The Lady's Hand

by Bobbi Smith

  Brandy had no time to answer as he kissed her with sweet passion. She tried to hold herself back. She tried to deny the effect his touch had on her, but as his hands skimmed over her, rioting her senses, she lost all logic, all restraint. She knew it was wrong to allow herself to feel this way, but if only for this little while, she would take what she could. She gave herself over to Rafe's masterful touch, clinging to him in her need. She had learned much from him during the long dark hours of the night, and she boldly caressed him now as he caressed her. Caught up in a frenzied need, they were catapulted to rapture and beyond.

  It was much later when they finally left their bed, and Brandy's mood was almost regretful. As long as she was wrapped in his arms, she could pretend that he wanted her there, that he wanted to love her. Once they left the bed and this room, she didn't know what was going to happen. Rafe left her alone as he went downstairs to order breakfast to be brought up to the room, although it was almost closer to time for the midday meal than breakfast.

  Brandy sought a hot, soothing bath while he was gone. She eased her slender body down into the water, eager to soak and relax. She had just begun to wash with the scented soap when she heard the door open and looked up to find that Rafe had already returned.

  Rafe paused in the doorway to stare at the sight of her, her hair pinned up with just a few loose tendrils escaping, her skin flushed from the heat of the water, her eyes aglow with the look of a woman well loved. He said nothing, but stripped off his shirt as he walked toward her.

  "What are you doing?" she asked nervously, seeing the burning, wild look in his eyes.

  "You'll see," he said as he bent and pressed a kiss to her lips and then sought the sweetness of her neck.

  A thrill of excitement shot through her, and she arched her back at his ploy. He took full advantage of what she offered, seeking each breast with heated kisses. Not wanting to wait another minute, he scooped her up dripping wet and started for the bed.

  "But Rafe... You're getting soaked...."

  His grin was devilish and lusty. "I didn't notice."

  He fell upon the bed with her in his arms. Within moments, the rest of his clothing had been discarded, and they came together in a whirlwind of desire. He sought the womanly heat of her and made her his. They came together, man and woman, giving and taking, until passion's peak exploded around them, and they were lost in the perfect beauty that was their loving.

  Rafe had always considered himself a man in complete control. He did not let his emotions interfere with what he had to do in life, and yet with Brandy, it seemed all that was changing. One look at her, so seductively revealed in the bathtub, had unleashed a wild passion within him that had had to be sated then and there.

  Rafe didn't know what it was about Brandy that made her different from the other women he'd known, but she was. He had never felt this way before, and he wasn't sure what to make of it of this driving need to be one with her, this overwhelming desire to be buried deep within the silken confines of her body. The ecstasy of loving her was almost too much to bear. He sighed as he held her close, unmindful of the wet sheets and his wet clothes strewn around.

  Only the knock at the door a few minutes later drove them apart.

  "I forgot to tell you that the food would be coming soon. Wait here." He laughed as he pulled on his damp pants and dry shirt. As he went into the sitting room to admit the servant bringing their food, he closed the door to ensure Brandy's privacy.

  As she heard him moving about the other room with the servant, she slowly rose from the bed. She caught sight of herself in the mirror over the dresser and stared at her own image as if seeing another woman. Her color was heightened, her body alive with the knowledge of loving a man.

  Brandy had never known such passion was possible. Even now she ached with wanting him again, and he'd only been gone from her for a few minutes. She knew it was crazy. She knew she had to control these feelings, but it was so beautiful between them that she wanted more of this intimacy. She never wanted it to end.

  She returned to the tub and quickly finished bathing. The water was tepid and did not encourage lingering. She had stepped from the tub and was wrapped in her silken robe when Rafe came back into the room.

  "He's gone now. Are you hungry?"

  "Famished," she told him. Her gaze was upon him as she wondered if her answer referred to food or to him.

  Rafe held out his hand to her and she took it.

  "Your breakfast awaits you." He gestured expansively toward the delicious fare.

  "Thank you, sir. You have seen to my every need."

  "Have IT' he asked, drawing her to him, enjoying the feel of having her in his arms again.

  Her kiss was his answer, and when they broke apart they were hard pressed to think about eating.

  "We'd better eat while we can," he finally said, re luctant to let her go. "If we don't, we might grow weak from lack of sustenance."

  "I can understand why," she said, giving him a seductive grin.

  Her smile was so captivating that she almost took his mind off food. Only his rigid self-control kept him from taking her again, right then on the sofa. It was an intriguing thought, though, and he considered it for later, after they'd partaken of the meal.

  "We've never had much of a chance to talk about Claire," she said, needing to distract herself temporarily from her sensual thoughts of Rafe. "She's been such a great help to me. Where did Marc meet her?"

  After watching Claire with Merrie and Jason last night, Brandy had sensed there was something she didn't know about their relationship. She wasn't sure what, but she wanted to find out if she was right or not.

  "From what I understand, Claire was one of Jennette's friends."

  "Did Marc know her, too?"

  "As a matter of fact, he did. He hadn't heard from her in years, but when Jennette's parents suggested he hire Claire, he immediately thought it was a good idea."

