The Christmas Bride - A Western Romance Novella (Book 4, Burnett Brides Series)

by Sylvia McDaniel

  The door blew open, and Wyatt walked in with an armload of wood. “Thought since I was out there, I might as well bring in more wood.”

  She opened her eyes and looked at him. His hat and his clothes were dusted with snow. God, the man looked like sin wrapped in a nice package.

  Her body hummed in appreciation of the man as she watched him, his earthy brown eyes staring at her in the bed. An awkward silence filled the cabin.

  He dropped the wood into the log holder and two mice went scurrying across the floor to the cabinets.

  “Damn. More mice,” he said.

  And she was going to make him sleep on the floor. She gazed at the hard wooden planks, and then she stared at this big, strong man.

  He shrugged out of his coat and laid it on the floor. He dropped down on his knees, lay down and covered himself with her coat. Just as he reached for the lantern, a mouse scurried across the floor.

  “Balderdash! You can’t sleep on that floor. When you turn out the lantern, the mice are going to come out to play.”

  He sighed. “I think you’re right.”

  She scooted to the very edge of the bed on the opposite side. “Get in bed, Wyatt, before I change my mind.”

  Chapter Eight

  The rattling window panes woke Eugenia, and she realized it was morning. An unfamiliar warmth enveloped her, keeping her toasty. Slowly it sank into her brain that an arm circled around her with her back against a very male chest. Something long and hard poked her in the back.

  Wyatt. Oh my! It’d been many a year since she’d awoken to the feel of a man snug against her backside and the scent of him surrounding her.

  Delicious tingles spiraled through her, awakening her body, reminding her of how long it’d been since she was with a man.

  How could Wyatt evoke so many conflicting emotions? Her body betrayed her while her mind doubted her convictions. More and more her heart longed to join with his.

  Sometime during the night they must have become entangled, and this morning his warmth cocooned her from the harsh cold in the cabin. She could see her breath frosting the air above their bed. The fire was nothing but charcoals, yet she’d slept better than she could remember.

  “Good morning,” Wyatt said, his voice a whisper against her hair, her nerves dancing along her spine straight into her groin.

  “You were supposed to stay on your side of the bed,” she admonished.

  “I am. You’re on my side,” he said with a chuckle.

  She glanced at the bed. “Oh.”

  Her skirt was hiked up near her waist, the material trapping her. Not that she really wanted to move. It felt wonderful to be lying here like this with Wyatt. It was warm, sensual, and her body was pulsing in ways she’d long since forgotten. Waking up sheltered in his arms, there couldn’t have been a better way to start the day.

  “I guess we should get up.” she said, not really desiring to move.

  “Why?” he asked. “It’s cold outside these covers. I can see it’s still snowing, and frankly, I like you lying here next to me,” he said, his voice deep and low in her ear, sending tremors down her spine.

  “It’s wrong, Wyatt,” she whispered.

  “Nothing wrong with two people who care about each other keeping one another warm.”

  Well, when he put it that way, it was true. She did care about Wyatt, more than she thought possible. She just didn’t wish to marry him. “I’d forgotten what waking up with a man feels like.”

  “I’d forgotten what waking up with a woman feels like,” he said, his voice even deeper, sending delicious shivers of need through her. “I’m sure there are other things we’ve forgotten, too.”

  An image of the two of them making love filled her mind. It wasn’t Thomas anymore that permeated her thoughts, it was Wyatt. And God forgive her, she wanted him. Wanted him like she’d never wanted before. Wanted him like she couldn’t survive without touching him.

  Suddenly she rolled over and faced him, still curled in his embrace, and lifted her face to gaze into those earthy brown eyes and felt her lungs seize. “Wyatt…”

  “Yes, Eugenia,” he said, his mouth inches from hers, as if he was holding back from kissing her.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in bed with a man,” she said, only knowing that she needed this man, and she had to have him now.

  “I’ve haven’t been in bed with a woman since before Beatrice passed.”

