People Will Talk (12 page)

Nora went still when she realized she was
actually considering it. Why not reach out to him? Why not finish
the glorious episode they'd started on the porch that
day?

Her teeth settled into the inside of her lip.
She must be insane to consider it. But why not, she argued with
herself. One night of passion didn't have to mean commitment. Never
again would she trust herself to a man implicitly, but did that
mean never knowing the exquisite pleasure of Bret's
touch?

It would be a private moment between the two of
them. And it didn't have to mean anything permanent. Bret wasn't
the kind of man who wanted commitment.

Nora's heart thundered in her chest. Her body
felt ablaze already, leap-frogging over any lingering
hesitancy.

He reached up, brushing back a strand of hair
from her cheek. "Don't you ever want to do something wild and
crazy?"

"Yes," she said shakily.

"Something just for you," he said, his voice
low as he held her in the circle of his arms. She tilted her head
back.

Quickly, she reached up for him, like a woman
diving off a cliff. Her hand slid along the warmth of his neck,
nestling there as she raised her mouth to his.

He felt so good, tasted so much like a hot
August night, that she found herself kissing him like she'd always
wanted to.

His mouth opened to her, meeting her with his
own desire. Pressing closer, she deepened their kiss and felt the
thunder of his heart revving like an engine.

"Nora?" His breath was ragged when he lifted
his head.

She opened her eyes and met the question in
his. Tumultuous emotion possessed her-need, connection,
yearning
. Please don't make me explain!
Still, she supposed
she had to say something. "I want you."

Tilting back her head, she slowly drew him down
to her with agonizing slowness.

Bret held her in his arms, unable to resist her
sweet, drugging kiss, but battling a conscience that nagged at him.
What the heck was the woman doing kissing him like this?

He kissed her back, hungrily, his mind racing
even as his body demanded more. The effort to keep himself in check
made his muscles burn with bunched tension. Nora moaned, the
glitter of her eyes visible as she pulled back a fraction. She drew
her hand down the front of his shirt, finding and opening three
buttons before Bret captured her with his own hand.

"Honey." His voice sounded strained to his own
ears. "You've had a rough night. Maybe I'd better get you home." It
was the noblest thing he'd ever said in his life.

"Don't you want me?" she breathed, nipping at
the corner of his mouth. "I want you."

"Nora, for God's sake," Bret groaned. Every
touch made him crazier. Just sitting beside her for the last half
hour had been an act of sheer willpower.

She turned to face him more fully. "You told me
to act on my impulses, to do what I want to do."

Jeez, he was an idiot. He'd encouraged her to
act boldly and now his biggest fantasy had just become a nightmare.
How could he make love to her when she'd regret it in the
morning?

Wreathing both arms around his neck, she
nuzzled his shirt collar. "This is what I want. And this." She
pressed herself against him, her breasts soft and
enticing.

He groaned again, bending swiftly to capture
her mouth in a rough kiss, wrestling his own urges with limited
success. This was the wild side of Nora, her hungry little mouth
clinging to his as she pressed her body to him.

"You'll wake up tomorrow and hate me."
Go
with it!
His body demanded. "God knows I want you so bad I've
been walking funny for six weeks. But don't go to bed with me to
spite the town."

"I could never hate you," she said, wriggling
closer. "I've dreamed about making love with you. I haven't been
able to sleep since the other day for thinking about the way you
touched me."

Bret stared down at her, his indecision swiftly
fading.

"Make love to me," she asked. "I know what I
want."

He moved then, bending his head to capture her
mouth, hot and hungry. "No regrets," Bret commanded between
kisses.

"None." she promised breathlessly as she tore
open the rest of his buttons and brushed her hands over his chest,
cool and seductive.

Fumbling to get closer, he hauled her onto his
lap, his hand cupping the curve of her breast. She arched to him,
her breath coming in little pants. He stroked her through the thin
cotton of her shirt, teasing her nipple. Nora moaned, her head
falling back over his arm.

Once nestled on his lap, he held her closer
still, his hand caressing her soft flesh as he sought her mouth.
Need tore at him, fierce and hot, consuming any rational thought.
She was here with him, wanting him, and he was swamped with an
overwhelming drive to lose himself in her.

He had to get a grip. At this rate, he'd rush
her and end up embarrassing himself. Nora bent to press her face
against his chest, where his shirt was still open from her earlier
foray. "Damn," he muttered his arms tight around her.

Bracing his legs, Bret surged off the couch,
carrying her toward the bedroom with large strides. The door
slammed back against the wall as he carried her into the dark, cool
room. He tilted her onto the bed, straightening to rip off his
shirt. She knelt on the bed, her flushed face visible in the light
filtering in from the living room. With her dark hair tumbled
around her shoulders, she waited for him. He could see her
trembling and recognized the desire in her eyes.

He closed the distance between them in a
heartbeat, carrying her back against the flat surface of the
bed.

How long had he hungered for her? Ached for her
as he tossed in this very bed? Ever since she'd come home, she'd
lingered in his mind, driving away thoughts of other
women.

He joined her on the bed, kneeling beside her
to cup her head in his hands and hold her still for his kiss. Long,
slow kisses, one after another until he could feel the molten rush
of his blood through his veins.

Moist and tender, her lips were sweeter than
anything he'd ever tasted. He held her, his hands in her hair, her
fragrance surrounding him. Her face seemed a pale blur in the
twilight that filled the room. The contours of her eyes, nose and
cheekbones formed a hazy beauty that he knew would haunt him
forever.

