There All Along (11 page)

“Hm.”

He satisfied himself with imagining what she’d feel like when he did get her drawers down and his cock into her. “As for the rest.” He scratched his beard. “I may be leaving Silver Cliffs to run my transports, but I’m not leaving you. There are no others I’m flitting to. It’s you. I’ll be back. For you. Always.”

“Which means what?”

He couldn’t help his grin and he took a step closer. She gave him a raised brow but didn’t move back.

“It means I love you too. Scary woman.” He closed the last bit of distance, sliding an arm around her waist. “I’m sorry you had a fight with your sister. I’m sorry she was hurtful. I spoke with Tobin. I said I’d recommend him to the program for a scholarship spot. I can do one student per annum. He deserves the chance.”

Her anger lifted and she stubbed out the cigarette, throwing her arms around him. “You did? You will?”

“Yes and yes. It’ll be up to him to pass or fail once he gets in, but otherwise, I’m happy to help.”

He flicked open the bodice of her dress, drawing a fingertip back and forth over the nipple he exposed.

“You still thinking about kicking me in the cock? Because I’m going to need it in a breath or two.”

Her annoyance melted . . . a bit . . . replaced by a smirk. “That so?”

He leaned in, licking up the line of her throat, biting down when he got to a part he liked best.

Her spine relaxed as she gave over to him. Satisfaction roared through his system.
His
. Verity Coleman was his woman and he meant to have her. Again and again.

“You make me want to rut. No one before you has done that to my control.”

Her fingers dug into his muscles as she held on. Held on as he licked over her collarbone. She made a sound, a near whimper as he pinched her nipples. Not too hard, but nearly. She arched into him and he let go long enough to back up, spin her.

“Ass out. You’d best hold on to the table. Good thing there’s nothing on it.”

He bent to pull her skirts up, flipping them to expose her legs. He pulled the drawers down quickly, one handed, as he unbelted his weapons holster and then unbuttoned his trousers, freeing his cock.

“You make me so hard, Verity.” He teased her for a moment, his weight against her to keep her in place as he did. Gripping his cock at the root, he teased over her, through slick folds.

So wet and hot. No matter if she’d been angry at him moments before or not. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. A tussle was all right now and again. Especially because his woman was sexy when she was fired up. But he didn’t like that she was upset. Didn’t like that her sister had said those hurtful things. Didn’t like that she’d doubted him for even a moment.

Or that he may have given her a reason to doubt.

“In,” she whispered, pressing herself back against him as he teased the fat, blunt head of his cock against that sweet-hot entrance to her pussy.

“Like this?” He pressed in an inch or so, but pulled back.

She groaned and then snarled when he moved away.

He grinned, glad she couldn’t see it and get back on her kick Loyal in the cock line of thought.

He wrapped the rope of her braid around his fist, guiding her head to the side, kissing her hard and fast as he thrust into her in one hard movement.

Her gasp of delight was so sweet as he sucked it down, licking over her lips, biting and kissing.

He fucked her as he’d wanted to all day. Deep and hard. Each sound she made, a soft squeal, a guttural moan, he made her feel. He brought from her.

Standing straight, he looked down and watched himself disappear into her body over and over. Loving the carnal way she left him slick and dark. Loving that he was the only man who had this view. That she was his and he hers.

He wasn’t ready to come yet though so he changed her angle with his free hand. Grabbing her hip and moving her, canting her hips, staying deep.

She swayed a little though, circling him deep inside. It was his turn to gasp. His turn to nearly lose his mind and groan at how good it was.

That space between him and climax shrank to a razor’s edge.

Not ready yet. Not ready to be done.

He pulled out, swallowing her sob of disappointment. He grabbed her, pulling her to the floor with him, laying over her body, kissing her hard, kissing her soft, trailing his lips down her throat.

He loved the way she sighed, utterly satisfied, when he took a long lick of her pussy. Loved the way she slid her fingers through his hair and tugged him closer.

“Get what you want, darlin’,” he murmured against her clit.

“Give it to me.”

Smiling, he did.

He nibbled, sucked and licked until she writhed beneath him. Until she sucked in a breath and blew out his name on a moan, coming on his lips in a hot rush.

While she was still gasping for breath he got to his knees and pulled her up, turning her body away from his as he lifted her to balance over his lap, arms braced on the floor.

So slick and hot, he slipped back in on a sigh before he bounced her a few times, finding a rhythm he wanted. One she responded to, tightening around him.

