Second Chances: Aidan's Bride (The McKenzie Series #1)

by Lynn Coppersmith

  “Well? How was she?”

  Brian raised his brows as he pulled the wagon to a stop and set the brake. He eyed his brother, stalling for time as he weighed what he should tell Aidan. He debated telling him that Naomi had looked dreadfully unhappy, but he didn’t know whether that would make things better or worse.

  “Who, Mrs. Tisdale?” he asked as he hopped down.

  Aidan shot him a glare. “Of course, Naomi! Who else would I be inquiring about?”

  Brian shrugged, turning to untie the ropes securing his load. “She seemed alright I guess. She told me she didn’t need any supplies from town. She said to tell you not to worry about her anymore, that she could look after herself from now on.”

  “Damned, stubborn woman,” Aidan ground out. He drew in a sharp breath and let it out on a sigh. “Did she say anything else? Did she ask about me at all?”

  Brian eyed him warily. “No, she just thanked me for stopping by.”

  Aidan thought about that for a moment. He had been hoping that Naomi missed him as much as he missed her, but apparently, she was getting along fine without him.

  “I’ll see you at supper,” he muttered, stalking off toward the river.

  Liam strode up in time to see Aidan walking away. “What’s up with him?”

  Brian gave Liam a concerned frown and shook his head. “He was asking about Mrs. Tisdale.”

  “Well?” Liam prompted with a look of interest. “What was she like?” Both brothers had been filled with curiosity about their mysterious neighbor.

  “She’s not only the prettiest little filly I’ve seen for a long time; she’s also sweet and friendly. She would be perfect for Aidan. You should have seen her face when I first drove up. She came running out of the house, thinking I was Aidan. When she saw I wasn’t, her smile just withered and died.”

  “Hmmm,” said Liam. “Sounds like she’s got it as bad as Aidan does. Do you think they are going to get back together?”

  “Who knows? Anything can be worked out, it’s just a question of time and the desire to make it happen,” Brian said.

  “You sound like Mama,” Liam laughed. “She always used to tell us that.”

  Brian shot him a grin. “And she’s right. Now give me a hand getting this lumber unloaded.”

  *****

  Four more agonizing days passed, during which Naomi grew more and more unhappy. It was torture knowing that Aidan was just down the road, but she couldn’t see him. She tried to stay busy, doing all the chores around her small farm just the way Aidan had taught her. While the steady work kept her occupied, it did nothing to distract her thoughts.

  She had determined to let Aidan go and to move on with her life. But by the eighth lonely night in her bed, that plan was looking more and more unappealing. She simply had to see him.

  Reaching a decision, she was filled with impatience. She hopped out of bed and ran to her pile of clothes, rifling through the garments recklessly until she found the ones she sought. She donned the man’s clothes she had worn the first day of her arrival and pulled on a pair of serviceable boots. She grabbed a coat and headed for the door. Galahad wanted to go with her.

  “You can’t come, boy. Go lay down.”

  She pointed to his favorite spot in front of the fire and waited while he reluctantly complied with her order. He gave her a forlorn look but dropped his head onto his paws.

  Naomi slipped out into the night, making sure the door was latched behind her. A full moon cast just enough light to see by as she followed the path through the trees. By the moon’s position in the sky, she determined it to be just past midnight. She walked as quickly as she could, careful not to stumble. It seemed to take forever, but she finally spotted Aidan’s cabin. She took a moment to admire the view.

  The McKenzie farm was much larger and better organized than hers. A roomy, attractive cabin stood among a stand of trees, facing the river. There was a massive barn, a smoke house, and multiple corrals to house animals. She focused on the cabin, wondering how she was going to find Aidan’s room. For the first time, she considered the rashness of her actions. It would be awfully embarrassing if she ended up waking one of Aidan’s brothers by mistake.

  Squaring her shoulders, she walked to the cabin and peered through the front window. There were no signs of life, so she groped her way to the back of the house. A small band of light shone through a lone window, and she crept up to peer inside. Her heart pounded in relief and excitement, as she spied Aidan lying in bed.

