Man of Honor, A

by Tina Leonard

  She shook her head. What was making her so edgy? The baby? Or the terrifying men they'd left behind in Crookseye? Maybe the sheriff, who wanted to frame one or both of them?

  "Please, Cord," she whispered desperately. "Love me tonight. Now. "

  Could any man resist that plea coming from the woman he'd wanted for so long? Sexual desire flared inside Cord, igniting into a fiery wanting.

  "I might hurt you," he stated one last time in a futile effort to stall.

  "Not if I'm on top." She slid her panties down her legs, watching his eyes follow her every movement. She let them fall from around her ankles to the floor. Reaching for his jeans, she unbuttoned the fly buttons one by one, keeping her gaze on his. "Take these off."

  He had to. He was going to burst if he didn't. She helped him, and the jeans joined her underwear on the carpet. His hardness rose from his body, and Tessa smoothed a hand over the tip and down the shaft, encircling him.

  There was only so much a man could take. He lay down, allowing her to straddle his legs. Her moist heat was near to him, so ripe and delicious. He stopped her from reaching for him.

  "Let me please you first." Her face showed puzzlement, but she allowed him to move her off him, gently settling her on her back. Slowly, he spread her bent knees, feeling desire so hot it was almost painful as he looked at her fullness.

  "You're beautiful."

  "Not like this I'm not. Let me up, Cord."

  She moved to get up, but the position was awkward, and she succumbed to his hands when he stroked the inside of her thighs.

  "Relax," he said.

  "It's so hard!"

  "Let me make it easier." Between her legs, he stroked her with a finger, drawing a moan from her. She closed her eyes, and he leaned down to touch her with his tongue, just a slick pressure on her tip, but she nearly jumped with the surprise of it.

  "Relax," he told her again, slipping his tongue inside her and keeping it there until she stilled, caught by the intimate fullness. When he felt her bend to his will, he moved his tongue more daringly, in and out, swirling, sometimes suckling lightly.

  "Oh, my gosh, that feels so good," she whispered. "Cord, oh, Cord!"

  The force of her orgasm brought her hips up, which he liked. Catching her to him, he tasted her more deeply, searching for the nectar she released.

  Her whole body seemed to shatter like a fragmented rainbow.

  What Cord was doing was torture, wonderful sensual torture, and she had no strength to resist. She climaxed again, brought to sweet relief by the tiny suction pressure he kept on her bud. Crying out, she dug her fingers into his hair, trying her utmost to drag him up to her. He stared down at her, a proudly ornery smile on his face, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "That was probably enough to send me into labor right now."

  He grinned but ran his fingers through her hair, moving it off her forehead in answer.

  "Didn't you enjoy it?"

  "I loved it, and you know I did, and now... it's my turn."

  She rolled to her side, pushing him onto his back and pinning him underneath her.

  "Turnabout... is fair play," she warned him, her dewy crevice hovering over him just enough to tantalize, to tease. She rubbed him with her moistness, letting him feel what he was going to have, before slowly sliding herself down the length of him.

  "Tessa," he groaned, a muscle working in his throat. "Are you sure about this? If I hurt you"

  "You won't." She interrupted his protest with a kiss. "Relax."

  He tried to. He closed his eyes, letting her set the rhythm, giving her the chance to make the contact where it felt best to her. There was a chance he would die of pleasure, he thought, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. Tessa fitted him in all the right places, satiny and smooth and seductive. If he wasn't afraid of letting her down, he'd blow up right now, and there would be nothing left of him for the next few days.

  But she set a new rhythm, one he could tell suited her, rocking against him snugly. Gritting his teeth so he wouldn't lose control, he rocked with her, back and forth again and again. He felt her start to tighten on him, and it was all he could do not to let out a warrior's cry of

  abandon. It was so close, but she wasn't there yet. He grasped her hips, pressing her buttocks so she'd feel more pressure in the sensitive place. With a muted cry, she slumped forward, gasping. One more thrust, and he met her on a plateau of pleasure, hoarsely crying his satisfaction. "Tessa, Tessa," he whispered.

