Captive Bride - Alta Hensley Page 0,44

to rush in. Don’t be afraid.”

Her moans deepen and her breath speeds up. Her fingers dig into my back as her body spasms beneath me.

“Come for me,” I say as I push my cock deeper inside of her. “Release it all.”

Her inner walls milk my cock, and I know I don’t have long at all. As she releases a delicate mewl, her head falls back on the mattress, and her eyes are closed in completion.

Not being able to hold back any longer, I pull out of her quickly as a rush of come leaves my body and splatters on her belly. As my body spasms every last bit of completion, I look down on her face and see true bliss. She appears almost spiritual in the way her smile lights up her face.

Very slowly, her eyes open up and she stares up at me with the most perfect blue I have ever seen.

“Thank you,” she says. “Thank you.”

18

Ember

I am failing my husband.

I know I am, and I don’t know what to do about it. I try to cook the best meals I can, although Christopher has to stand by my side and watch as I do since the chain gives us no space. He offers to chop or stir, but I feel as if it’s my wifely duty to do it all.

I try to clean our schoolhouse floors and dust all the Nevada desert away, but again, Christopher is right there and feels he needs to help too, or is convincing me I’m being silly trying to clean a prison cell.

I try to make him happy. But he isn’t. And each day that passes, I see the dark circles under his eyes intensify and the hollow of his cheeks seem to sink deeper and deeper each hour of our time together.

The man is fading away.

Hallelujah Junction is killing him.

“It’s snowing outside,” I say as I look out the window. Christopher is simply staring off into space, and I’m desperate to snap him out of the funk he’s in.

“Great,” he mumbles.

“Papa Rich closed the town to tourists. Which means he may let us out of the schoolhouse soon. We can explore the outside.”

Papa Rich had left the two of us alone in the schoolhouse for the most part. He occasionally would enter the room, look around, and then leave as quickly as he came. He didn’t seem to taunt Christopher like he did before. If anything, he seemed to be giving us our space so we could get to know each other better.

Christopher leans against his arms on the mattress and stares out the window. “So, now we’re really trapped. No people coming. No chance of hope.”

Winter also means less visits by Scarecrow which gives me another reason to love this season, so I won’t let Christopher bring me down.

“I have something to show you,” I say, wondering why I haven’t thought of it sooner. It would have helped with Christopher’s sour disposition. How could it not?

I move to get off the bed, and Christopher groans as he joins me. I make my way to a storage closet and pull out an old record player that was left behind from a previous ranger before Papa took over the town. Next to the record player are my prized possessions. Records that fill my heart with love and joy, and in my darkest times can always make me smile.

“Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy,” I say as I set up the player and put a John Denver record on it.

Christopher watches what I’m doing with curiosity. It’s the first time today he shows any emotion at all, and though it’s not a smile, I’ll take it. I’m at least shaking the numbness out of him.

I put the needle on the record where I know my favorite song will start.

I begin humming along and then sing out, “If I had a day that I could give you, I’d give to you a day just like today.” I begin swaying back and forth with my eyes closed and just listen. Just feel.

And then I feel Christopher’s arms around me. He takes my hands in his and begins to slowly dance with me to the music. I had always dreamed of a day I would dance with a man in a grand ballroom somewhere, but this… this right here, dancing with Christopher, is far better than anything I could dream of.

He kisses the side of my head as he pulls me against his chest. Step