Cowboy’s Rules: Brides of Juniper Junction, Book Three

by Jones, Celeste

  "You're a sassy one, Lizzie girl. Just because you're having a bath or getting liniment rubbed on you doesn't mean there won't be more kisses." He demonstrated by gently touching his mouth to hers again. This time, she had a better idea of what to expect and she responded immediately, putting her lips to his and moving with them. Longing curled through her body and she slid her hands around his neck, her breasts pressed to his hard chest.

  Finally, Matt pulled away, his heated gaze boring into hers, he unclasped her hands from behind his neck. She stared at him, mystified.

  "Have I done something wrong?" she gasped once she managed to catch her breath. Oh, what had she messed up now?

  "Oh no, sweetheart, you've done nothing but right. It's just that, if we don't stop now, you'll never get that bath I promised and we really must follow the doctor's instructions and apply this liniment." He gave her a quick hard kiss. "We have a big night ahead of us."

  The warm tingles in her body burst into flame. "Ma-maybe the bath can wait?"

  She'd certainly become forward, though she'd never been a shrinking violet in the first place. But, her experience with men was limited, at best. In the past few minutes she'd gone from having her first kiss to basically begging for him to have his way with her.

  That was the effect Matt Foreman, her handsome cowboy husband, had on her.

  She was almost feverish after a few kisses and promises of more. What did the rest of the evening, in fact her whole life, have in store for her? She trembled in anticipation.

  He gave her bottom a small pat with his broad palm. "No, you'll have a bath and liniment." His stern tone sent a pulse of womanly awareness to the private place between her thighs and she nodded her agreement, not trusting her voice to come out without a quaver to it.

  A few minutes later she waited in the bedroom which she and Matt would share. It was on the second floor. While she was alone, she took a minute to inspect the space. It was smaller than the foyer of her old home in St. Louis, which she noted with a bit of surprise. Or chagrin. She really had lived an exalted life and hadn't even realized that many people, in fact most people, did not live that way. How foolish she'd been. Not to make the trip to Juniper Junction, no she had zero regrets about that, but that she had never paid more attention to life beyond the walls of her own home or neighborhood.

  The house was clean, if a bit worn. The bed drew her attention and she imagined herself curled up next to Matt. Reaching down, she touched the coverlet and sheets. This would be a bit of an adjustment over the fine linens of Pendleton House.

  Yes, many adjustments for Elizabeth. But, she reminded herself, she was Lizzie now. And Lizzie was happy and carefree and adventuresome.

  The door opened and she jumped back from the bed and put a smile on her face. Matt entered with a tub and some towels. "I've got some water on so it should be ready soon." He set the tub on the floor and placed the towels on a chair near it. "This is probably a treat for you, having someone else get your bath instead of you doing it for someone else."

  "What? Oh, yes. It certainly is." She recovered quickly and hoped her face did not give away her thoughts. She really did need to be less open or she might reveal more than she wished. It was just that with Matt, she felt at ease, happy and content. However, it was important that she not let her guard down completely.

  The tub was half the size of the one she used at home— no, that wasn’t home. Juniper Junction and this house was her home now. Though not extravagant, it was adequate for the task. As she stared at it, she realized she had no idea how to even prepare a bath. The most she'd ever done was simply tell a servant, usually Minnie, that she wished to bathe and within a short time, all was ready for her to step in. And when she finished, she walked away while the tub and water were disposed of.

  Yet dear Matt thought she'd been a maid. Waiting on the wealthy, instead of the other way around. What would he say if he knew the truth?

  She should tell him. Get the story out now. The longer it lingered, the worse it would be when he did find out.

  But, what reason would there be for him to ever know?

  Chapter 5

  Visions of his bride bathing in the tub had Matt’s cock stirring in his pants. It took all of his willpower not to toss her onto the bed and claim her over and over. He sure hoped Doc was right about the liniment working in a matter of minutes because otherwise, he might have to take matters into his own hands to get some relief.