  She placed her hand on his chest, running it up over his shoulder. “I know some would consider what I’m going to say is wrong. But we’re here, in this bed…” she licked her lips and gazed into his eyes, needing him to understand but yearning for him just the same. “I still don’t want to get married. But could we…for just today, for just this moment act like we’re married?”

  “Oh Gawd, woman. I thought I was going to have to go outside in the snow to take care of…” His lips came down on hers, and this time his kiss was demanding, not gentle or caressing. This time his mouth possessed hers, and she welcomed that possession. She needed this man right now.

  His lips covered hers, and the doubts she’d held were banished as his tongue caressed the inside of her mouth, swirling and building a need she’d long since forgotten. He rolled her over onto her back, his lips never leaving hers as he kissed her until she thought she’d faint from the mounting pleasure.

  She put her hand to his chest to push him away. “Wyatt, I’m not a young woman any longer. My body’s not…”

  “I don’t care. I want you,” he said, his lips covering hers again, leaving her dizzy, her body more alive than she could remember.

  He pulled back and stared into her eyes. “Are you certain about this?”

  Her stomach clenched at the thought of him stopping. She reached up and began to unbutton his shirt. “Shut up, Wyatt, and get rid of these clothes.”

  He laughed and rolled off her and began to remove his clothes under the blankets. When he finished unbuttoning his shirt, she pulled it off his back and tossed it to the floor. Next came his pants, and once they were unbuttoned, she pushed his trousers down, until he kicked them off along with his long underwear and threw them to the floor.

  Naked, he rolled towards her. “Now it’s your turn,” he said and rolled her to her side to unbutton her dress.

  Eugenia could feel his nimble fingers as he undid the buttons. He placed his lips along her back, and she shivered from the feel of his mouth against her spine.

  “Hurry, Wyatt,” she said softly.

  “Patience, woman,” he replied, kissing the back of her neck.

  She’d never experienced being with a man like this before. She’d never ached so badly for a man that she threw all caution to the wind and only coveted the feel of his naked skin caressing hers. She’d never guarded her heart and yet given him her body.

  With a gasp she quickly helped him shed her dress. A pull of the bow untied her chemise and lifted the garment over her head. And then she untied her bloomers and kicked them off.

  She lay beneath the covers completely naked. He trailed his fingers from her shoulder past her hip. Gently he turned her over, and she faced him.

  “God, Eugenia, you’ve never been more beautiful than you are right now.”

  Their gazes locked, and in a not too subtle exchange as he expressed the need she knew her own eyes reflected.

  She reached up and pulled him down to her, needing his lips to cover hers once more and vanquish her doubts. She craved him more than her next breath, but she didn’t need to marry the man. She only desired this moment of pleasure.

  His lips released hers, and he kissed her neck, her chest until his mouth reached her breast, and he covered her nipple. She moaned as his tongue laved her hardened nipple, his teeth gently nipping her as he suckled her breast, sending tingles all the way to her middle.

  So many years had passed since she’d felt loved. Never had she been so wanton, and yet it felt good.

  She ran her hands along his ba
ck, feeling the strong muscles that girded this man. As she traced his ribs with her fingertips, he shivered in her arms, and she kissed the top of his head. Emboldened, she reached down and touched his throbbing member. He jumped when she wrapped her fingers around that solid muscle and caressed him.

  “Oh, Eugenia, you know how to torture a man,” he said against her breast.

  His tongue ravished her breasts, building a delicious sense of heat and need between her legs. Lost in the sensations his touch evoked, she moved her hips in an urgent invitation.

  Sensing her unrest, his hand cupped her feminine mound and she moaned. “Oh yes, Wyatt.”

  His fingers parted her folds and delved inside her. She gasped with pleasure as he stroked her until she thought she would faint from need. He stroked her until she was about to beg him for release. He stroked her until she was gasping with pleasure, her body needing the release only he could give.

