Mitch's Win (Montana Collection, Book 1) Read online

  He sighed, half in contentment and half in frustration. There was no way they’d be sharing a bed tonight, not with the way everything happened. Surely, she’d need time to adjust to being his wife, especially when she realized how much work she just agreed to. The children were at the age where they were getting into everything, and it wore his poor mother out.

  “Mitch?” Heather asked.

  Turning his attention back to her, he said, “I’m sorry. I was just thinking of my mother and the children.”

  “What are their names?”

  That was a good place to start. “My mother is Gertrude, but people call her Gerty. As for the children, their names are Leroy and Hannah. Leroy is three and Hannah is two.”

  “They’re awfully young.”

  “Yes, and they need a mother in the worst possible way.”

  She nodded. “I’ll do my best.” After a moment of silence, she asked, “What’s ailing your mother?”

  “Her joints are sore. Some days are better than others, but running after the kids is hard on her. There have been a few days when she’s in so much pain she can’t get out of bed. Those are days when I get Patty to help. She’s our neighbor. I can’t be there to help her because I have the animals to tend to. I’ll tell you, though, that it’s a relief to know you’ll be there. There was one day when Patty had a fever and couldn’t come over, and I had to take the kids with me as I did my chores. That wasn’t easy.”

  “It doesn’t sound like it.”

  He dared a look at her in the moonlight. He resisted the urge to kiss the top of her head. It seemed to him that she was made for kissing. He was looking forward to kissing her, among other things. He sighed. As much as he tried, his mind kept going back to things of a more intimate nature.

  Forcing his mind off the bedroom, he cleared his throat. “So, how did your parents die?”

  She lifted her head. “My pa died a year ago. He got a fever that never went away. Then my ma wrote to my brother asking him to come help us. He arrived right after she died from the whooping cough.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Glancing at her cloak, he said, “One thing we need to do is get you some clothes.”

  “All I need is the materials. I can make them myself.”

  “My ma can help you.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to inconvenience her.”

  “You won’t.”

  She settled her head back on his shoulder and sighed with contentment. His lips curled up into a smile. This was definitely nice. A man could get used to this. The rest of the way home, they remained quiet. He didn’t mind the silence. When they arrived at his ranch, he saw that the kerosene lamp was still on in the parlor. He sighed.

  “What’s wrong?” Heather asked.

  He steered the horse toward the barn. “Ma is still up. She should be asleep.”

  “She must be worried.”

  “Yes, she is,” he replied, hoping she didn’t detect the bitter edge in his voice. This wasn’t the first time she stayed up because of his brother’s reckless behavior.

  Once he put the horse in its stall, he turned to Heather and held his hand out to her. She took his hand and walked with him to the house. The house was two stories with three bedrooms on the top floor. On the bottom floor was the kitchen, pantry, and a small room off to the side of the parlor. His mother used this room as her bedroom since climbing the stairs had become difficult on her.

  “I grew up in this house,” Mitch told Heather as they walked up the porch steps.

  “It’s a nice home,” she replied.

  “I’m glad you think so.” When they reached the door, he softly opened it and led her inside. He shut the door in time to see his mother run into the parlor. Before she could ask him who he brought home, he said, “This is Heather. I married her on my way home.”

  His mother’s jaw dropped. “Married?”

  He knew this would be the last thing she expected, and given the late hour, he didn’t wish to go into detail. “I’ll explain more later, but her brother happened to be at the same poker table that Boaz was at and she was part of the bargain. Don’t worry about Boaz. He got out of there with his horse. Whatever questions you got can wait until tomorrow, alright? You need to get your sleep. It’s not good for you to be up this late.”

  His mother’s eyes went from Heather to Mitch. “Alright, Mitch.” Giving a relieved sigh, she smiled at Heather. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Heather nodded, and his mother hobbled toward her small bedroom.

  “Are you thirsty or hungry?” he whispered to Heather.

  “I’m a little thirsty,” she replied, her voice low. “But I can wait until morning.”

  “Nonsense. This is your home now. You’re allowed to have water any time you want.” Letting go of her hand, he led her to the kitchen which was lit by the soft light pouring in through the window. He took a cup from one of the hooks on the wall and poured water into it. “Here you go.” He held the cup to her.

  “Thank you.” She took the cup and drank from it.

  By the way she gulped the water, he suspected she’d been thirsty for quite a while. Before she could protest, he gave her more water and encouraged her to drink. “Are you sure you’re not hungry?”

  When she finished drinking, she shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  He wondered if that was really true but decided not to press the issue. Soon enough, it’d be daylight and she’d enjoy a good breakfast. “Do you need to use the privy?”

  She set the cup down. “I should. Where is it?”

  “Out back.” He went to the kitchen door and grabbed the lantern from the shelf. Once he lit it, he motioned for her to follow him. “I’ll take you to it.” He thought he saw her cheeks go pink and kindly added, “There’s no sense in being shy about it. It’s something we all need to do.” He didn’t think it was possible, but her cheeks grew pinker so he figured whatever else he’d say would only embarrass her further.

  To her credit, she followed him out of the house and across the yard until they reached the outhouse.

