Eppie was nervous, more nervous than she’d been when she rode up to the cabin in a torrential storm to find Micah. This was their first night as a soon-to-be-married couple.
Madeline had surprised her with a gift earlier in the day and she couldn’t wait to show it to Micah. She felt his body heat seep into hers and knew he was anticipating their joining as much as she was. This was the moment they truly formed their union, an everlasting bond of mind, body and soul.
He set her down gently in front of the master bedroom, his room, and wiped his palms on his trousers as if he was nervous. “Is this okay?”
She nodded and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. What she didn’t expect was for him to grab her by the waist and kiss her back like a man dying of thirst who’d found an oasis.
Micah planted sweet, slow kisses, one right after the other, not even giving her a chance to recover before he plundered her mouth again. His lips were soft but insistent, traveling across hers with little nips as he went. She gladly threw herself into the sensations he elicited with only his mouth.
His tongue tickled her lips and she smiled, allowing him to slip into the cavern within. His tongue skimmed along her teeth, teasing hers until they finally came together, dueling in a dance older than time itself. Eppie sighed into his mouth, so happy she could burst.
He pulled back after one more spine-tingling kiss. When he gazed into her eyes, she was so grateful to see peace shining from him. It had been a lifetime for him since he’d known what peace felt like, and finally he’d accepted it back into his heart. She was proud of him, and oh so grateful.
“What are you smiling about?”
“You. I’m a lucky girl.” She nipped at his full lower lip, then licked at the spot.
A shudder ran through him and she felt his hard staff pressing into her belly. Micah was obviously ready and she couldn’t wait to pleasure him this time.
“I’m the lucky one. Now are you ready to cross the threshold, my future wife?” This time he waggled his eyebrows and she laughed.
“Yes, but then you’ll need to give me a few minutes to get ready.” She hoped she gave him a mysterious look. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Eppie actually felt his heart kick against her chest, and her smile widened.
“What surprise?”
“Oh, you’re not going to find out that easily. Now carry me through the door so we can get started.” She laughed at the forlorn expression on his face.
“I don’t know about you, but I’ve already started.”
She almost choked on the snort that threatened to explode. “I felt that already.”
He swatted at her behind. “Vixen.”
“Hm, maybe, now get a move on, Mr. Spalding.”
“Now that sounded like the Eppie I know and love.” He picked her up as gently as he’d put her down and carried her into the bedroom.
The morning sunshine streamed in through the white sheer curtains. Tears pricked Eppie’s eyes as she realized she’d be waking up in this room, in Micah’s arms, for the rest of her life. It seemed God had seen fit to finally bless her, bless both of them, with happiness.
“Now shoo before you see something before I’m ready to show you.” She made a sweeping motion with her hands and he backed toward the door.
“For how long?”
“Five minutes. Now go.” Eppie almost had to push him out the door into the hallway. She could tell he didn’t want to go, but he did because she asked him to.
She took the box out from under the bed and pulled the tissue open to reveal a beautiful blue nightgown—robin’s egg blue, a bright gorgeous color that called to Eppie’s spirit. She’d been told before the coma that she used to wear only bright colors, and now understood why. Bright colors reaf-firmed life, reminded her of how much she should enjoy everything around her.
Eppie intended to enjoy this night quite a bit.
With a happy yip, she pulled off her light green dress and laid it on the chair in the corner. All her underthings followed until she was nude. The air coming through the open windows put a chill on her skin, raising goosebumps and her nipples. A ripple of sensual excitement followed, anticipation making her anxious for her man to return.
With only a few minutes to prepare, she washed up using the water left in the pitcher, then slipped on the nightgown. It was softer than a feather and so smooth it slid down her skin, echoing the excitement she’d felt a few minutes earlier from the breeze.
A tentative knock at the door startled her. “Ready?”
He sounded pained and as anxious as she felt. Eppie was more than ready.
