Better Off Without Her (Book One of the Western Serial Killer series)

by Hestand, Rita

  "You don't want me?" she purred.

  "Oh yes ma'am, I want you, all of you." He smiled as his eyes traveled her again.

  She pulled him to the bed, pulled back the covers, and invited him in.

  John T. studied her a moment. Watched her lovely hair flow against the pillow, saw her breast lay gently against each other, and her legs began to spread against the cover, in open invitation.

  "I like it slow…" she smiled.

  "Good, but you keep doing things like that, and it won't be. I want ever inch of you darlin'."

  She chuckled.

  He sat on the bed for a minute, pulling his boots and socks off. Then he stood up again, stared down at her, and before he joined her, his clothes formed a pile next to the bed on the floor.

  As his body sank against the mattress, she sighed and her breath hitched when his mouth went straight to her nipples and tugged gently with his teeth, and then suckled her sweetly. She purred in his arms.

  "You sure taste sweet." He murmured.

  She cooed against him, throwing her head back and arching herself against him, her hips hugging his as she thrust her hips against his.

  Her body reacted violently at first; pushing against him almost instinctively as his tongue circled her nipple over and over, first one breast then the other. Goosebumps feathered her skin.

  "What are you doing?" She gasped for air as his hands gently went up and down her. He stroked her female parts to see if she was warm and moist like he wanted her. She was more than ready for him, but for nothing would he rush the moment. He wanted her clawing at him to take her.

  His head came up and he stared down into her eyes as he leaned over her. "I'm making love to you…," he cooed.

  "Love….you don't love me…just do it and get it over with…" she wailed almost sadly.

  "Is that what you really want?" He asked, as his lips went back to laving her nipples.

  She squirmed in his arms. "Of course…it is…" she gasped, and then sighed with such longing that his lips came up to hers and he began a slow assault on them. He felt her nipples become hard against his chest as he barely rubbed his chest against hers. It was sending him all kinds of exotic signals.

  "It isn't supposed to be this good…" She whispered as his tongue darted inside her ear then his warm breath followed with a chuckle.

  He felt her goose bumps, and looked into her face. In the ebbing darkness he saw the same raw desire he felt. She was fighting it, for some reason, he didn't understand, but it was there, down deep in those pale blue eyes.

  "It isn't…" he questioned, as his lips trailed down her neck. "Want me to stop, then…" he pulled up over her again, this time smiling because he knew her answer before he asked.

  "Oh…please…." She cried out loud.

  "Please what…stop or not…" he whispered for her only.

  He paused for her answer. "Please don't stop…." She gasped. "Can we do this all night?"

  "Hmm…that's a tempting thought. You won't get an argument from me."

  She smiled and kissed him, her tongue going inside his mouth and laving his. Then he pulled away and rolled her over, so he was on top.

  "I couldn't stop if I wanted to darlin'. Your sweeter than sunshine in the mornin', prettier than any flower I've ever held. I can't just …do it…" he sighed as his lips found hers once more and he proceeded to kiss her into surrender. "But you make me crazy with wanting to…"

  "Who taught you to…?" She asked in a coo.

  He smiled against her mouth, nipping her bottom lip playfully, "You did…. You have no right to be so beautiful, so sweet, so tempting…"

  "I was so scared…you’re the first man that looked as though he'd had a bath in a month…" she whispered. "I wanted you to be my first…"

  "Hmm…I probably smell like creak water to you…"

  "Nothin' wrong with creek water. But" she pretended to scold…"I'm the one supposed to do the seducing…but you….you are good at it…"

  "Am I?" he smiled against her arm, as his head bent again to her soft cushioned breast. He couldn't quite get enough of her there. He knew he'd remember those soft pillows forever. His teeth tugged gently then his lips would suckle her.

  He was busy for a long time, tasting, laving, and kissing every part of her sweet body.

  Then suddenly, he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, "Okay, you are right, you are supposed to do the seducing, so go ahead….I got sidetracked."

