Sleep just would not come.  No matter how hard she tried, Lou just could not sleep.  Her thoughts continued to race in directions she'd rarely, if ever, thought they'd go.  Instead of that sweet fuzzy feeling before sleep, or imaginary sheep jumping a fence, her mind was filled with scenes of passion -- scenes she'd so recently lived out in a small cabin that served as the Redfern Pony Express station.  Her and Kid -- her strong, sweet, tender, Kid -- naked and sweating, wrapped around each other, straining against each other, their breaths labored in the most intimate act Lou'd ever known.  He'd been patient and passionate with her, driving away the ghosts that threatened to destroy their moment of happiness together.  And in some way, she knew she'd helped drive away Kid's own ghosts.  Just the thought of making love with Kid had her heart beating a little faster, her skin warming, sweat trickling in rivulets between her breasts and she kicked off the top sheet covering her and rolled to her back to stare at the ceiling.

The bunkhouse was quiet, Lou's fellow riders all sound asleep around her.  She closed her eyes remembering how good Kid's large hands had felt stroking the skin of her hip, the callouses on his palms, the sign of his hard work, only adding to the delicious feel.  She remembered the feel of his mouth on her skin, the taste of his kisses, the heady smell of horses and leather and the lemon verbena soap he'd washed the trail dust off his face with all of which clung to his skin, his weight on her, the feel of his hardness as he stroked in and out of her....

Lou's breath had quickened, her body tingling with arousal and she almost sobbed into the darkness in frustration.  That had all happened a week ago.  It had been a full week since she'd awakened, cradled in his arms, six days since they'd returned to Sweetwater from that incredible night in Redfern; a week since they'd loved each other.  If finding time to be alone and steal kisses had been hard, finding the time to make love had been even harder.  With eight people living at the station, privacy was the stuff of myths and legends, not to mention the workload recently.  When they weren't delivering the mail, Teaspoon and Rachel seemed to have dreamed up a smorgasboard of chores for them all to do.  Even if we'd had the chance to be alone, we'd probably be too tired to do anything other than sleep, Lou thought bitterly.  None of it seemed to even bother Kid, though, who, as always, was the picture of quiet confidence and composure while she lay awake in the middle of the night trying to refrain from jumping down off her bunk and attacking him.  Probably sleepin' like a baby, she thought.  Quietly, she leaned over the edge of her bunk and squinted into the darkness, prepared to find him sprawled in his bed, his pillow folded double under his head.  What she saw in the darkness was an empty bunk.
 
 

Kid had no idea how long he'd been out here in the barn, staring at the stars from the hayloft window.  He'd snuck out a while ago, when it'd seemed everyone was asleep, afraid that his tossing and turning would awaken someone, or even worse, awaken Lou.  That night in Redfern, the night he couldn't stop thinking about, hadn't been the first time he'd been with a woman.  In a way, he was glad he'd had some idea of what he was doing beforehand to save himself and Lou those embarassing first moments.  However, that night, he'd finally realized what people meant when they talked about making love.

There was such a big difference between what he'd shared with Lou and those fumbling, awkward and stilted times he'd shared with Doritha all those years ago.  God, they'd been so young, so innocent, he thought bittersweetly.  Doritha had been his first, his best friend from childhood up.  When they were fifteen, before his mother died, they'd decided to share their virginities with one another.  Kid, being the fifteen year old powder keg that he was had readily and naively agreed.  Doritha's family had been monied and so their liason was doomed from the first.  Her father would arrange a suitable marriage for her when she turned seventeen, but Doritha, whose older sister had well versed her in the realities of life, longed to experience the pain she knew her first time would bring with someone she trusted and knew, someone comfortable.

Looking back, Kid knew it wasn't real love he'd felt for Doritha.  His times with her, and there'd been a few after the first, had been very planned, stilted and unromantic.  There were things a young lady did not do even with her husband, she'd maintained.  Whores' tricks, Doritha called them, and so there'd always been a minimum of foreplay before the actual sex.  He'd always wondered if Doritha actually liked being with him or if her responses were what she thought wouldplease him.

With Lou, there was none of that.  Things had flowed naturally with them.  He'd never had to wonder if she really enjoyed his touch.  Kid had always been able to easily stop himself with Doritha merely by remembering what was right and proper.  With Lou, though, he was lucky to be able to think at all.  Lou's initial fear of them being together had helped stem the tide of desire earlier because Kid never wanted her to be afraid of him for any reason.  However, as she'd gotten bolder and more comfortable with her feelings, it'd become harder and harder to stop themselves when they were alone.

Unlike his first lover, Lou's responses had been wholehearted and real.  Once the initial awkwardness had worn off, Lou had been warm and passionate, responding easily to his caresses and returning them.  There was nothing she wouldn't let him do, nowhere she wouldn't let him kiss or touch.

He could still hear her harsh breathing in his ear, the different ways she'd say his name -- in a whisper, in a gasp, in a moan, and in the end in a cry loud enough that he'd been concerned that Harry, the station master, and his wife in the house next door would hear it.  He could feel her small hands gripping and stroking the muscles in his back, combing through the mat of curls on his chest before sliding further down to flutter against his arousal.  Kid felt his breath quicken and his body harden as he remembered the taste of Lou's kisses, her skin, feel her hot and tight and his for the taking....

