Finding Home (8 page)

She and Gyp walked out to the front
yard where she laid a small fire that she would build to boil the
pelt and she was kneeling down when Marissa walked into the yard.
When Nat looked up at the sound of her approach, Marissa was
mesmerized by the dark eyes that locked onto her from beneath the
brim of Nat’s hat. Nat scowled when she saw the shawl that was
draped around Marissa’s shoulders, knowing the garment was not
heavy enough to keep the small woman warm in the bitter wind. She
would have to take care of that when she made it into town she
thought to herself.

“
Are you two ready to go?”
Marissa asked.

“
Yes ma’am just waiting on
you,” Nat said and Gyp sprung to her feet as they headed into
town.

Gyp trotted ahead of them and dashed
off the road following the scent of some animal that had passed
through earlier. Nat smiled at the young dog, nearly full grown and
had proved to be a dear companion to her since her father’s death.
They walked together in silence and Gyp joined them just as they
entered town. “I have a few things to buy at the general store, but
we will stop by in just a few minutes,” Nat said as they went in
separate directions.

Marissa gave her a brilliant smile her
cheeks flushed by the chill wind and said, “I will have some hot
coffee waiting for you.”

Nat returned her smile and watched as
Marissa walked toward the hotel. “Let’s go Gyp,” she said once she
saw her disappear inside and they walked down the street to the
general store.

Inside, Nat found a box of lye soap
flakes and then went to the clothing section. She found a pair of
dungarees and a wool sweater that should fit Marissa and then found
a buckskin coat with a lamb’s wool lining that would work well to
keep her warm when they went hunting and as she walked to and from
work. The merchant wrapped her purchases for her and Nat was on her
way.

Gyp had waited for her at the door and
rose to her feet when Nat emerged from the store. They walked to
the hotel and found a seat in the dining room. Marissa’s smile lit
the room when she walked from the kitchen to see them sitting in
the dining room. She carried a mug of coffee over to her table and
asked, “What may I fix you two for breakfast this
morning?”

“
Have you got biscuits in
the oven yet?” Nat asked.

“
Yes I do,” Marissa said
with a grin.

“
Well we worked up quite an
appetite yesterday, so how about eggs, bacon and some fried
potatoes for starters and then when the biscuits are done some
biscuits and gravy,” Nat suggested.

“
I do love your appetites,”
Marissa said with a slight blush and she turned to walk back into
the kitchen.

Nat watched her and was amazed at how
much she craved Marissa. Nat had never had someone affect her so
profoundly and felt a warm rush throughout her body whenever she
looked at Marissa. She sipped her coffee and pondered her thoughts
while she waited for Marissa to return with steaming platters of
food.

She and Gyp were the only patrons so
far, so when Marissa brought out their food she sat with them for a
few minutes. The impending weather must have the normal breakfast
crowd tucked away inside the warmth of their homes, Nat thought,
and she enjoyed the quiet time spent with Marissa.

Nat and Gyp finished their meals and
Gyp had placed her head in Marissa’s lap as she and Nat talked. Nat
watched Marissa’s hand as it stroked Gyp’s head and she remembered
her soft touch as she caressed her body earlier that morning and
she felt the butterflies take flight in her stomach.

Nat paid for their meal and with a
short good-bye she and Gyp walked back to the cabin. Nat placed the
package on the small kitchen table and stoked the fire before
returning outside, the box of soap flakes in her hand. She fastened
a large metal pot above the fire pit and lit the kindling to start
the fire. She made several trips to the well for buckets of water
and when she was satisfied she poured the chips into the water and
waited for it to boil. She walked into the bedroom and picked up
the pelt. She carried it out to the fire and placed it in the pot
of boiling water. Gyp sat next to her on the front porch, her head
in her lap as they watched the snowflakes begin to slowly
fall.

Nat’s fingers were buried in Gyp’s fur
as she relaxed and allowed her thoughts to drift back to the day of
her father’s death. Her heart still felt the ache of his loss, but
she knew that her father was watching over her and she took comfort
in the love they had shared. Once she felt the pelt had been boiled
enough to remove the wild smell, Nat took a thick branch and lifted
the pelt from the water. She carried it over and hung it over the
railing of the porch to dry. She dumped the wash pot over the
flames in the pit and listened to the sizzle as the water
extinguished the flames and sent plumes of smoke into the chilled
air.

Nat and Gyp returned to the cabin and
added wood to the fireplace in the main cabin and in the bedroom.
Nat felt weary and decided to lie down on the bed for a short nap
while she waited for Marissa. She stretched and lay down on the bed
and Gyp jumped up to lie at her feet. Within minutes, Nat’s body
had drifted off to sleep and she rested peacefully with Gyp warming
her feet.

PART SIX

Nat slipped into a deep sleep and
drifted down into the world of dreams. Nat dreamt of the previous
night with Marissa and the pleasure they had shared. In her mind,
the sounds and tastes of their lovemaking remained vivid and she
moaned softly in her sleep.

Gyp moved up beside her master and
Nat’s hand moved down to softly stroke the young dog’s fur. Nat and
Gyp were still asleep on the bed when Marissa returned just after
lunch. She noticed the freshly washed bear hide stretched across
the porch railing to dry and she winced at the pain Nat had felt
over the death of her father. She walked to the door and knocked
softly.

Marissa listened carefully for an
answer and when none came, she pushed the door open and stepped
into the warmth of Nat’s cabin. She walked further inside and found
Nat and Gyp asleep on the bed, Nat’s fingers wrapped deeply in
Gyp’s soft fur. She stepped on a loose floorboard and the sound of
the creak made Gyp raise her head to investigate the
sound.

