Now Mrs. Becky Jensen. His wife.
***
Becky’s heart soared at Mace’s words. He loved her! She was still reeling from the abrupt switch at the preacher’s house. All the way back to Santa Fe, she had assumed—and eventually reconciled herself to the fact—that she would be marrying Mr. Stillwater.
But now she was married to the man she loved and who had just confessed that he loved her, too.
Mace cupped her face with his large hands and dipped his head to gently kiss her, teasing her mouth with his, nipping, sliding his tongue against her sealed lips until she opened. His tongue swept into her mouth, touching soft places, places that made her stomach tighten and the area between her legs to dampen.
“Sweetheart, let’s get you out of these clothes.”
Had it been anyone else except Mace, she would be appalled at the idea of disrobing in front of another person, but this was her husband, the man who promised to love and cherish her.
She helped him as he fumbled with buttons and her corset. They giggled together when he swore as the string on her corset knotted. Eventually, she stood before him, naked as the day she entered this earth. Instead of embarrassment, she felt a sense of power by the look in Mace’s eyes as he studied her from the very top of her head to her toes.
“Your turn.” She smiled at him and began to unbutton his shirt.
“Wait, darlin’. I have to get rid of the gun first, so we don’t kill ourselves.” His grin made her laugh as he undid his gun belt and laid it on the small table next to the bed. She shivered and ran her hands up and down her arms.
“It’s chilly in here. As much as I’d like to admire you while I undress, I suggest you climb under the blankets.” He kissed her on the tip of her nose “I will join you shortly.”
Becky tugged the blankets up and watched as Mace slowly uncovered parts of his body she’d been admiring since she’d met him. Powerful muscles rippled in his chest and arms as he removed his shirt, flinging it on a chair. He toed off his boots and pulled his socks off. When all that was left was his pants, he climbed onto the bed.
She placed her hand on his chest. “Oh, no. What about your pants?”
“I thought I’d leave them on for a bit. If you’ve never seen an aroused man, it could be awkward for a young woman.”
“Hah! I am not a young girl but a grown woman, and you are my husband.” She smiled softly. “Off with the pants, Sheriff.”
For a minute it looked as though he would argue with her, but after a few moments, he leaned in, kissed her briefly on her lips, and stood. His blue eyes darkened as she watched his fingers unfasten his pants and then slide them down over his long, muscular legs.
“Oh, my.” She breathed out the words.
***
Mace slowly eased himself next to her on the bed. Becky shifted away, her eyes wide.
“Come here.” When she didn’t move, he said, “Trust me.”
She slid over next to him, and he placed his arm around her shoulders and guided them down until they were lying face to face. He brushed the hair off her forehead and leaned to kiss her. Softly, gently, until her gasp caused him to pull her close and deepen the kiss.
He used his hands to glide over her softness, the curves of her body. “Your skin feels like the finest silk.” Not that he’d had a whole lot of experience with fine silk. This wife of his was soft, smooth, smelled of roses, even though she’d spent the best part of the day running away and being hauled back.
“I don’t know what to do.” The words breathed past her lips, her warm breath bathing his face.
“I will show you what to do. I want you to relax and let me love you.” The gentleness he had intended soon turned to something passionate, frantic, and intense, as Becky shyly began to touch him. He moaned his pleasure as her small hands roamed over his back, to his chest. When her slight touch on his nipple caused him to pull her closer, he felt her grin against his mouth.
This wife of his was a treasure. He’d bedded plenty of women in his day, some paid for, some not, but no other woman had touched his heart the way this one did. He wanted to make this introduction into the special part of the relationship between husband and wife wonderful for her. She deserved it.
He dipped his head and took her small, firm breast into his mouth and suckled. She hissed and let out a squeak that told him all he needed to know. She grew restless, moved her hands over his back to his buttocks, pulling him close to her. He pushed his hips forward. “Touch me, sweetheart.”
When she seemed confused, he took her hand and guided it to his cock, showing her how he wanted her to hold him. A fast learner, she picked up his lesson quickly as his fingers were busy trailing over her curves down to the soft, moist area between her legs. “Oh, yes. Oh, Mace, that feels so good.”
It didn’t take long for his innocent wife to become frantic in her need for him. She shifted, pressed herself against him, squeezed him so hard he had to pull back. “Sweetheart, this will be over all too soon if you don’t let go.”
“I thought you liked that.”
“I do, indeed. A bit too much, though.” He returned his attention to the pounding of Becky’s heart against his chest, her panting breaths, and slight moans that told him she was close to coming apart in his arms.
