It wasn't until she turned to breathlessly thank Ty for showing her the city from above that she noticed a linen-clad table, lit by candles and set with colorful Mexican crockery and gleaming silver.
"I … you … this is just…"
Ty laughed, carefully observing her openmouthed wonder. Pleased that she was stammering, he nodded to someone behind the trellis, and the soft strumming of guitars filled her ears. Kicking back her train, Jenny spun in a swirl of satin and spotted three Mexican musicians positioned at a discreet distance from their table. They tipped wide-brimmed sombreros to her, bowed,then continued playing.
"Ty!" She wet her lips, feeling overwhelmed. "This is … astonishing. Wonderful." Wringing her hands together, she gazed up at him. "When did you… It's just so…" Words failed her.
Smiling, he offered his arm and she accepted it self-consciously, letting him lead her to the table and extend her chair. Caressing fingers brushed her bare shoulders when he removed her shawl and placed it on a bench with his hat, and she shivered lightly at his touch.
The moment he sat across from her, a waiter appeared out of the foliage and served wine in cut-crystal glasses that trapped the candlelight inside a dozen small surfaces.
"To you," Ty said softly, touching his glass to hers.
"This is … I've never … I feel like I've been poleaxed," Jenny whispered, glancing over her shoulder to see if the musicians could observe them through the roses climbing over the trellis. The waiter also appeared to have vanished, although she suspected he hadn't really.
"Do you like it?"
"Oh my heavens, yes. It's like…" But she couldn't draw a comparison because nothing remotely like this courtyard or this evening had formed any part of her experience or imaginings. "Oh Ty," she breathed, staring at him. "Thank you. I will remember this evening all the rest of my days." A tiny frown marred the smoothness of her brow. "When I saw you opening the door to another hotel room, I thought…"
He moved his chair closer to hers, then reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. The heat of his mouth penetrated her glove, and she was thankful that she was seated. No man had even kissed her hand before, and she would have laughed herself sick if one had tried. But she wasn't laughing now.
"Jenny, there are two paths this evening can take. It's your choice. We can enjoy a pleasant meal, some conversation, and then return to Graciela and our room on the second floor. Or, we can enjoy a pleasant meal, some conversation, and then explore the bedroom in the suite below…"
Her hand trembled in his and she swallowed hard, thinking of the wild kisses they had exchanged this week while Graciela slept. "I think you know what I want to do," she whispered. She didn't seem able to speak in a normal volume.
"I don't want any misunderstanding, Jenny. That wouldn't be fair to either of us," he said, gazing at her lips. "I think we both know how things stand, but a review wouldn't hurt."
She drank her wine, watching him intently over the rim of the glass. "You promised that I wouldn't catch a child."
"You won't." Lifting his hand, he stroked his knuckles along her jawline. "I'm very fond of you, but we've sworn that neither of us is the marrying kind. Whatever happens tonight, there is no commitment on either of our parts either fancied or implied. Are we agreed on this point?"
"You son of a bitch," she murmured, closing her eyes and arching her throat to his fingertips. "How many times have you snookered some poor female with this speech?"
"I'm thinking of you. I don't want to mislead you. Tonight is an interlude between two people who enjoy each other, that's all it is. Or am I wrong? Have I misunderstood your position?" he murmured, his voice husky with desire.
She caught his hand before his fingers reached her cleavage, raised it to her lips and lightly nipped his forefinger between her teeth, tasting salt and soap. Thesound of his groan pleased her enough that she could clear her thoughts a little and focus on the business at hand.
Lifting her glass, she tossed back the wine then jumped slightly as the waiter appeared out of thin air to refill their glasses. After he vanished, she leaned forward, deliberately displaying her bosom to test his reaction. "Can the musicians or the waiter hear what we're saying?"
Ty stared at her breasts, and she smiled at the perspiration that appeared on his brow. "No."
"All right,cowboy ," she said briskly. "I'm here to satisfy a powerful hankering that has driven me half fricking insane, especially during the last few days. The only promise I'm looking for is that I don't catch a baby, that's all. Consummating this hankering isn't going to place your freedom or independence at risk. All I want from you is tonight." She waited until his gaze lifted from her breasts to her eyes. "Once this journey ends, you andme are going to part company, no strings attached. Satisfied?"
