Payton's Woman (18 page)

“No, I don’t trust you.”
Her hands pressed against his chest. She pushed at him even though he wouldn’t
budge, but she wanted him to know her determination. “You just tossed me into a
wagon. Now you’re holding me down so I can’t move.”

“That’s because I don’t
want you to fight me.” He relaxed his grip on her arms. His leg slid off her
thighs. “If you’ll lie there quietly, I’ll tell you why I brought you out here.”

“I already figured it
out,” she said with a huff.

“You did?”

He rolled onto his back
so he lay beside her. With his face turned upward to the night sky, the faint
moonlight revealed the smile on his lips.

“I’m going to show you
something so spectacular that it’ll take your breath away.”

His conceited attitude
caused her to suck in a gasp of air. “You certainly are full of yourself.”

“Give me your hand, and
I’ll show you where to look.” He searched for her hand in the darkness.

“I don’t want to see it.”
She jerked her hand from him. “And I certainly don’t want to touch anything.”

“I know this is your
first time, but you’re going to have to relax if you expect to enjoy this.” Humor
tinged his voice as a silly grin spread across his face.

“You seem to be enjoying
it already.”

“I am. And I want to
share that joy with you.” He took her hand again. “Look right there. There,” he
said, the excitement rising in his voice.

She struggled to pull
free of his grasp, but instead of placing her hand where she expected, he
stretched their joined hands upward to the sky.

“A shooting star!” She
quit struggling and watched the twinkling light sail across the night sky. When
it faded from view, she looked at him. His knowledge of the heavens amazed her.
“How did you know a star was going to shoot across the sky at that exact
moment?”

“It’s not a shooting
star. It’s a meteor shower. I’ve seen this several times while at sea. It happens
every year about this time. When I noticed it starting up tonight, I came to
get you.” He rested their clasped hands on his chest. “I wanted to share it
with you.”

She turned her head to
study his profile. “That’s the only reason you brought me out here?”

His lips no longer
contained a smile. “I know you thought I brought you here for another reason,
but you must know by now that I’d never force you.”

He turned his attention
back to the heavens. “Look, there’s another meteor shooting across the sky. There
should be one every minute, maybe more.”

She glanced at the night
sky, but after a moment, her gaze returned to Payton. What she saw was the most
marvelous thing she’d ever seen. Starlight glimmered on his face. His eyes
twinkled. His mouth beckoned. His tongue darted out to wet his lips. Moisture
clung there and glistened in the soft light.

She rolled her body to
him. “If they’re not really shooting stars, do I still get to make a wish?”

He chuckled. “Go right
ahead. But odds are, meteors aren’t any more reliable than stars when it comes
to making wishes come true.”

“It’s not the stars that
can grant my wish. You’re the only one who can do that.” She nibbled on her lip
while wondering if she should say her thoughts out loud. “Do you want to know
what I wished for?”

Payton turned his head
and gazed at her. She had a pensive look on her face. She seemed worried. He guessed
her wish would be that he’d go away, since that was what she continually asked
of him. That wasn’t the request he wanted to hear from her lips tonight. He only
wanted to enjoy the evening with her. “I thought wishes didn’t come true if you
say them out loud.”

Her blonde eyebrows
glowed in the soft light. He watched them crinkle.

“Then I guess I’ll just have
to show you instead of tell you.” Pushing up onto one elbow, she leaned over
him. Her lips almost touched his mouth when he pushed against her shoulder.

“What are you doing?” he
asked even though he already knew.

“I wanted to kiss you.”

His gaze moved to her
lips. Memories of their kisses always lingered at the edge of his mind. The
thought of her lips pressed against his, her bare hand upon his naked chest burned
like a fever in his mind. His blood heated. His body stiffened. He let out a
groan. He wanted her. He needed her. His body ached for her.

He pulled her to him.
When her mouth hovered near his, he held her there. “Do you remember what
happened the last time we kissed?”

She shrugged, as if
unconcerned with what could happen next.

