She nodded.
“Can I say anything to make you stay?”
“Ask me again.” Her eyes searched his face.
“To marry me?”
“Yes, but for the right reasons.”
“The right reasons?”
“Nate, you’re not making this any easier.”
“Evelyn…I’ve had time to think and although I know it wouldn’t be easy for us…after all that’s happened, I can’t imagine anything worse than being without you again. I don’t want to spend every day wondering where you are, what you’re doing and if you…and the boy…are safe and well. I want to wake up with you every day and hear my son waking up in the room next to us. I know why you didn’t wait before and I’m telling you now that you’ll never have to wait again. Your home is ready, your life is ready…your family is ready. Please stay.”
“You really love me?”
He nodded and squeezed her hands. “Of course I do, Evelyn! I always have.”
“Because…this has to be right. The thought of leaving you today fills me with pain and dread, Nate, but I can’t live with you, alongside you each day, sharing bed and board if you don’t love me. That would be the worst punishment you could exact upon me. I know that I made a mistake and I’ve suffered every day for it.”
He reached out and placed a finger over her lips. “Hush, now. I love you and I want to be with you.”
She gently moved his finger away. “But it’s important to me that you know. If this is just about your son”—she turned and smiled at the boy then turned back to Nate—“you can share in Aaron’s life and see him every day. We’ll find a way to stay. But I can’t live a lie as your wife if your heart is closed to me. You might feel that I deserve that but it would destroy me. That wouldn’t be good for Aaron. I’ve kept myself going all these years by imagining that you were happy and that one day I might see you again. Hope has been my constant companion, helping me along through the toughest of days. But a loveless marriage would be the end of hope and without that what do I have?”
He shook his head and cupped her face.
“It’s not just about Aaron”—he looked at his son—“though he’s a damn good reason to marry you!”
“Thank you, sir.” The boy blushed.
“This is about doing what we should have done more than ten years ago, Evelyn Campbell.”
He knelt at her feet in the middle of the dusty street. A series of cheers and whoops erupted around them and Evelyn felt all eyes upon them as an unusual silence fell in Deadwood. Even the stage coach driver stood still.
“Evelyn…” Nate took her hands and caressed her fingertips, causing a shiver of pleasure to course through her body. “Will you marry me?”
She looked from Nate’s eyes to Aaron’s and briefly around at their audience. It seemed that every man, woman and child was waiting for her answer.
“Yes, Nate, I will marry you.”
He jumped up and threw his hat into the air, giving a whoop of joy before scooping her up into his arms and covering her mouth with his.
When he finally stopped kissing her, Evelyn smiled as Aaron appeared at her side and handed Nate his hat.
“Why, thank you, son!” He smiled.
“You’re welcome, sir.”
“Come here.” Nate reached out to Aaron and Evelyn felt that her heart would explode as she looked at the two most important people in her life stood side by side. Nate leaned over and whispered something in Aaron’s ear and the boy nodded vigorously.
“What is it?” Evelyn queried as Aaron ran off in the direction of the Grand Central Hotel.
“He’s gone to organise our supper with the hotel cook and to gather your belongings.” Nate kissed her hair.
“But why?”
“If you think you’re staying on in that hotel when you could with me in the home I built for you, Mrs Nate Hamilton to be, then you thought wrong!” He pulled her against him in a one armed hug. “Now come on, my dear, we’ve some time on our hands.”
Evelyn laughed as he pulled her by the hand and led her up the wooden plank steps to his house.
They stopped on the front porch, both breathless with laughter and exertion.
“Nate, we can’t. Not now.” She gestured at the main street. “It’s broad daylight.”
“That didn’t stop us before.” He placed a hand in the small of her back then pushed her through the front door and guided her into the kitchen area.
“But…Aaron,” she protested, as he pushed her against the heavy pine table with enough force to make her throw her hands against the waxy wood to steady herself.
