Ice & Rapture

by Connie Mason

  "The hell I don'tl" Chase thundered "We're gonna be married Saturday whether you like it or not And when I find out who's beenfeedin' you lies, they're gonna be damn sorry "

  "You don't deserve someone like me "

  "Are you loco1? Why is it so difficult to believe I love you1?" Chase's voice softened, aware that Maggie's mental condition required patience and understanding Someone had placed doubt in her mind, and it was up to him to convince her otherwise

  "What makes it so difficult to believe is the fact that I've been on the ranch for months and you obviously never felt the need to many me before now Is it because I'm virtually helpless without a memory and you pity me1?"

  "Is that what you think1? That I pity you1? Nothin' could be further from the truth Have you forgotten my daughter1?"

  "Your daughter. Chase1? Is Beth your daughter1?"

  "Dammit, Maggie, if you aren't the most infunatin' woman I've ever known Whose daughter is she if she isn't mine1?"

  "Scott Gordon's," Maggie whispered in a tremulous voice

  Chase's expression turned thunderous "You do remember!"

  "No, but your response is all the answer I need Beth is Scott Gordon's daughter "

  "Hell no, she isn't! Beth is mine We made her in Skagway, Alaska When I left the Yukon and came to you in Seattle, we had an—unfortunate misunderstandin' "

  "Don't bother to explain. Chase I know what I was to you and what I must have been to Scott Gordon How many other men were there in my life1? According to records I found in my belongings, I'm twenty-seven years old There could have been dozens "

  "You were a virgin the first time we made love," Chase drawled, his voice low and seductive as he recalled that day with vivid clarity

  Chase took advantage of Maggie's obvious confusion and pressed on "Who do you trust, Maggie—me or somebody who doesn't really know you1?"

  "But—"

  "Do you trust me, darlin"?"

  "I don't know what to believe, who to trust"

  "Do you trust your own feelin's1? Will you rely upon your intuition to tell you what's right or wrong1?"

  "I—it's difficult to have faith in myself when I have no memory, but yes, I would think my intuition would remain intact," Maggie reasoned

  Chase flashed a lazy smile that should have warned Maggie of his intention "I'm gonna make love to you, darlin' and when I'm done, if you still feel I'm rnanyin' you out of pity, you're free to leave "

  Deliberately he walked to the door, closed it, and locked it When he turned back to Maggie, her face reflected her panic "There's nothin' to fear, darlin'," Chase reassured her, "we've done this many times in the past and you've enjoyed it each time "

  "But I don't remember," Maggie insisted shakily

  "Maybe it will jog your memory," Chase suggested, unbuttoning his shirt

  "I don't think I'm ready for this We may have been lovers once, but we shouldn't allow it to continue " She had the feeling that if he touched her she'd go up in smoke His blue eyes had the ability to reach into her soul and strip away her will

  "You're gonna be my wife," Chase said with a conviction Maggie found difficult to refute "I'm gonna prove to you I want you for all the reasons a man wants a woman We're gonna spend the rest of our lives together lovin' and, I suspect, fightin' Beth will have brothers and sisters, and you can keep on wntin' if you've a mind to "

  His low, husky voice and passionate words had so mesmerized her that Maggie didn't feel Chase's hands release the buttons on her dress, or lower the bodice to her waist and unlace her camisole He had already discarded his own shirt, so when he drew her into his embrace she was shocked to feel the hair on his bare chest tickle her breasts She opened her mouth to protest and Chase accepted the invitation, seizing her lips and thrusting his tongue into the moist cavern, savoring the warm essence of her He hadn't touched Maggie in weeks, allowing her time to recuperate, and he felt keenly the deprivation He wanted her desperately, had always wanted her

  Chase realized he was a virtual stranger to Maggie since she'd lost her memory, and he hoped making love to her would restore it But even if it didn't, he prayed it would convince her of his love He hoped the least it would do was change her mind about leaving him Chase couldn't allow that to happen, even if it meant revoking his promise to let her go after they made love it she still wanted to

