keep his promise to bite her clit.
Despite having come only minutes before, Hannah climaxed hard as he flicked his tongue on her pussy and used teeth and sucking to torture her. They hugged and kissed for a long while afterward.
“I desperately want to fuck you again, but I think I’ll wait for tonight. Anticipation is a great aphrodisiac. Besides, you need to finish dressing for dinner. Mom said you helped fix it.”
“I did. She promised to teach me how to cook. I’ll need to do it when we’re on our own in the wildness of the gold fields.”
“Yes, you will. But I can help. I always helped Ma. And I don’t think we’ll be in fields. I’ve found a cave I think can be mined a short way off from the camps. I have two friends watching it for me because I didn’t have the money to pay for registering it. They’re digging what they can with shovels and should have it registered by the time we get there.”
“You’ve been searching for gold out there already?”
“Yes, I spent nearly a year wandering around until I found this place. It takes equipment to mine rock, which I also didn’t have money for. That’s why we need to bring vegetables and fruit to sell to earn a stake.”
“What kind of equipment?”
“No time to go into detail now. I don’t want Wade and Brady to find me poaching their territory. I’ll be with Mom when they come in.”
Sated and refreshed, Hannah dressed in a fog of the satisfaction of being loved. She chose a dress usually reserved for Sunday meetings. It was pale blue with a yellow ribbon belt. She tied her hair back with a matching yellow ribbon and, since the ground was dry, put on her shiny patent leather shoes.
The men were already seated when she entered the Vance kitchen. Once they’d seated her, food began passing around the table and talk of crops and horseflesh ensued. The Vance family, the Ponti family, and her family gelled like a bowl of shimmery aspic.
A knock on the door made Mrs. Vance smile. Hannah had noticed over the years that although the woman hated to leave her house, she loved company.
“I’ll see to it. You all continue your meal.” Grace sashayed to the door with movements to do her name proud. “Why, Sheriff Slyke, what brings you all the way out here? Come on and sup with us.”
“No, no. The night were so calm and starry, I jes thought a ride would be good.” He stepped into the kitchen.
Hannah stiffened and Rocco stood, fists clenched.
“I won’t disturb you folk none. Wanted to tell Miz Hannah of some weirdness I found at her house.”
“You went into my house when I wasn’t there?”
“Had to when no one answered my knock. Got to protect everyone in Plantsville, don’t I?”
Hannah stood. Slyke waved her back down. “No need to rise on my account. I want you on notice that I confiscated a thing lying in plain sight in your bedroom and I’m keeping it fer evidence.” He tipped his hat. “Have a good night, all.” He turned and slammed the door behind him.
Wade swiveled his head between Rocco and Hannah. “What in Sam Hill is he going on about?”
Hannah ignored the heat rushing to her face. “I believe he simply wishes to frighten me. He’s had it in for me ever since I refused to dance with him at the last harvest hop.”
“But what did he—”
Hannah interrupted Wade. “We’ll figure it out when we get home. Now, let’s have some of that chocolate cake Angelina and I concocted this afternoon.”
Wade scowled at her but kept silent while Grace and Angelina served the cake and poured coffee.
Huddled on the bed after searching the room, their worst fears had been confirmed. Slyke had found the dildo and taken it for evidence.
“Surely, I’m not the only one to have used such a thing.”
“Of course you ain’t, love.” Brady massaged her shoulders.
“It could belong to anyone. He can’t prove it’s mine.”
“With his announcement at the Vance house, if he produced it, everyone would soon know
Matthew Kinney, Lesa Anders