  “It’d probably be easier for you if I held your cloak.”

  “Oh, yes.” She glanced down at the brown cloak before she slipped it off.

  He took note of the purple dress she was wearing. Despite its modest cut, it couldn’t hide her figure. An ample bosom, slender waist, nice hips. Her body did well to complement the rest of her. Forcing his gaze off of her, he accepted the cloak and hung the lantern on the inside door of the outhouse.

  After she slipped into the building, he scanned the sky, aware of how soon the sun would be rising. He hated all the sleep he’d lost over the past two years because Boaz couldn’t get his life together.

  The door to the outhouse opened, and he turned his attention back to Heather. She took the lantern off the hook. He didn’t know if he’d ever get over the pleasure of looking at her.

  “You can wash up over there, if you want.” He pointed to the well.

  She followed him over to it, and as she washed her hands with soap, he said, “If there’s anything you need, let me know, alright?”

  “I don’t need much. A bed and food is really all a person needs.”

  “Don’t forget clothes.” He motioned to the cloak. “Do you want to put this back on?”

  “No. I was hot in there.”

  With a glance at the moon, he said, “We’d better get to bed before the sun comes up. Tomorrow’s bound to be a long day.”

  It seemed that any day following a late-night trip to get his brother out of trouble was unusually long, especially since it left him exhausted. Quiet once more, they made their way back to the house.

  Chapter Four

  “You want me to sleep in here by myself?” Heather quietly asked, turning from Mitch’s unmade bed.

  Mitch set the kerosene lamp on the dresser. “I don’t have another bed.”

  “No, I meant you won’t be in here with me?”

  “I thought with eve
rything happening so fast that you wouldn’t want to…” Though his face warmed, he gave a shrug to hide his embarrassment. Perhaps if he’d had some experience in this area, the moment wouldn’t seem so awkward.

  “You’re my husband. We should share a bed, unless you don’t want to.”

  “No, I want to,” he quickly argued then paused so he wouldn’t seem too eager. After a moment, he added, “I just want to make sure you want to do this.”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  He didn’t expect to get aroused by the notion of being in bed with her. Sure, he knew he’d be when he was in bed. That was to be expected. But it did surprise him that the idea of consummating their marriage tonight, instead of waiting like he expected, should excite him as much as it did.

  His mind went back to Heather who was unbuttoning her dress. The light from the lamp lit up the room well enough so he could see her, and though she didn’t seem shy about taking her clothes off in front of him, he noticed she’d turned her back to him. Even so, his erection grew harder. There was no way he could sleep now. Not until they consummated the marriage.

  Remembering the open door, he quickly shut it. Sure, the kids were asleep and his mother was downstairs, but still, there was no need for the door to be open. Unable to take his eyes off his wife, he rushed through the process of taking off his clothes.

  A rush of adrenaline coursed through his body. Considering his trembling hands, he was glad she wasn’t looking in his direction. She kept her gaze lowered on her hands as she finished unbuttoning her dress. Thankfully, she didn’t see him almost tear his shirt as he removed it because he couldn’t manage to get his arm out of the sleeve on his first attempt.

  He finally managed to discard his clothes and hurried over to the side of the bed which was furthest from the lamp. It was probably a sneaky move on his part, but since she didn’t seem to mind the fact that the lamp was still on, he wanted to give himself the best vantage point possible so he could see all of her. She took her time undressing, but he didn’t mind. It gave him a better chance to get a good look at her, and he certainly wasn’t going to turn down that opportunity.

  She slipped her chemise and bloomers off, neatly folded them, and then placed them on the chair in the corner of the room. When she turned toward the bed, he got a full view of her. His pulse picked up at the sight of her. Wavy brown hair falling down her back, breasts which gently bounced, and the triangular patch of brown curls between her legs beckoning to him. In his entire life, he couldn’t recall ever seeing anything as beautiful as this.

  Swallowing the lump in his throat, he folded back her part of the blanket and encouraged her to join him. With a shy smile, she slipped into bed. He tried not to appear too eager as he brought her into his arms. Her flesh was soft and warm, molding nicely to his body.

  Figuring a kiss would be a good way to begin making love, he lowered his head until his lips touched hers. Despite his uncertainty, his excitement pressed him forward, and he deepened the kiss. Her lips were as soft and welcoming as the rest of her, which he was thankful for since he had no idea what he was doing and found her response to him encouraging. At least, she didn’t seem to mind his inexperience.

  She settled into the bed, and after a minute of kissing, he shifted away from her so he could touch her breasts. They were absolutely wonderful. Just as soft as the rest of her. He ended the kiss so he could look at them. He traced the curve of them and ran his thumb along her nipples which hardened under his caress. He wanted to linger on them longer, but he was too anxious to explore the rest of her.

  His hand left her breasts and glided down her smooth, flat stomach until it rested at the area between her legs. She spread her legs for him, and he accepted her silent invitation and touched the sensitive skin that intrigued him as much as her breasts did. She let out a soft sigh and wiggled closer to his hand. Taking that as a good sign, he traced her opening before he slid a finger into her.

