She had his meal on the table, along with a glass of sweet tea when he came out. Sitting beside him, she took his hand in hers. She smiled at him, when he looked at her with confusion. “Tell me about it. What happened?”
He sighed. “Would you believe two councilmen actually got into a fist fight because one of them said he’d leave town if the traffic light was put in?” He shook his head. “I ended the whole thing, though. I read last night in the town ordinances that I have veto power over any bill. I told them I didn’t think the town was ready for a traffic light. So the debate is over. I’ll veto it if it comes to me, which means there’s no reason to continue.”
“I bet you made some enemies.”
He shrugged. “At this point, I don’t even care. Their childish attitudes were taking up way too much of my time.” His eyes met hers. “I do realize my ridiculous amount of time on the phone had a lot to do with us fighting.”
Hope shook her head. “I understood.”
“Can we start over?” he asked, his voice soft. “I don’t want to spend the next year at odds with you. I want a real marriage.”
Hope nodded. “That’s what I want too. I tried to tell you that one night, but then the phone calls started.”
Karlan brought the hand he still held to his lips. “Then let’s have a real marriage.”
Hope jumped up. “You finish eating. When you’re done, stick your plate in the dishwasher and run it. I’ll be right back.” She rushed from the room, knowing he would think she was making no sense, but she didn’t care. All she could think about was the sexy little negligee Chastity bought her for her wedding night.
She showered quickly and shaved her legs. She refused to have hairy legs the first time she made love with her husband. What would he think?
She blew her hair dry before going into her room to put on the nightgown, wrinkling her nose when she saw the stupid vibrator. She had to get rid of the thing, but she didn’t want anyone seeing it. Maybe she could sneak it into her car on Sunday when she did the grocery shopping and find a dumpster somewhere.
She pulled a robe on over her lingerie and then went out to join Karlan. He was just putting his plate and glass into the dishwasher. “Oh, you finished eating.”
He nodded. “And I did the dishes.” He eyed her in the robe, wondering what was underneath it. When he’d said he wanted to have a real marriage, he didn’t think she’d jump up and get ready to go to bed with him. Not that he was complaining.
Karlan was still in the shorts and T-shirt he’d pulled on after his shower. She caught his hand and dragged him into his bedroom, planning on getting his clothes off him just as quickly as she could.
She closed his door softly behind them, and closed her eyes as she dropped the robe. She was afraid he wouldn’t like what he saw.
Karlan looked her up and down, taking a step forward after a moment. He put his index finger under her chin and lifted it. He waited a moment for her to open her eyes, and when she did, he whispered, “You’re beautiful. I’m glad you’re my wife.”
“You don’t wish you’d chosen Chastity?”
He laughed. “Chris can deal with your nymphomaniac sister. I’m perfectly content with the woman I chose.” He leaned down, kissing her softly. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? Do you want to wait? I don’t want to force you to do anything you’re not ready for.” He hoped she wouldn’t take him up on his offer, but he felt the need to be kind after the way he’d exploded at her. He could forgive the vibrator, because he knew he was partially to blame.
She shook her head. “I’m sure I don’t need more time. I wouldn’t have asked for time three weeks ago, if I’d had a little time to get to know you first.”
He smiled. “I had to make sure to stake my claim before my brothers saw you.”
“I think your brothers are very content with my sisters.” She reached out to him, moving her hands under the bottom of his T-shirt, stroking slowly up his chest. “We should get this off you.”
He stepped back and stripped off his shirt, and she pressed up against him. “Do you have any idea how much your bare chest turns me on?”
“Not as much as your bare chest would turn me on,” he quipped, grinned down at her. “Wanna compare?”
She swallowed hard. Part of making love was baring herself for her husband. As hard as that was, she could do it. “Sure.”
He blinked at her, surprised by her ready response. “Really?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“Are you nervous?”
“Of course, I’m nervous. I’ve never been with a man before.”
No, just that ridiculous toy. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He pushed one strap off her shoulder and down her arm, kissing a path from her cheek to her neck and down.
She wound her fingers through his hair, holding him to her. “That feels so nice!”
“Your skin is so soft!” His shorts were starting to constrict him too much, little Charlie pushing against the front of them. “Maybe we should take this to the bed.”
At her nod, he scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing, carrying her to the bed and gently laying her down on it. He quickly stripped off his shorts and followed her down.
Hope averted her eyes, not wanting to see him in all his glory. She knew they were married, but it didn’t seem like something she should do. Her mother had talked about this being something only done in the dark. That meant she shouldn’t look, right?
He looked down into her face. “You’re allowed to look at me, you know. We’re married.”
“I know. Kind of.”
“Kind of? What do you mean?”
“Promise you won’t laugh?” How would she be able to explain her misgivings without sounding childish?
“If I laugh, you might leave. Or worse. Kick me out of my own bed and make me sleep in that tiny little bed in your room.”
“The guest room,” she corrected.
“What?” Karlan asked.
“I’m sharing this room with you from now on. That’s the guest room.”
