***
"You didn't finish your fish," Ty chided when she laid her plate down and moaned.
"I couldn't eat another bite," she told him with a satisfied grin. "Your talents just keep mounting." Sonja stretched out on her side resting her head in her hand. "If you keep this up, I'll be hard pressed to let you leave."
In a low voice that reverberated through her like a lingering caress, Ty said, "I wouldn't argue with a beautiful woman. I'm yours as long as you want me."
Warmth flowed through her. The need settled in the pit of her stomach. "I'm not beautiful," she countered dropping her eyes to the quilt. Nerves had her making a circle in the pattern with her finger.
"How can you say that?" He reached over taking her chin in his fingers. "You have a face that speaks to me." Ty spoke softly, reverently.
The air around them sizzled. Her own heart beat hard against her ribcage. "Please don't, Lieutenant." She tried to move back. He held her fast.
"Sonja." Her name sounded so right on his tongue. "Look at me."
His voice had gone whiskey-rough. She had to put a stop to his intentions but could not break the hold of his fingers on her skin, though big and rough, they held her gentle as a night breeze. She met his eyes.
"I don't know if you're aware of how beautiful you are. Perhaps, you've forgotten the feeling of being considered by a man's admiration, but I'm telling you here and now. I don't exaggerate. You're as lovely as a summer sun, with a warmth that draws on a man's desire. Sensitive, caring and determined, you light the room when you come through the door."
The smile he offered curled her toes. Sonja could not speak.
"Don't let me hear you deny who you are again. Do you hear me?" He leaned into her. Ty's lips touched hers with a light, teasing kiss with enough heat to steal her calm.
The kiss held an unexpected measure of wildness in his taste. Sonja found she did not want to pull away. Instead, she kissed him back, at first, with a hesitant, testing pressure. Her world tilted. Savoring the kiss, she let herself be swept away by the contact. Ty's fingers left her chin as he pulled her closer to murmur something soft against her cheek. Tightening his hold on her, he whispered his admiration for her along the line of her ear. The reverberating sound his voice made had her muscles relaxing before her mind shut down completely. "Sonja," he said.
"Hum?" She did not want to let go. She had lost the will to fight somewhere between the hot, wet kisses he trailed down her shoulder and his next words.
"You've cast some spell over me, nymph."
That jerked her back. Sonja's mind screamed out in a strangled voice, Stop before you can't!" Her hands started shoving at his chest before her mind had time to be fully aware of her actions. "No, no?" Desperation surfaced as Sonja sat up. With a deep sigh, she tried to focus. The kiss had left her hungry, not to mention needy. Questioning her stability, she started to rise. His big hand reached up gripping her forearm.
"Don't." Simply put the words held such a beseeching plea. "I won't hurt you, Sonja. I promise."
She turned to stare into those haunting eyes. "It's not you I'm worried about." She hated the unease in her voice.
"I'm a full-grown man. I've killed. I've almost died. Let me savor the taste of you, nymph. To kiss you is all I want today." He scanned her face as if seeing her for the first time. "I promise. When we make love, I want you to be ready."
As if he were a stranger, Sonja searched his face. Never had she experienced such an awakening. Feeling sure he meant what he said, she eased her struggle and laid down her burden of guilt for the moment. There would be plenty of time to exercise that demon in the days to come.
His hands splayed in her hair. His fingers glided along her spine, and she turned to him in a release. Release, she told herself lived inside her, not a yearning for more. The need pulsing through her rode in cadence with his. He had a man's lust, that's all. Lust would be enough. So under the trees they lay in each other's arms and shared the bliss few could claim.
The tender moments shared with the lieutenant were precious jewels Sonja swore she would tuck away to revisit when he left her behind. She would do her best to convince herself the memories would be enough. Closing her eyes on a moan when he caught the lobe of her ear between his teeth, Sonja shoved the particulars to the back of her mind before drifting on the Lieutenant's attentions.
She found him to be a hopeless romantic. The refurbished saddle should have been a clue. The way he wooed her, courting her under the dappled shade of the great old oak solidified her conclusion that the lieutenant was indeed a man with a gentle hand with the skilled patience for romancing a woman.
