Silver-Tongued Devil

by Lorelei James

“Nope. I hoped you could read it out loud for us like you did that last one.”

  Her smile seemed to add an extra glow to the room. “I’d love that.”

  “I made sure I’ve got plenty of lamp oil.” Then he nudged her knee with his. “Open the next one.”

  Dinah unboxed the Asian-themed teapot covered in cherry blossoms and red pagodas. The set included two cups and saucers, a matching sugar bowl and a cream pitcher. Her shocked gaze met his. “Silas. How did you…?”

  “I asked Robinette if there was anything you kept lookin’ at when you were browsing in his store. He said you were drawn to this set from the first.”

  She ran her finger over the domed top of the teapot and the curved bamboo handle. “My mother had one similar to this set. It got broken when we moved.” Her eyes were watery when she looked up again. “Thank you, Silas. It means so much. It’s a perfect addition to our household goods.”

  He leaned over and kissed her. “You’re welcome. I also bought a tin of tea and a chunk of honeycomb.”

  “It appears we’re having tea with our sugar pie instead of coffee.” She tucked the paper back into the box. “Come on. It’s time for supper.”

  Chapter Eleven

  While Dinah cleaned up the supper dishes, Silas headed out to the log pile to chop wood into smaller pieces for the cookstove.

  It’d been an amazing day. Exciting and yet strange to consider this would be her home. The best part had been Silas’s willingness to teach her whatever she’d asked.

  And his gifts. She never would’ve believed the man had such a sweet side.

  As much as she wanted to use her new tea set, until she had a proper shelf for it, it’d be best to leave it in the box. She started coffee to go with their dessert.

  Silas returned and only had eyes for the pie she’d dished up.

  Dinah only had eyes for him. He’d rolled his sleeves past his elbows, revealing his strong, sinewy forearms. He’d also left his shirt unbuttoned midway down his chest after washing at the pump, revealing that thatch of midnight hair she’d found so fascinating every time she’d glimpsed his torso at Doc’s. He’d slicked his hair straight back after scrubbing his face. The man was striking looking. Such handsome features deserved her admiration.

  Not that he’d caught her appreciative glances.

  “Darlin’, I’ve been chompin’ at the bit to sink my teeth into this pie.”

  “Sit. The coffee’s almost done.”

  “We’re not havin’ tea?”

  “I’d rather leave the tea set boxed up for safekeeping until I have a special place for it.”

  “Understood.” He pulled the chair out and plopped down.

  That’s when she noticed he’d taken his boots and his socks off. There was something intimate about seeing a man’s naked feet. She tried to imagine getting used to seeing all of him bared to her; heat rose up her neck and flushed her face.

  After filling two coffee cups and setting them on the table, she sat across from him. “Don’t be shy. Dig in.”

  Silas sliced through the creamy yellow filling and popped the bite in his mouth. He groaned. Swallowed. Took another bite before he spoke. “That is the best damn sugar pie I’ve ever had.” He cocked his head. “You were pullin’ my leg when you said you’d never made it before, weren’t you?”

  “No. I asked Mrs. Agnes if she’d ever heard of it and she had a recipe. After I looked at the ingredients, I realized this pie is similar to the custard my mother used to make. That one didn’t have a crust either and the sugar on top is browned almost to the point of burned.”

  “Feel free to make that dessert for me anytime you want.”

  She smiled. “You have a taste for sweet things.”

  “Mmm-hmm. That’s why I picked you.” The rest of his pie vanished in about three bites.

  Dinah hadn’t eaten any of hers.

  “You don’t like it?” Silas said.

  “I’d rather have something fruity. With a double crust. Or with meringue.”

  He pulled her plate in front of him. “Hate to see this go to waste.”

  She chuckled and sipped her coffee. “What time do you usually turn in?”

  “Depends. If it’s been a long day, I often don’t make it much past supper. If Jonas is here, we end up talkin’ or playin’ cards, so I hit the hay later. Most mornings I’m up with the sun. I deal with my cattle first since Henrikson ain’t an early riser. Then I head over and take care of his livestock.”

