by Lexi Post
“Where’d you find that?”
“In the bedroom. I think they expect us to live on champagne and strawberries.” She set it down on the end table next to him.
“I’m hoping they at least left us whip cream in the fridge.”
She laughed, more relaxed than he’d seen her in a long time. “We’ll have to check that out later. I’m more in the mood for you.” As she licked her lips, his cock hardened.
She stepped back and kicked off her high heels. “So glad to be out of those. I think I’ve become addicted to cowboy boots.”
Her gaze ran from his face down over his body to his black cowboy boots. “I’ll help you off with yours in a minute.”
“Can I help you with anything?”
She shook her head. “No, you just stay there.”
As she reached her hands behind her back, he heard the sound of a zipper. He stared at the front of her dress, his erection harder now as he anticipated her reveal.
His cock jumped as the top of her dress fell forward to reveal her bare breasts. As the whole dress split in the back and crumpled to the floor, his breath caught. Kendra stood there in her veil, a lacey garter belt and white opaque hose.
Stepping from the dress, she picked it up then turned her back to him to drape it over the black leather chair. Her ass showed off the white straps of lace on the garter running down each cheek, which made his balls tighten.
She turned to face him, all bare with wisps of white.
He resisted the urge to undress and waited to see what she would do next, the anticipation feeding his growing need.
“Now, let’s see about those boots.” She stepped over his legs and turned her back on him, bending over to grasp the heel of his right boot.
He gazed at the soft flesh between her thighs, swearing there was moisture there. It didn’t occur to him to touch her until the first boot was off. As he reached forward to stroke her smooth ass, she looked over her shoulder. “Keep your hands to yourself.”
Dropping his hands, he allowed her the control she liked. He was one lucky man to have his naked bride taking care of him. He certainly wasn’t going to interrupt if she didn’t want him to.
Kendra pulled off his other boot then set both next to her dress. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she was bending over on purpose to entice him. And it was working.
She came back to him and spread his knees apart, then dropped down to her knees, her veil floating past his pants. Running her hands along his clothed legs, her fingers found his zipper. In short order, she had it lowered and his hard cock was bared. “Now this is what I’m hungry for.”
Thinking to touch her cheek, he lifted his hand.
“I said, no hands.”
At her command, he returned his hand to the couch beside him. If she wanted control, he’d let her have it…this time.
With one finger, she traced the ridge of his head before stroking downward. The sensation left him wanting so much more. She surprised him when she lowered her head, but didn’t touch his cock with her mouth. Instead, she took her veil and wrapped it around him.
The light material slid along him like the inside of her sheath. He sucked in his breath as she proceeded to run it up and down the length of him. His tip leaked out his pleasure and she stopped to lick it off before continuing his exquisite torture.
“You keep that up I’m going to come without you.”
She smirked. “Good, you deserve it.”
Her words didn’t help his control. Neither did it help when she dipped her head and licked his balls.
He tipped his head back, knocking his hat off as he tried to hold on, but it was too much. He’d be damned if he’d let go without her on their wedding night. To hell with the no hands rule.
Pulling her up by her shoulders, he pushed her onto the couch.
She grinned. “Did you want something?”
He slid his cock into her wet sheath as he came down over her, pressing her into the leather. “Yes. I want you.”
Her stocking clad legs wrapped around him as she urged him to take her to his hilt. Crushing her breasts between them, he touched her lips with his own and she opened for him.
She had him so hard, he could barely control his thrusts, but he didn’t need to. His wife reached her climax just a second before he did. He lifted his lips from hers to suck in the air he needed as his release rocked him, his brain registering only two things—his ecstasy and the fact she was his.
Kendra stretched beneath her cowboy, loving the feel of the leather beneath her, his hard body completely clothed over her and his cock inside her. She squeezed her sheath and his head snapped up.
“Hey, give a man a minute.”
She laughed, her sheath squeezing him more, eliciting a groan. “We only have this place for a couple nights. I want to make the most of it.”
“We will. I promise.”
She ran her hand through his short hair. “Did I tell you how handsome you looked today?”
He appeared to think about it. “No, I can’t say that you have.”
“Well, you were exceptionally handsome today. I kept thinking if these women had any idea what was beneath these clothes, I’d have to fight them off.”
He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Oh, really.”
She gave him an innocent smile. “That and the fact I couldn’t wait to have my husband inside me.”
At her words, his warm brown gaze softened. “You made me the happiest man in the world today by becoming my wife.”
It was as if her heart would burst with all the goodness she had from this man. “I wish I could have done so sooner, but I think I needed the time we had. I also needed to learn to trust my staff. Speaking of staff, did you notice who was sitting next to each other at the wedding?”
“You mean Jorge and Selma?”
“I think something might happen there. I told you she liked him.”
“You were right.”
She grinned. “I’m so glad to hear you say that because that means I won our bet.”
