Scars of the Heart (32 page)

Raising up on his elbows, he searched Carly’s eyes. A deluge of emotions passed there—pain, confusion, a hint of betrayal. He kissed her mouth though she still lay rigid, afraid to move, trying to absorb the unexpected hurt. “That’s natural the first time. It’s okay. Try to relax. It’ll help—I promise.”

He hadn’t moved an inch. He held himself quite still within her, letting Carly adjust to the feel of him, allowing her body a moment to get beyond the discomfort. Finally he felt her begin to soften. He stroked her hair, her neck and shoulder. He kissed her tenderly and whispered her name. As the pain subsided, the desire returned, and Carly began responding to his touch. She kissed him, timidly, then with the abandon she’d shown earlier.

Gingerly, Kade began to move within her. And she welcomed him. Deeper. Faster. Higher. Together they rode the tail of the comet through the heavens until it exploded, sending shards of bright-white light to shred the blackness. There was nothing else, nothing but the two of them: one breath, one heartbeat, one being.

Red-orange embers glowed within the hearth. A welcome breeze blew in from the open door. In the distance, a coyote sang a sad night song. Carly breathed deeply and snuggled tighter against Kade’s side. He lay on his back, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She had no idea how long they’d been like this; entangled, quiet, content. She only knew she didn’t want it to ever end. She could hear his steady heartbeat. His breathing was deep and even, but she knew he wasn’t sleeping. His fingertips traced lazy circles on her skin.

Carly placed a kiss on Kade’s chest, then rested her hand there and her chin on her knuckles. She looked up at his beautiful, peaceful face as little flashes of their lovemaking danced through her memory.

“You called me your love.” She spoke quietly. Though he didn’t move, she saw his eyelashes flutter open.

“What?”

“You called me your love. You said ‘my love’ earlier . . . when you were comforting me.”

Kade shifted a bit so he could see her eyes. “That’s right. That’s what I said.”

Carly hesitated, then pushed ahead. She hated to break this magical spell, but she had to know. “And is that something you just say to your women, you know, when you’re . . . when you’re caught up in the moment? Were you just trying to soothe me?”

“My women?” Kade grinned. “Carly, I don’t know what you think of me, but I don’t have women. Yes, I’ve had sex with women before, but not as many or as often as you seem to imagine. And I assure you, I’ve never called any of them my love.”

She searched his deep-brown eyes and saw only truth within. “But what about Storm? I thought the two of you were—”

Kade put a finger to her lips, slightly swollen from the passion of their kisses. “Storm and I have never been together. She means nothing to me, nothing more than any other tribe member. She may wish it to be otherwise, but I do not have these feelings for her. I never have.” He moved a strand of damp hair from her forehead.

“So, you love me?” Carly’s question came out as a whisper. She held her breath.

Kade looked deeply into her green eyes. “Carly, sweet Carly. Yes, I love you. I know now that I’ve loved you for quite some time, perhaps even before I knew you were a woman.” He chuckled.

She allowed a slow smile to spread across her face as his confession settled about her. But another nagging question wilted the smile. “Kade, why didn’t you tell me . . . about the pain? Why didn’t you warn me or prepare me?”

He encircled her with both arms and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry about that part. I would’ve told you, but I never guessed you were still a maiden, Carly.”

Swallowing back her embarrassment at being so naive, she spoke quietly. “I didn’t think I was, I mean, after we . . . after that night on the trail when I had taken the medicine that Storm gave me.”

Kade stroked her back. “There are many ways to please a woman. I only gave you the release you desperately needed that night. I did not couple with you or pleasure myself, Carly. Your maidenhead remained intact. But how, Little One, how is that so after Tiny and the vermin that sold you to him?” He pressed his lips to her forehead.

She inhaled deeply, pulling both comfort and strength from his nearness. She felt so safe within his arms. “The savage that took me from our ranch in Kansas had nothing but disdain for me. The feeling was certainly mutual. Then there was Tiny.”

