Page 90 of Cruelest Contract
“I like it when you call me that,” she says softly and peels the lid off a container filled with cut melon.
“Good.” I take her chin in my hand to command her full attention. “Youaremy wife, Cecilia. I’ll make sure to say the word every day if it makes you happy.”
“It does make me happy, Julian.”
Somehow, I’m slightly choked up. I tell myself to burn this moment into my memory because I’ll want to revisit it again. Before releasing her, I brush a gentle kiss over her soft lips.
Moments later, a pair of sandhill cranes touch down on the opposite side of the creek. Cecilia couldn’t be more elated if they were bald eagles. We eat in silence to avoid disturbing the birds as they drink from the creek and peck in the damp dirt along the bank. In time, they get spooked by rustling noises in the woods behind them and take off with an audible rush of wings that shivers the chokecherry leaves.
“What’s out there?” Cecilia stares at the opposing creek bank and inches closer to me.
“Maybe a fox,” I say. “Or a white-tailed deer.”
“Oh.” She exhales with relief.
“But there’s a pistol at the bottom of the picnic basket if anything with bigger teeth shows up.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Would you believe I’ve never fired a gun before?”
“Do you want to learn?”
Her nose scrunches up. “I don’t think so.”
“How about if the gun had no bullets?”
She laughs. “Maybe.”
I flip open the picnic basket and rummage through the containers until I find the Colt revolver I packed on the bottom. Cecilia drinks her iced tea and watches.
“Come here.” I kneel on the blanket and motion for her to sit in front of me.
Once she’s settled, I unfold my legs and brace them around her body. My cock perks up and throbs in my jeans. That can’t be helped. Touching her always gets me hard. Careful to keep the muzzle pointed away, I cautiously open the chamber and unload the bullets in front of her. I gather them in one hand and drop them on the blanket.
“Do you see how the chamber is empty?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Always check for yourself. Even if I’m the one who hands you a gun youstillalways check the chamber yourself.”
“Got it.”
I raise the weapon. “Notice how my hands are positioned.”
She leans back into my chest and nods her head.
I cock the hammer and fire at the brush on the opposite bank. Naturally, nothing happens except an empty click but Cecilia flinches anyway.
I fire again. Another click. This time she doesn’t cringe.
After the third time I’ve pulled the trigger, her tension has disappeared. She’s so warm and her shampoo smells like fresh rainwater. Being this close to her is driving me wild no matter how much I try to stay focused.
“Now you try.” I position her hands on the gun and then let her hold it alone.
She cocks the hammer back. I rest my palm on her leg. There’s a long slit in the dress and I touch bare skin. My other hand moves up to her shoulder and finds the thin strap of her dress. Casually, I slide it down.
Her breath catches. She raises the gun and fires it.
I push her hair aside and press my lips to her bare shoulder. The hand that touches her leg goes exploring, shoving aside inconvenient fabric and finding the smooth, tender skin of her inner thigh.
