Second Chances

Naomi barely slept, between staying awake thinking of Aidan and waking from heated dreams about him. Several times she woke up, trembling with need and reaching for him, only to find the space beside her empty. By the time morning arrived, she was frustrated, tired and exasperated with herself.

She rose and washed before donning a clean dress of yellow calico trimmed in white lace. She braided her hair and wound it into a knot at her crown. She wished she had a mirror so she could check her appearance, but at least she knew she was clean and presentable. She ate a hurried breakfast and started another batch of peach preserves while she waited for Aidan to arrive. He had said he would arrive a bit later in the day, but she was anxious to see him again. She kept glancing out the window, and by ten o'clock, she was finding it hard to do anything but watch for his arrival.

Finally, she spotted him coming through the trees with a large bundle in the back of his wagon. She ran to the door and threw it open, greeting him with a bright smile of welcome.

"Hello," she called with a laugh.

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Aidan laughed in response. "Hello yourself." He hopped down from the wagon and removed his hat as he approached to stand in front of her. He pulled her slowly against him and scanned her shining face. "I thought it was a beautiful morning, but the shine in your eyes puts the sun to shame."

Naomi giggled with pleasure and stretched up to kiss him. She had meant to give him a fleeting kiss, but he would have none of it. He kissed her long and thoroughly, letting her know that he had missed her. By the time he raised his head, hers was spinning.

"I couldn't wait to do that," he murmured, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I couldn't sleep for thinking about you."

"Me neither," she blurted, then blushed when he smiled with satisfaction.

"I brought you a few things from town. Let me unload the wagon."

She watched as he lifted several parcels and carried them into the cabin. "What on earth have you been up to? I didn't ask you to get any of these things for me."

"I know," he said, "but I knew these were some supplies you would need."

He made another trip out to the wagon and returned with several more large parcels wrapped in brown paper. Naomi eyed the things he had brought with interest. When he left yet again, Naomi laughed.

"More stuff?"

"One more thing. Hold the door open, please."

Aidan lifted a large mattress from the wagon bed and hauled it into the cabin. He carried it to the bed and waited for her to remove the pallet of blankets before smoothing it out.

"Aidan," she exclaimed, "it's a feather mattress. Where did you get it?"

"From town. There's a woman there who makes them. She always has one or two in her spare bedroom, ready for sale."

"Oh Aidan, thank you. That was so thoughtful. How much did all this stuff cost? I'll get you the money."

"Consider it a housewarming present," he said with a grin.

Naomi put her hands on her hips and shook her head. The look of determination in her eyes and the stubborn set of her jaw warned him that she might be prickly on the subject of being self sufficient.

"No way. I have money, and I would have gone into town myself to purchase some supplies soon. You must let me pay you. I'm not some charity case."

"Neither am I," he said gruffly. He pulled her against him and silenced her protests with another thorough kiss. When he judged her mood to be suitably softened, he raised his head and waited for her eyes to flutter open. "I don't think you are a charity case. But you have been feeding me. I just wanted to replace a few of the things you had used for me, so I bought you a few supplies. Accept them graciously, as a gift from someone who has enjoyed your hospitality."

Naomi raised one delicate brow, but she didn't seem too outraged. "And what about the mattress? Are you planning to make use of that as well?"

Aidan laughed a bit self consciously, as he met her eye with a sheepish grin. "The thought had crossed my mind."

Naomi smoothed the cloth of his shirt over his broad chest while she nibbled at her bottom lip. "Alright then, I will accept them with sincere thanks for your thoughtfulness. But only if you promise to make use of all the things you brought me."

Aidan's grin widened as he lowered his head for another kiss. Just before his lips met hers, he murmured a husky oath.

"I promise, Naomi."

He sealed his promise with a kiss that left them both a bit breathless. He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind one dainty ear and smiled down at her.

"Now, go and open the parcels."

Aidan had brought her a large basket of eggs, a side of bacon, coffee, a sack of flour, another of sugar, a bag of cornmeal, tins of salt and pepper, and a barrel with potatoes, carrots and onions. As he watched her unwrap the various items and put them away, he remembered the quizzical looks he had received from the shopkeepers in town. Aidan was known for the value he placed on a dollar, and since he had been to town to purchase several of the same items only two days before, his purchases raised several eyebrows. Although they politely probed, he refused to satisfy their curiosity.

