Last night had been terrifying. First, with the growing feelings toward Trent. The man was an excellent gunslinger with great skills to handle a weapon and yet he lied to her. But why? Why did he want to go along on this journey?
In the beginning, he mentioned something about them working together to find someone. Did he still want that?
Every day, she was more and more drawn to him. Stretching her back, she glanced down at the bruises on her body from defending her life.
Frightened out of her mind, she reconsidered her dream of being an independent woman and even thought of returning to marry Levy. This morning in the light of day, she wasn't ready to quit, though she would have to become even more cautious. Trent's warnings about men were well heeded.
Yet, last night in the tub, she hadn't been afraid of Trent, in fact, she wanted more of him. Why was she waiting? A strong woman would go after what she needed. Take what she wanted. More and more she was drawn to Trent. With him, she felt safe, secure, and last night in the tub she had been ready for him to finish what his kiss started.
An hour later, she was beginning to get nervous. Where had he gone? Had he left her here to take advantage of her? Did he think she would sit here while he slipped away? His saddle bags were on the floor. What if he'd been hurt?
Finally, he walked in the door.
"Where have you been?" she asked. "I've been worried."
Strolling into the room, he grinned. "Really, you feared something happened to me?"
"Yes, I thought you left without me," she said.
"No, I went to the sheriff's office to tell him about the fight. Come to find out that was George Wright, otherwise known as Smithy. A wanted man. We let a moneymaker get away from us."
A shiver scurried down her spine. "For once, I don't care. If I never see that man again, I'd be happy."
"Anyway, here are your new clothes. Don't blame me if you don't like them. This was all they had prepared without ordering."
He walked over and gave her the bag, sitting in bed, knitting.
Quickly she yanked open the cloth satchel and pulled out a new chemise and pantaloons. Then came a pretty shirt, she sighed with delight at the lightweight blue fabric. "Beautiful."
"You're welcome. The color matches your eyes."
Lifting out the skirt, she smiled. "The seamstress had one of Meg's new skirts?"
"No, she fixed it for me while I waited and said to tell your friend this skirt is a great new fashion idea for women."
Not moving, she pulled the covers up to her neck and gazed at him wondering why Trent? Why was she so attracted to his man? "Thank you. I love these riding skirts."
"What's wrong with you? You're not one to stay in bed," he said frowning
Moving the cover, she showed him the darkening purple spots on her arms. "I'm aching. My legs hurt from kicking him and my arms from where he hit me.”
"Hang on, I have some liniment I use on my leg. It helps with the pain and soreness," he said.
"Does it smell bad," she asked.
"No, it's actually pleasant."
Digging in his saddle bags, he came up with a brown bottle and walked back over to the bed. Gazing at him, she wondered how many men would go buy women's clothing. One thing about Trent, he was a kind, gentle man who had saved her life on more than one occasion. "You put it on me."
He licked his lips. "Okay. Roll over and let me start on your back."
With the blanket covering her, he started on her calves, rubbing in the liquid oil on her skin, massaging her legs. "Is that all you want me to put on?"
Was he crazy? At this moment, she wanted him to massage the liniment all over her body.
"No higher," she said, wishing she'd just nodded. "My body hurts all over."
Desire coursed through her blood, creating a river of fire unlike anything she'd ever known at the feel of his big, strong hands on her calves. While his fingers felt like velvet caressing her, how would it feel for him to caress her everywhere?
Beneath the covering, his fingers trailed all the way up her thighs almost to her buttocks leaving her wanting. Though the ache was still there, a larger ache was building in her middle section. A moan escaped her throat and she gasped at the sound.
"Your muscles are tight," he said.
"Yes," she said weakly.
“Anywhere else,” he said, his voice husky.
Heat consumed her as she rolled over and stared at him, the quilt barely covering her naked body. Needing more of his touch.
"Kiss me," she whispered. "Like you did last night in the bathtub."
A groan resounded from him. "Don't ask me to kiss you like that again, unless we're not stopping."
Running her hand up his cheek, she pulled him down to the bed. "Caroline, stop. Don't you realize what you do to me?"
"What? It's a kiss, nothing more."
"No, what's happening between us is much more than a mere kiss. Last night, that's the kind of kiss a man shows his woman how he's going to claim her. The kiss of lover to lover."
His words both frightened and excited her, leaving her torn with indecision.
"Rub more lotion on me," she pleaded needing the feel of his hands on her once again. To let his fingers slide down her body in a way that continued this feeling inside her.
After everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours, maybe the time for her to stop resisting was now. What if she died tomorrow, what if she never learned about what happened between a man and woman? What if her only experience was what that man attempted last night? Maybe the time had come for her to focus on the moment and not on the future.
"Caroline, I can't take much more."
The trail of his fingers sliding down her arms, left her longing for them on her breasts.
"Oh," she groaned, staring up at him, her blue eyes large and wide. "Your hands feel so good."
With a shove, she pushed the blanket aside, exposing her body to him. For a moment, his heart stopped as he stared at her beauty.
