Second Chances Ch. 16

Sarah searched his eyes, remembering all the times he had fooled her and teased her. "How can I believe you?" she asked quietly. "How do I know you won't do the same thing again the next time some crisis comes up?"

Brian made an impatient sound and clutched her hand in his. He opened the study door and towed her to the center of the room. With everyone's expectant eyes on him, he knelt before Sarah and placed a hand over his heart.

"Sarah Martin," he said firmly, "I solemnly swear before all my family and Judge Hawthorne, and with God as my witness, that I will never lie to you again." Seeing Sarah's eyebrow raise in skepticism, he cleared his throat. "At least not about anything important."

There was a long moment of expectant silence as everyone waited for Sarah's reply. She tried hard to keep her lips from twitching, but it was a useless endeavor. Seeing Brian kneeling humbly before her was simply too much. She finally gave in and favored him with a laughing smile.

"In that case, I would be happy to marry you."

Aidan and Liam whooped for joy and Naomi clapped her hands together delightedly. Brian rose to his feet and clasped Sarah's face between his hands, giving her a long, gentle kiss. Even the judge looked a little misty eyed. He blinked rapidly and cleared his throat, once again assuming his gruff persona.

"Alright then. If I'm going to perform this wedding, let's get to it. I want to go to bed!"

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Aidan pulled the wagon to a stop in front of Naomi's old cabin and grinned over his shoulder at Brian. "Well, little brother, I think Liam would get a lot more sleep tonight if you and your lovely bride spent the night here. It's well stocked with firewood and provisions, so you two should be more than comfortable."

Brian returned his grin, ignoring Liam's howl of laughter as he lifted Sarah down from the wagon bed. "You read my mind, Aidan. Don't expect to see us for a few days."

The others laughed, and Sarah blushed. Aidan nodded his approval as he turned the horses toward home. His parting comment was thrown over his shoulder.

"The cabin's nothing special, but the mattress is delightful." Aidan grunted when Naomi gave him a sharp jab in the ribs with her elbow.

Brian chuckled, watching the rest of his family disappear through the trees. He turned to his wife, squeezing an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on," he said with a wide grin.

He scooped her up and carried her inside, kicking the door closed behind them. The interior of the cabin was as black as pitch, and he set her to her feet. He fumbled around until he found a lantern and then lit a fire for them. Sarah watched him, feeling her heart swell with joy and love.

When Brian had a roaring blaze going, he rose from his haunches and came to stand before her. He cupped her face in both hands and bent to kiss her. His lips were soft and gentle, plucking at her senses as he tasted her mouth. He raised his head and waited for her eyes to flutter open.

"I love you, my angel." Brian's face was etched with sincerity and commitment.

Sarah searched his eyes for a long moment and then smiled. "I love you too."

He kissed her again while they began undressing each other. They worked their way to the bed, removing clothing as they went. By the time they reached it, they were both naked. The cabin was freezing, but neither of them noticed as they tumbled together onto the soft feather mattress. He lifted her on top of him and devoured her mouth. Their kisses were searching, hungry, eager. They were both breathless by the time Sarah rose onto her arms, straddling his hips.

"Brian," she said, as she struggled to keep a serious expression on her face.

He tucked her hair behind her ears, watching the corners of her mouth twitch. "Yes, my angel."

"I was very naughty today," Sarah said, nibbling her bottom lip to stifle an impish smile. "I shouldn't have gone into town without talking with you."

Brian raised one dark brow, his dimples beginning to show beside his mouth. "Hmmm, I meant to talk with you about that." Brian's grin deepened even further as she arched her hips, scalding the underside of his cock as she slowly rubbed its length with her wet pussy lips. His next words were slightly strained as she repeated the decadent caress. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I think it's time for me to make amends to you," Sarah grinned wickedly as she slid further back until she was straddling his ankles, "with my mouth."

She met Brian's eye boldly as she gripped his cock in her hands. She traced each throbbing vein with her fingertips and gently massaged his aching balls. She paid special attention to the sensitive tip, stroking it lovingly as Brian groaned his appreciation. She raised one teasing brow and her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"I guess you've married a nasty little cocksucker."

Brian couldn't help but laugh, but his chuckles ended with a groan of delight when she took him into the flaming recesses of her mouth. Her tongue was sinfully delightful as she stroked him, sucking and bobbing until she had taken him deep into her throat. With every delicious squeeze of her lips, she worshipped his cock, lavishing him with pleasure until he could barely breathe.

He enjoyed her efforts for as long as he could before lifting her head away from him. When she met his eye quizzically, he smiled.

"You're not the only one who was naughty, angel. I should never have lied to you."

He held her gaze as he urged her to turn around and straddle his shoulders, facing his cock. He lay on his back with his head between her thighs. Her eyes widened as she looked down at him. He was directly beneath her pussy.

"Go back to what you were doing darlin'," Brian said with a wicked grin. "I'll make my own apologies."

At his urging, Sarah bent over and took him into her mouth once again. She moaned when she felt his mouth on her pussy. He lapped her folds with his tongue, making sure to taste every inch of the soft, pink flesh before suckling her clit. Sarah felt overwhelmed by sensation. She was torn between the pleasure of making love to his cock and the ecstasy of his mouth on her pussy.

