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

by Lynn Coppersmith

  When her inner muscles eased their vise-like grip, he removed his hand and lifted her onto his lap, holding her like a child against his chest. Her breathing gradually returned to normal, and he tipped her chin up until she met his eye. He wiped the tears from her face with the edge of the blanket, smiling as she took a shaky breath and curled into his embrace.

  “I love you, Naomi,” he said quietly. “I love you more than my own life. I’m never going to stop loving you, whether or not you ever have my child. I don’t know much about your first husband, but if he ever made you feel like you were less than a woman, then he was a damned fool. He must have been blind not to realize what a treasure he had found.”

  Aidan stroked her face, wiping away the single tear that flowed down her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I am not that kind of fool, Naomi. I intend to spend every day of my life letting you know just how much you mean to me, and when we are old and grey, we can look back on a life that was full of love and laughter.”

  Naomi nodded, reaching up to stroke his mouth. “I love you too, Aidan. I love you more than I ever loved anyone else before. I know now that I was wrong not to tell you the truth before. I should have trusted you.”

  Their lips met in a tender kiss. Aidan explored her mouth leisurely, plucking a multitude of soft sighs from her lips before he raised his head. He leaned his forehead against hers and looked deep into her eyes, both of them breathing raggedly.

  “Marry me, Naomi,” he softly entreated.

  “You know I will,” she said, with a shy smile.

  He gripped her waist and lifted her astride him. Naomi made him groan with pleasure when she gripped his throbbing cock and slid it slowly up and down her slit, moistening the tip in her juices. Then, she rose on her knees and impaled herself, torturing him by taking an eternity to descend. Aidan gave an impatient growl and pulled her down swiftly, sighing with satisfaction when he was fully seated within her and felt her clasp lovingly around him.

  He slid his hands around to cup her sore, hot buttocks and gave them a squeeze. He laughed when she gasped. He gave one cheek a firm slap, reminding her that she had better behave herself.

  “Now ride,” he growled. He gave her opposite cheek a matching slap. “And don’t dawdle along the way.”

  Naomi rushed to comply, moaning from the mixture of pleasure and pain. His cock felt like heaven inside her, while her ass burned like the fires of hell.

  She threw her head back, arching her neck wantonly as she rode him with luxurious strokes. She clutched at him with her inner muscles, relishing his groans of pleasure. Seeing the direction of his gaze, she cupped her breasts in her hands and squeezed. She toyed with her nipples, squeezing and twisting them as he had done, lifting one breast until she could lick the tip.

  He watched, transfixed by the erotic sight of her ministering to her own breasts as she rode him. Filled with sudden impatience, Aidan flipped her onto her back on the bed and pounded into her.

  Naomi wrapped her legs around his waist and met him stroke for stroke. When she couldn’t hold out any longer, she screamed, clutching him with her thighs as she shuddered with pleasure. Aidan groaned as his seed flowed into her depths in wave after wave of sweet release.

  After an eternity, he withdrew from her and collapsed onto the bed beside her. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, one strong thigh sprawled across hers, and his arm encircled her waist. Naomi smiled as she listened to his ragged breathing finally slow as he drifted to sleep. She managed to hook the covers with her foot, and she tucked the quilts around them both. Aidan was so exhausted, he didn’t even stir. She breathed a deep sigh of satisfaction and snuggled into him to sleep.

  Chapter Twelve

  Aidan woke the next morning to the sound of birds singing in the trees. He was about to roll over when he felt Naomi stir, sighing softly in her sleep. He cracked his eyes open and tilted his head to look down at her. The sight that greeted him made him smile.

  Early morning sunshine streamed in through the tiny window over the bed, gilding her silken limbs with a pink radiance and casting red highlights through her tousled chestnut curls. She was snuggled against him, her cheek resting on his shoulder, her luscious breasts flattened against his side, her arm flung over his waist, and one soft thigh draped across his loins. She was dead to the world.

  His grin only widened as he remembered the previous night. They had woken twice more to make love. Their openly declared love and commitment had heightened their appetites and sweetened their enjoyment. It was no wonder that Naomi had not yet awoken.

