Chapter 12
Mr. Seever had apologized to her every evening when he came home for once again forgetting to buy her tea. At first she was upset, but then she realized he wasn’t intentionally forgetting. His mind was elsewhere—with the warehouse business, the bank, and his children. There was no room to remember groceries.
So when he said they’d go shopping as a family, she jumped at the chance to come with him. She and the children followed him into the mercantile. He stepped up the counter to order the groceries.
“Tea,” she reminded him and then led Seth and Hannah aside, looking at the bolts of fabric. Both Seth and Hannah could use a set of clothes for church since Mr. Seever agreed to take them. After she’d offered to sew them he told her to get whatever cloth she needed. It was amazing how easily he gave in to her requests.
“I like this one,” Hannah said, pointing to pink cloth with dainty flowers.
“That is pretty,” April agreed…and expensive. “This plain pink fabric is pretty, too.”
“What about the one with flowers?”
“I could trim your dress with that.”
Hannah grinned and nodded. “Yes, please.”
“Miss April,” Seth said, “Can I have a green shirt? I’ve always wanted a green shirt.”
“Of course you can. I think you’ll look handsome in green.”
Fabric picked out, April returned to the counter, dragging the children with her.
The clerk was wrapping the groceries Mr. Seever had bought. “I got you tea,” Mr. Seever said.
“Oh good. Thank you.”
Mr. Seever looked down at his children. “Did you pick out your fabric?”
“Yes they did,” April said.
“I’m going to have a pretty pink dress,” Hannah said.
“All little girls need a pretty pink dress.” He turned to the clerk. “Please get April the fabric she needs.”
The clerk’s gaze went from Mr. Seever to her and the children. The cordial smile slipped off his lips and he looked disgruntled. “Fine.”
The clerk walked around the counter and strode over to bolts of material.
April told the man which fabric she wanted and how much of each, and then Mr. Seever’s voice drew her attention back to the counter. Another white man about Mr. Seever’s age had entered the mercantile.
“It is nice to see you again, Mr. Dorsey,” Mr. Seever said. “I’ve been in town a few days but I haven’t seen you around.”
Mr. Dorsey glared at him. “And you won’t, at least not around your warehouse.”
Matt’s forehead wrinkled and he paused for a moment. “Actually,” he said, “I’m working with my brother now, so I will be around the warehouse more often.”
Mr. Dorsey pointed to April and then his finger slid toward the children. “I don’t think you understand, sir. I no longer do business with the Seever brothers.” He sneered.
Mr. Seever’s neck and face turned beet red and the fingers on his right hand twitched as if they wanted to fold. He looked ready for a fight.
April wrapped an arm around Seth and Hannah ready to hold them in place if any trouble started.
“My children bother you, sir?” he asked his eyes narrowed to cold slits.
“Your children and that woman.” The disgust on his face curled April’s stomach.
“They are children of God just like us.”
He grunted. “But not all creatures are created equal. A horse can mate with a donkey, but their offspring is only fit to be a work animal. A mule is sterile. It is a shame it doesn’t work that way with people.”
“Hey,” Seth said.
April quickly covered his mouth. The children did not need to get involved in this. She wished she could cover their ears, too, but they’d have to listen to this talk all their lives.
She thought some very unladylike words she would never say in front of the children.
“You’re entitled to your opinion, sir. Just don’t cause my family trouble.”
Mr. Dorsey let out a laugh and flashed a threatening smile.
Matt took a step toward him, getting in his face. “I mean it, Mr. Dorsey. I will protect my son and daughter and April. You threaten them and you’ll get a bloody nose or a lot worse.”
The maliciousness in Mr. Dorsey’s hazel eyes lessoned a fraction. “I won’t cause your family harm. God will. He’ll strike you down, Mr. Seever.” With that the man turned and strode down the street.
The clerk cleared his throat and April and the children moved out of the way so he could walk back to the cash register, yards of fabric in hand.
