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Tempting Tess ISBN #978-0-85715-819-2 ©Copyright Lacey Thorn 2011 Cover Art by April Martinez ©Copyright November 2011 Edited by Claire Siemaszkiewicz Total-E-Bound Publishing This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing. Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution. The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork. Published in 2011 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.
Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 1.
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Lottery Brides
TEMPTING TESS Lacey Thorn
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Book three in the Lottery Brides Series She’d never imagined an adventure like Sean. Tess took the stage coach west to be a mail-order bride. But when she arrived to find her fiancé deceased, she finds herself a lottery bride instead. She wanted adventure, a chance to experience some of the stories her father had shared with her. But no stories or penny novels could have prepared her for Sean Donavan, the man she finds herself married to. They call him half-breed, but he looks all man to her. Sean doesn’t want to be married. He knows what people call him and his brothers and doesn’t want any woman to be ridiculed because of him. But Tess doesn’t seem to get that. And the more time he spends with her the more tempted he is. Maybe Tess is exactly what he’s dreamed of but never thought he could have…a woman to call his.
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Dedication This is for all the fans who stick with me and send words of praise and encouragement. Your words inspire me and when you share your pleasure with me it becomes mine as well. I could never thank you enough but it comes from my heart. Thanks for everything!
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Chapter One
“What do you mean he’s dead?” Tess almost wailed at the sheriff standing in front of her. “He can’t be. I was supposed to meet him here today. He sent the money for my ticket and he was meeting me here.” “I’m sorry ma’am,” the sheriff said again. She thought his name was Sheriff Duckett, or at least that was how she thought he’d introduced himself. Her mind had sort of shut down after he’d said her fiancé was dead. “Mr Sutter died just two days ago.” “How?” she whispered, feeling like her whole world was falling down around her. What was she going to do now? “He was kicked in the head by a horse over in Mackenzie’s Stable,” Sheriff Duckett told her. “It was an accident. I don’t think he told anyone about you heading this way. Did you know him long?” Okay, so how did she admit that she’d answered an ad for a bride willing to travel to the West? She’d seen it as the answer to her prayers. Her father had just passed away, leaving her at the mercy of her cruel uncle and lecherous cousin. They had planned to marry her off quickly to be rid of her. So when she’d seen the paper lying there it was as if the ad had just jumped out at her. She’d always craved adventure and thoroughly enjoyed reading every penny novel of the Wild West that she could get her hands on. It had sounded so thrilling. Her father had been a horseman once upon a time and had shared with her the joy of riding, much to her mother’s dismay. When her mother had died of fever shortly after her thirteenth birthday, it had just been her and Papa, though her mother’s family had tried to talk him into giving her up. Thankfully, her father had refused and instead taught her things he’d learned from his time in the military. She knew how to ride, how to shoot and how to survive off the land if she needed to—all talents that meant little back home in Virginia but surely would come in handy here. Her only problem was that she’d sneaked away with only the money Mr Sutter had sent her, leaving her stranded now without a dime of her own. www.total-e-bound.com
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Avoiding the question she didn’t want to answer, she asked one instead. “What am I supposed to do, Sheriff? I only had enough money to get me here. Mr Sutter was to meet me and we were to be married right away.” The Sheriff sighed and shook his head. “Come along with me for the moment and I’ll see what I can figure out.” He reached down and took her bag before turning and heading towards what she took to be the jail. She’d never seen a jail, much less one in the West. Maybe he had a gunslinger or outlaw behind bars. She felt a shiver of excitement. He dropped her bag beside a beat-up old desk and indicated a chair for her to sit in. She scanned the room and was disappointed to see that no one else was with them. The cell was empty. “Disappointed?” The sheriff got her attention and she blushed as she realised that he seemed to know what she was thinking. “I was just curious if you had anyone locked up in here,” she admitted with an unrepentant grin. “I’ve read all about the West.” “Ahh,” was his only reply, but she could see the grin tugging at his lips. “So how did you meet Mr Sutter?” he asked again, and Tess realised that she wasn’t going to escape the question. “Well,” she paused, trying to make her mind up on what story to spin. “Look, Miss…?” He paused and she felt obliged to fill the blank in for him. “Winston, Tess Winston,” she offered. “Look Miss Winston, I know that Jebidiah Sutter was planning on sending for a mail order bride,” the sheriff stated, matter-of-factly. “All I need to know is if you’re that bride or if you met him somewhere else.” “I’m that bride,” she admitted and felt her face flush with embarrassment again. She knew that she wasn’t considered pretty. Too tall, too tanned, with a wild mane of thick brown hair that refused to be contained. Her uncle had told her often in the last few months that they would be lucky to find a man willing to take her off their hands with her looks— and the fact that she was already past her prime. As if! She was only twenty-one this year. Men weren’t even considered ready for marriage at that age. Her appearance certainly hadn’t deterred her awful cousin from making advances. www.total-e-bound.com
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“And you don’t have any funds other than what Jebidiah sent you?” Sheriff Duckett spoke softly. “No, sir, I don’t,” she admitted. “I didn’t think to bring any with me.” “In a hurry to leave, were you?” he asked gently, and she realised again that this man didn’t miss much. “I had my reasons for leaving, sir,” she replied. Now that she was over the shock of learning her fiancé was deceased, she remembered her manners. “But I can promise you that I have engaged in no crime.” The sheriff smiled. “I didn’t think you had, Miss Winston,” he said kindly. “But it does surprise me that a woman of your beauty and obvious intelligence would come West to marry a stranger. Makes me question if you’re running from something that I should know about.” He thought her beautiful and intelligent? They were traits only her father had seen in her. She shouldn’t know how to ride and shoot a gun, and her uncle had been disgusted that her father had taught her to read, write, and add numbers. She missed her dad desperately. “Miss Winston?” the sheriff prompted when she didn’t answer right away. Lord, she was going to look guilty of something if she didn’t stay focused and quit remembering what was now in the past. “No, I’m not running from anything,” she answered. She had left her uncle’s care but she was a grown woman of twenty-one years and she seriously doubted he’d come after her. She’d left a note saying that she was heading west to marry a friend of her father’s and that he shouldn’t worry. “So what made a young lady like you decide to become a mail order bride?” he asked her. “Adventure,” she admitted, not caring any longer if he thought her crazy. “I’ve read every penny novel of the West I could get my hands on. It all sounds so grand here. I just wanted a chance to see it for myself.” “The West isn’t as romantic as some of those books like to make you believe,” the sheriff told her. “It can be a hard place, a place where people die unexpectedly, like your Mr Sutter.” “So I see,” she agreed. www.total-e-bound.com
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He folded his hands on the desk and just looked at her for a moment. She had no idea what he was thinking but when she could stand it no longer she asked. “Is everything alright, Sheriff Duckett?” Tess asked. “You have no money and according to your word nothing to go back to,” he said. She nodded her head, agreeing with him—though it wasn’t really a question. “I’m afraid that there isn’t really a job around here for a lady.” He blushed as he said it and she smiled. “I’m not sure what to do then, sir,” she admitted, watching him just as avidly as he’d been watching her earlier. “I have a proposition for you, Miss Winston,” he stated. Lord, she hoped he wasn’t going to offer to marry her himself. He was a nice gentleman, but a little older than she’d planned on marrying. Mr Sutter had stated that he was thirty-five years of age, which she felt had made them compatible. “What is that, sir?” she asked, her nerves going crazy. Her stomach was churning. Who knew that adventure could be so stressful? “We have a thing here that we call the bride lottery,” Sheriff Duckett said. “We open the lottery to all the single local men who can provide a home for you. They pay a small fee which goes to help fund the jail and you get married.” “A bride lottery?” she asked. “Shouldn’t be that much different than being a mail order bride,” the sheriff said and smiled. She blushed again. He was right. What was one stranger compared to another? They were both strangers until you got to know them. “What do you think, Miss Winston?” he asked her. “I don’t really have any other choice,” she answered honestly, and he nodded his head. “Don’t worry,” he told her. “Just look at this as the start of another real life adventure.” She smiled and nodded, but her stomach was spinning so fast she was afraid she might throw up.
