He opened the car door for her and as soon as she slid onto the seat and snapped her seat belt in place, questions formed in her mind about just what the night held in store. Would it be anything close to the fantasies she’d had of him?

  That kiss on Saturday had pretty much proven he would use his mouth in ways that should be forbidden. Even now when they were both seated in the car and he was about to start the engine, she could feel his sensual heat. Was such a thing normal? She wasn’t sure because it hadn’t happened to her with any other man, but then, Cash had been the first for her in many ways.

  “The ceremony was nice, Cash. Thanks for arranging everything. I am especially grateful that you thought to have Miesha here. That was special.”

  “You are special.”

  Brianna wished she could believe he really thought that, and he wasn’t just getting caught up in anticipation of a lustful night. Either way, she owed him a response. “Thank you. I think you are special, too.”

  The car had come to a traffic light, and he looked at her and smiled. He then reached out and took her hand in his and carried it to his lips. “Then I guess we are two special people who were meant for each other.”

  She was about to set him straight and tell him that it wasn’t necessary to lay the compliments on so thick, then decided to just go with the flow. Besides, whenever he looked at her like that, she wasn’t capable of setting him straight on anything.

  “We’re here.”

  Already? She glanced out the window at the extravagant restaurant. Although she hadn’t ever eaten here, she had heard about it. The Jagged Edge was a popular place in Jackson that catered to an elite and extravagant crowd. She was neither, so she’d never put this place on her radar to visit.

  A valet parked their car, and a smiling maître d’ met them at the door. “Mr. and Mrs. Outlaw, congratulations. Your table is ready.”

  Brianna was surprised by the man’s words. “You know him?” she asked Cash, trying to ignore the warmth of his hand at her back as they followed the man. The restaurant was huge and impressive, especially the triple stairs that led to other dining areas. The top was a cathedral ceiling with the largest chandeliers Brianna had ever seen. The back wall was completely glass to take advantage of the view of the lake.

  “No, I don’t know him personally. However, we met yesterday when I flew in to make all the arrangements.”

  He’d flown here yesterday? What kind of arrangements required him to come here in person? She got her answer the moment the maître d’ opened the door to a private room.

  Like the church, it was decorated with balloons and a banner that said Best Wishes Cash and Brianna. In the middle of the candlelit room was a table set for two with a beautiful view of the lake as a backdrop. A bottle of champagne was in a bucket, and soft music was playing.

  “This is our own private wedding reception,” he said, leading her to the table. “We will have an official one later where we can invite family and friends.”

  We will? That was news to Brianna, but she was too caught up with how beautiful the room looked to dwell on it now. She hadn’t expected this. But then, she hadn’t expected Miesha to be there for her either. Cash Outlaw was definitely full of surprises. Overcome with emotion, she had to struggle to collect herself before saying, “I hadn’t expected any of this, Cash.”

  “I wanted to make things as special as you are, Brianna.”

  If he was working for brownie points, then he was doing a good job of getting them. “Thanks.”

  When they sat down, he grabbed the champagne bottle out of the bucket, opened it and poured some into their glasses. He lifted the glass in a toast. “To my beautiful wife.”

  She drew in a deep breath before she took her sip. Knowing she needed to add to the moment, she lifted her glass and said, “To my very thoughtful, kind and handsome husband.”

  After clinking their glasses, he threw his head back and laughed before taking a sip of his champagne. “You are laying it on rather thick, Brianna.”

  She smiled sweetly at him. “No more than you, Cash.”

  It seemed as if he would argue that point. Then, as if he thought better of it, he said, “I took the liberty of preordering our meal. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, I don’t mind.” She was too nervous to study a menu anyway.

  “I know how much you like salmon, and they have a superb dish that’s baked with steamed carrots and pears over a white wine sauce.”

  “Sounds delicious.”

  “I had a sample tasting yesterday.”

  The waiter came with their meal. It looked pretty on their plates and she bet it was just as delicious. He had ordered the same thing for himself. Before leaving, the waiter poured more champagne into their glasses.

  Over dinner she told him she had never learned to ski. He had informed her that since Jackson Hole was known for some of the best ski slopes, he intended to teach her. He didn’t tell her much else about where they would be staying in Jackson Hole, and she figured she would have to wait to see it. He had said it was not a hotel, though.

  When the music in the room seemed to get a little louder, Cash glanced at his watch. “Right on time. I instructed them that after we completed our meal, I wanted at least one dance with my wife before we left.”

  His wife...

  Why did she feel a tingling sensation all through her body whenever he referred to her that way? She tilted her head up when he stood beside her chair and offered her his hand. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Outlaw?”

  Mrs. Outlaw... Hearing him call her that made goose bumps form on her arms. Made her breath nearly catch. She stood and took his hand, and the moment they touched, a jolt of sexual energy passed between them. He tightened his hold on her as he led her to a shadowy section of the room.

  Cash drew her into his arms, and as if it was the most natural thing, she went there without any hesitation. Resting her head on his chest, she got caught up in the sound of the soft romantic music that was playing while their bodies swayed.

