Wild Borders (18 page)

With a moan Lani arched up to him, reveling in the contrast of the cold champagne and now his hot mouth licking and sucking her nipple. He poured more of the bubbly over her other breast and proceeded to lick it all away, too.

Lani could only feel, could only give herself up to the sensations. The champagne was affecting her senses and she felt so relaxed yet so hot for Rick.

“Hold on, honey,” he said as he set the champagne bottle aside again.

Rick settled on his haunches between her thighs. He positioned Lani so that her back rested against the side of the tub and her ass was in his lap, against his cock. She slid down a bit in the bubbles, but braced her hands to either side of her. Her head was still above water as he hooked her legs above his shoulders, raising her ass up in his palms so that her mons was wide and exposed to him. Somehow he managed to hold onto her and grab the champagne bottle, and then poured more of the fluid over the soft curls on her mons and onto her folds.

Lani cried out at the incredible feel of champagne bubbling over her mons. And when he set the bottle aside, he raised her up while lowering his head and began licking and sucking her from the sensitive spot between her folds and her ass, all the way up to her mound.

The tipsy feeling from the champagne, combined with the feel of Rick’s warm mouth on her mons was almost more than she could bear. Her arms trembled as heat rushed over her, expanding to every pore in her body. It was like fire, fire licking her from her toes to her thighs, her belly on up over her breasts and her cheeks to the roots of her hair. She gave a choked cry and almost slipped under the bubbles as her climax hit her.

Rick released her long enough to catch her to him and pull her up out of the water and onto his lap, facing him so that her legs straddled his and his cock was hard against her folds. His jaw was tense, his eyes sparking with blue fire as he cupped her head and brought her roughly to him and kissed her. With her dazed senses she could swear he tasted of fire as well as champagne and her juices.

“I’ve got to fuck you.” His expression was fierce as he pulled away. “Now.”

Lani was burning up as he grabbed a foil packet that he’d apparently left on the vanity. He tore into it and in no time he tossed aside the wrapper and sheathed his enormous erection.

“I want to fill you up,” he said. “I want to take you rough and hard. Is that how you want me to fuck you?”

“Yes.” Lani nodded, wanting this wildness, this freeness that she’d never before experienced. “Please, Rick.”

She gripped his powerful shoulders as he raised her up and brought her down on his cock, deep and fast. God, how he stretched her wide and filled her so, so deep. She let herself go and rode him hard, raising herself up and down his length. Her breasts bounced and her nipples ached as she gripped his shoulders.

He had a tight hold on her ass and he moved her even faster. “That’s it sweetheart. Fuck me just like that.”

Lani watched his face, his intent expression, the fire in his blue eyes, and the way he gritted his teeth as if holding back with everything he had. She pressed her hands on his shoulders and rose up and down on his shaft and slamming down on his cock so that it reached her G-spot again and again. Water splashed and blood roared in her head as he
fucked
her like they never had before.

All the sensations were too much. Rick’s tongue flicking against her nipples, his cock deep within her, water sliding over her body. Lani came in a rush, her body so hot that this time she thought she’d burn into cinders. Her channel contracted around his cock, gripping and releasing him in wild flares as her body continued to tremble. Several more thrusts and Rick’s growl told her he’d climaxed. He gripped her hips tight and she collapsed against him, their bodies melding together completely.

* * * * *

Sunlight spilled through sheer curtains at the bay window and onto their bed, caressing Lani’s face with its gentle warmth. Rick had molded his body to her back, his arm snug around her waist, and she could feel his cock hard against her ass. She smiled, loving the feel of him against her, not wanting the moment to end.

His breath tickled her neck, and she shivered. He moved his hand to her shoulder and traced a pattern on her back with his finger.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was husky with sleep.

“Playing connect-the-dots,” he murmured. “You have the cutest freckles across your shoulders.”

She rolled over in Rick’s arms to face him. “Oh, yeah?”

“Mm-hmm.” He ran his finger along her collarbone, then down to the swell of her breasts. “More freckles here. And here. And here.”

Lani stroked his cheek with her palm, his stubble coarse to her touch, yet somehow erotic, inflaming her desire for him. He slid his thigh between her legs and she felt his erection hard against her stomach.

She wiggled so that his thigh was higher, pressing against her mons. “We’ll be late for breakfast, cowboy.”

“It’s a bed-and-breakfast. Bed comes first, then breakfast.” He lowered his mouth to hers, his kiss waking every nerve in her body. “Or breakfast in bed, which is what I’m interested in.”