He gave her breast one more suckle, and she stiffened and moaned, her body jerking with her release. A soft smile graced her lips, and she opened her eyes to gaze at him with so much love in her eyes, that his chest swelled until he thought his heart would burst.
Unable to hold himself off any longer, as soon as she relaxed into the mattress, he pushed her legs apart with his knee and settled between her hips. “This will hurt for a minute, darlin’, but I will try my best not to hurt you too much.”
Still dreamy-eyed, she nodded, and he entered her, sliding in easily until he reached the slight blockage. It had been years since he’d lain with a virgin. Then, he’d been a randy lad of sixteen and, with no knowledge of women’s bodies, had hurt the girl, and brought their lovemaking to an end when she pushed him off.
He leaned in and took her mouth in a searing kiss, attempting to distract her as he surged forward. She stiffened, her eyes opened, and a small tear leaked from one corner. He sipped the tear from her eye. “That’s the worst of it, sweetheart. I’ll wait until you’re ready before I continue.”
“There’s more?”
He grinned and let out with a chuckle. “Oh, yes, my love. There is more. Much more.” He began to move in the rhythm of lovers, his heart swelling as he looked into the eyes of the woman who had captured his heart and who he would love and protect for the rest of his life.
Epilogue
Six years later
“I’m pregnant.” Becky glanced at Mace as she set a platter of scrambled eggs in the center of the breakfast table.
Mace’s hands stilled as he tied a bib around eleven-month-old Luke’s neck. “Again?”
“Afraid so.” Becky poured milk from the pitcher she’d just taken from the icebox into glasses in front of five-year-old Elizabeth, four-year-old David, and their two-year-old twins, John and Jeremy.
“Goddamn, I’m going to have to get us separate bedrooms.”
Becky nodded toward the table of noisy children. “Language.” She took her seat and then hopped back up to grab the coffeepot from the stove and pour coffee into her and Mace’s cups. “Besides which, we are already bursting from the seams here. If you want a separate bedroom, you’d better get a room at the hotel.” She pushed the curls covering her forehead back and sat down.
With Luke all settled, Mace walked around the table and bent down to kiss Becky on the neck. “How about I get a room at the hotel, and we both go there one night?” His voice lowered. “We can get Mrs. Millstone to babysit.”
Becky turned in her chair. “Are you crazy? You just finished suggesting separate bedrooms because of you-know-what.” She glanced at Elizabeth who was showing way too much interest in her parents’
conversation.
Mace took his seat and picked up a piece of toast and broke it into pieces and set it on Luke’s plate. The baby grabbed it and shoved it into his mouth, smiling with his two front teeth at his daddy. “Yeah, but now that you are—you know—we’re safe for another few months so we can.”
“Ach!” Becky jumped up as David’s glass of milk tipped over, a river of white liquid running down the center of the table, landing in Becky’s lap. “David, I told you to be careful with your milk.”
“I’m sorry, Mama. It was an accident.”
She mopped up the mess with a towel and patted him on the head. “Yes, I know, sweetheart.”
Once they had all settled down again, a knock at the front door of their tiny house had all seven heads turning. Mace wiped his mouth on a napkin and strode to the front door. Toby Gallagher, the young lad who worked at the mercantile where the telegraph office was located, handed him an envelope.
“This came for you yesterday, Sheriff. Sorry, it got shoved aside, and I just now found it.”
Mace took the envelope from the boy’s hand. “Thanks.”
“What is it?” Becky asked as she scraped half-eaten breakfasts from her children’s plates. She would feed it later to their two dogs who were already lying as close to the table as they could get, watching the children with every bite.
“Telegram.” Mace leaned against the sink and opened it. His eyes skimmed the missive, and he grinned. “Well, what do you know?”
“What?” Becky pushed back from the table and joined him. “You’re smiling, so it can’t be bad news.”
“Nope, Mrs. Jensen. It’s good news.”
He kept staring at the paper until she nudged him. “Well, what’s the good news?”
“It seems I am no longer the Sheriff of Santa Fe County.”
Becky’s heart plummeted to her stomach. “And you think that’s good news?”
“Yes, it certainly is.” He shoved the paper at her. “As of yesterday, I am the new United States Federal Marshal of Santa Fe County.”
Her eyes grew wide. “That’s wonderful. Did you know this might happen?”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and eyed the small, beautiful faces staring at them from the table. “Yes, darlin’, it is good news, and I had hoped this would come through. I’ve been promised it for a couple of years now.”
