Kate snuggled deeper into his chest as she felt him relax into sleep. It wasn't a declaration of undying love exactly but it was close. He hadn't rejected her and he had come back to her. His words had been true. He cared for her. She smiled and dared to think of when he would wake and she could ask him about the time he was away from her.

That wasn't all she wanted to ask him. She had so much she wanted to know. But for the time being, she was tired and his deep, even breathing was soothing and soon lulled her into sleep.

Jimmy slowly woke. He was surprised to see sun coming through the lace curtains of Kate's bedroom. It had been late afternoon when they had fallen asleep and the thought that they had slept the whole night through surprised him. He wasn't surprised so much that he had been able to. He was very tired. But the fact that she was still snug in his arms spoke of how tired she must have been. It worried him but he was encouraged as well. If she wasn't sleeping well while he was gone then it could mean she felt something close to what he felt. He remembered their brief talk of love before he had fallen asleep.

It was too soon to talk of love, he was sure of it. He was no schoolboy and falling in love at the drop of a hat was ridiculous but he was nearly sure that he was falling for this woman.

He looked at her now bathed in the light of a new day. Her face was so relaxed, the skin an expanse of perfect milky smoothness. Her lashes were long against her porcelain cheeks. A smile twitched one corner of her mouth right under her slightly turned up nose. He could not resist kissing the end of that adorable little nose.

Creases formed between her eyes when he kissed her. So he kissed them too. Her eyes fluttered open and he was newly taken aback at the brilliant green of them.

"Good morning," he said gently. "How did you sleep?"

"It's morning?" she asked sounding confused. "I guess I slept really well then. You must be famished. I don't know what I have in the house but I'm sure I could find something."

She sat up and started to get out of bed. Jimmy held her tight.

"Wait a minute," he said, "I want to talk to you."

She looked to him as if scared to talk.

"Katie darlin', I was a mess being away from you. I want you to know that. I ain't like that…or I ain't been like that in years. All I could think about the whole time I was tracking them murderers was getting back to you. Every time I closed my eyes I saw you. I saw you smiling at me. I could hear you saying them Latin words and the French ones too. I could even hear you moaning. I needed you. I still need you and I ain't just talking about making love to you. You do things to my body that ain't entirely fair but I need to listen to you talk about hummingbirds and flowers and I need to watch how you get that little shiver of happiness when you hear the wind move through them chimes on your porch. I ain't got much learning and I ain't got no business with a woman like you. I shouldn't tell you these things or ask anything of you but I wasn't lying when I said I thought I was in love with you. I think I am. Every minute I feel it more and think it less."

His words came out in a rush and he looked helplessly at her.

"I-I doubted you would come," she timidly offered, "I worried. You're famous and nearly a legend in your own time. I'm horribly dull. Maybe being with me before was good but…I thought you wouldn't want to be stuck with me. Every day that passed I worried that you were done with your work and had moved rather than to face my pathetic attachment to you. I know it's too soon to fall in love but I think I have anyway."

Jimmy smiled. She couldn't have said more beautiful words.

"So what next?" he asked her. He saw her study him a moment before she spoke.

"Breakfast…and then a bath."

Jimmy had just emptied the water from his bath. He was clean and in clean clothes and he could hear Kate humming as she hung a load of wash on the clothesline.

It was good to hear her humming. She had acted strange and distant since breakfast. He needed to talk to her some more. He needed to know why she seemed to be pulling away from him. One of the best things about Katie was how she didn't bother with the pretenses and games some women did. He knew where he stood with her.

Tiptoeing over to her, although standing in the soft grass as she was, he doubted she would hear his footfalls anyway, he slipped his arms around her middle from behind earning a squeal from her.

"I found you," he declared triumphantly as if they'd been playing a game of hide and seek.

She allowed a giggle but it was hollow and that pained him.

"You have found me," she agreed. "Now what do you plan on doing with me?"

He pretended to think a moment before twirling her in his arms to face him.

"I think I might just kiss you within an inch of your life," he began, "Then I will sit you down and talk to you…pester you until you tell me what's worrying that pretty head of yours."

"Nothing," she said far too quickly.

"I know that's not true. Talk to me."

He could see her defenses crumbling.

"I'm frightened," she finally allowed as her head fell into her hands.

Jimmy didn't even know what to say. So he said nothing and simply held her tight as he guided her into the house. She was in near hysterics by the time they were inside so he bypassed the parlor entirely and cradled her against him as he carried her up the stairs. Once in her room, he set her down and gently removed her shoes. He thought a moment and then pulled a nightshift from her bureau and set to getting her out of her clothes and into that. She hardly seemed to notice. Hardly. But she did notice all the same and tensed at every layer of clothing removed from her body. He spoke words to reassure her, to tell her he was only trying to make her more comfortable so they could talk and she could rest.

Once she was in her nightgown, Jimmy swung her legs onto the bed and tucked the blankets around them before kicking off his boots and climbing up to sit next to her.

"Alright," he said gently, "What's got you so frightened that you wouldn't talk to me most of the morning and you're crying now?"