Perhaps she didn’t
remember how quickly their kisses had burned out of control. But he did—far too
vividly. They had been on the terrace. What had started as a simple kiss had rapidly
progressed to a passionate embrace. Their desire for each other had gained in
magnitude until they’d both been breathless. Their hunger had spiraled out of
control and overridden their good sense. He had slipped his fingers beneath the
bodice of her gown. His lips had followed to seek her breast. He’d wanted her
so bad that his body had ached. Only the lack of privacy that night had caused
him to stop.

If he granted her wish
and kissed her now, here in this bed made of straw, all restraints would be
forgotten. She would want him. And he would have her. A nagging thought forced its
way into his conscious mind. He’d made a promise—an oath. Her kisses drove him
wild. If he proceeded with granting her wish, his oath would surely be broken.

“We’d better not.” He
pushed against her shoulder. “Olivia would be upset if something were to
happen.”

“I only want to kiss
you.” She tried to return to him, but he kept his hand against her shoulder. Her
body twisted in an attempt to shrug off his hand. Her leg curled across his lap.
Her knee pressed into his groin.

“Easy.” He grabbed her
leg, but instead of moving it, he pressed her knee against his aching,
throbbing arousal.

She bent over him again,
but he put his arm between them.

“If we kiss, it’ll finish
in only one way. Are you prepared for that to happen?”

Her back stiffened. She
stared at him for a moment. “Perhaps.”

“That answer isn’t good
enough. You need to tell me exactly how far you expect this to go.”

When she didn’t answer,
he decided on another course of action. A week ago she’d been upset with his
playacting of raunchy behavior when they were outside the restaurant. Perhaps a
second act would convince her of the perils a kiss could bring.

Without warning he twisted
her body and pushed her onto her back. He rolled on top her. His leg held her
down. His hand pulled at her nightgown. His fingers edged beneath the hem.

“Payton.” She grabbed
his wrist to stop him.

“Do you still want that
kiss?”

To his surprise, she
released his wrist.

“Yes,” she said in a throaty
whisper.

She looked irresistible
in the starlight. Her face sparkled. Her eyes glistened. Her blonde hair
glowed.

His knee slipped between
her thighs. His hand slid under her bottom. His fingers dug into her flesh as
he pulled her to him. Heat from her body penetrated through his trousers to his
leg. He groaned in agony as his mind tried to recall his plan to bring her to
her senses.

His own senses spun out
of control. Her scent invaded his nostrils. He smelled the sheen of her hair, the
glistening of her skin, and the sheer essences of her femininity. His hand skimmed
up her naked thigh. Her skin felt smooth, her body firm. He stopped near the
place his fingers ached to touch. She would be hot and wet, and he needed to
touch her.

“Kiss me.” This time it sounded
like a plea rolling off her lips.

His body tensed.
Thoughts of an oath floated across his mind. If he kissed her, all would be
lost—unless he’d already lost control. He leaned over her and nuzzled his face
into her neck. His lips nibbled on her sensitive skin. The back of his knuckles
brushed across her golden curls. He turned his hand and touched her feminine flesh.
Her legs eased apart. Her back arched. His fingers slid across her sleek, moist
skin.

They both sucked in
their breath as he caressed her tender flesh. She grabbed at his shoulder. Her
fingertips pressed into his skin. Her body tightened. Her hips rose up to him.

His fingers slid lower.
He parted her softness with a single stroke. His thumb caressed the tiny,
swollen bud hidden between her thighs.

A moan tumbled from her
lips. Her body twisted and shuddered beneath his touch.

His own body shivered. She
was tight and wet, and he needed her. He craved to be inside her.

“Julia, I want you,” he
whispered next to her ear. “Tell me you want this too.”

When she didn’t answer,
he lifted his head to see her face. She seemed lost in ecstasy. Her eyelids squeezed
shut. Her lips parted. Her head rolled from side to side, as if denying the desire
stirring in her body. She wanted him. He didn’t need to hear her say the words.

He could have her, and
she wouldn’t protest. He only needed to unfasten the buttons on his trousers.
Then he could slide inside her sleek, hot body, and stroke her desire higher
and higher until they both lost themselves in mind numbing pleasure.

“Bloody hell.” He
dropped his head and rested his forehead against her shoulder. His fingers
slipped away from her body. “We have to stop.”

