Chapter 21 #2
“Yes. If I win, what do I get? And if you win, what do you get?”
“How about…to the victor should go the right to ask a small service of the other.”
“A small service? For instance?”
“If I win, perhaps you could wash my pony for me, and maybe you could wash…me too.”
“Oh.” She smiled. “That is a very suggestive statement.”
And it was true. At the very thought of washing him, touching him, a warm pleasure rushed through her.
However, she ignored the sensation—at least for now, and continued, “That seems fair enough. And if I win, perhaps you could rub my feet for me, like you did that one day, and maybe you could rub other places too.”
“A lusty request.”
“Yes. Quite.” She pursed her lips, but there was laughter in her eyes. “Do you agree?”
“Agreed.”
No sooner had the word left his lips than he dived under the water.
Darn. Where did he go? She gazed every which way at the water.
She was not left long to ponder, however. He had swum to her feet, and with a quick jerk, pulled them out from underneath her.
“Oh!” She came up sputtering. “That was unfair.”
He surfaced close to her. “We have already defined the rules.”
“Not fair!” Cupping her hands, she sent him a shower of water, and kept it up, floating on her back and kicking her feet when her arms became too tired to continue.
He appeared to be impervious to her efforts. Alas, the only thing she received for all her hard work was his laughter.
And then even that was gone. Again, he had dived under water. Where was he?
Suddenly something surfaced directly in front of her, splashing her delicately and stealing a kiss from her. Plunging immediately back into the water like a naughty boy, Swift Hawk swam out of range.
She laughed, awaiting him to resurface. Ever alert, she watched the water for an indication of where he might have gone.
Instead of presenting her with a clear target, the whole process was repeated, and he stole yet another kiss.
She giggled—couldn’t help herself. She felt like a schoolgirl being teased by a favorite beau.
But where was he now?
She was not left long to wonder. He surfaced behind her, though she barely heard him emerge. When he spread his arms around her midsection, she knew immediately that she had found him.
Because he pulled her in toward him, she felt the imprint of his wet, nude body against her own.
Leaning his head down against her shoulder, he showered her with kisses, and began to sway with her.
They danced, their limbs entwined in a sensual movement that was half rhythmic movement, half floating.
He whispered, “I love you, Miss Angel, my wife.”
“That’s Mrs. Angel now,” she corrected, throwing back her head, and she came in closer to him, that she might give him more access to the sensitive spots on her neck. “Hmmm, that feels good.”
“Yes, doesn’t it?”
As they stood there, straining against each other, waist deep in the water, his head came to rest against her shoulder, and his hips moved in unison with hers.
Then he was swimming backward, bringing her with him, his arms still wrapped securely around her.
Soon she felt the smooth bottom of the shore against her hips, then the feel of it on her legs, and stretching, she leaned back against him.
One of his hands came up to rub her breasts, while he whispered in her ear, “Love me, my wife. If you would send me off with a token of your love, I would rather have it all, I think, not a mere kiss.”
A surge of joy filled her, and as a flame began to ignite within her, she spun around in his arms. Did he realize how truly dear he was? Oh, that she could do something for him. But what?
“My darling,” she murmured, as she scooted down his chest to take a flattened nipple into her mouth. She marveled at his sudden intake of breath, and she knew an anxiety to give him the same thrills that he had shown her, only earlier this day.
She shifted her attention to his other breast, again glorying in his deep moan. Then she began a downward descent. Down over his flat belly. Down lower still. But she hadn’t gone far before he checked her progress, pulling her up under her arms.
She gazed back at him.
“Not this time,” he said, shaking his head. “I am still too excited by you, and I fear I would not be able to last long enough to give you your pleasure.”
She shrugged. “Does it matter?”
He grinned and brought up a hand to thread through her hair.
“It matters very much to me. Do not think that I do not want this, but we have many years ahead of us, and it is something we will do. But perhaps at a time when I am more accustomed to you—at a time when I am not so excitable by the mere thought of your touch. Besides, it will give us both something to think about, something to look forward to.”
“Yes, I understand. But don’t you know?”
“Don’t I know what?”
“Don’t you know that I already look forward to each minute, each second I have with you? I don’t need any form of lovemaking to remind me of what you mean to me.”
“But—”
With her gaze, she pleaded her case. She was more than a little exhilarated when he at last lay back, and drawing a deep breath, he said, “You are right, but remember, when I pull away from you, it is because I have almost lost control.”
She gave him a brief nod, then she once more began her descent down his body.
His low moan, sounding more like a soft growl, was the first thing she found dear. He tasted of spice and fresh river water, and his scent, balmy, clean and invigorating, excited her.
It had no more than begun when he reached down and pulled her up to him. Switching positions, he lowered her to the ground, which was still warm from his body heat.
Coming up over her, he smoothed back her hair.
“Perhaps in old age I may grow accustomed to your touch, or perhaps I am wrong and the feel of you against me may never become a common pastime. But know this, whether or not the fire between us becomes a mere ember in our future, you will always have my love. That will not die. I will not let it. And this I promise you.”
“Oh, Swift Hawk,” she cried, and reaching up, she cradled his head in her hands. “Love me, my darling. Please love me.”
With a deep kiss as a promise for what was to come, he proceeded to do just that.