"You go away and I'll never know if you're coming back," she nearly wailed. "I love you and I know that's silly and too soon but I do and if you were hurt…or…or…I can't even say it. I might just die too!"

He tried to soothe her and kissed her head and started to tell her he would be fine. But she kept talking.

"And maybe you'll decide you don't really love me. Maybe you're gone somewhere and you meet someone better suited…or maybe better at…someone who doesn't act weird, someone who knows what they're doing."

"Ain't going to happen," he said, "None of it."

"You can't know that."

"I can. I can because I don't ever want to leave you, Katie darlin'. I ain't going to go riding off like that again. I just won't do it. I'll swear in more deputies and send them, whatever. I don't care what I have to do, I ain't leaving you. And I do really love you. And for you saying you don't know what you're doing, you're the best I had. And you're learning. Smart woman like you…why, I'd be a fool to leave while you're just figuring it out."

She raised her eyes to him.

"Really?"

"Yes really. It's kind of nice to have something I can teach to someone smart as you."

He saw the tears starting to well up within her eyes again.

"Now what?" he asked impatiently.

"You're going to figure out how boring I am…you're going to get tired of listening to Latin and hearing about birds and things. You will."

He grabbed her arms, maybe harder than he meant to, and shook her—again maybe harder than he meant to. Her eyes lifted warily to his.

"Get this straight," he growled, "What will happen here is that you will see how wonderful you are. You will understand how beautiful…how…how special and oh hell, I don't even know the words for all you are. But I will make you see it and then you can tell me the words because you probably know 'em."

Jimmy realized how hard he was holding onto her and released her arms.

"Then it'll be you who sees you're too good for me."

If Kate had thought for even a moment, she probably would not have done what she did next. But she did not think. She merely acted. She launched herself at him and kissed him deeply while her hands worked frantically at the buttons on his shirt.

He pulled his lips from hers after a few moments and she half growled in frustration.

"Relax Katie darlin'. I'm just trying to help you here."

With that he pulled the half unbuttoned shirt over his head.

"Is that better?"

She pushed him forcefully back onto the bed and climbed atop him.

"This is better," she said breathily in his ear. And then she felt his hips try to thrust upward underneath her. When she had shoved him onto his back, she had worried that he might be put off by her acting this way. But it seemed he liked it.

She scooted back so that she sat astride his thighs, dragging her hands along him as she went. Then she did what seemed the most daring. She began to unbuckle his belt and then unbutton his pants. She hazarded a look at him and his eyes were half closed and he wore a sort of smile so she guessed she was fine in doing what she was doing.

Once his pants were undone, she reached inside and felt for him, grazing her fingers over him and feeling with fascination how he grew harder under her touch. She tugged at the waist of his pants getting him to lift his hips a little for her.

There he was, magnificently naked before her and just laying there. Why, she could do anything, couldn't she? But did she dare?

'Carpe Diem, Katie,' she told herself. And she stood and moved away from the bed. She noticed him looking at her confused and almost moving to sit up. But she shook her head.

"Don't move," she instructed in a deep throaty voice she didn't know she even had.

Then she one by one removed the pins from her hair. It slumped toward her neck until the last pin was out and she gave her head a shake and it all fell over her shoulders. Her eyes never left him. She watched his reactions to her. He was breathing faster, his eyes were wide and he was getting harder. It was fascinating really to watch, to think she had this effect on him.

Slowly she began gathering the fabric of her nightgown bringing the hem higher and higher until it very nearly exposed her and she let it drop. Jimmy gave an audible groan and she smiled at him.

She gathered the fabric one more time and this time kept lifting. Revealing more of herself with every movement and finally lifting the whole garment over her head and letting it drop to the floor. She could see his whole body alive with desire for her, not just his manhood. It was invigorating.

She ran her hands over her body and watched the response. Cocking her head to the side and chewing her lip in thought she circled the fingers of one hand around one of her nipples. He gripped the sheets.

A corner of her mouth twitched upward as she went and got the chair from her dressing table and sat it just out of arm's reach of where Jimmy lay helpless and aroused on the bed. She sat down facing him demurely with her knees together and her feet flat on the floor as a lady ought. But then she parted her feet slightly and then her knees. It was a small motion but the response from Jimmy was unmistakable. So she parted her legs a little more and slid her hand between them. Her hand was in shadow so he couldn't see. She watched him strain to see what she was doing to herself.

"You want to watch? Do you want to see what I did to myself every night you were gone while I thought of you, while I remembered you touching me…the feel of you inside me?"

She didn't know where these words were coming from but their effect on Jimmy was clear. He did want all that and she wanted to give him what he wanted. She spread her legs wide and let him see her clearly as her fingers worked over the place he had showed her. Then she slid a finger inside herself and produced it for him to see wet and glistening with her desire. Soon she was bringing herself to a release and Jimmy was doing all he could to stay put as she had told him. It was truly fascinating to see how his body responded to just visual stimulation.

