by Gold, Ciara
“Heck, no. I didn’t have to marry you. I wanted to marry you.” He grinned. “I’d been tryin’ to figure out a way to get you to the altar for a long time.”
Before she could reply, Sarge approached from behind and drew her away from Bryce. “You take good care of my little girl.”
“Don’t worry, Sarge.” Bryce smiled. “I plan to take very good care of her.”
“Kaitlin?” Maggie interrupted. “They’re waiting on you two to cut the cake.”
He smiled and led her toward a large, two-layered cake decorated with sprigs of holly. After cutting the spongy treat, they followed several other traditions from throwing her bouquet to drinking a wedding toast. All that remained was the opening of the gifts.
She stared in awe at the small table laden with gifts. To her chagrin, most of the gifts pertained to the kitchen. She didn’t have the heart to tell her friends she probably wouldn’t know how to use most of the items given. She hoped Bryce hadn’t been joking that day he told her a cook could be hired. If they had to eat her attempts, they would likely perish within the year from starvation.
After she’d unwrapped several packages, Bryce tore open envelopes. It was customary for male friends to give a little money, while the females bought small items for the house. After each gift was revealed, Bryce and Kaitlin ooed and ahhed appropriately.
Kaitlin was still giggling over a rolling pin when she realized Bryce had gone still and pensive beside her. She met his eyes. His bright smile disappeared. Glancing down at the note in his hand, she dropped the rolling pin. It crashed to the floor.
“Have you gotten any more?” Bryce asked, holding the note beneath her nose.
She couldn’t deny it. Bryce would know she lied if she tried. She was surprised he hadn’t discovered it sooner. “Maybe one or two?”
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
She cringed. “Because I knew you’d react just like this. I don’t need an angry cowboy stewing around the place.”
Their guests had grown quiet, realizing something was wrong.
“Get your things. They can finish this party without us.”
“Bryce. Stop.” She grabbed his arm. “Don’t let this ruin the day. Let’s just forget about it for now.”
The note crumpled as his fist closed around it. “The man was here, Kaitlin. He was here at the weddin’. With no other threats, I thought it was over. With James dead, I thought you were safe, but I was wrong.”
“I really can take care of myself,” she whispered.
“You really don’t need me, do you?” He threw the note to the ground and stormed from the room.
“What was that all about, Katy?” Sarge came up to her.
She bent and picked up the note. “I bruised his ego, I think.”
“How? What did you do, girl?” Sarge demanded.
“I told him I didn’t need him to keep me safe.”
Sarge ripped the note from her hands, his manner aggressively angry. “You’ve made a ton of mistakes in your life and most of them due to that independent streak you wear like armor. You’re married now. It’s time to lower that shield. It’s okay to need a little help, Katydid.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I just didn’t want him to worry.”
Sarge smoothed out the wadded paper and read. When he’d seen the threat, he unloaded on her. “You’ve been getting notes again since you got back?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell anyone?”
She nodded, miserable that she’d caused so much fuss.
“If you weren’t now Bryce’s responsibility, I’d frail your backside. This is serious. James tried to kill you and he failed. If you’re still getting notes, it means your life is in danger again.”
She hadn’t really thought about it like that. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her midriff. “I just didn’t want anyone to worry. It’s my problem and no one else’s.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. It’s now Bryce’s problem. That’s what marriage should be all about. You have to learn to share the good with the bad. You want my advice? You go to him. You let him know you need his help. That you want his help.”
Sarge was right. She nodded, resigned to make things up to Bryce. She was about to ask Maggie to take care of things here for her, when Bryce stormed back in.
He didn’t give her a chance to say anything when he scooped her into his arms and carried her toward the exit. “I left in such a hurry, it took me a minute to realize I forgot something important. It’s hard to have a weddin’ night without the bride,” he called out to the crowd. They roared with laughter.
