by Marian Tee
In today’s day and age, it would be a miracle if his soon-to-be-bride was indeed as innocent as she appeared on paper and in real life.
His fiancée started noticing him when he was about a dozen feet away from her. She had a very expressive face. She was doing her best to hide her anxiety from him but failed miserably at it.
Was she not pleased to have him as a husband? The possibility should have been insulting, but it only served to intrigue Devon. When he finally stood a few inches before her, Devon watched the woman visibly take a deep breath, as if preparing herself. She opened her mouth – then closed it a second later, as if unable to find the words to speak.
It almost made him smile. They continued to gaze at each other, his fiancée clearly overwhelmed. Taking pity on her, Devon took off the Stetson from his head and asked, “Ms. White?”
The Southern drawl of the man’s voice was unmistakable. Harry knew it came with the territory, but silly her, she still found herself overwhelmed by how…Texan he was. Dear Lord, he was so…Texan.
The man was tanned and fit, just like all the photos of Texan men that Google showed her. The way his shirt defined his muscular frame made Harry swallow. It spoke of a strength both quiet and deep, one honed from back-breaking work than hours spent inside a gym.
Slowly, she made herself meet his gaze, which required Harry to look way, way up. She didn’t even reach his shoulders, and this made her feel a lot smaller.
His eyes were a blazing shade of blue, cold and hard like sapphires. His face was intimidatingly handsome. He looked like a movie star, and it made her feel very plain.
Was this man truly going to be her husband?
“Are you Hilary White, ma’am?”
The ‘ma’am’ caught Harry by surprise. Forcing herself to speak, she asked awkwardly, “A-are you D.J.M.?”
The words made him pause for a second. Devon had forgotten that Charlotte’s agency, while disclosing to him Hilary White’s full details, had withheld most of his information from his match. He nodded at the question, saying solemnly, “I believe I am, ma’am. My full name is Devon James Montgomery.”
He offered his hand, and again he felt the rare urge to smile as Hilary White solemnly took his hand to shake it. She was such a serious, quiet little thing, the complete opposite of the overly confident women he tended to meet.
“I’m Hilary, but most people call me Harry.”
Devon asked bluntly, “Why?”
Harry felt herself flushing. It was the first time she felt self-conscious about the name she had grown up with. “Kids at the orphanage thought I was a boy at the start and after that, the name stuck.” She waited for him to ask about her years in the orphanage, but he didn’t, and so she added nervously, “You can call me anything you like though.”
“Then I’ll call you mine.”
Her jaw dropped.
Devon smiled. “That was a joke, ma’am.”
“I k-know.”
Did she, he mused. Because it sure looked like she had never heard one in person, truth be told. Glancing down at her luggage, he asked, “Do you have other cases?”
“No.”
Devon looked at Hilary, marveling at the way she wasn’t talking his ears off a mile a minute like most other women. He was not a talkative man himself, finding most people’s useless chatter boring and a waste of time. But there was something restful about Hilary’s quiet nature that made him want to know her more.
Ah, well. Time enough for that later, Devon thought. Hilary appeared embarrassed after his question, and this he regretted. He changed the subject, asking, “Shall we go then?”
Before she could speak, Devon was already moving to take the handles of her cases and offering her his hand. Gulping, Harry took it and as his fingers clasped hers, the warmth and strength of his touch made her swallow. He made her feel delightfully feminine and cherished.
Around them, people were busy taking photos and whispering. It was not something Devon consciously noticed since he was used to it, the Montgomerys having been part of Texas’ high society since the early 19th century. What surprised and amused him, however, was that his companion appeared to be equally oblivious, busy as she was drinking in the sights around her.
When they reached his large dusty truck, he subtly studied her face, waiting for her reaction.
But all Hilary did was smile. And when they were inside his truck and he started driving, that was when she told him with shy pride, “I took a five-hour lesson on using a stick shift before I left.”
“Is that so?” Devon was unsure of what to say to that. Maybe she thought they didn’t have cars here that were automatic?
“I know that Texas is big so I was thinking, sometimes, you might be too tired to drive and I think some farming or ranching equipment that have to be driven are, umm, manual, so I thought you might need me to relieve you for a few hours.” Harry waited for Devon to say something, but when he didn’t, her shoulders drooped a little. “You don’t think it’s a good idea?”
“I think it’s a great idea.” He had a hard time fighting his smile as he spoke. Well, well, what do you know, he thought to himself in satisfaction. He had ordered himself a bride, hoping only for someone who’d take over the social side of his life, and instead he had hit the jackpot. Beside him was no doubt the sweetest woman on earth, and she did not even know who he was.
Harry flashed him a look of relief. “I’m glad. I really don’t know much about life in a ranch. I tried to research about it but the stuff online is pretty vague. So I’m afraid you’d need to teach me for a while, but I promise you, I’m a quick learner and a hard worker.” She paused then looked at him, another shy smile curving on her rosebud lips.
For the first time in Devon’s life, he found himself enchanted with a mere smile.
