Chapter Twenty
“What’s going on?” Logan’s loud voice boomed from behind.
Josephine’s hand flew to her throat. “Logan, you startled me.”
“I can see that. Jake, don’t you have work to do?”
“Yeah, sure, boss. I’ll get the mare.”
“You do that.”
As soon as Jake was out of earshot, Josephine rounded on her husband. “That was uncalled for, Logan West. Why were you so snappy to Jake?”
“I see my wife flirting with one of my ranch hands whom she just happened to see naked and it’s supposed to make me happy?”
“I was not flirting. I told you what happened that day in the bunkhouse. Jake’s been avoiding me and I wanted to make things right.” She eyed him suspiciously. “Jealous?”
“Damn straight!”
His admission thrilled her. Then the possibility of not being able to conceive made her heart plummet.
Logan took off his hat and whacked it against his thigh a few times before settling it back on his head. “Behave yourself while I have a chat with Jake.”
While the two men talked, Josephine took the time to admire her husband’s taut buttocks and long legs.
“My husband,” she whispered softly to herself and couldn’t deny the tingles of delight that swept throughout her body.
She watched as Logan led the mare to the corral. Once there, he lightly smacked her hindquarters and, when the animal scurried inside, he locked the gate.
Jake nodded curtly. He glanced at Josephine and tipped his hat before walking away.
Logan came back and joined her by the fence.
Josephine watched as the mare stood still. It was evident that the animal was well aware of the stallion coming toward her.
“Have you ever seen horses mate?” Logan asked, placing one booted foot on the bottom panel of the fence.
Josephine’s heart thumped loudly in her ears. “No.” The mare flipped up her tail and rocked on her hind legs. The stallion responded by raising his muzzle. His nostrils flared and he snorted. The mare remained still.
“See how he holds his head up to sniff the mare? He can smell her heat. He knows she’s ready to be mated.”
Josephine inhaled sharply. It was all so raw, but totally natural. Her cheeks heated when she remembered how Logan’s nostrils had flared when she undressed for him. Heat coiled in her lower belly and settled between her legs.
“Will he hurt her, Logan? Your stallion is huge.”
“She’ll be fine. She’s ready to be mounted.”
Josephine watched, fascinated at the base scene taking place right before her eyes. The stallion nipped the mare’s neck and she squealed as if he was hurting her. Try as she might, Josephine couldn’t look away.
“See how he masters her?” Logan’s low drawl went straight to her core. “Did you know that humans can make love this way?”
Her lips parted in surprise. She swallowed hard then said, “I had no idea.”
He pushed away from the fence and winked. “Whenever you’re ready I’d be delighted to show you exactly how it’s done.”
* * *
After the supper dishes were put away, Josephine joined Logan on the porch. She sat on the swing awash with thoughts about how to broach the subject that had kept her awake for most of the night while he stood at the rail staring off in the distance.
Finally, he joined her on the swing and asked, “You’re kinda quiet. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
Josephine pretended to smooth out some wrinkles in her skirts. “I’ve been thinking. I’d feel a lot better if I knew how much money I still owed you.”
“It’s not much. I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.”
“But that’s the problem, I do worry. It’s like a cloud hanging over my head.” She folded her hands in her lap. Lordy, she was nervous. “I thought maybe we could come up with something that would wipe out that debt in a hurry.”
Logan jumped from the swing and stared down at her. His eyes were ablaze with fury.
“Just what in the hell are you getting at? No wife of mine is stepping foot in a saloon to sell her body.”
“No, no, I didn’t mean that. I thought if you would be willing to pay me for…” Her voice faded away. She couldn’t believe she was suggesting such a thing to him.
He drew back in surprise. “You offering to be my whore?”
“Must you say it like that?”
“I’m merely speakin’ plain.” He thrust his hands into his pockets. Josephine went to him and laid a hand on his arm, but he shook it off. “You must be in a hurry to get to the city.”
Oh, but he had it all wrong. Josephine opened her mouth only to close it again. If only she could summon up the courage to tell him that she loved living here with him and being his wife, but the fear of not being able to give him children still tormented her.
Without a word, Logan stepped off the porch and strode purposely to the barn. Within minutes he and Blaze disappeared down the road.
With a heavy heart, Josephine went back inside the house.
* * *
Logan pushed his way through the swinging doors of the saloon. He scanned the crowd for Red. Several scantily clad girls squealed in delight and hurried toward him, but he politely refused their offers of a good time.
Red waved him over to her table.
“What are you doing here, cowboy? I would have thought you’d be at home in bed with your new bride.” The man seated with her laughed sarcastically. She snapped, “Get lost, Buddy.”
Logan pulled out a chair and sat down. “I need a favor.”
“Sure.”
“Do you happen to have some of that stuff you give the girls to avoid complications?”
“Yeah, I got some in the other day. That stuff works wonders. It’s much better than relying on a slice of lemon, that’s for sure, but it’s not legal so I’d appreciate it if you keep this on the down low.”
Logan nodded.
“I’ll be right back.”
Logan idly rubbed the side of his face. Fuck. His wife had offered herself as his whore just so she could get away from him. Was he that bad of a husband? He’d done what she had asked. He behaved like a gentleman. He kept his hands off of her and it was nearly killing him.
What the hell! How often had he fantasized about Josephine naked in his bed with her slender legs spread wide inviting him to do whatever he pleased? Well, here was his chance. He could fuck her senseless until he got her out of his system and move on to the next woman who peaked his interest while she went on her merry way.
“Here ya go, handsome.”
Logan handed Red some coins. “Thanks.”
With purposeful strides he left the saloon.