“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping furiously at the tears she could not stop from flowing. “I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want anyone to ever know...” She trailed off, lost in her shame, both that she allowed herself to endure so much pain at the hands of her father and because now Thomas knew about it. She did not want to be a fragile thing in his eyes.
Taking a chance, he closed the gap between them. Seeing her shattered like this tugged at something in Thomas, a long-dormant instinct he was starting to understand might be the first seed of love. If laying down his life would keep her from ever crying again, he would do it then and there. She was not helpless in front of him. No, she was just a soldier come home after an endless, bloody war.
Tenderly, he placed his hand on her cheek, using his thumb to brush away the tears. Wordlessly, he leaned forward and lightly touched his lips to hers.
Chapter Three
Nila knew this was different from the insistent, urging kiss they shared at their first meeting. Their earlier liaison had been passion boiling over. There was plenty of passion in this kiss, but also something more. Thomas was treading lightly now, making good on his promise that he would touch her only if invited.
The problem was she wanted nothing more than to issue the invitation.
With every caress of his lips against hers, she grew calmer, more in control. This time it was she who nudged his lips apart with her tongue, she who dragged his body close to hers.
His hands moved lightly over her shoulders and skimmed her collarbone, deliciously teasing. She gripped his shoulder blades with both hands, all her muscles tightening with the feel of his sturdy body pressing her against the wall. His palm cupped her breast, and when he ran his thumb over her nipple, she arched toward him, thrusting herself into his capable touch.
Emboldened by her response, Thomas’s other hand slowly lowered down her belly, drawing a straight line through the silk chemise, tantalizing her as he lifted the fabric off her thighs and traced her form up to where she could already feel herself pulsing.
When he slipped two fingers inside her and began stroking her nub, Nila felt like every inch of her body was connected in ropes of pleasure. She squeezed her legs together, trapping his fingers tighter, mimicking the joining of their mouths. Thomas snaked his other hand beneath the back of her slip and firmly grasped her behind, piloting her to rock with his fingers as he brought her to the point where the ecstasy was almost unbearable.
Thomas watched as her gray eyes went fuzzy with the sheer rapture of his touch, and the curves of her body, her plump breasts pressed to his chest, his nipples brushing hers, the luscious curve of her bottom in his hand, and the pulsing desire right at his fingertips caused him to become rigid and straining against his clothes. When her head dropped to his neck and she screamed a muffled release into his throat, he could not contain himself any longer.
Nila felt the length of his manhood pressing against her stomach, and if his fingers could bring her to such bliss, she needed to know all of him. Her fingers could not untie his trousers fast enough, and she ripped part of the seam as she tore them away. He crouched to the ground and ran his hands decadently up her legs until her chemise was bunched in his hands. She lifted her arms over her head, and he stood, taking her nightgown with him. Nila reached out and put her arm behind his thigh, insisting he encase her again. She took his erection in her other hand and stroked it as he had done to her, her thumb rubbing the velvety tip.
A moan escaped him, and he knew he could hold out no longer. Thomas lifted her off her feet, and she wrapped her long legs around him, guiding him inside her with her hand. Her back flat against the wall, she gripped his neck, his face buried in her bosom. Thomas never before experienced this reckless abandon, this all-encompassing freedom and passion. Nila closed around him, tight and welcoming.
He thrust with his hips, and Nila was overwhelmed by his size and power. The feel of him inside her was intoxicating, and she wanted more. She bowed against the wall, and he plunged back. He took one of her taut nipples into his mouth, sucking greedily and flicking with his tongue. There were so many sensations, all rolling over her at once, that she felt like her body had been electrified by a lightning strike.
Thomas lowered them to the ground where a plush rug waited. Still inside her, he found himself on his back with her above him, black hair tumbling wildly, her lips full and tempting, skin glistening with sweat, as was his. He reached up and took her breasts in his hands, squeezing and massaging, thrilled when she leaned forward for more.
On top, Nila started rocking against him, slowly at first, tormenting him, enthralled by the sensation of his hands on her breasts while she brought him to the edge of sanity. Then she spread her legs wider, sinking lower, allowing him deeper, and the pleasure and power was immense when he took her buttocks and demanded more. She rode him into oblivion until she felt his seed spread warm inside her. He reached down and placed two fingers just between her legs, massaging her clitoris. A moment later, she hit her climax, her entire body clenching in a moment of splendor before releasing like a sprung coil. She dropped on top of his chest, stifling her scream of delight in his mouth so she would not wake the entire house.
She was prostrate against his chest, and he wrapped his feet around the backs of her ankles so they were intertwined. Her entire body rose and fell with his panting breaths. She felt a shiver of satisfaction when he put his arms around her and began lazily following the line of her spine with his fingers, up and down, up and down.
“Thomas?” she whispered, flattening her hand against his body.
“Yes, Nila?”
“I’m not cold anymore.”
Thomas chuckled. “I would hope not.”