  "So they knew each other before Marc married Jennette...." she said thoughtfully.

  "I don't know how well, but I do know that she and Jennette were friends and she was at their wedding. Why?"

  "Oh, I don't know. I just thought they were wellsuited. She seemed to get along with Merrie so beautifully."

  "And Jason, too. Whatever possessed her to change the way she dressed so completely?"

  "I told her that if she had to work on me, she had to work on herself, too. I even taught her how to play poker."

  "You taught her how to play poker?" Rafe was choked with laughter at the thought. "But Claire's a schoolteacher!"

  "That doesn't matter. I just hope she plays better than I have the last few times," she said, thinking of the strip-poker game.

  "Has losing to me been all that dreadful?" He was thinking about how lustily their last game had ended, and how he wouldn't mind beating her again that way.

  Brandy looked up at him as the strip-poker game was forgotten and she remembered all too clearly gambling away her very life. Rafe saw the haunted look in her eyes, and he was immediately sorry he'd said what he had. If he could have taken back those words right then, he would have. For that one small moment in time, they had been comfortable together and enjoying each other's company.

  "I've lost more than money to you. It seems I've lost my soul." She stood up and excused herself. "I'd better get dressed now if we're going to make the steamboat on time."

  He watched her walk from the room. The heat in his body faded as she distanced herself from him, not only physically, but emotionally, too. He rose from the table and started to follow her into the bedroom to begin his own packing. As he did, he cast one last longing glance at the sofa that had fueled his erotic fantasy while they were eating. Forcing his wayward emotions back under his usual rigid control, he focused on the business of getting them to the riverfront on time.

  Claire stood on the deck of the Mississippi Belle with Marc, watching for Rafe and Brandy to arrive. Louise had taken the children off to play, and they were
left alone to enjoy a moment of adult conversation. They had boarded early just to make sure they were on time and were now eagerly awaiting the newlyweds.

  "I wish they'd hurry up and get here. I want to see how Rafe survived his wedding night," Marc said with an easy grin.

  "I'm sure he survived just fine," Claire told him. "They certainly made a handsome couple, didn't they?"

  "They certainly did. I never thought I'd see the day when Rafe took a wife, but he actually went through with it."

  She looked at him curiously. "Why didn't he want to get married?"

  "His mother wasn't exactly the most loving woman in the world, so Rafe didn't have the best of feelings toward women. He never wanted to many one... until Brandy."

  "It looks like Brandy changed all that."

  "She must have. Why else would he have married her so quickly?"

  "I know another courtship that was a quick one," Claire told him with a smile, remembering how quickly he and Jennette had fallen in love. "It didn't take you and Jennette long to know."

  "All I had to do was take one look at her...." He got a faraway look in his eyes. "But that kind of love only comes once in a man's lifetime." He sounded regretful. "I still miss her, even after all this time."

  "I miss her, too. I hadn't realized how much until I saw Merrie, and then it all came back to me... how much Jennette had enjoyed life. You were lucky to have her."

  "I was".

  They shared a poignant look as they remembered Jennette and all the happiness she'd brought into the world.

  "I'm glad you two were so happy together, and your children are truly a gift from God."

  "I don't know how I would have gone on without them. It happened so fast. One minute she was fine, and the next, the fever had taken her. If it hadn't been for Merrie and Jason.. .They gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning, a reason to eat and drink and keep going."

  Claire couldn't help herself. She reached out and touched his arm in a friendly gesture. "You've done a great job all by yourself. You should be proud. I know Jennette would be."

  He nodded, but didn't speak for a moment. "Thanks. It's good to talk about her. I doubt that I'll ever get over her completely, but I'm getting better."

  "I think you're doing fine."

  "I'm trying." He saw a carriage pulling to a stop on the levee then, and Rafe climb out. "Look, there they are!"

  "Oh, good," Claire moved closer to the rail to watch Brandy alight from the vehicle. "They're both smiling. Everything must be wonderful with the world."

  "Good. It's nice when things work out right. Let's go meet them."

  Brandy appeared the smiling bride, but her heart was encased in ice. After their disastrous conversation, she'd silently berated herself for forgetting the most important thing about their arrangement. This man didn't love her and never would. She'd been foolish to forget that for even a moment. Her body might betray her when he touched her, but she couldn't let her heart.

  When she saw Marc and Claire waiting for them on the upper deck, she was relieved. The tension between her and Rafe had been palpable in the carriage, and she was glad to see her friend. It would be good to be with someone she could relax with for a while. What pleased her even more was the fact that she and Marc looked very relaxed and comfortable together. She hoped these few months they were going to spend in close proximity would spur something between them, especially after what Rafe had told her last night.

  Brandy had been putting two and two together and realized that Marc had to be the man Claire had loved all those years ago. Why else would the cautious schoolmarm have cast her fate to the wind so quickly and so willingly, except for love? Their stories definitely coincided, especially since everything she'd heard about Jennette had been how beautiful and wonderful she'd been. No wonder Claire had thought it was hopeless to win Marc's love. But that had been then, and this was now. It pleased her to note, too, that Claire was wearing one of the new daygowns they'd had made for her. She looked sophisticated and lovely, and Brandy intended to keep herself distracted with trying to get the two of them together.

