To Wed a Wanton Woman (10 page)

Marion
’s
arms wrapped him tightly. Her hands roamed aimlessly. White-hot desire licked,
igniting him into flames. Eager fingers moved down the side of his torso,
teasing him with anticipation. He slanted his head and kissed her deeper. His
thin underclothing did little to conceal his
erection. He was hard and weeping. Fluids dampened the fabric. Instinctively,
he pressed his shaft against her thigh and ground hard.

Train continued to kiss her, gasping a
breath in time with hers, then sliding his mouth over hers again. Tasting.
Tempting. He groaned when her hand slid over his hip and around to the front.
Her feminine fingers traced his erection through his underclothes.

He inhaled sharply and pulled away from her
lips. Lightheaded, he closed his eyes for a moment. “Please.”

He froze when Marion reached inside. “Oh my
God,” she whispered, lifting his heavy weight in her hand. Her fingertips
barely touched as she encircled him. Slowly, she lowered her hand and fully
stroked the entire length.

Train found her lips again as she continued
to manipulate him, stroking the length with firm then soft pressure.

“It’s your turn.” She trailed kisses along
his chest as she worked her way down his torso.

“Marion,” he sat up and grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Please, don’t.” He closed his eyes and fell back against the pillows bringing
her with him. He didn’t want her like this…like a whore. But she was soft, and
warm, and she stirred him in ways he didn’t want to control.

“It’s okay,” she said, kissing him again. She
lay partially across his chest and continued to tempt him with her mouth, this
time demanding more. As he met her ferocity, she took him into her hand again.
Her kisses matched the rhythm of her hand. Faster. Harder.

Pressure built in his balls. Heat streaked
along his spine. “Damn.” He jolted in a turbulent release. He swore again, gripping
the pillow tightly as he emptied his seed into her palm.

He wrapped his arms around her middle,
holding her close.

“I think I will like belonging to you,” she
whispered into the darkness.

* * *

Marion
woke with a start when TJ pounded on the door. “I want to live here,” she
purred, stretching like a feline. Sighing, she sank back into the deep folds of
the bed.

Train tossed off the covers. “It’s going to
be a long day.” He draped his legs over the side of the bed. When he reached
down to grab his trousers off the floor, Marion couldn’t resist the corded muscles
of his back. She rose to her knees and ran her hands around his shoulder. She
pressed her lips against the side of his neck. Twisting around, Train brushed
his lips lightly against hers. “As tempting as you are, sweetheart, we can’t
stay.”

Train dressed quickly. “TJ moves fast.
Normally he only gives a body time for a cup of coffee. I think I can persuade
him to stop at a diner before we head out.” He paused before opening the door.
“He’s going to assume a lot more happened last night.”

“I wish it had.” She jumped from the bed
unable to keep the smile from her lips. “But you’re teaching me patience. I
don’t know how I can hate you and not keep my hands off you.” Actually, now her
need reached new heights. Train had a wonderfully large cock. Coupled with an
insatiable want to be with him, she was reaching desperation. “You profess to
want to marry me and have all the self control.”

Train smiled, his crooked grin accenting his
dimples. “I’m not as strong as you think. It wasn’t easy,” he drawled. He left
the room as Marion picked up her dress.

In the main room, TJ was too polite to ask questions
regarding the sleeping arrangements. “We received some information on those
inquires we wired yesterday.”

“I don’t see the point in looking now, I don’t
have any money to contribute.” He also didn’t know how he was going to build a
stable, a house, and make or buy furniture to sit on now that he’d spent every
dime he had on Marion’s contract.

Technically, Marion could push Sandy to give her part of the profits, except that hadn’t been their arrangement. Marion had no claim to the business until after Sandy’s death.

“Joseph--”

Train’s head whipped around so fast, it
cracked. TJ hadn’t called him by his given name since his mother was alive. He’d
grown accustomed to Allison using it, but it wasn’t familiar to him anymore.

“I promised your mother in her last days
that I’d watch out for you. We’ve got too many years between us not to cut
through the bull. Hell, you followed me around from the time you could walk.”

“I made it hard for you to impress the
girls.”

TJ chuckled. “Five year olds tend to talk,
just ask Sissy. She’ll tell anyone who will listen what she overhears between
me and Allison.”

“I know.” Train snickered, not really
embarrassed, but knowing TJ would be. “She also relays information about what
she sees.”

TJ groaned.

“Don’t worry. It was nothing too wicked.”

“Bottom line, Train, is that I want to go
ahead with our plans. We’ll order the lumber and get the house up first. I’m
sure you and Marion want privacy.”

He nodded, thinking about last night in the
big bed. “Let’s hope I can convince her to stay. But until then, can she stay
in the house?”

“Allison wouldn’t have it any other way.” He
scratched his head. “Spring seems a long way off, but we’ll have to wait until
then to start acquiring stock. The best choices are in California.”

“There’s a place in Wyoming that has a good
reputation. I could make a short trip before winter.”

“Not before the first snow,” TJ interrupted.

“Since when has a little snow stopped a
Train,” he joked. “I know you’re serious or we wouldn’t be having this
conversation. We can raise the house, and keep the new horses in your stables
until next spring. Marion won’t like the isolation at the lake. She’ll probably
want to stay with you and Allison while I’m in Wyoming.”

“You could take her with you.”

“Where?” Marion asked, coming out of the
bedroom. She had her hair plaited again. Train was surprised to see her without
any makeup.

“If you’re ready.” TJ picked up the leather
satchel containing his clothes.

“I need food.” She sounded grumpy.

Train smiled when he looked at Marion. He liked this woman, rough around the edges. A woman capable of taking care of
herself who didn’t need her hand held constantly. Train wanted a woman with
spirit.

