The Stagecoach Bride

by Stephannie Beman

  “Oh, you did not. You just knew I couldn’t resist seeing if I had any feminine wiles that work. I mean, wearing pants is easy. I don’t have to do anything but put them on, but trying to bat my eyelashes and come up with something to say isn’t as easy as Wade made it sound.” She kissed the side of his neck and started unbuttoning his shirt. “But I didn’t lie. I am thirsty. I did a lot of moaning while I was on that horse. It dried my throat.”

  “Don’t underestimate yourself, Uzizitka. You use those feminine wiles quite well.”

  She accepted the waterskin from him and drank some water before she held it out to him. “Do you want some?”

  He straightened. “Yes.”

  She let go of him so he could also drink some water. She took the moment to study him, this man who knelt beside her who seemed larger than life. She couldn’t imagine any other man matching him in looks or brawn. And despite his rugged exterior, he had the heart of a noble gentleman. She waited until he set the waterskin down before she closed the gap between them and kissed him. He groaned and slid his hands under her shirt.

  His passion renewed her own, and she found herself wanting to finish what they started earlier that day. She traced her tongue along his bottom lip. He parted his lips to receive her, and she brushed her tongue against his. He tightened his hold on her and deepened the kiss, his hand cupping her rear and pulling her tightly against him.

  By now she’d become familiar with his erection and what it meant. It meant he desired her, wanted to be with her. And it thrilled her to no end to know she could arouse him.

  She lowered her hands to the buttons on his trousers, stroking the bulge. Her heart racing, she decided to do something she hadn’t dared to do up to this point. She undid the buttons, both excited and nervous. He groaned and removed his shirt, something that encouraged her to keep going, so she lowered the trousers then loosened the strings of his drawers and pulled them down. That left him exposed to her.

  She cupped him gently in her hands, running her fingers along the length of him. She started at his tip. She noted the slit and traced it, intrigued by the bead of moisture that formed there. She brushed it and rubbed it around the ridge of his tip. This was the part of him that had given her so much pleasure while inside her. Even now her core clenched in anticipation for him. His hands went back to her behind, and he pulled her toward him, his erection pressing nicely against her.

  She groaned and ended their kiss. “Why do clothes have to get in the way?”

  He chuckled and squeezed her behind. “I don’t know. They sure did make things interesting yesterday. ”

  Her skin growing warm at his meaning, she smiled shyly and released him so she could remove her clothes, aware he watched her as he also finished undressing. The heat of his gaze bore into her, making her skin tingle, especially when she saw the desire in his eyes. He needed her. And she liked being needed with the primitive urgency he possessed as he pulled her back to him.

  He lowered his head to take one of her nipples into his mouth, but she moaned and pushed him onto his back. “I want to learn more about you, Mic. It’s not fair for you to distract me. ”

  He grinned and pulled her on top of him so that she was straddling him, her flesh brushing intimately against him. He felt so very good, stroking her sensitive nub. But she was determined to continue her study of him.

  She wiggled off of him so that she was kneeling beside him. “Be good, Mic. ”

  His hand went between her legs and he slid a finger into her. “I’m trying to be good, Tehila.”

  Though she groaned, there was a sigh of pleasure mixed in with it. “You’re being too good.”

  He slid another finger into her and rubbed her sensitive nub with the pad of his thumb. “Am I?”

  She decided not to answer him this time. Instead her gaze went to his penis. Pushing aside her lingering shyness, she wrapped her hand around it. When he groaned, she let go of it. “Did I hurt you?”

  Laughing, he brought his other hand to hers and guided her back to him. “Tawicu, you’re not going to hurt me. The more pressure you use, the better it feels. ”

  “Really?”

  His hand over hers, he guided her around the base of his shaft and squeezed so that she had to wrap him tightly. Then he moved her hand up to his tip and brought it back down. She thought for sure she was using too much pressure, but as he continued to guide her movements, establishing a rhythm that brought a familiar moan of pleasure from his lips, she felt better about squeezing him and was soon doing it without his help. It was fascinating to watch his reaction to her, to see his expression hovering somewhere between pleasure and pain, much as he’d looked last night as he was thrusting inside her.