“Okay, I promise I won’t laugh, and I’ll leave it at that.” Her rapid change of subject was starting to make his head spin, and he wanted to get this conversation over with so they could get to the good part of the evening.
“Well, my mom always made it sound like sex was dirty. She told me a woman never sees her husband naked, because it just isn’t right.”
He blinked a few times. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I feel funny seeing you naked.”
“So that’s why you closed your eyes.”
“Yeah.” Hope made a face, more embarrassed than ever. “I know it’s stupid, but we were raised in a very conservative, backwards, home. I plan on loving what we do together, but I have to get past my hang-ups to do that.”
“We’ll work through them together. What can I do to help?”
“For tonight, I think it’s just a matter of…well, doing it.” She couldn’t even use one of his silly euphemisms now that the moment was upon them.
“Doing it? Doing what? Playing baseball?”
“Baseball?” she asked.
“I’m planning to hit a home run…”
Hope giggled a little. “I had no idea I married such a romantic,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Hey, I’m trying to make sure you’re in the mood here. Is it working?”
“Just looking at you puts me in the mood. No effort required.” She pulled him down for a kiss, surprising him a little.
He kissed her with everything inside him. His tongue moved into her mouth to tangle with hers while his hands slowly stroked her garment off her body. When she was bare beneath him, he moved to her side, one hand going between her spread thighs to stroke her.
He kissed a trail from her lips down her neck and to her breast, taking one rosy peak into his mouth. “You taste good,” he muttered against her flesh.
Hope had no idea what to do with her hands, so she
wound them through his hair, arching up into his mouth. She focused on what he was doing to her, not on the feeling that what was happening was wrong. Knowing it wasn’t wrong didn’t seem to be enough for her. She had to block it out completely, forcing her mind to shut off, so she wouldn’t feel guilty.
His hand between her thighs was stroking at her nub of flesh, making her heart beat rapidly. She felt out of breath, and a tightening was happening in her belly. She felt like something was going to break inside her. “I feel weird!”
He looked up at her, a twinkle in his eye. “What feels weird?” He caught her nipple between his lips again. “This?” He made his finger dance against the flesh between her thighs. “Or this?”
Her gasp at his movement between her thighs was all the answer he needed. He carefully plunged one finger inside of her, moving it slowly in and out of her tight channel.
She gasped, clutching his shoulders. “I don’t think you should do that!” The tightening in her stomach was increasing, making her feel like she was going to explode. “You have to stop!”
He chuckled low in his throat. “Not on your life. Not ‘til you finish.”
“Finish? What do you mean?” Her mother had told her to lie back and let her husband do what he must. She couldn’t have meant this. It felt too good! Suddenly her stomach clenched, and she let out a moan. She sank back into the pillows, feeling a little dazed. “Wow.”
He laughed, moving to cover her with his body, pleased that he was finally getting a turn. “Wow? Is that all you can say?”
“More please?”
He pressed his lips to hers, slowly moving into her body. Her cry of pain caught him by surprise. “Are you all right?”
“I don’t know. That hurt for a second, but I think I’m all right now.”
He stared down at her, holding still within her. Something didn’t seem right, but he was in too big of a hurry to worry about it just then. He started moving slowly within her, watching her face for further signs of pain. “How’s that?”
“That feels nice.” She wrapped her arms around him, stroking his bare back, scraping her fingernails on his skin.
He caught her legs and wrapped them around his waist, his face buried against her throat. He was determined to make certain she found her pleasure again before he found his own.
Hope felt the now-familiar tightening in her belly start again, and she moved with him, wanting the same thing to happen that had happened before. She may not know much about how this was supposed to work, but she knew she liked everything she was feeling.
She broke apart in his arms minutes later, idly noting that he kept moving, until he shouted her name, collapsing atop her.
It took a few minutes for him to come back to earth, but he rolled to her side as soon as he realized where he was. “I’m sorry. I must have been crushing you.”
Hope rolled with him, snuggling into his arms. “No, I liked it. I felt like I was part of you.”
He stroked her cheek. “You’re not allowed to move back to the spare bedroom now, just so you know. I’m keeping you right here where you belong.”
She sighed happily. “I want to stay here. Then I won’t have to keep hiding things from my sisters.”
“Hiding things from your sisters?”
“You asked me to pretend we were intimate. My sisters wanted us to all take a pregnancy test together today. I took one, feeling like an idiot the whole time.”
Karlan sighed. “Anyone pregnant?”
She nodded. “Two the first month. Terms of the will have been fulfilled.”
“That was quick.” He stroked his hand over her back.
She nodded, yawning. Looking at the clock, she groaned. “It’s eleven. There aren’t enough hours in the day.”
“I caught you watching television tonight. It’s the first time I’ve seen you really relax and stop working.”
“I do know how to stop working. There just hasn’t been a call for it yet. When we’re sure we’ll get to keep the ranch, I’ll relax. Probably for a whole month.”
He chuckled softly. “Go to sleep, Hope. Tomorrow is another busy day.”
Her eyes were already drifting closed. “They always are.”