After a fast breakfast, they walked to the
livery.

“I still don’t see why we can’t take a wagon
to the ranch.”

Train saddled his horse, removing his
bedroll and supplies. “Give me your bag,” he said. He handed TJ their
belongings to secure to his horse. “I need to lighten the load,” he answered
her unasked question. “He’s a strong horse,” he said, patting Clive. “But, it’s
a long way to carry two riders.”

“All the more reason to get a buggy, I say.”
She folded her arms in front of her chest and rolled her eyes.

“Ready?” He held his hand out to her. “Just
think,” he said, lifting her onto the horse. “You’ll have the pleasure of
torturing me all day with your body. Won’t that be fun?”

“I guess there is a bright side.” She
wrapped her arms around his waist after he mounted in front of her. TJ handed
up his rifle, and Train carefully secured it to the saddle horn. “Why do you
need a gun?” She rested her chin on his shoulder.

“A gun is a great equalizer.” He kicked the
horse in the ribs.

TJ and Train kept an easy pace for the
horses as they left Copper City. They passed the brothel. Train felt Marion sigh as her hands went limp around his waist. Hopefully, she’d find life with him a
cut above the place she’d left behind. Taking her hand, he held it against his
stomach to show he understood.

Marion
’s
body molded against him. The ride became rougher the farther they travelled
away from town. “I have a canteen if your throat gets dry.”

“I hope it’s filled with something other
than water,” she said smartly.

“Sorry, you’re stuck with water. You drink
too much whiskey anyway.” He enjoyed the way her body stiffened against him.
“Here--” He put the reins in her hand so his were free to roll a cigarette.

“Aren’t we a talented pair?” She tried to
look around him to see where they were going. TJ rode a few yards ahead.

Using his hand to shield the flame, he
tucked his chin close to his chest and lit the cigarette. He quickly lifted his
head up and inhaled deeply before handing it to her.

“I’ve come to a conclusion,” he said.

“And what would that be?”

His lips brushed against her fingers as she
held the cigarette for him. “The best part about you is the very thing you use
to discourage me.”

“Actually, Train,” she used her free hand to
wrap around his waist and rest dangerously close to the front of his jeans. “It
is the best part of me that I have been trying to show you.”

“Now you want to talk dirty?”

Marion
couldn’t see his smile, but she’d heard it. The brilliance of wearing a thin
cotton dress had not been apparent until that moment. She gently tugged on the
fabric with each step of the horse’s gait as not to alert Train. “No, I want to
get dirty.” She gave a final tug leaving her thighs bare as they rested against
his.

Train wrapped the reins around the saddle
horn and gripped tightly around Clive’s belly with his legs. He couldn’t resist
running his fingers over her exposed flesh. His eyes darted between TJ’s back
and Marion’s milky-smooth thigh. His trousers became unbearably uncomfortable.
He tried to adjust his cock from his position in the saddle.

Marion
’s
triumphant laugh vibrated against his back.

“You are wicked, woman.”

“I’m going to make you miserable, Mr. Joseph
Spencer.”

“Hey now, none of that,” he said of being
called by his formal name. “No need to be mean. We’re just having a bit of fun.
Joseph is fine for Allison, but I am not Mr. Spencer. Just the sound of it
makes me uncomfortable.”

Her hand climbed higher on his stomach.
“Care to make a wager?”

“Are you going to cheat?”

“Absolutely,” she definitively stated.

“I’m listening.” He put one hand on the reins,
but couldn’t bring himself to remove the other from the silky softness of her
inner thigh.

“One week. I bet you can’t last one week
without sleeping with me, and no, I don’t actually mean sleeping.”

“What is my prize?”

“I think that should be obvious. I’m your
prize.”

Train squeezed her thigh. “It seems I’d win
even if I lost.”

“Exactly,” she said happily.

“If, despite all your efforts, I resist for
one week, you agree to stay with me…permanently.”

Marion
was quiet while she considered the magnitude of a potential loss. No efforts
thus far had changed Train’s mind. He was determination to wait.

“Before I agree, I need more information.
Since you live in the shack, where am I sleeping? I can’t very well plan an
assault if we’re not living together.”

“Already willing to admit defeat? No confidence
in your abilities, I see.”

She knew he was provoking her, but she
wanted the challenge. “If I win, not only do I get your impressive trophy, but
you forget about this marriage nonsense.” Before he had a chance to argue, she
continued. “If you win, Train, I’ll marry you and get my trophy.”

“Sweetheart, you just made a deal with the
devil.” He removed his hand from her thigh and yanked her dress down.

“Believe me,” she said. “I know you have a
wicked streak as wide as the devil’s. I aim to use it to my full advantage.”
She rested her forehead against his back. What had she done? Her competitive
nature wouldn’t let her intentionally lose, but deep down she acknowledged
she’d like to see him win.

Marion
was glad TJ gave them privacy at the onset of their journey by riding several
yards ahead. But as lunchtime approached, she was ready to get off the horse,
stretch her legs, and eat.

Train spurred their horse ahead to ride side
by side with TJ.

“Anytime you’re ready to give the horses a
break,” he said.

“Forget the horses. What about me?” Marion itched from the sweat dripping down her back. Sticky and wet, her dress clung to
her torso, making her even more uncomfortable, not to mention having her legs
spread against the man haunting her thoughts since they’d met. No, the
situation couldn’t get any more difficult.

They tethered the horses close to the river,
allowing them to quench their thirst. Train removed the saddles and spread a blanket
on the ground. When Marion returned from the trees, she plopped down and pulled
her boots off. Stretching her legs out in front of her, she wiggled life back
into her toes.