Naughty Angel: Brian's Bride (The McKenzie Series #2)

by Lynn Coppersmith

  He stepped forward and steadied her.“Easy, angel.”

  She closed her eyes and moaned again as a wave of nausea hit her.“I’m so dizzy,” she whispered. She clung to him.“The room is spinning, and my head aches.”

  “I’m not surprised. Like I said, you hit your head on a rock. You have to take things slowly. Just breathe.”

  She did as instructed, and gradually, the nausea eased. The room was still spinning slightly, and her legs felt weak and wobbly.

  “Better?”

  “A little. I’m not sure I can stand up though. But I really need to go to the privy.”

  Brian squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.“It’s probably best if you don’t try. Just stay put. I’ll bring you a pot to use.”

  She blushed again, but he had already turned away. Within moments, he returned with a small metal bucket and set it beside the bed. He laid a damp cloth on the table nearby.

  “Let me help you,” he said. He reached for her, but she drew back slightly with a small cry.

  “No! It would be too humiliating.”

  Brian ignored her protest and gently lifted her until she was standing in his arms. She closed her eyes, gripping his shirtfront and breathing slowly to combat her dizziness.

  He craned his neck, trying to catch her gaze. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and her cheeks were flooded with bright color. She looked adorable, and he grinned. She was so obviously uncomfortable with the idea of him assisting her. His devilish spirit surfaced again, and he couldn’t resist the urge to tease her.

  “There’s no need to be embarrassed, angel. I’ve already seen every delectable inch of your body, remember?”

  She gave a mortified moan and buried her face against his chest. He chuckled and tightened his arms around her. Despite her chagrin, she didn’t try to win her release. She didn’t understand why, but she felt incredibly safe in his embrace.

  Brian noticed how she clung to him, and it delighted him. She was so wonderfully compliant with his wishes. She could be the right woman for you … the one you’ve been looking for. He ignored the thought and concentrated on the task at hand.

  “Now, let me help you,” he said firmly.“I’ll hold you steady. All you have to do is lift the hem of your shirt and squat down a little. The bucket is right underneath you.”

  He held her securely while she did as directed. She kept her face buried against his chest, unwilling to look at him while he performed such an intimate service for her.

  It took several fraught moments before she could relax enough to pee. Finally, she managed, and the tinkling noise sounded extremely loud in the room. It felt like forever before her bladder was finally empty.

  Brian’s humor had fled completely. She felt so small and fragile in his arms. Every protective instinct was raging while he held her. At the same time, it was strangely erotic. Holding her in his arms, half naked, while she performed such a basic human function was a novel experience.

  Her cheeks flooded with color while she used the cloth he had provided to wipe herself. She laid it on the rim of the bucket and then sighed with relief.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Without answering, he picked her up and laid her gently in the center of the bed. He couldn’t help but notice her shapely calves and thighs as he reached for the quilts. His cock throbbed. He quickly tucked her in, picked up the bucket and headed for the door.

  “Why don’t you get some rest,” he suggested.“Just call out if you need anything. Don’t try to get up by yourself. I don’t want you to get dizzy and fall.”

  “I won’t,” she said meekly. She gave him a trembling smile.

  Brian nodded briskly and beat a hasty retreat. If he didn’t get away from her, he was going to break his promise. She was simply too tempting.

  After he left, she snuggled deeper beneath the covers and sighed. Within moments, she was asleep.

  *****

  Since his mysterious angel was sleeping in his bed, Brian went to sleep in Aidan’s vacant room. It took hours for him to fall asleep. He lay awake, remembering every detail of her naked beauty. She looked like an angel, but she felt like a temptress in his arms.

  She had been so sweetly shy and agreeable to his wishes. The way she had clung to him and snuggled against him awoke his protective instincts. The way she had responded to his kisses awoke his imagination. He was so tempted to test just how submissive she might be. The thought of claiming her … mastering her … was intoxicating.