“I’m not putting my name in some bride lottery like you tricked my brother into,” Sean Donavan stated firmly. www.total-e-bound.com
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“Is Jacob not happy with his lovely bride, Daisy?” Sheriff Duckett asked. “Should I make a point of going to check on the lady in question and make sure she isn’t unhappy?” Sean sighed. His brother was happily in love with his new bride and everyone knew it. “No,” he grumbled. “Then what seems to be the problem?” the sheriff asked. “I would think, as the oldest brother, you would see the importance of marrying and having children.” Sean snorted in disgust while rubbing his aching leg. He’d been shot while in the Rangers and he still limped, especially when he’d been on his feet for too long—like now. “Why would some woman from back east want to tie herself to some half-breed Indian brat?” he asked with a lifted brow. They’d heard it all their lives, he and his two younger brothers. His Irish father had fallen for an Indian maiden and had married her. They were happy, but not that many others were happy for them. “I’m not thinking that Miss Winston will care about that,” the sheriff said with a smile that only made Sean more nervous. “Well what kind of woman wouldn’t care about that?” Sean asked. What was wrong with this woman? Was she ugly? Old? Hell, the last thing he needed was some woman afraid of everything and who had no idea how to live in the West. “I think Miss Winston would see it all as a grand adventure,” the sheriff stated. Great, it sounded like she might be crazy instead. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Sean said again. “Well, your name goes in anyway, Sean, as it’s your fault that she’s in the situation to begin with,” Sheriff Duckett said. “What?” Sean thundered. “How in the hell do I have anything to do with this woman? I don’t even know her.” “Miss Winston was a mail order bride for Mr Sutter over at the general store.” Sheriff Duckett looked Sean in the eye. “You remember him, don’t you?” “Why do I have a feeling I’m not going to like what you say next,” Sean remarked with a weary sigh. “Because you’re not.” The sheriff grinned. “Your name is going in that lottery drawing because it was your damn horse that kicked Mr Sutter and left Miss Winston without a groom.” www.total-e-bound.com
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“Damn, that was the fella my horse kicked?” Sean asked. Mr Sutter had gone to the stable in town for something and somehow ended up by Sean’s horse. No one knew for sure what had happened, but the horse had spooked and kicked the man in the head. Mr Sutter had not survived. Sean felt bad, but everyone knew to leave his horse alone. “Yep, it was.” Sheriff Duckett slapped him on the shoulder. “Drawing will be in another hour, Sean. You can wait that much longer before heading back towards home.” “As if I have a choice,” Sean muttered as the sheriff turned and began walking back to the jail, whistling. All Sean could hope for was that some other guy would be the ‘lucky’ groom.
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Chapter Two
Tess couldn’t believe the man she was now married to. He was incredible. Short black hair cut almost like her father’s. She longed to run her fingers through it just to see if it was as thick as it looked. Dark blue eyes that didn’t seem to be happy right now. He had skin darker than hers and she’d heard a couple of people mutter about the damn half-breed’s luck. She knew that meant he had Indian blood. She’d never met an Indian. He didn’t seem like a blood-thirsty savage—ready to rape and kill her—like she’d heard a woman on the stagecoach say. And he was mouth-watering to look at. He was tall even to her; towering easily over her five-foot-nine inch frame. He had to be over six feet tall with a broad chest and arms that flexed with muscle. She watched him loading some things in the wagon that was going to follow them. According to the sheriff it was a big ranch where he and his family lived. The wagon was loaded down with supplies and she wondered if he was going to try and stick her in the wagon as well. “Do you ride?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts. “Yes,” Tess answered. She rode very well but he didn’t seem to want a lengthy conversation from her. “I only have my horse available, so you can ride double with me or if you’d prefer you can follow.” She almost laughed as she noticed that he refused to actually look at her. He either gazed over her shoulder or off to either side. How uncomfortable would he be having her riding with him? “I’ll stay with you then,” Tess answered. “As you wish, Miss Winston,” he replied. “I believe it is Mrs Donavan now,” she said with a smile, and swore she heard him groan. It appeared her first adventure in the West would be convincing her new husband that she could be a good wife. Good thing she’d read all those novels and had a vague idea of what that meant. Now she had to decide if she could follow through with it. www.total-e-bound.com
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“Mrs Donavan,” he agreed. “We leave in just a few moments, so if you require anything before we do you’d best take care of it now. We’ll not be stopping until late in the afternoon when we hit Donavan land.” “I’m ready when you are,” she told him. “So will we reach your home tonight? How long before we get there? How many members of your family live together? What…?” “Damn.” His curse interrupted her last question. “You planning to talk the entire time?” Well, honestly, how else was she supposed to get to know anything about her new husband? Was she supposed to call him Sean? Was that the name he went by? How many people was she going to meet when they got to their destination? These were things that she’d like to know. But she’d wait until they were on the way and he couldn’t dump her in the wagon before she started again. With effort she kept her lips together and shook her head. “Good,” Sean muttered. “Let’s head out then.” She watched him look her over from head to toe before she was swept up into his arms and placed sideways across the front of the saddle. She let out a little squeak. She’d never ridden a horse this way before. Sean rose up into the saddle behind her and she felt her body tilt towards his so that her left side was against his chest. She had no idea what to do with her hands, but he wrapped his arms around her as he reached for the reins. When he urged the horse forward she rocked against his chest. She used one hand to grasp his arm while with the other she grabbed at his thigh, but ended up with her hand landing a little closer to his lap. She encountered something hard and pulsing—and it wasn’t his thigh. Their eyes locked and he hissed as she flexed her fingers before a blush filled her face and she quickly pulled her hand back as if burned. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m not sure where to hold on like this.” “I’ll hold onto you,” he said, and she wondered if he was reluctant to feel her touch. Making an impulsive decision, she slipped her hand back onto his thigh and left it there. She heard him catch his breath and turned to watch where they were heading. But nothing could dim the smile that refused to leave her face. If that touch was any indication, then her new husband was at least interested in her as a woman. Unless he got that way every time he rode his horse. But that was not a thought she wanted to give any consideration to. www.total-e-bound.com
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He tugged her back towards his chest and when she looked at him, her surprise showed. He told her, “Your hair is getting in my eyes. You really need to tie it back.” When the alternative was leaning against him full-body with her head now resting against his shoulder? No way. Her hand had instinctively moved from his thigh to circle and rest on his back while she moved the other up his arm to rest on that shoulder. His chest was so broad and that pulsing hardness she’d encountered before was now firmly nestled by her hip. She closed her eyes and inhaled the scents that made up Sean, smells of man and horse and leather and sweat. It was the most intoxicating aroma she’d ever breathed. With the motion of the powerful horse moving her against the even more powerful man behind her and the feel of the wind on her face, she felt carefree and so happy she could burst. And then she did. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. She just laughed with the joy of the moment. She felt Sean looking at her and it was just natural to tilt her head up to him.
