TY SAVORED THE WARMTH OF the woman cradled against him, her head nestled in the hollow between his shoulder and neck. He fingered the burnished curls lying against her back, marveling at the silky softness, then slid his hand down over her waist to rest on her hip.
She sighed and shifted against him producing a quick jolt of renewed desire as her knee slid up and down his thigh, the intimacy of the moment wrapping around his heart like a warm blanket.
She had yet to say anything about it which bothered him more than he wanted to admit. Visions of Jenni’s tearful rejection following their hasty coupling danced in his head causing his own anxiety to rise.
How will Emma feel about me…us when she wakes up? Knowing he hurt her filled him with regret. Her tear-stained face was forever imbedded in his memory. But he also knew she reached her pleasure. Twice. Therefore, he allowed himself a small sliver of hope.
He turned his head toward the open window. Darkness had fallen and a near-full moon bathed the room in a vaporous light. Dawn would come much too early to suit him.
“It wasn’t too bad.”
Her quiet voice startled him and he couldn’t stop the light flinch at her words. Well, that ranks right up there with let’s-just-get-it-over-with on the mood killer list.
“The pain, I mean. It wasn’t too bad.”
His jaw clenched, relaxed. “It made you cry. A lot.”
Her breath was feather soft on his skin. “I’m not crying now.” She ran her fingers through the tight curls on his chest. “Sarah said we might have to wait before, well, you know.”
His hand moved up to her waist, then back down to skim that luscious behind. “Yeah, I know.”
“Why did you call me Red? My hair isn’t red.”
The quick change of topic confused him a moment. “When the sun hits it just right, it has these fiery streaks in it.”
Her hand slid a little lower. “But it’s not red.”
He lost his train of thought when her finger circled his belly button and he fought to remember what he wanted to say. “Did it bother you? To be called Red?”
“Not the way you said it.”
His attention focused. “How did I say it?”
He felt it on his chest when she chewed her lip. Why do I find that nibble thing so damn sexy?
“It’s hard to describe. You have such a nice voice.” Her fingers continued to circle. “Sometimes it changes and…makes me feel, well, all funny inside.” She paused. “Like when you look at me a certain way.”
Her hand stilled when his body responded with a quick twitch.
She raised up and looked at him, then cut her eyes toward the evidence of his arousal pushing against the light cotton sheet.
It twitched again.
Her voice an awestruck whisper, she looked at him. “Can I touch it?”
He spoke with quiet emphasis. “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”
Raising one fine, arched brow, she protested. “Why not? We’re married now. And you touched me.”
He closed his eyes, chose his words carefully, and explained to his innocent wife why it wasn’t such a good idea at this point in time.
“Oh. I see.”
The way her expression changed with her thoughts fascinated him.
“You’re going to be gone a while.”
“Yeah.”
She bit her lip. “We don’t have much time together.”
And I’ll be hell to live with on the trail. “I know.”
“You probably want to sleep.”
He grinned. “Sleep is overrated with a beautiful, naked woman in your bed.” Shit! She may not like that kinda talk.
Amusement flickered in the eyes meeting his. “Or a handsome man.”
His body ignored all his efforts at control and twitched again.
She ducked her head, then looked at him from the corner of her eye. “Is that okay to say?”
“Hell, yeah.” She thinks I’m handsome.
She shrugged, and one coppery curl wrapped around a nipple.
His groin tightened more and his mouth envied that curl.
“Not very ladylike.”
“Don’t ever hold back from me, Red. Good, bad or otherwise, if you have something to say, say it.”
She looked at him intently as though trying to ascertain if he were serious or not.
“I…I liked what…we did.”
Thank you, God.
She cut her eyes to his rapidly growing erection. “Sarah said there are…other ways to…find pleasure.”
When she turned her head and cut those amazing green orbs toward him, his heart thundered. Damn! She has no idea of how sexy that look is!
“Do you…happen to, um, know what she meant?”
Sarah’s my new best friend. “Did she…give you any specifics?”
“Not really.”
Her fingers dipped a little lower.
“She said I should just let you teach me what to do.”
So he did.
Emma woke before the first rays of sun peaked in her bedroom window, dismayed to find herself alone. She stretched, relishing the slide of cotton sheets over bare skin, remembering how Ty’s fingers did the same thing last night. She was blissfully happy and fully alive for the first time in her life. I am liking this man-woman thing!
Before the thought completed, she jerked up in bed. He would be leaving this morning. For three weeks! Maybe longer. And he didn’t wake her before he left.
She jumped from the bed and grabbed her robe from the chair. Tying the sash, she walked to the window and looked out in time to see Ty strolling across the yard to the barn.
He stopped when he reached the door, paused, and then turned as though he knew she watched.
She waved, and he nodded before entering the barn. She turned and scrambled around for clothes, choosing a simple muslin gown and chemise. In record time, she stood in the kitchen, thankful Lupe was occupied elsewhere, and grabbed a cup of hot coffee and a biscuit from the warming shelf on the oven. A quick gulp and a bite and she headed out the door in time to see Ty, Leo and three other hands standing with their horses near the barn.
She started in their direction, an equal mixture of anticipation and dread slowing her step. What will he think of me this morning? She cursed the heat coursing up her neck, aware it was an outward manifestation of what transpired between them.
A sure sign not be missed by Ty. Or the ranch hands with him.
Stiffening her back, she strode forward. I’m a married woman now with no cause to be ashamed.
When he turned and spotted her coming toward him his slow, sexy smile turned her insides to mush.
With pulse-pounding certainty, it hit her. She was hopelessly in love. The realization made her stumble, and he instinctively grabbed her to him, setting off an explosion of desire.
“If you think I’m letting you go without saying goodbye,” she whispered, one hand resting on his chest, “you’ve got another think coming.” She hoped she did not sound as breathless as she felt being this close to him as memories of last night spun around in her head.
She pulled back a step and met his probing gaze. Her cheeks burned in remembrance and she knew by the look in his eyes, he remembered as well.
“You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you.” He lowered his voice to a soft whisper, “because I knew I couldn’t leave you if I did.”
Ripples of need rolled over her as she met his heated look with one of her own. “It’s going to be a long three weeks.”
“I know.”
Neither spoke, for there was a deeper significance to the visual exchange.
She had a burning desire, an aching need to kiss him. Her voice faded to a hushed whisper as she placed her hands on his face and drew him to her. “I love you, Tyler Roundtree. Hurry back to me.”
And then she kissed him, a lingering, savoring-every-second kind of kiss.
In front of the men.
He tensed, then enveloped her in his embrace, softly, gently, as he responded to her actions while still allowing her to control the kiss.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing against him as she lost herself in the tenderness of the moment.
At last, they parted a few inches. Embarrassed at her wanton behavior, but nonetheless relishing the newfound freedom it brought, she met Ty’s impassioned gaze.
His arms trembled as he brushed a gentle kiss across her forehead, hot breath fanning her cheek as he groused, “You’re killing me, Red.”
She rested her hand on his chest, the rapid thump of his heart matching her own. “Well, I’m new at this stuff myself, but I’m pretty sure it’s mutual.”
At last, sanity returned and she stepped from his embrace, cutting a quick glance toward the ranch hands, surprised to see they had ambled off a short distance, allowing them some privacy.
Ty turned toward Diablo, then back to her. He ran a gloved finger down her cheek. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
Then he mounted and they rode away.
Once they were out of site, reality hit.
He never said he loved me.