Beth looked up from Rip's knee, and gazed up at the sky, then turned to him.

"I remember the stories of Heaven & Hell, in church," she said. "Lies, the lot of it. I think Heaven's right here, and so's Hell. One person can be walking in the clouds right next to someone who's enduring eternal damnation, and God is the land." She took a sip from the bottle and looked back at Rip, who was looking at her intently like there was something he desperately wanted to say. It scared her, that look, and she dropped her eyes.

"Don't say it," she said as she turned away, pulling back from those eyes of his that seemed to terrify her down to her core. "It doesn't mean anything on a roof, under the stars like a bunch of fucking hippies. Tell me…" she trailed off. "Tell me when it saves me." Rip nodded.

"Okay, I won't say it," he said. Beth leaned in and they embraced, sharing a sweet kiss that held much more emotion than they both could say.

They stayed that way for a while, holding each other, occasionally sharing a soft, intimate kiss, until Beth shivered. Rip hugged her closer to him.

"You're cold," he said. "You should go back inside; I need to get back to the bunkhouse." He put his hat back on his head and moved like he was going to stand, but Beth clutched at him, shaking her head no.

"Don't go," she whispered. "Just stay with me a little while longer, like we used to." Her big blue eyes searched his, and he couldn't find the resolve in them to say no. He brushed her hair back from her eyes gently and nodded.

"Okay," he agreed and leaned down to kiss her once more. Beth shivered again, but not from the coolness of the night. She twined her fingers through his hair at the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her.

"Come inside with me tonight," she murmured against his lips between kisses. He sighed and started to protest, but she cut him off. "I promise to be good." Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and Rip chuckled softly.

"Beth Dutton does not cuddle," he said as she squeezed the inside of his jean-clad thigh, too high up to be innocent. "I know this for a fact." She gave him a sly smile and slid her hand up even further to cup his growing erection.

"No," she agreed. "I don't cuddle, but I do other fun stuff." Those eyes of hers held the promise of a multitude of things, none of which were innocent, and Rip couldn't say no. Suddenly, he stood, carefully maneuvering on the shingles of the roof, and offered her a hand.

"Let's go, then."

Beth reached up and took his hand, and stood gingerly beside him as he led her the few steps towards her open window. He braced himself against the slanted roof as she crawled through it, making sure she hit the floor safely before he started through himself.

Once they were both inside, Beth dropped the blanket she was swaddled in and walked into Rip's open arms, pillowing her cheek on his broad chest. She sighed as his arms wrapped around her and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. Her arms twined around him, and she hooked her fingers through his belt loops as she pulled him closer. She could feel him against her, hard already, and arousal coursed through her veins like electricity. She started to walk backward, pulling him with her, until she felt the bed against the backs of her legs. Tipping her head up, he leaned down to kiss her again, but this time the sweetness was gone - the kiss was heated and passionate, with the promise of things to come.

Beth pulled away reluctantly and sat down on the edge of the bed, her fingers already busy undoing the belt buckle, button, and zipper of his jeans. Rip watched her, the tip of her tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on her task at hand. He reached up and took off his hat, placing it gently on her bedside table. His breath hitched as he felt her hand reach inside his boxer briefs and grip him firmly, a sly look of triumph on her face. He groaned as she stroked him, his head falling back and eyes drifting closed.

"Goddammit, baby," he whispered. "You're not wasting any time, are you?" Beth gripped him harder and kept stroking as she grinned up at him. Her other hand was busy pushing his jeans and underwear down off his hips, and then suddenly, her hand was replaced by her mouth, hot and wet around his cock. Rip grunted. "Fuck!"

Beth's mouth was all around him, making his head swim with the sensation. Her hand continued to stroke him in rhythm with the bobbing of her head, and he couldn't help but thread his fingers through her hair at the back of her head, loosely holding her to him. She hummed in pleasure against him and increased her pace. The swirls of her tongue against the head of his cock nearly undid him, but the long strokes of her hand and the feeling of her taking him so deep he could feel the back of her throat were almost too much. He could feel the pressure of his orgasm building quickly, too quickly, and he reluctantly pulled away. Beth frowned and licked her lips absentmindedly.

