Wicked Wyoming Nights (21 page)

Cord shed his pants, but even the surprise of finding herself in the arms of a naked man had no power to restrain Eliza now. It was as though every question, every doubt, every longing had been answered, and nothing could keep her from reaching her goal. Here, in the person of one man, was all she wanted, and she rushed toward her fate with the inevitability of a river to the sea. She was not dismayed to find him suddenly above her, his body between her thighs and something firm and hot pressing into her innermost self. As wave after wave of delicious desire coursed through her, she invited him to become one with her, to enter into a union of body and spirit.

Eliza flinched at the sharp, unexpected pain of Cord’s entry and her body tensed involuntarily, but her runaway need compelled her to draw him deeper inside her. His mumbled apology went unheeded as she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew his lips down to her. The passionate kisses became an exchange of volcanic lava as Cord penetrated deep with her. Eliza sucked in her breath, and let it out in an outpouring of longing. She clung to him, his lips, his body, trying to merge herself with him. The accelerating of Cord’s movement within her served only to make her efforts more determined. Waves of desire flooding over her with increasing speed and power separated her from her earthly surroundings and she felt as though the two of them existed separately from anything else in creation.

Deliberately Cord brought her to a pitch where all her senses were simultaneously screaming for release. Even then he did not heed her pleas, but drove her on to such exquisite agony she thought she would not be able to stand it. She clung to him, inviting, demanding, longing; she pounded on his back, drawing him into her, determined to
make
him satisfy her tormented body. At last, his own raging senses driving him toward the limits of his control, he could withhold himself no longer, and he plunged deep within her. With a moan of sheer ecstacy she rose to meet him and in a mounting frenzy they achieved release from a passion that had reached to the very core of their beings.

Chapter 15

For a long while they lay in each other’s arms without speaking. Eliza was certain there were no words that could express the feeling of awe and wonder that filled her heart. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would find someone as wonderful as Cord. It seemed impossible he was next to her, his warmth spreading over her like an enveloping blanket. The heady wine of love filled her cup to overflowing, and it was all the more sweet for having been despaired of so long.

Cord stirred. Powerful muscles rippled along his limbs as he raised himself to his elbow. His eyes gazed at Eliza and a slow smile of contentment spread across his face.

“Did I please you?” she asked.

“I would have to be the most ungrateful man ever created not to be pleased.” He drew her to him and planted kisses on her eyelids.

Eliza’s heart overflowed with happiness, and she eagerly returned his embrace. It felt so natural to be next to him, his arms holding her tight, his naked body teasing her senses, she could not imagine why she had ever been afraid.

“You’re offering me so much, and I have so little to give in return,” Eliza said, but Cord put his fingers to her lips.

“All I want is you just the way you are. That’s more than I ever hoped to find.”

Tor years I worried I would never find anyone who could make me feel as safe and wanted as you do. I still wake up some mornings and can’t believe you’re real.”

“I’m very real, and I’ll never stop wanting and needing you. I love you, and I’ll never stop as long as I draw breath.”

Eliza’s throat constricted, damming up her words of love, but her tear-filled eyes were all the invitation Cord needed to smother her in his embrace. She welcomed the renewal of his passion and urged him to take her body into blessed captivity.

His big hands cupped her breasts and agile thumbs stroked her throbbing nipples. Abruptly Cord’s lips took over the teasing of one breast, and Eliza’s body arched as a free hand found its way between her thighs, massaging, probing, titillating until she felt fire beginning to spread through her body, engulfing her mind and senses in a haze of desire. Her hands reached out, encountered his chest, and slowly wandered down his body, over the rippling muscles of the flat abdomen pulled suddenly taut, until they reached the undeniable proof of Cord’s desire for her.

Dimly, for the fire kindled by Cord’s lips and hands was gradually dazzling her, she wondered that anything could be so soft and hard at the same time. She wondered how anything so enormous could fit inside her, but realized she was pulling him toward her, that she wanted him to become part of her.

“Please,” she whispered, “now.” Gently Cord eased within her, and with a shudder of relief Eliza relaxed and opened to accept him. Cord plunged ever deeper until Eliza thought she could burst with him. Then, gently he began to work within her, withdrawing slowly, and thrusting deep, then withdrawing once again. All the while his lips and hands caressed her body, finding the places where her sensitivity was the most acute, and tapping them to add fuel to the raging fires that consumed her body. Eliza thrust herself against Cord, demanding and insistent, willing him to proceed more quickly, to end the torture that was driving her out of her mind with ecstasy. But Cord kept the rhythm teasingly slow, just fast enough to spin out the crescendo of need in ever-widening wispy spirals. She began to squirm, her arms trying to draw him nearer, pull him deeper within her, make him move more quickly, but he remained impervious to her wants.

Eliza’s bream came in deep gasps. She heard herself cry out, telling of her need, of the agony she was suffering, and still the maddening rhythm continued. She tried to capture his body with her slim legs, tried to hold him with her lips. Only when her teeth sank into his shoulder did he give her relief.

With the grunt of a savage animal taking what was its own, he threw himself at her, driving, pumping with rapid, powerful strokes, surging deep within her until the fires of passion exploded all around her.

But Cord did not expend his seed, did not cease the torrid pace that quickly picked Eliza up and hurtled her into another spiral of pleasure until it burst around her, causing her whole body to twist and writhe. Still he rode her, driving her to another explosive release.

Eliza felt herself slipping away as wave after way burst over her. Then, through the dimness, she felt Cord’s body tense, and the rhythm slow and become unsteady. Cord’s bream sounded rough and labored. He grew more rigid and the pace slowed even further. Eliza felt him expand within her, become so hot she felt like she housed a volcano. For an instant Cord almost ceased to move, then with a guttural shout that tore from his body in one long moan, he plunged deep within and released himself in a series of driving thrusts. The swift change enveloped Eliza in one final burst of pleasure, and men they both subsided, completely drained of all energy, content to lie still and hold each other close.

