Champagne and Candlelight

III

Amber awoke the next morning, reveling in the luxury of the soft mattress and smooth sheets, a far cry from some of the beds she’d made do with on her trip across the country. Stretching in the warm morning sun, Amber debated staying in bed for a little while longer, but figured that might give her new family a bad impression. She quickly dressed in her shirt from yesterday and a split riding skirt lent to her by Victoria, but was unable to stop a smile the sight of the rather revealing blue gown she’d worn to dinner. She mentally vowed to start thinking of Jarrod as her cousin and try to forget the way he made her feel when he touched her. It wouldn’t be easy, but with a little determination she figured it was possible. Making her way down the stairs, Amber remembered the direction to the dining room and found Victoria and Jarrod finishing breakfast.

“Good morning, dear,” greeted her aunt. “Did you sleep well?’

“Yes, thank you, Aunt Victoria,” Amber responded politely. “Good morning, Jarrod.”

“Good morning, Amber.” His deep baritone sent shivers up her spine and was almost enough to weaken her resolve as he rose. “Breakfast is laid out on the buffet. Help yourself.” Jarrod walked over and gave Victoria a kiss on the cheek. “Well, I have work waiting for me in town, but I should be back for lunch.”

Turning to Amber, he asked, “Would you like me to pick up your things at the train station? That way, you won’t have to keep borrowing my mother’s dresses.” Innocent on the surface, his comment was accompanied by a rakish wink, timed for Amber’s eyes only. If Jarrod wanted to keep their relationship platonic, she was going to have to tell him to stop doing that.

“I don’t want to put you to any trouble, Jarrod,” Amber said, giving him a reproachful look.

“You, my dear,” he answered, taking the opportunity to kiss her cheek as well, “are no more trouble than I deserve.” He exited the room before Victoria could wonder at the rather odd statement.

“Did your friend have her baby all right?” Amber asked, keeping the conversation away from the dashing lawyer as she sat beside Victoria.

“Oh, yes,” Victoria beamed, “a healthy baby boy. And he came very quickly, too.” Victoria finished her coffee. “I’m heading over there right now to give Amy a little help. Would you like to come along?”

“Oh, no, I’d just be in the way,” Amber replied. “But if you don’t mind, I like to go for a ride.”

Victoria got up from the table. “I’ll let Ciego know to saddle a horse for you. If you’d like, I can get Silas to pack a lunch as well.”

“You’re being so kind,” Amber said gratefully. “I don’t know how I can thank you.”

Victoria patted her hand. “You’re family,” she told the young woman. “And family sticks together. Have a nice ride.”

And that, Amber reflected as she rode out across the fields, was exactly the problem. Jarrod Barkley was family and as much as she wanted him to be something else to her, that fact remained. She urged her horse into a gallop, as if the wind rushing past could blow away the feelings she had for her handsome, blue-eyed cousin. It seemed to work and she started to appreciate the vistas of the valley in front of her. Finding herself at a secluded pond, Amber pulled her mount to a stop and dismounted. It was past noon and with the heat of the day starting to become oppressive, the water looked cool and inviting.

Amber loosened the girth so her mount would be more comfortable and quickly stripped off her clothes, plunging into the cool water. She swam lazily and quickly turned when she heard his voice.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful the scenery is around here.”

“Jarrod!” Amber scolded, keeping the water at chest level. “You shouldn’t sneak up on a girl like that.”

Jarrod’s imagination filled in what lay beneath the water and felt himself swell with desire. All the way to town, he’d tried to banish the thought of the beautiful blonde, but her image continued to haunt him. Jarrod knew there was no law in California preventing congress between cousins; however, he struggled with the moral implications. Deciding he needed to cool off, the dark haired lawyer saddled Jingo when he arrived back home and headed to his favorite swimming hole. But now, knowing Amber was bare beneath the water, his desire for her overcame his objections and his manhood throbbed in response.

“Mind if I join you?” Jarrod asked and he peeled off his clothes without waiting for her reply. He dove smoothly into the water and came up beside her, grabbing her in his arms.