  He removed his lips from her breasts and moved his body in between her legs. “Eugenia, I wish this could last forever, but I’m near the edge.”

  “Wyatt, just love me to completion,” she whispered, needing him inside her now.

  In one swift movement, he thrust inside her, filling her to the hilt. She gasped at the pleasure and wrapped her arms around him, moaning into his strong shoulder.

  With each touch, she craved more of this man and with each kiss she experienced more pleasure than she’d dreamed possible. With each stroke, she surrendered more to Wyatt.

  Desire reflected from his brown eyes, and she felt like she was looking into his soul. Intimacy she’d never experienced before shown in his gaze as he stared at her, so loving and sweet that she didn’t want to leave this place. She didn’t want to end these minutes in his arms.

  A tightening spiral of pleasure so intense she couldn’t remember experiencing anything like it before wound through her until she thought she would die and cross to the other side.

  Shattering contractions and releases shook her just as Wyatt cried out her name.

  “Eugenia,” he said and plunged into her one last time, rocking her with him and shuddering his release.

  The wind howled outside while they lay there holding one another, their bodies recovering, her heart aching and almost bursting with feelings she didn’t want to acknowledge.

  She’d never experienced such powerful, emotional sex. Never. What did she do now?

  Wyatt kissed her gently, rolled off of her and pulled her into his chest, spooning her. He pulled the covers up, tucking them under their chins to keep their naked bodies warm.

  “Woman, you may not like hearing it, but we belong together. I told you we’d burn up the sheets, and by God, it’s a wonder this cabin didn’t catch fire,” he said into her ear, his voice soft.

  “Don’t ruin it. No talk of marriage this day. Let’s just enjoy our time together and tomorrow we’ll talk about the consequences of today.”

  #

  Thirty minutes later, Wyatt had dressed and stepped outside to give Eugenia time to clean up and dress alone.

  Though she wasn’t shy, it was nice to have the cabin to herself for a moment or two. And it gave her time to pull herself back together. Time to tame the wild beating of her heart and harden the way she regarded Wyatt. She couldn’t let this tender moment soften the way she thought with regards to marriage.

  Tying her shoe laces, she glanced over at the bed and sighed. What had she done? She’d slept with a man that she wasn’t married to, but yet it had felt right. So right that it frightened her. She was not going to remarry. Never.

  She quickly made the bed, choosing not to see the indentations of their bodies any longer. She stoked the fire that Wyatt had started and filled the coffeepot. Wyatt would come in cold and hungry.

  A quick glance out the window saw the man giving the horses fresh water and hay. Thank God there had been a supply of food for the animals and even a stack of firewood.

  The sky was beginning to lighten, but snow still sprinkled like a light shower from the clouds. The accumulation was probably three inches, and she was sure her grandson would soon be out in the stuff making a snowman.

  She watched Wyatt walking toward the cabin, his arms loaded with more wood. She ran to the door to open it for him.

  “Thanks, Eugenia,” he said, stomping his feet before he entered the tiny cabin. He dumped the wood in the woodbox.

  “How are the horses?”

  “Good. I’ll go out later and walk them around the yard. It’s not good for them to be standing there that long.”

  “I’ll go with you,” she said, thinking they had to get out of this cabin or they’d find themselves back in bed.

  He nodded. “Might be good to get outside for awhile. The roads are still covered, and snow is still falling. I don’t believe we should try to leave today. What do you think?”

  She smiled. She wasn’t ready for this to end. She wasn’t ready for them to be with people again. She wanted this time alone with Wyatt because when it was over, it was over.

  “Let’s just spend today at the cabin and then we can head on to the ranch tomorrow,” she said, imagining another night in Wyatt’s embrace. One more night before it was over.

  “You sit down and I’ll fix us both a cup of coffee. We can sit near the stove and warm up,” he said, moving towards the counter.

  For a moment, she looked at him, startled. Thomas had never brought her a cup of coffee the entire time they were married.

