Marrying My Cowboy

by Diana Palmer

  With a deliberate thump, Sam sat down on his lap wriggling like a salmon in a net, and he almost came in his pants. He was the only person who knew she was naked under her dress. The mere thought of all her soft flesh so close was making him sweat. Which was exactly why she was sitting on his lap . . .

  “You okay, honeybun?” she cooed. “You look a bit hot.”

  “I’m great.” He smiled up at her. “By the way, I think Avery was looking for you.”

  “Then I’m sure she’ll come and find me right here.” She wrapped his arm around her waist. “Where I’m supposed to be.”

  Jeez . . . if she kept this up their wedding guests might get to see far more of the consummation part of the day than they probably wanted to. Her breasts were now right at his eye level and every time she breathed out they brushed against his cheek.

  “Sam . . .” HW murmured.

  To his never-ending gratitude, Avery appeared beside him and beamed at them both. “Are you ready to cut the cake? I think some of the older guests won’t make it much past nine, so we really should get everything under wraps.”

  “Sure!” Sam braced one hand on HW’s shoulder and made an inordinate amount of fuss getting out of his lap, which made him silently yelp. He might not make it past nine himself. . . .

  Eventually, in desperation, he picked Sam up and set her gently on her feet. She reached back for his hand, and he gave it to her.

  “Come on, then,” Avery said brightly. “Yvonne’s already put the cake on the table and we’re all set to go.”

  By the time they reached the front of the room, all the guests were ready for them, and the music had been turned off. Yvonne had created an amazing chocolate and salted caramel cake, which meant both he and Sam were happy. Yvonne offered them a huge knife and stepped out of the way.

  HW grinned at Sam. “You ready?”

  She laced her fingers in with his. “Go ahead, cowboy.”

  The knife slid through the light sponge like butter, releasing the sweet scent of caramel and spun sugar. HW had thought he couldn’t eat another thing, but he was suddenly ravenous again. He cut out a few chunks of the bottom layer and then faced Sam, who was already laughing at him.

  “On three?” she suggested. HW nodded as she began to count. “One, two—”

  He shoved the cake in her face at exactly the same time she did it to him, and everyone cheered. It tasted so divine that he had no wish to waste any of it on a pointless food fight. Luckily, Sam seemed to feel the same. Avery and Billy took over and distributed plates of the cake while Yvonne boxed up other pieces.

  For a wedding that had come together in two weeks, his family ranch was doing them proud. He took a piece of cake over to his grandma Ruth, and she patted the seat beside her.

  “Sit down, HW. I’ve barely seen you all day.”

  “I’ve been busy getting married,” HW joked. “I still can’t believe we actually made it.”

  Ruth chuckled. “From all accounts it was a bit of a miracle. But I always say that if something is meant to be, it will happen.” She patted his cheek. “I think you two will be very happy together.”

  “I hope so.” HW hesitated. “We’re still going to fight a lot.”

  “Which is quite okay.”

  “You sure about that?” HW met her gaze, and she smiled.

  “Ask Roy to tell you about me and your grandfather one day. We weren’t exactly a model couple, but we were very happy. You remind me of your grandfather very much sometimes.”

  HW took that as the huge compliment it was.

  “Thanks for everything.” He kissed her wrinkled cheek. “For bringing me up when Mom and Dad weren’t around, for making me go to school, and do my chores . . .” He hesitated. “For helping make me the man I am.”

  “It was all inside you, HW.” Ruth held his gaze. “You just had to realize it. Now get along with you, and take that new wife of yours to bed. She looks worn out.”

  HW glanced back at Sam, who was looking a little weary, and remembered that her day had started at six in the morning, and that she’d ridden out twice. His conscience smote him. If she were tired out, he wouldn’t hold her to his dare.

  He stood and went to find Avery. January had gone off to settle Chase William down to sleep, and his besotted older brother had gone with them. Everyone else, except Sam’s elderly grandparents and Dr. Tio’s grandmother, was still present.