Gyp recognized Marissa and jumped from
the bed to greet her, licking her hand with a soft warm
tongue.

“
Hello, Gyp,” Marissa said
as she knelt down to pet the young dog.

“
Welcome home,” a rich voice
called from the bedroom and Marissa looked up to find Nat smiling
at her.

“
Thank you,” Marissa said as
she stood and walked into the bedroom.

Nat’s eyes sparkled with desire still
fresh from her dreams as she watched the soft sway of Marissa’s
hips as she approached. She remembered the way those hips felt
grinding into her body and Nat felt a hot rush flow through her
veins. She stood and welcomed Marissa with an embrace.

Their lips met as Nat’s hands moved
down Marissa’s back to cup her buttocks. Nat pulled her tightly
into her body as Marissa softly moaned in her mouth as their bodies
melted together.

Nat’s hunger for Marissa was
uncontrollable and her hands removed the thin shawl from her
shoulders. She ended the kiss and watched Marissa’s eyes widen as
her fingers slowly started to unfasten the small buttons down the
front of her dress. As the fabric fell open across Marissa’s
breasts, Nat’s heart raced in her chest. She lowered the dress from
Marissa’s shoulders, leaving her standing in her thin undergarments
as her fingers slowly traced down Marissa neck.

Her fingers trembled with excitement as
they rested on the fastener of Marissa’s bra and her heart raced
with delight when the bra spread open revealing Marissa’s full
breasts. Nat cupped them in her large hands as her thumbs stroked
Marissa’s nipples, feeling them grow erect under her
touch.

Marissa watched the look of wonder on
Nat’s face as she continued to caress her breasts. Nat’s hands,
strong and used for hard work, felt like velvet as they caressed
her skin and Marissa felt the fire of wetness spreading between her
thighs.

Nat knelt down in front of Marissa and
her tongue licked across the nipple she held cupped in her left
hand. Marissa’s eyes closed and her head tilted back as she
surrendered her body to Nat. She did not care what Nat did as long
as the euphoric feelings she was having continued to flow through
her body.

Nat filled her mouth with the soft
flesh of Marissa’s breast as her hands caressed down her lover’s
hips, slowly lowering the cotton bloomers down her body. Naked and
completely exposed to Nat’s control, Marissa stepped out of the
bloomers and softly kicked them aside. Nat’s hands encircled her
body and cupped Marissa’s buttocks kneading them as she gently
suckled her breast. Flashes of light raced across Marissa’s closed
eyelids as desire flowed through her body and a soft whimper
escaped her lips.

Nat’s hands stroked down the back of
Marissa’s thighs and down past her knees before circling around to
the front of her body. She caressed her way up the insides of
Marissa’s thighs until she could feel the heat radiating from her
body. Her fingers glanced across damp curls, causing Marissa’s body
to tremble with excitement. Her mouth moved to Marissa’s other
breast as her fingers lightly teased soaked lips, her thumb
stroking across her clit making Marissa shiver with
pleasure.

Nat stood and took Marissa in her arms
as she covered her mouth with a heated kiss, her tongue swirling
wildly in Marissa’s mouth. She reached behind Marissa and lifted
her body, placing her legs around her waist as she carefully walked
to the bed. She lowered their bodies onto the bed, her full weight
pressing into Marissa’s body as she slowly began to roll her hips.
The rough seam of Nat’s dungarees ground into Marissa’s center and
her body exploded with pleasure with each stroke of Nat’s
body.

She broke the kiss, gasping for air and
cried out, “Oh yes, Nat, please don’t stop now.”

Nat had no intention of stopping and
she thrust her hips furiously into Marissa’s body as the bed rocked
wildly against the wall. She looked into Marissa’s eyes as she
lowered her right hand between their bodies and pressed three
fingers deep inside her body, thrusting them in and out with each
movement of her hips.

Marissa’s cries of passion swelled into
echoes in the room and Nat’s voice joined hers as they climaxed
together and collapsed in a pile on the tangled sheets. Nat lay
gasping for air as Marissa rolled onto her side and laid her head
on Nat’s shoulder.

“
That was incredible” she
whispered into Nat’s ear. “Thank you my love,” she said.

Nat raised her head and turned to look
at Marissa. “I have never felt like this with anyone before,” she
said.

“
Neither have I,” Marissa
said, surprising Nat.

She wanted to ask about her husband,
but Nat did not want to ruin the perfection of the moment by
dredging up the past, so she lay her head back on the pillow and
remained silent.

After several minutes of silence,
Marissa climbed on top of Nat and straddled her waist.

“
I rushed home thinking we
were going hunting,” she said, “but this was much more
enjoyable.”

“
We are still going
hunting,” Nat said. “I bought you some warmer clothes and I thought
I would help you change,” she added with a mischievous
smile.

“
What happened, did you get
a little distracted?” Marissa asked.

“
The sight of your bare skin
gets me so excited, I just couldn’t contain myself,” Nat said as
she reached up and softly caressed Marissa’s left
breast.

“
I do like your excitement,”
Marissa said, as she felt her nipples growing hard
again.

“
I can see that,” Nat
said.

“
We still have plenty of
daylight left to hunt,” Marissa said, as her hips rocked against
Nat.

“
Yes we do,” Nat said as she
reached up and covered Marissa’s other breast with her hand, gently
squeezing the soft flesh.

“
Oh yes, Nat,” Marissa
crooned with joy as Nat’s fingers slowly twisted her aching
nipples.

“
You like that don’t you?”
Nat asked.

“
Oh yes, please don’t stop
what you’re doing Nat,” she begged.

“
Only for a minute,” Nat
said as she pulled Marissa’s body up to straddle her head. “Hold
onto the headboard,” Nat instructed.