Chapter 13
SETH
Rachel was asleep sprawled across me, her head resting on my chest, her dark hair a wild tangle over my shoulder and down my arm.
She straddled my leg and I could feel the heat of her pussy against my thigh, but she remained motionless, worn out from all the fucking we'd accomplished.
It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just starting to tip low on the horizon.
I should be napping, but I was unaccustomed to sharing a bed, let alone having a warm, pliant body using me as a pillow.
I didn't mind in the least. Carefully, I ran my hand up and down her back, feeling the bumps of her spine, reminding me how small and fragile she was.
I forgot that in tandem with my hardening cock and took her as I wanted.
I should be gentle with her, but I couldn't. I needed to make her see how earnest I was to make her mine.
I wanted to possess her, inside and out.
There was no question I'd done just that over the past day.
Had it been only yesterday morning when I decided I would corner her and force her to speak with me?
Was it only yesterday afternoon when we wed?
Was it this time yesterday I questioned what her body would look like, then systematically found out?
Now, a day later, I knew every inch of her.
Knew what made her hot, what made her moan.
What her nipples looked like, what they tasted like.
Yesterday, having her tied to the kitchen table had been the ultimate proof over my control of her.
She hadn't begged or pleaded for me to stop.
She hadn't been upset that I'd placed her in just the way I wanted.
To the contrary. She'd reveled in my claiming.
She'd succumbed and submitted beautifully and because of it, she'd been so responsive, so sensitive that she came quickly and repeatedly.
But then we'd been rudely interrupted, just when I was ready to sink into that insatiable pussy.
When I first answered the door, I only opened it partially, not interested in exposing myself to whomever was at the door, but I didn't want them to continue knocking.
I had Rachel securely tied to the kitchen table and my cock was painfully ready to fuck her.
I'd had my thumb beautifully filling her ass and I'd had to leave her.
Liam Anderson, a longtime friend, stood there with a cocky grin on his face, having heard about the wedding.
Because of that stupid expression, I'd opened the door further to let him see he'd interrupted without saying a word.
He'd invited us to dinner, but changed the invitation to the next day.
I nodded, then shut the door in his face. I hadn't said a word.
The kitchen wasn't the only place I'd had her.
Once we'd recovered, I carried her to the washroom for a bath.
It had been impossible to keep my hands to myself and I'd taunted us both with a cloth and a bar of soap.
We barely made it back to bed before I took her again.
Sometime after the moon had set did we fall asleep.
Over the course of the day I hadn't let her up from bed, keeping her there, bringing her food and drink only to talk, lazily nap and fuck.
It was time to get up and dress for dinner with the Andersons. I wasn't eager for the activity, but Rachel must be sore. I had to admit that if we continued at this pace, I'd be dead by the end of the week. But death by fucking wouldn't be all that terrible.
"Wake up, baby." I tilted my head to kiss her hair. "We are expected at the Andersons for dinner."
Rachel stirred and groaned, then lifted her head. Her dark eyes were sleepy and sated and I felt well pleased knowing I made her that way. "If we are to leave the house, then we must retrieve my things."
The idea of keeping her naked and in my bed held appeal. "Mmm, we shall collect them in the morning. In the meantime, the dress you wore yesterday will be serviceable enough."
She climbed off me and stood.
"Remember, no drawers."
An hour later, Charlotte Anderson opened the door for us, the scents of meat and freshly baked bread escaping. The fair haired woman smiled at Rachel. "I'm so glad you're here. And what exciting news! Please, come in."
She led us into the parlor as Liam came down the hall from the direction of the kitchen. I'd been to their house for dinner a few evenings ago. Longtime friends, we were beyond the usual pleasantries and polite manners.
"That glacier atop Flattop Mountain moved faster than you," Liam said, his ribald hitting its mark. He slapped me on the shoulder and grinned along with his words. "Hello, Rachel."
"Mr. Anderson," she replied. They may have met in the past, however it did not seem to have been a close connection.
"Please, call me Liam. You know Charlotte already."
"Yes, from church," Charlotte replied. "Mrs. Abernathy had us ladeling punch together at the spring social." She waved a hand at a comfortable chair and instead of letting Rachel sit as would be gentlemanly, I sat and pulled her down into my lap.
"Seth!" she cried, trying to wiggle off my lap.