He was letting his thoughts get way out of control.  Kid began to knock the back of his head against the wall he leaned on to try and focus on something else.  But it had been so long, a week since they'd gotten back.; a week since he'd awakened her by kissing and sucking on her breasts, only to have her take the initiative in their lovemaking that morning.  Kid watched her work around the station, his hands stuck in his pockets more often than not to hide his arousal when his thoughts got out of control, wondering if the wanting was an aching need for her as well.
 
 

Kid wasn't there; his bunk hardly looked slept in.  Alarms sounded in Lou's head at first, thinking there was something wrong.  He probably just went to the outhouse, she told herself confidently.  But when he hadn't come back in ten minutes, she began to worry again.  He must have snuck out while she was dosing.  But where?  Maybe he was sick or hurt or who knows what.

With that thought in mind, she carefully climbed down from her bunk and grabbed her trousers.  Looking around, she noted that all the boys were asleep so she risked taking off her longjohns before dressing, to cut down on the heat.  Her breasts unbound and free from the heavy cotton of the longjohns, Lou couldn't help but sigh as the cotton of her shirt scraped against the still aroused flesh.  Quietly, she slipped out the door and into the night.

She knocked idly on the outhouse door, already knowing he wasn't inside.  Where else could he be?  Suddenly, it hit her and she headed toward the barn.
 

Kid heard the footsteps easily in the still night air.  Cursing himself for leaving his gun inside, he quickly crept from the hayloft, keeping to the darkest shadows near the door.  He watched as the door swung open and suddenly leapt upon the figure that stepped inside.  They fell to the barn floor with a loud "oompf," Kid landing on top of his would-be attacker.  He wrestled with the figure until he'd pinned the man's hands to the floor on either side of his head.  "Gotcha, you son-of-a...."

"Kid?"

He was startled by the familiar voice beneath him.  "Lou?!  What're you doin' up out here at this time of night?" he asked, smiling as she hugged him tight.

"Lookin' for you.  God, I thought something had happened to you!  When I saw your bed empty I thought maybe you were sick or somethin'," she said quickly, ducking her eyes shyly.  Even in her startled and relived state, Lou's body registered his weight on hers and automatically, she adjusted her legs so that one of hers slid easily between his own.

Kid looked down at her for a few moments before his brain registered that he'd just tackled the slight woman to the floor and now was still lying full-out on top of her.  Good, Kid, suffocate the poor woman, why don't ya, he thought to himself.  Slightly embarrassed that she'd startled him, he quickly moved off her and helped her up.  "God, Lou, I'm so sorry!  Are you alright?  I didn't hurt ya did I?" he asked concernedly, his hands helping to brush off some of the dirt and straw off her.

"Oh, I think I'll live," Lou chuckling wryly.  "Nothin' bruised but my backside and my pride.  Both'll heal up before ya know it."  As she spoke, her own hands, which had been dusting the dirt and straw off his shirt front, slowed until she stood before him, her hands on his chest.  God, she could feel his warmth even through his shirt.  Her mind easily replayed how good it had felt to cuddle up to that warmth and sleep so peacefully.

He just looked down at her for long moments.  She'd left the top two buttons of her shirt unbuttoned against the warm spring air and, withought her binding, Kid found he could easily see right down the valley between her breasts...breasts he'd touched...and kissed.  Look away, you fool, he told himself.  You know what could happen if you two aren't careful.  You'll hate yourself if you get her with child, you know you will.  But he just couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight.

Lou noticed his eyes darkening, the distracted way he acted and felt herself blush uncontrollably.  She still wasn't used to men, even Kid, looking at her like that.  She glanced around slightly, suddenly remembering that it was somewhere around fifteen minutes until one in the morning and there they were all alone in the barn...together.  Lou ducked slightly until her eyes met his, a sly smile on her face.  "Well, Kid?"

Startled, he looked at her quickly, the tips of his ears flushing pink when he realized she'd noticed his gaze.  "W-what did you say, Lou?"

"Well, are you gonna kiss me or what because I don't h-...." the end of her sentence was cut off as Kid hauled her to him suddenly, his lips capturing hers in a kiss so hungry it made her gasp.  He molded her to him as she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, her body responding wholeheartedly to his touch.  Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers grazing the soft locks of hair at the back of his neck, above his collar.  The heat started at the top of her head and just worked its way down her body, each nerve tingling in answer to his proximity.

The kiss went on for long breathless minutes, their tongues dancing over and around each other until finally neither could breathe and had to pull back.  They stayed nose to nose, sharing each breath and Kid's hands clutched her hips closer to him.  He knew she had to feel his arousal through her clothes.  "You really worried about me?" he asked breathlessly, grinning in obvious pleasure at her concern.

Lou smiled sweetly and nuzzled his cheek with hers.  "Of course I was," she whispered in his ear, "I love you."

