The Rancher's Bride (8 page)

Frank turned his hands so that he was clasping hers in his. He squeezed her hands gently and looked at her intently. “I know this is all new and unexpected for you, but I want you to know that it’s okay for me to see you like this and it’s also okay for you to see me without my clothes on.” Frank smiled when Marie shook her head. “A man and woman who are married are meant to come together like this—and there should be nothing between them. That’s the way God intended for us to be.”

Marie didn’t look too sure about his reassurances, so Frank figured he should just proceed and she would learn by doin’. He made short work of removing the rest of her undergarments, even though Marie was still trying to stop him. It was a fruitless attempt, anyway. Frank could overpower her if he wanted to, even though he wouldn’t, but Marie seemed to realize that fact. She didn’t seem to try that hard to stop him. It seemed to Frank more like a good-girl instinct that she couldn’t help. Frank picked up a naked and nervous Marie and laid her on the bed.

She reached for the quilt and Frank took it from her grasp and laid down beside her.

He shook his head. “No covers, sweetheart,” Frank admonished her, wanting her to understand that this was part of their union. She needed to let go and give herself to him.

Frank ran his hand up and down her side, marveling at her beauty. She was gorgeous, head to toe. Her breasts were firm, not too big, not too small, and her raspberry nipples were already peaked. He leaned over her and took one in his mouth, suckling it and nipping at it gently with his teeth.

Marie gasped. She had reached for his head and held onto his hair; Frank gauged her reaction to his actions by how she was working her hands on his hair. Seemed she was enjoying what he was doin’.

He hated to have to stop, even for a second, but he did stop after a minute or so; Frank still had his clothes on and he needed to get out of them. Standing by the side of the bed, he quickly divested himself of his undershirt, trousers and, finally, his drawers.

Frank couldn’t take his eyes off Marie as he undressed. She was beautiful and so sweet. He smiled to himself as he watched her peek up at him through her eyelashes, then blush and quickly look down again. Frank knew that Marie couldn’t bring herself to be so brazen as to watch him undress, yet she couldn’t help but peek over every few seconds, either. She had most likely never seen a naked grown man before. And she didn’t seem to know where to look when Frank climbed back in bed and moved right up against her. “You’re beautiful, Marie,” he whispered as he got back to business on her nipples.

Marie raised her hips in response to what Frank was doing to her nipples with his tongue and teeth. Frank smiled. That was a good sign. She was responsive.

“Frank! Oh!” Marie cried out as he moved his fingers between her legs. Frank moved even closer as his mouth left her breasts to find her mouth. He kissed her, exploring her mouth with his tongue, in much the same way that his fingers were exploring her lower lips.

Frank slipped one finger inside Marie’s wet, hot, tight passage and felt himself losing control. He had to be in there, to have his cock in there. Now. He couldn’t wait.

He climbed over her, separating her thighs with his knees.

Marie wasn’t resisting in any way. She seemed ready. Her breathing was fast and heavy, her eyes searching his face. She seemed to know there was something they were working toward, but not knowing what it was, she was looking to Frank to tell her.

He’d show her instead. Frank kneeled between Marie’s spread legs and, bracing himself with one arm on the bed to her side, he used his free hand to run the tip of his cock along her pussy. She was soaked; she was ready.

Frank entered her slowly and, as he did, he watched as Marie’s eyes widened. He was stretching her and filling her up. Frank was well-endowed and fairly large when hard. He knew it was a lot for her to take. He was sure it was uncomfortable for her and he hadn’t even entered her all the way yet.

Frank stilled, wondering how to proceed. Should he go slowly or would that just be delaying the inevitable? It only took a moment for him decide; Frank pulled out a little and then reentered her all the way with one hard thrust.

Marie gasped and then whimpered and tears rolled down her temples.

Frank kissed them away. “Shh…shh…it’s okay, sweetheart, it’s okay.” Frank tried to soothe her; she was crying and whimpering. He didn’t move, just stayed deep within her, waiting for her to adjust.

“It hurts, Frank, please,” Marie cried. “Take it out.”

“Just give it a minute, I promise,” Frank soothed. “The pain will ease. It gets better.”

