Brody (14 page)

She lapped at him more, her soft tongue blazing on his already overheated cock. He knew there would only be a minute or two of the delicious feel of her mouth on him because he refused to come in her mouth. There was no way he could last any longer than that.

When his cock touched the back of her throat, he sat up and she released him. His wet cock slapped against his stomach, howling for more of the angel’s touch.

“Ride me, honey. Now.”

Olivia stared at him, her lips red and moist. Her nipples were hard and her eyes heavy with lust. He’d never seen anything so arousing or beautiful in his life.

She got to her feet and threw back her hair. It was Brody’s turn to look at her naked form. Her body curved in all the right places, soft and loveable. He grabbed her hips and pulled her forward, then planted a kiss on her belly, which tightened beneath his touch. Another time he would return the favor and lick her until she came, but now he needed to be in there. He smelled her musky arousal and slipped his finger into her folds. She was so wet, he shook with the knowledge he would be inside her in moments. God, how he wanted her.

He kissed her belly again and pulled her down until she straddled him. Her heat caressed his skin as she drew closer to his cock. She fumbled to find the right angle to take him in. He took pity on both of them and took hold of his staff. Like a divining rod, it found the opening of her wet core.

As she slid down his length, he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked. She gasped as he bit her and buried himself inside her. He paused, his fingers gripping her hips tightly. She was tight, so tight.

“Oh, God, Brody.” She gasped against his cheek. “Oh, God.”

He knew exactly what she meant. The wet slide of them together was incredible. He pulled her up just a few inches, then down, again, then again. Soon she had the rhythm and took over. He lay back on the bed, watching the amazing sight of Olivia fucking him. She rode him, her breasts swaying, her hair brushing her nipples, her face a study of pleasure unbound.

It was the most erotic moment of his life.

He reached up and tweaked her nipples, earning a gasp from her. Her tight passage squeezed him with each pinch, so he kept doing it. Her pace increased and he found himself pushing up as much as she pushed down.

His balls tightened and he knew he would not last much longer. There was no way he was going to find his own release without her finding one. He focused on her beautiful face and reached for her clit with one hand, while the other continued to pleasure her breast.

He found the nubbin in her swollen folds and squeezed it with his fingers, rubbing them together. Her body jerked and his cock howled with pure joy.

“Do that again.”

Oh, was he in trouble if he found himself falling in love with a woman who ordered him while she fucked him. But he was and he knew it. She was the right woman for him, the only woman for him.

He obeyed his bossy partner and flicked, squeezed and tweaked her. Her pace increased as she neared her peak. He found himself watching her, fascinated by the sight of her unfettered pleasure in making love. She enveloped him, pulled him into a realm of raw ecstasy he’d not known before her.

Brody felt her orgasm hit him with the force of a twister. It wound through him, leaving pulses of passion in its wake. Her body contracted around him, milking him, prolonging their mutual pleasure with each pulse of her own orgasm. He heard himself call her name as he spilled his seed deep inside her. Stars exploded behind his eyes as he reached the ultimate ecstasy with the woman he had found to be his mate.

His woman. His Olivia.

The gray light of dawn peeked through the meager curtain on the small window. Olivia had sat up most of the night with her mind whirling. Brody had been right, they shouldn’t have had sex, but she wouldn’t regret it even though he had planted his seed within her. After being touched by Elena, she’d needed to feel him, not her, on her skin.

She listened to his even breathing beside her. Funny how she’d never been awake when he wasn’t. His face was more relaxed in sleep, even though his dark whiskers cast a somewhat menacing shadow over his angular jaw and cheeks. Brody wasn’t classically handsome but all the pieces fit together well. He clenched that same jaw when he was angry or annoyed and she’d come to recognize the tic in his cheek when he did.

Olivia watched him sleep, wondering if they’d make it out of Mexico alive, or even out of Rodrigo’s tavern. She was glad they’d made love the night before.

Make love. Was that what they’d done? It hadn’t been like the other frantic couplings they’d had previously. No, this had been slower, more deliberate. She wouldn’t admit it out loud to anyone, especially him, but she was in love with the ranger. He was what she needed, wanted, although not what she’d ever expected. If God were kind, she would be able to live the rest of her life with Brody. If He were merciful, that life would include Benjy and the rest of her family.

She heard shuffling outside the door and before she swung her legs off the side of the bed, Brody was on his feet, gun in hand. Her mouth dropped open at the speed of the man. He’d been sound asleep! How did he manage to wake, get out of bed and draw his gun in less than a second?

He met her gaze and mouthed the word “gun.” She nodded and pulled it from the folds of her skirt where she’d had it hidden. To her surprise, he smiled fiercely.

“That’s my girl.” His words were barely a whisper but she heard him anyway.

It made her heart skip a bit.

The key scraped in the lock, loud in the quiet room. When it swung open, Elena stood there. She glanced at their guns, then at their faces.

“Desayuno. ”
With that, she walked away.

“I guess we’re commanded to go eat breakfast.” Olivia got up, wincing at the tenderness throughout her body. The time with Brody had been exceptionally hard on her lower half.

“Make sure he eats first. I don’t want them giving us some desert poison in our
huevos
that puts us in the crapper for a week.” Brody picked up their saddlebags.

Olivia had to work to contain her surprise. Not only had she not expected to hear “crapper” from the taciturn ranger, but it came out almost funny. Either she wasn’t paying attention earlier, or he was changing in front of her eyes.

She shook off her momentary amusement and focused on the situation they were in. At least they were no longer locked in the room. “I’ll make sure I do that. I saw you watch him last night too. I never thought of poison.”

Thank God, he had been thinking of something so sinister. She was a novice at hunting criminals, but she was learning quickly just how far people would go.

