That way, she could talk to Nathaniel and tell him who she was with and why. It’d also provide a more secure location.
John stepped up into the carriage and grabbed the reins. “Sorry, but this can’t wait.”
“Whoa, wait a second. Why not?” Dixy immediately became alarmed at the man’s action and seized his arm. “Are you saying you might know who killed Tobias?”
“Not until we talk.” He drove the carriage in a circle and directed the horse away from town.
“But, Nathaniel will be right back. He’s in the church arranging for a time for us to get married.” Dixy explained, hoping he’d give her a second to figure out exactly what she should do next.
“Yes, well, he’s a smart man. If he even suspects, I want to talk to you it’ll never happen.” John urged the horse into a light gallop and had them out of sight of the church before Dixy could think of anything to say.
She shoved at his shoulder. “Now, see here, I can’t leave Nathaniel stranded.”
Chapter Nine
“Oh, don’t worry, he’ll figure out fast enough you got cold feet and hightailed it back to his house.” John drove the carriage along an unfamiliar path and pointed up ahead. “See I merely circled around. Nathaniel’s spread is up ahead. We’ll hitch the wagon up next to the back door and go inside. He’ll be along dreckly to take care of the horse and buggy.”
“Won’t he be angry when he gets here?” She pressed her feet onto the floor of the carriage, anticipating his abrupt stop.
“No, he’ll be so glad you didn’t skip out on him, he won’t even mind that you talked to me.” John jerked on the reins and brought the wagon to a hard halt.
As soon as the wheels quit rolling, he jumped out and darted around to Dixy’s side. “Here, let me help you. I want to get inside, so if we see Nathaniel coming, I can slip out without him noticing.”
His hand already on her forearm, she accepted his assistance and followed him to the kitchen door. Had Nathaniel locked it?
Apparently not, because John twisted the knob and gained entrance before she reached the bottom step. Following him inside, she wondered at his manners and scolded, “You shouldn’t walk into a man’s house uninvited.”
John paused by the stove and lightly tapped his fingers against the percolator.
Seeing as she’d cut it off before going upstairs with Nathaniel, she had no fear of him being burned. “Would you like me to make a fresh pot of coffee?”
“Not for me, but Nathaniel will probably require some when he gets here.” John stepped to the table, tugged his hat from his head and set it on the flat surface before he pulled out a chair and made himself comfortable. “So tell me, what did you and Tobias discuss on your way from Centerville?”
Her shawl slithered down her arms, and she wrapped it around the post of one of the table’s chairs. Automatically, her hands fell to her hips, and she glared at him. “Look if Tobias gave me a clue as to who might have killed him, don’t you think I would’ve already told the law?”
John grinned and shook his head. “No, because he wouldn’t have said anything useful to you for fear of putting you in danger.”
Raising her hands in total confusion, Dixy gawked at him. “Then why did you drag me away from the church and start questioning me?”
“Simple, your exchange with him will give me clues to his frame of mind during the trip. Was he talkative, pensive, or downright moody?”
Uncertain how this might help, she rubbed a few fingers over her brow and tried to recall parts of their conversation. “We talked most of the way here until I got tired and asked if I could lie down in the back for a spell.”
John crossed his arms over his chest and settled deeper into his chair. “Tell me what he said.”
Concentrating only on Tobias’ stories was a lot easier than remembering what happened after he was shot. “Let’s see. We discussed where I should stay here in Naked Bluff. And he offered to introduce me to several people.”
She glanced up and studied the solemn expression on his face. What was he worried about? Did he suspect someone of killing Tobias? “He mentioned you and Nathaniel. Pointed out you were both single.”
He interrupted, “Did he mention me by name?”
Nodding, she sifted through her memory. “John Bristol Smith. Is that right?”
“Yes, and it tells me whatever Tobias’ problem was when he left here, he’d solved it.” He rose and picked up his hat, setting it low on his brow. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, madam. I best be on my way.”
