Authors: Leigh Curtis
Lily swallowed hard. At that moment, she was keenly aware of several things at once. She could feel his hot breaths against her face, his large, lean body pressed against hers chest to toe, and his thick erection trapped between their bellies.
“
I want you to fuck me, Mr. MacReynolds. Please.”
In the next instant, he gave her one of the most touching gifts she could ever have asked for when the hard grim line of his mouth became a large, lazy smile.
“
I’m happy to oblige you, Miz Barnett.”
And oblige her he did. Three times over.
Hard and fast.
Soft and slow.
The last time, with every touch as measured and deliberate as if they were to be lovers the rest of their lives.
*****
As Wade rode away from Lily’s, only one thought ran through his mind. How in God’s name was he going to keep his head straight around her? Within the first few minutes of meeting her, he was panting after her skirts like a hound sniffing out a prairie dog. It was damned embarrassing. Not a single day of his life had he ever surrendered himself to the wiles of a woman.
Of course, he had to admit, Lily Barnett wasn’t just any woman. She was a hard‐hearted vixen who used her womanly attributes to milk every last dollar out of the men around her. Why, he’d even heard of a fellow who’d sold the gold fillings out of his teeth for a week of Lily’s delights.
And yet, the memory of her softness, her enticing scent, and her moans of pleasure struck a chord deep in his soul. Somehow a real woman’s heart beat within her. He was sure of it. True, it was buried beneath the layers of cynicism and anger, but it was there.
Riding through the early morning mist, Wade had an idea. Maybe it was possible to get through those hard layers and bring the real Lily out. Surely, if anyone could accomplish it, it was him. He knew all about leaving the past behind and starting a better life.
Of course, he had to admit, wooing Lily was definitely going to be a challenge. But, she was now like an itch under his skin that no amount of scratching could cure. So, what if he decided to return the favor?
Smiling, Wade spurred his horse forward. Thinking of ways to entice Lily would keep his mind occupied while he did his chores the long day ahead.
Yep. He definitely had some planning to do.
*****
When Lily awoke, she realized right away that she was alone and the bed beside her had long gone cold. Squinting in the early morning light she pulled the covers up to her chin. A gentle tapping sounded at her door.
“
Cherie
? Are you awake?” Marie asked from the other side.
“
Yes. I’m up.” Lily hoped the disappointment she felt didn’t color her tone.
“
Ah, my sweet. Your cowboy has gone,
non
?” she said, pushing the door open. She carried a tray with a steaming teapot, two cups, and a plate of biscuits.
“
Yes, he’s gone. Long gone, likely.”
“
I highly doubt that, sweet. “ She set the tray on the bedside table and started pouring them tea. The smell of rosehips and strong amaretto liqueur filled the room.
“
Ah, Marie, you are a comfort to my soul.” Lily gingerly took a cup and held it close to her face. The steaming liquid cleared the cobwebs from her thoughts and quelled a headache that was building behind her eyes.
“
Then I am happy. Oh, your cowboy left you this.” She pulled a tanned leather pouch from her pocket.
Lily took the package from her. Wrapped inside a leather pouch was a brown parchment. Carefully unrolling it, she read it and held back a giggle.
“
He agreed to my terms!” She couldn’t help but smile big. The big galoot really had taken her serious.
“
Tres bon
!” Marie clapped her hands. “This is indeed happy news.”
“
It is.” Lily breathed deep. For, inside the pouch was one other thing. A small piece of paper with words scratched upon it.
One week, paid in full. See you in seven days.
The End
Howdy!
I hope you had a great time reading about Wade and Lily! They sure were a lot of fun for me.
If you enjoyed this book, please let your fellow readers know by rating and/or reviewing at your favorite bookseller’s website or your favorite book community.
Thanks for reading!
Leigh
Excerpt from Leigh’s next book:
BACK IN THE SADDLE
Chapter One
Avery, Texas, 1881
“
What do you say, cowboy? Are you ready for another wild ride?”
He should have seen it coming.
Wade MacReynolds stood knee-deep in mud, sweating hard under the hot Texas afternoon sun, cursing his ill-fated luck. On the hillside above him, Lily Barnett, the infamous madam of Lily’s Pleasure Ranch, sat perched on her buckboard, staring down at him.
He hadn’t intended for his afternoon’s work to turn into a bawdy show, even if his only audience was the lovely Miz Barnett. Worse yet, she wore a low-cut, brazenly azure lace bodice that pushed up her ample breasts when she leaned forward. To add an even finer edge to his torture, she wore a slender, white linen skirt that hugged her shapely body down to her pert little ankles and half boots.
It was all he could do to keep from throwing down his shovel, climbing that hill, and teaching her a lesson. He could just imagine her fine lace blouse torn in half, her skirt pushed up, and her shapely legs wrapped around his waist, while he stoked the sexual blaze that had built between them since their night together.
Swearing, he plunged his shovel into the dirt hard, doing his best to forget her piercing blue gaze and the vision of the riotous red curls framing her petite face.
The memories of their tryst six days earlier flooded his mind. On that day, Wade had signed a contract with Lily, which stated she would grant him water rights on her property for his cattle, for a week at a time, and that she continue to do so only if he pleased her sexually prior to each renewal. He would trade one night of passion each week so his cattle stayed alive. He’d made a deal with the devil. Well, if the devil was the damned sexiest woman that ever breathed.
