Expressly Yours, Samantha (Cotillion Ball Saga Book 7)

by Becky Lower

  He moved them closer to the bank so they could stand waist-deep and not have to keep themselves afloat. The last thing Val wanted was to drown them both in a fit of ecstasy. Well, he did, but not literally. He moved his hand, which still held the soap, down Samantha’s body until he touched the springy hairs of her center and she cried out. He ran the soap over her bundle of sex and smiled as her body responded. She moved closer to him. The little sliver of soap slipped from his grasp, and his fingers curled into her core, setting up a rhythm that matched the waves lapping the shoreline. She caressed his hard shaft, and their kisses became scorching.

  He broke from the kiss, his breath jagged and labored. “If we don’t stop now, Samantha, there’s no turning back.”

  “There’s been no turning back ever since we met, Val. Make love to me. I want you to be my first.”

  The breath left Val’s body, and his knees went weak. She would be his first, too. His experience with women up until now had been the exchange of a few kisses. He hoped he’d get this right. He held on to her, and they left the water together. He knelt in the tall grass and pulled her down beside him.

  Chapter 17

  For the past few years, Samantha had lived in fear that a man, specifically her uncle, would touch her. Now, with Valerian, she yearned for his touch. She wanted him to explain the ways of the flesh to her. To school her in lovemaking. He would be tender, not rough. He’d take care of her needs and would stop in a heartbeat if she asked him to. Not at all similar to Uncle Jack, who only cared about his own cravings. Aunt Hilda had probably never known the sweetness of the act of two bodies coming together. But Samantha already did. She lay beside Valerian, waiting for him to show her what came next.

  He propped himself on one elbow and leaned over her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down on top of her. His weight pinned her to the ground, but she didn’t fear him. On the contrary, she welcomed his weight, wanted him even closer to her. Inside of her. She’d seen enough horses mating to know somehow he needed to be inside her, and she was practically panting as she waited.

  His hand ran down her torso and ended at the tiny bundle of nerves between her legs. The bundle she didn’t even realize was there until Val’s touch in the lake brought it to life. He now held the nub between his fingers, rubbing them back and forth. A groan of pleasure escaped her mouth. Val laughed and covered her mouth with his, delving deep within hers. His touch was slow, agonizingly slow. Their tongues teased one another. One hand played with her breast while the other explored her core. She panted, her breath coming in gasps as she experienced one sensation after another. Her head thrashed from side to side as he held her captive by his touch. She was reaching for something, something just out of her grasp.

  Then it washed over her. Her body convulsed in a swirl of emotions. She rose off the ground as wave after wave of delight coursed through her and she cried out her pleasure. Her eyes opened, and she stared into the smiling face of the man who had changed her life. Saved her life. Made her life worthwhile.

  “I think I enjoyed your body’s reaction almost as much as you did.” He continued to run her hands over her body.

  Her hands explored him, as well, and she realized his shaft still swelled with need. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s all there is to the act, though. Maybe it has something to do with this?” She wrapped her fingers around his manhood and began to massage the tip of his erection with her other hand. He groaned his delight and lay back while she worked over him.

  She captured his lips with hers, pulling his full lower lip between her teeth and playing with it. She moved lower, running her tongue over his chest. She was surprised when his nipples budded under her touch just as hers had done, and her tongue tasted his saltiness. She stayed there for a moment, exploring his body. Her hands returned again to his shaft, which seemed now even larger, if that were possible. He moaned again before he flipped her over and positioned himself between her legs.

  She opened to him eagerly, her body crying out again for his touch. With his manhood leading the way, he ran the tip up and down the folds of her center, lubricating himself. His shaft entered her body, one inch at a time. He waited for her to become comfortable before he continued. Excitement overrode her pain, and he was able to fully bury himself in her within a few minutes. He pulled out and then pushed in again. Samantha nearly cried out when he pulled away, but then a rush of feelings came rolling at her when he reentered. She had never experienced such bliss.

