He wrapped her in his arms, knowing it was the key to settling her down, and pulled her against him, kissing her passionately. He slowly traced her lips with his tongue, and when she parted her lips in response, he took advantage by moving his tongue in to mate with hers.
She felt a jolt of energy run through her body and grabbed his shoulders, clinging to him. Suddenly she wasn't certain if her legs could support her, as she stood beside the wagon, pressing her body to his. Whatever drove her crazy about this man, when he kissed her, her insides turned to mush.
Tom cupped her backside in his hands pulling her against him. He knew she would probably want to wait until bedtime to consummate the marriage, but with her obvious flightiness, he didn't think that was a good idea. "Let me put the horses in their stalls, and I'll show you around." Show you my bedroom.
He worked quickly, getting the horses unhitched from the wagon and rubbing them down. Keeping his eyes on her face, every time she looked ready for flight, he'd hurry over and kiss her again until she had that glazed look on her face, and then he'd hurry even faster to get the horses taken care of. It took him twice as long as it should have to unhitch the team because he kissed her so many times.
When he was finished, he walked to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her again until she couldn't support her weight with her own legs. He scooped her into his arms and carried her toward the house, thinking of nothing but getting her into his bed. He'd known from her letters there would be something special between them, but this level of feeling was beyond anything he'd dreamed of.
She stared up at his face, knowing she needed to try one more time before she just went along with him. "I think there's been a misunderstanding..." she began, and he pressed his lips to hers, standing with her cradled against him, right there on the front porch of his house.
"Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of you," he whispered, opening the door and carrying her inside. He showed her nothing, just carried her straight to the bedroom, laying her on the bed and following her down onto it, propping himself on one elbow beside her. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined you'd be." He traced her cheek with his index finger, still having a hard time believing that this beautiful woman was his wife, and he had every right to kiss her and touch her as much as he wanted.
Julia stared up into his face, surprised that he thought she was beautiful. No one had ever said that about her before. "I'm not beautiful," she protested. He was beautiful though. She'd never seen a more handsome man in her life. He was tall, with dark hair and brown eyes. His eyelashes seemed to go on forever, and his mouth. Her eyes dropped to the mouth that seemed to be kissing her endlessly. It looked hard and chiseled, but she knew better. His lips were soft against hers and oh so loving.
He moved closer to her on the bed, his lips covering hers once more. His kisses made her feel as if her brain could no longer function, and she was happy to give into the bliss of not having to worry about every little thing.
She kissed him back, using her tongue as he'd taught her, wrapping her arms around his hard shoulders. He'd said he was a rancher, so he must work hard every day, making those muscles bulge. She moved her hands around to the front of his shirt, slowly unbuttoning it, because never in her life had she wanted to touch anyone as much as she wanted to touch his bare skin. It was so hot, but she just couldn't make herself care.
Tom was startled to feel her fingers unbuttoning his shirt, but he didn't say a word, because he certainly didn't want her to stop. He moved his hands to the back of her dress and slowly liberated each button from its hole. Once he was finished, his hands roamed over her back, wondering if it would startle her if he pushed her dress off his shoulders. She certainly didn't seem like she was shy.
Part of Julia's mind knew she should protest when he unbuttoned her dress, but she didn't want to. She wanted what he was doing to her more than she'd ever wanted anything, even to teach.
Before she knew what had happened, she was lying beside him totally nude and he was wearing only his pants. He'd even removed his boots during her glaze of passion. Her hands reached out to stroke his bare chest, toying with the light covering of hair and his flat nipples. At his groan, her eyes met his, and she gently rolled the nipples between her fingers, thrilled that he was enjoying what she did to him.
Tom couldn't believe how wild in bed his little wife was turning out to be. She'd claimed to be a schoolteacher, but no teacher he'd ever known would act this way. He cupped her bare breasts in his hands, his thumbs flicking over the nipples, watching her face carefully to see what she enjoyed and what she didn't. As far as he could tell she liked it all.
He lowered his face to her breast, taking her nipple between his lips to suckle it. At her gasp of pleasure, he toyed with the nipple of her other breast, while he flicked his tongue rapidly over the nipple he held in his mouth.
She wove her fingers through his hair, holding his head against her, arching beneath him to get closer. She wanted so much more from this man.
He stroked a path down her stomach and across her hip. His hand moving between her thighs and slowly stroking up the inside to her core. His fingers toyed with her pleasure button for a moment before he plunged one finger into her tight channel. He kissed a path down her stomach, gently biting the skin there.
At her moan of pleasure, he rolled from the bed and stripped out of his pants, quickly pushing them to the floor and rejoining her on the bed, kneeling between her spread thighs. He reached down a hand to guide himself to her opening, his eyes on hers the entire time. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't think he could wait another minute. All the kisses they'd shared since they'd met had a huge effect on him.
She was looking into his eyes as he pushed inside her, and she let out a cry of surprise. Yes, it hurt, but only a little. More than anything there was a feeling of fullness, and she liked it. She arched her hips up toward him, hoping to feel the sensation forever.
