"Who is calling?"
"Mrs. Hersey."
The door opened, and she led Fannie into a richly furnished parlor. Running a brothel must pay well.
"Wait here," the lady said.
A few minutes later, the woman appeared in the door. Dressed in the latest fashionable gown with a fitted bodice and a bustle in the back. "Last I saw you, you were Fannie Trippe."
"Yes, ma'am," she said, willing to be polite, her own dress seemed plain next to the woman's silk dress that clung to her every curve. Inside, she wanted to scream and yell at the woman, but this was her job. How could it be the prostitute's fault Fannie's husband wanted to cheat on her.
"What can I do for you," the woman said, sinking down into a chair.
"Don't sleep with my husband," she said, wanting to shout at her, but determined to surprise Walter. "Walter is coming here tonight to see you. Let me wait for him in the room."
Yes, Fannie was asking for a lot, but why would the woman care as long as she received her money.
She frowned. "What do you mean wait for him? Do you want to take my place in bed? Or are you planning on hurting the man?"
All Fannie wanted was to learn why Walter would sleep with a prostitute rather than his own wife. Because if he didn't give her an excellent reason, their marriage was over before it ever begun.
"I want him to find me, not you in that bed," she said.
"And what do you hope to gain from doing this? Does he know you're going to be here?"
"Of course not," she sighed as tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried to hold onto her anger and not let the hurt overwhelm her. "We've been married for over a month and I don't understand why he doesn't want to have sex with me. Am I that ugly? Am I so repulsive, he would rather sleep with you, not me?"
Stunned, the lady gazed at her and handed her a handkerchief. "Wipe your eyes."
"Yes, ma'am."
The woman shook her head and sighed. "Honey, men are strange creatures. You are beautiful and if you ever decide to leave Walter and need a job, I would hire you in a minute.
“Your husband has a reason he doesn't have relations with you. Don't ask me, that's for him to tell you. Since your marriage, this is the first time he's had an appointment. He's not a man to cheat on his wife."
What was this reason Walter kept secret from her? Didn't he realize she would eventually need to know? And now more than ever, she was determined to find out what held him back from making their marriage real.
"So you'll let me take your place?"
"On a couple of conditions. No weapons will be allowed in the room. There will be no killing or maiming in my establishment. Are we clear?"
The thought crossed her mind, but she could never murder someone, especially a man she was falling in love with.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill him, yet."
The woman shook her head. "You'd be surprised at what I've seen. Second you'll pay the house fee."
"The what?"
"My fee. You're taking my client, using my bedroom in a situation that I'm a little uncomfortable with. So you're going to pay the fee."
"How much?" Fannie asked, shocked she was discussing this with Walter's whore.
The woman gave her a figure and her mouth dropped.
"No wonder you live so nice," Fannie said, opening her reticule and handing her the cash. All her gambling money just went to this woman, but if this saved her marriage, the cost would be worth it.
"What are your plans," Savanah asked.
What were her plans other than to surprise her husband with the fact that she knew he was going to cheat on her? "Mainly to shock Walter. To help him realize how hurt and angry I am he would sleep with you and not with me. To see if we can go forward or if I should have this marriage annulled."
Annulment was a last resort, but if she needed to, she would. Though her developing feelings for Walter didn't want to give up on their union. At this point, it would be hard to walk away from her husband and the children.
"Are you a virgin?" the woman asked.
Stunned, Fannie stared at the woman shocked anyone would ask such a question. "Yes," she said, indignant she would doubt.
The woman smiled. "You're new to this. So let me give you some pointers. All of my girls are trained in specific areas of shall we say making a man have a wonderful time. Each girl will show you her specialty. First, I want to find something for you to wear."
"Follow me," Savanah said, rising and going down a hall. Jumping up, Fannie followed the woman through the house. As she walked, she glimpsed a sitting room where women gathered doing needlepoint and talking. They passed by the room and went into a back area that served as a wardrobe. There were hundreds of outfits.
Savanah gazed at her and then held up a gown. "No, too much for a virgin."
She kept going through the gowns, some quite daring, some were outright outrageous and some so shear you could see right through them. Her mother would have called them scandalous, and even for wild Fannie, they were too risqué.
"Oh, this is the one I was searching for."
The gown was still outrageous but covered more than most of the outfits.
"This is a nightgown. Put it on and wait for Walter in bed. Don't let him realize he's not in bed with me until he's undressed."
The madam wanted her to seduce her own husband? Was she crazy? All Fannie wanted was to shock him into telling her why she remained a virgin a month into their marriage.
Clenching her fists, Fannie frowned at the woman. "Don't you understand, I'm furious with him. I'm so mad that he would come to you, instead of me. Frankly, I want to take a skillet and beam him across the head rather than..."
All the rage she kept bottled inside her since yesterday, consumed her.
"Honey, do you want this marriage to work? Do you love him?"
Ripples of pain and anguish gripped her chest. "Yes," she said as tears threatened to fall once again. It was true, she loved Walter and wanted their union to be everything she ever dreamed of.
