Ice & Rapture

by Connie Mason

  The first taste of her produced a frenzy of need as his kiss deepened, forcing a hesitant response from Maggie Tentatively she touched his tongue with her own and he reacted instantly, pulling her close, kneading her breasts, sliding down to grasp the firm mounds of her buttocks The kiss seemed to go on forever as Maggie's body caught fire and exploded

  "I'm so hot for you, baby," Chase groaned "No other woman can make me bum like you do Let me put out my flame in you, Maggie "

  He found the hem of her gown and jerked it up to her waist, so eager to enjoy again the special pleasure they shared that he felt ready to erupt

  "How many other women have you had. Chase1? How many other women made you bum1?" Maggie asked tightly "Do you plan on adding Virgie to your list?"

  "Huh1?" Chase grunted, Maggie's words momentarily distracting him "What in the hell is that supposed to mean1? I was more faithful to you than you were to me, and you've got a kid to prove it Will you hush up now and let me make love to you1?"

  "No We should talk first, before we're distracted by—other things "

  When Chase refused to loosen his hold on her, Maggie shoved at his chest, her strength catching him unprepared as he tumbled backwards Before he could right himself, he began to slide down the slippery bank toward the water Amused by his look of confusion, Maggie began to laugh, but her mirth was short-lived Before she realized his intent. Chase grabbed her long flowing nightgown and pulled her along with him into the water

  "Chase, no I" But it was too late, as they both tumbled head over heels into the stream

  Maggie came up sputtering and found Chase laughing at her "You little wildcat, that will teach you to make fun of me "

  Then he ducked her again for good measure Maggie squealed in protest and retaliated by pulling Chase's legs out from under him He went down, dragging her with him Somehow, beneath the surface, he found her mouth and they came up joined in a kiss that put an abrupt end to their horseplay

  "Lift your arms, darlin', I'm gonna get nd of this " He tugged at her gown and Maggie eagerly raised her arms She found her footing in the waist-deep water as Chase deftly removed her single garment

  and tossed it to the bank, where it lay in a sodden heap Then she helped him remove his own clothes, which promptly joined hers

  When he kissed her again, there was nothing between them but the cool caress of water "I'd almost forgotten how good you feel," Chase moaned against her mouth

  His hands roamed urgently over silken flesh, heating the water that churned about them Nothing had ever felt so wonderful and Maggie encouraged him into deeper intimacies with soft murmurs and sighs Grasping her about the waist. Chase lifted her off her feet, bringing her slowly down until her breasts dangled just inches from his face The offer was too tempting to resist as Chase took a rosy nipple into his mouth and suckled gently Shock registered on his face as he tasted the first hot spurt of milk Reluctantly he left her breast, thinking how pleasant it must be for tiny Beth to be enjoying this feast several times a day

  "I never tasted anythin' so sweet," he vowed, his tongue lapping the tiny droplet that clung to her nipple "Open your legs, darlin' " His need was spontaneous and inevitable and too hot to be postponed

  Chase knew he had to be imbedded deep inside Maggie, had to feel her close tightly around him, a warm pulsing sheath for the shaft of his passion Then he was inside her, his possession so full and deep that their ecstasy soared "It's not too soon, is it1?" Chase gasped, suddenly recalling that Maggie had just recently given birth Truth to tell, he wasn't certain he could stop even if she said yes

  Maggie wrapped her legs around Chase's waist as he slowly lowered her onto his hardened staff He filled her completely, the sheer bliss of his possession setting off tiny explosions deep inside her When it came, his question surprised her His loving did anything but hurt her

  "Don't, please don't—"

  Thinking Maggie was asking him to stop. Chase released a low moan of pure anguish "Aw gawd, darlin', don't ask me to stop "

  "Never," Maggie vowed "Make me feel again. Chase—it's been so long "

  Chase needed no further encouragement as he grasped the perfect ovals of her buttocks and moved her with deliberate slowness up and down the long length of his staff The exquisite friction brought a groan to her lips, reflecting her impatience to reach that place of ecstasy where no one but Chase could take her