  “Does he ever help you?”

  “Sometimes. Usually only when he’s sick of his own company. Then after I’ve finished the cattle check, I work on building fences. Or depending on the time of year, I’m putting up hay. If I’m lucky, I’ll get two cuttings out of the hay field in a growin’ season. I’ve gotta show improvements on the land and that requires me plantin’ trees, so I do that too. Which is kinda crazy because I also spend a goodly chunk of my time clearin’ the deadfall outta the forested parts of the land. I load the logs in the wagon, haul them here and cut ’em so they dry out before winter hits, so I don’t freeze to death.” He took a swig of coffee. “Probably more than you wanted to know…but why you askin’, darlin’?”

  “I’m wondering where I’ll fit into that. Will you need me to help you? Or maybe the better question is will you want my help? I understand I’ll be in charge of the household, but I thought maybe you get tired of doing things all by yourself. Plus, what if you took sick? Henrikson probably won’t come over and help you. I don’t know any of your other neighbors. It makes sense that you teach me how to do all the cow stuff. When I’m a ranch wife I’ll need—”

  Silas stood so abruptly his chair tipped over. Then he just plucked her up off her chair and carried her to his sleeping area, falling back onto his bed so she was on top of him.

  “Silas!”

  Laughing, he rolled her over until his body covered hers. Then he kissed her with sweetness and gentle coaxing that turned warmth into fiery need. She squirmed, not to get away, but because her body wanted more…even when she wasn’t sure what that more was.

  Silas broke the kiss—chuckling when her lips chased his—to string openmouthed kisses down her neck. Then back up to reconnect with her mouth. Once their tongues tangled furiously, she heard him growl. She felt the vibration down to where his hardness pressed against her.

  He inched his lips over to her ear and whispered, “Maybe I’ll keep my wife so spent from lovin’ on her all the time that she won’t be able to get outta this bed in the mornin’.” Then he dragged his tongue to the other side of her throat, drawing lazy circles over her damp skin. “I could just nibble on you day and night, sugar pie.”

  “I’d like that.” She trapped his face between her palms, forcing him to look at her. “But that still doesn’t answer my questions.”

  “It sure as hell answered mine.”

  She waited for him to explain.

  He angled his head close enough to rub his lips back and forth across hers while keeping their eyes locked. “I liked bein’ with you before I understood that you are all in with everything that it means to be a rancher’s wife. Not because you feel it’ll be your duty, but because you wanna share all parts of this life with me.”

  “I do.”

  “Then I’ll teach you anything you wanna learn.”

  “How to shoot a gun?”

  “How to shoot all three kinds of guns I own.” He paused. “You really want to learn how to hunt?”

  “Yes. And how to protect myself.”

  Those blue eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why would you need to know how to protect yourself?”

  “Because I’ll be living out in the middle of nowhere and you won’t always be around.”

  “And?”

  She sighed heavily. “And Martha lives in the woods and I can’t tell you how many times she warned me about bears and coyotes. She’s even seen a mountain lion. Not to mention snakes.” Her shudder was genuine. “What if I’m out picking
berries and I come across a bear and a rattlesnake? I need to know how to shoot them for my protection.”

  He relaxed his posture. “Bears are unlikely. Coyotes usually run when they catch wind of humans and I haven’t seen a mountain lion around here. But I’ll teach you how to use my shotgun, rifle and pistol, okay? Next time I go huntin’ you can come along.” He studied her. “Anything else I need to put in my teacher’s lessons?”

  “How to rope?”

  “Sure. But I don’t see that you’ll have much use for that.”

  “How to cuss like a cowboy?”

  “Yep.”

  “How to brand and doctor calves and all the weird cow stuff?”

  He snickered and kissed her nose. “You sayin’ cow stuff busts my gut every damn time.”