Instead of moving himself, he moved her. Bouncing her back against him over and over, drawing close to orgasm slowly but surely. Committing every sensation of her body around his, the way she sounded, her scent, to his memory. He’d be back, as he said. Eagerly. But while he was gone he wanted to call this moment up, remember what waited for him in Silver Cliffs.

When he let himself fall into her, again, that act of homecoming was poignant. Life altering. Beautiful. It grabbed him with sharp claws and didn’t let go. Nor did he struggle to be free.

He helped her to stand and noted her smile before he bent to kiss her again.

“I’m hungry. And a little dirty now. What say you let me scrub your back and then I’ll make a meal for a change?”

One of her brows slid up. “If you think I’m giving up on the idea of leaving with you because you pleasure me so well, you’re a fool,” she called on her way to the bathroom. “You can still scrub my back and make supper though.”

He sighed, but followed her anyway.

S
he’d reached her limit.

Interesting.

After Constance had left, she’d paced the length of her living room until she’d hunted down the cigarettes she’d kept in her kitchen for the rare occasions she wanted to smoke one. She considered a quick belt of some liquor, but she needed to think.

Needed to decide just exactly what she wanted. What she needed and what she could live with.

She wanted Loyal.

She needed him too.

She didn’t want to live without him.

So that was the first important thing.

She would continue to support Tobin. He needed that and she wanted it. So her sister would have to live with it.

She wanted out of Silver Cliffs with its too tight expectations on her behavior.

If she stayed, what then? Eventually she’d give in to those expectations. She knew that. It would be harder as each annum passed. As each planting season began, as the snow melted, as harvest came and went, she’d be pressured. And loneliness would be part of that choice. A man like Jackson Haldeman would be a fine husband. More than likely he’d let her have her way in most things. He was nice to look at. Seemed interested in her, but there were other women in Silver Cliffs and she’d eventually have to choose a probable future with a good man over whatever she could have the times Loyal rolled into the garrison for a few stolen days here and there.

Right now it was one thing to live for those times each annum when Loyal and his crew came to Silver Cliffs. But it wasn’t enough.

She couldn’t live with not enough. Not anymore. If she was selfish for wanting it, so be it. But she’d spent several years trying not to fall in love with Loyal and had failed. The last times he’d been in Silver Cliffs, ever since that first kiss, she’d been tumbling head over heels.

It was far too late to regret it. Though she didn’t. He was a man worthy of her love. He was exciting and interesting and protective. He was also incredible in bed and seemed to enjoy her company.

He made her feel confident. Like she could tackle any problem. Sexy and smart too. Seeing herself through his eyes had made her everyday life harder in many ways. Made it more difficult to ignore the itch to be gone. The desire to see what was outside.

Tobin had been right that it was time to bring the issue up with Loyal.

But when she had . . . well. He’d gotten all hot and bothered by her attitude. She smiled to herself as she brushed her wet hair out and then twisted it all into a long braid.

He’d gone out to the kitchen to begin their meal after they both cleaned up. He hadn’t said much but the way he’d touched her underlined his words of love.

But more needed to be said. She squared her shoulders and headed out.

“Take a seat at the table. I poured you some wine.” He worked, chopping herbs as a pan heated on the grill top.

“So they’re gone then? The brigands?”

“We sent scouts out to check the ones down on the Highway. Looks like a few escaped from up here and they left. They’ll lick their wounds. But you held them off. Not only that, but you’re well fortified and you had the guts to blow your own bridges and preemptively attack them. They’ll move on to easier targets.”

“So you’re leaving for sure in the morning then?”

He eased the meat into the skillet, smiling at the sizzle, tossing in some spices before he turned to her.

“Not immediately, but yes tomorrow.” He handed her a sliver of fruit. “I
will
be back. The trips will be more frequent for the next season or two.”

“It’s not enough. I want to be with you all the time.”

He opened his mouth but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. He opened it, admitting Indigo and Marcus.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. But you wanted to talk when we got back.” Marcus looked to Verity. “Evening, Verity.”

She nodded to both men, smiling. Relieved they were all okay. That they’d been in Silver Cliffs when the brigands had chosen to attempt an attack.

“Evening. Come in.”

“Thank you.” Both men had wonderful manners. Courtly. Indigo had a hat on that he removed immediately upon seeing her. They opened doors and pulled out chairs and, in general, were a delight to be around. Even if they all hadn’t been extraordinary specimens of strapping masculine beauty.

They started to fill Loyal in on what they’d seen out on their scouting mission. On the plans they’d gone over with Haldeman for how to deal with the aftermath of the attack.