  She rose up over him, her breast dangling seductively against his chest. He almost couldn't stand the temptation. "I've never made….love…" she gulped. "I just wanted you to know that."

  He smiled tenderly into her face, "It's okay…neither have I…"

  She smiled, and then almost laughed, "You're kidding, right?'

  "Nope, never…Oh…I've had a few women, just never made love to them. But you, I couldn't do that to, darlin'."

  "But you….touched me…no man has ever touched me like that, like he liked just touching me…" she cried.

  "I do…I want to remember it forever."

  "I do too. If I'd known it was this good, I wouldn't have been so shy…" she smiled.

  John T. smile faded, he sighed heavily. Yeah, this was just a romp in the hay for her. Nothing special. She'd never know how special it was to him though.

  He sighed a little too heavily.

  "What's your name," she whispered as her lips covered his nipple now. His loins tightened almost to the hurting point. It'd be hard to stave off his needs, but he wanted to remember this, and keep it close to his heart forever.

  "John T." he said

  Her tongue surrounded his nipple, and it hardened in her mouth. She smiled and whispered his name against the hardened nub. It sent sensations through him.

  "And yours…."

  "Sarah…Sarah Banning…" She sighed when he rolled her over and his hands slid downward. He spread her legs gently, and then hovering over her he pushed himself against her. But she was confused when his head went further down, and his lips took command of her warm, moist secrets. Suddenly his tongue wound its way down and into the heat of her, finding the core of her and lapping at the hardness of it. She was wet and ready for him, but he wanted more. This would be a night he would hold in his memory as long as he lived. He wanted to enjoy it and have her enjoy it, until they couldn't wait a moment longer and had to come together.

  She squirmed and looked down at his head, "What are you doing to me; I'm on fire for you…"

  "I know," he whispered against the sweet natural scent of her, as his lips massaged her erotically.

  "Oh my," she fell back against the bed and shivered from the wonder of it, "This is beyond anything…I've ever…known…"

  As her hips began to move against his mouth, he finally came up and kissed her hard on the mouth, then entered her in one long thrust.

  She invited him into her warm nest of love with a moan of pure pleasure. She sighed, groaned, and trembled as he entered her with quick thrusts that excited her to a frenzy. She pulled his thick black hair into her fingers, and thrust herself upward to join him as a pain seemed to surround her, then a joy she shared with him as he gloried in the taking of her.

  Repeatedly he pushed deeper and deeper, feeling the wetness of her, the readiness of her.

  Most whores were unfeeling, uncaring, unmoved. Not this little lady. She gave as much as she took. He looked into her eyes and felt the constant rocking of their hips, as he felt the sensations building, he kissed her, his tongue mating with hers in a slow dance, remembering where his lips had been and reveling in it's sweet honey.

  He thought of all the horses he'd broke but none like the little filly beneath him.

  Nothing on God's green earth could stop them from climbing to the heights of their lovemaking. She whimpered against him when he spilled himself inside her. She closed her eyes and gasp, as they became the ultimate one. She shuddered involuntarily several times then collapsed.

  Clutching him clo
sely, she held him to her for long dizzying moments.

  "Is it always this good…?" she whispered in a long sigh.

  "Only with you darlin'." He smiled as he pulled her into the curl of his body.

  "You were my first…" she sighed happily.

  "You don't belong in a place like this…"

  She lay silent, "Where do I belong?" she whispered.

  "With me…"

  "Cowboy, I'd love to be with you, but I knew from the moment I set eyes on you that you were some kind of lawman, and had no room for a woman."

  "Then why did you come up here with me?" he asked as he held her close.

  "I couldn't help myself, I wanted you to be the first…" she said breathlessly, then kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I'm glad you were…"

  They lay spent and happy for the rest of the night.

  Morning brought his hand against the softness of her perfect pouting breast and he kissed her tenderly, and then slowly made love once more, making her realize that making love was the best thing in the world.

  The door suddenly burst open and the bartender raked the sheet off of them.

  John T. protested, because she pulled herself away so quickly.

