Susanna Danforth looked at the cloudy sky and prayed the rain would hold off. The previous day had seen their wagon get stuck in the mud, interrupting their journey west. It had been an unseasonably wet spring, and their travels through Missouri had taken far longer than anticipated. The humidity had her long, red curls sticking uncomfortably to her face and neck, and she longed for the luxury of a real bath. But she kept her chin up. Her husband, Andrew, had promised there was gold to be found in a place called California, and that would allow them to finally settle down and start a family.

They’d only been married a couple of months and had never even had a proper nuptial journey. While she’d rather be headed to New York or Niagara Falls, as her cousin, Amelia, had when she married John, she understood that Andrew had bigger dreams.

“I won’t lie, Susanna; it’s going to be a long, hard adventure. But if we find enough gold, we can build a house big enough to fill with children. You’ll have space for a vegetable garden and a porch we can sit on in the evenings. I don’t know how long it will take to get there, and there’s liable to be some harsh weather along the way, but it will be worth it to have a better life. Do you trust me?”

“I trust you, Andrew.”

So, they packed everything they owned in a covered wagon and set out to join hundreds of others from nearby towns on a trek to find their fortune.

“Now, you must understand, the terrain will be difficult at times. The journey will be no place for a woman who is with child. Therefore, we will need to refrain from having relations until we reach our destination.”

Susanna frowned. Her cousin had warned her that once she said vows with a man, she’d be expected to lie with him several times a week, if not more. The first time hadn’t been very pleasant, but after a few nights of spreading her legs for Andrew, she’d grown rather fond of the activity and looked forward to it, as it made her womanhood tingle.

Now he was stating that there would be no intimate coupling. As disappointing as that was, she knew it was a sacrifice for him as well.

“How long will it take to get to California, my love?” she asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

“If we can cover twenty miles per day, we should be able to make it there in four months, but Matthias said some of the areas will be harder to pass, so we should take supplies for six months.”

“Six months without relations?” she blurted out unintentionally.

Andrew grimaced. “I know; trust me, that will be a hardship for me as well. But it pleases me to know that you’ve grown to enjoy it when I touch you.”

“Indeed, it pleases me,” she said, blushing. “And I will miss it very much. But I know you’re only looking out for our future.”

“Let’s hope we can make it in four months, my darling bride.”

But the weather had been uncooperative, and the journey seemed interminable. Some travelers in other wagons had given up, so the group was smaller. That should have made the expedition easier. And admittedly it was to a certain extent. Still, supplies were growing thin, and so was her patience. Susanna felt cranky, though she tried to hide her frustration.

What surprised and annoyed her was that Andrew didn’t seem to miss their intimacy at all. She knew he got up at night to check the wagon and make sure the supplies were secure, but she started to worry that he was finding release with someone else.

One night, when he returned from his nightly routine, she was awake, holding a lantern.

“Where were you, husband?” she asked pointedly.

“Just making sure the horses had enough water, my darling,” he replied, trying hard to mask his guilt.

“You were gone longer than usual.”

“Are you keeping track of my comings and goings?”

“Shouldn’t a wife, especially a recently married one, know where her man is? Shouldn’t she be able to trust that he isn’t doing something inappropriate?”

Andrew frowned, wondering how she knew what he’d been up to. “It’s not inappropriate. All the men here do so; we just try to be discreet about it.”

“I see,” Susanna said curtly.

“Go to bed. We’ll be moving out early to try to beat the rain.”

“So, that’s it; no apology for putting what belongs to me in someone else?”

“What are you talking about, Susanna?”

“I’m talking about emptying your seed into another woman,” she shouted, tears forming in her eyes.

“Hush, woman! I’ve done no such thing; I wouldn’t dream of doing that to you. I made a vow to be faithful. I take that very seriously.”

“So, you’ve not been getting release elsewhere?” Her eyes were cool and her voice accusing.