  Maggie had wondered many times these past few days what it would feel like to kiss Chase, since she didn't remember She fantasized about their making love, vaguely recalling scattered bits and pieces of lying in his arms, their naked bodies intimately

  entwined Now that it was happening she had no idea his kiss would be so electrifying, so thoroughly explosive His hands were doing wonderful things to her breasts, setting her entire body aflame Was it always like this between them1? If so, she could understand his reluctance to let her go

  "Ah, darlin', your body 'remembers me," Chase groaned, savoring the way her nipples rose to his touch

  He kissed her lips, her eyes, the tip of her nose, all the while his hands removed her dress, her petticoat, her chemise, until she stood in nothing but shoes, stockings and those skimpy panties Chase adored

  "Your body is beautiful, darlin', you suit me so well," Chase murmured, his eyes glowing darkly "Do you remember how it always was between us1?" Maggie shook her head negatively, unable to speak coherently with his hands on her body

  "That's okay, your body remembers and is respondin' beautifully Relax, darlin', and let the feelin' flow over you Don't fight it I won't do anythin' to hurt you"

  "I'm afraid. Chase "

  "Of what?"

  "That I'll remember and I won't like what I learn about myself"

  "Hush, love Everythin' about you is wonderful I've never known a woman with more courage Nothin' frightens you "

  Lifting her in his arms he placed her on the bed, then carefully stripped her of shoes, stockings, and flimsy underwear "You're mighty fetchin' in these scraps of silk, but more fetchin' without them "

  Before joining her he quickly shed his pants and boots, dazzling Maggie with the magnificence of his body She allowed her eyes to roam freely over the manly expanse of his bronze torso, narrow waist.

  slim hips, and thickly muscled legs She passed quickly over his thoroughly aroused manhood, then came back to it, drawn and yet repelled by the incredible length and strength of it

  Sensing her thoughts. Chase said, "Don't let it frighten you, Maggie—my need for you is so great I feel bigger and stronger than I ever have in my life I hope it makes you as happy as you make me "

  Maggie was beyond speech as Chase began to kiss and lick her breasts, drawing deeply on each nipple until she tingled and burned all over She whimpered in protest when his mouth left those tender buds and wandered down her nb cage, tasting her navel and the curve of her stomach His kisses fell lower, teasing the blond forest growing at the juncture of her thighs as he fondled her buttocks When Maggie felt the moist tip of his tongue delve into her soft inner flesh, she stiffened and gasped in shock

  Had they done this before1? she wondered, his intimacy sending her soaring Her body grew flushed, her breath left her lungs in jerky gasps, and she feared he'd continue his exquisite torture until she expired from sheer rapture

  "Chase, stop—oh please, stopl"

  Chase's answer was to deepen his caress, inserting a finger into her throbbing sheath in order to give her more pleasure His sensual strokings sent her over the edge as her body convulsed and shook with the force of her climax Fearing someone would hear her he slid upwards and covered her mouth with his, absorbing her passion as he filled her with his throbbing strength Maggie was still shuddering and whimpering as he stroked himself to his own reward Afterwards they remained locked together, kissing, touching, murmuring incoherently

  Suddenly Maggie's eyes widened with the realization that Chase still pulsed hard and strong within her Her mouth fell open as she gazed at him in

  astonishment Chase laughed, a low sensuous ru
mble deep in his chest

  "See how you affect me1? You create an insatiable hunger in me that demands constant feedin' I crave you like I do food and air Don't leave me, Maggie girl"

  "Is it love you feel for me. Chase, or do I satisfy your lust1?"

  "Damn right you satisfy my lust But I love you too One feeds the other And at the moment I'm hungrier than I've ever been I'm gonna make you love me, baby, if it takes the rest of my life "

  Then he began to move inside her again, scattering her wits as he rocked back and forth, slowly at first, then with renewed vigor Maggie responded by locking her legs over his hips and arching toward him as he thrust his body against hers He stiffened, then paused briefly, then shoved himself deeper within her womanhood, bringing a swift and rapturous ending to their loving

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Maggie remained remote and thoughtful while Chase rinsed off at the basin and dressed He had been correct about her body remembering his If her body responded so effortlessly to Chase's touch, why not her memory1? she asked herself His loving might not have jogged her mind, but it certainly jolted the daylights out of her body Despite everything that just happened, the niggling doubt remained that Chase wanted to many her out of pity Otherwise, she reasoned with grim logic, they would already be wed Who should she believe. Chase or Virgie1?

