by Grace Rawson
Noah grinned. It was the first true smile he could remember in years. He found strange pleasure in the subtle, private teasing, and the way Emma turned shyly away from him, but fought the smile trying to appear on her own lips. They followed the manager up another flight of steps and through the single door at the top. The door opened into a large, airy room that seemed to stretch the entire width of the hotel. A sweet breeze billowed the curtains of tall doors standing open on one wall that led to a balcony looking out over the street.
His eyes scanned the room, taking in the gathering of elegant furniture clustered around the fireplace to one end, a well-filled bookshelf positioned against the wall, and a tremendous four-poster bed taking up a good portion of the other end of the room. The space smelled faintly of dried flowers and herbs. Emma took her hand from his arm and walked further into the room, gazing around herself in that discerning way that women seemed to have, before meeting his eyes and nodding subtly.
“I'll go put the team away,” Noah said to Emma and followed the manager out of the room.
“She's a beauty,” the manager said as they walked down the stairs, “You're a lucky man.”
Noah considered the words for a moment, thinking about how he and Emma had come together and how drastically his life had changed from the moment that he climbed off of his horse in front of her house hoping for a job, to now. He thought of the clear blue of her eyes that made him feel like he was getting lost when he looked deeply into them, and the brightness of the smile that he had finally gotten to see.
“Yes. I suppose I am,” he said. He headed outside to bring the wagon behind the hotel and guide the three horses to the stable, knowing that, at least for now, he truly was a lucky man.
When the animals were settled in comfortably with fresh water and feed, Noah walked across the street to the general store and bought a few items before going back to the hotel. As he stepped out of the store he glanced up at the hotel and saw Emma standing on the balcony, leaning on her arms on the railing and smiling softly down at him. He smiled back at her before crossing back to the hotel, walking quickly through the lobby, and climbing the stairs to their room.
Emma turned to him and walked back into the room.
“What did you buy at the store?” she asked, loosening her bonnet and placing it on the table beside her.
“Soap, a new razor, a couple of peppermint sticks,” she chuckled and he smiled at the sound, “and this,” he unwrapped the brown paper from the items he purchased and withdrew a small bottle, holding it out to her, “I thought you might like it.”
Emma took the bottle from his hand slowly and nestled it in her palm. She glanced up at him with a look of stunned disbelief in her eyes.
“Perfume?” she asked softly.
“I know that traveling in the wagon isn't as comfortable as being in your home and I remember when I was young my mother told me that wearing perfume made her feel better, even on her most difficult days. Do you like it?”
Emma took the cork out of the bottle and brought it to her nose. Her eyes fluttered closed as she breathed in the scent. She put the cork back in and took a step closer to him.
“I do. Thank you.”
She rose onto her toes to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. As she stepped away, she accidentally jostled his hand that held the package, dislodging his razor and the bar of soap and sending them skittering across the floor. Emma gasped and stepped back, her hands coming to cover her mouth. Noah reached forward to calm her and saw her cower from him, turning away and hunching her shoulders as if to protect herself. His chest clenched painfully as he saw her shoulders shake with fear.
“Emma,” he said quietly. She didn't turn to him and he took a step closer to her, “Emma,” he said again, stroking the backs of his fingers along her shoulder gently, “It's alright.” She looked up at him and he stroked her arm again, “Everything is fine. You never have to be afraid of me. I would never hurt you.”
She straightened and turned to him. Noah ran his fingertips along the curve of her face. Her eyes lowered and she tilted her face to press it subtly into his touch.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered to her, “You never deserve to be hurt. You deserve to be appreciated and cherished.” He took a long breath. “You deserve to be loved.”
***
Emma let a breath slip from between her lips at his words. For the first time in her adult life she felt safe under a man's touch. Even in the earliest days of her courtship with Caleb she had not felt this comfortable with him. Suddenly the reality of her relationship with Noah flashed through her mind and she took a step back from him. She couldn't let herself give in to the feelings that were building inside her. Noah was just a temporary moment in her life. As soon as he could, he would send her back East and then go back to the life he’d had before being so violently thrown into hers.
“Should we go buy our supplies before the store closes?” she asked, stepping away from his touch.