With a teasing grin she slid her palm down his muscled chest, his tight abs and down to his cock. “Can I have seconds?”

His mouth quirked into that drop-dead sexy grin of his. “And thirds.”

Lani kissed his chest, flicking her tongue and tasting the salt of his skin and breathing in his masculine scent. She didn’t care if they ever got out of bed. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment than this.

A rumble rose up in Rick’s chest and he worked hard at regaining his self-control. He intended to make love to Lani this morning, not fuck hard and fast like they had last night. But the way she was kissing and touching him, he was finding it harder and harder to hold back, but he was a man with a mission.

A mission to make her his…forever.

He loved her slow and easy, taking his time to taste and touch every inch of her. And when he finally slid his cock into her silky heat, it was like everything around them slowed to that one point in time. He rocked his hips against hers, feeling a sense of satisfaction welling up inside him in tune with his building climax. This was
his
woman, and there was no way on Earth she was getting away from him.

Chapter Fifteen

They barely made it to breakfast in time. Lani let out a sigh of contentment as the desk clerk escorted them to a garden courtyard with a fountain splashing in the midst, a sheer rock wall hugging one side of the patio.

Sunlight filtered through leaves of oak and mulberry trees, their shadows dappling the white patio furniture. A hodgepodge of geraniums and roses in brilliant hues of reds and pinks crowded the tables. Because she and Rick had arrived during the night, Lani hadn’t realized that the B & B was nestled against a mountain.

A breeze caressed her skin, as soft as a newborn’s breath, the perfume of roses light in the air. Lani wore her hair in a French braid, but felt grungy wearing the same clothes she had the day before. Rick promised to take her shopping after they ate, but once Lani got a look at the casual clothing of the hotel staff, she didn’t feel a bit out of place.

Rick introduced Lani to his friend Nicole who owned the B & B.

“You’ve got a real cutie here,” Nicole said to Rick with a good-natured grin as she ushered them to a table for two and set out a menu for each of them.

Heat reddened Lani’s cheeks, but Rick said, “Don’t I know it.”

Once they had ordered, the vivacious Nicole stayed and chatted for a few moments, then went to greet more guests.

In no time at all, the waiter brought plates heaped with toast, scrambled eggs, sausages and Danish pastries, then poured glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Lani looked at the mounds of food and her appetite vanished.

“Is that all you’re going to eat?” Rick asked as she finished a piece of buttered toast and pushed her plate away.

She gave him a smile. “I’m full.”

Rick’s vivid blue eyes bored into her. “Sure you’re okay?”

“You worry too much.” Smiling, she reached down to squeeze his knee under the table. “When I’m with you, everything’s all right.

“So, tell me about this town,” Lani said, changing the subject before the moment got too serious.

Rick shrugged and reached for a cheese Danish. “Bisbee does have a pretty interesting history. Back in the late 1800’s until the mid 1970’s, it was a major copper mining community. It was called ‘Queen of the Copper Camps.’” He took a bite of his Danish.

Lani smiled, enjoying watching him. “Bisbee is an unusual name.”

He nodded and finished chewing. “It was named for a guy that never even set foot in this town. DeWitt Bisbee, a judge and investor from San Francisco.” Rick drank his orange juice then set the empty glass next to his plate. “When I was a kid, I’d wonder how a guy could never bother to go see a town named after him.”

“Hey, he was from San Francisco. Can’t beat the snobs in my home city.” Her smile faded as she thought of James, the epitome of a successful elitist.

After breakfast, they strolled onto Main, a narrow street that snaked its way down Tombstone Canyon. Homes and trees clung to the steep sides of red canyon walls.

“Reminds me a little of home,” Lani said. “Though in San Francisco you don’t usually see houses that look like they’re going to slide off the side of a mountain at any moment.”

“A lot of people compare it to Frisco,” Rick replied. “But the weather here beats the hell out of your hometown. When I was in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, I like to have frozen my ass off, and it’s the middle of the summer.”

Lani nodded and laughed. “My favorite quote about the city is one by Mark Twain. I think it goes, ‘The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.’”

Rick chuckled. “Twain also said that in Arizona the temperature ‘remains a constant 120 degrees in the shade, except when it varies and goes higher.’”

She leaned against his arm, feeling relaxed. And wanted. Something she hadn’t felt since her parents and sister had died. She didn’t care to think about how limited their time together was. Too soon the magic would end. Only in fairy tales could anyone be as happy as Rick made her. It couldn’t last. But today she would pretend that it would last forever.