  Oh damn. Now he couldn’t stop thinking about Lizzie with her delicate hand around his cock, stroking up and down from balls to shaft until he exploded.

  He paused for a moment to clear his head. Pull yourself together. You already hurt her when you squeezed too hard, just minutes after going to the doctor. What sort of jackass would I be to force myself on her when she's traveled across the country for me and has an injury.

  Getting married and seeing the doctor all in the same day was not something to be taken lightly.

  "Here you go," he brought in a fresh kettle of hot water and poured it in. "I'll be back with some cold water and then it should be ready." He glanced up at Lizzie as she stood next to the tub, still fully clothed. A blush covered her cheeks. He knew what the skin there felt like from their few kisses. Soft and creamy. Delicate, just like she was.

  He vowed to treat her gently and with great care. To slowly introduce her to the pleasures of the marriage bed and initiate the intimate part of their marriage in a thoughtful way which would not frighten her. He understood that most women had very little knowledge of the sex acts that happen between men and women and with Lizzie being a maid, she'd never said much about her parents, so he had to assume no one had spoken to her about a wife's duties to her husband. It would be up to him to teach her and it was a sacred duty that he took very seriously. It would be his honor to be her one and only lover.

  He continued this self-talk as he retrieved a bucket of cold water from the pump out back. With his mind in the right place, he returned to the house, prepared to give his wife all the privacy and time she needed to adjust.

  When he rounded the corner into the room he halted in his tracks, water splashing from the kettle onto the floor.

  "I'm having some trouble getting my dress off, Matt," she whispered, her voice smooth as velvet. "Do you think you could help me?"

  Woah. Woah. Woah.

  He swallowed hard while his cock sprung to life once again. His sweet and innocent bride that he was so concerned about pushing too far or too fast stood in the waning afternoon light, the back of her blue silk dress was open and the bodice and sleeves down over her waist, her arms bare and her torso covered by a snug corset that had her breasts pushed up high, nearly bursting from it. The pink edges of her nipples barely discernible, but he knew they were there. Her nipples, like tiny beads, pressed against the fabric as though eager to be loose.

  He swallowed again and gazed into her eyes where he saw a heat that no doubt reflected his own mounting passion.

  Was she trying to seduce him?

  Did he care if she was?

  Well, this was a side he hadn't expected, but considering her eagerness over their kisses moments ago, maybe he ought not to have been surprised. He had no doubt that she was a virgin, it would be shocking for any young woman not to be. However, she was an eager young bride and he could have no complaint about that.

  However, he was the head of this household and she needed to understand that he set the rules and the pace.

  But then he took another look at her, saw the doubt beginning to creep into her eyes and set down the kettle of water and drew her into his arms, kissing her tenderly and then deeply. "You are so beautiful," he said once he caught his breath afterward. He reached around her and opened the final fastenings of her dress and let it fall to the floor, then helped her to step out.

  His cock pressed painfully against his pants and he yearned to free it, but the time was not right. Not quite yet. But soon. Oh, so very soon.

  With his
praise and kisses, he saw confidence return to his bride's gaze and she smiled shyly at him. "Thank you, M-matt. I think you are h-handsome." She allowed her gaze to roam over him and though he was certain she had no idea how seductive such an action was, it still caused heat to torch through his body.

  "We'd better get you into the tub," he managed to choke out. He poured the rest of the water in and then knelt and felt it to make sure the temperature was good. His eyes were on the task at hand and he said, in an attempt to be a gentleman and mindful of her sensibilities, "Would you like some help in the bath or do you think you can manage on your own?"

  When he lifted his eyes to her, he fell back onto his rear end. "Holy cats!" She'd opened the front of her corset and pulled it wide, leaving it hanging to the sides while her breasts—lush and beautiful with rose colored tips that were beaded and made him lick his lips in anticipation—were fully exposed to his view.

  "I think I would like some help, if you are offering."