“Aaron’s fine,” he whispered into the nape of her neck. A delicious shiver ran down her spine. “He’ll be gone a while. I told him to tell that cook to whip up something special—a pre-wedding supper.”
“Oh, Nate.” Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears and her heartbeat quickened as he reached around and unbuttoned her jacket. She sighed when he slid his hands inside, cupping and squeezing her breasts.
Nate helped her to shrug out of her jacket but when she moved to turn around to face him, he stopped her.
“No”—he pushed his groin against her—“like this, Evelyn.”
She leant forwards, resting her elbows on the table and inhaled deeply the sweet woody scent. Nate had made this table for her, for their life together and they were about to embark upon that life. A thrill of anticipation ran through her as an equally powerful longing began to pulse between her legs when Nate lifted her skirts so that they rested at the base of her spine. He tugged at her bloomers, pulling them down to the floor and she moaned as he ran his hands over her naked bottom then forced her feet farther apart with his.
“I love you, Evelyn, and I want to make you feel good.” He slid to his knees behind her.
“You do, Nate. But should we really…” Her question was cut short as he slid between her legs so that he was facing upwards. He opened her folds with both hands and she felt his mouth against her labia. The sweet caress weakened her and she leant farther forward against the table. Her hardened nipples rubbed against the wood through her gauzy chemise. The dual stimulation brought her to a quick climax and she had to lock her knees to prevent herself from collapsing onto Nate’s persistent tongue.
Though the kitchen was cool and dark, deliberately positioned in the shadow of the North Hill, Evelyn’s body was aflame. Nate continued to lick her pussy before sliding in and out of her depths, coaxing her towards the edge of reason. When he stopped suddenly, she cried out, but he moved quickly between her legs so that he was behind her again. He resumed probing her from this new angle, tickling between her buttocks and she tensed, wondering at his change of direction. But as his heat moved to her rear entry, she relaxed and surrendered to the unusual sensation. Whilst he licked there, gentle as a feather, she ground gratefully against the hand he pushed between her thighs to cup her sex, and she moaned with yearning when he plunged his fingers into her.
“Make love to me, Nate,” she pleaded.
“Whatever you desire, my love.” He moved up her body then he turned her to face him at last and lifted her onto the table.
Evelyn eyed him hungrily and reached out to help him to unbutton his trousers. His cock bounced free, glistening with desire and she groaned as he pushed it against her and rubbed it up against her engorged bud and over her pulsing lips.
He used the end of his erection to circle her cunny again and again, tracing a figure of eight, until she cried out with need, “Enter me now, Nate!”
He pulled her hips to the edge of the table then obeyed her command. He thrust into her, gripping her buttocks so tightly that she felt his nails bite into her flesh but she flung her arms around his neck and held onto him. She pressed her face into his neck, love and longing washing over her as her body rode the crest of the wave of desire and his body echoed in a shuddering, emotional climax.
They stayed that way for some time, wrapped around each other, their bodies
still joined. Evelyn breathed deeply the musky scent of their lovemaking, wondering at how she had managed without Nate for so long. When she finally looked up, he gazed into her eyes then kissed her hard and full on the mouth.
“Are you okay, Evelyn?”
She smiled shakily, suddenly aware that her cheeks were wet with tears.
“I am, Nate. In fact, I am so much more than okay.”
He kissed her again, stroking her lips and tongue with his and she felt a stirring lower down that made her stomach and her heart flip simultaneously.
“Nate…again?”
He laughed. “We’ve got ten years to make up for, Evelyn.”
“So we have,” she sighed as he grew inside her, filling her up and making her whole. She gazed into his eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, determined never to let him go. “I love you so much, Nate. I always have done, and I always will, but I never would have thought that I’d find my heart’s desire in Deadwood.”
Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:
Outlaw Rose
Celeste Rupert
Excerpt
Chapter One
A branch cracked. Rose crouched down in the shadow of a nearby bush and hoped her dark dress and the overcast night would be enough to hide her from view. The footsteps grew nearer and she held her breath. Her heart pounded so loud in her ears that she was afraid it would lead him straight to her. She tried to calm down.