Kid had never known three little words could have such power, could move him so much.  Each time she said them in that husky voice of hers that only he heard, his heart leapt.  He couldn't speak; he felt too much at the moment and words just didn't seem to work.  So, he leaned forward and kissed her earlobe softly before taking it in his mouth to nip and suckle.  As always, Lou gasped at the sensation, feeling like molten lead had just poured down the mold of her spine, her back straightening quickly.  She held on tightly to him as he kissed a trail along her jaw and began a descent down her neck.  It had been so long and he was winding her up just like the clock in Rachel's house that needed wound every night with a key.

Lou didn't like just standing there passively while Kid indulged his mouth on the hollows of her neck, so she began to work at the buttons down his shirt.  Her hands were suddenly clumsy in her haste to remove the shirt and feel him one step closer to her.  Spreading open the unbuttoned shirt, Lou let her hands wander over the warm skin of his torso, her fingers dipping into and tracing the lines and contours of every muscle from waistband to open shirt collar before wrapping around his waist tightly.  His mouth was on hers again, tasting, devouring until she was sure her lips must be bruised.  Lou's knees began to tremble and weaken and Kid began nudging her backwards as he hurriedly slipped out of his shirt.  His fingers had already started on the buttons on her shirt when her back hit the wall with a thud.  The bump barely registered in her foggy mind, the hard wall only adding erotically to her need, making her moan slightly.  Kid brushed back the edges of her now open shirt, his thumbs just grazing her aching nipples and she couldn't help the whimper that emerged.

Kid knelt before her with a small smile, his fingers stroked her bare flanks while his lips eagerly found her breasts.  "Mmmm...Kid," Lou moaned, her eyes rolling back in her head at the feel.  She ran her fingers into his sandy curls, holding his head closer as he kissed and sucked at her breasts.  Her whole body was on fire and all she could think about was having him inside her as soon as possible.

His mouth left her breasts and she looked down to see his hands, large and tan, working at the buttons on her trousers.  His darkened eyes remained boring into hers as he slid her pants down over her hips so she could step out of them.  Kid's hands stroked her from her ankles, up the lean muscles of her calves, sliding around to tickle the wells at the back of her knees, and then journeyed further up to caress between her thighs wonderingly.  At his touch on her womanhood, Lou jerked her hips uncontrollably, pressing her hands urgently back against the wall behind her to steady herself.  Kid rose back up on his knees and kissed the flat expanse of her stomach, resting his forehead there for a torturous moment.  "Do you know how much I've missed you, Lou?" he murmured against her skin.  "How much I've missed waking up next to you, the feel of you soft and sweet next to me?  Do you know how crazy you make me?"

She looked down into the darkened blue eyes that demanded to know all of her and shuddered at the answering passion lying heavy and warm inside her.  He was making her crazy now, putting off what she wanted most -- to feel him touching her, caressing her, sliding into her.  Hell, she didn't want to talk!  She thought she'd explode if he didn't do something soon.  "Kid...Kid, please, just...just take me," she panted out.  Kid looked up into her eyes and the sight of him, kneeling before her, his head mere centimeters away from the heart of her desire was enough to make her hands shake and her teeth worry at her bottom lip in anticipation.

The look of needy hunger in the bottomless depths of Lou's dark eyes was enough to cease all rational thought for Kid.  He rose to his feet quickly, his lips capturing hers again on his way up.  The days apart after the new intimate nature of their relationship were just too much.  He'd watched her work around the station, glimpsing the occasional erotic movement of lean muscle beneath her clothes and found his mind wandering in all sorts of unexplored directions.  Just watching her ride in after a run made him long for her, despite the dirt and sweat...or maybe in a strange way because of it.  Tonight, it had come to a head and Kid knew that nothing was going to keep him from having her.

He felt her trembling hands sneak between them and work at the buttons on his pants.  When the buttons refused to slip loose, Lou groaned in frustration and took a tighter hold on the material pulling until the buttons popped off, falling to the barn floor.  Startled at her strength, Kid pulled back from the kiss and looked at her quizzically.  However, her hands and attention were centered on his hardened manhood which she stroked tenderly as it rose between them, causing him to gasp at the sensation.  Knowing he'd explode if she kept touching him like that, Kid quickly pulled her to him, wrapping her thigh around his with one hand as he used the other to guide himself into her.

Lou whimpered slightly at the almost too quick entry, her head falling back against the wall.  His hands had moved to her hips, holding her as he moved in and out, her little used internal muscles slowly expanding to accomodate him.  She didn't care though as their rhythm sped up.  Mere moments after his entry, her body caught up with him producing the hot moisture that only added to the sensations.  She gasped with each thrust, the unbuttoned shirt that hung loosely over her arms and shoulders protecting her somewhat from the hard wall she slid up and down against.  With one hand, she wound her fingers in his sandy hair and pulled his mouth to hers, thrusting her tongue inside to meet his.  "More," Lou breathed against his mouth.

