by Reece Butler
At the time, Katherine knew her mother referred to her husband. She’d not been given much of a choice. As she lay dying she told Katherine how she chose to lie with a man not her husband just before her wedding. She vowed it was the best hours of her life. She then did her duty and married Mr. Mason, a controlling man who loved to suck the joy out of every moment.
In almost her last breath she said Katherine was the result of that union. She begged her daughter to promise to go with her heart and choose love and joy.
It was an easy promise. Fathers and husbands held all the power in Eastern society, but this was the West. There were so few women available that the railroads provided carriages for Eastern women to find husbands. Unlike the East, men wanting a wife might not care if she wasn’t pure and untouched.
That meant Katherine could discover if a potential husband could be pushed without striking her, and if he’d provide the joy Mama said was possible between a man and a woman. Only then, if he accepted her need to be accepted as she was, would she marry.
How many men would she sample before she found the right one? Heat rose in her belly, curling tendrils of need to her breasts. Was this feeling what Mother meant by carnal desire? If so, she was eager for more.
Chapter 2
Katherine wrenched open the top button of her blouse with ungloved fingers as she stomped away from the Bride Train. The other brides had, as usual, tittered from the train into another dusty town. Like all the others, it would be filled with women eager to see the latest fashions and men just as eager to see what was under them.
Her fury came partly from having to shake off two eager suitors, wasting time she could have used walking alone. Why did men insist she didn’t know her own mind?
She finally managed to open the tiny mother-of-pearl button. Her neck, free of scratchy lace, felt so much better that she undid the next two as well. She immediately groaned in relief. Her back was to the train so no one would see her indiscretion. The self-appointed keepers of virtue sharing the bridal carriage eagerly noted each of her faults. But once she left the train in Virginia City, she could do as she pleased.
The thought of indulging in something so wickedly wonderful made her heart race. Demanding passion in such a sinful manner, instead of meekly accepting a wife’s duty, would be the ultimate revenge against Father.
“And I’ll do it, Mama. I’ll be wild and free. Just like you could have been. I’ll take a lover and have him teach me everything.”
Just saying it out loud make her feel wicked and hot. Should she undo another few buttons?
An image came into her mind of a man’s fingers there rather than her own. Rough fingers, like those of the fellow who’d winked at her before dinner. The memory of the touch of his eyes heated her skin far more than the sun. She felt like her body was finally awake after years of fighting to keep everything inside, calm and placid.
She certainly wasn’t calm now! Parts of her twitched with a need she’d never known before today. Her damp drawers rasped her upper thighs as she walked. She’d gotten hot while walking before, but the heat now between her legs seemed to come from within.
Since she couldn’t do anything about it, she pulled at her bonnet strings and yanked it from her head. The breeze on her face helped cool her hot cheeks and burning ears. She slowed her steps, took a deep breath, and tipped her head to see the mountains ahead. Dark evergreen trees spread along the shoulders of the hills, interspersed with patches of brown, tan, and white. Her future lay there. One she would create.
“Yer walkin’ a long way from the train, ma’am.”
She whirled around, her heart contracting at the deep voice coming from behind her. She gasped and pressed her hand over her chest. He was a lot taller, and bigger, than she’d thought. His eyes dropped to her hand. She felt her breasts swelling under his gaze. His nostrils flared. He raised his eyes to meet hers and nodded, touching the brim of his hat with one long finger.
She bit her lip. Seeing him that morning had made her feel wicked. That was in the confines of the Bride Train where she was protected. There was nothing but a few feet of air between them now.
He was everything Eastern men were not. He had a wild, untrimmed beard and moustache. His dark hair, also untrimmed, hung to his shoulders. The suit was worn but clean. He wore a pistol on his right hip. She could see it because he’d pushed back his suit coat and hooked both thumbs in his belt, elbows out. His large boots were well scuffed. He was almost as tall as Father, but had far more muscle.
He lifted one hand and pushed his hat back. She saw appreciation in his light-colored eyes. One lip twitched, curling up in a hint of a smile.
Was he laughing at her indecision?
Furious at herself for hesitating, she whirled around and resumed her usual brisk pace as if he wasn’t there. But he was. She could feel his eyes on her back. No, not her back. Lower. New heat blossomed between her legs as if the sun shone brightly on that dark part of her. Her chest tightened, making breathing even more difficult. Her damp thighs rubbed against each other with every step. She should be mortified at how she was so aware of that hidden part of her. Instead, it made her wonder how to soothe her growing craving for…something.
His left sleeve brushed her right. Even greater heat flashed up her body at his nearness. This was the closest she’d gotten to a man other than Father since she was seventeen. While she’d passed through carriages full of men for every meal, it was in public. There was no one here to keep him from doing something wicked to her.
Or she to him, she suddenly thought.
“Sure ye don’t want me to see ya back to the train?”
She drew a breath as deep as she could within the confines of her snug blouse.
“Thank you for your concern,” she said politely. She continued walking as quickly as she could on the lumpy grass in her heavy skirts and old boots. “I’m quite safe, as we’re in full view of the conductor and engineer.”
