Montana SEAL's Mail-Order Bride (Brotherhood Protectors Book 12)

by Elle James

  Aurelia’s chest tightened. “They used a whip on her?”

  “Not a riding whip,” Gavin said, his lips thinning. “A bull whip. She has the scars across her face to prove it.”

  “That’s awful. They should be whipped.” Aurelia clenched her fists. She’d never tolerated people abusing animals. One of her philanthropy projects for her kingdom had been to help establish and fund no-kill shelters for strays. “No one should be cruel to an animal.”

  “Agreed.” Gavin pulled the screen door open and stood back for Aurelia to enter.

  She stepped into the dimly lit hallway and paused, blinking to adjust her vision to the shadows after standing in the full light of the sun.

  Once she could see, she moved deeper into the entryway, so the others could enter behind her.

  The foyer opened into a huge living room with leather chairs and couches and a massive stone fireplace. A broad staircase led to an upper level.

  Gavin moved aside, allowing Hannah to climb the steps ahead of them. She led the way to a room on the right side of the hallway. As she passed the door before it, she tapped the wood paneling. “This is Gavin’s room. You’ll be next to him. Taz and I are at the end of the hall. Lori’s room is in the wing on the other side of the staircase.” She pushed into the bedroom one door farther down the hallway. Inside was a queen-size bed made of white iron with a lovely, handmade quilt and a white, frothy bed skirt.

  Taz and Hannah set the two smaller cases inside the door to Aurelia’s room.

  Gavin set her larger suitcase on the floor at the end of the bed. “If you need me, I’ll be in the next room,” he said, and backed through the door.

  “Extra towels are in the bathroom, and if you need another blanket, there’s one the closet.” Hannah smiled. “Welcome to Brighter Days. We’re glad you came.” The pretty owner left the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Aurelia alone for the first time since she’d boarded the plane leaving her country.

  Aurelia stood for a long moment, remembering how to breathe, a thousand thoughts swirling through her head. The one rising to the top was that these people had opened their home, arms and lives to her. And she was using them. Using Gavin to get what she wanted. Suddenly, all her plans seemed less clear, less noble. Her country was important to her. But she imagined Gavin’s was important to him. He’d sacrificed himself to protect the freedoms of his people. What would she give him in return for marrying her and giving her a baby? How willing would he be to leave Montana for a foreign country? He’d have to love someone very much to give up all of this.

  She had to tell him the truth. But when? Before they got to know each other? Before he had the chance to get to know her for herself, not as the princess of a small country.

  The weight of her decisions bore down on her shoulders, and exhaustion threatened to make things worse. She’d have time to tell Gavin, and she would…after they had a chance to get to know each other.

  Squaring her shoulders, opened her suitcase and pulled out the new jeans and soft blue chambray shirts she’d selected to work in. If Gavin was going to see her as worthy of marrying, she’d have to prove she could pull her weight amongst these motivated veterans.

  Hell, she’d even learn to cook, if she didn’t burn down the house first.

  Chapter 5

  Gavin retreated to his room, where he paced the floor softly, listening to every sound emanating from the room next door. So far, he heard nothing but what he assumed was a zipper sliding around the outside of her suitcase. Since then, nothing.

  He could still feel the heat of her hand in his and the fire it had ignited through his veins. What was happening to him? She was a stranger. All he knew about her was what she’d told him in her on-line questionnaire. He’d contacted his friend Hank Patterson, the head of Brotherhood Protectors as soon as he’d learned Aurelia was coming. Hank had promised to do what he could.

  Gavin pulled out his cell phone and dialed Hank’s number.

  “Blackstock, I was about to call,” Hank answered. “Did she arrive?”

  “She’s here,” Gavin said softly, not wanting his voice to carry through the walls to Aurelia.

  “I still don’t understand why you want to do a background check on someone you know. However, I worked with a buddy of mine in the FBI. He ran a check on the woman’s name and Maine address. The address is legit, but it belongs to a Sean O’Bannon, not Aurelia George.”

