by Lisa Plumley
That special way. Kissing Savannah had been special. Adam remembered the breathy sound she’d made when he’d pulled her nearer. He recalled the inexpert but endearing way she’d returned his kisses. He thought about those few moments of intimate contact as she’d opened her mouth beneath his and allowed him entry.
“I’d like that, too,” he said in a husky tone. Frowning, he cleared his throat. “But the night is getting late.”
It required all the discipline he possessed to put his hand to Savannah’s back and usher her to the hotel room door.
Her perplexed expression didn’t help matters. Neither did the stubborn way she slapped her palm on the door, then confronted him with a wide-eyed look. “But… Don’t you want to kiss me again? Was I so terrible at it that you—”
“No.” Anguished, Adam closed his eyes. “Don’t say that.”
“—didn’t enjoy it? Because with practice, I’m sure I can improve.” Savannah set her chin, giving him a direct look. “I can be very diligent when I set my mind to something.”
Something like…driving you witless with desire, Adam heard—but only in his own mind. Because that’s exactly what Savannah seemed to have set her mind to accomplishing tonight. This wedding night was going to be the death of him. He would expire, surely as sunrise, from unmet desire. “I have no doubt you can be diligent.” He opened his eyes on an unforgettable view of Savannah’s vivacious face, golden hair and downturned mouth. He longed to curve her lips in a smile…to hear her sigh in his arms again. “I’m trying to do the right thing. I promise I am. But I’m only a man. I can’t—”
“Of course you can.” Unexpectedly Savannah smiled. “If you’re concerned about your injuries… Well, I’m sure that whatever you can manage in your condition will be just fine. The important thing is that we begin our marriage correctly. And passionately.” Her cheeks colored pink. “You’re well enough for that, aren’t you? You’ve seemed quite strong all day today.”
She thought he was hesitant to kiss her because of his hurt ribs, sore head and gunshot wound? But Adam had been healing quickly. Besides, over the years he’d been involved in many confrontations like the one with Roy Bedell—usually with more providential results, but all the same… He felt fine now.
If being tortured by wanting Savannah—and not having her—could be counted as fine.
“I’m very strong,” he said. “That’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?” Savannah wrinkled her nose. The lamplight danced across her features, making her appear both impish and alluring. “Is it the way I pulled away from you before? Because when things don’t go exactly right the first time, that’s just another reason to try again, isn’t it? Here. Hold still.”
Daringly she raised herself and pressed her mouth to his. Caught by surprise, Adam stood as immobile as a board while the flowery fragrance of her soap washed over him. Helplessly he savored the soft flutter of her hands against his chest. He imagined all the other places that Savannah might touch him—with that same gentleness and care with which she did everything.
At the thought of it alone, Adam groaned.
“Oh! I’ve done it again. I’ve hurt you, haven’t I?” Looking aggrieved, Savannah put her hands to the sides of his face. Keenly she examined him. “I’m terribly sorry. I don’t know how I keep making a hash of things this way, but I apologize immensely. Honestly, I do. I hope you’ll forgive me. Please.”
Paradoxically it was her use of such politeness that finally broke him. Savannah’s overt civility was so like her, such a part of every good thing he associated with her, that Adam couldn’t bear it any longer. He had to give in.
“You could only hurt me by staying away.” He raised his hand to hers, then clasped her fingers in his. Surrendering at last, he gazed into her eyes—undoubtedly wearing an expression as sappy as his feelings. “All I want is you, Mrs. Corwin. Now and forever.”
And even though that couldn’t be—even though they could never have now and forever between them—it pleased him to admit the truth to her. He’d think about the rest later.
“Oh.” She blushed prettily. “That’s very romantic. Thank you very, very much. But now that we’re married, you simply must call me—”
“Yes?” Breath held in anticipation, Adam waited. Would this be the moment that Savannah trusted him completely?
“—Savannah. Please call me Savannah.”
