Sudden Storms (11 page)

“It will pass,” he mouthed to her. Rivers shook her head. The noise, the fear was driving her mad. She felt the need to scream—scream until her lungs burst!

Paxton took her face in his powerful hands, forcing her to look at him.

“We’ll be fine,” his lips said, and suddenly she felt lost in the blue of his eyes. She trusted him. If Paxton Gray said they would be all right, then she knew they would be. In those moments, gazing into the handsome strength of his face, Rivers knew he would keep her safe—Paxton would prevent harm from finding them there in the cellar.

Tenderly, Paxton held Rivers’s lovely, frightened face in his hands. Tears streaked her dust-covered cheeks. He held his breath a moment then, astonished as he saw the fear in her eyes changed to trust. In those moments, Rivers placed her life in his hands, and somehow it both pleased and frightened him.

He released her, sitting down and leaning back against the earthen wall of the cellar. Propping his arms on his knees, he motioned for her to come and sit with him. She hesitated for only a moment and then, much to his surprise, actually nestled herself safely against him. She leaned her back against his chest, astounding him next by taking his hands and wrapping herself snugly in his arms.

Paxton let his chin rest on the top of her head, and, for all the swirling dust, he could still smell the sweet scent of her hair. To have her there in his arms, against his body…it was pure pleasure. Small and slight she may be, but he knew she was strong and capable as well. Still, she needed his comfort. He knew she needed him, only him. And, for those next few moments, he decided to let her need him.

Rivers felt secure in Paxton’s arms. He was warm and strong. His breath in her hair sent goose bumps erupting along her arms and legs. The feel of his powerful hands on her arms both calmed and excited her. She felt she could breathe easier, yet was more breathless than before.

Outside, the wind began to diminish once again. Yet in its place there was a new sound—the sound of heavy rain hitting the earth and cellar door. Quickly, however, the wind became a gentle breeze, and the rain fell softly.

“Is it over?” Rivers asked quietly. Her own voice sounded strange to her ears, which were still ringing with the wicked roar of the wind.

“Probably,” Paxton answered. “But we’ll sit here awhile, just in case.”

Rivers couldn’t have asked for anything more blissful than to sit in Paxton’s arms forever. But she turned to look at him, and he released her, though he made no move to stand.

“Your face!” she exclaimed, upon seeing the wounds there once more.

He reached up and touched one of the wounds, looking at the blood it left on his fingers. “I think a piece of that barbed wire flew up at me when we were gettin’ ya untangled.”

Rivers reached up and caressed his cheek, being careful of the wounds. “I’m sorry, Paxton,” she said.

Paxton shifted uncomfortably. Much more of this and he’d break. After all, there she sat, right up against him. And her lack of proper clothing wasn’t helping matters! He smiled and thought to himself how cute she looked in just her under things.

“What?” Rivers asked as the smile spread across Paxton’s face.

Rivers looked down at herself. He thought she was “cute”? There she sat in attire to put most men out of their minds, and he thought she was cute!

“Well…I guess that’s meant as a compliment,” she muttered, as a frown wrinkled her brow.

“Of course it was. What did ya want me to say?” Paxton teased. “Now, sit back and rest. We’ll go out in a while.”

Rivers frowned as she leaned back against him once more. Still a bit miffed at his remark about her being cute, she almost didn’t notice at first when he moved her hair to one side. She noticed first his hand brush lightly against her neck. Then he put his chin to her temple and pushed gently, directing her head to tip to one side.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Don’t ask stupid questions, Rivers,” he answered, just before she felt his mouth on the sensitive flesh of her neck.

Rivers flinched at his kiss as the rushing ripple of goose bumps raced over her entire body—a fact that Paxton apparently did not miss, for he caressed her arm, chuckling quietly. He kissed her neck again and then turned her head toward his and kissed her cheek. The warmth of his breath on her neck and ear, the caress of his lips to her cheek were purely rapturous sensations. He toyed with her for long moments, kissing her cheek, letting his breath warm the flesh of her neck and shoulder. It was almost torturous! She wanted to feel his mouth against her own, taste the warm moisture of his kiss! She was breathless, struggling to appear calm and unruffled. It was nearly impossible to remain still!

Finally, he turned her body, cradling her head and shoulders in one arm and gazing somewhat drowsily down at her. He let his fingers lightly caressed her neck, traveling down toward her shoulder. For a moment he toyed with the strap of her camisole, pushing it from her shoulder. Rivers shuddered with delight as the strap slipped further down her arm. Caressing the bareness of her arm with one powerful hand, he paused a moment before placing a moist, lingering kiss on her shoulder. He kissed her there again, letting his fingertips caress her shoulder then and sending Rivers’s body into another fit of goose bumps

“You’re…you’re just trying to get my mind off of the storm,” Rivers stammered in a whisper.

“Darlin’, the storm’s just startin’ down here,” Paxton mumbled.

And then, at last, he let his mouth discover hers in a driven, succulent kiss. He held her tightly, cradled against him, as his free hand traveled over the soft smoothness of her neck, shoulders, and arms. His touch was igniting to her senses! Paxton had kissed her before. He’d touched and held her before. But never in such a soft, intimate manner as this. The sensation of his strong, calloused hands on her skin was magnificent! Oddly, the thought briefly passed through her mind that he was to be trusted—but for the scandalous truth of their circumstances, Paxton Gray was a gentleman and would not let his hands stray to any part of her being inappropriate.