Marie just cried softly while Frank kissed her and stroked the side of her face with the backs of his fingers.

“I love you, Marie.” Frank looked right into her beautiful brown eyes.

“I love you, too, Frank.” And with that, Marie seemed to relax.

Frank pulled out a bit, and pushed back in again and it didn’t seem to be hurting her. He started pulling almost all the way out and reentering and picking up speed. It felt so good to be in her. He had waited so long to be with her this way.

Marie began to push her pelvis toward his thrusts and Frank nearly came undone.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’m not gonna last,” Frank bit out, and with that, he slammed into her and let out a loud groan. Frank collapsed on Marie and then quickly rolled to her side, gathering her in his arms as he did and holding her close.

Marie’s head rested on Frank’s arm and she sighed contentedly.

He kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be even better the next time, I promise, sweetheart.” Frank ran his hand slowly up and down Marie’s back. “It won’t ever hurt like that again. And I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.”

“I
am
satisfied with you Frank.” Marie sounded puzzled and Frank just smiled.

“You’ll see what I mean, honey.” He kissed her head again and they both fell asleep.

* * *

Marie woke slowly to the feel of Frank’s arms around her, his hands stroking her hair and back gently. It took Marie a moment to realize where she was and how she was situated, because she wasn’t on the bed.

The events of the previous day (and night) came flooding back in a rush and Marie felt a wonderful warmth spread through her insides at the memory of her wedding day and the realization that Frank was now her husband, forever.

She had never been this happy in her whole life. Or slept on anything this hard and lumpy.

Marie finally realized that she was laying face down on top of Frank. He must have pulled her atop himself while she was still sleeping.

“Frank?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“What time is it? I mean it’s still dark out; do we have to get up now?” He sounded wide awake, even though his voice was soft and deep.

Frank kissed her before answering. “No, Marie, we don’t need to get out of bed for a few hours yet.”

Now Marie was confused. She’d have thought Frank would enjoy a good solid night of sleep after their long day yesterday and all the work he would need to catch up on tomorrow. “You should go back to sleep then, Frank,” Marie urged. “You’re goin’ to be awful tired in the morning if you lie awake half the night.” She heard Frank’s deep throaty chuckle in her ear.

“Sweetheart, that’s the best kind of tired I can think of—being tired from staying up all night with my beautiful new wife.” Frank chuckled again. “Marie, honey, I’ve been waiting so long to be with you the last thing on my mind is sleeping.”

Marie felt the blush creeping up her neck and face and was glad that the room was so dark and Frank couldn’t see it. Her blushing still embarrassed her, even though she knew she shouldn’t feel that way in front of her own husband.

Frank then kissed her again, thrusting his tongue in her mouth in a way that reminded Marie of the thrusting he had done just a few hours ago. His hands came down between her legs and gently spread them apart, so that her knees just barely rested on the mattress on either side of Frank’s hips.

Frank broke their kiss to take Marie’s breast in his mouth instead, sucking and biting, until Marie heard moaning and realized it was coming from herself.

She began to move on top of Frank, unable to be still with the feelings of want that he was creating in her. Marie pushed herself down a bit and felt Frank’s manhood pressed up against her open backside, hard and large. She moved back up and felt the cool night air on her most private places. It was embarrassing and yet felt good at the same time.

Then the night air was replaced by Frank’s fingers, gently caressing her from her lower back, down between her spread buttocks, where his finger lingered over her tiny rosebud, the hole he hadn’t entered. Not yet. Marie suddenly felt Frank’s finger pressing against her back entrance, then entering.

“Frank, I don’t—” Marie wasn’t sure if he realized where he was. But he didn’t stop, just pressed his finger inside her and then slowly withdrew it again. Then back in.

He continued like that, slowly in and out, without saying a word, for a few minutes and Marie began to relax. It had been uncomfortable at first, but then started to feel good.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Frank’s soothing voice reassured her that he knew what he was doing. “As long as we both want it and it feels good, nothing we do together in this bed is wrong.”

Marie loved the sound of Frank’s voice, and since she couldn’t concentrate on much else with what he was doing, she just lost herself in him—the feelings he was giving to her and creating in her. She let herself go.

