by Xondra Day
“But here we are,” she replied adding a sigh. “And we’re doing fine.”
“We are indeed.” Joe glanced up at the ceiling for a moment and listened to the rain overhead. That’s when she leaned over him and kissed him with an eagerness that instantly caused a stirring deep within.
Her lips, soft and sweet, glided across his own. Together they both merged into a hot, passionate embrace of not only the emotional but also the physical.
Limbs entwined, the last of their clothing was quickly shed. Kate moaned when he first thumbed her left nipple and then brought his mouth down over the right one. Inside his mouth he felt them harden, nubs that begged to be suckled.
“Why, well I never,” she said, her voice breathless. “That’s just delightful.”
There was no doubt in Joe’s mind the difference between making love to a woman than to a man.
The differences were striking and now feeling Kate submit to him, sliding under his body, her legs wrapping around his waist, he truly appreciated what each had to bring to the table, so to speak.
She was smooth, soft, beguiling and again her lips and that mouth. Her hands toyed with his sparse chest hair. And when she reached down to grip his buttocks, he felt himself slide between her legs, connecting with her hot wetness.
* * * *
Joe sure as heck wasn’t Darcy. And now with him throbbing against her most intimate parts, she wanted him more than ever. She wanted him inside her, exploring her, and in turn she’d explore him.
With her legs wrapped around his waist, she looked up at him and smiled. This was her husband, everything was right, everything was just the way she wanted it to be and there was a wondrous sense of security that came in knowing that.
Joe paused for a moment, his hardness pressing into her. Was he waiting for her approval to continue? She moved her hips to meet him and felt him slide slowly into her.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered into her ear. “Tell me to stop and I will.”
She appreciated the thought and sensitivity. Joe was one in a million. She nodded. And to accentuate her point, she took him deeper, savoring newfound sensations that she had never experienced before.
Lovemaking with Darcy had always been quick and very self-serving, his needs always coming first. But now, with Joe, for the first time she felt things she had never experienced and it was glorious, liberating, and all points in between.
A heat rose between them as they moved together, forming one fluid motion locked together.
With his head nestled against her neck, Kate ran her fingers through Joe’s hair, coaxing him along with words that she would never have imagined she’d say. It was hard to break from sensibilities that had been engrained into her very core over the past years of her life.
His breath, hot and rapid, blew onto her cheek. Locking eyes, each became lost in the other’s.
He tensed over her, every muscle of his well-toned body flexing the more he worked himself into her.
And then Kate felt it, for the first time ever, it rose from deep down in her groin, a combination of intense pressure and hot, delicious pleasure.
She groaned and tossed her head back as Joe quickened his pace, thrusting into her with an unrelenting vigor, his hips rising and then slamming back down to make her feel every inch of his manliness.
When she exploded, she clung to him, panting, gasping to catch her breath, feeling wave after wave of orgasmic bliss wash over her.
* * * *
When Kate clenched around him, her arms pulled him tight. He couldn’t hold off any longer, and he released himself into her, filling her with his seed.
He carefully slipped to the side and together they lay in the darkness, each regaining their senses and composure.
“It’s never been,” she muttered, “so good.”
He laughed. “I’d be disappointed and slightly shamed if you said anything else.”
She nudged him playfully in the arm.
It wasn’t long before Joe could tell that she had fallen asleep beside him. He pulled the covers up around her and lay back, staring into the darkness. Sleep wouldn’t come so easily for him, he had things on his mind. In the next room, without a doubt, Ryan was still awake. A tinge of guilt wafted through him, causing him to grimace. Had he done right? Was this the way to salvation, as the preacher would have said? So much ran through his mind but the guilt was something awful to try and swallow.
Chapter Seven
At the crack of dawn, Ryan was awake and out of bed. He dressed quickly, made himself coffee, and was out of the house before anyone stirred.
Last night, he had heard more than enough to last him a lifetime, and the prospect of sitting at the table with the ever-loving couple this morning wasn’t something he wanted to face.
Hearing Kate moan through the walls and them whispering caused him to be heartsick. For most of the night he laid there in the darkness with a lump in the back of his throat, his heart breaking.
Pretending everything was fine and dandy was a lot harder than he thought it would be, and right now, he doubted if he could maintain the charade much longer. Love was the strongest emotion known to mankind, or so that was his thought. And he loved Joe without a doubt. Joe had been his, they had belonged to each other for so long and now…
His mind ran amuck with many cuss words as he crossed the path leading into the barn. What he needed was to get away. The ground was soft under his boots as he tread closer to the barn door, the rain had made a mess of everything. The crops were pretty self-sufficient at this stage, so, darn it, he was taking the morning off and doing what he wanted to do for once.
Riding bareback was easy, he’d been taught to do so as a boy, and as he mounted the horse he looked back at the house, squinting his eyes against the morning sun. For a brief moment, he wondered what Joe and Kate were doing. Then he told himself he shouldn’t care. But he did.