“Whoa, do you know who killed him?” Dixy refused to let John leave without getting a few answers of her own.
“No, but it rules out a few.” John shoved his chair under the table. With a slight tip of his head, he darted around her and grabbed the doorknob.
Heavy footsteps sounded from the front.
Her attention diverted temporarily. She paused a moment only to turn and see him walk outside. “Wait, don’t you want to stay and help me explain to Nathaniel why I left him at the church.”
John shot across the porch with a backward wave and darted around the rear of the house. A cold wind whistled by her.
Chilled, she rushed forward to close and lock the door.
“Dixy!” Nathaniel’s roar echoed from the front foyer.
Uncertain how she ended up in such a mess, she stepped to the stove. “I’m in the kitchen.”
Marking his progress by the hard stomp of his footsteps on the hallway’s wooden floor, she looked up seconds before he crossed the threshold. What she expected to see she couldn’t rightly have said beforehand, but the sheer relief on his face rippled through her like a thousand head of cattle stampeding toward a fresh watering hole. She blinked and found herself wrapped in two strong arms before she even uttered a word.
“What the hell happen to you?” He demanded, his hands rushing over her as if looking for injuries. His expression changed to grim concern and then confusion. A dark line formed between his brows. “When I came out, and you were gone, I was certain someone had taken you.”
She slid her arms around his neck. Her fingers toyed with the silky strands at the back of his head. “That’s what happened. I was sitting there waiting for you when this man approached the carriage. He said he needed to talk to me about Tobias.”
His grip tightened, his fingers digging into her flesh, leaving bruises. “What man? Did you get his name?”
“Yes, he brought me here and told me you’d look for me—”
“What’s the man’s name!” His stern command surprised her.
The tension radiating from him had her rushing to reassure him. “John Bristol Smith, he’s a friend of Tobias. He said you wouldn’t appreciate him talking to me, so he needed to approach me when you weren’t around.”
“He’s got that right. The man is a—” Nathaniel locked his lips together and glared at her. “Stay away from him.”
“Why? He appears to be an okay-kinda-of-fellow to me, and he—”
Nathaniel cut off her words with a scorching kiss. His mouth covered hers and his tongue dove between her lips. Before she could respond, he lifted his head. “You’re mine, even if John delayed our wedding, which will take place tomorrow. Minister Jenkins will arrive around noon.”
Her earlier conclusion of their arrangement had her easing out of his arms. “I was thinking while sitting out in front of the church that we don’t have to get married.”
He frowned and trapped her against the table, effectively giving her no means to escape.
“I mean once I’m in Georgia, no one will know what I did here in Texas.” She dropped her hands to his chest and toyed with the button of his shirt. “There’s nothing to keep us from having fun for a few days. After we hear back from the deputy, I’ll leave.”
He leaned forward and kissed her temple before he nibbled on her ear. A quiver of need raced through her. “Sorry, sweetheart, you’re not going anywhere, not now, not ever. You’re living right h
ere in this house with me for the rest of your life.”
Straightening, he finished with, “So get used to the idea.”
She unhooked the button under her fingers and pondered why she kept debating the point with him. He wanted her. She wanted him. In fact, she’d make him the perfect wife because she understood what a doctor needed. Still, not all of her father’s patients loved her, and it had caused many arguments between them. Maybe, she should show him the demanding side of her nature.
Deciding to give him a sample, she shoved at his chest and glared. “Are you planning for us to have children?”
He blinked and allowed a few more inches to develop between them. “Yes, why? Is that a problem?”
“It could be. I won’t allow sick people, parading in and out if I have a baby or young children running around the house.” She tapped her index finger against his sternum, driving home her point and nailing down an issue she hadn’t considered until this moment. “You will either have to move your office or create a separate entrance. Because if I’m taking care of your kids, you can’t expect me to help with your patients too. So in the long run, I don’t see how you can look at me as someone who can assist you with your practice. I’ll be identical to any other woman you could’ve married, merely a wife.”