  She picked up the rhythm he was setting up and began to meet him, thrust for thrust. Their sweat-soaked bodies collided time and again, and she moaned Val’s name over and over while the birds chirped and the crickets blasted their cacophony into the air. Finally, with one last gasp they both rolled over the edge and exploded in a burst of sensations.

  Val moved off her, breaking their connection, and she had a feeling of loss. Then, he ran his hand down her body, and the sensation dissipated. True, they might not be physically joined as they had been a moment ago, but they were together. Today had changed everything.

  He brushed a stray lock of dark hair back from her face. “You’re beautiful, Samantha.”

  She playfully punched him in the arm. “And only a few short weeks ago, you were so unimpressed with my looks you thought I was a boy.”

  He rose from the grass and pulled her up with him. “We need to take one more quick dip to rinse off.” He leaned down and captured her lips again, claiming them as his. “As for thinking you were a guy, I’m so glad you aren’t. I was beginning to worry about my manhood, since I had all these unsettling feelings for you. From day one. And I’m a man who truly enjoys women.”

  “Well, you’d best not enjoy any other women from now on.” She swatted him on the butt as they walked into the water.

  “I think you’re woman enough for me, Samantha.” He kissed her again. “More than enough.”

  “And I think you’d better still refer to me as Sam. At least for the time being. I have seven months and twenty-eight days to go.”

  • • •

  With the overnight at the lake a pleasant memory, Valerian and Samantha rode into the bustling town of Atchison the next morning. After spending the afternoon getting their wagon of supplies organized, they found lodging for the night in the back of the general store. There were people milling around until after dark at the busy store, so they slept in separate beds, grateful they had shelter for the night since a rainstorm with high winds had followed them into town.

  Valerian glanced over at Samantha after his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, and noticed her sleep was deep. Almost as it had been when she’d been shot and was fighting the infection. But this time, instead of being afraid for her, he sensed her gratitude. She was able to sleep well, at least for tonight, knowing Valerian was beside her, even if he was on the opposite side of the room. The thought of him taking care of her, protecting her, filled him with warmth, and he drifted off to sleep as well.

  The following morning, as they pulled the wagon away from the general store in Atchison, Valerian breathed a sigh of relief. No one seemed to suspect Sam was anything other than a young man. Now since he’d seen her—all of her—and sampled her, he wondered why everyone else was so blind to the fact she was really a woman.

  But it was best they not think anything else. As she said, she still had more than seven months to evade her uncle before he no longer had any legal rights to her. Valerian cradled the shotgun in his lap as they drove the wagon out of town and away from civilization.

  “I’m surprised you packed a change of clothes for this trip.” Val plucked the sleeve of Samantha’s shirt.

  “Well, I am a woman, after all. I packed most of what I had in the barn, including my red Pony Express shirt. Gus hasn’t asked for it back yet, probably because it has a bullet hole in it, but I did manage to wash out most of the blood. I didn’t want him to find it while I’m gone and take it back. It means a lot to me.”

  Th
ey settled in for the ride.

  After driving the wagon for several miles in silence, Samantha stole a glance at Val. “Do you mind if we take a slight detour on the way back?”

  He grinned over at her. “Does it involve another dip in the lake?”

  She swatted him on the arm. “Tempting, but not what I’m talking about. We’re really close to where my Momma and Daddy had their homestead and where they’re buried. I never had a chance to properly pay my respects when they passed, since I was sick, too. Aunt Hilda buried them quickly, packed me up, and took me to her home. I’d love to stop for just a few minutes if we can.”

  “Well, we made good time going over, so I think a side trip on the way back is a good idea. In fact, I don’t see how we can’t go. If it were my parents, I’d make you detour for me.”

  Samantha laid a hand on his arm again, and instead of swatting him, she caressed it. “Thank you, Val. I thought you’d understand.”

  “Do you know the way from here?”

  “Yep, leave it to me.”