The afternoon passed similar to the slow moving waters of the creek with an easy, carefree tempo. They talked, walked and shared in the pleasure of each other's company. Even an afternoon nap proved most enjoyable with the lieutenant. Sonja stretched like a cat lazing in the sun before cutting her gaze to him as he lay with his eyes closed next to her. He'd told the truth and courted her properly during their time together. Wrapping her arms tight, she relished in the feeling of power that gave her. Her hand itched to lean over and run a finger along the long, straight length of his nose letting the digit curve up with the contours of his lips. His lashes were thick and splayed across his cheeks like a dark and sensuous fan. She wanted to learn all of the lieutenant's secrets and absorb all he had to offer.
A slim oak leaf from the tree above proved a perfect tool of torment. Sonja positioned the leaf above Ty's nose. Stifling the giggle building inside, she brushed the leaf along the bridge of his nose. His hand came up and swatted at the intruder. Eyes still closed, he grunted in his sleep before rolling away from her. The move didn't stop her. Next she tested his ear lobe while watching for his next response. Again, he moved a shoulder and murmured something unintelligible. Feeling brave, Sonja moved to the middle of his ear and tickled the most sensitive area.
Ty's hand shot up forming a vice around her wrist.
She yelped. "Oh, oh?I."
Hauling her atop him, Ty looked deep into her eyes and smiled. "If you'd wanted my attention, nymph, all you had to do was call." His smile forced the breath from Sonja. Raising his head, he moved quickly capturing her mouth with a hunger he had not shared with her before. Sonja fought for control and shoved back, wiping her free hand across her mouth before releasing the breath, she had not realized she held. Her lips were swollen and tingled.
"Your punishment for tormenting me." His grin widened.
When she registered the joking in his tone, Sonja giggled. "You think it's funny?" He grabbed her about the waist and tickled. "Two can play at this game, nymph." His fingers tortured her ribs as her laughter floated on the air.
"Please, oh?" She tried to get away. He rolled pinning her between his leanly muscled legs.
"Please what?" he asked. His eyes bore into her with their vibrancy. "What, pray tell does the nymph want? Does she desire freedom or perhaps she wants something more." He eased the taunting long enough to allow her to answer. "Answer me, nymph. What do you want?"
Sonja's giggles subsided as she scanned his face. Reaching up she stroked a slender finger along his high cheekbone. The strangest of emotions rushed forth. Love broke through swamping her in its intensity. Still, she couldn't say the words that would expose her true feelings to him. "I want you to stay, please." She finished by reaching for his hand, the same strong hand that had plagued her so good-naturedly only moments before. Laying his fingers over her breast, she reached behind his head with her free hand and pulled him down.
Ty gave a little growl of need deep in his throat as he obeyed. He trailed kisses mingled with tiny bites of pleasure along her skin until hampered by the cloth of her bodice he unbuttoned her blouse. His tongue sucked her areola into a taught, dark peak.
Sonja bowed up as the moan collected in her. Staring into the treetops, she examined the
sunlight dancing in them without seeing. The pleasure of his mouth brought her to new heights of passion.
"Does that feel good, nymph?" His voice held a deep inflection. Sonja reared up gathering his face in her hands. "Lie with me." Her throat wanted to close. She searched his face breathing out the words again. "Lie with me."
He rolled with her until she sat straddled atop him. His shaft, hard and uncompromising, pressed against the tender flesh of her most private of places. "I can't. Not yet."
"But why?" Bewildered and trembling now, Sonja clutched her arms across her exposed breasts. "I thought you wanted to."
He sat up so fast, she gasped. "I want nothing more than to lie with you and make love to you as you deserve." He kissed her tenderly on the lips. "But I want our time to be special. In a real bed with all the pleasures that come from the freedom of a lover's haven. You and I will share that, nymph. I promise." His features broke into a grin that was wicked. "For the time being, I want you as hot and bothered as I am so when it's right, we'll appreciate the pleasure even more."
She lowered her head. Sonja bottom lip protruded as she toyed with the buttons of his shirt. "It's been so long?" She trailed off before starting to rise.