She paused a moment before continuing, relishing the feel of Kade’s embrace. “I tried to fight. He suffered a nasty bite, a hard kick to the stomach, and a scratch all the way down one arm. But he fought back. First he slapped me, hard. My ears rang, and I saw stars. Still I struggled against him each time he tried. Even when he picked up the horse whip, I didn’t care. I would’ve kept right on fighting him, but apparently his, um, man parts don’t work right. He, uh, didn’t look like you. His man parts were little and just hung there. It seemed to make him mad. I didn’t know what was happening, but now that I have a comparison . . .” Carly felt the heat creep up her neck and across her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with a man, with anyone actually. Why didn’t they teach these things in college? Why hadn’t she talked with her mother or even older, experienced friends? Because proper young ladies did not discuss such things, that was why.
Well, they should!
Carly decided. If she ever had a daughter, she would certainly have this discussion with her at the appropriate time.

Again Kade chuckled. “Well, thank the gods for Tiny’s misfortune.”

She peered up at him curiously.

“Some men suffer that affliction. Not many, not until their heads grow white with age. They aren’t able to couple with a woman.” He brushed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip and gazed at her a moment as he sobered. “I would never hurt you intentionally, my love. I am sorry it happened as it did. I just assumed that pain had come from someone else.”

“I’m glad it was you, Kade. I’m glad the others didn’t or couldn’t.” Carly climbed atop him, straddling his hips and leaning down to kiss his sweet mouth. She felt his need for her in the fullness pressing between her legs and in the urgency of his kiss. Following the commands of her body, she wriggled tighter against him. He moaned loudly.

“Am I hurting you?” Alarmed, Carly tried to move away, but Kade’s strong hands held her hips in place.

“No, Little One. You’re not hurting me. You’re driving me mad with desire.” He smiled to reassure her. “Here, let me show you.”

Following the lead of his hands, Carly rocked slowly to and fro. The friction of their bodies soon had them both near the point of no return, but Kade stilled and lifted her a bit until he could slide his throbbing, hot member gingerly inside. Now it was Carly’s turn to moan. She threw her head back and let her body rock to the natural rhythm of their lovemaking. Kade’s hands were everywhere. On her thighs. On her shoulders. Encircling her waist. He rose and fell in perfect harmony with her. And when his hands sought and found her breasts, Carly cried out and arched against his palms. Her orgasm erupted in great waves, coursing through every inch of her body. And as he reached his pinnacle, echoing her cry with his own, Carly soared to new heights. Together they spiraled upward through the starry night, until she finally collapsed onto Kade’s chest. Her skin was damp, her breathing heavy. She covered his neck and his face with soft kisses.

“I love you, too, Kade. I love you, too.”

For the next three days, Kade taught Carly as much about lovemaking as he did about poker. The couple split their time between the little makeshift card table and the small bed. Only the need for food and water forced him to leave her side. He’d return as quickly as possible, always with a full canteen and a rabbit, pheasant, or quail. Carly had no trouble gathering firewood from fallen branches near the lean-to and did her best to make their rustic hideaway comfortable.

As they finished feasting on a treat of quail eggs Kade had come across that morning, Carly rose from her stool to discard the shells outside. But his arm encircled her waist and pulled her to land in his lap. There was no mistaking the look in his eye. Carly realized the quail eggs had sated one appetite, but the other raged on. She giggled.

“Kade Roberts! You are incorrigible! At this rate, I’ll never learn the game of poker, we’ll never leave this lean-to, and you’ll never get your ranch back.” Her pretense at irritation didn’t fool either of them. They melted into a deep, hungry kiss that left Carly breathless.

“In truth, you’ve been an apt pupil, in and out of bed.” Kade arched one brow, then chuckled at the gasp and blush he received from his green-eyed vixen. “I have to admit, Little One, you have picked up the game quite well. I think we might actually have a shot at this.”

“Do you have a plan?” Carly wrapped her arms around his neck, eggshells forgotten.

“I understand Junior is a regular at a weekly game in town. So is the banker, which may be good news for us. The game is a bit exclusive, by invitation only. I believe it’s held in an attorney’s office, not Junior’s attorney, another man. If you could strike up a friendship with the banker, based on the fact that you’re expecting that payment on your father’s ranch, then you could work your way around to an invitation to the poker game.” He paused to gauge her reaction to his idea. “What do you think? Is this something you feel like you could pull off?”

