Ride The Wind (Vincente 3) (29 page)

"What do we do now?" she asked pensively.

He arched his brow at her. "You mean right
now?"

She laughed. "No. I mean in the morning."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to go home."

His throat tightened, and he couldn't speak for
a moment. "Home?"

"Yes, to our ranch." She raised her head and
looked at him. "Can we? We have a lot of work
to do."

"Yes, of course. If that's what you want."

"What do you want to do, Reese?"

"I want to take my wife home." He held her so
close he could feel her intake of breath. "How
soon can you pack?"

"I have a lot of things that belonged to my
mother that I will want, Reese. But we can always send for them later when you build me a
bigger house."

He had been waiting for this. Would she want
something in the grand style of Casa del Sol?
She must know he couldn't afford this kind of
house. But she had money perhaps she would
want to use it to build a house. No, he would
never allow that. "What kind of building are you
speaking of, Saber?"

"I think another bedroom, and perhaps we
can enlarge the living room. What do you
think?"

He felt himself relax. Her gentle understanding touched him deeply. "That won't be for some
time, Saber."

"I know. Then all I will need is one trunk for
now. Later Noble can transport the rest."

"What kinds of things, Saber?"

"The piano, linens, laces, dishes-it's an endless list. But Noble will keep everything here until we have room."

"I like to hear a piano. Can you play?"

She tossed her head back so her golden curls
swirled around him. "I play better than I dance."

He shook with laughter. "Then God help me."

He ran his hand over her hips, still amazed by
the silkiness of her skin. Her hair was soft and
smelled wonderful, and her lips were so kissable. He had never thought she would be his, but
she was, and he pitied any man who tried to lay
a hand on her!

She moved her finger over the creases in his
forehead. "What are you thinking? You look so
serious."

"I want you again, but it's too soon." He
moved her aside, stood up, and walked to the
window. "I know it's too soon."

He dropped down in a chair and enjoyed the
sight of her stretched out naked on the bed. She
was beautiful in every way. Rachel had been
right when she'd said that Saber was special. She was sweet-natured well, most of the time
as well as loving and understanding.

He watched her swing her legs off the bed and
walk toward him, moving her hips enchantingly.
He stopped breathing when she slid onto his lap,
and he swelled painfully.

"I'm your wife. You can have me anytime you
want me."

He groaned as she settled on his erection. He
threw back his head as she placed her hands on
his shoulders and squirmed until he was inside
her.

"I don't want to hurt you, sweetheart."

She nipped at his ear and whispered, "Don't
hurt me; just love me."

He arched upward, out of control, driving
deeply into her tightness. He lifted her and laid
her on the bed without withdrawing from her.

"Saber," he said in a choked voice, his body
driving into hers. "Saber."

She met his thrusts and fell into his rhythm.
Her body trembled with release, and Reese cried
out at the sensation of being surrounded by wet,
hot honey. He quaked with total satisfaction and
fell forward, drained of strength. He had never
known such fulfillment, and Reese knew he
would have her again, because he was still swollen inside her.

The room reflected the soft, rosy glow of sunrise,
and it fell on Saber's sleeping face, fascinating
her new husband. He'd been watching her for
some time, and he still couldn't believe his good
luck. She had chosen to marry him. But why?
Someone like her would never fall in love with
a man like him.

He wound a golden curl around his finger, fascinated by how alive it felt. He had awakened
her passion, and he had satisfied it as well, but
he wanted what Rachel and Noble had. He
wanted to fill her belly with his seed. He wanted
her to say the words that he'd almost cried out
last night while in the throes of passion he wanted to hear her say she loved him.

He looked at the richly furnished room, knowing he would never be able to give her anything
like this.

Her lashes fluttered open, and he looked into
the blue eyes he loved so well. She smiled and
stretched like a cat before a warm fire. The sheet
slid down to her waist, and he had a good view
of her satiny breasts.

He groaned, wanting her again, and knowing
she must be sore. She made a dive for him,
wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing those breasts against his hard chest.

"Is it morning already?"

He trailed a finger down her cheek. "Uh-huh."

She raised her mouth to be kissed, and he
laughed, hugging her to him. "You're as affectionate as a kitten," he said, giving her the kiss
she wanted.

She broke off the kiss. "Do you mind?"

"Not me. I like everything about you. Don't
change anything."

Saber stared into silver eyes that made her feel
weak all over. She could get lost in those transparent depths. He had been magnificent last
night. He was a gentle lover, except for the time
she had taunted him into madness. She smiled
at the memory, pleased that she had such power over him. She rubbed her breasts against him
and nibbled his ear.

He growled and pulled her under him. "You
won't be able to walk for a week by the time I
get through with you. I had good intentions of
making love to you only once."

She smiled slyly. "If I can't walk, we'll just
have to stay in bed, won't we?"

His lips covered hers, and he spread her legs,
sliding into her. He wanted her every time she
looked at him. What would he do when they got
home? He'd never get any work done.

She bit her lower lip as he rocked with her,
thrusting, pulling back, and thrusting again.
They rode the wave of passion, and afterward
lay locked in each other's arms.

She closed her eyes, so grateful that she had
married the one man in the world who would
make her happy. She thought of how close she
had come to marrying Matthew and hugged
Reese tighter. Reese needed her he might not
know it yet, but he would find it out eventually.
She almost purred as he dipped his head and
took her nipple in his mouth. If she'd never
known Reese, her life would never have been
complete.

