Illicit Bliss Suzy B

Part of the Bliss series.

Ezra / Li Pong

DISCLAIMERS: Don't Own Em, it's a fair bet if I did they'd still be cowboys, or have a new career….porn stars.

NOTES: Not beta'd so any mistakes are all mine. Thanks to Carrie for getting out the cattle prod and being both support and inspiration.

A young Chinese woman waited her baby in her arms, for the stage driver to assist her from his vehicle. After he helped her to the ground, she waited patiently for the driver to pass her bag of belonging from the top of the stage. Lifting the heavy bag she carried it up to the boardwalk.

The baby began to fuss in her arms. She dropped the bag and soothed her son. Her finger gently rubbed his gums gently soothing his pain.

"Ssh Beau." She murmured her accent softer than it had been the last time she had been in town.

"Excuse me Ma'am," JD spoke from her elbow as she bent to retrieve the bag. He had watched her struggling with the bag and baby from across the street.

"Thank you JD." She answered softly.

"how do you?" he spoke, "You're…" JD searched for her name.

"Li Pong." Ezra stated as he stepped onto the board walk in front of them.

JD watched the interaction between Ezra and the newcomer with interest.

"I'll assist the young lady Mr Dunne." Ezra spoke quickly as he lifted Li Pong's bag.

"Sure Ezra." JD nodded and shrugged wandering back across the street.

Ezra walked beside Li Pong wordlessly, watching her soothing her child until they reached the hotel. He quickly negotiated a room with a crib for his companions and waited with her silently while the room was prepared. Then walked her to the door.

Opening the door for her, he stepped inside and laid her bag at the end of the bed.

"Why did you come back?" Ezra asked quietly.

"I need your help." She answered.

Ezra watched her closely as she laid the baby on the bed. She efficiently changed his damp diaper and once again cuddled her babe to her breast.

"I'm not in the habit of assisting every beggar who seeks me out Li Pong."

"I hope you would help me." She murmured her eyes downcast as she stroked her baby's downy hair.

"I aided you once before."

She nodded "That is why I knew to find you. There is trouble."

Ezra immediately stepped closer to her. He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face to his. His thumb caressed her cheek gently.

"Are you in trouble?" his green eyes searched her face.

She shook her head quickly. "No." she stated "There are others like me." She whispered "I help them."

"Others like you?" he frowned "Chinese?"

"Yes. Sometimes." She nodded.

"Li Pong." He stated growing frustrated with her lack of explanation. "Please Darlin' tell me what is wrong."

"I am sorry." She bowed her head "This was a mistake."

"No." he sighed "I will assist you if I can, you need to tell me what is wrong." He paused "Please I can't help if you don't tell me."

"When I left before." She started to explain, "I tried for long time to find my family. When I find them I disgraced them. They would not see me." She murmured, her eyes filling with tears as she spoke. "I find lady, she help me like she help others before me."

"How did you disgrace your family?" he asked "Because you escaped the railway?"

"No." she shook her head quickly "I was…" she paused searching for the right words "I was heavy with child and no husband."

"Where is the child's father darlin?"

"It not important." She shook her head.

"It is important sweetheart." He turned her face to his "Did he hurt you?"

"No." she whispered quickly "He would never hurt me."

"Then we will find him and remove the shame from your family."

"That not why I came here." She was growing frustrated and the baby was beginning to fuss in her arms.

"I realise that darlin but if I can help you I will."

"I must feed him." She tried to soothe the baby.

"I'll leave you alone." He murmured.

"No." she urged "Please stay." She put a hand on his arm as he turned "Please."

He moved to stand at the window, his back to her. He heard her quickly moving about, then the sounds of hungry suckling and her cooing to her son.

"He your son Ezra." Her words whispered.

Ezra's breath caught in his throat. The one night he had spent with the hesitant inexperienced Chinese girl had haunted his dreams since it had happened.

"But we…." He stammered. "Are you sure?" he spun to look into hr eyes to be sure of her answer. He had completely forgotten the reason for not looking at her and was unprepared for the sight before him.

Li Pong was seated in the room's single armchair, her chaste dress unbuttoned to the waist, and the babe's head pressed against one full breast suckling hungrily.

"Dear Lord." He whispered and crossed the room to kneel at her side. His quivering fingers reaching out to stroke the soft chestnut curls.

