Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) (44 page)

“
I’ve been so consumed with
you staying here in Texas, that I didn’t see the danger I was
forcing on you.” His eyes now full of remorse locked on
hers.

Shaking her head gently, she let out a
weak laugh, “In case you missed it, I can take care of myself.” Her
wry humor did nothing to stir his mood.

Seth only nodded and then shook his
head. “I’m not saying you can’t. I’m saying my demands that you
remain here proves I’m no better than Brannon.”

When he looked at her, she saw the raw
pain of what he said on his face. “No,” She shook her head
vehemently. “You could never be like him.” Reaching out, she gently
took his swollen and battered face in her hands. “I’ve been
watching you.” When she drew his attention away from his perceived
shortcomings, Celia smiled. “I’ve been watching you ever since I
got back. You’ve grown into an honorable man, Seth. A man a woman
can be proud to call her husband. I know you’re stubborn, but
that’s what makes you good. You have convictions. You stand up for
what’s right. You protect what’s important.” She waited a beat and
looked him square in the eye when she said it though her heart was
hammering in her chest. “I know you care deeply about me, though
we’ve never talked about it.”

Seth didn’t speak for a minute and only
stared at her.

Turning his hands over, he gave her a
bewildered look that struck Celia square in the heart.

Seth took her hands in his and released
a heavy breath. “I’ve done a piss-poor job of protecting you, but
you’re right. I do care about you. It may not seem so now, but I’ve
loved you from the first day I laid eyes on you at the stage. I
just didn’t know you.” He dropped his head once more before he
continued. “Since then, I’ve realized you’re nothing like the
memories I had of you. At first that gave me some bad moments and I
wanted to…” He glanced off searching for the words. “To make you
into that girl I knew and understood all those years ago.” He
looked into her eyes beseechingly. “Do you understand what I’m
saying?”

Celia nodded. “Yes, Seth, I
do.”

He let out a half laugh. “Good, because
I still don’t, not really.” Shaking his head, he glanced back and
caught her chin in his fingers. “You got to know, I had my reasons
for the agreement.”

She started to pull back, but he held
her fast.

“
No wait, listen.” Seth
shook his head woefully. “I’ve made a real mess of this marriage
thing. Thought, I knew exactly what to do to keep you here. Turns
out, I put you right in the middle of the biggest mess possible,
right in the middle of possibly losing your life.” Gripping her
hands tighter now, he searched her face. “Celia, I’m so sorry. I
thought if I could get you to stay, then I could keep you for my
own. I didn’t want to consider what was best for you.” He relaxed
his hold on her once more and dropped her hands. Scrubbing his face
with those big, determined hands, Seth spoke softly then. “I
understand if you decide you have to go. But I want you to know how
much I want you to stay. Can we give this marriage thing a
try?”

She sat stunned and very still until
the meaning his words settled. Like a silly schoolgirl, she grinned
and with a small squeal, she flung her arms around him. “Oh, Seth.”
The only words she could get out of her constricted throat came out
on a sob. As quickly as she did, she remembered his injuries and
slowed her exuberance. “Did I hurt you?” she asked with
concern.

The lopsided grin she remembered so
well, appeared as Seth encircled her, drawing her into his warmth.
“Don’t worry, I won’t break,” he reassured her.

“
I…I know. Still, I don’t
want to hurt you. You’ve been through so much,” She grinned and
kissed his one good cheek. “Yes, Mr. Loflin, I would like to give
this ‘marriage thing’ a try.”

The smile he sent her was full of love.
Celia was certain of it. “Can we start now?”

Shooting her a bewildered expression,
Seth shook his head. “Here?” He glanced around the tent as he made
his point.

Her eyes twinkled as she
nodded.

Without further hesitation, Seth pulled
her close and ran his fingers through her hair. “You know you’re my
addiction, don’t you? I never got over you.” He sighed into her
hair as he drew her closer.

“
Me either.” Celia admitted
breathlessly as she stroked a finger along his cheekbone where the
bluing marred his skin.

