Riding West by Emma Wildes Read Free Book Online Page B

how he held her hips in place and moved with a wildness that was unlike Parker‘s normal reserve. She liked making him lose control, and her arms wound around his neck as she spread her legs wider and clung to him. It wasn‘t long before she felt the escalating rise of orgasmic pleasure, the tempestuous rhythm of his lovemaking a perfect match for her own raw need.
    When she climaxed, her cry rose above the sound of rushing water, and her thighs tightened around his lean hips. Parker pushed into her contracting passage until he exploded, pouring into her in a hot rush of liquid release.
    He held her there, pressed against the rock. His uneven breathing was warm against her cheek and his arms felt strong and secure.
    That was perfectly fine with her, Celia thought, gazing at her lover. She wouldn‘t mind if they stayed that way forever.
    It was certainly the best bath she‘d ever had.
    ———
    Parker crouched down and stirred the pot, glad he‘d taken the time to bring supplies up to the cabin a few days before he‘d gone after Celia. The stew smelled darned good, if he did say so himself. He‘d killed and skinned a rabbit earlier, and with carrots and potatoes from his mother‘s carefully tended garden, it promised to be delicious.
    “I hope you know I can‘t cook.”
    He glanced up and smiled wryly. “I know.”
    Celia sat at the table, her arms folded as she watched him with a slightly rueful look on her lovely face. “I really can‘t sew much either. Both my mother and Rose say I‘m pretty hopeless when it comes to domestic skills.”
    “Luckily, those aren‘t the skills that interest me.” Still crouched by the hearth, Parker gave her a sinful wink. “You‘re damned good at what pleases me most and you‘re still just a beginner, sweetheart.”
    She blushed, her cheeks tinting a delightful, enchanting pink. “I suppose you‘re an expert judge, is that it? I have to say it has occurred to me the other night sure didn‘t seem to be your first experience with sex, Parker.”
    Whoa, he didn‘t want to travel through this particular territory, though it did please him Celia seemed a little jealous. Her blue eyes held a hint of unhidden resentment.
    He said cautiously, “I‘m twenty-five.”
    “What has your age got to do with anything?”
    “Men are a little different than women.” He straightened and leaned a shoulder against the mantle, hoping he didn‘t sound defensive. “We kind of regard virginity as something to dispose of as quickly as we‘re able to do so.”
    That response apparently wasn‘t the one she wanted. Her chin lifted a little and she gave him a level accusing look. “I see. Just how old were you when you were able to dispose of it?”
    He‘d been fifteen, and his first time had been with a beautiful Spanish girl a few years older. Conchita had eventually married one of his father‘s cowboys and moved to New Mexico, but he still thought of her from time to time. Since then he hadn‘t been exactly celibate, but once he realized exactly how he felt about Celia Evans, his cock had more than a passing acquaintance with his hand. Parker said coolly, “Pretty young. But I‘ve never regarded sex as a casual thing, Celia. I wouldn‘t ever pay for it like a lot of men do—and I haven‘t really even looked at any other woman since I fell in love with you a good five years ago.”
    Her expression changed then, softening from defiant accusation to something entirely different. “You‘ve never said it to me.”
    Parker blinked. “Said what?”
    “That you‘re in love with me.”
    He shoved his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “The whole world knows I‘m in love with you. There isn‘t a question you‘ve known it for a long time.”
    She shook her blond head, soft golden curls brushing her slender shoulders. “You can be so dense, Parker.”
    Maybe he was, because he sure as hell had no idea what exactly she wanted from him. “I proposed,” he pointed