Naked Shorts (14 page)

“Does that mean it wasn”t good for you?” she asked, a smile coloring her voice.

“It was very good, but I think just to make sure, we should do it again as soon as possible.”

He exhaled deeply. Damn, the woman had worn him out, but already now he knew that there was no way he would let her get any sleep tonight - not for a few hours anyway.

Charlotte woke finding Luke looking down at her, his head propped up on his hand. His other hand intimately stroked her stomach. The action brought back the sensations of the last night, the way he”d touched her, kissed her, and made love to her.

“You”re the prettiest thing in the morning,” he greeted her.

“Mmh.” She couldn”t say anything. The thought of the night”s intimacies made her feel hot all over again.

“You know, I was thinking, we”ll be in Fort Kearny in two weeks.”

She was aware of their progress on the trail, but didn”t understand what he was trying to say.

“Yes?”

“We can get married there.”

It was like a bombshell had just dropped. She jerked up and pulled the blanket against her naked chest. “What?”

Luke sat up and put his arms around her. “I said we can get married there.”

“I heard what you said. Why would I get married?” Charlotte glared into his stunned face and brushed off his arms. Had he gone completely crazy? She had no interest in getting married.

She thought he”d understood that from all the things she”d told him about her escape from an overpowering father who”d promised her to the most boring suitor.

“But after last night, I thought you and I -”

“You thought wrong. I”m not getting married!”

“You slept with me. More than once. Why would you not want to marry me? I”ve taken your virginity. It”s the least I can do,” he argued.

The least he could do? “I don”t need your charity. I don”t need a man telling me what to do. I enjoyed what we did, really. But I won”t marry you.”

“You used me? What am I, some hired stud? Is that all I am to you? Not good enough to marry, but good enough to share your bed?” He scrambled off the mattress and gathered his clothes, which were strewn over the wagon floor. “Is that it? All you wanted was to seduce me and then throw me out?”

“I didn”t say that. We can do it again. I told you, I liked it.” In fact, she loved the way he”d made her feel.

Luke shook his head and glared at her. “I won”t be the stud you can call to your bed whenever you need to scratch an itch. You want me to touch you again? Then you”ll have to marry me. Until then, I”ll be sleeping outside, rain or shine.”

As he stomped out of the wagon, holding his clothes in front of his naked groin, Charlotte didn”t believe him at first. But soon she had to realize that he meant it. He avoided her like she had the plague, and despite the rotten weather, he slept outside underneath the wagon.

After a week of waiting for him to cave, she knew it wouldn”t happen. She had to take things into her own hands.

Charlotte admitted to herself that if she was a lady, she would have never been in this situation in the first place, but her passionate nature had led her to throw herself into the arms of a man who she had completely misjudged.

She had pegged Luke for a man who took his pleasure whenever he could get it and would never make demands on a woman other than when he had her between the sheets. That he would go all honorable on her had surprised her - and frankly scared the hell out of her. She didn”t want a husband. No man would ever control her again.

But having experienced the pleasures of the flesh at the very capable hands, mouth and …

cock of Luke, she was unwilling to give up said pleasures. How long would he really resist her once she started teasing him? A day? A week?

By the way his cock had still stood erect even when he”d stormed out of her wagon that morning she”d say he”d last all but a day once she started her seduction.

Charlotte opened her chest and rummaged through the items of clothing she had brought with her onto the trail. She quickly found what she was looking for. She might have been a virgin only a fortnight ago, but she had learned enough to know what made Luke”s body hum like a well-oiled machine. A well-oiled love machine.

Luke tossed and turned on his bedroll next to the low fire. Finally, the weather had improved, and the rain was gone, and sleeping outside under the stars wasn”t as hard anymore as it had been the last few days. While it had rained, the temptation to return to Charlotte”s warm bed and body had been nearly tearing him apart, but tonight he would have an easier time - he was sure.

Unfortunately, the fact that he now slept on dry ground didn”t diminish the desire to take her back into his arms in the least. He was as horny as he”d been the last seven nights, but he wouldn”t relent. If she wanted him back, she”d have to pay his price: marriage. Nothing less would do.

