Chapter 25
Later that evening, Sands and Jessie rode their horses along the open range. After what had happened earlier in the day, he'd suggested it to get her mind fully off of what had happened. So, they'd left the baby with Millie and here they were. His hand reached down to his jeans pocket ..yes..it was still there. The reason..among two or three.. that he had been gone that day. They rode until the came upon the same place that they'd stopped that long ago day, not long after they'd just met. He remembered how he'd watched her bouncing in the saddle and how it had driven him insane with wanting her and today was no different. She was doing it again, and he silently cursed, knowing it would be at least a couple more days before he could have her again. They stopped and dismounted and spread out the blanket by the stream and sat down on it, she in his lap and wrapped in strong arms. He didn't want to let her out of his arms, even for a second. His lips traced kisses along her neck as she leaned back into him. Then she turned her head just slightly enough for her lips to meet his. They kissed slowly, lingeringly and both could feel desire welling up inside them. The sun was starting to set as the kiss broke and he stroked her cheek. Here...right here...was the perfect place for what he had in mind. He kissed her again as his hand moved down to take something out of his jeans pocket and lay it beside him on the blanket, just under the edge of his thigh so she couldn't directly see it. His lips moved from hers to trail again up her neck to her ear..
"Feel better now, sweets?" he asked on a low tone.
"Mhm...I always feel good in your arms, sugar pie.."she giggled.
"Well listen...I uh...brought you here because I wanted us to be alone for awhile...and this is the place we stopped at before..because I need to talk to you and this is the perfect place for it.."
"Talk to me...about what?" she asked, suddenly a little nervous.
"Baby...when you first told me that you loved me, I didn't believe it, not at first. It's just the way I am..or I guess I should say..I was. But you've done everything possible to prove to me that you do, including giving me a beautiful daughter..when I wasn't sure I'd even want to be a father. I never thought, that I'd come to Texas and find out that I was capable of loving any woman like this..but again..I was wrong. You know how I can be, but yet it doesn't scare you. You know how dangerous my job is, but yet..you let me go, don't fight me about it or anything. You just kiss me and tell me to come home to you...and when I do, you're there, waiting for me. I don't want to lose any of that, not even for a second...and that's why I love you like I do..."
"I love you too, Shel.." she whispered, turning to look at him fully.
His hand grabbed the box laying there beside him and he flipped it open and brought it up and into her line of vision.."Then stay with me, Jessie...marry me..." he said as he looked straight into her eyes.
"Oh god..." tears welled up in her eyes and she kissed his lips softly.."Yes..yes..." she whispered against them. And with that he kissed her again, but this time with all the love and passion he had in him. She cried out softly against his mouth as it broke and he wiped her tears with a finger tip and stroked her cheek. Just then, if he could have, he would've made love to her right there, and silently cursed because he couldn't. Instead, he put the ring on her finger and then kissed her hand.
2 days later...
Mr. Braxton had been by earlier that morning and Jessie and Millie had signed the papers to sell the ranch. As soon as it sold, the money would be put into their bank accounts in Virginia, half to Jessie and half to Millie. She'd noticed in the last couple days that Millie and her friends, Suzy and Jenny kept grinning at her and kept asking to see her ring and she supposed they were just happy for her. She had just put a full and dozing Dakota into her bassinet to sleep while she finished gathering their belongings to pack. Bo followed her every foot step, realizing something was going on and was soon ordered to go lie down before he tripped her. Just then, she ran upstairs to put a few remaining pieces of clothing in their suitcases and stopped short when she saw Sands talking quietly into his cell phone. Her brow furrowed in curiosity, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. He caught her eye then and hastily said his goodbyes and flipped the phone shut...
"Who was that?" she asked curiously with a grin..
"Uh, nobody sweets...just work stuff.." he answered quickly..
"Mhm..if I didn't know any better...I'd think you were plotting something..." She said with a kiss to his lips.
"Who me? Nahhh... now what could I possibly be plotting?" he grinned and kissed her nose.
"I don't know...and that's what's got me curious..." she teased, as she put the last few things into their suitcases and shut them.
Sands watched as the tan sundress she had on swished around her hips and thighs as she moved. Christ, she was so damn beautiful and that dress was perfect. She didn't need any fancy wedding dress, not at all. Right then, he wanted to clear off the bed and just have her then and there...but no..time for that later and he fully intended to take advantage of it.