Marsden wasn’t too far, he could be there and back in a couple of hours. And if they wondered where he was at, then let them wonder and worry. No longer did anyone have a claim to him, he was his own man.
With the wind in his face, Ryan bolted off down the road, his thoughts scattering across the plains surrounding him.
* * * *
Kate stretched lazily, her arms moving down to her side, feeling for him. She stopped once one hand rested on Joe’s solid form.
She listened to him snoring, soft and even. Just the sound brought a grin to her face, and that feeling… It was sensational. She still tingled down there. That feeling only came from superb lovemaking, and Joe was one heck of a lover. She’d take him again, right now, if only he was awake.
Answering his ad had been so out of character for her, but darn it, it was the best thing she had ever done in her life thus far. She was ecstatic, giddy, and totally enamored. Never had she experienced such emotions and feelings.
Turning onto her side, she spooned up to Joe’s back. Sliding one arm over him, her hand nestled onto his chest, her fingers dancing across his pectoral muscles. He stirred.
“Hey,” he murmured, coming to life. He sounded like a bear.
She giggled.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, turning to face her.
“You sound like a big old bear.”
He nodded. “That’s me first thing in the morning. I always rise early, but I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed it. I guess it just comes with the life. There’s so much work that has to be done in a day and I’m not one to shirk my duty.”
Work. She hadn’t really ever become acquainted with the word in its truest sense. But she supposed she would soon enough. She not only had to pull her own weight, but was expected to.
“It’s hard work, isn’t it?” Kate motioned with one hand to everything and nothing at the same time surrounding them. “One man could never do it alone.”
“Definitely not,” answered Joe, sliding out bed. He stood and stretched, his naked, sculpted form rippling as he worked out t
he kinks in his muscles. “Ryan is a huge help, in fact, he probably does more than I do around here.”
Kate paused for a moment before she spoke. “I like Ryan, but I feel like an intruder whenever I’m around him.”
“He’ll get used to you. He hasn’t a choice, nor say in the matter. We’re married, you’re my wife, and that’s the end of it. I’ll speak to him when I see him today. I thought I heard him earlier, up and about. My guess is that he’s already set about working this morning.”
Kate hesitated again. “I don’t want to stir any trouble between you two. I’d like for us to all get along.”
Joe cast her a knowing look. “You’re not stirring anything that perhaps hasn’t already been there way before you came along. I will talk to him, and hopefully all will be fine.”
Kate watched Joe slip into his clothes. She climbed out of bed and dressed, following him.
“Yup, he’s already up and gone.” Joe touched the coffee pot on the stove. “It’s still hot.” He poured two cups and offered one to her before taking his seat at the table.
Bacon, eggs, and toasted bread were soon served up as Kate made her way around, her surroundings becoming more familiar to her.
Watching Joe eat was a joy in itself. Her eyes never left him as she sat there trying not to be obvious, sipping her coffee, yet marveling at the man’s more-than-adequate appetite. She’d definitely have to brush up on her culinary skills. Perhaps she could order a cookbook or two, or maybe the shop in town stocked them. The next time she ventured that way she’d be sure to check.
“Well, I’m off,” proclaimed Joe, stepping away from the table. “That breakfast was great.” He leaned down, kissing her gently on the cheek. “I’ll be back at noon for dinner. And you might want to think about doing the wash.”
The wash?
She must have looked clueless to him.
“Clothes,” he added. “There’s a huge kettle set up out in the yard to the left of here. Just fill it with water, start a fire underneath, and the washtub and scrubbing board is there too. The laundry soap’s in the pantry on the lowest shelf.”
Get the look of stupid off your face, she told herself, forcing a smile.
“I’ll get right on it once I clean up in here.” She watched him grab his hat, looking back at her waving good-bye.
Looking around, Kate sighed. She had a long day set forth ahead of her and she figured she best dig in.
* * * *
Where the heck was he? Joe searched the property twice and still, no Ryan.
Fear now crept into his heart. What if Ryan had just decided to take off without telling him? What if this was it, and he never saw him again?
It’s nothing. He’s probably just screwing off somewhere, letting out steam. If he’s not back at day’s end, then I’ll go looking for him.
Joe kicked at a rock in frustration and nearly slipped in the mud. The rain had done a number on the land turning everything to muck.
Joe looked back to the house. Kate was fumbling with the washtub, she looked to be hauling it in place. He shook his head as he watched her, she was a fish out of water, but what she lacked in experience, she made up for in determination. He admired that.
Last night had been his second time with a woman and this time, it had been much better than the first.
Kate had been more attentive, she had opened herself to him in more ways than just the physical. Of course the physical was… great, but it was also nice to feel an attachment.
* * * *
The city. Okay, well it wasn’t quite a city but rather a large town. But it was as close enough for Ryan to get lost in the crowd if he wished to do so.
He ran the length of one of many main drags, which linked everything together, and then his eyes settled on just what he had been looking for—a saloon.