Kid never replied but began thrusting harder into her.  He couldn't have spoken even if he wanted to.  All he could concentrate on was the feeling of her tight wetness sliding around him over and over as his body built up to that point of no return.  However much he wanted to, Kid refused to let himself go until he was sure that she'd follow.  God, he loved watching her come almost as much, if not more, than he enjoyed his own orgasms.  As the tension and feeling built up further and further, he felt a desperate need to assure her pleasure.  He lowered his head and took one small, perfect breast in his mouth suckling it as his thrusts slowed and deepened.

"Oh...oh,God...yes," Lou panted.  Her body began to tremble and she groaned with each agonizingly slow thrust.  Suddenly, her already fast breathing doubled its pace, her thigh around his hip clenching him closer.

"That's right, sweetheart.  Let it go," Kid murmured encouragingly as he lifted his head from her breast.  His tongue traced her ear teasingly, his warm breath increasing her shaking.  "That's my girl, let me feel it."

The breaking away feeling started in her spine and in miliseconds spread throughout her body.  Lou hissed a curse as her whole body arched, her eyes closing uncontrollably, and her left hand lashed out reflexively to land against the barn wall with a thud.  Feeling her muscles contract and spasm around him was too much and Kid buried his face in her neck.  Her short hair tickled his cheek and ear and he gripped her hips hard, unable to control himself as he thrust twice more into her before groaning her name and shuddering.  Lou clutched at his shoulders desperately as she felt and heard his pleasure only increasing hers by tenfold.

Half blinded by the lights behind his eyes and weakened from bliss, Kid's knees buckled and he sank to the barn floor, holding her to him as he fell forward until his head touched the wall next to her ear.  Still joined, their breaths coming in huge, shuddering gasps, hearts pumping the rhythm of a stampede, Lou's knees rested on either side of his hips, her back arched so her head lay against the wall as well.  The tips of her over-sensitive breasts brushed erotically against the soft curls on his chest as she struggled to control her breathing.

They sat that way, half-dressed on the barn floor, too stunned to speak, struggling to hold onto the waves of pleasure that were fast fading away.  Eyes still closed, Lou ran her tongue over her swollen lips, reality returning slowly but surely.  Kid was just barely holding her up without crushing her and she was suddenly aware of the warm sheen of sweat on both of them, his ragged breathing in her ear, his heart pounding in echo of hers.  Her legs were quickly falling asleep, doubled at the knee as they were.  Needing to straighten them, Lou slowly tried readjusting her position without disturbing the union of their bodies, bringing her legs to wrap around Kid's waist and keep him inside her just a little longer.  However, the movement also moved him inside of her to just the right spot and she felt herself crash over the edge of bliss again so hard and unexpectedly that her teeth came down to nip his shoulder even as tears came to her own eyes.  What was wrong with her?  Was it really supposed to feel like this, like dying, over and over again?  The thought of something so powerful, so sacred that she'd shared with him scared her and all she could do was sob out, "Oh, my God!"

He couldn't believe she was coming yet again and he hadn't even done anything.  Her teeth on his shoulder had hurt but only a bit and he was sure she hadn't broken the skin.  Kid heard a sob escape her and his hands moved to automatically stroke her back soothingly, his face still buried in her neck.  What was it about his lovemaking that always left her in tears that scorched his soul?  His heart breaking at the thought that he might have hurt her, he held her close whispering in her ear.  "Shh, baby, it's okay," he assured her, his voice cracking emotionally.  "Did I hurt you?  I'm so sorry, sweetheart.  I'm here.  I'm right here."

Lou's tears subsided quickly and she pulled away a bit to look at him.  She could see the apology in his eyes, see that he thought he'd hurt her and she wanted to do anything it would take to ease it away.  Cupping his face in her hands, she bent forward to kiss him, pouring all her wild churned up feelings behind the slow gesture of affection.  "I love you," Lou murmured against his mouth.   "God, I love you so much."

As he had that night in Redfern, Kid looked directly into her eyes.  He looked at her seriously, feeling his heart constrict in a way it never had before he'd known her.  She'd changed his life and he knew he'd never be able to adequately tell her how.  Instead, he turned his head to kiss one delicate wrist lovingly.  "I love you, too, Lou," he whispered.

She gave him a wobbly smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling as close as she could get into his embrace.  Lou felt him soften within her and couldn't help the soft sigh that emerged.  She could feel their mingled desire, a warm pool of moisture between her thighs and knew she'd have to part from him soon.

Kid felt the same moisture and closed his eyes as the possible ramifications of their activities came to the forefront of his mind.  Guiltily, he dropped his mouth to Lou's shoulder, muttering an uninteligible apology against the smooth skin.  God, he'd have to be careful.  They'd have to be careful.  The last thing they both needed was to start a baby with their 'dancing,' Kid thought.  Much as he dreaded it, he'd have to remind himself to pull out next time and not lose himself in her.  He felt a pang as both of his thighs began to cramp badly, having been sitting on his knees with Lou clutched in his hold, and Kid grimaced.

Lou's eyes had closed contentedly as they'd sat in their silent embrace.  Suddenly, her contentment was shattered as she felt Kid stir beneath her.

"Honey, I need you to move," Kid requested, his voice slightly muffled by her hair.

