Seducing the Sheriff Read online

  His jaw clenched. He averted his gaze from hers.

  She reached for his chin and forced him to look at her. “Don’t turn away from me. Cord, I want to bear your children. Tall, strong sons to carry on when we’re too old. And beautiful daughters who’ll find their own true loves. Otherwise…”

  She held her breath. Did he love her enough to accept her conditions? He had to because if she had to face another trip to town without his ring on her finger…in other words as a respectable married woman, she couldn’t face the snide expressions and cutting remarks of the town folk.

  “Otherwise what?” His dark gaze didn’t waver, as if daring her to say “no” to his proposal.

  “We’d never be happy. I would pine after what you wouldn’t give me. Yourself and your children.”

  “And why are you so set on having a family?”

  “I want children to love so I can give them the kind of love I never had. Growing up, I was a silly nuisance to my pa and a tool for my mother to manipulate. I want—no, I need to know—you love me and want to share your life with me and everything that goes with it.” She blinked back the tears.

  He sucked in a deep breath then put his arms around her and held her tight, his breath warm on her neck. When he spoke, the words came in ragged gasps. “You are the only woman I ever wanted…but losing Annie and our baby nearly sucked the life right out of me. I was as good a husband to her as I could be, and I hope I never made her feel like she was my second choice. But she was. Even so, I was happy about the baby. Then both of them lost in the space of an afternoon.”

  His face contorted as he blinked back the tears shining in his eyes. The muscles in his throat worked as if the words were too difficult to utter. “She shouldn’t have been in the bank that day. I sent her to open up an account for the baby. It was stupid of me—I know that now—I pushed her to show more initiative. Didn’t want her to be so dependent on me. My line of work, you never know what’ll happen. Anyhow, it was my fault she was there.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known something would happen.”

  He shook his head. “But there were rumors your brother and his gang were in the area. I should’ve took better care of her.”

  “How about if I promise to stay away from the bank, the post office and the pathetic newspaper office too if you’ll—now, dang it, Cordero Tate. All I want is what any woman wants. I want you in my bed every night to keep me warm and loved. And if we’re blessed by children then even better.”

  His expression softened, he nodded ever so slightly. “You don’t give me much choice. All right. I’ll marry you.”

  “You already asked me,” she said with a giggle. “I’m the one supposed to say yes.”

  “So you’re saying you will?” His dark eyes shone full of warmth in the lamplight.

  She threw her arms around his neck. “Yes!” Her heart beat so fast it fairly flew. Finally he was truly hers to love and hold dear for the rest of her days.

  “Woman, you know I can’t live without you. It’s official. We’re engaged.”

  “Now you don’t have to,” she murmured softly and pressed her breasts against his chest. He pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her hard and demanding as his tongue invaded her mouth and mimicked the in and out of lovemaking, while his cock jammed hard against her belly. Her skin grew hot and tingled with anticipation of what would come next.

  He stood, pulled her to her feet and held her fast against his hard body. Her knees weakened and a curl of desire built and wove through her entire body. “I’ve missed your loving so much.”

  “Hasn’t been that long—just yesterday.” His breath came in ragged gasps.

  “Seems like a week.” Her own breathing was tortured, her breasts rising and falling with each intake of air. “I’ll marry you, but I won’t stop begging you to have children. But right now, I just want you to make love to me. Anyway you want. Do anything. I’m yours.”

  “Anything?” He chuckled and his dark brown eyes glittered with passion.

  “Anything.”

  “I’ve a mind to teach you how to make love to me.”

  “Yes,” she hissed. “I want to pleasure you. I want you to come and come like I do when you do so many wonderful things to me.”

  He gathered her in his arms and sped upstairs. He set her down, but when she started to undress, he shook his head. “Wait. Not yet.”

  In record time he kicked off his boots and stripped down naked. She reached for him, wanting to touch his trail-hardened body and claim it for her own. “No. Not yet.”

  “Why? I don’t understand. I want to pleasure you and you won’t even let me touch you.”