It was a few minutes before Marie realized that Frank had pulled out of her backside and was just finishing washing up. Marie felt herself being quickly repositioned on top of Frank again.

“Please, Frank, please.” Marie wanted to feel him inside her again. She was suddenly overwhelmed by her feelings for him. She writhed on top of him, trying her best to position herself as close as possible to his hardness.

His fingers were between her legs again, rubbing a spot that was making Marie feel even more wanton than she already had. Every part of her was on edge; her fingers raked his shoulders and arms. She kissed him and then bit his earlobe. She rubbed her peaked nipples against his chest.

Then Frank grabbed her hips suddenly, raising her up and thrusting her down on his cock, hard and fast.

Marie felt her breath leave her and she cried out in a mixture of surprise, pleasure, and satisfaction. This was what she needed.

He began to work her up and down on that hard member and Marie heard her own cries fill the room and the intensity of the feeling overtook her. It felt so much better than it had before.

There was no pain this time and there was something else happening inside her that felt like a train picking up speed, destination unknown. Marie just knew she wanted Frank to keep doing what he was doing, faster and harder, and that’s exactly what he did, until something inside Marie burst and she cried out loud. She grabbed at the air and connected with Frank’s open hands. Marie held onto him and squeezed his hands tight through the wave after wave of pleasure that crashed through her.

From what seemed far away, she heard Frank shout out also and she collapsed on him in a sweaty spent heap. Marie felt Frank put his arms around her at the same time that she wrapped her own around his neck and they drifted off to sleep again in each other’s arms.

“Mama?” Marie stood in shock, the one-word question the only thing that she was able to get out at the sight of her mother and father standing at the front door to Frank Carter’s house. She found her voice. “What are ya’ll doin’ here?” After finding the note from her mama in her folk’s empty house that day—nearly three months ago now—Marie didn’t really think she’d be seeing them again anytime soon.

“Ain’tcha gonna invite us in?” Marie heard the disapproval in her mama’s voice. “This ain’t no way to treat kin.”

“Of course, Mama, of course.” Marie stepped aside and motioned for them all to enter. “Please come in.”

Her mama gave her the once-over as she crossed the threshold. “Them’s some fine clothes ya got on there, girl.” Her mama looked suspicious almost. “You’re doing okay for yourself here, ain’tcha?”

“I’m okay and the boys are too.” Marie motioned toward the kitchen. “They’re just in the kitchen. Why don’t ya’ll come in and I’ll fix you some coffee?”

Her ma and pa followed her into the kitchen, greeted the boys, and proceeded to make themselves comfortable at the table, while Marie sent Jack out to fetch Frank and let him know they were here. Then she started a pot of coffee to brewing and sat down at the table with them.

“Where’s everyone else at?” Marie asked, referring to her younger brothers. She looked to her ma to answer, since she knew from experience that her pa wasn’t much of a talker and definitely didn’t like having any questions put to him, least of all by his children.

“They’s staying with your pa’s aunt and uncle at the moment, in Boise.”

Marie was shocked. “You come all this way lookin’ for me?” She was overwhelmed. After going back to find an empty house after Trudy’s death, she really was under the impression that they meant for her to fend for herself from that point forward, young’uns or no. “How’d you find me?” Did they worry for her and the boys? It’d sure be nice to think so.

“We was asking in town, at the diner, if anyone had seen a young woman with two boys passin’ through these parts. The waitress at the diner sent us here. Says you married this rancher, the man who owns this spread. That true?”

Marie smiled, thinking her mama’d be proud to hear she was married, and to such a fine man too. “Yes’m. We’re married. He should be in to meet ya’ll any minute.”

Her mama didn’t look pleased and Marie was confused as to why. Her pa was silent, as usual.

* * *

The minute Frank entered the kitchen to meet Marie’s folks he knew something wasn’t right. For starters, they were both as grim-faced as pall-bearers. Frank understood this look most of the time, nowadays. Lots of folks were fallen on hard times and after a bit those troubles wore a person down. There was a certain look on a person’s face when they’d had enough and needed for the tide to turn. It was hard to look even pleasant; Frank understood that.