  He raised his arms to catch her and laid her on her side next to him.

  Putting his arms around her, he held her close, her head tucked under his chin.

  They fell asleep, undisturbed by anything outside the cocoon of their newly budding love.

  "Do you think they're planning on staying here long?" Rossi asked Salvador. He squinted at the motel-room window and the truck parked below.

  "They should be hungry." He was, but they didn't dare leave in case their prey decided to leave. Small problems such as hunger didn't count for much on their mission.

  "They will come out soon enough," Salvador answered.

  Rossi nodded.

  "We could go in and take the woman."

  There would be a struggle with the cowboy, and that was more of a problem. However, they had to come out soon, and it was preferable to run them off the road on a deserted stretch of highway. There were a lot of flat, rarely driven roads in this part of Texas.

  "We'll wait," Salvador said tersely.

  A rapping on the car window startled both of them. A state trooper stood outside, staring in at them. Rossi rolled down the window of the old car.

  "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said, his voice big and deep like everything else in Texas. "Could I see your vehicle registration, please?"

  There was no vehicle registration because the car was stolen. Salvador nodded ever so slightly at Rossi. He reached into the glove box as if he were looking for papers, smiling as he heard the sudden smack, the telltale grunt as the trooper hit the ground. Swiftly, he got out to help Rossi put the man into the trunk. Rossi unbuckled the gun belt and retrieved the man's hat before slamming the lid.

  "Did you kill him?"

  "No. But he will have a headache if he doesn't suffocate in here."

  Rossi put on the tan Western hat, holding the gun belt up to his waist.

  "Do I look like a cowboy?"

  "A little. Hide that belt in the back seat. I don't want anyone to see it and get suspicious." "But I will wear the American cowboy hat. Many people wear them here."

  Salvador shrugged, brushing off his palms as he got back in the car.

  "We are very lucky for the darkness. That policia could have made us big trouble."

  "Si. But maybe our luck is changing. Perhaps we should speed up our plan."

  "What do you have in mind?"

  "We need them to come out."

  They sent a glance upstairs where they'd seen the cowboy and his companion go.

  "Set his truck on fire," Salvador suggested.

  "He will come out, and we can grab her while he is otherwise occupied."

  "I think not. Where there is one policia, there will be a station waiting to hear from him. That's how it is on television." Rossi considered the situation, his eyes narrowed.

  To their surprise, the motel door opened, and the cowboy and the golden woman came out, holding hands as they walked down to the truck.

  Salvador looked at Rossi.

  "I think maybe we are still lucky."

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tessa sighed in the predawn breeze. Though it was still dark, the sky was lightening and she could hear the stirrings of life.

  "We'll be there by noon."

  Cord nodded, opening the truck door for her.

  "Yeah. I'm glad we're getting an early start."

  "Did you sleep well?" she asked as she scooted across the bench seat.

  "Like a baby. You?"

  She smiled. "The same."

  They stared at each othe
r for a moment, the secret of the lovemaking shining in their eyes. Tessa hoped Cord would kiss her, but he didn't.

  He made sure her seat belt was well fastened and closed the door. He seemed preoccupied, so she didn't say anything else as he started the truck and pulled onto the highway.

  "Are you hungry?" he asked.

  "I don't want a thing until we get to Mexico. After we get married, I've got a craving for a big plate of beans and rice. Real Mexican food, not Tex-Mex."

  "That wouldn't have been the honeymoon dinner I'd have ordered under different circumstances, but we'll go with it." He squinted as he looked at the gas gauge.

  "I've got to stop and fill up. Do you want a soda?"

  "That would be nice. Not nutritious, but it sounds good."

  Pulling into a filling station, he got out to pump gas. Tessa waited inside the truck until he was finished.

