Trail of Golden Dreams (26 page)

“Elk?”

“He must have
assumed I was planning to hunt for elk, so I went along with it.”

“Good
thinking.  But I don’t understand what your friend meant by blast your
way.”

“Zack said I might
have to dynamite my way up the trail because of the rock slides.  When I
laughed, he laughed, too, and said he was joking about the dynamite.  But
it got me to thinking.  Do you have any idea where your pa might have
hidden the gold?  Do you know anything about that area up there?”

“I’m afraid
not.  I know I was there as a child, but I don’t remember anything about
it. I think we visited the pueblo where my mother was raised.”

“But the X on the
map clearly marks the spot where the gold is hidden.  You said you believe
the drawing Leroy made is of the waterfalls.”

She nodded. 
“That has to be the place where the nuggets are.  Did your friend say how
long a hike it is up the trail?”

“Not long, unless
the path’s been covered over by rocks.”

The waitress
momentarily interrupted their conversation by delivering their steaming hot
meals. This time she set down the plates, asked if they needed anything else,
and left without trying to catch Grey’s eye.

Josie could not
hold back her enthusiasm.  “I’m excited, aren’t you, Grey? 
Tomorrow’s the day we go after the gold.”  He shoveled a forkful of
enchiladas into his mouth and appeared in deep thought.

“Yes, I am. 
But I’m wondering if I should try to pick up some dynamite before we head to
Nambe.”

Her eyes enlarged,
and she proceeded to shoot a series of inquiries at him.  “Where on earth
are you going to get dynamite?  Do they sell it at the gun shop? 
Isn’t it dangerous to carry explosives?  Do you think it’s really
necessary?” 

“I don’t know,” he
admitted to all the questions.  “Wouldn’t it better to be prepared than to
get all the way up there and find we’re unable to pass through?  We both
know the nuggets are somewhere near the waterfalls.  If we can’t get to
them, this entire journey will have been wasted, and neither of us will get
what we’ve come so far for.”

Their gazes
fastened, and she concurred.  “You’re right.  In the morning when you
go to the plaza for a rifle, see if you can scrounge up some sticks of dynamite
somewhere.  And I need some more bullets for my derringer. Make sure you
have plenty of ammunition for your guns, too.  I’ll give you money for
what we need.”

“Yes, Miss Bossy
Britches,” he said, saluting her.  From the expression on his handsome
face, she could tell he was joking, so she smiled and took another bite of
enchilada. 

“Did you get our
rooms?” he asked between mouthfuls.

Josie swallowed
and decided to come out with it.  “Yes. We have a room.  It’s very nice
and comfortable.  I think you’ll like it.”  She kept her eyes lowered
as she washed rice down with the Sarsaparilla.

“Did I hear you
say,
a
room?” he asked, with an arched brow.  Nothing got past the
man.

Sighing, she
confessed, “Yes you did.  It’s all they had left.  One room.  So
I paid for it…and we’re going to sleep there…together.”  She lifted her
most sultry gaze to him and waited for a response.  When his lips curled
into a wicked, lopsided grin, she thought, for sure, he saw her heart beating
erratically beneath her dress. 

“One bed?” he
asked quietly.

She nodded.

He shoved his
plate back, caught the waitress’s eye and called, “Check, please!”

* * * *

They’d barely got
the door closed and locked behind them before Grey kissed her and began removing
her clothes.  He released the sash on her dress with a flick of his
fingers and then whispered, “Raise your arms.”  When she did, he grabbed
the hem of the dress and pulled it over her head in one fluid motion.  The
chemise she wore underneath was calf-length, had a drawstring on the low
neckline, and a button on the drawers.  Unveiled in front of a man for the
first time, she gasped and tried to cover herself with her arms. 

He smiled and ran
his hand under her cascade of hair and caressed her nape.  “Don’t be
embarrassed, Josie. You’re a beautiful woman.  I want to see all of you.”

He kissed her
again and then lifted her off her feet into his arms and carried her to the
bed.  After depositing her gently upon the covers, he untied the
drawstring on her chemise and eased the top down to reveal her shoulders. He
nibbled on each shoulder before moving to her lips again. She shivered, from
chill and excitement, and a little fear. 