Of all the darn right, dirty tricks, this one had to be the worst. Sweat trickled down the side of his face, following the same path her kisses had that night. He tingled every place she’d touched him, which was pretty much everywhere. He got a fist-sized knot in his gut every time she entered his thoughts, which lately was pretty damn often. Worse than all that, he’d practically turned into a walking erection.
A man with a strong will, Wade would probably have been able to douse the fire of his unnatural lusts, but every day since, she’d ridden out in her buggy, parasol in hand, to watch him dig trenches onto his property. Now she sat like a cat full of cream, gazing down at him while he worked. It was enough to drive a sane man crazy.
Right that very moment, he had a hard-on so thick it threatened to burst out of his denims any second.
Finally, when he could stand it no more, he threw down his shovel. “You getting a real good show?”
A slow smile spread across her face. “I’m on my property.”
“
Yes, you are. Enjoying yourself?”
“
Completely.”
Unable to hold back his ire, he turned around and, damning the blistering Texas sun, walked to his buckboard and pulled out his shirt.
“
Unfair,” she said from above him. “Besides, you’ll suffocate out here in the heat.”
“
Better that than to die of shame,” he called back.
“
Shame? What have you got to be ashamed of? You’re a mighty fine looking man, Mr. MacReynolds.”
“
I should have found another way to get the water. This ain’t right, what we’re doing.”
“
Nonsense. We’re both getting what we want, aren’t we? And nobody’s getting hurt, right?”
“
Lady, you’ve got one hard heart inside of your chest. You know that?”
She stiffened. “Maybe it’s hard because of all the men that’s trampled over it.”
“
I ain’t them.”
She smiled again. “No, you most certainly aren’t. So, what do you say, cowboy? Want to go again? Another night with me for another week of water for your herd?”
It was all Lily could do to keep from licking her lips. The man was absolutely incredible. She knew it was wrong, but she’d come out each day to watch his progress with digging the trenches. Wade was tall and lean, and every inch of sinewy muscles moving as smooth as silk sheets across a plump mattress. It made her weak just to watch him.
And when he stopped to take a long drink of water, the sight of his strong jaw and neck working as he swallowed from his canteen damn near made her heart stop. No doubt about it. Wade MacReynolds was a vision in tanned skin and denim.
She knew it was a gamble to come out like this, but after their first night together, she just had to see him. Of course, she’d carefully picked her wardrobe to excite and entice him with each visit. She knew she might risk his ire, but she couldn’t help herself. The expression of pure animal lust that touched his face whenever he looked up at her was worth it. She’d gone home each night and relived their night of sexual delights in her dreams.
For the first time in a very long time, a man had gotten under her sheets, and into her heart.
The question was, did he feel the same?
Wade’s expression was unreadable as he stood before her, all sexy and sweating, and very nearly driving her mad. She held her breath, waiting for his answer.
In the next second, she swore she could hear a deep, rumbling growl come from him.
“
I’ll see you at dusk.”
* * * * *
Wade paced Lily’s parlor for at least half an hour. “What in blazes is taking her so long?”
Marie, the demure, silver haired former madam who was Lily’s best friend smiled up at him. “The longer you wait, the sweeter the prize.”
“
I’m a busy man. I’ve got a score of things to do. If she wasn’t gonna be able to do this tonight, then she should have said something.”
“
I believe our girl has a very special evening planned for you,
monsieur
. Be patient.”
With that, she left the room. Wade ground his jaw and resumed his pacing. He would have left right then, except for the memory of their one night together. The thought of Lily beneath him, Lily on top of him, and Lily generally any damn way he wanted her, kept him trapped in her parlor. It was plain crazy! For her alone, he’d bathed in her damn scented bath, shaved his face half raw, and plaited his hair like some weak-kneed dandy. The next thing he knew, he’d be licking her boots and kissing her ass right proper.
Wade cursed again. Thinking of kissing Lily’s ass only made his erection thicker.
What did he expect? He was only a man, after all. If his cock had any say about it, then he wouldn’t have left her bed. Ever. Good thing Ol’ One-eye didn’t always get what he wanted.
Ten more agonizing minutes went by and, just as he was about ready to walk out for good, the door opened behind him. Her manservant appeared and motioned for him to follow.
“
Miz Lily will see you now.”
* * * * *
Taking a deep breath, Lily leaned back on her chaise lounge and spread her arms wide over her head and into the two loose, silk scarves fastened to each side. She’d thought long and hard about what she’d do on her second night with the cowboy. Since he’d refused to be tied and had the notion that taking a whip to his hide was all she’d wanted to do, she decided to teach him a few new lessons in lovemaking.
Not that Lily hadn’t played those games. She had. But it was only for the benefit of her customers and never once had any of the men she’d been with ever thought about she wanted. Nope, it was
tie me like this
, or
slap me there
, or any number of twisted, bizarre requests she’d received. Now, however, the tables had turned. Quite simply, she was the customer, and she got to choose.
Stretching out, she scooted her bottom down until she could slip her feet into the loops of cloth at the foot of the lounge. Satisfaction at her control over the situation gave her a heady thrill. Never before had she dared anything like this. Excitement set her desire ablaze, and her body burned hotter than a barn fire on a West Texas summer night.
Lily heard the sound of a man’s footsteps coming down the hall. She tensed when she glanced at the door and saw the crystal knob slowly turn.
Oh, yeah, she thought. She was going to enjoy herself, and she was going to teach Wade MacReynolds a thing or three about pleasing a woman.
With his gut tied in a knot the size of a corn-fed steer, Wade turned the knob and pushed open the door to Lily’s lavender room. What he saw shocked him from his head to his toes and sent Ol’ One-eye into a near frenzy.