Duty or Desire

by Brenda Jackson

  * * *

  Not wanting to wake Ciara, Myra fought back a scream of pleasure. And when his tongue began moving inside her with intense strokes, she fought back another scream while thrashing on the blanket. He finally used his hands to grip her thighs and hold her still. What on earth was his mouth doing to her? She wanted him to stop, but knew if he stopped she would die. Never had she experienced anything like this. All kinds of sensations were plummeting through her all at once.

  And when his tongue went deeper and the strokes became more intense, she did release a scream. Her body was hit with what she knew had to be an orgasm. Her very first. Ever. She closed her eyes as she felt like she was undergoing some sort of out-of-body experience with Pete’s tongue still planted deep inside her.

  Then suddenly another orgasm hit, this one stronger than the last. She felt the intensity of it in every bone. Her body bucked several times beneath his mouth, but he held tight to her hips, refusing to remove his tongue.

  When the tremors slowly subsided, she felt Pete move away and she slowly opened her eyes. He was sliding on a condom. Then he came back and straddled her body.

  “You’re ready for me now, baby,” he said as he eased into her.

  She knew now was the time to tell him that not only had no man ever gone down on her before him, but none had gone inside of her before either. Moments later, when his body suddenly went still and he stared down at her, she knew it was too late. He’d figured things out for himself.

  Before he could ask her anything, she placed her arms around his neck to force his mouth down to hers. Before their lips touched, she whispered, “We’re good?”

  Instead of answering he pushed more into her tight womanly core until it seemed he couldn’t go any farther. He went still again, as if giving her time to adjust to the pressure of his engorged erection planted deep inside her.

  Then he began moving, slow at first and then with more intensity. More vigor. It wasn’t long before his thrusts became long, hard and deep and she unwrapped her arms from his neck to grab hold of his shoulders. It was as if he was riding her the way he would ride Satin and she could feel his every moment.

  Suddenly her body was hit with tingling sensations all over again, with more intensity. And this time she wasn’t alone. Pete threw his head back and let out a deep, guttural growl as his body bucked several times. They reached orgasmic pleasure together. She held on to him and he held on to her.

  When the last of the tremors had passed through their bodies, he eased down beside her. Entwining their legs, he pulled her into his arms. The last thing she remembered before sleep claimed her was the feel of him softly caressing her stomach and whispering, “No, sweetheart. You’re good.”

  * * *

  Pete stopped the alarm before it could go off. The last thing he wanted was to wake the woman sleeping naked beside him. It had been one hell of a night. He’d wanted to be gentle, after he’d learned it was her first time, but she hadn’t let him. She’d deliberately brought out the lusty beast in him.

  He found it amazing that at twenty-four she hadn’t shared a bed with a man until last night. Until him. He’d had the honor of introducing her to pleasure and she’d told him so many times how much she had enjoyed it.

  After that first time, he’d carried her upstairs where he joined her in a hot, sudsy tub bath. Then he’d toweled her dry and carried her to his bed. When she complained about them not drinking any of the wine, he’d gone back down to the man cave to snuff out the candles and grab the wine bottles and glasses. They’d sipped wine in bed, then made love all over again before dozing off to sleep.

  She was the one who’d awakened him at two in the morning telling him it was her turn to do the licking. He wouldn’t let her, simply because having her mouth on him would have killed him and he wasn’t ready to die yet. In the end they’d made love again. And from the looks of it, she was sleeping peacefully now, and he figured she was just as satisfied as he was.

  He wished he could stay in bed with her all day, but he had a job to go to and she had Ciara to take care of. However, there would be tonight and he was looking forward to coming home to her. Their days of ignoring each other were done.

  Pete forced himself to remember that whatever they were sharing was short-term. She would be leaving Denver in a few weeks. He knew it and accepted it. The only thing they had was the present and he intended to take advantage of the time they had left. He refused to dwell on the fact that Myra Hollister was definitely everything a man could want in a woman.

  She was everything he not only wanted but also what he needed.

  “Good morning, lawman.”

  He shifted in bed and smiled over at her. “Good morning. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “You didn’t. I’m too wound up to sleep long after last night.”

  “Because of last night you should be exhausted.”

  She chuckled. “I’m not. Are you? Being an old man and all.”

  He leaned toward her. “But you enjoyed this old man last night, right?”

  “Immensely. I can’t describe exactly how I feel, Pete.”

  * * *

  Myra decided not to even try. All she knew was what they’d shared had been a game changer for her. She knew it and felt assured Pete knew it, as well. Just like they both knew this affair would end when Miss Bonnie returned. She tried not to let the thought bother her. He had his life here and she had hers someplace else.

  She had entertained the thought of returning to Denver for the Westmoreland Charity Ball on New Year’s Eve, but now she wasn’t sure that was a good idea. What she should do was enjoy what they were sharing now, and when it was time for her to move on, to do so without looking back. Without coming back.

  In the meantime...

  “Pete?”

