Jake

by Cynthia Woolf

  He loaded Buster with the cot, packed the saddle bags with her books and clothes. She grabbed her gold pan and her rubber waders and carried them. They walked along the path to Jake’s campsite only one hundred yards away.

  “Do you think he’s gone for good?” she asked.

  “I doubt it. He still doesn’t know what we’ve done. He probably thinks you’ll come get him at The Gem, like you always do. That’s not going to happen. Not tonight, not ever again.” He narrowed his eyes. “Understand?”

  Becky nodded. “I understand. You don’t have to keep telling me.”

  He held her at arm’s length, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. “I think I do. I know how much you want Billy to love you. It would be easy for you to fall back into those habits.”

  She shook her head. “No. Not after he sold me like last night’s supper. He’s going to have to deal with Mr. Winters and if Al’s reaction was anything to go by, Mr. Winters is not going to be happy with Billy at all.”

  Jake chuckled. “No, he isn’t is he. Maybe he’ll give Billy a taste of his own medicine after all.”

  After they walked the short distance to Jakes camp, he held the tent flap open. “You’re new abode, Madam,” he said bowing low.

  Becky giggled and went into the tent. It was much the same as hers, but bigger because he didn’t have a cook tent. Everything Jake owned was in here. Clothes, cooking utensils, food. The tent was where he slept, got out of the cold, sat in the rain…lived. And now she lived here, too. She stood there in the middle of the tent not knowing what to do. She’d never expected her life to turn out this way. But it could have been so much worse. She owed Jake so much. She owed him everything.

  CHAPTER 9

  Becky stood in the middle of the tent while Jake set up her cot next to his pallet. It was so close she could hear him breathe when he slept. This was her wedding night. Becky wasn’t so stupid as to think Jake wouldn’t want to bed her. She knew what men wanted. The whores in town could provide that as far as she was concerned. No way was anyone, Jake included, going to do that to her.

  “Jake.”

  “Hmm.” He continued setting up her cot.

  “About our sleeping arrangements…,”

  He stopped and turned to her. “What about them? Would you rather sleep on the ground with me? I thought you’d want your cot.”

  “I do want my cot. That’s the point. I don’t want to sleep with you. I don’t want you to bed me.”

  Jake took a deep breath and took her by the hand. “Come, sit with me.”

  She sat on the unmade cot next to him. He didn’t release her hand but instead was now holding both of hers with both of his.

  “I’m not going to force you to make love with me—”

  “Thank you.”

  “—but I do want to have children, so we’ll have to consummate this marriage at some point. However, I want you to get used to me. You tell me what you don’t like.”

  He rubbed small circles in her palm with his thumb. “Does that bother you?”

  “No, it feels good.”

  “And this?” He brought her hand to his mouth, turned it and gently kissed the inside of her wrist.

  “No, that feels good, too.”

  Jake lowered her hand to her lap and moved his hands to the sides of her neck and rubbed his fingers lightly on the sensitive skin between her ear and her jaw, then rained little kisses where his thumbs had just been.

  “Do you like that?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Hmm.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head to the side. Shivers ran up and down her spine, little tickling sensations spread outward from where his lips touched her throat.

  He chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  “Yes,” she responded, her voice sounded far away. She only wanted him to keep doing that. It felt so good. No one had ever touched her with such gentleness before. No man had ever touched her the way Jake was now and she liked it. A lot.

  “Jake! Jake! You in there?” shouted Zach from the camp outside.

  “Damn,” whispered Jake under his breath.

  Becky’s eyes popped open and she pulled away from Jake.

  “Yeah, I’m here.” He rose, opened the tent flap and went out. “What do you want?” he growled at his brother.

  “What’s the matter with you?” said Zach. “You act like I—”

  Becky went outside and joined Jake at his side.

  “—oh, shit,” Zach said when he saw Becky.

  “It’s not what you think,” said Jake, wrapping a protective arm around Becky’s shoulders. “We got married today.”

  “You what?!” Zach said. “You couldn’t have.”

  “You heard me. We got married.”

  Zach rubbed his chin. “Well, I’ll be damned. Why? You get her in trouble?”

  “No! It’s nothing like that.” Jake took a step toward Zach, but Becky pulled him back. He looked down at her and stopped. “Billy sold her to some miner and the only way we could see around it, is for her to be married and not under Billy’s thumb any longer.” He gave her shoulders a squeeze.

  “Did you think to ask me and Liam for help before you did this? No, you didn’t. We might have been able to work something else out and you wouldn’t have had to get hitched.”

  “You got a problem with me in the family?” asked Becky. Her hands formed fists. She’d had enough of not being wanted.

  “No. Of course, not,” replied Zach his hands up in the air at chest level. “I just thought you might have wanted another choice.”

  She put her arm around Jake’s waist. “Well, I don’t. Jake and me will get on just fine.” No one was going to tell her what to do anymore. She was finally free to make her own decisions and even though she might be married to Jake, she wasn’t going to let him run her life now any more that she let him before.

  “Whatever you say, ma’am.” Zach lowered his hands. “I’ll add welcome to the family.”

  She relaxed and leaned against Jake. “Thanks.”