“Anything else, sir?” he asked as if irritated.
Matt licked his dry lips. “No. That will be all. Thank you.”
The clerk wrapped the fabric and handed them to him.
“Please add them to my bill.”
“Sorry. I can’t give you any more credit,” the clerk said, a sharp edge to his voice.
He arched an eyebrow. “Why? I regularly pay off my bill.”
“You’re not working on the Queen Bee anymore,” he explained, malice in his blue eyes. “I don’t want to take the risk.”
“Fine.” Matt dug into his pocket and pulled out the money necessary for his purchases. “You’re entitled to run your business as you see fit,” he grumbled. He gave April a frown. “I’ll buy my groceries elsewhere from now on.”
Mr. Seever’s back tensed and he walked to the door, holding it open for April and the children. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“You can’t control how other men think, Mr. Seever,” April said. She drew a deep breath inhaling his masculine musk, her chest swelling with pride. He had immediately come to their defense. And he not only defended his children, but her as well.
“Do you think Mr. Dorsey will continue badgering us?” April asked.
“No,” Mr. Seever said. “I just wanted to make sure he knew I wouldn’t back down.”
“Thank you,” April breathed. If they weren’t in the middle of the street she’d have given him a chaste kiss.
Chapter 13
Mr. Baxter sat at a table in the back of the restaurant waiting for Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Wheatly. He had organized this meeting and did not want the two shady characters to come to his office. Not for what they had to discuss.
The waiter brought him a cup of coffee. “Thank you,” Mr. Baxter said, not looking at him. He was too preoccupied with his own troubles.
Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Wheatly walked toward him. They both looked irritated, quickening Mr. Baxter’s pulse. He’d never called a meeting before.
“This better be important,” Mr. Jefferson said, sitting down. His taller companion sat next to him.
“It is,” Mr. Baxter said and then took a drink of coffee. He glanced around the restaurant. It was near closing and the room was deserted. “Boyd Seever reported the theft to the police,” he said.
Mr. Wheatly nodded. “I expected him to. Don’t worry. We’re not sloppy.”
“Oh no,” Mr. Baxter said. “I’m not worried about that.” Actually, I am. I’m not going to second guess my partners, though.
Mr. Jefferson grinned, showing his yellowing teeth. “We won’t leave a trace of evidence.”
“Good. Good.” Mr. Baxter shifted in his seat. “I heard they’re getting another shipment in a few weeks. I think you should visit them again.”
Mr. Jefferson raised an eyebrow. “That’s interesting.”
The waiter came back around and the table fell silent. “Would you two gentlemen like some coffee?” the waiter asked.
“Yes, thank you,” Mr. Wheatly said.
Mr. Baxter held back a groan. He didn’t want the men to have coffee. He just wanted them to leave.
“I know you want the building as soon as possible,” Mr. Baxter said in a hushed tone. “If word gets out their warehouse isn’t safe, they will lose clients. You can help them go out of business.”
Mr. Whitney tapped his fingers on the table. “Yes
, that’s good. And we need the firearms.”
Mr. Baxter nodded. “It is a win-win situation.”
And a win for me because I get rid of the two of you.
“If you want them to lose customers, we’ll have to draw attention.”
Mr. Baxter rubbed his sweaty fingers on his cloth napkin. “What do you mean?”
Mr. Jefferson smiled. “I think we’ll take the whole shipment.”
“No. Now wait a minute—”
“Thank you for the tip. We’ll start watching the warehouse.”
“Which one?” Mr. Baxter asked.
“Both of them,” Mr. Jefferson said.
“The police are on alert. You need to be careful,” Mr. Baxter whispered.
“Don’t worry. We have an officer on our side.” Mr. Wheatly’s eyes narrowed. “None of this can be traced back to you. We’re the ones sticking our necks out.”
But you could snitch on me. Both of them were worth no more than a tinker’s curse. They ran the local underground—a necessary evil. He wasn’t opposed to bending the rules a bit, especially when it meant helping the South and himself in the process. But if any rules were going to be all out broken, that was their department.
