very dark and was rumpled from where she had run her hands through it. He explained in his typical logical tone, “Yesterday was a long one. You were exhausted, Celia. I‘m not such a selfish brute as to not allow you a decent night‘s sleep.”

“You think I would have minded?” She shook her head and laughed lightly at the sincere expression on his handsome face. “Good heavens, Parker, it was our wedding night and you didn‘t even make love to me.”

His brow furrowed a little. “Like I said, you were tired.”

“You are the most unromantic man sometimes.”

Defensively, he said, “I was trying to be thoughtful.”

As usual, she simply was unable to resist teasing him. He made it so easy with his serious nature. Celia rubbed her hand seductively across one muscled shoulder and traced the impressive bulge of his biceps. “Hmm, well maybe you were, but that doesn‘t change the fact that we didn‘t celebrate our marriage like most newlyweds. Tell me, if you weren‘t so darned considerate, Parker, how many times do think we would have done it?”

There was a slight wariness in his light blue eyes. The dancing light from the fire played over the clean planes of his face. “Made love?”

“Yes.” She gave him an audaciously wicked look from under her lashes. “So think about it. If you had to estimate, how many times would you have fucked me?”

“Celia.” His voice held exasperated reproof over her shocking language.

She ignored the censure, their bodies still intimately joined and the feel of him beneath her, and
in
her, arousing despite their recent satisfying activity. She shook back her long hair and gazed into his eyes, letting her lips tilt into a teasing, provocative curve. Her breasts were against his chest and she moved so her taut nipples rubbed his skin. “At the cabin it was often three or four times each night, not counting what we did during the day. So, I‘m afraid, you see, I know that you are capable of making it up to me I was utterly neglected last night. The way I see it, you owe me at least five.”

“Five?” His eyebrows shot up. “How‘s that figure come to mind, Mrs. West?”

She loved the husky timbre of his voice when he was aroused and could feel evidence of it also in the slight swell of his cock within her. “Well,” she whispered and leaned forward to lick his lower lip. “At least three from last night—that‘s a low figure, by the way—and then three for tonight. Now, we just took care of one…so that leaves five.”

“I take it you are trying to kill me,” he said dryly, but his azure eyes glittered suddenly with pure male anticipation. “However, I would be the last person to want our marriage to get off on the wrong foot and it would be one hell of a way to go. I‘ll do my best to make up for my lack of sentimental impracticality.”

“That sounds fair enough,” she purred, and then gasped as she suddenly found herself flat on her back, his movement so swift as he rolled over, she was unprepared.

“How do you want it this time?” he asked, rocking against her open thighs. “Slow? Or hard and fast? In case you haven‘t noticed, I‘m nearly ready for our second go.”

“I‘ve noticed,” she responded, lifting her hips and relishing the way his swiftly returning erection stretched her wide, the tip against her womb. “Believe me, I‘ve noticed. And as for how I want it…you know how I like it.”

“Hold on.” He kissed her hard, with open salacious intent, his tongue suggestively twining with hers as he began to move in long strokes between her legs.

Celia sighed with pleasure into his mouth, opening wider, lifting her legs to wrap them around his lean waist, taking and giving in the same erotic measure. The palms of her hands rested on his hard buttocks and with a small thrill she felt the powerful flex as he pumped into her.

It was a little wild, it was a bit forceful, and not anything like Parker‘s usual unruffled calm.

It was
exactly
how she liked it.

She reveled in the fact she could make him lose control, but even more in the fact he wanted her so fiercely.

But most of all, she reveled in the fact she loved him.

———

It was damned late and fire had died completely away, but that didn‘t matter because he was so warm, the cooling air felt wonderful.

There wasn‘t much doubt his new wife was one wicked little temptress. Both of them panting, they lay in the wrecked bed in a tangle of arms and legs, a sheen of perspiration on their bodies. Parker wasn‘t sure just where he was in terms of making up his supposed neglect from the evening before, but they had to be close to their goal.

Right now, he needed a moment.

