Nicademus: The Wild Ones (25 page)

He looked to Annabelle first before taking it. “Thank you, Ms. Kitty.”

“So I suspect you’ll be leaving now?” Ms. Kitty asked.

Annabelle stepped forward. “No. He gon’ stay here. Here in Nicademus with me. Right, Jeremy?” When she glanced back she saw him looking in the bag of his gold. He didn’t respond. Annabelle’s smile faded. “Right, Jeremy? You gon’ stay here with us?”

He glanced up. “Right. I intend to stay.”

Red Sun and Ms. Kitty exchanged a look of disbelief. But Annabelle felt no reason to doubt him. He had proven time and again that he was a man of his word. She trusted him.

“Jeremiah, a few of the men want to meet this afternoon to discuss things. Can you hang back for a spell?” Cora asked.

“Aaw, I was hoping we could go home. I mean, it’s been hell the past few days. Can’t it wait, Ms. Kitty?”

“’fraid not. He’ll join you soon.”

Jeremiah hugged Annabelle. He kissed her brow. “As soon as it’s over I’ll come to you.”

“Okay. Don’t keep me waiting.”

Jeremiah walked Annabelle out.

“The man’s going to leave,” Red Sun said when they were out of the room. Cora closed her safe and locked it.

“I think so too. It’ll break her heart, poor thang. First Henry now this one.”

“She strong. She’ll get over it,” Red Sun said.

Cora sighed. “I need to go see him, Red Sun. Make sure he okay. He lost his boy in all of this.”

Red Sun nodded. “I understand. Go. I need to get something to eat. Haven’t been fed properly in days.”

Cora smiled and blew him a kiss. She walked out of the saloon and paused. Honey was giving instructions to the girls. They were all working just fine under her leadership. Cora watched her for a spell. Honey smiled when she spoke to others, and encouraged and comforted the children who came running to her looking for their mother. Honey was different. Cora left the saloon and made the short walk to Doc Samuel’s place. He greeted her at the door. “Is he up? Can I see him?” she asked.

“Come in,” the doctor said. He closed the door behind her. “Been meaning to come see you. But the marshal wouldn’t allow any of us out of our homes until the matter was settled.”

“It’s okay. Have you heard the news?” Cora asked.

“I have,” he nodded.

“We owe you a thanks. It was you that gave the medical findings on Tyler Shepherd. Wasn’t it?”

The doctor chuckled. “What was I to say? I gave you the poison to give to him that had his insides boiling?”

She chuckled. “Guess not.”

The doctor waved it off. “It was a good plan, Cora. If any of you had killed him they wouldn’t have spared the town. Now it’s over.”

Cora sighed. “Yes, but at what cost? How is he?” she asked.

“Go in and see for yourself.” The doctor gestured to the room. Cora nodded her thanks. She walked over to the door and pushed it open. She stepped inside. Ben Taylor sat up in the bed with his arm and chest bandaged. His gaze swung from the window to her when she came inside.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” he answered.

“How you?” she asked.

“I’ll live,” he replied.

She came over to the bed. “You hear the news?”

He nodded. “They interviewed me. Wanted to know why we had the outlaw in town. Why we didn’t call for the cavalry. They tell me you did?”

Cora nodded. “I couldn’t tell you my plan. I wasn’t sure it would work, but I couldn’t involve you if it didn’t. I didn’t want anybody hurt.” She reached for his hand. Ben’s eyes lowered to her touch and lifted to her eyes. “Shepherd’s son is a senator, and a powerful man. He saved our town. I had no way of knowing that he would.”

“If you had told me of your plan I would have accepted it, Cora. No man can love you and not want to do everything in his power to protect you,” Ben smiled.

The words were so sweet Cora stammered through her response. “I’m sorry, Ben. About Henry. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, I know it’s not your fault. The man who killed Henry is dead. It’s time for us to move on. For all of us to move on,” he said, but his words were hollow. Ben loved his son. He was a good father. The pain on his face and etched in his heart would take a long time to heal. Cora wiped at her tears with her free hand and held his hand with her other.