  “Anyway, what I came over here for is to tell you that we saw a couple of men heading up this way through the woods. Don’t know if they’re bounty hunters or not.”

  “The bounty hunters didn’t sneak up on us. You suppose they could be claim jumpers?”

  “Maybe. I just wanted you to be on the lookout.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  Zach nodded and turned to leave. He stopped. “Congratulations. I hope you’ll be very happy together.” He took off his hat, ran a hand through his hair and then said, “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. You’re both grown. I guess you can get married if you want to. So, welcome.” He put his hat back on and returned to his camp.

  All this time, Jake kept his hand around her shoulders and she around his waist. They were united. Now that Zach was gone, she didn’t know what to do. She dropped her arm back to her side from Jake’s waist, stepped away and wrapped her arms around her waist.

  “Did we make a mistake, Jake? Should we have talked to your brothers first?” She looked down at her feet and kicked a small pebble with the toe of her boot.

  Jake reached out, grasped her by the shoulders. “Becky, look at me.”

  She raised her gaze to meet his.

  “We didn’t make a mistake. We did what we had to in order to save you. I’m content with our decision. Are you?”

  Closing her eyes, unable to look into the sky blue depths of his, she nodded her head. “I’m good.” That was as much as she dared say. She couldn’t tell him she cared about him, was maybe even in love with him. It would give him power over her and no man, husband or not, was going to have power over her again.

  Billy had taught her well, with his fists and his neglect, what happened when a man had the power of life and death over her.

  “What are you thinking about?” asked Jake. “You look scared. Are you afraid of me? I won’t hurt you, you know.”

  She relaxed a bit. This was Jake not Billy. Jak
e wouldn’t hurt her. Hadn’t he just proved how much he wanted to keep her safe? Hadn’t he just sacrificed his freedom for her?

  “I know you won’t. I just need some time to adjust to this. Billy is all I’ve ever known. And you know that ain’t been pleasant.”

  Jake clasped her to him. “It’s all right. I know you need to adjust to bein’ married. So do I.”

  She looked up at him, her green eyed gaze clashing with his blue one. Her lips parted and a soft sigh escaped.

  “Ah, hell,” said Jake before his mouth slanted across hers.

  Becky was lost. No one had ever kissed her like this. Heck, no one had ever kissed her. Jake devoured her. He ran his tongue against her mouth begging for entry. When she parted her lips he took advantage and plunged inside. His hand caressed her jaw and the sensitive skin beneath her ears sending shivers of awareness through her body.

  Her arms wound their way around this neck and she buried her fingers in his sandy blond hair, releasing the waves he’d slicked back. Assaulted by sensations totally foreign to her, Becky let her body respond as it would. Her legs felt weak and she ached in her center for something but she didn’t know what.

  He pulled his lips from hers and moved them leaving a trail of small kisses up and down the side of her neck.

  “Jake…I…” she could barely catch her breath; much less tell him what she wanted, what she needed. How could she tell him when she didn’t know herself?

  “I know. I know what you need,” he tore his lips from her neck and rested his forehead against hers. “But you’re not ready. I’m not going to take you like this. Your first time should be special. Tonight, when we’re alone and I can give you the attention you need. Tonight, I’m going to make you mine, Becky Anderson.”

  With those words, he turned, picked up his gold pan and walked down to the river.

  Becky stood there, her fingers on her swollen lips. “Oh, my.”

  ~*~

  She’d caught a couple of trout and fried them up for dinner. That, along with the leftover beans they took from Liam from the midday meal he’d shared with them and fresh biscuits she made, was their supper. She ate very little, though the food tasted good. Her stomach was tied in knots. Neither she nor Jake said much while they ate. She knew why she didn’t talk, she was nervous as hell. When he finally did speak up, she jumped at the sound breaking the quiet of the night.

  Jake stood, picked up the lantern and held his other hand out to her. “Come with me, please.” It was as much a command as it was a request.

  She nodded, stood and took his hand.

  He led her to the tent, handed her the lantern and held back the flap for her to enter. Becky went inside and set the lamp on the ground at the far end of his pallet.

  Jake came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her back against the hard planes of his chest. He kissed her just below the ear, again, sending more shivers along her spine and down her arms.

  She held his arms to her and leaned her head to the side giving him better access to the sensitive area of her neck. His whiskers tickled, but when she would have giggled, he nipped her neck and then immediately soothed it with a swipe of his tongue.

  A moan escaped her and she closed her eyes, her knees went weak and she was sure she would have collapsed if Jake hadn’t been holding her up. He kept kissing her as his hands moved up to the buttons of her shirt and undid them one by one, brushing her sensitized skin lightly with each button. When he had them undone to her waist, he turned her in his arms and slid her coat and then her shirt down her arms and off to the ground until she stood in front of him in her chemise.

  Her nipples pebbled, from the cold or from his heated gaze she couldn’t be sure.

  “Beautiful.” He untied the bow that held the chemise together and slipped it from her shoulders, letting it pool at her waist. “Absolutely, perfect.”

  She stood stock still under his scrutiny.

