Cowboy Welcome

by Alyssa Bailey

  On and on it seemed to continue, a few swats, then the warmth of them settled in her sex making the need almost unbearable.

  Zane’s need was so painful he had to rearrange himself several times and it no longer was doing any good. “Okay, baby, these ones are to finish you off, they are going to be the grand finale, but then I promise to take you to the moon.”

  Before Shanna could do more than acknowledge his words, Zane let fly a flurry of hard, made for business, swats. He caught her upper thighs on the last ones causing tears to fill Shanna’s eyes and squirms accompanying squeals of apology tumbled out of her mouth. These were certainly the real punishment slaps. Then he immediately rubbed and moved between her legs to add his kisses to the afflicted cherry red thighs and ass. He efficiently flipped her over. He then turned to settle into the apex of her thighs, where her aching need was buried deep. Kissing her swollen tissue, and soothing her bottom, he settled in to lap up the nectar that his beautiful lover released. He could see the steady flow brought about by the pain and pleasure that this woman was made for him. It was that perfect discordant melding, that emotional cacophony of chaos, that had the desired effect on both of them. Moaning and thrashing in a slow undulating motion, her sexual playground surging to meet his devouring mouth becoming less controlled and more violent as Zane completed his aperitif. Now it was on to the long awaited entrée.

  Zane left Shanna so hungry that she was aggressive in her moan of loss as she was left bereft with her need for completion. As he moved away from her to position himself between her thighs to go on to what would be the first consummation of their love, Zane realized that Shanna didn’t exactly say that she loved him. While he wasn’t the one that needed to hear it because he knew she loved him, he felt that it was important that it be spoken between them, her insecurities necessitated she hear it out loud.

  Realizing he had her at a disadvantage because she was not thinking clearly right now, and just wanting to normalize hearing the words spoken aloud between them he said, “I love you, Shanna.”

  “Uh…Zane if you really love me please, just please come inside me. I need to feel you, need to know that we are one. Please, honey, I just need to know that you want to be with me and I don’t think I can last much longer. Come on, I’ll guide you.”

  Zane shook his head, not put off his goal. He was bound and determined that Shanna would speak the words before they were done today. She would, even if it killed him and with the pressure on his cock and balls, there was a real possibility of spontaneous combustion.

  “Do you like it when I do this,” asked Zane as his hands reached down and caressed her inner thighs, making a visible directional line towards her clit.

  “God, yes, I love it just…Zane, quit playing with me just come in, come inside. Let me feel you fill me up, please, stop talking.”

  Zane laughed again. “In my time, sweetheart, in my time, hold on. You’re warm and so wet for me, is that what you are, Shanna, hot and dripping for me?”

  Reaching further into the hotbed of Shanna’s desire Zane slipped two fingers into her vagina, slowly stroking and now steadily, methodically picking up the pace. Shanna’s body began to meet his rhythm frantically, heightening her desires and responses to a fever pitch. She whined when he found her rough patch of nerves just on the inside her vagina. He lingered for a moment, massaging the small area creating waves of warm electrical currents to run through his lover.

  “Zane, that feels so good. I love you. I love what you do to me. I love how you touch me, how you talk to me—”

  “How I spank you?”

  “Mmm, and sometimes, how you spank me. Please, Zane, take me.”

  Zane was entirely satisfied that he not only had Shanna on an intellectual level, hell, she was more intellectual than he was, but on a physical level as well. And on an emotional level, heart level. That’s what Zane had. He had Shanna, all of her. He had her at the very basic of levels and there wasn’t anything deeper than that. Everything was tossed from his mind at that moment, but claiming her inside and out, claiming her as his.

  Zane plunged into Shanna’s craving and aching core that was weeping to be satisfied, to be completed and he intended to do that. Pushing, sliding, thrusting, finally falling into a rhythm that was not overly aggressive, but not unsatisfying slow, Zane began to search for her little spot of ignition. That place that he knew he could touch and set her fireworks off. He intended to do that a multitude of times, this being the first round of many.