Kaitlin was mortified. She wiggled to be free, forgetting her resolve to make up with Bryce. “Put me down.”
“If I put you down, my hands will be free to wring your pretty neck. I think this is safer for both of us.”
She quieted. “I’m sorry.”
He stopped. “Say that again. Did I hear you apologize?”
“I was wrong, Bryce. I do need you. It’s just that I’ve been on my own for so long, it’s hard to accept help.”
He set her gently in the horse-drawn carriage he’d rented for the day and gave the driver instructions before continuing the conversation with her. “And I’m too forceful in wantin’ to offer my protection. We both have a lot to learn. I reckon marriage will be a lot like a cattle drive. They’ll be easy days, when everything works the way we want, and they’ll be days where one disaster after another threatens to blow the whole thing apart. But when the storm clears, you take stock of what you have, grateful for the chance at another easy and successful day.”
She imagined he was right. They fell silent, and the only sound was the rhythmic drumming of the horse’s hooves against the hard ground. Shortly, the driver pulled the carriage to a stop in front of her home. Bryce came around and helped her down. Before she could take a step, he scooped her up into his arms again.
“I could get to likin’ this,” he whispered in her ear as he pushed open the door and carried her across the threshold.
He kicked the door closed and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. He set her down gently in the middle of her bed. “I made arrangements for Charley to go home with Sarge. Maggie’s going to stay at the hotel tonight. I paid for her room. We’ve got the house to ourselves for this evenin’.”
Kaitlin swallowed the hard lump of anticipation. “Are you sure you love me?”
“Does a goose fly south for the winter? I love you, Kaitlin Stanton, and you know I never lie.”
He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. Her heart fluttered as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. He pulled away. “Ask me, Katy. Ask me your heart’s desire.”
“I...” She hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
He smiled, lines crinkled at the corners of his smoldering eyes. “Ask me,” he whispered.
The tip of her tongue slipped out to wet her dry lips. She knew exactly what he offered. He’d placed the reins in her hands.
“Take off my shoes.”
He slipped off the bed and unbuttoned the rows of buttons on the side of each shoe. They slipped off in his hands. He caressed her feet as he slowly reached up under her dress and unhooked the garter that held her stockings in place. The stocking rolled down her legs.
He stood looking down at her, and his gaze held a promise of blissful rapture. She sat up, gaining confidence in this new game. “Take off your jacket, vest, and shirt.”
He shrugged out of the jacket and vest quickly, but took his time removing his shirt. The linen shirt slid from his well-muscled torso and floated to the floor. There were no flannel long johns covering his chest from view. He’d been gloriously naked beneath the dress shirt. A trail of hair disappeared beneath his pants leading downward. She licked her lips again, anticipating the moment when they would glory in each other’s bodies.
Breathlessly, she looked up at him. “Unbutton my dress.”
He grabbed her hands and pulled
her off the bed. Slowly he turned her in his arms so her back was to him. Cool air kissed her back with each unlatching. He trailed kisses down the length of her spine with each unfastened button, until her corset prevented him from going farther. She held the dress in place with her crossed arms. At the last button, he reached around her and pulled her arms down. The bodice of her dress slipped off her shoulders. The dress hung on her petticoats, but Bryce pushed the material down. The wedding gown pooled at her feet. He kissed the top of her shoulder. “Ask me more,” he urged.
Her mouth felt dry. “Undo my corset.”
The stays gave as he loosened her ties. With unhurried patience, he unlaced her corset, freeing her bosom for his view. The undergarment fell away. He cupped one breast, his touch warm and gentle. A burning sensation filled the pit of her stomach. She turned in his arms. “Finish it.”
“Sshh. We have all night,” he whispered, pulling the pins from her hair.
“My...my petticoats.”
He slid them down her hips, leaving her bare save her pantaloons. She wanted to see him first. Reaching for the waistband of his pants, she nervously unbuttoned his fly. When her fingers wouldn’t work properly, he brushed them aside and finished the task. His pants now hung loose on his hips. He took a step away from her and raised his arms, an invitation to removed his pants.