Without warning, the jolting reality of her future blotted the sweetness of the guitars and the perfume of the flowers.
They were going to say good-bye. She stared at him, the defiance fading from her eyes. In about two weeks, they would suddenly turn awkward with each other and struggle to find words to say adiós and farewell. He would step out of her life as suddenly as he had jumped into it, leaving her a different person trying to fit into her old existence.
It occurred to her that all she would ever have of him had to fit within the next two weeks.
"I'm glad we understand each other," he murmured, gazing deeply into her eyes and toying with her fingers.
Jenny wet her lips. "Just don't go planting any seeds, hear me? I don't want a kid to ruin my life."
His laugh was soft and confident. "You are so lovely tonight. You look just as I imagined you would. Magnificent."
"Well," she said, feeling the tension grow hot on her skin, "now that everything's settled, let's go downstairs and do it." Taking her napkin out of her lap, she started to rise, stopping only when she noticed his grin. "What?" she asked,frowning.
"Oh Jenny, there's never been another like you. Sit down." As she slowly sank back to her chair, he took her hand, peeled off her glove, and covered her palm with kisses. "We're going to make love, I promise you. And I promise that you're going to enjoy it." The intent smoldering look he gave her stopped the breath in her chest. "But first, we're going to eat our dinner. Then we're going to linger over coffee and cigars in the candlelight. I promised myself a long time ago that nothing would happen until you begged." The sudden hard look narrowing his gaze sapped the strength from her bones, and she couldn't breathe. "That's going to happen," he promised softly, dropping a hungry gaze to her lips, to her breasts.
Yeah, Jenny thought, shaking inside, it would happen. Probably long before they reached the coffee and cigars. Since the evening was apparently designed to torture them both, she drew a hitching breath and decided she might as well get into the spirit of things, now that she understood.
"Signal the waiter to hurry up and serve the food," she whispered. Then, feeling foolish at first, but with growing confidence as she keenly studied his reaction, she drew her fan from her throat to the top of her breasts before she dropped the leaf open. Tormenting him was such a pleasure that she continued the game throughout the meal.
Over dinner they spoke of their childhoods, of books they had read, places they had gone. They talked about music, which neither of them really understood, and about ranching, which they did know—and neither of them could recall a word of the conversation a minute after it passed.
Fingers caressed crystal stems, teasing mouths kissed silver forks. Knees brushed beneath the table linen, fingertips grazed above. Food appeared,then vanished, and they could not have said whether they ate or if the waiter whisked away plates as fully laden as those he had served.
By the time fragrant cups of coffee materialized before them, they were feverish and shaking with need, burning for each other. Jenny vibrated inside, resonating to each teasing touch, each penetrating glance. The scent of him, the look of him, every small gesture he made plucked an inner string directly connecte
d to a hot damp center.
"I'm begging, Ty," she whispered hoarsely, squeezing her trembling eyelids shut. "I'm begging you to take me before I die of wanting you."
"Say it again," he demanded, his voice harsh with desire.
"Please. Please, please, please ."
These were the words he had waited to hear. Standing so abruptly that his chair crashed behind him, he pulled her to her feet,then tossed her over his shoulder. With one hand stroking her bottom, he carried her down the staircase, ignoring her helpless laughter, and set her on her feet next to the four-poster. When she saw the fiery heat blazing in his eyes, saw the hard, intent line of his mouth, the laughter died on her lips and a tremor swept from her scalp to her toes. Swaying, she placed a hand on his chest to steady her balance, letting the heat of him flow into her palm and rush to her pounding heart.
"Oh my God," she whispered, gasping. "I'm shaking so badly that I—"
"Don't move," hecommanded, his voice thick with urgency. "Let me undress you."
She swallowed hard and struggled to breathe. "Are you … are you going to lick me all over like you said?"
