by Sara Orwig
“Good-night, Honor,” he said, as he set her on her feet and started to go.
“Luke,” she whispered, catching his arm. He turned instantly, his arm banding her waist as he almost lifted her off her feet to pull her against him and kiss her hard. He leaned back finally, his hands rubbing her shoulders.
“We have time and I want you eager and ready,” he said in a husky voice. “Ah, Honor, you’re so lovely,” he whispered, brushing her lips, and she felt as if she would melt. How long she had waited to hear him say something like that! She thought of the nights she had dreamed about Luke, nights that went back over the years. She had loved him always, this tall man with the strange green eyes and the quiet manner.
“Luke,” she whispered, touching his jaw.
“Soon, Honor,” he said in a husky rasp, turning to leave the room in long strides.
Trembling with longing, she stared after him, wanting him to come back, wondering how long he would wait, because Stanton wouldn’t wait at all.
The next morning she woke to a winter wind that howled around the corners of the house and bent the tall dry grass across the hilltops. When she went to the kitchen, Luke had already gone, Jeddy along with him. Instead of joining the men, she stayed at home and mid-morning heard Dolorita call to her.
“Miss Honor, someone’s coming up the road.”
Honor went to the back door and stepped outside, hugging her arms around her as she watched a stranger riding toward her. Freezing in the wind, she rushed inside to wait and in minutes heard him knock at the door.
“Good morning,” she said, opening the door. He wore a cap and a muffler around his thin neck, spectacles fogging up as warmth from the kitchen hit them.
“I saw you step outside, so I came around to this door. Are you Miss Honor Roth?”
“I’m Honor Roth, now Mrs. Luke McCloud.”
“Yes, well, I’m, Wharton Bottomly, a clerk for Hagget and Bodwin, Attorneys at Law. On Friday afternoon you are to appear at the law office for a hearing about your guardianship.”
Fifteen
Bottomly handed her a paper. “You are scheduled to appear at three o’clock in the afternoon. The offices are in the square; you shouldn’t have any difficulty locating them. If things can be worked out there, then you won’t have to go to court.”
Frightened, she nodded, feeling cold and wondering if Stanton could take the ranch no matter what she did with Luke, then mentally reassuring herself that was impossible as long as the marriage was consummated. And whatever Luke was hiding in his past, she prayed Stanton Roth would never discover it because he would not hesitate to try to use it against Luke. “Very well, I’ll be there.”
“Good,” Bottomly said, rubbing his hands together.
“Do you want to come inside and warm a bit before you start back to town?” she asked, knowing the clerk was not the cause of her having to appear in the law offices. Dolorita cleared her throat, and Honor could feel her disapproval about asking the man inside.
“Thank you. It’s dam—excuse me, devilishly cold out here.” He stepped inside.
“Mr. Bottomly, this is Dolorita. I’ll get you a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. Maybe that will fortify you before you start back to town.”
“Thank you, ma’am. That’s kind of you, particularly since I’m sure you don’t see my employers as your friends.”
Honor poured coffee while Dolorita cut the pie in grim silence and placed it before Wharton Bottomly, who quickly devoured it.
“My goodness, I do thank you. That’s wonderful apple pie. I should get back to town now as it’s dark to the north; looks as if we’ll have a norther and I don’t want to get caught in it. Thank you for the pie and coffee. Good luck. I’ve met your uncle and aunt.” He shook his head and left. “Good luck, Miss Roth.”
“Mrs. McCloud.”
Wharton Bottomly glanced around. “Yes, of course. You’re still married, aren’t you?” He glanced at Dolorita. “With cooking like yours, ma’am, no wonder everyone is fighting over this place.”
“Gracias,” Dolorita replied coolly, giving him a smile as frosty as the winter day.
“Thank you, Mrs. McCloud,” he repeated, pulling his coat collar high as he stepped outside. He strode away, mounted his horse, and turned south.
She closed the door. “Friday.”
“They can’t take the ranch, can they?” Dolorita asked, worry sounding in her voice.
