Wild Lilly (34 page)

“Oh, you bitch!”

With slippery hands, she tried to wrestle the gun away from Zeb, but he held on tight despite the pain. He bellowed and slapped Estrella across her wounded face, and she crumpled to the ground.

He pushed Lilly down and she got tangled in her skirts. “I’m gonna shoot you in the foot. Then you won’t be able to kick me no more. Better hold still or I’ll shoot you in the leg.” Turning, he spit on the ground and sneered at Estrella as she sobbed with blood dripping down her chin. “You’re next, bitch.”

From the doorway, Jeb and William begged Zeb not to do it. He ignored them and aimed the gun, cocking it with his thumb. A nasty smile curled over his lips.

Lilly felt like she was going to throw up as fear froze her to the ground. She closed her eyes and braced for the agony of the bullet. Estrella grabbed her hand and tried to shield her from the bullet, but Lilly pushed her off.

She could live through the gunshot.

She had to live through the gunshot.

The roar of the gun filled her ears and she screamed in anticipation of the pain.

It didn’t come.

Looking up, Lilly watched Zeb’s face go slack as a large wet spot blossomed in the center of his chest. The gun slipped from his fingers and he fell to the ground. His father gave an agonized cry from the house and ran to the figure of his fallen son.

Shivering, Lilly stumbled to her feet and peered around in shock. Estrella grabbed her hand and she hauled the other woman up, wrapping her arms around her as they tried to figure out who shot Zeb.

Hooves slammed into the earth as Paul emerged from the tree line on his horse holstering his gun and swaying in his saddle at the sight of her.

“Paul!” Lilly sprinted toward his horse, getting tangled in her skirt and falling to the ground. Her palms stung as she scraped them, but it was nothing compared to the joy filling every nerve in her body.

Paul swung down and ran to her side. He lifted her in his arms and showered her face with kisses. His tears fell on her cheeks, mingling with her own. “Lilly, Lilly, Lilly.” Paul crooned her name like a prayer and squeezed the breath from her lungs with the strength of his hug.

“I knew you would find me.” Lilly ran her bleeding hands over his face, memorizing every detail. He looked tired, with deep bloodshot eyes.

Behind them, William cried for his fallen son and Virginia and Jeb went to his side.

“Estrella!” Cìarán rode from the side of the house and slid off his chestnut mare. He gathered the other woman into his arms and touched her split lip and bruises with trembling fingers. Catherine and Sleeping Bear appeared moments later, each letting out a deep breath at the sight of them.

Lilly glared at Cìarán and snarled out, “What’s he doing here? That bastard is the one who kidnapped me.”

Cìarán merely raised an eyebrow and drawled, “One would think you would be more gracious to the man who helped save your life.”

Estrella spoke slowly, obviously in great pain. “Cìarán is a good man.”

Lilly opened her mouth to argue, but Paul held her face between his hands and stroked his thumbs over her cheeks. “You’re alive. I can’t believe you’re alive.” A tear ran down his cheek and she took a deep and shuddering breath, pulling his scent into her lungs. His voice rumbled against her ear. “Cìarán told us everything about Lee’s plans. He is going to help us. We have to get back to Caldwell. Owen’s life depends on you and Cìarán now.”

Chapter Twenty Three

Looking for Options

After a long swim in the nearby creek, Lilly felt a hundred percent better. Paul and Sleeping Bear returned from their wash-up and that little dark bit of hair curled over Paul’s neck in the same enticing manner it always did. Her fingers itched to stroke it off his skin and replace it with her lips. Paul must have sensed her gaze, because when their eyes met, an answering fire to her need burned in their depths.

“Lilly and I are going to look for more firewood,” Paul announced as he snatched his bedroll and grabbed her hand.

Catherine snickered and added some water from her canteen to the small cooking pot. “Dinner will be ready in a bit. Try not to get lost out there...looking for wood.”