Hand-in-hand they walked down the sloping sidewalk, from Castle Rock to the century-old masonry buildings along Main Street. Art galleries, potters and antique stores filled the buildings that Rick said used to house department stores, jewelers and banks when he was a kid.

They found an eclectic clothing store where Lani bought a filmy skirt and blouse that had been hand-dyed a soft rose. The skirt swirled around her ankles, just above her silver sandals, and the peasant blouse rested off her shoulders. And she wasn’t wearing a bra or panties, which made her feel both sexy and naughty.

Rick smiled when she came out of the changing room wearing the new outfit. “Beautiful.”

Lani blushed at his approval, and they paid for the purchase, the clerk giving Lani a bag to carry her other clothes in.

They spent the morning exploring shops along Main. At a pottery store, she fell in love with handmade dinnerware in an unusual pattern of soft mauve, sea green, and butter yellow.

“Think this would go good in the kitchen when our new home is built?” Rick asked as she ran her hand over one of the glazed plates.

For a second her heart stopped when he said
our home
.

Stop it. He meant his and Trevor’s.

She collected herself and replied, “Absolutely.” Lani pointed to the price tag. “It costs a small fortune, though.”

He nuzzled the top of her head. “I like it. Let’s get it.”

Their conversation with the potter was an experience. Half the time Lani thought the woman was in another discussion altogether. The potter wore a clay-streaked T-shirt and jeans, her long black hair tied back with yarn away from her thin face, and her hazel eyes seemed vague, like she was thinking about something else the entire time. Rick ordered the entire dinnerware collection and arranged to have it shipped to Sadie and Chuck’s home.

Rick glanced at his watch when they left the shop. “It’s after twelve. Ready for lunch?”

“Sure.” Lani hadn’t regained her appetite, but didn’t want him worrying.

They chose a small sidewalk café where she was able to look out the picture window as they ate, and observe shoppers and tourists. A sense of contentment filled her and she sighed.

“What?” Rick asked as he looked up from his menu.

She smiled and shook her head. “This day is too perfect.”

Her stomach flip-flopped as he gave her his slow, sexy grin. “If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“I’m happy right here.” She tilted her head. “But I’ve always wanted to go to Kauai. It seems so wild and beautiful from all the pictures I’ve seen.”

“Not as beautiful as you.” He took her hand in his and studied her fingers, then placed his palm against hers. “Your hand is so small.”

“Next to yours, maybe. But for a woman they’re not small.”

“Oh they’re small all right. Your ring finger is only the size of my pinkie.” He turned her hand over and placed his lips to her palm. “And your skin is much softer than mine.”

Lani gasped at the sensual contact, the feel of his lips against her skin. Her eyes locked with his and she couldn’t move. Couldn’t think.

She only knew that she was truly lost.

When they finished eating, Rick and Lani walked outside the café, and ran into Sal Valenzuela.

The Border Patrol agent slapped Rick on the back. “
Buenos tardes
,
amigo
.” He turned to Lani and held out his hand. “Hello, Lani. You look beautiful. Rick’s a lucky man.”

She blushed and returned Sal’s friendly smile. “Get out of here.”

“So, Rick.” Sal slid his hands into his pockets. “Coming to CP tomorrow night?”

Rick shook his head.

“What’s CP?” Lani asked.

“Uh—choir practice.” Sal’s mustache twitched and mischief sparked in his dark eyes.

Lani folded her arms and looked from one smirking man to the next. “Uh-huh.”

Rick ran his hand over his head. “Well, it’s CP if we’re referring to our Check Points, like the one where you met Sal.”

Sal laughed. “But it’s also the term for an after shift party to relieve stress—usually involving beer.”

Lani raised her brows.

Rick slipped his arm around Lani’s shoulders. “The guys refer to it as a Choir Practice to give the tongue-in-cheek illusion to our spouses and significant others that we are not drinking, not smoking and not swearing.”

Sal wiggled his eyebrows. “And not talking about past sexual conquests.”

Lani’s eyes widened and Rick just chuckled. “You can get lost now, Sal.”

“See you at work tomorrow,” Rick said, then steered Lani down the sidewalk.

“Past sexual conquests, huh?” she said as they walked.

He hugged her closer. “Sal’s full of shit, so don’t listen to him.”

It was mid-afternoon when he took her to the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum.

