by Nan Ryan
“But, Austin, I want to look around, I haven’t—”
“Later,” he said firmly and kissed her temple. “She’s all yours, Madge.”
Much too tired to argue with either of them, Suzette let Madge undress her as soon as Austin left. She looked around sleepily at the room. Small but well arranged, the room had satinwood panelling and rosewood furniture. As she crawled gratefully into the bed, Suzette fleetingly wondered how she and her big husband could both fit in it. It was her last thought before sleep overtook her.
When Suzette opened her eyes, she saw Madge moving quietly about the room. She pushed herself up on one elbow drowsily, then yawned and asked hoarsely, “Madge, what time is it?”
Madge looked up from the large box she was opening and said cheerfully, “Mrs. Brand, it’s almost eight. Are you feeling better?”
“Eight at night?” Suzette bounded from the bed and rushed to the window. She jerked back the drapes and peered out the ice-crusted windows. It was pitch-black, though a few lights twinkled from afar. For the first time it occurred to Suzette that the room was in motion. She whirled. “Are we leaving Fort Worth now, Madge?”
“No, dear,” the woman replied, “we left Fort Worth this morning. Now, come, your husband is waiting. I’ll help you with your bath.”
Suzette looked around, but saw no tub. “Come,” the woman beckoned, and Suzette followed her into an adjoining room where a huge, square bathtub of fine Carrara marble was filled with steaming soapy water. More hot water ran from a gold faucet. Suzette squealed like a happy child and lifted her nightgown over her head. Immersing herself up to her chin, she studied the bottles of sweet scented oils arranged on a gold shelf above the faucets, then extended a soapy arm to put in a dash of this, a drop of that, until the water smelled of glorious spring, while outside her private fairyland the cold prairie winds howled with a vengeance and the temperature dropped with each passing minute.
When Suzette stepped dripping from the marble tub, Madge wrapped her shimmering body in a big white towel. She followed her back into the bedroom, asking, “Madge, where did you hang my dress?” And then she gasped. A beautiful eggshell satin gown and robe and dainty satin slippers, the most feminine ones she’d ever seen, lay before her on the bed. “Oh, Madge,” she said in wonderment, fingering the rich fabric, “wherever did these come from?”
“Mr. Brand bought them for you today. He said that he would like you to join him for dinner.”
“Dinner? How? I can’t go out in a satin nightgown!” she exclaimed.
“No, Mrs. Brand.” Madge laughed merrily. “You will dine here in your quarters. Now, let’s get you ready. Austin’s waiting!”
Suzette loved the feel of the lush satin against her clean, naked skin, but she blushed when she saw that the lovely gown’s bodice was cut very low and composed entirely of a very sheer white lace. It fit snugly across her full breasts, exposing them as though she were uncovered, and ended in a deep V below her waist. The long, soft skirt clung seductively to her hips and thighs and fell in soft folds at her feet. Suzette looked at her reflection in the French mirror and was embarrassed. The older woman seemed to sense this and held out the satin robe for her. It had but one tiny button at its high-banded neck. Suzette hastily pushed the satin button through the lace loop and looked at herself again.
She felt better. Long, full sleeves, trimmed in white lace, reached to her knuckles. She was covered from throat to feet in the thick, luxuriant satin. She smiled and stepped into the slippers while Madge nodded her gray head in approval.
“Your husband has excellent taste.”
“Yes, he does.” Suzette ran her hands over the fabric. “It really is lovely, isn’t it?”
“I was referring to you, Mrs. Brand. Now, come, you can’t keep Mr. Brand waiting any longer.”
“Well, I’m ready. Tell him to come in, please.”
Madge smiled and said, “No dear. He is waiting for you. Come.”
Suzette followed Madge, who indicated a closed door, then whispered, “He’s inside. I’ll wish you good-night now, dear. When you need me in the morning, ring the bell.” Madge disappeared, and Suzette turned back to the door. She knocked lightly, and Austin’s deep voice invited her to come in.
