Free Let Me Love You by Mary Wine Page B

down the length of her hair, she looked in the mirror at the blush staining her face. The memory of last night was bright as the noon sun. It shimmered with all the sensation that had raced through her flesh, twisting and tightening under his touch, making her wonder this morning at just how much more intense it might be if she yielded completely. Cross that boundary into womanhood by allowing Sloan to find his own comfort deep inside her body.
    Oh, she knew the blunt facts concerning procreation, but she understood very little about the reason why men craved the act so much. From what she’d seen, not all men liked the babies that arrived nine months after they got the favors of their ladyloves. Silver Peak was full of miners who lamented the hard work needed to fill their children’s bellies. But that didn’t stop them from kissing those same women out behind the feed store when they thought no one was looking.
    Some women craved the pleasures of the flesh, too. The good mothers at the church socials called them “fallen women”. But just what was it about enjoying your own body that was wrong? Sloan had sent delight streaming through her with just his hands, and if that was dirty, she didn’t really understand why.
    Well, she’d have plenty of time to contemplate it after seeing to the matter of her home.
    After pinning her hair up as best she could, Brianna turned to the bed. She shook out the bedding and tucked it neatly on top of the bunk. Once she’d replaced the chair against the wall, it was impossible to tell she had ever been in the room. A naughty little smile covered her lips briefly as she considered the dark hours that she had lain with Sloan. She pressed the secret against her heart for a moment of stolen enjoyment before turning towards the door. Reality was waiting and the consequences of being lazy were never kind. She had to take stock of the damage and decide how to face the winter without starving. The only bright point was the sure knowledge that she had taken Clayton’s money to the bank. Having applied it to the mortgage on her father’s property, she didn’t need to fear the banker until spring. That left her facing the weather. Better odds, but still a challenge.
    Hesitating, she looked over the belongings near the basin. A leather case caught her eye and she deliberated opening it to find some tweezers to pull her splinters. She rolled her eyes at her own bashfulness and lifted the male grooming kit off the wooden side table. A razor and lather brush was neatly stored inside it, along with trimming scissors and a pair of silver tweezers. Pulling them free, she held her hand up to the morning sunlight to begin removing the shreds of wood. Tears stung her eyes as she picked at the deeper ones, but she still was happy to feel the pain. She finished up the chore by washing her hands with soap and water to clean the wounds. They stung as the lather covered them. An unladylike grunt filled the cabin as she replaced the tool.
    Pushing the bar up, she opened the door. Icy cold bit at her cheeks. Instead of sunlight, there was only the gray light of a day promising a storm. Her foot halted one step from the threshold. Another dark-eyed man watched her from three feet in front of the door. Her hand froze on the handle as she stared into his serious expression. Whoever the man was, his eyes studied her for a long moment before he offered her a slight nod. He touched the brim of his dark felt Stetson.
    “Morning, ma’am.” He returned his hand to the revolver sitting on an overturned section of a tree in front of him. His fingers moved in slow motions over the weapon, polishing it. “Warren Howell, at your service.”
    His voice was steady and smooth, just like the motion of his hands over the barrel of his gun. A rifle was propped up against his knee within easy reach. His gaze shifted around the dock briefly before returning to her. “You’ll want to step back inside.”
    Brianna swallowed