Chasing Rainbows Read online

  Jake glanced up at the sky and shrugged. “The storm might miss us. Looks like it’s heading east.”

  Annie didn’t argue. She waited until Jake had resumed his seat, then volunteered softly, “I’m sorry I hit you.”

  Jake looked up at her and grinned. “Seems to me I had it coming, darlin’.”

  “Why?”

  “For assuming things I had no right to assume. That punch of yours was entirely right and proper, so don’t you go giving it another thought.”

  Annie looked away, unreasonably disappointed in his response. She hadn’t wanted Jake to stop entirely — in fact, that was the last thing she had wanted. She had just needed a minute or two to collect her thoughts. For up to that point, Annie had been engulfed in a wave of pleasure so vast it had threatened to sweep her away entirely. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been enjoying it — only that she wasn’t quite sure what was expected of her next. She had only wanted to stop, get her bearings, and then move on.

  But now that moment was over, gone forever. She had ruined it completely, and she had no idea how to repair the damage she had done.

  Jake picked up a stick and began to idly poke the fire. Shadows flickered across his face. “What are you thinking about, Annie?” he asked after a minute.

  She gave a small, mirthless smile and shrugged her shoulders. “Chasing rainbows.”

  He arched one dark brow. “What does that mean?”

  “When I was a little girl, my father used to tell me stories about magic elves, unicorns, and pots full of gold that were hidden away at the end of a rainbow. He said that they were all there, all the riches in the world, just waiting for the right little girl to come and find them. I was convinced that I was that little girl. Every time it rained, I would hunt for a rainbow, then grab Hannah by the hand and drag her along with me, running and running trying to reach the end.”

  Jake smiled softly. “Did you ever find it?”

  Annie shook her head. She had never found the rainbow’s end, but she had spent plenty of time imagining what she would feel like once she did. She would feel wondrously happy, contented, and secure. She would feel as though she were exactly where she belonged, and everything was right with the world.

  She would feel exactly the way she had when Jake Moran held her in his arms.

  A few minutes passed in empty silence, then Jake quietly asked, “What do you know about making love, Annie?”

  Her startled gaze flew to his. “What kind of question is that?”

  “That’s the kind of question I need to ask if we’re going to finish what we started earlier.”

  “Oh.”

  “That is, if you want to finish, darlin’.”

  Her stomach flipped, then began to flutter, as though a dozen tiny butterflies had just taken wing inside of her. “Do you?” she croaked out.

  “Probably more than I’ve wanted anything in my entire life.”

  His words, spoken so confidently and unashamedly, had a blunt, undeniable ring of truth. Annie felt flushed with pleasure, unnerved, and embarrassed all at once.

  He smiled. “Does that surprise you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you know about making love, Annie?” he repeated.

  She searched her mind, floundering for words that wouldn’t make her sound too naive or clumsy. She had seen a stallion mount a mare. She had also heard the boys bragging about women, late at night after their visits to local cathouses, when they thought she was asleep. She had heard words like titties and fannies, and how those women kept begging for more. But both those examples were simply too humiliating to mention, so she simply shook her head in silence.

  “Tell me about Snakeskin Garvey.”

  Annie’s eyes shot to his. She hadn’t wanted to bring that up, but she wasn’t surprised that Jake would ask. He looked neither prying or condemning, but simply as though he were gathering information that might affect both of them. She mentally debated the question for a moment, finally deciding it would probably be best to answer straightaway. Otherwise the specter of Snakeskin Garvey might just linger between them, rising up to haunt her when she least expected it.

  “The boys met him in a saloon out in Gentry,” she replied. “Snakeskin claimed to be an expert with dynamite, and that’s why Pete took an interest in him. At that point, the boys were just starting to pull bigger jobs, and I reckon Pete thought a man who was handy with dynamite might be a good man to have around. But I knew the first time the boys brought him back to the cabin that he was trouble.”

  “Why?”

  Annie shook her head, letting out a sigh. “Well, if that man was a snake, he looked at me like I was mouse fricassee. His eyes were constantly moving over me, all hungry and greedy-like, you know what I mean?”