“No,” Honor answered. “No, they can’t. Right now I’m going to heat water for a bath. A lot of water because I want to wash my hair, too.”
Honor soaked in a copper tub of hot water, sprinkling her skin with rosewater, her pulse drumming because Luke couldn’t wait many nights longer. She dressed in a dark purple muslin, a dress she had last worn to church, so many months ago. She pinned her hair on her head and went to the kitchen to help Dolorita with supper.
In another half hour, she glanced out the window and saw Luke striding toward the house, his long legs covering the distance swiftly. Jeddy appeared behind him, running across the yard to catch up.
Then Luke was in the kitchen, and she couldn’t keep from hurrying to the door to meet him.
His gaze went over her, and then he caught her to him to kiss her briefly. He was cold, smelling faintly of tobacco, and she relished his strong arms around her, not caring how icy his clothing felt because there was a warmth generated between them that made her oblivious to the chill.
When he released her, he glanced around. “Something smells tempting enough to make a man sell his soul for supper.”
“You won’t have to do that much,” Honor said. “Just maybe a hot bath—and it’s all ready and waiting.”
“Sounds good,” he said, his green eyes full of promises.
“Do I have to bathe?” Jeddy complained, his fists on his hips. “All I do is wash!”
“Not all!” Honor said, laughing. “And look at you, covered in mud! A tub is waiting, Señor Mudball.”
“Aww, Honor. You think everyone has to be clean to eat.”
“Come on,” Luke said, taking Jeddy by the ear and tugging lightly. He winked at Honor. “We’ll be back minus the mud.”
She merely nodded, wanting to follow him and step into his arms. Instead she stayed behind, helping Dolorita. Soon she heard Luke’s boots scraping against the hall floor, and, as she stepped out of the kitchen, he walked toward her. He wore a white linen shirt and black pants that clung to his narrow hips. His brown hair was damp, wavy against his forehead, and his jade-colored eyes met her gaze. Her mouth grew dry, her pulse jumped, and she wondered how much of her reaction was obvious to him. He smiled at her. “Any chance supper is ready yet?”
“Every chance,” she answered, as he linked her arm in his. “We’re ready to eat.” Jeddy bounded into the dining room, and Luke followed, with Honor at his side. She caught the soapy scent of him, the smell of freshly laundered clothing, and she longed to be alone with him. The only cloud over the moment was the need to tell Luke about Bottomly.
Luke held her chair, and, as he moved away, his fingers brushed across her nape. She watched him go around the table to sit down, facing her. While they ate, Luke gave her his full attention as he had the night before.
For an hour after dinner Jeddy sat reading in the parlor with them. Then he closed his book and placed it beneath his arm. “I’m going to bed. Night, Honor. Night, Luke.” He paused to look at Luke. “Would it be all right if I stayed home tomorrow?”
“That’s fine, Jeddy. I’d stay home tomorrow, too, if I could. It looks like we’re in for a spell of bad weather.”
Jeddy nodded and ran out of the room. Honor gazed after him and sighed. “I suppose I should tell him not to run in the house, but he’s getting so tall, I keep thinking he’ll outgrow racing through here.”
“He will,” Luke said easily, standing up. “I’ll be right back, Honor,” he said, striding out of the room. She supposed he was leaving to tell Jeddy something. She sat back
against the settee, warming herself before the roaring fire Luke had just replenished before Jeddy left.
In a few minutes Luke returned, closing the door behind him, and Honor’s pulse quickened. Luke walked across the room to the tall glass lamp on a marble-topped table and extinguished the flame. Then he crossed to the oil lamp on the table beside the settee and put it out. Finally he extinguished the third and last lamp, leaving only the glow from the fireplace to light the room. His shadow was large against the wall, and flames highlighted his prominent cheekbones, throwing his cheeks in shadow, his broad shoulders a dark outline against the rosy fire. He moved to the settee where he sat down facing Honor.
“What did you do today?” he asked, toying with the collar of her dress and reaching up to draw a pin out of her hair.
“I helped Dolorita move some of my things to your bedroom so if Lavinia and Stanton come back, I’ll have clothes in there. I’m sure you can tell yours from mine.”