  "Get up and get downstairs. Okay cowboy, that's it. Pay up and get out, we don't do all nighters."

  "Hey, now wait a minute…" John T. grabbed the sheet and watched Sarah run for the changing screen. When she came out, she was dressed for the saloon again. Disappointment lingered in John T.'s gut but he said nothing.

  It couldn't end this way…he still wanted her.

  Slowly he slammed the door, as the bartender left. Sarah looked down at him and smiled,

  "Come back and see me John T." she smiled and kissed him solidly on the lips.

  "I'm comin' back alright, but it'll be to get you out of here," John T. promised.

  "Don't make promises you can't keep, John T." she said her smile fading.

  "I'll keep it. You don't belong in a place like this. We made love, you think every man is gonna be that way?" he asked sharply.

  "No, I could only wish…And I'll probably spend most my nights remembering you," she said, "Look I gotta git…"

  "I know…but I'll be back and stay out of this room till I am," John T. exclaimed.

  "I cain't do that. It's my job…" Sarah protested.

  "Some job. You gonna make love to them all?" John T. accused her.

  "Maybe…maybe I will…What's it to you?"

  "This," he snapped and pulled her down so he could plant one more torrid kiss to her sweet mouth. "And this…" he murmured as he pulled the dress away to kiss the tips of her breast. "I'll be back, don't bring 'em up here…you hear me…"

  "But…." She shook her head…puckered her lip in a sweet pout. "You won't be back…"

  "Sooner than you think…don't bring them up here." John T. commanded.

  "But honey…I have…"

  "Don't…"

  And then he kissed her like she'd never been kissed before, taking her breath away and making her want to climb back into bed with him again. His hand went to her breast, pulling it from her dress once more, as though he could never get enough of the taste of her and gently kissing the nipple, blowing on it and kissing it against as it hardened to a nub. "Oh…you make me want you…so bad. I have never had a pillow so sweet before."

  "Then hurry…to me" she said and ran out of the room. "Hurry back to me…"she ran out of the room with tears in her eyes.

  When John T. went downstairs he saw the bartender and he rummaged through his pockets for every dime he had. "This ought to cover the night, I'll be back…"

  "You do that…" the bartender said putting the money in a jar.

  Chapter Five

  For nothing would John T. tell the bartender that he'd given his last bit of money for the sake of Sarah. He tipped his hat and headed out the door.

  He couldn't think of Sarah any longer. He had work to do and he'd have to concentrate on that. Like Wesley, it would have to last a while.

  "Did you get any information on those rustlers?" The Captain asked as he entered his office a few minutes later.

  John T. shook his head, "Not yet…but I'll get some soon. No one was hanging out in the saloon last night. Maybe I need to ride out and do a little survey work."

  The Captain nodded. "Good idea."

  A man from the telegraph office came in behind him. He glanced up and started to hand the paper to the Captain.

  "Lookin' for a John T. Cole?"

  "That'd be me…" John T. whirled about on his boot heels.

  "Telegram," he handed the paper to John T. and walked out.

  He looked up at the Captain, "Well, this makes it official. I'll be handin' in my badge now…Captain."

  "Bad news?" The Captain queried over his cup of coffee and eyeing the telegram in John T.'s hand.

  "Don't know, it's from Wesley, says to come on the run, I reckon he's got himself into a heap of trouble somewhere up north, a place called Blue Goose." John T. smiled. "I been through that area, but can't remember much about it. The country up there is pretty forgettable."

  "Sweet water….yeah, I know about that place, lot of hunters up that way. We hate to lose you John T.," the Captain added, glancing at the telegram. "Maybe you'll come back after you see to this? We'd be glad to have you back."

  "I doubt it, Captain. Wesley getting' on up in years, kinda like to see to him. Only I can't tell him that…He'd probably kill me where I stood, if he heard it."

  "You're a good hand, we'll miss ya. But I understand. You don't ride with a man for years and not care about them. You go on, if Wesley is asking for help, then he's in some kind of bind."