Sean caught his breath as the woman—his wife—looked at him. His breath had caught the first moment he’d seen her. She was tall with long legs that planted fantasies in his mind which would probably send her running away from him screaming. He’d moved her to get that wild mane of thick brown curls out of his face. She smelt of some flower he couldn’t name, but the smell was enticing, making him grit his teeth to keep from wrapping his hand in it and pulling her back for a deep kiss. His cock was rock hard and the new position he’d pulled her into was even worse on his strained will. Now it was more than the smell. It was her cuddled up to his chest like she felt safe with him. What a joke. He wanted Tess beneath him moaning with pleasure. If her hand didn’t quit making slow sensual circles on his spine they’d never make it to Donavan land. He’d be stopping to bed his wife where anyone could come upon them. Hell! He shouldn’t be thinking about bedding anyone. She was naïve now, but sooner rather than later she’d realise she was married to a half-breed man with a damaged leg. She deserved better than him. But then she laughed and looked at him. There was such joy on her face, in the smile that seemed to ignite a light inside that made her skin glow. Her eyes sparkled and she looked at him without fear and no repulsion, just genuine happiness. Before he could talk himself out of it, he did what he’d wanted to do since they were declared man and wife. He www.total-e-bound.com
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leaned his head down and kissed her. Not a chaste peck like before but a thorough exploration. Her lips were so soft and smooth and he felt her breath catch as he pulled back to trace her bottom lip with his tongue. Far from scaring her, it seemed to intrigue her. Her tongue darted out to trace the wet path he’d left behind before she tugged it with her teeth. He groaned and his dick pulsed again as he leaned in to taste her once more. He licked her lip again and her tongue slipped out to touch his. When she pulled back, he followed and they both groaned at the new sensations. He explored her mouth, touching everywhere that he could and when her tongue brushed his he rubbed along it. She lifted her hands to wrap about his neck and the feel of her fingers as they brushed his hair was heavenly. He took the reins in one hand—trusting his faithful horse not to unseat them—and moved the other to her hip. As the kiss finally ended, leaving them both panting for air, he realised his fingers now skimmed the side of her breast—which was fuller than her clothes belied. He looked into her eyes again. She was panting, her chest heaving as she drew in air, and she licked her lips again. He groaned and flexed his fingers against her clothing. Her eyes immediately showed dismay. He had wondered how long it would take her to regain her senses and realise what she was doing and with whom. “I’m sorry,” she spoke and he saw the truth in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you or cause discomfort.” “You don’t regret the kiss?” Sean asked. “Is it not what married people do?” she said. “Kiss and other things?” she blushed as she asked the last, and impossibly it made her look all the more beautiful. “Not always,” he answered truthfully, not wanting her to kiss him because she felt it was a duty. “That’s too bad,” she replied. “It was amazing.” Sean laughed and the sound was so unusual that it startled his horse. His wife gripped him tighter and he reluctantly moved his hand to take the reins with both hands again. As the horse soothed he waited for her to pull back again but she didn’t, instead tucking her head once more onto his shoulder and sighing softly.
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“How far until we are on your family’s land?” she asked. “Will we make it to the house by eve or stop overnight?” She lifted one hand to quickly cover her mouth and murmured an apology that almost had him laughing again. He felt like a clod for what he was about to ask, but to be honest he hadn’t really thought it would matter before. “What is your name?” he asked . “Tess,” she replied then as if she was afraid he had forgotten, added, “Tess Donavan.” He laughed again, more quietly this time. “I’m aware of your last name, Tess. I take it you’re from up north somewhere and not familiar with the way things are here.” “I’m from the northeast, yes,” she admitted, but he sensed she was guarding her words. “But I’ve read a lot about the West and I’m quite capable of helping you with any number of things.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Such as?”
Tess took a deep breath. He seemed more relaxed now and that kiss had been the most incredible moment of her life so far. She definitely didn’t want to do anything to change him back into the man she’d first met. She liked this Sean better. “My mother taught me to be a lady. She taught me the right way to run a household so that my husband would never have to be bothered with problems at home.” “Ahhh, a lady huh? And ladies kiss the way you just did?” his voice held laughter still, and she was grateful. “Well, I was never really very good at being a lady,” she admitted and looked at his face again to gauge how he might take that news. When he just smiled and nodded she went on. “I’m afraid I was a bit too much like my father.” “And what of your father?” Sean asked. “He was an amazing man. So big and full of stories of his many adventures. I didn’t see him often when I was younger, but he came home to raise me when my mother died.” “How old were you?” he asked. “Just past my thirteenth birthday,” she remembered again the plague that had taken so many that year, her mother included. Luckily her father had been close by and it had only been a few days before he had come for her. Her life had changed so much then and she had always felt a little guilty at how much more she enjoyed life with her father. But with her dad www.total-e-bound.com
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she had been allowed to be who she wanted, to run wild and free, to enjoy life. No more dresses and teas, no more ‘not now, Comtessa’ or ‘don’t do that, Comtessa’. No more Comtessa, a name she had always despised. With her dad she was just Tess, or often Tessa. “I’m sorry for your loss, Tess,” Sean said, breaking into her thoughts. “Thank you,” she said. “And once you went to live with your dad?” he prompted, and she had to laugh. “What?” he asked. “It’s just that you are asking a lot of questions for someone who urged me to silence earlier,” she said and almost bit her tongue. But Sean just laughed again and she really loved the sound of it. “I’m sorry about that,” he admitted. “You weren’t happy to be stuck with me as a bride,” she stated for him. “No, that wasn’t it at all,” he said and she snorted. He took the reins in one hand and used the other to cup her chin and have her look him in the eyes again. “You are a beautiful woman, Tess. I hated that you were stuck with a half-breed as a husband, and a crippled one at that.” “Crippled?” she asked. “I see nothing wrong with you. And I know that half-breed means that you are part Indian, but I don’t understand how that is a bad thing.” “That’s because you’re not from here,” Sean stated, almost under his breath—but she heard him. She would let that go for now as she sensed it was not something she would be able to change for him. But as to the other—“I noticed nothing crippled about you,” she said then blushed as that eyebrow of his lifted once more. “You must have seen me limping when we were in town,” he commented casually. “It’s not something that will go away.” “What happened?” she asked softly. “I was shot,” he replied. Rage filled her and she couldn’t be quiet. “For being part Indian? Is that why you sound so bitter when you talk of being labelled a half-breed? Why would anyone care about anything other than the man you are? Why does anything else matter?” www.total-e-bound.com
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Sean shook his head and smiled again. “No, the wound had nothing to do with my Indian blood, but with my job at the time.” “Oh,” Tess said, feeling a little silly now. “You surprise me,” he said. “Why is that?” she asked, hoping it was a good thing. “You don’t even know me and yet you are so ready to come to my defence,” he stated. “You’re my husband,” she replied matter-of-factly. “And that means something to you?” he said, looking surprised. For a girl who never thought she would have a husband? “It means everything to me,” she said. His horse stopped and, easing her forward, he slid from the saddle before lifting her down. She stood in the tall grass and took notice that they were at the edge of thick woods. “There’s a place just inside the tree line where we can stop for a while,” he said. She glanced around and saw the wagon was nowhere in sight. “Where did the wagon go?” “The ranch hands will stick to the roads all the way to the ranch,” Sean informed her. “We’ll go a quicker way.” “Where exactly are we now?” she asked. This conversation had taken so many twists and turns that she was lost at the moment. “These woods form one of the boundaries to Donavan land. I thought we might stop for a while,” he said and looked unsure. “It might be nice if we got to know each other a little more before we get home.” “Okay.” She nodded. Maybe while they were talking he’d kiss her again. She really hoped he would.
