by Reece Butler
He’d let her start slowly at the party, at first singing while the three cousins played popular songs and the room filled with dancers. So many people praised her voice. She didn’t know how to dance, but Cole told his cousins to play something slow and urged her onto the floor. He held her right hand and placed his left on her hip. He then pulled her close, so she wouldn’t trip, and whispered in her ear how good a job she was doing. She danced with Trace and a few other men Cole trusted. Marshall tried to pull her close, but he stopped, grinning, when Cole growled a warning.
She could still feel the places Cole had touched. This night she’d had the best time of her whole life. And now her husband had asked for a kiss in return for giving her a safe home, his name, and most of all, respect.
She looked at his lips. When he smiled as they danced, she discovered they were full. She’d only seen them tight with strain before. After all, he worked so hard. As the one in charge, he took responsibility for everything on the ranch. He was what her mama would call a good and kind man. He was her husband, and she had every right to kiss him, and enjoy it.
“We’ll be going on just the same as before,” Cole said, acting serious again. The tightness was back. No longer a gentle husband, but the boss of the Sweetwater Ranch. “You can wear what you like, pants or dress. And you can do womanly things to our home if you want.”
She blinked at him. “Womanly things?”
“Like the flowers you put on the table. A man won’t think of it, but it makes his heart a bit lighter when he sees such things. My grandma said women like curtains on clean windows, a pretty cup to drink from, and a cushion on her rocking chair.” His lip twitched. “Things that make life a bit better even if they’re not necessary.” The lip twitch widened into a half smile. “Grandpa Marshall said a happy wife makes a happy home. I want you happy, Casey.”
“I got me a warm, clean, safe place to live. Food, new clothes, and even a puppy.” She smoothed her dress, avoiding his eyes. “When we was dancing I felt like a princess. I never been that happy before.”
“You looked like a princess, Casey. And the way you smiled at me when we danced, I knew I was the luckiest man in the room. I liked having you in my arms. Too much.”
A hot flush warmed her face. She scooted a couple of inches closer. “I never kissed a man before. But if ye want a weddin’ kiss, I’ll give ye one.”
His eyes crinkled. The moonlight made his teeth blaze as he gave her the biggest smile she’d ever seen. It made the man almost sinfully handsome. He leaned over, giving her his cheek instead of his mouth.
She shuffled close, until their thighs touched. His leg seared her flesh like a poker fresh from the fire. Her breasts swelled. She turned her head and pecked his cheek. She waited for his reaction. He didn’t move.
“That was a chicken peck, Mrs. Taylor,” he murmured. “Not a kiss.”
Shame flared her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip. “Guess I’m no good at kissin’.”
“It took a while to learn how to cook, didn’t it?” He waited for her nod. “Well, kissing’s the same.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t moved. “Mama taught me how to cook. Could you show me how to kiss?”
Cole closed his eyes. She heard a low groan, as if he was in pain. She waited, impatient and unsure, as he tied the leather traces to the side of the wagon. The sound of horses munching added to the silence. He turned his body toward her.
“There’s nothing I’d like better.” He shifted on the seat. “Even if it half kills me,” he muttered. “Kissing takes practice, but I’m a patient man. I don’t mind sitting here all night.”
“Is it that hard to learn?”
“I think you’ll do just fine,” he replied. “Open your mouth, just a bit. Don’t press hard.” He scratched the back of his neck again. “You want me to show you?”
“That’d be best.”
She watched his lips as they slowly came closer. So close that she had to close her eyes or go cross-eyed. He brushed against her once, whisper soft, and then touched his lips to hers. Gently, like the way she used to kiss Willy when he was a baby. Only her body didn’t feel all fluttery when she kissed her brother.
He ran his tongue along her bottom lip. Her heart suddenly pounded like all get-out. Her nipples hardened into tight buds. She shivered and a moan escaped. She pressed back, exploring the taste of him. Coffee, whiskey, and leather. His tongue flicked against her lips again. Just a touch, then he backed away. She didn’t move, hoping it wasn’t over yet.
