KeepingFaithCole (18 page)

Their
bodies melded together as their lips met. With slow, seductive movements, Tom
slid her dress off her shoulders, pushing it downward to expose her heavy,
swollen breasts. His probing fingers sent flames of desire shooting through
her. When he deepened the kiss, the flames turned to a raging fire.

She had
imagined this moment many times, but never had she dreamed the feelings would
be so intense. Her head spun, her body quivered, and her legs seemed to melt
beneath her. She could not resist him, even if she wanted to.

“I want
this, Tom. I’m not asking you to make any promises, just give me this one
night.”

Together,
their bodies sank down to the softness of the thick feather mattress. Tom
stretched his long legs out, then pulled Lucille down on top of him so that she
was straddling his hips. His hands continued to explore her breasts. He cupped
them, squeezed them, then rubbed the nipples between a finger and thumb.

Lucille
gasped as a tingle surged from her breasts, down through her belly, to end in a
pool of liquid fire between her legs.

“Beautiful
breasts,” he said grinning up at her, desire rampant in his gaze. “You’re
beautiful, Lu, and I want to see you. All of you.”

He
reached up and pulled the pins from her hair. She shook her head, letting her
long tresses spill against his chest.

“This
isn’t fair,” she rasped. “You’re looking at me. I want to see you, too.”

She let
instinct take over. Still straddling his narrow hips, she set to work
undressing him. He kept staring at her breasts, and she bent forward, grazing
his lips as she unfastened the buttons of his shirt. Although inexperienced,
she recognized the obvious desire in his eyes. Her fingers trembled. His hands
reached down to tug the shirt tails from his denims. As she worked at the
buttons, he fumbled with the fly of his pants. He shrugged the shirt from his
shoulders, groaning as Lucille ran her hands over his bare chest. He got to his
feet, slowly removed his trousers and
underdrawers
.
Freed from its confines, his erection jutted out, thick, long, and hard.

Boldly,
she reached up and clasped one hand around him.

“You’re
making me crazy, Lu.”

“I like
it when you call me that. And I like touching you.”

Tom
reached down and moved her hand. “Not yet,” he said, pulling her up to stand
beside him. “You’ve got too many clothes on. We have to do something about
that.”

She gazed
into his eyes. “Will you help me?”

Slowly,
he undressed her, letting the gown fall in a heap around her feet. She stood
before him, naked from the waist up with only her drawstring panties left to
cover any modesty that might remain. He reached out, grabbed the string, then
looked up into her eyes.

“This
is it,” he whispered, pausing. “Once I pull this string, there’s no going
back.”

“I
know.” She exulted in the heat rippling through her body. She placed her hands
on
his
, then pushed them away. She would do it
herself. She pulled the drawstring, and pushed the drawers down a few inches
over her hips.

* * *
*

Tom
buried his face in the silken softness of Lucille’s hair, breathing in the
floral fragrance he’d come to know and love. He ached to be inside of her, but
he would not rush. He sucked in his cheeks, biting down to distract himself.

Go slow. Go slow
.

He
needed to be sure, very sure that Lucille wanted this as much as he did. He
hoped like hell she did.

He’d
been with a lot of girls, but this felt different. This wasn’t a quick roll in
the hay or a fast lay with a sultry saloon girl. He’d taken girls like that
because they were easy, a convenient opportunity to get off and feel good.

This
was lovemaking as it was meant to be.

He
wondered if she knew how hot she made him. Earlier, with her straddling his
erection and his hands on her breasts, he’d felt like he would explode. He’d
felt like a randy kid again, hot, horny and no sense at all.

She
snuggled against his chest.

“Come
sit with me,” he whispered, sinking down onto the feather mattress. He turned
her back to him, then guided her to sit in front of him. “Just relax and
enjoy.”

She
sighed and leaned back against him.

Gratefully,
he felt his erection soften slightly as he massaged and stroked her neck, her
shoulders and her back. He knew it would take only a single kiss to once more
set him on fire. He wanted to linger over her, to take his time and fully savor
every moment.

His
hands moved downward, reaching around to rub her knees and her calves, then
moving up to her breasts again. His fingers gently squeezed and stroked both
nipples, drawing them to pebble hardness. She moaned softly as his hand trailed
a path over her abdomen then came to rest on her thigh. He paused, giving her
time to grow accustomed to this more intimate touch. Inch by inch, he then
moved his hands inward, slowly stretching his fingers to caress her mound. His
heartbeat quickened as he touched the sweet nectar of her inner folds.

He
stroked gently, his fingers sliding over the slickness between her legs.

“You’re
so wet, sweetheart. Wet and hot,” he whispered in her ear. He began a sensual
massage, his fingers moving in slow, steady circles.

She
placed a hand on top of his, gently pushing his fingers deeper inside. He
obliged, and her knees parted. Opening herself up to him, she leaned her head
back, breathing heavily as he plunged first one, then two long fingers into
her, stroking slowly at first, then faster as she began to rock against him.

He
nuzzled against her neck, his tongue teasing an earlobe as he continued
pleasuring her, bringing her closer to her peak.

* * *
*

She
wanted to tell him how incredible he made her feel, but no words could have
described the sensations. Besides, she’d never be able to find her voice. It
was lost. Her mind itself was lost. Her whole being swirled in a cloud of
delight unlike anything she’d ever known. She felt as if she were floating in a
sea of sweet, wet warmth.

Wave
after wave of ecstasy rippled through her as he stroked her.

“I want
to feel you…inside me.” She wriggled away and turned to face him. Her entire
body tingled with desire. “Please, make love to me now.”

“You’re
so beautiful,” he told her, touching her breasts. She felt her own wetness on
his fingertips as he massaged her nipples, then gasped with surprised delight
when he bent forward and licked.

