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  She couldn’t think why, and when his tongue delved deep into her mouth, she forgot to think at all. How could a lady be expected to think when a man put his tongue in her mouth? Hot, wet and hungry, he sipped at her taste, ate of her essence. Judging by his low moans, he certainly appreciated what he found. Still, his discovery didn’t happen without leaving behind his own deliciously clean taste. She couldn’t imagine why or how he could taste this good. He just did. God, but she’d never known anything this wondrous before.

  She couldn’t say why she did it. Never in her life had she done anything like it, never had she thought to do anything like it. Still it was a dream, wasn’t it? And in dreams it hardly mattered that a lady might do something so outrageously decadent. Taking her cue from his previous actions, she sucked his tongue, and at the sound of his deep groan of delight, she instantly knew it was the right thing to do. Her lips curved into a smile. She hadn’t known it was possible to cause a man to groan. And she thought she rather liked the feeling of power it conferred. She sucked it again.

  They were both gasping for their next breath as his mouth left hers to drift deliciously to her jaw, her ear and down her throat, to a shoulder and chest that were oddly naked.

  The confined space permitted only the most meager movement. Still it seemed to pose no problem, for his mouth was somehow able to span the short distance from her mouth to her naked breasts.

  Abby wanted to laugh at the thought. Naked? How could that be? How could she be so exposed? And how could a man’s mouth feel this good sliding over her skin? It couldn’t of course. The scratch of whiskers, the softness of lips, nothing felt this good. Except in dreams. That was it. That was why it felt so good. She’d forgotten for a moment that she was dreaming.

  And when his mouth left hers to cover her breast and suck her nipple into an inferno of heat, she gasped and moaned her pleasure, wishing she could always dream like this. A man, a strange man lay over her prone form. Peculiar that it would be a strange man. Why wasn’t it Bradley? Peculiar as well that she found nothing shocking about it. It was dark, she couldn’t see who he might be or where they were. All she knew for a fact was that her jacket and the blouse beneath it were open. Her chemises had been pulled down exposing her breasts to his pleasure. And she loved every touch of his mouth.

  Oddly enough, despite the fact that a man had never touched her where this man now sucked and licked, she wasn’t shocked. Indeed, her dream seemed to have softened her resistance and left her with the strangest craving for more. A low moan escaped her throat, and she arched her back just enough to let him know she loved this. And she did. God, she truly did. Why had it taken so long before she’d discovered this delight? Why in the world had she never done this before? Why now with a strange man did she pant and gasp for every breath, hungry for all he could show her.

  She wasn’t dreaming. She was still on the floor with the man who had tackled her lying over her. He was touching her where no man had ever touched her and she didn’t care. All she knew was she wanted more.

  “Delicious,” he murmured above her. “God, you taste so good.”

  “Mmm,” she muttered in return. Drugged with passion, her words were thick and hard to come by. “You, too.”

  In the tight confines, his hands gathered her naked breasts together, and Abby moaned as he rubbed his whickered cheek back and forth over sensitive nipples.

  “Do you like this?”

  “Mmm, do it again.”

  His laugh was low and silky as his tongue played with a hardened tip. “When I first saw you, I thought you were a girl.”

  Abby frowned. She didn’t want to talk. She want to feel. Still she managed, “I am a girl.”

  “I mean a young girl.”

  “Mmm.” She couldn’t make sense of his words. What did he mean? And an instant later she forgot the question, a willing victim in this delicious game of seduction. Abby didn’t know how, but this man had more than broken her resistance. He made her want things. Things, until this moment, she’d never known existed.

  “I think you should stop.”

  Against her skin, she felt his lips curve into a smile. “Why? Don’t you like this?”

  “Yes, actually, I like it very much, but—”

  “No buts. It only matters that you like it.” And upon uttering the last word, his mouth was at hers again, dragging her deep, deeper into a web of desire. She had no defenses. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Even if she’d wanted to fight it, she didn’t know how.

  The confines of the space they occupied was impossibly small, yet he managed to reach for the hem of her dress and drag it up her leg. His warm hand slid over her stocking and beneath the full leg of her drawers. Only when his fingers encountered warm flesh did she realize what he was about.

  Her heart pounded as if she’d run miles. “Wait. No, you shouldn’t do that.”

  “I need to show you something.”

  She frowned. “What? Show me what?”

  “Relax, easy,” he said, apparently feeling her muscles tighten beneath his hand. “You like what I’ve done so far, haven’t you?”

  She shrugged. It was blacker than pitch and neither of them could see a thing. “I suppose.”

  “I’m not going to do anything you don’t want. I promise.”

  Abby would later realize the beast had but one thing in mind and because he was quite a bit more worldly than the lady beneath him, he knew even before he began she wouldn’t object. Not once his mouth again returned to hers. Not when that deliciously warm touch brought about a lethargy, a laziness that accompanied a distant throbbing need, a hunger she couldn’t deny as long as his lips held to hers.

  He kissed her again, slow and deep, slower, deeper, working his magic, dragging her under his spell, unrelenting in his efforts to bring her again to a realm just outside of everyday existence.

  “All right?” he said into her mouth.