"When he realizes it's you, tell him how hurt you feel. Tell him you want your marriage to work. If you start yelling, that man will be out the door before you can say I'm sorry," Savanah said. "Use your woman power and seduce your man. Make him realize he will be giving up heaven if he screws up and you end this union."
This would be so hard. Would she be able to keep from losing her temper and throwing a fit? Could she keep from punching him at first sight?
"Why aren't you married?" Fannie asked, taking the gown from the woman. Wondering about this lady who knew so much about men.
"Maybe I am," she said, being very coy. "Now, I want you to speak to the girls and let them tell you how they make the experience of being with a man special."
"But I'm not training to be a..."
Savanah smiled. "Every man likes his woman to be a whore in the bedroom and a lady in public. Don't ever forget that."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Walter felt so torn. All day he thought of cancelling his appointment with Mrs. Jones. Then he would remember Fannie, and he needed relief, or he would soon find himself between his wife's legs. His days were numbered before he would have to tell her his reasoning for not sleeping with her and that would be a difficult day.
When he walked up to the old home where Savanah lived, guilt overwhelmed him. He would be cheating on Fannie. Breaking his wedding vows, and yet he would be saving her life.
The maid let him in, and he was surprised Savanah didn't meet him in the parlor. Usually, she would wait on him. But months had passed since he'd seen her. Before he ever married Fannie.
The image of his wife swam before his eyes and the urge to turn and run all but overcame him.
"Follow me," the servant said as she led him up the stairs to Savanah's room. "She's waiting for you."
When he opened the door, darkness greeted him. "Savanah?"
"Yes, Walter, I'm here," she said.
Why did her voice so
und different?
Quickly he shed his shirt, his shoes, socks and his pants, laying them over a chair. In the dim light, he could see the outline of her body. As he sank down on the bed, that's when the guilt overwhelmed him.
With a sigh, his erection died. "Oh, Savanah, I'm sorry. I can't do this. I can't cheat on my wife. The woman is driving me crazy with need and I want so badly to protect and never hurt her."
The sound of sobs surprised him. The prostitute was a tough woman; no man could make her cry.
"Savanah?"
"No, you big dope, Fannie," she said, crying.
Reaching over he lit the lamp and turned the light up, shocked that his gorgeous wife lay in bed, in a gown that left him gasping.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, stunned and a little frightened. What did this mean? How did she learn about him and Savanah?
She turned and faced him, leaning on her elbow, the material gaping showing off the cleavage of her breasts. No woman could ever compare to his Fannie; he would be crazy to think about cheating on her.
Fannie was so gorgeous, and he was done trying not to sleep with her any longer. It was an impossible feat, and he wasn't strong enough.
"The other night, I saw on your calendar Mrs. Savanah Jones and I asked your secretary about her. Sanford didn't want to tell me, but I threatened him with the twins if he didn't."
Walter smiled and knew his secretary would acquiescence to keep from having to babysit his rambunctious boys.
"This afternoon, I talked to Savanah, and she helped me set this up. You didn't know I was in this bed?"
With a sigh, Walter lay down on the bed beside his wife. "No, the only person I spoke to was the maid, and she brought me straight to you."
Could he keep his reasons for not sleeping with her? Why would he even try? The woman had been beyond patient with him and the time had come to put this all behind him.
With a shock, he realized as much as he loved his first wife and didn't want her to die, she would have been so disappointed if they didn't have the boys. Women had babies every day, and not all of them died.
"Why would you cheat on me, Walter? Why won't you have sex with me? Am I too disgusting?"
This was his fault. Fannie didn't think she was beautiful enough for him, when actually it was the exact opposite of his thinking.
"No, you are so gorgeous. I'm so scared of losing you, like I lost Natalie. I'm afraid and want to protect you."
The words seemed to pour out of his mouth, and he was tired of fighting this attraction. For his wife to go to this kind of measure, she would not tolerate his avoidance any longer. And he didn't want to lose her.
"Fannie, things are going to be different between us. Since the wedding, I tried to stay away from you, I can't. I've not been honest, but I want to make it up to you."
Her hand reached out and touched his face as her sapphire eyes stared at him. "How is our marriage going to be different? Before we go any further, I need to know what is going to change."
Leave it to his woman to want specifics. "For one, we're going to consummate our union just as soon as we get home. Second, we're going to make this into a real marriage. Third, I'm going to hold you like I'm so afraid of losing you."
A smile crossed her face. "Why do we need to wait until we get home?"
"What about the boys?"
"They're spending the night at my mother's. We've got all night, my sweet Walter."
"You want our first time together to be in a brothel?" He asked, grinning, thinking why had he not treated his wife with love and respect from the moment he married her? Why had he been such a jackass?
"How many women can say their first time with their husband was in a whorehouse?" she said, pulling him toward her. "Let's make our first time special."
Relief flooded him at the way she forgave him and wanted to make love to him.
"One last comment, Mr. Hersey. If I ever find you in a brothel again, your tallywhacker will cease to function when I'm through with you. Don't do this again."