  His fingers slid back inside her and he stroked her core, barely soothing the ache that was building up within her. Recalling how good his mouth had felt down there when he had teased her with his tongue, she leaned forward and flicked her tongue along his tip. His stroking in her core quickened in a way that told her he liked the way she was teasing him. Excited, she traced the rest of his head, running her tongue along the ridge, quickly learning if she did that and flicked the tip, he expressed a great amount of pleasure in her ministrations. She brought him into her mouth, curious to know if he’d like it as well and he rocked his hips so that he was sliding in and out of her mouth.

  She brought her hand to the base of his shaft and moved it up and down in rhythm with his movements, alternating between sucking and licking him, paying special attention to tracing his ridge and tip. And as she did this, she moved her hips over his hand in a way that kept her building toward an orgasm. It almost felt too good to stop, but she wanted him inside her when she found her release.

  She straddled him and took him into her, her flesh closing around him, pulling him in deeper. He grabbed her hips and guided her along. Gasping, she worked with him, barely aware that she was pleading with him to keep going. He bucked beneath her, his penis stroking her core and plunging in and out of her until she thought she couldn’t take it anymore.

  Crying out his name, her hips bucked wildly, drawing him deeper and deeper inside her. She stilled and savored the pleasure gripping her body. She dug her nails into his shoulders, groaning as he continued moving inside her, an action which prolonged her heightened state of ecstasy and soon brought him to his.

  His erection grew taut and warmth filled her as he spilled his seed inside her. She waited until he was done before she got off of him and settled next to him. He wrapped her in his embrace and kissed the top of her head. Smiling, she slid her arm around his waist and snuggled up to him.

  They remained silent for several minutes. He rubbed her back in lazy circular motions, something that was wonderfully soothing. It was too bad they couldn’t stay like this, where it was just the two of them, where the outside world wasn’t allowed to come in and invade their peace. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. It was a very masculine scent. One that spoke of the outdoors, of hard work, of strength. She doubted any of the men back East smelled this wonderful.

  “Uzizitka,” he whispered.

  “Yes, my higkuanu?”

  “You mean ‘hignaku’?”

  Noting the amusement in his tone, she rolled her eyes and sat up so she could face him. “Yes, that is what I meant. These words of yours are hard to pronounce. ”

  “You’re just not used to it.” He rose to his feet and helped her up. “Give it time. It’ll come to you. ”

  “Maybe.”

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “You will, just like you perfected your feminine wiles. You need to have more confidence in yourself.” He kissed her hand and nodded in the direction of the hot spring. “Come, let’s take a bath before we head on out.”

  She slipped her arm around his waist as he led her over to the warm pool of water. “Alright, hig…ig. . nuku?”

  “Hignaku.”

  She sighed but couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips from hi
s teasing tone. “Fine. Husband. Forget I even tried to learn the word. It’s impossible for me to pronounce. ”

  Wrapping her in his arms, he drew her into the small stream that flowed into the pool, stopping when the cool water from the stream flowed into the hot pool, cooling the water to a nice temperature. “If you want to call me husband, I’ll be happy to be called husband.”

  “I better because I can’t pronounce the Indian words as well as you can.”

  He hugged her to him, burying his face against her neck. “How did I get so lucky to find you?”

  “You rescued me from the misery of being with the wrong man.” She squeezed him around the waist. “Thank you.”

  “I...” He sighed. “I’m glad you saved me from a life alone. ”

  “You saved me from loneliness, too. I didn’t have anyone in Virginia who cared about me except my parents.” She kissed him and smiled. “I never realized there was a difference between being alive and living. Living is about taking chances and embracing each moment as it comes. You’ve taught me to do that.” She took his hands in hers and added, “I’ve never been in a hot spring before. It’s more fun than sitting in a tub or trying to wash up in a cold stream.”

