by Jenny Penn
She wasn’t silent. Far from it. She panted, moaned, groaned, and begged. He liked the begging just as much as he liked making her body twist into knots. It was a just reward for all the teasing she’d done to him. A just and delightful award, he couldn’t bear it for long.
His balls burned with the need to unload, and steadily, his pace increased until the bed shook, the hollow metal frame panging against the wall. In front of him, his angel clung to the foot rail, using it as support as she thrust back on him, riding him as much as he did her.
Malcolm looked down where her ass smacked into his stomach with an audible sound as their sweat-soaked skin collided. With a growl, he lifted a hand to palm the beautiful globe pumping itself back onto him. Driven by the prospect of hidden pleasures, his fingers dipped and pushed right into her rear channel.
Instantly, his angel gasped and reared almost straight up, impaling her full weight down onto his cock as she ground against his fingers. Malcolm growled and nipped at the sweaty shoulder just before him.
“You’ve been fucked here before, haven’t you, angel?” He pumped his fingers into her ass to emphasize his question. Her moan “Yes” had his teeth raking up the side of her neck. “And liked it?”
“No.” That whimper stood in testament to the obvious pleasure she got from it now.
“I’m going to teach you to like it, angel,” Malcolm vowed. “I’m going to teach you to love it.”
With that he released her ass and shoved her back down. Gripping her hips, he rode her with an even greater savagery until, in a blinding white flash, his entire body tensed and erupted. Roaring through the greatest release of his life, Malcolm pumped through to the very end of his pleasure before collapsing onto his angel.
Chapter 5
Mary Anne didn’t know if she’d died or not. For all the sweet remnants of pleasure still humming through her body, she could feel the aching pain, too. It vibrated in muscles as they spasmed uncontrollably. It throbbed in her sheath, where the burn of Malcolm’s fucking still seared her tender walls. From her air starved lungs to her racing heart, she could feel the pain.
She could also feel Malcolm shifting above her. Shame, or at least embarrassment, would have been appropriate right then, but Mary Anne honestly didn’t have the energy in her for either emotion. Weak and tired, she could have easily fallen asleep upside down and naked in Malcolm Tanner’s bed.
Thankfully, he had enough strength to pull her right side up. He even tucked her in under the pile of blankets. Snuggling her close so that her head rested on his chest and her arm stretched over his torso, he answered her question from the night before. His hold was safe and secure, but it came at a price.
“Okay, Mary Anne, I’ve had my breakfast, so let’s talk.”
One big palm smoothed down her shoulder and over her back to return along the same heated path. She’d have rather just gone to sleep and worry later. “Hmm. Do we have to?”
“Yep, angel, I think we do. A good place to start might be to tell me where your brother, Richard, is.”
“Chasing off after the Willis gang,” Mary Anne murmured. She’d talk if he made her, but she didn’t intend to put much effort into it.
“The Willis gang?”
Mary Anne gave him a pointed yawn before answering that. “They took all our furs, and Richard’s got to get them back or he won’t have no money to ship me back east.”
“You know, angel, I’m trying to follow, but you’re just not making the best of sense.”
That gentle rebuke had her sighing over the energy it would take to make much sense. Mary Anne didn’t imagine Malcolm would wait for the story, though.
“We were heading into South Pass City to trade the furs when the Willis gang basically ran right into us. They were coming out of a raid in South Pass, and we were just sort of in the way. They had a posse after them, but they were well out front.
“At least, I guess. I don’t really know.” Mary Anne offered him a smile with that confession. “Richard always made me ride last with Marty, and we were still up in the tree line when the shooting started.
“Marty about pushed me off the horse and told me to hide before he took off. I couldn’t tell you how long it was before the shooting moved in closer, and then it was like thunder coming off the ground. The raiders just burst open in every direction, charging around all the trees.
“There had to be about ten going by when one almost ran right over me. I darted to get out the way, and it must have started the horse because it reared up and dumped its rider not far from me.”
