He grinned and rolled his eyes. "You're too nice."
She searched his gaze looking for something, some type of recognition. Finding none, she was more determined than ever to make an impression on him that would be so strong that he would never forget her again.
As she planned all of these things in her mind, she held his gaze.
*****
Jimmy allowed her to continue to probe him, to search him. He wasn't sure what she was looking for, but he didn't want to break the hold she had on him. It warmed him to his core when she gazed at him so intently and with such emotion. The hunger in her shimmering eyes captivated him.
She drew him in with her gaze. There was something in her eyes that made him weak in the knees. Could it be yearning? Desire? Raw need?
He couldn't place it, but whatever that look was, it made his mouth go dry. Then it struck him unexpectedly. Was she going to kiss him? He'd never had a woman make a move on him and he was breathless with anticipation.
He opened his mouth to speak. At the same moment she placed her hands behind his head. Her fingers wove into the hair at the nape of his neck. Her gaze locked on his and he couldn't find his voice. She was definitely going to kiss him. Was he ready for that? He closed his eyes and decided not to resist. If she wanted him, he wasn't going to fight it anymore.
Gently, she pulled his head down until his lips touched hers. As planned, he didn't resist, and in fact responded with such passion it encouraged her all the more.
The traces of ice cream on her lips tasted wonderful as they moved under his. A moan escaped him as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Her silky lips teasing his mouth transported him to a place he never wanted to leave.
She sank into his arms. And like a couch that was hard to get out of, in his head he fought to stand up and walk away. Instead, he sank deeper into the moment and relished every second. His heart started beating so fast he worried it would burst from his chest. She opened her mouth and kissed him even more deeply until he felt his blood pulsing through him. The intensity made him shiver with anticipation of what could happen next if he let things head in that direction.
His thoughts spun with the possibilities as fantasies played out in his mind. He imagined her wearing her saloon girl outfit and beckoning him into a dark room. His thoughts sank deeper until he thought he'd implode. Soon he was so turned on he couldn't handle it anymore.
A devious grin appeared on her face as she pulled back. "Is that a pistol in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"
She knew the effect she had on him. How mortifying and thrilling at the same time.
He chose not to respond with words and pulled her into another kiss that made him dizzy. Stupid move for someone who knew better, but he was getting so hot he no longer cared. He just wanted more. The moment she pressed her hips against his, he knew he was in serious trouble.
With a frustrated grunt he stepped away from her, hating that he had to stop, but knowing if he didn't he would regret it later. He shoved his hands into his front pockets to conceal his excitement. He was breathing so hard he could barely speak. His voice was rough. "Okay, that's enough. We've really gotta stop this time."
"But we were just getting started." Her mouth pulled into a sensuous pout.
He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and closed his eyes long enough to gather his thoughts. "No. We have to stop. I don't want to, believe me, but we can't go any further. I can't handle this kind of… intimacy. It's killing me to play around like this."
She gazed at him with big brown eyes, her disappointment evident.
Was she serious about going further? Had she slept with other guys before? And what was that sexual comment all about? Was she teasing him? The idea didn't appeal to him at all. In fact, it made him queasy. He didn't want to share his woman with a man from the past. But how would he bring up the subject without offending her? What if he was way off base? One thing he knew for certain, though, was he had to say something fast or he could lose her altogether.
He switched over to his cowboy persona. "Don't look bummed, honey. It's not personal, I swear."
Her expression twisted in obvious bewilderment. "Okay… Sure."
"Great." He sighed and his shoulders relaxed. "Thanks for understanding."
She chewed the corner of her lip. "Was it what I said?"
"About the pistol?" He grinned and shrugged. "Maybe."
Sammie cringed. "Sorry. I was just trying to point out that things were getting too intense without coming right out and saying it."
"No apology needed. I got it, believe me. And I appreciate you doing that."
"Thanks. Well, I needed to head on home anyway. It's getting late and I promised Trinity I would stop by her place on my way home. She has something to ask me, and the suspense is killing me."
Sammie's bright smiled told him she was not upset with him.
"Thanks for understanding." He held her chin and stroked it gently with his thumb.
Giggling, she whispered, "You already said that."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry." He removed his hand from her face and rested his arms at his sides. He didn't want to move, but he couldn't touch her again. Not today.
She kissed the tip of her finger and pressed it gently on his lips, her eyes fixed on his, probably to gage his reaction.
His body's response was predictable, swift and sure. The stimulation made him want to start things up again. Her delicious teasing just frustrated him more, so he stood rigid and kept his distance. Lord, help me to be strong.
"We'll talk later," she said as she peered seductively over her shoulder, heading toward the door. She grabbed her purse from the table and strolled over to her truck.
Jimmy stood on the porch, his mouth gaping at her boldness and his lack of restraint. What had he just done to his witness?
Sure, he'd enjoyed the excitement of being pursued by a woman, but he also recognized how dangerous it was to allow things to burn out of control. Like the Bible verse that talked about her seduction being oh so sweet. When she'd drawn his mouth towards hers and hungrily kissed him he felt himself being pulled away from God. He actually sensed the war between his flesh and spirit. He was barely able to get himself under control. What scared him most was that he hadn't wanted to do the right thing. He'd wanted to stumble.
