by Ava Walsh
“No. He didn’t know,” Sophie said, looking up at Isabel’s face. She had tears streaming down her cheeks now. “I saw the ads in the paper and I wrote one for daddy, just like the others. Then I posted it to the newspaper. I thought it would be fun. I wanted a mother, a friend. And you’re perfect.” Sophie’s words were jumbled and then she flung herself against Isabel’s body again.
Isabel held the little girl tightly in her arms. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. None of it made sense, but it very well explained why Liam behaved with her the way he did.
He didn’t want a mail-order bride. He wasn’t expecting one to suddenly turn up at his doorstep. His daughter had placed the ad, replied to Isabel’s queries… had done it all secretly until Isabel appeared at their ranch. It was all Sophie all along.
“Isabel… Are you mad at me?” Sophie cried and Isabel clutched her to her chest, trying to keep the anger and embarrassment out of her voice.
“Not at all sweetie. It’s still not your fault,” she said, biting down on her lip.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning, after a long and restless night in which Isabel couldn’t stop thinking about her conversation with Sophie, Isabel found Liam brushing the mane of his horses. Isabel hadn’t seen him since he had sat fanning her by her bed. He must have been busy at the ranch all evening and then slept on the couch. Why, Isabel didn’t know, but somehow his absence had made her even more furious.
She could see him as she walked towards him, her feet kicking up dust as she went. Her skirt was hitched high up and she could feel her whole body shake as she strode towards him.
His back was turned to her, and he was whistling a tune. His plaid shirt sleeves were rolled up and his boots were muddy now. Even from the back, he looked handsome. His shoulders were strong and straight. His back was broad and tapered toward his slim waist. He appeared to be smiling up at the horse as he brushed its mane.
“When were you going to tell me?” Isabel nearly shrieked at him. Liam just turned his head, although his hand had stopped in position. His eyes were dancing against the orange light of the setting sun. He had that same grin on his face.
“I knew Sophie wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret for very long,” he said and then fully turned to look at her.
“Why didn’t you tell me the moment I got here?” Isabel repeated. She could feel the rage erupting from her ears. She was plenty embarrassed, but she was even angrier.
“You need to rest some, Isabel. You’ll work yourself up again,” Liam said with the same humor in his voice.
She couldn’t believe that he was finding it funny. It wasn’t a joke to her. “I don’t need to rest anymore. I need some answers from you.” Isabel let her skirt drop from her hands, and then she noticed the way Liam’s eyes traveled to her breasts and then back up to look at her face.
“What do you want me to tell you, Isabel?” he asked softly. Just her name from his lips was enough to give her goosebumps. Liam had been right, there was a sudden December chill in the air that she hadn’t been expecting and she shivered a little.
“Why didn’t you just tell me when I arrived? That would have been the most adult thing to do.” Isabel crossed her arms over her breasts while he continued to look at her. Liam was leaning against his horse now while he stared, the smile still on his face.
“You looked tired. Determined. I didn’t want to turn you away at the door when you had just arrived,” he said in a low voice. He wasn’t trying to convince her; he was just stating the facts.
“Why keep me under an illusion? Why make me think that you were testing my wifely skills when you knew all along that you were going to send me home in a few days?” She was screaming now. She was angry with him and herself, as well as the rest of the world. She barely knew this man but already she felt betrayed by him.
The side of Liam’s lip lifted and he smiled, then he shook his head and dropped the brush from his hand.
“I was trying to be polite, Isabel. I’m disappointed that you don’t see it that way,” he said and brushed his hands together.
Isabel could feel her nostrils flaring, her eyes straining to look at him. He was so handsome, so delicious to look at – the man of her dreams… and now she was struggling to remain angry with him.
“It would have been more polite to explain the misunderstanding to me right away,” she said.
“And send you packing, back on your way? Without giving you a place to stay for the night?” Liam asked, walking towards her now. His thumbs were hooked on the pockets of his jeans. Isabel lifted her chin and whipped her face away from him.
“You weren’t just offering me boarding and a hot meal like a guest. You had me believe that I was to be your bride. That we were going to marry in a few days once you had determined that I would be good for Sophie…and…and the ranch,” she said, fumbling with her words. She didn’t want to look at him anymore. She was slowly losing her determination the more she looked at him. Liam was walking towards her, and now he swung his legs over the wooden planks of the stable.
“And for that, I am sorry. That I made you believe something else. And to answer your question, I was going to tell you soon,” Liam said.
Isabel turned to look at him and then took a few steps back.
“That first night…you…we were together…under the pretext that you were testing me,” Isabel said, now trying her best to look at him directly. She was still taking steps away from him, while he walked towards her.
Liam slowly shook his head.
“That was wrong of me. I’m sorry. But I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t help myself,” he said, that smile still on his face. Isabel took in a deep breath and then turned away from him.
“So you wanted me just for the night,” she said, throwing the words out into the night chill. Liam seemed to be thinking about his reply. When he didn’t say anything, Isabel started to walk away from him. She didn’t want to wait and be further humiliated by him.