Mary Anne stopped, realizing where her words were rushing her back to. Richard had her sworn to not tell anybody what she’d done. Even if she hadn’t said it yet, Malcolm had grown steadily tense beneath her cheek. Even his hand stilled. He wouldn’t let her leave it there.
“And then?”
Taking a deep breath, Mary Anne still didn’t have enough air but to whisper over the tremors starting to shake through her muscles. “Then he said some things, and I don’t know if he meant them or not, but I shot him. Three times, right in the chest, just like Richard taught me to.”
“Oh, God, angel. I’m so sorry.”
Just like that, she found the fear and all traces of her trembling squashed out by the strength and heat of his hold. Like she was nothing but a doll, he dragged her over his chest and crushed her to him. Burying her face in his neck, Mary Anne basked in the comfort.
“I was very scared.” She didn’t know why she whispered that confession, but the immediate tightening of his arms felt good.
“I know, angel,” Malcolm murmured into her hair.
“Richard was really scared, too, when he saw what I did. He said that I was in trouble now because I’d killed Nate Willis’s younger brother, and he’d be back for his blood. The posse rolled in seconds later, and Richard said he’d gone and shot the man and told me never to tell anybody I’d done it.
“Now he gone skipped out of your ranch to chase after Nate Willis. He’ll surely get himself killed in the process, and I don’t think your brother is too pleased by that. I think he’s afraid he’s going to get stuck with me.”
Malcolm snorted over a chuckle as his arms relaxed. “Don’t mind Mike. He just gets cranky when his ranch gets shot up.”
Mary Anne lifted her head to meet his gaze head-on. She wanted him to know she meant her words. “I’m really sorry you got shot, Malcolm.”
“Why?” Malcolm scowled. “I’m not. If I hadn’t gotten shot, then I wouldn’t have been lying in this bed to see that little strip show you put on. You know you going to have to explain that to me, angel. Not that I’m objecting. Any time you feel like stripping down to nothing, please feel free.”
Mary Anne couldn’t help but share Malcolm’s smile. He had that kind of infectious grin that made a person just want to share the moment with him. She sank into sharing his insanity with a very honest answer.
“I was kind of mad at you about last night.”
“You mean to tell me you punish a man when you’re mad at him by stripping?” Malcolm’s grin only got bigger. “Well, that’s a good thing to know. You want to tell me what I did to earn this punishment?”
Mary Anne could feel the blush in her cheeks and tried to hide the sign of embarrassment by ducking her head back to his shoulder. In as calm and level of a tone as she could manage, she gave him the blunt truth. “Well, we had sex.”
Instead of lighting her up with more teasing, Malcolm surprised her with his muted response. “I kind of remember something about that. You were on top, right?”
“Yes.”
“So you had your wicked way with me while I was ill.”
There came the missing humor. Mary Anne didn’t take to being the butt of a joke. Snapping back up to glare down his grin, Mary Anne let him know that by using her most haughty tone.
“I most certainly did not. The entire incident happened at your persistence.”
“Hold on here, angel.”
Malcolm slid upward along the headboard, taking her with him to a sitting position. “Are you trying to imply that I took advantage of you?”
“Well, you certainly can’t claim that I had any great interest in having that moment, considering it only ended happy for you,” Mary Anne shot back, pulling away from his hold. “You just took what you want and didn’t even care if I got any satisfaction. Isn’t that just a story every woman tells?
“Well, I’m not going to stand for it anymore. I’m not some pleasure toy for you to use when you got an itch. I’m a person, damnit. If there is going to be any itch scratched, it’s going to be mine!”
All the years of hurt that had been dumped on her by one man or another had her glaring at him as if he embodied every single one of them. Instead of defending himself like most would, or coming back at her like some would, Malcolm just curled his hand around her neck and pressed her down until their lips met.