  Valerian left the route to her, but kept a vigil out for anyone happening along their path. They had a wagon full of goods and would be an easy target for a hungry Indian or any robbers working in the area. His eyes roamed the underbrush, on the lookout for any nefarious persons. Hopefully, their trip back to Seneca would be uneventful.

  An hour or so later, Samantha reined in the horses and stopped the wagon under a wide tree. Valerian caught her excitement as they neared her parents’ home. Over the years, neglect had turned what had once been a homestead into wild prairie land once again, as the tall brush encroached on what had once been cleared land. There was evidence of fields that had once been planted and tended to, but only the scars on the land remained. The roof of the house had collapsed, and the structure appeared unsafe to enter. Valerian was certain the decrepit condition of the home didn’t stop the field mice and raccoons from entering, but he wasn’t going anywhere near it. And if Samantha wanted to retrieve something from the house, he’d try to dissuade her.

  She sat for a minute and gazed at what had once been her home. Tears came to her eyes, and she scrubbed them away. “I was so happy here. We all were.”

  “You can be happy once again, Samantha.”

  She placed his hands in her own and smiled at him, blinking her remaining tears away. “I’m happy right now, Val. Thank you for giving me something to smile about.”

  “Do you want a few minutes to yourself?”

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to visit my folks’ graves by myself. I won’t be long.”

  “Take your time. I’ll stay with the wagon. Just point out where you’re going to be so I can keep an eye on you, too.”

  Valerian followed her with his eyes and checked the area before he relaxed. The tree branches shielded him from the hot early August sun. He grew drowsy, listening to the buzz from countless insects and the chirping of the many birds. He must have dozed off for a few minutes, since he was startled awake by an unfamiliar sound. Cautiously, he climbed down from the wagon and took a look around the field. A man on horseback had ridden into what had once been the yard, and he was dismounting. The shiver moving down Valerian’s spine told him all he needed to know. Uncle Jack had finally found Samantha.

  Chapter 18

  Samantha may have stifled her tears in front of Valerian, but when she found the crude markers indicating her parents’ graves, hot tears streamed down her face. They had been loving, hardworking people, and their early deaths were not uncommon in the West.

  In fact, the route the wagon trains took every spring was strewn with markers indicating those who had died along the way, before they had arrived at their destination. Samantha considered herself lucky to have had her parents with her as long as she had. They had provided her with a happy childhood. They’d had no way of knowing the horror they would put her into by sending their fateful letter to Aunt Hilda.

  Samantha knelt in front of their graves, whispering prayers and filling her folks in on her life now. She let her tears flow, letting her guard down for a few minutes while she was in front of her parents.

  “Momma, Daddy, I’m all right now. I have a good job, a man who loves me, and I’m making my way in the world. Maybe someday I’ll get to come back here, where I can take care of the house you built, Daddy, and plant flowers on both of your graves.”

  She didn’t hear the footsteps behind her until it was too late. The few minutes she’d allowed herself to relax were to prove her downfall. The bottom dropped from her stomach.

  She rose and turned to face Uncle Jack. He loomed over her, larger than she remembered, pointing a handgun at her chest. She stifled a scream, knowing it would do no good. And she’d be damned if she’d show weakness in front of him.

  “About time I found you, Samantha.”

  “What do you want from me, Uncle Jack?”

  His leer made its way down her body in answer to her question without saying a word.

  “Even in a boy’s clothing, you’re a mighty fine-looking woman. Mabel, the bordello madam, told me she was always on the lookout for fresh-faced women. She’s willing to pay me for you. Good money, or I can take it out in trade. I figure that’ll about cover all the food you took from me over the past few years.”

  “I worked hard for what little food I got, Jack.”

  “Yeah, and now, at Mabel’s, all you’ll need to do is lay on your back. It’s a good life I’m giving you, girl. A’course, I’ll have to break you in first.”

  “How did you find me, anyway?” Samantha figured if she could keep him talking, get him to brag on how clever he was, she’d be able to wrestle the gun from him somehow.