  “Could she be renting from him?”

  “Without going to Maine and checking for myself,” Hank said, “I couldn’t tell you that.”

  “Anything else?” Gavin asked, his gut twisting.

  “The good news is, she doesn’t have a police record,” Hank offered.

  That only meant she hadn’t gotten caught at anything, yet. “Thanks, Hank.”

  “I thought you knew this woman. Why are you running a background check on her?”

  “Call me jaded, but I didn’t want to bring anyone to Brighter Days Ranch I hadn’t had checked out. I can’t remember the last time we met, and online communication is sketchy at best.” Because they hadn’t. Gavin hated lying to Hank, but he wasn’t ready to reveal how he’d met Aurelia. Frankly, he was embarrassed he’d sunk that low as to send for a mail-order bride.

  “One other thing,” Hank said. “She’s not registered anywhere we could find for a driver’s license.”

  “No driver’s license?” Gavin shoved a hand through his hair. “Who doesn’t have a driver’s license in this day and age?”

  “Usually people who live in big cities and use mass transit to get around,” Hank said.

  “But the address she listed was in Maine.”

  “She could have lived there at one time, but might be living in a city…? Sounds like she has some explaining to do.”

  “When I get her alone, I’ll fill in the blanks.” And he would. He prayed she wasn’t all bad news and planning on stealing from Hannah. Or killing them all in their sleep.

  Shit. What had he done?

  Gavin stopped himself short of marching into the room next door and demanding all the answers. There was too much he didn’t know about her.

  When she’d stepped off that bus… Damn, he’d fallen under her spell. The woman was even more beautiful than he’d expected. Which made Gavin even more suspicious.

  Why would a gorgeous woman resort to a mail-order bride website to land a husband? Aurelia could have any man she wanted. Why a broken-down veteran? He didn’t have a lot of money, just some savings he’d held onto with the intention of eventually buying a piece of land and building a house. That was before he’d lost his leg. Lately, it hadn’t seemed worth the effort, if he didn’t have someone to share it with.

  He might as well continue to work at Brighter Days. At least, he wouldn’t be alone.

  Unless, by some miracle, this mail-order bride thing managed to work out.

  Gavin shook his head. No way. There had to be a catch. Beautiful women didn’t put themselves up on sites like that without a reason.

  He left his room and stood in the hallway, waiting for Aurelia to open her door. When she did, he’d demand to know the answers to all his questions. And a search of her suitcases might be a good idea as well. What if she were hiding a gun or a knife amid her lace panties? He couldn’t live with himself if something awful happened to Hannah or anyone else at the ranch.

  After several minutes, he couldn’t wait any longer.

  He knocked.

  The doorknob turned, causing Gavin’s breath to lodge in his throat.

  When the door opened, he charged forward, pushing it and Aurelia back into the bedroom.

  Her eyes wide, she stepped back. “What’s wrong?”

  “This whole idea. I know nothing about you. Nothing. And I’ve invited you onto the Brighter Day’s Ranch not knowing why you’re here.” He spoke softly, so as not to alert others in the house. “You could be a killer, waiting to slit our throats, or a thief planning on stealing anything of
value in the night. How do I know you won’t hurt the people I care about here?”

  Aurelia’s hands came up in a surrendering gesture. She’d changed out of the dress and high heels she’d arrived in and now wore jeans and a soft blue shirt, and her feet were bare. The outfit made her look more girl-next-door, younger and more vulnerable. “I’m sorry you feel this way. Perhaps this would work out better if I stayed at a hotel in town until we got to know each other better.” She shook her head. “I had no intention of doing any of those things, but you have no reason to believe me.” Aurelia turned to her suitcase. “You can search my suitcases and this room, if it makes you feel better.” She flung open the large suitcase and tossed its contents onto the quilt.

