Second Chances: Aidan's Bride (The McKenzie Series #1)

by Lynn Coppersmith

  Brian didn’t meet his gaze. “Mrs. Tisdale. Seems she was happy to be getting out of the house. Must get pretty lonely living there by herself.”

  Aidan drew his horse to an abrupt stop and eyed Brian. “He’s taking Naomi?” When Brian nodded, Aidan’s expression turned black. “And you knew about this?” Again, Brian gave him a hesitant nod. “Hell fire and damnation! I can’t believe it. I never would have figured my own brothers for a couple of back-stabbers.”

  “Hey, wait just a minute,” Brian protested, struggling to maintain an innocent expression. “We thought it was over between you and Mrs. Tisdale. Liam and I didn’t see any reason why one of us shouldn’t try our luck with her. After all, she is a very beautiful woman. It seems like a shame for her to be so isolated. It’s only natural she might want some male companionship. Beautiful women get lonely and have needs too, you know. I see no reason at all why Liam and I shouldn’t visit her from time to time, as long as we’re discreet of course.”

  Aidan released a snarl of rage as he grabbed Brian by his lapels and jerked him forward until their noses were mere inches apart. The horses snorted nervously but stood still.

  “You’ll stay away from Naomi if you know what’s good for you, is that understood?”

  “Okay, okay,” Brian said, nodding his head. “I thought you weren’t interested in her anymore. Now, I understand, but you might want to explain it to Liam. He was really looking forward to his date tonight. He said he might stay the night at Naomi’s and not to worry if we didn’t see him until breakfast.”

  The look on Aidan’s face was priceless. He released Brian with a shove and kicked his horse into a gallop. Brian sat stunned for only a second before urging his horse to follow. He grinned with delight. Their plan was working even better than he had expected. It was promising to be an exciting evening.

  *****

  The dance was in full swing. Liam had introduced Naomi to a countless number of friendly farmers and their families. Most of them greeted her warmly, although it didn’t escape Naomi’s notice that she received several less-than-friendly glances from pretty young ladies. It was obvious that Liam McKenzie was a hot commodity in the area.

  A small band had set up in one corner of the large barn. Lanterns had been hung from the rafters, and most members of the crowd danced and laughed to the sound of twin fiddles, a guitar, harmonica, washboard and spoons. The mood was lively and carefree as Liam whirled her through one dance after another. Naomi laughed and danced, but she kept a watchful eye on the door, hoping Aidan would appear soon.

  Finally, she spotted him. He was scanning the room intently, obviously looking for someone. When he spotted her, he headed straight toward her, zigzagging through the crowd with a feral gleam in his eye. Naomi leaned close to Liam, and her voice came out as a nervous squeak.

  “Aidan’s here! He’s coming straight toward us.”

  Liam looked over her shoulder and spotted his brother. It was all he could do not to laugh at the look on Aidan’s face. “Uh oh. We’ve really done it now. He looks as mad as a wet hen.”

  Aidan appeared by their side, bestowing a hard glare on each of them in turn. “Liam, Mrs. Tisdale.” He gave them a mocking bow. “Mind if I cut in?”

  The tone of his voice made it clear that he didn’t care whether they minded or not, he was going to do so. Liam shrugged and stepped back, directing Naomi into Aidan’s arms.

  “Be my guest,” Liam said. He gave Naomi a wink. “I’ll get us some punch.”

  Aidan pulled her against him, and his muscles were as rigid as stone as he held her close for a slow dance that was just starting. Naomi swallowed hard and gave him her best attempt at a brave smile.

  “Hello Aidan,” she said softly. “How have you been?”

  Aidan scowled down at her. “Don’t pretend like you care, Naomi. I was a lot better before I realized how quickly you intended to replace me. Of all the men you could have chosen as your next lover, did you have to pick my own brother?”

  Naomi gasped. “Aidan, it’s not like that at all. I only attended the dance with Liam so that I could see you.”

  Aidan grunted, refusing to look at her. “I find that difficult to believe. You know where I live. You could have come to see me anytime you wanted.”