 "What?"  She pulled back, her eyes unable to hide the slight hurt she felt.  Didn't he want to hold her? 

Realizing she'd taken his words the wrong way, Kid grunted slightly as another spasm tightened the muscles in his legs.  "My legs are crampin' sittin' like this, hon, and I need you to move so I can straighten 'em out," he said.

Lou's eyes widened and she hurriedly slid off his lap, breaking their connection.  "Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.  Kid straightened his legs slowly and Lou leaned over him to quickly massage his legs, rubbing the cramps out.  "Is that better?"

"Yeah."  Kid watched smiling as she continued to fuss over him, her surprisingly strong fingers still kneading his thigh.  "Guess we'll have to be careful while we're experimentin'," he commented.

Lou looked up at the mock serious look on his face and let loose a low laugh.  "Hmmm, let's stick to lyin' down for a while yet," she suggested, her eyebrows arched mischievously.  She looked around, noticing that they were sitting in the middle of the main aisle, on the barn floor with the horses' stalls all around.  Getting an idea, Lou stood up before Kid and extended a hand down to help him up.  "Up you go, old man," she teased.  "Time for a change of scenery.  Maybe someplace a little more comfortable."

Kid nearly fell back down, having forgotten that his pants were down around his ankles.  He looked up sheepishly at Louise who was trying hard to stifle the giggle building up and felt suddenly self-conscious.  "One second," he said, moving to pull his pants up as he stood.  How am I going to explain these buttons to Rachel, he thought silently.  He'd gotten them up around his hips and was fumbling for his belt to hold them up, when Lou's small hands covered his.  Startled, Kid looked up into her dark eyes that were suddenly dark and smoldering again.

She'd smiled at his self-consciousness at first considering how out of place it was after what they'd shared.  But that same sudden shyness and sense of propriety, that vulnerable air it gave him, made Lou feel protective and tender toward him in a way she'd never felt for a man.  Kid certainly had nothing to hide or be embarassed about physically.

She remembered their first dance together in Redfern and how she'd tried to cover herself up, embarassed at her lack of voluptuousness.  She remembered too Kid's low voice as he'd told her how perfect she was, how he wouldn't change anything and the awe in his eyes as she'd finally let him pull away the white nightgown she wore.  Lou wanted to see him as he'd seen her -- open, vulnerable, pure.  She wanted to admire him, to memorize each line of muscle, each small white scar and imperfection.  "Don't, please," Lou said softly, her hands tightening on his.

Kid watched fascinated as she backed away from him, holding his gaze with her own.  Lou felt bold and giddy at the same time, marveling at the power her every movement held over him.  Her lover, she thought, blushing slightly.  Who'd have ever thought that plain old, runty, boyish Louise McCloud would ever have a lover?

She still wore the unbuttoned shirt over her shoulders and when she was about ten feet from him, Louise slowly stripped the shirt from her shoulders.  Holding it up, she made sure he was watching as she threw it into the shadows carelessly.  Now fully naked and standing before him, Kid could feel the breath leave him as he watched her smooth skin glow in the lantern light, amazed that he found himself wanting her again so soon.

Knowing he watched, Lou turned slowly and grabbed one of the blankets resting on the shelf behind her which hadn't been put away that day.  While she was turned around, Kid, in a flash of boldness, quickly divested himself of the rest of his clothes not caring where they landed.  It was the most erotic feeling he'd ever felt to stand there in the barn completely naked, the horses moving softly in their stalls, the earthy smell of the animals and the hay blended with the slight scent of passion still clinging to the air.

With a warm smile, Lou turned back around and approached him, taking his hand and gently tugging.  Mesmerized, Kid watched the sensuous lines of her back and buttocks as she moved towards the ladder leading to the hayloft.  "Where are we going?" he asked curiously.

"Somewhere more comfortable," Lou replied, stepping up onto the bottom rung of the ladder.

Kid wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and bent his head to nibble the back of her neck.  "Comfortable sounds good," he murmured, "as long as it's as soon as possible."

He nearly groaned at the mischievous look in her eyes as she turned in his arms.  She was going to play with him, he could tell.  "Patience, cowboy.  If you're a good boy, I'll make it worth your while," Lou promised, running a hand through his mussed curls before starting back up the ladder.

"If I live that long," Kid muttered from the bottom of the ladder as he watched her disappear over the edge of the upper floor.

Hearing him behind her, Lou turned back around, a smile on her face, to face him.  however, the smile died slightly as Kid rose from the ladder and crossed into the moonbeam falling through the open loft door.  The soft light turned his naked body into something otherworldly, a sculpture of flesh and blood that was hers for the taking.  Unlike marble sculptures, though, this sculpture came with thoughts and feelings and a heart that could be torn in two.  The light silvered and highlighted every muscle, sinew, and hair, every scar whose creation she'd witnessed and those he refused to talk about.