“I believe this is something that’s tantamount to a serious vow in this part of the world.” She took a deep breath. “I swear to stand by your side, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, and – with or without the air-conditioning working.” Harry was not the type to make jokes, but she wanted her new life to be different – one where she was free from all inhibitions.
There was a moment of silence – just long enough for Harry to feel a mite nervous – and then her companion was laughing, the sound of which made her secretly sigh in relief. And if Harry had known Devon just a little better and longer, she’d have accomplished as well. Devon Montgomery rarely spent enough time away from work to find something to laugh about.
Devon watched Hilary’s smile widen at hearing him laugh. It was an I’m-happy-because-you’re-happy kind of smile, and the rare sight sent an unexpected bolt of desire through Devon’s body. He wanted her, he realized in surprise. She was not the most attractive woman he had ever met, but she was certainly the most interestingly earnest one – and he wanted her for that.
It was a good thing she was his future wife, he thought idly as he pulled the truck to the side, took off his seatbelt, and turned to meet Hilary’s wide-eyed look of bemusement. That way, he could do this---
Hilary was shocked rigid when Devon suddenly reached to cup for her cheek, but before she could draw another breath he had already lowered his head and covered her mouth with his.
Oh dear!
It took another second before the exquisite heat and intimacy of his kiss to hit her, and when it did her toes curled hard – and stayed in that position as Devon’s lips moved over hers with an expertise that took her breath away.
When her lips parted, she couldn’t help but gasp as Devon’s tongue slid into her mouth, the foreign sensation causing her fingers to dig into the armrest. The kiss deepened, becoming possessive, and Harry could only respond, dizzy with all the feelings that Devon’s lips evoked.
The kiss went on for an eternity, and when Devon finally lifted his head, both of them were breathing hard.
Triumph blazed inside him as he took in her kiss-swollen lips and dazed expression. He had instinctively su
spected that their chemistry would be off the charts, and it damn well was. That had been the only reason why he had not married her straight out, as was typical of Charlotte’s matches. He was not a man who took risks lightly, and he had not wanted to tie himself to a woman he could not make himself bed.
But now…
Devon could not wait until she was married to him and he had the right to claim her body as his. The way Hilary had kissed him was all the answer he needed. She was a virgin, and his touch would be the only one she would ever know.
“I made a really good decision when I asked you to be my bride, Hilary White,” Devon said thickly.
Hilary’s toes threatened to stay permanently curled at her soon-to-be husband’s words. Her entire body was shaking like a rattle, and when she saw the look in his beautiful blue eyes –
Her heart slammed against her chest, harder and faster with every beat that she was seriously worried it could jump out of her body any second.
I want you, that look said.
It seemed so impossible for this wonderful, handsome, passionate man to want someone quiet and ordinary like her that way.
And yet –
“I’m glad you’ll be mine, darling.”
Somehow, some way, as incredible as it appeared, it did seem that Harry had finally found someone to belong to.
Chapter Four
She had asked for nature, and God had more than answered her prayer, Harry thought ruefully a short time later. The road to her new home gave Harry a chance to see that Evergreen, Texas was mostly everything she had expected. Huge sun, wide blue skies, and then everything else was flat and brown. The only thing that surprised her was the abundance of trees. The stories she had heard made Harry expect Texas to be completely barren, without any sign of life outside ranches, but the verdant reality outside her window proved to be a pleasant surprise.
With San Antonio behind them, it was as if they had entered a whole different world – one that was indescribably open, with not one ugly skyscraper to mar the view. The highway also seemed to go on forever, making her ask, “How far is it until your home?”
“About ninety minutes.”
“Ah.”
“Would it be a problem, you think?”
She glanced at Devon in surprise. “Not at all.”
“I see.”
But still, there was something about the way he spoke that made her say haltingly, “If there’s something you’d like to ask of me, please do.”
Devon dealt Hilary a veiled glance of surprise. Not a lot of women were as frank as her, and this was another trait he liked about her. “An hour’s drive here isn’t the same as what you’d expect back in your city,” he said mildly. “It’s a long drive, and you’d be far away from civilization.” He shot her a considering look. “There won’t be any nearby malls, fancy restaurants, or night clubs.”
“I don’t mind.” She shot him a shy look he found privately charming, and her subsequent confession even more so. “I look forward to it, to be honest. I’ve always felt suffocated in the city. It was like…like I knew ever since the start that I wasn’t meant to live there.” She gave him an apologetic look. “Weird, right?”
“No.” He waited for her to say something else but instead he saw Hilary bite her lip, as if holding back a smile. It made him want to bite her lip, too, and he asked huskily, “What is it?”
The way she blushed enchanted him, and her words even more so when she answered in her sweet voice, “It’s just…you’re the real deal, aren’t you?”
“The real deal?”
“The the strong, silent type, like the guys in those old Western movies.”
Devon almost grinned. He supposed he was, but no one had really told him that to his face, probably because most of the men he spoke to were like him as well. He was tempted to answer her with a mere nod, just to prove that he was indeed the strong, silent type, but something about sweet innocent Hilary tempted Devon to be wicked.
“I’m not always silent.”