“The brochure says this museum was the first rural Smithsonian affiliate in the country,” Lani said, just as the guide started speaking.

Their tour guide was a middle-aged woman who spoke with a soft lilt, the movement of her hands like butterflies floating in the wind. She wore a velvet patchwork skirt that reminded Lani of a crazy quilt, and heavy silver and turquoise jewelry blossomed at her neck and wrists.

“In the early 1900’s, Bisbee sported a population of around twenty thousand, and it was the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco,” the guide said. “The town burned down three times, survived outbreaks of typhoid, annual floods, labor strikes, and the closing of most of the mining operations in the mid 1970’s. Our population hovers right around six thousand now, and the town has reinvented itself as an artists’ colony and retirement community. Travelers come from all over the world to drink in the history and enjoy the culture.

“You may want to visit our Romanesque style Copper Queen Hotel,” she continued, waving her hand toward one window, in the direction of the hotel. “It was once considered one of the grandest in the west. Even Teddy Roosevelt stayed there.”

The guide waved her hand again in another direction. “Just around the corner from the Copper Queen is Brewery Gulch, an infamous part of our history, which was home to almost fifty saloons and bordellos around the turn of the century.”

Her butterfly hands fluttered in a different direction. “Another of our attractions is the Lavender Pit Mine. It’s three quarters of a mile wide, nearly a thousand feet deep, and one of the largest surface mines in the world.”

“Amazing,” Lani said as they left the museum. “Fifty saloons on one street?”

“Don’t forget the bordellos.” Rick kissed the top of her head. “The history of this town has never been so interesting to me before coming here with you.”

The sun was low over the mountains and the streetlights flickered on. Lani sighed, wishing they could stay forever in this perfect time, this perfect place. Of course, they couldn’t. Fairy tales only came true for children, not grown women with too many scars and mileage.

Hand in hand, they strolled toward the bed-and-breakfast, toward Rick’s truck, and toward a reality Lani wished she could escape for another day. Even another hour. She knew that was impossible, but the dream felt pleasant even as they drew closer to the truck.

She leaned against his shoulder, feeling tired but content. And happy. She’d never felt so happy in all her life, even though she knew she only had a short time longer with Rick. “Thanks for a wonderful day.”

He eased his arm around Lani and squeezed her to him. “Darlin’, every day that I’m with you is wonderful.”

Lani had nodded off on the drive home, her head resting against the window. She looked pale, and Rick was concerned that she wasn’t feeling well. But when they arrived at the ranch and he woke her, she insisted she was all right.

“Dad! You’re home!” Trevor bounded into Rick’s arms when they walked in the door and gave his father a hug and a sticky kiss on his cheek. The boy wriggled free and then wrapped his arms around Lani’s waist and hugged her. “I’m glad you’re back.”

To Rick’s surprise, she gave Trevor a kiss on his dirty cheek, and the boy gave her a big smack in return.

“You’re just in time for dinner,” Sadie said as they entered the kitchen. “I made a big batch of spaghetti and a tossed salad. And a fresh pitcher of iced tea.”

Rick sniffed the air and his stomach grumbled in appreciation.

“Breadsticks with garlic and butter, too.” Trevor pointed to a basket on the counter covered with a gingham cloth. “Can I have one now?”

“You hold on ‘til we all sit down to dinner.” Sadie playfully slapped at Trevor’s hand as he lifted up the edge of the cloth. “Go on and wash up.”

“All right, Grandma,” he grumbled and ran off toward the bathroom.

“I bet the spaghetti is wonderful,” Lani told Sadie. “But I’m not hungry and I’m tired. I think I’ll lie down.”

Sadie patted Lani’s hand. “You go rest up, and if you get hungry there’ll be plenty of leftovers in the fridge.”

Rick walked Lani down the hall and into her room. “You okay?”

She nodded and smiled. “Just tired.”

He drew her close and she sighed, leaning against him and sliding her arms around his waist. For several minutes they stood in each other’s embrace, until he thought she’d fallen asleep standing up. With more than a little reluctance, he parted from her and she opened her eyes. Her lids drooped like she could hardly keep them open.

“I think I plum wore you out.” He ran his finger down her nose to the tip.

“Feel free to wear me out anytime,” she murmured.

He kissed her then closed the door behind him when he left her room.

Lani had only intended to take a nap when they returned home from Bisbee, but she didn’t wake until just before dawn. Apparently, Rick had slipped into bed without disturbing her and held her all night.