Sleeping Bear laughed as he skinned the rabbit for their supper. Across from Catherine, Cìarán held Estrella in his arms as she closed her eyes and stroked his chest. He hadn’t left her side since finding them, and Estrella certainly didn’t seem to mind. Lilly wondered if Paul felt jealous at the sight of his former mistress in another man’s arms, but he seemed only to be focused on her.

Paul held back a branch and pulled Lilly deeper into the woods. The forest stood in darkness, but a full moon filtering through the trees gave them enough light to see. Beneath a stand of pine trees, Paul unrolled the bedding. She smoothed her palms on her dress as her heart thudded.

Tossing his hat to the side, he turned and stalked toward her. Eyes dark in the moonlight, he captured her face, following the line of her lips. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close. She listened to the rapid beat of his heart and gripped him with all her strength. She would never get over the feel of the soft cloth sliding over his hard body, or the way she fit perfectly into his arms. They were made for each other in every way.

“I missed you so much,” she whispered against his chest.

His voice was a thick rasp. “When I woke up and you were gone, I thought I would die. Every second since that moment, I’ve been in hell. Imagining over and over all the horrible things that could have happened to you.”

“I’m all right. Scared and tired, but all right.” She placed her lips against the pulse of his neck, giving his skin a gentle nibble. “In fact, at this moment I’m much better than all right.”

His laughter turned into a groan as her hand slipped down and cupped his erection through his jeans. She held him captive, running her fingernails over the fabric and nuzzling his neck. Just the smell of his skin made her want him, and teasing the desire out of him made her blood burn. She wanted him inside of her, filling her and bringing them as close as a man and woman could be.

Strong lips stroked against hers, moving in rhythm with her hand caressing his cock. She could feel the tip of him stretching up toward the waist of his pants. Not breaking their kiss, she undid his gun belt and struggled with the button of his jeans. His hands joined hers and they undid the buttons over his fly together.

The blanket of pine needles cushioned her knees and she lowered herself down his legs. His groan filled the air and she tugged at his pants, freeing his erection. She held him gently, rubbing her cheek up and down his length. The rough hair at the base of his cock tickled her nose, and she turned her head, giving him a long and slow lick all the way to the tip.

His hands tangled in the knotted curls at the back of her head, silently urging her on. She laughed and blew a hot breath over the moisture she left on his flesh. With her other hand she examined his sack, gently rolling the loose skin in her hand and smiling when his hips thrust forward of their own accord. He had given her pleasure like this so many times. Now it was her turn to examine his body.

In one move, she engulfed his cock into her mouth, experimenting with how much she could fit in. There was such a lovely sense of power in giving him so much pleasure. She controlled the pace and it was arousing to feel him tense and shiver beneath her touch. A slight scrape of teeth tore another moan from him.

She clenched her thighs in response and shifted so the slit in her bloomers rubbed over her hard clit. The thought of giving him pleasure made her throb. Long and slow, she continued to move her head about his length, pausing to judge his reaction as she tried different things with her tongue.

Her hand joined her lips, grasping tightly the flesh she could not fit in her mouth. He was like steel in her fist, impossibly hard and delicious. His hands moved a restless rhythm in her hair as his strong hips rocked in time to her movements. Pulling back, she stole a peek at him. Head thrown back, the cords in his neck stood out as she moved her hand up and down his slick length.

“Enough,” he groaned out and tore at the buttons of his shirt.

She stayed on her knees and watched him take his clothes off. Every part of her body ached for his touch. The flesh between her thighs felt swollen and flush. He was so glorious naked, all that hard muscle tapering down to his hipbones. The small path of hair from his flat navel led the way to his jutting length. He reclined back on the bedroll and growled, “Come here.”

With a devilish smile, she stood over him, fully clothed as he lay there exposed. His cowboy hat lay next to the bedroll, and she bent over and placed it on her head. His eyes grew wide as she lifted her skirts and straddled him, one hand positioning the head of his cock against her entrance.