He smiled, drawing more pins out of her hair allowing the long silky locks of hair to tumble down and fall over her shoulder. She felt the faint tugs on her scalp, felt his fingers brushing her ear and nape as he continued withdrawing pins.
“Luke, a man came to the house today. I waited until Jeddy was in bed to tell you. He was Mr. Wharton Bottomly, a clerk with a law firm.” Luke’s hand stilled, and his green eyes looked at her.
“I’ve been asked to appear at their offices Friday afternoon—”
“The end of the week,” he said, a faint scent of brandy on his breath from his after-dinner drink. “That’s later than I expected,” he said, sounding grimly satisfied.
“Three more nights,” she said softly, her pulse speeding up at the thought of exactly what the time limitation meant. Luke gazed into her eyes and withdrew another pin. Long locks of black hair tumbled over her shoulder as their gazes held. She wanted to lean forward and kiss him.
“What did you tell Bottomly?”
“I said I’d be there. I gave him coffee and pie because he looked so cold, but Dolorita didn’t approve of allowing him in the house.”
Luke smiled faintly. “I have to side with Dolorita. Anyone connected with your uncle must be a varmint as Jeddy would say.”
“The man seemed truly grateful.”
“So would I for a piece of Dolorita’s pie and the chance to look at you for a time. All right, we’ll go to town Friday. Anything else eventful occur today?”
She shook her head, conversation impossible, wishing she could answer truthfully—that she missed him all day, thought about him every minute, planned the whole day around the time he would come back to the house. Instead she gazed at him solemnly.
“Honor, you’re a beautiful woman. So beautiful,” he whispered, watching her as he placed the pins on the table behind him and reached up to unfasten the tiny row of buttons down the bodice of her dress.
Her breath caught, all her senses aware of him, of his knuckles brushing against her breast, his fingers tugging her buttons free, his jade eyes holding her gaze, the crackle of the fire nearby, the pressure of Luke’s knees against hers as they sat facing each other. His gaze lowered to her mouth, and he leaned forward, his lips slanting over hers, his tongue entering her mouth.
Warmth flashed low within her, taking her breath, desire making her dizzy from his slight touch, from his tongue filling her mouth with his heat. Her hand slid forward, feeling his knee beneath the thick cloth trousers. She slid both hands over his knees while she leaned forward, her eyes closed, her tongue playing over his as she kissed him back, her heart swelling with love because this was Luke loving her, Luke holding her and kissing her.
She slid her hands over his legs, feeling the coarse trousers covering his muscled thighs. Her hands drifted up over his hips, across his rib cage, exploring the breadth and strength of him, touching him more intimately than ever before.
She was barely aware when he moved from the settee to the rug in front of the fire, sliding down and pulling her into his arms, winding his fingers in her hair while he kissed her. He slipped his hand down through the unbuttoned neck of her bodice, his warm fingers going beneath her chemise.
Honor’s heart pounded as she clung to him, gasping with pleasure when he pushed away her clothing and cupped her breast. His eyes looked as dark as night as he gazed at her, and her skin tingled beneath his look that was as much a tantalizing torment as his touch.
“Luke,” she whispered, unable to say more while he leaned forward to kiss her. The ache low in her body intensified, heat spreading through her. He shifted, his hand drifting down to catch her skirts and pull them up, removing her underdrawers. With each caress her need and pleasure grew, yet at the same time there was the undercurrent of knowledge that it was because of legalities that Luke was loving her. His lovemaking was necessary to save the ranch, and knowing that made her shyness increase. Yet as he kissed and loved her, her reservations began to melt. She loved Luke totally and had waited so long to be able to touch and caress him.
His hand stroked her thigh and she clung to him as his fingers trailed to the inside of her thighs. Clinging to his strong shoulders, she parted her legs willingly for him, her fingers winding in his thick, soft hair when she kissed him.
Luke’s heart pounded, and he tried to maintain his control, wanting to give as much as he could to Honor.