She looked at him doubtfully.
“I talk a lot…”
More doubt in her beautiful brown eyes.
“…when I’m in bed with a lovely woman.”
Harry gasped.
It almost made him grin, but Devon schooled his face to be deadly serious even as he continued, “I like dirty talk, too. Really dirty words.” His gaze turning hooded, he then asked her in a low voice, “Does that turn you off, Hilary?”
Hilary gulped.
Devon Montgomery, her future husband…talking dirty…to her?
She slowly shook her head.
No, it did not turn her off, and that was what worried---
Oh! Harry started in her seat when Devon suddenly reached for her hand, and she could only watch in stunned silence as he placed her hand on the stick shift before covering it with his own.
“That’s good to hear.” His fingers caressed hers as he spoke, and Harry could only smile weakly as her body shivered at the possessive intimacy of his touch.
Oh, oh dear.
She had only prayed for her marriage to be blessed with harmony, but God was again answering her prayers with something better. It was fast becoming obvious that her marriage would not be lacking in excitement, too.
Throughout the ride, their hands remained clasped, a fact that left her utterly breathless, as evinced by her tone every time she found herself blurting out one question after another about their surroundings.
As Devon patiently answered his future’s wife every question, a part of him was surprised at how endearing he found Hilary’s obvious enthusiasm.
Or rather, endearing and unbelievably arousing, which then made him wonder lazily what else he could do to make her more breathless. Her innocence worked like an aphrodisiac on his system, filling his mind with erotic images of Hilary’s awakening. What would it take to make her gasp and her eyes hazy with desire?
If he pulled over now and took her in his arms, if he cupped her breasts, if he sucked on her nipples - what would she look like if he did all of that? What would she say? How would she react?
Such speculations had Devon’s erection rock-hard under his pants, and it took an enormous amount of his self-control not to act on any of those urges. To distract himself, and seeing his intended’s genuine interest in the topic, Devin began telling her about life in his ranch. He was careful not to go into too much detail, wanting to see her surprise once she found out about his life. By the way Hilary talked, she seemingly expected him to own a small ranch, live in a simple house, and ask her to toil the field for hours each day. What was more unexpected was that she appeared eager to do it.
Harry listened eagerly to Devon’s stories about his ranch, doing her best to imagine what her vastly mundane life could not teach her. He told her of mornings where the cocks crowed and where the ranch came alive in the wee hours, but all Harry knew of mornings were the blaring of her alarm clock, hurried showers, and the morning rush as everyone went to work in dreary-looking buildings.
Devon told her there was always work to be done in the ranch for everyone, and she had a hard time comprehending this, too. Back at Sweet Life, it often felt like she was the only one working at the office. The girls who stayed behind and didn’t have clients to entertain usually only spent their work hours chatting and filing their nails.
It was only when Devin made a turn to the right into what seemed like a private road, this one lined with rows and rows of beautiful primroses, did Hilary notice the huge gates, and the words Primrose Ranch spelled out in an ornately decorated arch.
When she looked at him in awe, Devin asked with a smile, “Are you pleased?”
“Beyond words,” she gushed. “How lucky you are to work here!”
Devon blinked. Did she still not realize –
Hilary was looking at him hopefully now. “Do you think your boss will consider hiring me as well?”
Devon coughed to cover his amusement. “I believe so.”
/> Harry was startled when the men who rushed to open the gates tipped their hats as Devon drove past them. “You never told me exactly what your job is,” she murmured absently. “Are you their supervisor or, umm, head rancher, or something?”
He coughed again, the only way he could prevent himself from smiling. “Or something.”
She sighed. “I can see you’re trying not to smile so I guess I said something silly, haven’t I?”
“You’re adorable,” he told her simply, and when she blushed, he told her gravely that her blushes were even more adorable.
Oh dear, Harry thought weakly. If Devon would always be this charming, she might end up blushing for the rest of her life. The prospect alarmed and excited her at the same time, and so confused was she over this that she decided to set the thought aside for the meantime and turn her attention back to her surroundings.
A huge stately home now loomed from a distance. It looked a lot like the house used in the old Dallas TV show, only much fancier.
“That’s the main house,” Devon drawled when he saw her gaping at the sight of his estate.
“Where the master lives,” she interpreted out loud.
“That would be correct.” He slid her a curious glance. “Would you like us to live there, too?”
“Truthfully?”
“Truthfully,” he averred solemnly.
“I suppose it would be heavenly to live in such a place, but what I’ve always dreamt of is a place of my own.” Her voice turned wistful. “I never had that…” Harry’s voice trailed off when Devon’s truck slowed to a stop right in front of the home’s imposing front doors.
As Devon came around the truck to open her door and assist her out, Harry was startled to see a few dozens of people coming up the driveway as well as stepping out of the main house to form a line. “Is the master about to arrive?” she whispered nervously. “Shall we line up with them?”
“No, darling.”
“Oh, right. Shall I make myself scarce while you join the others---”
“Hilary?”
Even as she wondered absently at the amusement in his tone, she answered him obediently enough, asking, “Yes, Devon?”