He grunted, perhaps realizing he was warning her against himself. While her legs pumped, he strolled, taking one step for every two of hers. She stole a quick glance and immediately looked forward to hide her blush.
Her first glimpse of him on the train suggested he was handsome, but he looked even better up close. No, not handsome. “Rugged” was a better word. The tanned hands which swayed into view with every step showed a hard life, with calluses, nicks, and scars. He said nothing more, easily keeping pace with her.
The men she knew would have ordered her back to the train. They would be stunned if she refused. Father’s method would be to speak with an icy calm tinged with threat. Eastern suitors would take her elbow and force her to accompany them, sure she would not pull away.
Something told her this man would throw her over his shoulder and carry her, even kicking and screaming, wherever he wanted her to go. The thought should make her horrified but it heated her even more. What would it be like to have a man want her so much that he made such a public display of possession?
While she did not want a man to treat her as if she had no choice, the thought of him touching her made her shiver. Just being near him did delicious things to her body. Never before had her breasts swelled, or her nipples tightened in the heat. There was also a heavy feeling between her legs which made her want to rub herself there.
He made no move to touch her, or to speak. What did he want? Was he only there to protect her, wishing nothing more than her company for a few minutes? She straightened her spine and inhaled deeply.
The air was hot and dry with little scent. Ahead was a low rock wall, the perfect place to rest for a moment before heading back. She took a few steps toward it. He suddenly growled and scooped her up. He pressed her body against his left hip, twisting her away from the rocks. Snug against his heat, she fought for breath. She heard him pull his gun and cock it.
“Don’t move,” he said quietly in her ear.
Chapter 3
She didn’t scream, mostly because his arm held
her so tight she could barely breathe. When she could inhale, she caught the scent of strong soap, leather, and horse. Then she heard the slight sound of a rattle.
Katherine Mason, wild-spirited adventuress, was suddenly very glad to be held and protected by a large man with a gun. She couldn’t see the rattlesnake because her head was jammed against his chest. Her legs dangled either side of his hip, pressing the junction of her thighs against his body. A deep, hot, throb began, radiating from the point of contact. They waited, unmoving.
It was so quiet she could hear the sounds of the men filling the train’s water reservoir and wood box. Finally, he let her slide down his leg. When her feet touched ground, he still didn’t release her. Instead, his fingers shifted. His hand ended up cupping her bottom. The heat she’d felt earlier was nothing compared to the burn where his hand touched.
“Is the snake gone?” she whispered.
“Yep.”
He returned his gun to his holster but still kept her tight. She cleared her throat.
“Aren’t you going to release me?”
“Nope.”
She struggled a bit, but he increased the pressure on her bottom. It brought the juncture of her thighs even tighter against his hot, hard, leg. The rubbing brought a touch of relief to her ache. It also made her want more.
“Let me go or I’ll scream,” she said with as much composure as she could manage.
“Nah, ya won’t do that.”
He shifted his hands, catching her around the waist and lifting her up and down as if weighing her. She suddenly realized she didn’t even know his name, yet he was touching her in a most familiar manner!
“What are you doing? Put me down!”
She placed her hands on his wrists and pushed, but it didn’t affect him in the least. She got up her nerve and looked him in the eyes. The crinkles around them suggested he was laughing at her.
“Yer jist a tidbit.” He frowned and lifted her once more. “Huh! Ya cain’t weigh mor’n a sack a flour. Y’ain’t strong enough fer a wife.” He shook his head and sighed. “Jist a bit of useless female fluff.”
He set her down, whirled around, and abandoned her. She stared at his back, gasping like a fish as he stomped back to the train. His big head rested on a strong neck above broad shoulders. Snug pants ended at the top of his boots. His wrists protruded past the coat sleeves. She blinked. His coat was so short that his posterior showed. In fact, the fabric pulled tight against his bottom with every step. Every time his long legs touched the ground the muscles of his bottom flexed. What would it feel like to touch—
She shook off the sight and gathered her wits. An unkempt, uneducated, arousing man had dismissed her as if she was no use. She liked the way his hands felt on her and wanted more. Yet he’d dismissed her as if her size was all that mattered!
Never before had she dared to talk back to a man, but she was going to tell him exactly what she thought of him. Before she lost her nerve she gripped her skirts in her fists, lifted them high so she wouldn’t trip, and hurried after him. She had to yank on his coat to slow him down.
“Don’t you call me useless,” she blurted, still yanking. “I may be small, but I’m stronger than I look. And there’s more to me than a body. I’ve got a brain as well. One that works!”
He stopped and looked down at her. His eyes stroked her body before he frowned.
“Y’ain’t got ’nuff sense ta see a rattler. And yer too small fer a big man.”
While her curves were wider than her too-slender mother, her bones were about the same size. Mama’s stomach was too nervous for her to eat much unless Father was away on a business trip. That was the only time she smiled. It didn’t happen often.
“’Spect you’d die birthing babies.” He shrugged. “No good fer a wife. I’d jest git ye trained and ye’d die on me.”
Caught gaping at his insults, she had to run to catch up with him again.