  Dinah smirked at him. “I like that you’re not laughing at me, McKay.”

  “Never.” He shifted on the bed, knocking into the bundle she’d tucked under the pillow. “What’s that?”

  “My bedclothes.” Her cheeks warmed again. “I didn’t know what to do with them.”

  “Don’t need to hide them from me, sweetheart. I’ll be seein’ them soon enough.”

  Her heart hammered. No man had ever seen her bare. And she wasn’t sure if she was just supposed to get ready for bed while he watched or if it’d be better if she undressed privately.

  “I see the questions in those pretty eyes. It’s about us sleepin’ together, ain’t it?

  She nodded.

  “I know you haven’t been with a man before. Showing me your body before sharin’ it with me is a big step. I told you we wouldn’t turn this into a marriage bed until you’re ready…even if that means I gotta wait until we’re actually hitched.” Silas pressed his mouth to the side of her neck, for more of those kisses and licks that caused her to wiggle like a worm on a hook. “But that don’t mean we can’t touch each other and learn how to be lovers.” He blew in her ear and gooseflesh erupted. “Let go of them nerves. You’re beautiful and I can’t wait to get my hands and mouth all over this body. But I’d never pressure you for it to happen before you’re ready. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Now, since I already took my boots off and I’m in for the night, I’ll crawl in bed while you head to the outhouse. I’ll keep my back turned until you tell me you’re ready. Sound fair?”

  “Sounds more than fair, Silas. Thank you for being so patient with me.”

  He sank his teeth into the spot where her neck met her shoulder and she moaned. “No need to thank me. I’ve no doubt you’re worth the wait.” He pushed back onto his knees. “That said, it gets mighty warm in this cabin in the summer. I’ll wear this union suit tonight, but there’ll come a night where I’ll come to you in just my skin.”

  She bit back her response of hoping that was sooner rather than later.

  Silas hopped off the bed. “Grab the lantern on the table before you head outside. Leave the cabin door open and holler really loud if you need something.”

  “I will.”

  After using the hand pump in the dim lamplight, Dinah decided to ask Silas to put a washstand inside the cabin too.

  True to his word, he kept his back to her as she removed her day clothes.

  Since her room at Doc’s was always cold, she’d brought her flannel nightgown. Standing in the stuffy cabin, she hesitated. If she put this on, even without lying next to another warm body, she’d roast.

  In a bold move, she grabbed the shift she’d worn beneath her dress. The fact that the cotton was thin enough to read a newspaper through meant she’d stay cool. Especially without pantalets.

  Forcing her hands to her sides and her chin up, she said, “You can turn around now.”

  Silas flipped to his side so fast she feared he might’ve given himself whiplash.

  His gaze moved from her bare toes, curling into the wood planked floor, up to the tops of her knees where the shift ended, over her legs—his gaze lingered on the vee of her thighs and the dark patch of hair visible through the flimsy white material. His perusal felt as intimate as a caress as it followed the curves of her hips and passed over the plane of her belly, coming to a dead stop at her full bosom. The cloth was tighter on top to control her breasts since she refused to wear a corset. With the way he studied her, with such hunger, her nipples tightened. After rubbing his hand over his mouth, his scrutiny shifted up to the square neckline that showed nearly all of her upper chest and neck, to her face.

  Then he swallowed hard. “Goddamn, woman. That’s gotta be my favorite piece of clothing you’ve ever worn.”

  “But Silas. There’s nothing to it.”

  “That’s exactly why it’s my favorite.” That devil-may-care grin fit him so well and she loved that he flashed it at her without shame.

  He patted the spot beside him. “Crawl in. After you grab the book I bought you.”

  “I already brought a book to read. We’ll start the one you gifted me after we finish this one.”

  “What’s the name of it?”

  “You’ll see.” She held the lamp. “Put a side table on your list of household items. I need light if we’re reading every night.”

  “Here.” He took the lamp and placed it on the thickest spot of the headboard. “As long as we’re not slammin’ into the headboard like animals, it oughta stay in place.”

