The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(136)

Her face blushed red at the compliment and she hoped that he couldn’t make it out. She looked up into his face and grinned. “Thank you. I thought maybe you hadn’t noticed.”

“It’d take a fool to not notice a beauty like you. I just have problems with words sometimes is all. I don’t rightly know how to express what I’m feeling.”

“I understand.”

“I do have to say that those lips of yours look mighty kissable in the moonlight.”

“They do?” She blushed even harder than before.

“They sure do.”

Matt wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Belle was a little hesitant, but when their lip met something went off inside of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. For a moment, they were almost one. He pulled back and smiled down at her.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time now.”

“In the future, go ahead and do what you want to do sooner.” She smiled and together they walked arm in arm back to their house. To Belle it wasn’t quite her home yet, but it was getting close.

For the next three nights, they walked by the moonlight and at the end of the walk each night they would share a kiss. Each kiss was more passionate than the last and by the end of the third evening the both pulled back from the embrace panting and flushed.

The next morning, she woke late to find that Matt was already gone. When she went into the kitchen there was a note on the table. She picked it up and smiled as she read what was written on it.

Last night was the best night I’ve had in a long time. I hope that I wasn’t too forward. I have to go into work early today, so I’ll see you around noon. I made coffee, but it might be cold by now.

Love,

Matt

She carefully folded the note and placed it in the pocket of her dress. She knew that it was still early days, but she felt that she was falling in love with the long, tall sheriff. Something about him made her feel safe. It was as if nothing could ever hurt her when she was in his arms.

Although she was young, her mother had talked to her about things that went on in the bedroom between a man and a woman, enough that she was afraid. With no one else to turn to she decided to go to Em’s.

Em opened her door on the second knock and ushered her inside with a smile. She led Belle to the sitting room while she fetched them some tea and a few lemon cakes she had made. She sat a tray down on the table in front of her guest and took a seat for herself.

“So.” The older woman grinned sheepishly and took a drink of her tea.

“So . . . what?” Belle asked, confused.

“So how was it sleeping with him for the first time, silly girl? I’ve seen you two on your moonlight walks and believe me I know when tension is building between two people. You both are acting like a couple of love birds. So how was it?”

“I haven’t… I mean… we haven’t actually… done that yet.” Belle flushed red behind her tea cup.

“You haven’t… my goodness girl, what in the world do you two do when you get back to the house?”

“We say goodnight and each of us sleeps in a different room.”

“You mean to tell me that you’re still not sleeping in the same room? Why not?” Em leaned forward in her seat. “You don’t like him?”

“No, I like him very much. It’s just. I never… I’ve never known a man.”

“Oh.” Em sat back in her chair as a smile spread across her face. “That’s all. I was afraid that you two weren’t hitting it off.”

“That’s all?” Belle looked at her like she was crazy. “What do you mean that’s all? I’ve never been with a man and I’m scared to death. Mother told me that it hurt and even after the first time, it was unpleasant.”

“I know it’s ill to talk of the dead, but if you don’t mind me saying your mother was a fool. Sure it hurts a little the first time, but no worse than pricking your finger on a rose bush or lightly stubbing your toe in the dark. Then after that it’s all fun. Relations can be a pleasure for both people if the man knows what he’s doing and is willing to think about the woman’s feelings as well.”

For an hour, Belle sat and listened to Em tell her various things that went on in the bedroom between a man and woman. She told her ways to please a man with only her hand and mouth. By the end, Belle felt a little shocked but much less scared and there was something else she couldn’t quite describe. Something seemed to burn in the pit of her stomach. A fiery itch that she had a feeling had only one cure. Before noon, she got up and thanked Em for the tea and the advice.

A while later, she walked into the jailhouse with a meal for her and Matt in a basket. Today, she had fried chicken, cornbread, and potatoes. He sat up at his desk and flashed her a smile under his walrus mustache.

“Smells good.”

They ate in relative quiet, Matt’s mind is on the inventorying and organizing of documents he needed to have done by the next day, Belle’s on something else entirely. She can’t get the thought of making love to Matt out of her head. In her mind, she thinks that maybe it would be alright, but then her body chills and she gets scared again.

“Something wrong?” Matt asked her.

“No, I was just thinking about our walk tonight. Maybe we could take a blanket and set out under the stars for a while.”