Wash Hot, Tumble Dry
Genre: OW - Adult
Characters: Ezra/Inez
Author's Note: This story follows the events of First Love, but is not a direct sequel. It's just a naughty little PWP featuring my favorite Het couple.
Ezra heaved a sigh of relief as his tired and dusty horse carried him inside the town limits. He had been gone for more than a week on a mission for the Judge. How a simple examination of some forged land grants had led to a shoot-out and a three day chase through the God-forsaken desert sands of New Mexico to apprehend the miscreant responsible, he still wasn't sure. But he and Josiah had done their sworn duty and apprehended the idiot, delivering him in one piece - well, mostly - back to Judge Travis, who had arranged a quick trial and a nice cozy prison cell in which the thief could spend the next several years debating the error of his ways.Josiah had chosen to stay behind for an extra couple of days to rest up, but Ezra had been anxious to get home. He had not wanted to leave Four Corners in the first place, but no one else among the seven lawmen in Travis's hire had the experience to be able to differentiate a phony deed from a real one, so he had swallowed his regrets and done his duty. But, oh, how glad he was to be back!
All he needed to do was report his presence in town, 'check in' as it were, and he would be free to spend the rest of the evening however, and with whomever, he liked.
Ezra did not even care that the grin on his face probably had him looking like a lunatic as he reached the stable and dismounted. He fished a generous coin from his coat pocket and requested a full grooming and some warm oat mash for his beloved steed, hardly waiting for the order to be acknowledged before he was striding toward the saloon.
For once grateful that all of his friends tended to spend most of their time in this particular building, Ezra burst through the batwing doors, eyes alight as they searched behind the bar. His enthusiasm dimmed when he realized that Joe, the assistant bartender, was on duty tonight and Inez was nowhere in sight.
Three of his colleagues, however, were in attendance and so Ezra set his disappointment aside and made his way through the busy saloon to join them.
"Hey, looks like one of our lost sheep finally found his way home!"
"Baaa," he greeted dryly, bringing a grin to Buck's face. "Your other sheep opted to remain in the charming location of Dutton for an extra day. He should be home tomorrow evening or the following morning."
Chris nodded. "No hurry. We got your telegram. You two did a good job catching up with that forger, you both deserve a break."
"Surprised you didn't stay in Dutton for an extra day, yourself," Vin said, a teasing light in his eyes as he added, "I hear the gambling tables are pretty good over that way."
"Yeah, Ezra, what could you possibly be planning to do with your free time other than gambling?" Buck asked, his attempt at innocence ruined by the knowing smile that was already stretching across his face.
Ezra flashed an answering grin. "That is none of your business, Mr. Wilmington, but let's just say that I believe in keeping my options open. If you gentlemen can tell me where my lovely fiancée is keeping herself this evening, I think I'll go ask her if she has any ideas for a suitable pass-time."
Vin and Buck both laughed and saluted him with their drinks. A twinkle also lit Chris's eyes, though he kept his face impassive. "You might want to clean up a little before you go looking for her, at least if you expect the lady to welcome you with open arms."
Vin snorted. "He's right, pard. Looks like you just brought half the trail in with you."
Glancing down at his clothing, Ezra grimaced. They were right. The weather had been warm and humid all day, causing the clouds of trail dust to coat him like a second skin. His white shirt, black trousers and red jacket had all been muted to the same indistinct shade of brown, and he knew that his face was probably not looking much better. "Perhaps I'll just go upstairs for a change of attire then pay a visit to the bathhouse."
"Good idea. We'll see you later, Ezra," Buck sang out jovially as Ezra quickly made his way to the saloon stairs, brushing distractedly at his filthy coat. Chuckling into his beer, he added knowingly, "But I'm guessing it won't be any time soon."
~*~*~*~*~
Ezra unlocked his door and stepped inside. Distracted by the attempt to improve his dusty condition, he was two steps inside the room before he noticed that something was out of place. Instead of total darkness, the room was softly illuminated by candlelight.
His bed had been moved closer to the wall to make room for a full sized bathtub, which had been placed prominently across from the door where he would be sure to see it. It was, he realized, already filled more than halfway with steaming hot water.
A delicious aroma caught his nostrils and Ezra closed the door, smiling to find Inez hiding behind it with a tray balanced in her hands. A plate of fried chicken and biscuits and a filled tumbler of whiskey sat on the surface. Inez grinned at his delighted expression. "Welcome home," she greeted, leaning forward to kiss him over the top of the tray.
