Liam (17 page)

“Thank you. I was…was scared.”

“I know and that’s normal. You’re a virgin, and we don’t really know each other all that well.”

“But I’m old and, virgin or not, I know what happens between men and women. The girls at
The Gem
like to talk and they like to tease me.”

He squeezed her a little closer to him. “Eleanor, you may think you are worldly, but you are still woefully naïve. What we will do together is nothing like what those girls have to endure.”

“Most of them are used to it but none of them seem to like it.”

“Exactly. It is just rutting to both the men and the girls. There is nothing tender, no caring. Feelings make a difference.”

“But you don’t have feelings for me.” She was fishing, hoping he’d tell her he loved her. She felt him stiffen momentarily and then relax again.

“You’re wrong. I do have feelings for you. I care for you very much. Just because I don’t…can’t love you, doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

She wanted to say something but wasn’t about to admit that she already loved him, that maybe she had since he’d first carried her to Doc Cochran’s office. That would give him the upper hand, give him too much power over her.

“I care for you, too, and I love the children very much.”

“They adore you.”

Suddenly, she sat up. “Your wound. I need to check it. How is it? Does it pain you?”

“Even if it did, the only remedy is whiskey and I won’t do that again. Never mind my wound. Lay back down and rest. You must be tired.”

“I am a little but I’m serious about your wound. I need to see it. I bet Becky has some white willow bark tea for the pain.”

“Well,” he conceded, “she did leave us well stocked.”

“The tea kettle is still on the stove; let’s hope it still has water in it. Put your pants on and come to the kitchen.” She got up, rummaged in her valise until she came up with a robe and tied it closed on her way to the kitchen.

The kettle was half boiled away but still had enough water for two cups of tea and to clean Liam’s wound. There was a small pantry off the kitchen. Liam wasn’t kidding when he said it was well stocked. The shelves revealed a wealth of items she needed. There was the willow bark tea and a small bottle of laudanum and a folded pile of clean rags she could use as bandages.

Liam walked into the kitchen just as she was coming out of the pantry. He wore only his pants. His broad chest was sprinkled with curly, brown hair that she had the insane desire to run her fingers through.

She shook her head to clear it and poured some of the hot water into the basin she found under the counter next to the sink. She added a bit of cold water from the pump until it was cool enough she could put her hands in it and rinse the cloth. Then she took two cups and put white willow bark in one and chamomile tea in the other.

“Sit down, please,” she said while she brought the supplies to the table.

“Let me help you,” he picked up the basin and she brought the cloths.

He sat and leaned forward onto the table as he had the night before.

“How’s it look?”

“Pretty good. It’s seeped blood a little bit and I’ll clean that up but it’s going to heal well, I think.”

“I had a good doc.”

She smiled, even though he couldn’t see it. “Thanks.”

After she got it all cleaned up, with only a little moaning and a few flinches by Liam, she covered it with a bandage, which she wrapped around his chest and shoulder.

“There,” she declared, “all done. Doesn’t that feel better?”

“Honestly, no. It hurts more because you were messing with it.”

“Here, the tea is ready and it will help. Trust me.”

“Alright,” he said and then took a sip of the tea. “Tastes awful.”

“Can’t taste much worse than whiskey does.”

He smiled over the top of the tea cup. “You have me there.”

They both lingered over their tea, in companionable silence. Finally, he’d finished his. “Are you done? Ready to go back to bed?”

“I am tired. The tea always relaxes me.”

“Not afraid now?”

“No, I’m not afraid,” she placed her hand on top of his.

He turned his hand until he was holding hers. “I’m glad. Come on, let’s get some rest. That tea seems to have helped with my pain, just like you said it would. I do believe I can sleep now,” he got up from the table, still holding her hand. “Will you let me hold you again tonight like I did last night?”

“But you’re not drunk tonight,” she said rising with him.

“What’s that got to do anything?”

“Well, I just thought…”

He stopped and made her look up at him. “I thought we settled this a little while ago. I want you.” He stroked his knuckle down her cheek. “My being injured has nothing whatsoever to do with that. I’ll always want you. You’re my wife.”

As though those last three words explained everything, he leaned down and kissed her, slowly, tenderly. Then his tongue begged for entry and she welcomed him. He hadn’t kissed her like this in days and she missed his kisses. His arms came around her back and he crushed her to him. She felt him, all of him and she felt powerful and needy at the same time.

He broke the kiss but continued to hold her, breathing hard. “We’re going to have to quit that if all I’m going to do is hold you tonight.”

She looked down at her hands and began fiddling with the tie to her robe. “About that…”

“Yes,” he prodded.

“I think I’d like to find out what husbands and wives do together.”

He smiled. “You sure? I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. This activity is supposed to be pleasurable for both of us.”

She lifted her gaze to his. “I want to learn Liam. I know we haven’t talked about it, but if I’m able, I want to have children. I don’t know if I can, I’m thirty-two years old after all. Most women have stopped bearing children by now, haven’t they?”

He pulled her into his arms. “Only if their husbands are dead. I’ve known women, who’ve had children later. Hannah’s mother was thirty-five when Hannah was born. Others have gone on to have children into their forties, though, I’m not sure we want to do that. I’m forty now myself.”

“Oh, I hope you’re right.”

“Come to bed.”

She stepped back out of his hug and grabbed his hand leading him to the bedroom. “Yes. I think it’s time for my first lesson.”

CHAPTER 14

Eleanor led Liam to the bedroom as quickly as she could. She was a woman on a mission. She wanted children more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life and she would not be frightened by the process to get there. Liam assured her it was pleasant, despite what the girls at
The Gem
said.