  "Hello, newlyweds!" Claire greeted them as they reached the deck where they were waiting. She hugged Brandy and gave her a kiss. "It's so good to see you! How are you?"

  "We're fine," Brandy answered. "And we made it to the ship on time."

  "I'm proud of you," Marc said to Rafe. "I might have been a bit distracted with such a beautiful wife."

  Brandy blushed becomingly, and Rafe just laughed.

  "We had to make the steamboat so we could chaperone you," Rafe told them. "You did such a good job for us, we must return the favor."

  "That's right," Brandy teased. "Now you're the unattached woman and Marc is the unattached man. We're going to have to keep an eye on both of you."

  Marc was smiling easily. "You're too late. I had Claire all to myself last night."

  Claire blushed, while Brandy and Rafe both looked at the two of them with renewed interest.

  Seeing their expressions, he quickly amended, "Well, I had her almost all to myself. We did have Merrie and Jason to contend with."

  "You're reputation is safe, then," Rafe said to Claire. "Merrie is probably the perfect chaperone."

  "Indeed, she is," Claire agreed. "I don't think she left us alone for a minute. She's so cute, and bright, too. It was fun spending time with her and Jason... and Marc," she added when he looked her way.

  The conversation remained general as they made their way down the deck. Brandy was almost relieved when Marc and Rafe decided to go down to the men's saloon and have a drink. She needed time away from him, time to get her thoughts in order. She needed to get her runaway emotions under control, and being with Claire would help calm her, even though she couldn't talk about what was troubling her.

  "Tell me about last night," Brandy said as they sat on deck together. "Marc invited you to dinner with him?"

  "Yes," Claire said, her eyes aglow as she related the events of the evening just past.

  "I'm so glad you got to do that. You look so happy today."

  "I suppose I am. Marc is a nice man."

  "Claire.. .you can tell me it's none of my business if you want to, but there's something I want to ask you."

  "What?" She couldn't imagine what it was Brandy was hesitant to ask about.

  "Is Marc the man you were in love with when you were just out of school? I've been watching you with the children, and there were a few things I heard in conversations during these past few weeks that made me think he might have been. I asked Rafe about the two of you last night, and he did say that you had known each other for a long time. Is he the one you've loved all these years? Is he the one who never knew that he held your heart?"

  "Yes." The word was almost torn from Claire. She looked miserable, but when she saw the look of delight on Brandy's face she was confused. "Why are you so happy?"

  "This is wonderful!"

  "What is?"

  "That Marc's the man you love."

  "I'm glad you think so."

  "A lot of time has passed. You're two different people now. Things are different."

  "No, they're not. I'm still the same Claire he knew back then."

  "Oh, no, you're not! Look at all you've accomplished! You're one fantastic woman. You're a fine teacher. You're gentle and intelligent, and I can attest to the fact that you're an excellent chaperone. Not to mention that you can now play a mean hand of poker."

  Claire was smiling. "But what does all that have to do with anything?"

  "It comes down to this. Do you want Marc LeFevre or not? You need to make that decision. Once you do, then we'll know what we have to do."

  "Of course I want him, but does he want me? He doesn't even think of me that way," Claire said a little sadly.

  "But he will," Brandy said with confidence. "Don't you remember that woman in the teal gown who stared back at you in the mirror in the dress shop? That's the woman who's going to win Marc's heart."
<
br />   "Do you really think we can do it?"

  "Not we-you. And, yes, I know you can."

  A look Brandy had never seen before shone in Claire's eyes-hope... love... excitement.

  "You're right. I'm being given a second chance to win Marc. I have to try."

  "Everything will work out, but we have to be prepared. Aren't you glad you bought all those new dresses now?"

  Claire grinned at her conspiratorially. "I'll say. All right, my chaperone and teacher, what do we do first?"

  They put their heads together and began to plot their strategy.

  It was late that night when Brandy and Rafe entered their cabin. They had dined in splendor in the steamboat's dining room and had spent several hours just talking with Marc and Claire. To all outward impressions, they were in love and completely happy. Only they knew the truth.

  Brandy wasn't quite sure what to expect when Rafe closed and locked the door behind them and started to undress. She had felt numb inside all day since his remark about losing to him in the card game that morning, and she knew it was going to be very difficult being alone with him now. It had been one thing to be cordial with people around. It was another to deal with him when they were alone. But even as much as she wanted to walk out of their room and never come back, she knew she couldn't. Hers was a debt of honor. She'd agreed to the payment terms, and she had to hold to it.

  Their room was small and felt almost cramped after their luxurious suite at the hotel. It unnerved Brandy to know that she had to undress in front of Rafe. It had been one thing in the poker game; it was another now. Whatever happened tonight would set the tone for the rest of their marriage, and the realization unnerved her.

  She watched Rafe surreptitiously, but he seemed to be having no problem with the intimacy of their quarters. He had already undressed and gotten in bed while she'd had her back to him. Whatever chance she'd had of avoiding being watched had been erased by his quick action. Now, he lay there, the covers only up to his waist, his arms folded behind his head, watching her.