“I may be new to the West, but I can learn what’s necessary,” she informed him, rushing to keep up with his long strides. “I’m an excellent cook and housekeeper. And, though it’s none of your business, I’m the same size as my mother. She married a man your height and had five living children!”
He stopped suddenly, making her bump into him. He grasped her elbow to keep her upright. His expression suddenly shifted from one of disdain to challenge. He put both hands around her waist and lifted her once more. She tensed as he brought her close to his face. She avoided his hungry eyes, staring at the strong nose and full lips sandwiched between moustache and beard.
“Maybe ye aren’t useless,” he murmured, and brought her even closer.
She opened her mouth to demand he set her down. A tickle of moustache was the only warning she received before his lips brushed against hers. A tingle went through her body from the shock. She grabbed hold of his shoulders to keep her balance. Her fingers clenched his coat. He ran his tongue between her upper lip and teeth. The tingle turned into an explosion. She shuddered, her body rocked by feelings she didn’t understand, but wanted more of. Her lower belly tightened. He released her mouth, continuing to hold her mere inches from his face. She looked deep into his eyes, unable to catch her breath. She absently noted he was also breathing hard, yet he hadn’t hurried his step as she had.
“Huh. Ya might do.”
He set her down, waited a second while she found her balance, whirled around, and strode off toward the train. She stood there, dizzy and panting, watching him. A whistle pierced the air, making her jump.
The train! She had to get back or they would leave without her.
She trotted, trying to tie her bonnet strings with fumbling fingers. She tipped it forward to better hide her heated cheeks. She looked for the man to tell him she’d never marry anyone like him, but he’d disappeared into one of the men’s carriages.
The cad!
Perhaps he considered the stolen kiss a payment for saving her from the rattlesnake. The next time she saw him she’d give him a piece of her mind. As long as he gives you another kiss. She gulped. She should thank him for showing her what a man’s touch, and a kiss, felt like. She now had a base of knowledge on which to judge in the future.
But, if that little kiss made her feel so wonderful, what would more do? Was he the man to awaken her body? No, he was far too arrogant. She wanted a tender man who would gently show her how a man pleased a woman.
At least, she thought she did. Something about the way he took charge of her body made her want to attack him the same way. What if he lay on his back and she was the one touching him wherever she wanted?
She shoved away the arousal to concentrate on anger. How dare he touch her without her permission? Other than with the snake, of course. She didn’t object to his protection. Her breasts throbbed along with the place between her legs. Now that she knew what it felt like to kiss a man, she wanted more.
She heard the giggle of approaching brides when she arrived beside the locomotive. With luck, they’d think her high color was from the exercise.
“Miss Mason, your collar is undone, again. How wicked!”
The strident voice, always ready to accuse her of not being a proper lady, grated even more than normal. Luckily, they hadn’t seen her with the handsome, arrogant, heat-provoking stranger.
“Clarabelle, I’ve been on one of my brisk walks,” she replied in a bored tone. “I’m hot. God will not strike me down for being a bit more comfortable while I’m enjoying His gift of nature.”
As always, she waited for the others to precede her. It was easier that way as she didn’t get poked with parasols or have her hem stepped on. She took one last breath of relative freedom and climbed the steps to the bridal carriage.
She spoke of God’s gifts, freely given to those who chose to accept them. Was the arousing man also a gift? Mama insisted God worked in mysterious ways, but it was up to those receiving His gifts to realize what they were.
She sighed as she settled onto her bench and the train’s
wheels started moving. If everything went as usual, she’d spend a couple of hours being forced by proximity to listen to the others titter about the men they’d seen, and flirted with, before she tried to sleep. Not on a real bed, of course. The train had hard benches which, now that their numbers had thinned, they no longer had to share. She treasured those small mercies.
Once the others were asleep, she’d unbar the door and step outside for some cool air. She loved to stand between the carriages and hold on to the railing, thrilling at the wind rushing past her face. The rumble of the wheels under her feet would transfer a vibration up her legs. If she really felt wicked she would lean her belly against the railing. It made something quiver deep inside her, a feeling like nothing she’d known before stepping on the train.
But now she knew there was something even greater. Something her mother had found in her father, and then put aside to marry the man chosen by her parents. Mama had become Mrs. Edmond Mason, but never gave up her love for the man Katherine knew only as Wilbur. Her mother had died before she could whisper his last name. All she knew was that her father wanted to travel far to the west. She prayed someone knew if he’d made it Virginia City.
I’ll find him, she vowed. Someone must know of her mother’s loving Wilbur. And then she’d find the same love for herself. There had to be one man who’d accept her just as she was.
Chapter 4
Zach McInnes waited outside the bridal carriage for the rising sun to give him enough light to see. He rubbed his eyes and blinked to clear them. He’d spent too many hours last night thinking of his woman instead of sleeping. How long would it take before she would let him do more than think about her at night?
He liked the way her hips swayed when she walked away from the train, swinging her bonnet. When he’d heard her say she wanted a lover to teach her everything, he’d almost tripped over his boots. His cock rose in memory of her squirming over his hip, legs spread, as he held her away from the snake.