She searched his face, but he could see doubt in her eyes.
Didn’t she know how desirable she was? He couldn’t let her believe he’d rejected her. “Elthia, I do want you. Sweetheart, the sight of you, the feel of you, the scent of you, combine to set my body on fire, to make me crazy for you.”
She raised her eyes again. The dawning confidence he saw there pleased him, made him feel as if he’d given her a gift. But it was still so fragile, could so easily be destroyed, he knew he had to choose his next words carefully.
He raised her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “If you’re really ready, nothing would please me more than to show you the pleasure and passion a man and a woman can share.” She shivered as he stroked her face. “Are you really ready for us to be man and wife in more than name only?”
“Oh yes.” Her breathy response was barely audible.
His lips drew up in a crooked smile. “I’m glad. Now, let’s get rid of these.” He removed her glasses and set them aside. “I want to see your eyes when I kiss you.”
Elthia watched his eyes darken as he bent to deliver the promised kiss, and she shivered in anticipation. He wanted her! He truly wanted her! The surety of that knowledge overwhelmed her, infused her with joy and a budding sense of her own power.
Was it too much to hope that from the seeds of his desire, love could someday grow? That perhaps, with careful nurturing, it could blossom into something warm and wonderful and lasting?
He ran a finger down the side of her face in a movement that raised the gooseflesh on her arms. “You are so very beautiful.”
She made a sharp movement, halting his words. Why did he have to offer platitudes? “No, you don’t have to—”
He put a finger to her lips. “I know I don’t have to. But it happens to be true. You are a sweetly proportioned, beautifully violet-eyed, spicily freckled bit of loveliness.”
His words started a fluttering inside her, uncurling something warm and yearning from the depths of her soul. She reached for him, pulling him back to her.
He gave her another of those toe-curling kisses and she allowed herself to believe him, if just for this moment.
CHAPTER 18
Caleb smiled as a wisp of red hair tickled his chin. A horse nickered, and Elthia shifted, curling deeper into his embrace.
He tightened his arms around her, feeling fiercely possessive. He reveled in her closeness, in the way she snuggled against him like a contented kitten. They fit together perfectly, as if they had been made for each other.
He’d suspected she had a passionate nature, but even so he’d been surprised at the extent of it. The mixture of her sweet innocence, her awakening passion, her eagerness to both give and take, had brought him to heights he’d never scaled before.
Caleb wanted to shout from the barn roof. She might even now harbor the seed of his child, their child. The thought banked a sweet warmth in his chest.
The joy surging through him slowly gave way to a nagging sense of guilt. His scheme to woo her into wanting to stay hadn’t entered his thoughts tonight, but the end result was the same. He’d taken the gift she’d given him and twisted it to his own purpose.
Squirming, he pushed that unwelcome thought aside. What they’d shared had been glorious, shattering and mutually desired. He would do everything in his power to see that she was happy.
Everything short of loving her. He’d made that mistake once too often in his life. He wouldn’t give his heart away and risk having it discarded again.
But something told him she wouldn’t be happy with less.
The devil on his shoulder taunted him, niggled at him, wouldn’t leave him be. You poor fool, it whispered, now you’ll never know if she would have chosen to stay on her own, would have chosen you over the life she left behind.
Elthia stirred, roused from her drowsy contentment by the sudden absence of the arms that had cradled her, of the body that had shared its warmth with her.
Rolling over, she saw Caleb sitting with his back to her, reaching for his pants. Pulling a piece of straw from her hair, she eyed the muscled plane of his back, admiring his masculine grace. What they’d shared tonight had been wonderful, glorious, soul-stirring. And no small part of it had been the knowledge that she’d given as much pleasure as she’d received.
Unable to resist the temptation, she raised a hand and delicately traced his spine with her finger. His muscles contracted, and she reveled again in the firm, vital feel of him. Her body tingled in anticipation as she waited for him to turn and sweep her up in his arms again.
