Fortune Favours

"Looks safe enough."

Jo Campbell said, looking down at her dog Deacon who lolled panting on the riverbank, his face split in a doggy grin. She dismounted from Fortune, her mare, and began to strip off her clothes, dropping the shirt and trousers in an untidy heap on top of her discarded boots. Deacon growled low in his throat and looked towards a nearby copse of trees. Jo looked up, startled, but could see nothing out of the ordinary. With a final look around she peeled off her chemise and drawers. The thick grass tickled the soles of her feet as she tiptoed to the edge of the bank and slipped into the water.  She sucked in a breath. It was late afternoon in the middle of summer and the day long sunshine had warmed the surface of the river but underneath it still held a chill. She began to swim briskly and soon became accustomed to the temperature. Tiring slightly, she slipped over onto her back and closed her eyes against the setting sun.

"This is bliss." she thought. She heard a splash and lifted her head but all she saw were some ripples.

"Most likely a fish jumping." she relaxed back again in the water, her long hair floating around her head, enjoying the peace of the day. The feeling of something touching her ankle surprised her just before she was tugged under the surface. Cold water surged into her mouth and made her choke. Struggling to the surface she coughed, spluttered and shoved her hair out of her face to meet the grinning face of East Driscoll the man she loved and whom she could cheerfully strangle right at the moment.

He giggled at her and leapt away from her lunge as she attempted to retaliate. They played like otters, enjoying the freedom and fun of being together. Eventually the chill of the water forced them out. They teased and shivered as they pulled clothes over their wet bodies. Jo disregarded her underwear in favour of covering up at speed, she managed the trousers but the buttons of her shirt defeated her numbed fingers.

"Let me." East's low voice made her look up and smile. His calloused fingers brushed against her breasts as he dealt with the buttons causing an entirely different kind of goose bumps to pearl on her skin. Her eyes moved over him hungrily. He'd donned his trousers but his shirt hung unbuttoned from his shoulders exposing a very tempting area of tanned skin. Jo raised a flat palm and smoothed it over his chest.

East's eyes were intent on his task but his mouth was curved in a small smile leaving Jo in no doubt that he was well aware of the effect he was having on her. She grinned in response and raked her nails lightly over his ribcage, knowing it would get his attention.

She was right. His hands faltered and then moved to grip her shoulders, pulling her towards him for a kiss that warmed her all the way to her toes. East set her back from him a little.

"C'mon Girlie let's go home. It's getting cold." he said shoving her gently in the direction of their horses.Fortune had been joined by East's pride and joy; his stallion Magus who stood at stud in the business Jo and East ran. Jo walked towards the big horse and he eyed her loftily even as he deigned to lower his nose to be scratched. He wore no tack. East liked to ride him bareback. The two shared a special bond. Magus tolerated other people, even Jo, but he loved East.

As East gathered their remaining clothing he watched Jo. She petted Magus and crooned to him in a soft low voice that never failed to gentle the big animal just as it never failed to arouse his owner. He walked over to Fortune and stuffed the garments and boots he carried into a bag that hung from the saddle. He smiled. She had been in the nearby town, Jo rarely saddled her horse but she bowed to propriety a little when out in public.

"Only a little." he grinned to himself. His eyes wandered back to her, the boy's shirt and trousers she preferred served to accentuate her feminine curves rather than detract from them. In the year they had been together Jo had worn a dress on a handful of occasions and he had to admit she looked stunning but he preferred the way she looked now, free and wild, her wet hair hanging down her back and her clothes dishevelled, standing barefoot beside his horse. He walked towards her, leading Fortune.

"Let's go." he said, giving her a leg up, and leapt up to settle in behind her. They turned for home, enjoying the warm weight of her resting against him. Jo used the time to braid her wet hair, and East used the time to teasingly smooth his hands over her body and kiss her neck, while her hands were busy, making her gasp and giggle. Once home, after stabling the horses, they ate a light meal of cold meat, bread, and cheese, their play having tired them out. An early night beckoned and they fell asleep cuddled together sharing light kisses.

