Lillian's Light Horseman (20 page)

“Good, then a bath will help and it means that you’re not at your most fertile,” he waggled his eyebrows mischievously. “And you smell amazing, Lilly. Like apples and…coconut.”

She giggled at his outrageous proclamation and he smirked, rising to his feet. His eyes were dark and hungry, drinking her in.

“Your body is beautiful.” He cupped her cheek.

Abruptly, he swooped her up, cradling her to his chest. He stepped into the tub and lowered them both into the warm water. He settled himself against the back of the basin and maneuvered her so that she sat between his legs.

She sighed in contentment as the water engulfed her and leaned her head back to rest against William’s chest. He scooped water into his palms and splashed it over her shoulders and breasts before grabbing a bar of soap and lathering it between his hands. He bent his head to sniff the bubbles. “Hmm, apples,” he said appreciatively. “This smell has always reminded me of you.”

When he gripped her around the neck and started massaging her with his large, calloused hands, she moaned in pleasure.

“Move your hair, sweetheart,” he said against her ear.

She swept her hair up and fastened it with a clip, shivering as William’s breath whispered across her dampened skin. Slowly and rhythmically, he massaged her neck then moved to her shoulders and kneaded her taut muscles like an expert. Her body responded instantly and she melted against him, a warm, mellow feeling overwhelming her limbs.

“You know, I should be doing this for you,” she mumbled. “You’re the one who’s been riding hard and mustering sheep for the past few days.”

He chuckled. “I’m used to it and besides, I much prefer to have my hands on your beautiful, satiny skin.”

She whimpered as he let his hands drift lower. He cupped her breasts, circling each nipple with his thumbs and elongating them to hard points.

“You have gorgeous breasts. They fit into my hands perfectly, like you were made just for me. Are they tender?”

“A little.”

“They feel heavier, like lush, ripe melons.” He breathed against her ear and massaged the mounds gently, sending a shiver rippling through her.

She moaned and thrust her breasts up and into his palms, silently inviting him to take more, to grasp harder. She felt his smile against her neck as he plucked each of her nipples and rolled the taut buds between his thumb and index fingers. The sensation sent a sharp quiver directly to her groin.

He stopped abruptly, the absence of his touch leaving her bereft and wanting.

“Shuffle down and tip your head back. I want to wash your hair.”

She unclipped her hair and did as he asked so that William could scoop water over her. When her hair was wet, she sat up and glanced behind her to find him studying her array of bathing products quizzically.

“Which one is for hair?”

She smiled and handed him the bottle of coconut oil shampoo she’d brought with her from England.

He unscrewed the top and poured a generous amount onto her head, then gathered up her hair and worked the shampoo into a lather, massaging her scalp with strong, deft fingers. She groaned softly, the incredible, relaxing sensation radiating from her head outward to her limbs, leaving her boneless.

She lolled her head forward in sleepy relaxation. “Have you done this before?”

She felt his chest buck on a silent chuckle. “No. Ruth was far too…” He paused. “Conservative and…practical to ever take a bath together. She wasn’t at all romantic and she would’ve felt that we shouldn’t be wasting time bathing each other.”

“Perhaps she was right,” Lillian commented, suddenly disconcerted by what they were doing.

He sighed heavily as he bent his head to hers, his breath flowing whisper soft against her ear. “No, that was Ruth. This is
us
and I love bathing with you. Now, tilt your head back so I can rinse the shampoo out.”

She shuffled forward once more so William could ladle water over her head. She wondered what rinsing in their bathwater would do to her hair, but she didn’t care—it felt so good to be cared for and nurtured that she’d do it every day if he wanted to.

She sat up, her back once more to his front, and he twisted her hair up and secured it with her clip. “I love your hair,” he remarked. “I love that you’ve kept it long.”

He rested his legs on top of hers, his feet hooked under her ankles so he could spread her legs with his, opening her to him.