His eyes widened. “That’s right. You get to choose the place for our honeymoon.”
Now that it was time to confess where she wanted to go, she hoped he didn’t mind. “I want to go to Alaska. Not just down south, but way up north where it’s cold. I want to go when it’s been triple digits here for months and getting old.”
“That’s an excellent idea!”
“Really?” She’d been afraid he’d think it was silly. “Even if we go for a whole month?”
His brow furrowed. “Let me get this straight. You want me to leave the sweltering heat of Phoenix to go up to Alaska and spend four weeks with you?”
She nodded. When he put it like that, it didn’t sound so crazy. “Yes.”
“I can definitely do that, but can you?”
“I can…now.”
“Now?”
She wanted him to understand. “Like I said, I trust my staff now, but I also trust myself. I’ve spent my life reacting to my past, basing my decisions on old pain.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “And now?”
She searched her memories for leftover hurt, but found none. “I’ve made peace with myself and my past. I want to concentrate on the future.”
His smiled returned. “So do I, but only with you beside me.”
She touched his lips with the faintest of kisses. “I’m all-in.”
“I’ve waited a long time for you to say that to me.”
Her heart hitched that she truly hadn’t been able to freely give herself. “I know. I’m sorry I made you wait, but I mean it. You’re stuck with me now, cowboy.”
“Whatever you say, Mrs. Johnson.”
She grinned at the memory of her telling him not to call her Missus when he first arrived at Poker Flat. “I really like the sound of that.”
“Me, too.” His stomach growled and his eyes widened. “I don’t like the sound of that though.”
“You didn’t e
at much either, did you?” She’d been so busy talking to people and doing what Lacey told her to do, that she’d barely had a bite.
“No, but I’m hoping there’s a fridge full of food in there.”
She sighed. “That means we’re going to have to get up.”
“We could always try getting over there together.”
She laughed. “Get off me. I’m hungry.” She pretended to try to get him off, but really all she needed was him.
Her stomach growled, too. Or maybe she needed him and food.
“Yes, ma’am.”
As Wade left her, she didn’t feel disappointed because she not only had him for two days straight, but for the rest of her life.
He held out his hand and helped her rise off the couch. “I’ll pop that champagne, if you see what’s in the fridge.”
“That’s a deal.” She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to find another surprise. Her eyes grew misty again. Shit, was this what happened to a woman when she got married? Taking out the boxes, she placed them on the marble island, then started to pull out plates.
Wade, all zipped up now, strode into the kitchen with two glasses of champagne. “What’s this?”
She handed him the note and he read it out loud.
“The bridal couple never have a chance to eat, but we didn’t want you to miss any part of your wedding, so we packed this up for you. Lacey and Natasha.” He shook his head as he stared at the card.
She put her arm around his waist and snuggled in close. “You okay?”
He nodded. When he spoke, his voice was gravely. “Just thinking about all the people and all the experiences I would have never had if I hadn’t met you.”
She squeezed him. “Crazy experiences that most people never have to deal with. I brought you all my baggage.”
He pulled out a stool and guided her to it. “I had a bit of my own, as well.”
She froze. “What? You never told me about anything besides your injuries from the rodeo.”
“I know. You have had so much to handle, I didn’t want to add to your worry.”
Disbelief rifled through her. “I would have loved to have known I wasn’t the only one with a messed-up background.”
“It’s not a big deal, but it’s why Dale was my best man today.”
Okay, maybe this was bigger than he was letting on. “I did wonder why you didn’t make Luke or Tanner your best man.”
Wade opened the boxes of food and started piling it on the plates. “If it wasn’t for Dale, I would have never met you.”
She watched his face as he concentrated on arranging the quesadillas on the plates. “I always thought you were too perfect to be a client, but when you told me you were friends, and you were doing him a favor, I understood why he sent you.”
Wade nodded as he put one plate into the microwave. “I would have never worked at a nudist resort, but the favor I owed him I’m still not sure is repaid.”
Now he had her worried. “Did he have to bail you out of jail?”
He chuckled, relaxing his face. “No, nothing like that. But I definitely wouldn’t be married to you right now.”
“You mean because you wouldn’t have met me.”
“No, because I would have already been married.”
She stared at him in shock. “You never told me that.”
“It’s not something I’m proud of. I had been seeing a young woman and she got pregnant. After she had the baby, she found me and claimed it was mine. It never even occurred to me that she could be lying.”
“Was she?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know that. Dale refused to come to the wedding unless I had a paternity test done. He was going to be in my wedding party, so I did it. If he hadn’t made that stipulation, I would have married her.”
She scowled. “That’s so wrong of her to use her baby to trap you.”
“I know, but like I said, it never occurred to me. So once again he was very important in my wedding, which is why he was my best man.”