  Aidan lifted the covers, enjoying the sumptuous view. As he watched, his drowsy cock began to rouse. As it hardened and swelled, it nudged against Naomi’s inner thigh. She sighed again, and snuggled even closer, readjusting her leg to get comfortable as she sought his warmth. He closed his eyes and held his breath, savoring the sensation of her velvety soft thigh brushing against his growing erection.

  Naomi murmured something in her sleep, and Aidan watched as she tried to settle once more. His headstrong erection continued to grow, pressing insistently against Naomi’s leg, until she reached down in her sleep, trying to dispense with the disturbing nuisance.

  Her fingers fumbled with him, and her smooth brow furrowed. She would have slid her hand away, but Aidan reached down and closed his hand on her wrist. He curled her fingers around his shaft, gripping his hand around hers. Naomi came awake with a start, blinking when her eyes met his.

  Aidan’s grin was elementally male as he grasped her hand and encouraged her to firmly stroke his solid length. When she complied, he waggled both brows at her, obviously enjoying what she was doing to his cock. “Just keep doing what you were doing, sweetheart. Don’t let me disturb you.”

  Her fingers began to work their magic, and Aidan released her hand. He kicked the covers off and plumped the pillows higher so he was reclining at an angle. He folded his hands behind his head and watched her, sighing with satisfaction as she continued to caress him. His grin was pure masculine smugness as he watched her gripping him in her tiny fist.

  Naomi sighed and rolled her eyes, finally giving him a teasing smile. “Aren’t you ever satisfied, you lecher?”

  “No, ma’am. I could stay here all day and let you have your way with me.”

  Naomi giggled, rising on her elbow to get better leverage. She watched his face, gauging his reactions to different techniques. She brushed the pad of her thumb over the sensitive tip, and he thrust eagerly toward her hand. She gently explored the tiny hole and his eyes closed briefly from his pleasure.

  When she found something he particularly liked, she repeated it, smiling when he groaned his appreciation. She alternated the pace of her strokes, slowing down drastically every time his tension started to build. After the third such abrupt change, he groaned with frustration and she giggled again.

  “You little vixen,” he growled. “You’re torturing me.”

  Naomi raised one delicate brow to taunt him. “That’s what you get for being so demanding, first thing in the morning.”

  He gave her an evil grin. “We’ll just see how you like being tortured.”

  He grabbed her and turned her on her side, spoon like against him. Lifting one of her sleek thighs, he plunged into her, grunting in satisfaction when she pressed back against him to take him deeper.

  He kneaded her breast and nibbled the curve of her neck as he set a fast pace, taking her breath away with his frenzied strokes. He meant to tease her like she had done him. He was going to bring her to the brink of fulfillment and then stop, but without any warning, Naomi screamed her pleasure and clenched down with her inner muscles.

  Aidan groaned from the sweet agony of resisting his own release, pinching her nipple especially hard to punish her. “You little cheater! You weren’t supposed to get your satisfaction yet.”

  She laughed weakly, still trying to catch her breath. She shot him a mischievous grin from over her shoulder and squeezed him again with her
inner muscles.

  “Oh well,” she sighed, without a hint of remorse for having tricked him.

  “Hmmm,” Aidan mused, fondling her breast again, “I’ll just have to find a different way to torture you.”

  He proceeded to drive her mindless with pleasure. His knowing fingers and mouth found every sensitive spot she had as he thrust her into a kaleidoscope of sensation. She climaxed again and again, barely having a chance to catch her breath before he urged her on to a new plateau. At last, out of sheer exhaustion, she begged for mercy.

  “Please, Aidan. Enough! I can’t breathe,” she gasped.

  He took pity on her and drove her over the final peak, pouring himself inside her as he gave a satisfied howl of delight. They lay entwined, boneless and mindless for an eternity before he finally managed to raise his head and catch her eye.

  “I win,” he said with a boyish grin.

  Naomi stroked her fingers through his sweaty hair, returning his smile. “Okay, I admit it, you win.”