It was. Humbled and awed, Adam felt his fingers shake as he went on holding her hand. To cover his lapse in self-control, he squeezed her hand more assuredly. “I will. Thank you.”
“But you look so solemn!” She laughed, then nudged him in his flat midsection. “Go on. Let me hear you say it.”
Despite her laughter and her urgings, Savannah appeared almost as grave as he felt. She was trusting him, Adam realized. She was trusting him absolutely, with her well-being and her heart alike. That made his situation all the more precarious…and all the more irresistible.
Buoyed by her trust, he smiled. “Very well…Savannah.”
She gave a girlish squeal of approval. “Well done!”
“Savannah,” Adam repeated in a hoarse tone. Her mouth tempted him, so he simply gave in and kissed her. “Savannah.”
She sighed with satisfaction, so he kissed her again.
“Savannah,” he said, enjoying the sound and intimacy of her name on his lips. “Savannah, Savannah, Savannah…”
Before he fully realized it, Adam had drawn her into his arms again. He punctuated each breathy repetition of her name with another kiss, feeling his whole body lean toward hers with increasing urgency. He wanted her, now more than ever.
But he had to resist. He had to resist…for a reason he couldn’t quite recall. Not while he had Savannah in his arms, warm and curvy and smiling up at him with an adorably contented expression. She had no idea, it occurred to him with roguish insight, exactly how contented she might be feeling, very soon…if he had his way. He knew he could make her feel good.
“Just to be clear.” She blinked up at him as though to reorder her thoughts, then glanced away with a demure expression. “Now that we’re finally married, I—” She broke off, fiddling with his coat buttons with trembling fingers. “I want you to know, I’m fully prepared for whatever happens between us tonight.”
“You are?” Lightly he stroked her cheek. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, sending his imagination spiraling. There were all sorts of happenings they might share, both on the big four-poster bed behind them and beyond. Adam’s body tautened with anticipation. His muscles flexed in readiness. He would be gentle with her. Very gentle. And considerate and passionate…
“I promise I won’t get skittish again, like I did before,” Savannah vowed, her gaze earnest on his. “I assure you that I’m more than ready to accept whatever you have to offer me.”
He had everything to offer her. Everything. If only he could allow her to take it. If only doing so wouldn’t be a violation of the same trust she’d just given him. If only…
If only her sincere admission hadn’t touched him in a way he’d thought he’d become fully hardened against. But it had. He needed her faith in him, Adam found, almost as much as he needed her. Savannah had become as essential to him as water or air.
With a fond smile, he drew back—the better to drink in the sight of her…and remember her. For later. “All I have to offer is myself,” he confessed. Then something else occurred to him. He gestured around the room. “Well, that, plus a glass of water, a seat on the settee, a view of the town outside our window—”
“Why, Adam!” Smiling just as fondly, Savannah shook her head. “Don’t you know? This situation definitely doesn’t call for such formality between us. If you’re going to be a real Wild West hero, you simply must learn what’s appropriate.”
“Ah.” At her joke, his heart lightened. He arched his brow. “And what is appropriate in this situation, then?”
“For me to tell you that I only have
love to offer you,” she said. “Well, that, and my nest egg of savings to share.”
At her mention of it, Adam sharpened his gaze. Until today, outside the hotel dining room, she’d never confirmed the money she supposedly had secreted away. Of course Savannah had mentioned that money in her letters to Roy Bedell, he knew, but only in passing—only enough to spark Roy’s thieving interest.
Reminded of the Bedell brothers and all the trouble Savannah was in, Adam frowned anew. With Curtis Bedell so clearly on their trail, time might be running out for them.
Already the gang had been more patient than any thinking person had cause to expect, given the Bedells’ notorious history. Surely they wouldn’t wait much longer to make their move.
But now, tonight, there was nothing Adam could do about that. Nothing except wait and wonder…and try to keep watch over Savannah. Deliberately, he shoved away his worries, then smiled as Savannah kept talking.
“And that if that’s enough for you,” she went on, “then I’d say the two of us are luckier than most people ever get to be.”