He grinned at her. “We can now afford a bigger house.” Leaning in close, turning his head away from curious eyes, he added, “Let’s get that hotel room tonight to celebrate.”
She grinned back. “I’ll go see Mrs. Millstone. Can you wait a few minutes before you head to the jailhouse?”
“Darlin’, I waited my whole life for you. I think I can wait a few minutes to guard the castle and supervise the urchins.” He kissed the tip of her nose then reached over and grabbed a fistful of scrambled eggs from John’s hand that he was about to throw at his twin brother. “But hurry, this new marshal has to get to work if you want that bigger house.”
Becky shook her head and went out the back door to the neighbor’s house. Her heart sang as she viewed her flower garden that was coming to life. She touched her stomach and smiled at the new Jensen baby she carried under her heart. And now they could buy a bigger house!
Thank you, Marshal Jones. And thank God, I landed in your jail.
The End
Did you like this story? Please consider leaving a review on either Goodreads or the place where you bought it. Long or short, your review will help other readers discover new authors and make purchasing decisions!
The Prisoners of Love – Mail Order Brides series
Adelaide, Book 1
Cinnamon, Book 2
Becky, Book 3
Miranda, Book 4 (2018)
Nellie, Book 5 (2018)
I hope you enjoyed Becky and Mace’s love story. If you liked it, you might want to take a look at Prisoners of Love: Adelaide, the first book in the series.
Dodge City, Kansas, 1877. Adelaide Markham is one of four female prisoners sitting in Dodge City Jail. The marshal offers them a choice. Either sit in jail until the circuit judge sobers up enough to hear their cases, or get on the wagon train traveling to Santa Fe as mail order brides.
A recent widow who just lost her child, Adelaide prefers marriage to jail, but wants no part of motherhood. The pain is too great.
Miles Ryan has been threatened by the wagon train master that he and his two recalcitrant daughters will be left behind at Fort Dodge if he doesn’t find a wife to control the girls.
Miles takes one look at Adelaide and decides she’s for him. Unfortunately, it’s not until the deed is done that she learns she is a mother once again.
If you’ve already read Prisoners of Love: Adelaide, here is a list of my other books: http://calliehutton.com/
Here is the special treat I promised you. Click here to receive a free copy of A Little Bit of Romance, three short stories of lovers reunited.
About the Author
Callie Hutton, the USA Today bestselling author of The Elusive Wife, writes both Western Historical and Regency romance, with “historic elements and sensory details” (The Romance Reviews). She also pens an occasional contemporary or two. Callie lives in Oklahoma with several rescue dogs and her top cheerleader husband of many years. Her family also includes her daughter, son, daughter-in-law and twin grandsons affectionately known as “The Twinadoes.”
Callie loves to hear from readers. Contact her directly at [email protected] or find her online at www.calliehutton.com. Sign up for her newsletter to receive information on new releases, appearances, contests and exclusive subscriber content. Visit her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Callie Hutton has written more than 25 books. For a complete listing, go to www.calliehutton.com/books
Praise for books by Callie Hutton
A Wife by Christmas
“A Wife by Christmas is the reason why we read romance...the perfect story for any season.” --The Romance Reviews Top Pick
The Elusive Wife
“I loved this book and you will too. Jason is a hottie & Oliva is the kind of woman we'd all want as a friend. Read it!” --Cocktails and Books
“In my experience I’ve had a few hits but more misses with historical romance so I was really pleasantly surprised to be hooked from the start by obviously good writing.” --Book Chick City
“The historic elements and sensory details of each scene make the story come to life, and certainly helps immerse the reader in the world that Olivia and Jason share.” --The Romance Reviews
"You will not want to miss The Elusive Wife.” --My Book Addiction
"…it was a well written plot and the characters were likeable." --Night Owl Reviews
A Run for Love
“An exciting, heart-warming Western love story!" --NY Times bestselling author Georgina Gentry
“I loved this book!!! I read the BEST historical romance last night...It's called A Run For Love.: --NY Times bestselling author Sharon Sala
“This is my first Callie Hutton story, but it certainly won't be my last.” --The Romance Reviews
A Prescription for Love
"There was love, romance, angst, some darkness, laughter, hope and despair." --RomCon
“I laughed out loud at some of the dialogue and situations. I think you will enjoy this story by Callie Hutton.” --Night Owl Reviews
An Angel in the Mail
“…a warm fuzzy sensuous read. I didn’t put it down until I was done.” --Sizzling Hot Reviews
Visit www.calliehutton.com for more information.
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