by Casea Major
Robert stared at the Sheriff. “Let the girl go.”
Pointy Bird’s arm tightened around her, and the cold blade pressed flat against her pulsing neck. “In my woods, I take as I please. I don’t believe you are in a position to demand anything.”
Robert calmly eyed the man and took a step closer. “I don’t give a shit what you believe. You’re gonna let her go, or I’m gonna put a bullet in you.”
She darted a glance to the Sheriff’s face. He seemed to be studying the gun. The man let out a loud bird call as if to summons others then sneered, “You cannot escape.”
“If you’re trying to call those four fuckers you sent after me, you betta save your breath, because they can’t hear you.” Without taking his gaze from the man, Robert spoke, “Dallas, do you know what to do if you’re on fire?”
“Yes.” Most people in America learned fire safety at a young age. Stop, drop, and roll.
Robert stepped closer. “Then you do that as fast as you can.”
The Sheriff pulled her directly in front of him. “One step closer and I will irreparably cut this woman.”
Then everything happened in rapid succession. Robert took aim and fired a round over their shoulders. As the sound startled the Sheriff, he loosened his grip on her. She elbowed him in the stomach then stomped on his foot. The knife fell as she dropped to the ground and rolled away.
Another shot rang out, and a heavy thud sounded behind her. She scrambled up to face the sound. The Sheriff lay on the ground clutching his thigh. Blood spread through the dark linen of his pants, and his face pinched in a grimace.
She stared at Robert in horror. “Ohmygod, ohmygod! You shot him?”
Robert threw up his hands. “Always with the questions! What did you want me to do? Let him slit your throat?” He grabbed her arm and dragged her through the forest. “C’mon.”
Stumbling along after him, she realized how much danger she’d been in. Robert had saved her from getting raped, if not murdered. He’d risked his own life and shot a man to protect her. A raging passion flooded her chest. She stared up at his strong face, and more heat throbbed between her legs. The adrenaline rush wet her panties through.
He stopped to peer around a tree. When he rounded to her, she launched herself into his arms. At the impact, he stumbled over a protruding tree root and fell backward into a tuft of soft moss, with her on top. Her face descended on his, her hair falling like a curtain around them. She kissed him with all the gratitude she could gather. His resounding you're welcome rose hard against her stomach.
Robert brushed her hair behind her ears. “What’s this for?”
She gazed into his handsome face. His lip bled, and a faint bruise colored his jaw. She wiped the blood away and lightly traced his cheek. “You saved me. I want to properly thank you.”
A smile lit his face as he cupped her chin. “If you keep kissing me like that, we’re both gonna get captured. Hold that thought 'til after I get you back to the castle in one piece.” He stood and pulled her up. “Let’s get outta here.”
She winced as her weight came down on the ankle.
“Shit. I’m sorry. I forgot your bum leg.” He lifted her from the ground and carried her swiftly toward the edge of the forest. “A horse is tied to that tree. There’s just one problem.”
A long horn sounded, and men came running from every direction like cockroaches.
She winced and gritted her teeth, not able to handle more bad news. “What problem?”
“I don’t know how to ride. Do you?”
“No.”
“Shit. Aren’t you from Texas?”
She rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t mean I automatically know how to ride a horse. That’s like saying all New Yorkers know how to drive a cab.”
He mounted the animal. “Right, and it’s not like you would evah stereotype me because of where I’m from.”
She averted her gaze at his remark.
Robert pulled her up behind him. “Get up here. It can’t be that hard. It’s probably just like riding a motorcycle.”
“Somehow I don’t think that’s the case.” Something whizzed by her shoulder. Then several more somethings sailed past.
“Sonofabitch, they’re shootin’ arrows at us. Put your seatbelt on.” He nudged the horse with his feet, and the animal jerked into a mad dash. Both of them almost fell to the ground as they simultaneously yelled, “Shit!”
Mare turned to look back. At least ten men rode after them. “Who are they?”
“No fucking clue. Ya want me to stop and ask?”
