Tallchief for Keeps (18 page)

“Alek!” Her soft cry of panic stopped him; it skittered through her eyes.

He hadn’t meant to frighten her. He cursed himself rapidly, silently in whatever languages he could manage. His hands shook as he caught her close, drew her up to him to scan the terror in her light gray eyes.

“You don’t know what this is
all about, do you?” he asked, studying her shocked, flushed face.

Her flush ran all the way down her slender curves; he could feel it warm against his skin. “Sex. I suppose you want sex. I know the mechanics. I’ve lived on a farm. Alek, it’s late and we’ve just—I thought you were finished.”

Finished with me…the same as before…when you pushed away and left me on that stone, alone and torn
—Alek went cold, just sensing the words Elspeth could be thinking. Then he’d ripped her apart with words to protect her, to protect himself.

There were times for words and there were times for loving. For touches and tenderness that Elspeth deserved. Alek found himself smiling down at her; maybe they were both new at the loving game. “This time, I’ll do the thinking, okay? Not that your little foray left me much for brains.”

Alek carefully placed his lips on hers, fused the shape of his mouth to hers, hoping to stamp the memory of this loving over the others. He kissed her until she softened, hungry little sounds coming deep in her throat. Gently, Alek reminded himself, gently. He cupped her breasts, cherished them, then the softness of her stomach and the mound below.

The hard thud of his blood, pounding at his temples, stopped him; he shoved back the desire to have her too quickly, reminding himself that this was the woman he loved, a treasure opening to him, damply, softly….

Hunger flowed in Elspeth now, arching her body to the sweep of his hand, her arms locked around his neck, her mouth fused to his hungrily.

She made love silently, Alek thought in the last remaining reasonable cell of his brain. He treasured her sounds, wrapped them against him and waited for her to say his name.

Elspeth tensed as he traced her soft opening, spreading the folds delicately with his fingertips to find the moist, taut bud; Elspeth bolted at first, then writhed beneath him, making outraged, frustrated noises. She flung back her head, her hair flowing around her, and raked him with her eyes. The moonlight caught the edge of her teeth, biting into her lip. “Alek!”

There was nothing cool about her now, the heat shimmering in her eyes, her heart hammering against his, lips trembling. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, anchoring him. “What do you want?”

“I want to spend the night with you.
Naked. Here in this bed or in mine. I want to wake up to you, to hold you. It’s a simple matter.” Alek kissed her with the stark hunger raging inside him. He trembled when her lips slowly parted for his tongue, when her arms came out to lock around his neck and her body undulated in a quick, satisfactory movement beneath his.

“Don’t push me, Alek,” she warned, even as her lips bit his shoulder and her nails lightly raked his back. Her breath swept unevenly, rapidly across his skin.

“Wouldn’t think of it,” he murmured as he moved away from her, drawing away the old quilt. Elspeth’s fingers dug into his arm, and he tensed, bracing himself against the fresh wave of desire. This time, she would know how he felt, shattered upon her just a short time ago.

Alek rested his head upon her breasts, nuzzling them and giving her time to adjust to him again. His hands stroked her breasts, her ribs and locked to the restless, quivering movement of her hips. Or was it he who needed to slow down and gather control? When Elspeth shivered, he opened his mouth on her breast and let her know how much he needed her. She jolted up, her hands ready to push away and then cradle his head against her.

Alek smoothed her restless, heated body from shoulder to ankle. “I want everything this time, Elspeth.”

She murmured a protest as his hand smoothed her inner thigh, moving to cup the fragrant nest of curls. “No, Alek, don’t”

“Don’t what? Do you want me?” If she didn’t—Sheer terror swept through Alek, freezing him.

“Yes. Yes, I want you. But like before—”

“Oh, no, sweet Elspeth. I’m not letting you set the rules this time. This time you won’t lie quietly and let me have you. This time you’ll have to step into the fire with me.”

She breathed heavily, her body trembling beneath his. “No. I won’t—”

Yet her body—soft and moist and
welcoming—parted for his fingers. Elspeth’s thighs pressed together, her hands shaking on his shoulders as he began to kiss his way downward. His tongue in her navel brought a shudder and an unwilling groan. A thumb sweeping across her hipbone brought her arching upward. She moved with his hand now, flowing restlessly, her fingers anchored in his hair.

