NIGHT WIND'S WOMAN Page 15

  A lump formed in the back of Shane's throat. Brianna was only two months old. She wouldn't remember Texas or the man who wished he was her father. The man who had no claim upon her.

  "When are you scheduled for a break?" he asked Kelly, knowing she and his mom had secured a throng of university art students to help out.

  "Soon." She bounced the baby, her eyes filled with excitement. "I'm having so much fun, Shane. We've sold so many paintings, and the Wild Winds Gallery even offered me a job if I ever needed one."

  "That's great," he said, forcing the air from his lungs. She wouldn't need a job in Texas. Jason lived in Ohio, and he could afford to buy Kelly her own gallery if she wanted one. Tomorrow, Shane thought. Tomorrow or the day after Jason would call. He could almost hear the telephone ringing in his mind, hear Kelly answering it – a premonition he couldn't stop, couldn't interfere with no matter how much he wanted to.

  When Kelly's relief arrived, Shane led her outside and toward the food. He had spent most of the afternoon chaffing with his sponsors and now he intended to have lunch with Kelly, covet her while he still could.

  They filled their plates, then found an empty table, taking turns holding Brianna while they ate. The baby appeared to enjoy the festivities, the breath of color, music and art.

  "Your mother's boyfriend is nice," Kelly commented while bouncing her daughter on her lap. "Don't you think?"

  "Yeah." Shane had to admit his mom's younger beau seemed like a decent guy. A lively match who fit right into Grace's unorthodox world.

  Kelly reached for her drink and sipped, keeping Brianna snug against her. "Your dad's been awfully quiet, though. Sort of alone in a crowd."

  "I noticed that, too." And he understood it well. Tom missed Linda and being around hordes of people made that loss even harder. His father had developed deep feelings for Kelly's mother, even if their time together had been short. It took a lonely man to recognize another, Shane thought. A man who knew when the right girl wasn't meant to be. "Dad doesn't get into these fund-raisers all that much. Neither one of us is the party type. We do this because we have to." Shane took another bite of his meat and pushed away the melancholy that threatened to ruin the moment. "But you're having a good time, aren't you, Kelly?"

  She nodded and smiled, her hazel eyes bright, her hair glistening in the sun. "The weather's perfect, the food's wonderful and there are people walking around wearing T-shirts with my drawings on them. That makes me feel special."

  You are special, he thought, aching to touch her. "What about the music? Do you like the music?"

  "It's terrific." She tilted her head toward the country notes, a Western ballad drifting through the air. "Very Texas."

  "Then dance with me," he said. "You and Brianna." Shane wanted to hold both of them – mother and child.

  She met his gaze, her smile tagging his heart. "We'd love to."

  They walked to the grassy area where other couples danced. With the baby between them, they swayed to the music. Lulled by the motion, Brianna closed her eyes and slept against her mother's shoulder. Shane moved a little closer to Kelly, then bent to nuzzle her hair. She smelled like watermelon, the fresh, cool scent he had come to expect. The scent that made him hungry.

  Needy. Aware of his body and what it wanted.

  "Can I visit you tonight?" he asked.

  She turned her head until their lips brushed. "Yes," she said, the word a whisper against his mouth.

  "No matter how late it is?" he pressed.

  This time her response came in the form of a kiss, warm and full of promise.

  Shane slipped into the taste, the flavor he craved. The night would be theirs. Moonbeams, wildflowers and lovemaking until dawn. And when it ended he would ask Kelly for nothing more.

  He would keep her and Brianna locked safely in his heart, and when Jason Collier called, he would send them home to the other man. Back to Ohio, where they belonged.

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  «^»

  Kelly had been excused from cleanup duty because Brianna required a long, quiet sleep, exhausted from her lively day. So she had come back to the cabin, bathed and nursed her daughter, then put Brianna to bed in the front room, nuzzled beside the toy cougar.

  Kelly stretched and smiled. Her cougar hadn't arrived yet. He was probably still breaking down booths and packing carnival supplies.