Slowly, he pulled
her top all the way down.  When her breasts were fully exposed, she saw
his Adam’s apple slide up and down in his throat.  His fingers began to
roam.  She shut her eyes, but when his mouth covered her breast, her eyes
sprang back open.  His tongue licked as he squeezed her into his
mouth.  When he was finished with one breast, he moved to the other. 
It was a sensation Josie had never experienced before—his mouth and hand
working as one to cause such pleasure. His touch sent a jolt of desire racing
through her that ignited every nerve ending in her body.

Grey still had his
clothes on, all except for his Stetson, which he’d tossed on the bureau when
they’d first entered the room.  She wondered when he was going to undress,
or if he expected her to undress him.  She didn’t know what to do and felt
awkward, half naked with him fully clothed.  “Grey…” she started.

“Don’t
speak.  Just enjoy,” he whispered.

The next thing she
knew, he’d unbuttoned her drawers and slid them down her hips and flung them to
the floor.  When his warm hand snaked over her stomach and down the curve
of her hip, she trembled and then her legs began to shake.  He
smiled.  “Are you cold, honey?”

Honey
. 
The only other time he’d referred to her as something besides Josie was the one
time he’d called her darlin’.  She liked the pet name and squeaked, “A
little.”

“Don’t worry,” he
huskily said.  “I’ll warm you up in no time.”  With that promise, he
crawled off the bed and peeled away his shirt, trousers and socks. She watched
with unbridled curiosity, as her internal flame began to soar. 

As he stood by the
bed in his long johns, her gaze was riveted to his body, which she knew would
be perfect.  He slipped his arms out and pulled the top half of the
underwear down to expose his chest.  It was hairless, broad and muscular,
and it narrowed at the waist.  The muscles in his arms swelled. 
Through the long johns she could tell his legs were long and sturdy. When he
stripped off the bottom half of the long johns, Josie stifled a
gasp.   She’d never seen a man fully naked before.  Though she
wasn’t familiar with all the particulars between a man and woman, she did have
some inkling as to what happened. 

A myriad of
physical sensations assaulted her as he stared at her. Her private area grew
warm and moist.  Adrenaline pulsed through her veins.  Her stomach
fluttered.  She found it hard to breathe.  She thought she was going
to explode if he didn’t touch her again right then.

Grey climbed back
onto the bed and moved on top of her.  “This may hurt a little at first,
but I’ll be gentle.  It’ll only hurt for a minute,” he assured.

She suddenly
tensed.  What did he mean it would hurt?  Wasn’t loving supposed to
feel good?  He lowered himself into her—very easily. 
What the…?
 
When she jerked and drew in a breath, he kissed her, covering her lips with
his, tender at first, and then more demanding as she met his passion. After the
initial pain, it felt like she’d been transported to another world.  The
pleasure he gave was indescribable. Never had she felt sensations like this
before. She clutched at his back, grabbing onto his taut muscles. 
Involuntarily, her hips started to writhe.  She felt her own muscles
contracting; building and building until she thought her insides would
shatter.  When she could take no more, she submitted to the wondrous
rapture and shuddered below him.  At the same time, a groan tore from
Grey’s throat.

Afterwards, he
remained melded to her for several minutes; his eyes closed and his breathing
ragged. His head was in the crook of her neck with his hair falling against her
cheek.  She stroked his skin with her fingernails.  When his legs
entwined with hers, she smiled, silently rejoicing in the intimacy they
shared.  Being one with Grey was bliss beyond anything she’d ever
imagined.  She closed her eyes and inhaled his masculine scent, and
couldn’t picture a life without him.

Chapter Seventeen

Sunlight poured
through the shuttered window, stirring Josie awake.  She moaned,
stretched, and reached over to feel Grey, but the bed was empty. 
Springing up, she tossed the covers aside, and her gaze flew around the
room.  “Grey!” 

Where was
he?  Had he left without her?  Was he going to Nambe on his
own?  She rubbed her knuckles over her eyes, and the memories of last
night flashed in front of her.  Had the love they made meant nothing to him? 
Had last night just been a ploy to distract her?  Was he ever intending to
share the gold with her?  Or had she been a fool to trust him?

