Give My All to Jessie (Third in Outlaw Series)

Chapter Twenty-four

"That what would happen?" Langley questioned. "I'm not sure what you're upset about but if you'll tell me, I'll do what I can to make it better."

"You died, Langley!" Jessie all but screamed. Langley quickly shut the door behind him as tears streamed down Jessie's face. "At least I thought you were dead and when I did, I just gave up! All I could think about was how my life was over if I didn't have you. Everything I loved was lying dead and bloody on the ground and I didn't want to carry on anymore."

Langley took a step toward her. "Jessie, I...."

She held up her hand to stop him. "Stop. Leave me alone."

"No," Langley growled. He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. She remained stiff and tense against him but Langley buried his face in her messy hair. "I'm not dead. I'm just fine, Jessie. I'm here with you and I'm not going anywhere just yet. I love you and I know you love me so stop pushing me away."

Jessie let out an animalistic sob and suddenly she was clinging to him with fierce desperation. "Langley, I was so scared...."

"I was too," Langley assured her, stroking her back. "When I woke up and realized they had you, a million different possibilities ran through my mind."

"Make love to me, Langley," Jessie whispered, her grip on his shirt loosening.

Langley knew he would never tell her no. He pulled away and took her cheeks gently in his palms. Tipping her face up, Langley took in the sight of her flushed cheeks, her red-rimmed violet eyes and her trembling lips.

Once he'd had his fill of simply gazing at her, Langley lowered his lips and took hers hungrily. He felt her reaction and knew it seemed more desperate than it should but he didn't stop. Langley needed to make her forget that she had ever thought about leaving him.

Jessie allowed herself to get lost in Langley's touch. It would be the last time she ever allowed herself to feel it. She would not risk herself to love a second time but she would spend one more time in his arms feeling his body, his kisses and his tender possession.

"I'm going to love you forever, Jessie," Langley vowed as he slid her shirt from her shoulders and nibbled at her heated skin. "We can go to Windfall and settle down. I'll be a good husband to you. I swear it."

Sheer want for his lovemaking and nothing else was all that kept Jessie from bolting from that room. Forever? Settle down? Husband?

Jessie couldn't give Langley forever. That was a long time and the chance for hurt was too high. And settling down? She was too young for that! There were too many places she still wanted to go. And he had to be out of his mind to be speaking marriage! Jessie had only truly seen one marriage up close and her parents certainly hadn't made it look like a good place to be.

Langley shed the clothes from both their bodies and laid Jessie down gently upon the bed. He tasted and touched every inch of her body and she found her thoughts swirling, unable to focus on much of anything when all she felt was fire.

When Langley finally slipped inside of her, Jessie cried out his name and wept against his shoulder to hide her tears from him. She rode the waves of pleasure higher and higher until the band of pleasure within her snapped and she trembled in his arms.

Langley remained braced over her and deep inside her for a long while after they had both found release. Neither of them spoke as Jessie kept her face in his neck.

Finally Langley rolled to the side and pulled her with him, keeping their bodies tight together. Jessie kept her head on his chest as Langley traced her bare arm with his fingertips.