Kaitlin's Silver Lining (29 page)

“That’s where you’re
wrong. It’s now Bryce’s problem. That’s what marriage should be all about. You
have to learn to share the good with the bad. You want my advice? You go to
him. You let him know you need his help. That you want his help.”

Sarge was right. She
nodded, resigned to make things up to Bryce. She was about to ask Maggie to
take care of things here for her, when Bryce stormed back in.

He didn’t give her a
chance to say anything when he scooped her into his arms and carried her toward
the exit. “I left in such a hurry, it took me a minute to realize I forgot
something important. It’s hard to have a weddin’ night without the bride,” he
called out to the crowd. They roared with laughter.

Kaitlin was
mortified. She wiggled to be free, forgetting her resolve to make up with
Bryce. “Put me down.”

“If I put you down,
my hands will be free to wring your pretty neck. I think this is safer for both
of us.”

She quieted. “I’m
sorry.”

He stopped. “Say that
again. Did I hear you apologize?”

“I was wrong, Bryce.
I do need you. It’s just that I’ve been on my own for so long, it’s hard to
accept help.”

He set her gently in
the horse-drawn carriage he’d rented for the day and gave the driver
instructions before continuing the conversation with her. “And I’m too forceful
in wantin’ to offer my protection. We both have a lot to learn. I reckon
marriage will be a lot like a cattle drive. They’ll be easy days, when
everything works the way we want, and they’ll be days where one disaster after
another threatens to blow the whole thing apart. But when the storm clears, you
take stock of what you have, grateful for the chance at another easy and
successful day.”

She imagined he was
right. They fell silent, and the only sound was the rhythmic drumming of the
horse’s hooves against the hard ground. Shortly, the driver pulled the carriage
to a stop in front of her home. Bryce came around and helped her down. Before
she could take a step, he scooped her up into his arms again.

“I could get to
likin’ this,” he whispered in her ear as he pushed open the door and carried
her across the threshold.

He kicked the door
closed and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. He set her down gently in the
middle of her bed. “I made arrangements for Charley to go home with Sarge.
Maggie’s going to stay at the hotel tonight. I paid for her room. We’ve got the
house to ourselves for this evenin’.”

Kaitlin swallowed the
hard lump of anticipation. “Are you sure you love me?”

“Does a goose fly
south for the winter? I love you, Kaitlin Stanton, and you know I never lie.”

He leaned over and
brushed his lips against hers. Her heart fluttered as fast as a hummingbird’s
wings. He pulled away. “Ask me, Katy. Ask me your heart’s desire.”

“I...” She hesitated,
unsure how to proceed.

He smiled, lines
crinkled at the corners of his smoldering eyes. “Ask me,” he whispered.

The tip of her tongue
slipped out to wet her dry lips. She knew exactly what he offered. He’d placed
the reins in her hands.

“Take off my shoes.”

He slipped off the
bed and unbuttoned the rows of buttons on the side of each shoe. They slipped
off in his hands. He caressed her feet as he slowly reached up under her dress
and unhooked the garter that held her stockings in place. The stocking rolled
down her legs.

He stood looking down
at her, and his gaze held a promise of blissful rapture. She sat up, gaining
confidence in this new game. “Take off your jacket, vest, and shirt.”

He shrugged out of
the jacket and vest quickly, but took his time removing his shirt. The linen
shirt slid from his well-muscled torso and floated to the floor. There were no
flannel long johns covering his chest from view. He’d been gloriously naked
beneath the dress shirt. A trail of hair disappeared beneath his pants leading
downward. She licked her lips again, anticipating the moment when they would
glory in each other’s bodies.

Breathlessly, she
looked up at him. “Unbutton my dress.”

He grabbed her hands
and pulled her off the bed. Slowly he turned her in his arms so her back was to
him. Cool air kissed her back with each unlatching. He trailed kisses down the
length of her spine with each unfastened button, until her corset prevented him
from going farther. She held the dress in place with her crossed arms. At the
last button, he reached around her and pulled her arms down. The bodice of her
dress slipped off her shoulders. The dress hung on her petticoats, but Bryce
pushed the material down. The wedding gown pooled at her feet. He kissed the
top of her shoulder. “Ask me more,” he urged.

Her mouth felt dry.
“Undo my corset.”

The stays gave as he
loosened her ties. With unhurried patience, he unlaced her corset, freeing her
bosom for his view. The undergarment fell away. He cupped one breast, his touch
warm and gentle. A burning sensation filled the pit of her stomach. She turned
in his arms. “Finish it.”

