Chapter 16
The bonfire was blazing in the middle of the grounds near the barn and managed to light up the entire surroundings.
Trestle tables stacked with food – everything from finger foods to meats on grills and whole animals roasting on a pit and sending the enticing aroma all around. It was a sight to behold! And the big city guests were in for a treat.
Lively music had the guests stomping their feet along to the beat and several ranch hands were already doing the two steps and whirling their partners around, much to the delight of everyone. The bridal party had changed out of their wedding fineries, trading them for figure hugging denims and flannel shirts.
The three friends had gone even further, by including suede hats with strings hanging around their necks.
“I am going to make a proper cowgirl out of you yet.” Her new husband teased as he snagged her onto the dance floor for a dance.
“I don’t know the steps.” She protested as he whirled her around.
“I got you. I happen to be a terrific dancer. Hold on tight darling.” He added the warning as he lifted her and swung her around, until she was dizzy.
“Stop!” She ordered laughingly, her arms tight around his neck.
With a laugh and another twist, he settled her back on the ground just as the music turned into a slow jam.
Pulling her against him, he passed his hands up and down her back and closed his eyes as he inhaled her essence. She was his, was the thought running around in his head. They had exchanged vows before God, family and friends and she was wearing his ring and his name. He could scarcely comprehend the magnitude of it.
The guests formed a circle around the dance floor, clapping and cheering as the couple moved in perfect harmony. The evening air was cool, but the warmth from the bonfire and the excitement of the celebration kept everyone feeling cozy and joyous.
As the slow song played on, Jonathan leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “You are the most beautiful woman here tonight.”
“You’re required to say that of course, but I agree with you completely.”
Tucking a hand under her chin, he stared at her with an intense expression on his face. “I adore you. Since you came into my life, you have brought so much life and laugher to it in such a short time that I find it difficult to believe we have not been together for a lifetime.”
Lifting a hand, she touched his handsome face. He had cleaned up for the wedding and finally got a haircut. “That’s supposed to be my line.” Her fingers trembled a little and emotions clawed at her throat. “You’ve changed my life.” She shook her head and had to clear her throat twice before she could verbalize the rest of the words.
Ones she wanted to say to him, to get rid of any lingering doubts that her place was here with him. “You’re my priority darling. The love of my life and I don’t care if it sounds corny, but that’s the way I feel.”
Blue eyes darkened as he stared into hers and saw the love shining through the tears, “my love. Please tell me we have sufficiently fulfilled our duties, and we can leave now.”
“Absolutely.”
Their moment was interrupted by one of the band members announcing a special performance dedicated to the bride and groom. A hush fell over the crowd as the musicians began to play a tender, heartfelt melody. Jonathan and his new wife swayed gently to the music, lost in each other’s eyes.
Around them, the celebration continued. Laughter and chatter filled the air, and the clinking of glasses signaled toasts being made in their honor. It was a night filled with love, joy, and promises of a beautiful future ahead.
As the final notes of the song faded away, Jonathan kissed her softly, sealing his vow of forever. The cheers and applause that followed were a testament to the love and support surrounding them on their special day.
*****
He undressed her carefully. Their honeymoon was starting the next day, but they had decided to spend their wedding night at the first place they had made love, the cabin. It was also the place that had been marred by a maniac who had kidnapped her.
But as she pointed out, it was time to put that behind them and christened the area with something good and new.
The cabin, nestled deep in the serene woods, stood as a symbol of their journey - its walls now resonating with bittersweet memories and the promise of new beginnings. With the soft glow of the moonlight streaming through the windows, they found solace in each other’s arms.
And it was the perfect place to impart the joyous news. Someone had been dispatched to do a thorough cleaning and the place shone with the enthusiastic effort that had been out into the task.
The mixture of pine and lemon combined with the scent of burning peat, made for a homey and cozy feel. The sheets had been changed, the heavy quilt turned back invitingly.
A bottle of vintage champagne nestled in its bed of ice and the slices of the cream and raspberry wedding cake were on the table next to the bed. She had been queasy and had not done much justice to the rich food that had been served.
Jon had noticed it of course and wanted to know if everything was okay. She had told him that her stomach was tied in knots. “Wedding jitters.” She had passed it off as and he had accepted the excuse.
“Can we lie here a minute?” She asked him quietly as he slid in next to her, their naked bodies making contact.
“Everything okay?” He asked quizzically, studying her exquisite face. She had washed the makeup off and looked so appealingly young, that it sent a jolt straight through him.