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  She wondered if he knew what the endearment did to her. “Do you know what I’d like?”

  From the look in his eyes she knew he had an idea. “No, what would you like?”

  “For you to leave me with something to think about all day until you return.”

  The smile that appeared on his face was priceless. “That can definitely be arranged.”

  He then pulled her into his arms.

  Ten

  “So, there you have it, Pete,” Detective Lewis Tomlin was saying.

  “Carl Knight, who is serving time in prison for armed robbery, claims he buried his loot in Ms. Katherine’s backyard underneath that storage shed while he was hiding out from the Feds. It’s my guess that he shared that information with a fellow inmate who passed it to someone on the outside who’s trying to scare her into selling the house.”

  Pete nodded. “Did you question Ms. Katherine about anyone trying to buy her house in the last year?”

  “Yes,” Lewis said, “she did say that someone had shown up twice inquiring if she wanted to sell and both times she told them she didn’t. Said he was a nice man and that he gave her his business card in case she changed her mind.”

  “Knowing Ms. Katherine, I bet she still had that card.”

  “Yes. We put a trace on it and the name is connected to a trust. But I’m on it. Hopefully in a week I’ll have the name of the person that trust belongs to.”

  Pete leaned forward in his chair. “Okay, and since we’re talking about money missing from a bank robbery, at some point we’ll need to get the FBI involved.”

  When Lewis left his office, Pete leaned back in his chair. When would people learn that crime didn’t pay? He knew Lewis wouldn’t leave any stones unturned. But if whoever owned that trust couldn’t scare off Ms. Katherine, then what? He didn’t feel good about this entire thing.

  He pressed a button on his desk phone. When his administrative assistant came on the line, he said, “Monica, find deputies Anderson and Sims. I want to see them.”

/>   “Okay, Sheriff.”

  He would instruct them to drive by Ms. Katherine’s home more frequently, especially at night. They were squad leaders and would make sure it was done. Standing, he walked over to the window and looked out. He would never tire of this view of the mountains.

  Glancing at his watch, it seemed the day was dragging by. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet. He shook his head. He’d never been a clock-watcher when it came to his job, but now there were two special females waiting for him. Namely, Ciara Higgins and Myra Hollister.

  It was hard to believe it had been almost two weeks since the night he and Myra first made love. Things had certainly changed since then. They now shared the same bed every night, and his day would start with them making love every morning. She also joined him for breakfast, usually preparing him pancakes...made of wheat of course...and turkey bacon and sausage. Her kind of food was beginning to grow on him, and he did feel healthier.

  What he enjoyed most was at night, after they’d put Ciara to bed, when over dessert he would share with Myra how his day had gone. It felt nice having someone to come home to and share details with. Then they would go down to his man cave and watch a movie or football. When they retired for bed, it was together. He enjoyed sleeping with her at night and waking up with her in his arms every morning.

  They spent their time talking about several subjects. However, the one thing they never talked about was the time when she would be leaving. He’d heard from Jason that Myra had approached Bella about staying at the inn after Bonnie came back. He intended to tell Myra she didn’t have to do that. He certainly had enough room at his ranch.

  Bottom line, he wasn’t ready for her to leave and doubted he ever would be. However, he had to face the fact she was leaving. Therefore, he would do the only thing he could, which was to make every moment count.

  He turned at the sound of his phone and then moved to click it on. “Sheriff Higgins.”

  “Pete, this is Pam.”

  He smiled as he settled into the chair behind his desk. “Hey, Pam, what can I do for you?”

  “Dillon’s birthday is coming up and he doesn’t want us to make a fuss since a lot of the family will be here for the Westmoreland Charity Ball. But I wanted to at least prepare a special meal for this Friday’s chow-down. I’d love for you to make it, and please bring Myra and Ciara. I appreciated Myra’s help at the Wild West show.”

  “Ciara and I will be there and I will let Myra know the invitation extends to her, as well.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  He hoped Myra would attend with him. It’d be another moment to cherish.

  * * *

  “So, how are things going with that nanny gig?” Wallace asked Myra, after she’d put the casserole in the oven and sat down at the kitchen table to call him.

  She’d just put Ciara down for her nap after feeding her lunch. From where Myra sat, she could see the Christmas tree in the living room. She would never forget the day they’d gotten it. And because this would be Ciara’s first Christmas with Pete, and he’d never thought of having a tree before, that had meant shopping for ornaments, as well. The two of them, with a little help from Ciara, had decorated it. Myra would never forget the look of happiness on the little girl’s face when Pete had switched on the lights for the first time. Even now, whenever they lit the tree, Ciara would sit in front of it and stare at the blinking lights.

  “Myra?”

  Wallace had asked her a question that she had yet to answer. “It’s going great. Ciara is wonderful.”

  “And Ciara’s uncle?”

  She wondered why Wallace would ask her about Pete. She wasn’t sure who knew that her and Pete’s relationship had changed. They seldom went out. They now had a reason to stay in. She certainly hadn’t breathed a word about anything to Wallace.