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Chapter Three
Sean watched Tess as they walked into the cover of trees. He breathed deeper as they entered Donavan land. He always felt like life was better, easier when he was home. He noticed the way Tess looked around and seemed to be taking it all in. There was no fear—just a curiosity that seemed to emanate from his new wife. A wife—something he’d never planned to have. But now, Tess was making him feel like maybe this was what he’d been searching for. Her. Hell, look how easily she’d cut through his defences so far. He owed it to them both to take the time to get to know her, let her know him. He sensed a passion in her that might complement his. He definitely felt like he might not repulse her with the scars he carried on his skin. When they’d moved in far enough he ground-tied his horse and took his bedroll and pack from behind the saddle, then grabbed her bag as well. “Will we need a fire here?” Tess asked, and at his nod she started looking around for kindling. After what she had said she’d learned from her mother, he was surprised. He set up camp while she moved around, making sure to always keep her in his sight. He knew she would be safe here but he also didn’t know how she would react if she suddenly discovered one of his mom’s relations appearing. His dad owned a lot of acres and his mom’s people were always welcome here. It was their home too. Even more so since his grandfather had come to live with them. Which now meant they had an old crazy Irishman and an even older and crazier Apache living with them. It certainly made things interesting at home. Plus Jacob, the oldest of his two younger brothers, had recently brought home a bride named Daisy. She’d been a lottery bride as well. The two seemed to love each other and though he usually didn’t show it, Sean had been happy for his brother, and a little jealous as well. He’d wanted a woman to look at him the way Daisy looked at Jacob. He’d wanted the casual touches they shared in the open and the heated looks that were hard to miss. He glanced back at Tess and wondered if he’d have that with her. www.total-e-bound.com
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His bride would be at more of a disadvantage than Daisy had been, as Tess wouldn’t know anyone but him. Daisy had known his Apache grandfather before, though she hadn’t known he was a member of Jacob’s family until she’d arrived at the ranch. She called him Saviour and the old man had been just that to her. He’d saved her more than once from the cruel hands of a sadistic brother-in-law and his friends. He’d taught her how to live off the land and, more importantly, how to fight. The two of them remained very close. Tess dropped down an armload of wood beside him, drawing him out of his thoughts and back to her. “Thanks,” he told her as she reached for the bedroll and laid it out before sitting down on it. “Will we be spending the night here?” she asked, and there was only interest in her face. Honestly, he’d just planned to stay for a while then move out again, but he hadn’t been thinking about her when he’d decided that. But he did usually stay here when he had to go to town to trade for supplies. There was no reason why they shouldn’t spend the night. Plus, now that he thought about it, this spot would ensure a little privacy for his first night with his wife. “Yeah, I thought we’d stay here,” he offered, building the fire. “I’ve got some food in my bag and we should be able to reach the house late tomorrow.” If not, he was sure they’d be able to stop at one of many other campsites that existed on Donavan land. Tess stretched and lifted her long skirt up to mid-calf. She used her hands to massage the muscles in her calves and he eyed the dainty boots. They couldn’t be comfortable. “Why don’t you take those off?” he suggested. She grinned up at him, already reaching for the laces. “Did you put my bag on the saddle or in the wagon? I can’t remember.” At his nod towards her bag she smiled even brighter. She really was a beautiful woman. “Thanks, I didn’t have a chance to change before we left, but I do have more appropriate clothes for riding.” She groaned as one boot left her foot. She arched her toes and Sean felt like a clod for being so turned on by the sight of a woman’s stocking-clad foot. The other boot followed and he couldn’t stop himself. Sitting beside her on the bedroll he took one of her feet into his hands and began to massage it for her. She closed her eyes and moaned. The sound wrapped around him and had his dick at full attention again. Damn, he wanted his wife badly. But he honestly had no www.total-e-bound.com
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idea if they would get that far tonight. This was all new to both of them and he didn’t want to scare her off. Not when it seemed she didn’t care about the Indian blood in his veins or the scars he hadn’t shown her yet. “That feels so good, Sean,” she sighed. He switched one foot for the other and began giving it the same treatment. “If this is part of being married, I think I’m really going to love it,” she gushed, and Sean found himself laughing again. “I don’t really know that much except what I’ve seen with my parents and more recently my brother,” Sean said. “But I think marriage is pretty much what we want or feel comfortable with.” “My parents weren’t together much,” Tess stated. “I often wonder if they ever loved each other at all. My mother was very much a woman who loved the city, the social life she’d grown up with. My father was gone with his job a lot. I’m not sure how they met. I do know that my mother never looked at another man while my dad was gone. I’d like to think that meant she loved him.” “So when your dad came to get you,” Sean said, “where did you go?” There was no misreading the joy that brightened her face. “We left the city behind and moved out onto a little farm. Dad let me have a dog.” She sighed wistfully. “I loved that dog.” “What happened to it?” Sean asked and wondered if she realised that his hands were now massaging the shapely curves of her calves. “My uncle wouldn’t let me bring him when my dad died.” For a moment she seemed far away, as if she were reliving the past. “I had to leave a lot of stuff behind when I went to stay with my uncle.” He could hear the sadness. “So is that why you decided to come here and marry Mr Sutter?” She nodded. “I needed to get out of that city.” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “I needed to breathe.” “So you don’t miss the city?” Sean asked. “No,” she said and smiled. “My dad taught me to love the land and what it could provide if you only knew what to look for.” She giggled and it was an amazing sound. “He used to tell me stories of his adventures as a Texas Ranger. He had the most amazing adventures.” www.total-e-bound.com
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“Your dad was a Ranger?” Sean asked with surprise. Hell, being a Texas Ranger was a family tradition for the Donavan men. “Yes, but he gave that up when mom died and came home to take care of me,” Tess said. Sean remembered his dad being gone for long stretches of time as well when he was younger. Hell, he’d had long stints following trails as well. Jacob had done the same thing until he’d returned with his wife and now Joshua, the youngest Donavan, would be doing the same. It was part of being a Ranger. “What was your dad’s name?” Sean asked. He’d continued massaging until his hands were now at her knees and the feel of her skin was making it harder and harder for him not to push her down and move on top of her. “John Winston,” she said. Then her face was right next to his, just inches from his reach. “You have amazing hands, Sean Donavan,” she said. He was caught by her eyes, lost in them for a moment, and he leaned closer before he finally stopped himself. “Are you going to kiss me again?” she asked and he could actually see the anticipation on her face. Did she really want his kiss? “Would you like me to?” he managed to whisper. “Oh, yes,” she whispered back, and placed her lips chastely on his. Then he felt the slow slide of her tongue along his bottom lip and it was like the leash holding him back had snapped. He moved his hands above her knees to touch the creamy flesh of her thighs and he touched her tongue with his before slipping it inside her mouth. It was amazing, the taste of her; the brush of her tongue against his. When he finally broke the kiss she was lying on the bedroll with her legs around him, her skirt up around her waist and him looming over her, his rock hard cock just inches from where he wanted it. It took everything he had to hold onto his control.