A chuckle rumbled from his chest. "Now, that's my Fannie," he said, rolling her onto her back. "It's time for me to check off another event on your list. Let me show you all about making love."
Unable to resist his wife any longer, his lips came crashing down on hers.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Fannie was tired of waiting. She wanted Walter and she wanted him now.
While his lips continued their assault on her, she trailed her fingers over his hard chest muscles. Her breathing was labored and an ache began between her legs.
Their lips broke apart. “God, I want you so much,” he said, his hands running over the silk nightgown that showed off her curves.
She pushed him onto his back, and rolled on top of him. “We’re married. And I’m tired of waiting.”
“Yes,” he said breathlessly, wrapping his arms around her. “Oh, Fannie.”
She could feel her heart pounding, pumping blood through her veins and she knew they were in a weird place, but making love here, and for the first time, suited her wild nature.
He reached up and grabbed her head, bringing her lips to his again. His lips conveyed a message of desire and longing and a want she had never experienced. She opened her mouth greedily, accepting his unspoken acknowledgment of passion. Her blood flowed through her veins faster than a spinning tornado.
Their lips broke apart and he placed his mouth on her neck as he nibbled softly to the curve of her shoulder.
He flipped her onto her back, taking control in a way, she’d never seen. Placing his hand in the top of the nightgown, he ripped the silk from her body, his actions causing her breath to pause. That was unexpected.
“Oh,” he said as he lowered his mouth to her puckered nipple, tenderly sucking the tiny bud. A burst of fire flooded her and she gasped, throwing her head back, arching her chest toward his mouth. The sensation flooded her with desire for this man who she was beginning to fall in love with. This man who said he was protecting her. She felt so alone without him.
His hand gripped her breast as his tongue lavished her nub, filling her with a sweet ache that seemed to radiate all the way to her toes.
Lying naked before his eyes, she gazed at her husband wanting to know what happened next. Ready for him to show her what transpired between a man and a woman. His gaze traveled over her breasts, her hips, and then back.
“You’re beautiful. The other night when you were in the tub, I thought I was going to die.”
She was giving herself to a man with a tortured past that she still didn’t quite understand. Their naked skin touched, his lips covered hers once again, and the heat that had been simmering burst inside of her like an explosion of fire, sizzling her from head to toes.
Fannie ached to touch him as she reached out and trailed her fingers down his face, to his chest, feeling the hardened muscles beneath her touch. His muscles rippled beneath her strokes and she slid her fingers down his waist to his shaft.
His hand wrapped her fingers around his cock and he moved her hand up and down. She gripped his erection, touching the tip, feeling the bulbous head on the end.
She’d never seen a man’s penis before, let alone touched one. For a moment, she was in awe of the power and the strength in his erection.
At the touch of his fingers between her legs, she gasped at the zing of feelings that radiated from her center. She moaned as his fingers caressed her intimately, touching her like she’d never been touched, creating a need she’d never experienced. He stroked her until she was wet with want and filled with a raging desire that had her arching against his hand.
His lips covered hers, raking the inside of her mouth with his tongue, teasing and dancing, retreating and withdrawing while he shifted his body over the top of hers.
She knew what came next, had dreamed of being with her husband. He guided his penis to her entrance and then surged ahead, powerful and yet tender--and met a wall of resistance.
“You’re a virgin?” he said between clenched teeth.
“Yes,” she said.
Walter pushed forward, and she felt the barrier give way and she cried out as pain replaced pleasure.
He paused for a moment. “Are you all right? Do you want me to stop?”
“No, I want to experience it all. We’re in a brothel and I want to be your wild woman. I want to be the only woman in your life who satisfies you.”
A groan escaped from Walter and suddenly he took control, pounding into her, his mouth all but devouring her lips.
Heat spiraled through her, building each time he plunged into her with intensity.
“Walter,” she moaned.
His face was tense and full of pleasure, his emerald eyes boring into hers, lifting her and carrying her with him.
She met his thrusts with equal force, each stroke spiraling desire higher and higher in her, pushing her toward some unknown crest.
Then she was falling, tumbling over the peak and plummeting, falling as her body tensed and shudders shook her deep to her core. Thrusting into her one more time as his body tensed around her.
He released her mouth and slumped down over her. “Fannie.”
She lay there panting, her body slowly recovering amazed at what had just happened. Slowly he rolled off her body, still holding her close. His breathing slowed and he lay there, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling.
The warm afterglow recede as she gazed at him.
“Why did you wait? When can we do it again?”
“Right now,” he said, kissing her. “Only this time, I’m going to have you screaming with pleasure.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” he said. “We’re going to make the rooms next to us wonder who is in here having so much fun.”
A giggle escaped from her. “I’m your wild woman.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Later, lying in Walter's arms, Fannie no longer feared her marriage ending. In fact, for the first time, a sense of belonging overcame her. Maybe not in the whorehouse, but rather in her husband's embrace. But why had he waited so long? She needed answers.
The Debutante's Gamble: Western Historical Romance (Debutante's of Durango Book 5) Page 9