He glanced behind him, but she was already a third of the way up the stairs and he was about to mount the second step. He looked at her soft, warm, inviting body and thought that if she was the cheese he was one mouse that was ready to be caught.
He followed her up the stairs to the small landing at the top. She had turned her back to him, but was still holding his hand with one of hers. Her round, firm buttocks were as sensual as her breasts; the sight of them made his breath catch. There was only one door on the landing, a big, dark wooden one that was almost a match to the front door. She opened it, shoving it wide, and he could see past her enough to tell it was a large bedroom with another room leading off to his right. She led him over the threshold and then turned to shut the door. He looked to see if it had a latch or a sliding bolt, but there was just the knob. He was going to ask her if there wasn’t some way to lock it, but she didn’t give him time. She led him straight to the biggest bed he’d ever seen, then turned and started unbuttoning his shirt. Longarm could feel his legs beginning to tremble. He unbuckled his gun belt, being careful not to dislodge the derringer hidden in the concave buckle, and then lowered the rig slowly to the floor, bending over so that his lips and hers naturally came together. Her mouth was already opening as he bent his head over her. He could feel the sudden flush of her warmth on his mouth and then the sensual darting and stabbing of her tongue. Her arms were around his neck and he raised her up, lifting her off her feet. She was smaller and lighter than she had seemed that day in the plaza. Her feet dangled as she held on with just her arms around his neck. Finally he eased her back to the floor, took her around the waist, and lifted her onto the bed, laying her across it. The bed covering was white, accentuating her musky darkness. For half a moment he just looked at her lying there, legs open and inviting, breasts heaving with passion, lips parted as she looked at him with her big, luminous eyes.
In frantic haste he ripped his shirt off, then sat down on the side of the bed and yanked his boots off and then his jeans. Austin Davis had made fun of his not wearing underwear. Well, here was a good example of the usefulness of such a practice.
Behind him she said, “Arriba arriba. Pronto!” Hurry hurry hurry.
He turned quickly, and crept across the bed to her on his hands and knees. As he went between her legs, they came up to encircle him around the chest. Longarm feared it would make her too far away for his penis to reach and penetrate her, but then she did something with her hips as her arms encircled his neck, and he almost cried out as he felt himself slide into her hot, throbbing body. He stayed on his hands and knees as her mouth came up and her tongue went inside his mouth to complete the circle. Holding him around the neck, she thrust herself into him rhythmically, over and over, faster and faster, her breath coming in gasps.
Now she was biting him on the lips and the cheek and the ears. Longarm was trying to hold back, give her time, but the heat she’d generated in him with the first sight of her in nothing but the serape, had fanned into a flame that he could not turn down. He lifted his right arm and cradled her back in his big hand. He knew he would collapse on her when he exploded.
And then her mouth was back on his, her hips still pulsating into his groin. Longarm could feel the firmness and heat of her buttocks as they slapped into him. But he could also feel the power of his own, final passion rising. He knew he could not hold back for another half a moment. And then came a low, keening sound from deep in Dulcima’s throat. She began to gasp, and then the gasp became a soft wail that grew and grew until her wet lips and tongue were all over his face and her hips were working faster than he would have thought possible. Her lips left his face and she put her head back, arching her neck and her body, and he could feel the quiver run all through her as she began to scream and to dig her fingers into his back, clawing at him.
And then he knew no more, for he exploded in a cascade of pent-up fever and excitement and release. Some giant wind seemed to be tumbling him end over end across a misty plain. He was a tumbleweed swept up in a tornado. The world went black as he was buffeted and toppled over again and again.
Then it was over and, gasping, trying to hold his weight off Dulcima’s tender body, he collapsed as his arms gave way and his legs betrayed him. He fell full length on her, feeling her softness, her arms around him and her hands in her hair, but not being aware of much else.
After a moment he felt her squirm slightly beneath him and he knew his dead weight was probably suffocating her. As gently as he could, he slid off her, toward the edge of the bed, and rolled over on his back. For the moment, he was as satisfied as he reckoned he’d ever been in his life. Even his aching tooth was at peace. For a long moment he lay with his eyes closed, letting his body sink into the cushiony softness of the bedclothes. He could feel her moving around beside him, but he had no intention of opening his eyes until he recovered. The sight of her body was sure to arouse him all over again, and he didn’t want to start anything that he wouldn’t be able to finish. But then he felt her soft little hand on his hard belly, felt that hand work its way down until she was stroking his member. His emotions began to stir. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. She had propped a couple of pillows behind her back so that she was almost sitting up, making it easier to reach him. As he lay still, she squirmed around and leaned over and he could feel her smooth, hot tongue working its way down his belly, kissing and licking and leaving streaks of heat in its wake. He groaned, feeling himself coming erect. Then he felt her slip him inside her mouth, and it was like being dipped in a churning bucket of hot liquid. He could feel his member stretching its head to touch the back of her throat, feel her taking so much of him inside her, he wouldn’t have thought it possible. His groans were coming faster and faster as she worked her mouth over his throbbing penis. Then she suddenly stopped. His eyes fluttered open. She was sitting straight up on the bed, and staring toward the door. Her eyes had gone wide, and her face was suffused with fear. Longarm didn’t hear anything, only felt a presence. He did not hesitate. Without thought or plan he pushed Dulcima hard with his right hand shoving her toward the far side of the bed. In the same instant he rolled to his left, rolled off the bed and landed on the floor, his hand frantically seeking his revolver. In the instant he pushed her and started his roll he was aware of a thud against the wall, the back wall, and the crack of a gunshot.
But now he was on the floor, and the butt of his revolver was in his hand. He cocked the hammer as he raised it to aim at the figure in the wide-open door. He did not bother trying to jerk the gun out of the big cut away holster. There was no time. The figure at the door, having missed him in the bed, was now turning his gun toward him on the floor. Knowing his first shot was going to have to count, Longarm fired an instant before a second crack from the intruder’s gun resounded.
Chapter 10
He saw his bullet take Raoul San Diego square in the chest. The force of the slug knocked the man backwards just enough so that his second shot was jerked up and went harmlessly over Longarm’s head.
But Longarm was leaving nothing to chance. As San Diego was falling, Longarm cocked his revolver and fired again. The second slug took the gunman in the side of the chest, sending him sprawling to his left, the gun falling from his lifeless fingers.
After a long moment Longarm slowly raised himself to his knees, his ears still ringing with the sound of the gunshots echoing in the room. He had finally shaken the holster and belt off the revolver and it was naked in his hand. He could see San Diego’s boots and most of his left leg, but the rest of his body was hidden from view. He looked to his right, toward where Dulcima had last been. She’d gone off the bed on the other side, but now, she too, was up on her knees staring toward the bedroom door. Longarm watched her, not sure of what her reaction would be to him shooting her lover. She had been critical of San Diego and said she didn’t care, but that was when he was still alive. Now she slowly turned to look at Longarm, saying, with just a slight tremble in her voice, “Yeah, you chure escared of heem. Yes, I theenk I was right about you.” She gestured toward the door. “He make the beeg mistake. He should have been escared of you, not you heem.” Longarm listened to her, not saying anything.