“Yes, come in.” She stood by the bed in a bright sunbeam. Her voice was still hoarse from the day before, but it was better. It was enough to do what she needed to.
When he came through the door, he had his hand over his eyes, making her smile. “I wanted to be sure the lady was properly prepared for her gentleman husband.” The southern drawl dripped from his mouth like hot honey. “I hate to keep a lady waiting, after all.”
“The lady is properly prepared.” She couldn’t help the tremor of excitement in her belly when he finally looked at her.
Eppie knew there were few moments in a person’s life that were so perfect someone would remember them in detail forever. This was one of those moments.
Shock and amazement blossomed on his face. His gaze moved up and down her body until it met hers. In the depths of his gray eyes she saw so much love, it made her heart miss a beat.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered it with reverence and awe. “I can’t even begin to express how much I love you, Eppie.”
She opened her arms. “You don’t have to say anything for that.”
Micah swiped at his eyes, then shucked his clothes faster than she’d ever seen him move. “I can’t wait to feel that against me.”
She knew what he meant—the fabric was even arousing her. When he came into her arms, this time his kisses were slow and light.
“Oh, Lord above, you feel like heaven.” He slid against her, rubbing his body where she ached most. “Surely I have found paradise on earth.”
Eppie whispered hoarsely on a laugh. “Not quite, but we can make some of our own, if you’re so inclined.”
“I’m inclined all right. If I get any more inclined, we won’t get very far before I have to start over.”
“Kiss me.” Eppie pulled his head towards hers.
He obeyed. Up and down her cheeks, her jaw, her ears, featherlight touches that left a trail of excitement as they went. By the time he reached her neck, Eppie was breathing in short bursts, her nipples aching for attention, her cunt damp.
Micah pressed his lips to each one of the bruises, silently apologizing for what she’d been through. Eppie understood why he blamed himself, and she also understood he was letting go of that guilt and moving on. This was the beginning of their new life together.
Before she realized it, he’d backed her to the bed and the mattress hit the back of her knees. She sat down while he knelt in front of her.
“I love that blue color on you, but there’s something I enjoy more.”
“What’s that?”
“Me.”
Eppie shook her head. “Stand up, Mr. Spalding. This time it’s my turn.”
He frowned at her. “Your turn?”
“Yes, my turn. Stand up.” Her voice was fading fast and he knew it. She wasn’t about to allow him to take the reins again. This time she wanted to.
With a doubtful expression he rose and held out his hand. She brushed it aside and focused on what she really was after. Eppie wrapped her hand around his cock, feeling satin and steel together. Smooth skin rippled beneath her fingers. He sucked in a breath and his balls tightened up right along with the muscles in his legs.
“Oh, that’s what you meant. Your turn.” He sounded as if he was having trouble speaking.
Good, that meant she was doing it right.
Sh
e tugged him a bit closer, running both hands up and down his length, pausing to fondle his sac. Even if she never saw, or remembered seeing, another man nude, he was a glorious specimen. Long, and wide enough her fingers just touched as she felt his girth. Micah had been gifted and so in turn had she.
When her tongue darted out to taste him, he groaned. “God, Eppie, you’re going to kill me.”
“That wasn’t the plan, now hush.”
This time when she tasted him, she put him in her mouth. Her tongue slid down, then back up, to swirl around the head. His hands landed on her shoulders as he hung on for the ride.
She squeezed the base of his cock as she took the rest of it into her mouth, or at least as much of it as she could. It was salty and so amazing, she found herself nipping at him. Each scrape of her teeth made him jump.
She loved it.
“I can’t…take…much more,” he huffed out. “Please, Eppie.”
He was nearly begging, but she wasn’t ready yet to give up her new discovery. His satiny skin grew slick from her mouth as the tip of him touched the back of her throat. She tasted his essence and knew he’d told the truth. There would be other times, and she intended on taking full advantage of them.
Eppie released him from her mouth with an audible pop, then reached out and licked the tip once more.