Not only was she relieved he’d avoided marrying the wrong woman for the wrong reasons, but she was also pleased to know he wasn’t quite as perfect as he seemed. Their partnership felt more real this way.
He pulled out one plate and put another in and hit the timer.
“Is there anything else I should know that you haven’t told me?” They’d been together over a year and he hadn’t told her that. She had to check.
He shook his head before a devilish gleam entered his eyes. “There was this one time when these two women invited me back to their place.”
Just by the look in his eye she knew he was lying. “Oh, really? And what happened.”
The surprised look on his face said it all.
She laughed. “Wade, you suck at bluffing.”
He came around the counter and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I should know better than to play poker with a professional.”
“Not anymore. Now I’m just that Mrs. Johnson who owns a nudist resort.”
“And what a looker she is, too.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Even without clothes on?”
His hands moved up to cup her breasts. “That’s how she looks the best.”
As his fingers found her nipples, his mouth descended on her neck, and soon he was using the marble island just like he wanted, their dinner forgotten, and she couldn’t have cared less.
Epilogue
Saturday
Wade drove down the dirt road off the Carefree Highway toward Poker Flat. Their short honeymoon changed Kendra. Or maybe it was the wedding, or both. Now he felt a lot more confident in his gift to her.
Halfway down the dirt road, he turned off onto a pseudo-path into the desert.
Kendra grabbed the handle above her door to hold on as he drove over bumps. “Wade, where are you going?”
“I want to show you something.”
She bounced in the seat as they hit another bump. “You do know we’re trespassing, right?”
He didn’t answer, instead focusing on the barely-there path toward a stand of juniper trees. When he reached them, he stopped the truck.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea.” He still had a tight grip on the handle. “The man who owns this property is a curmudgeon.”
He chuckled silently as he opened his door. “And how do you know that?”
“Because I tried to buy this land from him. I thought these trees would hide the resort.” She finally released the handle and unbuckled her seatbelt. “That was before I found the land in the ravine, so it turned out for the best. Now the old man has a nudist resort as a neighbor. Karma’s a bitch.” She smirked, blatantly pleased with Karma.
He jumped out and walked around to open her door. “So you liked this spot?” His heart beat faster, his excitement building after learning that tidbit of information.
She stepped out and adjusted her brown cowboy hat. Quickly, she scanned the area, obviously a little concerned. “Yes, I do like it, though now I see the juniper grove would have been too small to hide all of Poker Flat. Still, it’s a nice spot. Why? The man I talked to would probably shoot first and ask questions later, so if you want to show me something, we better do it fast.”
He took her hand and led her to stand in front of the grove. “This is it.”
She looked at the trees then looked at him. “This is what? A grove of trees. I know.”
He shook his head, finally allowing himself to grin. “This is the spot for our new house.”
She blinked, then opened her mouth then closed it. She looked at the trees and back at him.
He laughed, unable to contain it. “I bought this property with some of the money I saved for a ranch.”
“Wade.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I thought you wanted a ranch.”
He took her in his arms, letting his hands rest on her lower back. “I did want a ranch because that was what every cowboy wants one day, but what you creat
ed is so much more unique and challenging.”
“You mean all encompassing.”
He nodded. “That too, which is why I bought this property. We can build a house here and actually be away from work, yet still be close enough in an emergency.”
She rolled her eyes. “You mean like when the sheriffs have to come to take away trespassers or Detective Anderson has to investigate suspected criminal activity?”
Lucky, the good detective hadn’t had to visit in almost a year. “Yes. Also, with so much acreage, we could build your mom a small place, too.”
Kendra looked away.
Now that wasn’t the reaction he had hoped for. “What is it?”
When she looked back at him there were tears in her eyes. “You’re so much better than I ever dreamed a husband could be.”
He pulled her tight. “And you’re so much more than I expected to have in a wife.” He pulled back. “Does that mean you like the idea?”
“Oh, I love this. It’s just what I wanted. Maybe we could even work more similar hours and have a real life outside of the resort.” Her voice rose with her excitement.
He lowered his lips to within inches of hers. “That sounds perfect.”
She chuckled before he closed the deal with a kiss. She tasted like the coffee she had with breakfast as her tongue met his. His nostrils filled with the almond-rose scent of her, reminding him of the bath she’d given him.
He finally pulled away. As much as he wanted to make love to her on their property, he’d prefer they had at least something started on their home, even if it was just a camp. “I believe you were anxious to get back to work?”
She opened her eyes and frowned. “Me? That was you.”
He waited, knowing she wouldn’t be able to keep up the pretense.
Her lips quirked. “Okay, it was me. We should get back. Guests came in this morning and we need to see how everyone is doing.”
He let go and took her hand to walk back to his truck. “I’m thinking we should probably give Lacey a vacation. Getting paid a big bonus for planning a wedding is a good start, but I have a feeling she wouldn’t mind a few extra days.” He opened the passenger door.
