Brave the Wild Wind

Chapter 12

EXHAUSTED though he was, sleep still eluded Chase that night. His mind wouldn’t let him rest. What the hell did a man do when he found himself desiring a girl who was off limits?

Jessie was just a kid. Well, maybe not a kid. But she was Rachel’s daughter. So even if she were willing, he couldn’t have her without marrying her, not Rachel’s daughter.

Chase wasn’t anywhere near ready to settle down. He was only twenty-six, and there were too many things he wanted to do first. Finding his real father was one thing. He had put it off for quite a few years after he’d had no luck in California, where his mother claimed to have met Carlos Silvela. Perhaps now was the time to continue the search. Should he go to Spain, where his father’s home was supposed to be? Anyway, it was better thinking about that than about an eighteen-year-old woman-child he had no business thinking about.

But it didn’t work for long. Nothing did. He kept seeing those bright turquoise eyes, that pert nose and stubborn chin, that softly rounded bottom.

“Damn!”

He jumped out of bed as if he’d found her there. He needed some air, some cool air, maybe even a swim in the stream that ran behind the house.

Throwing on some clothes in the dark, Chase stepped out of his room, only to have the cause of his turmoil step right into his arms. For a second, he wondered if he was dreaming. But the warmth, the smell of her was real. Then he saw that her falling into his arms had been an accident. She pushed away from him.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t see you.”

“It’s so dark here,” Chase managed to reply, having no idea what he was saying.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Jessie explained. “I thought I’d go for a ride. The moon’s bright enough.”

“I’ve been having the same problem. Why don’t we go together?”

“If you like,” she said, walking on toward the kitchen without waiting for him.

Chase didn’t move. He wanted to wring his own neck. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why he had offered to go with her. That was the last thing he wanted. He needed to get away from her. Then Chase pulled himself together, chastising himself for being afraid of a slip of a girl. He couldn’t very well let her go off alone, anyway.

Jessie led the way up into the lower hills of the mountains, rather than out over the plains, prodding her horse upward to a spot that offered a beautiful view of the valley. It wasn’t too long before they reached the place. Trees parted on a ridge before a view so breathtakingly beautiful, especially in the moonlight, that both were enthralled.

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” he said softly as they dismounted.

“The stream looks like liquid silver in this light,” she answered, pointing. “And over there you can see several more creeks. There’s one farther up where I like to swim, a nice sunny area that’s completely secluded.”

“You’re not thinking of swimming now, are you?” Chase asked in alarm.

Jessie laughed softly. “Of course not. It’s too cold at night.” She looked at him carefully and frowned sternly. “Look at you. Why didn’t you bring a jacket?”

“I didn’t think about it,” he said lamely. “But I’m fine, really.”

“You are not.” She went to get the extra blanket she always kept in her saddlebag. “Here. You can wrap yourself in this for the ride back.”

She leaned close to him to drape it around his shoulders. That closeness was just more than he could bear. She was only inches away. His arms acted of their own accord, circling her, gathering her to him. His lips sought hers. He was powerless to obey his better instincts, so he left it up to Jessie, silently begging her to fight him off. Maybe she could bring him to his senses.

But Jessie had no thought of fighting him. She was caught off guard and considered nothing except the sensations fluttering in her belly and the warmth spreading through her. The pressure of his lips increased, and with it her yearning grew.

His tongue forced its way between her lips next, and she opened her mouth to accommodate him, liking the new assault. She moaned softly and pressed closer to the hard, muscular length of him. She could feel the evidence of his desire and was extremely excited by it. Chase gave up his silent battle and succumbed. She would be his. There was no further thought to the consequences.

He pulled her down to the ground, the blanket spreading out under him. He managed to keep her in the same position, so that she lay on top of him, her legs between his. The full weight of her pressing on him was a lightning shock. He rolled over, placing her beneath him. There was a frantic urgency to his movements.

Jessie felt him opening her belt and tugging at her shirt. His hand moved up under her shirt and reached her breasts, and little sounds of pleasure escaped her, driving him wild. He was too inflamed to be gentle, but so was she. She ripped a button from his shirt, trying to reach his bare flesh. His skin was hot, burning her, and the muscles on his back were hard and tense. She dug her fingers into those muscles, clasping him savagely.

A little voice inside her head asked her what the hell she was doing, but she ignored it. She moved both hands to his chest, running her fingers through his hair, reaching his shoulders, his thickly corded neck, grasping his hair.

