"Savannah! Where'd you go?" Scott called from the living room.
"I'm in the kitchen, admiring!" she called back.
He walked into the kitchen and smiled, putting his thumbs in his pockets. "You like my kitchen?"
"I love your kitchen!"
"My mom had just had it remodeled before she died. It's barely been used since."
"What have you been doing for meals?"
He shrugged. "I have a cook for my men, and I've been eating in the bunkhouse a lot. I make sandwiches in here, or I drive into town to eat at the diner. It always felt weird eating alone here after my parents were killed."
Savannah walked to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You won't have to eat alone anymore."
Scott smiled at that, happy to have her there. "I'm glad," he said simply, cupping the side of her face with one huge hand. "Let me show you where you'll stay." Taking her hand, he led her toward the stairs, grabbing her suitcase on the way up. "There are two sets of stairs. One here in the kitchen, and one in the living room."
The house was enormous. It was so different from where she'd grown up. Space was at a premium in New York, so the apartment she'd grown up in had been small. The entire apartment she'd shared with her mother could have fit into his living room.
He showed her the different rooms upstairs. "There are six bedrooms upstairs, and one bedroom downstairs. The one downstairs, I use as an office for my paperwork." He pushed open a door on the right. "This is our room. There are only two bedrooms with attached baths. This is one. I'll put you in the other for your first week here." He walked two doors down and pushed the door wide. "I'm sorry the bed's not made up, but there are clean linens in the closet."
"I can make the bed." She walked into the room and looked around. There was a small adjacent bath with a shower, but no tub. "This will work fine for me."
He put her suitcase on the bed. "Don't get too comfortable in here."
She smiled. "I won't."
"It's not too late. Do you want to change, and we can sit on the back porch for a minute?"
"You have a porch?" she asked. For some reason, a porch had been something she'd always wanted. "Do you have a swing?"
He nodded. "My mother loved porch swings, so my father built one for her. Change and meet me in the living room."
"I need help." Her voice was low, and she hated asking but there was no way she could get out of her dress on her own. There was a tiny row of buttons that went from her back all the way down to her hips. She turned her back to him, holding her hair to one side, so he could see what she needed him to do.
Scott swallowed hard, looking at her. He wanted to say that if he helped her undress, he should be able to touch everything he uncovered, but he'd agreed to wait. He stepped forward and tried to make quick work of the buttons down her back, but his fingers were big, and the buttons were tiny and incredibly stubborn. When he'd gotten enough undone that he was sure she could remove it, he kissed the side of her neck before stepping back. "If you need more help, just let me know. I'll take off or unfasten anything you need."
Savannah blushed. "What a sweet offer. You're going to be a good husband, aren't you?"
"When it comes to undressing you, I am!"
After he'd left, Savannah quickly stepped out of her dress and hung it in the closet before opening her suitcase and finding a pair of shorts and a sleeveless blouse. She put on the clean clothes and went into the bathroom to run a brush through her blond hair. At least she was presentable.
She didn't bother with shoes before she stepped out of her bedroom and went down the stairs, finding him waiting for her. He'd changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. He was looking out the window and didn't notice her coming down. "Which way is the porch swing?" she asked.
He turned, his eyes traveling up and down her body. If anyone else had looked at her that way, she'd have been offended, but he was her husband and had every right to admire her body if that's what he wanted to do.
He took her hand, leading her out to the porch. She gasped in surprise when she saw the swing. It was made of oak and had been stained. It hung by chains from the porch ceiling. "I won't ever want to go inside!" She ran to it and sat down, finding it as comfortable as it was pretty.
He smiled, enjoying her delight in the swing. It would thrill him if she used it half as much as his mother had. He sat down beside her after a moment, his long leg setting the swing in motion. He pulled her to him, his arm over her shoulders as they both stared out at the mountains in the darkness.
"How could you ever leave here? This must be the most beautiful place on earth."
"You'll notice I didn't leave for long," he said with a yawn.
She snuggled close to him, her head on his shoulder. "You're tired. You should go on up to bed." She hated the idea of him leaving her, but she needed to put his needs first. That's what a good wife did.
"Not yet. I'd rather spend time with you first." He kissed the top of her head.
She smiled up at him, pleased that he wanted a little more time as well. "I like your house."
"Our house. Me too. It was a great place to grow up. Someday, I'll show you all the hidden passageways where I played hide and seek with friends."
"Oh! Hidden passageways? Sounds like fun."
He turned to her more fully on the swing, pulling her closer. "I want to kiss my wife."
She smiled. "You've already kissed me twice today. That's all you get." Her eyes were twinkling with amusement.
"Oh really? What if I grab you and kiss you anyway?"
"I'll have to scream and kick."
He chuckled. "What good will that do?"
She shrugged. "No idea, but it sounds like fun." She turned so she was sitting sideways on the swing facing him. "Or, I can make it easier for you." She leaned toward him, her eyes on his.