“Jarrod,” Amber protested softly, “I thought we were trying to keep our distance.”

Jarrod brushed a strand of wet hair off her face. “I’m sorry, Amber, I’ll leave if you want me to. But I can’t deny the strength of the feelings I have for you.” He gently kissed her and pulled her close. Amber could feel his hard length press against her thigh, the cold water doing nothing to diminish his desire and gave in to the passion of her own feelings. She wrapped her arms around Jarrod and kissed him back fervently, hands roaming down his back to his firm ass. Jarrod lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the pond, laying her down on the soft grass of the bank.

“Not champagne and candlelight,” Amber teased, “but at least it’s more comfortable than a tree trunk.”

“Well, if it’s not to your liking, we can stop,” he suggested, his lips traveling down her neck to stop at a rosy-tipped breast.

“You’re to my liking, Jarrod,” Amber breathed as Jarrod nuzzled and suckled one nipple before moving to the other.

“Are you sure about this, Amber?” Jarrod asked, moving up to kiss her lips.

“As sure as I was yesterday afternoon,” she told him, desire filled eyes meeting Jarrod’s dark passionate ones. “Are you?”

“I don’t know what it is about you,” he said, brushing her cheek, “but the more I try to tell myself this is wrong, that we shouldn’t be together like this, the more I find myself wanting you.”

“And you don’t mind that I’m…experienced?” The look on Amber’s face was hesitant, as if she expected condemnation despite her bold words of the day before.

“As much as I minded yesterday afternoon,” he echoed, kissing her tenderly. His lips left her panting and breathless and he moved down again, this time not stopping at her breasts, but continuing his exploration of her ribs, her stomach until he finally reached the moist triangle between her legs. Placing an arm under each thigh, Jarrod lifted and spread her legs, unfolding the petals that lay there. He took the engorged nub in his lips and sucked gently, tongue playing with the tip. Amber’s moan of pleasure urged him on and his tongue darted lower, probing into her velvet tunnel. She pushed against him, deepening the contact and he knew she was close to the edge.

“That’s it, Amber,” he murmured, face buried in her warmth, “come for me, baby.” Amber arched her hips as Jarrod’s tongue thrust into her and her release came in a shuddering wave. Jarrod stayed where he was, drinking in her sweet nectar, reveling in the pleasure he was able to bring her.

Amber pulled him up so he was on top of her and she tasted herself on his lips. Reaching down, she stroked his hard shaft and guided it to her opening. “Now I want the rest of you,” she whispered. Not inclined to argue, Jarrod pushed into her, taking his time. He wanted their lovemaking to be slow and sensual rather than the frantic animalistic coupling of the day before.

Using long strokes, he expertly slid his member in and out, adding extra force at the top of every thrust. He could see her parted lips, the flush of desire on her face and increased the tempo, pushing into her harder and faster. Straining toward his own release, Jarrod was delighted to feel Amber heading to another climax of her own. Each thrust of his body forced him in further and Amber began to shudder with impending release as she pushed herself harder onto his throbbing flesh. “Oh god, Jarrod!”

“Let it go, Amber,” Jarrod called, her words causing him to swell even more. “Let me feel you come, sweetheart.”
The sultry timbre of his voice sent Amber over the edge and her inner muscles clenched him tightly. Jarrod’s body shook with need and he thrust sharply in short, furious strokes, desperate for his climax. Feeling his balls tighten against her, Amber moaned, “Oh, Jarrod, you feel so good.”
Jarrod gave a final thrust as his body stiffened and he buried his head in her shoulder, filling her with his essence. Only when his organ began to soften did he slip out of her sweet warmth, body still trembling as he collapsed on top of her and rested his head on her shoulder as he tried to breathe in some much needed air.
Amber held him close as Jarrod recovered enough to move to lie beside her. “So what’s next?” she asked, snuggling against him.

“I don’t know,” Jarrod confessed. He propped himself on an elbow to look better into her eyes. “Would you consider marrying me?”