Not just physically, because he was sure Celia could get him hard again in an amazing short span of time, but he needed to talk to her and maybe this was a good opportunity. Carefully, he eased out from between her legs and propped himself on one elbow.

His wife looked more than delectable with her glorious pale hair in disarray around her slender, flushed body. Those spectacular bare breasts he so admired were a little swollen from his attentions, the nipples still erect from her recent orgasm. It wasn‘t surprising he could see small runnels of sperm on her creamy inner thighs and he felt a sense of pure possession and satisfaction he had branded her his so thoroughly. On her side in a languid repose, she looked a little sleepy, and maybe that would make her more cooperative.

Maybe
, he thought with an inner grimace. At the best of times she was disturbingly independent.

He never had been good with the careful way he approached her, and she certainly never had any trouble letting him know it. So a direct statement seemed best. “I want you to stay close to the house for a while, Celia. No rides, no visits to town, no excursions of any kind unless I say so and send a guard.”

The look of sated contentment vanished and her dark blond brows snapped together. “What?”

“I don‘t want Colter carrying you off.”

She rose up and stared at him. “Don‘t be absurd, Parker. Not even he would kidnap another man‘s wife.”

“I‘m not so sure, and until I am, you need to stay right here.” He‘d never been so sincere, especially when gazing at her perfect, alluring beauty. Naked, her voluptuous body tinted pink in orgasmic afterglow, she was enough to take any man‘s breath away.

Her lovely mouth tightened mutinously. “Like hell I will. I am not going to skulk inside because of that cur. I think you‘re crazy, anyway. He didn‘t try it before, why would he now?”

“No, I beat him to it, didn‘t I? Besides, I know for a fact your brothers kept a very close eye on you, sweetheart.”

“If he tried anything like that, Colter knows you‘d kill him, Parker.”

“I would, or die trying, that‘s for sure,” he admitted stoically, knowing he‘d made his point when she blanched, some of the rosy glow fading from her smooth cheeks. “But he has a lot of men bought and paid for, not to mention the law around here. You saw what happened with the judge. That was a bit of a crazy plan, which is exactly what he is—crazy. The man is plain loco to try something so blatant. Unfortunately, he also has a lot of money and a lot of influence and he wants you bad, apparently. Let‘s face it, if it wasn‘t for John‘s instincts, he probably would have gotten away with it. We‘ve never cared for each other, but I expect now he hates my guts knowing I‘ve had you.”

Uncharacteristically silent for a long moment, Celia simply looked at him, her lovely eyes showing consternation and defiance.

He played his trump card by adding softly, “You say you love me, sweetheart, well prove it and do as I‘ve asked. Hopefully he‘ll be run out of these parts or hung from a tall tree for rustling before long, because John is sure he‘s the force behind our recent big losses and is determined to prove it. Not even a bought judge could save his neck if we have good enough evidence. It‘s a pretty serious crime.”

“I know that,” she said crossly, “I‘m not a child and I‘ve lived out here my whole life. Damn you, Parker, I hate being cooped up inside.”

A flicker of triumph went through him, for the sulky tone of her voice told him he‘d won. “No, you aren‘t a child in any way,” he agreed softly, shifting so he loomed over her, their mouths inches apart. “You are a damned sexy, gorgeous woman.”

Lush lashes lowered a fraction. “Am I?”

“It‘s been proven beyond a doubt I think so, but let me demonstrate one more time.”

With leisurely thoroughness he kissed her, their mouths melding together, lips clinging, tongues brushing in small erotic strokes. He moved to her breasts, gently licking her sensitive nipples, taking the rosy peaks into his mouth, stroking the mounded flesh with his hands as he listened to the telltale sounds of enjoyment she couldn‘t seem to stifle. When she reached for his cock and circled him with her slim fingers, he felt a surge of sensation as he stiffened in response. As he lavished attention on her beautiful breasts, she brought him to readiness with light, sliding caresses, fondling his testicles until he groaned against her soft, satiny skin and moved between her parted thighs.