  Jake nodded but remained silent, letting her continue.

  “Anyway, one day, the boys took off for town. Garvey went with them, but he turned around about halfway, claiming he’d left something back at the cabin. I was inside, getting that night’s supper ready. I didn’t even know he was there until… well, until it was too late. He snuck up on me, just like the snake that he was.”

  “What happened?”

  Avoiding his eyes, Annie picked up a fistful of dirt, watching it stream through her fingers. “He grabbed me and threw me down,” she answered, amazed how level her voice sounded, as though she were talking about somebody else. “He had me pinned down with his body, and I couldn’t get him off me. I fought and I scratched and I kicked, but that just made him smile even more, like he was enjoying watching me struggle. He started tearing my clothes off, telling me I was gonna be his woman, and that he’d kill me if I told anybody.”

  She paused for a moment, risking a glance at Jake. Fortunately she saw neither pity nor disgust in his eyes. All she read there was a strange, curious mix of sad understanding and quiet fury.

  “Pete came back,” she continued, “before Snakeskin could finish what he started. I guess Pete started to get suspicious and decided to come check up on things. He walked through that cabin door and found Snakeskin with his britches pulled down and me screaming and hollering beneath him, trying to get away.” She let out a deep breath, shaking her head. “I’ve seen Pete mad before, but I never saw nothing like that. I thought he was going to kill Snakeskin with his bare hands, right before my eyes.”

  “He should have,” Jake said quietly.

  Annie’s shocked gaze flew to his. To her dismay, she saw that Jake looked deadly serious. She shook her head, letting out a troubled sigh. “I was more scared and shook up than hurt. No sense making things worse by having a murder hanging over Pete’s head. Anyhow, Snakeskin got away from Pete before it came to that. He was bruised and cut up pretty bad, but he could still ride. As he took off, he looked me straight in the eye, real furious-like. He said it was all my fault, and that Pete wouldn’t always be there to protect me. He swore he’d be back one day to even the score.”

  Annie paused, rubbing her hands briskly over her arms as a chill ran down her spine. “He meant it too. I could tell. There was a look in his eyes that was just plum crazy, like he was never gonna rest until he found me again.”

  “If he does come back, Annie, you just let me know.”

  Although Jake’s tone was perfectly calm, there was a solemn threat beneath his words that she had never heard before. A look of quiet, deadly intensity filled his eyes. In that instant, Annie could easily picture him on a battlefield, charging through an onslaught of cannon and rifle fire to do what he thought was right. God help the man who got in his way.

  Jake let out a disgusted sigh. “Hell of a way for you to learn about what goes on between men and women.”

  Afraid that she had sounded too green, Annie quickly blurted out, “I know folks ain’t supposed to hurt each other. I know it ain’t supposed to be like that.”

  He paused for a moment, studying her intently. “Do you know what lovemaking is for, Annie?” he asked.

  Relieved
at the change of subject, she nodded her head. “Well, for men,” she replied confidently, “it’s just for fun. All that rutting around is supposed to make them happier than pigs in mud. And for women, that’s the way they get with child, so that’s why they do it. But women ain’t supposed to like it at all. That’s why the painted cats in the saloons have to be paid to do it.”

  A strange expression, something between laughter and pain, crossed Jake’s face. “Annie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you like the way I kiss you?”

  She glanced away, feeling flustered and foolish. “Yes,” she managed.

  “What if I kissed your whole body like that? Slowly, inch by inch. Do you think you would like that?”

  The image of Jake doing exactly that filled her mind, leaving her unable to speak. Finally she gained her voice. “I like it when you touch me. Even when you pretend it’s accidental. Like when you pass me a cup of coffee and our fingers touch, or when you adjust Dulcie’s cinch and your shoulder brushes my leg. Or the way you hold my elbow while we’re crossing the street, then drop it real quick as soon as we get to the other side, as if it was nothing but a habit that you just couldn’t break.”

  Jake grinned. “You noticed that, did you?”

  “Yes.”

  “You didn’t mind? I didn’t scare you?”

  “No.” She stopped and delicately cleared her throat. “No, I didn’t mind at all. And you didn’t scare me, neither. Fact is, it felt real nice.”