“Does the chill never bother you?”
“Father said my mother called me her fireball before I was even born. She said carrying me was akin to being pregnant with an oven, and I was born on the hottest day Oswego has ever known.”
Nila liked hearing this story, the origin of a man who vowed never to hurt her and who could in his compassion drive her to the limits of pleasure. “When did she die?”
“Twenty-five years ago. I was barely a year old. A bad influenza epidemic swept through town. Many people died.”
“It doesn’t do to have a boy grow up without his mother,” she said sadly.
“Or a girl,” he replied. “Where was your mother while your father was being such a brute?”
“I have no idea who she was,” Nila said quietly. “My oldest brother told me she was a missionary who died during childbirth. She was supposed to keep me, but suddenly my father had a mixed breed girl on his hands. Until then, he only had sons. I’m surprised he didn’t kill me as an infant. To this day, I don’t know what grace kept me alive. He had no idea what to do with me, so the servants looked after me mostly.”
“How did you learn English and so much about business?” he asked curiously.
“The best and really only gift my father gave me was accidental,” she said, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at his open and caring face. “He wanted his sons raised to know the ways of the Empire, so they were brought up with British tutors. Father couldn’t be bothered with me, so I tagged along with the boys, including to private lessons and business meetings. Inadvertently, he made me one of the best educated women in India.”
“I can’t imagine why he would want to shed himself of such an asset,” Thomas said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Nila pulled herself up his body and kissed him on the lips, a tender gesture. She said nothing, though, because she knew what would come. Men were not capable of taking women seriously when it came to their businesses, and as affectionate as she was beginning to feel toward him, she did not anticipate Thomas being any different.
“I can help you and your family build something here,” she said softly.
“I’ve no doubt about it,” Thomas agreed, and he was stunned by how sincere his sentiment was.
&nb
sp; “Can we go exploring in the woods today?” she asked excitedly. “I’ve never been in the wilderness.”
He gave her hair a playful tug. “Then you’re in for a treat. Welcome to America.”
Chapter Four
Nila and Thomas spent the next three days becoming better acquainted with each other. She never stopped surprising him. She brought fine garments and delicate jewelry from India, but she was thrilled to don a pair of pantaloons Thomas wore when he was a young man and would go tromping through the woods. She was moved by the sight of a doe drinking from a stream with her fawn and did not hesitate to climb high into a tree to get an up-close view of an owl’s nest. Despite her violent past and somber disposition, she was enthusiastic and carefree while in nature, despite the bitter cold. She wore America well.
He was amused that she was being very careful not to touch him in almost any capacity. After their first night, this modesty was almost quaint, but he understood why she was doing it. If he was going to marry her, she wanted it to be more than a flurry of passion, and if he wasn’t going to marry her, she did not want to become more attached than she was already.
In turn, Nila found herself more and more endeared to Thomas. He was patient and instilled with a sense of rowdy adventure. She was expecting to find a family of blockheads, too idiotic to understand the gift they had at their fingertips. What she discovered instead was a man who was unsure about going into the family business and a father who spent more time trying to help others than improve his own lot in life. Such things were not unforgivable sins.
She’d given Thomas a week to decide if he would marry her. Not only did it seem Thomas was warming to her, but she was growing increasingly fond of him. Her heart that had been frozen by life was thawing. The plea for a week had been to buy time to formulate a plan if he indeed refused to take her as a wife. With each passing hour, she was starting to wonder if she could resist him regardless of how she fit into his family’s business. Marrying Thomas Everett would undoubtedly be simpler than forging ahead on her own, and if he really could bring himself to think of her as more than a wife, as a partner in life and in business, she could have everything she dared to dream of. Already, she felt the chains that kept her manacled to her father loosening and dropping away.
If Thomas could be a man capable of love and reciprocal respect, she would marry him in a second.
If not, she had no intention of trading one cage for another.
On Nila’s fourth evening, Thomas’s older brothers were coming over for dinner. She was nervous about meeting them and wanted to make a good impression. She chose a garnet red muslin dress that matched her lips and wove red ribbons into braids in her hair.
Just outside the dining room, she heard one of the men say her name. Nila honed the skill of eavesdropping growing up in her father’s house, where she was never given any information directly. She had exceptional instincts about when she should pause, and she knew listening was a far superior skill to talking.
She chanced a peek through the crack of the door and saw John, the patriarch, sitting at the head of the table, Thomas on the near side, with Will and James across from him. James was the oldest son, and he said, “I’m sure she’s a lovely girl, but I can guarantee she knows nothing about running a shipbuilding business.”
“Her father is one of the wealthiest private citizens in India. She grew up learning from him,” Thomas argued mildly. “I think it would be worth at least listening to her ideas.”
“You are smitten with the lass, which is fine, but once you come down from this high, you will see her for what she is,” Will said coldly. “Hopefully a wife you love and a sister to us, but as far as Everett Shipbuilding is concerned, she is nothing more than a dowry.”