  Abby heard him mutter something but couldn’t make it out. In truth, she hadn’t a clue as to what he was asking or what he meant and only managed a low, sort of distracted, “Mmm,” as a response.

  His mouth was at her neck then her chest, sucking at her nipples again. She moaned a low sound of yearning, and Linc moved his hand higher and then higher again.

  He smiled, feeling her soften beneath him, knowing she was again ripe for the picking. Knowing she was deeper into her passion than he’d realized. Knowing she wouldn’t stop him should he pull away every scrap of her clothes and kiss her delicious body to her toes. And he was tempted to do just that, but confined as they were, it wouldn’t be here or now. That would have to wait until later. Later, when he had more time and more room, he’d discover and enjoy her body at his leisure.

  Determined to continue his seduction, he moved his hand again, ignoring a nagging sense of dishonor. He knew this one was an innocent. He knew, because of that innocence, she hadn’t a clue as to what he was about. Had she been just a little less adorable, had he not wanted her quite so much, he might not have pushed his cause.

  Linc couldn’t remember when he’d ever treated a lady so shabbily. Just the thought of it almost caused him to pull away. Granted, he’d started this while asleep. He’d awakened to find a lovely, sweet smelling woman beneath his hands, his mouth. He hadn’t thought then beyond the need to taste her, to touch his lips to hers. But her response had rocked his world, for she was nothing less than eager. Another wave of shame assaulted. Christ, what was the matter with him? Now, he was laying the blame at her feet. Jesus, when had he become such a coward?

  So she’d been agreeable. Hadn’t he expected just that while awakening her from sleep? He did. Of course, he did. She was a young, innocent lady. And he knew better. Only it didn’t matter. Nothing would stop him from sampling this woman. Honor be damned. He wanted her, and she was a hot piece who easily fell under his spell. It wasn’t wrong for two adults to find solace in each other. And he was going to enjoy what he could of her, enjoy it until h
e damn near died of the pleasure.

  His hand moved up the leg of her drawers

  His mouth was at her neck, her chest, sucking at her sweet, pebbly nipples again. She moaned a low sound of yearning, and Linc moved his hand higher then higher again. She gasped as he touched her pussy. Gasped again as he pushed his fingers beyond her protective curls and inside the blazing, hot folds of her body.

  She grew instantly stiff. “What? God, you can’t…”

  And his mouth was at her lips again, ignoring any objections. He pulled and sucked her back into the madness. He waited for her body to soften once more, until he knew she’d offer no further objections.

  She was hot. Gloriously hot and unbelievably wet. Damn, he’d never known another to feel this good, to smell this sweet and to taste this wonderful.

  “You shouldn’t,” she said, the moment he pulled his mouth from hers. “You have to stop.”

  “I know, and I will. I just want to touch you a little. It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

  “No,” she said, cautiously dragging the word into two syllables and wondering what it did feel like. Abby couldn’t honestly say she liked it. At least, she couldn’t at first. He was touching her in so private a place—a place where no one had ever touched her before—and she knew only confusion for it felt good. It felt better than good, and that couldn’t be. It was wrong. How could something feel this good and be wrong? “But you shouldn’t.”

  “I need to show you this.”

  “Show me, what?”

  His lips came to tease hers, to tug, to play, to lick, to bite and to sample her again. “Do you know how delicious you are? God, I could kiss you forever.”

  “Yes and that’s another thing you shouldn’t be doing.”

  Linc grinned. A short laugh escaped his throat. “I wish I could see you.”

  “I think what you’re doing is bad enough.”

  “Do you like what I’m doing?”

  “Mmm.” Abby was having a hard time keeping her senses about her. “Maybe, you shouldn’t talk.”

  “Shouldn’t I? Why?”

  She moaned a soft sound. A pressure was beginning to build in her middle. She couldn’t think clearly as her stomach grew tight and tighter again. “What?”

  He laughed again. “Should I stop?”

  She groaned, unable to answer.

  “Should I?” he teased.

  “Oh God,” she managed on a gasp. “I don’t think… Oh please. Please.”

  “Tell me what you want?”

  “I want…I don’t know.” Her hips lifted off the floor. Her body trembled as it urged him closer, sought more of his touch and silently implored him to never stop touching her.

  Suddenly, she was pulling back. “I can’t… It’s too much. I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can. God, I wish I could lick you there.”

  Abby hadn’t a clue as to what he was talking about. All she knew was the greatest pressure she’d ever suffered. Something was happening deep inside. There was a tension unequalled, something that was bound to break if she didn’t ease away from it. Only, she didn’t know how. She didn’t know how to appease the terrible ache. It was going to hurt. It was going to tear her asunder. And she couldn’t stop it from happening.

  “No,” she cried. “I can’t.”

  His mouth took hers, absorbing her cries as her body tensed toward something. My God, she needed him to help her. She needed it so bad.

  She gasped for her every breath. “Wait. I can’t do this. You have to stop. Wait.” Her stomach was ripping apart, something inside was about to break. It hurt so much. “No, please. I can’t,” she wailed into his mouth as ecstasy came upon her, tearing at her, pulsing through her, engulfing her in the magic, throwing her into the blackness, to dance among the stars then finally fall gently back to earth, to groan her immeasurable pleasure.