He wasn’t much of a drinker. The last time he’d touched the stuff he ended up getting sloshed with Joe, and they’d both been rendered useless for a day, subsequently vowing never to touch the devil’s brew again.
Given the recent events in his life, he needed an escape. He needed to relax, and, to hell with it, he needed a drink. With the horse secured in front of the large wooden structure, he waltzed inside.
“What’ll ya have?” asked the bartender who looked to be about his own age. The young man looked him over and smiled. “You’re new to these parts. I haven’t seen you in here before. Are you from around here?”
“I’m just passing through. It’s one heck of a hot day outside, and I thought a drink would be refreshing.”
“That it is,” said the bartender with a nod. “So what’ll it be?”
“Whiskey.”
“House best.” The bartender slid a glass in front of Ryan, accepting the coins Ryan handed him.
“Slow day?” asked Ryan, taking a sip of the strong liquor. He winced and forced it down, feeling the warmth wash down his throat and into his belly.
The bartender shrugged his shoulders. “The usual. The weekdays are quiet, the nights pick up, and on the weekend, the place is blocked from daylight well on into the morning.”
“Makes sense. I suspect most are looking to let off a bit of steam after working their asses off all week.”
“And then some,” added the bartender with a wink. “We keep a couple of girls on to see to their needs.” He motioned to a large staircase that wound its way up to the second floor. “If you’re looking for some entertainment, it’s easily arranged, for a price.”
“Not right now. But perhaps later.”
The bartended grinned and extended his hand. “Name’s Winter. And yes it’s an odd name. My mother loved the season.”
“Ryan,” he replied, gripping the man’s hand. “This is quite the place you have here.”
“My father started it, and when he passed on three years ago, I took hold of the reins. It’s a living, and a honest one, even if some folks in town don’t think so.”
Their eyes met for a moment. A moment of understanding passed between the two men.
Ryan lowered his eyes to the top of the bar, concentrating on finishing his drink. After downing the last drops, he asked for another.
After his fifth, he tried to stand. He wasn’t much of a drinker. Taking two steps forward, the last thing he remembered was the floor coming to meet him.
* * * *
Once night had fallen, that’s when Joe started to get seriously worried. Ryan had yet to return, and his intuition told him that something had to be wrong.
Even in Ryan’s most scatterbrained moments, he wouldn’t just run off like this, not for this long.
Kate sat across from him, watching him as he ate. “He hasn’t come back,” she said, fiddling with her fork. “It’s just as I have suspected all along. If I had known that I would be putting someone out like this with my presence, I would never have come here. This was his home way before it ever became mine.” Pushing her plate away, Kate stood up from the table and walked to the front door. Opening it, she looked out into the night. “I just hope nothing has happened to him.”
He should just tell her, be outright with everything. If honesty truly was the best policy, then it was the right thing to do. He opened his mouth and went to start, but words didn’t come.
What made him think that Kate would be any different from the rest? The rumors about him and Ryan, the looks and the gossip that had hounded them. No, they certainly didn’t understand, and they had only just suspected. She wouldn’t either. How could she accept her husband sleeping with another man, or better yet, loving one?
“If it’s meant, he’ll come back to us.”
She turned and glared at him. “You don’t get it, Joe. I’ve done this. I’ve chased him off. I don’t feel right about this.”
Her eyes flickered with concern.
“Kate, there’s something I think you should know.”
“Joe? I don’t like that look you’re giving me. What’s going on? I’ve stepped into something haven’t it
?”
He nodded. “Yes Kate, yes you have.”
Chapter Eight
I’m dead. The two words that echoed first in his mind came out of his mouth. “I’m dead.”
A voice chuckled. “Not dead, but I suspect you may feel like you are for the next day or so.” It was the bartender, Winter.
“Where the heck am I, and what happened? Did someone take a swing at me? My head feels like it’s about to bust wide open.”
Winter grinned. “You had a bit too much drink and when you went to stand, down you went. This is my room. I figured you needed a place to rest until you’re up and on the go again.”
“Thanks—er, I feel fine now, so I can go and leave you be.” Ryan attempted to stand but fell back onto the bed. His head throbbed to no end. “Damn it!” he muttered.
Winter sat on the bed next to him, his eyes wide with amusement and a smirk crossing his lips. “You’re staying put, at least until tomorrow.”
“But—”
“No buts. And that’s all there is to say about it.”
Ryan settled back onto the bed, his head resting on the pillow. Embarrassment washed over him. “I never could handle my drink.”
“No harm done.” Winter smiled, pressing one hand down upon Ryan’s shoulder.
Hot damn, the guy had sexy eyes. Through the dimly lit room, he could see that they were light green with tiny specks of brown.
“You’re tense,” commented Winter.
Ryan nodded. He didn’t dare move an inch when Winter slipped his hand underneath his shirt. A small sigh escaped his lips. It felt so good to have a man touch him again. He craved the one-on-one intimacy.
A look was exchanged between them. Winter swallowed hard. “You’re a very handsome man, Ryan.”
