Free Blood Ties by Judith E. French Page A

bottom here."
    Abbie glanced toward the water and then back at
him. He had great shoulders, sinewy and hard without
being artificially built up by steroids. His broad chest
was freckled and bore a light dusting of fair hair that
darkened to a tawny gold below his belt line. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she unsnapped her denim
shorts. This time she hadn't bothered with underwear.
    "Don't be afraid," he murmured. "The water's fine."
He slowly traced her lower lip with two fingers before
trailing them down to brush the rise of her breasts at
the vee of her bra. "All my life, folks referred to the Indian site as a burial ground. You have reason to believe it's not?"
    "No, I-"
    He leaned close and kissed the hollow of her throat.
She sighed with pleasure as the tip of his velvet tongue
flicked against her skin.
    "I don't have any opinion yet," she managed. She
unzipped the zipper on his shorts and slipped her
hand inside. He hadn't bothered with underwear either. "Give me time."
    He inhaled sharply. "All the time you need, darlin'."
    She stroked the length of his erection, pleased by
the raggedness of his breathing. "Construction companies may go in with backhoes, but my favorite tool is
a trowel I picked up at a yard sale."
    He groaned and kissed her mouth. "Maybe I can
change that," he said when they broke for breath.

    "If you don't have a-" she began.
    "Don't worry. I do."
    She heard the rip of a foil packet and caught the distinctive odor of a condom being opened. "Let me help
you with that."
    "I thought you'd never ask."
    She laughed with him as they took the necessary
precaution. It wasn't the first time she'd done this, but
it felt like it. Buck was a big man, and her heart raced
like a hormone-driven teenager's. He was no stranger
to kissing, and as their caresses intensified, she parted
her lips and drew him in to savor the taste and texture
of his tongue. Other than the lap of waves against the
beach, the rasp of his breath, and the thudding of her
heart, the cove was absolutely quiet.
    "The horses?"
    "They'll be fine." His arms tightened around her,
and one hand caressed her buttocks.
    She must have taken a step backward, because suddenly she became aware of the heat and solid bulk of
the horse behind her. Buck's hands were all over her,
gentle and teasing, driving her crazy with need. She
stroked him harder. He was more than ready, and she
could feel the tension knotting in the pit of her belly.
    "Are you wet, darlin'?"
    She was. All she could think of was having him inside her.
    "Let's see?" He slipped a finger into her vagina and
she moaned with pleasure, clenching around him,
wanting more. He lowered his head, nuzzling aside
her bra and drawing a nipple between his lips to
suckle it.
    The first tide of sweet pleasure surged through her.
"Please," she begged him. 1. .."
    He dropped back onto the sand, pulling her with
him. She yanked her bra off and arched against him, offering her breasts to be kissed and laved and sucked.
He wiggled out of his shorts, seized her hips, and lowered her down on top of him. He slid into her sheath,
deep and then deeper.

    Buck groaned and clutched her against him. Slowly
she withdrew and then with an abandoned cry, slid
down over his swollen length. After what seemed an
eternity, they found a mutual rhythm. Quickly, she climaxed, shaken by multiple tremors of pure physical
joy. Still, they hurtled on, caught in a maelstrom of
hot, sweaty passion, until finally Buck gave a great
shudder and she came again. This time, the peal was
even brighter and more intense than before.
    They lay together on the sand, breathless and sated
until the buzz of mosquitoes drove them into the water. The water was as warm and the bottom as clean as
Buck had promised. They swam and splashed and
played like kids until desire brought them together
again. This time, their lovemaking was slower and
more deliberate, but no less fulfilling.
    They dressed, and