Andrew ran a hand through his thick hair and blushed. Looking down, unable to make eye contact, he admitted, “I’ve been spilling my seed on the ground.”

“I don’t understand.”

He looked up now, his eyes beseeching hers. “I’d never lay a hand on any woman besides you. I love you. But a man has needs, so I’ve been stimulating myself and allowing the sperm to shoot into the grass or the brush. I do so at night so I can have the cover of darkness to hide my actions so no other woman accidentally sees my manhood.”

Susanna folded her arms in front of her. “I have needs too. What do I do about those?”

Andrew looked confused. “You have needs? I didn’t know that women… I mean, I know you enjoyed my touching you, but I didn’t think…”

“No, you didn’t think. I was more than willing to be celibate for four months, or even six months. But it’s been nearly eight months, and while I’ve been spending night after night feeling lonely and frustrated without you touching me, not even holding me, you’ve been taking care of things on your end without so much as a thought about me.”

“But I was thinking about you, Susanna. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want to plant a baby in your belly and have this trip be even harder for you than it already is.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks. “I feel like we are growing apart. You don’t even kiss me anymore. I suppose you’ve gotten so used to your hand, you won’t want to mate anymore once we get to California.”

Andrew sighed and put his arms around his wife. “You’re wrong. I can’t wait to lie with you again. So much so that I worry if I kiss you or hold you, I won’t be able to stop.”

Susanna smiled weakly. It made her feel better to hear that he still wanted her.

“Is there some way that we could be intimate without the actual act of intercourse?”

Andrew shifted uncomfortably. “There is, but it’s not something a man asks his wife to do.”

“What if a wife offers?”

He frowned. “It involves using your mouth on my manhood.”

Susanna bit her bottom lip and thought for a moment. “Would you use your mouth on my womanhood?”

“If you wanted me to, I would. I’d do anything for you, darling. That’s why I dragged us across this godforsaken land in these horrific conditions to make a better life for us. But I think it would be shameful to allow my wife to act like a strumpet.”

“Do you know what I think would be shameful? Allowing our love to shrivel up and die because we don’t act like man and wife. I can survive whatever Mother Nature throws at us, I can deal with the delays and the rationing of food, and I can wait until California before you allow your seed to be emptied into my womb. But for the sake of our sacred bond, I need us to touch each other before I lose my mind.”

“You could use your hands instead of your mouth,” he said quietly.

“Then we’d need to use cloths to clean it up. That seems like a waste. If you use my mouth, I could just swallow whatever comes out.”

Andrew’s dick twitched. “You’d swallow my sperm?”

“I’m naïve about some things, but I’m fairly certain that swallowing your seed won’t get me with child.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I know that, Suse; I meant most women wouldn’t offer to do such a thing for a man.”

Her face scrunched as her eyes welled up with tears. “You think less of me because I offer to take you in my mouth and swallow…”

“Oh, goodness, no!” he clarified. “I find myself amazed that you’d be so accommodating. I could never think less of you, darling. I’m a lucky man to have such a wife that would do what you’re suggesting.”

She wiped her tears and said, “I’m not just any woman, Andrew. I’m the woman who loves you. Tomorrow night, you’ll not leave this wagon under the ruse of checking on the horses only to spill your seed upon the ground. I will provide your release and be your receptacle. Do you understand?”

Andrew grinned. He was lucky indeed to have a woman who was demanding relations.

“I understand, my wonderful wife. And in return, I shall do my best to stimulate your womanhood with my tongue. I will admit, I’ve never done such a thing, but I’ve heard other men describe it. Loose women enjoy it, so why couldn’t a married one do so as well?”

Susanna felt her body tingle at the thought, so she let the loose women comment go. “Why not, indeed. And one more thing. I want kisses. You’ve not kissed me properly since we embarked on this journey. I hope that changes once we are settled. All the gold in the world won’t be worth it without your love and affection.”

