With a glance at the door to the kids’ bedroom, she crossed and stood timidly beside the chair, her eyes downcast.
“What’s wrong?”
“I told you. The only other man I’ve ever been with was Frank. I’m scared out of my wits. You’d think I wouldn’t be, given I’ve had two kids and all. But this is nothing like being married. This is”—Mary paused as if seeking the right word—“exciting.”
Fargo put his hand on her wrist.
“Wait. There are rules.”
“Rules?”
“I don’t want Nelly and Jayce to hear us. We have to be quiet. And we go in my bedroom and throw the bolt so one of them doesn’t walk in on us. And if they knock, we stop right away and I get dressed and get out of bed to see what they want.”
“Anything else?”
Her eyes were pools of uncertainty. “You won’t hurt me, will you? I mean, you’re not one of those? My Frank was always gentle. That’s how I like it. Nice and easy and gentle.”
“I’m not Frank,” Fargo said, and pulled her into his lap. She resisted for the briefest instant. Then her bottom was on his manhood and his mouth was molded to hers. She gasped and in doing so parted her lips, enabling him to slide his tongue into her mouth.
Mary was momentarily taken aback. She pressed against his shoulders, but not hard, and cooed deep in her throat. Slowly, she melted against him, until her mouth was molten with need.
They kissed and they kissed. It was Fargo who broke for air. Mary rested her cheek on his chest and shook from head to toe.
“Oh, my.”
“What?”
“Frank never kissed like that.”
“I’m not Frank,” Fargo repeated. He caressed her hair and ran his other hand down to the small of her back. She sat still, her hands in her lap, a frightened bird ready to take wing. “You can relax.”
“That’s easy for you to say. If my children caught us, I’d be embarrassed beyond tears. They mean everything to me, Skye. And I do mean everything.”
Mary gazed about the room. “We may not have much but we’ve always had love and respect. I wouldn’t want to lose that.”
Fargo could take a hint. Scooping her into his arms, he rose and moved toward her bedroom.
“There’s no need to carry me. I can walk.”
“I’ve known chipmunks that chattered less,” Fargo said by way of making her hush.
“I can’t help it. It’s all I can do to keep from trembling like a newlywed.” Mary touched a fingertip to his lips. “Be patient with me, please. I’ll try not to disappoint you.”
Fargo set her on her feet and she timidly craned her neck to kiss him. He slid his hands behind her, gripped her bottom, and ground against her.
“Goodness! Be gentle, remember?”
Fargo squeezed her harder, then hauled off and gave her bottom a slap. She arched her back and her eyes widened in surprise . . . and something else.
“You call that gentle?”
Roving a hand to her belly, Fargo rubbed in circles until his hand brushed a breast. He covered it with his palm. Her nipple was growing as hard as a tack. When he pinched it, her eyelids fluttered and she mewed in delight. “Liked that, did you?”
“You make me tingle.”
Fargo intended to do a lot more than that. He eased her onto the bed on her back and was about to spread out next to her.
“The bolt, remember?”
Grumbling, Fargo hurried to the door and back again. He removed his spurs. He’d torn apart more than a few quilts, blankets, and sheets in his time, and she didn’t have any to spare.
“Lord, I hope I’m not making the biggest mistake of my life. If words get around, I’ll have men crawling out of the woodwork, thinking I’m easy.”
“Who is there to tell?” Fargo unbuckled his gun belt and set it to one side. He was rock-hard under his pants, so hard it hurt, a delicious hurt he could never get enough of. He commenced kissing her; her throat, her cheeks, her brow. Her body grew hot. She squirmed in rising delight and sank her fingernails into his shoulders.
Fargo’s mouth found hers. He covered her mounds and kneaded them through the sheer fabric of her nightgown. She bit his bottom lip as if trying to devour him, then suddenly drew back, her eyes widening in horror.
“Oh, no.”
Not having any idea what she was upset about, and not caring to stop, Fargo went to nuzzle her neck and was surprised when she pushed against his chest, stopping him. “What’s the matter?”
“I bit you so hard, there’s a drop of blood.”
Fargo didn’t understand why she was so disturbed. “Bite me all you want. Just so you don’t rip my throat open.”
“I didn’t mean to do it.”
Drawing back, Fargo stared. “A drop of blood never hurt anybody. What’s really got you upset?”
“I—” Mary hesitated. “I lost control.”
“All you did was bite me.”
“I never bit Frank’s lip.”
“I keep telling you I’m not Frank. Bite me, claw me, pull my hair out—it won’t make me faint.”
“It’s not you,” Mary said. “It’s me.”
“I don’t savvy.”
“Aren’t you listening? I lost
“Calm down. It’s not as if you ripped my clothes off and had your way with me.”
“That’s just it. I want to.”
To Fargo’s delight, she threw an arm around his neck and pulled him to her. She kissed him fiercely, moaning all the while, and did the last thing he expected her to do: She reached between his legs and cupped his rigid pole. Her lips and her body were living fire. She didn’t so much make love to him as consume him.
Time lost all meaning. Mary kissed and rubbed and stroked and aroused as few women had ever done to Fargo. He held his own for a while and then lay back and let her do as she pleased. She pleased to do everything. Her lips roved everywhere. She was a bottomless wellspring of carnal craving, and she craved to be filled.
When, at long last, they neared the peak, Fargo throbbed with the need for release. His manhood felt fit to rupture.
Mary crested first. She threw back her head and her eyes widened in amazement, and then she bit her lip to keep from crying out as she bucked and heaved and cooed and gushed, gushed, gushed.
Her climax triggered Fargo’s. He hurtled over the brink, surprised by the intensity. It was like no time, ever. It was different. It was unique. It was the best.
They coasted to a stop and Fargo collapsed beside her. That was the last he knew until a gentle shaking of his arm brought him out of perhaps the deepest sleep of his life to find her gazing lovingly into his eyes.
“Good morning.”
“What?” Fargo thought she was mistaken. They couldn’t have slept that long.
“It’s almost dawn. Half an hour and the sun will rise. I’ve checked on Nelly and Jayce, and they’re still sound asleep.”
Groggily, Fargo raised up and looked around. “I slept the whole night?” He sank back down.
“What was left of it. We were up pretty late.” Mary tenderly touched his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
“That was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I thought that Frank and I—” Mary stopped. “How do I put
