Moonlight Magic: Jenny Kincaid (The Kincaids #4)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

C aleb’s eyes fluttered open, a dull ache pulsing through his thigh and a dryness clinging to his throat. As he stirred, he became aware of the slender form nestled against his side, her presence a comforting weight. The faint honeysuckle and peach scent mingled with the sharp tang of herbs filled his nostrils.

Jenny .

Flashes from the events in Bravo flickered through his mind—the brutal fight, the chase, and the damn snake bite. Relief washed over him as he realized he was still very much alive, largely thanks to her.

Careful not to disturb her, he studied Jenny’s peaceful face. Her hair spilled over the pillow and onto his chest, a dark cascade that glinted in the dim light filtering through the window. Noticing the exposed shoulder peeking out from under the blanket, he surmised she was likely unclothed beneath it. She had probably used the same blanket to cover them both in a rush to keep warm after possibly treating her wounds or washing up.

With a gentle touch, Caleb eased himself away from her, ensuring every movement was silent and smooth. Once free, he sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, gathering his strength. The room was pitch black, the moon and stars obscured by heavy, bloated clouds that promised rain. The small window was opened, so inside the cabin was chilled, and he could smell the dampness of the earth, which informed him it must have been raining.

His stomach rumbled—a stark reminder that he hadn’t eaten in what felt like days.

Caleb stood and froze, the room spinning for several beats. He waited until the feeling passed before cautiously going to the kitchen area, where he noticed two skinned and herb-rubbed rabbits on the counter. A frown creased his brow as he wondered how long he had been unconscious. Searching the cabin, Caleb found some dental powder. Familiar with the layout from previous visits, he grabbed the container and a bar of soap from the cupboard, then slipped outside to the spring. The night air was cool against his skin as he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the water. The shock of the cold was bracing, instantly washing away the lingering stickiness from his skin.

He vigorously cleaned his mouth with dental powder, scrubbed his hair, and washed his body with soap. Noticing the similar scent on his skin that he’d caught on Jenny, he realized she must have dipped in the spring at some point. Feeling refreshed but weak, Caleb dressed only in his torn trousers and returned inside.

Jenny was still asleep as Caleb moved silently around the cabin. He gently stoked the earthen oven, feeding it logs before setting the rabbits onto the built-in spit. His movements were careful, his senses acutely attuned to the sleeping figure nearby. He glanced at the table, noting Jenny’s Colt and Winchester neatly arranged beside his hunting knife, now clean of blood and dirt.

The men had possibly given up their search or had not discovered this secluded spot. Still, he jammed one of the two chairs in the cabin underneath the door latch. As the rabbits began to roast, their savory scent filled the cabin. Jenny stirred, her body tensing as she woke. She gasped, her eyes flying open as she sat up quickly, her gaze darting around the room. When her eyes met his, a look of relief flooded her face.

“You’re awake,” she said softly, her voice carrying a weight of emotions that caused her lips to tremble briefly before she steadied them.

“Yes,” Caleb responded gruffly, rising from the chair. “How long was I out?”

“This is the fourth night,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bloody hell . “Did anyone find us here?”

“No. Rain has been falling. Given the uproar in town, I am almost certain that Noah and Joshua are looking for me. Our families must be sick with worry, but I did not leave. Those men…they would not dare remain in Bravo now.”

Caleb nodded, wanting to drag her into his arms so badly he had to clench his fists at his side. “Are you well, Jenny?”

A soft smile touched her mouth, and her green eyes gleamed. “I am.”

“Thank you for taking care of me,” he said gruffly. “It must have been difficult.”

“No thanks are needed between friends and family,” she said softly.

She slid off the bed, clutching the blanket around her body like a toga. The material clung far too enticingly to her curves, and he felt a dart of desire. A heavy silence fell, thick with unspoken words, as they stared at each other. Caleb felt another surge of complex emotions—relief, longing, and a deep-seated protectiveness. They had faced death together, and in that harrowing moment when he had heard her scream, he knew he would lay down his life for Jenny Kincaid without hesitation.

The need to touch her was painful.

