Southern Heat (5 page)

I decided to ease off the subject of our nuptials, and just have a nice, light conversation, as we enjoyed the cooling night breeze. “So, your father tells me that you graduated top of your class.”

“I’m surprised he even mentioned it, seeing as how he now expects me to flush four years of good education down the crapper, to go live in a hut with you.”

Oh boy, I see she was still a rare form. I certainly hadn’t expected her to change her tune after one afternoon; so I wasn’t too taken aback by her acerbic tone one bit. However.

“I see you like the feel of my hand against your ass Emily. I’d thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head when speaking to me. Otherwise don’t say anything at all.”

“I’m going inside.” She turned to walk back into the room.

“No you’re not, get back here.” I pulled her down roughly on my lap while she hissed and spat like a wild cat.

“Settle down Emily, I won’t tell you again.” She had tears of fury in her eyes, which gave me pause for all of one second, until I remembered how she’d been coming around until that night of the social.

She’d got her feelings hurt by the way that I’d just taken off without a word, only to show up a week later with my list of concocted demands.

What she seems to have conveniently forgotten, is her part in that whole mess. If she thought for one second that I was going to just hand over my balls, she was sorely mistaken.

“Someone should’ve taken a switch to your ass a long time ago, since you father has neglected that duty, I have no problem carrying it out.

Now I know you were raised with a modicum of decorum, so I would suggest you quit acting like a guttersnipe at every turn. The women in my family will laugh you to scorn if they should see you acting in such a way.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that my brothers’ wives make you look like a pauper. They each came from very refined families up north, and have impeccable manners. Imagine their horror and dismay if I should introduce a harridan in the midst. It would shame my family that’s for sure.”

It was true that my brothers were married to very wealthy heiresses, but there was no way either of them could hold a candle to my Emily.

But I’m no fool, I wasn’t born yesterday, the worst thing you could do is compare a southern belle to a Yankee, nothing gets their backs up faster.

I could see her chewing over that one, and was not against using any tool I had.

“I never heard that, who’re they married to?”

I rattled off two family names that she would’ve had to be living under a rock for the last ten years if she hadn’t heard of them.

Her eyes widened and she bit into her lip. For a second there she looked unsure of herself and I didn’t want that, never that.

“Not to worry love, their not nearly half as perfect as you are. And when it comes to loving I think I got the best deal out the bunch.”

“Oh Jet, that’s horrible.” Jet huh? No Jethro, and she was now leaning into my chest.

“Do they live on the plantation too?”

“Why yes of course. The place is as big as the county, there’s more than enough room for everyone.”

“But how do they like living there, don’t they miss…well, everything?”

Where the hell did she think I lived, in a cave somewhere?

“Well we have running water, the toilets flush, and we only had to put aluminum on one of the TV antennas.”

She caught on that I was teasing her and smacked my chest. Then she didn’t say anything for the longest while, just gazed off into the distance.

“Jet?”

“Yes baby?”

“Oh nothing.” She sighed long and hard before laying her head against my chest. I smelled the sweet lavender scent of her shampoo as I kissed her hair.

We sat in silence, my arms wrapped around her until my body reacted to her nearness. She didn’t even complain when I turned her around and shifted our robes so that I could sit her on my cock.

It was the slowest, sweetest ride; no words, just soft sighs and murmurs
, as I lifted her on and off my length, being sure not to go too deep as she felt a bit swollen to me.

After cumming inside her again, I lifted her and took her to clean up, before it was time to call it a night.

I pulled her once more
stiff body into my arms and forced her head down on my shoulder.

“Now Ms. Emily, you want to tell me why you’re being such a brat about all this?”

She went ramrod straight and tried to sit up. “Uh-uh-uh-uh, you stay right where I put you young lady.”

“I’m being a brat because I refuse to be forced into marriage with someone I don’t even like?”

“I would’ve believed that excuse up until ten minutes ago, now I know you’re full of shit. Your body can’t lie sweetheart, I know what I heard and felt when I was inside of you.”

“You’re a pig for throwing that in my face Jet Durant, just because I couldn’t control myself, that doesn’t mean anything.” Now she sounded close to tears.

“I think you’re just mad because you can’t always have your way. I think deep down inside you know this is going to happen, but you’re holding out until you can get some of your own back.

Fair enough, I can respect that, but we’re doing this whether you like it one-way or the other.

Now I’d much rather not have my bride brought kicking and screaming down the aisle, but if you persist in this nonsense, it’s going be either that, or a civil ceremony down at the courthouse.”

“Are you mad? No Dubois worth their salt would ever do such a thing. We’re getting married in the old parish church, with the reception at the club, with no less than three hundred guests or there’ll be hell to pay.” I let her lift her head this time so she could spit fire at me.

“We are are we?”

“No, I meant…”

“Too late, you’ve already said it.

In the morning, she was back to being a pain in my ass. She found fault with everything. She wanted out of the room, she didn’t like the breakfast that had been left for us, and on and on it went.

When she threw the tray across the room that was my limit though. “That’s it.” She got another spanking for her troubles and a sore ass. “I must be crazy to want to saddle myself with a shrew such as you.”

“I’m not, and neither am I a brat. Why won’t anyone listen to me? I don’t want to get married and live on the backend of nowhere. If you moved to the city maybe…”

Oh I see her game. So that’s what she’s after is it? Well no dice. “My wife lives where I say. And get this through your head; your tricks will not work on me; now I’ve put up with your shit all this time.

