“Don’t you worry your pretty lil’ head, Laura,” he said, his broad, handsome face breaking into a warm smile. “I enjoyed you droppin’ in, in fact,” he said, reaching his one hand over, touching that big hand to her, his palm over her shoulder as his fingers reached up to touch some of her hair between two of his fingers. “You should drop in more often, in fact.”
His touch sent a thrill through her, one she’d been tryin’ to hide from all day. But he was so damned... temptin’.
She licked her lips, and she wanted to see him again, like she had yesterday. Bare and gorgeous, glistenin’ in the midday light. He was beautiful, in his strange, rugged way.
“I ain’t to talk to strangers,” she whispered, as though someone, somewhere, might hear.
He swept his free hand over the table in display. “We’ve sat, broke bread, ate and talked together. How can you still call us strangers, darlin’?” he said with a broad, uneven smile, his hand still upon her shoulder, rubbing gently, touching her silky hair. His spine arched, his abs rippling as he looked her over. “Stay a spell,” he urged in a low husk, brushing his fingers over her cheek gently, those hard digits so comforting in their masculine nature.
“If I ain’t home before nightfall...” she trailed off, the implication clear. Punishment would await her. The devil rules the night, after all.
Jake leaned in real close, his rugged scent filling her nostrils as he got within a few inches of her. His hand went from her shoulder into her hair, petting and stroking it as his every word was a light breeze on her delicate neck.
“I’ll keep ya safe, don’t you worry, sweetie,” he said, his free hand sliding over to her knee beneath the table, squeezing her thigh tightly with his strong grasp. And it was so easy to imagine him protecting her from her father, or… anyone.
But worse still was just how good it felt. It was one thing to lust for what she’d seen, but feeling his rough, hard hand on her thigh was something different altogether.
“What’re you... on the run from, Mister?” she murmured softly, trying to distract herself from her pounding heart, the lust that was brewin’ in her belly.
“Bad men,” he said in a deep, low husk. “Bad men with lots of guns, who hurt women I care for, and tried to protect. The worst kind of bad men,” he leaned in close, his breath warmly washing over her ear as his lips just lightly brushed against her lobe.
It felt so exotic, so enticin’. His breath, his hands, just warmin’ her body, softenin’ her towards him. And she knew it was wrong to feel like that for a man. Even if she’d been wed, her husband wasn’t to tempt her so.
But her mind was a fog, and the only thing she was certain of was her lust for the strange, dark, hard man that touched her so presumptively.
“If you were my girl,” he began in a low, dusky drawl, “I’d keep you happy and taken care of. I’d take you away from anyone else who tried to punish you, and keep you safe in my arms.” His words were so easy to believe, as big and strong as he was. His hand slowly inching up her long, traditional dress, his lips brushing against her ear, then lightly kissing against her neck.
She moaned, the sound unexpected and she tried to suck it back in but it was too late. She wanted him, bad, and she was shivering with desire against his hand. All her teachings, all the cruelty she’d had to exist with under her father’s thumb...
And knowing she was of age to be married off?
It was terrifyin’, more than she ever thought possible. And here was this strange, foreign man, offerin’ her a way out.
Her dress slowly inched up to her knees, and then his hard, strong hand was upon her bare, smooth leg beneath.
“Any man that’d dare lay a finger on you?” he said, peppering her neck with such soft, doting kisses. “I’d leave him a bloody mess if’n you was my girl.” His fingers gently pushed her hair away from her neck, making way for his lips as he peppered her with more and more kisses. “I’d keep you safe for the rest of your days, and take you to bed, put so many babies in your belly you’d be the happiest ma to ever live.”
Her body was respondin’ of its own accord. Wantin’ for his words - his kisses - to never stop. Her dark lashes fluttered down and she took in some breath, trying to will herself to stand, but her legs were like jelly. Her stomach was rollin’ with fear and excitement, and she knew that she’d never wanted for anythin’ in her life half so bad as she wanted him.
“It’s not the way,” she murmured, but she wanted him to never stop, to not pause those sweet kisses.
Maybe he was a mind reader, ‘cause he didn’t stop. He kept on a going, fondling her soft inner thighs, working his hard hand closer towards her most private of private parts. His kisses kept working up and down her neck, giving the occasional little suckle that made her squeak.
“It’s only fair though. You saw more of me yesterday than I’ve seen of you, darlin’. We should make things nice an’ equal, don’t you think?” At those words, his hand in her hair slowly began to undo her dress down her spine.
She shivered, but it was only because her body was burnin’ so hot with lust. She looked at him from beneath her heavy eyelids, and she did somethin’ she never thought she’d ever do. Not even in her wildest dreams.
She leaned in, and pressed her mouth, right against his.
And he returned the gesture without a moment’s hesitation.
Their lips mingled, and betwixt the two pairs his tongue wriggled its way into her mouth, so moist and warm. As he kissed her so deeply, his hand slipped up between her thighs, gently stroked along her feminine slit through the material of her panties, producing feelings in her loins she’d never before felt or imagined.
And it was only a gentle brush, separated from her by the cotton of her undergarments. All as her dress slowly came undone down her back, loosening from her shoulders.
She’d always been a chaste girl, though her father’d punished her for transgressions that she didn’t even think fair. Little things like her knee bein’ exposed, or too much of her throat showin’. And maybe it was rebellion that let her open her mouth to that fugitive, the man with a dark past she didn’t know of.
But she pushed into him hungrily, forbidden passions boilin’ in her chest.