  Ah, there it was. Shanna’s response was almost violent. Zane single-mindedly focused only on Shanna’s pleasure, for he knew his fulfillment would be taken from her. He brought her to the heights of ecstasy, allowing her to float down in his arms, sated, only to begin bringing her back up to the clouds of glory. She was so responsive, her body eager to climb the ladder responding with squeals that shot emotional fireworks covering their lovemaking with the glowing embers of light. Zane grunted his excitement.

  When the third round of physical and emotional release completed and Zane thought he would try for yet, a fourth-round Shanna said, “Come with me. Don’t hold off. Come with me. Let’s share this. Let’s share the explosions together.”

  Then feeling Zane hesitate as though he just wanted to bring her up one more time, she begged, “Please?”

  And that was that. That was his cue to pick up the pace to heighten both of their excitement and just as they knew he could hold off only seconds longer he said, “Come now then, sweetness. Let go now and let go with me. We do this together.”

  Zane thought he had never felt anything even remotely close to this type of connection to a woman, ever. Other than his family, he hadn’t communed or become a part of anyone at such a raw level as he did Shanna. Probably no other person in this world could even come close to the connection he felt with this woman. She was infused throughout his very being, the essence that was him. Whether she knew it or not, she possessed his mind, body, and soul and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Utterly exhausted from the sweat rolling off his body, he leaned over, gave a quick soul-stealing kiss to Shanna, and rolled off the bed. He needed to take care of her before he gave into his tiredness.

  “Stay still, baby, I have to go and get a washcloth. We need to take a shower, but I just want to hold you for a while. Wait a second and we can snuggle.”

  Zane cleaned up and quickly returned with two warm washcloths and a towel from Shanna’s bathroom. After he had washed her face and neck with the cloth he had, Zane took the other washcloth and cleaned up her sexual playground where they had just enjoyed a romp in her park. He then gently towel dried her and dried some of the sweat from her body before he rolled over and pulled her tight to him to snuggle.

  Shanna reluctantly accepted the freshening up from Zane. She had never experienced it before. A man who cared for you after he was satisfied was amazing. He was amazing.

  “I love you. You know that I love your grunts, these new little squeals, and your face, how it lights up and becomes intense when you’re having an orgasm. Then how your features are totally relaxed when you’re coming down from your rocket blast, falling to earth like a leaf in autumn relaxed slowly meandering aimlessly to the ground.”

  Shanna cooed. “You know, I was married for several years and did have a few relationships besides this one. I have to tell you, I never felt so satisfied, so tied, so part of anyone as now, with you. Thank you for showing me that it’s not me. That I can love and I can enjoy this communion more than I ever thought I could. Being with you is so much more than I ever imagined. You know, I thought that sex was a little boring. That it was the same thing in the same manner with nothing different and wondered why people could get addicted to this.”

  Shanna turned slightly so that she could snuggle in a little tighter to Zane. She could still see a corner of his face as her voice became more animated and she became more invested in the conversation that she had opened up.

  “I mean really, people are a
ddicted to sex and do not feel as though it is a problem or debased in any way. Until today, I thought that was a weakness, illness, and plenty of other things that I came up with as a person with only a humdrum experience. It was a little exciting to find out that what I thought about sex was based on the fact that the experiences I had previously weren’t even decent. And to think, I would have been satisfied with it because my experiences before, filled the need, barely. Now I know it was not even sort of okay sex. My experience and expectations were so miniscule when based on my past life and I cringe when I see that this is what it’s all about. What I was missing.”

  Shanna took a breath and just as Zane was going to respond, she started again.

  “And who I was missing. What I have with you is what it is all about. Oh my Lord, imagine how much I’ve missed. I feel as though I just want to do this over and over again. Well, I do and I want to make sure it’s not a pipe dream. That it’s not a one-time event. Is it like this all the time with you? I mean is sex like this typically for everyone else or is this a once in a lifetime mind-blowing occasion? I’m afraid to ask, but I really want to know because, oh my Lord, we need to do this again.”