He pulled her into his arms and took her mouth with his. Their tongues danced as their bodies enjoyed a closeness not felt in months. His manhood hardened while she felt a dampness between her legs.

“Mmm,” she said, reluctantly breaking off the kiss. “We will definitely start with this tomorrow night. But tonight, it’s late, and we need to be rested for our early start in the morning.”

He sighed, “Agreed. Tomorrow will be a long haul, but our spirits will be lighter as we shall have this comfort to look forward to.”

The next morning, as they set out for the day’s trek, Andrew and Susanna exchanged knowing smiles. Though the terrain was unforgiving, their spirits were indeed lighter as they looked forward to what awaited them when the long, hard day was over.

However, when it came time to stop for the night, a stranger approached their camp begging for food and shelter.

One of the other wives offered to share the meal she was cooking, but it was decided that the only wagon that had space to accommodate an overnight guest was Andrew and Susanna’s. The couple looked at each other with angst. However, if the tables were turned, they would hope for the kindness of strangers. Their rendezvous would have to wait another night.

“We’ve waited this long,” Susanna sighed. “One more night won’t be our undoing. We can surely be kind and considerate.”

“True enough, darling.”

As they ate the evening meal, they inquired where the man, whose name was Jack, was headed.

“I’m turning back,” Jack said. “The labor in gold mining is much harder than I anticipated. I’ll never get ahead with all the supplies I keep having to spend the gold on. It’s not worth it. You’d be wise to turn around yourselves. Even if you worked together as a group, you’ll be hard-pressed to make enough to feed your families, let alone build a home.”

Andrew felt uneasy after supper and wished he could take comfort in Susanna’s arms. But with Jack in their wagon, he felt any physical contact would be inappropriate. He expected his needy little wife to pout, but instead she set about asking Jack all sorts of questions about his journey and experiences out west.

Andrew left them to their conversation, checked on the horses, and wondered if he should just use his hands to take care of business. But he felt guilty, knowing that she’d somehow learn of what he’d done. Besides, he didn’t wish to leave her alone with this stranger for any longer than necessary.

As Andrew entered the wagon, he noticed that Jack was already lying down with the blanket Susanna had provided. She was waiting for him under their own blanket.

He climbed in beside her and whispered, “We can’t do anything tonight, although I truly wish we could. It would settle my anxiety tremendously.”

“Just hold me, husband. Tomorrow will be here soon enough. We can discuss what is making you anxious, then soothe each other with our hands and mouths.”

“Why are you not beside yourself with worry?” he asked.

“I have an idea,” she said. “Trust me. But tonight, let’s sleep.”

The next morning, Andrew had to admit he felt more rested than he expected. He’d been a fool not to enjoy the comfort of his wife’s arms all these months. He realized his intentions had been good, but ill-considered.

Susanna was in a far more pleasant mood as well. Imagine how much better they would be the following morning after finding pleasure in each other’s arms!

Jack stayed for breakfast and thanked the group for their hospitality, especially Susanna and Andrew.

“I wish you luck,” he said as he gathered his knapsack and prepared to continue his journey.

“Be safe, Jack. And thank you for humoring me and answering so many questions last evening.”

“It was my pleasure, ma’am.”

As the wagons departed, Andrew turned to his wife and asked, “So, what is this idea that Jack gave you?”

Susanna shook her head and looked around, making sure no one was within earshot. “He didn’t necessarily give me the idea. But the more he talked, the more I realized that he was giving me answers without my asking the questions.”

“You’re talking in riddles, wife. Be straight about it; what do you mean?”

“He kept talking about needing to spend what little gold he mined on supplies.”

“Yes, I heard that part. So?”

“So, he and all the other would-be prospectors had to spend their money on materials, supplies, food, clothing, etc.”

“Yes, I understand that part. What’s the bright idea that is going to make this journey not be a bust for us?”

“What if instead of being the ones who have to buy the merchandise, we are the ones who sell it?”