Noah cleared his throat and nodded. He leaned down to pick up the items that had fallen and placed them on the table beside the washbasin. They left the room quietly and crossed the street to the store to purchase what they would need for the next leg of their journey together.
“We plan on leaving tomorrow morning. Can you hold all of this for me until then?” Noah said to the store clerk some twenty minutes later.
The clerk surveyed the stacks of items and nodded.
“Sure thing. I'll have them ready for you first thing.”
“Thank you.”
Noah extended his arm to Emma and she looped hers around it, resting her fingers lightly to the heel of his hand. They stepped out onto the wooden platform in front of the store and looked around. Emma noticed fewer people outside, now that the sun was setting. The women had returned to their homes, but the raucous sound from the far end of the small town told her that many of the men had gone to the saloon.
They had just gotten to the middle of the street when she heard a gruff voice calling Noah's name from behind them. She turned and immediately felt Noah push her behind him.
“It is you,” a fearsome-looking man said, dropping down off of the wooden platform and walking toward them.
“Well, now we know where you've been,” said another man, slightly smaller than the first. He stood in the shadows near a horse trough closer, to the saloon.
“You found a woman,” said the first man.
The first man walked up close to them and Noah squared his chest. Emma was too focused on watching the two men in front of them from around Noah's shoulder that she didn't notice the third one coming up behind her until she felt his arms wrap around her waist. She screamed, thrashing as the man lifted her off of the ground and starting carrying her across the street.
Noah turned and shouted for him to put her down.
“What are you going to do, Noah?” the man sneered. “You haven't even touched a weapon since you got sliced during that brawl.”
“I haven't?” Noah asked, his voice seething with anger. “Why don't you ask her where her husband is?”
“Alright,” the man said, lowering Emma to her feet but yanking her so close to his body that she could smell his stale breath and the odor emanating from his body, “Where is your husband, darlin'?”
Emma glanced over at Noah and he nodded subtly.
“He's dead.”
“That's right,” Noah said, stepping up close to the man and holding up his hand to display the band around his finger, “I shot him, with his own gun. This is his ring. I'm sure if you look close enough you might still see some of his blood.”
The man released Emma roughly and darkness took over as she collapsed into Noah's arms.
The next thing she knew, she was cradled against Noah's chest, and she could hear him whispering softly to her as he carried her through the hotel lobby and up the stairs to their room.
“I'm here, my love. You're safe now.”
He placed her on the be
d and she felt the darkness take over again. It was dark in the room by the time she opened her eyes again. A single small flame burned in a kerosene lamp across the room and she could see the outline of Noah's body reclining on the sofa set in front of the cold fireplace. She made a murmuring sound as she sat up and he turned to look at her.
“Emma,” he said and rushed over to the bed.
He sat on the edge of the mattress and touched her cheek, his honey-colored eyes glimmering in the soft glow from the lamplight.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“You called me your love,” she whispered back, reaching up to touch his hand where it cupped her cheek.
He nodded, the expression on his face still showing concern as he let his eyes graze over her face and along her shoulders, searching for any signs that she was injured. Finally he pulled her face forward and dropped his down so that their foreheads touched.
“I meant it,” he whispered.
Emma felt a flutter in her chest and slid closer to him. She fought for control over her voice. Her fingers rose and touched the middle of his chest, feeling the strong, fast rhythm of his heart beneath them.
“I love you, Noah,” she said so softly she didn't know if he heard her.
“I love you.”
Their breath hung between them and Emma's heart beat so heavily she could hear it in her ears. She felt Noah lean forward and touch his lips to hers. Emma leaned into the kiss, allowing his tongue to tempt her lips open so that he could explore her mouth. After a few moments, Noah pulled his mouth away from hers and looked into her eyes searchingly.
Emma swept her legs off of the edge of the bed and stood in front of him. She brought her hands to the back of her dress and released the tight bow at her waist. She loosened the strings and peeled the bodice away from her body. Noah reached forward and took the fabric from her hands, easing it over her hips and down her legs. His hands slid down her ribs and over the curve of her waist, feeling warm and strong through the thin cloth of her undergarments. He almost did not notice the bruises on her left by Caleb.
