Southern Seduction [Bride Train 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Reece Butler

  “Have you ever seen a naked man?” asked Sophie, interrupting her thoughts. “I’m not judging you, but I need to know.”

  “My older brothers.” Sophie waited for Casey to say more. “And um, when they thought I was a boy…” Her face flamed.

  “Were you scared, or aroused? By that I mean did your breasts tingle, your nipples stand out, and the place between your legs get wet? If so, it’s perfectly normal.”

  She gulped. “It is?”

  “That’s how a woman’s body gets ready to accept a man’s penis, or cock.” Sophie sat back in her chair. She motioned for Casey to sit on the bed. “If you’re lucky, the touch of your man’s fingers, tongue, and lips can make you feel that you’re flying.”

  “All those ranchers touch their wives that way?”

  Sophie nodded. Her eyes shone to match her smile. “Most married women would be horribly jealous if they saw how Beth and the others were treated. Their men aren’t perfect. Far from it. But every one of them loves their wife to the bottom of their heart. It took a long time for some of them to realize it, but they’ll all tell you it was worth the wait, and the trials they had to go through.”

  Casey slumped. “Cole says I have to stay a virgin so he can get a real wife next summer.”

  “Cole doesn’t know what he wants.” Sophie rolled her eyes and sighed. She gave Casey a considering look. A smile curved up one corner of her lip, widened, and spread to her eyes. She snickered. “You know, a virgin can still get a lot of enjoyment. You could have lots of fun without ruining Cole’s annulment plans.” She waggled her eyebrows. “And if you play your cards right, he’ll realize just how much he wants you.”

  She could have them touch her, and she touch them, without breaking any promises? “Byron and Marshall promised not to seduce me.”

  “That doesn’t stop you from seducing them.”

  Casey blinked. Sophie was right. She sat up. “How does a woman seduce a man?”

  “She lets him know she’s interested in him. Small touches, almost accidental. She gives lingering looks at his chest, or between his legs. If he rushes from the room, it’s not because he doesn’t want you. It’s because he has to leave before he takes you in his arms and does exactly what you want.” Sophie winked. “I suggest you start with Marshall. He seems the most eager, though Byron watches you a fair bit.”

  “He does?” Casey trembled with a hunger that had nothing to do with food.

  “I saw you come into town to get those dresses. When he thought no one could see, Byron looked at you like he wanted to dab honey all over your body and lick it off.” Sophie leaned forward and dropped her voice. “Very, very slowly.”

  “People do that?” Casey fanned her face with her hand. “Ain’t it wrong?”

  “Anything a woman does that she’s happy doing is right. Would you like some suggestions?”

  Casey couldn’t speak, so just nodded.

  “Fingers, mouth, and tongue on nipples. A bit of teeth can be nice if you’re excited. There are special spots on many parts of your body, but between your legs is the most sensitive. I’m sure any one of them can give you a few orgasms if you let them touch your pussy with their fingers or mouth.”

  “Their mouth?”

  “A tongue is a wonderful thing.” Sophie waggled her eyebrows. “A man can’t help but care for a woman who’ll do the same thing to his cock and bollocks. A hand on his cock is great. But licking, sucking, and nibbling it will make him your slave. If your breasts are big enough, he could slide his cock between them. The same thing with the cheeks of your bottom. To stay a virgin, just keep their cocks out of your pussy. You can do anything else.”

  Casey’s head whirled with images. Could she really seduce them? Was that what Marshall was doing by leaving his buttons undone and his shirt off?

  “This last one isn’t for everyone,” said Sophie, “but if you like it, you can have their cocks inside your body and still keep your maidenhead. The wives tell me that with a lot of warming up, and heaps of lard, a willing woman can take a man’s cock in her bottom.”

  Casey’s heart, which had sped up with each description, thundered in her ears. She had to talk louder to hear herself.

  “Miss Sophie, I can see putting hands and lips in some of them places, but that’ll hurt one heck of a lot. You ever done it?”