He
pulled her close and kissed her.

“Please,”
she whispered again.

They
rolled to the floor, the feather mattress soft and inviting. Tom moved over
her, and she settled into position beneath him, holding her breath in wonder.
His hardness pressed against her, but he didn’t move.

“I know
it’s going to hurt…a little.” She looked up at him. “Maybe a lot,” she
admitted, thinking again of the size of him. “It’s all right. I know the hurt
will go away.” Looking up into his eyes, she watched the emotions flickering in
the candlelight. He bent to her and claimed her mouth with a hungry kiss. She
opened her lips to his probing tongue, gasping as it dipped and delved.

She
could wait no longer. Sliding her hand between their bodies, she grasped his
huge shaft. She squeezed, she stroked. A low groan rumbled from his throat.

“I want
you, Tom.” Shifting her hips, she guided him to her entrance. “Now,” she cried
out, pressing her hands against his buttocks to draw him in. She stiffened at
the sharp jab of pain. Tears stung her eyes, and for a moment she wished she’d
never met this rowdy cowboy who made her dream of wicked pleasures and sinful
delights, but then she took a deep breath, spread her legs a little wider, and
almost as quickly as the pain had come, it went away again. In its place was a
pleasure so deep, so thrilling, so exquisite, Lucille feared she might die from
it.

“Damn,
but you feel good, Lu,” he croaked. “You’re so tight.”

Heat
raced through her body. Her head was spinning, her body floating wildly, and
she loved the feel of him thrusting inside her. She pulled him closer, closer
still, pressing her hands against his back, taking him deeper and deeper. As
she rose up to meet each thrust, he panted with pleasure.

“It’s
too good. I can’t wait much longer,” he warned.

Thrilled
to know she pleased him, she arched her back and bucked upward. Waves of
ecstasy built inside of her, flowing around her and through her, leaving her
helpless and shaken as her voice cried out in pleasure.

“Oh,
Tom…” Her voice was a breathless whimper. Wanting to ride out every last second
of this indescribable pleasure, she fastened her legs around him, taking him as
deep inside her as possible.

Suddenly
a flood of heat shot into her. Tom groaned and tried to pull away, then sank
deep into her again as his hot seed spurted out. Lucille came to her senses at
once, gasping as she realized what had just happened and the possible
consequences she now faced.

“Tom,
get off me!” Frantic, she pushed him away. “I told you…not to…”

“I’m
sorry, honey. You had your legs wrapped around me. I tried to pull out, but I…”

“Oh,
no. This is not my fault,” she said, indignant that he would blame her. “You
lost control, and I don’t want to hear about how sorry you are. That’s not
going to help if…” She burst into tears. Nothing either of them said mattered
now. What was done couldn’t be undone.

But if
she took immediate actions, perhaps she could yet prevent any unwanted
consequences.

“We’ve
got to get dressed.” She leaped up and began gathering her clothes. “You’ll
need to take me home immediately,” she added. “I’ll fix a hot bath, and maybe
if I wash myself…” The thought of touching herself
there
made her blush. Memories of Tom’s touch, of their love-making
heated her face.

“I’ve
heard that a woman can use vinegar,” he offered. He seemed as embarrassed as
she was. He should be. This was his fault.

No, it
was
her
fault. She’d seduced him.
She’d got what she wanted…and maybe a whole lot more.

Wordlessly,
they redressed. Quickly Lucille pinned her hair up in a haphazard attempt at
decency, grabbed her cloak, and locked the shop behind them. Early tomorrow,
she’d have to come into town and clean the place up. There wasn’t time tonight.

As they
neared the social hall, Lucille caught sight of Charlotte coming toward them.
She stepped away from Tom, putting a respectable distance between herself and
the cowboy, but the fact that they were strolling together told the tale.
Especially with loose strands of her long hair blowing freely in the wind.

“Where
you been, Tommy?” Charlotte directed her question to her son, but her gaze
immediately flickered to the girl at his side. Stepping back, she delivered a
once-over
worthy of a queen. Her
sweeping glance took in Lucille’s appearance, judging in an instant that, in
some way, she didn’t measure up to expectations.

“We
went for a walk,” Lucille said, while Tom remained silent. “I had a bit of a
headache. I thought the night air might cure it.”

“Did
it?” Charlotte wasn’t buying her story, Lucille could tell.

“Actually,
no, not at all. That’s why I’ve asked Tom to drive me home. Now,” she said
firmly, turning her attention back to the tall man standing beside her. Surely
he understood the urgency.

“I’ll
be back later, Ma.”

“Don’t
know why you bother with her, son. She’s not worth it.”

Lucille
heard the woman’s remarks, and for a moment, she nearly turned back, but she
didn’t have time to let herself be goaded by the woman’s catty remarks. Every
moment mattered.

“Let’s
go,” she said, hurrying toward the livery.

* * *
*

When
they reached her home, Lucille didn’t wait for Tom to help her down. “Don’t
bother.” She waved him away and climbed down from the wagon. “And don’t even
think about a good-night kiss. There’s isn’t time for that.” Wrapping her cloak
around her trembling shoulders, she ran toward the front door.

Lamplight
burned from inside the house. Lucille let herself in as quietly as possible and
hurried to draw a bath. Every second that ticked by increased the odds of the
night turning to disaster.

After
what seemed forever, she threw off her clothes and slipped into the welcome
relief of a hot bath, scrunching down into the deep tub so that the water
covered nearly every inch of her body from her toes up to the neck. She washed,
she scrubbed, she silently cursed, and all the while, she cried.

When a
knock sounded at the door, she shrieked.