“I think that’s enough for now.” His voice sounded rough.
“Oh. Did I do good?” she asked, opening her eyes.
“Too good.”
He shifted in his seat a few times as they drove home. She thought he murmured something about him needing to be horsewhipped, but the buzzing in her ears made it hard to hear. The way her heart pounded made it even harder to think. She was a married woman now, with every right to enjoy what Mama said was called a wifely duty. As this was Tanner’s Ford, she had three different men to try on for size.
Even if Cole refused her, she still had Byron and Marshall…
Chapter 12
“How was your wedding night?”
“Shut up, Marshall,” said Byron, answering for Cole. He knew Marshall would poke until they came to blows, and he was too fed up to step between them. “I bet he drove Casey straight home, let her get to sleep in the loft while he put things away, then crashed into our bed and slept like a log. Casey didn’t look any different when we drove up this morning.”
“Oh yeah? Her cheeks and ears were turned pink when she saw us,” said Marshall. “What was that about, cuz?” he asked Cole, verbally poking the bear. “Did you do something you shouldn’t?”
Cole’s thunderous expression shut Marshall up, though Byron heard a few snickers from him. They worked the rest of the morning without speaking. They rode together except when one or the other would break off to search out the tight gulches where longhorn mammas might hide out with their growing calves.
Their tired horses perked up as they neared home. Marshall trailed behind Byron and Cole.
“We kissed,” said Cole quietly, finally answering the question from hours earlier. “In the moonlight.” He glared at Byron. “And that’s all we did!” He rolled out his shoulders. “Casey wasn’t frightened at all.”
“I believe you,” replied Byron. “Casey watched the other wives pretty close when they kissed their husbands last night. Some of them got into the darker corners of the room and—”
“It was nothing like that!” Cole adjusted his seat. “Nothing but a simple kiss.”
“Just one?”
“We were in the wagon. She pecked my cheek like a chicken. When she asked for lessons, I gave her a kiss on the lips.”
Byron raised an eyebrow at Cole. His tan made it hard to tell, but Byron figured he had more color than normal. “And?” he asked, poking like Marshall would.
“And she wanted more! My cock was so damned hard I had to stop before I did something I swore I wouldn’t.” Cole pushed his hat back on his head and rubbed his forehead. “Yep, I know,” he muttered. “I oughta be horsewhipped. I promised her she’d be safe from me but I still want to—.”
“You’re her husband,” said Byron blandly. “You have the right to do whatever the two of you want.”
“You think I don’t know it? Why do you think there’s a problem?” Cole’s horse danced under him, picking up the tension. “It’s my job to keep her from harm, but she makes me want to do them anyway.”
Byron gave Cole time to cool down before replying.
“What if Casey wants to be a true wife, in bed as well as out?”
“No! I won’t allow it!”
Cole yanked back on his reins so hard his horse reared. He took a few minutes to calm the animal. When he was settled, his face was red. But was it in shame for what he wanted to do with Casey, embarrassment for losing control of his horse, or himself?
By
ron had almost staggered when he saw Casey approaching Cole on Willy’s arm. He couldn’t believe she was the same boy who’d rolled on the ground with a litter of pups. She took his breath away. As soon as he caught that breath, all the blood in his body headed to his cock. It wasn’t just that she was pretty. She was his partner’s wife, and therefore open for sharing. Byron was suddenly raring to do the same thing the men at the other seven ranches did regularly with their wives. He’d had to face the judge to get himself under control. Thatcher’s smirk meant he knew exactly why Byron was shifting his feet.
He’d watched her all evening. That first, shy dance with Cole when she molded herself to her husband like a wife should. Byron had never seen Cole smile like that before. Ever. As for Casey, when she relaxed, a sparkle appeared in her eyes. While dancing with Walt, she even tilted her head back and laughed.