  He was lying with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. A lone candle on his bedside table shed light over his naked chest. A crisp white sheet was gathered at his waist, covering his lower half. He was the most beautiful sight Naomi had ever seen.

  She tapped on the window, and Aidan jerked upright in the bed. He scowled as he wrapped the sheet around his waist and came to the window. He raised the panel and peered at her, mute with surprise.

  “Hello Aidan,” she whispered.

  Her silky voice snapped him out of his momentary trance, and he scowled at her. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked in a harsh whisper.

  “I had to see you,” she said. “Can I come in?”

  He stared at her for only a moment longer before releasing a deep sigh. He reached for her and lifted her through the window, shutting the window silently behind her.

  “Now what is so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” he asked, turning to face her.

  Naomi didn’t waste any time on words. She threw herself into his arms and kissed him soundly on the mouth. For a brief moment, Aidan held his arms away from her, trying to resist her appeal, but he gave up with a growl and clasped her against him. It felt so good to be in his arms again, that Naomi released a moan of sheer pleasure.

  “Shhh,” Aidan cautioned her. “Brian sleeps in the next room.”

  Nodding that she understood, Naomi stretched up to kiss him again, pressing her body as close to his as possible. Aidan sank onto the edge of the bed, pulling her onto his lap. He worked at her buttons, kissing her all the while. He brushed her coat and shirt off her shoulders, and Naomi lifted her breast up to his searching mouth, eager for his touch. He suckled hard on the tender flesh, and she bit her lip to stifle another moan.

  Aidan kissed his way up her neck to her mouth, using his knowing fingers to taunt her nipple. “Marry me, Naomi.”

  Naomi shuddered as he squeezed hard, causing her to arch her back for more. “You know I can’t. You’ll eventually find someone else to marry, but please be mine until you do.”

  Aidan growled low in his throat. His hands firmed around her waist and he lifted her to the floor, standing up in front of her. He met her stare, and his eyes glowed with fire before he turned aside. He lit a lantern, casting a brighter glow over the room, then turned back to face her.

  He quickly dispensed with her clothing and sat her naked on the side of his bed, urging her back onto her elbows and pressing her knees wide. Kneeling before her, he looped her thighs over his shoulders and kissed her slick flesh, plunging his tongue deep inside her.

  It was all Naomi could do to squelch her delighted scream. She threaded her fingers in his hair and clung to him, floating in a sea of bliss. Through cracked eyelids, she noticed a large standing mirror behind Aidan.

  She saw a reflection of his naked back, as he worshipped at her core. The combined light of the candle and the lantern cast a warm golden glow over them, highlighting every detail. The sight was enthralling, and she stared with wide eyes as he pandered to her senses.

  He lavished her with love, caressing her with increasingly intimate strokes of his tongue and fingers until she was on the verge of euphoria. Then, inexplicably, he backed off, hardly touching her with the softness of his strokes.

  When she whimpered softly, he ignored her and kept up with his feather light kisses. As soon as Naomi had gathered some composure, he assaulted her again with another barrage of sensations, pushing her once more to the
brink before backing off. The torture continued, with Naomi growing increasingly desperate for release. Each time, he was ruthless in his retreat, denying her the prize she sought.

  After what seemed like eons, he rose. Without saying a word, he lifted her and took her place, sitting on the edge of the bed. He grasped her waist and lifted her onto his lap with her back to his chest. He arranged her so that she was sitting on her knees, straddling his thighs. He grasped her jaw and directed her gaze to the mirror. Her eyes widened at the sight of their reflection.

  She sat naked and exposed, perched with her knees wide apart and her shining, swollen folds peeking out from beneath her fiery thatch of hair. He watched her from over her shoulder, gauging her reaction. Catching and holding her gaze, he leaned near her ear and whispered in a husky, seductive voice, laced with sweet temptation.

  “Are you telling me, Naomi, that I should kiss another woman the way I have just kissed you? Do you want me to make love to another woman’s sweet pussy … to lick and taste and touch her like I have just done with yours?”