As if compelled by the same intense connection, her lips parted, and before he could voice his thoughts, she closed the distance between them. With a swift movement, she hurled herself into his arms.

“I thought you would never wake up,” she cried. “I thought you would have died .”

Caleb caught her tightly. “I am sorry I worried you.”

A sharp tremor shook her body. His heart pounded with a fierce desire to protect and reassure her, to confirm with his own embrace that she was indeed safe.

Caleb’s hands instinctively went to her hair, his fingers threading through the silken strands. With a gentle yet firm grip, he tilted her head back and lowered his lips to hers. He enjoyed the almost unbearable sweetness of her lips, his cock aching. He nipped at her bottom lip, and after a soft moan, she parted her lips. The kiss was deep and intimate, his tongue moving against hers.

Jenny responded with equal passion, her arms tightening around his neck, pulling him closer. Caleb was acutely aware of how alive she felt in his arms—how soft and inviting her body was against his. The sensations overwhelmed him, igniting a fierce desire that had been simmering for years. A violent feeling of hunger leaped through him, and heat raced through his body and settled at the base of his cock in a wicked pulse of desire. The warmth of her body, the taste of her lips, and the scent of her hair enveloped him, making him feel as if he wanted to consume her.

The blanket slithered from her body to the ground, and her naked chest pressed against his, her beaded nipples stabbing at his chest. Caleb groaned, darting his mouth from her lips down the arched curve of her throat where he kissed the madly fluttering pulse. He eased her from him, desperate to see her.

Jenny was sensually and exquisitely formed. Her breast was the right handful, shaping to his palm as if God had specially made her for him. Her nipples were drawn into tight, rosy buds that made his mouth water. Caleb sat on the chair, drawing her between his splayed thighs. The wound throbbed and ached, but it was a distant hum against the burning lust rushing through his body.

He could not stop touching and kissing her. Knowing he might never see her again drove his hunger. He was so hard he thought he might explode. Slowly, savoring the texture of her skin, he stroked his fingers from her breast down to her quivering belly and around to her lush derriere.

He trailed his fingers around to her sex, kissing and swallowing her moans as he eased one finger into her startlingly tight sheath. Her soft, wondering gasp whispered across his skin like a touch.

Her sharp fingernails sank into his shoulders, and her muscles tightened over his fingers.

She was so damn wet. Jenny pulled her mouth from his, burying her face into his throat when he started to move his fingers inside her sex, preparing her for when he took her. She was beautifully responsive to his every touch, her hips moving, her back arching, hot little cries breaking from her lips.

Caleb slammed his eyes closed, trying to fight the temptation beating at him. The woman in his arms deserved everything, and he would be a damn scoundrel to take what she so sweetly and passionately offered, knowing he would eventually walk away. “Jenny—”

“I will shoot you, Caleb Callahan, if you stop!”

“Do you understand that I will be leaving soon?”

Her lower lip trembled, and she quickly controlled it.

“I do. For this reason, I am willing to walk into your arms now so I never look back and feel regret about what I might have experienced with you.

An indecipherable emotion flickered in Caleb’s eyes, and he drew in a long, controlled breath. She desperately wanted to live in this moment with him. “I want this memory of you…me…us,” Jenny murmured, clasping his shoulders to lift onto her toes so she could tenderly brush her mouth against his.

A muscle ticked at his jaw, and this close, she saw the rapid tattoo of the pulse at his throat. An unbearable tension wound around her heart, for she sensed he would push her away. “Caleb—”

“I feel as if you have bloody bewitched me,” he hissed, his fingers tightening in her hair. “I do not like it. Good sense and honor demand that I step away from you, but by God, I want you more than I have ever wanted anything in my damn life.”

Yearning struck her in the stomach, thick and undeniable. She wanted so much more than a moment, but if this were the only memory she would have of Caleb, Jenny would claim it.

“I do not wish to be haunted by regret, and I know I will feel it most keenly if you do not kiss me…make love with me.”

Caleb caught her mouth with his in a passionate kiss. Jenny slipped her hands around his nape, kissing him back with chaotic desire pulsing through her. Her breasts felt heavy and ached, and she arched into him, pressing against the thick length in his trousers. A low, possessive sound vibrated deep in his throat, and she swallowed it. He tightened his arms around her, lifted her and walked with her to the bed.

