“Have you?” Lorna persisted.
“I’ve known some women in my time,” he admitted.
“What kind?” she asked.
“I don’t see that it makes any difference.” He attempted to avoid the question. “You’re my wife now. My woman.”
“But these women, were they respectable?” She had to know if he was comparing her to the right kind of women.
“I respected them,” he stated. “That’s all you need to know.”
“But …” She lifted her head to question him further, suspecting that she was really like the loose women he had known.
“No more questions.” He covered her mouth with his hand, then let it slide down to rub his thumb across her lips. “We’re going to have a long day tomorrow. It’s time we both got a little shut-eye.”
A minor debate was waged in her mind before she shelved the subject for the time being and rested her head on his chest again. His arm tightened, to snuggle her closer to his side. Lorna started to crook a leg over his to get comfortable, but she jerked it back when she brushed something soft.
“What’s the matter?” Benteen asked.
“Nothing,” she lied in confusion.
“You can put your leg over mine,” he invited.
“No, that’s all right,” she insisted nervously.
“What is it? I know there’s something.” The determined tone was in his voice. “What is it that you’re too embarrassed to say?”
“It’s … small.” She couldn’t help feeling selfconscious about noticing that.
Her discomfort wasn’t lessened by his low chuckle. “It’s only hard and erect when a man is aroused. You’ll soon learn how it’s done,” Benteen assured her.
It seemed there was a great deal she had to learn. Lorna had always considered herself to be well-educated. She could read and do numbers, as well as sew and cook and keep house. She had thought she was moderately well-versed in the facts of life, but it seemed she wasn’t aware of the fundamentals. She didn’t like feeling ignorant.
II
Get them cattle movin.’
Honey, dry your eyes,
’Cause that Calder range is waiting
Under blue Montana skies.
9
The first light of dawn glinted through the dusty glass of the hotel window. In the street below, there was a small stirring of activity. Benteen lay awake in bed, watching Lorna sleep. The covers were down around her hips, exposing her high, firm breasts. Until last night, he hadn’t realized how much passion was locked inside that beautifully slender body, but he hadn’t been shocked by it. “Delighted” was a closer description.
His gaze traveled down to her flat stomach and the bones of her hips. My God, how she had drained every ounce of life juice from his body! Just remembering made him grow stiff with desire. His eyes returned to her face, its innocence touching him as her modesty had last night. There was a slight curve to her lips as they lay warmly together, a hint of the pleasured satisfaction she’d also known last night. She stirred, turning a little toward him.
It was time they were getting up, but he didn’t want to waken her. He wanted to look
at her, study every detail that he had missed last night and a few that he hadn’t. His hand moved to the bedcovers to inch them down a little farther, not wanting to disturb her slumber just yet.
Her lashes fluttered, then were slowly dragged open. Benteen watched the sleepy confusion across her features as Lorna tried to place where she was. Her glance swung to him, startled recognition flaring in her eyes.
“Good morning, Mrs. Calder.” The lazy smile matched his slowly drawled greeting. He saw the rush of modesty when she realized she was uncovered, and pulled up the covers that he was going to pull down. It was a pity, but in time she’d get over this self-consciousness.
“Good morning.” Her voice was soft, a little husky with sleep.