Untamed Journey (32 page)

He quickly helped Ruth refasten her laces, as
the voices grew louder. He pushed her hands away when she attempted
to put her hair up.

“Leave it. There’s no time.” Jackson pulled
her away from the approaching footsteps and led her around the back
of the barn, so they could enter from the other side.

Sue and Catherine exchanged a glance as they
spotted the two retreating figures, neither one missing Ruth’s
tumbled hair.

R
uth didn’t need to
turn around to know that it was Jackson who had entered the
kitchen. She could sense his presence, and now recognized the slow
gait of his walk.

She set out another cup and poured them both
some of the hot thick brew she had grown to love in the short time
since she had left her Aunt Kate’s home. Ruth kept her back to
Jackson for the time it took to take the first sip, but could not
remain aloof any longer. He knew as well as she that Ruth wanted
nothing more than to turn and spend the rest of her days lying in
his arms. She closed her hands around the second mug and slowly
turned to face him.

He still had not said a word ��� not one since
he walked through the door.

She slowly raised her eyes to his
ever-patient ones, then held out the coffee.

Jackson held Ruth’s gaze as he slowly
approached, a knowing grin slowly spreading across his face. His
work-roughened hands closed gently around hers. He stroked his
fingers across hers as he took the steaming mug from her and held
it to his lips. He set the coffee aside and pulled her into his
arms, needing her warmth against the chill in the room.

“Dance with me, Miss Ruth. Right here in my
home where you belong.”

She let Jackson enclose her in his arms,
knowing there was no point in resisting any longer what they both
wanted. The fiddle music from Old Mike’s playing drifted in through
the open window, followed by the rough laughter of the ragtag group
of men and women Jackson had surrounded himself with in this new
land.

Ruth felt warm and secure for the first time
since losing her parents, held securely in Jackson’s strong
arms.

As more laughter drifted through the window,
Jackson felt Ruth relax fully in his arms for the first time.

He made up his mind.

“Marry me, Ruth.”

She stilled in Jackson’s arms, not certain
she had heard him right.

The whisper in her ear left no doubt of his
intentions. “Marry me. Have my children. Build a new life here for
us both.”

When Ruth didn’t respond, Jackson pulled away
slightly. He lifted her chin so he could gaze directly into her
suddenly wary eyes.

He doggedly pursued his case. “I’m not a rich
man, and I can’t promise you the excitement of the city you’re used
to. But in the short time I’ve known you, I see you here in the
West. Your soul belongs here, just like mine. Our life would be
hard, I won’t tell you otherwise. Hard and dangerous at times, but
I can promise you this: I’m loyal to the core, and I’d never betray
your trust or your heart. As long as I live, I’ll be here for you
and our children.”

Ruth struggled to hold back tears, knowing
she couldn’t say yes to the most amazing man she’d ever met.

“Jackson, I can’t. I’m honored more than you
could possibly imagine, or will ever understand, but the choice
isn’t mine. My past won’t let me go. I should have told you
everything from the beginning, but I just –.”

He shook his head in outright denial of what
he was hearing. “Every man and woman here – including me – has a
past they’d rather forget. There’s not a soul for a thousand miles
who hasn’t been torn apart by that bloody war, and done things
they’d never admit at Sunday Service. But damn it, Ruth, that’s why
we’re all here. That’s what lured folks to the middle of a
wilderness, overrun with outlaws and Indians and wild animals. The
pureness of nature might be harsh, but it’s liberating. I believe
that if a man or woman has what it takes to survive out here, God
has something more in mind for their future. Let your past go and
stay here with me. I swear you won’t regret it.”

He did not give Ruth a chance for second
thoughts, tightening his arms around her softness, pulling her lips
to his.

She could not resist Jackson’s kiss, or the
lure of the new life he’d painted in her mind and heart. Maybe he
was right, she thought. Maybe she could start a new life here,
where no one knew her or her past. In that moment, she shut her
mind to any resistance and opened her heart to his kiss.

