Rated R
Marshall Santos is kneeling down beside a grave marker in Boot Hill Cemetery just outside Dodge City. He mulls over a few things.
"Around Dodge City and in the western territories, there is just one way to handle all the killers and the spoilers, and that is with a US Marshall and the smell of gun smoke. This is Mannysmoke, the transcribed story of the violence that moved west with young America and the story of a man who moved with it. I am that man, Danny "Matt Dillion" Santos, United States Marshall. Out here, I remind myself of how violence always ends, buried in the rim of a nation on the edge of the wild frontier. Some were slaughtered aimlessly, the rest I killed. I am a lawman and a US Marshall. Law comes hard to the frontier and men like these did not want it. And there are more men alive today who will come to Dodge City that do not want it. They are the drifters and the lawless and they have to be dealt with. I am the first man they look for and the last one they want to meet.
***
Michelle woke up with the sun streaming into her bedroom window and for a second she was confused. Then she remembered, she was not sitting beside Daniel Santos' sickbed at Ray's ranch and she for sure was not in her boarding house room. No, this was the day after her wedding to the Marshall. They married yesterday to appease her brother who was also Danny's best friend, Doc Bauer. Funny, she thought she did not feel married but then most brides probably woke up in the arms of their husband instead of alone clutching a feather pillow to their stomach.
She said aloud, "Well, enough with feeling sorry for yourself, Michelle, today is the first day in the new school term and you are a married woman, well for a week anyway, until we can figure out how to get an annulment." Truth told, she knew Danny Santos did not want an annulment, did she? Well, she had to didn't she? After all what would people think of her if she were married to a lawman, a reckless enforcer who was constantly in danger? She sighed and pulled back the covers then shrieked and pulled the blankets up tight against her throat. There was someone in the room with her; she was not alone. Then the figure stepped out from the shadows and she saw that it was Marshall Daniel Santos. He was wearing his usual attire of salmon tinged shirt, tan pants and vest. He stepped towards the bed and sat down upon it, then reached out to stroke her cheek.
"How long have you been here?" she inquired knowing his answer before he replied.
"I've just been standing here watching you sleep, Michelle, I just wanted to watch you sleep."
Michelle felt self-conscious with the sheets drawn so closely to her chest, they were married after all so she relaxed a bit and reached out to touch his hand.
"Danny if only you could see that things would be so different for us if you were not a Marshall, we could have a future together, you know."
Santos reached out and took her hand, he kissed it before saying, and "Don't you see that we're two branches from the same tree Michelle? Don't you feel the pull between us that I feel?"
He got up from the bed and went towards the door. She bounded out of the bed to follow him, "What do you mean, I don't understand," she said pulling on his arm so that he turned to face her.
The Marshall noticed her proximity and pulled her into his arms, "What I mean Michelle is that I love you and I don't see how changing occupations or lines of work or much of anything should matter between two people if they feel that way about each other. Sometimes I get the feeling that you are in love with being in love and that I don't matter, that it isn't me here with you but one of those men from those classic novels you talk about all the time."
Michelle looked up at him and saw their reflection in the mirror behind them. They looked so good together, as if they were made for one another, his darkness and her lightness combined. She was attracted to him, should she continue to go on fighting this battle? The mirror seemed to answer her back, good question dear and please tell me what battle are you fighting and for whom?
She stepped towards Danny then and he draped his arms around her. He bent down and kissed her lips tenderly at first, and then with increasing ardor until finally, Michelle felt her knees buckle under. The Marshall lifted her up against him and she felt, no she knew then that he wanted her and that his words were sincere and truthful. She felt him harden against the top of her thighs.
Danny used one hand to support Michelle and the other hand (this was the arm/shoulder recovering from the gunshot wound) to stroke her bosom through her thin cotton nightgown. Michelle tensed as the movement of his hands over the material caused her to grow moist and she started to shiver. His thumb stroked across her nipples, she moaned. Danny pulled the gown's neckline down so he could see her sweet beautiful breasts, so perfect as if each one was made to fit into the mold of his hand. Michelle leaned her head back and gasped as she felt his touch and then the texture of his tongue sweep across one moist peak. Michelle was unprepared for this aching delight, which began to stir within her belly.
Danny rasped out, "Your breasts are ..., dear Lord, I am sick from wanting you now, here. Tell me to stop before it is too late."
Michelle did not answer, could not answer and he thrust his face into her golden hair as he started to nuzzle her neck. He smelled her special scent; a spicy cinnamon apple smell and he longed to bury his face in the texture of her mane for the rest of the day. "Your hair," he said, "is as rich as the glow of the rising sun and your body is as fine as..."
He stopped talking when she instinctively parted her legs tempting him to go farther as she had earlier when she impatiently welcomed his tongue as they kissed. Michelle's eyes drifted shut as he took her mouth once again drinking of her in small gulps of air as his mouth joined hers. She sucked upon his lower lip and he pushed his tongue into her mouth searching for the sweetness of her own. Michelle moaned into his mouth as he started to kiss her again recklessly, begging her tongue to join his in this dance. She grasped the back of his neck urging him closer and demanding more of him as they continued the kiss.
