She looked up at him expectantly, and Aidan stifled a sigh. He and his brothers had been raised to attend church faithfully every Sunday. However, they had stopped going in the last few months because of the fuss the local ladies made over them.
Aidan was reluctant to once again subject himself to that kind of attention, but he was even more reluctant to see Naomi attend by herself. She was absolutely beautiful, and as a newcomer to the area, the local men were sure to swarm her the minute she showed up at the church.
“Sure there is,” he said. “If you would like to attend, I would be pleased to escort you. Church starts at ten o’clock. Why don’t I come by at nine tomorrow morning, and I would be happy to drive you to the church service?”
Naomi shook her head. “That’s not necessary. Just tell me where the church is, and I can manage by myself. I don’t want to trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Aidan insisted. “I really should attend myself, and I have to pass right by here to get to church anyway. Please. I would love to introduce you to the local folk.”
Naomi searched his face briefly. His offer was tempting, but she didn’t want to impose. Still, the idea of spending more time with him was enticing. Only one other man had ever drawn her interest, and even then, she hadn’t felt an attraction this strong. She certainly wouldn’t mind getting to know Aidan better.
“Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind…”
“Not at all. Shall I see you at nine tomorrow then?”
Naomi nodded. “Thank you, Aidan. I will look forward to it.”
She held out her hand with a warm smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
Aidan clasped her hand as he met her eyes. A current of awareness passed between them, and her eyes widened. He lifted her hand to his mouth, never breaking eye contact with her. His lips were a delight on the back of her hand, both pliant and firm. Naomi stifled a moan of pleasure.
Imagine how those warm lips would feel on other parts of your body. What on earth was the matter with her? She definitely needed to attend church. She was becoming more sinful by the moment. She blushed prettily.
Aidan noticed her heightened color, and he gave her a slow grin as he reluctantly released her hand. When he spoke, there was a husky timbre that she hadn’t noticed in his voice before. “I assure you, Naomi, the pleasure of our meeting was all mine.”
He was gratified when she shivered with awareness. She’s attracted to you too. The realization pleased him immensely, and he could easily have lost himself in the luminous depths of her startled blue gaze. He hauled in a tight breath and turned to leave, while he still had the ability.
“Good evening, Naomi. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Naomi couldn’t find her voice to respond, so she merely nodded. She watched as he walked to his horse, mounted, gave her one last salute, and rode off through the woods.
She slowly closed the door and leaned back against the planks. Her nipples were hard, tingling nubs, and she could feel an empty, aching need in the pit of her belly. She had experienced her husband’s lovemaking during their five year marriage. Her husband had always been gentle with her in bed. However, he had never stirred such blatant hunger in her. She suddenly felt disloyal for having such feelings about a total stranger.
She told herself that her reaction was due to spending years alone since becoming a widow. Aidan McKenzie was the most attractive man she had encountered. However, the last thing she needed was male companionship. She was determined to keep her new neighbor at arm’s length. With a humph, she resumed her efforts to make the cabin habitable.
*****
Aidan rode the last mile to his farm with his brain in a pleasant fog. He had been despairing of ever finding a woman who would peak his interest, and now fate had just dropped Naomi into his lap.
He didn’t remember ever feeling an attraction like this. Just remembering what she looked like made him hard, and he squirmed a bit in the saddle to ease his aching loins. But Aidan wasn’t just interested in her physically. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her.
He remembered how prickly she had gotten when he tried to ask her some questions. The irony of the situation didn’t escape him. Most ladies threw themselves at his head and jabbered incessantly. Now, here was a woman he actually wanted to get to know, and she was as close-mouthed as a clam.
He grinned to himself. At least that was one good thing about taking her to church. It would give him a chance to observe and listen while all the other locals questioned her. It was certain that they would. Any time a new resident moved into the area, they were always the focus of intense curiosity. All Aidan had to do was stick close by her side, and hopefully, he could learn a bit more about her.