Deft fingers opened her gown while his lips set fire to her throat. "All over your body," he promised huskily. His head dropped to her breast, and she felt his tongue explore her cleavage.
Jenny dropped to the edge of the bed as if she'd been gut shot. Lava bubbled in her belly, and she felt certain that she was strangling. Dazed, she stared up at him, dimly aware that candles burned around the bed, not cognizant enough to wonder who had lit them or when.
"I'll lick you all over, too," she promised, deciding fair was fair. The thought of such strange doings made her light-headed, or maybe her swirling head was a result of the teasing nips and feverish kisses that spread over her shoulders as he pushed down her tiny cap sleeves.
Jenny decided she'd had enough teasing, tormenting, and fiery torture to last a lifetime. All week long they had touched and caressed and stroked and inflamed. She could not stand another minute of it. Squirming away from him, she wiggled out of the apricot-colored satin and flung it away from her. "Hurry up, hurry up," she panted, jerking and yanking at her undergarments.
When she looked up again, cussing and frustrated because the corset hooks would not yield to boneless fingers, Ty was naked. "Oh my Lord." A long, moist gasp broke from her throat, and her fingers flew to her cheeks.
Never in her life had she expected to admire a naked man. But he was so beautiful. Utterly splendid. So lean and hard and wiry-muscled, so pale beneath the dark feathery hair narrowing from chest to rampant need. "Oh Ty." She spoke his name mindlessly, like a sigh, like a plea. "Ty."
Ringing her arms around his neck, she locked her mouth to his in a long, hot, ardent kiss that made her mind sing and her body quiver. His hands roughly circled her waist like a brand, claiming her, possessing her, and she nearly sobbed with the relief of knowing that tonight, this time, she would not have to return to her own bed without truly knowing him. This time they would not have to be quiet or circumspect in movement.
And they weren't. They toppled onto the bed, wound tightly together from lips to thighs, rolling and thrashing, unmindful of squeaking bed ropes or their own gasps and groans. Ty's fingers were more nimble than hers, and he had her corset opened in a moment, flung aside the next. And then, oh Lord, and then his lips were on her breasts, sucking, licking, driving her mad with waves of sensation that crashed one over another like stormy tides, drowning her in hot pleasure.
There could be no waiting, not when their bodies trembled at fever pitch. They came together in panting, gasping, titanic need and urgency, and Jenny cried out his name when he entered her and she rocked up to meet his first deep thrust.
She expected a few thrusts, and then it would end, but it didn't happen that way. Her eyes flew open in surprise and her fingers tightened on his damp shoulders when he kissed her again and again as their bodies meshed and thrilled to an exciting rhythm that built rather than diminished. And it was unlike anything Jenny had ever known. There was no pain, no thought for anything but Ty and the sensations he aroused with his mouth and body. There was only the rapture of awakening to her own body and to his, the fainting tension of feeling inner forces build and build and build until she could no longer contain the earthquake that gathered between her thighs. When the blissful eruption ended, she collapsed beneath him, only dimly aware that he withdrew before his shoulders convulsed, and he gathered her to his chest with a low groan. "Jenny … Jenny."
For a long while they did not move, but held each other close, waiting for pounding hearts to quiet. This, too, was new to her. In her experience, the man took his pleasure, withdrew, and buttoned up as he left. And that was that. But not tonight, not with this remarkable, hard, and splendid man.
After a time, they roused and Ty lit cigars for them both. They smoked in contentment, her head on his shoulder, and she didn't even wonder that they lay together naked and unembarrassed. She didn't let herself think past themoment, and the moment was one of the best in her life.
"Would you like anything?" heinquired, his voice heavy with satisfaction. "Coffee? Tequila? Wine?"
"No," she said after deciding there was nothing on earth that she needed this minute except to be here, with him. "Good cigar." She wasn't sure if it was or not, and she didn't care.
"You're like I imagined you would be," he murmured against the top of her head. "Milky white where the sun hasn't been, and brushed with flame down there. Am I what you expected?"
"Oh yes, you're beautiful," she said matter-of-factly, puzzled when he laughed. "But…"
"But what?"