  “You think I don’t get pleasure just looking at you?”

  “But I’m—” She shook her head. Honestly the man had her more confused than ever.

  He grinned then sprawled on her bed, levered on one elbow, his Johnson standing at attention. More than anything she wanted to crawl in his arms and touch him. The sight of his long, lean and muscular body and the thick cock that emerged from a black patch of curls where his thighs joined sent a jolt of need to her very core.

  “Undress for me,” he said. “Slowly.”

  “Let me make sure I understand. You just want to watch me undress?”

  “For now.” A smiled played across his face. “You said you’d do anything.”

  “I did.” She smiled back. Okay, if he wanted a show, she’d give him one. He’d seen it all anyway.

  Slowly she unbuttoned her shirtwaist, slipped it off her shoulders and dropped it to the floor. She started to unlace the bustier, but he held up his hand. “No, the skirt first, and then the booster thing.”

  Unfastening the full skirt at the waist, she let it puddle around her ankles, leaving her wearing only knickers and bustier.

  “Beautiful.” He grabbed his cock in his fist and began moving it back and forth from the base to the head. “I pleasure myself like this when I don’t have anyone else. Ever pleasure yourself? Do you know how?”

  Her face heated until it burned. How had he known? She swallowed.

  “Tell me. How do you give yourself pleasure?”

  “Just since we’ve been—you know—making love. I figured out how to do it.”

  “Good.”

  His hand kept moving slowly, almost mesmerizing her. She couldn’t keep her eyes off it.

  “Was it good when you did?”

  She nodded. “But it’s better with your mouth on me.”

  “Take off the corset.”

  His voice was husky and deep and the sound of it sent a thrill to her core. The crotch of her knickers grew damp with her arousal. She loosened the bustier ties, opened the front, exposing her breasts to his view. Cupping them, she toyed with her nipples until they budded into small firm beads.

  Cord groaned and increased the speed of his fist. “Take off your bloomers.”

  Taking her time she complied, easing them over her hips and down her legs. Of its own accord her hand went to her cleft and began to rub her pleasure nub.

  “Lie down beside me, but don’t stop. I want to watch you play with your pussy.”

  He wanted to watch while she touched herself…down there? “Uh—”

  “You said ‘anything’.”

  She put one knee on the bed and then the other and stretched out beside him. “And I mean to keep my word.” Fingering her nubbin, she squeezed her legs together.

  “No. Spread ’em. I want to see your pussy while you do it.” She began to lose herself in the sensations of his heated gaze on her, so close but not touching her. As if it were his hand pleasuring her and not her own. With her other hand she caressed her breast and pulled at the nipple. Her body grew heated, and she moaned as the waves of pleasure took her over the brink, her thighs jittering with the release.

  “Beautiful. Beautiful when you come.” He groaned and fisted his cock even faster.

  She rolled on her side to watch. His face was flus
hed as he strained and came, spurting his seed in quick jets. As his body went limp, but not his cock, she smiled. “So that’s how you pleasure yourself.”

  “Yeah. And you can pleasure me that way, too.” Propped back up on his elbow, he grinned down at her.

  Always eager to learn more, she asked, “With my fist or like you did—you know—with your mouth?” She gave him a catlike smile. “I’d like to try it.”

  “Both.”

  “What about your seed? I mean if my mouth is on you…”

  “Spit or swallow—your choice. I have it on good authority it doesn’t taste bad.”

  “Where did you learn—no, I don’t want to know.”

  “Darlin’, a man has needs, and I’m a man, so…”

  “I said never mind.” She held her hands up and waved them. “I don’t really want to know.” Of course he’d had a wife and it’d been two years since she passed. Of course, there were the women, the soiled doves, who sold themselves at the Gold Dust. But were they called soiled for a reason?

  “Don’t you be thinking I’ve messed around with any of the girls at the Gold Dust, ’cause I haven’t.”

  “I said I don’t want to know.” If not any of them then who?