  "Why so pensive, darlin"?" Chase asked when he turned back to her "Have you remembered somethin"?"

  "No," Maggie said sadly, "my past is still a blank "

  "Then what is it1? Are you sorry we made love1?"

  Maggie hesitated for so long that Chase thought he'd go mad waiting for her answer At length she

  said, "Truthfully, I don't know how I feel I'm confused and frightened "

  "I want you to trust me, Maggie, and believe in me "

  "I don't know who to believe, you or Vir—" Abruptly her sentence fell off, aware that she was about to betray Virgie's confidence

  But Chase caught her slip immediately "Damn that jealous little witchl" he flung out "It was Virgie, wasn't it1? She's the one who upset you with lies "

  "They weren't lies. Chase," Maggie corrected "Kate wouldn't lie to me, and she verified what Virgie said We had made no plans to marry prior to my accident"

  "I can't understand your preoccupation with dates What difference does it make when we planned to many1?" Chase retorted, keeping a tight rein on his temper The next time he saw Virgie, he'd wring her lovely neck Thank God she'd be leaving his home Rusty's new house was nearly completed, and the three of them would be moving very soon

  "Evidently I've been here for many weeks before my accident Why weren't we married before now if we loved each other1?" Maggie challenged "My thinking may be flawed, but it seems strange that we were lovers yet made no lasting commitment From what I've seen so far you're a compassionate man, and I will tolerate no marriage based on pity "

  "Damnation, Maggie, you're just as mule-headed now as you were before you lost your memory "

  "I'm being realistic "

  "Didn't our lovin' just now prove anything to you1? Didn't it mean anything1?"

  "It meant we enjoy one another in ways that have nothing to do with love It proved you're an expert lover "

  "Are you sorry we made love1?"

  "No, I have no regrets," Maggie admitted somewhat reluctantly "I couldn't have responded to you like that if I didn't have strong feelings for you It makes me feel better about myself I'd hate to think I'd come to you for mercenary reasons "

  "You're not like that, darlin' You're an intelligent and compassionate woman with compelling strength and courage You're bold, stubborn, and impulsive, and I love everything about you, good and bad What you accomplished in the Yukon no other woman would attempt And you're talented I'll bet you could run a newspaper single-handed You gave me a daughter whom I love dearly "

  Chase's impassioned words dispelled some of the gloom Virgie had instilled with her lashing tongue, and Maggie flashed Chase a grateful smile Perhaps he did love her, she reasoned A man couldn't speak in such glowing terms about a woman if he didn't care about her, could he1? Her intuition told her to trust Chase, but her reason warned against leaping headlong into a risky situation she might later regret

  "Do you still wanna leave1?" Chase asked when Maggie remained thoughtful Even if she said yes, he knew he'd find some way to stop her "No, it would serve no purpose," Maggie decided, "but I won't marry you Saturday " "Whatl Of course you will, it's all arranged "

  "Give me two more weeks. Chase I know I'll regain my memory by then I'm already beginning to recall fragments from my past I remember having Beth in Seattle"

  "You remember Gordon1?"

  "No, just the pains and birthing But I'm certain it will all come back to me very soon "

  "And if it doesn't1? How long am I supposed to wait1?"