Amber searched his face for any sign he was teasing her, but found only honest sincerity. “Jarrod, we only met yesterday,” she reminded him. “Besides, cousins can’t marry.”

“They can in California,” he informed her. She looked at him questioningly and he grinned sheepishly. “I checked the statutes when I was in my office this morning.”

Amber shook her head in disbelief, but Jarrod’s smile was too infectious for her not to return it. “You’ve given this some thought, then.”

“A little,” he admitted. “But you’re right, we did only meet yesterday. How about we give it a week and I’ll ask you again?”

Amber laughed. “In a week, I just might answer you.”

Jarrod leaned in and gave her a kiss full of love and promise. “And I’ll see to it you get your candles and champagne.”

After another dip in the water to clean off their sweat-soaked bodies, Jarrod and Amber retrieved their clothes and headed back to the house. After riding a few miles, Amber had to know something. “Jarrod, what would your family say if they found out? If we did decide to get married?”

Jarrod pursed his lips and gave his head a small shake. “I don’t know,” he confessed. He’d been wondering the same thing. His family was tolerant of a lot of things, but this… “I can only hope they’ll be as open-minded as they’ve been in the past.” He caught her gaze and the desire in his eyes made Amber’s breath catch in her throat. “But I won’t give you up, Amber. I know you feel it too, that we were meant for each other. Even though we’ve known each other only twenty-four hours…” Jarrod paused, unable to put into words what he was feeling.

“It’s like we’ve known each other our whole lives, even though we just met,” Amber finished for him. She felt it too, that undeniable connection that started when their eyes first met on the train to Stockton. “I don’t think you’ll need to wait a week for my answer, Jarrod,” she told him, voice trembling with emotion, “if you want me, I’m yours. As your wife, your mistress, whatever. I never want to leave you.”

Jarrod gigged Jingo so he was knee-to-knee with Amber and grabbed her reins to pull both horses to a stop. “As my wife, Amber,” was his heartfelt reply, “you deserve nothing less. I want to raise a family with you, grow old with you—” He stopped abruptly, noticing the tears on her face. “Amber, what’s wrong?”

Amber brushed away the offending wetness. “When you said family…” Her voice broke and she had to take a deep breath to continue. “I can’t have children, Jarrod.” No one knew this story, only a close confidant of her mother’s and she’d taken Amber’s secret with her to the grave, but Jarrod had a right to know before he linked his life to hers.

“The first time I was…with a man, I became with child.” This time the tears did fall and Amber did nothing to impede their progress down her face. “I was only fourteen, Jarrod, and I just couldn’t handle becoming a mother. So I… got rid of the baby. It damaged me inside and I can’t have any more.” She couldn’t meet Jarrod’s eyes. “I guess that was my penance for taking the life of my unborn child. I’m so sorry, Jarrod.”

Jarrod dismounted and went to Amber’s side, pulling her from her horse and enfolding her in his arms. Amber sobbed uncontrollably into his chest and he stroked her hair gently. “I’m sorry, too, Amber,” he whispered, “I’m sorry for your loss and your pain. But it doesn’t change anything. I still love you.” The words came out before Jarrod could think, but they were true even so. He loved her and would do anything for her.

Jarrod held her until her tears were exhausted, murmuring his love into her ear.

Eventually, Amber lifted her head and raised her eyes to his. “Did you mean that?”

“Mean what, Amber?” Jarrod asked tenderly.

“That you love me,” she said hesitantly.

Jarrod wiped the tears from her cheeks. “More than I can ever tell you,” he assured her. “More than I can ever express.”

Amber leaned her head against his chest again. “I’m sorry I can’t give you children, Jarrod.”

Jarrod just held her tightly. “It’s all right, Amber.” They stood like that for a long while, the peaceful sounds of the valley washing over them. When she finally pulled away, Jarrod helped her back on her horse before mounting his own.

“I love you, too, Jarrod,” Amber told him, then grinned mischeiviously, dispelling the serious mood. “Race you back.” She dug her heels into the side of her mount and took off. Jarrod laughed and urged Jingo into a gallop and they raced across the field, leaving all cares behind them for another day.