  Fighting heavy eyelids, she sat on the edge of the bed and reached for a book. She had agreed to "no matter how late," and she intended to keep that promise by staying awake. Tonight she needed Shane as much as he appeared to need her.

  Need was a good word, she thought. A sexy word.

  Forcing herself to read, she scanned the pages, but couldn't make sense of them. Her mind was elsewhere. She was naked beneath her nightgown, and the silky fabric felt erotic against her skin. Like the flutter of Shane's hair when he kissed her.

  Giving up on the book, she placed it back on the nightstand. Instead she would close her eyes and think about Shane, imagine his mouth and his hands, that long muscular body.

  She fanned her hair around the pillow. Fantasizing about him wasn't wrong. He was the man she loved. The man who touched her in secret places and made her moist and warm inside.

  Ready.

  She shot up like an arrow and looked across the room, catching her reflection in the mirror. She was ready now, her hair mussed, her eyes glassy, her nipples protruding against a filmy gown. And the heat, she thought. The heat between her legs. The fire fantasizing about Shane had ignited. Yes, she was ready.

  Lowering herself to the bed once again, she let his image fill her mind. Those gold-flecked eyes, that dark, auburn-streaked hair. The muscles that shaped his body, the tight torso, narrow hips. Full, aroused sex.

  Soon, she told herself. He would be there soon.

  Turning down the three-way light, Kelly remained in bed, washed in a pale glow, thinking about her lover. And as she pictured him leaning over her, his hands lifting her nightgown, she slept.

  And then dreamed.

  Her dream felt so real, so alive. He smelled like the night air, like Texas at midnight, the elements clinging to his skin – the grass that grew wild on the plains, the flowers that dotted canyons, the jagged rocks that formed the hillsides.

  Warmth radiated from her apparition. A breath upon her cheek, an erotic whisper.

  "Kelly."

  Upon hearing her name, she fluttered her eyes, caught between wake and sleep. "I'm dreaming."

  "No, sweetheart, it's me."

  Me, her mind said. Him. She knew who fueled her subconscious, her fantasy. "But I dreamed you. I'm dreaming now."

  "No," the voice said, his tone deeper, less of a whisper. "I'm real."

  She felt her hand being lifted, placed upon a solid object. Groggy, she moved her fingers, then laid her palm flat. A man's chest, warm and smooth. A heartbeat, strong and steady.

  "Shane?" She opened her eyes and forced her vision to focus.

  His hair fell over his shoulders in a thick curtain, and his shirt was open, his jeans unfastened. The light sent shadows across his face, hollowing the ridges beneath his cheekbones even more so. His lips looked full, a slight smile tugging at the corners.

  Sexy, she thought.

  "I fell asleep," she managed to say. "I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't."

  "That's okay. I still have a key." He stroked her cheek, his fingertips a slow, hypnotic movement. "It's late. After two."

  She wanted those fingers everywhere. All over, stimulating her. "You smell good. Like the outdoors."

  "All I could think about was getting my work done so I could see you." He lowered himself onto the bed, placing his body next to hers. "I need you, Kelly."

  Need. Yes, she liked the word. The feeling. Awake and aware now, she trapped his gaze. "I fantasized about you, Shane. I imagined you touching me."

  He made a throaty sound, a raw primal noise. Skimming her shoulders, he asked "Did I touch you here?"
When she swallowed and nodded, he slipped his hands down the front of her gown and cupped her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over the tips. "And here?"

  Her nipples peaked, hard and aching. "Yes."

  The game continued. He removed her nightgown and let the air flow over her skin. "Did I put my mouth on you?"

  Kelly kept her eyes open, wanting to watch her own seduction, her fantasy come to life. "Yes."

  He kissed her nipples, then teased them with his tongue, licking until they were moist and pink. Trailing kisses down her body, he stopped at her quivering navel. Slipping work-roughed hands beneath her, he lifted her hips.

  "And did I touch you here, Kelly?"

  "Yes."

  "With my tongue?"

  She gasped through an aroused breath. "Yes."

  He lowered his head and licked her, teased with his fingers and his mouth. It excited her to admit that she had fantasized about him. It made her feel wanton and free, a woman comfortable with her own sexuality. A woman who wanted more.