  "Don't be greedy, baby," Chase cautioned, sensing her eagerness Til try to last as long as you need me "

  "Now, Chase, Ineedyounowl" Maggie cried, flinging her head back and forcing him to greater speed when his pace proved too slow for her Maggie's stampeding passion sparked his own, and Chase began pounding into her wildly, the water churning around them like a raging whirlpool "OhGodl OhChasel"

  The need to spill his seed into her became a terrible ache inside him as Chase poised on the brink of climax "Hang on, darlin', I want you to come with me " His breath thundered in his chest as a thin wail left Maggie's lips and rapture seized her Her body thrashed with wild abandon, her arms grasping his shoulders to keep from falling Only then did Chase unleash the unbridled fury of his own climax It had been over a year since he'd last had Maggie, far too long for a man to remain celibate

  Maggie's legs slid from around Chase's waist Still too shaky to stand on her own, she was grateful for his support "Can you make it back to shore1?" he asked, still worried that he might have hurt her

  "Just let me catch my breath "

  He watched her splash in the water, attempting to cleanse herself, then turned abruptly and waded to shore, picking up his shirt and returning to where he left her "Here, let rne " Wetting the tail of the garment he passed it back and forth between her legs until all traces of him had been removed Then he scooped her up in his arms and earned her to the bank Instead of setting her on her feet, he laid her down on the soft, mossy ground

  "Are you ready to talk now1?" Maggie asked, still shaky after the heady experience of being loved again by Chase

  "Not yet," Chase grinned, sounding and looking so much like the man she loved in the Yukon that he nearly broke her heart "A starvin' man eats till he's full"

  "Starving1? You1?" It didn't seem possible that a man as virile as Chase would deny himself all these months

  I reckon you think I'm lyin'," Chase scowled "Never thought I'd live to see the day a woman would make a fool outa me After you, I didn't want another woman "

  "What about Virgie—is she expecting marriage1?"

  "Perhaps," he answered truthfully, "but I promised her nothin' I admit she's a temptin' morsel, and I briefly considered takin' a wife since you obviously weren't available Given time, who knows what might have happened1?" Chase shrugged "Virgie made no bones 'bout wantin' me And she's damn fetchin' "

  "And now1? Do you still feel the same way about Virgie1? Is a match possible between you1?"

  "I can't think with you in my arms," Chase claimed boldly "Compared to you, Virgie is a mere child There's so much I want to ask you, so much I need to know, but I don't want to spoil this moment Nothin'unpleasant is gonna interfere with my lovin' you again "

  This time Chase's kiss was gentle, coaxing, the urgency of their first mating sated He kissed her eyes, her nose, each cheek, finding the sensitive pulse points behind her ears and at the base of her neck He lavished excessive tenderness on the sensitive skin of her breasts

  Unwilling to remain passive, Maggie moved her hands freely over the thick muscles that stretched down his back Her brazen caresses inspected the curve of his hips, the taut planes of his belly Her tantalizing touch flowed upward to stroke each nb that lay beneath his bronzed skin Caressing him quickly became an obsession that captivated Maggie She marveled at the feel of his sinewy flesh and the ominous strength that lay in repose Moaning, she felt his fingers slip inside her and she undulated her hips in response to his rhythm

  "Oh, Chase I"

  Fired by her response. Chase sought to initiate a deeper intimacy, to make her for
get Scott Gordon and any other man in her life Shifting downwards, his mouth found the honey-gold triangle between her legs Shimmering moonlight gilded her tender, quivering flesh and Chase had never viewed so enchanting a sight