  His erection remained painfully hard, throbbing and aching as memories of her continued to assail him. It insistently tried to convince him to return to his own bed and join her there. But his conscience wouldn’t allow him to betray her trust.

  That trust had been evident in her warm brown eyes. She had smiled at him, and he had felt like he would die before he let anyone harm her. So, he resisted the urge to ravish her, and he eventually fell asleep.

  It seemed like only moments later when he woke up, seeing the first grey streaks of morning light through the window. He donned his shirt, breeches and socks and went to peek at the woman in his bed.

  She was sound asleep. Her long golden hair was spread in disarray across the pillow, one soft, white arm lying over the shiny, curling tresses. The quilt was tucked around her shoulders, and her mouth was slightly parted in sleep. She looked fragile and helpless and unbelievably beautiful.

  Brian sighed and shut the door silently. He went to the kitchen to cook breakfast. He couldn’t tear his thoughts away from the sleeping mystery woman in his bed.

  Liam was already sitting at the table, eating his breakfast. He eyed Brian closely as he reached for the coffeepot and poured himself a cup.

  “How’s our guest? Do you think she will be alright?”

  “She’s much better. She seems to be resting easier this morning,” Brian said with a yawn. He sat down opposite his brother and sipped from his cup.

  “Well,” Liam prompted, “how did she end up lying by the road?”

  “She doesn’t know. She doesn’t remember anything, not even her name.”

  Liam’s eyes widened as he studied Brian’s face.“Are you serious?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Brian muttered.“I have no idea who she is, where she came from, or what happened to her.”

  Liam thought that over for a minute while he chewed on a sausage biscuit.“So, now what? We can’t just let her stay here indefinitely.”

  “I don’t see why not,” Brian said with a shrug. The thought of sending her away made his gut clench.

  “Have you lost your mind? She’s not some stray puppy, she’s a person. Someone must be looking for her … parents or a husband maybe. They must be sick with worry.”

  That had occurred to Brian as well. It was one of the main reasons he had resisted the urge to seduce her. Still, he could barely stomach the idea that she could be married. He clung to the fact that she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring as proof that she wasn’t some other man’s wife. He hoped to hell he was right. He looked at Liam, realizing his brother was waiting for an answer.

  “For now, she stays put. She needs to rest after what she’s been through. As soon as I can, I’ll go back to where I found her and see if there’s anything there that might help us identify her. I didn’t take time to look before.”

  “Well, shouldn’t we notify the sheriff? Maybe post a notice or something?”

  Brian shook his head adamantly.“You said yourself that it would ruin her reputation if people found out she was staying here alone with two men. I want to try to find out who she is before I go spreading the news that she’s here. If we aren’t able to solve the mystery ourselves, then maybe we’ll go to the sheriff for help.”

  Liam didn’t look very pleased with Brian’s answer, but he grudgingly nodded his head. He rose from the table and shrugged into his coat.

  “I’m going to work on Aidan’s cabin. You know where I am if you need me.”

  “I’ll join you soon. I’m just
going to make some breakfast for her, and then I’ll be there.”

  Brian watched Liam leave before returning his thoughts to the angel in his bed. Whoever she was, she had captured his imagination so firmly that he could think of little other than her. It would be in both hers and his best interests to find out her identity as quickly as possible.

  His instincts were prodding him ruthlessly. Maybe she was the woman he had been dreaming of finding. She was incredibly beautiful and delightfully shy … his ideal combination. The way she blushed when he teased her made him want to tease her even more. He could easily envision her submitting to him.

  Late into the night, he had fantasized about her kneeling naked at his feet, looking up at him with those huge, trusting eyes, waiting for his instructions on how to please him. He could even more readily imagine falling completely in love with her. She was the stuff his dreams were made of. However, it wouldn’t do to fall in love with her, only to find out that she was already spoken for.

