Shotgun Groom (22 page)

moan and directed her hands under his underwear and

brought her hands around the silky feel of his bare flesh

which throbbed in response. So that’s what that part of a

man felt like when it wasn’t inside her. Since it was dark,

she didn’t feel as embarrassed as she’d otherwise be. He

guided her hands up, and she traced the tip of him, noting

the moisture at the slit.

“Alright. We’l have to do more of this later,” Joel whispered,

his breathing ragged as he slipped off his underwear. “I

can’t handle any more of that right now.”

Intrigued, she thought to ask him why, but he picked her up

and carried her to the bed, signaling an end to any

conversation. He placed her on the mattress and settled

next to her. She parted her legs and held her breath. They

hadn’t done it before, and he hadn’t gone out to a whore so

maybe it would be quick. Then they could get to the part

where he’d hold her.

But he didn’t enter her as she expected. Instead, he settled

next to her and kissed her on the mouth. Surprised, she

didn’t react right away. What was he doing? Didn’t he want

to get to business?

Ending the kiss, he chuckled and gave her a playful

squeeze on her hip. “I never thought kisses could put a

woman off guard so much.”

Despite her nervousness, she giggled. “I didn’t expect it.”

“That’s odd since we were just doing it a moment ago by

the dresser.”

“Wel , I know, but I…”

His hand cupped her breast again, and she lost track of her

thoughts. “Do you like this?” he softly asked.

“Yes.”

He brought his mouth to her nipple and traced the budded

area with his tongue. She sharply inhaled at the pleasure of

it. It felt wonderful. Who knew that she was so sensitive

there? The ache between her legs returned and she shifted

so that she was closer to him. Keeping his mouth over her

nipple, he let go of her breast, his hand gliding down her

stomach, down her abdomen, and down to the area that

ached. His fingers brushed over her curls and found her

entrance. On instinct, she moved her hips up, making it

easy for him to slip a finger into her.

She gripped the blanket under her and moaned. It felt good.

Wonderful even. Too bad making love didn’t require this

and nothing more. But then she reasoned that the man had

to be inside a woman in order for her to get with child. As

he stroked her, she focused on the way he slipped another

finger into her and caressed her tender flesh. The action

was satisfying her on one level and increasing a sense of

tension on another. She’d never experienced such

sensations and wasn’t sure where it was leading, but

something in her knew she had to keep going.

He brought his mouth to her other breast and teased her

nipple. Between tingles traveling up and down her body

from her breast to the building pleasure between her legs,

she lost any ability to think. Al she could do was murmur

Joel’s name and move her hips to aid him in what he was

doing. Al too soon, however, his fingers slipped out of her

and his mouth left her breast.

She wanted to voice her disappointment, but when he

settled between her legs, she realized this was it and

gripped the blanket once more. He leaned forward and

kissed her, and she would have responded if she hadn’t

become aware that his tip was at her entrance, gently

pressing into her. She braced herself and told herself he’d

be holding her afterwards.

“April?” he asked, sounding uncertain.

“It’s alright,” she whispered.

“I don’t know. You’re tensing up.”

Before he could move away, she reached between her legs

and angled his erection so his flesh was intimately pressed

against hers. “Enter me,” she said.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and pul ed him

toward her, figuring once he started going inside her, he

wouldn’t be able to stop. And she was right. He couldn’t. He

slid into her with no effort, and she gasped. But it wasn’t

from discomfort or pain. She gasped because she realized

it felt good. She didn’t know it could feel that way, and as he

moved inside her, she became aware that the more he

moved, the more she liked it.

“Yes,” she moaned and shifted so that he was deeper

inside her.

He groaned and kissed her again.

This time she brought her hands up to the sides of his face

and traced his lips with her tongue. He opened his mouth,

and she tasted him, deepening the kiss and reveling in the

sheer ecstasy of the moment. Who knew making love could

be like this? Why couldn’t Harvey have been this gentle with

her and waited for her to be wet enough so when he

entered her it didn’t hurt? She forced her mind off of Harvey

and thought of Joel who, for al his inexperience, at least

knew enough to be gentle and wait for her to be ready for

him.

Ending their kiss, she murmured his name and encouraged

him to keep going. He whispered her name in return and

continued to move inside her, his movements starting slow,

as if he wished to prolong the sweet agony building

between them, and she worked with him. Each thrust was

bringing her closer to something wonderful he’d began with

his fingers, and she wanted nothing more than to find

completion in the act.

The momentum of his thrusting grew faster, her hips moving

faster in return and her legs pressing him closer to her, if

such a thing was possible. When she felt him grow stiff

above her, she cried out for him to wait, but it was too late.

He was climaxing and she was close but not there with him.

She was familiar with this part of the act, and usual y she

was relieved when it came. But right now, she wasn’t

relieved. Lovemaking had ended too soon, and though he

was receiving his pleasure, she wasn’t getting hers. She

didn’t begrudge him his fulfil ment. He was good to her and

deserved it, but after years of not enjoying the marital bed,

she wanted to find her fulfil ment as wel .

Gasping, he relaxed and col apsed in her arms. She held

him, very much aware that the ache between her legs was

stil insisting she satisfy it. After his breathing grew more

regular, she licked her lips, thinking of what she might ask

him. She couldn’t ask him to get hard again. He wouldn’t be

able to do that right away, but then she thought of

something that had been helping her in her desire to find

release.