  Naomi stroked his shoulder, trying to soften his mood. “You made it clear you didn’t want to see me anymore, Aidan.”

  He muttered a curse under his breath. He leaned close so others couldn’t hear as he growled in her ear. “I never said that. I said I didn’t want to keep sneaking around with you. But if you insist on finding someone to warm your bed, that someone will be me and not my brother or any other man.”

  Naomi heaved a sigh of frustration. “You’ve got it all wrong, Aidan. I think we had better get out of here so that we can talk. I came here to talk with you. Do you think we could find somewhere a bit more private?”

  Aidan stopped dancing and searched her face. “You want to talk?” Seeing her nod, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Talking isn’t going to change things between us.”

  “You haven’t heard what I have to say. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about us, about our relationship, and I think that it’s time for me to be honest with you.”

  Her answer intrigued him, and Aidan scanned her face for a moment longer before taking her hand firmly in his. “Come on. I’m taking you home.”

  They threaded their way through the crowd to where Liam and Brian stood talking. Their expressions were wary as they watched him approach. Aidan stepped to Liam, leaning close enough that Liam had to take a step backward as Aidan gave him a hard stare.

  “I’m taking Naomi home. You can take my horse. Don’t be surprised if you don’t see me before breakfast.” Seeing Liam’s eyes widen slightly, Aidan raised a challenging brow. “Have you got any problems with that?”

  Liam grinned and shook his head. “None at all.

  “Good,” Aidan said firmly.

  Without another word, he led Naomi out to his wagon and lifted her onto the seat. Taking up the reins, he urged the horses toward home and set them to their fastest pace. Naomi sat beside him, praying that she could find the right words to make things right between them.

  Neither of them spoke on the short drive home. Aidan’s curiosity was only one of the emotions he was experiencing. It was overshadowed by suppressed anger and jealousy.

  Seeing Naomi in Liam’s arms had clarified one point in his mind. There was no way in hell he could walk away from her. Even if she would never love him like she loved her dead husband, Aidan would kill before he would let any other man replace him as Naomi’s lover.

  When they reached her cabin, Aidan hopped to the ground and reached to help Naomi. He set her to the ground and kept his hands on her waist.

  “I intend to stay the night,” he stated baldly. He leaned down until his nose was a mere inch from hers and met her startled eyes. “And just so we’re clear, I intend to spend tonight and every night in your bed,” his voice dropped to a silky growl as he clarified, “making love to you to the point of exhaustion, from now on. If you have an itch, I’m going to be the man to scratch it! If you want male companionship, you’ll be getting it from me and no one else. Do you have any problem with that arrangement?”

  She gulped but shook her head. Seeing no objection from her, he nodded.

  “Good. You go inside while I unhitch the horses and get them settled. I expect to find you waiting for me in your bed. Got it?”

  Naomi shivered with excitement. She nodded her acceptance and went into the cabin. She let Galahad out for his evening romp. He could sleep in the barn, where he had a cozy bed in the hay.

  She quickly undressed and brushed out her hair. She rushed to her wardrobe to find a nightgown she had been saving for a special occasion. By the time Aidan came through the door, she was sitting in the middle of the bed, just as he had instructed.

  She was wearing a nightgown he had never seen before. It was made of finest s
ilk, sheer enough that he could clearly see through it. The bodice was embroidered with tiny roses, a small cluster covering each of her nipples and another over her mound. It was split up both sides, exposing the entire length of her two supple thighs. It was a gown fit for a bride.

  Aidan eyed her speculatively, throwing the bolt in place and shrugging out of his coat. He undressed methodically, removing his tie, shirt, boots and socks beneath her watchful gaze. Finally, he removed his breeches.

  He stood for a moment, casually stroking his erection as he looked his fill. He noticed that her attention was riveted on his shaft, and her tongue darted out unconsciously to moisten her lips. He was gratified to know she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. He sat on the edge of the bed and faced her.

  Aidan met her eyes squarely. “Alright Naomi, I’m all ears. What did you want to talk to me about?”