Andrew sat quietly for a moment. Then he tilted his head and furrowed his brow. “You mean like selling things at a mercantile?”

“Yes, exactly!”

“Susanna, it’s a fine idea, but where would we get the things to sell? It’s not like we have anything worth buying that we don’t need to keep for ourselves.”

“True, but what if we could make things? Or what if we found others with goods, but they need help selling them?"

Andrew frowned. “How would we find these people?”

“Once we reach California, there will be merchants. Jack told me about the little towns with people selling shovels, food, cloth, and other goods that will need replacing. That means those who come looking for gold will need to keep buying more. We might not strike it rich, Andrew, but we’d be able to make a decent living. Maybe our house won’t be as grand as you originally imagined, but it will be a roof over our heads and a place to start a family.”

“So, based on the word of a stranger, we just give up our goals and dreams and become merchants?”

“No, we keep asking others that we meet along the way. People who have already made the trek and have experience in such matters.”

He nodded. “I suppose it doesn’t hurt to keep our options open. I’d still like to try my hand at gold mining, but I’m not opposed to considering other ways to earn a living. Maybe I give mining a chance while you see if any of the already established merchants need help selling their wares.”

“Yes, of course. I’d love to be able to help us reach our goals.”

“It’s a good idea, Susanna. I’m grateful for your ingenuity. I feel less downtrodden knowing there are options out there.”

“Jack said they have newspapers in town. Maybe that would be a good source to find which merchants have been the most successful.”

“I’m curious, why didn’t Jack think to stick it out in California and be one of those folks selling items to others?”

“That’s easy; Jack was homesick. He’d left his wife behind because her parents refused to let her gallivant across the country in a covered wagon. They told him to go make his fortune, and then he could send for her.”

“But he didn’t make his fortune. What will the poor chap do now?”

“Oh, well, seems her folks offered him a position working in an office for her father. But he said he needed to try to make his own wealth. Jack said he imagines if he tucks his tail between his legs, his father-in-law will give him another chance at employment. Especially if he is wantin’ grandbabies.”

“Well, I hope things work out for him. He seemed like a decent enough fellow.”

“He was. I was pleased that he remained a perfect gentleman while you were outside the wagon.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But you know who won’t be remaining a perfect gentleman tonight?”

Susanna’s eyes flew open wide. But she grinned when he said, “Your husband, my dear wife.”

The day dragged on as the terrain was increasingly brutal. By nightfall, they made camp by a small lake, which enabled them to replenish their fresh water supply and gave them a chance to actually bathe!

Earlier in the day, Susanna had worried that Andrew would be too tired to be less than a gentleman. But the water had reinvigorated him. After supper, he wiggled his eyebrows at her and whispered, “We will make polite conversation for a bit longer, but then we shall feign exhaustion and retire early to our wagon.”

She felt herself go damp beneath her skirts and hoped no one would notice her blushing.

Bedtime couldn’t come quick enough. Susanna donned her only pretty nightgown, but then covered it up with a frumpy one so she could surprise Andrew.

After he made sure the horses were secure, Andrew climbed into the wagon. Susanna saw a flicker of disappointment on his face. The look was fleeting but obvious. She supposed he was disheartened to see his wife in her regular night clothes. Still, what did he expect?

“Come sit next to me on the bed, dear husband, and kiss me with tongue. While you do so, let your hands roam under my nightdress and discover how aroused you make me.”

As he approached, she smiled slyly and slipped off the dowdy garment, revealing her satin chemise. He stopped in his tracks and gazed at her longingly.

“It appears that my husband likes what he sees,” she said coyly, noticing the burgeoning bulge in his trousers.

“I do, very much indeed,” he agreed. “You are breathtaking, my lovely wife. I didn’t even know that you’d brought this with you. You’ve kept it hidden very well. It accentuates your bosom and makes me long to touch you.”

