Echoes of the Heart (21 page)

           
When
he unbuckled his belt, tears of rage burned her eyes as he strode the length of
the stall toward her, his dark eyes burning hateful stares.
 
She bit her lip to stop the tears.
 
She would never cry in front of him.

           
In
a heartbeat, he dropped over her grabbing her wrists and held them above her
head in one strong hand.
 
His body
pressed her into the straw beneath, she could hardly breathe.
 
When she began to protest, he covered her mouth
with a rough penetrating kiss.

           
Her
lips felt bruised.
 
When he finally released
them, he glared into her eyes.
 
“You
little slut!
  
You’ve been teasing and
flaunting yourself all over town.
 
Now
you’re going to get what you want.”

           
She
continued the useless struggle beneath him as his angry words cut into her
heart.
 
“Why do you object, my
sweet?
 
You don’t mind passing yourself
around to every other man in this town.
 
You should relax and enjoy yourself.”

           
Undesired
tears rolled down her cheeks while she continued her futile efforts against his
overpowering strength.
 
He tore the front
of her gown open with his free hand and lowered his mouth to her heaving
breasts searing her skin with rough kisses while keeping her hands pulled
tightly above her head.

He shred the
remainder of her garments and unbuttoned his jeans exposing his bulging manhood
and she could feel his hot breath on her neck, the smell of whisky betrayed his
mood.

           
Thoroughly
outraged, Raeden yelled into his face.
 
“You drunken bastard, get off of me this instant!”
 
As soon as she finished screaming, he covered
her mouth drowning out further protests with a demanding passion, taking her
breath away.
 
Raeden found herself
suddenly kissing him back.
 
His hand
roamed over each curve to rest on her breast for a moment before he cupped it
in his hand kneading gently, urging a gasp from her throat as he continued his
caresses.

           
Releasing
his grip on her wrists his hand moved beneath her head raising it to him and
smothered her with a kiss softer than before.
 
She shuddered under his demanding passion, making her crave more.

           
Her
stomach bunched in knots and her skin burned when his lips moved to her ear
lobe, gently nibbling while his breath felt warm against her skin when he
whispered.
 
“Touch me, Rae.
 
I want to feel your hands on me.”

           
She
hastily unbuttoned his shirt and he shrugged it off and tossed it aside.
 
Her arms encircled his neck and grazed over
his shoulders and along his spine.
 
His
tongue traced a path along her jaw until he reached her lips.
 
His tongue probed deeper searching every
corner until she returned the gesture and drank in his taste.

His hands
continued wandering the length of her torso and again found the soft mounds on
her chest.
 
He released her lips and
kissed his way down her neck leaving a trail of fire until he reached her
nipple.
 
He traced the outline with his
tongue as he gently squeezed her breast upward into his mouth and her chest
rose up to press against his ministrations.

           
Nothing
had ever felt like this as the flooding warmth surged through her body, wanting
him to continue, wanting everything.
 
She
grasped his hair in her hands while he began to kiss his way lower tracing slow
circles around her navel with his tongue.

           
An
increasing sensation ran through her, tingling through the area between her
thighs.
  
He leisurely kissed his way
back to her mouth and his hardness pressed against her while she ran her hands
down the firm taut muscles of his back, each one tensing under her touch.

           
His
rapid breath matched her own as his hand smoothed over her belly reaching the
curls between her thighs.
 
Lifting his
head he stared into her eyes with a yearning so strong, she felt herself
melting, burning with desire.

           
He
probed into her soft dampness with proficient fingers making her gasp, while
thumbing over the sensitive nub.
 
His
strokes sent jolts through her core.
 
She
arched her back and pressed against hand.
 
Her head moved from side to side, half-crazed by the mounting sensations
spreading to every inch of her skin.

           
A
low growl rose from his throat.
 
“Jesus,
Rae, I must have you.”

           
Slowly
spreading her thighs, he lifted above her placing himself between her legs, and
rose on one elbow to center himself over her entrance.

The scalding tip
entered her then ceased when he felt the obstruction, knowing he had been
mistaken regarding her innocence.
 
Should
he stop?
 
Any control from this moment he
knew would be his.

           
“God
damn it, Rae.”
 
He grasped her tight
around the back and with the other hand, held her head firmly before he
withdrew part way and pushed through with one steady stroke then stilled his
movements.

           
She
cried out in pain while he held her, wiping away a tear as it fell.
 
“Just relax, sweetheart, I won’t hurt you
again.”

           
He
could sense her pain ebb when she relaxed against him, so he drew back, gently
running his hands over her body to rekindle the flame.
 
She rose into his fullness and tightened her
grasp around his neck.
 
“Please don’t
stop, I want you inside me.”

           
He
breathed in deep gasps while he slowly entered her tight walls.
 
“That isn’t going to be a problem, baby.”

           
Raeden
relished the tight warmth.
 
He stroked
against her burning flesh, inching deeper until she thought she would
explode.
 
Their eyes met and locked as
she rose to meet his thrusts and he drove in filling her completely with his
urgent need.
 

           
His
pace quickened and she cried out.
 