“What happens now?” she asked him.

“I got to let you go. Been holding on to nothing, haven’t I?” Ben said.

“I care about you, Ben,” she replied.

“But you don’t love me. Not like you love him. And I want that kind of love in my life again, Cora. My wife is dead. My boy is dead. I can’t go on feeling this pain for nothing. I can’t move on if I don’t let go.”

She leaned over and kissed his brow. Ben closed his eyes. “You are a good man, Ben Taylor. The best man. And you’re wrong, I love you. I will always love you.”

Later –

He walked back to her under the full moon. The townsmen had met and they knew what had to be done. Now it was time to tell her. He loved her, and that love made him bold enough to believe they could live a life on the run. Things were different now. He had his family land back. He had his freedom. And Nicademus was never the town he envisioned for his future. The men talked of rebuilding and all he could think of was what was left undone by his family. The conflict tore at his gut.

When he finally reached her door, part of him hoped she’d be awake. That she’d be up waiting for him. The cabin was dark. Silent. He entered and found only a single lantern lit. It did little to chase away the shadows in every corner. But a soft light did illuminate the space enough to show her lying on the cot where she had healed him. He smiled and remembered the first time he opened his eyes and saw her. The feeling that overcame him when she allowed his touch, and returned his kiss was unmatched by any feeling he’d ever shared with a woman. It was crazy to him to think how divided the world was over superficial things. The color of her skin had nothing to do with who she was, how she made him feel, and why he loved her.

Annabelle slept on her back. Her face turned from him, her arms flung open, with her hand dangling just centimeters from the floor. He took a moment to drink her in. Annabelle’s face was almost angelic in repose. He stepped closer. The front of her gown was unlaced and parted. The top revealed the soft valley between her breasts. Her dark skin and fragrance called to him like a siren. The gown was cut from a thin white material allowing her perky globes and chocolate nipples, supple, ripe, to push up against the fabric and be revealed.

She was beautiful.

No matter what choice there was to make he could not make one that didn’t include her. Jeremiah began to undress. His clothes dropped to his feet. The night belonged to them only. They had earned it.

He gently sat down on the cot beside her. She barely stirred. When he pushed a wayward curl of hair from her face, a sweet small sigh escaped her rosebud lips. Unable to resist another touch, he ran the back of one finger down her shadowed cheek and was rewarded by another soft compliant sigh. Her lips parted. She drew in a breath. He stroked her cheek, gently, barely grazing the skin. There was a soft moan, and then she arched and lifted her chest as she changed position. Once again those amazing breasts of hers were uncovered. He felt the urge remove the fabric covering them and taste her dark berry nipples for himself. He could answer the call. He knew she wouldn’t deny him. There was no rush.

With the pad of one thumb he gently traced the outline of her bottom lip, causing her to draw it in as if he were part of her dreams. Dipping his head he drank in the warm feminine chamomile scent of her fresh scrubbed skin. She sighed, her head rolling to one side, and he brushed her lips with his own––finding them warm and welcoming.

Reluctantly he pulled away, watching her shadowed face as her body responded to a single kiss. He looked for any hint of wakefulness but found none.

He brought his mouth down again upon hers. Her breath as sweet as honeysuckle, he inhaled. The tip of his tongue traced the fullness of her mouth. Even asleep he found her sweet spot and their lips meshed perfectly, inviting him to linger, inviting him to explore further.

In her dream state her movements mimicked his, wanting to participate, trying to hold on longer to whatever fantasy she conjured, but remained beyond his grasp to see. His tongue plunged in and she shuddered, turning the kiss electric. Her lids parted and then fluttered shut once more.

She was with him
.

Her breathing was quickening, her tongue darting, and he too shuddered by the jolt a single kiss to his beauty brought. He growled as the kiss grew more passionate, wanting more, exploring the furthest corners of her mouth––taking her essence. Getting a charge from it, he moved his body over hers and braced his hands on either side of her head.

