When she was long drunk on his touch, he stood and pulled her to the couch. He lifted a blanket and wrapped it over her bare shoulders, then lowered her to the cushions. Kneeling beside her, he kissed her until the room filled with stars and she stretched contentedly.

He no longer had to tease her mouth open. With the touch of his lips on hers, she freely opened, giving him what she knew he hungered for. Her body responded to his hands, warm and soft and willing.

Without a word, he opened the front of the blanket and traveled down her throat. Now she cried in pleasure, feeling a bolt tingle through her. As he nibbled, she began to move slightly from side to side.

His hand slid down her body, opening the blanket. Pressing his palm gently against her abdomen, his mouth moved back up to her lips with his kiss.

‘‘Relax, my love,’’ he whispered. ‘‘Come easy to me now. I’m not going to hurt you.’’

She smiled and opened her mouth to his exploration. His hand inched down between her legs and began to softly brush across her as the kiss deepened.

Again she began to rock, only now his hand between her legs moved with her. She told herself she was giving him what he wanted, but she knew it was a lie. She was taking all the pleasure she could endure. She cried out softly with pure joy, and he increased the pressure between her legs.

Passion’s river flowed over her once more. Only now there was no pain, only pleasure. She felt him touching her, satisfying her, making love to her.

She moved faster, feeling her body shaking with desire. Now she was rocking from side to side against the soft cushions, wanting more. All the blood in her body, all the heat, seemed to be moving to where he stroked. As his fingers pressed deeper into her, he twisted his free hand around her hair and pulled her head back as he covered her mouth with his own.

This time when the scream came it was one of pleasure, exploding within her, and not of pain. He tasted her climax in his kiss and felt her press against his hand in uncontrollable movements.

She drifted back to shallow waters with his kisses light across her face. Now his touch was a part of her, as casual as breathing. There was no shyness, only an overwhelming feeling of being loved.

He wrapped her in the blanket and lay beside her.

‘‘That was…’’ She circled her arms around his neck. ‘‘That was so…’’

Win laughed against her hair. ‘‘I know.’’

His voice was rough, but his hands gentle as they caressed beneath the blanket. ‘‘Go to sleep now, wife. I plan on touching you all night long even while I’m sleeping.’’

And he did. Kora woke twice to find him kneeling beside her, once more setting her body afire as his hands pulled her into the deep waters of passion. He’d please her until her body shook with desire, then he’d hold her again as she slipped back into sleep. He was learning to be gentle, she was learning to be his.

By first light she felt as if she’d slept soundly for a week. She stretched and opened her eyes to find Win staring down at her. He was fully dressed in clean clothes and held a cup of coffee in his hand.

‘‘Did you sleep well?’’ he asked as he hid his smile with a swallow of coffee.

‘‘Yes.’’ Kora pulled the blanket over her shoulders, embarrassed at the memories of what he’d done. She’d never dreamed a man could touch a woman so. And to do it again and again.

He offered her his cup. ‘‘Drink this,’’ he ordered. ‘‘It’s still raining and there’s a chill in the air.’’

Kora swallowed several gulps, feeling not only thirsty, but hungry. ‘‘Thank you.’’ She returned the cup, trying to be formal without allowing the blanket to slip. ‘‘I’ll get dressed and cook breakfast.’’ As she moved, her body ached slightly. He’d touched her all over, and kissed her where she thought no one would ever kiss. He’d made her feel beautiful.

Win just stared at her as she picked up her things and pulled on her wrapper. She could feel him following her movements but guessed he couldn’t think of any more to say than she could. The night seemed a dream away. Something they’d never speak of in the light. She folded the blanket and moved slowly to the door.

Just as she touched the knob, he said in his usual gruff voice, ‘‘Lock the door again, darlin’.’’

She turned toward him and smiled. Without a word she turned the key.

THIRTY


JAMIE LEANED AGAINST THE PORCH RAILING AND watched the rain as she sipped her third cup of coffee. ‘‘I can’t go get Dan yet,’’ she complained to Cheyenne. ‘‘He’ll catch his death if he gets soaked. He’s better off with that old woman Kora told us about in the settlement.’’

‘‘Wait until the storm lets up and I get back before you even think of heading out.’’ Cheyenne stood a few feet away. ‘‘I don’t want you going after Dan alone.’’

‘‘I can make it,’’ she said angrily. ‘‘I don’t remember signing up to take orders from you. Kora and I make out fine seeing after him.’’

‘‘Where is Kora, anyway?’’ Cheyenne tried to change the subject. ‘‘She’s usually up by now.’’

‘‘I don’t know where she is.’’ Jamie shrugged. ‘‘Win came in about half an hour ago. He fixed himself a cup of coffee and walked out without so much as saying ‘ morning.’ I swear the man doesn’t have a good side-only grumpy and grumpier.’’ Jamie lifted the corner of her mouth in a half smile. ‘‘If I didn’t like the man so much, I’d complain.’’

‘‘Maybe he had something on his mind and didn’t want to be bothered with small talk.’’ Cheyenne walked to the porch railing on the other side of the steps. ‘‘As soon as this rain stops, we’re going to have another shower of trouble.’’

‘‘Maybe not,’’ Jamie offered. ‘‘Maybe whatever is causing the trouble will disappear.’’ She didn’t add, maybe she and Kora would disappear as well. After being up most of the night thinking, she’d come to one conclusion. The only way this ranch would settle down would be if they left. Weeds have short roots anyway. It was time for them to tumble on.