  "We're good to go," he said, sliding into the seat.

  She nodded, suddenly apprehensive.

  "Are you all right?" He reached up to brush her hair away from her face.

  "I'm just afraid we're not going to make it in time," she murmured. Her fear seemed to loom larger with every passing hour.

  "In time for what?"

  "I know this is going to sound silly for someone who has 'lived in sin' as my mother would say, but I really want my baby to be born after I'm married." She could barely meet his eyes.

  "I'd live in sin with you for the rest of my life if that's what it took," he said.

  She laughed.

  "What did the doctor figure your due date to be?"

  "I don't know for sure because it's really an estimation based on my cycle, which was never regular to start with. Nan said sometimes first babies take their time. She said I could be

  as much as two weeks after my estimated due date. Since that's what my doctor in Dallas said, too, I'm not overly worried. I'm just unsettled for some reason. "

  "So where were you planning on having the baby? In Crookseye?"

  She shook her head.

  "I don't think so. I think the indigent hospital in Dallas would be fine."

  His brows rose.

  "I called two weeks ago and put you on my health insurance policy if that's what you're worried about. You can have the baby anywhere you like. "

  Her heart soared. "You did?"

  "Yeah. That baby is part of my family whether or not anything permanent ever happened between you and me."

  Warm happiness filled her. "I would have thanked you if you'd told me."

  He shrugged and adjusted the mirror. "No reason to bog you down with the details, Tessa. You've had enough on your mind."

  "I can't believe they let you put me on your policy without us being married."

  "I told them we were getting married and that you were having a baby, and they didn't seem to have a problem with that. With the price of self-employed insurance, I'm guessing they like adding dependents onto my coverage."

  She stared out the window, unable to say how much she appreciated what he'd done. For the first time in her life, a feeling of security washed over her. He was going to take care of her baby - and everything else would work out.

  As soon as the colonel's killers were captured.

  "I think we're being followed," Cord suddenly announced.

  Sheriff Grimes kept his eye on the car tailing the truck. He'd thought alerting his trooper buddy that there was a possible stolen vehicle parked outside that squatty motel would have been enough to lose them, but apparently the trooper was all that had gotten lost.

  Unwilling to risk being spotted, Grimes had parked on the opposite side of the highway, so he didn't know for sure whether his friend had even talked to the driver of the suspicious car.

  He cursed the inept trooper, realizing he must have checked up on the wrong car. If these men had done the colonel in, then they were following Cord for a reason. Most likely to silence him in case he'd seen something. Heard something.

  The best thing he could do was wait for them to make their move. They appeared to be as determined as he was to keep an eye on the rancher and his brother's girlfriend.

  By afternoon, Cord drove through Mexico's border with hardly a sideways glance from the officer at the checkpoint. Just a nod at his license and half an ear for Cord's explanation, and that was it. Tessa was worried that something might go wrong at the last second, that some snafu wouldn't allow them to cross into Mexico, but apparently Cord's story that they were going shopping for the day was sufficient.

  She let out a huge sigh of relief. "That was so much easier than I anticipated."

  "They like people to come over and shop." He put his glasses back on, shielding his eyes from the bright light of the day.

  "It's much warmer down here, isn't it?"

  "Yeah, but I was ready for some sunshine." He turned to smile at her, and Tessa was caught by how handsome he was. White teeth flashed against swarthy skin. Jet hair ruffled in the breeze from the open truck window. He had some similar features to Hunt, but he was older,

  more weathered around the eyes. His jaw was a bit more square, giving him a strong appearance.

  "We shouldn't have to look too hard to find a place to get married."

  He had no idea how much she hoped he was right. The realization that this man was actually going to be her husband gave her a secret thrill.

  Her mother hadn't been married, something that had bothered Hester terribly over the years. Tessa hugged the delight to herself that she would be.

  Fifteen minutes later, Cord stopped at an open-air market and asked directions in Spanish. Like Hunt, that was a language he was comfortable with.

