“Oi do, but let me say flash, it ain’t over,” Farley said as he whipped his horse around and kicked him into a gallop.
“Horrid odious man. I think we should shoot him just for the way he treats his horse!” Star said suddenly and she swiped a stray tear from her cheek.
He was off his horse in a moment and reaching for her to lift her off hers. He could see she was determined not to cry. He held her close, noted the gun was still in her hand and gently removed it from the fingers clutching it so tightly.
“Everything is fine,” he told her. “He is gone and I don’t think he will bother you again.”
She sucked in air and in a trembling voice said, “I was prepared to kill him.”
“Were you, love? I am happy to hear it. For he is an ugly customer and I do believe you and I must talk about this.”
“Oh…” she clenched and unclenched her fingers. “I want to tell you everything—I do, but right now all I want to do is get away from here.”
“Not yet, love.” He took the horses in tow, walked her to a nearby clump of evergreens and tethered them. He felt her watching him as he loosened the saddles and pulled out his saddle blanket, chose a spot and laid it on the ground. He reached out his hand and said encouragingly, “Come, let us sit and enjoy the summer air a bit before I escort you home.”
He sat and watched her as she hesitated and then she approached and plopped down beside him, sighing heavily. He didn’t say anything for a moment but his eyes raked over her. Her gown of pale blue was weathered and had certainly seen better days. It irked him that such a beauty should forever be in rags. When she was his he would see her in the finest…what was he thinking? When she was his? He shook away such thoughts and instead dove into the subject that occupied his mind. “What did that scoundrel want with you?”
“His name is Farley and he means to make trouble for my brother one way or another,” she offered and bit her lip.
He tried another avenue for he could see he would get no more down that road. “How do you know him?”
“I don’t…well not really. You know already that I was disguised as a lad and at the Mermaid Inn. It was to deliver a message to that blackguard.”
He could see she was distressed. She didn’t want to tell him even this much and in essence, she hadn’t told him very much more than he already surmised. “For your brother? You were there for your brother?”
Her eyes found her lap and she would not bring them to his face. He lifted her chin, “Star, don’t you realize…? Don’t you know you can trust me? Won’t you trust me?”
“I want to, but as I said, what you are asking…what you want to know, is not mine to tell. Don’t you men have a code of honor about keeping secrets and such?”
“Indeed, we do, but neither do we allow one another to be fed to the wolves and Star, you and your brother are in the act of having just that done. He isn’t equipped to see himself out of this and neither are you. I, however, can help.”
“Let me discuss this with Vern. When I tell him how Farley accosted me today and how you helped, he may want to confide in you himself.”
“Fair enough,” Sir Edward said on a sigh.
“You are so good,” Star returned.
“No, no I am not, or I would not be doing this,” he said and took her into his arms. He could control himself no longer. His mind had turned into fodder. His manhood throbbed for attention. His fingers itched to feel her flesh and his mouth watered for her kiss. His tongue found hers in an instant and heaven was at hand.
* * *
She wanted him with all her heart. Her mind told her she was diving into quicksand and her heart answered that he had hold of her and wouldn’t let go. She trusted him. She did. When he was near, touching her like this, all was well and would be forever right.
When his lips touched hers, she gave herself to him with a frenzy she had not realized she was capable of feeling. Her arms went around his neck and she pressed herself into him for more.
His delicious kiss grew into another and yet another and then his lips covered her neck and back up to her mouth. He whispered, “You taste so good love…so good…” and the sound and meaning of the words traveled through her body and made her yearn for things she had never experienced. She wanted it all and she wanted it with him, this man who filled her universe with bright hope and red hot passion.
She heard herself murmur his name and wondered at the sound of her voice, so low, so husky, someone else’s voice. She felt the buttons of her gown released, were those her fingers helping his? She saw him remove his shirt and marveled at his muscular form, his handsome face and his hungry expression. She found her thighs clenching with desire.
He opened the buttons of his pants and thought he was nearly as large as one of her studs for she had never seen a man naked like this before. Were they all hung like horses? No, she did not think so.
“Exquisite,” he said as he ran his hands over her body and cupped her breasts. She had known when he laid the horse blanket down, this would happen. She had known and eagerly awaited it.
His lips brushed one of her nipples, his tongue licked at it, his finger flicked it as his other hand moved over her belly and then his mouth was on hers again. He whispered words of praises scarcely audible as he took her fingers and led them to his manhood.
Excited beyond her expectations, she touched him, ran her fingers up and down its length. He moaned and wrapped her hand around it and said, “Oh love, love, your fingers feel so good…do you like it? Do you?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “I do…I do…” and as she spoke she squeezed his manhood, thrilled by the feel of it in her hand. She stroked it, pulled on it as she experienced a driving sensation she had never thought possible before. She was wanton, a wanton woman, and it felt right, so completely right.