“No, Payton.” She
gripped his arm in an attempt to bring back his hand.

“We can’t. I made a
promise.”

Some semblance of sanity
returned to her. She relaxed her grip. “A promise? To who? Mrs. Baxter?”

He didn’t feel ready to
tell her about the oath he had made to himself. If she thought the reason he
wouldn’t make love to her was because of Olivia, he’d let her believe that. “She’ll
be very disappointed with us if anything should happen.”

“She doesn’t have to
know.”

“Julia.” His soft voice
carried through the still night.

She released his arm. Her
legs clamped together. She tugged the nightgown down to her knees. “You’re the
one who’s disappointed with me.”

Even in the darkness, he
saw the blush creep into her cheeks. “I’m not disappointed.”

“Yes, you are. I can
hear it in your voice.” She covered her face with her arm. “I behaved
shamefully. I was too bold.”

“No, you’re not.” He
pulled her arm from her face. “I’m not ashamed of you. I’m thrilled that you
want me. And I certainly want you. It’s just that—”

“I know. You made a
promise.” She turned her face from him. “I’ve ruined your evening. We should go
back inside.”

“No, you haven’t ruined
anything. And I don’t want to go inside.” He slipped his arm beneath her shoulders
and pulled her to him. “I just want to lie here with you in my arms and look at
the stars.”

Chapter Seventeen

“Good God,” Betsy said. “What
is taking that girl so long?”

“Something about her
gown not fitting properly,” Sylvia said. “She wants to wear a different one.”

“She’ll wear the one I
ordered her to wear, by God, or else.” She leaned forward in the chair and
grabbed a rolled cigarette from the silver box. “I don’t know what has gotten
into that girl lately.”

“It certainly isn’t the captain.
She still has that virginal look.”

A string of profanities
spewed from her mouth. She flopped back in the chair with a huff. “It’s been almost
a month. What is wrong with the man?”

Sylvia let out a long
sigh. “I haven’t had any success with him either.”

“He’s accustomed to
being bound up on ship with only men.” Betsy drummed her fingers on the top of
the desk. “It’s possible his tastes run in that direction. Perhaps I should have
offered him a young boy.”

“If you’ve ever watched
him when Julia walks into a room, you’d know exactly the direction his tastes
run. He doesn’t bother to hide his hunger, nor his lust. Sometimes I wonder how
the man manages to walk when she’s on his arm.”

“She’s going to have to
grab more than his arm if she wants to lose her virginity.” She lit up the
cigarette and threw the spent match in the direction of a small crystal bowl. “Have
you told her how to go about it?”

“I’ve tried, but she
always stops me. Said her mother explained it to her years ago.”

“I’ll wager her mother
didn’t tell her the finer points. Does she know there’s more to it than lying
on her back and crying for the man to stop?”

She shrugged. “I don’t
know that it matters. I should think the captain knows enough to get the job
done. The problem is she’s not in a hurry to lose her virginity. She’s still
innocent enough to believe in love and marriage and all that rot.”

A tap at the study door
attracted the women’s attention.

“Come in,” Betsy said in
a voice that conveyed her anger.

You wanted to see me?”
Julia entered the room, her eyes downcast.

“Elsie said you were
being difficult.” She took a drag on her cigarette. The smoke bellowed out of
her mouth in a long stream. “What seems to be the problem? That gown fits you
perfectly.”

“It’s too revealing.” She
put both hands to the bodice of the sapphire-blue gown in an effort to shield
her breasts.

“Nonsense.”

“But it is. The front is
cut so low that I’m afraid if I bend down to retrieve my handkerchief, my bosom
will fall out.”

“Oh,” Sylvia murmured. “How
titillating.”

“Then don’t bend over,”
Betsy said. “I’m sure that any number of men would rush to your aid should you
drop your handkerchief.”

“I would still prefer to
wear something else.” She didn’t want to wear this gown. This was the same one
she had worn the night Payton had come to her rescue at the Devil’s Lair. If he
saw her wearing it tonight, she feared it would remind him of their first
meeting. Then he may start asking questions again.