They stepped out into the hall and she noted the tavern was deserted. There were no bustling patrons, clinking glasses or guitar music this morning. The burly barkeep was absent as well. She wondered if they all hid during the daylight hours, or perhaps had just gotten to their beds. Either way, she was glad to see there was nobody about. The experience last night had been uncomfortable enough.

At the bottom of the stairs, Elena waited, her hands folded neatly in front of her. Her expression didn’t reflect annoyance, but Olivia saw something flash in her eyes before she turned away, gesturing for them to follow.

She walked to a swinging door behind the tables and went through. Olivia was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the kitchen they entered. Its tidiness, combined with the delicious odors, made it feel almost homey.

She had to remind herself again that this was not a friendly kitchen. It was an enemy’s domain, no matter how appealing or friendly they seemed. Elena pointed to a round table on the left and walked over to the large black stove in the corner.

Rodrigo sat at the table, a mug in front of him. The hat was gone, as was the black clothing. He wore a plain white shirt open at the collar and his dark hair hung in waves to his jaw. Olivia was struck by just how young the outlaw looked; he couldn’t have been more than twenty or twenty-one, the same age as she was.

“Buenos dias, señorita. Tu eres muy guapa esta dia.”
He gave her a lazy grin.

“Buenos dias, señor.”
Olivia glanced at Brody as she sat down. His jaw was clenched and the tic jumping madly in his cheek. She didn’t respond to the compliment and she didn’t think Rodrigo expected her to. Telling her she looked beautiful was almost ridiculous in the current situation.

“Rodrigo.” Brody sat down, dropping the saddlebags beside him on the floor. “Didn’t appreciate being locked in.”

“It is for your safety. People in Forgata don’t like gringos.” Rodrigo sipped at his coffee.

“I had to take a piss and couldn’t.” The ranger was intent on being ornery.

“There was a chamber pot below the bed.” Rodrigo turned back to Olivia. “You like coffee?”

“Yes, please.” Olivia decided to use her manners. Brody flashed her a warning with his eyes. She would heed it. There wasn’t a chance she would put herself at risk for coffee.

Elena came over with two empty tin cups and a coffeepot. She set the cups down and poured, careful to hold the handle with a rag. Her gaze met Rodrigo’s for a second before she poured more coffee into his cup.

“We have no sugar for coffee.” The outlaw sniffed at the brew. “But real men don’t need it, eh?”

Brody didn’t answer. He picked up his own cup and pulled in a gulp.

Olivia drank her coffee, but she was on pins and needles wondering if whatever they were served next would be poison. If it wasn’t for their protection, she might have been annoyed at her lover for putting the idea in her head.

Lover
.

That was a new word just bursting in her head. Brody was her lover now, for better or worse. One day he might be more, but for now she felt good thinking of him as her lover.

“I’ve asked people about Jeb’s death. Did you know him?” Rodrigo directed the question to Brody.

“Yep, I knew him. I took his business and his woman away from him.”

Now they both looked at her again.

“Ah, the pretty
señorita
was Jeb’s
mujer,
eh? Is this true,
chica
?” Rodrigo almost petted the rim of his cup. She watched the slender, olive-toned fingers move—he was quite graceful.

“Yes, I was his before I met Stuart.” She’d almost said Brody. Thankfully her brain stopped her tongue from killing them.

“Did you love him?” Rodrigo’s eyes were at half-mast but they were sharp as knives.

“No, but I liked him. He was easy to know, easy to like. Folks took to him. It’s how he was able to do what he did for so long without anyone knowing.” Olivia stopped and sighed. “I do miss him a little.” It was true, unfortunately; she did miss the charming Jeb she’d known as a neighbor.

“Jeb was lousy at a lot of things.” Brody pressed Rodrigo. “That’s why Jeb got himself killed. He didn’t have a head for business; he was greedy and had crossed people for money. I won’t make the same mistake. I set up the buy before I take a thing. I don’t want merchandise I can’t get rid of.”

Rodrigo regarded Brody for a full minute before he spoke again. “I like your business attitude. You are right, of course. If you take what you cannot keep or sell, then you are an
idiota
.”

Elena set down plates of steaming eggs, tortillas, peppers and onions. The smell was heavenly and Olivia’s stomach growled on cue.

Rodrigo chuckled. “Elena is a good cook. She learn from her mama, who owns her own, ah, tavern in another town.” Rodrigo took a bite of his eggs and spoke with his mouth full. Olivia had all she could do not to admonish him as she would her younger siblings. “This is where we will go today.”

“To see Elena’s mother?” Olivia blurted. Both men sent her an annoyed look. “It’s an honest question.”

“Is the buyer there?” Brody took another gulp of coffee.

“
Sí
. This is where we need to go.” He twirled his fork in a circle before he pointed it at the ranger. “I will take you to meet the buyer, but I tell you this now. If you play me for a fool, gringo, I will make sure you suffer before you die.”

The air crackled with the threat. The small hairs stood up on Olivia’s arm as the two men stared at each other.

“Fair enough. I’ll make you the same promise.” Brody held the other man’s stare until Rodrigo’s smile returned.

“Is good. Is good. Now eat and then
vamanos
.”

They ate an uneasy breakfast, and although the food was good, Olivia could not shake the feeling that something very bad was going to happen. They were taking the word of an outlaw that they would find what they sought—a buyer for children and women. It would be foolhardy to do so, but they didn’t have a choice.

Brody ate what was put in front of him, but he didn’t taste it. The battle lines had been drawn and his plan was now officially in play with Rodrigo. This was his opportunity to find the people he hunted, no matter the consequences to himself. The consequences to Olivia were another matter.

Although she’d assured him her eyes were open and she knew the dangers, he didn’t want anything to happen to her. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Rodrigo would do everything he promised and more. It was Brody’s job to make sure that didn’t happen.