Jo woke slowly and reached out for East, but the bed was empty. Propping herself up on her elbows she saw him standing with his back to her, dressed only in his trousers, facing the dresser, soaping his face in preparation for shaving. He caught her gaze in the mirror.

"Morning." he smiled.

"G'day" she replied cheekily, threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. She scooped up his discarded shirt and put it on, the tail hung to the back of her knees and the still rolled sleeves reached her wrists. She hugged the soft red flannel to her, savouring his scent, and walked towards him securing a couple of buttons to make the garment vaguely decent. She loved the way his eyes darkened as he approached.  Silently she held out her hand and he frowned. She waited, seeing understanding dawn on him. He handed her the razor. Her eyes moved to a nearby hard-backed chair.

"Sit!" she ordered jerking her chin in its direction. For a moment East looked startled but then complied. Jo picked up a towel, draped the folded material over her shoulder, and advanced on the seated man who now looked just a little wary.

"Relax." she smiled, straddled his legs, and sat down wriggling slightly to get comfortable.

"Easy for you to say." East's voice sounded strained. He lifted his hands and rested them on the warm skin of her thighs, gripping firmly as he eased out a breath and squared his shoulders. Jo lifted the cutthroat razor, angled it to rest the cool steel against the skin of his cheek and drew it carefully down, exposing clean-shaven brown skin under the soap and enjoying the soft rasping sound as the blade did its work. She cleaned the razor on the towel and returned to her task, systematically working down one cheek and then the other. She giggled a little, watching his eyes widen, when she took hold of his nose and raised it to shave his top lip. The cleft in his chin took a little time but soon he was shaved and she cleaned the last traces of soap from his skin with the towel. All during the process East had sat still, his hands clasping her thighs, his eyes fixed intently on her face, but the subtle tensing of his thigh muscles under her and the hardness pressing against his fly told the story of his growing arousal.

"All done. Not a bad job" she said running a testing finger over the newly barbered chin and squeaked in pretended surprise as he surged to his feet.

East had been pushed to his limit. The sight of her, naked but for his shirt, when she walked towards him had started heating his blood but when she had sat on him, and begun to shave him, his arousal had gone into overdrive.  His discomfort was not helped by the fact that he was wary of moving at all. He'd been forced to endure the tiny shifts of her weight as she worked and the way her tongue slipped out to occasionally wet her lips in concentration. By the time she finished he was almost desperate. Cupping her bottom he lifted her with him as he stood, enjoying her squeak of surprise. He groaned when she wrapped her legs around his waist to link her ankles at the small of his back. East lifted one hand and fisted it in her hair to draw her mouth to his. He kissed her fiercely, his tongue demanded entrance to her mouth and gained it quickly. He walked back towards the bed tumbling them down onto the rumpled covers then kneeling over the prone woman. Jo grinned up at him and then sobered when she lifted a hand towards him. He grabbed it and lifted it over her head to make her grip the rail of the brass bed. He repeated the action with her other hand before tracing a finger down her cheek and across her lips. She nipped playfully at it. His finger continued down her neck and her chest encountering the first fastened button. He opened it and folded the material of the shirt back to expose the pale skin of her breasts, a curious contrast to the golden tan of her face, neck and shoulders. He raised his eyes from his study of her to find her wide blue eyes and noticed her breathing had started to speed up. He grinned wickedly and returned to his slow teasing, opened the remaining button and laid her bare. His own arousal was becoming almost painful but he forced himself to go slowly, smoothing his hands up Jo’s leanly muscled legs to her hips.

"Please" she said in a tight voice.

"Soon." he smiled, bending down to brush little kisses on her abdomen and teased her navel making her gasp. His mouth continued up her body trailing little biting kisses till he reached her breasts, the nipples already pebbled hard. He gently sucked one into his mouth while closing his hand on her other breast, smoothing a firm palm over the begging flesh.

"East!" Jo's voice sounded desperate.

"Soon" he breathed against her skin rubbing his hips against her, knowing that the friction of the rough material would raise her tension another notch. He leaned back and looked down at her, flushed and wanton in the tangled material of his shirt. Now he couldn't wait. With one hand he released his cock from his trousers and slid her knees wider apart.

