by Smith, Bobbi
“Cazador!” Jennie screamed as she grabbed the terrified horse’s reins and scrambled back to the edge of the gully.
“Here! Jennie!”
The sight of him as he clung to a bush that was rapidly weakening under the onslaught of the racing water spurred her to action. Moving with the seasoned knowledge of an experienced ranch hand, she retrieved the rope and tied it securely to the saddle horn before tossing the lifesaving length of it down to him.
“Grab this and we’ll pull you up!” As the wind and rain buffetted them with increasing ferocity, Jennie used the horse to drag him to the top. “Oh, thank God!” she exclaimed as he pulled himself onto the level ground next to her and, without conscious thought, she threw herself into his arms.
Soaked, muddied and more than a little grateful for his rescue, Rick embraced her warmly. He had no intention of anything more happening as they stood there wrapped in each other’s arms in the pouring rain, but when she looked up, her expresssion was so joyous that a thrill soared through him, and it seemed perfectly natural and right that he should kiss her. Bending down, he drew her near, his mouth seeking hers in the most tender of exchanges.
Jennie’s response was tentative, at first. She had longed for his touch all day and when she’d thought he’d been injured, her fear had been great. But now, Cazador was here, and he was fine and kissing her! Sighing, she relaxed against him, savoring the gentle caress of his lips on hers. Some part of her mind told her that this embrace was different from the one they had shared yesterday, but she didn’t really realize how different until Rick deepened this kiss.
He had wanted to hold her—to let her know how much her help had meant to him, but at some point during their interplay, the rigid control he’d maintained over his emotions had broken down, freeing the long-denied passion he felt for her. Framing her face with the warmth of his hands, he pulled away for a moment to stare at her. She was lovely—so lovely that his heart ached for the feel of her against him. He remembered well the beauty of her breasts, and he longed to touch the ivory smoothness of them.
The rain forgotten, he dipped his head again and his mouth slanted across hers in a blaze of desire. Parting her lips in breathless victory, his tongue thrust within, tasting of her sweetness. At the knowing exploration of his mouth, Jennie arched to him, wanting to be nearer.
A brilliant crack of lightning broke them apart and Rick quickly looked around, hoping to sight some kind of shelter for he knew it was far too dangerous for them to remain standing out in the open. With the help of another illuminating bolt of nature’s stormy brightness, he spotted what looked to be an opening in the rain-slick, treacherous face of the hillside.
“There!” He pointed slightly above them. “Let’s go!”
Grabbing the horse’s reins and then grasping her securely by the arm, Rick led the way up the perilous mountainside. Forging his way carefully through the stands of jumping cholla and underbrush, he made slow but steady progress, until at last they reached the protection of the deserted diggings.
“Wait for me here. I’ll take care of the horse and be right back.” He directed her inside as he spotted a broken-down lean-to some distance back from the mine.
Jennie stepped into the chilly confines of their secluded haven. The darkness surrounded her totally as she moved a bit further into the cavernous shaft, and she hurried back to stand by the main opening. Within minutes, Cazador was back, dripping wet, bringing the bedroll, rifle, saddlebags, and canteen with him.
Where just a short while before she’d been surrendering to his embrace, now she suddenly felt tongue-tied and more than a bit bashful in his presence.
“I brought the blanket. It’s got to be drier than we are.” He smiled as he set aside the items he’d brought with him. Facing her then, his gaze traveled over her with slow enjoyment, lingering on the impudent thrust of her hard-tipped breasts against the wet cloth of the shirt she wore. “Is there anything in here to start a fire with?”
“I don’t know—I couldn’t see much past the entrance,” she stammered, both from the cold and her nervousness at his nearness.
Cazador looked so virile standing before her that she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. His shirt was plastered to him, outlining the powerful width of his chest and shoulders, and his trousers, which, in their wetness, clung to him like a second skin, did little to disguise his manhood. As her eyes met his in the semidarkness an ageless understanding passed between them and it was a message that needed no words.
“Let me take a look around,” Rick said quickly, ending the delicate imtimacy between them. And, as once again lightning split the sky, he began to search their surroundings for dry, usable wood. “See if the matches in my saddlebags got wet.”
Jennie hastened to do his bidding.
“They’re dry,” she announced, taking them from the protective pouch.
“Good.” Rick knelt beside her and began arranging the pieces of wood he’d found. “I’ll have a fire going in no time.” Taking the matches from her shaking hand, he efficiently started the blaze. “There,” he said proudly. “In a few minutes, we’ll start to dry out.”
Glancing over at Jennie in the flickering golden light, he felt once more the poignant pull at his heart. How many women could have survived what he’d just put her through? And why did she bother to save him, when, had he been injured or killed, she could have gone free?
When he noticed how badly she was shivering, Rick got up quickly. “Let me get something to warm you.”
His thoughtfulness surprised Jennie for she hadn’t been sure what to expect from him. The last time they’d kissed he’d been cold and aloof afterward, but now he seemed so—so nice. She watched as he unrolled the bedroll and then as he strode purposefully back to her to wrap it about her trembling body.