  He scrambled to his feet and approached her. He reached out a finger to trace the outline of her breast before stroking over the tight bud of her nipple. She inhaled sharply and her eyelids drooped as a soft moan escaped her mouth.

  "Has anyone ever touched you like this, Lizzie?" he whispered in her ear. He prayed the answer was ‘no’ because otherwise he'd have to hunt down the other man and kill him in a fit of jealous rage.

  "Of course not!" She straightened and stared at him with a bit of imperiousness that surprised him. "How dare you say such a thing!"

  He gave himself a mental kick in the ass. What was wrong with him? He had a beautiful, desirable and seductive woman in his arms and he brought up other men?

  "I apologize. I don't know what's wrong with me, you're so beautiful, I lost my head."

  That seemed to appease her and she shifted so that the corset fell open further. "Um, maybe we ought to hurry so the water doesn't get cold?"

  As hot as he felt, Matt figured he could just dip his finger in and raise the temperature a few degrees, if not all the way to boiling.

  He took a moment to open the collar of his shirt and toss aside the tie he'd been wearing all day. He was surprised it had lasted that long. He'd been distracted. Now, he felt stifled. The air in the room was thick with anticipation ... as was his cock.

  Taking hold of the corset he carefully slid it down her arms and tossed it aside. Pausing for a moment, he drank in the sight of her topless. Holy cats!

  His lurid thoughts were interrupted by the blue-green bruise forming on her side, reminding him of her injury and the need to put the liniment on right away. Tentatively he reached out and touched the edge of it. "Does this hurt?"

  She winced. "A little."

  "Well, much as I'd like to do all kinds of other things, including touching you all over, we need to get you in the tub and apply the liniment."

  She nodded, the pulse at the base of her throat hammering. "I hope the doctor was right, that it will take away the pain in just a matter of minutes." She reached out and touched her fingertip to his arm, running it from shoulder to hand and then clasping his hand in hers. "I'm feeling some urges, Matt."

  * * *

  She wanted him and she wanted him now. She wasn't sure what all that entailed but she knew that her body was on fire and the throbbing between her thighs, the same feeling she used to get when reading a romance novel, only now it was ratcheted up a hundred-fold.

  In the books she'd read, they just talked about a yearning and longing and flutters. She had all that, but now she realized there was more. Much more and she wanted it.

  She realized she was being demanding and pushy and she’d noticed a shadow of something pass over Matt’s eyes. Perhaps he didn’t care for her being so forward.

  Heated pulses moved through her body and she needed relief.

  Unaccustomed to being told no, but, she was not in charge here, he was. That would be a lesson she needed to learn and the sooner the better.

  Matt took hold of her hand and brought her palm to his mouth, laying a tender kiss to the center, then he guided her closer to the tub. Holding her hand to keep her steady, he helped her out of her drawers and stockings. Each touch of his fingers along her flesh sent shivers of desire through her and by the time he lowered her into the tub, she was desperate with need. Thank goodness the water had cooled some so that she could get her urges under control.

  Matt knelt next to the tub, rolling back the sleeves of his shirt to reveal tanned, sinewy forearms. She stared and her breathing increased to the point where she was nearly gasping for air.

  Matt tipped her chin up so she could see into his face. "Let's get this bath taken care of and the liniment too. I had planned to do all this slowly, but I am getting the impression that you are as impatient as I am. Is that true, sweetheart?"

  She flushed and reached down for some water to splash over her face. "Y-yes," she whispered. "A-am I a h-harlot? I have never felt such wanton desires before."

  He used a towel to softly dry the water from her face. "You are far from a harlot, my dear sweet Lizzie. You are simply a woman with healthy desires and that pleases me a great deal. A very great deal."

  His praise helped to quell her uncertainty. Honestly it seemed that ever since she'd gotten on the train she'd lost track of herself, where Elizabeth—proper young lady who was used to being waited on, ended and Lizzie—carefree and high-spirited—began. Was it possible she was both? Always had been both? She'd simply never had the opportunity to explore being Lizzie. Her life had been so regimented in St. Louis. You can't go here, Elizabeth. You can't go there, Elizabeth. Wear a hat, you'll age your skin. No running. Stop laughing.

