The Book
Chapter 6.It was midafternoon before the Marshal made it back to the Long Branch. Kitty had been watching for him since before noon. There were only a couple of customers left after the lunchtime rush and Sam and Clem were clearing up the remains.
As he walked up to the bar, Sam was about to pull him a beer.
"Hold on Sam," Kitty said quietly – for the Barkeep's ears only. "I need to change a dressing before we get to the beer." She turned towards Dillon.
"You go on upstairs and I'll be there in a minute, else Doc will give me a long talking to for not taking good care of you."
Matt gave her surprisingly little resistance and headed up the stairs to the rooms he knew so well. The few hard drinkers remaining in the saloon seemed to hardly notice his presence.
Kitty stayed for a few minutes to talk with Sam about what needed to be done before the evening business started and then followed in his footsteps. She quietly opened the door and was surprised by the sight on her bed. The man who Doc had to almost drag into his office for any kind of treatment was lying on her bed, shirt off, boots off and grinning from ear to ear. She pretended to ignore him and collected the bottle of liquid antiseptic Doc had given her and new supplies to change the dressing.
He did not move as she set about cleaning the wound around his shoulder, just observed her quietly, his watchful eyes following her every move.
"Your hands are so soft and gentle, Kitty," he murmured at last. His words gave her gooseflesh, but she didn't react. She was determined to keep her mind on what she was doing.
He placed his big suntanned hand on her, delicate wrist and caught her eyes with his own. He continued insistently, "I've missed your touch. Do you know how long it's been?"
She smothered a smile as she finished bandaging his shoulder, then started to remove the dressing from the wound just above his waist.
His eyes twinkled as he spoke, "I think it would be easier if you unfastened my belt and pants."
She could not suppress a smile this time, but continued with the job in hand trying not to catch his eyes. Instead she wryly observed, "You're never this co-operative with Doc."
He caressed a long finger across her pink cheek and cajoled, "He's not as pretty as you Kitty, and doesn't make my body do things like you do."
She bit her lip and fussed, "Just stop talking and let me look at this, Matt. It's still very red, you know. When Doc gets back I think you should let him see it."
His voice was smooth as velvet and he raised a brow at her playfully. "I've got something else you can look at."
"Matt, I am trying to be serious here."
"Me too." He sat up a little. "Do you know how long it is since, well since we slept together in this bed? I don't mean like last night. I was gone for three weeks and then I spent three weeks up there in ol' Doc's company." He leaned in and gazed at her. "I've missed you so much." His thumb trailed over her fingers as he held her hand. "Just the feel of your warm skin next to mine..."
"You think I didn't miss you too? You are in no shape for any vigorous exercise right now. If you tear those stitches open, Doc isn't here to put them back."
She tried to get back to the job in hand, but had to pull his pants a little further down over his hips in order to clean the length of the injury.
Matt stilled her hands with his own. "Make love to me Kitty. Let me feel you around me."
His plea was so enticing it made her shiver. She could never remember her man of few words saying anything like that before. Already she could see his need rising towards her, and although hers was not so visible she could feel the warm sense of wanting growing inside her.
He coaxed, "I promise I won't do anything. I'll just lie here and let you do all the work."
She laughed, "I'd hardly think of it as work." She put her hands on her hips and looked at him long and hard, then spoke softly, "Let me finish this first." Gently as she could she cleaned the area where Doc had had to dig for the bullet. It had to be painful but he did not move or utter a sound.
"See," he said "it isn't that bad." She knew better but the pleading look in his eyes and the shy grin on his lips, together with her own rising passion, sent caution to the winds. She stepped out of her dress and petticoats and lay on the big bed beside him.
"I guess you want me to remove the rest of your clothes," she smiled as she set about sliding his pants down his long muscular legs. She reached for the cover and pulled it over both of them. He lay there, letting her hands work their magic, till he could wait no longer. He was about to roll over on top of her.
"Uh-uh, Cowboy, this is going to be my job." She whispered, "Remember what you promised?"
"But Kitty…."
"No buts or else I'm leaving this bed." She pressed him back against the pillows and purred, "Just relax now. I know what I'm doing."
Her hands on his body, her lips against his, their tongues dancing in the space that their mouths created. Finally he groaned thinking he could stand it no longer. She lifted herself directly over him and the primal rhythm of their bodies took over. Finally, release and peace, then slowly and carefully her warmth left him. She didn't say anything, just lay close by his side for many minutes. He made no attempt to interrupt the silence, didn't want to break the spell.
At last he had to speak. "Thank you Kitty, that was wonderful."
She laughed, "I enjoyed enjoy it too Cowboy."
She left the bed and, taking her clothes from the floor, went behind the screen to recover her image. He just laid there, reliving the moment in his mind. All those weeks without the woman he loved had been so difficult. He knew it was bad for her, too. Somehow he would make it up to her.
Kitty reappeared, looking more like the owner of the Long Branch. Once again she picked up the bandages she had prepared.
"You better let me finish this. Sam will be wondering how many dressings I had to change."
TBC