He released his hold on her but didn’t move. Instead, he crossed his arms and smiled. “Wrong. As the daughter of a doctor, you know how peoples’ lives depend on me being away from home or seeing to my patients’ needs so you’ll be more understanding.”
“And if I’m not?” She straightened and set her hands on her hips, ready to square off against him.
He stared at her. They remained locked in visual combat until a mischievous glimmer sparked in the depths of his. Like a bullet, need shot through her, causing her core to contract and her nipples to peak. “We’ll work on a compromise.”
She grabbed his forearms and pressed them against his chest. “You’re not listening. I’m a very demanding woman. I—”
With an unexpected move, he swung open his arms and caught her shoulders. His forward momentum sent her backward. The edge of the table hit the curve of her hips. Her spine rolled to the surface, and she found herself lying across the top.
Nathaniel held her in place, his body bearing down on hers. His intense focused displayed by the subtle tension in his facial muscles. “No, what you don’t understand is I’m just as demanding. Your issues might be with what’s going on around us. Mine is you. I want you lying naked beside me every night in bed and waking with signs of me having enjoyed every inch of you.”
His heated gaze seared a path to her core and lit a fire, which sizzled along her spine. “I expect to have you near enough that if I call your name, you can hear me. If I feel the need to touch, I have only to walk into another room and have you in my arms. When I say strip, you’ll shed your clothes, and we’ll make love no matter where we are.”
She squirmed beneath him. His commanding tone and close proximity building a hunger that stifled her ability to think. Nonetheless, she knew she should argue. But with her heart hammering at the thought of lying in his arms every night, she longed to be always this close to him. “I—”
Again, he surprised her with his quick actions. Standing, he drew her up to his chest and growled, “Now strip.”
Chapter Ten
Dixy gasped, and her eyes widen in shock.
For a moment, Nathaniel thought she’d deny his request. Then she lowered her hands to the top button of her dress. The slight pink rising in her cheeks kicked his body from the slow burn he’d been experiencing since entering the kitchen into an inferno. She might believe herself to be bossy, but she also understood how to take orders.
The expanding gap at her bosom revealed her cotton camisole. The bow at the top restricted his view of the succulent swell of her breasts. With her fingers still busy with her dress’ buttons, he plucked at an end and loosened the hold of the silky strand.
“Nathaniel,” she complained and edged along the length of the table in a fruitless attempt to escape him. “It takes a minute to undo all these.”
“Yes, and now they’re undone. You can remove your top and camisole before you worry with your skirt.” He grabbed a chair and set it in front of her before he sank onto the hard surface. His body ached, and he shifted the bulge in his pants to ease the pressure in his loins. Still, his appetite for her couldn’t be appeased. He fed on her naked form. His gaze roamed over the lustful bounty of her breasts while her trembling hands folded her clothes and moved them aside.
His patience tested by her slow progress. He grumbled, “Are you trying to tease me?”
She blinked and lowered her head. A frown bloomed on her lips, showing her uncertainty. “No, I...”
He held out his hand and cut her off, “Come here.”
Tentatively, she laid hers in his. “But I haven’t finished undressing.”
“Yes, and at the rate you’re going I’ll be dead before you’re through.” He pulled her between his legs and placed her hands on his shoulders. With him sitting on the chair, he nuzzled his face against her full bosom and captured one stiff nipple.
She moaned. Her soft cry told him, she needed him.
Drawing her plush flesh deeper into his mouth, he quickly found the clasps of her skirt. In no time, he had it and her bloomers around her ankles. After another long, hard draw on her breast, he grasped her waist and demanded. “Step out of your clothes.”
Without pausing, she lifted her right foot to follow his orders, but her shoes snagged on her bloomers. Wobbling back and forth, she freed herself from her skirt. However, her underpants had her hog-tied.