"Now!" Jo demanded her pupils wide and dark.

"Yes." He growled and moved over her, the head of his penis nudging inch by tortuous inch into her hot welcoming body. Jo's hips surged up to take him all the way and they both groaned. East placed his hands over hers on the rail of the bed and set a slow, grinding rhythm that excited them both. They kissed, sweat-slick and gasping, urgently searching for ways to heighten their pleasure. Jo locked her legs around him and rocked back at him with every thrust. A low keening whine escaped her and East saw her catch her bottom lip in her teeth, her body taught as a drawn bowstring, and he knew her release was close. He dropped his mouth to her ear and caught the lobe in his teeth worrying it gently. He pushed into her as deeply as he could and said,

"I love you Jo." Her orgasm crashed over her and the squeezing grip of her internal muscles triggered his climax. He released their grip on the rail and they clutched each other, falling endlessly into the spiral of sensation, eyes fixed on each other. East collapsed to her side and hugged her to him.

"Thanks for the shave." he said and joined in with her breathless laughter. 

After breakfast Jo helped East to tack up Ghost, one of their mares, and put leading reins on two of the yearlings. He was delivering the young animals to a landowner some distance away. News of the quality of foals they produced from their own stock was spreading, as was the prowess of Magus at stud. Their business was growing. She waved him off with an odd feeling. They had rarely been apart in the past year and it felt strange to be alone, knowing it would be well after dark when he returned. Jo squared her shoulders and set off to her day's work.

 It was a little before noon and she was grooming Magus when she felt the skin on the back of her neck prickle just as Deacon began to growl.

"Ah now darlin' are you not a sight for sore eyes?" the mocking Irish brogue chilled her to her soul. She turned to face the speaker and raised her chin defiantly.

"How did you find me Colm Finn?" she asked and snapped her fingers to silence the combative little dog. Her voice was steady but fear showed in the white clenched knuckles of her fists held at her sides. Colm's dark brown eyes flicked down, missing no detail of her defiant stance.

"Well here's the thing. I wasn't long on the road when I begin to hear tales of a gypsy girl and a wild colonial boy who know their way around horses. I asked around and to my surprise the gypsy girl sounds the very image of my poor lost sister-in-law. So I said to meself...Self...why don't you make a visit to the place and see if it's true?" The man's voice was light and mocking but his eyes were cold under heavy dark brows.

Colm Finn was a handsome rogue with thick black hair and a grin that could charm the birds from the trees if he put his mind to it, but Jo had cause to know that he could be cruel and calculating if it suited his purpose.

"What do you want?" she asked.

" Widowhood suits you." he replied ignoring her question, his eyes roved over her.

"I thought so the other day at the river." his smile widened at her shocked expression.

"You were there?" she said, her face heating as she remembered the previous day and Deacon’s warning growl which she had ignored.

"Oh indeed I was. I was just considering joining you when your crippled lover arrived on the scene." Fury swiftly replaced her embarrassment. East still moved a little awkwardly since his recovery from serious injury a couple of years before and Jo bristled angrily in response to her brother-in law's taunt before she realised that had been his intention. Setting her jaw she calmly repeated her question.

"What do you want Colm?"

"Money." he said baldly.  Jo's shock must have shown plainly on her face because he frowned down at her.

"Don't tell me you don't have any. This place must be doing well." he gestured around at the paddock and stable.

"I don't have any money." she said,

 "Only what we need for supplies. So if you're looking for more than a few pounds you're out of luck." she turned away from him and made for the cottage. She hadn't gone far when Colm's grip on her arm dragged her to a halt.

"Ah so now we have a problem." his voice was soft and caressing but somehow more threatening than if he shouted at her.

"Y'see I need money and you need to keep your cosy little life here." his mouth twisted in a nasty sneer.

"What do you mean?" Jo was becoming more afraid of the man with each statement he made.

"Well now, if I don't get my money, the good folks of the town and your attentive horseman might find out what happened the night my brother was killed. You wouldn't want that would you?" Jo heard a roaring in her ears and dragged in a breath over the shock that threatened to choke her.