“Sshh. We have all
night,” he whispered, pulling the pins from her hair.

“My...my petticoats.”

He slid them down her
hips, leaving her bare save her pantaloons. She wanted to see him first.
Reaching for the waistband of his pants, she nervously unbuttoned his fly. When
her fingers wouldn’t work properly, he brushed them aside and finished the
task. His pants now hung loose on his hips. He took a step away from her and
raised his arms, an invitation to removed his pants.

Desire and lust built
within her chest until she thought she’d explode. Her hands trembled as she
tentatively cradled his hips. Taking a deep breath, she pushed his black
britches down his legs.

He chuckled. “You
forgot to tell me to remove my boots.”

She looked down at
the floor to see his pants hung on the leather footwear. The charged moment
took on a more comical atmosphere. He looked right funny with his pants pooled
around his boots and his member sticking straight out like a hound dog pointing
for a hunter. She giggled. “Take off your boots.”

He sat on the edge of
the bed and waited while she fetched the boot puller. In short order, he was
completely nude. Her gaze feasted upon his handsome physique.

She wanted to touch
him. He patted the bed beside him, inviting her to join him. Hesitantly, she
approached. Closing her eyes, she reached for the ribbon that held her
pantaloons in place, and they slid down her legs.

“What do you want,
Katy?”

“I can’t...I
don’t...I need you to take over, to lead,” she whispered. She’d done this
before, but she still lacked confidence in setting the pace.

He pulled her down
beside him. They lay side by side on the bed. Gently, he stroked her breasts,
her stomach, her thighs. She closed her eyes again, reeling in waves of
sensation. His fingers searched out her genitalia, probing, seeking. She parted
her thighs, enjoying the crescendo that built with each stroke.

“Touch me, Katy. Feel
my heart beatin’ as fast as yours.”

She complied,
surprised to feel the heat radiating from his fevered skin. They hadn’t
bothered to stoke the fire upon entering her room. It wasn’t necessary. At the
moment, his body warmed hers, taking away the chill hovering just beyond.

He continued to
stroke, kiss, and nip until she thought she’d scream for wanting him. A raging
need took over. She pulled him to her. He covered her body with his. Lips came
together in a searing kiss. He nestled between her thighs and teased her with
his heat.

She moaned. He
captured her moan, his mouth hungry upon hers. Breathless, he tore his mouth
away from hers. “Ask me. Ask me now, Katy.”

“You were leading,
Bryce.”

“I’m turning it over
to you again. Ask me, before this sweet torture becomes too much.”

“Please, Bryce,” she
whispered, not knowing how to put into words what she needed, wanted.

Her thighs parted. He
thrust into her, a fluid motion. Against her neck, he whispered softly. His
tongue lapped at hers.

“Set the pace, my
sweet filly,” he murmured against her ear, his breath warm, inviting.

She moved ever so
slightly. “You make me feel full, complete.”

At her admission, he
undulated his hips. Her eyes widened. A feeling of intense pressure filled her
body. He moved, a rhythmic ride of grace and anticipation. She arched. He
stayed in the saddle, thrusting deeply. She held him to her, finding her own
rhythm. Higher. Deeper.

“Come with me. We’ll
ride this hill together.”

“Oh, Bryce, I
can’t...I don’t know...”

“Stay with me, Katy.”

“I...” Her words died
as the crescendo erupted into sparks of sensation. He growled low in his
throat, finding his own explosive release.

Thirty
Seven

“Good mornin’,” Bryce
said, leaning over to flick a wayward curl from her forehead.

Kaitlin blushed, sure
she looked a fright. In the mornings, her hair was almost untamable. “Morning.”

“How do you feel?”

“Married. Slightly
embarrassed.”

“That was not the
answer I expected.”

“I can’t believe I
reacted with such...”

“Abandon?”

“Yes, that’s the word
I’m looking for.”

“I wouldn’t have it
any other way. There’s not much challenge in a gentle mare.”

“I’m not a horse, Mr.
Stanton.” She punched his arm. “I’m not a frog. I’m definitely not a possum.
You comparing me to animals is not all that flattering.”

“Your nose gets red
when you’re mad, red like a baby kitten’s.”

She pulled out the
pillow from under her head and swatted him hard. He laughed, a rich booming
sound. He rolled her under him to still her flailing arms and proceeded to rain
kisses all over her body. She giggled, the stubble from his cheek scratching
and tickling at the same time.