  He drew in a breath and savored the way her silken flesh closed around his finger, drawing him deeper into her. Stroking her core, he became aware of how slippery she was becoming. He slid in a second finger, this one going in easily and her flesh eagerly welcomed his attention as he continued to explore her. She let out a soft moan, and his body throbbed with the need to enter her.

  His fingers slid out of her, and he moved above her so that he could enter her. He was aware that, in his excitement, he was close to his climax, and it would be embarrassing to no end if he did that before he was able to enter her. He pressed into her, her silken folds surrounding him, tight and warm. Letting out a low groan, he began moving inside her, hardly aware of anything but how wonderful she felt. He wanted the moment to last, but it didn’t. Before he could stop himself, he had reached his peak and released his seed. He let out another groan as waves of pleasure coursed through him.

  Afterwards, he collapsed in her arms, his heart still racing and breathing ragged. He’d always known he was going to enjoy making love to a woman, but he had no idea he’d enjoy it this much. His one regret was that the process hadn’t lasted longer. He’d preferred to have taken his time and savor it instead of having it be over almost as soon as it began. He hoped it wasn’t always going to be like this. He wanted more time to enjoy it.

  When his head cleared, he rolled onto his side and held her close to him. It was definitely nice being able to hold a woman like this. He brushed some of her hair from her eyes and kissed her forehead. He wanted to ask her if what he did was alright, but he had no idea how to word the question so he didn’t sound like he was inept at lovemaking.

  She snuggled in his arms, so he relaxed. Maybe if he was inept, she didn’t notice. She had as much as experience as him, so she didn’t have anyone to compare him to. And maybe next time, he’d do better. Assuring himself that he would, he closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  It was shortly past dawn when Mitch stirred in his sleep. Next to him, Heather shifted against him, and his body reacted to her. Before he could talk himself out of it since he should be getting up for the day, he started kissing her. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her chin. She brought her arms around him, so he brought his lips to hers. When she responded to him, he deepened the kiss, this time tracing her lower lip with his tongue. She opened her mouth to him, and he accepted her silent invitation, his pulse racing at the thrill of kissing her so intimately.

  Everything about her was so wonderful. He wanted to take his time and learn all of her. This time he noticed that though he was erect, he didn’t feel the urgency to enter her as he had before. Still kissing her, he slowly caressed her skin, starting at her neck and descending to her breasts. He stroked her nipples, noting the way they hardened for him.

  She squeezed his arm and pressed herself more firmly against him. Encouraged, he continued to caress her breasts. His lips left her mouth and traveled down the length of her neck. She moaned, another indicator that he was doing better than last time, or at least, he hoped he was. He wasn’t about to ask her in case he broke the mood.

  Leaving a trail of kisses from her neck to her breasts, he opened his eyes to get a good view of her. He could see her better in the light of the rising sun, and she looked far lovelier now than she had in the dim light of the kerosene lamp. Cupping one of her breasts in his hand, he ran the tip of his tongue over her nipple, enjoying the way she arched her back and wiggled in pleasure. If he doubted her pleasure before, he didn’t have to now. And that was good. He’d received pleasure from her and wanted her to receive the same from him.

  His mouth went to her other nipple, exploring it with the same care he’d explored the other one, his erection pressing nicely against her thigh. He shifted against her, enjoying the tingle of pleasure that raced through him at moving so intimately against her. Soon, he moved so that he was on top of her, and she spread her legs for him.

  Bringing his mouth back to hers, he accepted her offer and slid into her. She wasn’t as tight as b
efore, but he figured that was because she was still wet from their coming together the first time. Once again, her flesh wrapped around him. He ended the kiss so he could moan his appreciation. He marveled at how well they fit together and wanted nothing more than to linger in her for as long as possible.

  Relieved ejaculation wasn’t imminent, he took his time moving inside of her, starting with purposeful movements meant to slowly build the pleasure mounting in his body. She rocked her hips to match his rhythm, and in doing so, she pulled him deeper into her.

  “Heather,” he whispered before he kissed her lips and her neck, aware of the growing passion swirling around them.

  Her legs went around his waist, and he groaned as he gave into the need to thrust faster and deeper. He tried to memorize how everything felt. It was still new, this process of becoming one with a woman, and though he knew he’d be with her this way again tonight, he never wanted this moment to end. He alternated between slowing down and speeding up, glad he had more control over things this time. When he finally climaxed, his body grew still and shuddered until he finished releasing his seed into her. Afterwards, he relaxed and she held him to her, leaving butterfly kisses on his neck.

  Once his head cleared, he brought his mouth to hers and kissed her, taking his time to brush her tongue with his. He remained inside her, not in any hurry to leave. He knew it was now past dawn and he should be out tending to his chores, but he’d spent his whole life getting up every morning to take care of the animals. Surely, one day of lingering in bed wouldn’t do any harm. He’d be out there within the half hour. That was still before his mother or the children woke up.

  Content, he lifted his head so he could look at his wife. He smiled and brushed the hair from her forehead. Her soft brown locks rested on the pillow in gentle waves. Her cheeks were flushed from their lovemaking, and her eyes twinkled as she returned his smile.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered before giving her another kiss.