Happy Wednesday! The following is from Rocky Mountain Bride. In this clip Carrie is trying to teach Miles how to read (and avoid sexy time, because she thinks a proper wife should subdue her desires). This book has been out since November, but I love this couple so much, I’m thinking of writing a few more chapters for them…

Carrie cleared the plates, ignoring the big man watching her with a heated gaze. When she returned to the table, she had her bible in hand.

“What’s this?” He leaned forward once she sat down.

“I thought we could read some verses before bed.” He sighed, sounding frustrated, but then leaned back in his chair. “Very well.”

She read a bit from Isaiah, hoping to interest him, but when she looked up, he seemed to be studying her more than ruminating on the verses. She pushed the book across to him. “You never learned to read?”

“No. When I was of schooling age, Pa was often sick, and it fell on me to be the man of the house and work the farm.”
“How old were you?”

“Six. And I didn’t get much schooling even after Pa regained his health, because I was on to the horse farm for my apprenticeship.” Even though she’d heard many stories of young men kept from school to earn for their families, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for a small, tawny-eyed boy with so much responsibility laid on his shoulders.

“Well, then, I’ll teach you.” She ignored his amused look, and came around the table. Leaning over him, she started to point out letters in the little book, wishing she had a primer.

“And that’s an ‘E’ that can be used in many words—” She felt Miles’ hand brush back her hair and she swatted at his hand. “—like here, and here, see, in this king’s name…Merodachbaladan…” It took her several tries to pronounce the name, and all the while Miles’ hand was caressing her neck.

“Oh dear,” she said, giving up on the ancient king’s name. “Perhaps that wasn’t a very good example.”

Suddenly her student was on his feet behind her, and his lips worried the back of her neck. “What are you doing?” She felt him pull at the fabric of her dress to uncover more of her skin, and his mouth followed the path.

“Learning to read,” he murmured.

“No, this is not…” She lost the thread of the sentence as his mouth latched onto a sensitive spot on her shoulder.

Then one of his arms snaked around her waist, while the other undid a few more buttons until it could slip into her bodice and cup her breast. Her knees unhinged completely, and she would have fallen but for Miles’ arm holding her around her middle. He turned her and lifted her so she was on the table. A few tin dishes went crashing to the floor but neither of them noticed, so busy were they drawing kisses into their hungry mouths.

Deep in her bodice, Miles’ fingers pinched her nipple and Carrie gasped, then gave as good as she got and sucked on his lip, biting it. Miles jerked away, then touched his lip. When his fingers came away, they were red with blood.
“Miles,” she quavered, sitting half disheveled on the kitchen table. She did not like the look in his eye. “That’s it,” he said, and she was about to protest when she was over his shoulder then bouncing on the bed. He turned her over and pushed up her skirts while she struggled to escape to the other side of the bed.

“No, I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, you did, sweet wife. You bit me.” He sounded satisfied. His hand came down with a loud smack, but it didn’t hurt. He followed it with a rub that sent sensations reverberating deep inside her. Another spank, another rub, and Carrie whimpered, her legs kicking out for a different reason. It was as if she had a fire inside her and each spank struck out a spark to light the blaze.

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