"You are only man." She whispered her dark eyes filling with tears.

Ezra's fingers caressed the child's head, his thumb brushing across the plump cheek as he suckled.

"What is the assistance you are seeking darlin?" he tried to gather his scattered wits long enough to allow her a little decorum and moved back to sit on the edge of the bed. No matter how hard he tried his eyes were drawn to the sight of his son suckling on his mothers breast.

He watched as she moved the baby to her other breast. His eyes drawn immediately to the moist tip of her pert uncovered breast. He was unprepared for the arrow of desire that shot straight to his groin, fed by memories of the last time he had seen that. Watching the breast quivering with her every breath was becoming sweet torture.

"There are other girls like me." She explained "I help them now."

"You aid young women escape situations like yours?"

She nodded quickly as she lifted the baby to her shoulder and burped him. She soothed the youngster quickly into slumber.

Standing, she placed their son in the crib and started buttoning her dress as she turned to face Ezra. He stood and moved to stand in front of her. Tilting her face up to his he dipped his mouth to hers.

His lips slid across hers, his tongue delving into her mouth, twining sensuously with hers. One hand lifted to tentatively cup her bare breast.

Breaking away from the kiss, his breathing ragged he rested his forehead against hers.

"Where must these young ladies be emancipated from?" he asked desperately trying to think of anything other than crawling into the large bed behind them.

She looked at him puzzled for a long moment. "No." she shook her head "You meet them on stage. Then next day you send them to next stop."

"That's all?" he raised one brow incredulously. "I can do that on one condition."

He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "If you consent to dinner with me this evening."

She smiled and nodded her assent.

"I'll secure a minder for the baby." He stated.

"Beau." She replied softly

"Beau?" he puzzled.

"I did not know what to name. Friend told me Beauregard good southern name."