I’ve taken your abuse and insults at every turn. You claim to be so genteel, too good to live in what you call the swamp, but all I see is a misbehaved, bad tempered hoyden. My two year old niece has more manners than you do.” That stung her and she pouted and sulked for the next half hour.

I ignored her surly attitude and told her about my plans for the hotel. It was something that was dear to my heart, and though she didn’t say anything in answer, I could see that I had peaked her interest.

Little did she know that at some point I would ask her input on certain things, things that I’m sure she would like, but I won’t share that with her now.

She had to come to me on her own accord, without any other incentive other than that she wanted to. It would make our life ahead much easier to bear.

It was a constant battle for the next few days. The only time we weren’t quarreling, or she wasn’t getting her ass spanked, is when I was buried deep inside her.

There was no give in either of us, but at least I’d learned that it wasn’t so much me, that she was against. It was the situation. She didn’t like the idea of her daddy ‘selling’ her as she put it.

I had no idea how to fix that, though I could see where she was coming from. The bottom line was, that I wanted her, and I’m bastard enough to admit that I wasn’t willing to give up that foothold, no way.

“Babe, look at it this way. If we were living in another time, it would be called an arranged marriage. I’m sure they’re still some cultures that hold to this tradition.”

“Might I suggest you move to one of these backward ass hillbilly nations and find you a blushing bride?” She was all sugar and cream as she flickered her lashes at me.

I was growing pretty tired of this fight; the deed was already done. I know and she knows that there was nothing to be done about it, but her own stubborn pride wouldn’t allow her to relent.

If I’d felt at anytime in the last few days, locked away together, that she really hated me, I would’ve found a way out.

But there was no way I was giving her up because she was too pigheaded to admit that she had feelings for me.

If she hadn’t clung to me every night for the past five, I would know that I had failed. But whenever I was through loving her, she’d turn to me and cuddle into me, until sleep took her.

That’s when I stayed awake, enjoying the peace of just holding her close and knowing that she was all mine, that I would get to hold her like this for the next sixty years.

Maybe if I told her that I’d fallen in love with her? Would that help? Maybe I had some stubbornness of my own, because I wanted her to say it first.

She was the one after all, who was holding out. Now I was growing tired of the run around, time to give Ms. Emily a taste of her own medicine. “Very well then.” I removed her from my lap where she’d been sitting and stood up.

She looked dumbfounded, her eyes following me as I walked across the room. “Where are you going?”

I ignored her and got my bag from the closet. “Why home Ms. Emily.” She walked after me but I didn’t look at her.

“Why are you leaving? the seven days aren’t up yet. She twisted the belt of the robe I’d allowed her to wear, as she looked down at her feet. I walked past her dropping the keys to the room in her hand.

“Does this mean you won’t help daddy?”

“Of course not, I’m a man of my word, he’ll get what he needs.”

“But…what do you get?”

“That’s not for you to worry about Ms. Emily. I hereby absolve you of any and all obligations. You’re free to move on with your life without me mucking it up.”

I left the room before I lost my nerve. I was doing this for her, because at the end of the day her feelings did matter.

It was the longest two weeks of my life. I hardly slept and barely ate. I’d taken a gamble and hoped it paid off.

True to my word, I’d renegotiated a deal with her father. We’d keep her out of our business dealings, it was up to him if he wanted to share that news with her or not.

When she came to me, I wanted it to be of her own free will. I’d forbidden her parents to get involved, or to try to guilt her into it in anyway. Only time will tell if my little play had worked.

EMILY

I can’t believe he just left. I was in turns angry and scared. How could he just leave? And now I hear that he’s been seen around town with that horse faced Jenny Maclean.

The very one who’d been lau
ghing at him that night of the Social. I was so mad I could spit. How could he do this to me?

Daddy had said that he’d renegotiated the contract, that I was no longer a pawn. I thought for sure that would make me feel better, but somehow it didn’t.

Mama and daddy had even stopped talking about him, or the wedding. It was like it had never happened.

How could they just go on with their lives like that while I was dying inside? And now to top it off I was late.

What if he married Jenny? What if he didn’t want me anymore? I flew off the bed, where I’d been molting for the last day and a half, feeling sorry for myself.

No way was she getting her hands on my man, I’d scratch her eyes out. I ought to go kick the stuffing out of her.

“Emily dear what’s all this?” Mama came into the room and looked around, before taking a seat on my bed.

“I have to go find Jet mama.”

“Oh, why?” How can she be this cool and calm when my whole world was falling apart?

“Why? because he’s mine that’s why.”

“But I thought you didn’t want him dear.”

“Whoever said that, I never said any such thing? “Of course you did, dear, I heard all about it.”

Heard all about what? “Mama, are you having one of your spells?”

“Of course not dear; what are you looking for? Maybe I can help you before you destroy your room.”

“Heard about what mama?”

“Why how you shamed him at the social of course. Apparently everyone was talking about it, and the fact that he held his head up even after he overheard you.”

“He…” I ran to the bathroom and threw up. He’d heard me? But that was before…and he’d still wanted to marry me? I never felt so awful in my life.

I sat with my head resting against the commode as I tried to gather my thoughts. Poor Jet, what have I done?

Well you can’t sit here and pine away for the rest of your days that’s for sure. Just get up and go do what needs doing.

If he spits in your eye, well…it’s what you deserve. But the baby! Nope, you’re not telling him about that to trap him into marrying you. You still have your pride after all.