He held her still as the first small quivers tightened around his fingers and Elspeth’s nails bit into his shoulders. “Alek, no. I can’t take—”

“Yes, you can. But I’ll stop if you want. Do you?” Alek gritted his teeth, waiting for her answer. For her and for the future he wanted with her, he would force himself to do anything.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and a ripple shot through her body, pleasing him. “Don’t stop,” she whispered unsteadily.

He smiled at that, rising to sink into the delicious heat of her mouth, drinking in her unsteady breath. She gave and gave, demanding more, slanting her lips against his, and then Alek began his thorough passage down her body.

When his mouth touched her, Elspeth’s hushed cry trembled on the night air. She squirmed beneath his touch, and Alek locked her to him until she trembled and went still. Her body arched to his touch as his lips took her breast, suckling, gently biting it and laving it with his tongue, and then he found her, lifting her to him. Elspeth’s body jolted into a taut line, the delicate contractions within her began, giving him pleasure. He held her there, poised on the tip of her desire until the tightening slowed and Elspeth went limp, her hands locked to his damp shoulders.

She barely moved
when Alek slid into her, rested over her, kissing her gently. “I didn’t know,” she whispered against his lips.

He moved his hips, filling her, and a second set of contractions began. This time Alek flung himself over the edge, his body thrusting into hers.

She cried out, fighting him and her, her body flowing beneath him, heating, shifting, tightening. Alek gave himself to the storm, reveled in it until it burst, raging through him. This time, she had taken and given, her heart pounding against his.

Alek cradled her against him, rocking her as the last Shudders vanished. He tipped her face up to his and found what he wanted in her expression, a woman who’d been thoroughly loved and had loved back, a drowsy and sated look that filled him with pleasure. He ran his thumb across her soft, swollen lips, treasuring her. “And that is how it’s going to be, Elspeth love. No self-sacrifice, no guilt…just the loving.”

Still wrapped in her passion, shaken by it, Elspeth smoothed his cheek with her fingers. The touch was light, exploring him as if she’d just discovered him. She skimmed his throat, his shoulders, all the time looking at him with soft, drowsy eyes, her body tangled with his. “Stay.”

As if he could stand. As if he was anything but one boneless, fuzzy grin wrapped in rose blossoms. He almost laughed at the thought, but the effort was too much. Instead he smoothed his chin over her hair, letting it tangle, web across his skin. Alek had poured himself too deeply within her to be free, had given her a part of him that he hadn’t shared with another woman. Elspeth nestled against Alek, her legs tangled with his, her heart slowing as she slid into sleep.

Elspeth awoke to birds cheeping, the pink light of dawn entering her bedroom window and Alek’s mouth upon her breasts. His hands caressed her stomach, her legs. “This isn’t fair,” she protested even as her body opened to receive his hard one and her lips opened to his.

Alek’s hands ran beneath her hips, lifting her, his mouth feeding upon hers. He locked her to him until they moved as one, sharing body and skin and hunger.

She locked her hands to his
hair and held him still for her kiss, and then the contractions started. Pleasure rolled through her, taking her. She held on to him, refusing to release him, his body thrusting into hers just as she wanted.

She wanted the primitive heat, the hardness of his thighs, his hands shaking yet gentle upon her heated skin. “You smell delicious,” Alek murmured, running his hands down to her ankles and locking her legs around his hips.

Elspeth gasped and braced her hands on his chest. “Alek, I can’t—I can’t take any more.”

“Dare you.” His wicked grin set her off, caused her to fling herself into the fire. His fingers reached between them, and Elspeth splintered into fiery shards. Minutes later, she managed to flop her hands from his sweat-damp shoulders. Alek showed no signs of moving, a single lid opening slowly. “Now, that is how it’s done, Elspeth-mine. At least between you and me.

She grabbed his head and kissed him with the last of her strength. Alek settled down upon her breasts, and with a feeling of coming home, of safety, Elspeth stroked his hair and slept.

She dozed and awoke again to Alek’s hand shackling her wrist and terror in his voice. “Come on, kid. You’re okay. I’ll get you out of here.”

His legs
threshed the sheets, his body taut and sweating. He pushed her away, fists gripping the sheets, feet moving. “I can’t take it anymore…what happened to loving kids and keeping them safe?…. Yes, damn it, I’ll finish your assignment, Doug. Just don’t die….”