  He reached out and brushed the turgid points of her breasts with his thumbs, making them harder than she thought possible. Then he replaced one of his fingers with his mouth and she felt the pull down to her core. Moisture pooled in her center and she groaned. “Jake.” His name was no more than a whisper on her breath but it said all she could.

  She held his head to her breast while his wicked mouth worked first on one nipple and then the other. His fingers undid the buttons on her trousers and the tie on her drawers pushing both over her hips and letting them fall to the floor in one smooth movement.

  He let go of her nipple and fell to his knees before her. “My God, Becky, the beauty that these clothes hide. Now only for me, for my eyes.” His hands worked their way down to her waist and over her hips. He grasped her by the buttocks and brought her to his mouth and kissed her…there. At the apex of her legs, at her center, where she needed him.

  “More,” she said. “I need more.”

  “I know, sweetheart. I know.” He stood and kissed her. “Lay down on my pallet.”

  She did as he said. As soon as she was lying down, he untied her boots, pulled them off and her pants and drawers with them, throwing them to the side of the tent. Now she was totally naked and his hot gaze told her he liked what he saw.

  “Open for me,” he said, pushing her knees up and apart. When she was done, he put his mouth on her, kissed her and swirled his tongue around and around, touching a spot that made her jump and moan at the same time.

  “Like that do you?”

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  “You’ll like this better.” He sucked on the same little nub and she about shot off the pallet.

  He chuckled. “So responsive.”

  She lifted herself to get closer to him. “Please, Jake, help me.”

  He licked her up and down, and then plunged his index finger into her. Her body clinched around the digit and she gasped. He sucked harder and poked her with the tip of his tongue, while moving his finger around in her tight little passage. Then he brought it in and out and spreading her juices. He replaced that finger with his middle finger, one a little larger, and moved it around and around, stretching her, readying her for his cock. All the while he continued to worship her with his mouth.

  Suddenly, in an instant, her world shattered, more ferocious than any explosion.

  “Oh, God, Jake,” she panted, slowly settling back into herself from the stars where she’d flown. “That was amazing.”

  He grinned, “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

  “Uh, Jake.”

  “Hm,” he said, unbuttoning his shirt.

  “You still have your clothes on.”

  “A situation I mean to rectify right now,” he got the last button open and took off his shirt.

  He was all hard muscle. The muscles in his chest, lightly dusted with golden blond hair, shifted smoothly with his movements to remove his shirt.

  She raised a hand to touch him, then pulled it back.

  He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. “Don’t ever be afraid to touch me. I like it when you touch me.”

  He unbuttoned his pants, bent over and pulled off his boots, then shucked his drawers and pants in one smooth motion. He stood in front of her wearing only his socks. His rod jutted out from a curly thatch of blond hair. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before. She reached out and touched him.

  Smooth and hard, covered in silky skin, she wrapped her hand around his shaft.

  “Ahh,” he moaned.

  She snatched her hand away. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  He closed his eyes and breathed hard, almost panting. “You didn’t hurt me,” he croaked. “Please. Touch me.” He held out his hand to her. “Touch me, Becky.” She put her hand in his and he guided her to his cock. “Wrap your hand around me.” When she complied, he threw his head back and groaned. “Yes, now squeeze, that’s right.” She squeezed him as he asked and then let go and brought her hand back to her lap.

  “Lie back on the pallet,” he said co
ming down beside her. He feathered kisses over her neck and down to her breasts where he sucked one nipple into his mouth and pinched the other lightly between his thumb and forefinger. He nipped her hard peak and immediately soothed it with his tongue.

  She squirmed, her body aching. He positioned himself between her legs. His rod was poised at her entrance. He moved it up and around her passage without entering. Arousing her, readying her for his entrance.

  Becky wasn’t ignorant of what went on between men and women. She’d spent enough time in whorehouses over the years to realize exactly what happened. That didn’t mean she wasn’t scared, but the feelings in her body overrode her fear.

  Jake pushed into her, slowly, in and out until he reached a barrier. He gently pushed forward, she sucked in a breath.

  “I’m sorry for any pain I may cause you,” he said, sweat trickling in tiny rivulets down his forehead. He pulled out almost all the way and then slammed into her and through the barrier that she knew was her maidenhead. He pushed until he could go no further and then he stilled.

  She cried out, the pain sharp and intense. Clinching her muscles she bucked trying to dislodge him from her,

  “Shh, hold still. It will be all right, just don’t move for a moment. Let your body get used to me and you’ll never hurt again, I promise.”

  She shoved at his shoulders, “Get off me you big lug.”

  “No, Becky, hold still.”

  She stopped moving, stilled her struggles and trusted him. She knew he didn’t realize how important that was. Because she didn’t trust often and never trusted men, it amazed her that she trusted Jake. But she did and he was right. The pain subsided replaced by a pleasant feeling of fullness.

  He wiped away the tears that managed to escape and kissed her gently, soothing her. She wanted to move and raised her hips a little. His kiss took on a new urgency.

  “Careful. I don’t want to hurt you,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “You’re not hurting me.” She moved some more. “See. No pain. I know there’s more to this. I want you to move.”

  “Ah, darlin’, I’ve never heard sweeter words. Wrap your legs around me.”