White
lights flashed behind her eyelids and exploded into shockwaves.
 
He stiffened and quaked as his heat spilled
from him.
 
He pushed still farther into
her recess groaning then he collapsed on top of her, both gasping for breath.

           
She
would never have believed, even if someone told her, it could be like this
between a man and a woman, joined as one in hypnotic satisfaction leaving her
limp and fulfilled.

           
The
weight of his body lifted when he turned to his side, withdrawing.
 
He pulled her possessively into his arms then
drew her chin up to kiss her again.
 
His
fingers traced the line of her face and across her damp hair.

           
She
laid her head on his chest, a lump rose in her throat.
 
Tears rolled from her eyes.
 

           
“Don’t
cry, sweetheart, it’s natural.
 
You have
nothing to be ashamed of.”

           
She
nestled deeper into his embrace.
 
“I’m
not ashamed of anything.
 
I never knew
being with a man could be so wonderful.”
 
She sighed while running her hand through the dark shadow of curls on his
chest then over each hard muscle.

           
He
drawled in jest.
 
“I’m not just any
man.”
 
Cash rose to button his trousers
and walked out as her heart sank in despair.
 
Would he just leave me like this,
in a stable?

           
In
a few moments, he appeared with the blanket from behind his saddle.
 
Relief escaped in a sigh.

           
“I’d
better get you home.”
 
He wrapped the
blanket snuggly around her, gathered her clothing and placed them in her
hands.
 
He swept her into his arms and
placed her on Rabbit then mounted behind.
 
While he held her tight, she leaned to rest her chin upon his chest and
he spoke gently into her ear

“Rae, why didn’t
you tell me you had never been with a man?
 
I would like to think I would have never let it go so far.”

           
“I
feared if I mentioned it, you might stop.”
 

Cash stroked her
hair and laid his cheek against her forehead.
 
The feeling of closeness between them made her quiver.
 
She wanted him again.

***

Cash cradled
Raeden in his arms to carry her upstairs into the bedroom and laid her down on
the soft wide bed.
 
Did this actually happen?
 
She
glanced around the familiar room enfolding the blanket around herself, Cash’s
scent all over her skin.
 
He had gone
downstairs.
 
Had he left her?
 
No, she did not hear his horse leave.

           
Cash
came in carrying hot water and poured it into the tub then added cool water to
make the temperature right.
 
Raeden
watched him prepare the bath, admiring his tall frame, his handsome face warm
and strangely softened.
 

He possessed an
unfamiliar look of tenderness in his eyes while he strode toward her and
removed the blanket, pausing for a moment as he stared.
 
“You’re so beautiful, Rae.”

           
She
felt like a goddess when he looked at her that way.

           
“Let
me bathe you.”
 

Settling her in
the tub, he sponged water over her body, running over her shoulders and down
her breasts.
 
“How does this feel?
 
It will help with the soreness.
 
The first time can be uncomfortable the next
day.”

           
“It
feels wonderful, Cash.
 
You felt
wonderful.
 
Why don’t you join me?
 
We can do it again.”

           
His
deep black eyes opened wide, a cocky smile crossed his lips.
 
“You won’t have to ask me twice.”

           
When
his jeans hit the floor, her eyes wandered his length, coal black hair, lean
chiseled face, expansive shoulders and chest tapering to a narrow
waist―the perfect specimen of a man.

           
She
noticed him ready when he stepped in and sat to face her, gently placing her
long legs around his waist, pulling her to his chest.
 
The other hand rose to brush hair from her
forehead.
 
His stare carved her face.

           
“Let’s
go slow and easy.
 
I don’t want to hurt
you.”
 
His lips trailed soft kisses
around her forehead and across her eyelids then covered her bruised lips gently
while chills ran down her spine.

Her hands smoothed
over his wet back, down to his buttocks.
 
She knew her touch tightened his muscles and she relished her power to
make him hard.

 
While staring into his eyes, she
whispered.
 
“Cash, I want you inside me.”

A low growl
escaped him when he reached under her rear and lifted her to him.
 
His hand held her while he raised her over
his erection, his fingers gently spreading her open to receive him.
 
He let her slide slowly down.
 
She cringed when his shaft filled her and he
raised her then spoke in her ear.

“Just relax,
baby.
 
It won’t hurt, I promise.
 
I can’t pull away now.”

Raeden felt him
throbbing inside her.
 
Passion spread
through her when she lowered onto him.
 
His hard muscled arms tightened around her.
 
His lips covered hers and their tongues met,
savoring each other while sensations tingled from her womb to her brain.
 
Could one die of pleasure?

He grew larger
pressing against her tightness, his member throbbing and twitching.
 
His faced dropped to her neck while they both
panted.
 
When his hand cupped her breast
kneading, her eyes turned toward the ceiling her nails clawing at his
back.
 
Bright colors flashed under her
eyelids while she flew into the new dimension that must be paradise.

His member pulsed
against her flesh and his arms crushed her against his chest, molding her to his
body.
 
His eyes half-shaded with long
black lashes stared down holding her gaze as his breaths came faster.
 
“Oh God…Rae you feel...so good.”