With a grieved spirit he realized that if he'd kissed her any longer he would have surrendered to his flesh and invited her to stay the night with him. What a disaster that would have been, especially when he'd just told her about his relationship with Jesus. He had to be strong. Succumbing to his lust for her wasn't an option. He knew in his heart that love never desired its own way. But did he love her? What he felt for her was certainly strong, but was it truly love?
A solution entered his heart that he both understood and hated. At least his flesh hated it. His spirit experienced peace at the suggestion that he was pretty sure came from God. He'd simply have to keep their contact limited to public places. If he only saw her in Tombstone it would be hard for him to get lost in her scent and the soft feel of her body against him. He had to avoid being alone with her. It would be difficult, but necessary. He didn't want to cross the line and grieve the Lord.
The only other option would be to stop seeing her altogether, and he wasn't ready to do that yet. He'd rather have his chest gored by a bull and his heart ripped clean out than give her up. Somehow he knew God wouldn't be pleased, but it was the truth. She'd become that important to him that he'd find away to keep seeing her. Maybe she was too important. He shoved that notion from his mind.
He went back inside and spied the Bible sitting on the coffee table. He knew he should do his daily reading, but for some reason he didn't feel like reading God's Word today. In fact, the more he thought about Sammie the more he wanted to be with her and forget everything else. It was a vicious treadmill that he couldn't seem to get off. Deep inside he knew the right thing to do was break if off with her before he fell, but he couldn't bring him
self to do it. Actually, the truth was he didn't want to do that. Might as well be honest with himself. The Lord knew his heart, anyway.
God understood the deceitful, wicked thing that it was.
Chapter Nine
Sammie drove home on automatic pilot and mulled over everything that happened between them. Her mind raced with ideas about what to do next to keep him interested in her. The power she had over him made her restless with anticipation. If she'd known dating would be this exciting she'd have started years ago.
Her mind dwelled on their physical encounter and the rush she felt as he kissed her with such passion. It was more incredible than watching the most romantic movie ever… because it was happening to her!
She couldn't believe she'd made that comment about the pistol, but she knew they were treading on dangerous ground. She didn't want to ruin what they had by 'going there' when it clearly wasn't the right thing for them to do this early on. Or the right time to do it. Cheesy as that pistol comment was, at least it had worked.
Their spiritual discussion had been sweet, and she loved how strongly Jimmy felt about what he believed. She was still not sure that God was for her even after checking church out that one time she stopped by to use the restroom. And yet she knew that Jimmy would be pleased enough to keep dating her is she found religion, then she'd do anything, even pray to accept Christ.
Not sure how she'd suddenly become obsessed with making Jimmy fall in love with her, she couldn't seem to stop regardless of how irrational and crazy it seemed. Ever since she realized he was James and understood that he didn't recognize or remember her it made her desperate and wanting him.
The thing that didn't make sense to her was why she wanted to torture herself when the relationship couldn't go anywhere. She was supposed to be moving shortly after Christmas, and her orders could always come sooner. If the Army needed her for anything she was at their mercy. It was her job.
And what about the fact that he hated his father's vocation? That reaction he'd had was totally unexpected. Thankfully she'd never told him exactly what she did for work. She just told him she worked on Fort Huachuca. A lot of civilians did. She'd keep letting him think that as long as she was in town. It wouldn't hurt anything.
In the meantime she had to find a way to win James over so he wouldn't care what she did for a living. If she'd known she'd find him again she probably wouldn't have joined the military to begin with. She loved her freedom and was very patriotic, but she could find another way to serve her country. Maybe through a contracted job like Jimmy thought she had, rather than being on active duty.
The reason she'd enlisted in the first place was because she had no one left in the world that cared about her. Now that she'd found Jimmy, things quickly shifted in her mind. And it was crazy because he still didn't know who she was.
She considered asking her commander to allow her to stay stateside, or to retire early and contract with the government for her services instead of continuing as an enlisted officer. But would he let her do that? That was her only hope if she wanted to keep James in her life beyond the next few months.
On the other hand, he might get used to the idea of her being a captain. But that was highly unlikely given his anger regarding the loss of his father. He hadn't been very happy with the military life when he was growing up and she doubted he would marry someone who was gone a lot because it had hurt his parents' marriage. Most people wouldn't change, so why did she think he would?
No way could she tell him about her career, at least not until he confessed that he loved her. Then it won't matter anymore. Then she'd tell him. He wouldn't leave her again, at least not if there was anything she could do about it. If she could just make him fall in love with her maybe they could get that magical connection back.
She was so deep in thought that she passed Trinity's house. She honestly didn't remember how she got home. Scarier yet, she wanted to drive right back to Jimmy's house and spend the night with him so he would never forget her. But would he hate her if she tried to get him in bed? Worse, would she hate herself?
