by Megan McCoy
So why in the hell did she have to clench her thighs together every time she imagined herself across his lap, her ass getting smacked as he lectured her with that shit-eating grin of his?
He’d helped her with her inhaler, and with dinner, and even getting to bed. He’d stayed. When he read the journals, something felt different. Clearer. She wanted him to stay with her. She liked the arguing, the threats, the smiles, the tenderness.
And then he kissed her. It took everything inside her not to push him down to the soft, white comforter and mount him like the wanton beast she felt like. She didn’t need to, though. He could just read her mind. Like, everything.
He knew she wanted his hands holding her face, not shoving up her shirt. He knew how intensely she needed to be kissed; soft, but powerful and relentless. He knew she needed his leg to push between hers and rub right where she wanted him. And he knew to wrap his huge hands around her hips and smoothly tug her over as he rolled to his back.
Her knees pushed into the soft bed on either side of him as she rocked her hips, still kissing him deeply. He held her close, one hand on her thigh and one on the back of her neck, a soft moan escaping as he stroked his tongue into her mouth. She’d never felt the need to have someone inside her so urgently. Would it happen? Yes, that’s definitely where things were heading. Would it complicate the already complicated emotions between them? Undoubtedly.
“Bradley.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, as she pulled her head up and looked down at his lazy eyes in the dim light of the moon.
He tucked her hair behind her ear in a now familiar way and grinned. His voice was deep and soothing as he said, “Let’s go to sleep.”
Chapter 6
Silver Creek City
Pryce rode pridefully through town with his adorable, capable wife at his side on horseback. His arm was still immobilized in a sling, but it served as a reminder to him how lucky he was. She knew his rules about going off alone, and she’d broken them anyway, to save his life. He knew he loved her. Maybe it meant she loved him too.
He was so worried about scaring her, though, and in turn scarring her. They had the rest of their lives to be in love, and therefore make love, but he knew if he pushed his little virginal wife too far too fast she might never recover. Which was probably why he loved taking her over his knee and baring that sweet behind of hers for a spanking. Never too hard. Never with anything other than his hand. She hated it anyway, though.
He grinned over at her as she shifted once or twice on the saddle, forcing a small smile at him underneath a blue bonnet. While he loved that she’d taken in his long johns and pants and wore them freely at the ranch, and while he really loved pulling her over his lap and unbuttoning the back of those long johns to reveal a square area of smooth, plump, pale skin for him to spank, he knew she had to wear a dress when they went to town.
She’d refused, and after a little admonishing and arguing and well-aimed smacks he’d finally wrestled her into a blue dress and matching bonnet. Even when she pouted, she was beautiful. He finally cleared his throat as they rode Lancelot and Guinevere past the tall, white clapboard church, snow still sitting in the cold shadows of the buildings.
“We’ll drop the pumpkin loaf you made off at Doc’s and let him check my arm, then we’ll pick up supplies and head back.” He cleared his throat when she nodded, but didn’t look at him. “And we’ll pick up a better ranch hat for you. Mine’s too big and that bonnet won’t do.”
There. She turned and smiled with those gorgeous steel blue eyes. “Really?”
“You said it. Pants are more practical, and so is a cowboy hat.” He could have melted at the grateful grin she was giving him. That was it. All she wanted was respect and a voice. Maybe he could work that into the conversation after dinner. Then work his way into those pants and long johns.
As Dr. Daniels greeted him and unwrapped the wound on his wrist, Pryce strained to hear what Holly and Shay were whispering about in the corner of the room. He was glad Shay had come to his rescue and he was really glad she and Holly had become friends. Growing up, Shay had been the only girl in town with any sense. And she was smart as a whip.
“I thought,” Holly quietly began, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a little leather pouch. “Maybe if your dad was too hard on you. It’s a salve I put on if I’ve been working all day and my hands rub raw.”
Shay smiled and shook her head. “Turns out, he was proud of me. He knows I can’t go to medical school like my brother did. But my brother isn’t moving back from New Haven, either. He says he’s been training me for a situation like that my whole life.” She huffed out a laugh and looked over at her father and Pryce, who quickly looked at the ceiling like he hadn’t been listening. “I think he really means for me to take over one day.”
“Well you know more than the doctor we had back east.” Holly swallowed and licked her lips as she thought about what she wanted to say next. She leaned in and began whispering.
Pryce grunted out an expletive and looked down at his wrist as the doctor pressed a liquid-soaked rag against it. He proceeded to wrap it and said Pryce didn’t have to have it in a sling anymore, which encouraged him to finally move forward with his plan to introduce the idea of being intimate with his wife.
Pryce thanked the doc and Shay one more time before leading Holly back outside. They walked to the Mercantile and ordered what they needed, along with a hat that fit nicely over her crown of blonde braids. Then they ate apples and walked through the square quietly.
“It’s Friday,” Pryce began, tossing his apple core aside and brushing his hands together. “I’ve got to go and deal with some mine business at the bank, but I think you might be bored sitting there.”