"Well, I guess I'm a little disappointed that we didn't do the licking all over. I was kind of looking forward to that," she admitted, squirming against him. Every time she thought about the licking all over, she couldn't remain still. "It's such a peculiar and strange thing that I'm sort of glad we didn't do it, but at the same time, I never licked anybody or had anybody lick me and I guess I just—"
"You thought we were finished?" His low chuckle cut off her words,then he took the cigar from her fingers and stubbed it out. "Jenny, honey … we're just getting started," he promised gruffly, kissing her temple. "There's going to be licking all over. And kissing in places you haven't even thought about."
"There is?" Her eyes widened and her heart leaped into her throat before diving toward her stomach. " All over?"
" All over," he said hoarsely, turning her to face him.
He started with her lips, teasing with his tongue, not letting her kiss him when she frantically tried. Then he tasted her throat before his head dropped to suck and tease at her breasts. "I love your breasts," he murmured before his head dropped lower. And lower. And then lower. She thought she was going to die from the shock and pleasure of being licked and kissed all over. And when it was her turn, she thought sure that he was going to die when she kissed and licked him all over.
When dawn crept over the city, they returned to their own room, dazed and stumbling, gazing at each other with awe and wonder and the puzzlement of blissful new emotions both denied feeling.
At the door of their room, Ty cupped her face between his hands and kissed her gently, tenderly. "Thank you for an evening I will never forget."
"I look like hell, don't I?" she whispered, trying to smooth her hastily assembled clothing.
Grinning, he leaned to insert the key in the lock. "You look like a woman who has been well loved."
It was the first time the word "love" had appeared in any conversation, and they both ignored it. Once inside the room Ty shook Senora Jaramillo awake and saw her to the door. Then, wonderfully unselfconscious, he stripped, donned his long johns, and gave Jenny a light kiss before he dropped onto the bed. In a moment, he was snoring.
Smiling, she moved in the pearly predawn light, hanging up her gown, folding her undergarments, searching for her nightshift. Before she climbed into bed beside Graciela, she moved to the window and glanced
up at the sky, seeking Marguarita's star before it ceded to the dawn.
I did you wrong, and I apologize. I thought you were an idiot to give yourself to Robert and risk catching a baby. I figured you got what you deserved for being so stupid. I thought I was better than you because I had more sense than to ever do such a damned fool thing.
Well, I was dead wrong. I didn't know how it could be between men and women, Marguarita. If Robert made you feel like Ty made me feel tonight, I can see why you'd risk everything to be with him. I'm sorry I judged so harshly. Ididn't know.
She started toward the bed,then returned to the window and Marguarita's star.
Marguarita? I hope Robert licked you all over. It's justthe damnest thing! I'd hate to think you became an angel without first getting licked all over. It's probably not proper to talk about this, but I think you would have liked the licking a lot.
She yawned and stretched. Good night, my friend. Tomorrow night I'll talk to you fromEl Paso. From there we start the final leg of the journey.
As she climbed into bed, she wished she hadn't mentioned that last part. Curling protectively around Graciela's small body, she inhaled the clean sweet scent of the child's hair, and smiled at the sound of a light baritone snore emanating from the other bed.
She wished it could be like this forever. The three of them together. Suddenly her stomach cramped and her throat closed, and she felt a sting of sadness behind her eyes.
CHAPTER 16
E ven if the train ran late, which was likely, they would arrive at the rail terminal in El Paso Del Norte before supper. "We'll cross theRio Grandeand find a hotel inEl Pasoon the American side," Ty explained to Graciela. "Tomorrow morning, we'll board the Southern Pacific bound forSan Francisco. And we'll be home in about a week."
While he answered the next hundred questions from his niece, he gazed at Jenny, who sat across from him and Graciela. Her head rested against the window, and she dozed despite the heat and noise inside the car. Pride and amusement softened the look he swept over her molded traveling jacket. He liked seeing evidence that he'd plumb worn her out last night. Except she'd worn him out too. He wouldn't say no when it was his turn to catch an hour or two of shut-eye.
The Promise of Jenny Jones Page 25
