Texas Rose by Jolene Faye

  Chapter Four

  "Where are we going," he asked as he playfully nibbled her ear. The heated spicy scent of their lovemaking wafted around them as the wagon bounced down the path. Sybil smiled letting a soft moan slip from her lips as she leaned into the heat of his breath against her ear. Laughing softly as his hand slid over the denim of her thigh, Sybil pulled back on the reigns of the horse and slowed the wagon to a stop. Wrapping her fingers into his, she turned sideways on the wagon seat and locked her eyes on his. "There is something I want to show you," she started softly as he pressed his lips to hers. Giggling again, she pushed against his chest, "come on, it's getting late and it will be hard to see if it gets too dark." Cole slid out of the wagon seat and looked around before turning to help Sybil to the ground. Catching and holding her against his chest as she slid down, he smiled and kissed her deeply once more before letting her go. With his fingers tangled into hers, Cole walked slowly behind Sybil as she pulled him this way and that through the trees just north of the path. The insistent urging pushed against the front of his trousers as he watched the gentle sway of her hips and the denim of her trousers pull tight over her rear as she climbed over small boulders. "Here," her soft voice broke his study of her backside as he looked up and surveyed the area. His chest tightened as the familiarity settled over him and Sybil dropped to her knees, pressing her palm against a gathering of boulders. "Cole," her voice soft and questioning as he brought his eyes back to the soft shimmer of happiness playing in her eyes. Reaching out for his hand, Sybil smiled as he stepped forward and knelt beside her. "What is this," he half whispered almost wishing he didn't already know. Sliding her hand down the flat surface of one of the boulders, Sybil wrapped her fingers around their joined hands and smiled. "This is where my whole life changed," she started not noticing the squeeze of his hand inside of hers. Cole traced slowly over the rough etching of the flower on the rock, fighting back the tears that threatened to overtake him. "This is where I found Rose," Sybil continued before the rambling of her story became a blur of noises in his head.

  "Cole! Cole," she screamed as she ran back through the twisted trunks of the trees trying to catch up with him. The low branches clawed and tore at her face as she swerved in and out of the thick clumps of trees. "Cole, what's wrong? Wait, what are you doing," she cried breathlessly as she leaned against a tree and watched him tie the single horse back to the wagon. Sybil breathed deeply trying to refill her lungs from the rushed sprint after him when he darted from the woods and headed back toward the wagon. As he fashioned a lead rope into a bridle around the second mare's neck, Sybil lunged forward again, reaching for his shoulder. "Cole, please. What's wrong," she begged as tears began to slide over her cheeks. He stood still for what seemed like an eternity before turning around to her. The darkness in his eyes caught her breath in her throat as he stepped forward and grabbed the top of her arms. She'd never realized his sheer height until just then as he loomed over her staring hard into her eyes. Her lips trembled as she tried to call to him again. "I have something I need to do Sybil. Get home. Go home now and don't look back," he ordered her coldly as he shook her by the shoulders. "Cole please," she muttered before his grip on her arms tightened and he pushed her toward the wagon. "Go home Sybil," he raised his voice into the air as he threw his leg over the bare back of the mare, kicked hard against her sides and took off down the path toward town.