  He chuckled and rubbed his head against her palm, like a cat savoring a scratch. “As much as I’d love to stay here in bed all day enjoying your delicious body, I have to see about the animals.”

  Naomi groaned. “I know. I should start breakfast, but I don’t know whether I can move.”

  Aidan laughed as he planted a loving kiss between her breasts. “Until later, my beauties,” he said, giving both of her nipples a sharp tweak.

  Naomi gasped with feigned outrage, rubbing her tingling nipples while Aidan rose from the bed. He slipped on his breeches and buttoned them. Still, she hadn’t moved from her sprawl.

  Aidan chuckled as he grasped her ankles and pulled her to the edge of the bed. She groaned in mock protest as he stood her on her feet. He embraced her from behind, burying his nose in her hair and breathing deeply of her intoxicating scent.

  “Do you realize this is the first time I’ve spent the entire night with you?” Aidan asked, moving her hair aside to nuzzle her neck.

  “I know,” she sighed, hugging his arms closer around her. “I used to hate waking up to find you already gone.”

  “No more, my love.” He placed a tender kiss on her temple. “Now, let’s get to work. I want to take you home and share the good news with my brothers. And then, we have to locate ourselves a preacher, because I intend to make you my wife before this day is through.”

  *****

  Their wedding was a small affair, with just his brothers and Mr. and Mrs. Thompson in attendance. Brian and Liam stood as witnesses, matching grins on their faces as they watched their brother say his vows.

  They tried to apologize to Aidan for conspiring against him, but he laughingly waved off their explanations. He told them that if it hadn’t been for their prodding, he might still be agonizing over how to get Naomi to marry him. They warmly welcomed Naomi to the family with hugs and kisses on her cheeks.

  After the ceremony, the McKenzies ate dinner at the hotel in town. It had a small dining room, and the food served there was delicious. Toasts were drunk and best wishes spoken for the newlyweds and their future happiness. It was a late hour when the family finally turned their wagon toward home.

  Brian drove, with Liam sitting beside him on the seat. Aidan and Naomi were snuggled on a pallet in the back of the wagon, with a warm, wool blanket drawn over them to protect her from the cold December air.

  The two younger brothers kept up a constant stream of conversation to cover the occasional soft sigh coming from behind them. They exchanged sly grins, knowing their brother was stealing kisses from his new bride.

  Aidan had decided to move into Naomi’s cabin so they would have some privacy. The cabin was small and not nearly as comfortable as his home, but it was snug and warm. It would see them through the winter, until he could build a home for them on his own farm.

  “Aidan,” Brian said thoughtfully, “you and Naomi should take a honeymoon. Liam and I can mind the farm while you’re gone.”

  Aidan raised a brow, pausing in his exploration of Naomi’s soft neck. “I hadn’t really thought about it.” He smiled at her startled expression as he reached a stealthy hand to slip a few of her buttons free. Under cover of the blanket, he snuck his hand into her bodice, cupping one soft breast with a wide grin. “I had my hands full trying to convince this woman to marry me. I didn’t have time to consider a honeymoon. What do you think, Mrs. McKenzie?”

  Naomi held her breath to avoid moaning her pleasure. She shot him a scandalized look, struggling not to arch her back as his thumb teased her hardened nipple through her chemise. She tried to hide the breathlessness in her voice as she answered.

  “A honeymoon sounds wonderful, but where would we go?”

  “I was thinking you might want to take a trip up to Oregon City,” Brian suggested. “You know, now that you two are married, Aidan can claim some additional land.”

  Aidan was busy claiming something else at the moment, but he wrestled his lust under control. He couldn’t very well ravish his wife in front of his brothers, so he reluctantly released her breast, impatient to get her home.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” he said, refastening her buttons. “If we leave tomorrow, we could be back in a week or so. That would give us three or four days to relax in the city.”

  Brian and Liam exchanged glances before Liam answered. “There’s no need to rush back. It’s not often you’ll have a chance like this to enjoy yourselves. Why don’t you stay a bit longer, maybe take two weeks. We’re caught up around the farm. Brian and I can easily look after things without you for a couple of weeks.”