  It felt good being held in his arms as they slowly moved in rhythm. Blood rushed through her veins and her pulse rate increased.

  Suddenly Cash stopped, although the music continued to play. She lifted her head from his chest to look up at him. Even in the semi-darkened room, she could see into his eyes from the moonlight shining off the lake.

  She knew what was coming next and welcomed it. When he lowered his head, she tilted her chin up to meet his mouth. The connection fired her blood, made her heart rate kick up even higher, made her purr.

  Only Cash could elicit such a response from her. He could do what others had failed to do. Although she had tried to deny it, she would admit now that this was the man she wanted, not just to father her child, but to be a part of her life.

  At nineteen he had been her fantasy boyfriend, the man she had always wanted. Now he was her real husband.

  He deepened the kiss and she let him. Cash had a way of breaking through her guard walls, lowering her defenses. Miesha had been right. Brianna needed to take charge, not let him be a drop-in husband. What she needed to do was use the days they spent together to give him a reason to visit her in Wyoming every chance he got. Could she pull off such a thing with her limited experience? She would certainly try.

  He broke off the kiss and whispered against her moist lips, “It’s time for us to leave.”

  Yes, he was right. It was time to leave. “Alright.”

  She was ready to act on the intense heat blazing between them.

  TWENTY

  “This villa is beautiful, Cash.”

  Cash leaned against the closed door and watched as Brianna stood in the middle of the living room. As a romantic gesture he had carried her over the threshold and doubted he would ever forget the look of surprise on her face when he’d done so.

  There was still a little daylight outside, so they had seen the beauty of the area when he’d driven across the scenic valley before crossing several snow-covered roads. The villa was at the top of one of the mountains in Jackson Hole.

  It was part of a prestigious ski resort, and he had leased it for five days. This was one of their most secluded villas, and the two-story structure consisted of four bedrooms, three baths, a living room and a spacious eat-in kitchen. It was nestled among low-hanging trees, right by a huge lake with a view of much larger snowcapped mountains. There had been a drop in the temperature the higher he had driven up into the mountains.

  “I’m glad you like it,” he said, removing his tuxedo jacket and stepping away from the door to move toward her. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look?”

  She nodded. “Yes, you told me.”

  “Everything about you today was perfect.”

  He meant it. She looked beautiful in pink. Her dress was exquisite, her makeup flawless and her hair—which was curled and pulled up with a bevy of ringlets around her face—made her look both serene and sexy.

  More than once he had lost his train of thought while staring at her from across the dinner table. And at the wedding, while reciting his vows, he’d had to fight to retain his concentration. All he could think about was that by the end of the day, she would belong only to him. Not as a possession but as a treasure.

  She didn’t back up when he stopped in front of her. To him that was a good sign. Instead, she tilted her head back to meet his eyes while nervously licking her lips.

  “Do you know what it does to me whenever I see you lick your lips like that, Brianna?”

  She immediately stopped doing it. “No. What does it do to you?”

  “It makes me want to be the one to lick them for you.”

  He saw the flash of heat in her eyes. Then, as if his words brought out a boldness in her, she deliberately licked them again, and whispered, “I welcome you to go for it, Cash.”

  That was all the invitation he needed. The moment their tongues touched, he had to fight for control. Brianna kissed him back with a need he felt all the way to his groin. Her response forced him to deepen the kiss. He wanted her to feel his hunger from the top of her head to the bottoms of her feet.

  Her mouth tasted like the champagne they had consumed earlier. He wrapped his arms around her so tightly, he could feel the hardness of her nipples against his chest—nipples he had tasted once and looked forward to tasting again.

  Knowing where this kiss would eventually lead and wanting them both naked when it did, he broke away and slowly lifted his head to stare down into her eyes. The intensity in the dark gaze staring back at him made his heart pound.

  Drawing in a much-needed breath, he asked, “Do you want to get naked out here or in the bedroom?”

  “In the bedroom,” she said in a soft voice that fired up his libido even more.

  Images of the two of them in bed, naked and making love, had him struggling for breath again. Without wasting any time, he swept her into his arms.

  * * *

  After Cash placed her on the bed and stepped back, Brianna could feel the intensity of his gaze as if it were a physical caress. She might not be experienced in some things, but at that moment, she was aware of the magnetism between them.

  When he reached out his hand to her, she took it and stood beside the bed with him. He released the clips holding her hair, making it flow around her shoulders. Then he reached behind her dress to slowly inch down the zipper.

  Brianna forced breath through her lungs at the thought of Cash’s hands touching her. These were the hands of her husband, the man she loved.

  Yes, she loved him. Her love for him was absolute, even if he never felt the same. As long as he kept all the promises he’d made to her child, she could handle anything.

  While holding her gaze, he stepped back and let the dress flow down her hips and land at her feet. His gaze went to her bra and this time he was the one who licked his lips. Seeing him do so reminded her of what happened the last time he’d enjoyed her breasts. The reminder made heat settle in the area between her legs.