Eliza sat listening to Melissa Burton’s graduation speech, but her thoughts were miles away from the seventeen-year-old girl. As the minutes ticked by, events from the summer crowded in on her thoughts until she was no longer aware of the sound of Melissa’s voice.

It had been a glorious three months. She had continued to see Cord, though not very often, and there was no doubt in her mind now that she loved him totally. Their time together was all the more precious because it was so short and stolen with such difficulty. It hadn’t been easy to keep their meetings a secret, but her uncle’s hatred of Cord was as great as ever, and she hadn’t been able to think of anything to reverse it. As of yet, Cord hadn’t put any pressure on her to announce their engagement, but she knew he wouldn’t wait forever and she dreaded the prospect of her uncle publicly rejecting her fiancé. She couldn’t bear the thought of the whole town discussing her private affairs.

In addition—and probably more important in the long run, unless she could reconcile her uncle to Cord—it would mean a permanent split with her uncle and she couldn’t accept that. Every time she even considered the possibility of leaving Ira, she would remember her vow to Aunt Sarah and realize she could not go back on her promise.

Besides, she couldn’t stop singing now that the saloon depended on her, and she knew Ira would be so furious if she married Cord he probably wouldn’t let her in the front door. She couldn’t leave him without someone to take care of him and doom the saloon to failure at the same time. That wouldn’t be merely going back on her vow, it would be stabbing him in the back as well, and Eliza couldn’t bring herself to do that.

She had tried to explain to Cord why it was necessary that they keep their meetings secret until she could somehow talk her uncle into accepting him as her husband, and Cord had accepted her decision, but Eliza doubted he understood or agreed with her. Right now he was so preoccupied with the ranch he let her have her way, but she was sure that come winter, after the fall roundup, he would be less patient with Ira’s persistent dislike.

Meanwhile, Eliza continued to bask in the joy of Cord’s love. It had taken a long time to accustom herself to being loved so wondrously, to be certain at each sunrise his adoration was not a fabrication of the night, but gradually she had become secure in his devotion and had began to go though each day with a feeling of confidence, a sense of serenity, a palpable happiness. She hoped to be able to give him as much as he had given her, but it was hard to give to a man who seemed to be sufficient within himself.

“… and the challenge of the future is one that can only be met by the mastering of our world, and ourselves. These laudable ambitions can only be attained through acquiring the knowledge which will make the world our servant, not our master. In that light I am doubly proud to be the first graduate of Buffalo Normal School, and I wish to express my appreciation to Miss Smallwood for making this possible.*

Melissa led the assemblage in a generous round of applause, which caused Eliza to blush fiercely. This lead to a series of tributes from both of Melissa’s parents, several leading citizens, and even a few students. Eliza was so embarrassed she could hardly lift her eyes from the ground, but Ella Baylis and Susan Haughton happily nodded weir agreement with every word spoken. Cord, arriving late, listened with no visible emotion, but Eliza’s uncle was distrustful of anything that might take her mind off singing at the Sweetwater, and he seemed to grow more unhappy with every word uttered in her praise. Abruptly, she snatched her mind from the random thoughts; Mrs. Burton was calling upon her to take the podium.

Eliza had never been required to stand up in front of such an assembly or to make a speech, and she had no idea what to say. The applause mounted as she rose to her feet and mechanically walked the distance from her chair to the speaker’s stand. The palms of her hands were sweaty and her mouth felt dry. She looked out at all the happy and smiling faces and knew she had to say something, but what? Then she saw Ella’s beaming face and she knew.

“Thank you for your kind words. It
has
been a good year for the school and for the community, and I’m sure next year will be even better.” Applause. “There are a few people other than myself whose work has made this year possible, and I would like to publicly express my appreciation for their contributions. We must thank Mrs. Burton for her chairmanship of the fund-raising campaign. We finally have enough desks and books so that no child has to stand up or share a book.” Polite applause. Then there is Ella Baylis, who, even though she has no children, gained permission from the council to start the school and organized the men to put up the building.” Enthusiastic applause. “But there is another person who, maybe more than any other, is responsible for our garnering here today.” Ella shook her head vigorously, but Eliza wasn’t looking at Ella. Mr. Burton looked around to see if anyone thought Eliza could be talking about him, but everyone was just as mystified as he.

“It was Mr. Stedman’s idea to rebuild the schoolhouse, and when attendance was slow, it was his encouragement that convinced the outlying families to send their children to school.” There was only a smattering of applause, and that rendered out of grudging recognition of a disagreeable truth.

Eliza was stunned; Ella dropped her head. Cord showed no response, but Mr. and Mrs. Burton looked as if they’d rather have been almost anywhere else. Suddenly she felt she had to leave, that she had to get away from all these people and their cold, cruel faces.

“I hope every pupil will be back next year, and that you won’t have forgotten all your lessons in the meantime.” To the accompaniment of polite giggling among the students, Eliza walked quickly to her seat and sat down, her eyes on the ground and a feeling of deep disappointment destroying all her pleasure. Despite the townspeople’s unfeigned acceptance and generous praise, she had never felt more like an outsider than she did now.

Two days later Eliza returned to the schoolhouse to give it a final going-over before closing it up for the winter. She was going to miss it; for the first time in her life she felt she was making an important contribution. It also provided her with a place of her own in the community, one that didn’t depend upon her uncle or singing in the saloon. She was
somebody
, and that somebody was a person she wanted to be.

She was busy fastening one of the heavy wooden shutters when she heard footsteps mount the porch. She was surprised to see Cord watching her from the door when she looked up.