But now, she wanted more. She'd not even begun to explore his body their first time together. Now was her chance. She wanted to know all there was to know about him, about his body, about how it worked and how she could bring him pleasure.

She climbed onto the bed and crawled her way toward him like a wild cat stalking prey. He shuddered and his erection twitched as if it knew she was close and was trying to bring her closer. She took it in her hands and traced her fingers over the velvety softness that encased the hard. The slit at the end glistened with moisture and she ran the pad of her index finger over it and inspected it a moment before bringing it to her nose and inhaling his musk. Timidly and almost daintily, she licked it from her finger and heard Jimmy whimper.

Kate studied him for a moment. His skin was slick with sweat, his nipples almost as hard as his member. She crawled up the bed further and whispered lightly in his ear.

"Teach me what to do. You are beautiful…what should I do to your body, Jimmy? Tell me."

Jimmy took a breath and looked at her. Her eyes were wide and questioning. He wanted to just roll on top of her and take her right then but that's not what she asked of him. And she said he was beautiful.

"Beautiful?"

"Magnificent," she said, "Your face…your body…like a sculpted Adonis. Tell me what to do to your perfect body."

Her hand was still on his hardened length and he squeezed his fingers over hers as he said, "Kiss me."

She looked at him uncertainly and he nodded down toward where their hands were joined around him. Her eyes widened a moment as she got his meaning. It was a risk but once she had tasted the wetness slicking the end of his arousal, he craved her mouth on him.

She crawled back down and kissed the side of his shaft and then the end and looked up at him as if for more instruction.

"Those are the kind of kisses you give under the mistletoe at Christmas parties, Katie," he said gently, "Really kiss me. Taste me. I want to feel your mouth on me."

She opened her mouth slightly and kissed him. Then she extended her tongue and dared to taste him. Soon her mouth was covering his with kisses as she licked up and down his length. He thought he caught a cautious look from her just before she wrapped her lips around him and he felt himself encased in the moist heat of her mouth.

"Yeah, that's the way, Katie darlin'."

Kate had been apprehensive about doing as he asked but then he knew more about these things than she did. It seemed dirty or immoral but then if she really thought about it, everything they did was considered by society as a whole to be immoral as they were not married.

Exploring him with her mouth was different than with her fingers. Not only did the textures feel different but there was taste and smell now added to what she was learning. Her hands explored as much of the rest of him as she could with him in her mouth. It intrigued her how sensitized all of his flesh was, not just his manhood but his belly, his thighs, his arms.

Jimmy was in some strange and torturous place of both agony and ecstasy. What she was doing was amazing. He would never know how a woman who had never done what she was doing could do it so well. But he was getting very close to exploding into her mouth.

He closed his eyes and tried to think of the least arousing things that he could. Teaspoon emerging from the horse trough and rubbing bear grease under his arms. That did it for a while. If that stopped working he could always think of the way he smelled for the better part of the week after tumbling into the pig sty.

That wasn't even going to work with how she was touching him and what she was doing inside her mouth.

"Katie, you need to stop for a bit, darlin'."

She released him and looked up unsure.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh God no," he said, "You were doing things a little too right. I don't think you're ready for what was about to happen."

"Oh," she cried, "You mean? In my mouth? Can…"

"Questions later," he said gently, "Right now I need something."

"What? Tell me. I'll do what you want."

"Climb up on me."

She did and then looked at him. He could feel her heat radiating into him. He lifted her hips slightly and let her slide down onto him. He heard himself groan deeply as she did. He had never been so deep in her. He knew she felt it too. Her eyes rolled back and took her head with it. It was wanton and abandon embodied.

Her back arched pushing her breasts toward him and he let his fingers play over them. Her gasp nearly drove him wild. He reached between them and spread her folds exposing the hardening of desire there.

"You need to move, Katie," he barely choked out. "Move 'til you're rubbing against me so it feels good."

She moved tentatively at first. Her hips rocked and made small circles until she found the right angle and then her hips moved furiously. Her fingers dug into his chest, her head dropped her chin to her chest and then flew back again flinging her hair. Her breasts bounced.

"Oh God," she cried and then over and over until it was just one long nonsensical word. "Ohgodohgodohgod!"

He knew he was digging his fingers into her hips but she didn't seem to notice. There would be no stopping or slowing this down. His release was coming and she was either coming with him or he'd have to make it up to her later.

He felt his body tense and knew he was beginning to coat the inside of her. Then her muscles clamped hard around him and what had been the onset of euphoric bliss became an overwhelmingly blinding pleasure.

His whole body felt numb to the point where he didn't even feel her collapse onto him. He opened his eyes to her honey colored hair splayed across his chest.

"Katie darlin'," he panted still struggling to catch his breath, "I don't know how you do whatever the hell it is you do to me but please don't ever stop."

"Was that good?" she asked with mock innocence.

"I ain't had better. Not even close. You may be the very death of me but I can't think of a better way to go."

Oh Katie darlin'...I think she's just spoiling him now. hehehehe...But I like her. She's just so sweet and genuine. So what did everyone think? 'Cuz I think I need a cold shower.-J