Alone with Mavis, he watched her carefully out the corner of his eye. She walked up to him and pursed her lips. “I been alone for a while now, Sam. That’s probably why I’m so bold soundin’ to you. I miss my husband’s touch, his kisses, the way we made love. A woman gets used to those things real quick. We spent a lot of time makin’ love. He wanted me in his bed all the time, and I shore didn’t mind. Lord, that man could love me. I was used to it, everyday like. He was a man that kept me happy, and I shore didn’t mind. No siree, I didn’t mind at all. A woman needs those things too, Sam. Especially once they are used to it. I’m very used to kissin’ and lovin’, Sam. Kiss me so I know you mean it when you smile like that at me. I can tell you’re attracted to me. You shore don’t hide it,” she whispered as her arms went around his neck. Her soft pillowing breasts mashed hard up against him, her hips joining his,
unashamed of her mating.
“Mavis, we hardly know each other,” Sam tried to protest.
“Don’t matter, we need each other. You’re a black man, don’t you want me, even a little? I seen you lookin’ at me, I know you like what you see. You knows you can have it too, ‘cause I done told you so,” she whispered, pushing herself against him and waiting ‘til his arms came around her. “Findin’ a black man in these parts is hard. Most are either too old or too young. I gotta take my chances where I find them. I’m not too proud, I need a man. I got youngin’s to raise. And I dang sure ain’t through with making love. It’s been too long as it is.”
Not wanting to insult her, he obliged her, putting his lips to hers, feeling the impact of her breasts imprinting his chest as he pulled her close. Unlike Riley, Mavis wasn’t bashful about kissing. And she had a very womanly shape about her that Riley lacked. Just the feel of her soft body made him respond. Her hands seemed to roam all over him not shy, and it did stir him, but her kisses were sloppy and wet and there was no feeling to go with the fire she stirred.
That was the problem with the kiss, he thought as he obliged. They were merely putting their lips together, not because of feelings, but more as an experiment to see if they might fit together. But for some reason he was sorely disappointed that there was no fire in her kiss. Her lips slipped recklessly over his, but there was no fire in the way she kissed. In fact, she acted as though it were something she had to do, not wanted to do. Her lips barely moved beneath his and she stirred nothing inside him. Oh he reacted, but not for long, for he knew she wasn’t consumed with fire for him, she just wanted a replacement for her dead husband.
Sam pondered that point for a long moment as he let his lips slide over her wide full mouth. His hands went around her, but she was much bigger than Riley and his hands wouldn’t fit around her breast and hold all of her. He hated her slobberin’ all over him, but he was too much the gentleman to say so. He felt her body heating to his, but there was nothing about her that interested him and he wondered at that. Had Riley spoiled him against black women? He tried harder to get a response, but there simply was no fire. He kissed her thoroughly wanting to prove that Riley’s kisses hadn’t spoiled it for him.
But even though his mouth opened and his tongue sought hers, she leisurely let him have her tongue to play with, but she wasn’t eager. In fact, she was passive; either she knew nothing about making love, or she just felt nothing. She could have been chopping wood as far as he was concerned. There was no passion. He tried a little harder, letting his tongue slide between her lips and mating it with hers, but it did no good. She might have flirted wildly, but her kisses told him either she had no feelings at all, or none for him.
He tried harder for a moment, letting his hands roam over her curves and delving where she let him. His hands came over her breast and she sighed against him. Her big nipples pebbled hard against his hand and for an instant it gave him pleasure to touch her. Just the womanly feel of nipples responding to his touch stirred him some. Mavis didn’t mind, in fact she seemed to enjoy that, but she had no feelings for him…just his touches.
It was like she only wanted him to take the advantage.
He finally let her go when he heard the kids coming back. All of them had seen them and he was satisfied that he put on a good show for Riley.
He saw how pale Riley had gone, how a tear threatened to fall. Now he was sorry he permitted Mavis to help him in his scheme. For he’d hurt Riley and he knew it. But he learned something, when he hurt Riley he hurt himself even more.
Best to hurt her now than wait and hurt her later, when things might get out of hand. But he remembered the differences in the kisses too and he wondered if he really wanted to hurt Riley this way. When he kissed Riley, she emitted fire and passion like a hot stove that comforted all the right places. If only she weren’t white, he wouldn’t hesitate making her his. Yet in the back of his mind, he wondered if he’d already made her his. Because Riley was hurt from the looks of her, but she tried to disguise it for everyone else’s sake. And her hurt was his. Either that or the feelings shared with Riley were real ones.