He slowly drew out of her, watching her face for any sign of panic or pain, but his sweet little innocent bride seemed to want nothing more than to make love with him.
When he pulled from her, Julia tried to follow him up. She wanted all of him to squeeze tightly inside her. She liked it. She needed him. "Don't go!" she whispered.
He slid back into her with ease, grinning down at her lazily as if he had all the time in the world. "I'm not going anywhere, wife."
Afterward, he curled up at her side, cradling her against him. They were both out of breath, but it was done. She couldn't run away and get an annulment now. She was his forever.
She lay with her head on his shoulder, looking at him. "I...I'm not who you think I am. My name is Julia Simmons. I came here to teach school, not to be your wife." She knew that it was too late for either of them to do anything about being married. They would be together forever whether they wanted to be or not, but he still needed to know the truth.
He looked at her for a moment and shook his head. "No, you're my bride." Why was she persisting in telling him she wasn't his?
"I'm not sure how you met your bride that you don't know what she looks like, but I've never heard of Anna Simmons. I was expecting a member of the school board, who said I could live with his family during the school year to meet me at the stage. Instead, you were there not letting me speak. Every time I opened my mouth you kissed me." Her green eyes were wide as they looked into his.
Tom shook his head. It couldn't be true. "So why did you marry me?" That was the only part that made no sense to him. If she hadn't come there to marry him, why had she said her vows?
"Every time I tried to protest you started kissing me, and...well your kisses turned my brain to mush. I couldn't figure out how to protest." She knew it sounded silly, but it was the only truth she had.
"Well then where's Anna? Was she on the stage with you?" He was confused, but she seemed very sure of herself.
Julia shook her head. "No, she wasn't. It was only me and an elderly woman nam
ed Mrs. Davis." She looked at him and frowned. "Do you know I don't even know your last name? Or mine, I guess..." How could she not know her own last name? What was wrong with her?
"Harding. Thomas Harding." He felt like he should shake her hand, but he'd just shaken the bed with her, so that wouldn't work. "I...uh...I'm not sure what I should say. I'm sorry I didn't let you explain." He hoped she didn't have a beau waiting on her to come home after her time teaching in Wiggieville, but he was too afraid of her answer to even ask her that.
She shook her head. "I should have tried harder, but...every time you kissed me, I lost my ability to speak." She blushed as she said the words, truly surprised that she could still be embarrassed around him after what they'd just done together.
"You...I mean Anna, wrote to me that she was really shy and would probably lose her nerve when she got here. She was afraid she'd try to talk me out of it or run off. I thought you were just being shy and doing what she'd said you'd do, so I...well...I kept kissing you to give you courage and pushed you along, thinking that's what I was supposed to do." He shook his head, angry with himself that he'd messed things up so badly.
Julia let out a short bark of laughter. "Well, it worked! I don't think there's anything we can do about it now, either. I mean, if you'd let me explain before, we could have gotten an annulment." They couldn't get one now, though, and she found she wasn't terribly upset about it. He seemed like a good man, and she did enjoy his touch.
"I was so worried about that I rushed things." He eyed her. "How are you going to teach, clean, and cook?" He had no idea how she would be able to get everything done, but he needed her to be the wife he'd expected. They were married now, and he couldn't just marry someone else to do the housework.
She sighed. "I have no idea. This was my first teaching assignment and I was so excited about it." She didn't know what would happen now. She knew many places didn't allow their teachers to be married.
"You were my first wife, and I was just as excited." He grinned ruefully. "I hope you're my only wife."
She sighed, moving closer to him. "I hope so too." She refused to worry about anything else. "You said I'd meet the school board on Sunday, and I will. Until then, I'll concentrate on settling in and being a good wife I guess." She pressed a kiss to his chin.
Tom smiled, stroking her cheek. "How would you feel about resigning your post and just being my wife?" He knew her answer before he even asked, because she was obviously very excited about being a teacher, but he had to at least try.
Julia sat up in the bed, oblivious to the fact that she was totally naked and had dropped the sheet to her waist. "I can't do that! I'm a teacher. I've taken so many tests, and I've studied so hard for this privilege. I need to at least teach my first year." She couldn't let her parents down that way.
Tom frowned. This certainly wasn't working out as he'd planned. "All right. You can work at least this year." He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and gathering his clothes to put them on. He wasn't sure why he felt betrayed when she wanted to keep teaching but he did. "We'll figure it all out. Let me show you around the house."
As soon as she realized he was dressing with his back to her, Julia flew out of the bed and pulled her clothes on as quickly as she could. The house was big, much bigger than the tenement she'd lived in growing up.
Both of her parents had worked in factories but had felt that she needed to go to school. Most of the children she knew were already working in the factories by the time they were fourteen, but her parents had insisted she complete her education so she could be a teacher. They'd made a great deal of sacrifices for her, and what had she done? She'd ruined them all by marrying a man who she'd never met as soon as she stepped off the stage.
