Saving Grace (#1 in the Red Valley Series)

Chapter 6

He watched that big half breed son of a bitch ride up on his huge black gelding that had to have been straight from the fires of hell. Narrowing his eyes he held his breath. He didn't want to make a sound and tip him off to his presence. Not yet. Oh, he was going to get that bastard for sending him to jail and trying to get him hung. He just wasn't quite ready for him.

He wanted that bounty hunter to know what it's like to constantly have to look over his shoulder. He wanted him to know what it felt like to be tracked and stalked. Then he would make his move. He'd seen him taking a woman to town several times as he'd hidden in the trees and watched him with her. To Billy, it looked like the bounty hunter might be taken with her. A malicious smile formed on his face as a new plan began to form. He'd learned quite a lot about Mr. Cole Weston. Yes sir he sure had.

Seems like he'd heard that Cole's wife and kids were killed while he was out on the range working. Whoever had done it rode his wife pretty good before they'd killed her. Maybe history needed to repeat itself. It was all Billy could do not to cackle with glee and rub his hands together as his new plan formed. Oh, revenge was going to be sweet! That half breed bastard was going to wish to God he'd never heard of Billy Stone!

He'd wait a few more days until he could get the woman. He would just have to be double careful, now that they knew someone was on the property.

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Cole lay in his bed staring up at the ceiling going over his conversation with Sam. He'd ridden out to the "camp site" but hadn't found anything. It had rained just enough the day before to wash any would be tracks away. He prayed that it was just someone passing through, but he knew deep down that it was Billy. He'd felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and knew that someone was watching him. That was not a feeling he enjoyed.

Cole heard her scream, just like he did almost every night. He was taking the stairs two at a time to get to her; it broke his heart every time and it made him feel so helpless. He would lay down with her, on top of the covers, to comfort her, just like always. But it was getting harder and harder to control himself around her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and make love to her every time he saw her.

Grace woke up to warm arms wrapping around her and soft lips brushing across her face. Soothing words washed over her bringing her out of her dream. She knew it was Cole and she clung to him moving her lips to his. At first it was a slow sweet kiss but it quickly grew hot and passionate. Clothes came off and bodies came together in the age old ritual of love. It was hard and it was fast and God Almighty, it was the best Cole had ever had. Both shouted the others name as they found their release.

They lay there in a tangle of arms and legs panting, shocked at the emotions running through them. Grace was the first to find her voice. "I- I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I have never acted so brazen before. You must think that I'm a hussy." Embarrassed, she tried to untangle herself and roll over to hide her flaming face.

Cole gently grabbed her shoulder to keep her in place. "I would NEVER think that you were a hussy!" Placing a gentle kiss on her shoulder, then her collar bone and neck, then down to her breasts; he leaned on his side and propped up on his elbow looking down into the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. There was so much he wanted to say, but try as he might, nothing would come out. So he brought his lips back to hers and made slow passionate love to her. He showed her what he could not tell her.

It was sometime later that Grace lay with her head on his chest and her arm over his stomach, almost purring with contentment. Cole lay there holding her listening to her even breathing as she slept peacefully in his arms. He needed to go back to his own bed. Neither one of them needed to get used to sleeping with the other one. It would be too much like being married and he just couldn't do that. He tried to slide out from under her and go to his own bed, but at his first movement the arm around his middle tightened.