A Wanton Woman (Mail Order Bride of Slate Springs 1)

Her eyes widened. “He died?”

I nodded. “You go to the barn in a storm, you grab hold of that line and don’t let go. Just follow it either way and get into shelter. All right?”

“Yes, Luke.”

“Good, because I can’t spank your ass for not listening to me if you’re dead.”

The idea of Celia lost out in the elements had a chill run down my spine, even in the warm kitchen.

Walker came in then stomped his boots and shook off his coat.

“I checked on Mr. Bernard.” When he leaned in to kiss Celia, he added for her benefit, “He’s in the house next door.” Next door was a few hundred feet away, but still the closest neighbor. “He’s a widower and getting older now. We make sure he’s got enough cut wood by the door to keep his fires lit. Other things.” Walker glanced at me. “I expect we’ll have visitors before too long.”

I frowned, knowing that we’d have the entire town descending on us soon enough. Walker couldn’t walk through town without being noticed and I knew everyone was eager to see who the mayor married under the new law. With his brother.

As she’d put it the first night in the Denver hotel room, she was the example and everyone would be looking at her differently. There would be those who judged, who criticized her and our marriage. They’d probably even think her a whore for bedding two men. But it was our job to shelter her from this, to protect her not only from her troubles, like the bastard Carl Norman, but from the troubles that fell on my shoulders, and Walker’s too.

We just had to hope that the transition would be smooth. Not only was I the mayor, I had a mine to run and couldn’t remain at home forever.

“Are you worried what people will think?” Celia asked, scooping fried potatoes into a bowl.

I saw the worry on her face.

“I worry what people will think about you,” Walker said, taking the bowl from her and putting it on the table. “But we won’t hide, doll. We won’t hide what we share. I think it’s pretty special, don’t you?”

She blushed then, but nodded.

“He’s not talking about how we both fuck you, sweetheart.”

Walker grinned.

“We’ll hide everything about how we share you,” I added, my possessiveness making me almost growl. “That’s private. No one sees you the way we do. No one.”

“Especially like earlier when you had the plug in your ass.”

She flushed an even brighter shade of red and turned back to the stove. I imagined the way the plug had parted her ass cheeks so prettily just a short time ago and I had to shift my cock in my pants. It had instantly become hard. Hell, I was always hard for her. She took the larger size well now, even fucking her with it deep inside her. It would be soon when we took her together, that we were truly joined as one.

“Luke is insatiable,” Walker said, smiling and shaking his head. “I meant our marriage, doll, is special. What we have, this connection, is unique whether there are two grooms or one. I won’t let anyone diminish that.”

Celia’s look went soft and her smile a bit wistful at his words. I agreed with Walker wholeheartedly.

“All right,” she replied, then paused as she stared blankly at the table. “Do you think… do you think Carl made it into town?”

When she turned her head to me, I saw the worry in her eyes.

“I can’t say if the pass is closed now. The snow was bad up there when we came through, but it could have stopped.”

I wanted to ease her fears, but couldn’t.

“A stranger can’t go unnoticed in a town of our size, doll. If he’s here, we’ll find him.”

Walker walked by Celia and squeezed her shoulder.

“We’ll find out if the pass is closed and if anyone’s seen him from those who call today.”

“You really think people are that interested in our marriage?” she wondered, sitting down at the table.

I glanced at Walker and he grinned.