Page 80 of Wyoming True

She kept her fears to herself and dressed for bed, in a pale yellow silk gown with lace appliqués and spaghetti straps. She looked fragile and beautiful in it. But of course, she reminded herself, nobody would see it but herself.

She slept. She was running again, from Bailey, sobbing and terrified. He was chasing her again, but this time with a gun. She ran toward safety, toward Jake, who was standing in the distance with his arms open, calling to her. She ran and ran, and then she heard the gunshot. But it wasn’t for her. It hit Jake. He doubled over and fell, and she screamed and screamed...

“Wake up!”

She felt herself held close to comforting strength as her eyes flew open. She looked up at Jake. He was wearing just pajama bottoms. His hair was mussed. He looked very sexy. She was coming out of the terror, her mind still almost in limbo.

“He shot you!” she choked, her eyes on his face. “He shot you! He was chasing me. It should have been me!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed close, clinging with all her might. “I thought he’d killed you! I’d have died, too. I’d have died if I lost you!”

His heart ran wild. She...cared. He hadn’t realized it before. His arms contracted hungrily and his mouth slid down to her soft throat. His big hands smoothed up and down her back against the warm silk. He could feel her breasts pressed hard against his chest, feel their hard tips as she strained even closer.

“Ida,” he choked, trying to pull away.

“Jake,” she whispered, shivering a little. “Jake...would you...touch me?”

His breath caught in his throat as she turned just a little and arched toward him, her eyes misty with hunger, her full lips parted.

“Where?” he asked huskily.

She caught his fingers and drew them very slowly to her breasts. It was like part of the nightmare but turning into the sweetest dream she’d ever had. Half-awake, she had no fear of him at all.

She arched as his hand slid under the strap of the gown, against soft, hot skin that felt like silk.

“Oh, God,” he whispered reverently, because he knew he didn’t want to stop. He did try. “Ida...” he began, trying to lift away.

“Please don’t go,” she whispered and reached up to kiss him.

As if he could, after that! He followed her down onto the bed. And despite the fact that it had been months since he’d been with a woman, he was slow and patient and tender.

He eased her out of the gown, his lips following its path down her trembling body. He kissed his way back up again, his hand making magic on her inner thighs as it suddenly found her in a way she’d never been touched.

She gasped, embarrassed, because all the lights were on.

He only smiled. “This is part of it,” he whispered. “I won’t hurt you.”

She shivered. “It feels...good,” she choked, surprised, lost in his silver eyes, the only things alive in that hard, set face.

“It’s supposed to feel good.” His mouth slid down to her bare breast and took one inside his mouth to tease the nipple with his tongue as he began to suckle her.

The reaction he got was surprising. She lifted right off the bed, arching up to his mouth, and the strangest little cry shot out of her throat.

“You like that,” he whispered and did it again.

She went from plateau to plateau, no longer worried about whether or not he’d hurt her, because she’d never dreamed that lovemaking could be so sweet. She ached for him, burned for him, followed his whispered commands hungrily and then, suddenly, felt him inside her body, all the way inside, as he moved onto her, one long, hair-feathered leg inserting itself between both of hers.

“Look at me,” he whispered unsteadily.

She met his eyes, her own wild with hunger, faintly embarrassed, as the pleasure built to insane levels. “Jake!” she cried out, surprised at the fever he’d kindled in her, blazing with pleasure that she thought might kill her. She whispered that to him, her eyes locked with his as they went into the fire together.

She felt one lean hand under her hips as his mouth covered hers in the last few seconds before they shuddered and shuddered, perfectly attuned as passion bit into them so deeply that they both cried out.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she was clinging to him, not trying to get away. She kissed his hot, damp throat, her nails biting into his broad shoulders as she moved helplessly under him, unable to stop as little jolts of pleasure went on and on, echoing the satisfaction he’d given her.

“I didn’t...know,” she whispered shakily.

His chest rose and fell over her damp breasts. “I didn’t know, either,” he whispered, kissing her tenderly. “Never like that, Ida. Never in my life, with anyone.”

Her arms contracted. She loved him so much. More than anything, anyone. She wanted to tell him, but he hadn’t spoken of love. It might wound him, if he didn’t feel the same way. So she kept her silence, savoring a closeness she’d never experienced.

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