Becca closed her eyes and savored the feel of him—his muscular body pressing her into the mattress, his slick hot shaft slipping in and out of her body, his spicy scent ripe with the smell of their love. Without his hand touching her, the feelings were different, but the steady grind of his hips was enough. She wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her fingers into his back as she let him take her to the peak again. If she fell again or not, it didn’t matter.
“Mmm,” his voice rumbled in her ear. “Heaven.”
“Yes.” She kissed his neck.
“Trying to wait for you,” he gritted out.
Her body tightened around him. She was teetering on the edge.
His tempo increased. The part of him inside her swelled. His movements lost their rhythm and their grace. “Becca... I—”
His guttural groans mingled with her cries as muscles tensed, bodies shuddered, and bursts of heat spurted inside her. Their clinging form was all she knew—all sense of time suspended. She didn’t want to let go. Never wanted to let go.
Seth caught his breath and kissed the side of her neck, but he didn’t withdraw. He lifted her up—legs still wrapped—until she was sitting on his lap, enfolded in his muscular arms. His possessive grip echoed the word growing louder with every beat of her heart.
Mine.
Seth clutched his angel to him, so glad he’d waited for the one who’d be his bride. He’d felt the force of their union all the way to his toes, and all the way to his soul. A better woman he couldn’t have found, and now they were one. Forever bonded.
He nuzzled Becca’s sweet-smelling hair and gently rocked them back and forth, enjoying the sensation of being inside her. Her arms encircled him, and her head rested sideways in the curve of his shoulder. She sighed, the sound muffled by his neck.
“I love you, Becca.”
“I love you, too,” she murmured—contented words that eased his mind. He’d been so afraid he’d hurt her, and he had, but she didn’t seem to mind.
For so long, he’d viewed his encounter with the girl at the saloon as something worthy of shame. And maybe it was. But if it hadn’t been for that, he would have hurt his bride more.
The other woman meant nothing to him. The woman in his arms meant everything.
He ran his fingers up and down her back and breathed a sigh of his own. The sight of her tempted him beyond measure. And the feel of her next to him practically lit him on fire. Her body was a perfect blending of lines and curves. She still fussed about gaining weight, but he didn’t mind. He liked the new softness beneath his hands and the fullness when he cupped her breasts. Mmm. The very thought of it was making him—
“Seth?”
“Hm?”
“Are we going to love each other again?” Despite what had just transpired between them, sweet innocence laced her voice.
“No.”
She lifted her head and looked up at him. “Why not?” The shift caused her warm channel to slide against him and her muscles to tighten. He almost groaned.
He drew a deep breath and willed his body to be calm. “Because it wouldn’t be right.” He brushed the hair from her face and peered into her questioning eyes. “This was your first time. You’re probably sore. It would be selfish of me.”
“But I’m not. I feel fine.”
Seth held her hips in place and pushed his forward, sinking himself deeper.
She winced.
“You’re not fine. I barely moved and I hurt you.” That did it. His passion abated.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she lowered her gaze.
He kissed her forehead and hugged her close. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re everything I want in a bride. We have our whole lives to love each other.”
Seth held her close a few minutes more. He slowly lifted her away and instructed her to lie back and wait for him while he went over to the tub.
Once he’d washed up, he returned and pressed a wet cloth to her swollen folds. She winced again and he frowned. “I’m sorry the water’s so cold.”
The lines of her face disappeared as her features smoothed. “It’s all right. It feels good.”
Seth lifted the lantern with his other hand, shining enough light to be sure her injury was only minor. It was. He blew out a breath, then shifted his gaze to meet hers, worried his boldness had made her uneasy.
It apparently hadn’t. She lay there relaxed, staring up at him with placid eyes.
He set the items aside and climbed into bed. Becca shivered as he drew her into his arms and tugged the covers up around them. Their warmth had faded right along with the heat of their passion.
She readily laid her head on his arm and tucked her delicate hands between them. And he felt their bond to his soul yet again.
The thought of anyone harming a woman ignited his ire, and the act itself could send him into a murderous rage. But the image paired with the precious wife he held in his arms had the power to steal the air from his lungs. If he ever lost her, it would tear out his heart.
Seth cleared his throat of emotion. “Do you need anything?”
“No.”
“Are you warm enough?”
“Mmhm.”
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
She snuggled deeper into his embrace. “Goodnight.”
A smile spread across Seth’s face as he opened his eyes. Rebecca’s body was pressed to his in a warm, soft tangle of limbs. Save slipping out of bed to use the chamber pot sometime in the wee hours, she’d slept molded to him all night long.
Her cheek rested on his chest, and the fringe of her hair glowed in the early morning light. The words he said to her the evening before were true—she was beautiful. And even more angelic in sleep.
He stroked the curve of her back, recalling how the sight of it stopped him cold when he’d joined her in the tub. Her slender torso rose like alabaster out of the pool. His blood had heated in an instant.
Somehow he’d managed to hold his urges at bay and hold her. She’d been deeply hurt, repeatedly, and forced to bend to everyone’s will but her own; her wedding day was also the worst day of her life. He no longer doubted her love for him, but he would rather she have had time. Time to get over her intended and time to come to terms with what her parents had done.