"It’s all in the past." she said faintly.

"Well you would say that. But I'm sure the fine upstanding citizens round here would think differently darlin'" his eyes danced maliciously in his handsome face as he watched her confusion.

"I'll give you a while to think it over." Colm said, releasing her arm. Jo rubbed at the emerging bruises he'd left on her.

"I'll be back in a while."  Jo's face felt stiff as she watched him bow mockingly to her before turning on his heel to stride away. It was a long time before she returned to her chores.

It was close to 2 in the morning when East rode back to his home. He was bemused to see a lamp still burning in the main room of the cottage.

“She must be waiting up for me.”  He thought, and smiled as he settled his mare in her stall. Walking into the room he frowned. Jo was there sure enough, fully dressed except for her boots which had been left by her chair. She was curled into a tight little ball, her head resting on her up-drawn knees, her hair in disarray around her. Her face looked tired and pinched, even in sleep, and he had the distinct impression that she had been crying. He placed his bags quietly on the floor and went to crouch beside her.

“Jo luv, I’m home.” He said in a low voice, smoothing her hair back from her forehead and breathing a light kiss onto her cheek.

“C’mon mate, wake up for me. It’s time to go to bed.” Jo’s eyes fluttered and open but they were still glazed with sleep. She moved her head to rub against his hand. East managed to manoeuvre her into his arms and he carried her to their bedroom, where he laid her on the bed and gently removed her clothes. Jo was soundly asleep. She barely stirred in response to his gentle urgings. Soon she was safely under the covers and East moved back into the main room and doused the lamp before he returned, stripped off his clothes and climbed into the bed to gather Jo into his arms. He breathed in the warm smell of her and quickly drifted off to sleep.

“No Liam! Please! Stop! No!” Jo’s panicked voice brought him instantly awake. She was in the grip of a nightmare.

“Jo! Jo? It’s o.k. Sweetheart. It’s o.k. Wake up now. C’mon, open your eyes luv.” He shook her gently, smiling when her eyes drifted open and comprehension returned to her.

“There you are. You o.k? You were dreaming.”  He asked, hugging her still trembling body close.

“Sorry.” She said in a small voice.

“S’okay. Can you remember what it was about? You called out a name. Liam?” He lifted her chin and looked down into worried blue eyes.

“Oh.” She said sadly.

“Oh?” he echoed, feeling confused.

“Liam was my husband. I haven’t had nightmares in so long. I hoped they’d gone for good.” Jo’s face crumpled and she began to cry softly. East hugged her close, soothing her and rubbing her back rhythmically. Eventually she recovered and smiled up at him through the last tears.

“Thank you.” She said simply. He smiled in return.

“Do you want to tell me about your dream?”

“Not much to tell. He was a big man and handsome and I fell totally under his spell. “Irish blarney” my Da called it. I married him despite my parents concern. At 17 you think you know everything.” Jo shrugged and East smiled, Jo had only just had her 21st birthday.

“But the charm wore thin pretty quickly, and the beatings started.” East held tight to her, anger at the bully who had hurt her surged through him. Jo kissed his chest and he relaxed his hold a little.

“The dream is always the same. We’re in a bar and he loses his temper and comes toward me, fists bunched….”Jo’s voice trailed off quietly and she shrugged.

“I haven’t had a single nightmare since Promise was born.” She smiled. Left unsaid was that the Promise’s birth had resulted in Jo and East making love for the first time. East kissed her.

“I remember.” He said quietly, replaying the sweet memories in his head.

“Remind me.” Jo said in a low urgent voice, rubbing her body against him and quickly igniting passion between them.

“My pleasure.” East growled pulling her on top of him and claiming her mouth with his. A tiny question sounded in his head.

“What is she hiding?” it whispered.

 Deacon's growl was all Jo needed to be ready for Colm this time.

"You lied to me. You do have money." he said, his eyes almost black with anger. Jo stood her ground with difficulty; her late husband's short temper was a family trait.

"What do you mean?" she asked, angry herself that her voice sounded so meek.