That was when Byron realized Casey was the woman for him.
She had demons aplenty in her past, maybe more than he. But she could laugh and find joy in something as simple as a country dance with an old man. Marshall wanted Casey as well. While he pretended to be his usual foolish self, Byron saw the longing in his eyes when they strayed to the new Mrs. Taylor. And they strayed a lot.
He and Marshall didn’t care how Casey talked. They wanted a warm woman who could ease their life and make coming home worthwhile. Unfortunately, Cole had a stick up his arse. He wanted something else for their children. Or at least he thought he should.
But Byron had spent his first twelve years in that high-society life. He knew it was like gold plate over tin. The shining layer of gold barely hid the cheap metal beneath. While expensive gowns and jewels flashed in the candlelight, pursed mouths spouting hateful gossip hid behind lacquered fans. Carefree laughter trilled at evening parties, but screeches and blows had filled his days.
Women like his mother wanted to be seen in the most expensive, latest fashions. They wanted to be admired, to be invited to the best parties of the season, to titter at the newest gossip. They wanted to parade on the arm of a handsome, well-dressed, wealthy man from the highest levels of society. And of course their children had to be perfect.
If not, they were tossed away like a stained glove.
The education denied Cole, which Byron refused, didn’t make them better ranchers. Even the most basic manners went out the window when a man was near starved and half frozen. Casey would never fit in a Charleston drawing room, even as a servant. But she had the skills and fortitude to survive and even flourish in Tanner’s Ford. That’s what they needed in a wife.
That meant he and Marshall, and even Casey, had to change Cole’s mind.
Casey’s kiss, and demand for more, had obviously shaken Cole. He wanted her just as much as Byron and Marshall, but refused to act. How long could he hold out, especially if the lady was encouraged to show her affection?
Casey was smart. Just surviving, hiding in plain sight as a boy while taking care of her younger, bigger brother was a feat. It was amazing how quickly she copied the other women. By the time she and Cole left the party, you would have thought there was nothing different about her. Until she opened her mouth, of course. But even that was changing as she mimicked their speech. Given time, would Cole see the changes and accept her fully? After all, it wasn’t like the three of them were anything special. A trio of Upcountry boys whose Grandma had taught them enough manners to not embarrass themselves.
He and Byron had two votes to one against Cole, the man in charge of the ranch and Casey’s husband. Unfortunately, Cole had enough stubborn pride for the three of them. He’d stick to his guns all the way to the end unless they could change his mind. Having agreed, he and Marshall would play by Cole’s rules.
But there was a wild card in the deck. Casey. She would determine who won, or lost. Nothing in the rules stopped Byron from raising the ante. The future he wanted depended on Casey being in it. Cole was not going to win this one.
“Marshall,” called out Byron as his cousin rode up. “I say Casey should be our wife, shared like the other valley wives. You got an opinion on that?”
“Hell, yeah!” Marshall’s grin spread cheek to cheek. “Casey is some woman!”
“Cole gave her a sweet kiss last night. He said she didn’t want to stop.”
Marshall whooped so loud all three had to control their horses. They weren’t much more than green broke and still didn’t believe they were no longer in charge.
“Enough!” yelled Cole. He glared at them so hard his eyes could start a fire. “Just because the lady wanted one small kiss on her wedding night doesn’t mean she wants more. You won’t be crowding her and scaring her off, you hear me?”
“Yes, dang it, I hear you!” yelled Byron in return. He backed off his attitude when Cole did. “Casey’s like a skittish mare. She needs a quiet touch for a bit. No hands on her flanks until she sidles up and gives you a nudge. When she does, you give her a treat. It might take a while but you get a sweeter, better horse at the end of it.”
“Casey ain’t a horse,” growled Cole. “She’s my wife.” He sat tall, taking the reins back as leader. “But she’s here to work, and that’s all. If she wants to sing while we play our music, that’s her choice. But I won’t have you getting her all flustered and upset. You scare her off and this winter will be the worst ever.” He gave them a frigid stare before giving his horse its head, trotting home.