With a gentle brush, he rubbed his kiss back and forth until the soft tease had her lips softening, opening for the tender invasion of his tongue. Mary Anne learned earlier that Malcolm could do slow and sweet all too well. This time he showed that skill off with his kiss.
The soft roll of his tongue through her mouth teased her into lifting her own into his game. The strong hold of his hand around her neck held her just so as he lavished her with the simple pleasure of gentle exploration.
All the worries, all the stress and fear, all thoughts faded under the gradual burn of hunger. Satiated by the rapture she had never known before that morning, Mary Anne’s lust built up in a soothing wave that eased the tension from her muscles.
Like butter melting in the sun, she collapsed slowly downward. Luxuriating in the secure feel of Malcolm’s hard body, Mary Anne broke free of Malcolm’s kiss with a sigh that ended with her head settled back on his shoulder.
His chin followed her down, bringing his murmur right to her ear. “I’m really sorry if I hurt your feelings last night, Mary Anne. I hope you understand that I never meant to do that.”
“I do.” And she did.
“Good.” Malcolm gave her a squeeze that came with a yawn. “’Cause I don’t want no wife of mine saying I ever—”
“Wife?” Mary Anne blinked, her head tilted as she considered that word. “What do you mean wife?”
“I mean you.”
“But—”
“But nothing, angel.” All trace of softness faded from his tone. “After what we just did, you better believe I’m going to be insisting on marrying you.”
He was serious and why wouldn’t he be? Malcolm Tanner took after his older brother. He was a good man, and a good man married the woman he ruined. Except she didn’t consider herself ruined. Nobody else would, either, except maybe her brothers, and that’s probably all that counted in Malcolm’s book.
“You don’t have to marry me, Malcolm,” Mary Anne assured him with absolute sincerity. “What happened, happened because I wanted it to. Not because I wanted to trap you into marriage.”
“Trap me?” Malcolm snorted. “Mary Anne, you don’t honestly think you’re the first woman I had sex with, do you?”
“No, of course not.”
“And I ain’t never been married before, so obviously, I don’t feel obliged to marry a woman just because of sex.”
“No, but you probably do because I’m Richard’s sister,” Mary Anne shot back. “How many sisters of friends have you screwed, Malcolm?”
“Well, none, but I’d still like to be married before Richard comes back and beats the crap out of me and haul me in front of the preacher. It’s not like I had any dreams about my wedding, but I kind of figured I wouldn’t be a bloody mess.”
“Richard ain’t going to beat you because Richard isn’t going to know about this.”
That had Malcolm giving her another bold laugh. “It’s going to be kind of hard for him not to after I get done telling him.”
Mary Anne gaped at the man in front of her, not at all sure in that moment his delirium hadn’t returned. “Why would you tell him that?”
“Well,” Malcolm considered that for a second before shrugging, “I guess I’m going to have to tell him if I want to get that ring on your finger. If a beating gets the job done, then I’ll take it.”
“You’re insane.”
“Not really.”
“Why would you take a beating?”
“Let’s see, I take a beating that pains me for about a day or two, and in exchange I get a woman who takes me to heaven every night for the rest of my life. Sounds like a good deal to me.”
Mary Anne’s jaw clamped down on her response to that insane reasoning. So like a man, he hadn’t factored her into the equation at all. Well then, she had something to shock him.
“And what if I don’t take you there? What if I say no and give you nothing for the rest of your life?”
That took the grin off Malcolm’s face. His gaze narrowed on her in an almost threatening way. “Don’t be getting sassy now, angel. I’m feeling too good to have to paddle you.”
His hand settled down over her ass in a silent warning she chose to ignore. She met his challenge with an upraised chin. “No man paddles me, Mr. Tanner.”
Whack.
Mary Anne’s eyes widened at the smack that seared up her rear.
“You sure about that, angel?” When she would have jerked back, his arm curled up around her waist and held her still. “I don’t think so, Mary Anne. We going to have this conversation, and I think it will go a lot better if you stay right here, naked at my side.”