He really got them wondering when he purchased the mattress, two soft pillows, and a set of white cotton sheets. Since they knew he already owned those items, they naturally wondered why he needed new ones. As Aidan watched Naomi smoothing the sheets over the mattress, he could hardly resist the urge to take her in his arms at that moment. But he wanted her to open her last gift, so he waited as patiently as he could.

Naomi held up a small hand mirror, hairbrush and comb set. They were silver and obviously expensive. An exquisite rose design had been finely wrought on their handles. She sighed with pleasure, but setting them down on the table, she looked at Aidan with a disapproving frown.

"You've already broken your promise, Aidan. Are you honestly planning to make use of these?"

"Absolutely," he said with a nod and a grin. He came to stand behind her as he gripped her waist and nibbled on her neck. "Do you remember me saying that I couldn't sleep last night because I was thinking of you?" When she nodded, his grin widened. "Well, one fantasy I had involved you brushing your hair before you went to bed." As he spoke, he continued to punctuate his words with nibbling kisses behind her ear. "I could picture you all soft and tempting, with your hair shining in the candle light. I bought these in the hope that someday, you will fulfill that fantasy for me."

Naomi shivered and dropped her head onto his shoulder to give him better access to the tender flesh he was exploring. "Would today be soon enough?" she asked softly.

He slid his hands up to cup her breasts, and she moaned as he kneaded their fullness. He worked the buttons open on her bodice and chemise and spread the two halves as he continued to kiss her neck. When he had her breasts fully exposed to his hands and eyes, he squeezed hard on her nipples, twisting them until she moaned with pleasure and stroked the backs of his hands in encouragement.

"Ah," he teased, "another fantasy fulfilled."

Naomi turned in his arms to face him, with a seductive smile. "I have some fantasies to fulfill too, you know." She began to unbutton his shirt and spread her hands over his wide chest. "I have yet to see you totally naked."

Aidan grinned down at her as she started unbuckling his belt. "I'm completely at your disposal, ma'am. Feel free to indulge any fantasy you might have about me."

She gave him a coquettish smile from beneath her lashes as she unbuttoned his breeches. "Anything I want?"

Aidan could feel the blood throbbing in his loins as she trailed her fingertips over the head of his aching erection. "Anything you want. I'm your willing slave."

Naomi laughed with delight as she snared his hand and tugged him toward the bed. She pressed down on his shoulders, and he obligingly sat on the side of the bed. As she tugged his boots off and set them aside, he enjoyed glimpses of her breasts, visible between the open halves of her bodice. She pulled off his socks and brushed his unbuttoned shirt down his arms. Then, she pulled his hands, urging him to stand once more while she peeled his breeches down over his legs. He stepped out of them and stood naked before her.

Naomi's eyes were alight with passion as she walked in a small circle around him, touching him softly with her hands as she admired his beautiful physique. The breath was tight in his chest as Aidan waited, submitting to her bold inspection with outward calm. Inside, he was trembling with need. She traced the line where his deeply tanned back met the white flesh of his bottom. She kneaded the firm globes, making him shiver from the warmth of her hands. She measured the width of his shoulders with her palms. She mapped out each muscle and sinew of his arms, right down to his fingertips. By the time she circled back in front of him, he could barely breathe.

"You're beautiful," Naomi whispered reverently. She met his eye and raised a challenging brow. "Now in my fantasy, you aren't allowed to move unless I say so."

"Yes ma'am," he agreed, wondering what she would do next.

As he watched, she shrugged out of her dress and tossed it onto the pile of his clothes. She kicked off her shoes and untied her pantalets and stepped out of them as well. Beneath his burning gaze, she lifted one foot onto the edge of the bed, flipped up the hem of her chemise, and slowly rolled her stocking down her leg. She took her time, caressing the silky flesh of her thigh, calf and ankle as she went. She gave him a sidelong smile and repeated the process with the other stocking, relishing the fire in his eyes as he watched her.