“Quit.” She giggled.

“You started it.”

“And?”

“And I aim to finish
it,” he replied, a seductive gleam in his eye. “Think you’re up for another
round with your cowboy?”

She smiled. “I think
I can stay in the saddle long enough to satisfy your sense of adventure.”

“Now who’s callin’
whom a horse?” He leaned down and kissed her, a thorough claiming of her lips.
“I love you, Katy.”

Inwardly, she beamed.
She should tell him how she felt, how she returned his feelings. Unfortunately,
he had other plans for her mouth as he continued to kiss her with greedy
abandonment.

Later. She’d tell him
later. Presently, she had other things on her mind.

~ *
~

Bryce studied his new
wife over a steaming cup of coffee. He knew she was passionate, but he would
have never guessed how much. At least that part of their marriage would be
agreeable. He expected the rest to be rather rocky. She was too opinionated and
emotional for it to be anything else.

“The way I figure it,
we’ll spend the week packin’ up things. You’ll want to talk to someone about
sellin’ this house. As soon as the weather clears, I want to take you to Texas
to meet my family. I figure it’ll also be a business trip of sorts as we can
pick out some good breedin’ stock for your ranch.”

“What about Charley?”

“I think Sarge enjoys
havin’ her around. We’ll let her stay at the Silver Saddle while we go to
Texas. She doesn’t travel well, so I doubt she’ll object. I talked to Sarge
about addin’ onto the honeymoon cabin. Since the boys don’t have a whole lot
goin’ on at the ranch, he thought he could help us out in that area.”

“That makes sense.”
She leaned her elbows on the tabletop and cradled her face. “We’ll need an
extra room for Charley.”

Bryce chuckled.
“We’ll need several extra rooms. I’m plannin’ on fillin’ our house with lots of
children, Mrs. Stanton.”

“So now I’m your
brood mare.”

“No, ma’am. I
wouldn’t dare compare you to any animals again. Let’s just say, I like the way
you play in bed, and I expect to play a lot. Children are just a natural
outcome.”

“You’re
incorrigible.”

“I just know what I
like.”

“I never thought it
would be like this with a man. The light bantering, the wicked sex. I always
thought I’d feel...I don’t know what word I’m looking for.”

“Dominated?”

“Something like that.
I...I want to thank you for everything.” She dropped her hands and played with
a doily on the table.

“You don’t need to
thank me. It was definitely my pleasure.” He gave her a mock bow.

“Nevertheless, thank
you.”

He wiggled his
eyebrows at her and gave her a wicked grin. “Do you really want to thank me?”

Kaitlin laughed,
enjoying this part of marriage. If nothing else, Bryce knew how to entertain.
She fervently wished it would always be like this.

“Yoo hoo. Anyone up
and about?” Maggie called as she entered the house.

“In here,” Kaitlin
called back, turning in her chair.

“I hope I’m not
interrupting anything. I waited until almost noon.” She gave them a sheepish
grin.

Kaitlin’s skin
warmed. Maggie’s teasing face let her know exactly what she’d been referring
to. Kaitlin glanced at Bryce. The man tugged at his collar, his face crimson.
Her husband was actually blushing. Kaitlin giggled.

Bryce cleared his
throat and pushed back his chair. “If you ladies will excuse me. I’m gonna have
a talk with Dan Cochran about the note that was delivered to the weddin’.
Before I go, you want to divulge anything else?”

Kaitlin’s face
sobered into a solemn mask of contrition. “Maybe I better come with you.”

“We never did discuss
the other threatening missives. Somehow, I get the feelin’ there’ve been more
than one or two. So tell me the truth. How many have you received since comin’
back to Denver?” he asked, no longer the fun-loving bridegroom.

Her face scrunched
up. Timidly, she said, “If I tell, you’ll get all blustery and yell, then I’ll
have to raise my voice in return. You’ll tell me I’m childish and I’ll reply
that I’m used to taking care of things on my own. In other words, we’ll just
have the same fight we always have. After you storm about, and I get all
indignant, we’ll apologize to each other and...”

“All right.” He held
up a hand. “I get the gist of what you’re sayin’. I’m goin’ to get mad then
I’ll calm and we’ll discuss it more rationally, but you’d prefer I trot around
the mad part. Does that about sum things up?”

She gave him a
brilliant smile. “I knew I married a smart man.”

He inhaled a sharp
breath. “Out with it. How many notes have there been since our return to
Denver?”

“Five.”

