The woods closed in on her, leaving her feeling trapped and choking on the pain. She was the one to turn away this time. “This hurts so much, Wyatt.”
He moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her with such care.
“Do you want me to go back to Blessing?”
She actually considered it, but then shook her head. “No, I want you with me. We’re down to less than two days, and I don’t want to waste a single minute of that time.”
“If you’re sure.” He rested his head next to hers. “I don’t want to cause you any more pain than I already have.”
“It only hurts because you’ve made my time up here so special, Wyatt. I love the way you make me feel.”
Several more former residents of Blessing appeared a short distance away. Wyatt’s hold on her tightened. “Let’s go to the cabin and forget about all of this until tomorrow morning.”
She shivered at the sheer number of ghosts she could see at the moment. It was as if they’d stolen all of the heat from the summer day.
“Good idea. We’ll lock the door, pull the blinds and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist. There’s just me, you, a claw-foot tub and that bed I mentioned earlier.”
He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “Lady, I do like the way you think.”
Then they ran down the narrow trail all the way to the cabin, laughing when she closed the door and threw the lock.
* * *
“Food first.”
Rayanne had been trying to drag Wyatt up the stairs, but he dug in his heels. She’d looked ashen back there in the woods when the fine citizens of Blessing had strayed too close to them. Although he didn’t seem to need much of anything in the way of food and water, that wasn’t true for her.
“But taking a bath first would feel so good.”
The heat in her eyes made it clear just how good it would feel. It was damned tempting to take her up on the offer, but she hadn’t been able to hide the slight trembling in her hands when she tried once again to coax him to follow her.
Two could play at that game. “Eat something first. You’re going to need all your strength for our—” he studied her with all the heat he could muster “—bath.”
She stopped right where she was, her mouth slowly curving up in a smile. “Well, then, there is that. I’ll fix a quick sandwich. Do you want one?”
“No, thanks. Right now I don’t appear to need anything.”
Rayanne had been about to open the white cabinet that held cold air. “Are you all right?”
He suspected what she really wanted to know was if he were solid and was reluctant to find out for herself. He quickly stripped off his coat and hat, tossing them on a nearby chair. Then he picked up a book off the counter and thumbed through it, answering her without words.
She shot him a relieved grin and returned to fixing herself a quick meal. At the moment, he was alive or at least solid and able to impact his surroundings. That could change at any moment, but he hoped it wouldn’t. He was really looking forward to that bath.
Rayanne slapped two pieces of bread together with a piece of cheese between them and then devoured it all in very little time. When she swallowed the last bite, she grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the steps again. He outweighed her by a lot, but he let himself get towed along.
“That’s not much of a meal.”
“It was enough for now.”
At the top of the stairs she ducked into the bathroom and turned on the water and added some pink liquid that bubbled up when the water hit it. The scent of roses filled the damp air. Holding her hand under the stream of water, she adjusted the two knobs until she was happy. “That feels about right. Gotta love hot and cold running water.”
Her hands immediately grabbed the hem of her shirt, leaving wet prints on the cloth as she tugged it up and over her head. When he didn’t immediately follow suit, she tapped her foot impatiently. “Get started, mister. I need you to wash my back.”
He’d taken his share of baths over the years, but he’d never once shared a tub with anyone. The possibilities left him fumble-fingered as he started working on his own buttons.
It didn’t help watching his lover fling her clothes aside and slide into the steaming water without him. He slowed down, determined to savor the moments. Rayanne had settled back in the bathtub, watching his every move with hungry eyes. That was only fair. He’d been needing this moment with her ever since she’d stormed into the saloon, looking for him earlier that morning.
He wanted nothing between them except the sweet slide of her skin against his. Sex would be great, but right now he needed more than that. Her touch soothed him in ways he couldn’t find the words to describe. He’d been alone for so damned long, and being with her kept those lonely shadows at bay.
Rather than rush things, he took his time folding his shirt and laying it neatly on the floor. Next he toed off his boots and set them side by side next to his shirt. Socks followed next. When he reached for the first button on his trousers, Rayanne shifted positions, leaning forward with her arms crossed on the side of the tub, her chin resting on her hands.
Clearly, she was enjoying the show. He dropped the trousers and kicked them off, giving up all pretense of being in control. She immediately moved to the end where the faucets were, giving him the end where he could lie back against the side of the tub. He made room for her between his legs, settling her against his chest, her head leaning on his shoulder. The mounds of bubbles played peek-a-boo with all of his favorite parts of her body. Her bottom sat snugged up against his shaft, offering undeniable evidence that he was enjoying himself.
In fact, if all they did was cuddle in warm water and bubbles, he could die a happy man.
But then she reached for the washcloth and soap and showed him just how much happier he could be.
Chapter 18
Rayanne lathered up the soft cloth and handed it over her shoulder to Wyatt. “If you’ll wash my back, I’ll return the favor.”