“Thank you,” Jennie murmured, grateful for the protection not only from the cold but also his searing regard, for the touch of his eyes upon her had been as arousing as any physical caress. When his arms didn’t release her, she looked up at him expectantly.
“You’re welcome.” His words were a growl as he nestled her close.
With slow precision, his mouth took hers in a devouring, passionate kiss that swept away all her inhibitions. Responding with the fullness of a woman, Jennie slipped her arms about his neck and hugged him nearer, forgetting about the storm and the mine and the blanket, which slipped unheeded from her shoulders. As the heavy barrier fell away, leaving them separated by only the dampness of their clothes, Rick began to move restlessly against her welcoming softness. The taut peaks of her bosom wreaked havoc on his already inflamed senses, and his desire was stretched to the limits as she moaned low in her throat.
Tenderly, he drew away and with gentle fingers he unbuttoned the front of her shirt, parting the clinging fabric just enough to reveal the swells of her breasts.
“You’re so lovely,” he said almost reverently as he traced an erotic pattern on the exposed flesh.
Desire coursed through her at his deliberately teasing touch, and she moved closer to him, wanting more. Slipping his hands within the cold, clamminess of the garment, he massaged the softness of her breasts. The play of his warm knowing hands on her chilled body lit fires of need within her, and when he bent to suckle at her aching nipples, she gasped at the sensation he aroused.
Never before had she been touched so intimately by a man and yet she felt no shyness as she surrendered to his excitement. It thrilled her to know that he found her desirable, and she wanted his embrace to go on and on.
When Rick abruptly pulled away Jennie was afraid that he was going to leave her. “Wait,” she protested huskily.
Rick read the worried invitation in her tone and kissed her gently once more before moving to spread the blanket out. Going back into her arms he held her close for a long minute and then drew her down with him onto the improvised bed.
Slipping the shirt from her slim shoulders, he carelessly tossed it aside and gathered her
in his arms. Though he knew he should not take her, he could no longer deny himself. The fire that had been smouldering within him burst into flame as he moved over her, and his mouth found hers in a breath-stealing exchange.
At the thrust of his hard thighs against her pliant flesh, Jennie surged upward wanting—no, needing more. She had never known that a man’s touch could be so exciting and she writhed feverishly beneath him.
“Easy, love,” Rick murmured softly as he lowered his head to her breasts and pressed heated kisses to the taut, pink crests.
Starbursts of passion soared through her as he teased each one in turn, and she held his head to her, savoring the joy of his caress. She could feel the hard strength of him pressed to her thigh, and with a tentative hand she reached out to touch him, wanting to give him the same pleasure he was giving her.
Rick was surprised by her innocent boldness, and he pressed his hand over hers and rotated his hips against her. Jennie nervously started to pull away, but he hastened to reassure her.
“That feels wonderful, darling.” He kissed her gently. “I want you, Jennie. More than I’ve ever wanted any woman.”
His admission made her spirits soar! He wanted her and he’d called her a woman!
“I want you, too.” She spoke the words for the first time, hesitantly.
Her sweet confession was all the encouragement he needed. Moving quickly, he stripped off his own shirt and then turned back to her. With patient hands, he unfastened her riding skirt and with Jennie’s help, slid it from her, along with the rest of her clothes.
“You’re perfect,” he whispered, his eyes sweeping over her appreciatively, taking in her silken breasts, the smallness of her waist and the slender length of her legs.
While Jennie watched him in wide-eyed anticipation, he bent slowly to kiss her. At the touch of his lips on hers, she sighed in total abandon and looped her arms about his neck, pulling him down. The hair on his chest felt crisp against her bared bosom, and she rubbed sinuously against him. But when his hand sought the satin smoothness of her stomach, Jennie jerked in surprise.
“It’s all right. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said soothingly and was relieved to feel the tenseness ebb from her. “I want to touch you, Jennie. To know you as only a man can know a woman.”
“I know,” she whispered as his lips claimed hers again and his hand dipped even lower.
Jennie arched in passionate response as he explored the tight center of her womanhood, and when he began his skillful caresses, creating within her body sensations she hadn’t known existed, she writhed in ecstasy. His magical, stimulating touch brought her to the peak again and again until she was begging for release from his sensual torment.
“Cazador.” She panted, her eyes glazed with passion. “Please—I need—”
Rick knew that she was ready for him but he fought against taking her just yet. She was an innocent—a virgin—and he wanted more for her than a quick coupling. He wanted to please her and to teach her about the ways of love.
With gentle pressure, he increased the tempo of his stroking as he captured her lips in a quick, devastating kiss. “Now, sweetheart. I’ll please you now.” Trailing kisses down her throat, he paused briefly to savor the pulse beating wildly there and then moved lower to continue his erotic foray at the tempting pale mounds of her breasts.
“Oh, yes. Yes,” Jennie cried.
Grasping his shoulders, she clung to him as his lips and tongue worked their wonders on her willing flesh. The feelings he’d aroused were spiraling out of control, and she bucked wildly beneath his knowing hand, seeking and finally finding the ultimate pleasure in a burst of rainbow glory that left her weak and sated in his arms. Eyes closed, she rested languidly against him, savoring the beauty of the joy he’d just given her.