“Hell no. Just get us to the castle.”
“Good idea, Dallas. Hold on. I think this animal is about to…jump.”
The horse leapt to clear a small hedgerow that signaled the castle grounds. Robert leaned forward, hugging the horse’s neck, almost choking the beast. She closed her eyes and squeezed Robert’s waist as they teetered and almost lost their grip. The animal landed and continued to gallop toward the castle wall with the encroaching men close behind.
In the last light of the blazing sunset, the wooden portcullis fell, and they rode inside.
Chapter Four
When they galloped through the gate, the portcullis closed, and Robert dismounted.
He swept Mare up in his arms for at least the fourth time that day. Then he carried her up the stairs. “Thank God, we made it. Where’s your room?”
“On the fourth floor.”
“Naturally.”
“I can walk.”
“No way, Dallas. This is a matter of personal pride now.”
Robert carried her to the door, and she opened it. He flung her onto the bed and collapsed next to her. “What a fucking day, huh?”
“No kidding. I feel like I’ve lived a lifetime.”
He lifted his head off the mattress. “We need to get something for your ankle. I’ll be right back.” He slipped out the door.
She staggered over to the armoire and found a nightgown. She stripped off the ruined, dusty dress and washed with water from the basin on the dresser.
When she turned around, a tray of wine, assorted cheese, and bread sat on the table next to the bed. She shook her head as she scanned the empty room and decided to go with it. I’m starving.
She sipped her drink and enjoyed the savory cheese spread over herbed bread. The flavor of the food exploded in her mouth and appreciation for the meal filled her.
Robert burst in, carrying an armful of first aid supplies, and dumped them on the bed. Drinking a mug of spiced wine, she sat propped up with pillows and admired his physique. The bulk of his shoulders bunched and flexed under his tunic as he worked to organize the pile of items at her feet.
He glanced up and caught her gaze. His eyes narrowed. “What?” Then he spied her cup. “Hey, where’d you get food?”
“Room service.”
He shot her a perturbed look.
She couldn’t draw her gaze from him. “I know. I was surprised myself.”
He leaned over the tray of food, raised his brow, and took a bite of cheese. He followed it with a gulp of wine. “I guess we won’t be needing to split my protein bar.”
She laughed. He’d planned to share the only food he had with her. What a sweetheart.
He grabbed an instant cold pack and shook it to activate the chemicals, then fixed it to her ankle with athletic tape. “Told you I had ice.”
Her heart fluttered at the sight of his arrogant smile, and she smiled in return. “Thank you, Robert…for everything. I’m sorry I’ve been less than kind today. You’ve been a dream. You rescued me, treated my injuries, and put up with my crap with relative good humor. Maybe you did those things just so you could get laid, but I can’t think of anyone I would’ve rather spent today with than you.”
He chuckled and brushed her cheek. “Dallas, I’m looking forward to our night together, but no lay is worth what I went through today. I did it because I care.”
She covered his hand with hers. "I know you do."
After their meal, they lounged together on the bed. She stroked his hand. The knuckles were inflamed and bruised. “You were in a fight?”
“I was delayed when I heard your scream.” He rotated his arm and winced. “My shoulder hurts like hell, but I’m glad I got to you in time.”
“Me, too.” She grabbed the hem of his tunic and pulled it over his head. “I think it’s my turn to serve you.” She pushed him down on his stomach and climbed astride his hips. Sitting back on his butt, she worked the tight muscles under his tan skin until they relaxed and gave way to her pressure. His sighs and moans encouraged her to continue, and his bare flesh against her hands drenched her crotch with desire.
Afterward, she lay facing him and stroked his face. “Robert, why did you need a one-night stand?”
“Why did you?”
Mare sat up. “Because I was looking for something.” She shot a quick glance toward him.
He sat up next to her. “What were you looking for?”
She shook her head. “I answered your question. It’s your turn.”
He sighed. “My in-laws gave me this as a gift.”
“You’re married?”
