The saloon suffered a silent calm, the
majority of the regular patrons and all of the not so regular ones had
already called it day and stumbled off in a wide variety of inebriated
states to their respective places of slumber. A few oily lights flickered
within, the barkeep's apron casually draped over the bar, lackadaisically
waiting for its wearer to return for another day of serving up dreadful
potent potables and the daily gossips around these parts.
Over in the corner, so still as
to be unnoticed by a simple passerby, sat a young man, shuffling cards
in a eerie rhythm. Eyes so green they resembled the pure emerald
gem stone, a well-defined bone structure with a full, pliant mouth
that easily switched from sobriety to gleefulness in a blink of an eye.
A white linen shirt, with ruffled fabric adornment, along with charcoal
grey trousers that fit snuggly in all the right places. His body
was as breathtaking as his eyes, lean muscle but well-defined for
someone who loathed manual labor. A dark green jacket was draped
carelessly across the back of the chair, where he sat, the deck of cards
whirring through his dexterous fingers. He dealt out a hand, glanced
at his holdings as well as those of the imaginary players that joined in
this one last game. He collected the cards with a flourish, smiling
slightly, recognizing his ability for what it was, no more egotistically
than a good gambler should. One couldn't go into his line of work
without some semblance of confidence, or the game was over before it even
started and you definitely wouldn't be the one collecting the pot that
night.
He thought about going to bed, but the
demons would come. So many things, too many unforgivable transgressions,
to rest for just one night without even a the slightest niggling of guilty
torment. He guessed he could have taken the young lady that had propositioned
him tonight up on her offer to keep him company for the evening, but his
taste in those types of liasons had dwindled to nothing in the last few
months. He didn't think he could take much more degradation before
he sunk so far into hell that even he wouldn't recognize himself.
His mother had always hounded him about his conscience, that if he was
to survive in this world, especially in his line of work, he had better
lose it or it would eat him alive. How fitting that little piece
of motherly advice from a woman who had spent less time with her son than
the many boarding schools and distant relatives.
He stared down at the whiskey bottle,
picked it up and swallowed a long pull directly from the neck. Look
how far I've come, when I can't even pour myself a drink, I have to guzzle
it like those heathens and criminals he was paid to protect the good citizens
of Four Corners from. There's a ironic twist of fate. To protect
a town who was trying to eliminate his kind from besieging their streets.
Old man Travis must have been a few cards short of his deck to even think
that he, the consumate con man and swindler, would be dependable for a
month, much less any more permenant amount of time. But that was
a year ago and he was still here. If he had to admit it, Four Corners
was the closest thing to a home he had ever had in his short but miserable
life.
So buried in his self-loathing, the
drunken cardsharp did not notice the appearance of a visitor in his inner
sanctum, depsite its soiled, soulless ambiance. A delicate white
hand with long slender fingers grazed his strong hand and gently uncurled
his fist from around the neck of the bottle. Haunted emerald eyes
met saddened aqua ones. Whisps of blond hair framing an achingly
attractive, almost angelic face blew in the slight fall breeze that wafted
through the doors of the saloon. That same white hand
reached out to caress the stubbly cheek of the man who sat before her,
passing her fingers over his lips, sucking a sharp breath of her own when
he opened his mouth and gently tugged on their tips. Moving closer,
he took her lovely face in both hands and lowered his full mouth to her
generous one. As he delved past her lips and sparred playfully with
her tongue, his hands roamed across her shoulders and down her deliciously
curved body. As erotic sensations flowed through her body, she moved
closer, wanting him to touch her, kiss her...just wanting him. Not
since her husband's death had she wanted to be this close, this intimate
with any man.
He backed away a few inches, both of
them breathing heavily. His eyes asked the question, hers answered
immediately and without hesitation. Even if just for one night, neither
would or even could promise anything more than what was happening at this
moment. He stood up and pulled her to him, flush against his rapidly
tightening body. He could feel the warmth, the desire even through
her staid black dress. She traced her fingers down the well-defined
muscles of his back through the soft linen of his shirt, then worked her
way around to the front, where she began to slowly unfasten the buttons.
He slid his hands up to cover her breasts and cupped them firmly.
Her nipples peaked and tightened within their confining corset. She
rolled her head back as he took advantage and trailed kisses down the graceful
column of her neck. She got the last button undone and pushed his
shirt off his strong shoulder. He made a movement for them to adjourn
upstairs to finish what they had started but she declined, reveling in
the excitement of doing something so forbidden in such a public setting.
He quickly unfastened the bodice of
her dress and loosened her stays to free the creamy white mounds.
Nudging her breast with his face, he caught one nipple in his mouth and
began to tease it with his tongue. She went weak in the knees, thinking
her rubbery legs would give out any minute from his attentions.
He picked her up and carried her over to the bar, which came up about waist
high on him. How fortuitous. He returned to his suckling as
his hands roamed under her skirts and slid up the inside of her leg until
he came to the apex of her thighs. She inhaled sharply as he began
to tenderly manipulate the small nubbin nestled in the thatch of hair.
Waves of pleasure began to wash over her as he inserted on finger into
her moist sheath. God, she was so tight.
She whimpered softly as his hands left
her, for a short time, in order for him to unfasten his trousers.
His turgid phallus was freed and he pulled her close to him. She
wrapped her legs around his narrow waist and he slowly lowered her onto
his hardened shaft. Achingly slow was the penetration. When
he was fitted deep inside her, they both stared at each other for
a moment that seemed like eternity. Then they began to move
together, faster and more confidently with every thrust. She climaxed,
a overwhelming sensation that she had never even felt with her husband.
He covered her mouth roughly to prevent her from crying out. The
muscles of her womanhood spasmed around his member, already tensed far
beyond what he could bear. He groaned harshly as he spilled his seed
deep inside her warm body.
For a moment in time, the two lovers
rested against each other, reveling in the intimate feeling of sychronous
pain and release. Reluctantly, he lowered her to the ground and held
her to him. She laid her head on his chest, hearing the strong beat
of his heart. He tenderly caressed her beautiful tumble of long,
white-blond hair. She moved away and fastened up the front of her
dress, straightened her skirts and headed for the door when his sexy
drawl cut through the darkness and made her tremble all over.
"Mary?"
She turned at her name, meeting those
brilliant green eyes one last time. There were so many emotions she
could perceive, rumbling just under the surface. He stood there,
barechested, and met her gaze directly.
"What is it, Ezra?"
He stared at her steadily for a moment,
a man who prided himself on being eloquent, almost verbiose at times, was
at a loss for words. How could he convey to her the gratitude he
felt for her saving grace without sounding trite. He had always heard
Occam's razor worked the best, go for the simple approach. He took
in her gorgeous, heavenly beauty and said the first thing that popped into
his mind.
"Thank you."
The End