  Naomi took a deep breath and plunged in head first. “I can never have children. I’m barren.” She waited for Aidan to say something, but he simply narrowed his eyes as he studied her, so she went on nervously. “Don’t you understand? That’s why I refused to marry you. I knew that you would want children. It wouldn’t be fair to let you marry me, knowing that someday you would grow to resent me because I could never give you a family. I couldn’t bear the thought that after a few years of marriage, you would regret choosing me as your wife.”

  Several minutes of strained silence ticked by. Naomi grew increasingly uneasy as she watched the muscles beginning to flex in Aidan’s cheek. He said nothing, merely staring at her thoughtfully as his face grew progressively angrier.

  “Aidan, say something please,” she whispered.

  When he spoke, his voice was deathly calm. “This is the secret you’ve been hiding from me?”

  Naomi gave a sheepish shrug. “I tried to tell you once before, remember?”

  His scowl grew even blacker. “You mean the time you let me believe that you couldn’t stomach the idea of me fathering your child? When you let me believe you were still mourning your dead husband?”

  Naomi shook her head in denial. “I never said that, Aidan. You misinterpreted what I said. You jumped to that conclusion.”

  “But you knew I misunderstood and you let me go on believing it, believing that you wouldn’t marry me because you were still in love with your dead husband.” He watched as she nodded her head shamefully. “You let me spend the past several weeks in hell rather than to have the courage to tell me the truth.”

  “I was trying to do what was best for you, Aidan. I thought that if I let you go, you would find someone else to make you happy. I didn’t want you to see me as less than a woman, like Richard and his family did, because I can’t bear children.”

  Aidan stared at her for another few moments before he growled low in his throat. He grasped her wrist in an iron grip and pulled her across the bed, laying her face down over his knees. Naomi’s eyes widened with alarm as he placed a firm arm over her waist and flipped the back of her nightgown up to her shoulders, exposing her naked bottom.

  “Aidan, what are you doing?” she squeaked.

  “I’m giving you a spanking, just like you deserve,” he said calmly.

  He brought his hand down with a loud smack, igniting a stinging fire in Naomi’s bottom. She squealed and thrashed, but he held her down easily, landing an equally hard blow on the opposite cheek. He settled into a steady rhythm, ignoring her cries and pleas as he meted out justice until her entire bottom was red and hot.

  Naomi finally stopped fighting, realizing that she couldn’t escape from his firm grip. She cried quietly, yelping each time his hand connected with her backside. When she didn’t think she could stand it a moment longer, he stopped.

  Aidan rubbed her sore bottom with soothing strokes, listening to her soft cries and admiring her gorgeous red bottom. He smiled grimly as he held her across his knees. That had felt good. It was just the relief he had needed. Now, he would be able to reason with her. He waited until she had calmed somewhat before he questioned her.

  “Naomi, all this time, you’ve been thinking that you knew what’s best for me better than I do. You’ve been making decisions on my behalf instead of letting me make my own decisions, is that right?”

  Naomi bit her lip, wishing she could see his face. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his calm voice. She took a deep breath and answered in a shaky voice.

  “I didn’t want you to stop loving me. I thought you would be happier with a woman who could give you children.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” he said, still soothing her bottom with calm strokes of his calloused hand. “Have you been keeping me from making my own decisions because you thought you knew what was best for me?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  She jumped when he landed another slap on her burning bottom. He resumed his punishment, not stopping until Naomi was helplessly squirming and tensing her bottom, trying to ease the fiery pain. Once again, he resumed his calming strokes, allowing her time to catch her breath before he continued.

  “From now on, I’ll make my own decisions. Is that clear, young lady?”

  “Yes,” she cried, nodding her head to emphasize her agreement.

  She tried to rise, but he firmed his arm around her waist, holding her still on his lap. He continued to knead her bottom as the moments stretched out and Naomi’s tension mounted. Each firm squeeze of his hand intensified the burning feeling in her bottom, but she knew better than to protest. When he spoke again, she jumped.