  *****

  She woke with a sigh, not wanting to rouse from the lovely dream she had been having. In the dream, Brian was holding her again, kissing her until she was breathless with desire. She hadn’t wanted him to stop.

  She blinked her eyes open, reassured to find herself in the same room she remembered from the night before. Her breasts were tingling, and there was a strange throbbing sensation between her thighs again. It was most unsettling.

  She rolled onto her back, stretched and frowned slightly, feeling a multitude of twinges and aches over her entire body. She wondered what had made her so stiff and sore. Her head still ached, but it was better than the day before.

  She closed her eyes, concentrating hard to remember something about who she was or where she had come from. Her mind was blank, and she sighed with frustration. Her concentration was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

  “Come in,” she ventured.

  Brian opened the door and pushed it wide. His eyes met hers and he grinned, causing his deep dimples to appear. She gave him a glorious smile of welcome. He entered with a tray of food and closed the door behind him. He set the tray on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “Good morning, angel. Did you sleep well?”

  His deep voice sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine, and she nodded.“Yes, thank you. Did you?”

  He nodded, deciding not to tell her that his lustful memories kept him awake half of the night. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Better, I think. My head doesn’t ache as much, and I barely feel dizzy at all anymore.”

  “That’s good, but you should probably stay in bed for now. I brought you some breakfast. Are you hungry?”

  “I’m starving,” she said.

  She sat up gingerly, holding one hand to her temple as the room spun slightly. It was better than the day before, but she still felt slightly woozy. She was distracted by her dizziness, and she didn’t realize that a few buttons had slipped loose on the shirt she was wearing while she slept. It wasn’t until she noticed the direction of his gaze that she looked down and groaned. She blushed to a dark shade of red.

  Brian caught a glimpse of her perfect breasts, tempting and rosy, before she pulled the two sides of the shirt until they were completely overlapping. She struggled to rearrange the pillows so that she could sit up, but it was difficult while trying to preserve her modesty.

  “Let me help you,” he offered.

  He reached around her, and she felt caged by his strong arms and chest. She caught a whiff of his clean, masculine smell. The temptation was strong to sink against him and luxuriate in his muscular body.

  He urged her to lean back against the pillows, and she shyly tucked the sheet beneath her arms so that she could eat. He set the tray on the bed, and she saw that he had prepared scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits, peach preserves, and a large glass of milk for her meal.

  “This looks and smells delicious,” she said with a smile.“I confess that I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

  He laughed, watching with interest as she took a bite and moaned her appreciation. The morning light coming through the window turned her sleep mussed hair into a shining corona that strongly resembled a halo, and he thought once more that she looked like an angel.

  “This is delicious,” she mumbled around a mouthful of eggs. Noticing that he was watching her intently, she frowned.“Have you eaten breakfast?”

  “Not yet, but I will. There’s more in the kitchen.”

  “You must be starving too. There’s more than enough for me,” she said.“Here, have a bite.”

  She scooped up a generous forkful of eggs and held her other hand beneath it as she guided the fork to his mouth. She failed to notice as she did so that the neckline of the shirt was once again slipping open over her breasts. The soft cotton drooped obligingly, providing Brian with a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage as she leaned toward him. He took his time accepting her offer as he savored the view.

  “Mmmm,” he moaned, careful not to alert her to the gift she had bestowed upon him. She hadn’t yet noticed his interest.“Delicious.”

  She laughed with pleasure, completely missing his meaning as she scooped another bite into her own mouth. She continued to share her breakfast with him. With each bite she offered him, the shirt opened slightly more, until Brian had a mouth watering view of her pink furled nipples.

  It wasn’t until the end of the meal that she noticed the direction of his gaze once again. She yanked the shirt closed to cover her nakedness, blushing hotly.

  Brian chuckled, making her squirm with embarrassment. He set the empty tray aside and moved closer to her on the bed. He placed one hand on either side of her hips as he leaned close. He smoothed her hair back and brushed a thumb over her quivering bottom lip.