“I did want you for the night. You’re right,” Liam called out to her, and Isabel stopped in her tracks. Her heart was beating fast; she was yearning to hear what he would say next. “Is it so wrong to submit to your deepest desires?” he asked.
She bit down on her lip. She still hadn’t turned to look at him. She hadn’t answered him either.
“You wanted a husband, that’s why you came here. When I saw you, I wanted you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Isabel had remained standing, but she hadn’t realized that Liam had walked up close behind her. When she felt his touch, his hands on her waist, it took her by surprise. She had been waiting, yearning, so long for his touch that she gasped.
His large hands enveloped her waist and then crept up her torso and to her breasts. She felt him squeeze them and she shut her eyes. Her back rested against his chest as he kneaded both her breasts violently. Isabel’s mouth opened with pleasure as she strained her neck against him. He pinched her nipples through the thin fabric of her crop top.
“We can’t…not now,” she murmured, but Liam didn’t stop. While his one hand continued to squeeze her breasts, his other found its way down the elastic of her skirt. He reached for her growing wetness and Isabel moaned. He found it and he stroked her through her lace panties. She wriggled in the grip of his arms. She couldn’t see his face, but she could feel his breath against the back of her head.
“I’ll stop now if you want me to,” he said hoarsely, but Isabel didn’t reply. Of course she didn’t want him to stop. Even though she had heard the truth from him – that he never ordered a bride and he hadn’t expected her to show up. She couldn’t deny the fact that her body wanted his.
Liam’s stroking her made her wetter, and she could feel her juices flowing out of her, gushing into his fingers. But he continued, making her body squirm and her eyes flutter.
But Isabel wanted more this time. She wasn’t going to allow him to do what he did that first night. Without warning, she whip
ped around to face him, so that his hand was pulled away from her. Her skirt rolled down with the movement. His hands were on her butt now.
She looked up at him, straight into his eyes, defiantly. Liam didn’t say a word, and looked back at her, challenging her to do something. So Isabel did. She grabbed his cock in her hands and felt how big it had gotten, how it was throbbing in her hands.
She locked eyes with him as she massaged him through his jeans. She watched as he shut his eyes and lifted his head towards the darkening sky. She could see that he couldn’t control himself anymore. This time he wouldn’t be able to resist it.
She slowly undid his jeans and they fell off his waist. His hands reached for her waist again and, in silence, he grabbed her and pulled her up. Isabel wrapped her legs around his hips so that she could feel his throbbing cock against her own wetness. Her long skirt fell like a curtain covering their lower halves, while he held her tightly to him.
Then, he kissed her more passionately than any she had ever been kissed before. His tongue drew her lips apart and she felt his tongue, his lips, his breath, his teeth… all in her mouth. It was like they were both reaching for something. She framed his jaw with both her hands as she kissed him back.
And he entered her. With no warning or signal. She just felt him slide into her. His back muscles tensed up as he slid into her and he groaned into her mouth. He felt big and hard like a rock inside her, and she gasped as she took him in.
Isabel had always expected pain the first time, but she was too wet. Her body had been yearning for him for too long not to want this. When he was inside her, it felt natural – like he wasn’t a stranger. He belonged there inside her.
He pulled out while they continued to kiss. Then he thrust into her again, this time with more force. She gasped again as he pushed into her. She could feel him deep inside her, touching her where no one else had before. His pace increased, and his grip on her waist tightened. When they pulled apart for breath, they gazed into each other’s eyes as he thrust in and out of her. She was still completely clothed and he held her like he was holding up a prize.
“Liam!” She shrieked his name as she felt her body vibrate against his. She wasn’t thinking whether Sophie could hear them. She wasn’t thinking of anything.
“Let it happen, Isabel,” she heard him say just as her toes curled and she came violently, wildly against him. While she orgasmed, she saw him throw his head back. He was coming too. It was pure joy, her body wracked with complete abandon. Out there in the open, in a ranch, with the horses behind them… Isabel was laughing as she came. She couldn’t control it. Neither could Liam. He started laughing too as they continued to move against each other.
This is what they wanted from the moment they both laid eyes on each other. This was the moment they had both been waiting for, and it was happening now. They were orgasming together, their bodies merged as one. He was watching her with intensity as she finished. She could feel him drain himself inside her.
And then he suddenly let her go and she tumbled to the ground. Isabel wasn’t prepared for this. She hadn’t expected him to suddenly let go of her. She had fallen gently to the ground and she lay on her back on the dirt, looking up at him.
Liam was pulling up his jeans and clicking the buckle into place. “Are you happy now Isabel? Did you get your complete Western experience?” he asked before turning around and walking away from her.
Chapter Fourteen
Isabel followed Liam back towards the house. She straightened her skirt and tried to smooth her curls as she walked behind him. “What is that supposed to mean?” she called out to him, which finally made him stop a few feet away from the back porch.
“You know what I mean,” he said, turning to look at her. It was Liam’s turn to look at her with rage. His blue eyes were narrowed and sharp and he was looking at her like it had all been one big mistake.
“No, I don’t. What did that mean? The complete Western experience?” she asked him and crossed her arms over her breasts again.
Liam breathed in deeply. “Isn’t that why you were here in the first place? A big city girl like you. You’ve lived in New York all your life. Why would you just give up everything and come here?” he asked, not making a move towards her.