  “Just once, Annie…to please me.”

  “She loved you.” If even the shy Annie could take his cock in her mouth… Star certainly could and would.

  “Yes, she did.”

  “I love you, Cord. I always have. And I will do anything to please you.”

  She reached for his cock, but he stopped her and took her fingers in his mouth and sucked, licking each one. “They taste like you. Like my woman. My love.”

  “Then let me taste you. Let me take you in my mouth.”

  He uttered a low groan then hissed, “Yes.”

  She grasped his semi-rigid cock and licked the tip. Slightly salty and male. His cock stirred to life under her tongue, and she opened her mouth wide to take him inside. Swirling her tongue around the head she began to move her head up and down, sucking as she did.

  His thighs quivered and he gasped, “Faster, darlin’.” She obliged, hoping she was doing it right and, from her observations, she was.

  His body tensed. And he came in her mouth. She swallowed the barely salty fluid. Eyes wide, she asked, “Was it good? Or at least all right?”

  “God, yes.” He pulled her into his arms and placed tiny kisses up and down her neck until she thought she might come again. “You’re a hell of a woman, Starlight Tyler. A hell of a woman. And a hell of a woman deserves a reward.”

  She gave him an encouraging grin. “Surely you’re not going to give me the one thing I want?” Oh, please…

  He chuckled and shook his head. “No, but I am going to…” He positioned himself between her legs and buried his face in her cleft and took both breasts in his hands and pulled at the nipples. Licking and sucking her pleasure nub, never letting up, he brought her to a shuddering climax.

  Drained and exhausted, she lay beside Cord, curled in his warm embrace. There was only one thing that could possibly make this night any better and he wouldn’t give it to her: himself without reservation. She caressed his cheek lovingly. “I love you so much. We have the rest of our lives to do the other.”

  He stiffened, turned his head and rolled away from her. “Don’t spoil everything. You know why I can’t.”

  A burst of anger flashed through her. She sat up. “Not can’t. Won’t.” More than anything she wanted to pound her fists on his chest…anything to make him see reason. “Do you seriously believe we’ll marry, set up house, go to bed each night for the next forty years and not ever make love? Really make love?”

  “Woman!” He let out a groan and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “You are wearing me to distraction.”

  In an attempt to placate him, she gently placed her hand on his shoulder. “Look I understand about your loss, but I just can’t imagine… Any other man would need—”

  “Would what?” He whirled to face, anger clearly written across his face. “You’re a woman with a woman’s needs. What do you know about what a man would or wouldn’t do? As for my needs, whether I planned it or not, come hell or high water, you’re going to be my wife. I’m gonna love you and protect you. Believe I’ve already proved I can. And part of protecting you is not planting a baby in your womb every year until you’re plum worn out from carrying. Isn’t that enough?”

  Star swallowed the lump in her throat and said in her meekest manner, “I guess it’ll have to be.” Not by a long shot, Cordero Tate.

  Settling wasn’t her strong point, but short of hog-tying him and forcing herself on him, settling was what she’d do.

  For now.

  Chapter Seven

  Thursday morning the sun rose long before Star managed to drag herself from the bed. Never had she felt so loved in all her life, but still something was missing. In spite of the new way he’d taught her to pleasure him, he hadn’t given of himself, not fully. And she wouldn’t feel his love completely until he did. It might take time, but he would love her the way she wanted and desperately needed.

  Sitting on the side of the bed, she stretched and yawned then flopped back on the feather mattress. Never wanted to get up. While her pa was gone, she answered to no one. Well, not quite no one. There was her mare, as well as another saddle horse, to feed and the chickens.

  Dang it. She sat up straight. There was a wedding dress to finish. Yesterday, Selma had helped her with the bodice and insetting the sleeves. All Star had to do was gather up the skirt and attach it to a waistband and hem it, which would take forever because of the fullness. The bodice still needed the delicate French lace added and some detail work with the tiny pearl buttons down the front. Fortunately Selma promised she’d return Saturday morning for a final fitting.