When Brian stroked two fingers deep inside her, searching, finding and teasing her sweetest inner spot, Sarah couldn't hold out any longer. She released his cock and leaned her forehead against his thigh, screaming with delight as her orgasm rolled through her. Brian sucked in several ragged breaths, enjoying the sight of her quivering pussy splayed above him while he allowed his own urgency to recede. As soon as she was able to breathe, he drove her on to a new summit.

By the time Brian felt he had adequately atoned for his misbehavior, Sarah was trembling with both satisfaction and heightened need. He scrambled from beneath her, leaving her on hands and knees. He knelt behind her, stroking her hips and buttocks while he rubbed his cock teasingly along her clit. Sarah shuddered, releasing a desperate whimper.

Brian planted his hands on the outside of hers, his back on top of hers. Sarah felt surrounded and defenseless. The contrast of her softness and vulnerability compared to the raw strength of his body engulfing hers made her shiver again. The feeling of surrender, the yielding of control, the absolute certainty that he would never harm her was intoxicating.

"You know, my angel," he said in a deep, rumbling growl near her ear, "I'm afraid I have a habit of misbehaving. Are you prepared for a lifetime of receiving my apologies?"

Sarah moaned as he harshly squeezed one nipple and nipped sharply on the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder. She looked sideways, managing to catch his eye, and she raised one challenging brow.

"Are you?" she replied impudently. "As you've said, I am a naughty angel. Do you think you can make me behave?"

Brian's grin was consummately wicked, and his breath was fiery hot against her neck. "Who said I want you to behave?"

Sarah gasped as he thrust his cock into the depths of her pussy, and they both gave a heartfelt groan as he bottomed out inside her. He gripped her breasts and possessed her just the way she liked it, hard and fast and deep. Each stroke was punctuated by a painful squeeze of her nipples until they were sore and aching.

Neither Brian nor Sarah was in a hurry. They each held out for as long as possible, savoring the exquisite pleasure of their joining. When the sensations finally overwhelmed her, Sarah screamed, pressing her bottom tightly against her husband as he poured himself inside her with a shuddering groan. Her inner muscles clenched tightly around him, welcoming his seed. Brian relished every rippling contraction, as she milked him dry.

When the last tremors faded, they collapsed onto the bed. Brian pulled a quilt over them, loving the feeling of holding his boneless wife snuggled in his arms. The clouds of uncertainty were banished. All he could see was an endless horizon of promise, for him and his naughty angel.

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Epilogue - eighteen months later

Liam was in no hurry to retire to his lonely bed, and he slowly unsaddled his horse and got it settled in its stall for the night. It was nearly midnight. Liam had spent a thoroughly enjoyable evening at Harvey's saloon appreciating the extensive talents of Rita, his favorite whore. She never failed to please him. She had the body of a temptress, and she knew how to use it. Still, he heaved a sigh, feeling somehow empty and dissatisfied after his night of carnal delights.

Liam loved his brothers and was happy that they had each found their perfect mate. Aidan and Naomi had a beautiful son, Ian, who was nearly a year old. Brian and Sarah had celebrated the birth of their daughter, Leslie. Both couples were ridiculously happy. Liam was glad that his brothers were settled and content, but at times like this, he suffered pangs of envy.

In recent months, he had grown increasingly dissatisfied with his life as a bachelor.

An occasional night in the arms of a beautiful and lusty woman was hardly enough to satisfy Liam's restlessness. He longed for a woman of his own, someone to share his life with, someone to be his loving wife. So far, he hadn't found anyone that he wanted to fill that role.

He made his way to his empty cabin, lighting a lantern and carrying it to his bedroom. When he began to remove his coat, a crackling sound reminded him of the letter he had picked up from the post office. Liam fished it from his pocket and tossed it onto the bed, removing the rest of his clothes before settling in to read the letter from his mother. He had forgotten about it, having saved it until he had privacy to read its contents. He tore through the envelope and adjusted the lantern so that it provided sufficient light.

June 18, 1854

My Dearest Children,

I hope this letter finds all of you well and happy. It is with a saddened heart that I write to inform you of your father's death. His health had been failing in recent months. He finally succumbed to a bout of pneumonia and died on the 16th of June.

Liam swallowed a lump in his throat, blinking back tears as he read about the details of his father's funeral. The pain of his father's loss was nearly overwhelming. He continued to read.

And now, my dear sons, I find that there isn't much to hold me here. Without your father, I am merely existing. You have invited us many times to come and join you there, in Oregon, your land of promise. Now that your father is gone, I have decided that I should accept your generous offer. I have begun making preparations to join you next year. The possibility of being reunited with my sons and meeting your wives and my grandchildren is my one remaining desire. I keep you all in my heart.

With all my love,

Mama

Liam read the letter once more before folding it carefully and laying it on the bedside table. He stared unseeing at the ceiling as memories of his parents and his childhood home swam through his mind. In the morning, he would have to tell his brothers the sad news.

Liam heaved a heavy sigh. He would go to fetch his mother from Kentucky. It made sense. He was the only one without a wife and child tying him down. He knew the journey, especially round trip, would be long and arduous, but he wouldn't leave his mother to find her own way. Perhaps the journey was just what he needed. Maybe it would ease his restlessness, distract him from his loneliness. One thing was certain, he needed a change.

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Author's note: I hope you have enjoyed this story. For those of you who are wondering about Liam, you can find the rest of his story in "Trailing Home". As for me, I will write more stories soon, but for now...Spring is in the air!