“I brought a couple of nice things for once we got settled. But since that seems like it might not go as originally planned, there’s no sense in keeping this in the bottom of my clothing trunk when it could be worn to please my husband.”

“I appreciate that. I hope it pleases you to wear it.”

“It does. It makes me feel pretty.”

“You aren’t pretty, Susanna,” he said somberly.

She frowned until he clarified what he meant.

“You’re impossibly beautiful. No other woman could hold a candle to you, my love. You make me so happy.”

He kissed her so passionately that she was grateful she wasn't standing; her knees would surely grow weak and wobbly.

The look on his face said he wanted to ravage her, but he seemed hesitant to do more than kiss her.

“Touch me,” she begged softly.

He grinned lustfully, as though he’d been waiting for her invitation. “I’m happy to oblige, my darling.”

She sighed as one hand glided over the curve of her hips and the other teased the swell of her breasts. And when his fingers found their way beneath the silky fabric and into her wetness, she moaned.

“God, yes, Andrew! Touch me!”

“I’ll do more than touch you, darling. Open your legs and let me taste you.”

Susanna felt a moment of shy naiveté wash over her. She was sure this wasn’t something good girls did. But she needed what he offered, and besides, they were married. Surely that made this act okay. Still, she bit her bottom lip and whispered, “Are you sure?”

He looked up at her inquisitively. “My darling, I’m absolutely sure that I wish to do whatever it takes to bring my wife pleasure. Are you sure that you want this?”

Her arousal was so intense; there was no turning back. Her legs fell open, and her eyes fluttered closed. “I want this, Andrew. But even more, I need this.”

Rather than rushing to devour her, he nibbled softly at the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Her breathing became ragged; she panted and moaned, and when she could wait no longer, she guided his mouth to the prize he sought.

She leaned back and reveled in the glorious feeling of being stimulated by his talented tongue. To think, they could have been doing this for months! Rather than allowing herself to be angry at the thought of lost time, she focused only on the glorious pleasure she was experiencing as Andrew licked and nibbled and sucked.

Susanna felt her hips rock involuntarily in rhythm with Andrew’s lapping at the hard little nub beneath soft, red curls. And when he probed her slick hole with his tongue, she started bucking.

“Yesss! God, yesss! Oh Andrew!” she cried out, forgetting all about their pact to be quiet.

“Shhh, my darling,” he said, looking up at her, his mouth and chin shiny with her nectar.

He grabbed a handkerchief and stuffed it in her mouth to help muffle the sounds of her intense pleasure.

“Mmmfff.”

“That’s a good girl.”

As he continued to nibble at her pearl, he slid a finger into her wetness, sending her over the edge. Her back arched, and she screamed into the white cloth, “Emm my ngd!”

Suddenly, she pushed his head away and grabbed the kerchief from her mouth. “Stop! I can’t take any more!” she hissed.

Looking alarmed, Andrew asked, “Did I hurt you?”

“Heavens, no! But after all that throbbing, my womanhood has become very sensitive. I never… it was… Oh my God, Andrew! I promise I’ll do my best to bring you the same amount of pleasure that I just experienced.”

Andrew brought her face to his and kissed her lips, sharing her delicious flavor with her.

Her eyes widened. “That’s… Oh my. I thought it would be unpleasant.”

“Honestly, so did I. But I was willing to do it anyway because I love you. I feel bad that I didn’t know you had needs. I feel kind of stupid, actually.”

“You’re a man; it’s not abnormal that you wouldn’t be familiar with what a woman feels or needs.”

“Yes, but as your husband, I should work harder to know these things about you. And, since we both found this pleasurable, rest assured, milady, we will be doing this again.”

Susanna grinned, raised an eyebrow, and said, “My turn.”

Andrew frowned. “Your turn? You just had a turn.”

“No, silly. My turn to taste you.”

