Part 49 (2/2)
By and by, she kissed the nape of my neck.
”Possum,” she whispered.
Rolling over, I hugged her and kissed her mouth.
She didn't let me kiss her much, though. She said, ”Don't get no funny ideas, Trevor. It's just too dang cold over there by my lonesome.”
”I see,” I whispered.
”Don't make me use my Bowie knife.” The warning was no sooner out than her lips covered mine.
She was likely jos.h.i.+ng about the knife.
I didn't want to risk riling her, though. We kissed and squirmed some, but I took care to keep my hands from straying anyplace that might offend her.
Later on, she lay still with her face buried against the side of my neck.
She seemed to be asleep.
But then she murmured, ”This ain't working out.”
”What have I done?”
”It ain't you, this time. It's the ground. I just can't find me a way to...”
”Here, then.” Holding Jesse against me, I rolled onto my back. ”How's this?”
She didn't answer at first. She lay still, then s.h.i.+fted about some. She gently pushed my knees apart and eased her legs down between mine. Her hands curled over my shoulders. She lowered her face against my cheek.
”Am I squis.h.i.+ng you?” she asked.
”Not at all.”
”This is real nice.”
It was and it wasn't. Her hair made my face tickle so I had to scratch now and again. Her chin felt like a rock digging into my collar bone. But those were minor bothers. It was wonderful to feel her stretched out atop me, heavy and warm. A spot too too wonderful, actually. wonderful, actually.
Before you know it, a certain part of me commenced to push at Jesse.
It upset me considerable. But Jesse didn't speak up or slap me, so I judged she must be asleep.
I quit stroking her back, squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to make my problem go away.
Jesse moaned a couple of times. She squirmed, which didn't help at all. By and by, though, she lay still and commenced to snore.
I went through a mighty rough spell, what with the way she felt on top of me and knowing she was asleep-and all the temptations that ran through my head. But I kept a tight rein on myself. Somewhere along the way, I fell off to sleep.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX.
We Carry On When morning came, I woke to find Jesse sprawled out beside me. She lay on her back, an arm across her eyes to block the sunlight.
I took a quick look about. The fire had died. The mule meat above it had shrunk considerable and dangled from the rack like several lumpy, leather belts. General was standing motionless, head down, a few yards beyond the rear of the buckboard. No sign of any intruders.
Satisfied that all was well, I turned toward Jesse again and crossed my legs and studied her.
She looked peaceful and beautiful, spite of her mouth hanging open.
A warm breeze made her hair stir ever so slightly. It wasn't blowing enough to move her s.h.i.+rt. Her s.h.i.+rt had gotten itself twisted around her somehow. It was drawn tight against her chest. With every breath she took, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s seemed to strain at the cloth.
Lower, some of the b.u.t.tons had come open and her s.h.i.+rt was spread apart, leaving her belly bare all the way down to where her dungarees hung about her hips.
It made me hurt to see the awful bruise. It had a dark ring in the center from the muzzle of the German's rifle. Around the ring was a purple smudge. I was glad we'd killed the varmint.
Below the bruise, Jesse's skin looked smooth and velvety. It was spread over with a golden fuzz too fine to see at all if you didn't look close. You didn't need to look close to see the locks that curled out from under the waist of her dungarees. They gleamed as they swayed in the breeze.
I had an urge to kiss the wound, to caress her, to run my hand over her silken belly, ever so lightly. I wondered if I should be able to feel the fuzz. I rather ached to touch the curls and slip my fingers through them.
But caution won out.
She was bound to pitch a fit if she should wake up to find me pawing her.
Afraid that temptation might overcome prudence in the long run, I stole to my feet, picked up my gunbelt and hurried on down to the creek. I pulled off my boots and waded in.
I spent a while swimming and floating, then sat on a rock to let the sun dry me. I felt just bully.
And better yet when Jesse crept up behind me. Far as I knew, she was still asleep. All of a sudden, she wrapped her arms around me, pressed herself against my back, and kissed my ear.
”Whoever you are,” I said, ”you'd best not let Jesse Sue Longley catch you.”
”Why's that?”
”She's the jealous sort. And quite the sc.r.a.pper. If she should find you chewing on my ear, she'd likely bash you senseless.”
”Chewing, huh?”
So then she did take to chewing on my ear. It felt mighty strange. I got all goose b.u.mpy, and squirmed until she quit.
”Ain't mule,” she said. ”But tasty.”
Holding on to my shoulders, she stood up. ”How's the water?”
”A trifle chilly. Rather refres.h.i.+ng, though.”
Jesse stepped around to the front of the rock. She had left her boots behind, the better for sneaking up on me, no doubt.
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