The Wedding of the Century & Other Stories (19 page)

Jesse lifted his head and looked down into her face as his fingers explored her; the desire on her face excited him almost past bearing. He leaned down and teased her other nipple into hot, pulsing life with his tongue, while his fingers searched her soft secret flesh, delving into her heat, until she was panting and writhing with passion.

“Please, Jesse, please,” Amy murmured.

Jesse moved quickly between her legs, lifting her buttocks and probing gently, his shaft instinctively seeking its home. He pushed into her, feeling her tighten at the pain. He wanted to stop, to not hurt her, but he was past that point now. He thrust into her, quick and hard, and she gasped, but now he was deep inside her, gloved by her sweet, tight femininity. Jesse groaned and took a long, slow breath, fighting the desire that threatened to swamp him. He had never felt anything so pleasurable, so good. It was as if he had found his home. His life.

He pulled back and plunged more deeply, sending waves of pleasure through them both. He tried to move slowly, but the pleasure was too intense, the passion too strong. It swept him along, making him move faster and faster. Amy was moving beneath him, panting, her fingers digging into his back. Her desire multiplied his, driving him higher and higher, until finally Amy convulsed
around him, letting out a noise of surprised pleasure. Feeling her passionate release ignited his own, and Jesse cried out, releasing his seed into her and sweeping them both into a dark, mindless whirl of pleasure.

Finally Jesse rolled off her, curling his arm around her and cradling her head on his shoulder. They lay together silently, dazed by the storm of pleasure they had just experienced. Jesse turned his head to look into Amy's eyes. She smiled shyly at him, suddenly a little embarrassed by what she had just done.
Would he think her loose now? Overly bold?
But he had enjoyed it; innocent as she was, Amy could not believe that she was mistaken about his response. Jesse had been in the grip of passion, and surely he would not blame her for feeling the same way. She remembered the words of desire he had spoken, the endearments he had murmured as he kissed and caressed her. Why, he had called her “sweetheart” and “love”! Hope fluttered in her chest.

Jesse smoothed a finger down Amy's cheek. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured. “Even more beautiful than I imagined.”

Amy blushed and had to look away, thrilled by his words. “Thank you.” Her voice was barely audible.

“Thank
you.
” He kissed the top of her head. “You gave me a glimpse into heaven tonight.”

“Jesse! That's blasphemous!” But she had to giggle, warmed by his words. She hesitated, then went on, “Did you really…enjoy it? Was it what you wanted?”

“Couldn't you tell? Of course it was what I wanted. It was everything I have ever dreamed of.”

“I'm glad.” She looked at him with glowing eyes. “I was afraid you might be disappointed with me.”

“Don't be absurd.” He brought her hand up and placed a kiss on the back and then on the palm. “You're every
thing any man could want.” He spoke slowly, punctuating every word with a kiss on one of her fingertips.

He was quiet for a moment, and then he went on in a constrained voice. “What about you? Were you…content? I hope I didn't hurt you.”

She shook her head, her hair brushing across his skin. “No. Only a little. And after the hurt, it was so wonderful.” Amy blushed furiously. “I didn't know what to expect, what I would feel, but I never dreamed it would be like that.”

Jesse smiled and twisted down to kiss her lips. Then he lay back with a sigh of contentment. He gazed up at the ceiling, idly twisting a strand of Amy's hair around his finger. Finally he asked softly, “Why did you—do that this evening? Why did you drop your nightgown and invite me in?”

“Oh. Were you upset with me?”

“For that? Good God, no, why would I be upset with you for giving me what I wanted?”

“I mean, because I so bold. I didn't act much like a lady. But you looked so unhappy—I never meant to make you unhappy.”

“You made love with me because I looked unhappy? Because you felt sorry for me?”

“No. I didn't say I made love with you because you were unhappy. I already wanted to do that. I said I
dropped the gown
tonight because I couldn't bear to go on hurting you. Before then, I really hadn't thought about whether I was causing you pain—you know, with the things I was doing.”