Finally, she stood before him in only her silk chemise. He had unbuttoned it halfway to her waist, making the bodice hang precariously over her breasts. Her nipples were straining against the thin material, and he could see their dark outline through the sheer white fabric. He reached to take her in his arms, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"No! I said you aren't allowed to move, remember? This is my fantasy, so stand still."

Aidan released a pained groan, and her sultry chuckle made him tremor. Naomi gripped his shoulders and stepped close, until her breasts were barely brushing his chest. She stretched up to kiss him softly on the lips. Her mouth was feather light as she teased him with unsatisfying, brief kisses. When he groaned again, she smiled and trailed kisses down to the hollow of his neck, where she licked him with her hot tongue. Her kisses drifted over his chest, paying homage to both of his nipples along the way. When she began to kiss the ridges of his well-muscled abdomen, his eyes widened.

"Naomi, what are you doing?" he gasped.

"Just stand still," she murmured.

Naomi sank to her knees before him and gripped his thighs as she studied his cock. It was standing proudly erect, throbbing against his belly. She gripped it lightly in both hands, realizing that her fingers couldn't close around its girth. She stroked it slowly, exploring every pulsing vein with her delicate fingers. It was long and thicker than her wrist. It was menacing. It was captivating. It was mouth watering. She met his eye and smiled.

"You're beautiful," she repeated. "I knew you would be."

She pulled the skin down, baring the sensitive tip where drops of fluid had begun to flow. She collected the drops with her tongue, and Aidan sucked in a breath, clenching his hands into fists to keep from touching her. She was driving him insane with desire, but he stood still as she gently took him into her mouth and suckled. He closed his eyes, savoring each flick of her silky tongue on the underside of his cock.

"I thought you were going to act out one of your fantasies," he gritted through clenched teeth.

Naomi chuckled low in her throat, and the vibrations made Aidan moan with pleasure. She worked him deeper, until the tip of his cock was hitting the back of her throat with every thrust of her mouth. She stroked the base of his cock with her hand while she used her other hand to massage his balls. Aidan watched, completely enthralled, as she made love to him slowly and sensuously. After several minutes of the mind-numbing pleasure, he could feel his cock swelling in her mouth, and he groaned.

"Enough, Naomi," he gasped. "I can't hold out any longer."

She ignored him and sucked all the harder, speeding up the thrusts of her tiny hand. With a hoarse cry, Aidan bathed her throat with his hot fluid, shuddering with the power of his climax. Naomi swallowed his seed with greedy fervor, waiting until the pulsing contractions had ended before she released him from her mouth. She sank onto her heels and grinned up at him.

"Now that was one beautiful fantasy."

"My turn," he growled.

He gripped her arms and lifted her. He devoured her lips with ravenous kisses, probing the recesses of her mouth and tasting his own musky essence on her tongue. He gripped her waist and lifted her onto the bed, fluffing both pillows beneath her head and arranging her legs slightly parted.

"Now, you don't get to move until I say so."

His menacing frown made her chuckle softly again, but she nodded her agreement. He explored the underside of her delicate jaw, tracing the sensitive skin with his tongue. He nibbled his way from her dainty earlobes down to the hollow of her neck and paused to suckle the pounding pulse there. Naomi moaned softly. He trailed kisses along her collarbones and out to each soft shoulder, pausing to brush the satin straps of her chemise halfway down her arms. The result left the garment barely covering her nipples, making her feel even more wanton and seductive than she would have felt if she were totally naked.

Aidan paused to savor the sight of her quivering breasts, barely covered by a thin web of sheer silk. There was a wicked light in his dark eyes as he grinned and resumed his travels. He kissed his way to one taut nipple and suckled it through the silk chemise. Naomi moaned again, arching her back and wishing desperately that she could thread her fingers through his silky hair. He took his time, alternating strokes of his tongue with nipping pulls with his teeth. The pressure he exerted was both pain and pleasure, and her nipple began to ache and throb from his attentions. When Naomi had been reduced to mewling cries of need, he moved to her other breast to repeat the process.