“Is that right? Well, let me tell you what I think, Malcolm. I think you better think twice before you spank me again, because—”
Whack.
“Malcolm!”
Whack.
Mary Anne’s mouth hung down in outrage. She felt more offended over her body’s traitorous response to his barbaric behavior than to the fact that he had the audacity to actually spank her.
“That’s right, angel.” Malcolm’s own chin lifted in arrogance. “You can disagree with me about everything from what color the sky is to what time of the day it is, but when it comes to sex, I’m in control, and the only words I want to hear out of those lips are, ‘yes, Mr. Tanner.’ Got that?”
“Oh, you are insufferable. I wouldn’t marry you if—”
Whack.
“Damnit, Malcolm!”
Whack.
Mary Anne’s jaw clicked closed. She got the message. As much as she might hate it, there wasn’t much that she could do but obey. Obey and glare, that’s what she did. Her scowl didn’t appear to bother Malcolm as he waited through a long moment to see if she’d test him again.
“Now you’re learning, angel, and don’t be giving me that look. I’m actually trying to help you out here. You smart off like that to Mike, trust me, it wouldn’t be your ass he’s paddling.”
All the blood drained out of Mary Anne’s head with that threat. “What do you mean? It wouldn’t be my ass?”
“I think you know what I mean.”
Malcolm’s dark tone and pointed look had her flashing back to the moment he brought his hand down right between her legs. The very memory heated her well-used flesh, making it tingle at the insinuation that it wouldn’t be Malcolm next time.
“You’d let your brother do that to me?”
Malcolm’s grin held no comfort. A curl of pure wickedness inflamed the very part of her that should be whimpering. “I guess that’s up to you, angel. I ain’t going to force you into my brother’s bed, any of their beds, but if you go there, it won’t be like you’d be the first.”
“But I would be the first wife you shared,” Mary Anne whispered, feeling that warmth he filled her spirit with starting to dim. “And you wouldn’t care?”
“Don’t mistake this, Mary Anne, any man outside of my brothers touches you and he dies. That said, you know how rare women are around these parts. We’re going to be passing long winter months with nothing but me, you,
and them trapped in this cabin. What do you think will happen?”
“You’re making a good argument for me to say no to marrying you. That’s what I think will happen.”
“First rule of the West, angel, don’t make threats you can’t keep. I tell Mike when he gets home what we did and he’ll be the one beating me up and dragging us to a preacher. Hell, he could have us married by the end of the week.”
“I don’t want to be shared.”
Malcolm’s features lightened, and that calming hand lifted back up to rub the tension from her neck. “And I told you I ain’t going to force you to do nothing you don’t want. Don’t look so sad, angel, just because I share doesn’t mean I don’t love.
“Hell, I share because I love. I love my brothers. I ain’t got nothing in this world without them, and I don’t want to be in this world without you. You’re not going to make me chose between those two things, are you?”
Mary Anne didn’t know. What he suggested was wrong even if the idea curled like a little teasing lick inside her womb. It made her shiver to think about it. That alone would have scared her off, but the way Malcolm put it made it sound almost natural. She just didn’t know.
“Mary Anne?”
His soft prod had her lifting heavy eyes up to his. “Do I have to answer now?”
There came that grin again. “Of course not, angel. You take all the time you need to think about anything, just as long as you know that these arms are where you’re going to be sleeping every night on from now.”
“Every night? But Mike will find out.”
“Well, he’s gonna figure it out at some point. Probably when I tell him.”
“And I’m asking you not to do that.”
“But you ain’t giving me a reason to listen to you,” Malcolm shot back in the same exasperated tone he used.
“Because he’ll be mad and as you said, he’ll pick a fight and drag us off to the preacher.”
“So?” Malcolm grunted. “You’re giving me the sense that I should be dragging you to the nearest preacher and getting this deal done before you figure a way out of it.”