He leaned down and caught her lips in a kiss, his tongue tracing the outline of her mouth. His arms went around her, and he pulled her against him.
She put her arms around his shoulders, her heart beating faster as their torsos met. She clung to his broad shoulders, her lips parting for his kiss.
His hands roamed over her back, his tongue seeking hers. After a moment, he came up for air, and to ask a question. "What are the lines?"
"Lines?" she asked.
"You know, what lines can't I cross this week?"
"I—I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it."
"Well, if I wanted to pull you onto my lap, would that be all right?" He caught her hips, and pulled her onto his lap, astride him. They were touching from hip to torso. "Is this against the rules?"
She blushed but shook her head. "I don't think so. If it becomes too much, I'll say something."
He nodded, pulling her head down for another kiss. His hands stroked all over her back, one coming around to cup her breast.
She moaned softly against his lips. His touch felt so good to her.
His thumb found her nipple through the thin fabric of her bra and tank top. It was already erect, so he toyed with it, wondering how she'd react if he pushed the fabric out of the way.
They were both out of breath when he broke the kiss. "I want to touch your skin, but I don't want to do anything you don't want. May I unfasten your bra?" It felt strange asking, but he didn't want to frighten her. He hadn't expected her to allow the liberties he'd already received.
Savannah looked into his eyes for a moment, torn with indecision. She wanted to feel him touching her. She wanted it badly. But if she let him touch her that way, would they be able to stop? Finally she shook her head. "Not tonight," she whispered, hating herself a little bit.
He nodded, pulling her head down for another kiss. He was glad she was honest with him about her feelings. He'd been afraid she would agree just to make him happy. This time when they kissed, he kept his hands on her back, trying to r
espect her feelings.
"I'm glad we're married," he finally told her, just hugging her to him.
She rested her head on his shoulder, glad he wasn't angry with her for stopping him. "We should sleep."
He nodded. "We should. I just don't want to let you go."
"I'll be here tomorrow."
He grinned. "Forever, I hope."
"That's the plan."
*****
Early Sunday morning, Savannah heard Scott stirring, so she got up and showered quickly. She wanted to make breakfast for him before he went out to do the chores that had to be done, even on Sunday.
She pulled on the same shorts and tank top she'd worn the night before, because she'd only packed three changes of clothes in her small carryon. Hurrying down to the kitchen she mixed up pancake batter and fried up some bacon.
He stopped in the kitchen on his way out to the barn. "I just need to milk the cows and gather eggs this morning," he told her. "My men will do the rest of the work today."
"Are we going to church?" she asked.
"Would you be all right if we waited 'til next week?"
"Definitely. I didn't bring church clothes. They should be here by next weekend, though."
He stepped into the kitchen and pulled her against him, kissing her quickly. "Good morning, wife."
She smiled. "Good morning, husband!"
After he'd gone outside, she poured the pancakes into the pan, watching them as they bubbled. By the time he got back inside, she'd made a plateful. She put a short stack on a plate for him and added some bacon. "Do you want milk or coffee?" she asked. She'd made coffee for herself, but she didn't know which he preferred.
"Coffee. If it's before noon, that's all I drink." He took a bite of the pancakes and smiled. They were good. "I have a confession to make."
"What's that?" she asked, setting coffee in front of him, and sitting beside him on a barstool with her own plate.
"I'm not a morning person," he said with a yawn. "I'd rather stay up all night than get up early."
She laughed. "Me too. I don't think the cows share your attitude though."
"They don't." He sighed heavily. "My men make fun of me because I carry around a thermos full of coffee all morning. They know not to talk to me until I'm finished with it."
She shook her head with a smile. "Sounds like they're smart!"
"They are!" He grinned, taking her hand in his. "I don't feel nearly as grumpy as usual this morning, though. Waking up to a beautiful woman cooking my breakfast is something I could get used to."
"Oh good. I was afraid you'd make a rule that I couldn't speak until noon or something."
"No, I like talking to you too much for that."
"What are we going to do today, since we're not going to church?" she asked.
He took a sip of his coffee, studying her. "I thought I'd teach you to drive."
She made a face. "Now?"
He nodded. "If you want to get a job this summer, you need to learn quickly. I'll teach you here on the ranch, and since they're private roads, you don't need a permit."
"All right." She knew he was right, even though she was in no hurry to learn. "I guess you're going back to work tomorrow?" At his nod, she shrugged. "Today it is then."
*****
That evening Savannah looked up the online drivers' education information for Montana. Scott said he'd take her to get her learner's permit the following day. Once she had that, she would be able to get her license quickly. They'd put in several hours driving around the property, and she felt that she had a good understanding of how to do it. Now all she really needed was some practice.
She spent a few minutes reading over the information provided before she wandered out of his office to find him. He was sitting on the porch. She joined him on the swing, immediately sitting close to him.
His arm went around her and he held her close. He wanted to beg her to reconsider waiting a week, but he'd agreed to her nonsense, so he felt like it was half his fault anyway. Constant sexual frustration was making him grumpy, though.