Suzette pulled the door open and stepped inside, then stared in amazement. The compartment was at least twice as long as her room and twice as grand. It had the same satin-wood paneling and ornate carved ceilings, and it was filled with fine, heavy furniture. Sofas upholstered in brocade faced each other across a square marble table. Thick, rich carpet—a veritable blur of jewel tones—covered the floor. The tall ornate French mirrors in the sitting area reflected the big bed facing them. The bed could only have been designed for the huge man who owned it. Its soft expanse was covered with satin bedclothes the exact color of Suzette’s ensemble. Small marble tables flanked each side and held gold illumination lamps, which cast a soft, pale glow. The room fairly shimmered, and Suzette was entranced.
“Do you approve, darlin’?” Austin’s deep voice drew her attention back to him. She whirled to see him standing, massive and magnificent, in a velvet robe of deep burgundy, its lapels a shiny satin of the same hue. At his throat, a burgundy foulard hid the virile chest. His dark blond hair was trimmed and brushed, his face smoothly shaved. He was grand, she thought happily, and very, very handsome.
He stood behind a square table covered with a cloth of white linen that reached the floor. A silver candelabra stood majestically at one corner. At its center, a silver bowl held freshly cut white orchids. A bottle of champagne stood chilling in a silver bucket filled with crushed ice. Long-stemmed glasses of sparkling crystal sat beside fine porcelain plates rimmed in gold.
Suzette Foxworth Brand had never seen anything so splendid in all her life. Her husband took her hand and offered her a chair across from him. Suzette still hadn’t convinced herself she wasn’t dreaming. Here she was, seated at a table with her handsome new husband, eating lobster and quaffing champagne. She giggled with unabashed joy.
The man looking at her laughed, too. Austin, accustomed to riches and grandeur, had lived a life of comfort and grace for more than twenty years. It had been pleasant, to be sure, but never had it been as rewarding as it was at this moment.
The look of wonder and happiness on the beautiful face across the table made Austin as light-headed as the wine was making Suzette. She was everything he’d ever envisioned in a woman. She was truly beautiful. She was bright, she was spirited, and she was impressionable, though intelligent. To have her here with him in this fairyland, her lovely young body draped in the seductive nightclothes he’d picked for her, to hear her laughter as she drank the champagne he’d poured for her, to know that before the winter night was over he would carry her to that big bed and make love to her—this was to him the end of the rainbow.
When the sumptuous meal was finished, Austin pulled a gold cord that hung near the bed and a white-jacketed Oriental servant suddenly appeared. His eyes averted discreetly, he quickly rolled the dinner table out of the room, though he left the candelabra, orchids, and champagne behind. Then Austin extinguished the lamps on each side of the bed, leaving only the candles to light to room.
He walked slowly to where Suzette stood watching him. He looked at her so intently as he neared her that she felt the smooth wine catch in her throat. She had to swallow a second time. Austin smiled and moved closer. She coughed nervously when he took the glass from her shaking hand and set it aside.
His hand went slowly to her hair. He touched it gently, holding a long strand, studying it with interest. He lifted it to his mouth and kissed it, inhaling its fresh fragrance. “Suzette, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said hoarsely.
She gave no reply. Her heart was pounding now and she could hear it drumming loudly in her ears. She stood completely still, looking at the handsome head bent over her hair, grateful she didn’t have to meet his gaze. Her arms hung at her sides, but her finger
s worked nervously at the satin of her robe.
Slowly Austin raised his head and released the strand of golden hair. His fingers moved to the tiny button at her throat. He unfastened it and pulled the robe slowly over her shoulders, letting it slide to the floor. Wearing only the gown with its revealing lace bodice, Suzette watched as fire leaped into his gray eyes, while her rapid breathing made her breasts swell and strain against the tight lace.
“Darlin’,” he murmured as his mouth covered her trembling lips and he pulled her up into his arms. Her arms still hung limply at her sides, the palms of her hands moist. He kissed her gently, expertly, pushing her head back as he pulled her closer to him. His warm, sensual mouth moved from her lips to her throat. He kissed her there just as tenderly, and Suzette’s apprehension began to melt away. Her arms came around his neck and she molded herself to him. She could feel his muscular solidness against her as his strong arms lifted her into his embrace and he cradled her head in his hand.
