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Linc grinned. “It could be very interesting.”

“Where would you start?”

“Here,” he said as his fingers came to tease her lips. “Then I’d move my mouth here and here,” he continued as he trailed those fingers down her jaw to her throat. He teased her breasts and flicked his nail across already stiff and sensitive nipples.

“God,” she said on a shudder, unable to stop her hips from rising from the bed at the slightest touch of his fingertips.

“And here,” he said as he lowered his hand to her midriff, her belly, her sweet, wet pussy. ”Would you like it if I kissed you here?”

“Why don’t you try it and see,” she said, even as she wondered how she’d managed the low and guttural words. How did she manage to keep her mind at all? Her body couldn’t take too much more of this teasing.

“Why don’t we get started?” he asked as his mouth hovered above her lips.

He kissed her then, really kissed her, kissed her with his lips, his tongue, his teeth, his warm, clean breath, with just the right amount of pressure and suction. In a blink of an eye, all thoughts of play or teasing evaporated, and Abby was immediately absorbed into the passion.

She moaned a deep sound of hungry pleasure as his mouth ravaged hers. He couldn’t kiss her enough. He couldn’t
ever
kiss her enough.

She sighed her disappointment when, all too soon, he moved away and lowered his mouth to her jaw. Abby thought there was much to be said for jaw kissing. It didn’t take but a moment for her to realize it was almost as good as kissing her mouth. Then his lips left a wet trail to her throat and her shoulder. And if her moans hadn’t told him of her delight, her words certainly made it clear. “I love it when you kiss me there.”

“Where? Here?”

She groaned again. “Yes. Oh, yes, there,” she somehow managed as he nuzzled where her shoulder met her neck. God, she loved this. She loved it more than she could say. And then he moved away yet again she murmured a low desperate, “No.”

He smiled at her soft complaint. “I’ll be back, sweetheart. I promise. I just have to do this. I have to taste you. I have to see you, and I can’t wait any longer.”

Abby didn’t know herself. She’d never imagined she had it in her to enjoy watching a man’s gaze move over her nakedness. Her heart pounded with excitement as he studied her. Not only did she enjoy it, but she reveled in the delight she found in his hungry look.

“I never thought a woman could look like this.”

She laughed, believing he teased her. Never having had the opportunity to see for herself, for modesty was very much impressed upon the girls at school, she believed all women looked pretty much the same. She might have said as much but decided any conversation could only mar this wondrous moment. Besides, she didn’t want him to talk; she didn’t want him to stop. All she wanted was more of this exquisite pleasure.

He gathered her breasts together and smiled. “I’m going to enjoy this treat,” he said as his mouth suddenly attached itself to her nipple. They both groaned at the impossible pleasure.

Chills raced down her spine as he moved from one breast to the other and back again. Biting and sucking, he caused her breathing to grow choppy, her body to shiver with need, her mind, her every thought to strain toward the delight he’d once brought her.

She wondered if it were possible to withstand pleasure so great. Would she die of it? Would she manage somehow to bear it? His mouth had stopped sucking and licking. Now, he was nibbling at her. Her nipples had grown to tight, extended pebbles of aching desire and he was biting them, harder and harder still.

“Oh God,” she said as she thrust her chest forward. She grabbed his head and pressed him into her softness. She never wanted him to stop.

“I love this. I can’t tell you how much I love this.”

Abby was so engrossed in the lusciousness of this moment that she never noticed one hand sliding over her midriff and her belly to the protective curls of her pussy. She didn’t realize it until his fingers slid beyond those curls and into her wet channel. She stiffened, her body silently screaming for more as he finger fucked her to madness. Within seconds, she felt the heaviness he’d caused to her stomach come crashing over her in mindless, tormenting waves of euphoria.

A moment later, his mouth was there, sucking at her moisture, and judging by his murmurs of delight reveling in the taste of her.

Then his mouth was at hers again, allowing her to taste herself and their combined flavors. She loved it more than she could have said.

His cock was inside her now. Deep, deep inside. She watched him bite his lip, his expression telling clearly he was holding back, trying to prolong the pleasure. He was so hard, so impossibly hard. Abby wondered if anything ever felt like this?

He was eating at her pussy again. He’d pulled away and replaced his cock with his mouth. Abby felt dizzy as he moved over her body. Overcome with sensation, she couldn’t keep up. He was licking her madly and nothing had been this good. Not even in the barn had it felt like this. She had to have more. God, she had to have all he could give her.

It was happening again. Only this time, it promised to be the strongest yet. It was building out of control. He was inside her. His finger at her clit continued the pleasure-pain until her insides tightened beyond bearing. She thought her body would crush his as it held him so tightly in place.

And it was there again, the aching wonder, the tormenting agony that pitched her into the blackness, beyond herself and this coupling, to move among the stars, to drift in sweet euphoria where only spirits roamed then finally to draw her back once again into the blinding light of mortals.