It was quiet. She strained her ears for any sign he was coming closer. The silence pressed in on her as she squinted through the darkness, searching for movement. There was nothing but the faint rustle of nearby leaves in the night breeze. She breathed out a sigh.
He was gone.
She sensed the movement a split second before she felt the hand close over her arm. She fought with all her strength, jerking backwards to try to break his grip, until the loud, metallic click of a hammer being drawn back echoed through the night. She froze.
“That’s better.” His voice was a low growl and she felt the steel barrel of his pistol against her cheek. He lifted her to her toes, bringing his face down close to hers. She could smell the coffee on his breath, then his face was close enough to see clearly. His strong jaw and full lips had been hidden by the mask the day before, but she remembered his eyes, which registered surprise as he recognised her. “You! You’re that little snip of a bank teller.” He pressed the gun harder into the soft skin of her face. “What the hell are you doing sneaking around our camp?”
“I followed you.”
“Why?”
“The posse took off to the south, thinking you’d head for Mexico. I…” She hesitated, until the pistol jerked again. “I took a chance.”
“Stupid of you. I can’t let you go now, or you’ll just run to the sheriff.” He twisted, and she realised he was looking around him. “I don’t like killing women, but you’ve put me in a bad spot.”
“No!” Her heart pounded in her ears.
“No?” He leaned over her menacingly. “Do you have another suggestion? We’ve made plans for that gold, and I don’t plan to let some pretty little bank teller get me hanged before I get around to spending it.”
“If you’ll let me live…” Her voice trailed off.
He gave her a shake, bouncing her off his broad chest, his hand like steel on her arm.
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
He froze and she collided with him again. “What?” he said.
She relaxed against him, trailing a trembling hand across his chest. She heard him suck in his breath, then jumped when his hand covered hers, holding it still.
“That’s a mighty tempting offer, miss, but what am I supposed to tell the boys? ‘Oh, the girl knows which way we went, but I let her go after I had my way with her?’ You know what they’ll say?” He put his face close to hers, holding onto her with both hands. She wondered where the gun was. “They’ll want to know why I didn’t bring you back to share.”
Her mind raced, searching for options, analysing the situation. It took her only a second to come to a conclusion. She needed to get into their camp and this might be her only chance. “You found me.” She pressed her breasts into his chest. “Seems to me you should be first.”
He chuckled and let go of her hand, still holding tightly to her upper arm. She slid her fingers down his sides, then back up again. He swallowed audibly. With his free hand he tugged at the bodice of her dress, ripping the buttons off as he tore it open, then made short work of her thin cotton chemise. The sound of tearing cloth was loud in the darkness. The night air was cool on her skin, and her nipples peaked in response. His eyes were glued to her loose breasts. She took a deep breath and watched his face tighten at the movement.
He grabbed for her left breast, squeezing hard enough that she cried out, looking down at his dark hand on her pale skin. She watched as he released his grip, only to pinch the tip between his work-roughened fingers. She caught her breath and tried to pull back but he didn’t loosen his hold. She cried out again as her nipple stretched, and he let go, only to switch to her other breast and start all over. He reached for her peak, and her stomach clenched in anticipation. When he rolled the sensitive skin she felt dampness between her thighs and drew in a shaky breath. She needed to keep her mind clear if she was going to get that gold for herself, but the sensations and sight of his strong fingers on her sensitive skin were driving her to distraction.