Not speaking, they both removed their shoes. Emma stepped out of her stockings, and Noah slipped his shirt off over his head. His body was even more beautiful than she remembered it being as she watched him bathe, and she finally indulged her desire to run her fingers along the curves and planes of the chiseled muscles beneath his smooth skin.
Noah took her hips in his hands and led her forward, sliding his palms down onto her thighs to guide her onto his lap so that she straddled him, her knees and lower legs resting on the bed on either side of him. She rested her hands on his shoulders and let him ease her thighs further apart so that she settled onto him. A gasp escaped her lips as she felt the full, hard swell of his erection beneath her. Noah met the sound with a deep kiss, gripping her close to him with an arm around her waist.
Emma relinquished herself to him, kissing him passionately as he rocked her against his hips. The movement built dizzying pressure in her lower belly and brought a whimper to her lips. Noah broke their kiss and lowered his head, drawing in a breath as if trying to regain control.
“Emma,” he said quietly, “If you don't…”
He trailed off and Emma smoothed her hands down over his shoulders to stroke his chest, nudging his face with hers.
“Noah,” she murmured, “please.” She gathered the hem of her slip in her hands and pulled it off, tossing it onto the floor beside her. “Touch me.”
Noah cupped his hand over one breast and kneaded it gently. Emma moaned at the touch. The sound seemed to spur him forward, and Noah ducked his head to capture her nipple in his mouth. She arched into him, letting his lips part further and bring more of her breast into his mouth. As he continued to lick his way along her, Emma brought her hands between them to release the button on the front of his pants. She moved her fingers down to release the next button and heard Noah draw in a sharp breath.
Emma suddenly felt herself swept off of his lap and placed on the bed so that Noah could stand and remove the rest of his clothing. She felt a nervous gasp catch in her throat as his erection came into view. Long and thick, it stood strongly from his body and Emma's mouth watered. She moved to lie down, but he took her by her arms and pulled her off of the bed, turning to sit back on the bed and guiding her forward onto his lap again.
With a blissful cry, Emma's head dropped back as he glided into her, filling her. She felt fulfilled in a way she had never experienced, and clung to Noah as tightly as she could. He kissed her above her heart, and guided her to roll her hips against him so that his hardness massaged her, creating deep, intense sensations that bonded her to him so tightly she felt tears threatening the corners of her eyes. She brought her head back up and tucked it into the curve of his neck and shoulder, kissing his warm skin and pressing her chest closer to him so she could feel his heartbeat.
“Make love to me, Noah,” she whispered against his neck.
Noah tightened his hold on her and stood. He turned and lay her on the bed.
“Let me show you how you should be touched,” he whispered.
Noah sat back on his knees between her legs and leaned toward her. Placing one hand on her belly, he brought the other hand forward and ran his fingertips down her waist. Emma’s back arched up off of the mattress and he applied gentle pressure to her belly to hold her in place. He touched her again, patiently coaxing her forward until she felt an ache forming in her peak. Pressing onto her belly, he dipped his head forward. Emma cried out as his tongue slid through her folds and swirled around the swollen pearl, where a pleasurable tension, almost an ache, was building under his touch. He gently slipped one finger inside her and flicked his tongue again.
A completely new sensation tore through her, and Emma screamed his name as all of the tension within her body contracted around his hand, then released into a series of intense tremors. Noah moved up her body quickly, plunging into her to meet the spasms of her climax with deep, hard strokes. She whimpered and writhed beneath him as he made love to her, gazing into her eyes as he moved against her with strength and control. Emma ran her hands along his back, reveling in the feeling of his muscles shifting and tensing beneath his skin.
She lifted her head to kiss him and felt Noah's pace quicken. He moved at a fast, even rhythm until his mouth pulled away from hers to let deep sounds pour from his throat. A moment later Emma felt him push into her with a final hard thrust and growl as he began to pulse, spilling within her. She opened her arms to him and he rested down onto her, with his head against her chest.
As their breath calmed and their bodies relaxed, Noah pulled himself up look at her.
“Stay married to me,” he said, stroking her cheek, “Be my wife.”
A tear trickled onto his hand as she smiled up at him.
“Always.”
THE END
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