  Slamming into the headboard like animals. Dinah knew what that meant. Growing up she’d frequently heard that banging sound coming from her parents’ room. Even now she heard it occasionally from Doc and Mrs. Agnes’s bedroom. And to think someday soon she and Silas would be doing the same thing.

  But good Lord, how hard would he have to rut into her to make the headboard wobble? Would it hurt?

  Silas must’ve read her look as panic because he said, “I’ll build a side table this week for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Clutching the book, she slid under the covers next to him.

  Immediately Silas rested his head on her chest. He sighed. “Just as soft and sweetly scented as I’d imagined. However…” He scooted down so the side of his face was on her belly. “This’ll be more comfortable for you. And you can run your hands through my hair when you’re readin’ because I surely loved when you did it before.”

  Thankfully she’d done something right in the way she touched him. “I might have to rest the book on your shoulder.”

  “Fine by me.”

  “We need to make sure we don’t fall asleep with the lamp burning.”

  “We won’t.”

  “What if my voice puts you to sleep?”

  He lifted his head up and looked at her. “You’re in my bed for one night out of seven if I’m lucky. I ain’t gonna waste any more time sleepin’ than I have to.” He returned to his previous position. “Now tell me, sugar pie. What are we readin’?”

  “Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It’s one of my favorite books.”

  “Then I’m lucky you’re sharin’ it with me. What’s it about?”

  “Love and family and expectations in English society at the start of the century.”

  “Any dueling pistol matches at dawn in it?”

  “No.”

  “Any shipwrecks with pirates, a secret treasure and a pet monkey?”

  “Not that either.”

  A sigh.

  “You don’t get to be disappointed before I even start the book, Silas.”

  “All right. I’ll stop askin’ questions and listen.”

  Dinah picked up the book and turned to the first chapter. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

  Silas snorted.

  “What’s wrong now?”

  “Nothin’. The language is strange, but the words are true. In my head I just changed the word fortune to ranch.”

  She snickered. “Can I keep going?”

  “By all means.”

  When Silas didn’t interject another n
oise or comment after the first chapter, Dinah kept reading. However, she stopped when she began to yawn.

  Immediately he wiggled into an upright position, turned off the lamp and slid back down next to her.

  He gathered her in his arms and his mouth zeroed in on hers, kissing her with surety. Legs twined together, his hands soothing her until she melted against him. He whispered, “Night, my angel,” and settled her head against his chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Like they’d done it for years instead of it being the first time.

  She woke alone in the bed the next morning, but Silas had to be close because she smelled coffee.

  Then she heard whistling from outside the open cabin door.

  Might’ve been the happiest sound she’d ever heard.

  Dinah stretched and sat up.

  She had no idea what time it was.

  Silas ambled back in. He bestowed a glorious grin on her. “Now there’s the prettiest sight I’ve ever seen. My beloved in my bed.”

  She might’ve sighed loud enough for him to hear.

  “I’ve got the horses saddled. Soon as you’re dressed, we’ll get to work.” He pointed to the row of pegs across the wall. “Feel free to hang your nightgown up there for next time you’re here.”

  “Is that your way of bragging to Jonas that I’ll be in your bed regularly?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well, too bad. I’ll need to wear this under my dress today.” She dropped her feet to the floor. “But I’ll bring this one back and leave it here next time I stay, all right?”

  “Next time?” He frowned. “I thought you could be here with me every Saturday night.”

  “As much as I wish I could, I am beholden to Doc, for at least some Saturday evenings, remember? You’ll be fine with me here only half the Saturdays and Sundays between now and next May. Plus, think of how much more cow stuff you can buy when I’m saving up my earnings to contribute to the McKay Ranch fund.”

  He didn’t act happy about that like she’d expected.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “You think I can’t provide for us?”

  “I never said that.” Her traitorous thoughts returned to what Zeke West had said about Silas always being broke.