Two hours later, the car was packed and it was time to leave. Jessie waited with Millie and the baby for Sands to come down stairs from taking a quick shower and getting dressed. When he came down the stairs, Jessie's jaw dropped and she suddenly felt weak kneed. He was dressed in black from his stetson to his boot heels and every inch of him was gorgeous. In fact, she wanted to grab his hand right then and there and go back up stairs and have her way with him. He caught her heated glance and smirked.. then mouthed.."later".
They all got into the car after taking one last look around,Millie in back with the baby and Bo and Jessie up front with Sands. Jessie had wanted to say goodbye to Buck, Jenny and Suzy and felt it odd that they were no where on the place to be found. Again, her curiosity was peaked, but she said nothing.
The Neon Armadillo was abuzz with activity as usual, but for an entirely different reason. The best booze had been brought out, tables of food had been set up by one wall a long with a big wedding cake, fresh sawdust thrown on the plank floor. There had been parties at the bar, but never a wedding. The bar's owner, Mr. Tyree had been surprised when Sands had called him up and asked if he could bring Jessie there and marry her, since that was where they had met and it was only fitting. He had agreed and so there it was...and Jessie had no idea.
Sands smirked to himself as he drove, because of all the careful plotting he had done to make sure this would be indeed a memorable day. All of Jessie's friends from the bar and the hands from the ranch would be there..were already there..and waiting for the bride and groom to show up. He'd even planned a little joke of sorts to really surprise Jessie. The Armadillo was the perfect place for him to marry her before they left Texas for good.
They pulled up at the familiar bar and Jessie's eyes widened and she looked at Sands and grinned..
" I figured you might want to see this place one last time before we left Texas..,maybe take a few spins around the floor, have a beer.." He grinned back.
"You figured right..." she smiled and kissed him, not really hearing the small chuckle from Millie in the back seat, who knew exactly why they were there.
Sands and Jessie stepped out of the car and Millie stayed inside temporarily with the baby, so the next step in this whole wild scheme wouldn't scare the baby. They walked arm in arm towards the front doors of the building and the group of people outside it, all of whom Jessie knew to be friends from the bar and even Suzy and Jenny were there. Suddenly, from out of no where, but almost on top of her, she heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun going off and Buck Chatham stalking towards them determinedly, shot gun pointed in their direction. Her eyes widened and she almost fainted right there, but managed not to..
"Well looky what we got here... Mr. Sands, it seems like you need to make an honest woman of this little girl here and I ain't lettin' ya leave Texas til you do.. "Sands was at that point trying like hell not to laugh.."So what we're gonna do is go on in here and let ole Preacher McDaniel do the honors right n' proper..."
Sands looked at Jessie.."Better do what he says,sugar..." And with that he steered her in the direction of the bar's front doors, with Buck and everyone else who'd been outside, following, Millie and Dakota included.
When Jessie stepped into the door, a bouquet of wildflowers were thrust into her hand and when she looked up, she knew immediately that she'd been set up. There were tables of food, a wedding cake, the other tables were moved back further from the dance floor and there in the middle of it stood the good Preacher himself with a wide grin on his face. She looked up at Sands and grinned...
"You were plotting..I knew it! You set this whole thing up!" She said, giggling.
"Surprise, sweets...figured we'd make it official in the Armadillo.." he winked.
"I like the way you think, sugar pie.."She smiled.
With every maddening step closer to where the preacher stood, Jessie felt her hear thump. Not from anxiety or fear or even hurt or hate this time though. No this was the nervousness of any bride on her wedding day, surprise or not. This time, she wasn't being forced into marrying a man she didn't love, no today she was marrying the one that had had her the second she'd asked him for that first dance that night long preacher smiled as they came up to stand in front of him and Buck and Suzy on either side..
"You're lookin' real pretty, Miss Jessie.." The Preacher said to her and Jessie smiled shyly.
She turned to Sands and he took her hands in his and gave her a wink. Jessie grinned and bit her lip. Then Sands nodded to the preacher to begin..
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..." The preacher started...
At that moment, everything and everyone faded into the background and it was as if no one existed at the moment but Jessie, Sands and the preacher marrying them. Jessie vaguely heard the words she was to repeat, but smiled when she said "I do.." Sands winked at her again..a sweet wink as he answered her with his own "I do" as he slid the ring onto her finger.."I love you..."He mouthed.
