He could feel the heat of desire start to rise within him. He could still feel the glow from last night.
He wanted Rose. He had known that from the first, but he’d never known she could make such a difference in the way he felt. He wasn’t sure what that difference was. He only just this minute realized he felt different about everything. But he knew it was better.
He’d never felt so good, or so good about himself. He couldn’t explain that either, but he wasn’t going to try. He was just going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.
It would end. Not even Rose could make life something it wasn’t, but he knew that this feeling would never be far away. Only as far away as Rose. All he had to do was reach out.
He touched her cheek. It felt soft and cool. Dry. He brushed her lips. They felt dry, too. Apparently she felt none of the heat that even now was causing drops of moisture on his skin.
George trailed his fingers across the planes of her face, brushed past her ear, whisked them down the slim column of her throat, and feathered them across her shoulder. He didn’t know why it felt so enjoyable just to be able to touch her. He’d touched women before, but it hadn’t been anything like this.
It was more than a physical hunger for her body, a stirring need to find release for his own sexual drive. It was a need to know her, to discover all there was to learn about her body. To linger over her lips. To see if kisses felt better in the hollow of her shoulder or the hollow of her throat. To determine if the skin was softer on her breast or her lips. To discover where his touch excited her the most. She was a labyrinth of secrets, and he must learn the answer to every one.
Rose stirred under his touch.
He kissed her awake.
“What time is it?” she murmured.
“Daybreak.”
“I’ve got to get up,” Rose said, trying to sit up. “They’ll be wanting breakfast soon.”
George pulled her back down next to him. “They can wait a few minutes longer.” His hand dipped into her gown and cupped her breast. Rose’s gaze flew to his eyes.
“We can’t. If we’re not out when they come into the kitchen, they’ll know what we’re doing.”
“I don’t care if the whole world knows,” George said as he slipped Rose’s gown over her shoulders and drew her to him. “We’re man and wife.”
“But—”
“No buts,” George said as he pushed her gown down her body. “I’ve never felt so free in my whole life. I don’t know how I’ll feel once I step through that door, but right now I don’t care. I need you.”
George was shocked to realize he had just told Rose he needed her. He did, more than he had ever imagined possible, but he hadn’t felt he could admit it to anyone. But he just had, and it had been easy.
That made him feel even better. He wondered what new wonders Rose could work in his spirit.
But he would save that for later. Right now he wanted to wrap himself in the wonders of her body.
“Jeff, I’ve changed my plans. Stay after the others leave, and I’ll explain.”
George had ridden out to the camp with the twins, but he had taken almost no part in their teasing banter as they rode along. He felt like a man reborn. All because of Rose.
He must have her. No matter what he had to do. No matter what he had to give up. It had seemed so difficult before, so complicated. Now it seemed easy, natural.
“What are you going to do now?” Jeff asked. He was as sulky as ever. Obviously nothing had changed with him.
“I talked it over with the twins. It’s too late in the season to make a drive to St. Louis. I don’t know if we’d make it before winter. With the dry summer, I doubt we could find enough grass and water.”
“Then wait till the spring. I told you that before.”
“We can’t wait that long,” George said. “I want you to go see King now.”
“In person?”
“Yes. Go to his ranch if you have to, but talk to him yourself.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. We don’t have any money to buy cows.”
“I want to make a trade. He’ll make a drive to St. Louis in the spring. It’ll be easier for his men than for us. They have the experience, the manpower, the knowledge of the trails. Offer to trade him steers for cows. It won’t be a problem to drive the steers to his ranch. Find out if he’ll trade and for how much. I’d like to get one cow for every two steers.”
“Whose idea is this?” Jeff demanded.
“Mine,” George said.
“That’s about the only sensible idea you’ve come up with since we got back,” Jeff said, “but I don’t know if King will go for it.”