“Joel?” she whispered.

He lifted his head and kissed her. “I’m sorry. I heard you tel

me to wait, but I couldn’t.”

Her heart softened at the disappointment in his voice. “That

part is alright. I was wondering if you’d put your fingers in

me again, like you did before?”

Rol ing off of her, he shifted until he was settled next to her

and did as she requested. “Like this?” he softly asked.

Her flesh, stil sensitive, was quick to resume its former

state of arousal. She moaned and murmured, “Yes. Like

that.”

His fingers caressed her, and once again, her hips moved

in rhythm with him. His palm settled over her sensitive nub,

and she gasped in surprise. Before he could lift his hand,

she pressed it firmly over her nub and moved against him.

“Oh April,” he murmured as he kissed her neck. “I’ve never

experienced anything lovelier than this.”

She groaned, her hips shifting impatiently until she knew

she was at the peak. With a soft cry, she climaxed, her hips

becoming stil while her core clenched around his fingers.

So this was what it was like to find fulfil ment in the act. She

took note of each wave of pleasure as it traveled the length

of her body. She had no idea it’d be this intense or leave

her feeling so lightheaded that she could barely hear Joel

tel her that he was glad they were married.

Once her mind cleared, his fingers slipped out of her and

he lifted her so that he could get her under the blanket. He

settled under the blanket next to her and drew her into his

arms. Her body stil tingling with satisfaction, she rested her

head on his chest and draped her arm around his waist.

She couldn’t remember a time when she felt so relaxed she

couldn’t move.

“April?” he softly asked.

“Hmm?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I would have stopped earlier if you

said to, but I’m real y glad you wanted to keep going.”

She laughed. “Me too.”

He brushed her hair off her shoulder before he placed his

hand on it. “April?”

“Hmm?”

“Did it hurt for you, with your first husband?”

Taking a deep breath, she softly replied, “Yes.”

“I’m sorry. If I’d known, I would’ve been more careful.”

“I don’t see how you could’ve done anything differently.

Besides, if I remember right, I’m the one who insisted you

enter me.” Her eyelids grew heavy and she smiled. “It al felt

good with you.”

“It did?”

Appreciating his concern that she experienced only

pleasure with him, she said, “Yes. It was wonderful.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

“Joel?”

“Yes?”

“We’l be doing this often, won’t we?”

Giving her shoulder a playful squeeze, he said, “Just try to

stop me. As soon as I’m ready to go again, I have a feeling

I’l be waking you up.”

“You won’t hear me complaining.”

He chuckled and her smile grew wider. After a minute

passed, he let out another one of his sighs, but this time

she didn’t mind it since it was a sigh of contentment.

***

his face as he recal ed the previous night. Who knew that

being intimate with a woman could be so wonderful? No

wonder his brothers told him he was missing out on one of

the most pleasurable parts of living by refusing to get

married. At the time, he shrugged off their jokes, but now he

understood why they al seemed to get the goofiest grins on

their faces when he saw them as newlyweds. So they were

right. Few things were better than enjoying the marital bed.

He’d never come out and admit it to any of them, but they

were right.

He snuggled up to April and kissed her cheek. She looked

so beautiful in the early light of day. As much as he wanted

to stay in bed with her, he needed to use the privy. Though

reluctant to leave, he slipped out of bed and got dressed.

He headed on to the outhouse and then decided he might

as wel go to the barn and beat Sep to the morning chores.

He didn’t realize he was whistling until Sep entered the

barn and cal ed out, “You sure do like that tune a lot.”

Glancing up from where he was feeding the horses, Joel

said, “My pa used to whistle it al the time. Guess I picked

up the habit without realizing it.”

“At least my sister doesn’t get annoyed with it like she does

the sighing.”

His lips turned up at Sep’s joke. “I don’t know. If I whistled it

enough, it might bother her.”

Sep laughed. “Nah. You could probably let a whole bunch of

snow into the house and she’d thank you for giving her

something to clean up.”

“Somehow I doubt it, though she might be less inclined to

dump water al over me.” He motioned to the cow. “You

want to get the milk this morning?”

“Sure.”

“I’l leave you to finish up then.”

Joel patted him on the shoulder and headed out of the barn.

Eager to see April, he hurried to the house and slipped off

his boots and coat once he was in the kitchen. He washed

his hands before he went up the stairs. Since neither Nora

nor April were making any noises, he figured they were stil

asleep, so he quietly entered the room and sure enough,

they were sleeping. He threw off his pants and hopped

back into bed where it was stil warm.

He reached for April and she woke up with a shriek. “Shh,”

he whispered. “You don’t want to wake up Nora.”

Giggling, she said, “You’re cold.”

“I went outside to help Sep with some chores.” He shifted

so that he was holding her in his arms. His body surged

with desire at the memory of how great it felt to be inside

her. Kissing her, he let his hand slip to her breast and

fondled the nipple which hardened for him. When he ended

the kiss, he whispered, “Last night was the best night of my

life.”

Her face flushed a pretty shade of pink, and she traced the

back of his hand with her fingers. “It was mine, too.”

“Good. We’l have to see if we can make tonight even