The Last Cowboy In Texas (18 page)

Chapter Eleven

Troy
stopped in the circle drive, under the canopy of his opulent mansion. Paige gawked at the place, having only seen it from the road before this stunning moment. Her vision blurred, her mind a mass of jumbled thoughts and emotions, as one indelible fact emerged. She would soon be queen of this wonderland.

“Would you like to see the inside of your new mansion, my Princess?”

She turned to face him, her eyes filled with tears of joy. “My mansion? I, uh, yes. I think I’d like that.”

He chuckled. “I thought as much. I know it’s going to be a burden for you, sweetheart, but when you marry me, you marry my estate and all that goes with it.”

A modicum of sanity returned as she gazed on her man. “I knew you were successful,
Troy
, but I had no idea how much so. You’ve certainly done well.”

He shook his head. “Not so well. Not until this moment. Oh, by monetary standards, yes, I’ve done okay. But the one prize I’d always dreamed of has eluded me.”

“One prize?”

“Yes. The only one worth fighting for. In a word, you. I don’t want to get all glommy and mushy over this, but without you, my life has been totally empty. It’s all been a game, one I’m tired of playing.”

He jumped out of the car and came around to help her to her feet. Taking her hand, he led her to the entrance where he operated the electronic door lock. As they stepped inside, she held her breath. The foyer was nothing short of grand, and the dual stairway to the second floor a modern reminder of Colonial mansions of a bygone era. In short, the answer to a southern belle’s dreams.

Paige was no southern belle, but she wasn’t stupid, either. Images of the scenes she’d written in her novels flashed through her brain as he led her upstairs; the Admiral sweeping his lady off her feet and carrying her up a flight of stairs eerily similar to the ones she trod now in this very real setting. Another image occupied her mind even as he pulled her into his bedroom and swept her into his arms.

An image of Sir Robert and Lady Eve, bare naked and embracing, a wildly erotic image that inflamed her body. Frizzons of electricity bolted through her as she recalled with detail the first moment of passion between her protagonists. And now it was her turn to live out her wildest fantasies with the man of not only her novels, but the man of her dreams. How much better could it get than that?

He turned her to him and reached up to undo her hair from its bun; letting her tresses flow freely around her glowing countenance. “I love you, Paige. With all my heart, I love you, and I always will.”

“And I love you,
Troy
. I always have, though I tried stupidly to hate you. Why did I do that?”

“I have no idea, but it doesn’t matter. We’re together for all eternity now, so what’s transpired in the past is over and done.”

She went on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Yes, it’s done and gone.”

He turned his head to capture her lips with his. They kissed for a short eternity as their tongues danced and melded them into a oneness that would have been scary another time. Just when she had to draw back for breath, he bit down on the tip of her tongue. Not hard, but in an act of possessiveness that made the blood run even hotter in her veins.

“God, how I want you, my goddess.”

“And I, you, my darling.” She retreated a step and reached up to undo his tie, then the buttons of his shirt. “Let me undress you. We don’t want clothing to come between us at this late date, do we, darling?”

“No, we don’t. I think, though, to make it fair, we should take turns in the undressing of one another.”

She giggled as that inner fictional memory jogged her into action. She’d got his shirt unbuttoned and off his shoulders, tugging at the shirt tail to free it from his trousers. Before she could loosen his belt, he’d pulled the little puff sleeves of her gown down over her lower arms, freeing her bosom to the cool air.

“Ohh,” she exclaimed as her breasts, unrestrained by lack of a bra, reacted to the open air. Her nipples, already swollen and puckered, ached for attention; a new sensation for her.

He lowered his lips to caress and suckle one and then the other. She nearly swooned when he sucked them into his greedy mouth. “Oh my god, that feels so good.”

Looking up from her bosom, he said, “Just the first of lots of good things to come.” When he went back to suckling, his hands gently tugged the gown down over her hips, releasing it to fall to the floor around her feet. She did nothing to stop him. She had absolutely no need to stop anything he did to her. She’d waited for this moment for a decade, more than a decade, and her willing, throbbing body would enjoy every thrilling sensation he evoked in her.

Finally, he stood straight as she released his belt, slipping the top button of his trousers and pulling the zipper down. All the way down, revealing his black briefs and the prominent bulge they sheltered. “Oh, yes. I see your horse awaits, milord.”

“If you mean, my mount, I agree, milady. And mount, I shall. But first, we must ready ourselves to fully enjoy the moment. If you would be so kind as to step out of that strip of lace, I’ll do likewise.”

They retreated and pulled the offending underwear down and off their feet. Now fully unencumbered, they met at the edge of the bed. He tilted her onto her back and pivoted her body so she lay fully on the large bed. Then he worshipped her from head to toe and back with his lips and fingertips, stoking the furnace of her need until she found herself crying for release from the sexual torment that racked her body.

“Take me, Sir Robert. Take me now.” she whimpered with need as he lifted over her.

“I’ve waited for this moment forever, Lady Eve. Now it’s finally here, I want it to last forever after. I pray thee, suffer my indulgence another minute.”

Before she could reply, he’d dropped his head to her aching breasts and began to suckle them in earnest. His hand swept to her center and his fingers ignited her very soul until she couldn’t stand another moment of torture. “Now,
Troy
! Now! Take me now!”