  She delved into his hair and pressed herself against him, rocking her hips, knowing a climax was near.

  "Shane," she said his name as the first shudder slammed through her. It pulled her under and into a current of sensation. Fresh blinding heat.

  The rest became an edgy blur – a haze of color and passion, moans and labored breaths. He didn't stop until she clawed his shirt and tugged, ripping the fabric as she pulled him up.

  She wanted him naked, hot and hard and taking her to the next level. She reached for his jeans and saw that he was as desperate as she. The gold in his eyes shone like shards of amber glass, jagged and dangerous. She yanked the denim down his hips, felt the silk of his erection spring against her belly. She grabbed hold and stroked, greedy for masculine flesh.

  They tumbled into each other's arms, kissing and nipping, never getting quite enough. He grabbled for the protection she kept in the nightstand, knocking the drawer off its hinges as he fisted the foil.

  He tore the package, cursing and fumbling, kissing her while he sheathed himself with the condom.

  "Look at me," he said, his voice a husky pant. "Know it's me."

  She met his gaze and caught her breath. Yes, it was him. Her dream, her reality. Kelly clung to him as he drove himself into her, praying the depth she saw in his eyes was love.

  Focusing on that prayer, she let herself believe it was true. For Kelly, living without Shane Night Wind didn't seem possible. Slowly and very surely, he had become her world.

  * * *

  The morning sun spilled light across the bed, cloaking Kelly in warmth. Shane lay beside her, six foot plus of gorgeous, rumpled male. She reached out to touch his hair, brush it from his face.

  His lashes fluttered before he opened his eyes and squinted at her. "Please say it isn't time to get up yet."

  She scooted closer. Since she had already risen to feed Brianna, she wore a nightgown and panties. Shane, on the other hand, was still naked. "How about almost time?"

  When he stretched, the sheet fell just below his navel, exposing a shadow of hair. "Does that mean it's almost time for breakfast, too?"

  Kelly's gaze strayed to the masculine sight. She could see through the outline of the sheet that he was hard. A condition, she supposed, that happened to most men first thing in the morning, whether they had female companionship or not. "Breakfast could be arranged." She wanted to touch him, slide her hand beneath the covers. But it wasn't necessarily sex she was after. She longed for familiarity. The feeling that he belonged to her, that she could touch him anytime, day or night. She wanted to wake beside him every morning, watch his muscles bunch and flex, hear his husky voice.

  "We can make breakfast together," he said. "You don't have to wait on me."

  Together sounded perfect. "Okay."

  He rubbed his eyes and braced himself against the headboard "I don't know how you function without caffeine."

  She berated herself for not starting a pot of coffee. Shane drank coffee every morning, and if they were going to have a life together, then she needed to provide a sense of familiarity for him. Small, simple luxuries he could appreciate.

  Kelly sighed. She wasn't fooling herself that their situation wasn't complicated or they didn't have a lot to discuss. Technically she still lived in Ohio. And then of course there was Jason. But as far as she was concerned, Jason was an obstacle they could overcome. Times had changed. People these days were married and divorced, had children with other partners. The family from the fifties didn't exist anymore and neither did living by those old-fashioned standards.

  Kelly studied Shane's morning-after appearance. Did he love her? He must. He wasn't the sort of man to use a woman – make love to her, then toss her aside. This wasn't an affair. It was more. Much more. What they shared came from the heart.

  "I guess you didn't get much sleep," she said finally, recalling his comment about caffeine.

  He grinned at her, his smile lopsided, his hair tousled, the sheet still draped low on his hips. Morning-after suited him. "I'm not complaining."

  "I didn't think you were." A tingle, warm yet edgy, shot up her spine. Why couldn't she tell him that she loved him? Say it easily rather than fret about how to broach the subject?

  Because he still seemed like a dream, she thought. Too good, too beautiful to be true. Her cougar. Her Comanche knight. An apparition her subconscious had conjured.

  She rubbed her fingers over his chin just to be certain he was real. The whiskers were only slightly abrasive, but they chaffed her skin just the same. Kelly's nerves settled. The contact felt good. Right.