Carly considered Kade’s proposal. Slowly she began to nod. “Yes, I think this could work. I’m a little worried about getting the banker to react as I need him to, but perhaps my womanly wiles aren’t as rusty as I fear.” She arched one brow as a mischievous grin tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“Your womanly wiles, huh?” He began tickling Carly and laughed with her as she squirmed like a little girl on his lap.

“Stop, Kade! Stop!” Carly caught her breath and gave him a quick kiss.

He grew more serious then said, “Assuming you get in the game, if at any time you feel uncomfortable at all, just play cards and don’t try to work Junior. We’ll figure out another way.”

She laid her head on his shoulder. “Do you really think I can do this, Kade? There’s so much riding on my performance. I don’t want to let you down.”

“You’re not going to let me down, Carly. I’m so proud of you for trying, so humbled that you want to. About the game . . .”

She sat up straight, meeting Kade’s serious gaze.

“I’ll have to stake you. I think I have just enough money to do so. Do you have another dress? They need to think you have money, because they play high-stakes poker.” He took a deep breath, still uncomfortable with letting her get involved.

Looking deeply into fathomless chocolate pools, Carly smiled and tried to reassure him. “Kade, stop worrying about me. Back in Virginia, I was quite good at charming men, at getting them to do my bidding. Ha! Who would’ve thought that sort of education would come in handy now? And, yes, I do have another gown, and I do know how to act like I have money.” She raised a brow to emphasize her obvious statement.

“Yes, I suppose you do. All right then, I guess this is our best plan. I just wish I could be there to help you if you get in trouble.” He thought for a moment. “We should ride into town. You can go see the banker and begin weaving your spell. I’ll scout out the attorney’s office where the game is held each week.”

Carly rose to ready herself for their excursion, then offered Kade a playful wink. “Let’s go see if this Virginia girl can still bat an eye and trap a guy.”

With a quick check left, then right, Kade darted from the shadows of the mercantile to the alley behind the attorney’s office. He’d waited until just moments before the bank closed to drop off Carly inconspicuously a couple of streets away. Then he kept to the less busy roads on the route to his destination. The attorney proved to be a hard worker, remaining in his office for some time after most of Fort Worth’s other businessmen began heading home for the evening. Kade watched him lock up and hurry off with a large stack of paper in his arms. Seemed business was good.

Trying the back door, Kade found it locked. He skirted the building and discovered a window on the other side. Careful to avoid detection, he eased along the wall until he stood just below the small opening. It, too, was locked, but Kade could see the office within. Peering through the glass, he noted a good-size room, well-appointed with a handsome desk and a stack of shelves along the opposite wall lined with thick leather-bound books. The office also boasted a round table and six chairs. A nearby cart held a decanter and glasses as well as what appeared to be a cigar box. Kade imagined the table was used for conferences with clients or as a work space during the day. He felt quite certain it was also used for the poker game one night a week.

He leaned against a tree that stood close to the building and shook his head. There was no way he could be inside to help Carly, nothing for him to hide behind, no crowd in which to blend.

A repetitive, annoying sound drew Kade’s attention. He looked up to see the tree’s branches rustle in the wind. With each gust, a twiggy limb scraped against the windowpane. Kade watched as the thin, gnarly fingers scratched the glass. Like him, they seemed to be begging for admittance. But as he watched, an idea formed. Kade melted once again into the shadows.

Carly threw back her head and laughed at yet another witticism the good banker offered. “Mr. Tennison, you are a clever man! And I always thought bankers were so serious and stuffy. I’ll just bet your wife can’t wait for you to hurry home each evening. You probably keep her in stitches all night.” She smiled sweetly and sipped the lemonade the man’s assistant had provided.

“Oh, I’m not married, Miss Dawson. I’m afraid Mrs. Tennison passed away some years ago.”

“My, my, I am so very sorry, sir. I do hate to hear that. Please forgive my insensitivity.”

“Not at all, my dear. As I said, it’s been several years now. One does have to get on with life, doesn’t one?” The banker smiled broadly.