In that moment, she saw how beautiful Kid really was, how he was in some ways still so innocent and pure and the power she held over him overwhelmed her.  In her touch, in her very word, deed and even look was the power to arouse or crush this man.  She knew already how successful her power of arousal was, but it was the power to emotionally and spiritually crush that daunted her most, for one day she knew she'd inevitably extinguish the light in his eyes.  She didn't deserve him.  Somehow, she'd bring tears to those beautiful baby blues and for one brief moment, Louise McCloud felt the agony of future hurt was not worth the present pleasure.

How will you live with yourself then, a voice within her asked.  How will you live the day he discovers everything, the day the light in his eyes dies, knowing you were the cause of his grief?  Some day you will hurt him greatly.  You'll push him away like you do everyone when he gets too close, when he demands you let him into the secret places in your soul.

A gentle smile lit his face as she continued to look at him.  Kid remained blissfully unaware of the internal struggle within the woman he loved.  "Louise," he said, using her full name, the word rolling off his tongue naturally as if he'd been saying it for centuries.

Just the act of saying her name in that low, passion-filled voice of his was like a long distance caress making Lou shudder and forget the agony of moments before.  She closed her eyes briefly, savoring the sound of her name on his lips.  When she opened them, he was grinning lasciviously at her, beckoning her closer with one finger.  Any doubts suddenly fled as she blindly obeyed and crossed the space between them.  Maintaining eye contact with him at all times, Lou laid the blanket out on the hay-strewn floor.

Taking his hand, she turned them both around so that his back was to the blanket and slowly pushed him back onto it.  Their eyes still locked, he lay back and she rose to her knees, straddling his stomach.  Leaning down, Lou kissed him slow and deep, taking her time as she told him with her lips how much she loved him and wanted him.  As the kiss deepened, Kid let his hands wander over her bare thighs and calves, bent at his sides before cupping her hips.  Lou found herself wanting to look at him, to touch him and reluctantly pulled her mouth from his.  She sank down to sit on his torso, smiling as the muscles beneath her contracted upon contact with her warmth.  Both hands ran up over his chest, fingers flared out to play within the dark curls there.

Her eyes faltered slightly as her hands caressed the faint scar on his shoulder where a bullet had marred the smooth skin and she couldn't help but remember the fear that had filled her as she'd watched him get hit.  Her hands still wandering over the muscles of his chest and shoulders, Louise found still more, older scars that had faded.  It didn't take much imagination to know that someone had once abused Kid.  Lou's brown eyes met his blue ones and he looked away slightly, but not before she saw the shame and hurt there, confirming her suspicions.

Kid couldn't look in her eyes as she discovered from his the truth about his childhood.  He hadn't had to say anything.  Her dark eyes had said it all.  She knew, she understood and suddenly he remembered the whispered tales of her own childhood of abuse.  His jaw tightened slightly and he swallowed hard.  He'd never meant for her to know.  It was different for boys and men.  Men weren't expected to be hurt by what their fathers did -- angry, yes, but not hurt.  And they were definitely not supposed to share those feelings of vulnerability with the women they loved.

Oh, he was not going to shut her out now, not in this moment, Louise determined.  She placed her hands on either side of his face and gently turned it toward her.  "Kid, look at me," she begged huskily, her throat tight.

Kid did as she asked and saw in her eyes, not the pity he'd expected but a loving, tender anger he knew was directed at whoever she thought had put those scars there.  There was a connection there between them, a mutual experience they'd shared through pain, embarassment, and shame, binding them further together.

"None of that matters now," Lou said softly.  She leaned down to place her forehead against his.  "Nothing matters now but us."  She placed a tender kiss on his forehead, his nose, and his lips before tracing his tense jawline, smiling as she felt him relax.

He closed his eyes reflexively as Lou began to kiss him, her right hand stroking his cheek gently.  In the face of such pleasant distraction, how could he concentrate on anything, Kid thought.  Lou began to let her mouth wander down over his neck to his shoulders and chest, nipping and kissing every inch of skin she could.  Kid's hands wandered over the skin of her back and buttocks, kneading and stroking the muscles beneath that fascinated him with their strength and beauty.  Reaching his right nipple, Lou hesitated a moment before kissing it.  Kid jerked beneath her, a surprised quick breath the only sound he could muster at the feeling.  At his response, she closed her mouth around the nipple, laving it with her tongue before turning to do the same to the other one.

Her actions sent a line of fire straight down his spine to his already hard arousal making him ache for her.  However, he couldn't bring himself to deter her exploration of his body.  "Oh, God, Lou," Kid groaned as he felt her teeth nip at him.  Unable to lay still, his hands wandered around her torso, slipping under the arms that were braced on his chest to find and play with the hardened tips of her breasts.  He smiled as she moaned in response to his caresses and suckled harder.  They both began a heady game of arousal, the desire spiraling higher and higher as they caressed each other.  Rolling her sensitive nipples between his fingers had Lou so aroused that she couldn't concentrate on anything else.  Her mouth left him and she buried her face in his chest as she panted for breath, rubbing her warm womanhood against the muscles of Kid's stomach in an effort to alleviate her escalating need.