  “What’s up, HW?” Avery asked.

  It was interesting to see her in her element, making the wedding function so effortlessly. She was often the quietest member of the Morgan bunch, but she had a strength all her own, and was regaining confidence every day thanks in part to his brother’s love.

  “I think it’s time for Sam and me to head out. If that’s okay with you?”

  “Sure.” Avery nodded. “I’ll get Ry.”

  “Why do we need—?” HW spoke to the back of her head as she was already on the move. “We’re just going up to the ranch.”

  HW made his way over to Sam, who was chatting to Nancy and Cam. She smiled when she saw him, and everything inside him became peaceful. She was the right woman for him. The way they chose to express their love and conduct their relationship was up to them. He had a sense that if either of them did end up being polite all the time that would be the end of their marriage.

  “Ready to go?” HW asked.

  “Yes,” Sam sighed. “It’s been an amazing day.”

  He took her hand and brought it to his lips, admiring the solid wedding band on her finger, which was made of rare Morgan gold panned from the creek that ran through their property.

  Avery cleared her throat. “The bride and groom are about to leave. Anyone who wishes to throw rice or confetti, please step outside.”

  There was a stampede of people, leaving HW and Sam alone and staring at each other.

  “Rice?” HW asked.

  “Avery says it’s more organic than paper apparently, although the confetti is biodegradable,” Sam said.

  “As long as it’s not been cooked or is still in the can, I suppose I can live with it,” HW muttered. “You ready for this?”

  “Ready as you are.”

  “I’d rather sneak out the back,” HW said. “But we can’t disappoint our guests, now can we?”

  “Nope,” Sam agreed.

  He offered her his arm, and they walked out into the lobby and then outside to a hail of rice and confetti and the cheers of their friends and family. HW kept his head down and kept going, Sam clinging to his arm and laughing her head off. When they reached the steps up to the porch of the house, he finally slowed down and grinned at Sam.

  “We made it.”

  Even as the words left his mouth a window opened on the second floor; Ry leaned out and dumped a bucketful of confetti and sparkly stuff all over them.

  Sam spluttered and charged into the house leaving a trail behind her, and HW followed. Neither of them bothered to shed their boots in the mudroom as they hoofed it up the stairs and right into HW’s room where he locked the door.

  HW took off his hat, and twenty million pieces of sparkly confetti cascaded onto the floor.

  Sam was laughing so hard she could barely stand up. “We’re going to be washing glitter out of our crevices for weeks!”

  “Yeah. When Ry finally decides to get married I’m going to think up something far worse to do to him on his wedding night,” HW promised her. “Maybe a trip to the pigsty, and an accidental falling in. That’ll teach him.”

  Sam sat down on the side of the bed and tossed her hat onto the chair. “You do realize we’ll have to go out there again to use the bathroom?”

  HW frowned at her. “It would serve them right if I peed out the window.”

  “I can’t do that,” Sam pointed out. “And I have to take all this makeup off my face.”

  “What makeup? You look fine to me,” HW said.

  “Which is why I love you.” Sam went toward the door, her expression determined. “Wi
sh me luck.”

  “Don’t take off your dress yet, will you?” HW called out to her. “I want to do it.”

  “Sure.”

  “Or your boots.”

  “Perv.” Sam shut the door behind herself.

  HW started on his own clothing, hanging up his best jacket and removing his boots and belt. He was pleasantly tired, but not too tired to give his new wife everything she desired.

  Sam came back in, and he went and washed up fast, keeping one wary eye out for the appearance of his twin. When he returned to the bedroom, Sam was sitting on the window seat that looked out over the pasture where the horses were grazing. She turned to look at him and he paused, his back to the door, to appreciate the sight of her in his room, and soon to be in his bed.

  “You okay?” HW asked as he walked toward her.

  “Definitely.” She smiled into his eyes. “This has been one heck of a day, but it turned out exactly how I wanted it to be.”