With a growl, he pulled her into his arms, her breasts crushed against his chest. All the desire he had been holding back exploded into the crush of his mouth against hers. All the anxiety, the fear, the sensuality cloaked him as he plundered her mouth.
The woman was teasing him unmercifully and yet he didn't know how to give her what she wanted without frustrating himself.
Coming apart, he stared down at her. Lying there, her pert breasts, narrow waist and rounded hips exposed to his gaze. She'd been crafted to entice men and she had him almost to his breaking point.
"We've got to stop or..." he paused, unable to say the words fearful of her reaction.
"Or what?" she breathed heavily, gazing at him.
"Or you're no longer going to be a virgin."
"For me to be an independent woman, I should decide who and where I'm going to lose my virginity. Show me what to do."
His lips covered her own, claiming her, branding her, demanding a response. Whimpering, she sagged against him, overwhelmed with the passion raging inside her. Her body warming, heating to a level never experienced. With a tug, she pulled his shirt over his head, his hands reaching for the waist of his clothing.
Outside, thunder rumbled and the sound of rain slammed against the windows.
"Good," he said between kissing her lips. "We have all day to stay in bed."
"Really?" she muttered. "I thought we'd be finished in minutes."
"Oh no," he said. "You're going nowhere for a while. It will take me time to teach you why a man likes a woman's body."
A shiver rippled along her spine. What had she agreed to? Maybe there was still time to back out.
Naked, she stared at his body. The other night she'd seen the ripples and contours but refused to look at the male part of him that she feared. She'd never seen a man's John Henry before.
Gasping at the strength that exuded from him, she lay beside him. He grasped her arm and pulled her on top of him. For the first time, she felt his
skin against hers, velvety smooth over rigid muscles.
"We fit together, well," he breathed in her ear. "Your breasts crushed against my chest, your womanly pelvis smashed against me makes me want to take you hard and fast. But the first time will be gentle. The next time...we'll see."
Afraid, she glanced at him, her lips trembling. His words were like an inferno to her ears, causing her to cling to him as his mouth once again encased hers. Flipping her onto her back, his lips trailed down her chest, his hands gripping her own, holding them down on either side of her as he descended to her nipples.
At the touch of his lips, she cried out as he drew the hardened kernel into his mouth, suckling, carrying waves of need centering in her middle. Never before had she dreamed it would be like this. The need filling her from the moment he first touched her.
"Trent," she sighed and he moved to the other breast, swirling his tongue around, lightly nipping her with his teeth.
"Trust me," he whispered against her. "Let me pleasure you."
"Oh," she moaned as her body came alive beneath his heated caresses.
When she thought she could experience nothing more, his fingers parted her legs and delved into her very center. As he teased her with his fingertips, she ached for something more.
Dipping his digits within her, she gasped from the intense desire, her body tensing. "Trent."
"You're so hot. So ready for me," he growled, his voice deep and throaty.
She didn't know if he knew what he was saying to her, but at this moment, she really didn't care. Only the skim of his caress, the heat from his gaze were all that mattered.
Rising over her, he spread her open with his muscular thighs, his powerful tool advancing against the opening that eagerly wanted him. Staring into his emerald gaze, she watched as with a groan, he thrust, pressing until he filled her. The sting of pain, nothing compared to the flames pulsing through her.
Gazing into his eyes, she felt her heart clench as a feeling she'd never felt before gripped her, leaving her stunned. Did she love him?
They were joined, and the fervor between them drove every question from her mind as he plunged into her time and again, climbing, straining for something she'd never experienced. With every thrust, he claimed her heart. With every stroke, he made her his own.
Seeking to understand, she stared into his eyes, as her world started to unravel. Like the universe was exploding as every cell strove toward the brilliant light that flashed through her, sending shock waves rattling like a tidal wave washing her ashore.
In a husky voice, she heard Trent call her name as his body shuttered around her, clinging to her like two lost souls adhered by a mere thread to earth.
Slumping over her, he rolled to her side, cradling her body against him, breathing like a race horse, their chests aching for more air. In silence, she curled next to him, unwinding as the tingles disappeared, leaving a warm feeling of bliss.
In wonder, she lay in his arms, realizing she was a virgin no more.
Later that afternoon as the weather continued to slash rain against the windows, he rose from the bed where Caroline had fallen asleep. Poor thing, he'd worn her out, taking her not once but three different times and each time more perfect than the last.
Glancing down at the paper, he looked over his notes and wondered how to bring this woman to life on the page. Could he create her vibrant, soft, gentle soul as a character?
Yes, she was clumsy, obstinate, and determined. Sometimes she came across as kind of scattered, not because she wasn't intelligent. No, Caroline was a genteel lady doing a job better suited for a man.
This morning when she removed the blanket and her well rounded curves were exposed to his gaze, he lost his resolve to keep his hands off her. She'd been adamant about waiting for the right man, the one that would marry her. What would she expect from him?
Trent had no intentions on marrying anyone. Not that he wouldn't love to wake up to her every morning at his side. Share her laughter, her sweet smile, her stubborn side, but there was a price on his head. One she kept hinting at.