Tess felt Sean pulling back and refused to let him. He couldn’t make her feel so amazing and then pull away. She grabbed his shoulders and held tight to him. “Don’t stop, please,” she begged. www.total-e-bound.com
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“If we keep kissing like this it’s going to lead to other things,” he said in a voice that sounded strained to her. He pointedly looked down at her unladylike sprawl beneath him, but she refused to be embarrassed by it. “We’re married,” she said, a reminder to them both. “Won’t other things happen?” “Do you want that something right now, right here?” Sean said. “Do you?” she asked back. He released a shaky breath and closed his eyes. “I’m more ready than you can imagine,” he muttered quietly. But Tess knew what he meant, had felt the hardness of his penis with her hand, hip and, just recently, so close to where she knew it was supposed to fill her and bring them both pleasure. Or so the French books her mom had kept said. Tess took a deep breath and used her grip on his shoulders to pull herself up for another kiss. She brushed her lips over his before moving to his cheek and down along his jaw. She could feel the tension in him and knew what she tempted with her actions. But this was what she wanted, to be his wife in more than just name before she met his family; before one of them could see her as her uncle had—as useless and unworthy. She wanted to feel Sean against her, flesh to flesh, and more than anything she wanted him to want her as it appeared that he did. “I want you, Sean,” she said. “I want to be your wife.” She felt stupid and naïve for saying those words to a man she’d just met. But would it have been any different with Mr Sutter? Would he have expected her to see to his needs immediately? Would his kiss have been anything like Sean’s? Somehow she doubted that. Then she was pulled out of those thoughts as Sean gave a groan and pushed her down onto her back, this time letting his body rest all along hers. He moved his tongue between her lips once more and she couldn’t think about anything other than him and this moment that she’d been waiting for since she’d decided to answer an ad for a bride.
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Chapter Four
Sean used all the control he had left to pull away from her again. He wanted her. Amazingly she wanted him too. But he wanted to take his time, to make sure that she really enjoyed it. He had a feeling she was a virgin and he’d never been with one of those, only with women who knew exactly what a man wanted and expected to be paid for giving it to them. “Don’t stop,” Tess said again, and Sean had to remind himself that he really needed to slow down. “I’m not stopping, Tess,” he promised. “I’m just slowing things down a bit.” “Why?” she asked, with genuine curiosity. Sean found himself laughing again. “Well, for one we’re still dressed,” he said, and grinned as Tess blushed. He watched her take in the fact that evening hadn’t quite fallen yet. Then she took a deep breath and looked up at him. “You want to take our clothes off?” she whispered. “I’d like to see you, Tess, just as God made you,” he stated. Now that he’d made up his mind that he could be her husband—that she might be okay with a half-breed husband— he was ready to move forward, quickly. He watched her run her gaze over him and though her skin was still flushed with a rosy blush, she nodded her head and agreed. “I’d like to see you too.” He grinned again—just couldn’t seem to stop around this woman. Easing further back from her, he moved so that he sat beside her. He groaned once more as he took in her tumbled appearance. She was such a contradiction. Sprawled as she was with her skirt around the tops of her thighs, her knees apart, and her hair a wild mass around her, she was so sexy. Yet the blush, the uncertainty, the very innocence that surrounded her, conveyed her newness to what they were about to do. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, and when she dropped her eyes he used one hand to lift her chin, urging her to meet his eyes again. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Tess,” he told her. www.total-e-bound.com
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“You make me feel beautiful,” she replied, and he swore he felt his heart swell at her confession. “I’m glad,” he told her and reached for the buttons on his shirt. As he opened them Tess moved, coming to her knees beside him and as the last button came free he heard her groan, watched her sink her teeth into her bottom lip. He shrugged the shirt off his shoulders and down his arms. She reached her hands out to him, but she stopped halfway. He took them in his and brought them to his smooth chest, pressing her palms flat against him. “Touch me,” he urged her. “I want to feel your hands on me.” Her touch was shy and unsure at first, but so electrifying that he had to close his eyes. He knew what she was seeing. He had plenty of scars from knives and other weapons used against him in the inevitable altercations he’d been in as a Ranger. He felt her move closer and he opened his eyes as he felt the slow slide of her tongue against one such mark. He flexed his hands and she jumped back from him. “No, don’t stop,” he told her and brought her head back to his chest, urging her to keep doing what she wanted. She ran her fingers over the mark her tongue had just explored and he held his breath. “A knife,” she stated, not a question but an observation. She looked into his eyes and he nodded, lifting his eyebrow with a question of his own. “My father had many of the same scars, as well as a few from bullets,” she said as she kept running her hands over him, finding every mark and tracing it. “I was always fascinated by them. To me they proved how strong and brave he was.” She looked him in the eye and traced a finger along his side just over his ribs. “They show me how strong and brave my husband is,” she whispered. His breath caught again. Never had he thought to find a woman who would be so accepting. Not even when his brother Jacob had shown up with Daisy. He’d felt his brother was lucky, but it never once crossed his mind that he might be able to find something similar. Tess made him feel like the luckiest man in the world. He leaned in and took her mouth again, meaning for it to be soft and slow but there was no soft, no slow anymore when it came to kissing Tess. Not when she moved closer to him opening her mouth and rubbing her tongue along his. He felt the prick of her nails on his shoulders as she held tight to him. He moved his hands between them, opening her www.total-e-bound.com
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blouse and pushing the material aside to reveal her chemise. She pulled back from him and helped to push the blouse down her arms to pool behind her. The shirt had hidden the fullness of her breasts, but the chemise underneath showed what he had had already felt. He ran his fingertips over the top swells of her breasts and heard Tess’ breath catch in her throat. “So beautiful,” he whispered and bent his head to trace over the same path with his lips and tongue. When he pulled back there was no missing the thrust of her hardened nipples against the cloth. He met her eyes and moved his hands to the top button of her chemise. Her breath was coming hard and fast now but she made no move to stop him. When he had it opened wide enough he pushed it off her shoulders, down her arms and watched as it fell to her waist. Tess was beautiful, perfection. Tight pink nipples crowned the most gorgeous breasts Sean had ever seen. He gripped her waist and he lifted her up so that her breasts were right where he wanted them. Sean held her gaze as he ran his tongue over one taut nipple. Tess moaned and he felt her body tighten in his grasp. He moved to the other nipple and licked over it as well. He pulled back to see her reaction and she moaned again as his breath blew across her wet nipple. So he bent to lick it again, then pulled back to blow on it. Surprisingly, it seemed to harden further, as if begging him for more. “Sean,” she whispered his name and it was all the encouragement he needed. He took one plump nipple between his lips and sucked on it. Her hands clenched on his shoulders ,holding him tight as he sucked, laved and nipped her breasts, worshipping them with his mouth. When he finally pulled back they were both panting for breath. She moved her arms to embrace him, hugging him tightly to her as she shook. He ran his hands up and down her spine, soothing her. “Tess?” he asked, hoping he hadn’t frightened her. “I’m fine,” she whispered. “I never knew, never imagined that it would be so amazing, Sean.” “That’s only the beginning,” he assured her. Once more he helped her to lie on her back on the bedroll. He moved back down to her feet and eased her skirt back up to the tops of her knees so that he could reach her stockings. www.total-e-bound.com