Desire and lust built within her chest until she thought she’d explode. Her hands trembled as she tentatively cradled his hips. Taking a deep breath, she pushed his black britches down his legs.
He chuckled. “You forgot to tell me to remove my boots.”
She looked down at the floor to see his pants hung on the leather footwear. The charged moment took on a more comical atmosphere. He looked right funny with his pants pooled around his boots and his member sticking straight out like a hound dog pointing for a hunter. She giggled. “Take off your boots.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and waited while she fetched the boot puller. In short order, he was completely nude. Her gaze feasted upon his handsome physique.
She wanted to touch him. He patted the bed beside him, inviting her to join him. Hesitantly, she approached. Closing her eyes, she reached for the ribbon that held her pantaloons in place, and they slid down her legs.
“What do you want, Katy?”
“I can’t...I don’t...I need you to take over, to lead,” she whispered. She’d done this before, but she still lacked confidence in setting the pace.
He pulled her down beside him. They lay side by side on the bed. Gently, he stroked her breasts, her stomach, her thighs. She closed her eyes again, reeling in waves of sensation. His fingers searched out her genitalia, probing, seeking. She parted her thighs, enjoying the crescendo that built with each stroke.
“Touch me, Katy. Feel my heart beatin’ as fast as yours.”
She complied, surprised to feel the heat radiating from his fevered skin. They hadn’t bothered to stoke the fire upon entering her room. It wasn’t necessary. At the moment, his body warmed hers, taking away the chill hovering just beyond.
He continued to stroke, kiss, and nip until she thought she’d scream for wanting him. A raging need took over. She pulled him to her. He covered her body with his. Lips came together in a searing kiss. He nestled between her thighs and teased her with his heat.
She moaned. He captured her moan, his mouth hungry upon hers. Breathless, he tore his mouth away from hers. “Ask me. Ask me now, Katy.”
“You were leading, Bryce.”
“I’m turning it over to you again. Ask me, before this sweet torture becomes too much.”
“Please, Bryce,” she whispered, not knowing how to put into words what she needed, wanted.
Her thighs parted. He thrust into her, a fluid motion. Against her neck, he whispered softly. His tongue lapped at hers.
“Set the pace, my sweet filly,” he murmured against her ear, his breath warm, inviting.
She moved ever so slightly. “You make me feel full, complete.”
At her admission, he undulated his hips. Her eyes widened. A feeling of intense pressure filled her body. He moved, a rhythmic ride of grace and anticipation. She arched. He stayed in the saddle, thrusting deeply. She held him to her, finding her own rhythm. Higher. Deeper.
“Come with me. We’ll ride this hill together.”
“Oh, Bryce, I can’t...I don’t know...”
“Stay with me, Katy.”
“I...” Her words died as the crescendo erupted into sparks of sensation. He growled low in his throat, finding his own explosive release.
Thirty Seven
“Good mornin’,” Bryce said, leaning over to flick a wayward curl from her forehead.
Kaitlin blushed, sure she looked a fright. In the mornings, her hair was almost untamable. “Morning.”
“How do you feel?”
“Married. Slightly embarrassed.”
“That was not the answer I expected.”
“I can’t believe I reacted with such...”
“Abandon?”
“Yes, that’s the word I’m looking for.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s not much challenge in a gentle mare.”
“I’m not a horse, Mr. Stanton.” She punched his arm. “I’m not a frog. I’m definitely not a possum. You comparing me to animals is not all that flattering.”
“Your nose gets red when you’re mad, red like a baby kitten’s.”
She pulled out the pillow from under her head and swatted him hard. He laughed, a rich booming sound. He rolled her under him to still her flailing arms and proceeded to rain kisses all over her body. She giggled, the stubble from his cheek scratching and tickling at the same time.