“Not anymore.”
“So you’re divorced?”
His voice became a whisper. “My wife died three years ago. We were married for five years, and I have a four-year-old son.”
She sat in silence as deep lines creased his face.
“I’m close to her parents. My own parents are dead.” He stared down at his hands and rubbed his knuckles. “They’ve been after me for a couple of years to meet people. But I’m so busy I don’t have the time to invest, and I just wasn’t into dating again. Too much drama.” He chuckled ironically. “This was their way of giving me a jump-start. Kinda weird, huh?” He glanced over to her. “They’re keeping Michael and watching my car dealerships while I’m away. And since it’s only one night, I figured what the hell.”
He walked to the curtains and peeked out then turned to face her. “Now it’s your turn.” Robert set her cup on the tray then sat next to her. He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “So tell me why a beauty like you is lookin’ for a one-night stand.”
She smiled and dropped her gaze. “The guys I’ve been with don’t really care about me. They’re self-serving, always looking for something better. Even if they claim to love me, they don’t know what true love is.”
“And you do?” No hint of irony tainted his tone. It was an honest question.
“I know what it is. My parents have been married for thirty-five years. They’re still deeply in love. I just wanted to experience something like that for myself. Even if it was only for one night. I wanted a gallant knight to sweep me off my feet and….”
He leaned toward her. “And?”
A five o’clock shadow covered his jaw. She traced the coarse stubble with her fingers. His gaze shot through her like a flaming arrow as he leaned into her touch. Her heart thudded, and lightheadedness melted her insecurities as the spiced wine pumped through her veins. “Make love to me.”
Robert kissed her with a ferocity that stole her breath. He raked his hands across the thin cotton of her nightgown and yanked it over her head. A shiver swept over her bare flesh. His body covered hers as he pressed her back into the soft bed. The heat of his skin radiated through her, and the chill she’d felt dissolved in desire. He slid his chest back and forth across hers, creating an exquisite friction against her nipples that peaked in arousal. A fire lit between her legs as his tongue lashed between her teeth.
The need to have him enter her became a physical ache, and her body cried out for him. She unlaced his pants and slipped her hands under the waistband of his boxers. The lean muscle heated her fingers.
He arched his back and pulled away. His chest glistened in the soft glow of the lantern. He embodied her every desire. Robert kicked off his pants and boxers and slid her panties to her knees, trailing kisses down the middle of her chest and stomach. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she shuddered at the smooth satin of his lips. She shimmied out of the bikini briefs.
The length of his sumptuous body glowed brazenly in the flickering light and left her gasping. Most girls didn’t go around in search of the perfect dick. Nevertheless, there it rose from a tuft of dark hair, strong and virile. She’d never seen anything more masculine than his unclothed body.
She sat up to get a better look, and he gave her a cocky half-grin. Her heart skipped a beat. Affection for him flooded her, and she willingly yielded to his seduction.
Robert leaned in, captured her lips, and forced her back into the mattress. The smell of his skin and the musk of imminent sex wafted in the air. Closing her eyes, she drew in a heady breath. Goose bumps rose over her body as he feathered his lips down her jaw and nibbled her earlobe.
He kneaded her bare breasts, and she arched into his touch. His lips trailed down her neck and chest. Sparks of tension fueled the relentless throb in her core. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, rolling his tongue over the hardened peak. A hiss escaped her lips. She wrapped her arms around him and clung to the rush as it swept through her like a wildfire.
He slid his open palm down her stomach between her legs to stroke her mound aching for his touch. The sensitive skin became ticklish, and she giggled and squirmed. He smiled against her breast. Exquisite pleasure pulsed in the nub buried between the folds of her core.
“I want to taste you, Dallas.” He rolled to his back with his head at the foot of the bed then pulled her on top of him and slid her up until her thighs rested astride him just above his shoulders. With her ass in the air over his face, she lay across his bare torso, his erection pressed against her cheek.