She dropped to her knees at his feet and he released his hold on her upper arm to set a hand over the butt of the pistol. He didn’t trust her. That’s all right, she thought, since she wasn’t trustworthy. She ran a hand lightly over the bulge in his heavy, denim pants and he hissed and grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling it loose from the braid. She unbuttoned his pants then reached inside, closing her fingers around his cock. He moaned and she looked up, disappointed that she couldn’t see his face in the darkness. She tugged gently until his erection sprang free, then slid her hand slowly over the tip. He tightened his hand on the back of her head and pushed her forward, leaving no doubt what he wanted from her. She breathed out, making sure he would feel her warm breath before she extended her tongue and ran it up the bottom of his shaft, making him moan again. She closed her mouth over the head and began to suck, teasing his tip with her tongue, pumping one hand up and down the shaft, bracing the other against his thigh.
He panted above her, and she could feel how tense his muscles were under her hand. Maybe this would be all it would take, if she could get him to come. She leant forwards, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could, until the tip of his cock touched the back of her throat. She swallowed, once, twice, and he grabbed her hair with both hands, holding her head still and pounding down her throat once more as streams of semen shot against the back of her throat, making her gag. She blinked her watering eyes as he pulled free of her mouth, his ragged breathing loud.
“You know how to suck a cock, Miss Bank Teller,” he said, still out of breath. “I wonder where you learnt such skills?”
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’m a woman of many talents.” She got to her feet and tried to pull the tatters of the dress across her breasts, only to jump when he reached out and snagged her wrist.
“Not so fast,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “What makes you think we’re finished here?”
She raised an eyebrow and dropped her chin to look down at his cock, limp against his trousers.
He laughed and pulled the fabric back to expose her breasts again. “Don’t you worry about that.” He cupped both her breasts in his hands, flicking his thumbs over the nipples, and she struggled not to lean into him. “You like that,” he said, his husky voice barely louder than a whisper. “Don’t you?”
She took a deep breath to calm herself, which had the unintended side effect of pressing her breasts more firmly into his hands. Her teeth dug into her lip as she fought to stifle a moan. He leant down and ran his tongue over first on
e nipple, then the other.
“It seems you’ve got some skills of your own,” she said, and, even to her own ears, her voice sounded breathy.
He chuckled, a warm sound that went straight to her core, his breath cooling her hot skin. Instead of answering, he closed his teeth over the nipple and she gasped, winding her hands into his hair and knocking his hat to the ground. He sucked hard for just a moment, the pulse running through her like wildfire, and when he pulled away she stumbled forward into his chest. His hands closed on her arms, he hooked his leg behind hers, tripping her, and the next thing she knew she was flat on her back on the uneven ground, a rock digging into her shoulder blade.
He pushed at her skirts, flipping them up around her middle and she pushed them back. His face appeared in front of her, his hand back on her breast. “Remember, Miss Bank Teller, this was your idea.” He gave the breast a squeeze that made her squirm. “I’m sure you have more skills to demonstrate. I know I do.” He disappeared from her vision and went back to battling her skirts. This time, she didn’t flip them back. He was right—this was all part of the plan.
She’d nearly forgotten about the plan—this common thief was clouding her judgement. She needed to find what she had come for and get away from his distracting influence. Maybe after he’d come twice he’d be so spent she could even escape, find the camp and the gold on her own.
Caught up in planning, she jumped when she felt his hands on the bare skin of her thighs. He’d disposed of her petticoat and firmly moved her knees apart with his rough, warm hands. She reared up as he slid one thick finger deep inside her without warning.
“Ah,” he said, as he drew the finger slowly back out again, making her shudder. “All wet and ready for me.” He leaned over, pressing her back into the ground as he trailed his finger over her sensitive tissues, making her buck against him. “And I thought you were only doing this so I would spare your life.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but instead let out a sharp cry as he began a lazy circle around her swollen sex and her hips rocked towards him of their own accord, trying to follow his hand as he pulled it away. She hardly had time to miss it before he grabbed her, dragging her towards him and up onto his lap. Her legs were spread wide by the width of his body, the sharp edge of the butt of his gun digging into her upper thigh just before he let go of her with one hand to guide himself into her in one long, solid thrust.
Desire in Deadwood Page 6