His hands were on her then and she
could feel the cotton of her man’s shirt slid from her skin.
Turning her into his arms, he gently continued his onslaught with
warm, hungry kisses trailing down the tender flesh of her neck to
the swell of her breasts. His fingers worked at the thin ribbons of
her abbreviated chemise. With the fabric loose and exposing the
satin of her warm bronze skin for him to view he lowered his mouth
and plied her nipples for a response. “Celia…” He whispered as he
worked each tiny crest into a hard bud. Making his way further down
toward her belly, he whispered, “You undo me.” Taking her in his
arms and cradling her to the soft quilt, he hovered above
her.

She went liquid as his gaze roamed over
her. Fabric fell away and the warmth of his touch caressed her
skin. His hands were speaking for him as he ran his fingers over
her hip gently and then to the inside of her thighs.

Celia couldn’t think. Her heart flew
with his mouth and hands on her. His fingers set her flesh to
quivering and on a wonderful spasm, she came.

So burying her fingers deep in his
hair, she leaned in and took his mouth with hers, mating their
tongues and tasting his flavor. She reveled in the treasure she’d
been given. Seth stirred under her touch and she understood his
arousal as he pressed himself against her. Slanting and parting his
lips, she thoroughly explored the inside of his mouth. She
feathered soft whispers of desire along his bruised lip and with
gentle fingers caressed angered flesh as she sought out all there
was to find. Without invitation, her hands moved to remove his
shirt so she could slide ever-increasingly urgent fingers over
slick skin gone lax with desire. While her tongue trailed slowly
down his chest to his stomach, her body responded in kind. Seth
found her damp and with a low moan drove his fingers inside her.
She throbbed with the need to be sated and yearned for him to be
inside her.

Seth started to unbuckle and shove out
of his pants, but Celia stilled his hands. He was hard as a rock
and it would have been so easy to take what he offered. But the
need to share as much pleasure as she could with him had her
trailing fingers low and deep into the dark hair surrounding his
shaft. Seth watched, cloudy eyed, as she worked the denim free from
his hips. Gently at first, she closed around him and watched as his
eyes went to slits on a groan of pleasure. Then stroking him, she
massaged and enticed the breath from his lungs before tasting him.
With her hand fisted around him, she heard him suck air in through
his teeth and tense before giving in to the rhythm she
set.

His sharp intake of breath told her she
was on the right track, when she lowered her head and took him in
her mouth once more. He arched to meet her advances and sent
natural sensations burned deep in Celia’s belly. Slow sensuous
strokes gave way to long, deep glides as she pleasured
him.

She rose up over him and sheathed him
slowly, completely. His head fell back and his breath released and
then caught on a moan of pure ecstasy. Fisting around him, she
began to ride the wave after wave of desire that flooded her. She
rode him to the brink. Pleasure and pain became one as the orgasm
sent her reeling out of control. Still vibrating with the
convulsive tremors of completion, she opened her eyes.

Seth lifted her and rolling, cradled
her to the matted ground. Then like a vision out of her dreams,
Seth rose up over her and slid inside her with one smooth
stroke.

“
Mine,” he whispered. “Tah
cunna.”

Celia blinked open her eyes and smiled
blissfully as she recognized the words of her native tongue –
‘heart of fire.’ Without preamble, she wrapped her arm around his
shoulder and matched his strokes with her own. On the brink of
release as Seth drove her beyond the bounds of earthly mortals, she
watched him, her protector, her deliverance and yes, her lover when
he threw back his head and followed her silently over the edge yet
again.

***

Nestled in Seth’s arms,
Celia watched the sky began to lighten on the horizon. A new day
was dawning and as if from a vision, Celia awoke. Hers was a new
world full of promise and hope. She released the last of her fears.
Nothing could move forward until the trust they
’
d lost so long ago was
reestablished. Why hadn
’
t she realized that before? Perhaps
it was as her father had told her so long ago, time would answer
all her questions. Strength rose up in her she hadn’t known
existed. There would be no more running. Whatever the outcome of
what she was about to do, Celia was home.