  It took a long moment, but Abigail finally regained her senses. In doing so she felt just a bit less than happy. In truth, she felt enraged at this man and his daring. How did he presume to touch her? How did he dare? Once they were out of this wreckage, once they were safe again, she was going to find her reticule and the gun inside it and shoot him dead.

  Thank God it was dark. At least, she didn’t have to face him. She wished he would somehow disappear. She wished it with every fiber of her being.

  He couldn’t move. There was no way he could have entered her. His cock was so hard against her hip he thought he would die from the pain of it. All he could do was rub himself madly against her. He’d had no choice. It was either do it or die.

  For an endless moment, he lay slumped against her, waiting for his breathing to ease back to normal. He smiled, totally enchanted as he felt her body soft beneath him and listened to her breathing as it grew steady again. He moaned, “You are adorable.”

  Chapter Three

  Linc moaned then frowned to find his mouth against a woman’s neck as he came slowly awake. Damn, but his head was killing him and his body didn’t feel much better. He couldn’t remember when he’d felt this stiff and achingly sore. Had he been in a fight? Jesus, what the hell happened?

  Inch by painful inch, he came awake and began to remember. The train crash. Damn, he was still trapped beneath the wreckage. He could see a glimmer of light through the rubble. It was almost morning. Soon, help would arrive. Soon, the weight upon his back would lift—a weight that had held him trapped upon this lady for a full night.

  Linc listened to the sounds around him. Men were working down the tracks freeing people from the wreckage.

  He heard her low moan and raised his head from her neck. “Are you all right?”

  The lady took a deep breath and returned, “I’m fine.”

  “We’ll be out of here soon. I can hear people working down a ways. They’re getting folks out.”

  She nodded at this little piece of news but wouldn’t look him in the eye.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “What’s the matter?” she repeated. “Are you serious? After what you did last night, you have the nerve to ask me that?”

  She had the use of only one hand; the other was pinned under his body. Linc helped her adjust her clothes to a more modest fashion and buttoned her jacket. “Lady, I wasn’t doing it alone. If I remember correctly, you were willing enough.”

  “I wasn’t willing.”

  His gaze narrowed in warning. “You sayin’ I forced you?”

  “I’m saying you tricked me.”

  Linc grinned. “Pretty smart of me, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Pretty smart? Pretty loathsome, I’d say. Let’s see how smart you feel after I shoot you dead.”

  Linc laughed. “You think you’ll find your little gun in this rubble?”

  “I hate you.”

  “Maybe, but you surely liked me some last night.”

  “Oh my God, when are they going to get you off me?”

  Linc felt her muscles grow tight beneath him. It didn’t take a great mind to see this woman was about to panic.

  “Easy,” he soothed. They’ll be here soon.” He looked at her for a long moment. God, she was a beauty. Linc was sure he’d never seen a woman half so lovely. Even this close, her skin glowed without a flaw. Her eyes were dark, easily as dark as his own, while her hair, having lost most of its pins, lay in a riot of curls around her face. “Jesus, you really are something to look at.”

  “Would you mind not talking to me?”

  Linc ignored her preference and asked, “What’s your name?”

  “I can’t think of a reason why you need to know my name.”

  “Maybe, we’ll meet again. If we did, I could say, ‘how do you do, Miss?’ What would I call you?”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’re not going to meet again.”

  Linc grinned. This lady might be of a mind to never see him again, but he had quite the opposite thoughts in mind. If he had anything to say about it, they surely would meet again.

  “All right.
I’ll wait on that. Why don’t you tell me where you’re going?”

  “I could tell you where I’d like to see you go.”

  He smiled again. Damn if this woman didn’t lift a man’s spirits. “You know most men find nasty-mouthed women intriguing?”

  “How nice for them.”

  “It wouldn’t take no effort at all to follow you.”

  Abby blinked and turned to face him. Her eyes were wide with astonishment. “Haven’t you something to do? Some place to go?”

  Linc nodded. He’d give her this little scuffle, knowing without a doubt in the end he’d know victory. And when he did, he’d claim this stubborn little woman for his own.

  Linc’s gaze widened with surprise at his own thoughts. For his own? Did he truly want her that much? A slow smile curved his mouth as he realized he did. Damn, he’d never believed it possible to want a woman he barely knew, but he did.

  A voice sounded from outside the train. “Anybody in there?”

  “Yes,” they cried out in unison.

  “Yes,” she said again. “We’re here. Please help us.”

  Chunks of wood, lengths of metal and more wood were dragged away, and the man was lifted from her at last. For the first time in almost ten hours, Abby was able to take a deep breath. Until this moment, she’d never realized just how wonderful breathing could be.

  Following their rescue, there was nothing but confusion. Dozens of people milled about. Women were crying; men looked horrified, their faces drawn and white as they searched for survivors. A dozen or more bodies were laid in a row, covered by anything handy. Luggage was searched for and found, while a horse and buckboard stood ready to bring the first group of travelers to the nearest town. There they might find a room where they might clean up, perhaps a meal or just a stagecoach that would serve as the last leg of their journey.