STORY EXCERPT

As he squeezed her hand, her eyes, drawn inexplicably to Jed’s strapping physique, roamed helplessly for a moment over his damp torso. Quickly, she lowered them again. Suddenly, she felt a little shy. She wasn’t used to half-naked men touching her, even though he only shook her hand. Letting her eyes stray over a firm, broad chest and hard, muscular shoulders, invited a hunger she wasn’t comfortable with.

She withdrew her fingers, sliding them slowly from his firm, yet gentle grip. However, the tingle that followed crept sensuously up her arm and across her skin. Such a long time since she’d experienced the gentle touch of a man, the contact startled her. She sucked in a huge gulp of air to steady herself.

“Have you just gotten into town?” she asked politely. She needed to distract her thoughts, away from strong hands and fine-looking bodies.

“A few hours ago,” Luke explained. “We finished a cattle drive a couple of days back. But the town we arrived in was too busy. We decided to come down here for the peace and quiet.” He chuckled. “Don’t look like we found much of that.”

“I’m sorry,” Hannah apologized. “The townsfolk here are good people. It’s McCabe and his men who are the trouble.” She gave a little smile. “Look, you must let me cook you supper as way of thanks for seeing them off.” The men looked as though they might appreciate a good home-cooked meal.

Luke tipped his hat. He’d retrieved it from where it lay in the dust while Jed introduced himself. He smiled kindly at her.

“That’s mighty neighborly of you, ma’am.”

 Jed folded his arms across his bare chest. He drew himself up to his full height and winked at her, as he turned to his brother and wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“I suggest you get yourself a shave, a bath, and a change of clothes first, bro,” he said. “We don’t want the lady passing out from your stink.”

Hannah silently agreed. Luke’s scent was more than a little ripe. He’d obviously not had the benefit of a bath as Jed had appeared to have done. They both laughed as he made a deliberate show of sniffing his armpits.

“He’s right there, ma’am. I’m sorry if the smell is offensive. The call of a beer was too much to resist before all that soap and palaver.”

Hannah nodded in understanding but asked impulsively, “Why not take a bath at my place? There’s hot water and I can easily find a change of clothes and a razor for you. I’ll even wash those clothes of yours. It’s the least I can do after your kindness.”

Luke tipped his hat again.

“Why, thank you, ma’am. I might just take you up on that.”

“Good. That’s settled then.” She smiled. “And please, call me Hannah.” She paused for a moment. She had an idea. She didn’t want McCabe and his men following her. That time would come soon enough. “I’m heading home now. Would you like to come back with me now?”

She glanced quickly from one to the other. Relief flooded her bones as Luke nodded in agreement. However, Jed declined to join her immediately. Instead, he looked down at the thin film of dust that now covered his sweaty torso. He ran his palm over his bearded chin and said, “I had to jump from my bath to come give you a helping hand. My shave’s still waiting. I’ll go and finish off. No point in wasting all that nice hot water.” He gave a quick, backward toss of his head in the direction of the saloon. At the same time, he slipped Hannah an easy smile.

The mischievous twinkle in his eyes also told her it was more than just his toilette he was eager to get back to. Knowing exactly what went on in the upper rooms of the building, her heart gave a little flutter. Maybe it was a good thing he had declined her offer. Having lived among cowboys for a while, she knew some men liked nothing more than a good fight to get their juices flowing. Suddenly Jed looked extremely horny. A tingle snaked its way along her spine. She’d not been with a man in a while, so, maybe it was better this way. At least Luke’s stink was enough to divert her sudden, and unwanted, wayward thoughts.

ADULT EXCERPT

She scurried from the room and dropped his clothes into a tub of cold water out back. Returning to the kitchen, she gave the stew a vigorous stir. Puffing out her cheeks, she let out a long, slow breath. Hot and sweaty, and very mindful it wasn’t just the weather causing her physical state, her head was all over the place.

She unfastened another button on her blouse and wiped away the thin sheen of perspiration covering her neck and corsage with her fingers and palm. Thank goodness she’d changed out of her pants into a skirt when she got back. She lifted the front and wafted it vigorously in a futile attempt to cool herself down. Try as she might, she still couldn’t ignore the sound of splashing water in her bedroom. Unable to control herself, she went back to the open door.

Her heart pumped mercilessly against her ribcage. Her breath shortened. Sucking in tight, ragged gasps, her body throbbed as the blood fizzed hotly through her veins. Instinctively, her hand slid to the V of her blouse. She unfastened yet another button.

Slipping her left hand inside the garment, she could feel the heat emanating from her skin as her flesh tingled and burned. Gently, she began to stroke the soft flesh of her right breast. She needed to dosomething to alleviate the ever-increasing tension threatening to swamp her.

Lightly, her fingers found the hard peak of her tightly contracted nipple. Teasing and circling it gently, tiny sparks of electricity shot through her body. They massed in a cacophony of nerve endings deep inside the core of her womanhood. Their intensity stirred a jumble of emotions and needs. She gasped and gave a little moan. Everything faded around her, receding swiftly to the outer reaches of the room until nothing was left in it but her pulsating body, eager for release from the sweet agony that now swept through her like a huge tidal wave. Desperate for release, she closed her eyes.

She caught the hem of her skirt. Barely conscious of her short, panting intakes of air, she scrunched the material slowly between the fingers of her right hand and lifted it. She’d not bothered with bloomers. She often went bare-assed when the weather became warm, saving them just for Sundays, when she went to church, or when she rode into town. She was glad now that she hadn’t.

She licked her lips and opened her eyes. Peeking through the doorway, she could now see Luke’s well-formed masculine body reclining against the back of the bath. His big frame looked cramped in that tiny bath with his eyes shut and his knees still bent and spread apart. However, Hannah was now more interested in admiring his rugged looks and taut, lean body. Sure and strong, with a wide, broad chest and flat, washboard stomach, it bore testament to the hard, physical life he led. His thighs, clear of the water, were firm and powerful. She lingered, for a moment, imagining how delicious it would feel to have them pry hers apart. Her sex swelled and she laid her head against the wall once more. Tilting her head back and closing her eyes, she tweaked a tingling, sensitive nipple.

A wonderful spasm coursed down to her womb, and the hand that held her skirt, now slid to her hot, wet center. Gently, her fingers started to rub its slick folds and twirl the golden curls at the junction of her thighs. She squirmed against the wall, as she rotated the tip of her finger around the swollen nub of her quivering clit. She began to tremble.

Oh, God! It had been far too long since she’d felt a hard cock inside her, and drowned in that wonderful, shameless feeling as if it would split her body in two. How she craved to feel a man’s rough flesh lying against her flesh again, rocking together and bringing each other to the brink of sweet oblivion. She wanted to fall over the edge into that wonderful abyss, where nothing mattered, except pure physical gratification while he spurted hot juices deep inside her

Oh, God—where she nearly was now.

She panted. Her breath came raw, short, and fast at the back of her throat. She was barely aware of the warmth that suddenly tickled the length of her exposed neck as she arched against the wall, ready to give her whole being over to that glorious wave of pure bliss. Shivers of excruciating delight slithered tantalizingly across her shoulders and down her spine until they reached the crevice between her buttocks. For a moment, they teased and circled around her butt hole before finally creeping into her now dripping cunny. She moaned softly, welcoming the hot, pouring tide rolling in over the sexual heat that she’d put on one side for so long.

Just as the dam was about to burst, a low, seductive, gravelly voice purred against her ear. It cleaved its way through the fog clouding her brain.

“Do you need any help with that?”