Mr. Wheatly raised his coffee. “To good investments.”
Mr. Baxter nodded. This was a good investment. An investment in the Confederacy and in his own future.
“Hey,” Mr. Jefferson said, leaning across the table. “I saw the younger of the Seever brothers the other day. He’s with a colored woman, ain’t he?”
“Yes,” Mr. Baxter said.
Mr. Jefferson grinned like a cat about to eat a canary. “Good. He needs to learn a lesson.”
Those words squeezed his middle and his voice strained. “A few thefts is one thing—”
Mr. Wheatly sat back, stretching his legs out under the table. “You worry too much, Mr. Baxter. Loosen up and have some fun. We should leave the coffee and go get a drink over at the tavern.”
“I’m not much of a drinking man.”
“All the more reason to enjoy yourself.” Mr. Wheatley walked over to him and pulled him onto his feet. “Real men don’t discuss business over coffee you know.”
Mr. Baxter swallowed hard and left change on the table to cover the coffee. “All right,” he said. “I guess I can have one drink.”
Mr. Wheatley slapped him on the back. “There’s the spirit. See that wasn’t so hard. And we can talk about Mr. Seever and his whore.”
Chapter 14
April couldn’t stop fantasizing about Mr. Seever. It had started the first night on the Queen Bee and continued until she couldn’t stand it anymore. It was like her subconscious was trying to tell her something, or maybe just her lust.
She hadn’t been intimate with a man before beyond fondling and kissing. Mrs. Bowden had stopped her husband from taking it further. At the time April had been furious, but now she was thankful. Giving him her body would have made their parting worse, would have increased his betrayal.
After the showdown with Mr. Dorsey at the mercantile earlier today, she knew Mr. Seever was the one she wanted to be with, to share the once in a lifetime moment with, even if their relationship didn’t last a lifetime. There could be no reward without risk. After building up the courage she was finally ready to risk her heart.
According to Mr. Bowden she was a heck of a kisser. Could kissing and touching lead to more? Nervous energy skidded through her insides and she ate very little at supper. She kept glancing at the clock, wishing she could will time to go by faster.
Usually, after her chores and looking after the children, she enjoyed the quiet evenings. Not tonight. It was hard acting normal throughout the meal and sitting still through Mr. Seever’s Bible story.
Finally, Mr. Seever put his children to bed. They were alone in the parlor.
Heart pounding in his chest, she briefly eyed Mr. Seever. He stood tall in the shadow of the room, his face strong and angular. Her desire to run her fingers through his sandy brown hair returned. Tonight. She’d run her fingers through his hair tonight. She wanted to throw herself into his arms. All this time she’d been lusting after him, craving his attention in silence. She had to come up with a plan to lure him to her room. Asking him to lie with her just didn’t seem right.
“Good night, Miss April,” Mr. Seever said.
“Good night,” she replied and climbed the ladder to her loft. She changed into her nightgown, let down her hair and brushed her long locks. Slowly she ran the brush through her hair a hundred times, giving Mr. Seever time to climb into bed.
She put the brush back in her gunnysack, knelt on top of her pallet and screamed.
Mr. Seever’s footsteps echoed as he moved toward the loft. April’s breathing quickened in anticipation which would help her act. She put a hand on her chest, feeling each beat of her heart.
“Are you all right, April?” Mr. Seever asked, stepping into the loft, carrying a lantern.
“Yes,” she said breathless. “I just saw a mouse. I—I hate mice.”
Mr. Seever looked around the loft. “I don’t see the critter now.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, evenly spacing each word.
He sat on the pallet next to her but they didn’t touch. “I’ll set a trap tomorrow.”
What about tonight? April’s breath hitched. When Mr. Seever slept on the floor on the steamer voyage, he had been fully clothed. Now he was wearing nothing, but a well-worn nightshirt.