“Hold on, baby.” He stood, picked her up and placed her on the edge of the table. He didn’t allow her the chance to fuss with her clothes and tore them from her legs with a quick tug of the fabric. The sweet aroma of her arousal had him debating his next move.
She jumped to her feet. “Do you want to head upstairs now? I’ll take my shoes off up there. Or are you planning to make love here where anyone could walk in on us?”
The wild excitement in her eyes revealed her eagerness. She stepped closer and rubbed her palm against his chest. The fabric of his shirt prevented him from thoroughly enjoying the velvety softness of her touch.
He seized her hand and returned to his chair. This time, he positioned her on his lap, facing him. “I believe you’re partial to the notion of getting caught so we’ll stay right here.”
“And what happens if someone knocks on the door?” The flirtatious nature of her question had his blood speeding to his groin.
Pleased by her inquiry, he ran his hands over her ribcage and cupped her breasts, weighing them in each palm. “What would you want me to do? Ask them to join us? Maybe offered them a taste of your sweet nipples?”
She wiggled on his lap and draped her arms around his neck. “You won’t do either because then you’d have to share.”
He imagined seeing her with another man, his mouth over hers, his lips sucking on her lavish breasts, his cock buried in her hot twat. A ravenous hunger sped through him. The erotic vision electrified his senses and battled with the prudish perception he had of himself. “You’re right. As my wife—”
“Future wife,” she added.
“You belong to me.” He punctuated each word with his conviction to drive home this point. “And if I let another man touch you, he’ll be under my command and only do what I tell him to do.”
She giggled. “I don’t even know how that would work.”
More lewd pictures of her flashed through his head. To cut off those lustful thoughts, he leaned forward and captured a puckered nipple. The hard kernel stabbed at his tongue, and he pulled it deeper into his mouth.
“Oh, my, that’s incredible.” She arched her back and shifted closer. The wet heat from her core teased his cock.
He ignored the growing pressure and continued to devour her, nibbling at the stiff peak before he sucked on he
r plush flesh. Small broken sighs broke from her and her fingernail bit into his shoulders. Her antsy movements spoke of her mounting excitement. Again and again, she rocked her wet twat against him. The cloth between them gave neither of them any satisfaction.
At the end of his endurance, he released his hold and moaned, “Free my cock and ride me, sweetheart.”
She gasped, and her hands fell to his waist.
Letting her unclip his belt and work the buttons of his pants undone, he offered no assistance. Instead, he nibbled on her neck and massaged her smooth ass before he squeezed the round cheeks in his palms.
Once her fingers slipped between the slit in his long johns, he lost the ability to wait. He guided her hips up off his thighs as her fingertips ran over the engorged head of his cock. Her gentle touch had his control slipping. He grumbled, “Don’t torture me. I need to be inside you.”
“But I...” She mumbled.
He didn’t give her a chance to argue. Instead, he positioned her succulent channel over his heated flesh and thrust forward, spearing her with his cock.
She bucked, allowing her wet twat to open wider. His thick length sank deeper until her intimate lips lay snug against his crotch. A deep sigh whispered from her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “You make me feel so full.”
Absorbing the pure pleasure of being inside her, he bound her to him by holding her tight against his chest while he lifted his hips off the chair. “Ride me, baby, like you’re striving to tame a wild bronc.”
“What?” She eased away the few inches he allowed her and grinned. “Does that mean you need to be tamed?”
“Yes, because I’m ready to go crazy at the moment.” He rocked his hips and pushed deeper.
“Whoa, I...” she gasped and lifted her hips.
Allowing her to slide along his length, he didn’t permit her enough room to break their connection and tightened his hold on her waist.
With a brief pause, she reversed her momentum and again rode the line of his cock.
The Country Doctor's Bride (Historical West - The Cowboys of Naked Bluff, Texas series Book 6) Page 7