Chapter Three
Aidan drove up at her doorstep promptly at nine the following morning. Naomi opened the door and greeted him with a smile.
“Good morning,” she called brightly.
“Good morning,” Aidan replied, jumping down from the bench of his buckboard wagon.
He removed his hat and walked to the front porch steps. He smiled at Naomi as he greedily took in her appearance.
She was wearing a dress of soft cotton. It was an unusual shade of teal, and the color accentuated her red hair and blue eyes. The style of the dress was modest, but it was tailored perfectly to her slender figure, and it conformed faithfully to the fullness of her breasts and hugged her tiny waist. It was buttoned from the lacy white collar at her neck all the way down to where the skirt flared over her hips. The sleeves were adorned with more white lace at the cuffs. She wore a matching bonnet, tied beneath her chin with a satin ribbon.
Aidan had thought she looked beautiful and tempting in breeches the previous day. In her dress, she looked good enough to eat.
Naomi was eagerly noting his appearance at the same time. Aidan looked even taller and more muscular in his dark brown jacket and breeches. His Sunday shirt was crisp white, and the color enhanced his dark tan. Her hands fairly itched to smooth the white cotton over the expanse of his chest, and the thought made her blush.
She turned so that he wouldn’t see her scalding cheeks. “Let me just grab my reticule,” she said breathlessly.
She retrieved her purse and joined him on the porch once again. She allowed him to take her arm and lead her to the wagon. When she would have climbed up, he simply lifted her, as if she weighed no more than a feather, and set her on the bench.
“Oh! Thank you,” she said softly.
“You’re welcome,” he replied with a grin.
The feeling of his strong hands on her waist and the ease with which he lifted her left Naomi more than a little breathless. Had she imagined that he didn’t want to release her? It had felt as if his hands lingered slightly longer than necessary around her waist.
Once again, Naomi was shocked by the brazenness of her own thoughts. Her cheeks flamed, and she fussed with rearranging her skirts so he wouldn’t see. Little did she know that Aidan was struggling with his own wayward thoughts.
She was so tiny and soft. He wondered what it would feel like to sink into her while she moaned his name. He stifled a groan of lust.
What was wrong with him? He was escorting her to church for heaven’s sake. He shouldn’t be having such thoughts. She was a proper lady, not one of the saloon girls at Harvey’s. Even if she stirred his lust more than any of those women ever had, he needed to remember that she deserved respect. So woo her and wed her, and then you can enjoy her luscious body.
Aidan cleared his throat as he untied the reins. He climbed up beside her, released the brake, and flicked the reins to urge the horses into a comfortable trot. Once they were rolling smoothly along, he turned to her with another heart stopping grin.
“It’s a beautiful morning for a drive.”
“Yes it is,” Naomi said with a matching smile. “Is it very far to the church?”
“It’s just on the edge of town, about five miles.”
“Tell me ab
out the area,” she said. “Are the people nice around here?”
“You’ll see for yourself soon,” Aidan replied. “Just like anywhere, there are nice people and not so nice people. It’s a pretty tight knit community, and people are usually happy to help their neighbors. The downside is that sometimes, they tend to meddle in each other’s affairs. Let me warn you, as a newcomer, they’re going to be on you like ducks on a June bug.”
“Hmmm, I’ll keep that in mind,” Naomi said with a grin.
They were passing by field after field of rich crops. Even though it was late summer, everything was green and lush.
“Tell me, Aidan, what grows well in this area?”
Aidan proceeded to tell her all about Willamette Valley agriculture. She quickly realized he was a wealth of information, and she listened with rapt attention. She was a novice to farming, and she needed all the information she could get if she was going to succeed on her little farm. She had no ambition to have a large operation; she merely wanted to grow enough crops for herself and to have a small amount of surplus to sell or barter for the other supplies she would need.
