Loving Against the Grain (Into the West #2)

Chapter 23

 

Without waiting for a reply, and certainly not pausing to allow self-conscious trepidations to arise within once more, Emmaline took one of Noah’s limp hands in one of hers and turned toward their bed, leading him to that pink-tinted cocoon they’d been sharing for nine months. Walking before him for even ten feet while completely nude seriously smacked of awkwardness, but she thrust the thought from her even as she dropped his hand to pull back the feminine coverlet.

 A slight grunt from behind had Emmie turning, face flaring bright red when she spied her husband staring at her derriere as she bent to ready their bed. Noah’s eyes flew to hers and his face flushed at being caught ogling her behind. Feeling the heat of his embarrassment rising up his neck and flooding his countenance, Noah nevertheless held his wife’s gaze without apology. After all, she’d simply caught him admiring her. But when she clumsily lay down on the bed like a virgin sacrifice, Noah bit back the derisive sound building in his throat.

She was scared. After all this time together, as intimate as they’d been so far, along with the fact she’d spent most of last summer sleeping with the sea captain, she remained anxious over sleeping with him; her husband. Her bold challenge of a moment ago had been nothing more than lip service. She feared the act of intimacy with Noah, because she wanted it perfect for him, and dreaded that she might come up wanting, being spoiled goods, as it were. Noah knew this; could read her face as well as any book. And his heart sank.

He’d been ready to shuck his pants; to get busy immediately, since he’d been sporting a painfully stiff erection for so long the thought of ending his celibacy had only made him more rigid. But apparently he could not yet forgo the kid glove treatment; his wife seemed to demand more patience from him, more reassurance. Not a cursing man or one given to venting his frustrations easily, Noah nevertheless found himself biting back harsh words for the unfairness of it all. He simply wanted to make love to his wife! Was that too much to ask? By the way Emmie laid there, blue eyes widely trained on his face, it apparently was.

So, instead of stripping bare in a thrice and covering her body with his own, Noah moved to the far side of the bed and sat down carefully, removing his boots and then his denims methodically, carefully, all the while feeling her stare upon his back. Swallowing another rare oath, as well as schooling his expression into a calm appearance he didn’t feel, Noah turned and stretched out upon his side next to Emmaline, propping his head on one palm, near enough but not touching, though parts of him strained toward her embarrassingly. He dismissed the discomfiture from his thoughts and instead once more took in her gloriously naked body. All that pale, translucent skin; so close, yet so far. Noah almost cried. He reached out and clasped her hand upon the coverlet, speaking before she could.

“It’s just you an’ me, Em. No one here to criticize you, or rate you, or compare you. Just you an’ me, an’ our love. No need to be nervous darlin’; or worried. You gotta start believin’ me. I’m not quick to anger, sweetheart, but your dithering over your future performance here is growin’ old.” Noah paused, releasing her hand while still holding her gaze with his own. He let his hand drift to her stomach, that soft, little mound that had yet to disappear, but that felt so silky he felt himself twitch at the feel of her skin beneath his fingers. He maintained eye contact while starting to smooth his hand over and around her abdomen. If she felt his caress, she didn’t draw back, nor did she drop his look.

He continued his gentle prattle, much like he did when breaking a horse to saddle, all the while widening those concentric circles of his hand until he began to brush the undersides of her full breasts, as well as that most feminine area of her body. Her breathing quickened, but still she remained on her back, head turned toward him, gaze clinging to his as she seemed to really concentrate on his words. Unfortunately, Noah was so aroused he couldn’t remember what he said as soon as the words left his mouth. She hadn’t slapped him, so the wrangler assumed he hadn’t said anything objectionable.