  Her body felt deliciously heavy, as if she were sinking into a pool of rippling passion He could make her soul sing when he touched her so lovingly He could send her soaring, gliding toward towering heights Maggie sighed as his mouth caressed the tenderest part of her, his tongue parting and probing the hot center of her being When he located the sensitive bud of her femininity, Maggie shrieked in joy, tunneling her fingers in his burnished hair and holding him in place But still Chase was not satisfied Grasping her buttocks, he brought her closer still, until her body shook and trembled with the force of her climax Then he slid full and

  deep inside her, stroking her to greater heights as he sought his own reward

  Lying exhausted in Chase's encircling arms, Maggie knew existence without this special man would be unbearably dull Of course she'd always have his child, but there'd be a void without Chase Yet she'd never intrude where she wasn't wanted The reason she had come to Montana in the beginning was to learn if there was still a chance for her and Chase without making him feel obligated because of Beth

  Sweet pleasure still flowed like a river channeling through every part of Chase's being, holding him captive in its sweet, undulating current If he had never sampled Maggie's hypnotic magic, he might have learned to live without her, but after tasting of her sweetness again, he'd never be satisfied with another woman Few couples ever experienced what they had just shared Had Maggie come to her senses after Gordon left her and decided she wanted him back1? Did he want to be second best1? Could he accept another man's child1? He hated to admit it, but that tiny scrap of humanity had already gotten under his skin

  "What are you thinking1?" Maggie asked, watching the play of emotion on Chase's expressive face

  "I'm wondenn' if you're gonna tell me again that you can't have children Is there somethin' special you did to keep from havin' my child1?"

  "I suppose I deserve that," Maggie said with a hint of regret "The reason I lied to you originally was so you wouldn't feel obligated to make a commitment I didn't want to force you into anything you weren't ready for, and I knew you'd feel a certain obligation if I conceived while we were together "

  "My God, Maggie, Ilovedyoul"

  "We came to love each other, that's true, but at first love and marriage had no place in our plans

  I accepted that and took the risk rather than spend all those weeks in the Yukon without your loving If a child had resulted, I was prepared to raise it on my own I want a man who loves me for myself, not out of duty or obligation "

  Chase chewed on that for a while, deciding that while her thinking might be flawed, he really couldn't fault her decision What hurt, hurt like hell, was finding Maggie with another man "If we had created a child, I would have married you even if I didn't love you," Chase admitted It wasn't exactly what Maggie wanted to hear She needed to know that Chase wanted her for herself

  "You said you didn't care for children "

  "I only said that so you wouldn't feel inadequate because you couldn't have any Hell yes, I wanted children What good is all this money if there's no one to leave it to?"

  "Would you really have married me in order to claim your child had I conceived while we were together? Even if you didn't love me?"

  "What kind of question is that? I did love you "

  "But what if you didn't?" she persisted

  "I'd do or say anythin' to claim my child," Chase said at length

  Maggie went still, her mind in a turmoil of indecision She had yet to hear Chase say he still loved her, that he had never stopped loving her He had wanted her desperately just now, but was it because he had been without a woman for along time? That was another shock Why had Chase remained celibate? Had she done that to him?

  If she told Chase now about Beth, Maggie considered, she'd never know if he wanted her for herself or because he wanted his child Therefore it seemed logical that she withhold her secret until she could make Chase love her again, or he stumbled upon the truth on his own

  "Do you wanna tell, me about Gordon1?" Chase asked, realizing the subject could be put off no longer, "and why you're in Montana instead of with your baby's father1? Did he run out on you1?"

  I don't really want to talk about Scott, except to say that I didn't want to marry him I assume he's back in Dawson City "

  "Ishesupportin'hischild?"

  "Why do you assume Beth belongs to Scott1?" Maggie bit out angrily She wanted to take the mule-headed dolt and shake him until he came to his senses

  "You mean—damnation! What kinda woman are you1?" he cried, assuming the worst "Why are you here1? Do you need money1? You're certainly entitled to a share of what we earned at Eleven Above "

  "Damn your ornery hide. Chase, I don't need your moneyl I've done extremely well at writing I want nothing from you "

  "Obviously you want somethin', or you wouldn't be here "

  "I'll leave in the morning," Maggie said tersely

  "Hold on a dang minute What if you're canyin' my child1?"