Abby knew, even as she cuddled in his arms, exhausted at his side, that this one coming together wasn’t enough. She’d have more. He’d shown her the magic and teased her into wanting it. And she’d have it. She had to have all she could until it was time for her to go.

They lay silent and still for endless moments before he spoke. “Are you ready to believe it?”

She snuggled her head against his chest. “Believe what?”

“That you’re my woman.”

She stiffened at his side. “I’m not, so you might as well get over yourself.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you’re not so good as to make me change my mind.”

“About what?”

She tried to sit up. “I’m going back to my room.”

“No, you’re not.” He rolled over and leaned heavily upon her.

“Get off me.”

He laughed. “You’re a wicked lady. Too bad, I didn’t know that from the first.”

“What would you have done different if you had known?”

“I wouldn’t have waited so damn long to get you into bed.”

She shot him a look of disgust. “You never waited at all.”

“Didn’t I? It sure as hell felt like I did. I’ve never been hungrier for a woman in my life.”

“And what? That’s supposed to be reason enough for me to fall into your arms every time you get the urge?”

He shook his head. “Listen to me. It’s not hard to understand. I want you and you want me. What’s the problem?”

She held up her hand and counted on her fingers. “The problem is one, we’re not married. Two, I’m engaged to another man. Three, I don’t want to want you. I’m not sure I even like you. And finally, last but not least, after my mother marries I’m going back to New York.”

Abby shoved him off her and reached for her robe. She hesitated at his door and nearly snarled at his softly spoken, “Goodnight, sweetheart. Anytime you want to use me again, feel free.”

* * * *

Bradley Townsend arrived at noon the following day. Abby waited for him at the stage depot and smiled as he greeted her with a formal nod and touch of his lips to the back of her gloved hand. Abby hadn’t a doubt if this had been Linc he would have taken her in his arms, no matter her objections and kissed her before any and all of the townsfolk. She frowned at the thought. Why was she comparing the two? It was a useless endeavor, for no two men could be more different.

“You look lovely as usual, my dear.”

Abby smiled at the compliment even as she breathed a sigh of regret. Were it not for Linc Knight and a terrible error in judgment on her part, in a few months she would have married this man. Of course, that could never happen now. Bradley deserved far more than she could give him. At the very least, he deserved a wife who was a virgin.

Aside from a touch of regret, Abby wasn’t at all sure of her feelings on the matter. She cared for Bradley but had known from the beginning she did not love him. At the time, love hadn’t seemed important. What had been important was the lifestyle he offered her. Marrying him would have made her part of New York’s high society. She’d never know a day of want. He was rich, very rich indeed. For the rest of her life, she and her children would have had anything and everything they ever wanted.

But for one awful man, all that could have been hers.

Abby pushed aside her dismal thoughts and smiled again. “You must be tired. Mother has a lovely meal ready. Later, we’ll have a chance to talk.”

“I don’t know how you manage, my dear. This is a god-awful filthy place, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean dust. It’s everywhere. And quite disgusting, if I do say so.” As he spoke, he reached down with a snowy white handkerchief and swatted at his dust-covered, polished shoes.

“That’s not likely to help, Bradley. You’ll only have to do it again before we reach my mother’s place.”

“Of course,” he said unhappily as he patted her hand in an oddly annoying and patronizing fashion. “Well, we shouldn’t be here too long. I think I can manage a bit of dust during my stay.”

“This isn’t your first visit, Bradley.”

“I know. Still, every time this grime seems to get worse.”

Abby frowned and wondered when the man had taken such an aversion to dust. Odd but she couldn’t remember him being so persnickety on earlier visits.

* * * *

As always, Bradley lavished compliments upon her mother, her sweet little home, the lovely woman herself and her delicious food. Surely Jeb realized what a prize he was getting, he mentioned.

Abby noticed Jeb’s gaze harden just a bit and thought Bradley could ease up some on his flowery compliments for they seemed only to annoy those upon which they were bestowed.

She was relieved when later he said, “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry to disappoint, but I find I’m exhausted. Would you mind very much if I retire early tonight?”

“Not at all. Of course, I understand,” she returned. “We have all day tomorrow to talk.”

Abby frowned at her response. Odd that she knew no annoyance that he couldn’t stay awake for one hour after dinner so they might catch up on news from New York. Odd that she knew, with absolute conviction, that she had no desire to entertain the man and couldn’t fathom a time when she might. In truth, she felt nothing but relief to see him walk upstairs to his room.

* * * *

There was little a soul could do to ease the discomfort of Arizona’s blistering heat. So it stood to reason the front porch was put to its best use every evening as the house’s occupants waited for it to cool down.

“Where’s you fiancé?”

Abby glared at Linc as he stepped from the house. “Turned in early.”

He nodded and said, “It’s a long trip.”

Abby waited for some caustic comment. She tensed for it, ready to return his nasty remarks in short order, and felt something like a pang of disappointment when he said nothing more.