"A little bird tells me that your new beau got paid very well for the stock he just delivered." Colm took a step towards her.

"So, you will get me the money."

"I can't! It's all we have!" she watched him come closer, slowly, menacingly,

"Oh you can, and you will. You've had a good run here. Take his money, and we'll both be sitting pretty. We could have a good time together you and me darlin." He reached out a hand and gripped her shoulder, bringing her closer. Jo swallowed convulsively and watched his mouth descend. The first touch of his lips galvanised her, she wrenched out of his grasp and slapped him hard. Fear clawed at her as she saw a livid red mark bloom on his cheek. Colm gritted his jaw.

"Fair enough. Just get the money, or I'll tell him all about you. So either way he's not going to want you. I'll be back soon." His voice was cold and hard, like his eyes. He turned and walked away.

"I'll make some enquiries, but I'm sure your fears are groundless" Grace McAllister's calm voice reassured East as they sat in her comfortable drawing room. Whatever it was that was torturing Jo, he'd have a better chance of helping her if he knew what he was dealing with. Grace had a wide circle of friends. If there was a story to be told, he'd know soon enough. Grace had remained his friend even after their relationship foundered and  she had begun to forge a bond with Jo, a connection that puzzled him, but he was grateful that the two most important people in his life were becoming friends.

"Thank you. I didn't know where else to turn."  He said, and smiled. Grace smiled in reply.

"Tea?" she asked and rose to ring the bell for her staff.

A week later a note arrived for East.

"East, I think we have more to discuss from our last meeting. Please call at the Manor when you can." Grace's flowing signature was at the foot.

"What does she want?" Jo asked nodding at the letter where it lay on the table while they ate breakfast.

"She might have a mare for us. I'll go over and take a look." East said, concentrating on his plate. Jo shrugged and continued her breakfast. East rode away soon after. Jo waved him away and went back into the house.

Mid afternoon Colm arrived. He stood in the front doorway of the cottage. Jo could hear Deacon barking and whining in the distance.

"Where is Deacon? What have you done to him?" she demanded.

"Lets just say the little bugger's a bit tied up." he smiled and Jo noticed an angry bite mark on Colm's wrist, Deacon had managed to inflict some damage, it made her smile slightly.

"No more games darlin'. Give me the money." His icy voice and angry eyes brooked no resistance. Jo's shoulders slumped and she walked to the roll top desk in the main room and opened it. The large white notes lay neatly inside. Her hands shook as she lifted them. Colm had followed her and he was grinning happily at her.

"Ah now is that not a grand sight." he said stretching out a hand for the money.

"That's our money." East's calm voice broke over the pair. Colm turned abruptly to see the large form of Jo's lover in the doorway. Jo gasped in shock. East's face was set in grim lines as he walked towards them. He came and stood beside her facing Colm who licked his lips nervously.

"Well isn't that sweet, shoulder to shoulder." the darker man said nastily,

"Maybe you'll be less supportive when you hear what I've got to tell you about your lady love." Jo held her breath and glanced at East's profile. It looked like it had been carved in stone; his gaze never wavered from the other man's face as he said,

"Anything I want to know about Jo I will hear from her. Now I suggest that you leave now before I give in to the need I have to break your bloody neck." Each word was clearly enunciated and spoken in a low deadly tone that sent a shiver of fear down Jo's spine. It must have had a similar effect on Colm because he licked his lips again and took a backward step.

"Well I'm sure the locals will be interested." he sneered, but his eyes widened when he found his shirtfront gripped in the fist of the very large and angry man his sister-in-law had taken up with. Jo watched in horror as East bundled Colm from the room, then she turned and fled to the bedroom.

Outside in the yard East gave in to his fury. He hurled the man to the ground and walked to stand over him, clenching his fists, as Colm scrambled to his feet brushing dirt from his clothes, watching him warily.

"Now listen very carefully. You and I both know the truth of what happened to your brother, and if a single word is breathed about Jo being involved I'll come after you. Then I'll give you to the authorities. Blackmail is a nasty crime and I'm sure I can make life very bad for you." The younger man ran a hand through his hair and affected an unconcerned smile.