Then she leaned forward to give him room to move. She sighed with sheer pleasure as he dragged the cloth across her skin in slow, thorough circles. He didn’t limit his ministrations to the elegant length of her back. Her shoulders received their fair amount of attention, as did each of her arms.
Then he dropped the cloth into the water and gathered up a handful of the bubbles and used them to massage her aching breasts until she could no longer sit still. He tightened his hold on her with one hand and used the other to explore the slick folds at the apex of her legs.
One thick finger tested her readiness, pressing deep inside her as he nibbled along the side of her neck, moving on to trace the shell of her ear with the tip of his tongue. She tried to break free, intending to turn around and straddle his lap. He would have none of it.
“Wyatt! Please!”
“We’ll get there, sweetheart, but right now I’m enjoying myself.”
He showed no mercy, continuing to torment her in such wonderful ways. Finally, he loosened his hold long enough for her to turn around. She settled her knees on each side of his hips.
“My turn for some fun.”
“I’m all yours.”
She rose up and carefully guided his erection right to the entrance of her body and then slowly impaled herself on its rigid length. They both moaned as she settled him deep inside. Then she rocked forward and back, sending ripples of water lapping at the top edge of the tub.
This was about to get messy, and she didn’t care. There’d be plenty of time later to mop up spilled water. Right now, all she cared about was stoking this hunger between them. As she came down hard, Wyatt slid farther down in the water and grabbed onto both sides of the tub with his hands. If she wasn’t mistaken, his eyes had just about rolled up in his head.
She did it again, unsure which of them she was tormenting the most. When she repeated the maneuver, her lover lost all control. In a slick move, he had her pinned beneath him, but making sure her head was well above the water line as he started pumping his hips, surging in and out of her. She raised her ankles high up on the edge of the tub, taking all of him.
Wyatt’s climax was building. It was there in the way he held her so tightly in his arms, in the way his breath came in short bursts as his body shuddered deep inside of hers. Her ability to make him lose control was intoxicating and drove her flying over the edge right along with him.
As he poured out his passion deep within her, she chanted the only thing that really mattered.
“I love you, I love you, I love you.”
And when Wyatt finally collapsed, sinking heavily against her, he added words of his own.
“For now and for always, Rayanne, I will love you.”
Life might offer very few perfect moments, but in her heart, she knew this was one of them.
She wrapped her arms around him and just breathed in the scent of sex and roses. Both of them were content to savor the moment. Eventually, the water grew too cold to be comfortable. It took all of her energy to move at all.
“Hey, big guy, want to try out the bed next?”
He lifted his head and grinned at her. “That’s a bit conventional for us, don’t you think?”
“I’ll bet we won’t find it boring, especially if we...” Then she whispered a few ideas in his ear to prove her point.
He blinked twice. “Well, I’m willing to give it my best effort.”
It took him a couple of tries to start moving. Finally, he managed to climb out of the tub and grab a pair of thick towels. They helped each other dry off. When she reached for the robe she kept on the back of the bathroom door, Wyatt stopped her.
“You’re not going to need that. You have me to keep you warm.”
With that happy thought, she hung the robe back up on the door and led the charge down the hall to her room. She turned back the covers and scooted all the way to the far side of the bed to make room for Wyatt. After a bit of shifting this way and that, they found a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Morning came way too early. Today would be their last day together. With luck, they’d come up with a plan to break the cycle, and Wyatt would finally rest easy in his grave on the hillside outside of Blessing. If not, then he’d continue to die year after year, a man trapped in his own special hell. The only difference would be that he’d have the memory of these days and nights with Rayanne to keep him company.
He’d reminded her during the night that he fully expected her to make a life for herself without him no matter which way things turned out. She’d argued with him, but he’d held firm. When she’d cried, he’d held her close. And when they’d made love, he’d given her his best.
She’d made him feel alive, and maybe for her he was. If so, was it possible that he could have gotten her with child? Was it selfish of him to hope he had?
He stared up at the ceiling and let his thoughts drift, imagining what their child would look like, how it would feel to share this amazing love with a third person, one they created together. It was foolish and sweet and most likely an impossibility. Besides, how was he supposed to fit into this modern world? There was so much Rayanne took for granted that was new and scary to him.
Cars were bad enough, but he’d seen those machines flying high in the sky, too. Even that bath they’d shared the previous night had been the first time he’d experienced hot water he hadn’t had to heat on the stove and carry to the tub. This dream world they shared here on the mountain wouldn’t exist for him down below. Blessing was his world, the one place he belonged.
Rayanne rose up to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Liar.” She rolled on top of him. With her hands on his chest, she pushed herself up to stare down at him. “You were relaxed and cuddly. Now you’re all tensed up.”
Maybe he could distract her. He cupped her backside with both hands and squeezed. “I was thinking about how we should start the day.”
“Nice try, but I’d hope that thinking about some hot sex in the morning wouldn’t have put that particular look on your face.”