The old preacher, who'd known Jessie all her life, smiled and said the final words.."I now pronounce you man and wife..you may kiss the bride..."
And with that, Sands dipped her and kissed her sweetly, making Jessie blush when she was let up finally. Millie came towards them with Dakota and Sands took the baby from her and they hugged her between them, each kissing one of the little girl's cheeks as their picture was snapped. One that would be among many in frames in their home. Everyone in the bar gathered around to congratulate the newly married couple and to gush over the baby. Jessie smiled at Sands and kissed his lips.
The party went on for a couple hours and Sands and Jessie slow danced to several songs sometimes with the baby, sometimes not. They posed for alot of pictures, one in particular that Jessie had taken for Sands and Sands alone. She posed suggestively on the mechanical bull where he'd first saw her the first night he stepped foot in Amarillo and the Neon Armadillo. She'd driven him crazy that night and hadn't stopped since. Finally, it was time to go,and everyone followed them out to the car to see them off.
Later that night...
Sands and Jessie stood in the hotel room that they'd checked into for the night.. Armed with baby bottles and all other necessities, Millie had the baby and Bo in another room a couple doors down, to give Sands and Jessie their wedding night alone. He looked at her for a minute ,taking in how beautiful she was and then reached out to pull her to him and kiss her softly..
"God, I couldn't wait to get away from there...' he chuckled against her lips..
"Me either...all I've thought about since we left Texas is getting you somewhere alone..." she grinned saucily, as she unbuttoned his shirt, spreading it back to expose his sexy chest and torso.
"Oh really...now why's that?" he said softly as he kissed down her neck and slipped off first one dress strap and then the other off her shoulder and letting it fall down to tumble to the floor at her feet. She hadn't had to wear a bra with the little sundress and he grinned as his head dipped to swirl his tongue over a nipple.
"B-because its been too long and I want you..oohhh..that feels good.."She whimpered as she arched against him, her hand stroking over the now obvious bulge in his jeans. He sucked in his breath and then groaned against her breast.
All of the rest of the fabric separating them was discarded just as quickly, but sensually just the same. On their knees, on the bed they came together again, mouths meeting hungrily, like long lost lovers who'd finally been reunited. He lay her back, mouth not leaving hers, as his hand slipped between her thighs, the palm of his hand rubbing the entire length of her heat up and down slowly as her nectar soaked it. She moaned into his mouth as two fingers slid in to pump and his thumb circled her clit. She rocked her hips against his hand , panting into his mouth as her hand found his thick erection and wrapped around it, pumping slowly. Sands hissed against her lips as his finger pumped harder into her and in mere minutes, she was sobbing against his as she shuddered in her first climax of the night.
His mouth was hot all over her and Jessie felt sure he meant to devour every inch of her. Hot licking kisses along her body, devouring her breasts and downward until he was between her thighs. The hot tongue that finally thrust into her made Jessie cry out his name as her hips arched up to give herself up to that devouring tongue. He couldn't get enough of her sweet body and tasted her as if he were a man starving. Jessie arched and stretched, moaning and crying out at the sheer pleasure of what he was doing to her and when she felt her orgasm thunder, thrashed hard under the sexy ministrations of that skillful tongue.
Sands was about to lose his mind with wanting to finally be inside her again. To feel that slick, hot tunnel that wrapped around him so snugly and fit perfectly every time. He moved up to settle between her thighs, mouth meeting hers again in a hot, almost desperate kiss as she grasped the throbbing hardness of him and guided him to her. He entered her slowly, exquisitely and before he was even half way there, she was shuddering into his mouth. That made him hiss and thrust the rest of the way deeply..."Oh christ..." He choked out and she answered him with an "oh god, yes..." They fell into a hot rhythm, hips moving and grinding together as if they couldn't get enough as if they had to feel each other, as if they had to become one or die trying.
Jessie relished the thought that he was hers forever and devoured his neck and chest as he moved above her , hands all over him, one finally moving down to grab at his behind and pull him in deeper to hold him prisoner inside her depths where he belonged. Her sweet attentions on his body made him lose control and thrust harder, faster as they spiraled towards ecstasy. Then they were both shuddering, crying out into each other's mouths as they came together in blissful pleasure.
When he had caught his breath and could finally move, Sands pulled his sweet Jessie, his beautiful wife into his arms and held her to him.