He looked over his shoulder with a smile. “The rain stopped. We’d better head for the house before it starts back up.” He faced forward again, shaking his pants and then pulling them on.
Elthia drew her hand back. Even without her glasses she could see there’d been no special warmth in his expression, no hint of remembered embraces. Instead, his smile had seemed forced, overly bright.
Suddenly unwilling to have him turn again and see her this way, she grabbed her glasses and straightened her clothes with frantic, fumbling fingers.
What had happened? She knew she wasn’t the only one who’d experienced heart-melting passion. She could still hear the echo of his exultant yell as he found release, could still feel his fervent endearments tickle her neck.
As she forced the last button into place, he stood. Glancing up, she saw him lift the lamp from the hook by the entrance.
He met her gaze, that hatefully polite smile still in place. “Ready?”
Nodding, she picked up her shoes and stockings. She could walk to the house barefoot. He was obviously in a hurry.
They walked toward the house, side by side, mere inches of space and countless miles of vibrating silence separating them. He set the lantern down in the kitchen and turned to face her.
“Elthia.” A world of emotion colored his whispered invoking of her name. So much so that she couldn’t sort it all out.
“Yes?” Her lover was back for the moment. It was there in the curve of his lips, in the tender way he looked at her, in the touch of his hand as he removed a bit of straw from her hair.
Whatever he’d wanted to say, however, was left unsaid. She watched the polite stranger return to chase the words away. But it was too late. She knew now that he was still there, just overshadowed by his I-will-maintain-control twin. But why?
Had she fallen short as a lover? Was everyone back home right, was her dowry the only thing she really had to offer a man—or in Caleb’s case, her ability to care for his children?
How could the most glorious experience of her life have been so quickly followed by this low heart tide?
“You go on up to bed.” He planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. “I need to take care of a few things in my office.”
Refusing to let him see how hurt she was by his dismissal, Elthia nodded and left him. Feeling his gaze follow her, she kept her head up until she’d closed the bedroom door behind her.
Caleb watched her climb the stairs, then jammed his hands in his pockets. Blast! He’d botched that good and proper. At this rate he’d be lucky to even keep her here the full three months.
What was wrong with him? She’d been warm and sweet and willing. If he’d used a little more finesse, he could have spent the whole night holding her, stroking her, making love to her.
Problem was, he not only wanted her to stay, he wanted her to want to stay. Not for the kids, not even because she might be pregnant, but for him.
So what if he couldn’t offer love? They’d both been engaged before, so they both knew how fleeting an emotion that was. He could offer her something more stable; friendship and security.
With a frustrated growl, he raked a hand through his hair, wondering if he could ever heal the hurt he’d caused Elthia.
Whack! Whack!
Elthia coughed as dust puffed out from the rug hanging on the line. Undeterred, she swung the beater again, landing another solid wallop. She was
glad the rain had finally let up. The rug-beating chore was turning out to be very, very satisfying.
He wanted to pretend last night had never happened, did he? Well, let him. Whack!
He wanted to prove there were no tender emotions involved in their relationship. Whack! That he had no need for her outside the one the judge imposed. Then so be it. Whack!
She wasn’t fooled a bit. She’d seen desire and, yes, need in his eyes. Mr. I-don’t-need-anybody Tanner hadn’t been controlled or aloof when he’d held her in the shadow-filled barn. And that’s what he was having trouble facing. Well, too bad. Whack!
Did he think she’d be looking for declarations of love? That she’d turn into a clinging vine. Whack!
Well, she hoped his pride was sufficient company to warm him at night, because if he thought he could treat her so cavalierly and then expect her to climb into his bed again he could just—
“Whoa, now. Are you trying to beat that rug into a rag?”
Elthia halted in mid swing, startled by Caleb’s sudden appearance. She’d been so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t noticed him crossing the yard from his workshop.
Recovering, she tossed her head and completed her aborted swing. “Just making sure I do a good job,” she said sweetly.