  Oh, the endless rules.

  But now, there were no rules. She'd left them behind hundreds of miles of train tracks ago.

  Matt wet a cloth and lathered it with soap, then carefully lifted her arms and began to wash. First he ran the wet cloth from wrist to shoulder, then down to her chest, sweeping over her breasts with the minutest pause over her engorged nipples before rising to the other shoulder and sliding down to her wrist. She stared at him, eyes wide. Speechless.

  Next he carefully washed the bruise on her side, leaning in to examine it. His lips mere inches away from her, she held her breath and when he closed the distance and placed a kiss on the tender bruise, she could swear some of the soreness disappeared. His lips were magical. His kisses otherworldly.

  Dazed, she simply sat in the water, waiting for what he'd do next. He tipped her forward to wash her back and when she bent, her swollen nipples dipped into the cooling water, sending tingles across her upper body and a few down to her womanly parts. She wiggled in the tub in an effort to quell the need which threatened to overtake her.

  "You're being a good girl, Lizzie. Just let me finish up here and then we'll put the liniment on." He stood and took her hand, raising her up as well. Rivulets of water slaked down her body and she blushed from head to toe. "Matt!" Using her free hand, she attempted to cover herself but couldn't decide whether to reach for her breast or her lady parts and ended up simply waving her arm at him.

  He took hold of it and clasped both her hands in his. "Settle down, Lizzie." Standing behind her, he blew on her shoulders, raising goose flesh all over her back. With one hand holding both of hers at her waist, he used the other to tip her forward, supporting her across her waist with the hand holding hers. Then he dipped the washcloth into the water again and delved between her legs from the rear.

  "Wh-what?" She pushed to stand, but he leaned in, his now wet shirt rough against her back.

  "Need to wash you everywhere, Lizzy." He swiped the cloth along the slit of her womanhood and she gasped for air, her toes curling in the cool water of the tub. Then he moved backward and scrubbed between her bottom cheeks, adding extra soap to get a good lather between the cheeks of her bottom.

  "Oh. Oh," she wailed. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I'm going to make you feel so good, my sweet Lizzie. You just need to
be patient. Can you be patient for me?"

  "I-I am not sure," she said, her voice was hoarse and her throat felt like sandpaper from her breath sawing in and out.

  He rinsed her backside and then helped her step out onto a towel before he carefully dried her off, paying particular attention to her breasts and then to her private parts, rubbing vigorously at the apex of her womanly core which sent shivers coursing through her.

  She clung to his arm, oblivious to her nudity, as heated desire unlike anything she’d experienced before built higher and higher. Matt dropped the towel and slipped his fingers into the folds of her sex. Gasping, she dug her fingers into his arm. This was shocking and she ought to protest the invasion, yet every fiber of her being longed for more. She rested her head on his shoulder and gripped his arms as all the muscles in her body contracted at the same time, held for a moment and then released, shooting her into the air, or so it seemed, where she lingered for a few heart stopping seconds before slowly drifting back down to the bedroom where her husband held her in his arms, whispering soothing words against her hair.

  Chapter 6

  She'd never felt so relaxed before in her entire life. In fact, she was so lost in her delirium that she barely realized she was naked. Completely naked. And she'd moaned and sighed with abandon just moments before while her husband had his fingers in her private place. The one place she thought no one was supposed to touch.

  Well, she was wrong about that, because it felt fantastic and she couldn't wait for it to happen again. And again.

  Still murmuring against her hair, Matt bent down, slid one arm behind her knees and lifted her, much as he had when he carried her over the threshold, and held her close to his body.

  Being carried was not something Lizzie was accustomed to but she felt utterly safe in Matt's strong arms. His chest was hard and when she rested her head against it, she could hear his heart pounding a rapid rhythm. She smiled, realizing he was not unaffected by their activities.