Isabel couldn’t understand it. Just a few moments ago, he was inside her and they were laughing together. What had changed so suddenly? “Why do you think I gave up everything and moved here?” she asked him, her voice quivering. He was aiming too close to the truth and it made her nervous.
“Because you had some sort of romantic notion of what life would be like here. You’ve probably watched it in movies. You thought you could marry a cowboy and live here. You’re escaping something,” Liam said, glaring at her. Despite the words he was spitting out at her, he was surprisingly calm. Unlike Isabel, Liam appeared to be unaffected by his temper.
“Why does it matter? I answered an ad. An ad that wasn’t even a real ad. This was what was wanted of me. To be a mail-order bride,” Isabel replied, gritting her teeth.
Liam clenched his jaw. “You’re right, it doesn’t matter,” he said after several seconds of silence. “Which is why I was only hoping that you’ve enjoyed your full experience.” He turned from her again.
Isabel bit down on her lip and shut her eyes. She could hear him walking away from her again. “Alright. Yes, you’re right. I wanted the experience,” she said, opening her eyes. He stopped in his tracks again.
“You’re right about all of it. I watched Westerns with my dad and I had a romantic notion of the West. But you’re wrong about a few other things,” Isabel explained as Liam turned to look at her.
“I’m not a big city girl. I moved to New York a year ago. Before that, I lived in a small town in Wisconsin,” Isabel stated. Liam remained quiet. He was looking at her like he wanted her to go on, to spill the truth. Isabel cleared her throat from the nervousness.
“And thank you, Liam. I did enjoy my complete Western experience. How thoughtful of you to be so hospitable,” she added and dropped her arms. She started walking past him, towards the house.
He grabbed her hand. Isabel gasped when she felt him pull her towards him. “Don’t be bitter with me,” he said, glaring down at her face. He looked furious. He hadn’t been defied by anyone before. He wasn’t used to someone talking back to him – no one except Sophie.
Isabel glared back at him and then surprised him with a smile. “I’m not bitter, Liam. You asked me a question and I answered it. I did have a good time. All my romantic notions of the West have been fulfilled,” she said, twisting her hand out of his grip.
Liam’s face softened. “Are you going to tell me what you’re trying to escape?” he asked and Isabel continued to smile. She had figured out the best possible way to deal with this man. He was riling her up; he was expecting her to get angry, to throw a girly fit. She wasn’t going to.
“I don’t have to tell you anything. You want me to leave soon, which I will. We can all forget about this like a bad dream. Move on,” Isabel said, placing her hands on her hips.
“Was it really such a bad dream?” he asked, and Isabel smiled again. It was working.
“It was for you, wasn’t it? Some strange woman appeared at your front porch out of nowhere. Your daughter conspired against you. Now you have to deal with the mess.” Isabel said it with a sing-song voice like she was telling a joke. She made certain not to raise her voice or display in any way to Liam that she was upset.
Liam stared at her like he was surprised. “I didn’t say any of that. I was just taken by surprise,” he said.
Isabel stared at the face of the man she wouldn’t be able to forget. She felt safe around him, even when they were arguing. “It’ll all be over soon, don’t worry.”
Liam blinked at her. “I didn’t ask for that either,” he said and Isabel suddenly reached for him and gave his right shoulder a squeeze. He looked at her hand like it was a ghost’s.
“You don’t ha
ve to ask. I can see that I’m a burden to you. I’ll be gone by tomorrow afternoon.” Isabel smiled at him like she was an old friend, then turned on her heel and hitched up her skirt. “Now come on in, Sophie must be starving. Do you have some flour somewhere? I’d like to make her a pie before I leave.”
She didn’t need to look at Liam to know that he was struggling with himself. She barely knew the man, but she somehow knew enough about him. She had figured him out. It was like she knew him all her life. She had just been waiting to meet him.
Chapter Fifteen
Liam didn’t follow her back into the house. Sophie had been up in her room doing her homework when Isabel came in. She started preparing for dinner.
“Where’s daddy?” Sophie asked when she came down a few minutes later. Isabel had started gathering the ingredients she would need. She’d decided on making a lasagna. It would be difficult with the few ingredients that were available to her, but she would make it happen.
“He’s outside. Must be tending to the horses,” Isabel said, staring at the bowl of minced meat in front of her.
“Is he mad? Did you argue with him?” Sophie asked, joining her at the kitchen counter.
“Don’t worry your little head over it, sweetie.” Isabel smiled at her.
“But is daddy mad?” Sophie insisted.
“He’s not mad at you. He just needs some time to calm down,” Isabel explained. She could see that Sophie was about to burst into tears again.
“I was only trying to help. I thought he would be happy to have a wife,” Sophie blubbered through her tears and Isabel walked around the counter to give her a hug.
“I know, honey. Your father understands too. He just needs some time.” Isabel was stroking Sophie’s head.
“Is he going to send you back home? Are you going to leave us?” Sophie looked up at Isabel with tears in her eyes. Isabel smiled and then used the backs of her hands to wipe the tears from Sophie’s cheeks.