She was wet and well-lubricated from repeated intercourse and his cock slid in easily, sheathed by exquisite tight heat. Never docile during intercourse—or out of it either—Celia moaned and opened wider, her hands urgent as they pressed the small of his back. “Yes, just like that…I want every bit of you inside.”

Enraptured enjoyment flooded through him as he glided backwards. Through his teeth, he said, “Believe me, I want to give you every hard inch, sweetheart.”

“Then do it,” she ordered, her throat arching back as he drove in deep, not shy in bed, not since that first time when he‘d taken her virginity at the cabin.

Hell, even untutored and innocent, she hadn‘t been particularly shy in the act of sex.

Marveling at the depth of his need even after so much sexual excess, his lower body thrusting with increasing speed, Parker heard his harsh breathing in staccato gasps as his orgasm rose. Celia clung to him, matching every possessive thrust with the acceptance of her body, her eyes darkened with passion.

Her vaginal walls began to contract, gripping his surging cock. He knew so well the signs of her impending climax by now that it was easy to gauge exactly how to move and when he could let himself go. She began to shudder and moan his name and he put his arms under knees and lifted her legs, pushing in as deeply as possible.

She climaxed in spectacular abandon, and his own release was ferocious and left him numb and shaken. When he collapsed to his side, he could barely speak, but managed to say between gasps, “Am…I…still…unromantic?”

His wife laughed, a small musical sound that was entirely feminine. “Sex isn‘t romance, Parker.”

“It is for men,” he argued with a small, teasing grin, pleasantly exhausted, his senses replete. “And tonight I think I‘ve been very romantic, Mrs. West. Besides, I think I just finished making up for your lost wedding night.”

She snuggled up to his side. “Don‘t be so smug. I suppose we‘re even, though our notions of romance aren‘t quite the same.”

The light, curvaceous feel of her body next to his felt as wonderful as making love to her. Knowing she was almost asleep already, he tenderly brushed a stray tendril of blond hair from her cheek and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Celia. I think I was born to fall in love with you, to be your lover, to take care of you and hopefully raise our children. I would sacrifice anything to keep you safe and give my life gladly in exchange for yours.”

Her eyes, which had been half-shut, flew open. After a moment, she whispered, “Heaven help me, though I believed it was hopeless, I think you were just romantic, Parker West.”

With a low laugh, he gathered her closer and drifted into a contented sleep.

———

Rose gave her a mischievous smile as they walked along the path to where the barns sat by a small grove of cottonwood trees. “John brought me over. I haven‘t seen you since Parker stalked up onto the porch, tied you up, and rode off. He and John were supposed to ride out early but somehow your husband overslept.”

Celia murmured, “We were up late…uhm…talking.”

Her sister snorted in an unladylike sound. “Yeah, talking, I bet that‘s what you were doing, all right.”

“Maybe not
just
talking.” Celia laughed.

“I‘d say very little talking and more other things. Good heavens, why did you wait so long to marry him?”

In retrospect, she had no idea. Defensively, she protested, “He didn‘t even ask me until right before he had his wild idea—no, Ma‘s wild idea—to just carry me off.”

Rose looked startled. “Ma told him to do that?”

A rueful smile curved Celia‘s lips. “So he claims and we all know Parker is as honest as the day is long.”

“That‘s true enough. And apparently it was good advice.” Rose gave her a sidelong glance.

Since she was just too contented to argue or even be embarrassed, Celia merely asked, “Speaking of such things, how is Robert?”

Robert Campbell was her sister‘s beau and though he was just a ranch hand, he seemed to be steadier than most of the cowboys in their father‘s employ, and there was little question they were smitten with each other. Rose sighed. “He wants to ask Father if we can get married but we‘re both afraid he‘ll say no. I know Josh, John and Jared like him well enough.”

The morning was clear and a little cool, and the air smelled like early autumn with a delicious tinge of Indian summer. “Marry him,” Celia advised, still bemused from the night before, the slight soreness between her legs the evidence it hadn‘t been some sort of erotic, sensual, blissful dream. “Make Pa agree. I promise you it is worth it.”