He still held the lantern, and she could see outline of the planes of his chest. She stretched her fingers, eager to feel his skin, to run her hand over every muscle.
He set the lantern on the floor, his gaze going to the swell of her breasts. She sat up straighter, thrusting her chest toward him. He licked his bottom lip and her pulse raced.
Yes. I’m getting to him. She reached over brushing across his hand with a feather-like touch. Lust burned in Mr. Seever’s eyes, her contact kindling the fire.
They’d both had feelings for each other from the very beginning, but her prickly demeanor kept him at arm’s length. Now she took off her stoic mask and looked at him with big doe eyes, batting her lashes.
It was time to let the truth of her heart be known.
*
Matt curled his fingers, praying for the strength to leave. April sat nearly naked next to him almost as if she was inviting him to make love to her. He raised his eyes from the shadow of her taut nipples to her face, expecting to see anger like before. This time she merely smiled, sensuality in her every movement. Her brown eyes sparked with desire. He sensed her hesitation and it only served to arouse him more.
He couldn’t stomach another helping of rejection. He turned and stepped toward the ladder.
“Wait,” she called, standing. “Please don’t go.”
His heart gave a resounding thud. He faced her, a silent question in his eyes. He wouldn’t make another move without her permission. “Yes?”
“I—uh I don’t want to be alone tonight.” The lust in her eyes and need in her voice erased all the questions from his mind.
He stepped close to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I’ve waited a long time for you to say that,” he breathed into her ear.
Her tongue swept across her lips. His erection throbbed, threatening to shatter his restraint. Lord, she wants me. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them again saw her expression hadn’t changed. This wasn’t a dream—just a dream come true.
He drew her closer to him and she scooted into his embrace willingly, vanishing the last of his trepidation. He kissed her collarbone and worked up her neck. She tipped her head back and he kissed her mouth. Her lips parted and his tongue slid into her wet depth. Her eyes widened, but she did not pull away. A rumbling sound rose up her throat and she pressed her chest against his. The thin cotton barrier between them heated and he was afraid it would catch fire.
He threaded his fingers through her long tresses and her hands slid up his b
ack till she cupped his head. April mirrored his actions, he didn’t mind. It felt good to have her fingers in his hair. Her actions were tentative and he realized she did not have much experience in lovemaking. After dancing with her tongue, he broke the kiss.
Turning boneless in his arms, he held her tighter and he kissed her lips again.
She rested her head on his shoulder, their closeness spurring on his desire, making him hunger for more. But if this was all she wanted tonight he would gladly cuddle with her for hours.
Matt brushed April’s long hair out of her face so he could see her eyes. They were closed.
He smiled, warmed by her contented expression. Was she going to sleep?
“April, honey,” he whispered.
She murmured something and raised her head.
He gazed into her eyes and his pule pounded harder. He saw a heady mix of trust and passion.
“You look tired.” Gently laying her down on the pallet, he hovered over her. “Do you want me to sleep next to you?”
She nodded with a sensuous smile.
He lay on his side, giving her most of the pallet.
April let out a small sigh and the noise went straight to his cock.
Those full lips begged to be claimed again. This time he kissed her softly, lingering until she let out another sigh.
All this time he had been telling himself he’d be content to leave it like this, but he knew he was a damn liar. His cock leaked, eager to be inside her. God, he wanted to claim her and more than just her mouth. If she would allow him…
He shoved her nightgown up and placed a hand on her thigh and then slowly followed the curve. His fingers brushed across the V of dark curls for the first time, the dampness pleasing him. The last shred of his sanity snapped.
He wanted her now. Pushing her legs apart, breathing in her sweet arousal.
She didn’t protest.
He pulled off his nightshirt and pressed his arousal against her, letting her feel his hardness against her thigh.
“Yes,” she said, as he rained kisses on her flat belly and slowly working lower. Her tender skin was soft under his lips. Her pulse hammered under his palm, her eyes hooded with desire.
Midnight Kiss (Moonlight Romance) Page 9
