He
rode through the darkness – the moonlight his only guide.
But even without it, he knew the way…and so did his horse.
Both had traveled this path many times since he had come to Four
Corners.
He
had hoped the dark would have given some relief from the oppressive heat of
the day but, if anything, it seemed to have drawn everything in closer.
He could feel his clothing clinging damply to his skin.
Though his garments were the lightest he owned, they seemed to allow no
air to penetrate them on this night.
Which
was the reason for this late-night sojourn.
It was not the first time he had sought out the cool waters of the
spring. Its current was quite
gentle in this spot – the river opening up into a small rippling pool before
it trickled back down into a stream again.
The
pool was shallow on both banks – only the very middle dropped off to a depth
that was over his head. And it
was that chilled pool that had called to him – beckoned him – on this
steamy night.
He
drew his steed to a halt, dropping effortlessly from the animal's back.
He secured the lead to a nearby tree, though he knew the horse would
stand patiently for its master. It
was a habit he was unlikely to break himself of any time soon.
He unbuttoned the linen shirt he wore, dark red in color – it was one
that Buck teased drove the women in town wild.
The
sound of a loud splash captured his attention and he drew his weapon
instinctively, his eyes searching the darkness.
His breath caught as a lithe figure broke the surface of the water.
He stared openly at the feminine curves that were slowly revealed to
him. Then the figure froze; wide
eyes stared back at him, the woman paralyzed with fear.
She
had visited this shimmering pool ever since she was a small child, delighting
in the calm ripple of water. And
on a night like tonight, its call was too irresistible to ignore.
She had walked from her home nearby, the path from there to the bank
long since worn from overuse. She
paused only a moment on the shore before stripping off her clothing, unwinding
her waist-length hair from the braid she usually wore on such a hot day, and
slipped quickly into the cool, dark depths of the water.
She
always dove in quickly, the shock of the water's chill wearing off faster that
way. Head first, she dove into
the deepest part of the pool, her feet splashing at the water's surface as she
slipped beneath. Then she would
swim to the far edge, rising along with the slant of the sand beneath her
feet.
It
was only after she stood, water only reaching waist-high on her nude frame,
that she spotted him. This
intruder into her private domain. One
who had a gun trained right on her. Fear
gripped her – to the point of even being too frightened to cover herself
from his watchful gaze.
He
stood as still as she, stunned by the vision before him.
He knew a gentleman would avert his gaze, allow her the privacy to
retrieve her clothing or at least cover herself.
But then he never considered himself a gentleman.
And he wasn't all too certain that what he beheld in his sight was not
merely an illusion.
'God,
don't let her be a figment of my imagination…a hallucination brought on by
the heat of the night.'
He dared a closer look; his keen eyes taking in the long hair and
overly large eyes. Both appeared
dark, but in the dim light of the moon it wasn't possible to discern the exact
shade. Still she stood, silently
returning his gaze with one of her own.
"If
you plan to shoot me, please be quick about it."
The
sound of her voice startled him; quiet but firm, it pierced the silence of the
night. He glanced down at the
revolver in his hand and, chagrined, he quickly re-holstered it.
"I'm
sorry," he replied, his voice soft.
"I heard a noise and didn't expect…"
"You
expected a more formidable opponent?" she queried, a small grin springing
to her face. She allowed her eyes
to drink him in – thinking it only fair since he had done the same to her.
'Though he could at least remove the shirt,' she thought,
blushing as it came to her.
She
recognized him, of course; he and his six companions were well known – their
names spoken far and wide in the territory.
Famous – or infamous – depending on whom you spoke to.
This night was not the first that her gaze had fallen upon him.
She
thought he was the most striking of the lawmen – though there was not one of
them that wouldn't make even the most cold-hearted of women pull up short.
But there was something about him that drew her attention.
The
eyes – so expressive; she knew that he had seen much in his life – good
and bad. It showed in those eyes
of his. Hair that you wanted to
run your hands through; not overly long or short – nor was it very thick,
but silken looking. A slender
frame, but muscular nonetheless – no doubt due to years of hard work.
"Such
a hot night…" he said, removing his gunbelt and placing it on the
ground. "Thought a quick
swim would cool things off a bit…" 'Course that was before I saw
you,' he added silently. "If
you don't mind…"
He
was surprised that she remained, and had to admit now that he hoped she
wouldn't turn tail and run. Though
her standing there watching him was going to make his entry into the pool a
bit…awkward. Because he was
aroused – and growing harder with every second her eyes raked over him.