“Ohhh. Are you sure? I really can just, you know…”

Her brows furrowed. “Seriously? You’d deny me the opportunity to show you that I can bring you pleasure with my mouth?”

“Well, when you put it that way…”

“Remove your trousers, husband. There are other ways to make me quiet.”

Andrew wasted no time following her directions. Then he sat down on the bed and looked lovingly at his wife as she took his erect member in her hands.

He moaned softly when she gave it a gentle kiss and then groaned lustfully when she opened her mouth and licked a line along his shaft from base to tip.

“Oh, Susanna! Oh my! Oh, that feels incredible! I can’t believe what a good wife I have!”

Susanna felt pride wash over her. She’d hardly done anything yet, and he acted like she was amazingly accomplished at the art of oral pleasure. This encouraged her to take the tip in her mouth, which elicited more moans and sighs.

Eventually, she managed to get most of it into her mouth. She was fascinated that something so hard could feel so soft on the surface, and found that sucking on his manhood was no hardship at all. In fact, it was quite pleasurable. And, apparently, she was very good at it.

“Oh, God, yes, my sweet wife! That’s so… goodness… one would never know you are a novice at this. Yes, that’s it. Just like that. I hope I’m not hurting you.”

She shook her head to assure him she was in no discomfort. Then she got a little braver and took it all the way into her mouth so that the tip was lodged in her throat. His reaction told her he was enjoying it. And thrilled her to no end.

“Sweet Jesus, Susanna! I need to thrust! Oh, dear God! Can I thrust?”

As she nodded her approval, he put his hands on her head and held it in place while he moved in and out of her throat. It was more intense than she expected, but she admittedly enjoyed the power she seemed to have over him.

He grunted and groaned as he moved rapidly until he said, “I’m ready. Are you sure you wish to swallow it?”

Nodding vehemently, she braced herself for the onslaught of his ejaculation.

“Ahhh, Goddd!” Andrew cried out, filling her throat with his seed.

As she promised, Susanna swallowed every drop.

Andrew gathered her into his arms and said, “What a fool I’ve been. We should have been enjoying intimate moments like this all along. While I certainly look forward to being able to mate with you properly, I imagine these oral pleasures will help quell my needs. And your needs, of course. I apologize again for not realizing…”

“Shhh, no apologies are necessary. It's been a stressful journey, but this will help us make the most of it and keep us from drifting apart.”

“I hope the taste of my semen wasn’t too unpleasant.”

Susanna laughed. “I didn’t have much opportunity to taste it, as it went straight down my throat.”

“You have no idea how much I appreciate your willingness to do something so…”

“Unladylike?” she offered as a choice of words. “Who cares if it is or is not? Our marriage bed is our business alone. And certainly, we have made each other very happy tonight. Let’s not spoil it by worrying about what others may think. I don’t intend to share what we have done here with anyone, do you?”

“Goodness, no. But I do intend to repeat this as frequently as is reasonable. We are still practically newlyweds, after all.”

Susanna felt her heart race. Her womanhood still tingled from the pleasure Andrew had brought her.

“Husband,” she asked sheepishly, “is this something we can continue to do even after we can have amorous congress again?”

Andrew’s face lit up. “I see no reason why not. While traditional encounters are wonderful, this was delightful!”

Susanna wrapped her arms around her husband and, hugging him tightly, said, “In the meantime, how often do you think we can do this?”

He laughed, obviously pleased and amused by her enthusiasm. “I think at least once a week would be reasonable, don’t you?”

“Absolutely not,” she replied quickly.

His face fell. “Oh, well, um, what did you have in mind?”

“I should think that, unless we are exhausted from the day’s travels, this should happen every night!”

“Every night?” Andrew exclaimed, grinning at her. “Oh, Susanna! I’m a lucky man indeed!”

She smiled inwardly; he wasn't the only one who was lucky.

It would be some time before they reached California to see if the rush of gold would pan out, but in the meantime, the rush of pleasure would see them through.