Why that…

Tears burned
behind her eyes, but anger won out over teardrops this time.  He wasn’t
going to get away with this. She may have given him her virginity, but he
wasn’t about to get her gold!  With lips pursed, she scrambled off the
bed.  As a paper fluttered to the ground, she suddenly realized it must
have been lying on his pillow.  The rhythm of her drumming heart slowed as
she picked it up and read:

Josie,

Gone to the gun
shop on the plaza.  Animals fed and saddled.  Will meet you in the
stables.

Grey

She expelled a
long breath. 
Thank God!  He hasn’t left me!
  She brought
the note to her lips and kissed it and then twirled in a circle. 

As she dressed
quickly, a million thoughts ran through her mind.  Today they’d ride to
Nambe Falls and locate the gold nuggets.  For nine days they’d survived
every obstacle thrown in their path, including the preacher and the evil Wade
Kendall.  The trail had been difficult, as Pa had warned, but they’d
pressed on together.  Their reward was close at hand; so close she could
taste it.

Foremost on her
mind, however, was how much Grey had come to mean to her.  She loved the man
and could picture a future with him now, more than ever.  Last night had
been the most wonderful night of her life.  In all her dreams, she never
could have imagined how loving a man would change things in so many ways. 
But it did.  Her life was different. 
She
was different. 
She was a full-grown woman now with a woman’s feelings and desires. 

Last night, once the
initial pain had subsided, she hadn’t wanted to sleep at all; she’d wanted to
love him all night.  Smiling, she remembered Grey telling her she was no
longer a sneaky little crocodile, but his little hellcat.  He’d called her
that before, but now the meaning was different.  When he’d finally rolled
onto his back, panting that she’d worn him to a stub, she’d snuggled into the
curve of his arm and listened to him snore before drifting off, feeling
absolute peace for the first time since Mama had died.

Though they hadn’t
expressed their feelings to one another, she sensed he loved her.  Why
else would a man do the things he’d done to her if he didn’t love her? 
She smiled again while recalling the sensations he’d stirred deep within. 
The only thing they’d have to decide was where they’d settle.  Her dreams
were to go to San Francisco and see the ocean.  Those hadn’t changed. 
His plan was to bring Rusty home from the east and buy a ranch.  But where
did he want this ranch? Where he’d grown up, or some other place?  He
hadn’t given her any details.  And how would Rusty accept Grey taking a
wife and the three of them living together?  Grey had told her he’d be
fifteen now, almost a man. 

Though she was
desperate to see San Francisco, she could also imagine a small house with smoke
spiraling from the chimney in winter and a vegetable garden in summer, plus a
flower patch, a corral of horses, and Grey kissing her after a long day of
baling hay or herding cattle, or…what?  She had no idea what kind of ranch
Grey planned on.  She stuffed her feet into her boots and threw the
saddlebags over her shoulder.  There was a lot she didn’t know about him,
but they’d have a whole lifetime to learn about each other.

He was waiting at
the stables when she arrived.  “Good mornin’,” he greeted with a sly
grin.  Her heart picked up its pace under his intense gaze, which slid
over her, top to bottom.  She wondered if he was remembering what her body
looked and felt like.  Seeing him in the light of day after making love
last night made her feel bashful all of a sudden. 

“Morning.”  
He looked so handsome in his black shirt and pants and the Stetson tipped down over
his molasses-colored eyes.  That same electric tingle she’d felt the first
time she saw him surged through her now.  She didn’t expect she’d ever
stop feeling that way about him.  She gave Traveler and Lightning each a
scratch between the eyes and asked, “Did you get what we needed?  Were you
able to buy a new rifle?”

“Yep.”  He
tapped the scabbard hanging from his saddle, which held the new weapon, and
handed her a box of ammunition. “I was able to purchase some dynamite,
too.  A few sticks are in my saddlebags.”

Her gaze swung to
the bags.  “You’re kidding.  Did they have it sitting on the shelves
of the gun shop?”

“No,” he
chuckled.  “I struck up a conversation with the owner and casually
mentioned I had the need for a few sticks.  He knew where I could buy some
and told me how to find his brother-in-law who is a miner.  When I went to
see the miner, he didn’t ask any questions, and I didn’t offer any
information.  The transaction took about five minutes.  Maybe
blasting one’s way through rock is a common occurrence around here.”