"Baby, you are too fucking good at that," he said as she looked up at him, her hands gripping his hips. He stood there and looked at her, her eyes shining in the watery light coming in from her attached bathroom. It reminded him of the countless times he snuck up here when they were teenagers, trying so hard to be quiet as they experimented with each other's bodies. If he thought hard enough, he could probably remember the first time she did this, and if he was honest, it felt just as good now as it did then. It always felt like the first time with her, and he'd never get enough.

Beth could tell he was lost in thought again as he looked down at her, gently stroking the side of her face. She leaned back on the bed, undoing the buttons to her dress as she did, exposing her breasts. She stretched her arms above her head and watched him look at her with fire in his eyes. Rip reached down and hooked the still-buttoned part of her dress with his finger, slowly pulling the remaining buttons apart, exposing her further. He gasped when he saw she wore no panties, and she laughed huskily.

"Now you know why I was shivering." Rip laughed a little too loud and they both froze. After exchanging a panicked glance, they realized at the same time that they were adults now and really didn't have to sneak around, but old habits die hard.

Beth sat up and started to unbutton Rip's shirt as he toed off his boots and pushed his pants all the way off. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and placed her palm over the hooked Y of his brand, sighing softly. Every time she saw it, she felt a reverence for it - knowing that because of it, he belonged to her forever. He lifted her hand that covered it and kissed her palm, then leaned down to kiss her lips.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down to lie on top of her. Rip's muscular frame enveloped her, and she intertwined her legs with his, pulling him as close as she could. He had himself propped up on his elbows so as not to completely smother her, and he reached down between them to run a finger through her folds and heard her sharp intake of breath. He felt her shudder involuntarily and made another pass from her entrance to the tip of her clit. Beth's eyes drifted closed, and she sighed as he began to move in tight circles around her clit, relishing the slow climb to orgasm. His lips captured hers again in a deep kiss that had their tongues swirling together, her increasingly loud moans muffled by his mouth.

He could feel her getting close, her muscles fluttering under his hand, and pulled away to trail kisses down her neck to her breasts and taut pink nipples. She panted beneath him, each flick of his finger on her clit nearly sending her flying. She could feel his cock against her thigh, rock hard and heavy, and she reached out and gripped him. His rhythm faltered, and she whispered, "I want you inside me when I come."

He looked up from her breast and met her eyes as his hips shifted slightly to align himself better. Beth guided him to her center, and he entered her slowly, stretching her deliciously. They groaned in unison, and both paused to enjoy the feeling - him filling her, her surrounding him in her hot, wet heat.

Their lips met again, and Rip began to slowly roll his hips, lifting her hips so her clit could rub against him. Each stroke lifted her higher and higher, and soon she was thrashing beneath him, her hand covering her own mouth to stifle her moans. A pink flush crept up from her breasts to her face, and Rip knew she was almost there. He leaned down to take a nipple between his lips and sucked, and he felt her seize beneath him.

Beth's orgasm hit her hard, and she let it wash over her in endless waves as Rip continued to thrust into her. She dug her heels into his lower back to keep him going, and soon his thrusts started to stutter, as his own orgasm took hold and he pulsed into her.

They both laid there for a few moments, Beth still wrapped around him, Rip still inside her. She peppered kisses over his shoulders and neck while he stroked her breast. He moved to roll on his back, taking her with him, and she reached over to pull a quilt over them both, snuggling down underneath it.

"Don't go," Beth murmured, yawning hugely. She nuzzled his neck and kissed him softly, her eyelids drifting closed. Rip stroked her back gently and yawned himself. It would be nice to sleep in a quiet room without all the night noises of the bunkhouse.

"I ain't going nowhere," he murmured back, his own eyes slowly closing.