Now he questioned if she would still turn him in or would she use this moment to force him to put a ring on her finger. Caroline almost suffered a forced marriage, he didn't think she would require the same from him.
At least, he assumed not, because though he admired her, enjoyed her body, and even liked riding with her, for her own protection, he could never wed her.
Now when she woke, he just hoped she had no expectations because he would need to let her down hard.
Staring at the blank sheet of paper, he couldn't wait another minute to start her story.
Smiling, the opening line came to him and the words began to fall into place in his mind and flow from his fingers onto the page.
An hour later, satisfied the rough draft of the first installment was done, he laid down his pen and stared at the woman in bed. Part of him wanted to crawl back in with her and have another go in her arms.
Yet his stomach reminded him he hadn't eaten in twenty-four hours and that a man cannot function without food.
Quietly, he dressed, thinking he would find them something to eat and return. As he shut the hotel room door, he wanted to get back to Caroline.
Chapter 10
Meg curled around her husband and thought back to the time when she wasn't certain of his motives. Uncertain as to whether he planned on continuing to be the sheriff or become a wanted outlaw along with his brother. During that dreadful time, she misjudged him. Could they also be misjudging Caroline?
Did her soft, gentle voice and easy-going manner make them believe she was incapable of being a strong woman? Did they consider her stupid? Just because her demeanor was not harsh and demanding, did that mean she was less intelligent?
"You're awfully quiet tonight?"
"I've been pondering something Ruby said is all."
Over the years, she quickly learned Zach was the perfect person to discuss things that bothered her. Usually between the two of them, they talked over whatever agitated her and came up with a solution.
"Since Ruby married, she's really settled down."
"Yes, I'm amazed at what a great woman she's become. Today she mentioned Caroline and made me think about how we treat her. When you see Caroline, what do you think?"
Zach laughed and shook his head. "I think please don't let her be carrying a pistol, because someone is going to get hurt."
"Do you think she's smart?"
He chuckled. "If she's intelligent, she's been hiding it really well."
Like the three of them, Zach also didn't think of her being astute. "Help me think this out. What if you were extremely shrewd, but everyone assumed you were simple-minded, including your mother. What if she kept trying to find some man to marry you off to. How would you feel?"
"I'd be angry. I'd be frustrated and I'd probably leave town," he said, his voice suddenly growing faint as the realization of what he'd just said.
"What if all this time, we've been saying oh, it's only Caroline, when in reality her mellow spoken manner didn't convey flakiness? What if we haven't treated her with the respect she deserved?"
The very idea left her chest hurting. She'd been the victim of women who made fun of her when she dressed like a man to provide for her sisters and the mean comments stung. What if they had been doing this to Caroline for years?
Zach squeezed Meg. "You would never deliberately harm anyone. Whatever you did or said, you only wanted to protect her."
"Still...I'm going to be better. And I'm going to suggest to Annabelle and Ruby we stop attempting to insulate her. We should treat her like we have every confidence in her abilities to not only outshoot, but also trap and bring in bounties."
Regardless of whether she was smart or dumb or even daft, the woman was struggling to create an independent life and they owed her their backing. With a daughter of her own, Meg knew women of today paved the way for the next generation and she wanted it to be easier for her
children.
At the thought of their baby girl, her heart surged with love.
She felt so blessed to have a man who loved and adored her and now they had a daughter with another baby on the way. In the three years they'd been married, Zach and she created a life she would die protecting. For Caroline, she wished the same. A man who loved and adored her with whom she could start a family of her own.
Kissing her on the top of her head. "You'll make sure she knows she's special."
"One day our daughter will be old enough to wed. If you believed she was foolish, would you be trying to match her with a man to get her out of the house?"
There was a moment of silence, before Zach spoke. "Honey, our daughter is not marrying anyone unless we approve and I will never force her to leave our home. In fact, I don't want a man looking at her."
Meg hugged her sweet husband close to her and wrapped her leg over his. "Someday she's going to meet a man and fall in love."
"Please, I don't want to think about it. She's not two yet."
"No, but I never want her looked upon like Caroline's been regarded in this town. Never, and that's why Ruby, Annabelle, and myself are going to do everything we can to support and help Caroline."
The woman was out hunting for criminals, a dangerous job, but one at least she could earn a decent living at if she lived. A shudder ran through Meg at the danger and she prayed Caroline was safe.
Caroline slowly awoke. When she opened her eyes, the memories of their afternoon returned and she gazed around the room. It was empty. She was alone.
Lying there, she blushed at the thoughts of how they pleasured each other and had no regrets. How Trent knew how to tease her body until she begged him to satisfy her. And he had every single time. Most of the day, they spent there in bed and she enjoyed every minute.
But now the realities of what she'd done started to seep into her conscious. The fact he'd said all along he never planned to marry and how she had every intention of waiting until a ring graced her finger.
Panic gripped her stomach. What if during their time together they created a baby? What would her husband think when he learned she wasn't a virgin? How did she face Trent now, knowing how he felt about marriage and forever after?
Lipstick and Lead Series: The Complete Box Set With a Bonus Book Page 97