  “How was that?” He took her hands in his and helped her stand up.

  “Me, here with you?” She cupped his chin. “Right where I belong.”

  “Yeah, you do, and I don’t want you ever to forget that.” He kissed her very slowly and thoroughly until she kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Are you tired?” HW murmured against her lips.

  “Actually, I’m exhausted,” Sam confessed. “Who knew getting married was so complicated?”

  “Then we can just go to sleep.” HW ignored his own needs, kissed her throat, and she shivered. “Together, naked between the sheets.”

  “Okay.”

  “Let me help you out of this dress.”

  Sam stood very quietly as he undid the buttons on the bodice and released the concealed zipper on the side of the skirt letting the dress slide down to the floor.

  HW picked it up and placed it over the back of the chair. Without Sam in it, the dress looked really insubstantial. He returned to kiss her newly bared skin, pausing only to ease her petticoat down and undo the back of her bra.

  “You’re so beautiful,” HW whispered in her ear and she shuddered against him. “So very, very beautiful.”

  She started unbuttoning his shirt and pulled it out of his pants, making little humming noises of approval as she uncovered him. He didn’t stop her busy hands as he was too busy worshipping her breasts and cupping her mound.

  “HW?”

  “Mmm?”

  “Maybe I’m not that sleepy after all.”

  He picked her up in one fluid motion, making her squeak, and walked her over to the bed where he placed her right in the center.

  “I still have my boots on,” Sam objected.

  “Give me a sec, and I’ll get to that.”

  HW was busy stripping off the rest of his clothing. He didn’t want her to know quite how turned on he was by her being naked except for knee-high socks and cowboy boots or he’d never hear the end of it.

  “I can take them off—”

  “No, I’ll do it,” HW hastened to reassure her as he climbed onto the bed and stared down at her, his tongue practically hanging out with lust. “Just give me a moment to . . . appreciate you.”

  Sam’s green eyes narrowed in amusement, and she slowly parted her thighs. “Go on, then.”

  “Go on what?” HW feigned innocence as his throat closed up with lust.

  “I know you want me just like this, boots, and all.” Sam met his gaze. “It’s all good as long as you don’t mind my heels in your perfect ass.”

  HW wordlessly shook his head and surged forward, forgetting all about the concept of foreplay or anything, really, except the need to be inside Sam as quickly as possible.

  She gasped his name as he filled her, and raised her hips, offering him even more, and he just rocked into her and took it all. He started to come almost immediately, and when Sam joined him it was all over, and he was left gasping and stranded like a beached whale.

  * * *

  Sam bit down on HW’s shoulder, but he didn’t even seem to notice as he breathed in and out like he’d just completed a marathon instead of the sixty-meter dash.

  “Sorry,” HW mumbled, and rolled off her. “That was . . . inexcusable of me.”

  Sam turned onto her side and brushed the blond hair out of his eyes. “It’s all good, HW. Every woman dreams of one-minute sex on their wedding night.”

  With a growl, he came up on one elbow and stared down at her.

  “It’s your fault.”

  “What did I do?” She blinked up into his hazel eyes.

  “Exist?”

  “That’s one hell of a lame excuse if you don’t mind me saying, HW.” Sam tried not to laugh.

  “Okay, it was the boots.”

  Sam glanced down at her feet. “They are pretty awesome, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah, especially when the rest of your bride is completely naked.”

  “Can you help me take them off now?” Sam asked.

  “Sure.”

  HW moved down the bed and eased her right boot off leaving her long white sock. He visibly swallowed as he looked up at her and she smiled.

  “Keep going.”

  He took off her left boot and dropped them both with a crash over the side of the bed. She’d already noticed that his body had recovered from their one-minute tryst, and that he was more than ready to go again.

  She lay still and let him stare at her. He was the first man who never noticed her scars or was frightened off by them. He’d kissed every single one and made sure she knew she was beautiful in his eyes.

  “I want you again,” HW said hoarsely.

