Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
L isa woke up before dawn to some rather amorous kissing. She was sleeping on her side, and Ashley had her back nicely tucked up against his chest. But, apparently, he wasn’t in the mood to keep on sleeping, and he certainly wasn’t in the mood to get up just yet. He was kissing her shoulder and caressing her in places that were all too arousing. Surprised, she rolled over to face him. As she did, she noticed his erection which brushed against her hip.
“Are you telling me you’re not tired after staying up so late?” she asked. Though she hadn’t kept track of the time, she was certain they hadn’t gotten to sleep until midnight.
“You don’t mind waking up early, do you?” Even though he asked the question, he was pulling her up against him and running his hands up and down her back.
She chuckled. “No, I don’t mind.”
Every time they were together, it meant her chances of conceiving another child were better, and it certainly wasn’t a hardship to be with him this way. And it reminded her of how much better he was than Preston. Preston’s interest in her was more on the selfish side, and that didn’t just apply to the one time they had done it. Nor did it apply to Preston refusing to acknowledge his role in her pregnancy so he could save his reputation.
Preston had been concerned with his own things. He always made it a point to get the best of everything for himself. He only went to places if it benefited him. He only associated with people if they could give him some advantage. His marriage to her would have meant money since her family had more than his.
Fool that she was, she hadn’t figured any of this out until she was standing on the porch of Ben Martin’s house, ready to hand over her daughter to someone who was able to raise her. The whole time she was in the preacher’s house, she kept thinking that if she had been smart, she would have urged her parents to arrange a marriage with someone more deserving. Then she never would have wound up having to lose the very thing she wanted most.
Lisa wrapped her arms around Ashley’s neck and kissed him. Though he was eager to be with her, she noted that he took time kissing her. She liked that. Who knew that she would end up marrying such a considerate lover? She would have been happy to simply get with child. The fact that Ashley wanted her to enjoy being with him made the experience that much better.
Since there was no trace of sunlight in the sky yet, Lisa figured they could linger on in bed. Ashley had agreed to take her to town today so she could purchase some fabrics, and to do that, they would need to get an early start on the day. A part of her wondered if Ashley was going to be able to stay awake while leading the horse to town and back since the trip wasn’t exactly brief. But then, all concerns about that faded away as he touched and kissed her in places that made her core ache.
There was a point, after all of the kissing and the touching that they were doing, when their bodies had to be satisfied, so he slid into her. She clasped his arms and lifted her hips to take him deeper into her. She groaned. It felt good when he was inside her. He was stroking a part of her that made her ache even more. She urged him to go faster, and as he did, she felt herself getting closer to that moment when her body would burst in pleasure. She’d only recently discovered this part of lovemaking. It didn’t happen every time for her, but when it did, it consumed her to the point where she couldn’t think. All she could do was feel.
This time, when she reached her peak, she cried out and tightened her grip on his arms. She tried not to dig her nails in too deep, but she worried she was going to leave marks on his skin. At the moment, she was beyond all reason and couldn’t loosen her grip. Ashley gave one more thrust and grew taut, a signal that he had also reached the peak. Together, they rode out their waves of pleasure until they descended back to the world around them.
There were times like this one, times like rays of sunlight that sprinkled through the trees, when she experienced peace, and this moment in time was one of them. She let out a contented sigh and pressed her cheek against his.
* * *
When Lisa asked if Ashley would take her to the mercantile, she hadn’t considered he would load some wood onto the travois that was attached to the horse. The horse’s reins were tied to a post in front of the workshop. She went over to the side of the workshop and checked out the section where he had been piling the dried wood. Half of the pile had been transferred to the travois. She frowned. Since Ashley was inside the workshop, she entered the small building.
She blinked when she saw all of the elk hides hanging from hooks that were attached to the ceiling. He probably would have hung these outside if it didn’t rain so much. Even today was cloudy. She wasn’t sure if they would end up getting stuck in the rain, but it would be worth it if she could get started on a baby blanket.
The windows in the place were open, allowing the air to flow, but even so, the faint odor from the carcass still hung in the air. She stepped around the hides and found Ashley pulling a rope down from a shelf.
When he glanced her way, he said, “I need this to tie the wood down to the travois.”
“Why are you taking the wood in? I thought you needed it.”
He shrugged. “I can always chop more wood. I plan to sell it to the mercantile owner. People in town can’t get wood as easily as I can, so they’ll buy it from him.”
“Are you telling me you don’t have any money around here?”
“That depends on how you define money. The trees become money when you cut them into wood. I could sell some of the elk, but it’s easier to get more wood than it is to catch an elk.” He went over to her and slipped his arm around her waist. “Does it worry you that I don’t have actual coins or bills?”
“No. I just wonder if it’s worth selling wood to get some fabric and more sewing supplies.”
“That wood will be enough for those things. I can even buy salt for the meat and a few things to add to your gloves and boots. Your hands and feet are so pretty that I want your gloves and boots to be deserving of them.”
She laughed. “Pretty feet?”
“Yes, pretty feet.”
“Why would you care about the way my feet look? All I do is walk on them.”
“I know you walk on them, but those feet belong to you. Everything on you is pretty.” He kissed her. “Come on. We don’t want to waste daylight. After we go to the mercantile, I have a surprise for you.”
She dodged the elk hides as they made it to the door. “Judging by your mood, I assume this is a good surprise.”
“Of course, it’s a good surprise. Surprises are supposed to be good.”
Not all surprises were good ones, but she didn’t want to ruin the day by pointing that out. He was happy, and the least she could do was enjoy the promise of a surprise.
Once he had the wood secured to the travois, he helped her onto the horse. He climbed up behind her. He wrapped her in his arms then led the horse down the hill. They didn’t say much as they went to town, but she didn’t mind. It was nice to rest against him and take in the scenery. The trees were abundant and flourishing. There were some bushes and flowers, and those flowers added a delightful array of colors to an otherwise green and brown terrain. She supposed of all the places she could have ended up, this was the best one.