“Well, now that’s true.” He held her in his arms again “Love is more than enough for me.” If only I could keep it…
Savannah nestled comfortably against him. “Excellent.”
At the emphatic way she said it, Adam smiled more broadly. The vigor with which Savannah approached life never failed to astonish him. Neither did her openness and enthusiasm for the physical aspects of marriage. He hadn’t expected that, but he felt delighted by it, all the same.
“Are you sure about more kissing?” he asked her.
A nod. “Yes. But we might have to take things slowly.”
“I promise we will,” Adam assured her. “But first, now that we’ve settled that, I find myself wanting to know.” He lifted his head to give her a rakish, unswerving look, akin to the one she’d offered earlier in the hallway. “Are you finally ready to reveal your secret?”
Chapter Eleven
“My secret?” Feeling her heartbeat quicken, Savannah gaped up at Adam. He didn’t mean—he couldn’t mean—her past. Could he?
“Yes. Your magician’s secret. From earlier tonight.” Adam mimicked the showy maneuver she’d used to pluck the key from his ear. “Remember? You said you might be persuaded to share it.”
She nearly sagged with relief. “Oh! That secret.”
His expression appeared quizzical. And handsome. And altogether irresistible. No wonder she’d allowed herself to be caught off guard by his inquiry. She hadn’t been thinking straight since their rendezvous in the hall. Perhaps earlier.
“What other secret are you keeping?” Adam asked.
I have a disgraceful past and a disreputable name, Savannah thought. But she couldn’t tell him that. Now was not the right time. Not when they’d been getting on so well. Not when they’d been on the brink of some wonderful discoveries together.
“Why don’t you come closer and find out?” With her most flirtatious look, Savannah beckoned him nearer. “After all, it’s our wedding night. I have a feeling we’ll be learning all sorts of secrets about each other soon.”
Adam blanched. His odd reaction stopped her where she stood. Curiously Savannah scrutinized him. Were there things Adam didn’t want to share with her? Did he have secrets, too?
She wondered what they could be. Wondered who or what they might involve. Wondered if Adam’s secrets were as scandalous as her secrets, or if they were more innocuous in nature.
But a second later, just as she became truly inquisitive, Adam stripped away his suit coat, revealing his fine white shirt and the strapping muscles beneath it, and Savannah forgot all about her musings. In his shirtsleeves now, Adam appeared much too appealing for her to continue thinking complicated thoughts. She simply wasn’t capable of it. Openmouthed, Savannah stared at him, wondering how she’d been fortunate enough to find a man like Adam Corwin to love her and protect her and stay with her.
And initiate her, she thought with a private thrill, into the intimate ways of married life. Whatever they entailed…
“Learning about each other sounds good,” he told her. “I want to know everything about you.” Before she could panic over that statement, Adam distracted her by tossing his coat on the settee. He loosened his necktie and the top button of his shirt, sparking her curiosity to new heights. “I want to learn about you, Savannah, starting with the top of your head,” he promised, “and working all the way down to your toes.”
“All the way down to my toes?” Savannah could scarcely imagine such a thing. It sounded downright sinful. But before she could launch into an intriguing attempt to envision it, Adam provided the very experience he’d described. Just as he’d vowed, he began by kissing her on the top of her head.
The gesture should have been brotherly…but it wasn’t. In Adam’s capable hands, even a relatively innocent kiss felt wicked. He tightened his hand on her jaw, holding her still as he kissed her forehead next. Then her right temple. Then her left temple. Savannah’s knees buckled, but Adam only held her more securely, then went on keeping his promise. His breath feathered subtly across her cheek as he kissed her there, too.
“You,” she managed to say, “are being very conscientious about your promise.”
“Yes.” He kissed her jawline, inciting a shiver. “I am.”
“That’s—” she swayed “—very well done of you.”
“I hope so.” Expertly he kissed her neck. “Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like. I’m here to please you.”
