Riding West by Emma Wildes

opportunity. Carefully, he eased out from between her legs and propped himself on one elbow.
    His wife looked more than delectable with her glorious pale hair in disarray around her slender, flushed body. Those spectacular bare breasts he so admired were a little swollen from his attentions, the nipples still erect from her recent orgasm. It wasn‘t surprising he could see small runnels of sperm on her creamy inner thighs and he felt a sense of pure possession and satisfaction he had branded her his so thoroughly. On her side in a languid repose, she looked a little sleepy, and maybe that would make her more cooperative.
    Maybe , he thought with an inner grimace. At the best of times she was disturbingly independent.
    He never had been good with the careful way he approached her, and she certainly never had any trouble letting him know it. So a direct statement seemed best. “I want you to stay close to the house for a while, Celia. No rides, no visits to town, no excursions of any kind unless I say so and send a guard.”
    The look of sated contentment vanished and her dark blond brows snapped together. “What?”
    “I don‘t want Colter carrying you off.”
    She rose up and stared at him. “Don‘t be absurd, Parker. Not even he would kidnap another man‘s wife.”
    “I‘m not so sure, and until I am, you need to stay right here.” He‘d never been so sincere, especially when gazing at her perfect, alluring beauty. Naked, her voluptuous body tinted pink in orgasmic afterglow, she was enough to take any man‘s breath away.
    Her lovely mouth tightened mutinously. “Like hell I will. I am not going to skulk inside because of that cur. I think you‘re crazy, anyway. He didn‘t try it before, why would he now?”
    “No, I beat him to it, didn‘t I? Besides, I know for a fact your brothers kept a very close eye on you, sweetheart.”
    “If he tried anything like that, Colter knows you‘d kill him, Parker.”
    “I would, or die trying, that‘s for sure,” he admitted stoically, knowing he‘d made his point when she blanched, some of the rosy glow fading from her smooth cheeks. “But he has a lot of men bought and paid for, not to mention the law around here. You saw what happened with the judge. That was a bit of a crazy plan, which is exactly what he is—crazy. The man is plain loco to try something so blatant. Unfortunately, he also has a lot of money and a lot of influence and he wants you bad, apparently. Let‘s face it, if it wasn‘t for John‘s instincts, he probably would have gotten away with it. We‘ve never cared for each other, but I expect now he hates my guts knowing I‘ve had you.”
    Uncharacteristically silent for a long moment, Celia simply looked at him, her lovely eyes showing consternation and defiance.
    He played his trump card by adding softly, “You say you love me, sweetheart, well prove it and do as I‘ve asked. Hopefully he‘ll be run out of these parts or hung from a tall tree for rustling before long, because John is sure he‘s the force behind our recent big losses and is determined to prove it. Not even a bought judge could save his neck if we have good enough evidence. It‘s a pretty serious crime.”
    “I know that,” she said crossly, “I‘m not a child and I‘ve lived out here my whole life. Damn you, Parker, I hate being cooped up inside.”
    A flicker of triumph went through him, for the sulky tone of her voice told him he‘d won. “No, you aren‘t a child in any way,” he agreed softly, shifting so he loomed over her, their mouths inches apart. “You are a damned sexy, gorgeous woman.”
    Lush lashes lowered a fraction. “Am I?”
    “It‘s been proven beyond a doubt I think so, but let me demonstrate one more time.”
    With leisurely thoroughness he kissed her, their mouths melding together, lips clinging, tongues brushing in small erotic strokes. He moved to her breasts, gently licking her sensitive nipples, taking the rosy peaks into his mouth,