Lifting a hand, she cupped his face. “Before I met you, I was all business.” She mused. “I told myself that all I need was my career and worked damned hard to be the best. I loved the fact that I made an impression, loved seeing my name at the byline of an article.
I particularly enjoyed breezing all over the world, tasting the different cuisines. It was a dream job. I went to Jamaica and enjoyed their local meals – curried and jerk chicken and spicy goat meat.
And I was in heaven, because – like I said before, dream job.” She paused and he watched and waited, realizing that she was building up to something. “Then I met you.” Her eyes clouded with tears. “And none of that mattered.” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I started to yearn for something more. Love,” her fingers trailed over his strong chin. “A family of my own. Children.” Her lips trembled. “And now I have it all. Everything I never knew I wanted.”
Taking the hand that was cupping his face, he linked their fingers together, his own emotions veering close to the edge. And it took him a few seconds to realize what she was saying. “Wait! Back up. You said you have it all. What do you…?” His eyes narrowed as he took in her smile. “Baby…?”
“That’s exactly right darling.” Taking their joined hands, she guided it down until she was pressing against her flat stomach.
Jon’s breath caught in his throat as the realization dawned on him. “You mean..., we’re having a baby?” His voice was barely above a whisper, a mixture of awe and joy.
She nodded, her eyes shimmering with tears of happiness. “Yes, Jon. We’re going to be parents.”
A powerful wave of emotions washed over him - love, protectiveness, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude. He pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair. “I love you so much,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “And I can’t wait to start this new chapter with you.”
They lay there in silence for a few moments, simply holding each other, savoring the blissful news. The future stretched out before them, filled with endless possibilities and the promise of a shared life, now with a new life growing within her.
“When? How?”
She smiled at him. “You’re going to need to use your words, darling.”
“I know the how of it, but when? How far along are you? And when did you find out?”
“I started feeling a little dizzy a couple weeks ago and decided to check it out during the trip back home. I am three weeks pregnant.”
His joy turned to concern. “Is there anything you should not be doing?” A frown touched his brow. “I had you on that dance floor - Christ! Did I hurt you?”
“Stop.” She told him laughingly. “I am fine. We’re fine. And if you’re thinking of taking it easy with me tonight, I am going to have to hurt you.”
“Perhaps we should forget about making love…” He huffed out a breath when she jammed her elbow in his stomach. “I guess that answers my question.” His hands cupped her face, eyes turbulent, reminding her of a storm-tossed sea. “You undo me. I am humbled by what you make me feel. I won’t insult you by asking if it’s too soon.”
“Is it too soon for you?” It occurred to her that they had never discussed having children before.
“It’s perfect. I have been dreaming of the say when it happens. And now it has. I want to celebrate the news by making love to my wife.” The way he said it, the possessive tone in his voice, combined with the awe and wonder, almost as if he could not believe it, sent spikes into her heart.
She was needed. This gorgeous man with the lean and hungry strength, so at one with his horse, needed her. And it showed. Each time he looked at her, it was clear that she was the one and no one else mattered. Because of it, she somehow wanted to repay him for bringing such wonder into her life.
“Let me.”
“What…?”
“Shh.” Pushing him back, she straddled him and was amused to see his eyes darkening, a tiny frown touching his brow.
“I am not going to be gentle.” She warned. “No touching.” She shook her head when he reached up with the intention of cupping her breasts.
“I can’t just… Ah.” His body quivered as she sliced a nail over his nipple and sent heat pooling at his middle. “Let me touch you.”
“No. Not yet.” She soothed the sting and bite by lowering her head first to his throat, where his Adam’s apple was starting to wobble. Kissing the firm skin, she edged down to the hollow of his throat, using her tongue liberally there.
“Sweetheart. Let me…” His breath was backing up into his lungs and he could scarcely breathe.
“No touching.” She whispered, her breath fanning his skin. His hands curled into tight fists as he strove to stay still and let her have her way with him. he never had a woman take control before. But then, he had never met one like the woman he had placed his ring on her finger.
Clamping his teeth down, he grabbed the quilt as she toyed with his nipple, First with her teeth, nipping just so, before using her tongue to send him spinning. He was surprised his head did not just explode!
He started to speak and could not find his voice. Swallowing the gulf sized lump, he tried again. “Baby… Ah God!” He was certain everything inside him was melting as she took it upon herself to suckle enthusiastically. His cock hardened, stretching until there was no more room for it to go.