“Quit.” She giggled.
“You started it.”
“And?”
“And I aim to finish it,” he replied, a seductive gleam in his eye. “Think you’re up for another round with your cowboy?”
She smiled. “I think I can stay in the saddle long enough to satisfy your sense of adventure.”
“Now who’s callin’ whom a horse?” He leaned down and kissed her, a thorough claiming of her lips. “I love you, Katy.”
Inwardly, she beamed. She should tell him how she felt, how she returned his feelings. Unfortunately, he had other plans for her mouth as he continued to kiss her with greedy abandonment.
Later. She’d tell him later. Presently, she had other things on her mind.
~ * ~
Bryce studied his new wife over a steaming cup of coffee. He knew she was passionate, but he would have never guessed how much. At least that part of their marriage would be agreeable. He expected the rest to be rather rocky. She was too opinionated and emotional for it to be anything else.
“The way I figure it, we’ll spend the week packin’ up things. You’ll want to talk to someone about sellin’ this house. As soon as the weather clears, I want to take you to Texas to meet my family. I figure it’ll also be a business trip of sorts as we can pick out some good breedin’ stock for your ranch.”
“What about Charley?”
“I think Sarge enjoys havin’ her around. We’ll let her stay at the Silver Saddle while we go to Texas. She doesn’t travel well, so I doubt she’ll object. I talked to Sarge about addin’ onto the honeymoon cabin. Since the boys don’t have a whole lot goin’ on at the ranch, he thought he could help us out in that area.”
“That makes sense.” She leaned her elbows on the tabletop and cradled her face. “We’ll need an extra room for Charley.”
Bryce chuckled. “We’ll need several extra rooms. I’m plannin’ on fillin’ our house with lots of children, Mrs. Stanton.”
“So now I’m your brood mare.”
“No, ma’am. I wouldn’t dare compare you to any animals again. Let’s just say, I like the way you play in bed, and I expect to play a lot. Children are just a natural outcome.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“I just know what I like.”
“Dominated?”
“Something like that. I...I want to thank you for everything.” She dropped her hands and played with a doily on the table.
“You don’t need to thank me. It was definitely my pleasure.” He gave her a mock bow.
“Nevertheless, thank you.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at her and gave her a wicked grin. “Do you really want to thank me?”
Kaitlin laughed, enjoying this part of marriage. If nothing else, Bryce knew how to entertain. She fervently wished it would always be like this.
“Yoo hoo. Anyone up and about?” Maggie called as she entered the house.
“In here,” Kaitlin called back, turning in her chair.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I waited until almost noon.” She gave them a sheepish grin.
Kaitlin’s skin warmed. Maggie’s teasing face let her know exactly what she’d been referring to. Kaitlin glanced at Bryce. The man tugged at his collar, his face crimson. Her husband was actually blushing. Kaitlin giggled.
Bryce cleared his throat and pushed back his chair. “If you ladies will excuse me. I’m gonna have a talk with Dan Cochran about the note that was delivered to the weddin’. Before I go, you want to divulge anything else?”
Kaitlin’s face sobered into a solemn mask of contrition. “Maybe I better come with you.”
“We never did discuss the other threatening missives. Somehow, I get the feelin’ there’ve been more than one or two. So tell me the truth. How many have you received since comin’ back to Denver?” he asked, no longer the fun-loving bridegroom.
Her face scrunched up. Timidly, she said, “If I tell, you’ll get all blustery and yell, then I’ll have to raise my voice in return. You’ll tell me I’m childish and I’ll reply that I’m used to taking care of things on my own. In other words, we’ll just have the same fight we always have. After you storm about, and I get all indignant, we’ll apologize to each other and...”
“All right.” He held up a hand. “I get the gist of what you’re sayin’. I’m goin’ to get mad then I’ll calm and we’ll discuss it more rationally, but you’d prefer I trot around the mad part. Does that about sum things up?”