  “Why would you ask me about her uncle?”

  He paused and then said, “Well, you did say that early on he hadn’t wanted to hire you because he thought you were too young.”

  She couldn’t help but smile at the memory. A lot had certainly changed since then. “Well, once I began working here and he saw how competent I was, his opinion changed.”

  “I knew it would. I figured you would eventually win him over.”

  Myra had news for Wallace. Pete had won her over, as well.

  She had fallen in love with him.

  That fact couldn’t be disputed even though she wished otherwise. But she lived with the evidence every day—when she looked forward to him coming home, when he found her in the kitchen, when he would pull her into his arms with a kiss...

  “You don’t have long now.”

  Wallace’s words pulled her back into the present. “I don’t have long for what?”

  “To work for the guy. Won’t the regular nanny be back in two weeks?”

  Yes, Miss Bonnie would be back and Pete wouldn’t need Myra anymore. She and Pete never talked about her leaving because it was a foregone conclusion that she would be. She needed to go to Charleston and claim the company back and then turn it over to Wallace. But what then?

  Pete was very much aware of when her last day would be. He hadn’t shown any inclination that he’d want to see her again after she left. She doubted he knew she planned to remain in Denver until the day after Christmas. If he knew, would he invite her to spend Christmas with him and Ciara?

  She’d known she had to leave, but she had fallen in love with him anyway.

  On top of that, his heart still belonged to a dead woman.

  “Myra?”

  Again she’d left one of Wallace’s questions hanging. “Yes, Miss Bonnie will be back in two weeks.” Then, deciding to change the subject, she said, “How are things going at the office?”

  “So far, okay, but I have a feeling Baron and his friends are up to something. I don’t know what, but it’s not good. They have been whispering a lot amongst themselves.”

  “They’re probably trying to come up with a plan for stopping me from reclaiming the company. I talked to Lloyd the other day and he assures me there is nothing they can do. All I have to do is show up.”

  Lloyd Kirkland had been the company attorney for years and one of her father’s close friends. He’d been appalled at how Baron had managed to manipulate the stockholders into putting him in charge and replacing Wallace.

  “According to Irene, they still think you’re out of the country. Baron has hired someone to find you.”

  Irene was one of the department heads and, like Lloyd, had worked for the company for years. She was loyal to Wallace and tried keeping him abreast of what Baron was up to.

  “Let them try. I covered my tracks well. They will see me when it’s time for them to see me.”

  When she ended the call with Wallace, Myra decided to grab a nap for herself while Ciara slept. She and Pete made love every night before they went to sleep and in the mornings when they woke up. She wasn’t used to such a vigorous routine.

  She smiled when she thought about all they’d done together since making love that first time. Once he’d gotten over the fact that she was inexperienced, it was as if he intended to give her all the training she needed. She couldn’t keep up with all the positions they’d tried and the rooms where they’d made love. Her favorite spot still remained on a blanket in front of the fireplace.

  Myra walked out of the kitchen the same time the front door opened and Pete walked in. “Pete! I didn’t know you were coming home for lunch. Had I known, I would have made—”

  “I didn’t come home for lunch,” he said, tossing his Stetson on the rack with perfect aim, all while walking toward her.

  “Oh?”

  “I came home for you.”

  The combination of what he’d said and how he’d said it caused the pulse at the base of her throat to throb. And she could only stare as he walked toward her, th
e epitome of masculinity.

  When he came to a stop in front of her, he placed his hands at her waist and a surge of longing ripped through her.

  “So what do you have to say to that, Myra Hollister?”

  She started to speak and felt her breath wobble. So, instead of saying anything, she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against his. That was another thing she was in training for. Kissing 101. She took her time brushing her lips over his full and sexy ones. And then she used her tongue to lick the curve of his mouth and lower to his jawline.

  Myra heard the way he was breathing and decided to exert a little pressure with her mouth and tongue. She was convinced that she hadn’t been properly kissed until Pete. She continued to let her lips roam over his while teasingly licking, sucking and nibbling, loving how he let her do her thing while he fought for control. The hands holding her at the waist tightened as she greedily sucked his lower lip.

  It didn’t take long for Pete to grow impatient with her playing around with his mouth. Suddenly he crushed his mouth to hers. His hands plunged into her hair, as if to pull her head even closer so he could consume her.

  Then, with the same intensity, he released her mouth, only to sweep her into his arms and head toward the bedroom.

  Eleven

  “So are you going to tell her?”

  Pete lifted a brow at Derringer. They’d been standing on the other side of the room watching Dillon cut his birthday cake while the women were busy setting out plates. “Tell who what?”

  Derringer rolled his eyes. “Myra Hollister. Are you going to tell her how you feel about her?”

  Pete crossed his arms over his chest. “And just how do I feel about her?”

  Derringer shook his head. “If you have to ask me, then you’re in worse shape than I thought. You love her. I can see that.”