"Indeed it is." Ezra nodded and pushed her fingers gently aside, taking over the task of buttoning her dress for her. "I will leave you to rest and will collect you for dinner later this afternoon."

~~~~~

Ezra spent the afternoon preparing for their evening. Just before sunset he knocked on Li Pong's door.

"Come in." Li Pong called.

Ezra pushed the door open and smiled at the sight that greeted him.

Li Pong sat on the bed, dressed in black silk trousers covered by a blue silk Chinese-style dress with black toggles fastening it's front. Beau sat upright in front of her swaying unsteadily. The door opening distracted his concentration and he fell back against the mattress giggling. Li Pong grasped his tiny hands in hers and pulled him back up to a seated position.

Ezra looked closely at the giggling cherub. Any doubts to his parentage that he may have harbored disintegrated. The chestnut curls, darker than his own, but definitely not Asian ebony, his skin the healthy golden color of Li Pong. His eyes, whilst definitely slightly Asian in shape, tilted slightly at the corners and were a brilliant sparkling green.

"May I?" Ezra held out his arms to the child.

Li Pong nodded, Ezra put his hands under Beau's arms and swung the giggleing child into his arms.

Tickling him playfully, Ezra delighted in the youngster giggling and cooing and clumsily grabbing for his hands.

"If you're ready, I have made reservations at the restaurant." He spoke all the while tickling his son "Mrs Travis has kindly agreed to care for our son."

"Are you sure Ezra?" she spoke softly her teary eyes watching him tickling Beau.

"Certainly, she's going to keep him till morning so we don't disturb him."

Li Pong nodded and lifted a satchel of baby things from the floor beside the bed. Ezra took the satchel from her and slung it over his shoulder. Moving to the door he opened it and waited for Li Pong to precede him before he closed it behind her.

He took Li Pong's hand in his own and walked with her. Beau's head followed the movements around him, watching everything they passed. Crossing the street, Ezra never even noticed the eyes of the town curiously watching them.

They had barely reached the boardwalk in front of the newspaper offices when the door swung open and Mary and Inez nearly tumbled out of the door.

"Ezra." Mary smiled "Li Pong" nice to meet you again." She extended a hand in greeting.

"Thank you." Li Pong stated quickly.

"Senor Standish." Inez spoke her hand extended to take the bag from him.

"It's our pleasure." Mary smiled as she lifted Beau from Ezra's arms "It's been too long since I've cared for a baby. I hope you don't mind Inez helping out."

"Thank you ladies." Ezra leaned forward and placed a kiss on Beau's forehead. He waited while Li Pong kissed her son and told Mary some of his habits and favorite things, before she turned back to him.

"I ready now." She smiled.

"We'll be here in the morning to collect him." Ezra tipped his hat to both women

"No rush Ezra." Mary smiled. "You have a nice evening."

Ezra extended his arm to the woman at his side and when she looped her fingers around his elbow, he placed one hand over hers and walked to the restaurant.

He had arranged for them to be seated at a table in the back of the restaurant where they may be afforded a little privacy.

When Li Pong was seated, he took the seat opposite her.

"You look lovely this evening my dear." He murmured.

"Thank you." Li Pong whispered, her fingers toying with the silverware.

Ezra's hand reached out and covered Li Pong's nervously fiddling fingers.

"There's no need to be frightened." He murmured.

"I not frightened." She stated "I nervous."

"You my dear have no need to be nervous." He smiled at her, his thumb caressing the back of her hand.

In an attempt to calm both their nerves, though he refused to even admit his own nerves to himself, Ezra spoke of his time in the town since he had last seen Li Pong. He told her of JD's nuptials, Buck's new wife and Chris's taming at the hands of the towns newest businesswoman. Over the first two courses of their dinner he spoke of prisoner transfers and lonely times on the trail whilst doing his duty for Four Corners.

As their desert was served, he became aware of his domination of the conversation and eager to hear a little of her time since their encounter, he smiled at her, his gold tooth gleaming in the lamp light.

"So Darlin, was it a smooth journey? It can't be easy travelling with a babe in arms." He asked.

"Beau is good baby." She nodded "Feeding him on stage difficult, but we manage."

"I'm sure you did." He answered distracted by the image of her feeding their son in her room earlier.

"Why didn't you come back when you realized you were expecting?"

"I did not think you want to know." She struggled to find the words to answer his question. "I take care. He my son."

"But he's my son too darlin." He answered softly.

Unable to focus on his desert, Ezra flicked some coins from his pocket and left them on the table. Standing he extended a hand for Li Pong, she slipped her hand into his and he led her silently from the restaurant. They walked silently along the boardwalk, her arm looped comfortably through Ezra's, his free hand resting on her hand as it rested on his arm.

He lifted his hand to give his customary two finger salute to Chris and Josiah as they sat on tilted chairs in front of the sheriffs office as they passed but continued their walk towards the hotel.

Pausing at her room door, he opened it for her and ushered her inside. As she entered the room, he touched her shoulder, to turn her gently towards him. He caught her face in both his hands and kissed her slowly. His tongue traced the seam of her lips and slid inside when her mouth opened under his. His fingers traced her face as he kissed her, slowly pulling back from the kiss.

"Darlin, I'll see you in the morning." He whispered against her forehead.