Kid could feel her getting worked up again, her body tensing further and further, her womanhood warm and wet against him.  He nuzzled her hair as he gently pinched and rolled her nipples, at times pausing to knead their pert fullness with his palms.  He was just about ready to roll her beneath him when Lou suddenly sat up, pulling herself away from his caress to sit on her haunches, panting breathlessly with her eyes closed.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Kid asked, concerned.

Lou smiled at the endearment, feeling the sudden urge to giggle at the warmth the word sent through her.  Who'd have ever thought she'd enjoy being called "baby?"  When she opened her eyes slowly, there was a hint of annoyance in them and she pointed her finger at him.  "I know what you were tryin' to do to me.  I wasn't done playin' yet," Lou pouted slightly before a mischievous smile replaced the pout.  She slithered down his torso slowly.  Kid jumped as her warm moisture passed over his arousal, pausing a moment to enjoy the feel of his hardness against her before moving further down his body to settle on his thighs just above his knees.  "You wait your turn," Lou said huskily, her eyes on his as her hands roamed.  She let one finger stroke up the underside of his erection boldly, circling the tip slowly before lowering her head to kiss it.

Kid watched her actions in fascination, his hands forming fists at his side as he struggled for control.  When her head began to lower, he was shocked and tried to sit up, his hands reaching for her to stop her.  "Lou wait...." he gasped.

She grabbed his hands, entwining their fingers together so he couldn't push her away.  Part of her was stunned at the things she wanted to do to him, things she'd only heard about from the whores working for Wicks.  The irony of the situation was not lost on Lou who was now using things she'd learned during the most horrible time in her life, to add to the pleasure of the best time in her life.  She could never have imagined that anything she'd heard those days would come in handy, never imagined herself wanting to do them and actually enjoying them.  "Shhh," she whispered.  "Let me do this for you Kid, please."

He couldn't resist the longing and curiosity in the dark depths of her passionate eyes.  He knew what she wanted to do.  He'd actually experienced it with a "working girl" once several years ago out of curiosity and had numbered the experience among one of his worst decisions.  Part of him wanted to let Lou to do it, Lord knew he'd fantasized about it enough, but another part of him couldn't erase the idea that such things weren't right.  At the look in her eyes, however, Kid pushed all doubts aside and nodded slowly.  How could anything between them be wrong, he thought.

With a small smile, Lou lowered her head again, allowing her tongue to trace up and down the shaft.  Hard and soft all at the same time, she thought, just like Kid himself.  Her hands were still linked with his as they rested on his stomach, and Lou could feel their hands move as he struggled to breathe evenly.  The tip of her tongue tickled against him as she moved it from side to side on its way up the sensitive underside.  As Kid struggled not to groan, Lou found herself thankful for those embarassing conversations she used to have with Charlotte at Wicks'.  She'd come in the doors of the brothel innocent and left them much more worldly and educated about the ways of men and women.

Kid's breath completely left him and his eyes widened as he watched her small mouth engulf the end of his arousal.  His hands left hers to clutch at the blanket beneath him, his eyes closing as he fought to keep from losing himself then and there.  The sensation of her warm mouth sucking at him, her tongue teasing the very tip was almost too much and Kid couldn't help but groan her name in response.

Hearing him in pleasure and knowing she was causing it sent such a feeling of freedom through Lou.  her whole body was throbbing in answer to the pulse she felt beating in his shaft.  She almost gagged on him as without warning he began to thrust his hips up, pushing himself deeper into her mouth in the same rhythm they'd made love to.  Lou continued to tease him until his thrusts got more insistent, his whole body tensing as his climax approached.  She didn't know if she was ready for the inevitable to play out within her mouth so she slowly released him, pulling away.

The sudden absence of her caress left him aching, but also gave Kid a moment to stave off the tide of desire that threatened to overtake him before he could please Lou.  Their eyes met and he knew she could read the love and gratitude in his own.  He sat up, wanting to make her feel as good as she had him and slowly pushed her to her back.  Settling on his knees between her spread thighs, he lifted her right leg until it rested on his shoulder.  He turned his head and, beginning with the skin beside her knee, began kissing and nipping a path up her smooth, lean thigh.  Still kissing her inner thigh, Kid let his hand settle over her womanhood.  Lou ground herself against his hand with a whimper, longing for the ecstasy he could bring her right at that moment, not later as she knew he'd planned.

Kid nuzzled the curls covering her mound, forcing himself to pay attention to every detail of her arousal instead of his own insistent ache.  He was amazed to find her swollen and wet with longing, amazed to find that she'd enjoyed what she'd done to him as much as he had.  Lou watched as he stared fascinated at her, his fingers reaching to stroke her swollen folds.  She'd never felt so vulnerable and cherished at the same time.  He lifted her other leg to his shoulder and, placing his hands beneath her slim buttocks, lowered his lips to her desire.  Kid licked and sucked at her moist womanhood slowly, driving her nearly insane with his patient and persistent arousal.  just the thought of him tasting the evidence of their earlier lovemaking was enough to start Lou shaking all over.  One hand reached down to clutch his sandy curls, holding him closer to her.  Her head tossed back and forth, not wanting to come yet without him.

"Kid, wait....  Not yet....," Lou gasped.