  “I’m glad to hear that.” Sam nodded solemnly. “That was hardly your best work earlier, was it?”

  He smiled. “Maybe this whole being married thing has screwed with my head.”

  “I hope not because I don’t want to get divorced right now.”

  “I think I’ve gotten my head around it.” HW leaned in and planted a kiss on her stomach. “I obviously need more practice.”

  She tugged on his hair. “But it’s my turn now.”

  “Says who?” HW kissed each of her hip bones, grazing her with his teeth, making her shiver.

  “Says me, your lawfully wedded wife.” Sam tugged harder. “Give it up.”

  With a martyred sigh, HW sat back. “Okay, where do you want me?”

  Sam pointed at the headboard. “There.”

  HW crawled past her as she shifted down the bed and sat with his back to the headboard and his legs in front of him, his eyes narrowed with a combination of lust and love that Sam wished she could bottle and keep with her forever.

  “Put your hands behind your head,” Sam ordered him.

  HW raised an eyebrow. “You’re not thinking of tying me up, are you?”

  “Not tonight.” Sam held his gaze. “I’m worried that I’d fall asleep, and you’d be stuck like that.”

  He obligingly placed both hands behind his head, spreading his elbows wide. Sam studied the effect on his muscled arms and the ridges of muscle in his abdomen. He really was ridiculously hot, and now he was all hers. Sometimes, after all the heartache in her life, she still couldn’t believe she’d been lucky enough to find her perfect man.

  “What are you smiling at?” HW inquired.

  “You, and your gorgeous abs.” Sam licked her lips. “Which I am shortly going to taste along with other outstanding parts of your anatomy.”

  HW glanced down at his groin. “You promise?”

  “If you stay still, then yes.”

  “I’ll do my best.” HW nodded.

  His breath caught as she leaned in and kissed his throat, and then licked, and bit a path down his sternum, pausing to admire his abs up close before homing in on her ultimate target. She took him into her mouth, and he sighed as if he’d died and gone to heaven, his hips rolling forward with the ease of an accomplished horseman taking advantage of the pressure of her lips.

  * * *

  �
��God, that’s good.”

  HW groaned, barely resisting the urge to lower his hand and thrust his fingers into her hair to keep her right where he needed her. He’d ended up gripping the headboard with both hands as Sam sucked him harder and harder until he just gave in and let the pleasure flow through him.

  Eventually, Sam raised her head, giving him one of the most visually satisfying pictures in his life. His very own naked woman, panting as she pleasured him, her nipples hard, and her mouth soft....

  “Sam . . .” he whispered.

  “What?”

  “I love you so much.”

  She came up on her knees, her breasts resting against his chest, and framed his face with her hands.

  “I love you, too, Hoss William.”

  He wrapped his hands around her waist and helped her ease herself down over his hard jutting flesh. When she was settled over him, he just held her, content to just be one with her.

  “I won’t leave you,” Sam whispered against his mouth. “I want to share every moment with you for the rest of my life.”

  “That’s good.” HW could barely form words.

  “Mmm.” Sam slowly squeezed all her internal muscles, and HW’s eyes nearly popped. “Definitely.”

  He spread his legs wider letting her sink down over him even more, and kissed her slowly, mimicking the pulse of his need buried inside her until he couldn’t slow down any more.

  With a stifled curse, he rolled them both over and thrust into her until she came all around him and he had to join her.

  “Better,” she murmured, her face squashed against his shoulder. “Next time let’s go for ten.”

  He lay on his back, and she cuddled up against him, drawing one knee up over his thigh.

  “Your foot,” he murmured.

  “Oh yeah.” She sighed and rolled over. “I forgot all about it.”

  HW pulled down the sheets. “Stay put, I’ll sort it out for you.”

  He rolled down her long socks and discarded them, determinedly ignoring the way his dick twitched with interest, and examined her prosthetic left foot before carefully releasing it. He frowned as he noticed a couple of sore spots on her skin.