Rivers’s hand had been resting gently against Paxton’s chest, but now instinctively slipped beneath his shirt, torn open by the violent wind. His skin was heated and caused the tips of Rivers’s fingers to tingle with delight in the feel of him.

Their kisses were as the first hint of a storm, refreshing, calming, with the promise of more. And then, just as the storm had done, their passion grew, mounting into a powerful force. Rivers let her hand slide upward and around to the back of Paxton’s neck. Paxton pulled her against his own body, and she thought he might crush her, so tightly did he hold her. She basked in the sensation racing through her entire being, in the bliss of touching him in such a familiar manner.

It further enchanted her when she felt him shiver, his own body suddenly consumed with goose bumps, as her hand traveled caressingly over his strong, impressive chest once more. He tightened his embrace, seeming unable to quench some raging crave, for his kisses were near to unmerciful.

Suddenly, doubt and fear, the devil’s finest tools, infected Rivers’s mind. It couldn’t be happening! She couldn’t be wrapped in Paxton Gray’s arms, his mouth working a bewitching spell of affection and desire over her! It couldn’t be real! It was simply the circumstances, the state of her undress finding him so easy with her.

Rivers abruptly broke the seal of their kiss, turning her face from his.

“You’re…you’re only teasing me again. Jolee isn’t here to witness this, Paxton. And I’m not something for you to play with,” she cried.

“I’m not teasin’ ya this time, Rivers. And I’m well aware Jolee ain’t here to be watchin’,” Paxton whispered as he took her chin in hand, turning her face back to his. He stroked her dusty, tear streaked cheek with his thumb and smiled. “When this storm is over, I’ll be my charmin’, heartless self again. You can go back to thinkin’ I’m an ol’ grouch, who don’t care about nobody. But for right now…down here in the cellar, where no one but you can see me, I’ll tell you a secret. You know that Ruby Dupree girl you met today and know so much about?”

Rivers nodded and shivered as his thumb traveled over her tender lips.

“Well, ain’t a woman in this whole world that ever got me wrapped around her finger like you do—even her. I oughta tan your backside for that, Rivers Brighton,” he whispered.

Then she watched in blissful anticipation as Paxton’s head descended toward her own again. His lips toyed with hers this time, barely brushing hers teasingly for a moment, then retreating only to tempt her over and over. She held her breath as he placed a whiskery cheek to her soft one, pausing in his taunting of her. Her hands gripped his shoulder tightly as she felt the slightest touch of his tongue on her throat before his mouth began placing teasing kisses there. When, at last, he turned his attention anew to her mouth, his kiss was wet, driven, fiery, forceful, and filled with a scarcely restrained passion. Paxton’s kiss caused a tempestuous trembling to torment Rivers’s soul—rendering her mind uncertain she could continue to prevent her very being from flying apart, the pieces joining the heavens as new and resplendent stars there.

He was so warm, powerful, dominant! She never wanted to leave the cellar! Oh, couldn’t the heavens just leave her there? Couldn’t she bathe in those moments forever?

All too soon, however, the dream-borne figure of a man ended their kissing, adeptly maneuvering Rivers’s body until her back lay against his chest once more. Paxton folded his arms around her and let his legs relax, stretched out on the ground.

“It must be dark by now,” he said quietly. “We’ll wait a while longer. I ain’t in a hurry to see the mess up there.”

Rivers let her head fall back against Paxton’s massive chest. The storm and the passionate exchange with Paxton seemed suddenly overwhelming. Rivers was exhausted and soon fell into a deep, contented slumber—safe in the powerful arms of Paxton Gray—safe in the arms of the man she loved.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Are they in there?”

Rivers forced her heavy eyelids to open. The voices had pulled her from a heavy sleep. She looked up just as the doors above her were unlatched and light streamed into the cellar. There, peering down into the darkness, were Weston and Jolee.

Paxton bolted up the stairs and through the cellar door as Jolee reached down and helped Rivers climb up. The sight that met them was horrifying. Rivers gasped at what her eyes beheld—debris consisting of wood, tree limbs, buckets, broken glass, wire, splintered fence posts, and other rubble littered the ground everywhere.

“The windows blew out of the house, too, Pax,” Jolee added. They all turned and stared at the house. The broken glass was lying all over the ground. Not one window was left intact.

“She got wrapped up in some barbed wire…had to strip her nearly to the skin to get her free,” he explained as he easily lifted her into his arms.

Rivers was silent as Paxton carried her into the house, knowing this would, indeed, be the last time he held her in his capable arms. The others followed in silence. Once inside, he set her down gently on the sofa and took a deep breath as he looked around.

“Well, the house seems fine.” Running his fingers through his hair, he added, “At least we’re all safe and sound.” Then Paxton looked from Weston to Jolee and back. “Where did the two of you hold up? When we didn’t find ya here…we didn’t have time to look anywhere else.”

“We ended up out at McGinness Point. Ya know that old cave out there in them big rocks? We just pulled the horses on in with us and waited it out,” Weston said.

“You do look awful cute in your drawers, Miss Brighton,” Paxton said, smiling and winking at Rivers. “Gives a man quite an appetite.”