Harris Channing (27 page)

He ceased
his seduction and let out a laugh that seemed to come from his toes. "What
on earth are you wearing?"

Scooting
back, she pulled the blanket across her naked breasts and stared down at her
britches. Ugly as they were, she was proud of them. They kept her warm and
added another layer of protection against the weather's wicked tongue. "My
quilted britches," she announced. "I told you I was making myself a
pair and if you don't mind, I may just wear them without a skirt next
time."

He
offered an impish grin, one completely charming and beguiling. Curling his
fingers, he gathered the cuffs of each pant leg in a firm grip and laughed
again. This time it was a deep, wicked laugh that had her feigning worry.

"They're
the most wonderful thing I own!"

"Is
that a fact?" He tugged hard and pulled the pants off, nearly yanking her
from the bed. He held them up and again he laughed. "Dear Bobbie, you
belong is silk and satin…not this!" Tossing them aside, he crawled atop
her, and secured her in place with his body. "But I'd want you no matter
what."

Her
joviality flared and reaching up, she began to unfasten the buttons of his
shirt. "Well, Mr. Henderson, you are hardly one to speak of fashion. Why
this shirt wouldn't even be welcome at the Olsen's barn raising." She
pushed it off his shoulders, her fingers gliding past the mat of dark hair the
sprinkled his toned chest.

"That
happens to be one of my favorite shirts," he grumbled. "I wore it
when I found my first nugget of silver."

"And
your belt." She clucked her tongue. "It's old and cracked and in need
of either some rigorous oiling or the trash bin." She unbuckled the brass
buckle and slid the leather from his trousers loops.

"I
will not argue that point," he said. "Nor any other recommendation
you have at my improvement." His eyes had grown serious and his expression
alive with his emotion. "You have saved me, Roberta. Not only from the
shadows of despair, but from the guilt of my past deeds. You have made my life
something to cherish."

She
dropped the belt and reached from him. "As you have for me, my sweet,
sweet man."

He fell
into her embrace and the passion of his kiss had her forgetting everything
except him. "Now, make love to me," she mumbled against his lips.
"For that will only improve us both."

***

Damnation,
what was the matter with him? He had taken her just this morning and now he was
like a virgin on her wedding night. Nervous and unsure. Maybe it was because he
had told her the truth about his feelings. Or maybe it was because it wasn't
simply fulfilling a need, but a joining of more than just their bodies.

He
pressed his lips hard against hers and his uncertainty lessened. Kissing her
felt right, natural. And the way she responded to him, the soft moan and
fingers that clasped him to her, eased his troubled thoughts. She gave herself
to him fully, her yearning every bit as strong as his.

He parted
her legs and nestled his hips between them. With a coquettish smile, she curled
her back, tilting her pelvis upward. When her sex pressed against him, his cock
pulsed, the head throbbing painfully. Oh, how he wanted push into her and feel
the release that he knew would follow. But he tempered his own need, understanding
that her satisfaction was just as important as his. For didn't he want to
ensure that his lovemaking ruined her for all others? To make certain that when
he slid his wedding band on her finger, she'd never be tempted to find solace
in the arms of another.

His need
to possess her flared to life and he pressed his tongue between her teeth. The
sweet taste of her mouth and gentle nudges from her tongue had him grinding
against her. Her chilled fingers raked up and down his back, massaging the
sinews and sending waves of longing pounding through him.

Gasping
for breath he pulled away. "Never leave me, Bobbie."

"I
won't," she said, her voice catching.

Perspiration
gathered on his forehead as he stared down at her. Her full lips parted as she
dragged in short gasps of air and her large gray eyes sparkled beneath hooded
lids. She said nothing, but he could read her expression like lines from his
favorite book. She wanted him, loved him and the remnants of his icy past
melted away.

Freeing
his cock from his trousers he angled it slowly toward her entrance. With his
gaze never wavering from her face, he watched her as he slid himself into her
taut sheath.

At her
sharp intake of breath and the small smile that touched her lips, he savored
the pleasure she so obviously took from him. Leaning in close, he slowly,
purposefully, began to move inside her. She curled her back yet again to allow
him an even deeper entrance. The simple motion had him fighting the pressure of
release.

Finally,
he closed his eyes, allowing the sweet sensation of her flesh tightening around
him to erase any thought but the feel of her. Pushing in and pulling back, he
thrust into her, the resistance her sheath offered nothing short of amazing.
She rocked beneath him, her hips pivoting in a rhythm that heightened the
experience.

His heart
thundered, his muscles sparked, every inch of him aware of the bond he now
shared only with his Roberta. He rose up on his knees, and with her feet flat
on the mattress, she did not miss a single thrust. In fact, she met him over
and over, her moans and clutching hands adding to the immensity of their carnal
act.

Damnation
but he couldn't control himself much longer. Still, he would not stop until he
was certain she was satiated. Her skin had brightened to a pale pink and her
glorious breasts bounced as he pounded his flesh into hers.

Her eyes
remained closed. Dropping her hands to her sides, she clutched the sheet with
desperate fingers. Low, feral moans echoed in his ears and perspiration
glistened on her cheeks.

She cried
out his name as ripples of her climax pressed against his sensitive shaft. He
too moaned at the first shudder of his fulfillment. But like a wave crashing
upon the shore, the surge of his pent up desire coursed through him and
spilling his seed had him groaning in complete satisfaction.

Damnation,
he meant to ruin her for other men…but he was the one that was ruined. She was
but a novice, yet her body fit his with a perfection that no other woman had
ever possessed.

"You
amaze me," he declared, his voice raspy.