The friction of the silk against her tender flesh heightened each sensation. The feeling of Aidan's calloused hand skimming down to explore her slick womanhood made her shiver with anticipation. Her attention torn between his mouth and his hand, she opened her thighs wide, and whimpered in relief when he thrust two fingers into her aching, empty pussy. He stroked her into a maelstrom of sensations, reaching deep within her and flicking her clit with his thumb as he tortured her swollen breast. Naomi was already desperate with need, and when Aidan bit down and suckled hard on her nipple, she came apart, crying out as her back arched with her delight.

Aidan barely let her catch her breath before he began to stroke her again. He pushed her onto a higher plane, where her senses were heightened, her nerves were more raw. He taunted and teased, advanced and retreated until Naomi was writhing and panting before him.

"Aidan, please," she gasped, desperately needing him to give her some relief from her tension.

"Uh, uh, uh," he said with a wicked grin. "This is my fantasy, remember?"

He gave her nipple one final sharp suckle before removing his fingers from her pussy altogether. He chuckled when she whined her disapproval. He caught her eye and held her gaze as he brought his wet fingers to her lips. She sucked them into her mouth, moaning as she licked her own juices from his fingers. Watching her luscious mouth, memories of how it had felt wrapped around his cock sent hot blood pounding through his loins. When she had cleaned his fingers thoroughly, he slid further down to nibble the undersides of her breasts. Her belly twitched beneath his wandering tongue, and when he plunged it into her naval, she squeaked with alarm.

"Aidan, please. I'm ticklish."

He chuckled, storing that bit of information away for another time as he kissed his way to the triangle of dark hair between her thighs. He settled between her legs, forcing them wide apart. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply of her fragrance, moaning his approval. Naomi watched in fascination as Aidan studied her pussy. He stroked his fingers over every moist, swollen fold, causing her to pant with excitement. He met her eye and grinned.

"You're beautiful."

When he kissed her, Naomi's eyes closed on a moan of delight. His tongue was scalding against her flesh, rasping and probing, delving and suckling. It was all she could do to remain still and let him taste her. He suckled her clit, and she groaned, her legs trembling from the effort of not arching her hips against his mouth. He speared her with two broad fingers, stroking her into a frenzy while he indulged his endless appetite for her tangy dew. When he sensed she couldn't take any more stimulation, he pressed her most sensitive inner spot while he sharply suckled her clit. She screamed, arching her hips against his mouth and clenching her thighs as she shuddered.

He brought her gently down from her summit, licking her softly with his tongue and soothing her with his fingers. When she could finally open her eyes, he snared her gaze and grinned.

"Now we're even, my beautiful Naomi. You taste every bit as delicious as you look."

Naomi blushed but returned his grin as she waited for him to settle over her. He kissed her deeply, and she could smell and taste herself on him. It was intoxicating. She reached down to guide him to her entrance, and he thrust into her with one forceful stroke. She moaned and arched her hips to welcome him deeper. Their ride was leisurely and they took turns inciting each other to even more intense passion until they finally came together with guttural groans of satisfaction.

As Aidan held her, sated and sleeping in his arms, he knew he loved her. In a matter of days, she had captured him so completely, he couldn't imagine life without her as his wife. He had to find some way to win her for his own.

***********

It was almost noon by the time they roused. They ate a hurried meal, and Aidan went to work on the garden. Naomi finished the peaches and packed them into crates for him to carry home. She felt unsettled, knowing that Aidan was almost finished outside. That meant he wouldn't be returning the following day. She had come here looking for solitude, but she wasn't looking forward to a single day without his presence.

By late afternoon, Aidan finished, and he called her outside to take a look. He had set in neat rows of all the vegetables and herbs, and he talked to her about how to maintain them and how to protect them from freezing in the winter.

Naomi hugged his arm against her breast and gave him a warm smile. "Oh Aidan, you have done a wonderful job. I can't thank you enough for your help."

He shrugged, feeling pleased by her praise. "You won't have anything to harvest until early spring. Will you be alright for supplies until then?"

She waved away his concern. "Of course. I told you already, I have money. I will buy anything I need until my garden comes in."

Something about her flippant tone raised Aidan's suspicions, and he eyed her carefully. "What about livestock? You must be planning to buy chickens and a cow, maybe a pig in the spring."

"I hadn't thought about it," Naomi said uncertainly. "Do you think I should?"