He could tell it hurt her feelings a little, but it was the truth. It even bored him. His father had always dealt with mine business on Fridays, though, and since he’d opted to stay out at the ranch during a snowstorm with his new wife the Friday before, he really needed to go. He leaned down and kissed the edge of her frown. “Won’t be long. Stay here in the square, though. No wandering off.”
Shay had said it. Maybe unintentionally, but she’d meant it. She’d had to fight boys off. They all wanted to be with her. Have intercourse, though she’d used a different word. She’d said when she finally decided to do it, the boy was so happy they had to do it twice, just to get him to calm himself down.
Boys weren’t like that with Holly. Men hadn’t been, either. And Pryce? She slept next to him every single night and she didn’t have to pretend to fight him off. He just wasn’t that interested, and it made her depressed.
In all honesty, she really liked him. He was like a friend and a protector all in one. They laughed together, ate every meal together, told stories, and even slept very, very close to each other every night. Yes, he spanked her like little girl, but she felt closer to him afterwards when he held her, kissed her head, complimented her. She trusted him and she really had no reason to.
He acted like he adored her. So why didn’t he want to do what husband and wife, well, do? The wind blew through the tall pines of the little park in the town square, reminding her that colder weather wasn’t just on the way. It was there.
What would their Christmas be like? It snowed a lot in Colorado. Would he tire of being stuck inside with her in such bad weather? Surely, they’d run out of stories to trade and he’d run out of reasons to take her across his knee.
A tear fell down her cheek as she thought about what it would be like to be near him, but ignored by him. She wouldn’t be able to take that. He didn’t consummate the marriage maybe because he was afraid of that, too. She’d failed so miserably. The first night. She was supposed to have made the marriage official the first night, so he wouldn’t send her back.
And that’s when she heard the train whistle.
Chapter 7
Silver Creek Ranch Lodge, The Kitchen
“She’s going to leave him?”
Eve grinned as she
sat at the square white marble counter in the center of the renovated large room. She looked back down at her phone and continued typing her email to update her boss.
“You sound surprised, Bradley.” She’d already read through the journal earlier in the day while he’d been out treating a calf in the melting snow. To be perfectly honest, it had surprised her too. She watched through her lashes as he paced by around the island and waved the old leather journal around.
“Well, he gets her back. Obviously. I mean, you’re proof of that.” He exhaled and turned for the bar next to the lit built-ins in the open sitting area of the room.
“Hmm,” she replied, trying to act indifferent. “Maybe he just hit her too much and she wanted to send a message.” Eve grinned at her comeback, but couldn’t hide the surprised look on her face when he appeared next to her with two crystal goblets of wine and an intense frown.
He plopped down on the saddle stool next to her and shook his head. “You think that’s it?”
Eve set her phone down and turned her body towards Bradley, taking a sip of the delicious wine for courage and raising a brow at him. “No, dumbass, it’s so evident in the way she worded it. Either when she wrote it down one hundred and fifty years ago or when she recounted it to Nana Carrie.”
Bradley chugged his wine impatiently as he eyed her, waiting for her to proceed.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “He’s acting like he’s not sexually attracted to her. These days you just swipe left and proceed to the next. But back then? You needed a husband. You needed protection, security. If he didn’t want to bang her, then I can see why she’s wounded by it. She felt like a burden.”
“Okay,” he began, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He walked back to the bar and returned with the wine, refilling their glasses. “First of all, you shameless hussy, it’s swipe right when you want to bone. I can see now that you haven’t done any online dating.”
“Have you?” she huffed, hoping the answer was no.
“No, but I know the terminology at least. You’re awfully cute, historian, but you are hopelessly clueless. And that brings us to my second point. He so clearly wants her. Hard. He wants her so hard.”
“How do you know?” Eve shifted in her seat every time he said the word hard.
“Because I’m a man.” Like that was an adequate answer.
Eve rolled her eyes and took another sip of wine, peering at him over the lip of her wine glass. He was so in tune with her. He knew what to say, what she was like, and obviously how much she enjoyed a glass of red wine. Straightening her shoulders and raising an eyebrow, she finally tried to take back control of the conversation.
“So. Anyway. What’s with you, Mr. Swipe Right? You go to med school, you come back here. You have a practice, you lose it, but still stay here. And you work on this lonely ranch where Bill lived maybe six or seven months out of the year, and when he dies, you stay here? You could live anywhere. Why here?”
She watched him squeeze his glass a little too tightly as he took a sip and stared off to the side of the room. When he set it down carefully and inhaled, she knew she was about to get a story.
“I don’t want to leave. Hell, maybe I can’t, I don’t know. It’s like I’m stuck, but not in a bad way. This is my home. This ranch, this town, has been central to my family’s history since the Daniels first came across the Atlantic. You read it in the journal. Shay Daniels, daughter to Dr. Mordecai Daniels, and BFFs with Pryce and Holly Browning, who would end up having a daughter who marries a Childress and the rest, as you would say, is history. We’ve been tied to the Childresses from day one. Bill was the last Childress here, and I’m the last Daniels. It just, feels wrong to me. Leaving.”
