River Lady Read online

  “You were saying?” he said, caressing her cheek and neck with his big hand.

  “Any man,” she said, trying not to look at him. “I’m not afraid of any man, any…”

  Wesley began kissing her neck in hot little kisses that were oh, so very nice.

  “It occurred to me today, Leah, that even though you’ve been married for years and even had a baby, you’ve never been made love to.”

  She pulled away from him. “That’s absurd. How can I have a baby if…I mean you…the night of the storm we…”

  “My beautiful wife, I thought you were a prostitute and used you as such. Had I known that was our early wedding night I assure you I’d have acted differently.”

  “Differently?” she asked, curious. It was rather nice to be held by someone, to be touched and caressed.

  “Wait a minute!” she said with a gasp. “You can’t touch me. I swore you’d have to take whatever you wanted from me, that I’d never give in to you. Just because I’m a Simmons doesn’t mean—”

  “Shut up, Leah,” he murmured, “and consider yourself forced.” His lips took hers and held them—and held them until Leah’s arms slipped around his neck and pulled him closer. With one arm he pulled her down into the bed, one thigh going over both of hers.

  When he pulled away from her, he saw wonder in her eyes and Wes felt a wave of guilt that this woman was his wife yet he’d taught her nothing. Slowly, with great patience, he began to caress her body.

  The dress she wore was dirty, stained, and very loose on her. With a practiced hand, he began to undo the buttons down her front.

  “Wesley, I don’t think…” Leah began. “Maybe we shouldn’t…oh dear!”

  His hand slipped inside her dress, his warmth going through her layers of underclothes. He kissed her again as he lifted her off the bed and slipped the dress from her shoulders.

  As the dress lay about her waist, it was Wesley’s turn to look at her in wonder. Never had he seen women’s underwear like this. Nearly transparent fabric showed the rosy pink crests of her nipples, floated downward, and barely concealed her creamy skin.

  Leah immediately turned a pretty shade of pink. “Nicole’s dressmaker thought that since my outerwear had to be coarse, my underwear should be…should be…”

  “Let’s see the rest of you,” Wes said eagerly, and before Leah could say a word he lifted her and removed four cotton petticoats to reveal lacy drawers that showed her long, firm legs to advantage.

  “Leah,” Wes said in a slightly shaky voice as he grabbed her to him and began to kiss her passionately.

  Leah responded instantly. She’d never been taught that she shouldn’t enjoy sex, and as a result she acted with as few inhibitions as a child. She began kissing him back with enthusiasm.

  Wesley, surprised for a moment, perhaps remembering Kimberly’s rationing of kisses, smiled with pleasure at his wife’s response. His hands began a journey down her body, and her warm skin, barely covered by the silken fabric, excited him more.

  While kissing her neck he began to unfasten the buttons to her underwear.

  Leah was losing herself to his touch. Her sexual experience consisted of one quick fumble more than a year and a half ago. This caressing was different and it was sending the oddest feelings through her body. Her fingers clutched at Wesley’s head, entwining in his soft hair.

  She protested when he pulled his mouth from hers and groaned with pleasure when his lips touched her throat. When his lips encircled her nipple, she lay still as one shock wave after another went through her.

  “Wesley?” she asked in such a surprised way, her head coming up.

  He paid no attention to her but continued to make love to her breasts.

  Leah swallowed hard, her head rolled back, and she arched her body upwards in an instinctive reaction. Wesley’s hard hands gripped her waist tightly as his hot mouth moved down her body.

  She grabbed handfuls of his shirt, caught buckskin fringe in her mouth. “Skin,” she murmured. “Let me touch you.”

  Wesley came out of his clothes instantly and soon knelt over her wearing nothing but a bandage across his ribs.

  Some part of Leah’s mind told her she should be concerned about his wound, but truthfully she didn’t care if it tore apart—at least right now she didn’t care. Her eyes trailed down to his swollen manhood and with no shyness she clasped it in both hands.

  Wesley gave a deathlike groan and fell on her, kissing every part of her he could reach before climbing on top of her. He’d been worried she’d be afraid of him, but her eagerness was more than he could bear.

  She arched to meet his first thrusts, threw her legs about his hips and pushed. Wes grabbed her and rolled to his back so she was on top. His hands on her waist, he guided her up and down, sometimes watching her, glorying in the look on her face, her expression of pure, undiluted pleasure.

  When Wes could stand no more, he flung her to her back and with two blinding thrusts, brought both of them to a height of pleasure neither had experienced before.

  Both lay together, locked in each other’s arms, until Wes raised himself on one elbow and looked down at her. Her eyes were glazed, her mouth soft, her hair in sweaty curls about her face. There was wonder in Wesley’s eyes: to think this hot little beauty was his very own wife, to have forever! Anytime he wanted her, she was his.

  Leah opened her eyes and the look she saw on Wesley’s face made her come back to reality.

  “I have to go,” she said abruptly.

  He frowned because he didn’t want her to go, but he knew she must. Right now the only way he could protect her was by letting her go, entrusting her care to the two large strangers. “Go then,” he said with more harshness than he meant. It was difficult for his pride to allow what his common sense was forcing him to do.

  Leah heard only the coolness in his voice and quickly she began to dress. She didn’t say a word as she slipped from the cabin into the darkness. But halfway down the mountain she sat down on the ground and began to cry.

  She was never, never going to be a lady! Not all the cosmetics, pretty clothes, and hair rinses in the world were going to change her into a lady. She made vows of chastity, then at the first opportunity, she frolicked in the bed with a man who had done all manner of rotten things to her.

  At each thought she cried harder. What would Regan or Nicole do now? No doubt Revis would see that they were ladies and he wouldn’t even try to molest them. It was only because she was a Simmons that Revis wanted her. And now that she’d shown Wes she wasn’t anything like a lady, he’d probably be glad to turn her over to someone like Revis who was her own type.

  After a while she tried to collect herself and started down the mountain. Wesley Stanford might think she was of the same class as Revis, but Leah knew she wasn’t.

  The cabin was silent when she entered, except for Abe’s snoring in a corner. There were no beds, so Leah took a place on the floor beside Verity, who often whimpered in her sleep.

  The next morning Leah woke to the loud sound of Revis’s boots on the floor.

  “Get up all of you!” he said with a growl. “You,” he said, addressing Leah, “where are the boys?”

  Leah refused to be frightened of him. “Behind you,” she shot at him.

  Revis gave her an angry look before turning. “I got a wagon sunk in the mud about two miles down the road. You two go get it out and Abe, you lazy nothin’, go help them.”

  “Yes, Mr. Revis,” Abe said cheerfully. “Come on, you big louts, let’s get to work. We’ll have it out in no time.”

  Leah held her breath for a moment, afraid Revis would stay with her, but he left with the others. Breathing a sigh of relief, she started cooking breakfast. No doubt the boys would be even hungrier after a morning’s exercise.

  It was while she was reaching for a slab of bacon that hands caught her about the waist.

  “They’re gone now,” Revis said into her ear.

  She twisted away from him. �