  "Well…you got Bass, that was half your troubles right there," John T. laughed.

  "Ever change your mind, we'll be here." The Captain glanced at him again.

  "Thanks Captain." John T. pulled off his badge and tipped his hat to him. Seemed strange to not have to do anything more than that. Just hand in the badge and tip your hat and that was it. He'd enjoyed his time as a Ranger, but he'd been through a lot with them, seen a lot, learned a lot, it was time to move on. To get closer to his own destination. He wanted this trouble over and done with so he could claim Sarah as his.

  "What kind of trouble is Wesley in?" The Captain asked out of curiosity as he stepped towards the door.

  "He don't say, but I reckon it's a peck or he wouldn't bother with me." John T. grinned.

  The Captain nodded as though he knew John T. was right. "Wesley's a good man. I was sorry to see him go. But there are rules we have to abide by whether we like it or not. But you take care, tell Wesley we miss him." The Rangers all waved and hollered after him as he opened the door and several others joined them..

  John T. studied the telegram again once he was outside in the sunlight. It was vague but he could read between the lines. Something was wrong and John T. could sense it. It seemed the paper reeked of it.

  He rode all night and half the day to get to Blue Goose. Not much there, a store where buffalo hunters traded was about all to see. A bunch of rough looking men that smelled as bad as they looked. The storeowner there told him where Rascal lived and John T. made tracks.

  When he came upon the farm though it was quiet. A little too quiet. A chicken scurried across the yard, but not much else moved. John T. scanned the place closely as though he could smell the trouble. He adjusted his gun on his hip a couple of times and kept eyeing the place. There was no sign of trouble, but he could smell it. Either it was here, or had been. He dismounted and knocked on the front door but no one answered. The door slowly creaked open. John T. glanced about the room as best he could. He saw several children and a man crowded around a woman, lying in a casket. It was sure and certain she was dead.

  John T. stood on the porch wondering about who was in there. He shuddered for a moment when he thought about the woman and then the children all bent over in sorrow. It reminded him of his mother's dying. It stabbed at his heart.
He physically felt their pain. He had to shake himself to gather his wits. Something was out of place here, and he didn't know what it was.

  The sight was enough to make John T. cringe. He didn't want to invade their privacy. A woman…dead. Was this the woman Wesley was so fond of? It made sense that could be the trouble. He could understand that, Wesley had feelings for that woman, John T. knew that. Just like he had feelings for Sarah.

  John T. looked about the farm. It was too quiet. It wasn't as though danger lurked, it was as though danger had come and gone, leaving nothing but the grieving in its place. John T. felt the ghostly haunt. He'd lived with that ghostly haunt for years after his mother died.

  Then he spotted Wesley, his leg propped up on the rail of the coral, his hat way back on his head and his stare seemed off. The sun was going down now and he couldn't make out his expression, so he headed that direction.

  John T. approached his friend quietly. Wesley had taught him to never startle a man, no matter what. He'd learned. "Wesley…is…everything alright?"

  Wesley turned about to look at John T. and didn't quite see him. His eyes were wet and he didn't even greet his friend. Normally, if everything were well, Wesley would have come up to him to greet him. However, he just stood there as though he couldn't quite recognize him.

  "Aint' nothin' gonna be alright 'till I get the man that done it. Dead and buried. That woman in there," He nodded toward the house. "is Susannah…and to answer your question, no, everything is not alright. Never will be again. She's dead. I got here too late, this time." Wesley sighed heavily as he took out a smoke and rolled it. "I don't know what made the man stop here. I don't know why it had to be Susannah."

  "What happened?" John T. voice lowered and he joined him at the rail. He watched as Wesley's hands shook and he couldn't roll the cigarette. John T. took it from him and made it for him then handed it back to him. He didn't look him in the face, because right now, Wesley was near tears and John T. didn't know how to handle that.

  "Victor Frank happened." Wesley said solemnly.

  "Victor Frank never heard of him. Well, I seen wanted posters but don't know anything about him…."