  Naomi’s eyes widened further, and she gasped. “No,” she whispered, a look of horror on her face.

  “Then marry me, Naomi.”

  “Aidan, you know I can’t,” she whispered miserably.

  He reached up and cupped both of her breasts in his strong hands. “Don’t take your eyes off the mirror,” he commanded her softly.

  She watched, transfixed as he worshipped her breasts. His darkly tanned hands contrasted sharply with the ivory perfection of her skin. He squeezed and twisted her pink, swollen nipples, exerting just the right amount of pressure to send jolts of stark desire into her loins. When she forgot and closed her eyes in ecstasy, he squeezed especially hard, causing her eyes to pop open on a gasp.

  “I said not to take your eyes off the mirror,” he growled. “Imagine my hands on another woman’s breasts, Naomi. Imagine me cupping her tits and twisting her nipples until they are sore and throbbing and aching like yours are now. Is that what you want, Naomi?”

  “No,” she moaned. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

  He continued fondling her breasts while he suckled her neck, sending shivers of delight down her spine. Naomi could feel her juices dribbling onto his legs, and she wiggled her hips, trying to gain some friction. Instead, she inadvertently pressed her bottom tight against his throbbing cock, and she gasped again from the sheer heat of it.

  Aidan snared her gaze, refusing to let her look away. He pressed his erection in between the globes of her bottom and thrust several times, lewdly reminding her of her wanton position as he continued to ruthlessly twist and torture her aching nipples until they were throbbing and sore. Then, he leaned close to whisper in her ear once more, still holding her gaze in the mirror.

  “You told me I should marry someone else, Naomi. Are you telling me that I should touch another woman the way I’m touching you?”

  Naomi whimpered and shook her head in mute denial.

  “Then marry me, Naomi.”

  She bit her lip to suppress a moan of sheer frustration. “I can’t,” she whispered softly.

  Aidan released her breasts and slid his hands down between her thighs. She watched with a mixture of trepidation and fascination as he spread her shining lips wide apart and stroked the delicate pink inner flesh with his fingers.

  Naomi had never felt more exposed or vulnerable, and she shivered from the sheer pleasure of being under his control. She was dripping with moisture.

  Aidan made a show of gathering her juices and spreading them around. He smeared some in her thick patch of hair and out to her inner thighs.

  “If I marry another woman, I’ll do this with her every night, Naomi. I’ll stroke her and fondle her and make love to her all night long while you’re lying in your lonely bed missing me. Is that what you want, Naomi?”

  “No!”

  He shoved two fingers into her, making her gasp. His wicked fingers came back with hypnotic repetition, spearing into her to gather more juice and spreading it over her aching clit. He circled the throbbing nub, teasing and taunting it, giving it an occasional squeeze, until Naomi was once more writhing with need. When she was on the verge of satisfaction, he withdrew his hands, placing them around her waist.

  “Please, Aidan. Please, I need you inside me.”

  He waited for her to meet his eyes in the mirror. Hers were full of urgent appeal. He raised one brow as he looked at her tauntingly.

  “Are you telling me, Naomi, that you want me to make another woman feel as desperate for my cock as you feel right now? Imagine another woman, naked in my arms like this while she begs me to fuck her. Is that what you want?”

  Naomi was trembling with need, and tears trailed down her face as she shook her head. “No, I don’t want you to do any of these things with another woman,” she whispered. “Only with me.”

  “Then marry me, Naomi.”

  “I can’t,” she whispered. Her voice was full of despair.

  Aidan growled once more and gripped her waist. He lifted her and held her perched on her knees while he positioned the head of his erection at her entrance. His gaze met and held hers in the mirror as he plunged into her, stretching her to the point of pain as he brought her down roughly onto his aching shaft.

  She gasped and clutched his arms for support. She hung on for dear life as he lifted her again and again, only to impale her even further onto his erection. She could barely breathe. He timed his slow thrusts so that he steadily built her tension, but she couldn’t reach the summit. He stoked her desire until she was near the breaking point, cupping her breasts and squeezing her throbbing nipples and her clit.

