The Drifter's Bride

‘Carl, wake up.’

His eyes blinked open. His gaze darted around in panic.

‘You had a nightmare,’ she told him softly. ‘You were crying out.’

It took another moment for his confusion to settle. His body tensed and then relaxed, a long, rustling sigh shuddering out his chest. His eyes came into focus and settled on her. ‘Jade?’

‘That’s right.’ She managed a nervous smile. ‘I’m safe. You got me out.’

She didn’t know what made her say that. They both knew he hadn’t rescued her, but an urge welled up inside her to comfort him, to drive away the memories that had caused him to cry out in the darkness.

‘I didn’t…save…them…’ His words faded into silence.

It might have been the sadness in his voice, or the anguish in his eyes. Jade could think of no other explanation as to why she dipped her head and brushed her lips against the tiny cut at the corner of his mouth.

‘Hush,’ she whispered. ‘It’s all right.’

Carl made another choked sound of despair. His arms banded around her, crushing her to his chest. Alarmed by his strength, Jade pushed back. His grip eased and she started inching away, sliding down along his body. He halted her progress, his hands sweeping up her spine to slide into her hair, his splayed fingers cradling the back of her head.

And then with slow but inexorable pressure, he brought her head down and guided her mouth to his. Jade stilled. Every nerve in her body thrummed. She’d never kissed a man before, had always kept aloof at dances and social gatherings, the lie about her birth standing between her and any young men who might have shown interest in her.

Not daring to move, she waited for Carl to take the lead. His head tilted to one side and his mouth slanted across hers, hungry and bold, demanding a response. Without thinking she parted her lips, and his mouth roamed over hers with increasing pressure.

For years Jade had wondered. Dreamed. Kisses would be gentle, she had thought. The soft flutter of a butterfly’s wings, the sweet scent of a peach blossom, the cool ripple of a spring breeze. How wrong she’d been. A kiss was fire and thunder. A kiss was an invasion, a tongue thrusting past her lips and gliding along her teeth. A kiss was a sound, a deep masculine growl and the breathless feminine response that hummed low in her throat.

She hadn’t expected a kiss to start a tingling current that pulsed all through her, from her toes to her fingertips, finally settling deep in the pit of her belly. Her breasts grew heavy and full. Beneath her reclining form, she felt Carl’s hips bucking against hers. Her body took on a mind of its own, undulating in response to the masculine demand that she recognized and could not ignore.

Carl stopped. He buried his fingers in her hair, pulling her head up.

Jade leaned back and opened her eyes. In the darkness she couldn’t see his features, but she could hear the rasping sound of his heavy breathing. The harsh rise and fall of his chest rocked her up and down on top of him.

‘Damn…Jade. I didn’t mean to.’

She might not be able to make out his expression, but his voice told her it was a scowl. Not waiting for her to reply, Carl rolled to one side and separated their bodies. When Jade turned to look at him, she found him framed by the faint glow of the dying embers. He was sitting up, forearms braced against upraised knees, eyes locked on the darkness.

He’d been caught in a dream, she realized, not knowing what he was doing.

‘It’s all right,’ she said in a shaky whisper. ‘No harm done.’

In the shadows, she could see him lower his head onto his arms. His voice came out muffled. ‘I’m sorry. I…’ He took a deep breath. ‘I watched you bathe. I shouldn’t have, and it’s making me…’ His words broke on a brief, grim laugh.

She lay in silence beside him, not knowing what to say. With a scrape of his boots against the ground, Carl jumped to his feet. Leaning down, he slipped one arm around her shoulders, the other arm behind her knees and scooped her up.

Sensing his mental withdrawal, Jade fought the impulse to wrap her arms around his neck. It only took him a second or two to carry her back to the bedroll and lower her down.