"I no please you?" she whispered against his cheek.

Ezra pulled back and looked into her eyes, "If I don't go now darlin I'm afraid I won't be able to."

"I no want you to go." She lifted a hand to cup his face. "Please." She murmured "Stay?"

"Are you sure darlin?" he murmured, leaning down to kiss her again.

Her response couldn't have been plainer. She pulled back from his kiss, reaching down she took his hand in hers and pulled him across the threshhold. Clear of the door she pushed it closed.

"I guess that settles it then." Ezra smiled.

Li Pong reached up and slid his hands over his shoulders, pressing her lips to his. Ezra's hands slid around her slender hips, pulling her closer to his body. Ezra let her kiss him, her tiny hands caressing his face and neck as her mouth explored his. His own hands slid to her buttocks and gently rubbed against her body.

Pulling her hands off his neck and setting her on the carpet in front of him, Ezra flushed, his breathing unsteady cupped her face in both of his hands.

"Darlin, I need you to be sure." He murmured punctuating his words with kisses

"If we do this I can't put you on a stage and let you go again."

She nodded solemnly "I know." She leaned into his kisses, closing her arms around him and pulling him close "I don't want go."

"Then you shan't." he murmured, bending he lifted her into his arms and walked toward the bed.

Placing her almost reverently on the bed, he remained standing only long enough to pull off his boots and hook his jacket over the bedpost before he sat on the bed beside her.

His fingers trailed across the swell of her breasts. Finding the toggles that clasped her clothes closed, he began unfastening them. One tiny toggle at a time. Li Pong lay back against the pillow, her eyes watching his, her hand trailing across the firm muscles of his thigh.

His hands painstakingly opened every toggle before he dared to open the front of the dress. His fingers trailed across the skin of her belly, gently tracing the light marks that hadn't been there before. Fingertips brushing against the underside of her full breasts, eliciting a gasp from her lips.

Standing quickly he unstrapped his gunbelt and dropped it to the floor beside the bed. Unbuttoning his vest and shirt he pulled them off his shoulders and tossed them to hang on the bedpost with his jacket. Sliding onto the bed beside Li Pong he pulled her into his arms.

Kissing her slowly, his fingers found her lush breasts and kneaded them, teasing the hard peaks, before lowering his head to kiss the hardened peaks. Opening his mouth over one nipple he suckled it gently, momentarily surprised to taste her milk.

"I was jealous of our boy this afternoon." He murmured as he lifted his head to talk to her.

"Why?" Li Pong asked, her eyes heavy lidded, her fingers trailing through his hair.

"He was where I wanted to be." Ezra whispered.

"You here now." She gasped as Ezra's fingers trailed over her nipples again.

"Indeed I am," he murmured, his mouth following his fingers path.

"Ezra, please?" she whimpered, her hands trailing down his back.

"Please?" he smiled languorously.

"Ezra." She whispered. "Too many clothes." She rolled onto her side and brushed against him as she kissed him deeply "Too many words."

He smiled. "I can fix that." He kissed her long and slowly, his fingers trailing across the waistband of her trousers, pushing the offending garment a little lower with every stroke.

Li Pong's hand's stroked his chest, toying with his nipples and following the trail of hair across his belly to the waistband of his trousers. Her fingers tugged at the buttons gratified as one by one they opened to her ministrations. His fly open, she delved her hand inside to caress his burgeoning erection through the wool of his long johns.

"Darlin." He almost whimpered as he rolled onto his back savoring the gentle caresses. "If you don't stop that I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Why stop?" she smiled leaning up on one elbow she pulled the comb that held her hair in place away and dropped it onto the bed. Pulling away from him she slipped her trousers from her legs and lay down beside him, completely naked.

"You are beautiful Li Pong." He whispered, his hand trailing from her chin to her breasts, circling her aching nipples. Then lower across her belly, delicately tracing the tiny marks that were a badge of her pregnancy, until his fingers brushed across the curls at the juncture of her thighs.

At his touch her legs fell open, her hands clamored for his, her hips jackknifing off the bed. His fingers delved through the ebony curls stroking her. His mouth met hers, his tongue mimicking the actions of his fingers.

Desperately trying to breathe he pulled away from her long enough to drop his trousers and long johns on the floor beside the bed.

As he lay down to kiss her again, his arousal rubbing teasingly against her hip. She pulled him by the shoulders until he was over her.

"Please." She begged him, her legs parted, she wrapped them around his hips and ground herself against him.

He dipped his head to kiss her gently as his body sought entrance to hers. As he sank completely into her silken depths he stilled above her, his fingers tangling in her long black tresses.

"Are you alright darlin?" he gasped, his lips against her temple.

"Mmm." She murmured, her hips slowly beginning to undulate beneath him in expression of the words she couldn't find.

He thrust into her body slowly, his fingers caressing her breasts and face, his lips showering her with delicate kisses. She writhed under him her legs tightening around his hips. He clung to the shards of his control long enough to see Li Pong throw her head back against the pillows and moan in her own ecstasy, her body convulsively pulling his deeper. Stringing wet kisses across her exposed neck, he lost his own control and climaxed deep within her.