Micah must’ve been beyond the point of speaking because he pushed her back on the bed and yanked up the nightgown. She liked him like that, aggressive and sexual, and all hers.
His mouth descended on her pussy and lapped at her while he nibbled at her nubbin. Eppie slammed into full-blown arousal in seconds, bucking on the bed as his mouth, tongue and teeth brought her the most exquisite pleasure. She almost came immediately but was able to pull it back by clenching the bedspread and closing her eyes.
When he looked up from between her legs, an evil grin split his face. “Ready now?”
She laughed and pulled at his arms. “Now.”
Micah climbed atop her and thrust his cock into her in one motion. Fully sheathed inside her, he stopped, and it was a good thing, because yet again she had been seconds away from coming. Micah made her lose control as she did to him. Eppie clawed at his back, her body trying to absorb the sheer bliss from their joining.
He moved slowly at first, pulling out, then back in with a kick. She picked up his rhythm and pushed her hips up as he pressed down. The heat from their bodies nearly exploded as they moved together.
Eppie forgot everything except the sensation of his cock thrusting in and out of her. Carnal lust had her scratching at him, needing him to be deeper, faster, harder. He obliged by picking up the pace until the first wave of her orgasm hit.
Then Eppie’s mind ceased functioning. Waves of rapture splashed over her, pulling her into a whirlpool of pleasure so deep, she threw herself into it. There was never anything so perfect as that moment of eternal joy.
Micah called her name as she called his. He thrust into her so deeply, she raised her legs, feeling his seed spill into her, giving her life, himself.
Tears filled Eppie’s eyes as the pulses of joy swept through her. Perfectly matched and absolutely one soul, at last.
Epilogue
Micah sat on the front porch sipping coffee, at peace, a hard-earned feeling he never thought to find in his life. It had been a month since Miracle had been rescued and life had become more predictable, exactly what he needed. Eppie had recovered completely and Miracle seemed to have suffered no ill effects that he could discern from her ordeal.
Even the people in Plum Creek had begun treating them as neighbors and not outsiders. Matilda Webster kept her distance after the incident on the street, for which Micah was grateful. She must’ve heeded Eppie’s warning, or maybe it was Eppie’s fist that warned her off. Small-minded people had no business judging others. Perhaps one day Matilda might see the error of her ways, but somehow he doubted it.
He finally had everything he wanted. In a week Eppie would be his wife. They had a daughter, good friends, and a place to live. There wasn’t anything else he could imagine he’d need. Life was perfect.
As Micah enjoyed the feeling of being content, Daisy dug around in what was left of the flower beds. He decided not to yell at the dog anymore. She’d proven her mettle in the fight with Eloise and deserved a warm spot next to the stove for the rest of her doggie life.
Fall had already arrived in Colorado and the mornings were crisp. His breath in the morning air told him a frost would soon be on the way.
Coffee halfway to his lips, Micah spotted two figures walking down the street toward the house. From where he was sitting, he couldn’t quite see who it was, but he wasn’t concerned. Homer Prentiss had picked up and left town, never to be seen again. Micah even heard the farm had been sold. There wasn’t anyone else he could imagine would want to do them harm.
Feeling safe in Plum Creek, in his house, was a hard-fought battle. Micah was home.
Whoever walked down the street toward his house on a Tuesday morning shouldn’t concern him in the least. When Miracle popped up beside him, a fierce frown on her little face, his heartbeat picked up a bit.
“Sad lady coming.”
Micah sat up, startled as much by Miracle as what she said. “What sad lady?”
“Sad lady with eyes like you.” She pointed a chubby finger toward the couple. “Sheriff coming too.”
With that, his daughter disappeared into the front door, once again surprising him with her understanding of the world. What woman had eyes like him? There was only one person he knew of, and his sister was back in Virginia somewhere, lost to him more than ten years earlier. There was no way Sarah was in Colorado, no way she was walking up the street toward him.