He trailed his tongue across the top of her mound then between her lower lips. She hissed out a breath. With splayed fingers, he parted her folds to uncover the tender, throbbing button and blew a steady stream of air over it. Losing coherent thought to base need, she moaned and laved her tongue over the tip of his cock. This time Robert hissed, the sudden release of his breath against her clit causing her to shudder.
His mouth ceased its attentions. She gently sucked the head of his erection, rolling her tongue over the silky tip. As if suddenly remembering his mission, Robert sighed then licked and sucked her exposed clit with urgency. He trailed his tongue down into the rich flesh of her womanhood and thrust it inside her opening.
Mare raised her head and rocked against the steady pulse. “Oh God, that feels good. I’m about to combust.”
She took his erection deep in her mouth and grabbed the base of his shaft with her hand. Mimicking his rhythm, she slid her mouth and hand back and forth over his cock.
Again Robert ceased his ministrations and lay frozen. His chest rapidly crested and fell beneath her. He groaned. “Stop it, Dallas. You will not make me come before you do.”
Her lips curled in a smile. His length still filled her mouth. She tightened her grip and pumped him harder, determined by his challenge.
Without warning, Robert popped her bare ass. “I said stop it.” She gasped. The tone of his voice pressed her as hard as his erection, and the sting from his hand set her body on the edge of orgasm. Oh God, I love Type A guys. Electric current throbbed mercilessly between her legs.
She released his cock and yielded. She abandoned herself to the feel of him between her legs. Robert teased his tongue over her clit as one hand stroked her ass. Her eyes fluttered closed. Magic sparkled through her. She felt the mystical power as surely as his tongue on her flesh. He wrapped his arm around her leg and slid two fingers inside, stroking her sheath. Then pressing her against his face, he licked and sucked until she burst into a climax. Her body jerked violently. She lifted her head and arched her back. “Ahh. Oh, my God! Robert…Robert.”
Her pleasure faded to a soft glow as he removed his fingers, but ever so slightly tickled his tongue back and forth over her clit. She writhed and shuddered with each connection. God Almighty. Never had she come so hard
. She lay her head against his crotch to catch her breath.
As she clenched and released for the last few times, she cupped her hand under him and massaged his balls. She lifted his erection and licked the sensitive sack below. He growled a guttural sound from deep inside his chest. Taking him into her mouth, she sucked hard on his cock. Her free hand encircled the base of his shaft and beat him in a steady rhythm. In barely a dozen strokes, he let out a moan and came with force.
After his pleasure subsided, she climbed across his legs and collapsed in heady bliss on the pillow. Robert joined her. “Oh God, baby. I take it back. That was worth it.”
She giggled. “I’m glad I could redeem myself.”
“Giving you pleasure and feeling you come so hard was the best thing that’s happened to me in a very long time.”
He took more pleasure from my orgasm than his own? He reached across her and took a drink of wine then lowered his head and kissed her.
He nuzzled his face in the nape of her neck. His cock, already at half-mast, pressed against her hip. She wrapped her arms around his smooth back and snuggled close to him. Mmm…what a treasure.
He trailed kisses to her breast, and sucked her nipple into his mouth. It tightened against his tongue, and desire built in her again.
She moaned. “Oh God, I want you inside me.”
“That can be arranged….” He lifted his head and captured her gaze. “For a price.”
“What?” She pushed against his chest and tried to sit up. “You want to charge me?”
Chuckling, he held her down then relinquished his hold. “All right, Dallas, don’t get your panties in a wad.” He glanced to the end of the bed. “Oops. Too late.”
She rolled her eyes and flopped back against the bed. “Everybody’s a comedian.”
“I want your word on something before we…ah…make this official.”
“It’s not already official?” she teased, but at the sight of his handsome face, she smiled. “What oath must I take, milord?”
He got nose to nose with her, and with a vulnerability she hadn’t expected, he whispered, “I want to keep seeing you. This isn’t just about tonight. It’s about tomorrow, too. You’re more than a one-night stand, and I don’t wanna lose you.”