He lowered her, then stepped back and removed his trousers.

Oh, he is so beautiful . Caleb’s body was corded with such beautiful muscles. His manhood was ruddy and thick, far thicker than she anticipated. The bed dipped as he came over her, staring at her naked form.

“You are so damn lovely, Jenny Kincaid,” he said raggedly, dipping to kiss the flesh right above her navel.

Her belly quivered when he trailed his mouth down, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. He hoisted each leg onto his shoulders, opening her thighs to stare at her most intimate place. The position left her open and vulnerable. A blush covered Jenny’s entire body, and her fingers tightened on the sheet beside her.

Caleb lowered himself more, kissing along the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. The hot glide of his tongue against her sex made her whimper. He did it again, this time using a finger to part her folds before he licked her.

“Caleb,” she gasped, reaching down to clutch his shoulders.

This was far too wicked…yet it felt so good. A hungry moan broke from her throat as he repeated the caress. He pushed a finger inside of her sheath…then another, and she gasped at the bite of pain. His tongue curled over her clitoris, and something raw and primal tightened inside of Jenny, and she arched her spine, pressing her sex more onto his mouth.

Her entire body felt sensitive and desperate. She moaned, the sound low and desperate as sensations coiled low in her belly. Her body was drawn so tight she felt as if she would snap in two. The pleasure surged, contracting into a ball of need low in her belly.

He started to move his fingers, and the pleasure almost shattered her. The fierce pressure, the rasp of his tongue and teeth, sent pure fire racing through her. Jenny wildly arched in his arms, crying out, and her hands clenched in his hair to hold his head in place.

Caleb released her from the tormenting pleasure of his mouth and moved on top of her, his hard thighs pushing between hers and spreading them. He reached between their bodies and pressed his cock at the tender entrance of her sex. Caleb leaned forward, kissed her, and started to penetrate her body.

Jenny’s heart shook with nerves when she felt the burning, stretching pain. A whimper escaped her, and he swallowed it, but he did not slow his steady invasion. Somehow, she had thought he would simply slip into her. She bit his lip when the pain flared brighter, and a sob hitched inside her chest.

He broke their kiss, pressing soothing kisses over her cheek, chin, and lips again.

“I promise the pain will be over soon,” he murmured.

Jenny wanted to pinch him for that lie; it felt like something was splitting her apart. Clutching his shoulders, she held on to him as he forged deeper inside her body. Despite her wetness, short whimpers came from her, but he did not stop until he was deep inside her.

“It hurts,” she gasped.

“I will make it better,” he said, tenderly kissing her mouth.

Caleb reached between them and glided his fingers over her nub. He stroked her clitoris with his fingers over and over until she was a trembling mess. She forgot about the pain, needing more. “Caleb,” she cried, tugging his neck and passionately kissing him.

He started to move, and it felt as if the sweetest agony pierced low in her belly. Caleb loved her with long, deep strokes, stoking her pleasure higher until she trembled under the excruciating ecstasy. A desperate ache coiled low in her stomach, drawing tighter as the piercing sensations intensified. She wrenched her mouth from his and buried her face into his throat, kissing his skin.

The bed jerked under the passionate rhythm of their coupling, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. Something wild rose within her, and Jenny instantly rolled her hips. A low groan rumbled from his chest, and he snapped his deeper. She cried out as the coil burst, and pleasure swept through her in a hot, unrelenting rush. With a ragged groan, he thrust deep once before pulling out to release on her quivering belly.

“That was…” Jenny breathed raggedly and then laughed. “That was glorious.”

He chuckled and tenderly brushed his mouth over the bridge of her nose and cheek, bringing a lump to her throat. He padded toward the cupboard, withdrew a washrag and brought it over. She blushed as he gently cleaned her, but she did not protest his ministrations; she liked that he took care of her.

He rejoined her on the bed and tugged the blanket over their bodies. She turned instinctively into his arms and felt them close around her. Her head settled into the hollow of his shoulder, and her hand rested on his chest, then she closed her eyes and fell into contented slumber.