“Here, let me have that.” He plucked the beater from her. “Your face is all flushed. You look like you could use a break.”
She stepped back a few paces, watching him work. Despite still being very irritated with him, she couldn’t help but admire the play of his muscles, the effortless strength of his swing.
His gaze slid to hers and then quickly away. “The birthday party was… well… Anyway, I wanted to thank you for doing it.”
Elthia thawed as he stumbled over the thank-you. “You’re welcome. But the children did most of the work.”
He slid her another sideways glance. “But you put them up to it. And I saw your hand in the gifts they made. Thanks.”
Elthia smiled, pleased by his praise. The party had been a success, marred only slightly by Peter’s surliness. Caleb had made a big show of opening his presents and exclaiming over the contents. Each of the homemade items had found a place of honor in his office, workshop, or bedroom.
He was making it difficult for her to stay angry with him.
But they still needed to talk. “Caleb, I—”
Poppy bounded up from around the corner, his normally silky fur wet and muddy. No doubt he’d been exploring the mud puddles that decorated the yard after last night’s rain. He made a beeline straight for Elthia with tail-wagging eagerness.
She stiffened and held out a warning hand. “No! Stay away. Keep those filthy paws away from me.”
Caleb chuckled as Poppy blissfully ignored her admonitions.
“I said stop it, right now!” Having Caleb witness her lack of control over Poppy lent a sharpness to her voice.
But Poppy seemed to think her skirt swishing was all part of some game. As she tried to sidestep away from his eager advances, she slipped on the wet grass with a startled squeak.
Caleb shot forward, wrapping one hand around her while he held on to the rug beater with the other.
Elthia had a split second to react to the heat of his body, the heart-accelerating jolt of his embrace. Then her attention was diverted by the sight of a dearly familiar figure striding around the corner of the house, Keith and Kevin at his heels.
But her delight at seeing her brother turned to confusion. He was bearing down on the two of them with murderous purpose in his entire being. She’d never imagined he’d be this upset about her running away.
“What the devil!” Caleb took a protective stance, pushing her behind him. “State your business, mister.”
Elthia tugged on her husband’s arm. “Caleb, wait, it’s—”
Caleb had half turned to face her when Harm’s fist landed solidly on his jaw.
Caleb sat up, trying to clear the stars from his vision and the ringing from his ears.
His attacker reached down and grabbed a fistful of shirt, yanking him to his feet. The stranger’s fist was cocked, ready to deliver another blow, but he was hampered by the twins beating on his back and Elthia’s white-knuckled grip on his arm. Her insistent demands that Caleb’s attacker “stop it this instant” carried the same note of dogged determination as her earlier pleas with Poppy. And they were having just as much effect.
Worried that the madman would turn on her or the boys, Caleb took advantage of his opponent’s distracted state with the same lack of conscience the oaf had displayed earlier. He slammed his fist into the belligerent visitor’s jaw with enough force to send him reeling back. Unfortunately, the brute managed to stay on his feet. The twins sprang away with a victorious yell, and Caleb grabbed Elthia’s arm, trying to force her behind him again as he braced himself for another attack.
She squirmed out of his grasp just as the stranger doubled his fists. “Get your filthy hands off my sister, you brute.”
Sister! This madman was Elthia’s brother.
Elthia planted herself between them again. This time Caleb let her. “Harm, I will not let you call my husband vile names, and you’re going to have to come through me to hit him again.”
That halted Elthia’s brother in his tracks, his expression of anger now shadowed by dismay. “Husband?” He put an arm around her. “Don’t worry, Elly, we’ll have it annulled.” He shot Caleb a narrow-eyed look. “If I don’t make you a widow first.”
Caleb’s stomach dropped. Elthia’s brother was here to take her away from him! All noble thoughts of letting her decide for herself whether to stay or go fled. It was too soon—the three months weren’t up. He—no, the kids—needed her.