“Things you were doing?” he repeated, realization dawning in his voice. “You mean you did that on purpose?” Jesse sat straight up and gazed down at her in shock. “Un dressing in here with the lamp on? You meant for me to see that every night?”

Amy glanced at him uncertainly. “Yes. And the other things, like sitting too close to you while you studied and wearing rose water all the time.”

“My God.” Jesse rubbed his hands over his face. “I can't believe this. All that time you were
trying
to get me to break down? You
wanted
to seduce me?”

“I'm sorry.” Amy's voice trembled, and she bit her underlip. “Oh, please, Jesse, don't be mad. I didn't realize that it would upset you so. I just wanted you to love me, and I didn't want you to think I was too bold. Mama and Corinne told me how men like to pursue a woman. I saw how you looked that time after we kissed, and you were so disgusted with me. When you said that it would never happen again, I didn't want you to think I was loose and terrible. So I figured if I made all those things seem innocent, then maybe you wouldn't be repulsed.”

“Repulsed!” He shoved his hands back into his hair. “I must be going mad. I was not repulsed by you. I never have been—I don't think I could be. I didn't sleep with you because I had promised you I wouldn't! I couldn't break my vow! And how could I try to seduce you, knowing that you loved another man?”

Amy frowned, looking puzzled. “Ano— Oh! You mean Charles Whitaker?”

“Yes. Charles Whitaker,” he agreed grimly. “Unless there's someone else that you love lurking around.”

“Only you,” Amy replied simply. “I never loved Charles. I was infatuated with him for a time, but I never really loved him.”

But Jesse seemed to have heard only the first part of her statement. “Only me?” he repeated in a dazed voice. “Are you saying that you love me?”

“Of course! That's what I've been talking about. That's why I was trying to trick you into desiring me. The night we kissed, I realized that I loved you. I thought if I could
make you want me, then maybe that desire would grow into love. I wanted you to love me. I wanted to be truly your wife. I wanted to have you kiss me again and touch me and—make love to me.”

Jesse groaned comically and flopped back onto the bed. He began to laugh, and Amy stared at him. “Oh, Amy, Amy…what a pair of fools we are! You didn't have to seduce me into loving you. I already loved you! Why do you think I offered to marry you? Why do you think I never slept with any of the whores in town? I went there with the other hands, but when I got into a room with the girl, I looked at her and knew I couldn't—because she wasn't you. You were the only one I wanted. I've loved you for years, almost from the first moment I saw you.”

“Me?” Amy asked in disbelief. “You love me?”

“Yes!” He rolled onto his side, bracing his head on his bent arm. “Yes, I love you.” He leaned over and began to kiss her lightly all over her face and neck, saying, “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Amy laughed out loud and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Jesse, how can we have been so foolish?” She smiled brilliantly up at him.

Jesse bent to kiss her again, but he stopped abruptly. Amy frowned up at him, puzzled. “What is it? What's the matter?”

“I don't know. I thought—I thought I heard something.” He turned his head, listening. Suddenly his body went taut. “The horses! I did hear something.”

He got up and went over to the window, pulling aside the curtain and peering out into the night. “I don't see anything….”

With an uneasy expression he turned back to her. “I better check.”

“What is it?” Amy sat up, clutching the sheet to her naked bosom, his sudden odd mood infecting her, too.

“I'm not sure.” Jesse quickly pulled on his trousers and shoved his feet into his boots. He grabbed his shirt from the floor, where he had dropped it earlier, and headed for the door.

Alarmed, Amy got out of bed and began to put on her clothes, too. She heard Jesse open the door, and then she heard a loud, abrupt oath from him, and he exclaimed, “The barn's on fire.”

“On fire!” Amy ran to the window, and now she could see what Jesse had not been able to earlier: flames were licking up from the back of the barn, eerie and orange against the night sky.

She saw Jesse run across the yard toward the barn. She knew he would first run to save his horses. But then he would return to fight the fire, she knew, and her mind busily spun ahead to what she should do to help him.