Karlan kept his arms around her, cradling her against him. His wife was a special woman, one he already cared about more than he wanted to admit. How had he stayed angry with her for two weeks? He thought about the toy he’d found in her nightstand, and he knew it wasn’t something she’d ever used. She’d been too surprised by her orgasm to be a regular sex toy user. But why did she have it?
He thought about waking her and asking her, but she was already asleep, her breathing even. He knew she was working as hard as he was to try to help keep the ranch. His mother had told him about how special she was, and how she seemed so sad at times, reading him the riot act.
“You’ve married a very special woman, Karlan James Culpepper. Don’t you dare do anything to hurt her, or I’ll buy the black-eyed peas myself!” she’d said. Karlan had no doubt she was referring to the country song, Goodbye Earl, where two women poisoned a man who had beaten one of them. His mother had said more than once if he ever hurt a girl that way, she’d make the black-eyed peas.
Of course, his mother had also told him and his brothers if they ever were out with a girl and just couldn’t control themselves to call her and she’d bring a condom. Every time he’d thought he was going to make it into the backseat with a girl, he’d seen his mother’s face swimming before his eyes. Talk about an erection killer.
She’d confessed a couple of years before that had been her intention all along. She’d wanted them to think of her. The woman was evil, devious, and brilliant, all rolled into one.
He yawned, adjusting Hope’s head a little bit, so it wasn’t cutting into his shoulder so much. He reached over and turned off the lamp beside the bed, doing his best not to disturb her. She worked too hard to not get enough sleep.
He fell asleep with a smile on his face, thinking about the long days and nights to come. His sweet little bride had obviously forgiven his craziness. Now, he just had to figure out what was up with the vibrator. And why had she let him be angry with her about it, instead of telling him she wasn’t using the thing?
He shrugged. That was something they could figure out tomorrow, now that he knew they’d have one.
10
Hope woke up to Karlan’s alarm going off at five the following morning. As much as she usually loved mornings, she let out a groan. She hadn’t slept nearly enough.
Karlan rolled toward her, hugging her close. “Let’s be late today.”
She pulled back, looking at him in the darkness. “We can’t be late. I have kids that will be at your mom’s in two hours.” She stifled a yawn. She wanted to stay in bed all day, but she had to take care of her responsibilities. No matter how much she didn’t want to.
He sighed. “Adulting isn’t easy.”
She giggled, kissing him quickly. “No, it’s not. But now that you’re done with the traffic light nonsense, we’ll have more time together in the evenings.” She hoped he didn’t have crises like that often, because she needed more time with him.
“But you’re always sewing something in the evenings.”
“Only because you’re always on the phone. I’ve got most of the sewing I need to do caught up to the point I should be able to keep up during naptime.” Was that why he hated her sewing machine? Because she spent so much time using it?
“Really? We’re actually going to be able to act like newlyweds and spend time together?”
“Really!” She rolled out of bed, hurrying to her robe. It was different seeing each other right before making love than it was the morning after. “I’ll go make breakfast.” She desperately needed another shower after the activities of the night before, but she’d get that after he left.
Over breakfast, she felt very shy, wondering if he was thinking about all the things they’d done together the night before. She was un
able to meet his eyes directly. She knew they’d done nothing wrong, but she still felt strange in the daylight.
After they finished eating, he caught her to him, kissing her passionately. “Are you sure we can’t be late today?”
“Do you really want to explain why you were late to Cooper? And your mother? Because I’m not explaining it. I love your mom, but I’m not talking about sex with my mother-in-law!”
He sighed. “I’m not afraid of telling Mom why we’re late. It’s Cooper that would scare me. That boy has us on a tighter schedule than I’ve ever dreamed a ranch would operate on. Why, even Granddaddy did whatever Cooper told him to do, because he knew the ranch would have folded without Cooper there to boss us all around.” He kissed her one last time. “I’m looking forward to our evening together.”
Hope clung to him for a moment. “Me too. How is it that we were married first, but got to spend time alone together last?”
“It’s my stupid job as mayor. I enjoy it usually. I’ll enjoy it again, I’m sure.” He opened the door and turned to wink at her. “I’ll see you at lunch time!”
She smiled, waving him off.
When she got to the big house, Joy hurried to her. “You look so happy!”
Hope smiled at her sister. “I am happy. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Joy shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I’ve thought something was wrong for a while now.” Joy was more in tune with Hope’s emotions than her other sisters were. She hated that her sister sensed that she’d been unhappy.
“Nope. Life couldn’t be better. How are you?”
Joy grinned, her whole face lighting up with the smile. “Joyful.”
Hope laughed. Her sister had always been joyful. “I’m glad. Did you finish the castle?”
“Yes! It’s up on eBay and already has ten bids!”
“Oh, that’s great! What’s your next project?” The Barbie castle had looked amazing the last time Hope had seen it, but that was the previous day. Hope couldn’t wait to see it completely done.
“A snowmobile and condo. Should be fun!”
“Maybe you could make just some furniture sets as well. That would be a good break from the big projects.” Hope grinned. “I’m thinking about taking tomorrow morning off. Could you cover for me?”
Wyoming Wedding (Culpepper Cowboys Book 1) Page 10