  “You see? I don’t have anything stashed in my clothes.” When she’d emptied the contents, she stood back. “You can check the lining. I have nothing to hide. Look in the other cases, too. Even if I had a gun, I’ve never fired one. I wouldn’t know how. As for knives… I don’t like the sight of blood. I don’t need money. But you’re right.” She piled her clothing back into her suitcase. “You don’t know me. I could be a thief or a killer, for all you know. I think it would be better if I stayed in town.” She tossed in the dress and the high heels she’d been wearing when she’d arrived and zipped the suitcase. “I’ll need a ride into town.” She straightened, her chin held high. “I’m sorry I’ve caused you so much discomfort. That was not my intention.”

  As he stood in front of her, Gavin felt like a fool. The woman had put herself out there, coming from as far away as Maine to meet a stranger. For all she knew, he could have been the killer, the thief or worse. He could have lured her all the way to Montana to sell her into the sex trade.

  Gavin shoved a hand through his hair. “No. No. I…I don’t think you need to stay in town. Besides, Eagle Rock is not large enough for a hotel. The best we can do is a bed and breakfast or a room over the Blue Moose Tavern. And that’s too noisy.” He shook his head. “It’s just…”

  “You don’t know me.”

  “And the same can be said for you…about me.”

  Aurelia smiled. “True.” She held out her hand. “Hello, I’m Aurelia S-George. Nice to meet you.”

  Gavin gripped her hand in his. “I’m sorry to be so suspicious.”

  “And I wish we could have met under better circumstances. But sometimes, meeting people can be difficult, and we have to resort to the internet.” Aurelia squeezed his hand. “If you want to call this whole idea off, I will understand. We gave each other the option to back out, if we didn’t feel we were right for each other. I’ll honor that agreement, no hard feelings.”

  The longer he held her hand, the more he wanted to keep holding it. “I don’t want you to move into town.”

  Her lips twitched on the corners. “Would it help if I promise not to murder you in your sleep?”

  He felt his own lips quirk at her words. “That would do for a start.”

  “You’re next door to me. I’m sure you can hear me moving about. If you want, I can promise to be with you whenever I’m not in my room or in the bathroom. That way you can keep an eye on me until you’re more comfortable with my intentions. I’m really only here for the same reason you wanted me here. I want to be married. I want children.”

  “Why me?” Gavin blurted out. And since he’d started it, he couldn’t stop. “You’re a beautiful woman. You could have anyone you want. Why would you want to marry a medically retired military guy with one leg? You could do so much better.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a handsome man. I was drawn to your picture on the internet. And the fact you’re former military is an added plus. I know you’re disciplined, and you can take care of yourself in any given situation.” She nodded toward his prosthetic leg. “The fact you’re missing a leg but are still highly functional and living a normal life is proof you can take care of yourself and any wife and children who come along.” She flung out her arm. “So many of the men I meet aren’t capable of fending for themselves. And they don’t see me as a person, but as an asset like an accessory to their clothing or only as a beautiful woman incapable of intelligent thought, conversation or usefulness.”

  “What makes you think I don’t think the same?” Gavin challenged.

  “You advertised for a woman willing to work hard and bear children. I took that as someone who would work alongside you. As an equal.”

  “More than an equal. Call me selfish, but I want a family,” Gavin said. “And you can do what I can’t…bear children.”

  She tipped her head. “True. But I can’t and won’t have children without a husband to give them a name and to help see to their safety.” Aurelia lifted her chin. “And if we get along well and learn to care for each other, that would be an added bonus.”

  Gavin frowned. “But it’s not a deal-breaker?”

  She shook her head. “Sometimes deep respect is a better foundation for a long-lasting relationship. Too often, after the lust wears off, a couple doesn’t have anything else in common.”

  Gavin drew in a deep breath and let it go. “You’re so young to be so jaded.”

  “I’ll be thirty in less than a year.” She gave him half of a smile. “I guess I’ve seen the best and worst in people.”

  “And that’s why you chose this route instead of dating and falling in love?”