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One at a time he rolled them down her legs, revealing the pale, soft flesh beneath. He placed them with their shirts and turned back to her. Both her skirt and the bottom of her chemise were bunched around the top of her thighs, revealing the white edge of her drawers. He kissed the tops of both of her knees and reached for the side buttons of her skirt. Releasing them he pulled back, taking her skirt and chemise with him until they slid around her feet. He lifted her feet, one then the other, placing kisses along the arches as he tugged the clothes over to the pile. Now she lay before him with only one garment left to cover her. Her knees were bent, feet apart and he was on his knees between them. She was up on her elbows, hair a wild tumble of brown cascading over her shoulders, her breasts playing peek-a-boo through the curls. Her eyes were glazed with a sensuality he’d never seen before, not even with the wellseasoned whores he’d lain with in the past. Once more he found himself awed by this woman, so willing to take him as husband, to accept him. He reached for the lacy ties of her drawers and loosened them. Holding her gaze, he let his fingers slide into the material and began pulling it down over her hips. Slowly, so slowly he almost stopped, she lifted her hips to aid him in the removal of her final shield. He kept his eyes on hers as the material moved down her legs, and maintained her gaze until he tossed it with the other clothes. He ran his hands back up her legs, brushing his fingertips along the insides, loving the way her breath caught and her eyelids grew heavier. He pressed her legs flat and lowered from his knees to his stomach between them. He eased up and took her breasts once more, urging her to a fully reclined position as he suckled her. This time he didn’t stop until she was squirming and panting beneath him. Then he moved his lips and tongue down over the softly rounded curve of her belly, dipping his tongue into the small indent of her belly button before forging lower still. The musky smell of her sex drew him and finally he let his eyes touch her there. Brown curls, just a bit darker than the hair on her head, crowned the pink lips of her pussy already flushed and swollen with desire. He could see the dew glistening on those lips and leant down to run his tongue over them, tasting her for the first time. It was intoxicating and made him want more, need more. www.total-e-bound.com
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With a deep groan he used one hand to part her for a better taste and trailed his tongue from her opening, up and around the kernel of her clitoris. She moaned and shook beneath him, but he held her in place with his shoulders and hands and tasted her as thoroughly as he wanted. When she was panting, moaning and thrashing wildly beneath him, he firmly pressed a finger deep inside her. She was so incredibly tight around his digit. He pumped it in and out, faster and faster until he felt her pussy contract and grow wetter as she orgasmed. Quickly he moved his mouth down to cover her there, thrusting his tongue in and out of her pussy in a similar rhythm to what his cock was longing for. She was so wet from the orgasm he’d just given her and her taste was the sweetest nectar he’d ever consumed. He used his thumb to brush her clit, keeping her right in the moment with him. He’d heard a woman’s first time with a man could be painful. He hoped that she was as relaxed as she appeared and that it would make it easier for her to accept him. Slowly he eased from her, moving his hands to brush along her hips and stomach as she came down. When she seemed to be breathing a little slower, a little easier, he reluctantly got to his feet. She was a tempting sight as he looked down at her. Her skin was still flushed from her orgasm, her breasts drawing his eyes as the hardened nipples moved with every breath. “Sean?” she questioned, looking at him with eyes which were soft and unafraid. She made him feel ten feet tall. “The sun’s down,” he told her, and watched her startled expression as she seemed to notice it for the first time. He laughed. “I’m glad I was such a distraction.” He grinned again as she blushed once more. “Is that…? Was that…?” She couldn’t seem to finish the question he knew she wanted to ask. “No,” he said. “That was just the beginning,” he promised. “I’m just going to light a fire so you don’t get cold, so that I can keep looking at how beautiful you are with more than just the moonlight.” He saw her gaze drop to take in the bulge of his cock that he couldn’t hide even if he wanted to, and he groaned as she licked her lips. The thought of her licking him there, swiping that soft little tongue of hers over the head of his cock almost made him come in his pants. “Sean?” she questioned again. www.total-e-bound.com
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“Fire, Tess,” he said, turning to get the kindling she’d gathered earlier and moving to build a fire as quickly as he could. He turned to meet her eyes before adding, “Then I’m going to make love to my wife.”
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Chapter Five
Tess couldn’t take her eyes off Sean as he made the fire. She watched the play of muscle in his shoulders and back as he went through the motions. Her mind was still reeling; her body still on fire from the things he’d done to her. And, oh how amazing those things had been. She’d never imagined it would be like this, feel like this. Or more honestly, she’d never imagined a man would want her the way it seemed her new husband did. Sean seemed to like her body and the pleasure she felt with him. He turned from the fire and walked back to stand at her feet. So big, so strong. She held his gaze and loved the way his eyes looked heavy, the way his nostrils flared. He reached for the opening of his pants and Tess came to her knees before him in anticipation. She saw the way his body quivered at her position, heard him groan under his breath. “May I?” she asked, moving her hands to cover his as he unfastened the buttons. He moved his hands to his sides and squeezed them into fists. “Sean?” she questioned as he closed his eyes. “Go ahead.” He nodded and opened those beautiful blue eyes to stare down at her. She touched the open sides of his pants and began to tug them down. Nothing but bronzed skin lay beneath. It appeared that Sean wore nothing but his pants. She glanced down at his bare feet, just as bronzed as the rest of him, and wondered when he had removed his boots. She had no idea, but then he’d kept her thoughts pretty tangled since he’d first touched her. Then she tugged the material down further and the bulge she’d noticed popped free. Her turn to catch her breathand groan. The pants were forgotten as her hands automatically reached to hold this new vision. So long and thick and beautifully bronzed like the rest of him. She let her fingers trail along the underside until she reached the base of his penis. She wrapped her fingers around him, but they didn’t quite meet. She moved her hand back up his length, marvelling at the feel. How could something so unbelievably hard feel so soft? She rested her fingers as they hit the top where it crowned, www.total-e-bound.com
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flaring wider than the rest of his cock. She licked her lips and Sean’s groan brought her eyes back up to his. “Tess.” He tugged at her hair gently, as if he wanted her to rise. But she couldn’t. The smell of him was intoxicating, making her feel as if she’d stolen a few swallows of her daddy’s whisky. There was definitely a fire in her belly as well. She ran her hand from the underside, down the shaft and back up again. Sean moaned and a tiny drop of white cream appeared in the slit, centred on the very top. Without thought she leaned closer and licked it up. The taste of him exploded on her tongue and she lapped over the top of him again and again. Her moan of pleasure mixed with his and the fingers in her hair tightened. “Tess, you have to stop,” Sean pleaded. “You’re killing me.” Tess let go of him and moved back so quickly that she fell onto her bottom. She felt tears fill her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m so sorry.” She watched as Sean blew out a breath. His cock was still hard, waving up towards his belly. “You didn’t hurt me like that, Tess,” he told her. He moved quickly, taking his pants completely off then joining her on the bedroll. Sitting beside her, he reached out to cup her cheek, then kissed her. He nipped at her bottom lip before pressing in, seeking entry to her mouth. She gladly opened for him and tentatively rubbed her tongue along his. She could taste herself on him. She wondered if it made her less of a lady because she enjoyed it. And with the hint of his flavour still on her tongue, the mixture of the two of them was like nothing she’d ever known. She wondered if he could taste the two of them as well. Then all thoughts disappeared as his hands found her breasts, and he brushed his thumbs over her nipples. He moved over her, urging her back until she was lying once more on the bedroll. Only this time he was just as naked. His lips left hers to blaze a trail down her neck to her chest. Fingers were replaced with lips, tongue, and teeth. Each pull at her nipple seemed to ripple along an imaginary string that was connected to her womb. Too quickly he was moving on, his lips and tongue skimming over her belly, back to her woman’s place. When his tongue flicked over her again she reached out to twine her fingers in his hair. www.total-e-bound.com
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She felt the slide of his fingers entering her as his tongue continued to lap and taste her. She could feel the build of tension inside her once more, only this time she knew the amazing sensations she was reaching for, could feel herself growing closer and closer to them. “Sean,” she moaned his name. She should be embarrassed with the way her hips were moving beneath his mouth and hands, but she was too far gone to care. She was right on the edge and when he wrapped his lips around that piece of flesh that seemed to be the centre of her pleasure and began sucking on it, she exploded. She knew she was crying out, saying his name over and over again, but she didn’t care. Never had anyone made her feel the way he did.