Rick knew he’d satisfied her, but he wanted now to introduce her to real love. “Now, you’re ready for me.”
Jennie’s eyes flew open and she regarded him in stunned surprise. “You mean there’s more? How could anything be more wonderful?”
“We’ve only just started, love,” Rick growled as he turned her gently to him and began to caress her again, this time with more daring.
She had thought the passion he’d aroused within her had been satisfied, but his bold, agressive touch awoke new more exciting feelings. Reveling in his lovemaking, she gave herself up to him without question, parting her legs for his questing caresses. Raking her hands through the black silkiness of his hair, she pulled him to her, but this time she was the aggressor as she kissed him provocatively, breaking his determination to go slowly with her.
As she eagerly came to him, Rick could no longer hold back. Rolling slightly away from her, he shed the rest of his clothes and quickly returned to her waiting embrace. Moving over her, he covered her body with his in that most sensuously intimate of positions.
Jennie could feel the hardness of his manhood probing at her sensitive flesh and she wriggled invitingly beneath him. She was feverish with desire for him and she wanted to know the fullness of his love. Boldly Jennie reached out to touch him.
She was velvet and fire, and Rick was lost when she reached out to guide him to her. Slipping his hands beneath her buttocks, he lifted her hips and pressed his entry, moving easily so as not to frighten her. Jennie gasped at the pain of accepting him and, though she wanted to please him, she couldn’t help but tense against this alien intrusion.
Rick groaned his intense pleasure as he slid deeply within her tight, silken sheath, but he soon realized that she was not sharing his ecstasy.
“Jennie—I’m sorry if I hurt you, love.” Rick pressed heated kisses against her throat, hoping to rekindle the desire she’d been experiencing before he’d entered her. “Try to relax, darling. It’ll get better, I promise,” he said soothingly, caressing her gently. He was aching with the need to take her, but he knew he had to wait until she was ready or risk destroying the joy between them for all time. With great effort, he held himself in check and continued to stroke her with tender yet provocative intent.
“I’ll be fine,” she told him throatily, making an effort to physically relax. “It’s just all so new to me and you’re so big.” Jennie blushed as she realized what she’d just blurted out.
Rick chuckled at her naive observation. “Thank you, sweet.” And he bent to kiss her softly. “I hope I please you.”
“You do, you do.” She hugged her arms about his neck and passionately lifted her lips to his. Rotating her hips experimentally, she was surprised to find that the discomfort had passed and was replaced by only a tingling sense of fullness.
Her small movement was all the invitation Rick needed and, at last, he gave his passion full rein.
“Move with me, sweet,” he said and, pacing himself, he thrust into her, delving into the molten silken core of her womanly depths.
Offering him the very essence of her love, Jennie met him tentatively at first and then eagerly as his driving hips branded her as his own for all time. Enraptured, Rick was swept along by the tide of her uninhibited response and they were soon lost in the ecstasy of the moment, achieving together passion’s ultimate release. Shuddering in the bliss of their joining, he held her close.
Jennie felt a wonderful sense of womanly power as she lay with him in her arms. Cazador had been hers, if only for a short while. Sighing in peaceful contentment, she caressed his whisker-roughened cheek and was surprised when he took her hand and pressed a heated kiss on her palm.
As Rick shifted positions to rest on his forearms above Jennie, he looked up at her and marveled once again at her natural beauty. Her dark, expressive eyes were sparkling now with new and wonderful woman knowledge and he couldn’t prevent the smile that curved his chiseled lips.
“You’re beautiful, Jennie,” he told her huskily as he bent to kiss her one more time.
“You make me feel beautiful,” she said, moving languidly beneath the pleasant weight of his hard-muscled body. An unspoken worrisome tho
ught was haunting her: He had said he liked experienced women and she was far from that, and she knew she had to ask. “Did I please you, Cazador?”
“Couldn’t you tell?” he answered, seeking her lips for another sweet soft kiss.
“Well,” she began hesitantly, “I think I did, but—”
“You pleased me, love,” he growled just before his mouth claimed hers possessively. “Very much.”
When the heartrending embrace ended, Rick shifted away from her briefly to get the canteen and the shredded remains of her blouse. With tender consideration, he wet the torn material and gently bathed her. Jennie gasped as the cool cloth skimmed over her most sensitive flesh, and her eyes widened when she saw the evidence of her virginity on the damp material just before he tossed it aside. Rick had seen the stain, too, and in that tender moment, he lost his heart to her forever.
Rick briefly considered telling Jennie everything. He knew it would certainly help to ease the mistrust between them if he could explain to her all his actions and his plans, but cold reality intruded as lightning flashed brilliantly in the canyon beyond and he knew, for her own well-being, he could not reveal his true identity to her. Later, after he had Juan safely away from Malo’s clutches, there would be time for total honesty between them, but not yet.
“I guess, we’d better see to our clothes.” His words cut as viciously across the intimacy of their haven as the lightning had.
Jennie sensed his emotional withdrawal from her and, though she wondered at his sudden change in mood, she knew better than to ask. She didn’t want to endanger the precious, almost friendly peace that existed now between them.