"We're newlyweds," I replied, not a contrite bone in my body. I liked feeling her ass squirm over my cock.
"They are sitting beside each other as is proper and they've only been married a few days longer," Rachel countered.
"Quite right," Liam said, standing and pulling Charlotte up as well before sitting once again, this time with Charlotte ensconced in his lap. "We aren't an old married couple." Liam kissed Charlotte on the cheek.
"It seems the pact is complete. We were supposed to watch out for Richard and Aaron's wives, but who knew Charlotte would be the one for me?"
I couldn't agree more. "Rachel was mine from the minute I saw her."
Her mouth fell open at my statement.
"The other men that were killed, were they married?" Charlotte asked.
I thought of the men. Richard, Aaron, Paul Samuels and two others. "Two were too young, perhaps eighteen or nineteen," I shared.
"Leah Samuels' husband was killed," Rachel said. "I know her from church."
"She's so quiet," Charlotte added. "I remember her husband. I know it's wrong to speak ill of the dead, but I didn't like him very much. He didn't seem overly affectionate or kind to Leah."
The man was a fucking asshole and I could only imagine the life his wife had. I glanced at Liam and I could tell from the tightness in his jaw he agreed.
"Surely you can find a man, a nice man, for Leah?" Charlotte looked between the two of us.
"You're playing matchmaker?" Liam asked her. "If you are, you don't want to find her a nice man. You want to find a man that will--"
Charlotte covered her husband's mouth with her hand. "Don't you dare say it."
"Fine," Liam replied. "I'll just show you later." He grinned wickedly and Charlotte flushed a pretty pink. "What was the impetus for action, Seth?" Liam asked, clearly changing the subject. "Was it my words over dinner the other night?"
My friend wanted to be the one responsible for putting Rachel and I together. He'd most certainly been the one to pull my head from my ass, although I doubted he'd take responsibility for that.
"It was Rachel."
She turned her head to look at me, a frown marring her forehead. "Me?"
Her hair was pulled up neatly into a bun at the nape of her neck.
She looked lovely all prim and proper, but now, knowing her more passionate nature, I only wanted to see her naked, her hair long and flowing down her back.
At least the knowledge that she wore no drawers was the secret we could share, even while out in public.
"You. It was what you said on the street." Didn't she remember? I felt like they were words I'd never forget.
"We said quite a bit, then I remember the kiss," she replied.
"I heard about that kiss. So romantic," Charlotte added.
"Romantic? Do you want me to kiss you out in front of the saloon?" Liam asked her, turning her chin with his finger.
Charlotte shook her head.
"Good," Liam replied with a slight growl. "I don't share you with anyone. I want no other man to witness your pleasure."
I was in full agreement with Liam. Rachel was all mine.
Every kiss, every whimper, every heated gaze.
I may have kissed her in public, but I'd taken the weight of her desires for each other from her and carried it myself.
I would continue to do so now that we were married, letting her be as passionate as she desired.
"What did I say that changed your mind?" Rachel asked.
"You said you spent the past three months doing everything you could to dissuade me to protect my honor."
Her dark eyes met mine. Held. "I wanted to take advantage of him," she told the others. "He wouldn't let me. He still won't let me." The corner of her mouth turned up.
"Liam let me take advantage of him just last night," Charlotte commented. "I think I like it."
A sound akin to a growl escaped Liam's throat, but I didn't look at either of them. My eyes were only for Rachel.
"You want to tarnish my honor? You made an honest man of me yesterday after the public kiss."
Rachel nudged me playfully at words. "Yes, that's true. But I never truly ravaged you. It's only fair after the way you've spent the past day sullying my virtue."
"That's my job, baby. A husband can sully his wife all day long."
"Damn right," Liam added.
"I don't want control, Seth," Rachel murmured. "I just want my chance to ruin you."
I raised my brows at her words. She'd spent months thinking of me.
She wouldn't have avoided me and tried to deflect my intentions otherwise.
By marrying her, I'd given her the freedom to be as passionate and wanton as she wanted.
As I could make her. But I hadn't yet let her do all the tawdry and licentious things she'd imagined. Denying her this was wrong.
My cock hardened in anticipation of what she might do and Rachel's eyes widened as she felt it hard and thick against her ass.
"You're not staying for dinner, are you?" Liam asked.
I turned and looked at my friend. "Hell, no. I'm about to be ruined."