Another kiss. A cascade of goose bumps prickled from the side of her neck all the way down Savannah’s body. Gasping, she clutched Adam’s shirtfront to keep her balance. “Oh! I’d like more of that please. Who could have known that would feel so—”
“Good?” Adam whispered in her ear. “I hope it feels good.”
Dumbly she nodded, afraid to move out of his reach and end this tantalizing contact between them…but too preoccupied with the novel sensation of feeling his tongue swirl gently along her earlobe to muster a coherent sentence. Naughtily Adam bit down.
Savannah shivered anew. “I’m happy I wore my hair up!”
“I am, too. At least for now.” As though reminded of that fact, Adam slipped out one of her hairpins. Then another. She couldn’t possibly have refused him a third or fourth hairpin—or anything else he desired in that moment. “You looked beautiful today,” he said. “You always look beautiful to me, Savannah.”
Savannah. She loved the sound of her name on his lips. She could have listened to Adam whisper it all day. She couldn’t imagine why she’d waited so long to grant him permission to use her Christian name so familiarly. Now that she had, she wanted to hear Adam say it again and again.
But first, she realized, she needed to offer a reply. Adam was still speaking with her, and all she’d done for the past few heart-pounding moments was nod and quiver. It would only be correct and proper to further their dialogue, she realized, even while she wriggled and gasped beneath his continuing kisses.
“You looked very handsome, also!” Savannah divulged in a breathless tone. There. She’d done it. She’d conversed with him, and in a complimentary fashion, too. But her well-cultivated manners were fading fast. The authors of the Guide to Correct Etiquette and Proper Behavior handbook would have been appalled. Feeling muddled, she searched for more polite conversation. “Also, you’re very good at this head-to-toe kissing,” she struggled to say. “I find that I quite like it.”
“I love it.” His smile charmed her. Uninhibited and freely given, Adam’s smile lighted the room like a beacon of good humor and enjoyment. “I love kissing you. Just like I knew I would,” he said, “from the moment I first imagined it.”
“You imagined kissing me?” The notion seemed astonishing.
His masculine laughter rang out. “Endlessly.”
Pleased at that, Savannah preened. Certainly she’d made men want her as The Seductive Sensation. But they hadn’t really wanted h
er. They’d wanted the illusion she presented.
“I could go on this way,” Adam said, pressing another kiss to the side of her neck, “all night long.”
As though in evidence of that, more hairpins fell away, coaxed free by his talented hands. Soon her hair fell past her shoulders in silky, unbound waves. She’d worn her hair loose while onstage sometimes, of course, but it felt different to let down her hair with Adam. It felt personal, like a gift. A gift to him. Adam seemed to recognize that fact, too.
Reverently he gazed at her. “You’re so pretty, Savannah.”
Shyly she ducked her head. Surely this was pushing the boundaries of good fortune, to have a husband who complimented her so freely. “You mustn’t get carried away,” she warned him, staring in abrupt fascination at the tanned triangle of skin exposed by his open shirt collar. “After all, we have a whole life together to look forward to. Perhaps you should save some of your sweet talk for later, so you don’t run out.”
“And miss telling you how much I enjoy the curve of your mouth? The feel of your lips? Never.” Adam demonstrated his affection with a kiss. He cradled her cheek in his hand, then smiled at her. “Besides, I make it a policy not to count on later. Not when there’s so much to be savored now. Like this.”
His mouth came down on hers, showing her all there was to appreciate in this moment, magically enticing her lips to open. This time, tutored in this style of kissing, Savannah participated enthusiastically. She clutched Adam’s shirt and levered herself upward on her tiptoes.
At her eagerness, Adam raised his head briefly, then chuckled. But he approved, she could tell. Because he kissed her again, deeply and thoroughly and with spine-tingling intensity.
Lost in the miraculous slide of their lips and tongues, the gentle warmth of their mingled breath, the seductive moan that Adam made as she kissed him back, Savannah felt positively giddy. Surely this clever variety of kiss was like a drug, encouraging innocent people to partake again and again.