  "What did he say?" Tessa asked.

  "That the el civil is around the corner. And he sold me this." He held out a ring, lapis lazuli chased with silver.

  "It's beautiful," she breathed. "I love it."

  "See how it fits. I told him I needed a small size." Her heart palpitating, she slid it on her finger.

  "It won't go on. My finger is swollen." Switching to the other hand, the ring went over her knuckle when she tugged it.

  "When I shrink back to size, my hands will, too. Thank you." She smiled at him. "I couldn't have anything more perfect."

  "Yes, you could. This whole situation could be a helluva lot more perfect." He started the engine, keeping his head facing forward. "It bothered your mother that she'd had no ring. If I had my way, it would be a diamond, but the schedule doesn't allow for it. I'm sorry."

  "Don't be." She covered his hand with hers. "I'm very, very happy."

  "The only consolation is that lapis matches your eyes. Of course, the shopkeeper tried to tell me it was good luck, but I think he was selling me more than a ring with that one."

  She smiled down at the shiny, beautiful ring. "I think I'm very lucky."

  He didn't say anything as he parked in front of a courthouse. "This is it."

  Suddenly a little nervous, Tessa laughed. "I think I've got bridal jitters."

  "Not backing out on me, are you? I might get my feelings hurt if you jilted me after proposing to me."

  She smiled. "I doubt your feelings would get hurt." Moving to get out of the car, she halted when he caught her arm.

  "My feelings would be very hurt."

  The smile slid from her face. "Trust me, I'm not changing my mind. I'm just suffering some normal jitters."

  He nodded. "Got your Bible?"

  "Oh, my gosh, I'm glad you reminded me." She dug under the seat and pulled it out. "This means so much to me." Her eyes brightened as she looked at the Bible. She opened the cover to look at the first page, gasping when she saw a one-hundred-dollar bill and a sticky note that read "Tessa."

  "Mama must have had a total change of heart. She gave me a wedding gift."

  He smiled. "I'm glad. It's good to see you so happy."

  "I'll really be happy if you take me back to the market."

  His brow rose.

  "Why?"

&nb
sp; "Because I need to buy you a band that matches mine. I couldn't stop to get any money out of my account because we left so quickly, but Mama's gift makes up for that."

  "Tessa, you don't have to buy me anything."

  She tapped the side of his mouth.

  "But you're trying not to smile, so I think the idea appeals to you a little. I know I proposed to you, but I'd also like to buy you a ring. You don't have to wear it, but"

  "I didn't think of it or I would have bought one."

  "No, you wouldn't. In our case, you have every reason not to feel like you have to. But I'd like to get one for you."

  He gently caught her chin in his fingers.

  "I don't know what you meant by that, but I can tell you that the only reason I didn't buy a matching band is because I didn't think of it. Other than that, Tessa, I consider myself about to become married in every sense of the word. "

  She tried not to shiver with the pleasure those words brought her.

  Everything was going so well. If it only stayed that way. She closed her eyes in silent supplication as he backed out of the parking space.

  Please let everything work out, just this once.

  Salvador cursed as the truck went through the checkpoint without a hitch. Rossi stopped on the side of the road, debating their situation.

  "Maybe they check our trunk, maybe they don't."

  "Maybe is too risky this time." Salvador could hear the trooper banging against the trunk lid every once in a while.

  He would be sure to make all kinds of noise if he figured out they were at a border. "This is bad. We should have grabbed them at the motel."

  "Now what?"

  It was an unexpected hitch that didn't bode well for their plan. Quite possibly, they had just lost the couple for good. On the one hand, Rossi and Salvador could blend in more easily in Mexico with their knowledge of Spanish and their skin color. It wouldn't be difficult to find out where two gringos had gone, particularly the woman with her light hair and large belly. However, the trooper posed a problem. If they let him out of the trunk, policia would be after them in no time.

  "I think we have to say goodbye to the trooper."