  “As I said, I’ll be thirty in less than year, and I feel my biological clock ticking. I’ve known women who chose their career first and waited until they were in their thirties to have children, only to find that they’d waited too long. Their eggs had dried up, or something like that. They were unable to get pregnant.” Aurelia lifted her chin. “I want children. I never considered living my life without ever being a mother.”

  “And though I went through the mail-order bride site, I guess I never considered living my life without someone to love,” Gavin said softly. He laughed, the sound harsh to his own ears. “But then, I never imagined I’d lose a leg. That tends to change a few things. And here we are.”

  Aurelia’s gaze locked with Gavin’s. For a long moment, neither said anything.

  Finally, Aurelia broke the silence. “So, do we end this now? If you give me a ride back to the bus station, I’ll catch the next bus out of here.”

  “The next bus out isn’t until Tuesday.”

  “Then I’ll stay at the bed and breakfast or the tavern.”

  Gavin shook his head. “No. You’re staying here.”

  She frowned. “Until Tuesday? Or are you saying you’re willing to give this insanity a shot?”

  “I’m willing to give it one day at a time.”

  She nodded. “Fair enough.” Aurelia looked away, licking her lips. “Should we at least see if we’re compatible?”

  “I thought that’s what I meant by taking it one day at a time.”

  Aurelia’s lips curled into a small smile. “I meant, shall we see if we have any chemistry?”

  Gavin’s eyes narrowed. Every time he’d touched her, he’d felt something. Was it chemistry? He didn’t know, but it burned through him like lightning. “What do you suggest?”

  Again, she looked away. “A kiss?” She went on, speaking fast. “It doesn’t have to be anything earthshattering, but it might let us know if there’s any chance of making this more than a marriage of convenience. But if you don’t want to, or you think it’s too soon—”

  Pulling her into his arms, Gavin pressed his lips to hers in a light kiss, afraid he’d scare her if he did what he really wanted to do. “Like that?”

  Aurelia’s eyes closed, and she pressed her lips together as if testing them. “I’m not sure.”

  “It didn’t do anything for you, did it?”

  She sighed. “No.”

  Before he could reason away his next move, he yanked her against his chest and claimed her mouth, in a crushing kiss. He skimmed the seam of her lips with his tongue.

  When she opened to him, he swept in and caressed t
he length of her tongue in a long, sensuous move that left him hot and breathless.

  Her arms circled the back of his neck, dragging him closer.

  He slid his hands down to the small of her back and pressed her hips against his, the evidence of his desire pressing into her belly.

  When he finally brought up his head, he dragged in a ragged breath and let it out slowly.

  Aurelia leaned her forehead against his chest, her fingers curling into his shirt.

  “Well?” he said, his voice a little on the shaky side. “Was that better?”

  She nodded, her head bumping against his chest. “Much.”

  “I’m game to give it another day if you are,” he said, his voice a little hoarse.

  Her shoulders rose and fell on a deep breath, and she looked up. “I’m game.”

  “Then I’ll leave you to finish getting ready. We can walk down to the dining room together, if you’d like.”

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  Gavin left the room and closed the door behind him, feeling as if he’d been sucker-punched in the gut. That kiss had done more than get better. It had rocked his world so completely, he couldn’t see straight, much less think. He’d gone into that room ready to kick the woman out of the house, off the ranch and out of his world. When he’d come out, he began counting the seconds until he saw her again. And prayed he’d get another chance to kiss her.

  Soon.

  Chapter 6

  Aurelia leaned her cheek against the cool paneling of the door, willing the heat to abate. Her lips still tingled, and her insides roiled with a warm wave of desire. What had just happened? She’d come to Montana to marry and have a baby by her thirtieth birthday, not to fall for the man. Of course, that would be a bonus, but not all royal weddings had to be for love.

  The inherited obligation to produce an heir was the primary goal for marrying. That had been her brother’s legacy. Until he and her parents died in a car crash.