he ever found out she was a widow, a woman who should be in mourning. “You can’t,” she said more calmly, but just as firmly.
“Why not?”
“Because…please don’t ask me to explain.”
“All right.”
Belinda breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out to be premature.
“I’ll settle for a goodbye kiss.”
“What?”
He didn’t give her a chance to argue about it, simply pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth with his.
The Cowboy’s kiss was like nothing Belinda had ever experienced before in her life. He tunneled all ten fingers into her hair. His lips softened on hers, and his tongue slipped inside her mouth to tease and to taste. For a moment she was quiescent. Then she kissed him back.
Faron hadn’t known what to expect when he kissed his Princess. He had supposed from her shyness that he would be tasting innocence. For a few moments he had. But she had pulled him down to a deeper, darker well of desire than he had ever explored with a woman. A well where feelings and emotions were intimately bound with the physical act of love.
He lifted his head far enough to look into her eyes. “Princess?”
Belinda gazed up into gray-green orbs that were fierce with need. She reached up to touch the beauty mark on the Cowboy’s cheek, then trailed her fingertips back down to his mouth, which was still wet from their kiss. She traced his lips with her forefinger, then looked up into eyes that had darkened with desire. She raised her mouth and touched it lightly to his. Then her tongue slipped inside his mouth to taste him.
She could feel the restraint he exercised to remain still for her kiss. It made her dare more. Her hands slipped around his neck and her fingertips teased the hair at his nape. She kissed the edges of his mouth and lingered to nip at his lower lip with her teeth. A harsh sound grated deep in the Cowboy’s throat, and Belinda found herself answering with a kittenish purr of satisfaction.
He kissed his way along the edge of her jaw to her ear and caressed the delicate shell with his tongue. His breath was hot and moist and sent a shiver down her spine. Then his tongue slipped into her ear, and her belly curled with erotic sensation.
Belinda’s eyes closed in surrender as her body swayed toward his. The Cowboy’s arms closed around her, pulling her tight against him. She could feel the blunt ridge of his manhood against her femininity. As he rocked their bodies together, Belinda felt her knees give way.
The two of them slipped to the ground together. Belinda was aware of the cool grass beneath her, but it was the warmth above that she found so intriguing. The Cowboy held most of his weight on his arms, but their bodies were pressed together from the waist down, their legs entwined. His mouth found hers again, and this time he was more impatient.
One yank ripped the first three buttons on her shirt free. His mouth was reverent as he kissed the creamy mounds that spilled out of her lacy bra. He freed the bra itself, and his mouth latched on to a rosy crest. When he began to suck, Belinda’s whole body arched up into his.
She was desperate to touch his skin, and she pulled at his shirt to free it from his jeans. She tried to unbutton the buttons, but her hands were trembling too much. The Cowboy ripped the shirt off himself, sending buttons flying. Then he pressed their bodies together, flesh to flesh. Belinda made a soft little sound in her throat as the crisp hair on his chest brushed her tender nipples.
“Princess, you feel so good. You feel so right.” His hand slid down to unsnap her jeans. The rasp of her zipper coming down sounded loud in her ears. Before she could come to her senses his mouth had captured her breast again. The Cowboy sucked and nipped and sucked again so the sensual tension never let up.
His hand slid down inside her panties, through her feminine curls until he found the tender bud he sought. Belinda nearly came up off the ground as his fingers began to work their magic.
“Come apart for me, Princess,” Faron crooned. “Be beautiful for me, only me.”
He shoved her jeans down out of the way and unfastened his own. Belinda caught his face with both hands and brought his mouth up to hers.
“Kiss me, Cowboy. Please, kiss me.”
She felt his body invade hers at the same time his tongue thrust into her mouth. He was big and hard, and her body arched up to take all of him as he thrust deeply inside her. Belinda heard an animal sound rip from her throat as their bodies surged together. He withdrew and thrust again in ageless rhythm as her hips rose in counterpoint to his.
Her fingernails dug crescents in his shoulders as her body arched up in passion. At the last instant, Belinda tried to fight the pleasure. This shouldn’t be happening! She had no right!
But the Cowboy wouldn’t allow her to withdraw. “Come with me, Princess. Come with me!”
Then it was too late. Her body began to convulse in wave after wave of unbearable pleasure. She gritted her teeth against the ecstasy that besieged her, holding her prisoner for timeless moments. While she was caught in the throes of passion, the Cowboy claimed her for his own. His cries were guttural as his body arched and spilled its seed within her.
Afterward, they both lay exhausted, unable to move. Belinda was aware of a fine sheen of sweat on his body and the musky smell of sex.
“I want to see you again,” the Cowboy murmured as he slipped to her side and drew her into his arms. He was already asleep before Belinda could answer him.
Which was just as well.
Belinda was appalled at what she had done. But she couldn’t regret it. What had passed between the Cowboy and his Princess was one brief shining moment when two souls blended into one. They might be strangers still, but they had found something more than physical satisfaction in each other’s arms. She would hold this magical afternoon close to her heart forever.
But there was no way she could see him again. He would be horrified if he knew the truth about her. And she would be ashamed for him to find out. She had to escape now, while he was asleep.
She dressed quickly and quietly and led her palomino a short distance away before she mounted him, so that she wouldn’t wake the Cowboy. When she was far enough away that the sound wouldn’t waken him, she kicked the mare into a gallop and raced back to The Castle.
The instant she stepped inside the kitchen door, she was greeted by her mother-in-law. Belinda plowed a hand through her hair, shoving it off her face, and tried a smile. It failed dismally.
“You’re late,” Madelyn said. She took one look at Belinda’s disheveled appearance and asked, “What happened to you?” There was more curiosity than accusation in her tone.
“I…my horse threw me,” Belinda said, brushing at the grass stains on her jeans.
“Your blouse is ripped. Are you sure you’re all right?”
Belinda flushed and clutched at the torn fabric. Getting thrown shouldn’t have torn three buttons off her blouse. “I’ll just run upstairs and change for supper.” She hurried from the kitchen and practically ran up the majestic circular staircase that led to her bedroom.
“There’s