He had to forget those kisses, somehow. But it wouldn’t be easy, and especially since Mavis hadn’t been a bit of good at kissing. He’d never known that there was such a thing as a good kisser and a bad one. But there was.
He hitched the horses and nodded to Riley. “We’ll be movin’ out now.”
Riley nodded, but said nothing.
The deed was done. Riley thought he loved Mavis and he should have been happy, but he felt such a loss and couldn’t understand why.
After that, Riley barely spoke to Sam. She kept her distance, and Sam kept telling himself he was glad. But it bothered him greatly.
He kissed Mavis several times in front of them all, each time trying harder to get a real reaction out of her. It didn’t happen. He didn’t understand why. He touched her, fondling her to some extent, and she reacted with a moan of pleasure, but there still was no fire for him. The kids giggled and harassed Riley that they would soon have a new daddy. Riley bit her lip and quelled her tears.
Riley became more withdrawn than ever, Sam noticed. He hated hurting her, but it was for her own good. She’d never know that every time Mavis’ kisses were so bland he wanted to shove the woman away. Why she had no fire confused Sam. She was black, she offered him everything, but he didn’t want it. What was wrong with him? Maybe she really did love her husband that died and just needed a man around. Or maybe she was cold and unfeeling as she felt. Sam didn’t know, but he sure had noticed the difference in Mavis and Riley quickly.
He kept trying to persuade himself that Mavis just didn’t fool around as much as she seemed. But most whores were better than this. He tried to romance her a little, but when he touched her it was always the same, bland and unfeeling. She flirted endlessly with Sam, and yet there was no feeling behind those flirts. Sam honestly wished there was. It would make it simple to leave Riley, but deep down he was shaking his head. There would be nothing simple about leaving Riley and he knew it.
As they were about to reach Dallas though, Mavis came up to him. “So…you really gonna take him to the lawyer about his land?”
“Yeah, I am…” Sam nodded. “I gave him my word I’d help. He’s too wet behind the ears to know what to do or say.”
“Why? It ain’t your concern. He’s white. What can you gain from helping a white kid? I just don’t understand you. You know what I’m offerin’ you. You’ve so much more with me,” Mavis insisted. “Let him go his own way and come with me. We can make a fine family. I want more children and we could make a bunch together. I like the way you kiss me and I’m sure you’re lovin’ would be even better. You shore know how to feel up my breasts, kinda slow like, enjoying both of them. I can almost feel your lips on my nipples when you touch me like that. I imagine your lips there, supping on me. I like how you kiss me, so gentle. I don’t want to lose you, Sam. I know we could make a good life together. I shore don’t want to let you get away. You’re a fine man.”
Sam studied Mavis, trying to figure out how a woman could flirt so and be so cold. How she could think on having children with a man when there was no feeling for that man. He didn’t want that kind of relationship, or that kind of woman. He wanted what Hattie had…true love.
The fact that he had struck on what he wanted startled him. What Hattie had…real love.
Sam stared at Mavis for a long time. “You offer me a lot, Mavis, and it is tempting, but I gave my word. And I don’t go back on it.” Then he looked over at Riley. “He’s just a kid. That’s why. He needs help. They practically stole the place out from under him, and it’s his place. He needs to learn to fight for what is his, that’s all. I’m tryin’ to show him how. It ain’t right for them to just steal it out from under him.”
“And you’re going to teach him? What are you gonna get out of this? Nothing! That’s what!” Mavis said flatly. “You ain’t his daddy. Why do you care what happens to him? It’s a waste of time. And he won’t appreciate it. I’m offering you so much more, can’t you see that? You could run my sister’s farm, we could be a family. I have so much more to offer than that silly white kid. You gotta admit I sure could keep your bed warm. We could be together all the time, make love, have kids. I wouldn’t even expect you to work too hard. Why, sometimes me and my husband would lay up in bed all day, just so he could kiss me and touch me and make love with me. He loved my body.”
Yeah, but did he love you, Mavis?
“Mavis, you are a fine woman. And a fine figure of a woman. But I sense that you still love your husband. There just ain’t no fire when we touch. You can’t help that, neither can I,” Sam admitted.