  "Until I regain rny memory1?" Maggie offered vaguely

  "If it means not bein' able to love you during that time, then it's too long I'll give you two weeks but no more Our weddin' will take place two weeks from Saturday whether your memory has returned or not You're not escapin' me, darlin No matter what anyone tells you, you're mine You've always been mine, despite the best efforts of Scott Gordon "

  Dear God, how she wanted to believe him Chase sounded so sincere that Maggie hadn't the heart to deny him "All right. Chase, we'll be married in two weeks, if you still want me "

  "Damnation, what will it take to convince you I'll always want you1?" "My memory. Chase "

  "Unfortunately, I can't do anythin' about that, but I can make you fall in love with me again," he said with a mischievous wink "I'll start by courtin' you good and proper these next two weeks I gotta go now, darlin' Why don't you take a nap1? I'll tell Spotted Deer to feed Beth from of one those bottles She's old enough to be weaned from the breast, though she's not gonna like it I know I wouldn't," he teased, his eyes twinkling merrily

  Maggie lay in bed along time after Chase left, not napping as he had suggested, but thinking If only she could remember everything, not just brief sketches from her past If she recalled the pain of childbirth, why couldn't she remember everything1? She closed her eyes, concentrating on the one event in her past she could recall Slowly, a scene began to unfold in her mind She was having Beth and she was frightened, but she wasn't alone A man was with her, holding her hand, encouraging her, caring for her Though she couldn't see his face clearly, she knew instinctively it wasn 't Chase The man leaned toward her to wipe her brow and whisper softly to

  her She heard herself call out his name Scottl

  Dear Lordl It was true Scott Gordon was Beth's father! What had she done to make him leave her1? She tried to remember more, but her head began to throb so fiercely she gave it up What made Chase believe Beth was his1? she wondered Had she deliberately lied to Chase in order to trap him into marriage1? What to do1? she asked herself Should she continue to allow Chase to think Beth was his or should she tell him the truth1?

  After searching her heart for answers that eluded her, Maggie still couldn't decide what to tell Chase when she saw him again later that day Exhausted from her mental musings as well as from vigorous lovemaking, she finally slipped into sleep, not awakening till late afternoon She awoke refreshed but no closer to solving her dilemma than she was before

  At supper that night. Chase announced that he and Maggie would be married in two weeks Except for Virgie, everyone expressed delight as well as a certain amount of misgiving Rusty then informed Chase that his little family would move into their new home the day of the wedding

  "You don't need company on yer honeymoon," he drawled, winking slyly "Furthermore, don't 'spect to see us fer at least two weeks after the weddin' " "And we're takin' Beth with us," added Kate "She likes that bottle just fine, and between me and Spotted Deer, she'll be cared fer right proper " "Thank you, but that's not necessary, I—"

  "Nonsense, darlin'," Chase interjected, "I reckon Kate wants our daughter to herself for a while This is a perfect
time Besides, we can use the time alone "

  Maggie couldn't argue with Chase's logic and left it at that Meanwhile, she had another more pressing problem concerning Beth to deal with But as

  each day sped by, Maggie couldn't find the words to tell Chase he wasn't Beth's father He seemed to dote on the adorable tyke, and the feeling was mutual Though guilt rode her, she remained deliberately mute on the subject, hating herself for being such a coward

  Maggie spent long hours each day exploring the dark void of her memory, corning up blank every time She was also disturbed by the sullen glances aimed at her by Virgie Was Virgie upset because Maggie decided to go ahead with the wedding despite the beautiful brunette's warning1? Why should it matter to Virgie1?

  Though Maggie's memory had failed to return, she became more and more certain that whatever she had been or done in the past, she loved Chase Had probably loved him since the day they met Her mind might not remember him, but her heart and body did She was positive they could be happy together even if she never regained her memory

  One day Chase took Maggie into town to meet the preacher and buy a proper wedding dress She chose a lovely white gown fashioned of lace and satin Chase wholeheartedly concurred with her choice, adding shoes, stockings, petticoats, revealing night-gowns, robes and those sexy panties she favored He spared no expense, ignoring Maggie's objection that he was spending too much Then he bought anew wardrobe for himself and Beth, who at six months had finally begun to outgrow her infant clothing

  Afterwards, Chase treated Maggie to dinner at the best hotel in town, splurging on French champagne to celebrate the occasion of their wedding It was a perfect end to a perfect day, but Maggie soon learned the full extent of Chase's generosity Unbeknownst to her, he had recently purchased the local newspaper and presented her with the deed It was his wedding present to her