  She watched Wyatt pour coffee into the cup and then hand it to her. He picked up the pan of beans and put them on the stove to heat. Then he joined her by the fire. “I worked up quite an appetite this morning.”

  His remark had her cheeks burning, but she couldn’t help but smile. They’d been good together. Too good.

  He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. “Damn, woman, you made me a happy man today.”

  Her stomach tightened and spread warmth through her body. “Shut up, Wyatt. You’re just sweet-talking me.”

  “It’s true.”

  They sat in silence, sipping their coffee. She had never been so relaxed, as if she was floating in the room with this wonderful man. Had she ever felt this way before?

  “I don’t want to dwell on our past spouses, but I need to know something.” Eugenia said, staring at her coffee cup, unable to meet his gaze. “Was it—this morning—was it always like that with you and Beatrice?”

  Wyatt laughed. “No. Not really. Not even when we were first married. Bernice was a good woman, but she didn’t like being with me. Hell she probably wouldn’t have liked it with any man.” He gazed at her, his earthy brown eyes questioning. “What about you and Thomas?”

  Eugenia sighed and took a sip of her coffee. “It was good. I remember enjoying being with him. Lovemaking was easy, but being his wife was not. But I have to say, Wyatt, that…” She glanced over at the bed. “It was breathtaking.”

  He grinned. “Thank you, ma’am, glad I could please.”

  She hit his arm with her arm, and yet she couldn’t stop smiling. She felt good. She felt wonderful, and she felt more alive at this moment than she had in years. “You’re quite pleased with yourself.”

  He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “I want to make you happy. I want to be the man who makes you smile. I want you to look forward to seeing me each day. I want to go to bed at night and hold you in my arms. I want to come home each day hungry for your welcoming smile. I want you to ma—”

  Panic seized her middle.

  “Stop! Don’t say what I think you’re about to say.” Her chest tightened as if it would explode, her mind swirling with so many questions. How could she turn away this man who was so earnest, so kind? She squeezed his hand. “Please, Wyatt, let’s just enjoy this day together. Tomorrow we can have a serious talk.”

  Wyatt stood and circled the small cabin. His jaw was tight and tense, and his eyes clearly reflected his frustration. She stood and walked up behind him and slipped her ar
ms around him. “I’m afraid, Wyatt. Please, let’s just enjoy today.”

  He turned in her arms and held her. “Okay. But tomorrow morning before we leave, we’re having a serious conversation about us.”

  She nodded, knowing that whatever she said tomorrow would either end or begin this relationship. But she needed time to think. Her heart would like to claim him, but her head kept reminding her of the chains of marriage.

  “Agreed.”

  “The beans are boiling. Let’s eat, and then we could play checkers,” she offered.

  “Can we do it naked?” he asked, his expression sincere, his brows raised in a questioning way.

  She laughed. “No, at our age that’s not always a pretty sight. But we can play to see who is in charge the next time we go to bed?”

  Yes, she wanted him again. As long as they were in this cabin, she wanted Wyatt. She’d enjoy him just as long as she could.

  He grinned, his eyes twinkling with happiness. “So we’re going to do it again?”

  She smiled and shook her head at his delight. “What else are we going to do?”

  Wyatt looked up at the ceiling. “Lord, thank you for this storm, and could you keep it up for a week?”

  “We’d starve.”

  He shrugged. “Who needs food when I have you here all to myself,” he said, his low voice sending a delicious shiver through her body. When would she stop desiring him? When would she get enough?

  “So you’re no longer hungry?” she asked.

  “I’m starving for you again, just as soon as we eat breakfast. At my age, a man needs to protect his strength,” he said, rubbing his belly.

  She laughed and couldn’t remember a recent morning filled with such joy. “I’ll get us some bowls.”

  #

  After breakfast, they decided to go out and walk the horses. The clouds were no longer a deep, dark blue, but had lightened to a grey, and now only an occasional snow flake fell. Tomorrow morning the sun would probably be shining, and the storm would be over. So would her time with Wyatt.