River Song (15 page)

His senses heightened to the point where he could almost feel her tongue mimicking the gesture around his own fingertips, Cole's fist curled around his fork with enough force to bend it. She would be an absolute wildcat in bed. Instinct, coupled with that independent and curious nature of hers, would have her relishing each touch, every sensation possible, whenever she gave herself to her lover. The lucky man honored with the responsibility of educating this little beauty in the ways of lovemaking would be rewarded beyond his wildest fantasies.

Cole shuddered as an intense jealousy of the faceless man surged through him. He didn't have the right to be that lucky man.
Would never have the right.
Sunflower Callahan would belong to someone who held her dual heritage in high esteem, a man whose family would welcome her for the beautiful woman she was.
A man like Charlie White, Pima Indian and blacksmith for the Phoenix livery stable.

A sudden picture of Sunny nestled in Charlie's arms turned Cole's blood to crystals of ice. Now that the man had a face, the surge of jealousy became a flash flood, cutting a gorge through his gut, his heart. With something that felt like anger, Cole slammed his fork to the table,
then
took a deep breath before he trusted himself to speak in a rational tone.

"If you're finished, I think we ought to go to our rooms now. We're long overdue for a good night's rest."

Her dark eyes wide, Sunny cocked her head. "But you have not yet finished your supper."

"I wasn't as hungry as I thought," he snapped.

Her hunger more than satisfied, a puzzled Sunny slid out of her chair. "I am ready to retire."

Cole tossed a few coins on the table,
then
escorted her through the lobby and up the staircase. The only overture he made after seeing her to her room was a gentle squeeze on her arm as he softly said, "Sleep well." Then he closed the door and was gone.

Sunny wandered over to the dresser, took a piece of licorice from the bag, and wondered as she popped the candy in her mouth if she had done something to annoy him again. She'd noticed the way he stared at her during their meal, knew instinctively the glazed look in his eyes had more to do with desire than anger. So what had happened? Why was Cole so difficult for her to understand?

She peeled off the new dress and petticoat, carefully draped them across a chair,
then
slid between the flannel sheets with a heavy sigh. Maybe she'd been right all along. This business between men and women—this love, mating, and marriage thing—was not for her. It was so hard to understand, so complicated. And, she thought with a heavy heart, it was beginning to hurt.

But she wanted him. Exactly what she wanted from him was still nebulous, but with each passing day it became a little clearer. For now, all she wanted was his touch, his silken mouth on hers, the sound of his rich voice murmuring in her ear. With a mind of its own, her tongue caressed the piece of candy, suckling it as her thoughts spread a warm ache throughout her abdomen and below.

Sunny finally drifted off to sleep with the licorice drop stuck to the roof of her mouth.

A short time later, she was brutally torn from a deep slumber by the sound of gunfire outside her window. She bolted upright in the bed and inclined her head towards the source. Angry voices punctuated the dark night. More shots were fired. At the same time, she became aware of boisterous laughter in the hallway. This was quickly followed by several loud bumps against her door. Then silence.

Unused to city noises, uncertain whether this was the norm or if she were in danger, Sunny jumped out of her bed.

She wrapped a thin blanket around her shoulders and scurried over to the door. She pressed her ear against the wood and listened. More silence. Either the men who'd stumbled down the hallway were gone, or they waited like patient buzzards for their prey.

Too nervous to stay alone any longer, Sunny opened the door a crack and peered down the hall. It was empty. Moving with featherlike steps, she hurried to the room next door and knocked several times.

"Cole," she whispered loudly. "Cole, wake up. It is Sunflower. Let me in."

When the door finally opened a cautious inch, she railroaded her way through the tiny opening.

"What the hell?"

Cole's sleepy protest was cut off as Sunny threw herself in his arms and buried her head in his shoulder. "I am frightened," she cried. "I cannot sleep in this town. This place is dangerous."

When he felt her body tremble against his, Cole closed the door and swaddled her in his strong arms. He, too, had heard the gunshots, but undaunted by them, he'd drifted off to sleep as quickly as he had awakened. Sunny on the other hand, was obviously shaken, unfamiliar with the sounds of ranch hands cutting loose on payday. He would give her time to collect her wits,
then
escort her back to her room.

Calmer now that Cole was so close, Sunny leaned back and looked into his eyes. "I have changed my mind. I do not think I like your town of Phoenix after all."

Chuckling, he countered, "Have you ever spent the night in a hotel in Yuma?"

"No."

"Trust me, little flower. You wouldn't like it any better." Far too aware of her soft breasts rising and falling against his chest, of her heart thundering in time with his, Cole released her and stepped back.

"I doubt you'll be disturbed any more tonight. The sheriff has probably put the fear of God in those boys by now. I'll take you back to your room."