  He grinned, his hand ghosting down her side. “I’d show you just how fun if we didn’t have somewhere to be.” He drew her from the water. “The others will be waiting for us.”

  They quickly dressed and Mic kissed her deeply before lifting her onto the horse. He mounted behind her, drawing her to him as they headed out.

  Chapter Twenty

  The flat, treeless terrain made for easier traveling and Jimmy Boy made good time to the camp where most of the others were waiting. Noah sat beside the fire, roasting something that looked suspiciously like sage grouse. Wade and Jeremiah were napping against the saddles, their guns discreetly out of sight. Abby and Caleb had yet to show up. Mic wouldn’t be too worried about them until an hour after sunset.

  “It’s about time,” Wade said from his position on the ground, not even moving his hat from his eyes to see who had come. “I was wondering if you two would ever reappear.”

  Mic dismounted and reached up for Lillian. His hands closed around her tiny waist, enjoying the feel and wishing it was bare skin. Maybe they should have taken more time at the spring. “It’ll be a while before sunset. We have plenty of time.”

  Jeremiah chuckled, looking at them from under his hat. “I’d rather they do it somewhere else than where I can hear them.” He grinned at Lillian. “Although listening to Little Spitfire last night-”

  “Jeremiah,” Mic growled, setting his wife on her feet and tucking her behind his back. He wasn’t sure if it was to keep her from going after Jeremiah and killing him or himself from beating his brother again. “I’d hate to finish the scene at the river when we could use you right now, but if you finish that sentence I’m going to.”

  Jeremiah grinned and crossed his arms across his broad chest.

  “I don’t get it,” Noah said from his place beside the fire. “Did you get lost, Michaiah? You never get lost.”

  Wade and Jeremiah exploded into full belly laughs that echoed noisily off the surrounding rocks.

  Noah looked even more confused, glancing between everyone. “You guys never tell me anything.”

  Mic glared at his brothers. “One day, Noah. One day you’ll understand.” He unsaddled the horse and laid a blanket on the ground for him and Lillian. Grabbing her hand, he sat on the blanket, leaned against the saddle, and pulled her down beside him. “Be quiet. You two are jealous.”

  Lillian didn’t say anything, though the blush on her cheeks let him know that she was far too embarrassed by his crass brothers. She curled against his other side, keeping him between her and his brothers, and hid her face in his shirt. The sudden urge to see how far the blush went across her skin led to thoughts of her luscious breasts and the look of her face as he sucked on her rosy nipples. His cock hardened in response.

  And that reminded him of that first morning when Lillian had slept at his side, her thigh thrown over his leg, her hands touching every part of his body in her hurry to get away from him. This was a very different scene than the one Wade had found them in that first morning and he liked it far more.

  She sighed and snuggled up to him. “How long will we stay here?”

  “Until nightfall. Abby and Caleb will join us and we’ll head to Charles’ place. Right now we’re far enough away to be mistaken for cowboys passing through if anyone sees us.”

  “Unless they get close enough to see you two cuddling,” Wade remarked with a grin.

  “Then they’ll be looking for the nearest tree to hang us on until they realize she’s a woman,” Jeremiah added.

  Wade yawned. “All she would have to do is start screaming.”

  “Do you two have no sense of propriety?” she called out. “I’m married to him. I have every right to be with him.”

  Lillian missed the look between the brothers. Mic did not. Inwardly, he groaned. This wasn’t going to be pretty and there was no stopping them now. If he said anything, they would take it as a challenge.

  “Propriety?” Jeremiah asked.

  Wade grinned at Jeremiah. “Decorum. Modesty. Decency. Those pesky manners that your mother tried to teach you.”

  “Oh. I’d have to say no. No sense of respectability. I think the mayor’s exact words to me during the barn dance were that the barn was too good for the likes of me. I was tempted to tell him where his wife was at that moment. ”

  Mic winced.

  Lillian gasped and sat up. “Where was his wife?”