  “Don’t be embarrassed, angel. It was wicked of me not to tell you sooner.”

  “Yes it was,” she said, thrusting her lip out petulantly.“You shouldn’t take advantage of me like that.”

  “You’re right, but I couldn’t help myself,” he murmured, leaning close to pluck a kiss from her pouting lips. The raspy timbre of his voice made her shiver with excitement.“You’re so beautiful and tempting. I can’t resist you. Besides,” he said, teasing her lips with light kisses, “as I’ve mentioned before, I’ve already had the pleasure of seeing your gorgeous breasts. I don’t see the harm in sneaking another peek when the opportunity presents. Can you blame me?”

  She released a pained groan as he continued to tease her lips with light kisses. He was persuasive, tempting her to allow even greater liberties. She realized her heart was pounding with excitement, and those same strange sensations of arousal had returned. She was torn between the urge to behave properly and a burning curiosity about the pangs of desire he was stirring in her.

  Brian was dying to test her limits. His instincts were telling him that she felt the attraction between them just as keenly as he did. Was she willing to explore it with him? Was she willing to submit in order to please him? There was only one way to find out for sure.

  “Come on, angel,” he urged between kisses.“Let me have another look at your sweet, perfect breasts. I’m dying to see them again. I dreamed about them last night. Show them to me, angel.”

  The temptation to find out where this was leading was strong. After all, he had already seen her naked. The light, teasing kisses he was giving were heavenly, but they left her wanting so much more. She desperately wanted to give in, but her conscience was howling.

  “I couldn’t do that,” she whispered.“It wouldn’t be decent.”

  He chuckled, and he continued to spread teasing kisses along her jaw and the side of her neck. His lips were warm and persuasive, sending shivers down her spine. He nibbled on her ear, and the nub of flesh between her thighs began throbbing.

  “That’s just it, angel. It’s a lot more fun to do things that are indecent. And besides, it would give me great pleasure to see your perfect plump
tits again with those pretty pink nipples perched on top. Lay back and open your shirt for me. I promise I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to do.”

  Her cheeks flamed, her heart was pounding with excitement, and her nipples were furled so tightly that they ached. She was surprised to realize that she wanted more than anything to do as he had asked. Shocked by her own boldness, she met his challenging gaze and released her hold on the fabric. She slowly reclined onto the pillows, watching his reaction as she did so.

  The two halves of the shirt parted slightly, and she knew he could easily see the inner curves of her breasts. She bit her bottom lip and gently arched her back, causing her breasts to thrust up toward him invitingly. His heated stare, full of desire, made her feel incredibly beautiful.

  “Good girl, angel. Now open your shirt all the way and show me your lovely tits. Do it just for me.”

  With a soft moan, she complied. She dropped her gaze and slowly drew the two sides apart, unveiling her body to him. When she was fully exposed, she dropped her hands to her sides and clenched her fingers nervously on the sheet. She felt the heat of a blush all the way to her nipples, but she remained still beneath his gaze.

  Her sweetly submissive pose thrilled Brian. He watched her closely as he trailed his fingers lightly over the upper curves of her breasts. He could see her pulse pounding in the hollow of her neck, and she was panting with excitement. Her breasts were quivering with her shallow breaths. Her skin was flushed a delicious shade of pink.

  Her reaction to his request was everything he had hoped for. She was definitely the woman he had been dreaming of finding. He watched her face as he slowly traced a line down toward one pert nipple. She was so obviously nervous and shy. Yet, she bit her bottom lip and remained perfectly still.

  At the last moment, his fingers veered to the outside curve of her sweet breast. He explored her leisurely. He touched every inch of her beautifully curved breasts, stroking the undersides with the backs of his knuckles and cupping their fullness in his palm. He touched everything but the sensitive peaks, and she finally released a frustrated whimper. He gave a low chuckle.