Jackson felt her softening instantly and
rejoiced at his triumph. He gave up all thoughts of holding back,
and pushed for her final acquiescence. “Say you’ll marry me, Ruth.
Take a chance.”

He slid his hands down Ruth’s shaking arms,
over her hips, and stroked slowly back up to cup the swelling sides
of her breasts. He pressed his heated lips against her neck,
leaving her mouth free in hopes of hearing the words he wanted and
needed.

Her body was on fire, and her heart was open
to Jackson for the first time. The heady combination was
overwhelming. And rash words tumbled from her lips as she gazed
into his demanding eyes. “I do want to marry you. I do. More than
anything, I wish that could happen.”

“It can. It will – just as soon as I find a
preacher.”

He swept her up in his arms and started up
the back stairs. Now that she would marry him, the last vestiges of
restraint fell aside. He had Ruth warm, willing, and able – and he
was not against seducing his soon-to-be wife out of any second
thoughts.

Jackson knew more folks than he could count
on both hands who had arrived in this world about a month or so
early. And every last one had a mother he admired and respected. So
he had no real qualms about securing his place in Ruth’s life the
old fashioned way. His mind made up, he kicked open the door of his
room, then shut it firmly behind him. He slowly lowered the warm,
pliant Ruth back against the oak door he had carved himself during
his first winter here.

Jackson cautioned himself to go slowly,
wanting her first taste of him to be so good she would never again
spare a thought for her recently retired fiancé. Jackson stroked
his large hands down the sides of Ruth’s hips and back up again to
curve around her swelling breasts. His hands swept back and forth
slowly, setting the rhythm of things to come. He leaned in closer,
taking slow, deliberate bites down the side of her neck, never
breaking the rhythm of his hands stroking the sides of her hips,
thighs, and slowly back up to cup the undersides of her
breasts.

Ruth could feel herself ache, and Jackson’s
hands were barely touching her. She tried to twist to the side, so
his hands would cup her fully, but his strong arms kept her
immobile.

“Kiss me,” she whispered, not wanting him to
see the lust he could so easily conjure in her.

“No. Not yet. I want to see you,” he replied,
staring intently into her startled eyes as he finally stroked his
hands across the front of her taut nipples. “Watch me touch you,
Ruth.” He lightened his touch, barely skimming the tips of her
nipples back and forth, until they hardened under his heated
palms.

When Jackson saw Ruth’s flushed cheeks, he
caught her gaze, wondering if her heightened color was from
embarrassment or heat. When he saw her partially closed lids still
holding his gaze, he smiled slowly in triumph. He knew she was
ready for more, but held himself back. She was still fully-clothed,
and he intended to keep her that way until she was too wet and hot
to stand the softest fabric against her skin. He firmly cupped her
breasts from below, stroking the undersides over and over again,
careful not to touch her now straining nipples.

Ruth couldn’t stand the teasing any longer –
not after weeks of Jackson’s careful seduction, teaching her body
the pleasure his hands and lips could bring her. “Jackson, kiss me
now. Please. I can’t wait any longer.”

When he didn’t immediately lean in to take
her parted lips, she opened her eyes. She watched his thick, black
hair lower to take her distended nipple into the warmth of his
mouth. She felt the surge of heat in both nipples, almost to the
point of pain. Until he began to gently suckle, surrounding her
with moist heat that quickly pooled between her legs.

Ruth’s back arched of its own will, thrusting
her burning nipple further into his suckling mouth. It wasn’t
enough, so she slid her fingers into Jackson’s thick hair in a vain
effort to pull him even closer.

Jackson pulled away and took three gasping
breaths, trying to re-gain his quickly slipping self-control.

“Don’t stop,” she begged. “Don’t stop.”

“Unbutton your dress,” he whispered the
demand, needing Ruth to take the lead this once.

She flushed solid red again, whether at his
provocative words or the sight of her dress soaked through and
molded to her puckered nipples, even she did not know.

“Take off the dress. Let me kiss you again
with nothing between us.”

Jackson strained to keep his hands away from
those buttons, not sure he could wait much longer if she didn’t
move.