Marshall heaved a huge sigh as Cole rode away. “Now that I’ve seen Casey in a dress I can’t get her out of my mind. I want her in my bed.” He winked. “And against the wall, bent over the table, and—”
“Give her time,” interrupted Byron. “Let her do the wanting.”
Marshall rubbed his jaw. He tilted his head and shot Byron a speaking look. “We can’t give her any encouragement?”
“No touching,” said Byron. “If Casey wants more, she’ll have to ask for it.”
Marshall pushed out his bottom lip. He looked a lot like Beth’s young son James when she said he couldn’t have another sweet. After a few moments he sat up and grinned.
“Fine, I won’t touch her. But nothing stops us from letting her see what she’s missing. If she likes what she sees, she might ask for more.”
Byron caught his meaning and laughed. “Grandma said you never did like to keep your clothes on.”
“I’ll keep ’em on when I kiss my bride.”
“Your bride? Casey married Cole.”
Marshall’s sly lip twitch blossomed into a full-blown grin. “This is Tanner’s Ford. Any bride of Cole’s belongs to you and me, as long as she doesn’t mind. I think we should welcome Casey into the family with a few husbandly kisses. Cole said she wanted another lesson, but he didn’t give it to her. I say we oblige the lady.”
“When Cole’s not around?”
“Exactly.”
Byron pulled a coin from his pocket. “Heads says I go first.”
* * * *
Casey’s heart dropped as she watched Cole ride away. He’d barely spoken to her during dinner, said a quick thank you, then headed south as soon as he could. Marshall had at least given her a smile and wink before he left as well, heading east. She wasn’t sure where Byron was. He’d gone to the barn with his cousins, but hadn’t come out. She turned away from the window and started clearing the table. She’d chop some more carrots and add them to the stew to stretch it. If they didn’t pay attention to her, maybe they would to her food.
“So much for putting on my nice yellow dress,” she said, venting her frustration.
Zeus yipped when she spoke. He sat in the corner guarding a bone half his size. It didn’t have much meat but would keep him, and his sharp puppy teeth, busy for hours. He went back to gnawing happily. She turned to change out of her nice dress but movement out the window caught her eye. Byron tied his horse to a ring on the barn wall. He patted its flank but, instead of climbing on, he walked toward the cabin. She looked around to see what he might have forgotten. She saw nothing obvious, so w
ent to the door.
“Did you forget something?”
He kept on walking, heading right for her. She backed into the cabin, unsure about the look on his face. Whatever he wanted, he was determined to get it. He stepped onto her clean floor and stopped. He tilted back his hat and set his fists on his hips. It made his shirt pull tight against his chest muscles.
“I can see your bare toes.”
He stared at her feet. Though she’d gone barefoot all her life, suddenly it was different. She tried to hide her feet but her too-short skirt made it impossible unless she bent her knees.
“It’s not cold enough for shoes,” she replied.
“You saying you’re hot, Mrs. Taylor?”
His eyes rose past her knees, slowed just below her waist, and ended up on her bosom. Her nipples pressed against her blouse. She hadn’t put anything on underneath. Every part of her burned, but the places he lingered at were hottest.
“I’ve been working over the stove. Of course I’m hot.”
She tried to sound harsh, but her throat was so tight it came out as a squeak. His eyes went down again, stopping where her thighs joined. The throbbing ache returned, only stronger.
“No shoes means you’re not wearing stockings. I wonder what else you’re not wearing under that pretty dress?”
His deep purr wrapped around her like a blanket full of sparks. She clenched her fists to stop from reaching for him. She panted, her chest rising and falling quickly. It made her nipples rub against the rough cotton of her blouse. If she was still wearing her bindings, she’d be unable to breath.
“What’s under that dress, Casey? Other than you, that is?”