Locking eyes with him, she ever-so-slowly lowered herself on his length. A shudder ran through her as he stretched her, the movement so slow it was torture. She paused and arched her head back when he was fully inside. Luscious sensations ran through her body as his cock filled her. The combination of being constrained by her corset and connected in the ultimate way with the man she loved made her grind against him.

One of his hands went to her waist while the other slid beneath her skirts to stroke her pearl. Her breath came out in short pants and she tried different angles with her hips. One hand held the Stetson on her head while her other hand braced her weight on his chest. Strong legs flexed beneath her bottom as he began to buck into her movements, meeting her and pulling away.

He put both hands on her hips and jerked her forward until her bud began to stroke against the hard muscles of his stomach with each movement. Placing her hands on the rock-hard expanse of his chest, she leaned down and kissed him. He was so good, grinding against her and stroking his tongue against hers. Erotic movements of his lips, so intense. Sitting up partially, his stomach flexed against her clit, creating a little ridge of muscle, which she ground herself against.

Close, so close, she groaned into his mouth with need. Their hips slapped together, lifting her body with each thrust. She found her release at last, great shuddering waves of pleasure that had her crying out her against his neck.

“Lilly,” he breathed into her ear. Strong hips slammed one final time and he groaned as his seed spilled into her.

She collapsed on top of him, panting as she ran a hand through his hair. A giggle began to escape her lips, and she sighed softly as she slid off him.

“What’s so funny, love?”

“I hope we can find your clothes in the dark, and some wood.” She rained kisses over his face, running her hands over him. “I missed you so much, and I love you more than I can ever describe.” A tear fell off her cheek and on his.

“Don’t cry. I’m here now. Nothing will ever separate us again, nothing.”

***

Tired and trail-weary, they neared the outskirts of Caldwell in the early morning. The horses held up well and made good time across the grasslands. The Morgan breed proved its worth on the journey. Lilly and Paul rode next to each other, stealing glances and warm smiles. Her heart filled with love whenever she gazed at Paul on his cream gelding. He was more intoxicating than any whiskey.

Cìarán rode double with Estrella, and their whispered conversations rose in a lyrical mix of Spanish and Gaelic accents. Lilly didn’t think Paul noticed how Sleeping Bear shadowed Catherine’s every move, but she knew Catherine did. She avoided looking at the big Indian at all costs, but again, Lilly caught her examining him when he wasn’t paying attention.

“I already signed the deed of the land over to Sleeping Bear. While Cìarán and I go to the Krisps’ ranch, you need to get to the courthouse so Sleeping Bear can sign the deed as well.” Lilly shifted in her saddle to glance back over her shoulder. “No matter what happens, I want that land to be secured for your people.”

Paul’s leather gloves creaked as he gripped his reins. “Nothing is going to happen to you. I don’t care if I have to storm the gates of Hell to keep you safe, I won’t let anything harm you.”

Cìarán spoke up and urged his Palomino mare closer. “I’ll keep her safe for you, Paul.”

Staring at her horse’s black ears, Lilly asked, “Why are you doing this? Why the sudden change of heart?” She regretted giving him the opening, but she had to find out before they went to the Krisp ranch.

Cìarán rode in silence, and Catherine urged her horse closer to hear. “For the past three years I’ve been a dead man walking. After the loss of my wife, I did the only thing that brought me any peace: killing those who deserved to die.” Estrella tilted her head to look up at him and he smiled down at her. “I’ve found a new reason to live. And if there’s anyone that ever deserves to die, it’s Lee Krisp.”

A heavy silence fell over the group, each thinking of those that had passed away. Lilly found herself wondering what her Uncle Jackson would think of this situation. No doubt he would have laughed until he cried. She missed him terribly.

The low, wooden buildings of Caldwell began to take shape on the horizon, and Lilly’s hands trembled a bit as they held onto the reins. “Paul,” she said in a low voice, “I’m scared.”

His eyes filled with compassion. “Honey, if there was any way to rescue Owen without endangering you, I would.”