Once she was dressed, she turned around to see him watching her. He walked to her and kissed her softly. "I know this wasn't how you'd planned to spend the day, so I'm sorry this happened. I'm thrilled to have you for my wife, though. You're exactly what I'd dreamed Anna would be like and so much more." More was definitely the truth. He didn't know how he would have done with such a shy woman, but he hadn't been about to turn down the opportunity to marry. He needed to marry. It was time.
Julia blushed. She honestly wasn't sorry she'd married him either. He was a nice-looking man who had a great personality. How could she possibly complain about that?
Chapter Three
Julia stood in the large kitchen looking around her. His parents had lived in the house with him and had recently moved back East. It was their departure that had made him decide he needed a wife, he'd told her.
She searched through the small pantry for something to make for supper. She found some salt pork and potatoes and carrots. They could easily be used to make a tasty stew. They would need to shop for provisions within a day or two, because she wouldn't be able to cook all day every day, but she was determined to make it work. She'd made her bed and she'd lain in it as well. It was time to fulfill her obligations.
She started the stew and looked around the room, noticing the dust everywhere. She had a big job ahead of her when it came to cooking and cleaning, and she would do her very best to get it in shape before school started, because after, she would have a great deal to do, being gone all day five days per week, and having to catch up on the cleaning on Saturdays. She was tired just thinking about it.
When Tom came back in from the range, he took a deep sniff of the aromas coming from the pot on top of the stove and glanced around him. She'd only had two hours alone in the house, and it was already cleaner than it had been in a year. She'd scrubbed the floors and every surface. Even the windows were shining.
He searched until he found her in his bedroom, the only bedroom on the first floor of the house, and she was there, making the bed with the spare set of sheets. How nice. He couldn't remember the last time he'd thought to change the sheets.
She turned and gave him a wary glance, biting her lip as she looked at him. He walked to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly. "I know you weren't planning to be a wife, so I thank you for the hard work you put in here today." She was obviously working hard to do what she thought was right.
Julia nodded at him, smiling tentatively. "This is...awkward." It felt strange to be around a man she'd been so...uninhibited with.
He laughed, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. "It's only awkward when we're not kissing. What do you think about spending all of our time kissing and lounging in bed?" He certainly liked the idea, but there was a good chance they'd go broke and starve to death. He wasn't certain he cared at that moment, though.
She laughed softly. "I'm not certain that's a good idea. Someone needs to make a living." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, though, amazed at just how tall he was. She'd always been tall, and to have a man a good five inches taller than she was as a husband was truly a dream come true.
"My idea is fun, though." He nipped at her neck, not really trying to convince her, but enjoying her struggles. "Probably not practical." He pulled away. "I do appreciate how hard you've worked today."
She smiled and nodded. "I made a stew for supper. I hope you like stew." She could see that she'd be making a lot of soups and stews, because they would be easier after working all day.
He shrugged. "As long as someone is cooking for me, I'm happy. I only knew how to make a few meals."
She led him into the kitchen, and the big table with six chairs sitting around it. "Were you an only child?" She'd always wished for brothers and sisters, but it just hadn't happened for her.
He shook his head. "I had three sisters. They're all married now. One moved to Fort Worth, one lives in Mineral Wells, and the other is in Weatherford."
"And none of them came to the wedding?"
"I didn't tell them I was getting married. I'll introduce you at Christmas when we'll all get together. Ma and Pa said they'd be here for Christmas as well." He looked forward to introducing her to his family. He couldn't believe the overwhelm
ing sense of pride he had for her.
She wondered where his parents would stay. She knew there were four bedrooms upstairs, but she had yet to see them. She had decided that taking care of the rooms they would use the most needed to be her first order of business. Besides, it was much hotter upstairs than down. She really didn't want to have to climb up there in the heat. The Texas summer was more than hot enough for her when she was downstairs.
"They'll probably stay with my oldest sister, Sarah. She has four children for them to dote on." He watched her as she served them each a bowl of the stew.
"How did you know I was wondering that?" She didn't like to think that her thoughts were so transparent to him.
He shrugged. "I just did. I know most women don't have good relationships with their mother-in-laws." She put his stew on the table in front of him and poured the water from the pitcher he had sitting on the counter. "That water is mineral water, from Mineral Wells. It's supposed to have good health effects. My sister sent some home with me the last time I visited." He didn't know that he agreed with the health benefits, but he was happy to drink it just in case.
Julia looked at him with surprise. "Really? How nice." She thought it was nice that his sister thought of him that way.
She brought them each a glass of water before sitting across from him. He bowed his head for the prayer and she followed suit. Her family hadn't been very religious, often times skipping church altogether, but she certainly knew how to pray, and if it made him happy, she would do it.
"Do you have any brothers and sisters?" he asked, realizing he knew absolutely nothing about her.
She shook her head. "No, it was just me. My parents worked in textile factories in the city." She knew a lot of people looked down on factory workers, but she was proud that her parents had worked so hard to give her a good life. How could she ever look down on them?
"And you went to school there?" He'd never lived in a big city, but he knew without a doubt that she would have a lot of adjusting to do to get used to a small town like Wiggieville.
Wild Western Women Boxed Set Page 2