And why was she even thinking this way? She'd never even kissed a man before and now she was thinking about hopping in bed with the guy? She had to be crazy, or her hormones were making her irrational. It would never work. That thinking had to be extinguished before it burned the delicate relationship they shared.
She'd let him lead the way and she'd do her best to follow. He seemed stronger than her so far. She banked on it staying that way.
*****
Sammie pulled up in her driveway and hopped out of her truck. She headed down the dirt road towards her friend's ranch home. When she arrived, she peeked through the blinds. Trinity sat on the couch watching television. Apparently she'd stayed awake waiting for Sammie to come over.
Sammie tapped on the window. Trinity jumped from the couch and came to the door.
"Hi. I thought you'd never get here." Trinity invited her inside with a wave of her hand.
"Sorry. I was having so much fun I lost track of time." Her cheeks burned. Hopefully her friend wouldn't notice.
"Your face is red. Ooh, I can just imagine the fun you had." Trinity giggled and plopped onto the couch. She patted the cushion beside her
Sammie waved away the comment and sat down. "Not what you think."
Trinity shrugged. "It's not my business anyway. I asked you to come over because I have two favors I need you to do for me if you're willing."
"And they are…?"
"First, I need someone to take Grandma to her bereavement group for me this Friday. I figured since you talked about possibly going yourself, this might be your chance to check it out."
"I never said I planned to go to the group."
"Yes, you did. Maybe you don't remember but you did. Grandma said so."
Surely she'd remember something like that. Wouldn't she? Well, it didn't really matter because she wanted to help her neighbor. Taking her to a group was an easy task.
"Sure, I can handle that. So what's the second favor?"
"Well, I, um, I need an audience tomorrow morning." Trinity bit her lip and her cheeks flushed.
"An audience?" She couldn't imagine how that would help.
"Yes. I need a cheering section for Buttercup to perform her very best. I'm entering the Cowboy Mounted Shooting competition. It's my first competition in this type of event, and my horse always does better with a cheering section."
Neither of those favors seemed too bad. One even sounded fun. "Sure. I'd be more than happy to help you. I'll even see if my friend wants to go with me, and if he does, I'll pick him up and head over to the arena to meet you at nine o'clock."
"Thanks a whole bunch." Trinity leaned over and gave her an awkward hug.
Sammie flicked her wrist to show her friend that it would be an easy favor. "Not a problem. Do you want me to bring Gram to the show too?"
"Can't. I know this sounds nuts but Gram's very allergic to dust. So if she breathes it in it's a significant health risk for her. Have you noticed how she wears a surgical mask on windy days? The last time that happened she needed breathing treatments for weeks. I'd rather keep her at home."
"How much does this cowboy shooting show cost?"
"Oh, that's the best part. It's free."
"Great! Maybe I'll mention it to people in Tombstone."
"No need. It's in the paper."
"I hadn't thought of that."
Trinity touched her arm. "I'm sorry about giving such short notice. I was going to mention it when I saw you the other day, but that hot cowboy distracted me."
"Who, Jimmy?" Sammie's cheeks heated.
"Is that his name?" Trinity laughed. "I was too busy checking out his butt to remember. He seemed to like you."
"I hope he more than likes me. We spent the entire day together."
Trinity got this knowing look in her eyes. "That explains the look."
She didn't know what Trinity was talking about. "Maybe it does, maybe it
doesn't."
"Sure, play coy with me. Don't tell me anything. I don't want to know." Trinity popped her fingers in her ears and hummed. "See I don't care."
Sammie giggled and stood. Trinity followed. If her neighbor thought the la la game was going to get her to spill the details, she had another think coming.
"Well, if you see me all by my lonesome tomorrow that means Jimmy couldn't come. Either way, I'll be there." She turned to leave.
"Whatever works out best for you." Trinity waved and closed the door behind her.
Sammie waved back and muttered to herself, "I better hurry up and call before you're in bed, huh, cowboy?"
A smile tugged at her lips when she thought about him being alone in his house tonight. Maybe he was thinking of her. Maybe a yummy conversation would warm him up and get him thinking about her again. If nothing else she'd make it a memorable chat. Warm, enticing words would be just another way to keep their hearts connected, right? Surely he'd enjoy that.
*****
Sammie threw her purse down on the table and picked up the old-fashioned phone the moment she entered her house. She didn't even stop to turn on the lights. As she marched toward the kitchen she stumbled over the throw rug and the phone fell from her hand and nearly hit the floor. Thank God it wasn't a cordless phone or it would have broken apart for sure.
And since the battery on her cell phone had died earlier that day, she would have been stuck if she'd had to wait for it to fully charge again. Despite how smart she was she still managed to forget to charge her phone most of the time.
She pulled the cord and swung the phone back into her hand. She knew his number by heart even though she'd never called him before, so why couldn't she remember to charge her stupid cell phone? While she pondered that his phone rang.
Nerves in a jumble, she was excited about asking him to come with her tomorrow. She hoped he'd say yes even though it was a Sunday morning. Somehow she needed to persuade him to come. She'd even offer to pick him up. Heck, if she needed to, she'd even agree to go to church with him the following Sunday.
The Shy Captain Page 10