"Well sure you can't blame a man for trying." he grinned and held up flat palms in surrender.

"I'm glad we understand each other." East's smile did not reach his eyes and he stood in the yard watching Colm walk away. Once he was convinced he was well gone he walked to the barn and released the grateful Deacon and the pair went to find Jo. They found her in the bedroom, tears streamed down her face as she stuffed clothes into a bag. Deacon jumped on the bed and began pawing at the bag. Jo half-heartedly tried to fend him off and eventually gave up before she sank to the floor weeping.

"Running again?" a deep voice asked and Jo looked up to find East leaning back against the closed door of the room. His face was impassive and his arms were folded firmly across his chest. She scrubbed a sleeve over her face, climbed wearily to her feet and slumped to a seat on the bed.

"I'm not running, I'm leaving before I bring any more trouble to your door." she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Colm will go and shout all over the place that I killed Liam and you'll be disgraced."

"Is that what you did?" East's face still showed no emotion as he questioned her.

"Yes." Jo sighed tiredly. When she spoke again her voice was flat and emotionless.

"He came at me one night when we were out in a pub. I thought he was going to kill me. I smashed a bottle and waved it at him, just to get him to stop. But he didn't stop; he kept coming and hit me hard. I staggered and fell and he was on me, I stabbed him with the bottle, he grunted and fell to the side. There was so much blood. I ran away. I kept on running away. I heard later that Liam had died. I didn't mean to kill him, I just wanted him to stop." Jo hadn't looked at East while she had been speaking and she was startled to find him crouched on the floor in front of her, his face concerned and his eyes kind. He rested a hand on the side of her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek.

"You don't have to run, you never did." He said smiling gently at her frown of confusion.

"I was worried about your nightmares." he explained as he stood up and moved to sit beside her, drawing her onto his lap.

"I asked Grace to do some asking around for me, I knew something wasn't right and I thought I could help if I knew what it was." Despite herself Jo stiffened at the mention of East having involved Grace. East rubbed her arm and shoulder as he quietly continued his explanation.

"Liam Flynn was stabbed in a bar brawl and killed, but it was a month after your fight. You inflicted a nasty flesh wound and he lost a lot of blood but it wasn't fatal. He recovered quickly enough to be back causing trouble a short time later. Apparently he was cheating at cards and one of his opponents took exception. They, whoever they are, are in jail still." He looked a Jo and was startled to find her crying again.

"Hey Girlie! What's this? You're supposed to be happy." he teased lightly as he held her close to his chest allowing her tears to wet his shirt.

"Oh I am. It's just that I've been running from this for so long!" her face crumpled again and she buried her face in his neck. East soothed her with soft noises and gentle kisses that very quickly turned more urgent as Jo responded hungrily to his attentions. She moved restlessly in his arms to straddle him where he sat, rubbing her body against him like a playful cat, her fingers dancing to unbutton his shirt. Her breath lodged in her throat when East's hands grabbed her shirt at the open neck and ripped it apart, scattering buttons around, sending Deacon scuttling from the room. She giggled and watched him go and then squawked in surprise when East lurched back on the bed and began to roll them around as they struggled to remove the rest of their clothing. Eventually they removed enough for Jo's hand to encircle the hard, demanding length of East's cock and stroke up and down, drawing a hiss of excitement from him. In turn East's calloused fingers smoothed over the material of her drawers, finding the central split seam, two fingers driving firmly into the hot, wet, entrance. Jo moaned in response, dragging East over her and urging him on.

"Now, please now!" she begged and sighed in delight when he slid all the way into her, grinding her into the mattress and kissing her roughly, his tongue matching the surging movements of his hips. The rhythm and power of their loving increased and Jo tumbled into her climax first, pushed by the insistent touch if East's fingers on her clitoris as he rode her. She delighted in the strangled cry he gave against her neck as his own release followed hers moments later. East dropped to one side, gasping for air and drawing Jo to him to rest her head on his chest. She could hear the thundering of his heart. When he could breathe a little more normally he lifted her chin and looked down into her eyes.

"So..." he asked smiling,

"Any other secrets?"