Suddenly, there she was. Her fingers wrapped in her skirt in anticipation.
He breathed in relief, but was still unwilling to admit he cared whether she had waited for him or not. He smiled and Sarah smiled back when he rode up beside her. She seemed glad to see him.
He sat in the saddle and stared. She shifted under his scrutiny. He wanted to speak, but couldn't. He wanted to touch her, but didn't dare. Silence enveloped them like a bubble.
The leather in his saddle groaned when he dismounted to stand a foot in front of her. Her chest rose and fell with each breath and her blue eyes sparkled with hope. He could reach out and touch her, if only he dared. He stepped toward her and his hand was on her cheek.
She stood rigid, but relaxed as his hand slid along her neck. Her eyes closed and a sigh escaped her lips. She opened her eyes and Ben saw hope flicker again. Could he give her what she so desperately needed and wanted? A return to the way things had been? To the feelings they'd shared of total trust and devotion? He pulled away as those thoughts tumbled through his brain.
His body betrayed him. He had to have her. He'd thought too long about their reunion.
Without words he led her to her quarters. He tethered his mount and entered the cabin with Sarah close behind. The door closed and he turned to face her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ben silenced her with a hungry, passionate kiss. He ravaged her mouth while Sarah seemed helpless to deny him. With each stroke of his tongue, she responded in kind, flaming his desires higher. His lips seared a path along her neck and she sighed as his hands worked at the buttons of her dress. She was limp in his arms. He grew impatient, tore at the material to expose her creamy-white skin. Her chemise fell away in pieces as lust shook him, his breathing akin to panting. In a few quick motions he shed his own clothing and the two lay on top of the tiny bed.
Her fingers twined through his long, scraggly hair and she pulled him closer. Her body melded to his. This was Sarah, he told himself. His Sarah. The woman he had loved more than life itself and she was his again. His mouth feasted on her breasts and neck while his hands sought every inch of her body. His mind remembered every touch and feel of her. He was on fire and only she could extinguish the flames.
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