Elspeth placed her hand on his arm to wake him from his nightmare, but he flung it away. Tears gleamed on his lashes, trailing down his face. “Damn it,” he cursed as if that labeled his pain. Then a brisk burst of a harsh language and a shift to a Latin-based one, probably French.

“Alek.” Elspeth smoothed his hair and his cheeks as he tossed beside her. “Alek, you’re here now. With me. Alek.”

“Damn it,” he said finally as if mourning the world while he moved from nightmares to reality. Alek’s hand swept out to grasp her hair to tug her close to him.

She saw his nightmares lingering
in his eyes. “I’m here, Alek.”

“Did I hurt you?” he demanded hoarsely as if he’d die if he had.

She touched his damp lashes and remembered
how he had cried with her about the baby. “No. You didn’t hurt me.”

He sat upright, turning his back to her. He washed his hands over his face hard, fighting the nightmare. “I could have. Damn. I could have.”

“But you didn’t, Alek.” She ached for Alek, needing to comfort him. Elspeth sat up behind him, stroking the taut muscles of his back, his neck. She rose to her knees and folded her arms around him, rocking him gently. He allowed her petting, and she placed her face against his throat and rocked him. “I could get used to that.”

“You’re here now. Safe with me, Alek.
Don’t think about tomorrow.” The words surprised her, she who had always thought of consequences and of tomorrow and of safety. First for her family, then for herself and now for Alek. Elspeth leaned her head against his shoulder and enclosed him with her arms until his shudders stopped completely.

He turned to her, tracing her face as if locking himself to a dream he wanted very much and shoving away the past. “I hate being weak like this. Sometimes I wake up—Elspeth, I could have hurt you. I wish…I wish we’d met before…when I hadn’t seen too much.”

“Wishes are for the taking,” Elspeth whispered, and kissed him. She wished that he’d never awaken to his terrors again. “Here and now.”

“Are they?” Alek cupped the back of her head and pressed her lips to his.

She floated beneath the tender assault, wrapping her arms and legs around him to moor him in the present, safe from the past.

“Sweet Elspeth-mine,” Alek murmured, and the kisses changed, heated and they began again.

Alek reached for Elspeth and drew her against him, spooning her body against his beneath the quilt. His hand ran down her curves to the heat he sought. He lost himself in the fragrance of her hair swirling around him. Birds chirped outside her window, and children yelled in the street. This was how he wanted to wake up every morning. He nuzzled her throat, found the awakening pulse with his lips, ignored her sleepy protest and began to kiss her. Her bottom shifted on his lap as she snuggled back to him, sighing.

Alek closed his eyes and let his hands
roam over his captive. With luck, he could keep her here all day—he smiled and wallowed in cuddling her against him.

“Well, well,” Birk noted with an edge in his tone, and Elspeth tensed, her fingers digging into Alek’s wrist.

“I suppose this means a wedding, Elspeth.” Duncan’s tone suggested tar and feathers for the man who had dishonored his sister.

“What if they’re married already?” asked Sybil in a dry tone.

“Not a chance,” stated
Calum.

“Stop it, all of you,” Sybil ordered, balancing Megan on her hip. In a tactic to deter Duncan, who was already moving toward the bed, Sybil plopped Megan in his arms. “There. You will not interfere with Elspeth’s life.”

“She’s our sister,” Birk stated
in an outraged tone.

Talia laughed outright. “I think they look cute together. I’ve never seen Alek look so outraged. Isn’t Elspeth gorgeous? And sweet. I think she looks sweet. At least neither one of them look like the living dead now.”

“I’m going to beat the living crap out of him,” Calum stated too coolly. “That contract was bad enough.”

“What contract?” Talia asked, pivoting to her husband, the sunlight showing off the tiny mound of their baby.

“Duncan Tallchief, you told,” Sybil stated, outraged. She plucked Megan from him and placed her on the bed. The toddler scrambled toward Alek and, with a squeal, launched herself upon him. Sybil stopped Duncan from retrieving his daughter. He glared at Alek as if he’d stolen another female away from his nest.

“I demand to know what Alek has done, Calum. You would keep this from me, a Petrovna?” Talia’s tone caused Alek to feel sorry for Calum.

“Tallchief,” Calum corrected
in a flash.