Seth stirred bringing her out of her
musings. Celia drew back and set him from her. “There’s something I
have to tell you.” She watched his face carefully. “I wasn’t
completely honest with you about why I left all those years ago,
Seth. And when I’m done, if you still want me, then, well, we’ll
see…”

His brow furrowed deeply and his face
tightened. “There’s nothing to explain. The past is behind us.
Don’t dredge up old pain, darlin’.” Seth big hands ran up and down
her naked flesh and sent the chill of the morning
running.

Her heart gave a little stutter. Was
she doing the right thing? “No, I don’t want to doubt you. I don’t
doubt you. You’ve proven yourself to me time and again. It’s me
who’s had something to hide.” She lowered her head momentarily
before she began. “Seth, you asked me once who had forced me to
leave Texas.”

Nodding, Seth concentrated on
her.

Carefully examining her hands in her
lap, she took a deep breath. “I told you it was settlers, but I
never told you exactly who.”

“
I remember.” Seth’s blue
eyes followed her with concern.

“
It was your father, Seth.”
She could see the quick stab of pain before he tamped it down.
“There was a massacre at the ranch west of Shooter Creek. Jake and
Shorty said it looked like Apache, but the horses wore shoes and
that was wrong. No one knew what to make of it, but we were all on
guard.” She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. “It wasn’t
long before your father came out to our camp. He brought a large
group of men with him.” Celia gave her head a gentle shake. “A show
of force, I guess. He even had the Sheriff. They spoke with Lone
Eagle alone in our teepee. Broken Horse translated and told me
later what they’d said.” She took a deep breath.

Seth’s jaw worked. “Go on.”

“
When they left, Lone Eagle
sent for me. He told me I would have to return to my mother’s
people. I wasn’t safe in Texas any longer.” She shook her head. “I
can remember it like it was yesterday. I remember begging him to
tell me why. All he would say is that ‘Time would answer all my
questions’.”

Seth reached out and took her hand in
his. “How did you escape?”

“
I packed my belongings and
with Jake and Shorty’s help, Broken Horse put me on a stage headed
east.” Her smile was tremulous. “I was so scared.”

Seth cursed low under his breath and
glanced outside.

“
Broken Horse told me that
Earl had threatened Lone Eagle with killing me if I stayed. He
banished the tribe from his land as well. Broken Horse swore our
tribe had nothing to do with the massacre, but Earl wouldn’t
relent.” She dropped her head once more. “Broken Horse believed
there was more to his reason. Only I knew the complete truth.” She
reached out and ran a single finger along his jaw. “Your father
knew we were lovers.” She couldn’t stop the one tear that escaped
down her face.

Seth reached out and caught it on his
finger. Then pulling her close, he wrapped her in his arms, holding
her against him without saying anything. Finally, on a slow release
of breath, Seth growled low in his throat, “So much time
wasted.”

***

It took several days to clear Oklahoma
and travel within a day’s ride of Shooter Creek. Tension was high,
as each hill became a hiding place and every clump of trees a
danger. When Ty and Hawk arrived with word, the group took their
first semi-easy breath.

“
Brannon’s a day’s ride
behind us. If we keep going, we’ll make Shooter Creek well ahead of
him. He’s missing several of his men.” Ty slid from his horse and
dusted his Stetson against his knee. With a flicker of surprise and
then a smile, he noted the arm Seth gathered Celia with as he
explained the situation. The look he shot Seth was quick but
telling and then he moved to the fire and snagged a cup of coffee.
“I recon you’ll be glad to know, Sheriff Cole’s got a wanted poster
up for Brannon now,” he told Seth as his brother approached the
fire and stood beside him. “The Marshall for the territory had a
visit with Cole. Seeing as how Brannon’s a renegade ranger, it
shouldn’t be long before he’s caught.”

“
He’s mine,” Seth stated.
With a cool gleam in his eyes, Seth stared into the setting sun. “I
won’t rest until he’s found. Do you understand?”