  “Unfortunately, no.” Sophie sighed. She pursed her lips. “Amos was very traditional. It was man on top, woman on bottom, with my nightdress raised just enough, in the dark. He was gentle, I knew of nothing else, and I did feel some pleasure. But every valley wife says that, done with love, the act can be very enjoyable. It’s partly how they make sure the other men aren’t left out.”

  Casey’s face and body were so hot she almost steamed.

  “There are three entry points on a woman’s body,” continued Sophie. “Her mouth, between her legs, and her bottom. When the time is right, a woman can take all three men at once. She can sit on one, have one enter her from behind, and grasp the other in her hand, guiding it into her mouth.”

  An image flashed into her head. She was sitting on Cole, sucking on Marshall, while Byron knelt behind her. She thrust it away before she burst into flames.

  “You’d best stop talkin’, Miss Sophie, or I won’t ever get married!”

  Sophie tilted her head. She narrowed her eyes as if thinking. “Are your breasts swollen and your drawers damp? I want you to be honest with yourself. Does thinking of doing that arouse you, though you’ve never even been kissed by a passionate man? If so, I ask you not to make any decisions about what you will or will not do. And just because you did something with a man once, does not mean he has the right to tell you to do it again.”

  Casey took Sophie’s words in and let them jumble around in her head. It was too much. Maybe after a good night’s sleep, when she lay in bed alone with Zeus, she could think about it.

  “One last thing,” said Sophie quietly. “Remember that you, my dear, hold all the cards. The men might have fits and jump up and down, but they know deep inside that it is the woman who turns a lonely cabin into a home. The woman who makes it worthwhile to work hard in all types of weather, knowing they’ll come home to open arms, a warm heart, good food, and a hot bed. You have the power my dear, if you choose to use it.”

  She had power? A knock brought Casey’s attention to the door. Sophie opened it with a wide smile.

  “Come in, Lily, and thank you so much for helping.”

  Casey automatically stood up when the old lady with the silver hair came in. Her mama had taught her manners. You stood when a lady of quality came in the room and you didn’t sit until she said you could. Lily’s face was lined but her smile was wide and her eyes clear. She made Casey feel calm, as if she’d take care of everything.

  “I’m so pleased to finally meet you, Cassandra. I’m Lily, now Mrs. Thatcher. My husband will be performing your marriage to Cole Taylor. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” Casey gave a quick bob of a curtsey. Mrs. Thatcher was small but lovely.

  “This is for you to wear.”

  Casey gasped. The bronze satin dress Mrs. Thatcher held out was for her? She put her hands behind her back before she touched it and made the smooth fabric run because of her rough calluses.

  “I can’t wear that, ma’am.”

  Though Lily snorted, it was done in a ladylike way. “I insist that you look like a bride when you stand in front of my husband.” Though she was a few inches shorter, she managed to peer down her nose at Casey. “It is not smart to get a judge angry with you. He’s very particular about who he marries.”

  “But, Cole said it’s only a few words—”

  “Have you attended a wedding before, Miss Wright?”

  Casey pressed her lips closed. She shook her head. “No, ma’am.”

  “Then you’d better trust what your elders tell you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “When I told Emma Johnston about your situ
ation, she insisted you join her wedding. Walt respects those Southern boys, and he agreed as well.” Lily stared at Casey, tilting her head, one finger tapping her chin. She hummed, and then tilted her head the other way.

  “We’ve got fifteen minutes,” said Sophie. “I think we can make a few people sit up and take notice of the very lovely Miss Cassandra Wright before she becomes Mrs. Cole Taylor.”

  Chapter 10

  Byron slipped out of the room they’d rented and into the one holding a very nervous Walt Chamberlain and a calm Judge Ambrose Thatcher. He nodded at Mrs. Zachary McInnes. Kate, Walt’s newly discovered natural daughter, was pinning a flower to Walt’s lapel.

  “What’s holding things up?” asked Byron.

  “Change of plans,” said Thatcher. “Cole and Cassandra will join Walt and Emma in a double wedding ceremony.”

  Byron cursed under his breath, knowing what Cole’s reaction would be. He hadn’t wanted the marriage to look anything like a real wedding. But Cole was low man on this totem pole. He’d have to do what the judge said or stay single.