“Let me touch you.” His voice was harsh, his body quivering.
She slithered down some more, pressing open mouthed kisses on his flat stomach, leaving a trail of fire, wherever her sweet and sexy mouth touched.
When she settled between his thighs and cupped him, he lurched like a drunken man who had imbibed more than his fair share of alcohol. His blood was boiling, his heart was hammering so loudly, he could not hear anything else.
And that was before she took him into her mouth. Lights exploded behind his eyes, and he heard someone chanting, not recognizing the voice as his.
She licked and twirled her tongue around the pulsing flesh, until he could not function and swore that he had gone blind. With desperate hands, he reached for her, fingers digging into her slender shoulders.
Forgetting his earlier vow to be gentle with her, he placed her squarely on top of him, gritting his teeth as her tightness enfolded him. His control had simply shattered, until the only scope, the only thing his mind was focused on was her. And what she was doing to him.
Sliding his hands up, over her waist, he cupped her breasts, eyes slitted as he watched her reaction.
“You witch.” He whispered hoarsely. His fingers toyed with the nipples, teased and tormented, with the intention of paying her back for what she just put him through.
But the sight of her parted lips, the passion glazed eyes, the feel of her silky and her sex wrapped around him so intimately caused that desire to fled to be replaced by something so poignant, so reverent, he felt like weeping.
She brought her body closer to his so that his mouth could taste and devour. And that’s exactly what he wanted to do. He started to move, hands gripping her hips as he drove into her. His mouth tasted and wanted more. He could never get enough of her. No matter how many times he had her, it would never be enough.
The thought of it, the power of their mating had him spinning in the wind, his body weighted by the discovery that he had found someone who could do this to him.
Sighs turned to moans and then to sobs as he continued to sip from her. He was not satisfied with just a taste or two. He wanted to gobble her down whole. The taste of her, his woman, his heart, his mate, sent ripples of sheer potent desire throughout his body.
His hands wandered up and down her back, to settle on her butt as she rode him, milking him, tormenting him with her tight warmth.
She came, the climax starting like a slow wave shimmering inside her and gathering strength. It blew her away, causing her to cry out his name, feverish fingers digging into his hair as he continued to suckle hungrily.
His own climax, which followed right behind hers, shocked him into rigidity. It was like a fireball, turning into a very active volcano and racing through his body with the speed of lightening, he emptied himself, body shooting upwards and watering the very mouth of her womb where his baby was being knitted together.
Lifting his head, he cradled her face. Using the pads of his thumbs, he wiped the tears away and took her lips in a kiss that had the tears starting again.
It was several minutes before he could move and when he did, he shifted so that she was lying curled up on his chest, his arms wrapped around her.
They spoke in the quiet of the night, making plans and marveling at the idea of making a child.
“Boy or girl?” She lifted her head to gauge his response and saw a quizzical smile touched his sensuous lips.
“You expect me to say boy.”
“I do, yes.”
He touched a finger to the tip of her nose.
“I want a daughter who bears a very strong resemblance to her beautiful mother. So that I can have the privilege of treating her like a princess.”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied his face. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Why would I lie?” He asked mildly. “And then a son or two of course.”
“To train them into being cowboys.”
“Anything wrong with that?”
“Nothing. But I reserve the right to at least teach them some culture. Any by the way, how many are we talking?”
His grin widened. “Four or five.”
She snorted. “When you start having a uterus, you get to make that call. Until that time, the decision is all mine.”
“I am the one with the sperm.” He pointed out logically.
“Hooray for you. Until you can push a baby out of you, I rule. Hands down.”
He merely grinned at her. “Three then?”
“We’ll see. Now shut up and kiss me.”
When he did, she just melted.
Their laughter filled the air, mingling with the soft whispers of the night. The stars above seemed to twinkle in rhythm with the beat of their hearts, and the moon cast a gentle glow, as if blessing their union. Wrapped in each other's embrace, they felt an unspoken promise of forever.
As the night wore on, they spoke of dreams and aspirations, weaving them together like the delicate threads of a tapestry. They imagined their future home, filled with the laughter of children and the warmth of love. They pondered the names they would give their babies, each one holding a special significance.
In that sacred moment, nothing else mattered. They were two souls, intertwined, creating a world of their own. The future was a canvas, waiting for them to paint their story, one brushstroke at a time.
And as they drifted off to sleep, the serenity of their love enveloped them like a cocoon, promising new beginnings and endless possibilities.
*****