However, Kid was too intent on pleasing her to notice.  He sucked her swollen clit into his mouth.

"Unh," was all that escaped her mouth as the fire started to burst in her body.  Lou uncontrollably thrust her hips against Kid's mouth as he sucked harder, prolonging the orgasm that rolled through her until all she could do was gasp.  It went on and on for what seemed like forever.  Lou couldn't take anymore and begged him to stop before he killed her.

Lowering her legs slowly, Kid watched her trying to recover from the force of her explosion.  Her entire torso was flushed, as she panted, her nipples hard and rosy.  She was passion incarnate and he could no longer ignore his own aching passion.  Lou felt him move into position between her legs and automatically moved to accomodate him without even opening her eyes.

"That's it, angel, open up for me," Kid whispered above her.  He rested his weight on his hands and slowly thrust inside her.  They'd already done hard and fast, now he wanted to take it nice and slow with her -- gently to make up for his insensitivity earlier.

Feeling his hardness within her once again, had her wanting him all over.  She kissed him passionately, sucking on his tongue as he thrust it into her mouth.  Their eyes met as the kiss ended, a predatory look in Kid's darkened eyes as he slowly thrust into her over and over.  Normally, that hungry look on any other man would have firghtened Louise, but this was Kid, her lover, her friend and all his look did was light fires in her loins.  A sheen of sweat covered their bodies, dampening the ends of his sandy curls as their movements began to grow more desperate and uncontrolled.  Lou began to moan and whimper with each movement, her voice seeming to belong to someone else.  Her hands clenched at Kid's shoulders as he whispered his love for her in her ear.

Kid suckled on her sensitive earlobe and slipped a hand between them to stroke her clit, driving her passion higher and higher. He began to move away, to withdraw from her as he felt his own inevitable explosion begin to build inside him.  In reply, Lou wrapped her legs around his waist, forcing him deeper into her as her inner muscles began to grip him trying to keep him inside.

"Lou, honey, let go.  I've got to...."

"No!  Stay!" Lou begged, holding him with both her arms and legs to keep him where he was.

Kid groaned.  "I can't.  I'm too close, Lou.  It's too dangerous.  I'm gonna...." he trailed off and buried his face in her neck, stopping his movements entirely.

She humped her hips up at him, clenching his erection within her.  "I don't care!" she sobbed.  "I need you.  Please!"

With a deep groan, one hand went to her hips, lifting her as he thrust hard and fast.  Lou met each thrust with one of her own, her moans growing louder until her back arched and she came hard, with a high-pitched wail.  Unable to stop, Kid groaned and shuddered beneath her, holding himself tightly to her as his seed filled her womb yet again.  He collapsed onto her, her thighs still hugging his hips, and laid his head on her breasts even as her hands stroked his damp head.  Lou curled herself around him, protecting him instinctively as he struggled to recover from the magic they'd shared.  Neither could move and they lay in that position for long moments.

After Kid had regained his breath and his heart had slowed some, he slowly turned his head to nuzzle Lou's left breast.  "God, how I love you, you crazy woman," he murmured drowsily.

She kissed his curls in reply and sighed contentedly.  "If I'm not mistaken, I think you like me crazy," Lou murmured.  "At least ya did ten minutes ago."

Kid couldn't help but chuckle at the remark as he felt his spent arousal slip out of her.  He leaned up to kiss her lips.  "Mmm, I think that's pretty obvious, Lou," he joked.

She wrinkled her nose at him and giggled.  "I think," Kid said, sliding up so that he could look down into her eyes, "I'm gonna have to start callin' you Bunny if you keep wrinklin' your nose like that at me."

"Don't you dare!  It's hard enough to get respect from those boys as a woman as it is let alone if they hear you call me that!"

She was so beautiful when she got riled up.  Sometimes he liked to push her just to see that lightning sparking in her eyes.  He rolled her beneath him and tickled her until her frown disappeared and she begged him to stop.  "Of course it would be our little secret," Kid replied quickly.  "They all know too much or think they know too much as it is."

Lou looked down at Kid tenderly, her fingers tracing over the bruises she'd left on his neck where she'd sucked at the skin and the one on his shoulder where she'd bit him.  She'd left her mark on him now, she thought wryly.  "Mine," she whispered possessively.

Knowing he wasn't meant to hear her claim, but unable to ignore it.  Kid reached up to kiss her lips.  "Always yours," he murmured.  He lifted her hand and gently kissed each fingertip.  "Always mine."

The thought both comforted and scared Louise, but she refused to dwell on the thought.  Leaning up on her elbows, Lou brushed a wayward curl from Kid's forehead as a thought struck her.  "Do you know what this is, Kid?" she asked, a knowing smile on her lips.

"What?"

She lowered her head to nibble at his ear before resting her head on his chest.  Snuggling close and wrapping a posessive leg around his hips, she replied, "It's our second 'dance'."

Kid had to laugh.  She was right in both senses of the word.  He wrapped his arms around her tight and buried his face in her hair.  "Thank you for the dance, Bunny," he whispered sleepily.

"Anytime, cowboy," came Lou's muffled reply. "Anytime."