"Tell me something I don't know about you," she said as she watched the sunset behind the mountains.
He smiled and thought about it. "I played football in college."
"Really? What position?"
"Quarterback," he responded. "I thought for a short time I wanted to make a career of it, but I realized I didn't have enough desire. I wanted to help my dad raise bison even more." His hand stroked up and down her arm as they talked. He figured the more he touched her, the faster she'd get used to his touch and be willing to allow more intimacies between them. "Tell me something I don't know about you."
"I love drama and singing. I was in all of our school plays, which is odd, because at heart, I'm an introvert. For some reason, though, I like to be on stage."
"Really? Do you sing well?"
She shrugged. "Not well enough to be a professional, but well enough to play the lead in a school play in high school."
"What parts have you played?"
"I was Maria in West Side Story, Liesl in Sound of Music, and Marion in The Music Man. I had some smaller parts too, but those are the ones most people would recognize."
"So you could just break into 'I Feel Pretty' at any moment with no provocation?"
"I could and probably will before too terribly long. I spend a lot of time singing old show tunes. It makes me happy." She shrugged, wondering if he'd think less of her for admitting it.
"What's your favorite musical then?"
"Wicked," she responded without any hesitation. "I saw it on Broadway at least once a year from the time I was fifteen. I saved all my babysitting money and took my mom, because a friend told me I'd love it. Then we did it every year for her birthday."
"Really? I've never seen Wicked."
"If I'd known that yesterday, I would have forced you to miss the plane, just so we could see Wicked before leaving. I'm sure we could find a play of it around somewhere, but you need to see it on Broadway." For a moment, she got a far-away look, knowing she'd miss being able to see a Broadway show whenever she felt like it.
"I'm sure we'll visit occasionally. We'll see Wicked." He could tell she was going to miss her home, but there was no way he could leave the ranch. "I thought we'd drive into Billings around lunch time tomorrow. We'll get your learner's permit then."
"Just don't ask me to drive home. I'd rather get some practice on the country roads first."
Scott kissed her softly. "I won't. But I might pull over once we get out of town and make you drive from there. We need to get your license as soon as possible so you can interview for jobs."
"I know. It just seems so strange to just be learning to drive at my age. How many twenty-eight year old women will be there with their husbands who are teaching them to drive?"
"Does it really matter? No one will notice you."
"I hope not. Wouldn't it be fun, if while I was getting my permit, a future student was getting his license? That would be something they'd remember forever." She rolled her eyes, thinking about how truly awful that would be.
He grinned. "Do you always make up strange scenarios in your head when you're planning to do new things?"
She nodded. "Doesn't everyone? I play the 'What's the worst thing that could happen?' game before I do anything. It makes me feel better."
"That would make me feel worse, but whatever works for you!" It was all he could do to keep from kissing her, but he didn't want to start that again until he knew he could finish it. "So tell me about your most recent relationship."
Savannah shrugged. "I don't think I've ever had what you could call a relationship. I've been out with several different men once or twice, but never more than that."
"Really?" He frowned. He hadn't expected that. Did that mean she was completely inexperienced sexually?
She turned fully to him on the swing. "I c
an see the question in your eyes, so I'll answer it for you. Yes, I'm a virgin. I've done more with you on this swing than I've ever done with another man."
He ran his fingers through his hair. He wasn't upset by her answer exactly, but he really hadn't expected it. He'd only been with a couple of women, but a couple was very different than none. "I didn't expect that," he told her, not sure what else to say.
"Does it bother you?"
He shook his head. "No, it doesn't bother me. I mean, I like the idea of being the first, but it makes it a bit more nerve-wracking than it would have been otherwise. You know?"
"It really worries you?"
"It makes me worry I'll do something that will make you hate sex, or worse, be afraid of it. It puts some pressure on me."
She hadn't thought of it that way. "Well, I just always believed I should wait 'til I married. I guess now that I'm married, I could head to a bar and find someone to take care of it for me." Her eyes were filled with laughter, letting him know she wasn't serious at all.
He pulled her close to him, kissing her hard. "You changed my mind. I like the idea of being the only man you ever make love with."
"Good, because that's what I want. One man in my bed every night for the rest of my life."
"I'll be happy to be that man." He kissed her again, more sweetly this time, his hands roaming over her back. "Wanna start that tonight?"
She laughed softly. "I should have known you had an angle..."
"I always have an angle." He rained kisses over her face, moving down to nip her ear. "Let me show you all my angles."
She shook her head. "Not yet. I'm sorry." She hated turning him down, but he was still a man she'd only known for two days. How could she crawl into bed with him?
He sighed, resting his cheek atop her head. "I understand." Mostly.
Chapter Four
True to his word, once they were out of Billings the following day, Scott pulled over to the side of the road so Savannah could drive.
"What if I kill us?" she asked.
Married in Montana Page 4