  In spite of their disagreement last night, Cord swore he’d be back again for another lesson in the ways of love, so there was a supper to cook just in case he was early enough for that. Too bad fried chicken, green beans and potatoes were the height of her cooking skills.

  Her day passed quickly enough as long as she didn’t stop to think about Cord’s loving lips and skillful hands. And his stubborn heart—no, she wouldn’t stop to think about that either. By the time she stopped working on the dress, the skirt was gathered and half hemmed.

  Hoping he would make it for supper, she warmed up the leftovers and waited.

  And waited.

  Disappointment and doubt descended on her. Well, he didn’t exactly swear on the Bible. Something important must’ve required his attention. More important than seeing her and making such sweet love? Maybe he was still put out after last night. Maybe he wasn’t coming at all.

  She lit the kerosene lamp and tried sewing. Finally, rubbing her eyes, she stopped. What the heck, she ought to at least try on the skirt and double-check the hemline. She shimmied out of her denims and let them fall to the floor then pulled the pale green skirt over her head and settled it around her waist.

  Leaning forward, she checked where the hem fell. Perfect. Elation buzzed through her. She twirled around and squealed. Three more days and she’d be wed.

  And safe.

  “Looks mighty good. Didn’t know my future wife had such a fine hand with a needle.”

  She whirled at the sound of Cord’s voice. “What are you doing there? You should give a girl some warning. Don’t you know it’s bad luck for you to see my wedding dress?”

  “But— All right. All right. I’m hiding my eyes.” He covered his eyes and turned around. “I thought you’d be happy to see me. Guess I was wrong,” he teased. “Besides, that’s only a half a dress, so it doesn’t count. Not that I know all that much about wedding dresses and all that superstitious nonsense.”

  She stepped from the skirt, bundled it up in her arms and thrust it into a nearby trunk. “Now. You can turn around.

  “You’re sure me seeing you in your bloomers won’t jinx the big day?”

 
“Silly.” She glanced down then snatched up her trousers and tossed them on the rocker. “Have you eaten? I waited, but then I gave up on you. Anyway, there’re some leftovers in the ice box.”

  “Sorry.” He shook his head. “Had a lead on some cattle rustlers coming over the county line. Went to check ’em out. Turned out ten head had strayed and gotten lost in an arroyo.” He reached down, picked her up and carried her upstairs. “Big old waste of time when I’d rather be here with you.”

  “Considering how much I have to learn, I’m surely glad you found those silly cattle and found time to come all the way out here.”

  He set her on her feet, but she kept her arms around his neck. He unbuttoned her shirt and exposed her breasts. He eased her back on the bed and buried his nose in the valley between her breasts. “Woman, you sure smell good. Where’s that fancy thing you were wearing last time?” he growled deep in his chest. “Sorta liked all that lacy nonsense.”

  “I’ll have you know I was very busy today. Eggs to gather, chickens to feed. I’m the only one here or haven’t you noticed?”

  “Believe me, darlin’, I’ve noticed.” His hand dipped into her knickers and found her cleft. She squirmed under his touch as his finger slid in and out of her pussy. “Notice something else, too. You’re already creaming for me.”

  “Take ’em off me.” Heat suffused her entire body. Dammit. He was still fully dressed. She fumbled with his belt then the buttons of his trousers. “Get naked. I want to see every inch of you. Want to feel every part of you.”

  “Happy to oblige, darlin’.” He rolled to his feet, shrugged out of his shirt, shucked his duckins and quickly toed off his boots. Standing before her was the most glorious man she’d ever seen. Those statues of naked gods in the Boston museum had nothing on Cord. Gracious. The tiny little cocks on the ancient sculptures weren’t worthy of the name.

  He lay down beside her and kissed her neck and nibbled on her ear. Chill bumps popped up all over her body. “Love me, Cord. Really love me. The way I want you to. It’s only three more days until we wed, and I need to feel you come inside me. I want to make you happy and be a good wife.”