He held her, watching her through narrowed eyes, wanting to pleasure her until she was wild with need, this young beautiful woman who had been entrusted to him, who was breathtakingly lovely and deserved so much more than she was getting.
His fingers slid between her legs, touching her soft feminine folds, feeling the moistness; she was ready for him, and the thought made him shake as he struggled to maintain his control. He stroked her, hearing her cries, watching her white teeth catch her lower lip and her eyes squeeze tightly shut. His fingers increased their friction on her velvety bud.
With a faint cry, Honor gripped his arms tightly and thrust her hips against him, her lithe body arching against his hand.
Luke felt as if he were on fire with need, wanting to peel away her clothing and his and possess her. The knowledge that she would be all his had tormented him since the hour they had made the decision to consummate the marriage.
She was wild beneath his hands, her fingers biting into his arms, her body tensing and arching until his hands took her over a brink and spasms rocked her violently.
“Honor,” he growled, his voice a husky rasp because her responses were so intense, making him feel as if he pleased her beyond measure. Luke hauled her against him, his manhood pressing against her while he kissed her passionately, his tongue thrusting deep within her mouth.
He stood, picked her up, and crossed the room. Honor wound her arms around his neck, her dark eyes filled with desire and her mouth swollen from his kisses. She looked like a woman ready for love.
He opened the door and strode down the hall with her to his room, where he kicked the door shut behind them. The fire he had built earlier had burned down, but logs still glowed, shedding a warm, orange light in the room. Watching Honor, his pulse thudding and feeling as if liquid fire poured through his veins, Luke set her on her feet. He pulled off his shirt and reached out to finish unbuttoning her dress, pushing it off her shoulders and over her hips, letting it fall in a dark cloud around her ankles.
“Luke,” she whispered shyly, blushing with a look of uncertainty, but then her gaze lowered to his chest, and she reached out to touch him lightly with her fingertips.
He inhaled, knowing he couldn’t let her caress him or all his resolve to wait would vanish. He unfastened her plain cotton chemise and drew it over her head to drop it on the floor. Her breasts were high and full, and he reached to cup both of them, rubbing his thumbs over the taut peaks.
Her softness filling his large hands made him shake with a burning longing even as she closed her eyes, tilted back her head, and grasped his arms. While she clung to him, he leaned forward to take a nipp
le in his mouth and suck and bite gently, teasing her with his tongue and teeth, feeling her hands running over him, tangling in his hair.
Luke straightened up and peeled away her stockings, rolling them down carefully and leaning forward, letting his tongue trail where his fingers had been.
“Oh, Luke!” she cried out, her hands in his hair. He nudged her legs apart, flicking his tongue over her while she gasped.
“Luke!”
He stood up, and her hands went to his belt to unbuckle it and twist the buttons of his pants until she freed him of constraints. Luke picked her up, carrying her to the bed, where he placed her down gently, then trailed kisses over her silken body, down between her legs, along her thighs to her ankles. He straightened up and peeled away the rest of his clothing. Her dark gaze went over him, and he felt as if it were her fingers drifting over his body until she reached out to touch him. Her delicate strokes were the end of his control. She touched his manhood shyly, and, with a groan, he moved over her, spreading her legs, pausing on his knees to look down at her.
He thought he would feel the same if he had broken into a bank and were taking all the gold with a guarantee he wouldn’t be caught. Honor was spread before him, open to him, ready for him. He was the first man in her life, and he knew she thought she loved him. Guilt would come later, but right now he felt like the most fortunate man on earth. Right now he intended to forget tomorrows and yesterdays, forget his promises to her father, forget that he and Honor wouldn’t have a lifetime together. For this night he was going to take his wife’s virginity, and for the next hour he wasn’t holding back or thinking about duty or danger or good-byes. Because he loved Honor Roth.
“Luke,” she said, sitting up to wrap her fingers around his enlarged shaft.
Drawing a deep breath, Luke pushed her down, following her, moving the tip of his manhood against her softness and entering so slightly and then withdrawing, teasing her and arousing her more, fighting to keep control until sweat beaded his shoulders and she was writhing beneath him, her long legs locked around him.