Annabelle awoke
. He had returned just as he promised. The nightmare was over now that he was in her arms. She drifted beneath his kiss with his hard body pressed to hers. Drifted on a sea of sensation and pleasures, as her blood sizzled in her veins from his exploring hands. Her eyes stretched when his touch became more demanding, ripping at her thin gown, wanting her free of it.

A little tenderness, a little strength, something to remind her he was her man and she was his woman. If he could set her skin afire by the mere touch of his hand, he’d definitely cool the inferno in her center when he finally entered her. And soon she had her wish. Her torn gown tossed aside, along with his britches, his lips lifted from hers as he separated her thighs by the strength in his forearms. Her heart heavy with need, her vagina throbbed to feel him. She looked up at his naked muscled torso bathed half in light, half in shadow. Beautiful. She eased down the cot to be further beneath him and relaxed the muscles in her thighs, opening wider for him.

A sinful smile crossed his lips and those green gem eyes of his sparkled with interest. The dimpled head of his dick, strong, hard, thick, pushed in. Slow and smooth he shot his hips forward, penetrating her deep. Her walls tightened and convulsed over the invasion, but she gripped his ass cheeks tightly and pulled him further in. She ran her tongue down across her lower lip to the delicious feel of him pumping, plunging, and surging forward.
Every bit of moisture in her body headed south.

Jeremiah kept on. His heated mouth moved to her throat. He nuzzled below her ear. He worked his hips in deep, penetrating, circular motions. His hot and smooth manner caused the in and out glide to accelerate nicely. It felt divine.

Thankful for him and their love, Annabelle ran her hands down the strong planes of his back. She absorbed the heat of his skin through her palms, and then cupped his firm buttocks––wanting him to give her more. He groaned in his throat and complied with power driver thrusts. Every muscle in her vagina was accommodating––as it should be.

Then he drew back and she nearly cried out in protest, but the pump action of his dick stilled her breath. He pounded his love and shook the unsteady legs of the cot. She responded hungrily with upward thrusts of her own, and delicious pressure mounted inside of her pelvis, pussy, all of her. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as he continued the onslaught. Sensation spiraled out of control. He dropped his head to one breast and took a nipple inside of his mouth, sucking on it lightly, and triggering what felt like lightning bolts inside of her.

Her hands clung to his body, now slick with sweat. And she locked eyes with him as his face––the parts revealed to her––reddened and his jaw locked with restraint.

“Be mine,” she breathed. “Join me.”

He let go a deep release.

Annabelle’s eyes slipped under her lids as her clit rubbed the wiry hairs at the root of his shaft, and the friction sparked her own release. She came apart and a trillion sensations skyrocketed through her. They held to each other, shuddering through the experience.

What happened to them was more than the love they shared; it was the final sealing of their bond. No matter what, she’d be his until she took her final breath.

**

Annabelle opened her eyes, wrapped up in Jeremiah’s arms. He lay awake. She turned her head and looked to him and smiled. “You can’t sleep?”

“I must tell you something,” he said.

“Okay?”

“I have my family land, my father’s legacy back. It’s legal. It’s mine. But to claim it I have to meet with lawyers, set things right.”

Annabelle closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. She didn’t want to hear his news. She feared what he would say next. But she let him have his say.

“I have to go back to Arkansas. I want you to come with me.”

“How will that work? It’s illegal for my kind and yours to be together, Jeremy,” she said sadly. “And I won’t play maid or whore to you either.”

“We can … we can figure it out, Annie.”

She lifted her head. “Ain’t no figuring it out. Here in Nicademus we free. I go to Arkansas and it’s different. Even I know that. You said you loved me. You said you wanted to go to Wyoming with me.”

“That was different. Now things have changed.”

Her heart felt like it would explode in her chest. “How so? How’s it different? ‘cause you got your land back. You no longer wanted by the law. Is that it? So now you don’t want me?”