His lips were devouring hers now, bruising her, but she urged him on. He tugged at her pants, and she helped him push them down to her feet. But when he moved to fight with her boots so as to remove her pants completely, she stopped him. She was on fire. She couldn’t bear to have him move away from her even for a moment.

She caught his hair and pulled him down on top of her. “I want you now,” she whispered huskily. “Now.”

His lips seared her throat, moving to her ear. “But I want to feel all of—”

“Now, Chase!”

His desire to have her skin molded to his, to look on all of her in the moonlight, was not as strong as her urgent plea. He undressed in an instant, and she brought her knees up on both sides of his. Her moist warmth made it easy for him to enter her, but Chase restrained himself, holding back for one delicious moment, wanting to savor that first thrust. And then he found his way blocked by the last thing he had expected to find.

“Oh, my God,” he gasped, never more miserable in his life. “I’m sorry, Jessie.”

She paid no attention, thrusting her hips upward insistently. Jessie gasped. No one had ever told her there would be any pain. But it faded, and then it was gone, the urgent need returning and washing through her like a flood.

He was moving in her, and she delighted in the full length of him. He was gentler than she would have liked, slower, but she found the exquisite torture had its rewards, intensifying her need, prolonging the craving. And when she hurtled over the crest, the explosion that followed went on and on.

A few moments later, when Chase collapsed and was still, Jessie hugged him to her tenderly. “Wonderful,” she murmured dreamily.

He raised his head. “More than you realize,” he said softly.

His lips caressed hers with a feathery touch and moved down to her neck, her ear. He laid his head on her shoulder with a deep, contented sigh. Chase had never felt more relaxed, more blissful. Sleep beckoned, but he fought it, wanting to savor the feeling of her clasping him.

She was like no woman he had ever been with. Such intense passion from a woman was unknown to him. She had been as wild to have him as he was to have her. Even her virginity hadn’t restrained her. Her virginity! Ah, he had forgotten. Damn! He was done for now!

Jessie felt him tense suddenly. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he replied too quickly.

Jessie frowned. “You’re sorry we did this, aren’t you?”

“Aren’t you?” he countered.

“Why should I be?”

“You were a virgin!” he said painfully.

Jessie smiled. “Of course I was. Did you think otherwise?”

He was feeling trapped. “Well, you weren’t behaving like a virgin the first day I saw you.”

“Oh, that,” Jessie scoffed remembering. “That was nothing. I just wasn’t aware of what Blue was doing.”

“I suppose you’ll say that about what happened here tonight.”

Jessie grinned, thinking he was jealous. “I was quite aware of everything you were doing.”

He was silent, which began to confuse her.

“I don’t understand what you’re upset about,” she said.

“You were a virgin! I had no right... I would have stopped.”

“I know,” she said softly, remembering when he had indeed stopped. “But I’m glad you didn’t.”

“You made sure I wouldn’t, didn’t you?”

She giggled.

“I don’t see anything funny about this, Jessie.”

“I don’t see what the problem is. I wanted you, too, you know. If I’m not upset over what happened, why should you be?”

“You’re not going to expect... anything... because of this?”

He rolled over even as he asked the question and began dressing.

“What do you mean, expect anything?” she asked warily.

“Come on, Jessie, you know what I mean. I’m sure you’re not like most virgins, who give themselves up just to trap a man, but if Rachel should find out about this she would insist—”

“We marry,” Jessie finished for him, her eyes blazing with sudden and complete understanding. “And of course I’m not good enough for you to marry.”

“I didn’t say that.”

She slapped him then with all the fury growing within her. “Bastard!” she hissed, getting to her feet. “It didn’t matter while you were getting what you wanted, but afterward you started fearing the consequences, didn’t you?”

“Jessie—”

“Damn you, I hate you! You’ve made me feel dirty and calculating and deceitful. But I’m not like that! I hate you for it.”

He could have cut his tongue out. “Jessie, I’m sorry,” he began contritely, but she was walking away so as to dress apart from him. Once dressed, she grabbed her blanket and mounted.

“You’ve ruined what happened, and nothing can change that,” she called to him. “I wouldn’t marry you if you begged me. So you needn’t worry I’ll tell Rachel about it. I don’t need her reminding me of something I’m going to forget.”

Jessie rode off. At least he knew better than to follow her.