  “Then, I think we’re gonna do just fine, darlin’.”Heat filled Jake’s eyes and a slow, seductive grin parted his lips. “I think we’re going to do just fine.”

  It took him less than four long strides to reach her side. She expected him to immediately resume their kiss. Instead, Jake scooped her up and carried her effortlessly back to his bedroll, setting her down gently among his blankets. “Comfortable?” he murmured, spreading out his long body beside hers.

  Annie stared into his eyes, feeling more vulnerable than she ever had in her life and yet strangely unafraid. “Will it hurt?” she asked.

  A look of regret crossed Jake’s face. “Yes, for a moment,” he replied. “I’d take the pain away if I could, but I can’t.” He pressed a light kiss at the base of her throat as he gently stroked her arms.

  She nodded, bracing herself for the pain. “All right.”

  “Not now, darlin’.” he quickly reassured her. “I’ll warn you before it happens. Right now you can just lean back and let me kiss you the way I’ve been wanting to for days.”

  The knowledge that Jake had been wanting her as badly as she had been wanting him filled Annie with a steady sense of reassurance and banished the last vestige of her fear. Nervous tension flooded through her, making her body tremble in anticipation of his touch. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gently pulled her to him, capturing her mouth with his. Her lips, cool at first, quickly warmed beneath the gentle contact of his kiss. She felt the slight pressure of his jaw against hers as he softly coaxed her into parting her lips. Once she did, he immediately deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue.

  Stormy desire shot through her as his kiss robbed her of all breath and thought. She felt Jake’s hands move over her body as though memorizing her every curve. Hot, quivering yearning spread through her limbs in response to his touch. Annie reacted purely on instinct, moving her body against his in a rhythm that mirrored the heat and passion of their kiss. Her own hands, which had been fumbling at his back in search of a home, locked around the base of his neck, clinging to him for support. She arched her hips and pressed herself tightly against him, aching for more.

  Jake drew back, his eyes dark with passion. Annie reached for his shirt, working his buttons free while he performed the same task for her. He moved with an easy, unhurried expertise, quickly stripping her of the unwanted garment. Her gun belt, boots, and pants immediately followed, landing in a careless pile at their feet. Annie leaned back, clothed in nothing but Jake’s undershirt and long cotton drawers.

  She stared up at him, feeling more exposed than she ever had in her life. But Jake quickly calmed her fears. He brushed his hands lovingly over her body, touching her through the light cotton fabric with an almost reverent urgency. Then, moving with infinite care, he eased the garment over her head and tossed it aside. As the chill of the night air touched her skin, Jake rained gentle kisses on her flesh, warming her arms, her shoulders, and her breasts with his mouth. He eased her drawers off next, warming her thighs, hips, and belly with the touch of his hands. Annie squirmed with pleasure beneath him and closed her eyes. A soft moan that was part laughter and part blissful sigh escaped from her lips.

  She felt him go still above her, and opened her eyes to find him staring down at her, his beautiful, rugged face framed by moonlight and storm clouds. His gaze seemed to burn her skin as it traveled intently over her body, but his expression was unreadable. He reached for her wordlessly, lifting her golden hair and setting it cascading about her shoulders, carefully brushing the long, silken strands away from her face.

  A rolling boom of thunder sounded in the distance, and a crack of lightning split the sky. Weed and Dulcie skittered nervously. But Annie was too focused on Jake to pay the weather any mind, even as the wind tossed her hair and light drops of rain began to sprinkle her skin.

  A sense of modesty she had never known she possessed rose suddenly within her. Did Jake enjoy the way she looked, or was he disappointed? She regarded him anxiously, filled with an unreasonable desire to please him.

  “Jake?” she said, uncertain how to interpret his expression.

  “You’re so beautiful, Annie. Just look how beautiful you are.” His voice was low and husky, filled with desire.