As soon as she got into the room, she dropped his hand and untied her robe. She let it fall to the floor as she walked toward the far side of the bed. Then she dropped her chemise and when she was next to the bed she stepped out of her bloomers.

She stood totally naked in front of him. Despite an overwhelming urge to use her arms to cover herself, she kept her arms relaxed at her sides. Her breathing was hard and fast and she knew if she didn’t slow down she’d pass out. She took a couple of slow, deep breaths and then looked up at Liam.

He’d followed her and stopped halfway across the room, next to her robe. He stood there and watched her disrobe, his mouth hanging open.

She smiled. “Are you going to stand there all night?”

“You’re lovely. Absolutely perfect.”

She knew she blushed but could do nothing to tame the fire or the heat. “Thank you. What do we do now?”

He dropped his pants to the floor.

She sucked in a breath. It hadn’t been that long since she’d first seen him, but she couldn’t help it, he was breathtaking. His arms and legs rippled with long, lean muscles. Strength fairly oozed from him. Now she knew how he had carried her with such ease.

He stepped up to the bed and knelt upon it. “Come here.” He patted the bed next to him.

She knelt on the bed, then crawled over to him and lay down beside him.

He stretched out next to her, leaned up on one arm and then started lightly rubbing her arm. “You have such soft skin. I fear I’ll scratch it with my old, rough hands.”

She shook her head. “Your hands feel nice.”

“Mmm, I could do this all day,” he began stroking her stomach and then weighed one of her breasts in his hand. “Very nice.”

“Oh, Liam, I…”

“Feels good, does it?”

She nodded, robbed of speech. Her body tingled and she wanted him to continue what he was doing.

He flicked her nipple with one of his fingers and she nearly came off the bed. “Liam!”

He chuckled, and then smoothed his palm over the turgid peak, soothing her before he moved to the other breast. This one he took the nipple between his thumb and forefinger, gently rolling it.

Eleanor turned toward him, leaning on her side. “This feels so good to me, but I have to ask…”

“Yes?”

“Can I touch you, too? I’ve been wanting to run my fingers over your chest since I cared for your wound earlier,” she admitted.

“Oh, I want you to touch me, but first I’m going to show you how much pleasure can be had.”

He leaned over and kissed her, his tongue delving into her warm depths, dueling with her tongue. He broke away and kissed down the side of her neck, then very lightly, soft as a whisper, he rubbed his beard over the skin he’d just kissed.

Eleanor moaned. She’d never experienced such sensations. Her body was on fire and her center seemed ready to ignite.

“Lie flat on your back again, please.” His request was accompanied by more stroking of her skin, much to her delight.

She did and he grazed her stomach and up and down her legs with his fingers. Going around and over her mons, but never stopping. Circling it, making her concentrate on the part of her that was so needy.

Suddenly he was there, delving between her nether lips, circling and pressing. He parted her and put a finger into her and she, though shocked, only wanted more. As if he could read her mind he inserted another finger before he started kissing her again.

“Part your legs for me.” His voice was low and gravelly, not the deep, rich, baritone she’d grown used to.

She did as he asked and he moved between them, his wide shoulders pushing her thighs far apart before he moved up her body. She was totally open to him and then he was kissing her neck, moving to her breast. He took her left nipple into his mouth and sucked. Her back arched and she felt the pull between her legs.

“Liam, please.”

The irritating man chuckled before he moved to the other side and suckled on that nipple while rolling the first one between his fingers. Then he worked his way down her stomach, with light, feathery kisses.

All the while the tension inside her built and built, working its way to a crescendo she could only imagine.

Then he was there and kissing her mons, parting her and running his tongue up and down her slit while working his two fingers inside her in a scissor motion, stretching her she knew for his entry. What she hadn’t expected was his mouth on her, driving her crazy at the top of her slit. There was a nub, where he worried with his tongue.

She grabbed his head and pushed it closer to her, bucking as she screamed his name and he sent her shooting through the sky.

He leaned up, grinned at her panting form and then worked his way up her body to her lips. He kissed her hard.

“I’ve prepared you as much as I can. I won’t lie to you, there will be some pain, but it will pass, I promise, and then there will never be pain again.”

She nodded and felt him at her entrance.

He reached down, grabbed his shaft and rubbed it up and down her wet opening. Then he stopped and entered her, slowly, gently, back and forth, in and out until he could go no farther.

“I’m sorry, Eleanor,” he said just before he reared back and slammed forward, burying himself as far as he could, thrusting through her barrier, making her a true woman. There was no going back now.

She felt him inside her. There had been pain when he breeched her maidenhead, which she’d been prepared for, but this fullness, feeling this amazing part of him inside her, she hadn’t prepared for. Oh, she knew it would happen but for some reason she’d never thought she’d feel anything. Certainly not this deliciousness.

She shifted a bit.

“Don’t…,” he croaked. “Don’t move. Not yet. I’ll hurt you.”

“You’re not hurting me and I’m ready for you to move. I want to. The feeling…”

His breathing eased a bit and he chuckled. “I know exactly what you feel…and what you
need
.”

He moved within her, sliding in and out, bringing back all those wonderful feelings. They built and built. She found her rhythm and moved with him, up and down until she was there. The pinnacle was before her.

“Liam!” she shouted as her second release washed over her.

He slammed into her, harder and yet harder still. Then he shouted his own release, pumped a few more times into her and buried his face in her neck, taking great gulps of air.