It went on as Loyal stirred and then his attention wandered. It was clear this was going to take a long time.

She moved into the kitchen and put the food off the grill before it burned.

“There’s some fresh bread in the pantry there and some cold, sliced meat and cheese for you all to eat. Milk too, in the cold case. I need to go check on some things downstairs.”

Loyal followed her out onto the stairs. “Wait.”

“For what? You have a job to do. Just do it.”

She knew it was petulant. He
did
have a job to do. But she’d been interrupted so many times it was wearing her temper and she didn’t feel like being angry. “It’s fine. I meant it. You have a job to do. Come get me when they’re gone.”

“We’ll talk. I promise.”

She waved over her shoulder but kept on downstairs.

Tobin came out to help her do a quick inventory so she could finish her orders to send back with the transport. It wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. They had plenty of staples left. Flour, sweetener, spices, rice and the like. Building supplies were running low though. Nails and tools needed replacing.

She was hungry so she and Tobin had a meal of bread, cheese and fruit as they chatted about the lawman training he was so excited to start. She tried to avoid the topic of the fight she’d had with Constance, but he knew his mother had come.

“It was unpleasant. But I urged her to speak to you. Urged her to intervene with your father. I repeated my support of your dreams. That’s not going to change. I’m sad she’s unhappy. I understand, she’s worried about your safety. But you want to fly and I’ll cheer you on. She and your father will get over it. Maybe not before you leave, you should be ready for that.”

“Indigo said a new class starts in a moon.”

“Loyal told me he’d recommend you for a scholarship spot. Which will take care of a roof over your head and your meals. I’ll send you some credits on a regular basis. You’ll have time to see vids and maybe take a girl out to a meal.”

“I can’t thank you enough. I . . . it means everything.”

“You’re nineteen once in your life. That’s the time to squire pretty girls to dinner. Or to have a few down the bar with your friends.”

His lopsided grin cheered her up.

Loyal came down a while later, just about when she’d started to think seriously on going up and getting in her bed.

“I apologize but I need to go down to the garrison barracks to debrief with Haldeman. It may be a while longer. You should probably go to sleep.”

She held back the annoyed sigh, but he saw it in her eyes. He lowered his voice as they moved away from Tobin, Indigo and Marcus.

“I really am sorry. I wanted to have this time with you. But—”

“It’s your job. I understand. I do. But this isn’t over. You need to know that. We have things to discuss.”

He kissed her forehead. “I know. And we will.”

She kept his gaze, underlining that. It was time to make a stand for herself. And now that she’d done it, she understood enough to know it had to be backed up.

•   •   •

S
he’d been asleep when he’d returned to her place many hours later. He could tell, given the folded blanket on the settee, that she’d waited for him.

Guilt stabbed his belly.

That was what her life would be if he took up with her. And he was too greedy for her, too selfish to walk away. He wanted her in a way he hadn’t wanted since he’d been very young. She smoothed him out, soothed the rough edges, and he needed her. Needed her like he needed to breathe.

But the idea of her riding along? He’d need to get clearance for such a thing. If he wanted it and he wasn’t sure he did. The road was dangerous.

He disrobed in the dark outside her room, moving to join her in bed. They’d need to be up and moving in a few short hours. Back to Shelter City this time to make a report. To get more ammunition and to pack up for more deliveries. He’d teach a class or two, as he usually did when they went back home.

And then he’d start over. Begin a new run on the Highway.

And he’d come back to her. Because he had meant it when he told her earlier. There was no one else for him.

She roused slightly, moving to him as if by instinct. And he guessed it was.

He let her settle, lay her head on his biceps as he tucked her head beneath his chin and breathed her in.

This was something dangerous. The way he felt with her body against his. Not that he planned to do anything else but enjoy it. He liked dangerous things. Lived on that edge all the time. Pretty face, luscious lips, smart eyes that didn’t miss a thing, his woman was canny and dangerous, no doubt.

He smiled as he started to drift into sleep. He’d gotten used to this sort of contentment. Oh sure he fell into his job. He loved that too. It was who he was.

But something else was there now, deep inside. Verity had awakened something. A need to belong, a need to cleave himself to something more than his revolver and his vehicle. The badge that marked him as someone worthy.

He saw the same look on Marcus’ face when he looked at Trinity. He had liked it because he cared about both deeply. But now he
understood
it.

This was love. Not the thing you said to someone you liked a lot. The kind of thing that was bone deep and inescapable.