Cheyenne cocked his head and looked at her. ‘‘Do you know something I don’t?’’

Jamie walked slowly toward him and leaned on the railing so closely that their thighs brushed. ‘‘I just know how life works.’’ She raised her cup and let her elbow brush his ribs.

He shifted away.

She smiled at the game they played, moving close again until she just touched him.

‘‘Stop it!’’ He set his coffee down on the railing and folded his arms as though determined not to allow her to affect him. ‘‘You’d think in a state this size there would be room enough so that we didn’t have to share the same porch railing.’’

‘‘Why not? It could be interesting.’’

‘‘Because I don’t like you so close. And I don’t like you touching me! Or brushing against me! Or patting on me!’’

When she reached for him, he stepped backward into the downpour.

‘‘The hell you don’t,’’ she said as he walked away.

‘‘Hell, I don’t!’’ he answered without turning around to look at her.

She laughed and yelled, ‘‘You keep this up and you’re going to be irresistible!’’

He turned then, full of rage and soaked with rain. ‘‘You keep this up and I’ll-’’

‘‘You’ll what? You’ll kiss me? Am I scared? Like I haven’t never been kissed. I’ve been kissed more’n-’’

‘‘I know!’’ he yelled back. ‘‘Your mouth’s been tasted by more men than the church hall will hold. Well, maybe I don’t want to be part of the congregation!’’ He shoved the hair from his face. ‘‘With you the invitation’s always open to anyone. Come on down and have a feel of Jamie!’’

‘‘What are you saying? If I’d turn down a few men, you’d be more interested in me now?’’

‘‘I’d be more interested if you turned down any,’’ he answered. ‘‘But there may not be many left to refuse. You do tend to make the rounds.’’

Jamie picked up her coffee mug and threw it at him.

He dodged her mug, but his flew a moment later and smacked him on the arm.

‘‘You can go to the devil!’’ she shouted.

‘‘Well, at least I’ll be going alone and not with you hanging on me!’’ he countered as he disappeared into the sheets of rain.

Jamie lifted the pot and swung it around in a circle, letting the handle go so that the pot sailed toward where Cheyenne had stood. When she didn’t hear a yelp, she swore loudly, knowing she’d missed him.

The screen door slammed.

‘‘Guess we’re out of coffee,’’ Win said from behind her.

‘‘Yes, we are.’’ Jamie stormed past him. ‘‘And that’s all I can cook.’’

She let the door slam once more, but Win hardly noticed, he was laughing so hard.

Kora joined him. She’d dressed and combed her hair, turning from the woman he’d craved all night into his proper little wife. Without a word, she moved beneath his arm and they watched the rain.

He leaned down and kissed her lightly, wondering how one woman could make him feel so complete. With her near he felt whole for the first time in his life. She wasn’t fancy, or high-spirited, or showy. She was soft-spoken and shy, but in a thousand little ways she had changed his world. When they talked, just talked, she enchanted him. When they touched, she enslaved him.

She smiled and he couldn’t help kissing her again, enjoying the way her lips seemed fuller and velvety from having been kissed all night.

The rain allowed them the privacy they needed. She slid her arms around his neck and pressed against him, making him groan in pleasure.

‘‘I’m already hungry for you again,’’ he whispered against her ear as his hands moved along her sides. ‘‘I can’t get enough. I’d like to undress you right here on the porch.’’

Kora laughed and snuggled closer, as if daring him.

Win fought to keep his hands from being too bold along the soft curves he’d grown to know so well during the night. ‘‘As soon as things settle down, I’m building a door to our bedroom with a lock on it.’’

‘‘To lock me in or out?’’ Kora rolled against him as his hands came dangerously close to covering her breasts.

The slight action might have gone unnoticed by someone watching them, but it reminded Win of all he’d held only minutes before. When she locked the study door and came back to him this morning, she’d come as a woman who knew what she wanted. And he’d pleased her.

‘‘To lock the world out,’’ he whispered, remembering the way she’d lain nude before the fire and allowed him to stroke her. ‘‘With a lock on our door, I can touch you not only at night, but in the daytime. Maybe all day and all night. I’ll make you cry my name over and over with passion.’’

She laughed. ‘‘We’ll starve.’’

‘‘I don’t care,’’ he mumbled.

She parted her lips and knew he’d take the invitation.

He kissed her, pulling her close until her breasts flattened against his chest.

When he finally raised his head, he tried to make himself remember where he was. ‘‘I’ve always hated the rain,’’ he said, even though all he could think of was pulling her back to the study so they could be alone. ‘‘Even though I know I need it.’’ He moved away slightly, trying to slow his breathing. ‘‘I usually feel like I’ve lost a day’s work when it rains.’’ He kissed her lightly, very properly. ‘‘Right now I wouldn’t mind if it rained for a week.’’

‘‘Thank you’’-she fought back the tears-‘‘for the most wonderful night of my life.’’

‘‘There will be other nights. Better nights.’’ He pulled her lightly against him, allowing his words to caress her. ‘‘You’ll move as you did to my touch this morning, only I’ll be inside you next time.’’ He felt her stiffen. ‘‘Relax,’’ he whispered. ‘‘I’m never going to hurt you again. I practiced most of the night.’’

She hid her tears against his chest. He was the only good thing that had ever happened in her life. And he wanted her. Not just as any man wants any woman, but as one man needs one woman. She could tell it in the way he touched her, as though branding her, forever making her his. And in the way he kissed her as if he’d hungered for her for years and now that he’d finally found her he planned to have his fill.