When he’d asked her what she was thinking, he expected it to be that. He’d even prepared himself that she might not be ready for him to consummate their vows and make her his wife, and he was willing to set his own needs aside until she was. When she revealed frank desire for him instead, he’d had to beat lust into submission and stop himself from taking her right there in the tub.
Hmph. That didn’t take long. The truth behind her words had cooled his raging need quicker than the douse of an icy stream.
For months, he’d felt such pride over rescuing her, felt so honorable taking her to find her betrothed. Yet he’d been turning her heart toward himself from the very first kiss. The intimate touch he’d bestowed should have been saved for her wedding night and her husband. He’d taken something that wasn’t rightfully his—even though circumstances ended up making it so—and he was too ashamed of himself to laugh at the irony.
Seth abandoned his critical musings and looked down at his wife. He couldn’t change the past. He needed to focus on the future.
He caressed her back again. As his fingers glided over her smooth skin, Becca arched into his touch and purred like a contented feline. Her eyes remained closed, but a dreamy smile tugged at the edges of her lips.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and kept stroking until she roused to wakefulness. He knew the very instant that she did. Her eyes came open, and the pliant form under his hand stiffened with ingrained propriety.
“Good morning, Wife,” he offered with gentle emphasis on the last word. Perhaps the endearment would remind her and set her at ease.
Blue-gray irises slowly lifted until they were gazing into his. A true blush deepened the flush of sleep that colored her cheek
s. “Good morning.”
Seth smiled sweetly, but it took effort. One look at those plump, pink lips and he was battling urges all over again. “Did you sleep well?”
She sighed and relaxed against him. “Better than I have in a long time.”
“Me, too.”
He relaxed his head on the pillow for a few more minutes of rest. He’d love to while away the hours curled up with his tempting wife, but he needed to find work.
Becca snuggled closer and slid her arm around his waist, the simple movement leaving blissful sensations in its wake.
His eyes fluttered closed. Finding work could wait. For a while, anyway.
“I could stay like this forever,” she murmured against his skin.
“Mm. I was thinking the same thing.” A carnal thought curved his lips. “If we did, though, we’d miss out on ever doing again what we did last night.”
Her head rested in the crook of his arm, but he could see the mound of one cheek. The color of it deepened.
Seth tilted his head so he could see a little more of her face. “I know not everything was pleasant for you, but did you enjoy it...? Did you like the things I did?”
“Yes.” Becca’s answer was little more than a whisper, but it was a satisfied one. Bashful with an undercurrent of desire.
The extra color left her skin and she stayed quiet, so he closed his eyes and did the same. She needed time to adjust to the loss of her innocence, and talk of it would only weaken his resolve. He focused on the soft crackles of the coal-burning heater in the corner and the sounds of the town coming alive below.
“What about women?” Becca asked.
“Huh?”
“Women... Are there things we can do to please a man?”
A few notes of dry laughter left his throat. “Women don’t have to do anything. They please a man just by bein’.”
She got quiet again.
“Seth?”
“Hm.”
“Did you mean what you said last night?”
He ran his fingers slowly up and down the back of her arm. “About what?”
“That your body belongs to me now.”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean I can touch you?”
His hand paused. “Yes.”
“Any time I want?”
“Yes. Although, depending on the kind of touching you mean, you had best save it for when we’re in private. We wouldn’t want to scandalize the good people of Blackwater.”
Seth winced. He’d said the last in jest and with a mocking tone but without an ounce of tactful thought. Thankfully, she humored him with a smile.
He lifted her hand from his waist and brought it to his lips. After planting a kiss on the curve of her thumb, he placed her hand palm down on his chest and covered it with his. “My body became yours last night, but you’ve always had my heart.”
The gracious levity in her eyes melted into deep contentment. If he was blessed to see that look half the rest of his days, he’d be a lucky man.
Becca returned her attention to his chest. She wiggled her hand from beneath his and nudged it aside. With the lightest of touches, she ran her fingers along the ridges and valleys of his muscles. She rose up on her elbow and lightly touched one of his nipples with her tongue, then nibbled gently.
“Mm-ahem.” He’d cleared his throat to mask a moan.
She froze stock still. “Did I hurt you?”
Hell, no.
He smiled and shook his head. “Frog in my throat,” he croaked.
She abandoned the sensitive brown disk to pluck and swirl the patch of hair in the center of his chest with her delicate fingers. She traced the trail southward, pushing the covers down as she went.
Seth closed his eyes as heat simmered through his veins. He’d have to stop her before things went too far—he’d meant what he said about waiting—but she needed to explore.
He looked down at her again. Even with her face turned away and her hair spilling sideways like a veil, he could sense her fascination. It was evident in her posture and her shallow, bated breaths.
When she got to his scar, she stopped and stared at the puckered pink line. He hated that he was marred, that she would have to see the stark reminder for the rest of her life. She’d done a good job of stitching, but the blemish was unsightly; it would never go away.