  Zane began to laugh a full belly laugh and kissed Shanna’s neck. He kissed her cheek, her brow, her lips, taking it slow, unhurried, and intense, only coming up when the air was critical to survival.

  “This is how it is with us. I don’t want to compare it to anyone else I’ve been with because there’s no comparison to us. You are all I will ever need.”

  Zane reached over, wiped away the tears rolling down Shanna’s face with the pads of his thumbs. He leaned down and kissed them away.

  “Ah, baby, don’t cry. I hope that these are tears of happiness, not of anything else. Shanna, I need to ask you something. Turn over here better, honey, so I can see your face when I talk. We have been working on this relationship for about four months now wouldn't you say?”

  Zane waited until Shanna responded by nodding her head, eyes wide. It was as though she might know where he was going with this conversation, but not exactly sure, and certainly afraid to say it out loud.

  “And I’d say we’ve had a few bumps in the road, wouldn’t you?”

  Shanna slowly nodded her head in agreement. Still wondering if where she thought they were going in this conversation was true.

  “And,” Zane continued, while simultaneously stroking her cheek, “I believe that we have come through them pretty well.” He outlined her lips and leaning in for a short but gentle kiss before lifting up. “No lasting scars and a lot of learning and growing has come from our exploration of each other. I think it’s safe to say that you like my family and find you can tolerate them as well as you could any family. They come with their warts and irritations but are okay overall.”

  Shanna nodded and snuggled in closer while still being able to see Zane’s face and make eye contact because she knew that was important to him right now. But for some indescribable reason she was having difficulty looking at him in the face. Shyness or tiredness was, she decided, the reason for that difficulty.

  “So, it would make me one happy cowboy if you would consent to marry me, Miss Shanna Parker. Would you do this ol’ Texan the honor of being my wife?”

  Shanna began the tears again. “Would that offer include that Texas cowboy telling me what to do?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “And what about being over protective?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “And…would that offer include spankings?”

  “Sometimes. But,” Zane qualified with a grin, “they won’t all be unpleasant.”

  “Well then, so long as the pleasant spankings outweigh the unpleasant ones, I’m in. Yes, Yes, Yes, I will marry you.”

  Zane let out a whoop that would make any Texan proud. Leaning in, he did what all good gentleman cowboys would do he sealed the deal with a kiss that consumed them both.

  “Now, do you know why four poster beds are so fantastic?” asked Zane with suddenly renewed energy that lit a playful twinkle in his eyes.

  “No.” Shanna began to watch Zane warily. “Why?”

  “Because you can tie your woman up so effortlessly.” Zane grinned. “Want to see?”

  “Mmm, all right, show me.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Shanna woke up the next morning with aching muscles and an empty bed. Make that a big, cold, empty bed. She laid there for a moment becoming awake enough to listen well and tried in vain to hear Zane in another room. Rather than call out for him, she gathered her aching self and walked to the bathroom, disappointment crowding out her other thoughts.

  They had spent the night making love with intermittent breaks for food, drink, and potty stops. She had never spent a night of passion like the one she had just spent and while she ached, it was a luscious twinge. She also had never allowed a man to take over as she had allowed Zane. Not that many men had the opportunity to attempt to take charge. Her experience in lovers was so minimal she didn’t need her whole hand to count them. However, she knew that if any had tried to the level that Zane had gone to last night, she would have shut them down. The sad truth was none had even attempted to be that intimate with her very soul. No one loved like Zane. He worshiped.

  That being said, she had to admit to herself that once he bound her to the bed, she had to force herself to let go and relax. It was the damnedest thing, but she felt so free when she was tied. However, it was obviously not her first instinct. When she finally released and trusted him enough, that is. Yes, she was ready to admit it boiled down to trust. It was then that the rest of the emotional bonds slid off quickly. The binding released her, gave her permission to have no responsibility as to what came next, or to worry if she was doing enough for him, fulfilling her obligations to Zane.