  Brianna had always liked matching bra and pantie sets, and while shopping in Laramie, she had purchased a few of them. The one she wore today was the exact shade of pink that matched her wedding dress.

  “Thanks for making things easy for me,” he said when his fingers went to the front clasp of her bra and removed it with the proficiency of a man who’d done so many times. That thought didn’t bother her. She believed him when he’d said she would be the only woman he slept with now.

  She watched when he knelt before her to inch the thong down her legs and suddenly, she felt bashful. No man had ever undressed her before, and Cash was taking his time doing so.

  When she lifted her legs to step out of her thong, she wondered why he hadn’t removed her shoes first. She got her answer when he glanced up at her and said, “Seeing you naked in a pair of stilettos is a vision that will be branded into my mind forever. You look so hot and sexy. So damn desirable it makes me ache.”

  He was still down on his knees in front of her and she held his gaze. His words made every pulse point within her body come alive. Every inner muscle tightened. Her nipples hardened.

  She knew he saw her reaction.

  Then he grabbed her thighs and buried his head between her legs. When she felt his tongue invading her womanly core, she clutched his shoulders. Otherwise her knees would have given out on her, right then and there.

  Using his tongue as a sensuous weapon, he dived deep inside of her, and she moaned at the intimate invasion. He drove his tongue even deeper and sucked harder, greedily, as if he loved her taste and couldn’t get enough.

  Alan had never done this to her, but she’d heard talk at college about guys doing this and what a mindblower it was. Her friends were right. She wanted to scream for him to stop in one breath, and then beg for him to continue in the other. How could she feel so brazen to let a man do this to her?

  But then, Cash wasn’t just any man. He was her husband. Whatever she allowed him to do was fine. Then she felt his hands tighten on her thighs as he wiggled his tongue inside of her. She gave up fighting the sensations that took over her mind and body.

  Grabbing the back of his head, she tried pressing him more intimately to her, wanting more of what he was doing. When she felt a sharp pleasure hit her just where his mouth was connected to her body, she screamed and fell backward on the bed as her legs gave out.

  * * *

  Cash didn’t stop. He couldn’t. His mouth remained clamped tight to her feminine mound, while his tongue drove even deeper inside of her. He loved her taste. He loved the sounds she was making and he loved her scent.

  Brianna Outlaw.

  Her name was now his.

  He hoped they created their baby tonight. Not because she wanted a child, but because he wanted one, too. Suddenly, more than anything, he wanted a baby with Brianna.

  When the last of the tremors finally left her body, he pulled his mouth from her, removed her shoes and readjusted her position on the bed before tackling the chore of removing his own clothes. Through a pair of exhausted eyes, she watched him.

  He smiled at her. “Don’t get sluggish on me now, sweetheart.”

  She looked totally sexy lying on her back, naked, with her legs slightly spread. Her eyes closed as she tried to regain control of her breathing. With each intake of air into her lungs, her breasts moved, and the sight of the darkened nipples was arousing.

  She opened her eyes to look at him. “I honestly don’t know if I have the energy for anything more, Cash,” she said in a tone that he would have found convincing had he not known better. Whether she knew it or not, his wife was a passionate woman. That was obvious in the way she returned his kisses.

  “Trust me. You will find the energy.”

  Brianna looked skeptical, but he had a feeling her body would be ready whenever his was. Even now, there were signs of her vitality returning as she watched him undress. He could see it in the eyes watching his every move, the rise and fall of her chest that denoted the heaviness of her breathing.

  When he slid his tuxedo pants down his legs along with his briefs and stood before her completely nude, he even heard her purr.

  “Your body is beautiful, Cash.”

  He smiled at the compliment. “Your body is beautiful, too. Are you ready for me, baby?”

  Without taking her gaze off his midsection, she nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  Cash smiled, looking forward to teaching her all the ways they would pleasure each other. “Good, because I’m ready, too.” He got back on the bed and slowly eased up her body.

  When he was in the right position, he stared down at her and saw the intensity in the eyes staring back at him. That look tempted him to lean in and kiss her. She was his. He had gotten more than the marriage he demanded. He had gotten the wife he desired.

  He captured her mouth with his.

  * * *

  Brianna was convinced no man could kiss better than Cash. He not only used his mouth and tongue to bring her to an aroused state, but he also used them to push her close to the edge then snatch her back.

  She moaned in protest when he finally released her mouth, and gazed up at him while trying to get her breathing back in sync. That’s when she felt him nudge her legs apart with his knee. As he held her gaze, he slowly slid inside of her, stretching her body to accommodate him.

  Sensations overtook her the deeper he went, and she couldn’t stop the moans that slipped past her lips. “Cash...”

  “I’m here, sweetheart.” And then, as if to prove that he was, he held their joined hands above her head. That made her breasts lift with the nipples pointing at his mouth. She saw the fiery look in his eyes when he noticed as well.

  Two things happened simultaneously. He leaned in and latched onto a nipple, easing it into his mouth, and her inner muscles—as if with a mind of their own—clamped down. It was as if they were trying to pull everything out of him.