"You will not." She tugged the blanket tighter around her body and stepped further into the room.

"Do you want to stay here a little while longer?"

"I will stay here all night, Cole Fremont. I will not be alone in this hotel."

"But you can't do that," he objected, advancing on her.

"Of course I can, and I will."

"You will not."

"Why not?
Have we not slept together these past nights on the trail?"

"Yes," he grumbled, "but this is different. It just wouldn't look right."

"Then," she said with a wink and a curve of her mouth, "we simply will not allow anyone to look."

"Oh?
Oh, really?" he finally said, unable to come up with a logical retort.

"Yes.
Really."

Her smile triumphant, Sunny spun around and marched over to the bed. "Now, which side do you wish to sleep on?"

Cole pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes as Sunny cast her blanket aside to reveal a low cut camisole and long ruffled drawers. When she actually climbed between his sheets, he rolled his eyes towards the heavens and spit out a muffled curse.

The pristine girl really meant to climb into his bed and actually expected they would
sleep
? Maybe what he ought to do was climb in there with her and
show
her she was in more danger in his room than she could ever be in her own. If he didn't think of a solution soon, he was certain to forget his good intentions and lose what little control he still possessed.

Cole opted to give reason one more try. He approached the bed, his arms spread wide. "This really is a bad idea, Sunflower. I just can't do it. If you insist on staying here, I'll have to go to your room."

Alarmed, wanting him near for more reasons than security, Sunny sat up and blurted out, "Would you send this Elizabeth person from your bed?"

"What?"
he
said,
surprised. "Where did you hear that name? Who told you about Elizabeth?"

Distressed by his sudden burst of temper, Sunny pulled the sheet up around her neck. "Mrs. Brown said she was your girl."

"Mrs. Brown? That woman has the tongue of a rooster at dawn. She ought to keep the damn thing inside her mouth instead of wriggling it at anyone who'll listen."

Cole blew out a frustrated sigh,
then
glanced over at Sunny. He saw fear and amusement in her eyes. What if he accented that fear, made her see what an impossible request she'd made of him? It might be his last chance to convince her to return to the relative safety of her own room. It was a chance he knew he had to take.

"I hope you understand if you stay here with me, I can't guarantee you'll leave this room with your virtue in tact."

When she didn't answer and sat there instead with an intriguing combination of anxiety and curiosity flickering in her Irish eyes, Cole slid his fingers around to the front of the pants he'd thrown on when she knocked at his door. "All right, Sunflower. You win."

Then he stripped off the jeans and slid in beside her. "Just don't try to say I didn't warn you."

 
CHAPTER
SIX

Panic and disbelief widened Sunny's enormous eyes. "You would not—you
could
not."

"I can, and I will."

"You will not."

Cole fit his hands around her tiny waist and dragged her beneath him. "We've got better things to do than talk. Besides, I think we've already had this conversation."

"But, I only wanted to stay here with you."

"What you mean and what you want no longer matters, woman. You've pushed me too far." Done with words he didn’t mean, he pressed down on her opened mouth in a brutal kiss. He would teach her a lesson, show her the folly of her insane proposal,
drive
her from his room, his heart, with sheer masculine lust. But the mouth he sought to turn away, to harden against his, was soft and yielding, encouraging rather than fighting his savage invasion.

Cole could taste no fear as he plunged deeper into her sweetness, and found instead a delicious curiosity, an eager response he hadn't considered in his plans to dissuade her. Sunny's essence swirled around
him,
clouded his thoughts, his purpose. She smelled like lilacs and sunshine, tasted of
licorice and honey, moved with an innocent abandon he'd never felt before. He couldn't seem to get enough of her.

He was losing control, his objectivity, and for a crazy moment, Cole had to wonder who was teaching the lesson here. With the last of his strength, and as savagely as he'd come to her, he tore his mouth away.

His voice strangled and husky, Cole turned his head from her and muttered, "Go to your room, Sunflower. This really is your last chance."

Dazed, her head spinning, Sunny's lashes fluttered as she tried to catch her breath. This
was
her last chance, she suddenly understood, maybe her only chance to be part of the one man who'd made her feel like a woman. Once they arrived at the ranch tomorrow, he would be different. He would return to a life which didn't include her but this Elizabeth person instead—and this Elizabeth probably knew how to warm his bed properly, had most likely done so often. A shiver of anticipation skittered through Sunny as she thought of his kisses, his touch. So far, this lovemaking was not at all objectionable. She would not, could not let this chance slip away.

"No," Sunny breathed in a smothered whisper.

Cole groaned and mouthed a silent curse. "You really expect me to lie next to you on this small bed all night and
not
touch you? Do you have any idea what you're asking of me?"

Sunny turned languid, expectant eyes on him. "No."