Would she want to leave with her brother? After the way he’d acted last night, of course she would. Why would she want to stay?
But Elthia pushed away from her brother and rapped her fist against his chest. “Harm, will you climb down off that charging stallion and listen? I don’t need rescuing. Caleb didn’t force me to marry him. I agreed to do it. I’m happy here.”
Caleb’s fists unclenched, and his chest expanded at her avowal. Taking note of his surroundings again, he realized the backyard was now full of kids. He jerked his head toward the front yard. “All right, the excitement’s over. You kids get on back to whatever you were doing and leave us grown-ups to talk.”
With dragging feet and over-the-shoulder stares, they obeyed.
Elthia’s brother glowered at Caleb as he gave her arm a squeeze. “Look Elly, you don’t have to pretend. If he’s got some hold on you, if he’s threatened you, or if”—Caleb saw his jaw clench—“if he’s taken advantage of you, I’ll see that he’s in no position to be a threat to you, ever again.”
Elthia reddened, and Caleb felt another stab of guilt. But she rallied quickly, rapping her brother’s chest. “You’re not listening. I don’t need rescuing. You owe Caleb an apology.”
Harm stiffened. “Apology! Elly, why are you defending this clod? For heaven’s sake, he was attacking you when I arrived.”
Apparently Elthia wasn’t the only Sinclare who became single-minded when you got ’em riled.
“Attacking me?” Elthia looked like she’d just been told it was going to snow today. “I don’t know what you think you saw, but I slipped on the wet grass. Caleb tried to catch me.”
Caleb almost felt sorry for the fellow. It must have looked ugly with him holding Elthia with one hand and the rug beater with the other. Couldn’t much blame him for the heated reaction. But he sent up a silent prayer Elthia wouldn’t remember she was mad at him too. He wasn’t sure he could face down both of these Sinclares.
Caleb stuck a hand out, deciding the least he could do was try to smooth things over. “Seems we got off to a poor start. My name’s Caleb Tanner. Welcome to our home.”
Harm studied the extended hand for several heartbeats. A firm nudge from Elthia finally prompted him to take it. “Sorry if I read things wrong.” He sounded as if he
wasn’t sure he had.
“Understandable.” Caleb moved to Elthia’s side and put an arm around her shoulder. “I’m just glad to see Elthia’s family feels so protective of her. She never has been very clear on just what she told you folks about her trip here.”
“No need to go into that now,” Elthia intervened. “We should get you two inside and see to your lips. You’re bleeding like schoolyard bullies who just got a taste of their own medicine.”
She linked elbows with them and moved to the house. “That was awfully sweet of you to charge to my rescue, Harm,” she said, and Caleb hid a smile as he saw his new brother-in-law wince.
“I guess you heard all the fuss,” she continued. “But I was just trying to keep Poppy from getting my skirts dirty.”
“Poppy! What’s that noisy lap toy got to do with this?”
Caleb’s estimation of Harm rose considerably as he noted the contempt in his voice and wrinkled nose.
Elthia lifted her chin. “Really, to listen to you two go on, you’d think Poppy was a nuisance rather than part of the family.”
Harm’s gaze met Caleb’s over Elthia’s head. A flash of kinship passed between them without a word ever being uttered.
Maybe he wouldn’t have both Sinclares on his back after all.
Elthia breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the kitchen. The tension had eased, and chances for another round of fireworks seemed remote now. But she needed time alone with Harm before he and Caleb became too friendly.
She grabbed a couple of cloths from the cabinet, wet them, and handed one to each wounded warrior. She looked at Caleb’s lip first, making sure the cut wasn’t too deep.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the way Harm watched them, though she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. How in the world would she ever be able to explain it all to him?
“Need any help?” she asked her brother.
Harm waved her aside. “It’s nothing but a little cut. I can take care of it.”
The Unexpected Bride (The Unexpected Sinclares Book 1) Page 21