Coming to
rest atop her, he covered her face in soft kisses before setting his head upon
her shoulder. Her breathing was rapid and the feel of her racing heart upon his
cheek soothed and calmed him. Home. Wherever Roberta was, he was home.

Rolling
off her, he pulled the covers up over them before lying back upon the cool
sheets. He perused her face, memorizing each and every feature. Her soft brown
curls, her pert nose, the small mole beside her right eye. "You save a
man's life and then you save a man's soul."

"I
did all of that?" she said, her grin a reward he gladly accepted.

"Yes,
ma'am. Just where did you learn to shoot like that? Damnation woman, you shot a
moving target in the dark!"

Bobbie
laughed. "You're impressed?"

He snuggled
close and pressed his face in the crook of her neck, nibbling the sensitive
flesh. "Indeed I am."

"Well."
She giggled. "If you want to hear the full story, you're going to have to
stop distracting me." She set her hand upon his shoulder and despite her protests,
she tugged him closer.

"You
mean like this?" He drew her earlobe between his teeth and stroked it with
his tongue. She squirmed and moaned and the pressure of her touch increased.

"Yes,"
she said in a low, seductive whisper. "That is a distraction."

"Far
be it from me to stop a well told story." He pulled back, but slid a
possessive hand around her trim waist, the skin smooth beneath his touch.

She set
her fingers upon his hand and drew lazy circles across his knuckles. "My
father, Robert Shallcross wanted a son. But Ma wasn't well, so he was certain I
was going to be his only child." A sad sort of expression spread across
her features. A melancholy that he understood well enough. "So, while Ma
did the best she could to teach me how to be a woman, Pa did what he could with
me when she was too tired to do anything." Tears sparkled in her eyes.
"He didn't know what to do with a girl, so he treated me like his son.
Took me hunting, fishing, and I know all there is about farming." She turned
her head, her lower lip trembling. "That ended when I turned thirteen. He
said I was too wild and no man was every going to want me."

"He
was wrong about that, Bobbie. I want you. In every way."

She
offered him a smile that reached her eyes and stopped her tears. "Every
way?"

"Yes,"
he said, rolling over and pinning her to the bed, the feel of her beneath him
once again igniting his lust. "Marry me, Bobbie." His words came out
on a rush and his heart thundered. He was fairly confident of her answer, but
women were mysterious creatures. "Offer me a vow right now, between you,
me and God."

"Marry
you?" Again the tears filled her eyes and yet she let out a laugh.
"Of course I'll marry you. I was getting worried that you wouldn't
ask."

He kissed
her, the sweet taste of her lips and her even sweeter acceptance filling his
heart with the warmest love he'd ever experienced. "From this moment
on," he said as he pulled away. "You are my wife and I am your
husband."

"Yes."
She nodded.

"And
when we leave the mountain, the first town we come to, we'll make it legal. But
as far as I'm concerned, we are man and wife."

Chapter 21

Soft
light filtered through the window. Heat from the fire warmed the room. The
aroma of fresh coffee filled the air. Bobbie slowly opened her eyes as memories
of last night's love making sent passion-filled currents through her body.
Rolling over, she reached for David but his pillow was cold.

Pulling
open her eyes, wrapped the blanket around her naked body and searched the cabin
for him. With a sigh, she set her feet on the cold floorboards noting that his
coat no longer hung on the hook, and his clothes and boots were gone.

"Really
David? You would leave me again without so much as a goodbye?"

Disappointment
stirred in the pit of her stomach as she crept toward the window. She blinked
against the bright sun reflecting off the brilliant white snow and gazed out
into the expanse of the wide Colorado sky. Blue fringed with white framed the
distant mountain peaks but closer to home, there was no sign of David. This
time, however she didn't fear that his leaving was because of their lovemaking,
for her heart hummed in the knowledge that he loved her. That he considered her
his wife!

"I want to see your face upon my daughters, and feel
your spirit within my sons."
She set
her hand to her abdomen, wondering if the seed he planted last night would
sprout to life. The thought of starting a new family brought her a sense of
peace she'd not known since leaving Illinois.

Even
though she was giddy with the promise of her future, the fact that he had gone
without so much as a goodbye had her turning her back to the window and
reaching for her clothes. The idea of her parents and dog still lost in the
wilderness something that she couldn't bear to think about. She had learned her
lesson yesterday. That inaction was worse than overreaction. She would not
spend another day wringing her hands in worry when there was something she
could do.

As she
bent to guide her foot into her britches, she noticed a small envelope propped
up on the mantle. With a smile, she raced over to it, very nearly tripping.

"Clumsy
oaf," she mumbled and with eager fingers, grabbed hold of the envelope. To
her delight it weighed heavier than she expected. Gingerly, she lifted the flap
and poured the contents into her hand. The small gold band sparkled in the
early morning light. She with a grin, she curled her fingers over the offering
and pulled out the accompanying note.

Situating
herself on the rocking chair, she unfolded the paper. Bold, impressive handwriting
met her eyes. The flow of the quill was fluid and steady and most assuredly
that of a schooled man.

My darling wife,

I am sorry to have left without saying goodbye. But the
truth be told, I am a coward. I knew you would wish to accompany me on this trek
and the way I feel about you would have me allowing it despite my better
judgment.

Please, dear Roberta, stay safe in the cabin. I foolishly
left you unarmed yesterday, a mistake that could have been fatal had you not
had your own weapon.

With that said, there is a loaded derringer in the pantry
if the need arises and the rifle above the fireplace is also at the ready.

Until I return, please accept this ring as a token of my
love and wear it as a symbol of the vows we shared last night.