  “Is it also true that you have been comparing me to your dead husband?” He waited for her hesitant nod before continuing. “Did you assume I would react in the same way as him when I found out you couldn’t have any children?”

  Naomi squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to reply to his question. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Aidan spanked her hard on the bottom, making her jerk and squeal.

  “Answer me, Naomi,” he commanded calmly, landing an even harder blow on the opposite side.

  “Yes,” she gasped, squirming from the burn.

  He resumed spanking her, striking her even harder than before. By the time he stopped, it felt like molten lava had been poured over her bottom, and Naomi’s face was streaked with tears. Once again, he paused, caressing her softly with his strong hand as she cried but giving her bottom an occasional squeeze of punishment.

  To Naomi’s immense surprise, she realized she was growing increasingly aroused. Her nipples were painfully hard, and she could feel moisture pooling between her thighs. She squeezed her eyes shut, mortified by the thought that Aidan might realize the effect the spanking was having on her.

  When he spoke, Aidan’s voice was gentle but firm, full of conviction. “Don’t ever make that mistake again. I am not your dead husband. I am your soon-to-be second husband, and I will always love you just the way you are, children or no children. Is that clear?”

  Naomi nodded vigorously. He smacked her hard on her burning bottom.

  “Answer me, Naomi.”

  “Yes! That’s clear.”

  Her heart was pounding with excitement. Her bottom hurt like crazy, but the feeling of his firm hand massaging her bruised posterior was sheer bliss. She could feel his erection, hard and hot and throbbing, poking against her belly. Naomi bit her lip as she felt her juices beginning to dribble down her inner thighs, and she squeezed her legs together, hoping he wouldn’t notice. She stifled a moan of arousal as Aidan continued.

  “When you knew I misunderstood about why you wouldn’t marry me, do you think it was fair to let me go on believing a lie?”

  “No,” she moaned.

  Naomi whimpered and shook her head, tensing her bottom in anticipation of another spanking. Aidan kneaded the sore globes and continued in his low, seductive voice.

  “Do you know that by letting me believe a lie, you have just put me through weeks of torment, when I nearly went insane without you?”

  “I didn’t mean to hu
rt you, Aidan,” she whispered miserably. “Honestly, I didn’t.”

  Instead of answering, Aidan resumed spanking her, not stopping until he had set her bottom on fire once more. By the time he finished, his hand was beginning to hurt, and Naomi was limp across his lap.

  Her thighs had fallen slightly open during her struggles, and he could see that she was swollen and dripping with sweet fluid. He grinned wickedly. He had never thought giving Naomi a spanking would be this much fun! He would have to do it more often.

  “I have one more question for you, Naomi.” His grin deepened when he felt her tense. “Did it ever occur to you … for even a single second … that the reason you never got pregnant before was because of your husband and not because of you?”

  Naomi’s face burned with embarrassment as she realized that it hadn’t. Everyone, including Richard, had made her feel like their failure to conceive had been her fault. She must be defective if she couldn’t have babies. The possibility that Richard might not have been able to father children had never crossed her mind.

  “No,” she whispered, intrigued and awed by the thought.

  “I didn’t think so,” Aidan said calmly.

  He continued stroking her bottom, and one long finger delved into her slick folds, causing Naomi to gasp. She was mortified, and she tried to wriggle out of his lap. He grinned, still holding her down as he repeated the stealthy caress, reaching further inside than before.

  “Be still,” he said sternly. “Open your legs, Naomi. Let me see how wet you are.”

  Naomi moaned softly. She abandoned her efforts to hide her arousal, and eagerly spread her thighs to give him better access. Aidan slipped two fingers inside her and probed her slick heat. His grin widened when she began moving in time to his thrusts.

  He whisked her nightgown over her head and dropped it to the floor. Reaching beneath her, he grasped and squeezed one nipple, twisting hard enough to make her gasp and moan as he continued to finger her. He increased the pressure on her nipple, flicking her clit with his thumb as she writhed on his lap. With a sharp tweak of her breast, he sent her over the edge, and he cradled her as she clenched down hard on his fingers.