"I
don't own this pool," she said nonchalantly, as if she could care less
whether he joined her or not. When the truth was that she was aching to feel his hands on
her; just as strongly was the urge to run her own fingers along every curve of
his body. She blinked, finally
lowering her gaze; thankful the darkness hid the blush that crept over her.
"Most
people don't know about this place…" she added, casting quick glances
at him as he peeled the shirt from his body.
She swallowed hard, her eyes unable to turn away from the sight of his
bare chest. "I…I've been
coming here since I was a child…" she blurted, tearing her gaze away
when his eyes focused on her.
"That
can't have been too long passed," he replied, smiling at her.
"Long
enough…"
He
paused, his hands at the fly of his jeans.
She flushed hotly; a blush he could see even in the dim light.
She backed up slightly, dropping down in the deeper part of the water.
"Don't
go," he whispered. She stared at him, their eyes meeting and holding each other
captive. "Is…is there
someone who will be missing you?" he asked carefully, desperate to know
if her heart had already been captured by another.
"No
one," she replied, her own voice little more than a breath on the wind.
Her eyes stayed on his, knowing he was stripping off the last of his
clothing; wanting to steal a glance, but not daring to.
He strode into the water, stopping once he was waist deep and holding
out a hand toward her.
Without
a word she stepped back up on the bank of sand, her hand linking with his as
he drew her into his arms. She
trembled; unsure if it was from the night air blowing across her bare flesh,
or if it was the man that stood before her that made her shiver.
He tilted her face up towards his, dipping his head down to capture her
mouth with his own.
A
soft moan bubbled up within her, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as
she pressed her body eagerly against his.
His hands explored, tracing every curve of her, memorizing every inch.
He pulled her closer, hearing her gasp of surprise as his hardness was
pressed to her flesh.
"So
soft…so sweet…" he murmured, his tongue not even wishing to take that
much time from delving into her mouth. Her
lips parted eagerly, her hands stroking along his shoulders and back.
She sighed into his mouth as fingers gently traced along her ribcage;
her back arching into the hands that cupped the soft flesh of her breasts.
"Oh,
I want you so," she whispered breathlessly.
"I need you…need to feel you…"
One
arm slipped snugly about her waist, holding her securely as he made for the
shoreline. He stepped from the
water, her body held tightly against his as he headed toward his waiting
horse. Pulling the blanket from
its back, he arranged it on the ground and lowered her down upon it.
He leaned in for a kiss, his knees urging hers apart as he eased his
way into her waiting body.
"Ohhh…"
she sighed, his body coaxing hers into a slow, gentle rhythm.
Each thrust was accompanied by a kiss; to her lips, her throat, each
shoulder garnered his attention as well.
Her fingers wove into his hair, finding it even more silken than she
had expected.
His
eyes found hers, holding them as he gradually increased the pace of their
lovemaking. He wished to see her
face as he loved her. Wanted her
to know that it was she he was loving…that no one else was in his thoughts.
And he wanted to be certain she thought of no other.
She
writhed beneath him, her heart beating in time with his.
Her hands traced his arms, her fingers interlocking with his own,
gripping his hands hard as she neared release.
His mouth found hers again, silencing her exclamation as pleasure
overtook her. He groaned against her mouth, his release filling her, and he
fell, spent, atop her.
Her
arms wrapped around him, their mouths meeting for a tender kiss.
Lips met again and again, kissing long into the night – until the
moon was low in the sky. Then,
reluctantly, her hands pushed gently against his shoulders.
"It's
late…I should go…"
He
released her, rising and helping her to her feet.
He pulled her back into his arms, another searing kiss bestowed upon
her, letting her know how difficult it was to let her go.
She smiled up at him; a gentle caress of his cheek before she turned to
leave.
"Wait…"
he called out once she had crossed the pool and stood on the other side.
She turned, their eyes meeting in a heat-filled, lingering glance.
"Tomorrow night?"
She
smiled again. Lifting her clothes
from where she laid them, she started back toward the path to her home.
She called out behind her. "Tomorrow
night," she agreed, knowing of the smile that crossed his face without
having to see it. For it mirrored
the one that lit up her own.