Sean slowly lifted his mouth from her. Her pussy still clenched in spasms around his fingers, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He’d wanted to make her come again, to know that she was wet and sated before he allowed his cock to enter her. He didn’t want to hurt her, didn’t want to scare her. He shifted, gliding back up her body until he felt his cock nudge her. Using one hand, he guided the head to her pussy and lodged it in her opening. Holding her gaze once more, he slowly pressed in. She was tight, so incredibly tight and it took everything he had not to just surge the rest of the way in. She moved beneath him and he clenched his teeth struggling to maintain control. “Sean?” she whispered, a question this time, unlike the way she’d been yelling it just minutes before. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he told her, feeling the sweat on his brow and trickling down his spine, as he held himself as still as he could. He wasn’t even halfway in and already he could feel the tingle of orgasm. “Sean,” she whispered his name again and ran her hands up his sides until she could grasp his shoulders. Her legs came up and gripped his hips and he sank just a bit deeper inside her tight heat. “Tess,” he breathed out, desperate for her to lay still. If she kept moving he didn’t know if he would be able to keep the pace slow. “Easy,” he urged as he fought to maintain the slow steady pace he was setting. www.total-e-bound.com
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“Sean,” she said again, and her hand came up to stroke his jaw. He glanced down and fell into her eyes, so soft and luminous with her recent orgasm. “Kiss me,” she demanded, and ran her tongue along her bottom lip before she rubbed her lips together leaving them glistening with moisture. He leaned lower and swept his tongue over her lips. She opened eagerly for him and he thrust his tongue inside the way he wanted to thrust his cock inside below. He felt her hands slide from his shoulders down over his back. He felt her touch his buttocks, tentatively at first, then her grip firmed and she tugged at him. He slid a little deeper and he pulled from the kiss, panting. There were only a few more inches left then he would be fully inside her. “Don’t stop,” she pleaded. “Take me and make me completely yours.” She smiled softly at him. “Just kiss me while you do,” she begged. He couldn’t fight them both. So he took her mouth again and thrust hard, forcing the tight confines of her pussy to accept all of him. He broke the kiss again, shuddering for breath as she rippled and pulsed around him. Her neck was arched up towards him and she was panting. Slowly he pulled back then surged deep again. She cried out and he felt the bite of her nails, the dig of her heels. He did it again and again, building in speed and intensity as the pleasure rose higher and higher. He could feel a tickle at the base of his spine and knew he was close to orgasm. He slipped a hand down between their bodies and found her clit, rubbing his thumb in tight circles over it. She moaned and shifted beneath him, his name spilling off her tongue like a chant. Even though he was close to the edge himself, he couldn’t prevent the grin from spreading over his face. He loved the way his wife moaned his name. He rubbed harder, wanting to bring her with him. He could feel her body tensing beneath him, nails and heels digging deeper into him until she broke with a keening cry of his name. Three more thrusts and he joined her. He had no idea where his control had come from, but he was glad he’d held onto it long enough.
Tess closed her eyes and gasped for breath. It had to be a sin to feel this good. If this was what it was like to be married, then how had her parents gone for such long periods www.total-e-bound.com
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apart? She wanted to spend the rest of her life making love with Sean. She hugged him tighter where he lay atop her and slowly let her legs slide from him. “Is it always this incredible?” she asked him, then wanted to bite her tongue for doing so. “I think this is how it should be—when you’re married,” he tacked on as he rolled off her to lie beside her. “Will it stay like this?” She couldn’t help asking. She certainly hoped so. “I hope so,” Sean told her. “But marriage is new to me too. My brother Jacob and his wife Daisy seem to always be sharing secret looks and such.” “Have they been married long?” she asked. “About six months,” Sean said, then laughed. “Daisy was a lottery bride too.” “Really?” Tess was excited to hear that. “And she’s happy?” “I believe so,” Sean said, coming up onto one elbow beside her. “I’ll do my best by you,” he promised. “I want you to be happy, Tess.” “Can I ask you something?” Sean nodded. “Why were you so unhappy to marry me? You could barely look at me.” Sean sighed. “I’m not the most comfortable in towns.” “Why not?” Tess wanted to know. “You were a Ranger.” Sean laughed. “Yeah, I was a Ranger.” She watched as he slid his hand down to rub an ugly puckered wound on the top of his thigh. That must be the wound he’d mentioned before, the reason why he limped sometimes. He said he’d been shot. “I’m not sure what you know about things here, about how my kind is often treated.” “Rangers?” she asked in confusion. Sean just shook his head. “Indians, half-breeds.” “How can you be half of something?” she wondered out loud. “You either are or you aren’t. Right?” Sean laughed. “Believe me, I am. My dad is Irish, my mom Apache. I’m half of each, as are my brothers.” “And your parents are happy?” she asked.
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“Yes,” Sean said. “All my life I’ve known that I was different. From the first time I went into town with my dad, I noticed the way people acted around me. The way they sneered behind my dad’s back, the way they acted like I was dirty, somehow less than them.” “How could anyone treat you that way!” Tess exclaimed, her voice filled with the outrage she felt. “You’re the most amazing man I’ve met.” “I’m glad that you feel that way,” Sean stated with a smile. “It doesn’t bother me anymore,” he told her, but she didn’t believe him. How could that not bother him? It wasn’t right. “I’ve just learned that I would rather be home on the ranch than anywhere else.” Surrounded by people who loved and accepted him, probably. And who could blame him? “But what does that have to do with not wanting to marry me?” Tess asked. “Not you,” he said quickly. “Anyone. I never planned to marry at all. Any woman I took as wife would be subjected to the same treatment. I didn’t want that.” “So it had nothing to do with me in particular,” Tess clarified. “But with marrying in general.” He nodded and she grinned. “But I don’t care about any of that. Just let someone say something to me. I’ll give them a lecture about how to treat people that they won’t soon forget.” “You can’t change the way people act, Tess,” Sean told her. “You don’t have to accept it either,” she replied. Sean laughed softly and trailed his fingers across her cheek. “The sheriff said you were different, I’m beginning to see he was right.” He leaned closer and took her under once more with his kiss. Tess had let the temptation of adventure lead her to the West as a mail order bride, only to become a lottery bride instead. Now she found herself the wife of a man she knew she was already falling in love with. What wasn’t to love? For the first time since her dad’s death, Tess felt happy. As Sean began gliding his hands over her body again Tess only knew one thing for sure. Temptation had paid off.
Also from Total-E-Bound Publishing: www.total-e-bound.com
Blood Magic: Rogue’s Rage Lacey Thorn
Excerpt Prologue
Raven lay in the cage, praying for death. How long had she been here? What more did he have planned for her? Surely he could not hurt her more than he already had. She had never known a man so hungry for power. It was easy to see now that he craved the crown and would do his best to remove anyone that stood in his way. She had overheard Wilhelm speaking of how his brother, the Queen’s husband, had been killed. The Queen’s brother, who ruled as king at her side, had left to search but already Wilhelm plotted the man’s demise. It was apparent that he did not plan for Raven to ever leave this room alive or he would not speak thus in front of her. She had come to speak with the Queen, to tell Ona of the whispers the wind carried of a great evil that threatened all. Instead she had met the evil head on and alone. There were six of them who approached while she was bathing in the stream. But she had not shown any fear. She was native and her weapons were always available to her. Rising from the water, she had broadened her stance and held her hands to the side. “You are trespassing,” one of them stated, but she could scent the lust on them in the air. “I thought that the land belonged to any and all,” was her soft reply. In all honesty the land belonged more to her and her people than to any other. They were the natives, the ones who had been here since the beginning and would remain here always. “Trespassing is a very serious and punishable offence,” one of the others said, and licked his lips. Goddess spare her from men who thought themselves gods among men.