  Til raise it just like I'm raising Beth "

  "Like helll You're stayin' I don't give a hoot in hell what brought you here, but since you are here and we've made love, I don't aim to let you go 'til I know for certain sure you're not growrun' my seed No lies this time "

  Admitting that he loved Maggie teased the tip of Chase's tongue, but he was leery of making so bald a statement without knowing if his feelings were reciprocated Something brought Maggie here to him, and if it wasn't a need for money, he damn well intended to find out what it was If she loved him, he wanted to hear the words with his own ears before committing himself He'd been through

  too much anguish these past months to welcome her without reservation Too many questions still remained unanswered And there was the child to consider

  Her temper flaring, Maggie flung herself away from Chase and dashed back into the creek, hoping to cool her anger as well as wash Chase's scent from her She wanted him to want her, but not this way Not because she might be carrying his child or because he lusted for her Maggie seriously doubted she'd conceived after just this one time and made a solemn vow that Chase wouldn't touch her again until he said he loved her She even set a time limit If Chase hadn't committed himself two months from today, she'd go back to Seattle and learn to live without him A splash nearby jolted her from her reverie, and she whirled to find Chase rising from the water beside her

  Every sculptured inch of his upper body shone like molded bronze in the moonlight His tension was evident by the bunched muscles and corded tendons rippling beneath the smooth surface of his skin

  "Don't ever run away from me like that again," he warned tightly "We weren't finished talkin' "

  "I've said all I'm going to say," Maggie tossed back, heading toward shore A hand on her arm pulled her up short

  "If you don't wanna talk, we could "

  "Nol Not again—maybe not ever "

  "What in the hell do you mean by that1?"

  "I didn't come here to be your private whore "

  "Why did you come1? How can I help you if you won't tell me1?"

  "Right now I'm thinking I should have stayed in Seattle Let me go, I need to tend to Beth She'll raise a ruckus if she awakens and I'm not there to feed her We wouldn't want to disturb Virgie, would we1?"

  Chase's hold loosened, finding no argument with Maggie's maternal concern "Just answer one question Why do you find it so distasteful to have a child with me1? I may be a rough cowpoke, but I'm rich enough to support all the children you give me as well as your by-blow "

  "Is that a proposal?"

  "Damnation, Maggie, don't put words in my mouth "

  "Then don't dictate to me. Chase," Maggie flung over her shoulder "I'll stay two months, and if in that time we find there's nothing left of the love we once shared, I
'll leave for good and never bother you again "

  "Don't bet on it," Chase muttered darkly

  There was more than one way to make certain Maggie never left Montana Before long he'd make her love and need him as much as he loved and needed her Though he burned with jealousy each time he saw Maggie's tiny daughter and pictured Maggie with another man, the fact remained that she had come to him of her own accord and for reasons unknown to him Chase reckoned that Maggie regretted her mistake and had come to him for a reconciliation Once she admitted as much he'd forgive her, of course, though he'd make damn certain she'd never have the opportunity to be unfaithful again

  Chase watched with avid appreciation as Maggie walked away from him, her body rising from the water like a gilded Venus leaving her bath The taut oval mounds of her buttocks and enticing curve of her back brought a flush of arousal to his body, and he was amazed that he could want her again after having tasted unsurpassed ecstasy twice in the space of an hour

  Chapter Twenty

  Her soggy nightgown clinging enticingly to the damp contours of her body, Maggie entered the house and quietly found her way to her room She went first to Beth's cradle, relieved to find her sleeping soundly She was such a good baby, Maggie thought lovingly, that she already slept through most nights without demanding a feeding She wanted desperately for her and Chase to be the kind of family Beth needed, but only if he came to it willingly

  Assured of Beth's comfort, Maggie sank down onto the bed, her body heavy and lethargic from exhaus tion and sexual contentment She would have been horrified to know she had been seen with Chase and spied upon returning wet and disheveled after their wild coupling Unable to sleep because of the heat, and disturbed by the sudden appearance of another woman in Chase's life, Virgie had heard Maggie's steps on the stairs She rose and followed, hoping to have a few private words with her about her