Eve swallowed the wine that had been swimming around her mouth as she listened. Well, that had been the perfect answer. She nodded and looked away. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. A permanent spot, a beacon to call me, something homing in on my very being, calling me to where I belong. We moved around so much. I just loved the holidays we got to spend here. I get it, Bradley. You love it here. It’s your home. You should never leave.”
She gave a half smile as he wrapped his hand gently around hers as it held her glass, tipping the wine bottle over and refilling it.
“No one’s ever understood that before,” he said, an incredulous air to his statement. He pressed his lips together as he stayed by her side and looked down into her eyes. “Did you have to use your inhaler today?”
“No,” she snapped, unhappy at the turn in the conversation, given his proximity and the damned pheromones he was giving off being so near.
He laughed softly as he said, “You’re going to pay for that ‘dumbass’ remark.”
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, but he closed the distance between them quickly with a scorching kiss that left no questions about his intentions. He wanted her. She could feel every hard line of his body pressing into her and it made her insides hum with energy. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands roamed around her back and lifted her to his chest.
“I should listen to your lungs and take your blood pressure,” he mumbled against her lips, trying to pull away.
Eve grabbed his hand and pressed it to her chest, pushing hard against her breasts. She knew her heart was racing and she knew he could feel it, but she also knew he would realize the reason. He looked down at his hand and then back into her eyes.
“BP seems within normal limits.” He kissed her again and lifted her out of the chair, backing up to the wide chaise sectional couch in the large living area.
Eve felt the soft cushions on her back and reached for his arms when he tried to roll off.
“I won’t break.” She grinned up at the concern in his dark eyes. “I’m not some delicate flower.”
It was Bradley’s turn to grin as he looked down at her underneath him, his weight completely on is elbows. “I know. But I have to be careful with you because what I want to do doesn’t involve being very gentle.”
Eve’s blood rushed through her veins and she finally just grabbed his white pearl snap shirt and ripped it open. Then she pushed him back, straddled his lap, and yanked her navy tee shirt over her head, tossing it aside, along with her glasses. Yes, she was wearing a super sexy sports bra and leggings, but the look he was giving her at that moment said he didn’t seem to really care.
“You can be as careful as you want to be,” she mumbled into his mouth, pushing against him as she sat up on her knees. “I’m going with the not-very-gentle route.”
Bradley chuckled as his hands slid down her bare back. He smacked her ass in those thin leggings and then gripped her tightly when she squealed and pulled back. But she didn’t fight him and she really only pulled back a little. She didn’t feel trapped by him. She didn’t feel like he wanted to hurt her. Truthfully, she felt nothing beyond being so damned turned on.
She wanted to be on top. And he only wanted to give her everything she desired. She looked so beautiful in the dim lighting, her blonde ponytail falling out, her glasses off, her pink sports bra an almost perfect match to her pale pink skin tone. She was giving him that look that really had only one response.
And when he’d smacked her ass, she hadn’t run away or given him one of those adorable scowls. If he took things slowly, he’d be able to get her through this without an attack. He groaned as she rubbed against him, straddling his hardness in his jeans. God, man, take it slow.
She pulled her sport bra over her head, revealing a pair of pale, perky breasts, and that was it. He immediately drew a nipple into his mouth, loving her moan, soft with desire. His hand spread over almost the whole of her back, holding her to his mouth as she gripped his shoulders. He was trying to figure out the logistics of getting her leggings and pink tennis shoes off, when she reached down into his jeans and boxers and gripped his waiting erection.
Slowly, tortuously, she moved her hand up and down.
He ground his teeth and when he couldn’t stand it
anymore, he carefully turned them both and laid her on her back. She gave him a look so trusting that he had to smile. As he kissed her again, he popped open his belt and shoved his jeans and boxers down his legs.
She wrestled her shoes and leggings off at the same time and grabbed his face in her hands. “Don’t stop,” she whispered, kissing him again and wrapping her legs around his back.
He didn’t need to be told twice. Careful about putting all his weight on her, he pushed his hips forward, feeling all the moisture between her legs surround him. He pulled back, then rolled his hips into her again, this time slowly driving into her, loving that she closed her eyes and smiled as she accepted all of him.
He had to grip the pale gray couch cushions tightly as he ground his hips into her again and again, trying his hardest to wait for her to climax first. It was one of the most difficult things he’d ever done. She was hot, tight, and so wet for him. When he moved a little faster, she tightened around him, her body starting to quake.
“Yes, Eve,” he breathed, feeling himself starting to come in a wave of elation like he’d never felt. She cried out underneath him, grasping at his shoulders and squeezing her eyes closed, his climax quickly following.
He kissed her again as small ripples of pleasure still pulsed through them both. He flipped to his back but held her close on his chest, reaching around and smacking her ass again.
“Such bad behavior for such a good girl.” He grinned, loving her returning giggle as he massaged the soft skin he’d just slapped.
“You haven’t seen bad behavior yet, foreman.” She squealed again when he smacked her, then kissed him slowly.
It was perfect.