Becca lifted her hand to her mouth and planted a kiss on the tips of her fingers. She gently touched them to his wounded flesh and said, “Thank you,” then continued her descent.
Seth held perfectly still as she kept tracing his attributes and touching his skin. Her inquisitiveness was beautiful. And maddening. He kept a firm grip on restraint, but here was no willing away his arousal that tented the sheet.
Her hand paused just below his navel, the edge of the covers riding low on his hips, and then, slowly, she lifted the fabric.
Sharp cracks echoed through the room as knuckles rapped on the door.
Becca stiffened and squeaked. She dove for his shoulder, yanking up the covers and sealing them completely over her head.
Seth groaned. And then he chuckled. “Relax, Becca,” he said, freeing his chin from the fortress of cotton. “No one’s coming in. I asked the night manager to wake us.”
The rapping sounded again. “Mr. Emerson?” a male voice called. “Are you awake?”
“Yes,” he called back.
“Very well, sir. I’ll be back in half an hour for the tub.”
Seth sighed. He planted a kiss on Becca’s forehead. “We’d better get up.” He slid out of bed. “Stay here where it’s warm. I’ll bring your chemise.”
He pulled on his drawers and rubbed the chill from his arms, then fed some coal to the heater before gathering Rebecca’s things and bringing them to her. He busied himself with his morning routine and she did the same, exchanging an occasional smile as they tried not to get in each other’s way.
She’d packed her new dress in favor of one of her old outfits, and he rued the choice, even though he understood the practicality. Would she also choose a braid over an upswept style? He hoped not, but it really didn’t matter. She would be beautiful to him no matter what.
Seth carried his socks and boots over to the bed. The mattress sagged as he sat on the edge.
Becca swept past him, her loose hair grazing her waist as she walked. He was glad his hands were occupied. They itched to touch her so badly, he could hardly resist. She carefully raked the hairpins from the nightstand into her hand and carried them to the dressing table. Her eyes met his in the mirror as she sat, then she focused on her reflection again.
She gathered her hair together until it hung from her fist like a horse’s tail. The uncertainty creasing her brow deepened into a look of pure determination as she wound it like a lariat high on her head. It took three tries before she was able to hold the coil in place and work the pins in without parts of it falling, but she didn’t give up. And he didn’t interfere.
Seth walked up behind her as she slid the last pin into place. “You sure are pretty when you wear your hair like that. I don’t know whether to show you off or hide you away. The minute we set foot on the street, you’ll cause every man in town to break the tenth commandment.”
Becca scrunched up her lips as if to call bull on a line of flattery, but her eyes gave her away. Her well of self-worth had run dry, and her heart soaked up every word.
He bent down and kissed her cheek. “On second thought, Mrs. Emerson, I’ll show you off over breakfast.”
Becca smoothed imaginary wrinkles from her clothing for the third time since she and Seth left their room, then placed a clammy hand over her pounding heart. She wasn’t sure which part of facing the other diners made her more nervous—them suspecting she’d lain with Seth on the trail or them knowing she had last night.
Seth’s fingers curled around her hand resting in the crook of his elbow. “Relax,” he whispered, leaning down so only she could hear. “Most everyone thinks very well of you, and t
hose who don’t—their opinions don’t matter.”
That took care of worry number one.
“But they... they’ll know,” she whispered back.
He stopped and looked at her with a sideways smirk. “That’s what you’re worried about? Them knowing what we did last night?”
Becca’s face heated and she nodded.
“Well, don’t be,” he said. “I’d lay money more than half the couples in that room were doing the very same thing. And the others wish they had.”
Her cheeks grew even hotter, but she couldn’t stop the smile. Raising her chin, she ignored the churning mass of worms in her middle and walked with her husband under the archway and into the room.
Several diners looked up, but they didn’t scoff or smirk. Most of them nodded a polite greeting and turned back to their food.
“See. I told you,” Seth whispered as they followed the waiter to their table.
Despite his assertion, he was thoughtful enough to seat her so that her back was to most of the group. Seth was the only one she wanted to see anyway. His easy smile and the way his eyes regarded her with frank satisfaction warmed her more than the coffee swirling over her tongue and sliding down her throat. The last time they’d sat in this room, she’d doubted his motives and his love. Not anymore. His proposal had been genuine.
“There’s something we need to talk about,” Seth said once the waiter had brought their food. His bearing remained pleasant, but the tenor beneath it had changed.
Becca’s stomach knotted as she unfolded her napkin and laid it in her lap. Seth had a strong sense of ethics and duty. He must be planning to turn her parents in. She nudged the steaming mound of scrambled eggs on her plate with her fork and waited for him to elaborate.
“I, uh...” He cleared his throat, and hers grew tighter. “Things happened rather quickly and, well, I wasn’t prepared to take on a wife.”
She looked up at him and blinked.
“Aw, Becca, don’t look at me like that. You’re not a burden—that’s not what I meant.” He reached across the table and wrapped her hand in his. “I’m looking forward to planning a life with you, but I’m running low on funds. I need to find work.”
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