Slowly sliding her hands out of his hair, she
brought them to the first button, hesitating until she saw
Jackson’s dark eyes deepen to purest black at that tiny gesture.
His obvious desire gave her the courage to be bold and undo the
first button.

He could not resist placing the lightest of
kisses on the spot of flesh exposed by that first un-fastened
button. She smelled like the wildflowers the women had picked that
morning for the dance. He placed one more kiss, slowly parting the
wet fabric with his tongue before kissing her lingeringly that
second time. He caught her somnolent gaze and urged her to undo
another button. “More, Ruth. Show me more.”

She touched the second button, then the
third. Her shaking fingertips fumbled when she realized that
Jackson was staring hard at the strip of flesh she was slowly
exposing to his needs.

The dress gaped to her navel once she undid
the last stubborn button. She had to peel away the damp fabric from
her flesh, so Jackson could kiss her aching breasts once again.

He did not hesitate at her blatant
invitation. He gathered her nipple in with his tongue, circling
just the tip until it was tight and straining once again. He did
the same to her other nipple, then kissed each inch of exposed
flesh that had quickly swelled to his touch once again. When he
finally pulled her breast completely into his mouth, he suckled in
an endless rhythm, until he felt himself harden almost to the point
of pain.

Ruth could barely stand, as her quivering
thighs softened with every thrust of his hips against her soft
core. When Jackson bent down to sweep her off her feet, he placed a
soft kiss at the juncture of her thighs, igniting Ruth’s
imagination as she felt herself carried over to his waiting
bed.

As Jackson gently laid her down on the soft
feather mattress, the sides of her dress parted. Never taking his
eyes from hers, he slowly reached for the remaining buttons,
undoing them to expose the bare flesh of her hips and thighs. When
the last of the cloth came apart, he placed his large, rough hands
gently on her collarbone and slowly journeyed down her chest, to
the gentle curve of her waist. He rested just a bit longer at the
juncture of her thighs, absorbing the heat and texture of his
woman.

Ruth did not realize she sighed in
disappointment when his hands moved down her legs to settle on her
feet, but Jackson heard the telling noise.

He smiled quietly in satisfaction, knowing
her first time with him would bring her pleasure. He pulled off his
shirt, compelling Ruth to watch his every movement through
half-slitted eyes.

Her curiosity at seeing the rest of his body
up close would have to wait as Jackson knelt, facing her. He
straddled her thighs, carefully balancing his greater weight above
her. He placed his hands on her thighs and slowly stroked
upwards.

She sucked in her breath as she felt
Jackson’s hand slide to the juncture of her thighs and deliberately
part her lips, exposing her sensitive flesh to his stroking
fingers. She felt the lightest of touches glide across her,
continually stroking, up and over, until she could not hold still
any longer.

She reached for his forearms, needing
something to anchor her as her hips thrust upwards, wanting
something more, but not knowing what.

Jackson knew.

He leaned slowly over her, until his mouth
was just inches from her growing wetness. Her hips strained against
his greater strength, not wanting to be held back, but he refused
to rush. He blew gently against the source of her heat and wetness
until her moans filled the room. Her scent nearly drove him to
thrust into her, but he held tight to his self-control.

When she felt Jackson’s warm breath on her,
Ruth nearly screamed in pleasure. She moaned incoherently, not
caring if the sounds carried to the party-goers outside. She felt
his breath once again, before his fingers parted her even further,
giving his mouth the access she desperately craved.

He kissed her as he would her mouth, starting
with gentle touches of his lips. When he sensed her restlessness
growing, he slanted his mouth across her, over and over, drinking
her in greedily, until finally he touched her with his tongue.

Ruth felt her body begin to shake and burn
uncontrollably, as she felt his rough tongue licking her slowly,
endlessly. She felt his breath again, more intensely than before,
and the burning moved up her breasts and chest, flushing her face
to scarlet. As she dug her aching fingers into Jackson’s thick
hair, she rubbed his scalp in encouragement, asking for more of his
touch. She felt him respond as the now familiar feel of his hot
tongue slid across both lips, and slowly parted them.