Nights with the Outlaw by Lauri Robinson Page B

had her drawing in a deep breath. He lifted a hand and pushed her hair behind one ear. “The Harmon brothers are in jail. Dobbs and I saw them, as well as the cave dwellers, all the way to Lincoln.”
    â€œYou did?”
    â€œYes. They’ll spend the rest of their lives in a Missouri prison, alongside their brother Nelson.” His fingers combed into her hair and he tilted her face upward. “I’m still an outlaw, Doreena, or at least I was. Nothing can ever change that. But if you’ll marry me, I promise I’ll walk on the right side of the law the rest of our lives.”
    The heat of his body had her insides swirling, but his words had her heart pounding in her ears, making her wonder if she’d heard right. “Marry you?”
    He nodded. “Yep. Marry me.”
    She swooned into his arms, into his life, the one place she lived to be. His lips found hers, and the intensity of his kiss had her clinging to him. She buried her breasts against his chest, delighting in the painful, yet, thrilling way they tingled and throbbed. He instilled feelings in her she’d never known existed, but she knew there was more. Much more.
    His lips left hers and trailed down her neck and up the other side before he leaned back enough to look down at her. “Is that a yes?”
    She leaped, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. “Yes, that’s a yes.”
    He wrapped his arms around her bottom, holding her in place. “Can you live with it? The fact I was an outlaw?”
    She pushed away his hat and ran her hands into his hair. “I can live with it, because I know what’s inside you. I’ve seen it from the moment I met you. You may have ridden with outlaws, you may have done what they told you, but deep down, you were doing it to save your mother, not for yourself.”
    â€œHow do you know that?” he asked wonderingly.
    â€œI just do. It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
    â€œYes, it’s the truth. She—”
    Doreena pressed her lips to his, stopping his words. “It’s over. You did what you had to do. Everyone stumbles. Everyone falls. It’s the way you pick yourself up that tells the world who you are.”
    â€œYou don’t give up, do you?”
    â€œNot on you. Not now. Not ever.” She gazed deep into his eyes.
    If possible, the tenderness she’d always seen in his eyes grew. It dawned on her then. It was love. This man held more love inside him than any dozen others. Life with him would be a precious gift she’d forever cherish. She pressed her lips to his again. “I love you.”
    â€œI love you, too.” He spun on his heels.
    She giggled, growing light-headed as the world whirled around them.
    When he stopped and covered her mouth with his, a deep intuition rose from her core, begging for more. Her breasts tingled and a growing heat formed in the juncture of her legs. “Clint,” she whispered against his lips. “I-I need…” She didn’t know exactly what to say.
    Abruptly, he set her down, took her hand.
    After two steps, she asked, “Where are we going?”
    â€œBack to the ranch. Before we do something we shouldn’t,” he said grimly.
    She skidded to a halt.
    He stopped, as well. “At least not until we’re married.”
    â€œThe preacher won’t be in town for two more weeks.” Running a lazy fingertip over the buttons on his shirt, she said, “Clint, I’m done waiting.”
    He gazed at her searchingly, but hope also shimmered in his eyes. “Done waiting?”
    Biting her lip to contain her excitement, she nodded. “I’ve dreamed of what we’ll do together, and I can’t wait two weeks.” She kissed the tip of his chin. “Can you?”

Chapter Seven
    Heat and pleasure radiated from her center and flowed profoundly through her body as Clint lowered her onto the soft grass