  The idea of having Naomi to himself without any responsibilities to distract them was appealing to Aidan. It took him only a moment or two to nod his head in agreement.

  “I think we will accept your generous offer,” Aidan said with a grin. “And when the two of you decide to get married, I will return the favor.”

  “That’s a deal,” Brian said, winking at Liam.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nearly two weeks later, Naomi whined, burying her head under the pillow when Aidan tried to wake her up. He was persistent, trailing kisses along her shoulder blades and her sensitive nape.

  “Wake up, sweetheart. It’s our last day in the city. We need to buy some supplies before we head home tomorrow.”

  “Not yet, Aidan. It’s early,” she grumbled.

  Aidan smiled, pulling the sheet down so he could spread kisses over her lower back. He nibbled the twin dimples above her buttocks.

  “It’s nearly ten o’clock. You’re going to sleep the entire day away, lazy bones.”

  “You’re cruel,” she moaned. “Night after night you keep me up till dawn, satisfying your insatiable lust, and then you expect me to jump out of bed in the morning. I can’t believe I married such a cruel man.”

  Aidan grinned, caressing her bottom fondly. He loved waking up beside her in bed every morning and knowing he didn’t have to leave.

  They had both enjoyed their honeymoon. The weather had been fine during their two day trip to town. They had checked into the finest suite in the nicer of two hotels in the city. The day after their arrival, they took care of business, visiting the land claims office to enlarge his claim by three hundred and twenty acres as a result of their marriage. Then, they had spent the next eight days simply enjoying their time together.

  They had shopped. Aidan took her to a clothing shop and purchased several new dresses, along with undergarments, stockings and shoes. She loved the clothes he had bought her. He loved the sight of her in the scandalously sheer French silk chemises he had bought. She bought him a pipe and some fine tobacco. He bought her a wedding ring and slipped it on her finger, surprised by her happy tears.

  They had dined at the three restaurants in the city. It was a special treat not to have to cook and clean, and Naomi was delighted by the creamy custards and flaky pastries that were served for desserts. Aidan was delighted by her moans of appreciation as she licked her fingers clean.
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  But mostly, they had enjoyed the hours they spent in their hotel suite. They indulged their fantasies, driving each other wild with passion. Naomi seduced him, flaunting her body in the new lingerie until he chased her around the room. Aidan thrilled her, taking her to heights of passion she had never imagined with his insatiable appetite for her body. They had reached a level of intimacy that awed them both, and their love for each other grew stronger with each passing day.

  Aidan hugged her, kissing the back of her neck. “I have to admit, you have been going above and beyond to make sure I’m kept happy.”

  She mumbled her agreement. “I just need fifteen more minutes,” she moaned, burrowing deeper beneath the pillow.

  Aidan heaved an exaggerated sigh of regret. “Alright, but I was planning to take you to that shop you liked and buy you a few new bonnets to go with your new dresses. If you stay in bed all day, we won’t have time.”

  Naomi raised the edge of the pillow and peeked at him with one eye. “Really?” she asked, perking up with interest as she pulled her head from under the pillow. “Could I buy the lovely grey one in the window, the one with the silk rosebuds across the brim?”

  Aidan threw his head back and laughed. He met her eye, and his gaze glowed with adoration. “You can buy anything your heart desires, my love. But you have to get out of bed.”

  “Thank you, Aidan,” she cried happily. “You’re so good to me.”

  She threw her arms around him and kissed him. He fell back onto the pillow, laughing as she spread exuberant kisses over his face.

  Aidan was just beginning to have second thoughts about leaving their bed when she gave a miserable groan. She jumped up and ran to the washbasin, retching violently into the bowl. When her nausea finally eased, she rinsed her mouth with water, grabbed a cool, wet cloth and flopped back onto the bed, moaning in misery.

  “I don’t know if I feel up to shopping after all,” she said sadly, rubbing her hand over her eyes. “I don’t think my supper agreed with me.”