  He caught her hand and kissed each finger. Pleased with his reaction, she smiled. They belonged together. Now and always. "Are you ready to tackle breakfast?"

  "Aren't you going to feed Sunshine first?"

  "I already did. She was up about an hour ago."

  "Oh."

  Disappointment dulled the gold in his eyes, and she knew he wanted to watch her nurse the baby, sit beside her and listen to Brianna's sweet little suckling sounds. But there would be other nursings, even other children, she decided. Shane would want more babies, wouldn't he?

  He leaned over the bed and grabbed his jeans and boxers from the floor. "Can I use your shower after breakfast?"

  "Of course." As Kelly watched him dress, she swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. He was still a little hard, not enough to hamper the fastening of his jeans, but enough to make her want him. Maybe she would join him in the shower later, let the water sluice over them while she wrapped her legs around him. Tight, she decided. Tight around him.

  Once they entered the kitchen, he made a beeline for the coffeemaker, and she chastised herself for having forgotten again. "How about an omelet?" she asked.

  "That's fine. I'll be right back."

  He left the coffee perking while she removed eggs, milk and cheese from the refrigerator. When he returned, he kissed her – a warm, spicy kiss flavored with cinnamon mouthwash.

  "Hey, that's my brand," she said, laughing when he nipped her ear.

  "I forgot my toothbrush. I guess I'm not much good at sneaking into a woman's house in the middle of the night."

  Yes, she thought. She could get used to this. Dream-induced sex and domestic compatibility. She glowed from both.

  Halfway through breakfast the phone rang. Kelly dashed into the bedroom to answer it before the noise woke Brianna. The baby still slept in the front room, but the sound carried.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi, Kelly. It's Tom. Is Shane there?"

  "Sure. Just a minute." She went back into the dining area and called Shane to the phone. "It's your dad."

  While she stood nearby, he took the receiver. "What's up?" Glancing at the alarm clock, he cursed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was so late. I'll be right there."

  He hung up and dragged his hand through his hair. "I was supposed to help my dad load the U-haul. We've got to get the tables and chairs back."

  "I understand."
And she remembered the party-rental place had been overbooked this weekend, making pick up and delivery impossible. "Did your mother and her boyfriend leave already?"

  "Yeah, they took off last night. My mom has another jewelry show coming up."

  He shoved on his socks and boots, then located his wrinkled shirt on the floor. Kelly noticed it was torn. "I'm sorry," she said, recalling how she had practically ripped it from his body.

  He grinned, then shrugged. "That's okay. It's old anyway." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I better go."

  She followed him to the front door. He rushed out, breakfast and the impending shower forgotten. Kelly looked down at Brianna, who stirred in her sleep. When the phone screamed again, she went sailing back into bedroom, wishing the cabin bad come equipped with a cordless telephone. Apparently Shane's dad was in an impatient mood.

  "Tom," she said the moment she picked up the receiver. "Don't worry, he's already on his way."

  "What? Who's Tom?" a masculine voice asked.

  Kelly's heart slammed against her ribs. She knew immediately who the person on the other end of the line was. "Jason?"

  "Hello, Kelly. Your mother gave me this number. She said you're in Texas."

  "That's right." He sounded so calm, so civilized, yet her voice vibrated. "Did you receive the results of the paternity test?"

  "That's why I'm calling. I'd like to arrange a meeting with you. When are you returning to Ohio?"

  "Next week."

  "Will you contact me when you get back?"

  "Yes, of course." Why couldn't she catch her breath?

  "We'll go to lunch. Just the two of us."

  And Brianna, she thought. "That's fine, Jason."

  "All right. I'll see you soon."

  He said goodbye and hung up, his cool, aristocratic demeanor clogging her lungs with confusion. She was sleeping with one man, yet had a two-month-old baby with another. Suddenly her situation seemed immoral. Dirty.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and struggled to breathe. She needed to see Shane. Needed him to hold her, tell her that he loved her, soothe her fears, confirm that their relationship was based on more than sex.