Her hands rested on his arms, the slender
fingers splayed on his bare flesh. He felt as if he were on fire
and wondered that he didn't burn her where she touched him. A swift
pulse fluttered in her throat where his thumb pressed. Bret bent to
kiss her there, sliding his hands over her shoulders to find the
row of small buttons on her shirt.

An almost expectant silence filled the room,
only broken by their shuddered breathing and the hush of fabric
leaving skin. He tugged at her shirt, drawing it open to reveal her
skin. In sunlight, she took his breath away, but in the scattered
light of this sheltered room, he felt as if his heart had been
pierced by her beauty.

Taking advantage of his pause, Nora drew her
hands across his shoulders, exploring his chest with eager fingers.
She bent forward, pressing her lips against his bare skin, tasting
him with quick flutters. Bret clutched the bed to keep from
throwing her back and having his way with her.

As she trailed kisses along his shoulder, he
worked at unhooking her bra. His years of practice in the activity
might have been more helpful had he been less
distracted.

As it was, he felt as unskilled as a
sixteen-year-old boy heading for second base. Her hair floated
forward, falling against his shoulder in a soft drift. He found
himself overwhelmed with tenderness. He couldn't imagine a more
precious moment. With Nora huddled in his arms, eagerly exploring
his body, offering hers so enthusiastically, a sudden rush of
emotion flooded him.

Holding her close, a sensation flickered inside
him that he couldn't identify. He wanted to love her, to keep her
safe from Richard and the gossips. He wanted to see her fly. She
deserved so much more.

With her scent surrounding him, her eager hands
caressing him, Bret hungered for all of Nora-her sweet welcoming
body and her fierce, bright spirit, all wrapped around
him.

Nora felt her bra come free in his hands. She
shivered partly with the coolness of the room and partly from
anticipation. His hands were warm on her back, his calloused palms
gliding over her as if she were the first woman he'd
held.

He bent to her breast, his mouth damp and
hungry. A spasm of sheer pleasure shot through her and she clutched
at him for support. Nora squirmed with each stroke of his tongue.
Craving, hot and fierce, sprang every nerve to attention. His touch
set off sparks.

Bret straightened, leaving the bed to strip off
his jeans. A shaft of light illuminated his nakedness, the lean
line of his body, the muscled shape of his legs and buttocks. She
itched to touch him everywhere, trace every enticing
contour.

Fumbling with the snap of her own jeans, she
skimmed them off and waited, naked in the cool night
air.

He joined her on the bed, his body warm against
hers, the thrust of his arousal smooth and hard against her
leg.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, the stroke
of his hand slow along the curve of her hip.

Her wayward hands couldn't stop touching him,
the powerful slope of his back, his tight behind and strong thighs.
In places, he felt smooth and warm like a rock in the sun; in other
places, rough with body hair.

Touching Bret was like entering a foreign
country where everything was new and magic.

Touch melted into touch. Nora pressed against
the length of him, hard against soft, marveling at the glorious
differences. She moaned as he fondled her breasts, stroking and
molding her flesh until a deep, aching longing settled low in her
body.

He leaned over to kiss her, deeply, hungrily,
his hands stroking over her belly and thighs. Rising, he moved
between her knees and paused, staring down at her. He trailed a
hand down her inner thigh, his touch whisper soft, almost
reverent.

Nora arched toward him, empty and yearning, her
body calling out to his. He brushed a finger against her most
sensitive spot, his movement agonizingly slow. The roar in her ears
increased a notch, the blood pounded through her veins like flood
tides.

She reached for him, urging him
forward.

"Wait a sec, honey." His voice was strained as
he got off the bed and rummaged in a drawer. "Damn." Slamming it
shut, he pulled open another and heaved the contents onto the
dresser.

Propped on an elbow, Nora watched his search
with a concerned anticipation that turned to relief when he pulled
a dark square from the pile. Returning to the bed, Bret tore open
the packet and swore to himself, fumbling to put on the
condom.

He slid between her legs, bending to kiss her
again. Their tongues met as he slowly entered her body. Pleasure
rippled through Nora. She bent her legs, her body welcoming him.
Each movement brought a cascade of sensual bliss.

They rocked together, locked in each other's
arms, lost in their own private paradise. She felt the roar and
sweep of her blood, the raging, driving rush of her heart. He was
everything. Ecstasy.

Taking him in, she stroked him with her body,
cherished his rising excitement as they hurtled toward release,
each pulse faster, each thrust harder. She felt rather than saw a
sudden burst of light showering through every cell, and then a
sensation of free fall as her body clenched around his.

Dimly, she heard his hoarse cry, felt the
spasming of his body as he joined her in the heavens.

They drifted down together, clinging to one
another with soft murmurings and touches.

Stars still seemed to spin above Nora when she
opened her eyes in the darkness, marveling at a moment that she
knew had changed her forever.

How could she have thought that making love to
Bret just this once would satisfy her? And how was she ever going
to keep her heart safe now?

******

Chapter Seven

Nora breathed in the warm, morning air as a
Mockingbird warbled from a nearby bush. Her riding helmet swung
loosely from her fingers as she crossed the parking area in front
of the barn.

The usual array of weathered vehicles there
gave testimony to the size of Bret's ranching operation. Feeling
strangely shy and excited at the same time, she noticed his truck
parked near the barn and quickened her steps.

To her own amazement, she had no regrets about
the night before, even though she'd gone home to sleep alone. She'd
never been closer to heaven than during those moments in his
arms.

As Nora entered the shade of the barn, a
familiar high-pitched giggle made her steps falter. What was Cissy
Burton doing here? Walking more slowly, Nora followed the sound of
voices into the coolness of the barn, crossing to where the north
door stood open. As she went, her ear recognized the lower tones
mingled with Cissy's irritating voice.