He bit her earlobe, the sensation sending a shiver through her. He swept his hand up her side to her breast and cupped it, tweaking a nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

She gasped and thrust her breast into his hand, desire flaring hot and strong in her belly. He continued rolling the taut bud and nuzzling her neck. “Hmm, you smell delicious. Good enough to eat,” he rasped against her throat and lapped the residual moisture from her skin.

She squirmed in his hold, desperate to close her legs and provide some relief to her aching core, but he held her fast, prolonging her torture.

He swept his other hand down her side and across her abdomen. “I know what you want, sweetheart,” he said softly, sliding his hand between her thighs.

She arched her back, splashing water over the side of the tub. “William,
please
.”

She tried once again to close her legs but he kept his firmly against hers and plunged one finger then two into her. Next, he pushed up, stroking that tender spot on the wall of her vagina.

“Just here,” he whispered, curling his fingers in a come-hither motion and pressing his thumb against her swollen clitoris.

“Oh Lord,” she cried, writhing against him as sparks of pleasure zapped through her.

“Fuck, you’re so tight. I can feel your muscles clenching around me.”

She stiffened, moaned and tried desperately to reach that pleasurable pinnacle. Vaguely she registered his other hand still rolling and tugging on her tender nipple until the sensations collided at the pulsing beat between her thighs.

His thick erection throbbed insistently against her backside as he plunged a third finger inside her and pumped them slickly while he circled her clit with his thumb. “Come. Now, Lilly.”

His demand was all she needed. She arched her back and held her breath, a surge of euphoria rolling through her and tightening her insides. Her muscles pulsed and quivered—her orgasm intense and protracted by her spread legs—sending delicious palpitations deep to her core.

“That’s it, my darling.” He softened the thrust of his fingers to bring her down slowly. “You’re so beautiful when you’re in the throes of passion.”

She whimpered and slumped back against him, struggling to regain her breath and regulate her thudding heart rate. Her vision cleared and she was immediately aware of the incessant solidity of his erection pressing against her back and pulsating a demand for relief.

She sat up and turned around so that she was straddling his hips and his shaft was nestled between her thighs. His eyes were hooded and dark with lust as he gazed at her from beneath black-fringed lids.

She gave him a coy smile. “I think you’re in need of something.”

He smirked and thrust his hips up lazily, causing another wash of water to lap over the rim of the tub.

She giggled. “Mrs. Thompson is going to wonder what you were doing in here to cause such a mess.”

He clasped her hips and lifted her so that she hovered over his length. He gave her an intense look, pulled her down hard, impaling her and filling her completely.

She gulped and gazed at him with wide eyes as she accustomed herself to the depth and stretch the unfamiliar position induced.

“It’s deep this way,” he commented and stilled, allowing her to adjust. “You have control, sweetheart. You set the pace.”

At her curious look, he grasped her waist and lifted her, then pulled her back down and thrust up with his hips. “Ride me, like you ride a horse.”

She gasped and arched an eyebrow at his wicked grin. She gripped his thighs between her knees and pumped up and down, resting her hands on his muscular shoulders to steady herself. She knew she was doing something right when his mouth dropped open and he groaned low in his throat.

“That’s it. Just like that,” he whispered, clutching her around the waist and guiding her body forcefully along his length.

He leaned forward, sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and took her in a punishing kiss, his tongue sliding and slipping against hers as he growled into her mouth.

She found a rhythm, drawing her body all the way up his erection until the tip brushed her folds, then plunging down to impale herself fully.

“Fuck,” he choked and pumped his hips up to meet hers.

The cords in his neck strained with his effort to retain control.

He sat up straighter, bracing himself on the back of the tub and clamping his mouth onto the soft skin where her shoulder met her neck.

She moaned as she felt his cock swell and fill her lower belly, stretching her to capacity—the feeling was extraordinary and it had never felt so deep.

Their movements grew choppy and rough and more water sloshed over the side of the tub.

“I’m close,” he ground out between gritted teeth. “I need you to get there.”