"I'm hungry," she said, pulling away from
him. She stood and went to the bellpull, tugged
on it, then turned to find Reese watching her. "We'd better get dressed quickly, because within
five minutes the maid will come knocking on
that door." She pulled on her robe and belted it
at the waist while he got dressed.

The expected knock came, and Saber called
out, "Come on in, Lupe."

A middle-aged Mexican woman and her
younger daughter entered, the mother carrying
a heavy tray, which Reese took from the woman
and placed on a small table.

Both women bobbed a curtsy, smiling cheerfully. "Do you need anything else, Senorita Saber?" the elder one inquired.

"Si. In an hour we will both want to bathe.
After lunch we will be leaving, and I will want
the traveling coach loaded and ready."

"Si, senorita, er, I forget, senora."

Lupe's daughter approached Reese. "Senor,"
she said in accented English, "a man brought to
you this letter. He said I was to give it into your
hands."

He nodded and waited for the two servants to
leave before he spoke. "You issued orders to the
servants with the ease of someone accustomed
to doing it all her life."

"I have. But I was taught by my father to treat
the servants kindly and with respect. I hope I
have always done that."

"I wasn't implying otherwise. I just want you to remember you will have no servants at Starrett Ranch."

She frowned, troubled. "I know that, Reese. It
seems to bother you more than it bothers me."

"If you had married Matthew you would have
had servants."

"I know. But I didn't want to marry Matthew."

He held the chair for her to be seated. Then
he sat across from her, still studying her closely.
His eyes dropped to the breakfast before him:
coffee, tea, sweet rolls, biscuits, fluffy scrambled
eggs, ham, bacon, and fresh fruit. It was a feast
big enough to feed six people. What was he doing taking Saber away from all this?

"Aren't you going to read your letter?" she
asked with interest.

He nodded and opened it, scanning the pages.
"Just business," he said in answer to her unspoken question, poking it into his pocket.

She was aware of his troubled thoughts and
poured him a cup of coffee. "I recall you take
your coffee black and strong."

He took the cup from her and raised the hot
brew to his lips. "You have arranged our baths
and our travel plans."

She set the coffeepot down and looked at him.
"I did. If there is anything you want to change,
I'll inform the servants. Would you rather leave
tomorrow?"

He placed the dainty china cup down, his appetite gone. "No." He leaned back in the chair
and stared into her eyes. "Why did you marry
me, Saber?"

"What made you think of that now, Reese?
This is a question you should have asked before
we were married."

"Seeing you in this environment"-he waved
his hand around the room-"has brought me a
clearer understanding of your life."

She had known he'd soon start to question her
reasons for marrying him, and she wondered
how she should answer him. Should she pour
out her heart and tell him that she had loved him
almost from the first time she saw him? "What
if I told you I loved you, Reese?"

"You thought you loved Matthew."

"Yes, but I was young when I met him."

"My mother thought she loved my father until
she discovered how hard it is being the wife of
a rancher. She left with a man who could offer
her more."

She felt sick inside. "Are you comparing me
to your mother? Do you think I would leave you
just because of hard times? If we had a son, do
you think I could leave him like your mother left
you?

He stood up and moved toward the door.
"You'd better think about what you're doing be fore you leave here, Saber. You had better think
about what you are giving up."

"Reese?"

He glanced at her through lowered eyelids.
"Yes?"

"Don't you want me to live with you?"

Want her? He wanted her so damned bad he
felt shredded inside. But to build his hopes and
dreams on her as his father had done with his
mother, only to have her leave him, would break
him. "I want you. But understand, if you come
with me, your life is going to be hard, Saber."

"I have married you knowing this. You may
think I am an empty-headed, spoiled daughter
of a wealthy rancher, but I can assure you,
Reese, I am much more than that."

"Yes, you are much more than that," he
agreed. "But you are accustomed to the comforts of life."

She wasn't going to let him leave this room
until they settled this between them. "What have
I ever done that you should have such a low
opinion of me, Reese?"

His hand paused on the door handle. "I have
a very high regard for you, Saber. Any man
would have."

"I refuse to apologize for the way I was
brought up. It's true that I have had many advantages. But my brother and I were taught that we must work for what we have and never leave
it to others."

How could he explain to her the growing
doubts that possessed his mind? "I have to leave
you this morning, Saber. I don't want to, but this
letter is important, and I have to ride to Fort
Worth on some business. I think it would be
safer for you to stay here."

She turned away from him, but she kept her
head high, and her shoulders straight. "My
home is with you, Reese. I want to go with you.
I made a vow to you just last night." Her voice
dropped to a whisper. "We Vincentes always
keep our word."

"You are a Starrett now," he reminded her.
"And I want you to stay here until I come for
you."

"What can be so important that it must take
you away at this time?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Saber."

"Good-bye then, Reese."

He wanted to gather her in his arms and carry
her away with him. He hated to leave her, but
he couldn't take her with him to Fort Worth, and
what he had to do now was very important.

"Think very carefully about what I have said,
Saber."

She heard the door close behind her and
turned to find him gone. She ran to the window and watched until he emerged from the house
and made his way to the stable. She watched
until he mounted on his horse and rode out of
sight.