~~~~~

The sun had barely breached the windows when Ezra awoke. It had been a long time since he had woken to the sunrise. He smiled as he tightened his hold on the young woman who slumbered against his chest. His fingers stroked her hair idly as he remembered the night they had just spent.

They had loved long into the night, eventually falling into contented slumber entwined in each others embrace. His hand covered hers as it lay on his chest.

"You no sleep?" she murmured sleepily, her lips moving against his firm chest.

"I'm sorry darlin," he kissed the top of her head. "I didn't mean to wake you."

She at up beside him, so she could look into his eyes, her hair falling in a heavy ebony curtain across his shoulder.

"You no wake," she frowned searching for the words she wanted to say, "I listen to you," she touched his chest "here. It make me happy."

'Darlin," he whispered kissing her fingers. "You make me happy."

"I glad." She leaned down to press a kiss against his chest.

He moved to pile the pillows up at the top of the bed and pressed her back against them. His fingers traced her face and neck, and cupped her lush milk heavy breasts reverently.

"Darlin I meant what I said last night," he paused "I don't think I can bear to let you go away again."

She nodded her eyes filling with tears.

"I wonder if." He took her hand gently in his own "You would do me the honor of being my wife." He leaned forward to kiss her gently.

"Wife?" she frowned. "I no come here for that. You want marry me?"

"I know that darlin, and yes that is what I want."

Her lashes released the bounty of tears they had been holding. "I no know what to say." She whispered.

He lifted her hand to his chest again and held it open against his warm flesh, pressing it tight against the beating of his racing heart.

"You need only listen to your heart and say yes."

She paused for the space of a heartbeat. "Yes."

"I promise you I'll do everything in my power to make you and our children happy." He kissed her deeply.

"You do make me happy." She held his hand against her chest. "In here."

Ezra pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight to him.

"Do you need to return to San Fransicso?"

"No." she shook her head "Catherine will send things."

"Do you need to travel further to arrange your protection network?"

She nodded "Have two more towns to arrange. Will not take long."

"Would you like my assistance?"

"No." she shook her head, "I need do this."

"That's my independent darlin." He murmured leaning in to kiss her again.

"Do you have any family you'd like to attend your wedding?"

She thought about it for a moment. "My sisters."

"Then we shall arrange it." He nodded. Pressing a kiss against her lips he climbed out of bed.

"Where you go?" Li Pong sat up against the pillows.

"I'm going to collect our son, so he can have breakfast and we can announce our nuptials to my compatriots as a family."

Ezra dressed quickly, pausing intermittently to kiss his new fiancée. Once dressed he stood beside the bed and just watched Li Pong. She lay back against the pillows her black hair spread across the white fabric like a fan, her body naked to the waist where the sheet had fallen.

"Don't move a muscle." He murmured as he left the room.

~~~~~

Whistling a jaunty tune, he crossed the street greeting townsfolk as he did. Knocking sharply on the newspaper door he waited patiently for Mary to acknowledge his presence.

"Senor Standish." Inez opened the door for him, her hair tousled, dressed in a nightgown and robe. "It is early for you?" she questioned.

"Indeed." He smiled not as puzzled at Inez's presence as he thought he should have been.

"Your son he is a beautiful boy." She stepped back to allow him to enter.

"I think so, but my opinion could be biased." He smiled.

Mary walked from the house, Beau cooing and giggling in her arms. Her hair hung in a long haphazard braid, her robe covering her nightgown respectably.

"He's a delightful child Ezra." She smiled handing him the satchel that hung over her shoulder. "I'm almost sorry to give him back."

"He is a happy fellow isn't he.?" Ezra smiled as he lifted Beau from Mary's arms.

"You ladies are the first to know. Beau's mama has consented to marry me. "We will be wed as soon as I can contact her family and my mother."

Inez threw her arms around Ezra and hugged him close.

"That is wonderful Senor Standish."

"Congratulations Ezra." Mary smiled

"Well I must be getting this young tyke back to his mother for breakfast."

Ezra happily left the newspaper office, walking directly back to the hotel. He entered Li Pong's room, Beau safely ensconced in his arms. Settling onto the bed beside her he transferred his son to his mother's arms, his fingers brushing the heavy weight of her breast as he pressed his sons face towards its target. Watching as he found her nipple and began suckling hungrily.

Ezra stroked Beau's downy curls for long moments before he stood and pressed a gentle kiss against his betrothed lips.

"I must return to my own lodgings darlin, and tend to my morning ablutions." He murmured "I'll return to accompany you both to breakfast."

Li Pong nodded, smiling at him her hand clasping his as he left her bedside.

Ezra left Li Pong's room his mind awhirl with the list of preparations he needed to do in order to make them a family.

FINI

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