  Her anxiety quickly evaporated. Emboldened by the compliment, she reached for him, running her hands over his chest. Jake eagerly assisted her, tearing off his shirt, boots, gun belt, and pants. He knelt above her in naked, masculine splendor, giving her a full and complete view of what she had only seen glimpses of before. He showed no embarrassment about his state of undress, nor did he need to. Every inch of Jake’s body was corded in sinewy muscle, without a spare ounce of flesh anywhere.

  He reached for her, his muscles rippling beneath his satiny skin as he moved. Their bodies locked in an embrace, all wet and slick from the steadily falling rain. Jake’s hands moved over her body with wild abandon. He traced the rounded curve of her buttocks, the silky smoothness of her thighs, the gentle curve of her hips, and the tiny span of her waist. He cupped her breasts, brushing his palms over her nipples with a light, teasing touch until they grew hard and firm beneath his hand.

  Then he shifted his position and leaned forward, bringing a firm, rosy peak into his mouth. Shock and delight screamed through her. She gasped with pleasure, her body twisting against his. Then, when the pleasure became so great that Annie thought she couldn’t stand it anymore, he moved lower, tracing hot, lavish kisses over her ribs, across her stomach and the tops of her thighs.

  He covered her body with his mouth, claiming her with a savage hunger that found every sensitive inch of her. As she glanced down at him, a wave of black, silky hair fell across his forehead. Annie tentatively reached out her hand and brushed it back, combing it with her fingers. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” she admitted softly.

  Jake pressed a soft kiss against her shoulder. “Touch me anytime you want, Annie, darlin’. Anywhere you want.”

  “Can I?” Thrilled with this new power, she placed her hands on his shoulders and felt his muscles contract beneath her palms in response. His reaction not only amazed her but gave her a quiet sense of power. She moved slowly, taking her time exploring his ruggedly beautiful body. She traced the broad expanse of his chest, the power of his strong shoulders and arms, then let her palms drifted downward, over the flat, rippled muscles that lined his stomach.

  Her gaze traveled next to the most intimate part of him, rife with curiosity. Moving with a braz
en confidence that was entirely new to her, she reached down and lightly grasped his erection, holding him gently in her hand. The skin there was silkier than any other place on his body but every bit as firm and rigid, and throbbing with life. Remembering the way he had caressed her breasts, she lightly teased the tip of his penis with her fingers as he had teased her nipples with his tongue.

  Jake gave a low growl of pleasure and caught her hand.

  She drew back, puzzled. “Don’t you like that?”

  He gave a hoarse, muffled laugh. “Too much, darlin’, that’s the problem.”

  Annie didn’t have time to ponder the meaning of that remark. He pulled her back into his embrace, once again lavishing her body with his kisses as he licked the rain from her skin. Annie echoed his movements, wantonly indulging her every whim and urge. She kissed his shoulder, his chest, his neck, matching his passion with her own. As a second bolt of lightning lit up the sky, she locked her arms around his neck and slanted her mouth over his, unleashing all the fervent, wanton longing that was pent up inside her.

  Jake’s hand drifted to her thighs. His hand rested there for a moment, then he pushed his fingers through the silky hair at the apex of her legs, cupping her with his palm. She stiffened at his intimate touch and instinctively clamped her legs together.

  “Shh, darlin’, don’t be afraid,” he murmured into her hair. Once she had relaxed, he traced the curve of her most private place, enticing another shocked gasp of pleasure from her. Then he gently slipped one finger inside of her, sliding it back and forth against her warmth and wetness.

  Annie tensed, then hot sparks of desire pulsed through her veins. Heat coiled tightly within her belly and spread. Hunger rose within her, laced with stunning urgency and sweet, possessive fire. Her nails racked against the bunched muscles of his back, and her body molded itself to his, as if begging for more.

  Jake drew back and raised himself on his forearms above her, the tip of his erection poised at her entrance. His eyes locked on hers as he slowly inched his way inside her. Annie’s eyes grew wide with wonder as she felt her body stretch to accommodate him. She was awed by their union, amazed at the feel of him inside her. So this was what lovemaking was all about. This glorious, intimate union between two people. But just as she adjusted to the feel of Jake inside her, he slowly withdrew. Annie stared at him in confusion, feeling a stab of dismay and abandonment as he lifted himself off her.