He slid his hand between their slick bodies and found her clit. Circling it with his thumb, he sent sparks of pleasure spiraling outwards. He held her close with one arm banded around her waist, thrusting up hard, sucking on her neck and massaging her tight little nub.

Sensation built then coalesced in an internal pulsing heat. She cried out, her orgasm ripping through her and propelling her insides into quaking, undulating contortions.

William followed, rearing up with his hips, clutching her body tightly against his and growling low in his throat as he came in long hot spurts inside her.

They lay silent, relaxing together until the water started to grow cold. William dunked his head and washed his hair quickly then stood and stepped out of the tub. After grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around his waist before picking up another one and opening it in invitation to Lillian.

She stood then stepped into his waiting arms.

“Thank you for the bath, my lady,” he said, dropping a soft kiss on her nose. “How are you feeling?”

Her limbs felt warm and loose but a dull ache had taken root in her belly, no doubt spurred to action by her vigorous sexual activity.

“Good.”

William gave her an appraising look. “Are you sure?”

She nodded and clutched the bath sheet tighter around her. He cocked his head to one side, studying her for a moment, then stooped to pick up her nightgown.

“Arms up,” he ordered, raising the garment above her head.

Lillian dropped the towel and stretched her arms up so William could slip her nightgown over her head. He quickly gathered her belongings then shrugged into a robe.

He glanced around the kitchen. “I’ll clean up here in the morning. It’s late and we should get to bed.” He took her hand and led her to the door.

Chapter Twenty-Three

William left Mulga Creek early to ride to the Dawsons’ property for dinner. The local roads leading to the properties were not designed for automobiles and he preferred to avoid driving when possible. Besides, he loved riding and he wanted to use the opportunity to check the dam levels and his outer property fence lines. He expected to be at the Dawsons’ just after mid-afternoon. He planned to stay overnight and leave at dawn the following morning. It was a long ride—four hours at a trot with an additional half hour to rest his horse.

He could have done without the disruption to his schedule, particularly at such a busy time on the property. He’d left his station manager in charge and expected things would run smoothly in his absence, albeit a little slower now that they were down his horse and mustering skills.

He supposed he should be looking forward to sharing the company of George and Margaret Dawson over a relaxed dinner, and a month ago, he would have. But things had changed since Lillian had re-entered his life. Where once he’d looked at Margaret in a potentially romantic sense, he was no longer harboring the same feelings. He liked her. She was sweet, charming and certainly pretty, but she didn’t make his pulse gallop and his cock hard just by looking at her.
No, Lillian is the only woman ever to have that distinction.

Then again, it would be good to get his mind off things and take some time to regain perspective. He couldn’t think straight when Lillian was around and when he was working, he was too busy and involved to think about anything other than the job at hand. Perhaps dinner with Margaret and George Dawson would give him time for some self-reflection and an opportunity to examine his feelings a little more closely. Also, if he was to be brutally honest with himself, he wanted the opportunity to spend some time around Margaret, without the distraction of Lillian. He knew it was unfair, but he hoped that some time in the presence of an attractive woman would help him define his feelings. He needed to be sure that what he was feeling for Lillian was real and not merely the residual emotions of a childhood love.

He reached the Dawson property by mid-afternoon as he’d planned and, after securing Victory in the stables, he made his way to the house.

The Dawsons were sitting on the front verandah drinking lemonade. When they saw him approach, George jumped up and hurried to greet him.

“Cartwright. Good to see you, man. I trust the ride over was uneventful?”

“It was, thank you.” William smiled and returned the older man’s enthusiastic handshake.

He turned his attention to Margaret, who was attired in a pale blue lace dress that fell to just below her knees. Her cap of sleek blonde hair was secured behind one ear with a delicate blue flower. She looked pretty and fresh and served to remind William just how dusty he was after the long ride.

“Margaret,” he greeted her with a slight bow. “Excuse me, but I’m in no condition to take a lady’s hand.” He spread his arms to indicate his general state of disarray.

She smiled and tittered prettily. “Of course. I’ll show you to your room, where you can freshen up before we have dinner.”