  She didn’t need to worry because she was powerless to do more than he wanted her to do and there were no longer her preconceived expectations to get in the way of her total release to him. Shanna wondered if she could get more of that. It was fire touched to dynamite and fireworks with us. That gnawing need I have can only be filled when we come together, when we blend as we make love. It is our combustion and in her world, there was no comparison. You intoxicate my every thought, my being, Zanith Gideon. It is you and only you that I need. Always and forever.

  However, that brought her back to the thought that there was no Zane beside her. Having finished in the bathroom, she wandered into the living room to no Zane. Shanna went to the front door and opened to see if his pickup was parked out front and the space he had occupied was empty. She slammed the front door and heard the resounding echo down the outside corridor, making her even angrier. She now had her Irish up, as her mother would say, and she almost stomped as she went back into her bathroom for a shower.

  She turned the water on and thought I don’t really need him to be here. However, as soon as she produced the thought, she knew she was a colossal liar. He had grown on her and she was nauseous thinking he might not come back. Second-guessing herself was typical for Shanna in relationships since her husband had found a woman who was ‘warm-blooded’.

  She had been uncertain within the first ten minutes of lovemaking that Zane realized she was too inexperienced and inadequate of a lover for him. But after that, he took her to the stars and she did not think about it again. Until now. Why didn’t she recognize it? Even though he had said multiple times throughout the night and into the morning how beautiful she was, how perfect for him she was. He had glibly said all manner of sweet talk, that was what it must have been, sweet talk. Smoke. It was a hollow tree oozing honey, because if it had been real, he would have stayed with her. There was a niggling persistent impression that she should call him, but irrational though it was, she did not. It was though she wanted to fulfill her own prophecy of her unlovability, breaking her own heart.

  Shower done, she stripped her bed saturated with the spicy male scent of him, but she could not resist hungrily bringing the sheets
to her face to smell and revel in the essence that was Zane. It was then that the dam broke and she cried as one who had an irreparably broken heart. She lay down on the bed and cried for a long time before she dozed back off to sleep on top of the stripped bed. She was exhausted from the long session of lovemaking, the last few days’ drama, her crying jag. She languished amidst the pain over her eviscerated emotions, over her perception of inadequacy and subsequent abandonment that she knew was irrational but jarring nonetheless.

  Zane tried the door and found it open, which immediately set off red flags. He entered cautiously after verifying Shanna’s little car was still there. He listened for a moment and just as he was about to check her kitchen, he heard what sounded like a hiccup. It seemed to come from the bedroom and what he saw when he entered, melted his heart. Shanna was lying on top of the bedding she had taken up from the bed and was making a type of hitching, hiccupping sound similar to little ones when they fall asleep crying. He sat the breakfast he had grabbed from Missy at the café on the dresser and sighed as he walked over to the bed.

  Standing over her, just looking at the picture she created, Zane was overcome with love for this feisty woman. In control and out of control at different times was exhausting, like yesterday when they had made love all night. She had wanted control, or at least she thought she did, but she didn’t know what to do with it when she got it. Shanna gave a bit of a struggle when he tried to wrestle the power back, but when he released it to her to see if it would relax her, she seemed to be hesitant. She even showed signs of panicking. Therefore, when she hesitated that last time, he jumped in, smoothly took control of their pleasure and she ultimately released it, benefitting both of them. He was not one to need always to have control, but he could not entirely let go of it either. Shanna relaxed when he had control and tensed when she had it. He knew how to play his lady better and better every day.

  When Shanna ultimately stopped struggling for the dominant role, when she truly relinquished, she flew with that uninhibited pleasure that comes when a man does his best to pleasure his woman and she lets him. Zane knew there were some skeletons in her emotional closet concerning marriage, togetherness, trusting, forever, and the like, but he was going to make those a memory. He was going to take care of her ghosts that kept haunting her, making her believe she was not made for a forever kind of life. He would do it with his own exorcising tools called, love, truth, responsibility, and consistency, with which he would give her the security she needed. He learned long ago that love was not enough unless it contained all of those elements as well. His love had them and now he needed to find a way for her to accept it.