As the couple got closer, Micah’s stomach began to tighten, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He could see the woman stood about as tall as Daniel, long brown hair swaying as she walked.
Micah’s nerves started jangling with alarm and he stood, setting the coffee on the porch railing. He stepped off the porch and onto the walk. His throat dried up and he found himself unable to swallow.
How the hell Miracle knew who the woman was could not be explained, but plain as day the woman he saw coming toward him was his sister, Sarah.
Eppie fussed in the kitchen, rewashing dishes and refolding towels. It was the day she’d been waiting for, dreading perhaps, and it had finally arrived. She had a feeling Micah would be angry with her, but she didn’t regret what she’d done.
Breakfast had been difficult for her. She made eggs the way he’d taught her, but had nearly burned the biscuits and the bacon was too crispy. He hadn’t complained, and ate while he chatted with Miracle. The girl had been strangely quiet during breakfast, her chocolate brown eyes full of what looked like worry.
Eppie should have been spoken to her daughter after she finished eating, but Miracle would sometimes get into moods and then snap out of them a few hours later. Eppie had spoken to Doctor Carmichael and he assured her that Miracle was healthy. She would recover from her kidnapping in time.
The best thing Eppie and Micah could do was love her, accept her, and give her a safe home. Although some days, like today, weren’t enough to keep Miracle from those dark moods of hers. Eppie was nervous enough about what she’d done and promised herself she’d talk to Miracle later and find out what was bothering her.
Right then, Micah was foremost in Eppie’s mind. There was a hole in his life, one left by the sister he’d lost so long ago. While his childhood had been unhappy, it seemed the one bright spot in his life had been Sarah. Eppie heard the sadness in his voice when he spoke of her. Many nights after making love, they would talk for hours.
He spoke of Sarah with a fondness that made Eppie wish she had a brother who loved her as much. Apparently Sarah’d been a surprise to her parents and her older siblings six years after Micah had been born. From what Micah said, Sarah had been ignored by her parents; she was raised by him and his older sister, V
eronica.
Too many times Eppie had been tempted to ask him to try to find Sarah, but she hadn’t the courage to ask. Micah’s wounds in his heart and soul were finally healed, and she couldn’t deliberately reopen them.
However, she also couldn’t allow the rest of Micah’s life to go on without ever knowing what happened to the one person he’d loved as a child. As someone who loved Micah more than life itself, Eppie considered it her duty to help him, even if he wouldn’t help himself. So she’d enlisted Madeline’s help and together they’d tracked down Sarah and paid for her to travel to Colorado.
A knock at the back door startled her and she dropped a tin plate. It tinged and clattered on the wood floor, making her jump again. She glanced up to see Daniel at the door, one blond eyebrow raised. Eppie’s cheeks heated in embarrassment, but she gestured for him to come in. He’d been a frequent visitor to the house, a new companion to Micah. They’d even gone hunting together a few weeks earlier. Daniel was more than a friendly face, he was a true friend.
Daniel came in and took off his hat, but he wasn’t wearing his usual smile. She knew right then that Sarah had arrived in town and her heart leapt to her throat.
“Is she here?”
Daniel nodded. “I just left her on the front porch with Micah. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.”
“He did. She was a ghost in his mind, one that haunted him.” Eppie set the plate on the counter with shaking hands. Her stomach fluttered with nerves. It took every ounce of self-control not to run out to the front porch and see what was happening.
However, this was Micah’s moment, his personal moment to reacquaint himself with his sister and truly accept that while his past was behind him, it was part of him. She couldn’t take that away from him. He had to do it himself.
“Coffee?”
“I’d be obliged for some.” Daniel sat down at the table and set his hat on the back of the chair. “Do you think they’ll be all right?”
Eppie wrapped the towel around the handle of the coffeepot and poured both of them a cup. After she set the pot back on the stove, she made herself sit at the table with Daniel. Her nerves were screaming for her to make sure Micah was okay. She was more than worried about him.
The Redemption of Micah Page 25