Ezra grinned back so widely it almost hurt. "Hello, darlin'. This is a most wonderful surprise." Gesturing around the room, he asked, "How in the world did you manage to do all of this?"
"I had some help," she admitted. "I ordered the bathtub as a surprise for you the last time the tin-peddler passed through town. It arrived the day before yesterday, so I asked Buck and Chris to move the bed for me, and Vin to help me transport the tub upstairs."
She looked so triumphant that he had to laugh. "Well that explains why those three all looked so pleased with themselves just now." He shook his head. "I've always wanted my very own bathtub, but I've spent so much of my life moving from place to place that it never made any sense for me to purchase one."
"I know," she said, setting down the tray and lightly grasping his neck to plant a thorough and passionate kiss upon his lips. "That's why I wanted to get it for you."
"My dear, you are a wonder." Ezra reached out to embrace her, only to be stopped by a hand in the middle of his chest.
"Bath first," she said firmly, her dark eyes dancing. "JD has been keeping a watch for you all afternoon from the church bell tower, so that I would know what time to order the hot water brought up. You should take advantage of it."
"Perhaps I would rather take advantage of you," he teased, darting close enough to steal another kiss before she could playfully shove him away.
Running her hands down her body, Inez hitched her brows. "Perhaps later you will."
It was only then that Ezra really noticed what she was wearing. With the tray in the way and her close proximity he had not seen it before, but now the oxygen abruptly whooshed out of his lungs as he realized that Inez was attired in one of his own white lawn shirts. And nothing else.
Slender brown-skinned legs extended gracefully from beneath the long shirt tails and down to equally bare feet. The too-long cuffs were rolled up to her elbows revealing more dusky skin, and the ruffled shirt was unbuttoned several inches to frame a tantalizing display of unconfined cleavage. As she turned and walked over to the tub with an exaggerated sway in her hips, Ezra's pants suddenly felt about two sizes too small.
Reaching blindly towards the tray, Ezra picked up the whiskey and knocked it back with a loud gulp that brought a knowing grin to Inez's face. "Strip off your clothes," she ordered calmly.
Ezra had never snapped to obey a command so quickly in his entire life. Guns, hat, and jacket were wrenched free and tossed over to the bureau. Dusty boots, pants and shirt flew to land haphazardly on or near a handy chair. The drawstring on his drawers was jerked loose so abruptly that it snapped, sending the garment fluttering to Ezra's feet where he impatiently kicked it and his socks underneath the bed, not caring at all that he would have to go searching for them later.
His newly freed erection bounced forward, eagerly pointing toward his love with an embarrassing lack of subtlety. Inez grinned at the reaction and picked up a sponge she'd had waiting. "Step into the water, but do not sit down."
More than happy to let her take the lead, he kept his eyes locked on hers as he lifted first one leg and then the other over the side of the tub. The water was hot but Ezra shivered as Inez dipped her sponge and began to caress it up and down his lower body. She began with his legs, starting with the sponge and then stroking soap over the freshly dampened skin with her bare hand, humming a tune as she washed. His buttocks clenched when her fingers traveled up and gave them a little squeeze as she worked soap over the surface and into the crevice between.
Inez was quite clearly enjoying his reactions to her teasing touch. A soft groan escaped Ezra when she dropped the sponge into the water and slicked her hands with soap before applying them to his genitals, taking her time and giving thorough attention to every inch and fold. It was all he could do not to beg when she squeezed the sponge over his straining manhood, rinsing away the soap and smiling wickedly at the gasping reaction she got from pressing a kiss to the newly cleaned area.
Moving up to wash his sides and belly, she placed another kiss against the taut skin of Ezra's stomach, giving his navel a tiny lick that earned her another startled gasp. "I think you can sit down now," she decided.
"Would you care to join me?" he asked, voice husky with growing need. "I'm quite certain this tub is large enough to accommodate two."
"No, thank you. I already took a bath this afternoon," she told him, fluttering her lashes in a show of mock innocence that quickly gave way to a mischievous grin when he pouted in disappointment. Taking his hand, she urged him, "Sit, mi querido. We have plenty of time."