  Jeremiah grinned at her and Mic gave him a pointed glare. This wasn’t a conversation for either Lillian or Noah to hear. “Hiding in the dark behind the barn with the banker. I don’t think the mayor has realized that his six children aren’t his.”

  “That’s awful. Just what could you have been doing that was worse than that?”

  Mic groaned. “Don’t you dare answer that if you aren’t going to tell her the truth, Jeremiah.”

  Jeremiah looked offended. “I never lie.”

  Wade burst out laughing. “You always lie, and do inappropriate things when pretty women are involved. He stole a kiss.”

  “From the mayor’s daughter,” Noah added.

  “Who didn’t protest in the least when I kissed her,” Jeremiah said, looking crestfallen. “It was like kissing a sucker fish and I couldn’t wait to get away.”

  She crossed her arms on Mic’s stomach and rested her chin on her forearms. “What’s a sucker fish?”

  “A fish with a big mouth that latches on and doesn’t let go. I thought she was going to kill me by sucking the breath from my lungs.”

  “That’s about the time the mayor caught them,” Wade said. “And he starts shouting that his innocent daughter has been spoiled and that Jeremiah was trying to take advantage of her.”

  She laughed. “Jeremiah, you need to stop going around kissing women. All it does it get you in trouble.”

  Jeremiah had the gall to look saddened by his actions. As if that was the worst of it. “I wouldn’t bed that creature if she was the last woman on Earth. She might be beautiful but she doesn’t hold a candle to you, Little Spitfire. I mean look at you. You’re smart and resourceful. You’ve traveled thousands of miles to marry a man you don’t know, been kidnapped by Mic, held against your will, and made an outlaw. You stood up against me when you feared I would hurt your man, armed only with a skillet. If you weren’t spoken for by my brother, I’d have to make another try.”

  “She’s got a point, Jere,” Mic said, rubbing circles on Lillian’s back. “Kissing girls gets you in trouble.”

  She was much calmer about the content of the conversation than usual, which gave him hope that she might one day come to like and understand his strange family. Of course, she had yet to meet Abby or Caleb.

  “Kissing men would get me in more trouble,” Jeremiah retorted.

  “What you n
eed is a wife,” Lillian declared, earning groans from the other men. “Then you wouldn’t have to try to find a woman to kiss. You would already have someone you knew you could kiss. Just make sure she doesn’t kiss like a suckerfish. Then you won’t fear for your safety,” she finished in a teasing tone.

  Jeremiah crunched up his face. “How am I going to know how they kiss if I don’t try them out first?”

  “Your approach is all wrong. You can’t come up behind a woman and try to kiss her. She’s going to think you’re attacking her. What you need to do is take the time to talk to her, get to know her. Then you ask if you can kiss her. If she latches on but won’t let go, you know you need to find someone else.”

  Mic shook his head, frowning. “The kissing wasn’t what got you thrown out of the party, Jere.”

  The scrape of a boot against rock was Mic’s first warning that someone approached. He listened, focusing on the smallest sounds, and discreetly drew his gun.

  “If it wasn’t kissing the mayor’s daughter that got him thrown out, then what did?”

  “Defending my Jane’s honor,” Wade responded instead.

  “How so?”

  “The mayor recognized her from his many visits to the saloon and called her out as a whore.” Jeremiah’s voice shook with anger. “So I hit him.”

  “You broke his jaw,” Mic corrected.

  “If Jane hadn’t stopped me, I would have broken his damn head!”

  Whoever was out there was moving with care, taking their time to sneak up on the camp, and they weren’t moving as a white man would even though they were wearing boots. The clumping of boots was a distinct sound. The person was trained to move as an Indian would, and Mic was pretty sure it was Abby. Caleb always made too much noise. Abby was lighter on her feet.

  Wade shook his head. “Jane knew it wasn’t worth a hanging.”

  “Well, I think it was nice of you to defend her.” She frowned. “Did he ever find out his wife was with the banker?”

  The three brothers exchanged grins. “No. He’s now raising three more bastard kids and everyone knows it.”