He didn”t quite understand himself why he suddenly was set on marrying her, but maybe the possessiveness he felt toward her explained part of it. The thought that she might go on and allow another man to touch her the way he”d touched Charlotte was killing him. He alone had opened her to sexual pleasure, and he damn well was going to continue - exclusively. However, at this point he had no concrete plan on how to achieve his goal.

A creaking sound from the wagon made him turn his head.

And drop his jaw.

Charlotte stepped out of the wagon dressed in a nightgown reaching to her ankles. It was where all semblance of modesty stopped. The fabric of the gown was so flimsy, it was as if she was wearing a veil. The light from the fire in front of the neighboring wagon silhouetted her against the night, accentuating her nakedness, for she wore nothing underneath it.

Under her ample breasts a ribbon of red satin emphasized her slim torso. As it continued into a criss-cross between those gorgeous tits, it made them into focal points. Whoever looked at her would be instantly drawn to those two globes whose dark nipples shone through the fabric.

Luke went hard as a board. Where the hell did she think she was going dressed like that in the middle of the night? Did she have no idea that every single man in camp, married or not, would try to fuck her given half a chance? She was inviting trouble.

He jumped up and walked up to her. She stopped but didn”t turn to look at him.

“Where do you think you”re going dressed like that?” he asked, keeping his voice low so as not to wake everybody in camp.

“I remember you asking me that question a while ago,” she answered, clearly not surprised that he had stopped her. “The answer is still the same: none of your business.”

“And as I told you then, it is my business.”

She whirled her head around to him. “Last time I checked, you weren”t my father, my brother, my husband -” She paused. “Nor my lover.”

Luke narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together. He knew she was toying with him, and he wouldn”t let her get to him.

“Since the latter position is currently vacant, I figured -”

He grabbed her wrist and spun her around, the force of his action making her lose her balance. Charlotte fell against his chest. “I wouldn”t finish that sentence if I were you.”

“And why is that?” Her lips pouted and looked plumper than before. Or was it because he”d not kissed her in a week that suddenly her lips had this allure?

“Because you”ll be in for an ass-paddling if you”re trying to do what I suspect.”

Charlotte lifted her dark lashes in a motion so smooth and slow, his mouth went dry at the sensual invitation. “What is it you suspect?” Her voice was huskier than before, her speech slower, and her mouth seemed to caress every word she spoke.

Luke pressed her body against his, aligning his hard-on with her center. “If you were looking for another man to satisfy you, I”m afraid I”ll have to teach you a lesson.”

Her voice was but an echo. “A lesson?” He could smell her arousal now. She wanted

whatever he had to offer.

He nodded. “A painful one.”

Her breath came in pants as she licked her lips. “Will I like it?”

Luke squeezed her ass with his hand before he trailed his finger down the middle following the crack that separated her cheeks. “I”ll make sure you will,” he promised.

Charlotte widened her stance, inviting him to explore her further. He slipped his fingers between her legs, letting the wetness guide him to her warm entrance.

His finger probed and - taking the thin fabric with him - he slid into her welcoming heat.

She gasped and clutched at his shirt, fighting for balance. He suspected that the fabric surrounding his finger provided enough friction to send all her nerve endings tingling.

“Like that?” he teased.

Her eyes closed. “Yes.”

Luke withdrew slightly, then pushed back in. “And that will be just the beginning.” With regret he pulled out of her warm channel. “Once we”re married.”

Charlotte”s eyes flew open the same instant he released her from his embrace. She stumbled, but gained her composure within seconds. Fury was written on her passion-clouded face. “You, you low-life, no-good gambler,” she cursed.

He shrugged his shoulders then captured her mouth for a quick kiss. “Good night, darlin”, enjoy your excursion.”

Luke wasn”t worried that she would try to find another man to satisfy her sexual needs.

She”d been too willing and too wet for him to be receptive to another. The furious look in her eyes when he”d rejected her was confirmation enough that she still wanted him. But she would have to do better to beat him at his own game.