Since it was obvious that Inez was not yet finished, Ezra reluctantly obeyed, plunking down into the tub with enough force to splash water up over the side and onto his lover. She yelped and laughed, brushing at the wet area with her hands and causing Ezra to gulp at the outline of damp material against her breasts.
He reached for her and she playfully slapped his hand away. "Soon," she promised, resuming her stroke with the soap over his chest, his back, arms and underarms, neck and shoulders, and finally his ears and face. Ezra's eyes closed in pleasure, the urgency of his desire calming a little as a cup of hot water was slowly poured over his hair and Inez's strong fingers moved to stroke soap through the dusty locks. She took great care to make certain he enjoyed this, massaging his scalp even as she cleaned away the dirt and sweat accumulated from days on the trail.
More clear water was applied to rinse the soap away and Ezra glanced over the side of the tub, noting with satisfaction that Inez had filled the pitcher from his washstand so that the rinsing liquid would be fresh.
"Lean back," she said softly, a loving suggestion rather than a command this time. As Ezra did so, she lowered her lips to his, fingers brushing gently against his neck and the back of his head as they kissed. "I've missed you very much," she whispered.
"And I, you," he told her, the joy of this reunion shining in his eyes. "Sometimes I felt as though I would be trapped out in that desert forever, missing you all the while. I've never wanted so badly to be home before."
They kissed again for a long while, no words spoken except for quiet murmurings of love. At last, Inez pulled away. Dropping a quick peck upon his cheek, she stood and pulled a stool close to the bathtub, setting his dinner tray on top of it and pouring him a fresh drink from a bottle she had left on the bureau. "Eat," she urged.
"And what are you going to do?" he asked curiously, following her with his eyes as she moved over to the bed. He raised partway out of the tub, trying to get a better look as Inez bent over to pick up something from the floor, an action which caused her shirttail to ride up a few inches.
Seeing his action from the corner of her eye, Inez stood quickly, cheeks flushing as she straightened her shirt and shook a scolding finger at Ezra, who merely grinned, unrepentant over being caught in the act.
"Eat," she said again.
The chicken did smell awfully good, reminding Ezra how long it had been since his last meal, and since Inez did not appear to be in any hurry, he shook off his damp hands and helped himself to a drumstick and a buttery biscuit. Doing his best not to spill crumbs into the water, he feasted, watching Inez pick up his messily strewn clothing and brush it off before folding the soiled garments into the basket he kept on hand for dirty laundry. As soon as that was done, she spread a towel sideways across the bed, giving it a pat as she smiled over at him.
"I take it you want me to sit there?"
"Si," she acknowledged, "but there is no rush. Take your time."
Quickly finishing off his second piece of chicken and another biscuit, Ezra drank his whiskey and wiped his lips with the napkin Inez had provided. Rinsing away a few stray crumbs from his chest, he washed his hands and stood, stepping from the tub with impatient haste. "I believe I have already taken all the time that I can bear to," he said, moving forward to wrap his arms around her, caring not at all that his naked body was drizzling water all over the floor and soaking into her shirt.
Inez surrendered quickly to the embrace, pressing against him and running her hands over his back and shoulders as if trying to memorize the lines of hard muscle and smooth skin with her fingertips. Ezra's left hand tangled in the long thick waves of her hair while the right skimmed up her thigh to caress the smooth bare curves of her bottom. Inez groaned at the contact and locked her arms around his neck, pressing the hard points of her nipples against his chest and kissing him with such passion that he began to feel light-headed.
"Sit," she whispered into his mouth, teasing his tongue with a flick of her own. "Please, Ezra. Sit down on the bed and scoot back a little."
Reluctant to let go, he removed his hands from her body and lowered himself to the towel she had spread to protect his bedcovers, moving back so that his thighs were fully supported by the mattress. Inez immediately followed him onto the bed, straddling his lap and resting her forearms upon his shoulders. "I have been planning this ever since you've been gone," she confessed, blushing a little at her own boldness. "I want to know what it feels like to be . . ."
She paused, unsure how to phrase it, and Ezra supplied, "In charge?"
"Do you mind?"
He smiled, the expression crooked with delight. "Mind? You must be joking. A woman who not only pampers me and loves me enough to have planned out a welcome home seduction, but who is also brave enough to experiment with fulfilling her own desires? Darlin', if I didn't know any better, I'd think I was asleep and experiencing a particularly delightful dream right now."
