Page 29 of That Fateful Ride

He watched her in the candlelight. Her small breasts bounced with each forward motion, lips swollen from his kisses and wet from her licking them. Her hands were on his forearms, nails digging into his flesh then moved up to his shoulders.

Damn, she was beautiful.

“More,” she begged. “More please.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” He wasn’t a small man.

“Cy…please…I….need…Cy…”

To hear her calling him Cy with that breathless quality of voice pushed away the remnants of his control. A growl, almost savage in nature, rolled from his lips. Harder he drove. The bed frame slammed into the wall and he moved faster. Needing more. Wanting it all. She rode his pace as if she’d been doing it forever, not asking for quarter. No, she encouraged him on with her cries and pants.

She came in a rush with a wordless scream, hips rising to meet his furious thrusts. The velvet walls rippled around him and he erupted with a low roar.

Shit!His body trembled as he lowered it onto her. His heart pounded out of control. He’d never felt like this before.

Not true,his brain reminded.You felt this with her before.

Shoving that thought away, he brushed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Are you okay?”

Her affirmative was more of a purr and he grinned. Soon they were under his blankets and he held her close. The silence between them not at all strained. He’d begun to doze when her fingers moved from his waist down his leg. He flinched as if shot when she met his scar.

“Don’t,” he snapped, grabbing her wrist and it removing it from the puckered skin.

“What happened?”

“None of your business.”

The moment the words were out, he knew they were a mistake. She stiffened, then moved. Like a wraith, she escaped the bed and was at her clothing.

“Rebecca,” he said sitting up. “Come back to bed.”

She didn’t say a word. She drew on her undergarments and pants. Blanket around his hips, he moved to her side. She wouldn’t even look at him. Each movement precise and effective, she had soon dressed fully.

“Rebecca.” He caught her hand as she shoved into her boots. Finally, she met his gaze. He was shocked and more than a bit disturbed by the lack of emotion in her eyes.

“I need to go.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged. “You were right, it’s none of my business.” She pulled free and slipped from his room, leaving him alone and wearing naught but a blanket.

“Great job, Cyrus,” he admonished himself. He couldn’t go after her. Therefore, he snuffed out the candle and crawled back in his bed. Rebecca’s faint smell escorted him to the land of slumber.

The next morning she didn’t show for breakfast. When the rider headed in, he hastened outside and frowned at the sight of the powerful dun waiting.

“Rider up!”

She ran from the bunkhouse and swung onto her horse with ease. Polaris knew what was expected and tossed his head, showing his readiness.

The approaching horse came to a halt in a large cloud of dust. Cy worked quickly transferring the mochila between horses. As he attached it to her mount’s saddle, he tried to talk to her.

“I didn’t mean to be so gruff.”

He stepped back to look at her. She glanced down double-checking it was secure then wheeled Polaris around and rode off without a single word. He hated it. He was scared for her. Wanted her with him. Wanted to be out there too.

“Sorry you can’t ride?” Jesse the newly arrived rider, asked.

“Why do you ask?”

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