He closed his eyes.
“Five.”

“They all say the
same thing—
Leave Denver or else
, but I’ve been thinking about it. The
person or persons responsible for sending those notes must not know us well. We
are leaving and yet the notes suggest that we aren’t.”

Maggie pulled a chair
from the table and sat. “She’s got a point.”

Bryce nodded and
furrowed his brow. “Who does know that you’re plannin’ to move out?”

“A few friends and my
suffragist group and that’s about it, but they’re all women and no offence, but
they love to talk.”

“And Jack. He knows,”
Maggie offered.

“Did you bother to
report these notes to Dan at least?” He leaned forward and cradled his chin.

Kaitlin stiffened her
spine and gazed at Bryce. “I had too much to do to get ready for our wedding. I
didn’t have time to go to the police department.”

“If this happens
again, you make time,” he ordered then sighed. “Please. I don’t think I could
handle you gettin’ hurt.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Whoever is doin’
this isn’t doin’ it to be cute or clever. He’s very serious in wantin’ you
gone. It could very well turn out James was a hired gunman and not actin’ on
his own. If that’s the case, then who’s to stop the fiend from hirin’ another
gunman?”

“We’ve already
discussed the possibility of an accomplice, but a hired gun?” She shivered at
the grim picture Bryce painted. She shook her head. No, she wasn’t important
enough for someone to want dead. James must have acted alone, motivated by
jealousy and greed. “I think you’re wrong. I can see James having an
accomplice. Probably his mistress, but I can’t see him acting as a hired
gunman. Not James.”

“Let’s go back to the
idea of an accomplice.” Bryce took a sip of coffee. “Could Little Em be a
nickname for Emma?”

“As in Emma Hood?”

Bryce shrugged.
“There could be other Emma’s, but she’s engaged to Farley. And Farley is a
prime suspect when you think about how your movement has damaged his campaign
and his businesses. Besides, I have reason to believe the match isn’t a love
match.”

His gaze fixated on
the half empty coffee mug as if he were deep in thought. Had Emma said
something to him? How close had the two of them been to each other? “Bryce, did
you love Emma once?”

He snorted. “Naw. I
held a certain fondness for her, but I didn’t know her well enough to consider
love. She was just a convenient possibility.”

“Not so convenient if
she done got engaged to Farley.” Maggie snickered.

“Besides, James was
looking for a wealthy mate. Why marry me if he had a mistress like Emma? Her
family is very prominent in Denver.”

“Maybe her family
caught wind of the affair and wouldn’t allow them to wed. From what I gather,
your ex-fiancé didn’t have much goin’ for him. The Hoods wouldn’t want their
only daughter married to a drifter with no resources.”

“Let’s assume for one
minute that Emma was James’ mistress. Would she be capable of aiding in
someone’s murder?” She studied her new husband. His face held little emotion as
he mulled over the conjectures bandied about. “I don’t know her well enough to
assess her character, but you do. Is she capable of this?”

Bryce shook his head.
“I don’t think so.”

“Just like I can’t
believe James was hired by someone.”

“Well if that man
could hit you out of anger and try and swindle you out of your land, I’m
thinking he’s evil enough to kill for money. That man was a monster. You said
so yourself,” Maggie said.

“Maggie’s right. A
man with a character like that is capable of anything.”

 The legs scraped the
floor as Kaitlin pushed the chair back and stood. “Will you both just stop. I
was engaged to the man. I should know what he was capable of. He was jealous.
He must have taken exception to Bryce moving in. You’re both making way too
much of this.” It was hard enough realizing he’d tried to kill her, but even
harder trying to accept that he would do so for money. Believing such meant
accepting that more than one person wanted her dead.

Bryce jumped from his
seat and rounded the table so fast she didn’t have time to blink. His arms
yanked her to him, his anger barely under control. “I’m not makin’ enough of
this. Someone wants you takin’ the big jump. Not just gone. Dead. They want you
dead.”

“You’re...you’re
hurting me,” she whispered as his hands tightened around her arms.

He relaxed his hold
and drew her into his embrace. “Don’t you get it? I love you. I don’t want to
lose you after just findin’ you.”

“Bryce...”

“Promise me you’ll
let me know if another such message arrives.” He fixed her with a firm stare.

“I promise.”

“And that rally is
most definitely out. You won’t be goin’. Understood?”

“I...”

“Understood?”

“Yes,” she whispered,
but yes only meant she understood what he was saying. It did not mean she gave her
word. There was no way she would miss that rally.