Quickly she thrust her feet into her shoes, not bothering to tie them, and ran from the room. She finished buttoning her dress as best she could as she hurried into the kitchen and began pulling out her largest tubs and pots, as well as the pails in which she carried water and feed for the chickens. She carried them out to the pump outside.

The horses thundered out of the barn past her, terrified by the fire. She knew Jesse had released the horses from their stalls and he would be here in a moment to grab the pots of water. She pumped as hard as she could, filling up the two pails and then starting on the largest tub.

She realized that Jesse should have gotten one of the pails by now, and fear clutched at her heart. She straightened and looked toward the barn. There was no sign of Jesse. Her fear deepened. She picked up the pails and began to walk to the barn, expecting at any moment to see him come running toward her to take the pails.

He did not.

Amy's heart began to thunder in her chest, and she set down the pails and ran to the barn. Just as she reached the barn door, a figure came out of the darkened corral, stretching out an arm toward her. Amy shrieked and jumped, startled.

“Shh… Don't be afraid. It's me.”

Amy stared through the darkness at the man, only a few feet away from her. “Charles?” she asked in astonishment. “What in the world are you doing here?” Then she shook her head; there was no time for explanations. “Come on and help me. Jesse's still in the barn.”

She started forward again, and he grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt and turning her around. “No, don't!”

“What? Let go of me.” She twisted, but he clung to her tightly.

“Don't go in there! You'll ruin everything. Besides, you can't save him. He's out cold.”

“Out cold! Why? What do you mean?” Amy went icy inside, too scared to move.

“I hit him. I had to. He discovered me.”

Amy glanced toward the barn, now blazing brightly. She could feel the heat from its flames. “You mean you set this? And then you hit Jesse and left him to die in there?”

He nodded. “I had to. I told him I'd get back at him. No one can get away with treating Charles Whitaker like that.”

“Let go of me!” Amy began to struggle wildly, released from her momentary paralysis.

“No, wait!” He grabbed her with both hands, holding on tightly even though she kicked and swung and twisted, fighting to get away from him. “Don't! Think— Once he's gone, you won't have a cowhand for a husband. You and I can be married. You wouldn't have turned me down if
you'd known that you'd have to marry your father's horse trainer instead. You deserve better than that. Leave him alone, and we—”

“Are you insane!” Amy brought her heel down hard on his instep and twisted away with all the strength she possessed, driven by fear. At last she was able to tear free from him. She ran straight into the burning barn, screaming, “Jesse! Jesse!”

“Amy, no!” Whitaker came after her, trying to pull her back.

Amy grabbed the closest thing she could find, a shovel that was leaning against the barn wall, and she whirled around, slamming it into Whitaker. She connected solidly with his head and shoulders, and he crumpled to the floor. Amy dropped the shovel and ran deeper into the barn, calling Jesse's name.

Smoke roiled through the barn, blinding her and making her cough. The heat was intense. High above her head, flames licked at the rafters of the barn. But Amy thought of none of it, only of Jesse and the fact that she could not let him die. She screamed his name over and over as she made her way toward the back of the barn, peering through the smoke.

Her foot hit something soft, and there was a groan. “Jesse!”

She sank down on her knees beside him, coughing from the smoke, and shook his arm. “Jesse! Jesse, wake up! We have to get out of here.”

He stirred and mumbled, coughing, but he didn't open his eyes. Grimly Amy shoved her arms under his shoulders and locked them across his chest. She pulled and tugged frantically, but she could budge him only inches. Tears streamed down her face, and she repeated his name over and over, begging him to wake up, to help her. She pulled, straining every muscle, digging in her heels, and
slowly she moved his body. Inch by precious inch they moved across the floor, and all the while the flames licked over the rafters, sending down sparks and waves of heat.

Finally Jesse groaned, and his eyes fluttered open.

“Jesse!” Amy exclaimed in relief and collapsed beside him. “Get up! Help me! Come on.”

His eyes rolled, and for an awful instant she thought he had lost consciousness again, but then he groaned and rolled over, coughing, and began to try to rise. Jesse made it up to his hands and knees, and Amy put her shoulder under his arm, lifting with all her strength.