He grinned and turned to walk back to his bedroll by the fire.

“Are you interested in a bet?”

He stopped in his tracks when he heard her question. She wanted to gamble? What kind of stakes could she possibly have in mind?

“Are you hustling me?” he asked without turning.

“What if I am?”

If she was baiting him, it was working. “There”s only one thing I”m interested in winning.

Are you willing to offer that high a stake?”

“Say I am. But I intend to win. Are you willing to be my lover if I do?”

He raised an eyebrow and spun around to face her. He stared at Charlotte who stood there and smiled. Now she had his attention.

“Are you willing to marry me if
I
win?”

She nodded in agreement.

“Good. Let me get my cards.”

She stopped him with a shake of her head. “We”re not playing cards.”

Confusion spread within him. What the hell was she planning? “Then would you enlighten me, darlin”, what game you had in mind?”

“A game that”s played entirely with our bodies - our naked bodies.”

His heart stopped.

“Surrender?” Luke asked.

Charlotte nodded. “The one who surrenders first will lose.” She let her gaze sweep over his muscular body. Even through his rumpled shirt, she could see his well-formed physique. Soon, she would have him in her bed again.

He leaned against the back of the wagon and gave her a once over. She shivered at the thought of what they would do to each other shortly. “How would you define surrender?”

Of course he”d ask such a delicate question, but there was no bowing out now. She looked straight into his eyes. “The first to … uh, to lose control.”

Luke took a step toward her. She didn”t back away from him even when his mouth was only inches from hers. “You meant to say, the first who orgasms.”

She made a dismissive hand movement, trying to wipe away her embarrassment at the word she”d never spoken yet made her insides quiver. “So, you agree to the terms then?”

Charlotte knew what rutting animals men could be. For certain he would give into his sexual urges quicker than she did. She”s seen enough times how hard he was when he was around her.

Even now, she could make out the familiar bulge under his pants, and she guessed it had something to do with her provocative dress. She was fully aware that she was practically naked, the thin fabric providing no cover for her female assets. It wouldn”t take much to bring him to the point where he spilled his seed without even thinking of the bet.

“Agreed. I presume a handshake would not be appropriate for this kind of arrangement. But a kiss …” He crossed the two inches of distance between their lips without haste.

“Yes, a kiss would seal the deal.” She lowered her eyelids when she felt the soft brush of his mouth on hers. God, how she”d missed his touch. Had it really been only a couple of weeks since he”d introduced her to sexual pleasure? And already now, she was addicted to it.

His mouth pressed gently on hers. Her lips parted automatically and allowed his tongue to slip inside her mouth. She stroked against him, enjoying the rough texture of his tongue and the taste of aroused man. Her hand slipped down along his torso and settled over the hard pulsating shaft he kept hidden in his pants. Luke jerked when she squeezed him there.

Charlotte was surprised when he released her lips.

“We”ll be camping for an entire day in three days for the oxen to rest and the women to do their washing. Until then. Good night, darlin”.”

“What?” She was ready for her seduction now.

“I”m not going to do this in the dark. This time I want to see every square inch of your body in daylight,” Luke announced calmly.

In daylight? Charlotte felt herself blushing. He wanted to do all those things they”d done under cover of night in bright daylight? That wouldn”t do.

“That”s indecent!”

Luke grinned. “So is your proposal. You don”t see me complaining, do you?”

“Fine,” she pressed out, hiding her disappointment at having to wait for so long a time.

Luke was more than glad for the three days of reprieve he”d bought himself. Had he fucked her right there, he would have come in thirty seconds flat like some green kid. And he wasn”t about to lose that game. Too much was at stake.

He”d used the three days - and nights - well and brought himself relief by his own hand whenever he found a few minutes of privacy, improving his stamina and lessoning his sensitivity to touch in the process. After three days he felt he was ready to face her. He”d trained himself sufficiently to hold off his orgasm long enough to ensure he could drive her over the edge first.