She whimpered softly as his lips slid down, down, until finally they were pressing against the soft lace covering her heart. Austin kept kissing her there until Suzette felt she could not breathe. At last he raised his head and his lips covered hers once again. She was responding to the gentle kiss when she felt herself being lifted from the floor. She was no longer afraid. She closed her eyes and clung to his neck and soon the softness underneath her told her she was on the big bed, Austin’s full weight beside her. She opened her eyes and looked at the handsome face so close to her own.
“Let me love you, Suzette,” he murmured, his gray eyes smoldering. His mouth again took hers and she was glad that the faint flickering of the candles was the only light in the room, the crimson of her flushed face mercifully hidden in their soft glow.
His mouth, hot and moist, moved very softly on hers. He kissed her slowly, persuasively. It felt very good and Suzette relaxed and let his mouth tease and tempt her while she slipped deeper and deeper into the vortex of consuming desire.
Never did she bother to question whether it was Austin’s expert kisses, or the effects of the champagne, or the provocative touch of all that satin that made her body feel so hot, so sensitive. She only knew she’d been foolish ever to have been frightened of this big, handsome man. He was tender and gentle and she loved his warm lips moving on hers, his hands sweeping over her satin-covered body, tenderly touching and caressing.
So lost was she in her newly awakened sensuality, and so experienced and gentle was her handsome husband, that Suzette hardly knew when the nightgown somehow slipped away from her body. She hardly realized that Austin’s robe had disappeared. She only knew that his mouth was still pressing hers and that his hands, moving slowly over her body, felt more wonderful now that both were naked. And when his heated body nestled against hers, a flame ignited deep within her.
As her excitement grew, inhibitions tumbled and Suzette gloried in the feel of his crinkly hair against her naked breasts as Austin crushed her to his broad, heaving chest. Her hands explored his shoulders and back, playing over the smooth skin as they moved up into his hair. When his lips left hers and went to her neck, Suzette sighed and pressed her head back against the pillow. Her tiny gold locket rested in the hollow of her throat, where Austin kissed it, and then with his teeth he moved the locket out of his way.
“My beautiful wife,” he murmured as his hot mouth pressed fiery kisses into the sensitive hollow of her throat.
Suzette had never had her throat kissed, and she marveled at how wonderful it felt. She didn’t hesitate to let him know it. “Austin,” she breathed and clutched his back, “that feels good to me. So good.”
“Umm,” he murmured and gently probed with his tongue. “I want to make you feel good, my love.” His mouth continued to awaken her, sliding around to the side of her neck to the gentle pulse. He touched it with his tongue and lifted his head to look at her.
Her blue eyes held a look he’d thought he wouldn’t see there for months, perhaps years—a look of unmasked hunger. Seeing it made his blood pound, and his passion soared.
“Suzette, my sweet,” he breathed, sliding a big hand into her hair. His mouth came down hard on hers, open and questing. He moaned when her sweet tongue touched his eagerly. His kiss inflamed her, and his caressing hands fanned the fire. By the time his hand sought the warmth between her silky thighs, Suzette was whispering her husband’s name in wild abandon and her soft, pliant body was craving the glorious release his hard, male body promised.
“Suzette, my Suzette.” He continued to whisper her name as every sensation became acutely heightened for her. She heard distinctly the ding, ding, ding of the train’s bell as they passed through a station; the clickety-clack of the wheels on the track dueled with the rhythm of her pounding heart. Everything in the room took on a vivid clarity in the soft candlelight. On Austin’s face, just above her own, she could see the tiny pores of his smooth bronzed skin and the dark pupils and pinpricks of light in his gray eyes. Her flesh was extraordinarily sensitive to the stroking hand whose fingertips spread incredible heat wherever they touched her. Her husband’s kisses tasted sweet, while his shoulders and throat were mildly salty to her tongue and mouth. When she ran her hands over his broad shoulders and smooth back, she could feel every muscle, every bone, the hot skin.