She leaned down to brush her lips across his. “Don’t try to protect me, Wyatt. We both know these next two days are going to get ugly.”
He brushed her hair back from her face. “I was thinking if somehow I managed to survive tomorrow—really survived, not just caught up in the same old vicious circle, that I’d never fit into your world.”
Damn, he hadn’t meant to put even more sadness in her eyes.
“Look, forget I said anything, Rayanne. But it’s true I’m not like the men in your time.”
She smiled, but it was clearly a struggle. “True enough, but then I’ve always had a thing for gunslingers.”
“Really. What kind of thing would that be?”
Before she could answer, the telephone rang. Rayanne stared at it as if it were a rattlesnake about to bite. Finally, she sighed and slid off the bed to answer it.
“Yes, Mom, I’m still here. Where else would I be?”
He couldn’t hear the other half of the conversation, but it was clear that Rayanne was not enjoying anything her mother had to say.
“We’ve talked about this. And yes, I do know what tomorrow is.”
Her lips were white with tension as she listened. “Please, Mom, don’t drive a wedge between us that won’t be easily mended.”
Wyatt sat up on the edge of the bed and debated what to do. Whatever her mother was saying was tearing Rayanne apart. He wished she’d simply hang up. When she didn’t do it herself, he gently pried it from her fingers and wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. Would her mother be able to hear him if he tried speaking to her?
“Mrs. Allen, you need to stop this now. You’re hurting your daughter with these unkind words.”
Success. She sputtered to a halt. “Who is this?”
How was he supposed to answer that? I’m the ghost who haunts Blessing? I’m your daughter’s lover, except I died when your grandmother was a young woman? I’m the man who is going to break your daughter’s heart? I’m the man who loves her?
There were no good options. He settled for, “I’m a friend of Rayanne’s, and I can’t stand seeing her hurting like this.”
Then he hung up.
No doubt there would be consequences for his actions, but right now he was more worried about the woman whose tears burned against his skin. He stroked Rayanne’s back, hoping it would soothe her pain. As he did so, he noticed their image reflected in the mirror over the old bureau.
They were a picture of contrasts. He was tall, his body lean and rough-hewn from years of hard riding and even harder living. His skin was dark from hours outside without his shirt on as he’d chopped wood and hauled water to Amanda’s garden. His hair was longer than he liked. He’d been due for a trim and a shave when everything had gone to hell.
Rayanne, on the other hand, was everything he wasn’t. Soft. Gentle. A strange mix of strong and fragile all at the same time. And so damned lovely that it hurt.
She looked up, meeting his gaze in the mirror. It wasn’t their lack of clothing that left him feeling raw, exposed. No, it was their love for each other reflected there in the silvered glass. Despite the shimmer of tears in her eyes, Rayanne smiled at the man in the mirror.
“I could sit and stare at you like this all day.”
Then that small bit of joy faded. “I’m sorry about that phone call. My parents can’t seem to get it through their heads that I’m fine up here.”
No, she wasn’t. Not really. “I hope I didn’t cause you more pro
blems by talking to your mother.”
The smile was back. “I’d love to have seen the look on her face when she realized I’d had an overnight guest. She’s been saying I need a man in my life.”
He bet he wasn’t what her mother had in mind. “In my day, your father would come after me with a shotgun.”
Rayanne’s smile was all temptation. “Because you had your wicked, wicked way with me repeatedly and hopefully plan to again? Like right now.”
It wasn’t in him to refuse her, not with the clock ticking and their time running out so damned fast. They both needed something to distract them, even for a few minutes. He picked her up in his arms, lifting her legs high around his waist as he tumbled them both back down on the bed.
The real world was right outside, ready to tear them apart. But for now, for these few minutes, they could find comfort in each other’s arms.
* * *
Two hours later, they finally stepped outside. As soon as the sun hit his skin, he felt a familiar tingle. Not now! It was too soon—and already too late.
“Rayanne!”
She’d been locking the door of the cabin, but looked up when he called her name. A look of horror crossed her face as she took two steps in his direction. When she reached out to him, her hands passed right through his.
They both stared at the shimmer working its way up his arms. “I’m sorry. It’s time.”
“Wyatt, I’ll meet you in town.”
He wanted her with him, but caution had him shaking his head. “Not until tomorrow. Stay here. Stay safe.”
She looked distraught. “I can’t hear you!”
He tried to touch her one last time and mouthed his final words to her, hoping to make himself understood. “No matter what happens, I love you, Rayanne. Never forget that.”
Rayanne stood there looking fierce and determined. “I won’t forget. And I love you, too, Wyatt McCain. I’ll do my best to end this for you.”
He nodded, knowing she would. The tingling had worsened to a burn. He could no longer feel the warmth of the sun or the ground beneath his feet. Rayanne seemed to be standing at the far end of a tunnel, growing smaller and more distant until he couldn’t see her at all.
Immortal Cowboy Page 19