Lowering his face to her core, he kissed her briefly and then lifted to cover her body with his. Guiding himself into her, he pressed slowly until she was filled with him. Moving slowly and deliberately, he began to piston, accelerating until his body was a fluid machine in motion, driving her into spasms of glory. And need. Fulfillment, at the very instant she exploded in a climax, the likes of which she’d never dreamed, much less experienced. She screamed and cried, not in agony but in absolute erotic bliss.

A moment of lucidity enveloped her when she felt his release deep inside her body. She remembered the woman whose wedding they’d prepared to celebrate on this wonderful day. Had Aggie found the same ethereal bliss in the bed of JT that first night? Laughing crazily, she fought to return to her own reality. She and her lover might have just forged a new generation of Roberts-Turners.

Troy
looked at her, apparently aware she’d become distracted. “You okay, milady?”

“Never better. Oh my god, darling, that was beyond my wildest dreams.”

He dropped his face to lap at her breasts, laving one nipple and then the other. “For me, too. My body still tingles.”

He hadn’t disengaged, but lay atop her, supporting himself with his arms on either side. She felt his manhood slowly reawaken to full prominence, deep inside her. Without a word, she knew she would soon enjoy a reprise of the original act. This time, she’d have a better idea of what was to come, and be able to participate fully rather than just lie there, letting him do all the work.

It was better. Much better. They cycled in sync, speeding and slowing as need dictated. Finally, when neither could restrain themselves, they drove their bodies into one another at a wild gallop to the finish line; a massive cooperative orgasm that left both gasping for breath. And thrilled beyond words.

As she recovered from the afterglow of lovemaking, she recalled Aggie’s dilemma once again. Had she just become a mother? She’d never bothered with the pill, believing herself immune to the act of copulation. Besides, men were supposed to have condoms handy if the occasion ever arose. Or so she’d conned herself into believing.

No matter. In one blinding instant of understanding, she realized what had happened to her friend when she found herself with child. She’d wanted a man of her own, and the act of bearing his children was so natural, it was merely an extension of living and loving.

Troy
had slipped to her side and gone to sleep. She lifted on her elbows and stared down at his peaceful countenance. How could he just go to sleep after the amazing act of love they’d just experienced? Surely, he’d want to assure her he loved her and would always be at her side.

She smiled, remembering some of what she’d read regarding the sex act, and how men reacted in a totally different manner than women.
Part of life, I suppose. Ah, well…

* * *

The sun had come up, and its rays reflected off the mirrors into Paige’s eyes, awakening her. She had no idea when she’d fallen asleep, but felt refreshed and alive. So alive, it was almost scary. Looking across the bed, she realized that she was alone. That had her off the bed and on her feet, looking angrily toward the bathroom.

Just as she was ready to charge in there and give Troy a piece of her mind for deserting her, he came into the bedroom from the hallway, carrying a large tray, laden with steaming coffee and a pair of delectable rolls. “I thought you might awake any time now, darling. Ready for a hot cup of coffee?”

Forcing her wayward rebellious thoughts into the back of her mind, she smiled. “Am I ever? I didn’t mean to sleep the night away.”

“I know. I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until about twenty minutes ago. Is it a problem for you?”

“Not really. I’ll figure something to tell my folks.” Suddenly aware of pressure on her finger, she looked down at the beautiful ring. Holding it up, she said, “Oh, yeah. I’ll have lots to tell them, won’t I, darling?”

His grin warmed her heart as he nodded. “Lots. Can I be there to share the good news with them?”

“Why not? I think it won’t be much of a shock to either set of parents. I know my dad has expected me to relent from my resistance to you. And I suspect your dad feels the same way. How about Mary Jo?”

“Mom loves you, Paige. We all love you, and you’ll fit right into the family. You’ll see.”

“Yes. I guess I will. Speaking of see, can we eat these wonderful smelling rolls and take a tour of the mansion. I want to see for myself what I’ve obligated myself to endure.”

“Endure? Really, Paige, are you serious?”

“Not really enduring. Oh,
Troy
, this is like a dream come true. My own lover. My own home. How much could a girl ask for?”

“Your own family, too. Don’t forget that.”

Her thoughts turned pensive. “Speaking of which, what if I got pregnant last night? What will that do to us?”

His grin turned naughty. “I suspect it will hasten the growth of our own family, darling.”

“What if I’m not ready for kids of my own yet?”

Troy
’s smile faded. “I guess all the sage advice you’ve given Aggie lately is available for you as well. What did you tell her?”

She sighed.
Touché.
“Okay, I get the message. I told her that she’s ready whether she wants to be or not. Her body has taken charge of decision making where that’s concerned.”

“Exactly. If we’re to be parents immediately, so be it. I can only hope to be as good a father as my dad has been for me. And yours for you, don’t forget. We come from good folks and I don’t doubt we’ll be up to the task, my dear Lady Eve.”

Suddenly, that name hit her.
How does he know I’m Lady Eve?
She’d never told anybody the names of her characters in her novels. Then she remembered he’d used that name while making love to her the night before. And the language he’d spoken just prior to their love episode had come straight from her historical.
 
“Uh,
Troy
, I have a question for you. A serious one.”