Eyes lighting up at his words, Inez slid her fingertips down her own chest, following the line of cleavage and slipping another small pearl button free of its mooring. She drew the material to one side, exposing her left breast and gasping when Ezra took the hint and latched onto the straining nipple, skillfully teasing the little bud with his tongue.
His hands returned to her thighs, massaging up and down the firm flesh but going no further until he was sure what she wanted him to do. For now, Ezra was quite content to take his time playing with her lovely breasts, nudging the shirt open further with his nose to expose the right one. Smiling against her flesh, he kissed the roundness, then extended his tongue and gave the nipple a long slow lick that had Inez moaning and clutching the back of his head.
Reaching between their bodies, Inez's warm fingers encircled Ezra's rigid penis, testing it for readiness.
"Oh, God, yes," he groaned, leaning back to give her better access as he realized what she intended to do. "Please, darlin', do it. Take me inside you."
Inez looked so excited that he shivered, a long ecstatic sigh exhaling from his lungs as he was positioned against an entrance already slick with desire for him. As he felt himself tightly embraced within her smooth heat, Ezra let go a strained laugh.
The reaction gained him a startled look from Inez. "Ezra?"
"That feels so good," he said, another giddy laugh escaping. "I feel so good. Don't be alarmed, my dear. I just don't seem to have any better way to express myself."
She smiled, charmed by his reaction, and rose up on her knees, coming almost all the way off his shaft and then sliding back down again. Ezra's eyes closed for a moment, lashes fluttering as a sense of euphoria drifted over him. Inez took her time, testing her own body's reactions as she rose and fell, shifting back and forth, slowly driving herself to an ever increasing peak of enjoyment.
Ezra held her in a loose embrace, kissing her throat and breasts and allowing her to control the pace, content to let this experience continue for as long as his body could stand it. He popped a couple more shirt buttons free, caressing his fingers over Inez's belly and the baby-soft skin beneath her breasts, but left the last button fastened. It was incredible to see her this way, covered in his own oversized shirt, exposed to his sight but not quite fully naked, her eyes closed and her head thrown back, a warm flush of perspiration-dappled exertion spreading slowly down her body as she picked up the pace and lost herself in riding up and down the pleasurable thickness of his cock.
Suddenly, the heat filling Ezra's groin coalesced and he could feel his balls pulling tighter in preparation for spending. Not wanting to rob Inez, he slid a finger between their joined bodies and pressed it to the small bundle of nerves at her entrance. Inez gasped and grabbed hold of his shoulders, her whole body bucking with the force of her pleasure. He did it again, rolling and teasing the nub with his fingertip and enjoying her throaty cries as she rose up through the cycle of fulfillment.
Finally, Inez screamed out his name, muffling the sound into his hair as she hugged him close and Ezra could take no more. He exploded, hips jerking with such force that he lifted both of them off the bed, managing to catch his balance with one back-stretched arm before he could send them tumbling to the floor.
Lungs heaving, head spinning, he sat back down heavily on the mattress and held on to the solidity of Inez's warm body with both arms. It felt as though he was drowning and she was his only lifeline. Inez held on with the same desperation. After a few seconds, the blood-rush in Ezra's head abated and his heart and lungs settled into a normal pace of operation.
Flashing a disbelieving grin, Ezra laid all the way back, taking Inez with him and feeling himself slip free of her body. "My dear, if this is what I can expect every time I go away for a few days, I'm going to turn into Judge Travis's most eager volunteer."
She laughed and kissed him. "Don't you dare!" Dropping another kiss upon his lips, she said, "I think I will be just as happy to welcome you home when you haven't been anywhere at all."
"Same here, darlin'. I shall never get enough of your warmth, your passion, your beauty, or any of the thousand others things that make me love you so."
Inez flashed him a tender smile. "Te amo, Ezra."
He kissed her. "And I, you." He shifted, relieving the pressure in his back from their awkward position. "So, would you like me to thrill you with my latest adventure as an underpaid lawman?"
"Si," she agreed, sitting up and fastening her borrowed shirt back up. "But you can tell me about it while we clean this place up."
"Agreed," he said, glancing around and grimacing as he took in the water slopped all about the tub and dribbled in puddles over the floorboards. "And then what would you like do?"
A sparkle lit her dark eyes. "Then I think it will be time for us to go back to bed."
Ezra grinned. "Darlin', I believe I'm going to have to let you take charge more often!"
THE END