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“Then I will just dress and be on my way,” she said softly and sighed as snickers filled the air. This would not be pleasant, at least not for them. “Out of the water now,” was the only reply she received. Slowly she moved forward, her mind already planning what course she would take once aground. She could feel the shift of the dragon under her skin, the protector of those of native royalty. Did these men have no idea of the power she could wield? For a native, weapons were always within reach, lying just under their skin. If you glanced at her back you would see her sword. The hilt descended from the back of her neck and squared off so that it spread out to her shoulder blades before stopping just beneath them. The long blade trailed down her spine, ending in a sharp point at the small of her back where a small dragon curled around the tip. Both dragon and sword could be pulled from her skin and used in defence unless she was rendered unconscious. Then both would return to the skin until called forth once more. She stepped from the water and slipped her hand high, then lowered it behind her neck. One more chance was all they would get before she drew it from her skin and prepared for battle. One of the group stepped forward and his leer was like a psychic caress over her flesh. One meaty paw reached out and his filthy fingers pinched her nipple and tugged at it. “Perhaps we should punish you ourselves,” he breathed, stepping closer to her. And Raven kicked into fight mode. Her knee lifted into the hardened flesh of his cock while one palm flashed out and connected with his nose, sending his body in two different directions. The knee made him want to curl forward while the palm sent his head snapping back. The result was him at her feet, fingers hugging his knees to his chest while his nose gushed blood. She stood at the ready, one hand returning to hover behind her neck, though she had yet to call forth the blade or the dragon. A tingle under the skin like a premonition cautioned her to wait, to be careful in revealing all she held. The men paused around her as if her actions had given them pause in their plans. Then there was a tremble in the air and everything seemed to still. Her hand hovered and fell as a scream was ripped from her lips and she landed in a heap on the ground. Her hands slapped at her flesh that suddenly felt as if it were afire with flames. She tried in vain to use her hands www.total-e-bound.com
to put the flames out and rolled about fighting what she could not see. Then the pain overtook her and mercifully she passed out. When she awoke, she was tied down and unable to move or access her weapons. A man stood before her and she knew beyond a shadow of doubt that this was the Wilhelm that had been spoken of and that he was the great evil. He stood over her, taking in the shape of her body, the curves and dips, but she could not feel lust on him. A shadow moved and her glance was pulled towards another. A woman. Danuja, and obviously the source of the flames she had felt before. She stood behind Wilhelm and said nothing. “So you are finally awake,” he said, grabbing her attention back. “I was wondering how long you would deny me.” “I did not trespass,” she stated and yet she knew that had nothing to do with why she was here. “Ahhh, yes,” he sighed, and moved closer to her, placing a hand at her foot and trailing it up her skin as he moved towards her head. “But then we both know that is not why you are here.” “Then why?” she demanded. “You have something I desire,” he said. The hand stopped at her shoulder and moved to her breast. Soft fingers ran over her flesh, circling and touching and she shuddered with disgust. “Take it then and be done,” she growled. He laughed. “Tis not your body I crave,” he sneered. “But the magic that lies beneath.” Now it was her turn to laugh. “My magic belongs to none but me.” His touch became brutal, pinching and slapping at her. He moved back down her body until he stood between her spread thighs and dropped the robe he wore to the ground. “You will give it to me,” he swore. “One way or another.” With that he mounted and took her. Raven receded inside to a place that sheltered her mind though not her body. The fool did not seem to understand that a native’s magic was hers alone. It could not be taken. It could not be given. Raven shook her head, coming back to the present. She had no idea how many times he had taken her since her captivity, or even how long she had been here. Always the flames to www.total-e-bound.com
incapacitate her and awaking to being tied down with him atop her, telling her it would all end if she just gave him what he desired. Then awaking once more to her cage. What she did know was that her body was changing. Already she could feel the seed of life blooming inside. She must get away. She could not allow a child to be born and held at the mercy of so evil a man. She must either escape or ensure that the child was never born. There were no other viable options for either of them. She was brought from her thoughts by the constant opening and shutting of Wilhelm’s door. Something was going on. Something big. Wilhelm seemed agitated as he paced back and forth, ignoring her presence completely. She focused on what was being said to him, only catching the end. “to your chamber,” the man stated. “She will head this way as soon as the twins are down for the night. She only awaits Lydia’s arrival.” “Lydia is of no concern,” Wilhelm stated. “The woman fancies herself in love with me. She will do as she is told. The children will be dealt with as well.” “Of course, sir,” the man stated and bowed before leaving the room. “So the queen will meet your demand?” the Danuja woman said as she stepped from the shadows. “Of course she will,” Wilhelm said. “Her husband has been declared dead and she will feel compelled to turn to me for comfort. There is much that I will offer her.” “But she is Queen, ruler with or without her mate,” the Danuja stated. He cut her off with a harsh slap to the face that had her crying out. “I will rule,” he stated and Raven shook her head. He was so power hungry that he just assumed all would eventually bow to his will. But Raven knew better. After all, the sword the queen wielded had originated from a native. None would hold that sword but the queen and eventually the queen’s newborn daughter. Wilhelm and the Danuja left, taking exit through a secret panel in the wall. She knew well the torture chamber it led to. She’d been there too many times. All was silent, but she could feel the energy in the air. Then the door was opening again and it was with awe that she watched the queen enter the room. www.total-e-bound.com
Queen Ona was as beautiful as her portraits. Regal and calm. The woman looked about the room and seeing that they were alone she headed immediately for the cage Raven was in. “We do not have much time.” The queen slipped her hand through the bars. “Here is the key to your release. Guard it well until the time is right for your escape.” Raven took the key and slipped it under her hip. She had no clothing to hide it in as Wilhelm kept her naked in the cage. “Until the time is right,” she stated with a sigh. Hopefully that time would come before she was knocked out and moved once more. “Be ready,” Queen Ona said, squeezing her hand. “The time will be soon. When Wilhelm and his paramour are engaged with me, you must make your escape.” Raven nodded. “You must not fear what you see,” Queen Ona said. “Death comes for us all. Destiny waits for none. Mine lies in one path and yours in another.” Raven caught her breath as she looked at the queen. “Flee. Return to the people from whence you came. Guard the child you carry, for her destiny will help unite a nation and through her the chosen will fall and the curse will lift.” Raven nodded, but was unable to say anything as the wall opened and Wilhelm entered once more. She watched and listened, knowing that she must give witness to the sacrifice made. And when the time was right she used the key and fled, stopping neither for clothing nor supply. And long before she made her way home she heard on the wind that she was wanted for the death of Queen Ona.
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About the Author Lacey Thorn spends her days in small town Indiana the proud mother of three. When she is not busy with one of them she can be found typing away on her computer keyboard or burying her nose in a good book. Like every woman she knows just how chaotic life can be and how appealing that great escape can look. So toss aside the stress and tension of the never ending to do list. For now sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride with Lacey. It’s your world…unlaced. Email:
[email protected] Lacey loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com.
Also by Lacey Thorn The Debtor’s Daughters: Faithful Beginnings The Debtor’s Daughters: Claiming Charity The Debtor’s Daughters: Having Prudence Lottery Brides: Saving Sarah Lottery Brides: Discovering Daisy Finding Home Blood Magic: Warrior’s Dawn Blood Magic: Shifter’s Delight Blood Magic: Rogue’s Rage Legend Anthology: The Debtor’s Daughters: Gaining Hope Brit Party: Maggie’s Ménage
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