“Austin,” she breathed into his open mouth, “please…please.”
The pain was brief and bearable, her soft sobs muffled by his bare shoulder, as he thrust into her. Austin lay completely still within her until he felt her slender, sweet body begin to relax beneath him. Only then did he begin the slow, sensual movements of loving. And as he moved he quietly spoke to her of love, confessing that he’d wanted her for years, that he loved her as he’d never loved a woman, that to hold her this way in his arms was heaven. He punctuated each sentence with tender kisses to her open lips, her flushed cheeks, her shell-like ears, and her swelling breasts.
Suzette was wrapped in a warm, wonderful dream. A beautiful dream. New things were happening to her and she was torn between the wish to be held and loved by Austin all night long and the aching need to have this throbbing cease. She wanted both, and her sweet confusion made her cling to her husband and plead, “Austin, Austin, I…I…”
“Yes, my love,” he whispered and changed the pace of his lovemaking. He was moving more rhythmically now and she clung to him as the first involuntary spasms of her climax claimed her. Her blue eyes widened as the ecstasy became so intense she thought she would surely be torn apart by the violence rippling through her. She was aware of Austin’s face just above her own. Then his mouth dipped to hers as something shook her with alarming intensity. She cried out and strained to hold her husband to her until the rapture subsided.
He lifted his head to gaze down at her. He looked pleased, and she wondered if it was because he’d felt the same explosions inside that had rocked her. She decided that he had, because his powerful chest was heaving, perspiration dotted his hairline, and his smoothly shaven face was flushed. Like her, he was breathing heavily, and he was calling her name.
“Suzette, my love, my beautiful wife. Suzette, Suzette,” he groaned and scattered kisses over her face and bare shoulders.
“Austin?” she whispered, her eyes still wide.
“Yes, darlin’?” His mouth was near her ear. “What, my lover?”
“Austin, I want to tell you something.”
He lifted his head to look at her. “Darlin’, you can tell me anything, anything at all.”
She smiled and let her fingers roam over his strong jawline. “I just wanted to say that I loved the way you made me feel, and I wonder if you felt the same way. I mean, did you feel like you might just actually die if you didn’t stop, and yet it was much too good to do so?”
Austin Brand moved to her side and rolled over onto his back, chuckling as he pulled her into his embrace. His laughter rumbled deep in his chest and his spent body shook with it. He laughed until his stomach hurt and tears rolled down
his cheeks. Calming a little, he took her sweet, bewildered face between his palms and said, “Darlin’, that is exactly the way I felt. I couldn’t have expressed it any better.” He pulled her mouth to his and kissed her lips. “My God, life with you is going to be paradise. You are something, Mrs. Brand. You are beautiful, intelligent, sweet, sensual, and above all, honest.” He kissed her again.
Already completely at ease with her new husband, Suzette turned on her stomach and looked into his smiling face. She spread a hand on his chest and curled the thick, blond hair around her fingers.
“Austin, do you really think I’m all those things?”
“Indeed I do.” He beamed and raised a hand to her hair.
“Austin.”
“Hmm?”
“Where do you suppose we are right now?”
“Darlin’, we’re somewhere in western Louisiana.”
“Oh, shoot!” she said, tickling his chest.
“What?” His smile faded slightly. “What’s wrong, Suzette?”
Giggling, she said, “Nothing, really. It’s just…well, Austin, I wanted to make love to you in Texas the first time.”
Laughter again shook Austin Brand. “Honey,” he drawled contentedly, “you did make love to me in Texas. It just extended into Louisiana.” She grinned and kissed him. “Tell you something else.” He sighed happily. “You’re going to be making love to me in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and—”
“Stop, stop!” She laughed and covered his mouth with her hand. “Before I make love to you in all those states, there’s something else I want.”
“Name it, sweetheart.”
She buried her face on his chest and mumbled, “I’m hungry.” She raised her head. “How long is it till breakfast, Austin? I’m starving!”