  “You may have fooled the Pinkertons I hired, but you should know by now you can’t fool your Uncle Jack. The day I was at the hotel, after getting cleaned out by your Pony Express buddies, I had to saddle up my own horse since you were ‘busy.’ I saw the picture of your Momma and Daddy on the table in the little room next to the tack room.”

  “So why didn’t you speak up then? Why track me here?”

  “Because your buddies, who are too stupid to realize you’re a girl, would have covered for you. I needed a sheriff with me in order to get you back. That’s why I didn’t sound the alarm then. I wanted you to stay where I could find you again.”

  Samantha forced herself to move her eyes from the end of Jack’s gun barrel and search the field behind him. She hoped for some sign of Valerian but could see nothing. She couldn’t see a lawman, either. “I don’t see any sheriff, Jack.”

  “He’s a’waitin’ for us back in Seneca. When Gus told me where you were, I figured you’d make a side trip to see your folks. And your sorry farm. You may think you’re clever, but I’ve been able to figure out what you’re about.”

  Samantha finally spied Valerian, creeping closer to Jack. She hoped her face showed no emotion as she glanced back at her uncle.

  “May I have a few more minutes here before you take me away?”

  He waved the gun in her direction. “Now that’s a smart girl. Don’t say your Uncle Jack never did anything for you. Go ahead. Say goodbye to them. This is the last time you’ll see their graves.”

  Jack turned around, his gun pointed to the ground, and ran straight into the barrel of the huge shotgun Val had trained on him.

  “I think it’s time we said goodbye to you, Jack. Throw the gun on the ground, and you won’t get hurt.”

  Jack flinched when Val prodded him with the end of the gun. He hesitated a moment, until Val poked him again. Then, he tossed his gun to the ground, and Samantha scooped it up, relief washing over her. Once again, Valerian had come to her rescue.

  “Get to the wagon, Samantha, and bring it here. Grab the reins of the horse this piece of shit rode in on first, and tie him to the back of the wagon.”

  She ran to do his bidding, taking her uncle’s gun with her, and Val forced Jack to take steps toward the crumbling house. Valerian didn’t break eye contact w
ith Jack as Samantha brought the wagon, with Jack’s horse trailing behind, out from under the tree.

  “Now grab some rope and tie your old Uncle Jack to the hitching post. Good and tight, so he won’t break loose anytime soon. I don’t think he’ll risk a bullet between his eyes while you do so. Especially at such close range, and from a shotgun. Hell, I reckon a man’s head would blow completely off.”

  Jack glowered at Val even though his face had gone pale, but he allowed Samantha to tie his hands and feet to the post without argument.

  Samantha jumped back as soon as she could put some distance between herself and Jack, and stood alongside Valerian.

  “Get in the wagon, Samantha, and let’s get out of here.”

  “Gladly. Let’s go, Val.”

  Jack fumed. “You’re just gonna leave me here then? Without a horse or a gun?”

  “That’s the plan, Jack. Oh, we may remember in a day or two we left you here and send someone out to check on you. But for right now, I’m keeping my gun trained on you until we get out of sight. Who knows, my finger might slip before we go ’round the bend.”

  Valerian climbed into the wagon and tipped his hat toward Jack.

  “Pleasure taking your money last time we met, Jack. Samantha and I are going to use it to buy up our own little ranch.”

  Jack growled his frustration. “Over my dead body.”

  “That can be arranged, Jack.” As promised, Val kept his shotgun trained on Jack until he was out of view.

  • • •

  Once they were miles away, Val finally turned in his seat, blew out a tense breath, and glanced at Samantha. He had noticed her shaking, but wanted to keep an eye on their backs as well as give her time to calm down. Facing the end of a gun was not a pleasant experience, even for a man. He could only imagine how Samantha was feeling, having been threatened with bodily harm by a relative. Val now placed his hand over her trembling one.

  “I think we did it, Samantha. Jack’s stuck back there. He won’t be bothering you now.”