Chapter Seventeen
Later that evening Josephine sat on a small bench in the washroom and took off her pumps. She wiggled her toes. It was hard to believe she was now a married woman. Ella and Brody left shortly after the cake had been cut and it had been up to her and Logan to see to the guests. Once the guests left, Josephine began to clean up, but Logan insisted she let things go until the morning. Josephine readily agreed. It had been a long day. Yawning, she reached behind her head and fumbled with the row of hooks.
“You need any help taking off that dress?” Logan hollered from the bedroom.
“No, I do not,” she shouted back. Wicked man. She reached again and ended up with sore arms and loss of patience. Drat. There had to be close to a dozen hooks running down the back and Ella wasn’t available to help.
“Damn!”
“I heard that, little girl. Must Daddy come in there and wash your mouth out with soap?”
Josephine stomped her foot. Aggravating lout. “No, Daddy doesn’t have to come in here and wash my mouth out with soap,” she mimicked sarcastically and went back to fumbling with the hooks. She twisted this way and that. It was no use. She’d either ask him for his assistance or sleep in the dress.
“Um, Logan, can you help me get out of this dress?”
No sooner had the words left her mouth when he appeared in the doorway naked as the day he was born. She gasped and covered her eyes, but not before she saw his manhood.
“Sorry, I forgot to tell you I sleep in the nude.”
Josephine choked out a reply and presented her back while keeping her arms at her sides. She only knew a little about mating, like where what on a man went where in a woman. But, was it even possible to accommodate his rather impressive organ?
Logan’s blunt fingers grazed her skin as he tended to his task. The last few hooks were just above her tailbone and she held her breath. Would he try to pat her ass?
“There you go.”
“Thank you.”
The feather-light kiss he dropped on the back of her neck sent goosebumps up and down her arms and legs. “May I be of any more assistance, ma’am?”
“Um, no, that’s quite all right.”
He bowed and turned away. She frowned. No pat on the ass this time so she let her gaze wander over his taut buttocks then averted her eyes when he climbed into bed. She cupped her hot face with icy cold hands. Her husband was certainly well endowed.
Josephine dallied in the washroom as long as she dared and finally dimmed the light. Logan lay on the bed watching her thoughtfully as she padded barefoot across the room. She swallowed hard when she realized that the blanket they’d be sharing barely covered the lower portion of his body. How in the world was she going to lift that blanket and pretend not see what he had hidden under there?
A narrow dusting of hair trailed from his navel and widened to cover his chest. His hands were clasped behind his head. Josephine swore she had never seen a man more handsome and muscular. He exuded pure strength and power.
She stood beside the bed. Logan tossed the covers aside. “Come and get some rest. It’s been a long day.”
Josephine dove under the covers and pulled the blanket up to her chin.
Logan rolled on his side, facing the opposite direction. “You’re going to roast under there.”
With her arms pressed at her sides, Josephine stared up at the ceiling. Sure enough, beads of sweat started to form between her breasts. Slowly, she peeled back the covers and turned her head to look at Logan.
“Logan, are you awake?”
“Yeah.”
“Something’s bothering me.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about the size of your, um, you know, what I saw when you came into the washroom.”
“You mean my cock?”
She clicked her tongue. “Why must you talk so…”
“Filthy? Blunt? Can’t help it. Dirty thoughts fill my head when you’re around.” He blew out a breath. “Sorry. I’ll be as delicate as I can. What is it you want to know?”
“How can it fit without hurting?”
He turned over onto his back and regarded her with a wicked grin. “Would you like me to show you?”
“No!”
“Well, then let me see how I can explain this without being too crass. It’s very important that a man prepares a woman for, ah, penetration. He can touch her breasts or suckle her nipples.” He stopped talking and Josephine propped on one elbow.
“Are you okay? Your voice sounds gravelly.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m fine.”
“What exactly does prepare mean, Logan?”
“You’re killin’ me, you know that?” He rubbed a hand down his face. “When a woman is ready to accept a man, her body gets wet down there so it doesn’t hurt so much.”
“Down there.” Josephine licked her lips. “You mean here?” She touched herself between her legs.
Logan swore. “Jesus Christ.”
“Don’t get mad. I need to know these things for when I, you know, do it.”
He remained silent.
“It’s not fair that a man can enjoy the act and the woman suffers.”
“As far as I know it only hurts the first time. There are other ways for a man to pleasure a woman without putting his cock inside her.”
Josephine scrunched her nose. “I don’t see how.”
“Trust me, there is.”
She couldn’t argue his prowess. A man such as Logan must’ve had plenty of women share his bed. Blondes, brunettes, and redheads. Just the thought of his rough hands running over their bodies and bringing them to climax left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Are there other ways for a man to be pleasured without putting his organ inside a woman?”
A low growl erupted from his side of the bed. Josephine chewed her bottom lip. Maybe it’d be better if she just went to sleep.
“A woman can bring a man to pleasure by taking his co… I mean, organ into her mouth.”
It took a minute for Josephine to digest that information. “That’s…”
“Filthy,” he finished for her again and shook his head. “Josephine, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of the flesh as long as it’s consensual between two people.”
“But ladies aren’t supposed to enjoy it. It’s their duty to lie beneath their husbands and bear them children.”
Logan snorted. “And that kind of thinkin’ is why some married men go to the saloon looking for a whore. A whore will do things that a genteel lady was taught not to do probably because some uptight old biddy deemed it wrong.”
“But aren’t the men just as wrong being in the saloon when they have a wife at home?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t seem to matter to some.”
“Have you ever been with a married woman?”
“No,” he replied vehemently. “I don’t mess with married women.”
Josephine rolled onto her back. “Have you ever been with the Red lady?”
“What Red lady?”
“The one who works at the saloon.”
Logan bolted to a sitting position. “How the hell did you hear about her?”
“The men in the bunkhouse told me. Jake said she’d straighten me out and teach me a few things.”
He fell back on the bed. “Remind me to fire Jake in the morning.”
“It’s not his fault, Logan. He thought I was a boy.” She got a growl in reply. “And you’re not going to fire anybody. Night, Logan.”
“Night, Josephine.”
A couple of minutes passed. “Logan?”
“What now?”
“Thanks for explaining things to me and just so you know, you were very gentleman-like.”
“I’m awfully thrilled to hear it.”