Finally, instinctively she began to suck upon his tongue at the same time that she wrapped her legs around his hips tighter, pushing herself higher and up against him. The feel of her thin cotton gown bunched between her legs and the push of his manhood straining against his buttoned jeans created a rubbing friction between them both and caused her breath to grow ragged. He continued to hold her and his arms drifted lower so that his hands cupped her bottom in his hands. He swayed while holding her and walked backwards with her toward the wall near the mirror. Once her back was against the wall, he began to gyrate his hips against her. Michelle murmured that she wanted him now; kiss me deeper she whispered, please. Danny did his best to comply.
Danny began to pull up her gown bunching it around her waist and she moved her hands and began to unbutton his jeans. He was so excited, it was the morning after all, that he tried to steer himself to thinking of other things, but she was relentless, he felt her pull at his pants, felt her put her hand inside his pants and he began to think of her body pregnant with his child. Swollen and lovely and beautiful, God he loved this woman, he wanted everything with her not just stolen moments early in the morning that she might regret later. The thought of her here with him now and all the months of wanting her, of needing her body and her love was too much for the Marshall; he was human after all. He spilled his seed in pants as she panted out his name and he ground against her one last time.
He swore, "God Dammit," which was odd for him as he rarely cursed. He broke away from her causing her to tumble halfway to the floor. Ever the gentleman, he caught her and carried her to the bed. He laid her down again and placed a cool and chaste kiss on her lips. "I won't take advantage of you again when you are vulnerable, I will do as I said, I will wait for you to come to me. God help me, I have never wanted anything or anyone as much as I want you now, I love you Michelle, powerful bad. I will wait for you to want me as much as I want you though and then it will be good between us, I promise. I don't want this to happen again."
With that, he strode from the room. Michelle lay in the bed and turned over a few times, in what she could only guess were the throws of wanton desire and passion for a man. She rolled her eyes; if Danny had stayed just a few minutes longer, she could have summoned up the breath to tell him she wanted him just as much now, honest. Michelle remembered a conversation with Eleni and another boarder where the discussion centered on men's sexual prowess. Eleni said that some men are prone to over-excitement if they really love a woman, although it hadn't happened to her and Frank Cooper, Jr., course. But there were men who had trouble controlling themselves and lost it so to speak out of pure desire for a woman. It was a compliment not a curse.
Michelle remembered thinking at first that Eleni knew a little more than she admitted to at the time. Eleni was always very honest about relations in the marital bed. She believed that young men would refrain from using saloon women if brides received proper instruction before the wedding night. She had offered to talk to Michelle last night after the wedding, but Michelle refused thinking she did not need advice. This was something Michelle now regretted. Eleni told her quite a deal about men before and admitted that the good relations she had with Frank Cooper, Jr., the only reason that she stayed with him for so long. Michelle knew that Frank came to the boarding house for visits a lot. Conjugal visits is what Eleni called them, she said she deserved them and Frank wanted her back so bad that he didn't seem to complain too much at least that was what Eleni said.
***
The Marshall reported for duty a few minutes after grabbing a quick breakfast in the hotel dining room. Miss Vicki expressed surprise that Michelle did not come down to breakfast as well but then decided it was not her business. Santos ignored her questions, sat, and contemplated the morning while drinking coffee and eating a hearty breakfast of ham and eggs. The morning's events so far were downright embarrassing. First, he lost control of himself and like a young boy ejaculated into his pants. Then instead of staying and talking with her, he had seen her ignorance, taken advantage of it, and taken his leave. This was no way to start a marriage, even one slated to last just one week. He felt bad, he promised her that she would stay pure, but in less than twenty-four hours he came close to making love to her three times. The mere thought and memory of her against him or underneath him sent shivers down his spine and made his pants tighten as the longing for her began again in his groin. Santos had to stop thinking about this; about her, it would kill him otherwise.
***
Danny walked over to his office. This would be his first trip through the jailhouse door in two weeks. Jesse Blue was there to help him up on the old business before the deputy left for his morning classes over at the schoolhouse. It took about ten minutes for the Marshall to grasp the latest news and what he had occurred over the last fourteen days. The big news was Jesse Blue and Jim LeMay's concern over the two new English fellows in town. Plus, the Lewis men were at it again digging all over town, breaking shovels and throwing dirt everywhere. This time they seemed to have accomplices according to LeMay. The Marshall thanked Jim for his help and told him to get back to his gunsmithery.
Jesse also told him that the kidnapped woman was back in town. Yep, Beth Raines nee Spaulding was back at Towers safe and sound. A Texas Ranger, the errant Phillip Spaulding, brought her in late last night. She seemed the worse for wear and apparently had forsworn the moneymaking end of her business forever. She would just serve as barkeep from now on according to the report Lillian Raines had given to Jesse. Deputy Blue discerned this piece of information from Mrs. Raines when he went by Towers last night to finish off the blueberry cobbler Lillian served that night to patrons. The Marshall smiled, one thing about his deputy, he liked his baked goods.
***