  “That’s a surprise, Judge. Cole wanted to keep his head down about this.”

  Thatcher raised a bushy eyebrow. “There will be no scurrying around with false weddings on my patch. Cole’s marriage will be as real as Walt’s.”

  “You do know that Cole intends to annul the marriage in the spring,” reminded Byron.

  “Mr. Taylor can intend all he likes,” said the judge smugly. “I expect nature to take its course.” He pressed his finger and thumb over his moustache, smoothing it.

  “Cole vowed not to take her innocence.”

  “Then changing her situation is up to you and Marshall, isn’t it?” replied Thatcher as if it was simple.

  Byron’s heart near stopped, then thundered. “Are you telling me to seduce my cousin’s wife?”

  “Lily and I believe Cassandra will suit the three of you very well. If, that is, you give her a reason to stay.”

  “Hee-hee,” chortled Walt, rubbing his gnarled hands. “I bet ten dollars Marshall can charm his way into her—”

  “Papa!” Kate shook her finger. “You promised to behave until your honeymoon.”

  “Ain’t doin’ more than saying the truth, missy,” grumbled Walt. “Marshall’s the wildest of those boys, always flirting with the ladies. Though still waters run deep, don’t they, boy?” He winked at Byron, using the eye not facing Kate.

  “You talking fishing, or getting married, old man?” replied Byron blandly.

  He left Walt huffing about whippersnappers and slid into the hallway. Seeing it was empty, he wiped his hands over his face. Then he groaned. He wanted Casey in their bed, and so did Marshall. Cole did as well but he refused to admit it, even to himself.

  That judge was too damn smart for his black robes if he thought Casey would jump at the chance to stay on as their true wife. Sure, it would make life damn near perfect, but Byron wasn’t going to destroy their ranch partnership over a woman. No matter how crazy it made him, Cole would not touch Casey while she was an innocent.

  He’d promised not to seduce a terrified virgin, but Casey didn’t look terrified these last few days. Far from it. He’d had to jump in the creek too many times to get his cock to shrink. The scent of her, even a glimpse, made him want to make her his except that she was a virgin.

  But Marshall had thought a bit before he’d said he’d not seduce Casey Wright. In a few minutes Casey Wright would change her name to Mrs. Cole Taylor. Marshall was always slippery with his words, saying exactly what he wanted to promise.

  Of course, once Marshall seduced Casey, she’d neither be terrified nor a virgin. That left her open to him without having to break his own vow to Cole. Byron’s cock thickened in anticipation even as he cursed. Cole meant they were not to touch Casey, at all. Grandpa was an honorable man and had raised them to be the same. They had to follow the intent of Cole’s vow, not the words. No descendent of Grandpa would act like a shyster lawyer.

  “Dang it!”

  He stomped down the hall. Casey had good reasons to be scared of what men could do to her. No matter what, they had to gain her trust by treating her like a sister. Each of them had demons from their past to slay. His was reading and writing. Maybe teaching each other, would allow her to get used to him.

  If she never showed an interest in becoming a lover rather than a sister, they’d just have to be brotherly all winter. No matter how much it made them want to pound their heads against the wall, they’d keep their hands off her. For eight long, cold, hard months!

  Another image came to mind, that of Casey with her back against the wall while he pounded his cock into her. Her feet would be wrapped around him, ankles crossed, as she eagerly cried out for more. He closed his eyes and groaned, wishing he could wear a kilt to cover his raging erection. He blew out a deep breath and opened the door. He didn’t try to hide his expression, or his erection. Cole frowned.

  “Ha!” crowed Marshall. “I knew if you got Judge Thatcher and Walt Chamberlain together, something would happen.”

  “What?” Cole barked the word.

  “Thatcher insists you and Casey stand beside Mrs. Johnston and Walt Chamberlain in a double ceremony.”

  “What?” Cole’s voice had gone up an octave. He stormed toward the hall. “I’ll see about that!”

  The door slammed behind him. Marshall kept chuckling.