  Naomi was beyond reason. She pleaded breathlessly for him to speed up. If she didn’t reach her release soon, she would go insane. She didn’t care how she humbled herself in that moment.

  “Please, Aidan.” She gasped as he thrust even deeper. “Yes. Oh please, I need more. Faster, please!”

  Aidan’s hot breath feathered her cheek as he leaned close to her ear. He kept to an incredibly frustrating slow, steady rhythm despite her urgent pleas.

  “Picture me doing this with another woman, Naomi. Imagine my cock deep inside her, filling her depths. Imagine her sweet pussy stretched around my cock, her lush tits filling my hands. Imagine her moaning in my arms, sighing my name, begging me to take her harder, faster, deeper … just like you are doing now. Is that what you want, Naomi? Do you want me to make love to another woman like this, night after night for the rest of my life?”

  “No, you know I don’t. Please, Aidan. Please, just love me and no one else.”

  Naomi couldn’t imagine Aidan with another woman, and she didn’t want to. She focused instead on the pleasure he lavished on her. Despite the taunting words he continued to whisper, she was so close to reaching fulfillment. It was just ahead. She was almost there, and she sighed with relief. Suddenly, Aidan lifted her off his cock and set her back down in her original position on his lap.

  Naomi sobbed with frustration. “No!” She was desperate for release.

  “Then, marry me, Naomi.”

  “Aidan, please!”

  “Marry me, Naomi!”

  “I can’t.” Her voice was a soft, forlorn whimper. “I just can’t.”

  She dropped her head in defeat and began to sob in earnest. Aidan had meant to be merciless, not stopping in his torture until he had gained her agreement, but he couldn’t see her like this. He had given it his best effort, poured his heart and soul into persuading her, and still she had refused him.

  He lifted her and turned to set her on hands and knees on the bed. He stood behind her, gripped her hips, and thrust into her, quickly taking her the short distance to fulfillment.

  She clenched him with her inner muscles and buried her face in the blankets to muffle her cries of pleasure as he poured himself inside her. He shuddered as her muscles milked him, coaxing every drop of his seed deep into her empty womb.

  Naomi collapse
d onto the bed, and although he wanted to join her, Aidan remained standing, panting from his exertion. He felt a band of despair tighten around his chest.

  Try as he might, he couldn’t imagine doing any of the things they had just done with another woman. Naomi had ruined him for anyone else. She held his heart and soul in the palm of her hand, but all she was willing to share with him was her body.

  Aidan closed his eyes against the pain. His heart was cracking in half. He had put everything on the line, and he had lost it all.

  He opened his eyes again and took in the sight of her lying in a sweaty heap on his bed. He stored every image safely in his mind. These last moments would have to last him a lifetime.

  When Naomi came back to earth, she opened her eyes and saw him staring down at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. She sat up and grasped his hand.

  “What is it, Aidan?”

  He gave her a sad smile and touched her cheek briefly. “Nothing, my love. Come, get dressed, and I will take you home.”

  He donned his breeches and shirt and helped her button her clothes, saying nothing. They slipped out of the house undetected, and Aidan led her to the barn. He put a bridle on his horse and led him quietly out into the moonlight.

  Aidan lifted her astride the horse and swung up behind her, pulling her back against his firm chest and encircling her with his strong arms. They rode silently through the forest, reaching her home in only a few minutes.

  He lifted her down and walked her to her door. The silence wore on Naomi’s nerves, and she turned to face him, spreading her hands over his chest as she stepped close.

  “When will I see you again, Aidan?”

  He met her eye briefly before releasing a deep sigh and looking up at the moon. Several moments of silence stretched out between them. Just when she thought he wasn’t going to answer her at all, he lifted her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers. His eyes were soulful and sad as he delved into her gaze.

  “I love you, Naomi. With all my heart, I worship you. I would give anything to spend the rest of my life with you, as husband and wife, but …”