Chapter 22 #2
She met his gaze for a long moment, the look in his eyes daring her to join him, and she wasted no time reaching up to unbutton her blouse. He watched her, his gaze on her fingers as she reached the last button and let her blouse hit the floor.
The silk ribbon on her chemise was pulled slower than she normally would untie it but she had his undivided attention and she wasn’t going to rush a single moment of it.
She left the chemise untied, her breasts all but spilling from the material as she reached behind her to unhook her skirt. The material pooled at her feet and, stepping out the mounds of fabric, brought her closer to the tub.
Lifting one leg, she braced her foot on the tub and slid her chemise up far enough to untie the ribbon holding her stocking up, taking her time about removing it and rolling her stocking down her leg.
She repeated the action on the other leg and reached for the top of her chemise to pull it down, her nipple so hard from nothing more than the way he was looking at her, the material rasping against the sensitive buds caused a shiver to race down her spine.
Standing naked before him, she let him look his fill before stepping closer to where he lounged. His gaze moved over her body as if he’d never seen a naked woman before and her skin felt over sensitized from his perusal.
Lifting a leg, his attention slid to the juncture between her thighs and stayed there as she stepped into the tub, then brought her other leg in. Standing over him, she wasn’t sure where to sit as his legs filled most of the tub.
Glancing down at him, she saw him already hard, his length bobbing in the water. Seeing the hunger in his eyes, she wiggled her feet to the outside of his thighs and was about to sit down when he suddenly sat up, wrapped his arms around her thighs and buried his face between her legs.
She gasped when she felt his tongue slide between the lips of her sex and grabbed his head, pushing him away. “What are you doing?”
He leaned back, a wicked grin on his face. “With the way you’re pulling my hair, I’d say nothing.”
She realized she did have his hair caught in her grip and let him go, quickly sitting down on his lap. Her heart was racing now, the feel of his tongue on her most intimate parts still tingling. What in the world had he been doing? People didn’t really do things like that, did they?
She cleared her throat and met his gaze. “We’re not married anymore, you know. Some people would call this a sin.”
He reached up, cupping both of her breasts in his palms. “I’ve already had you underneath me, screaming my name. The sinful act of fornication before marriage has already been done.” He raised his eyes to hers. “We can’t be condemned twice for the same thing.”
He leaned forward, burying his face in her neck, his lips leaving a few soft kisses on her skin. “Besides, in the eyes of those that matter, we’re already married and no one back home knows we aren’t.”
He didn’t give her time to say anything else about it before lifting his head to kiss her, his tongue slipping past her lips, effectively silencing her.
She moaned into the kiss, her body going slack against him as the kiss grew so heated, she felt hot.
His hands were still on her breasts, squeezing and flicking her nipples and she rolled her hips, his hardened length dragging deliciously against her center.
She broke the kiss with a gasp for air and he wasted no time lowering his head to suck one of her nipples into his mouth. Her fingers gripped the side of the tub, her back arching as she rolled her hips against his length again, his mouth moving to her other breast to suckle.
How could something that felt so fantastic be a sin?
The head of his cock bumped her clit with every roll of her hips and Josiah groaned long and deep from the back of his throat before sitting up.
He grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her in to another kiss as his free arm went around her back, pulling her into his body as he ground himself against her.
The kiss was more frantic than it had been a moment ago, his moans deepening before he broke away, the arm around her waist tightening as he lifted her, his free hand guiding himself between her legs.
She slid down his length one slow inch at a time. Their eyes were locked as he lifted her, then lowered her back down until she picked up the rhythm herself.
Loving Josiah had been a dream since the day she spotted him riding into town, and even though she’d always dreamed of this, she’d never truly believed she’d get it.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, rolling her hips with every downward motion, and it didn’t take long before both of them were panting for breath.
Josiah grabbed the back of her neck again, pulling her into another kiss. His tongue slid against her own, his hold on her tightening as she continued to roll her hips, and it didn’t take long for that first tingle to race up her spine.
Long minutes later, she threw her head back with a gasp, stars lighting behind her closed eyelids as Josiah’s grip on her tightened, his hips thrusting up into her and they both came apart inside the tub, water splashing over the sides as their bodies undulated, then stilled.
Her harsh breaths being panted out drown out the sounds beyond the windows and it took long minutes for her heartbeat to return to normal.
She opened her eyes to find Josiah watching her, and she smiled and leaned forward to put her head on his shoulder.
Josiah hugged her to him before kissing her neck. A moment later, she felt his arms moving behind her, then the brush of his washcloth against her back.
Sitting up, their eyes met as he took his sweet time washing her. He paid special attention to her breasts and between her legs when he prompted her to lift up off of him.
He slipped from her body and she hoped it wasn’t the last time. Judging the look in his eyes as he slid that cloth between her thighs, she didn’t think it would be.
“After Ruth was killed, I swore off women.”
Violet stilled at the mention of Ruth’s name and settled back on his thighs as he ran the washcloth up her stomach to her breasts. She wasn’t sure why he’d mentioned his dead fiancé after what they’d just done, but the look on his face was more serious than any she could recall seeing before.
“I lived in Durango for a year after her death,” he said. “And even though the opportunity to get involved with someone else was there, fear kept me from taking another chance.
“By the time I arrived in Silver Falls, I was numb. I have been since that piece of shit killed her right in front of me and I swore I’d never live with that sort of fear again.”
He lowered the washcloth and met her gaze. “You terrify me, Violet.”
She froze at his words, afraid to even breathe.
“Watching you run around Silver Falls, spying on me when I first arrived, had given me the first bit of amusement since the day Ruth died and it took me sitting in that jail cell to realize I’ve felt more alive the past few weeks than I have in years. And it’s all because of you.”
Tears burned her eyes at the words. What was he trying to say?
“Getting dragged into your drama and into a fake marriage wasn’t my idea of a good time, but I will admit…I’ve not hated a moment of it. Quite the opposite, if I’m being completely honest.”
Her heart was racing but nearly stopped when someone banged on the door, causing both of them to jolt, startled. Dread filled her stomach at the noise.
They both turned to the door. The last time someone had banged on it, he’d been taken to the jail, accused of murder.
Were they in for a repeat, just as he was being truthful about his feelings? Was she about to lose him all over again.
When whoever was outside banged on the door again, her stomach coiled into a knot.