  “While he’s gone I’ve got something to say to you,” said Byron. “We’ve got to treat Casey as a sister so she can get used to us. I want you to promise you won’t seduce her.”

  “Are you out of your mind? Have you seen her in a dress? How can you ask me to spend a winter with a woman like that and not even try to kiss her?”

  Byron crossed his arms. “It’s not what I want that matters. She’s terrified of us. Look at how she sits at the table and just pushes her food around the plate. I lie awake listening to her tossing and turning above us. I try not to look at her in case it bothers her, but she’s not happy. She doesn’t even smile at Zeus anymore.”

  Marshall stuck his fists on his hips, dropped his head, and sighed. After a moment he looked up. All traces of the happy-go-lucky entertainer were gone.

  “I know. Sometimes she reminds me of what you and Cole used to look like when you thought no one was paying attention. Y’all had that hunched-over look, as if you never knew when you’d be kicked. Nobody ever beat on me, so I don’t know what—”

  “Words can hurt just like a fist,” replied Byron. “So will treating a boy as if who he is means nothing. I think you know something about that, cousin.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, boy.” Marshall had his false face back in place. “I had me a right nice family. They jest were a might quiet.”

  “Quiet?” Byron stared Marshall down. “We were jealous when you showed up because Grandpa and Grandma fussed over you so much. You were so loud, making all those faces so we’d laugh, I finally told Grandpa I was going to shut you up once and for all.”

  “Ha! You were so quiet it was hard to tell if you were there. And I can take you anytime you want, cousin!”

  Byron let Marshall’s verbal attack flow over him. He recognized the fear talking.

  “Grandpa said you were making up for what you’d missed,” he said quietly. “That he’d been extra careful of me for a long time, and that now it was your turn. He said Cole needed his special time to heal as well, once his mama left.”

  “What’re you sayin’?”

  “That all four of us had bad things happen. We had Grandma and Grandpa, but Casey had nobody but her little brother once her mother died.” Byron flexed his shoulders the way he would before a fight. “I know you hide behind all that bluster.”

  “Just like you get that quiet, mean look in your eye, like you’re gonna throw down your hat and start punching. The one I see right now.”

  Byron nodded, accepting the truth. Keeping everything inside was what kept him going. If
no one knew what he was thinking, they couldn’t use it against him. “And Cole gets all tight and angry, just daring us to push him.”

  Marshall nodded at Byron’s description.

  “Casey had it far worse.” Byron set his hands on his hips and dropped his head. “We were rescued. Cole at five, and us at twelve. Casey was about fifteen when her mother died. I hate to think what her mama must have had to put up with.”

  “She tell you why they ran away?”

  “Let’s just say if she didn’t get out, she’d be dead by now, or wishing she was.”

  Marshall rubbed his head, messing up the neat combing job he’d done for the wedding. “Shit. I’d hoped she might like sharing our bed someday. She must have some bad memories.”

  Byron lowered his voice and turned it to polished steel. “First, you will not do anything which will hurt Casey. That includes anything that might make her cry. Second, you won’t try to seduce her.” Byron held out his hand. “I want your word on it.”

  “Dang it, By, you don’t have to tell me not to hurt her! It’d be like stomping on that runt of a puppy.” Marshall shook out his shoulders. He held out his hand and they shook. “But if Casey tries to seduce me, there’s no way in hell I’m turning her down. She’ll be our wife, and I’ll do anything I can to make her happy.”

  Casey seducing them? Byron’s mouth went dry. His cock, having finally relaxed, leaped into full arousal. That was not something he’d considered. Maybe this winter wouldn’t be so long after all.

  “If Casey tries to seduce one of us, we have to let her lead, all the way,” said Byron. “Keep her a virgin, but for God’s sake, give her an orgasm or three before you take your own!”

  Marshall scowled, exaggerating it as usual. “You tryin’ to teach a master fox to suck eggs, boy?”

  Byron’s lip twitched. He raised an eyebrow. “You can suck all the eggs you want. I’m looking to suck something a bit sweeter. And if she wants, she can return the favor.”