Nila took a step back and concentrated on breathing. She’d been a fool to think convincing Thomas to allow her a hand in the enterprise would translate to total acceptance from the rest of his male-dominated family. She tried to tell herself it was good she now had this information because she knew for certain what she must do, but her heart was speaking otherwise. She could present a stoic façade all she wanted, but she knew the truth.
Nila was in love with Thomas Everett. The thought of building a life here without him was physically painful.
She managed to be even-keeled and calm throughout supper. She cleverly hinted at discussing the business, but Will would not let the conversation stray. It was clear the brothers would not be moved by their own dire situation or her expertise. As soon as John and Thomas were in bed for the night, she again went to the office where the documents were stored. This time she went with a purpose.
It was time to start copying.
The process would take days to complete properly, but she was determined to leave tomorrow. Therefore, she would take what she deemed the most important information and hope it was enough.
She was so engrossed in her work she did not notice when Thomas entered the room.
“Looking over the books again?” he asked playfully.
“I’m very busy,” she said, irritated. “Please, go away.”
His grin turned to a distressed frown. “You were so quiet at dinner. I was worried something was wrong.”
“Nothing is wrong. I’m perfectly fine.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, obviously.”
“Not to worry. I will be out of your hair tomorrow.”
Thomas felt his heart still. His week wasn’t up, but he already knew he wanted to marry her. His opposition to marriage came from not wanting to be bored or shackled, and he could see neither happening with Nila. He had no idea why she would leave now.
“I thought you didn’t want to go back to India.”
“Who said anything about going back to India?” she coolly replied.
“Where will you go?”
“That’s none of your concern. Just know I would sooner die before making that long journey back.”
Thomas was now thoroughly puzzled and extremely apprehensive. “I thought we were going to give each other a week.”
“It turns out I did not need quite so long,” Nila said.
“I don’t understand,” he responded almost desperately. “I want to marry you, Nila. I thought you wanted the same thing.”
“Why would I wish to be buried before I am dead?”
He was stunned silent by the remark, and she felt horrible being so cruel. Thomas was speaking in earnest, and he was truly vexed by her sudden change of heart. She couldn’t blame him, but neither could she expect him to understand a woman who hungered to be more than a silent and obedient wife. Such women were universal outcasts. She shouldn’t expect to be better or different.
“So the truth comes out, and I learn how you really view marriage,” he said, shaking his head, feeling foolish.
“Not all marriage, just a marriage to you.” She thought of the conversation she overhead before dinner to remind herself that she was doing the right thing. “There is no reason to worry about me after I’m gone. Feel free to keep my dowry as compensation for your troubles. It should be enough to keep you in business for five years before you are utterly bankrupt.”
He glared at her. “And what shall I tell your father?”
“Tell my father we are married happily with a litter of fat sons scurrying underfoot. He will never ask to hear from me or inquire about my well-being. So long as your company provides him a fleet of ships at a discounted price, I am less than an afterthought.” She waved her hand at him dismissively. “Now, please go. I’ll not ask you again.”
“One question,” he said, slowly making his way around the desk. “If you are to leave me forever tomorrow, why are you in this office, copying Everett Shipbuilding’s records?”
Quick as a snake, he grabbed her wrist and spun her around, pinning her thighs between him and the desk. This time she did not cower, so it appeared she believed his promise that he would not hurt her. He glanced over her shoulder and saw she had been writing contact informat
ion for surveyors around the country. His blue eyes were hard when they met hers.
In a low growl, he said, “So when you said you wanted to be a partner in our business, what you really planned was a hostile takeover?”
“Because I am not a man, I am not allowed to own so much as a goat, much less land of my own. I need a business partner, and I thought if that meant taking a husband, so be it,” she said angrily.
“How wonderful to know I was nothing more than a means to an end,” he said bitterly.
“Do not play the victim, Thomas,” she retorted in a disgusted hiss. “I would have been a loyal wife and made your family rich in the process.”
“What makes you think we wouldn’t have been partners?”
“I heard you and your brothers talking before dinner.”
He nearly smiled. “I should have been wary of your habit of sneaking around and eavesdropping.” Nila tried to scuttle out from beneath him, but he held her fast and kept her in place. “How dare you come in here to steal from our company and act like you’re the one being wronged?”
“I’m not going to compete with you in shipbuilding, if that’s what you’re fretting about,” she assured him sarcastically. “You have all the resources you need to be a runaway success, and you don’t even realize what is right at your fingertips. Someone should use them, and if you won’t, I will.”
“The surveyors,” Thomas said, a light dawning on him.
“I can cut lumber, dig coal, smelt iron, farm, build railroads...it doesn’t matter,” she said confidently. “All I need is to know where to do it. Knowing the surveyors and having their reports will save me a year of research. I’m giving you my dowry and letting you off the marriage hook. I think I’ve earned as much.”
Frozen: A Winter Romance Anthology Page 30