Naomi was thoroughly enjoying Aidan’s company. They reached the church much sooner than she would have liked, and she allowed Aidan to lift her down from the bench. This time, she was a little more prepared for his touch, and she managed to keep her wayward thoughts under control.
She watched as he tied the reins and patted the horses. There were many other wagons parked nearby, and Naomi accepted Aidan’s arm to lead her into the small white church.
The service hadn’t started yet, but the pews of the small church were packed. There were a few seats left, in the back row. All eyes turned toward the two of them as they settled into the back pew just inside the door. There was a moment of surprised silence, and then heads came together and whispered voices rose throughout the church.
Naomi swallowed and looked down at her hands. Aidan leaned near to whisper in her ear, and his warm breath feathered the side of her jaw. She had to suppress a shiver of awareness.
“I told you … ducks on a June bug.”
Naomi grinned and looked up at him from the corner of her eye. His comment helped to settle her nerves. In fact, she struggled to keep from laughing. Just then, the preacher approached the pulpit and began the service.
All during the church service, Naomi was keenly aware of the large male body beside her. She found her gaze drawn time and again to his tanned hands resting on his thighs. They appeared strong, masculine and graceful. His hands were large, and his fingers were long and blunt.
She should have been concentrating on the sermon, but all she could think about was remembering what those hands had felt like around her waist. Those hands would feel even nicer on your bare skin. Naomi ducked her head to hide her heated blush. Since meeting Aidan, she felt little better than a harlot. The poor man had given her no reason to lust after him, and yet, she couldn’t seem to keep her thoughts on a decent path.
She would have been astonished if she had known that Aidan’s thoughts were every bit as lascivious as hers. He couldn’t ignore her intoxicating scent. She smelled clean and fresh, like sunshine and wildflowers. Imagine if you were to part those soft white thighs and run your finger along her pretty pink lips. I bet she smells even better there.
He squirmed on the hard pew and tried to think of other things. But she was simply too enticing. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun beneath her bonnet, but the breeze had tugged several strands loose. They curled naturally around her ears and along the nape of her neck. Her ivory skin was so fair, and he longed to spread kisses along the curve of her jaw or to nibble along her nape. He could feel the steady ache of his erection, and he hoped no one would notice the bulge in his breeches.
The service finally ended, and Aidan and Naomi rose to make their exit. Of course, they were swarmed by interested townsfolk. Naomi had never dreamed they would be the center of so much avid attention. The married couples were extremely friendly, but it was a different story with the unmarried townsfolk.
It was obvious that the single young women viewed her with jealousy. Naomi could only assume that Aidan was a hot commodity, and the local ladies did not appreciate having new competition for his attentions. The young men were much friendlier. Many of them eyed her with poorly concealed lust, and one handsome young man stared at her so long and hard that she gulped and turned away. She was grateful to have Aidan by her side. Had she come alone, she was certain that she would have been swarmed by male admirers.
She was introduced to so many people; there was no way to remember all the names. She was bombarded by questions from all sides. Most were polite inquiries. Where was she from? What brought her to Oregon? How long had she been widowed? How did she like the area so far? Some questions were much more pointed, and some were downright rude. There was one very pretty young blonde who seemed particularly interested in Naomi’s private business.
“How did you meet Aidan?” the blonde asked. “Just how well do you two know each other?”
Naomi looked down her nose at the impertinent woman. “Pardon me, have we been introduced?”
The blonde woman narrowed her eyes at Naomi. “My name is Miss Louisa Templeton. My father owns the feed store and livery in town.”
“Oh, how lovely to make your acquaintance,” Naomi said. “I’m Mrs. Naomi Tisdale.” Her tone was polite but without any warmth. She turned away without answering the woman’s rude questions.
Aidan wanted to laugh, but he kept his features carefully blank. He was happy to see that Naomi could handle herself. Many women would have been overwhelmed by the eager interrogation she was being subjected to. However, Naomi maintained her composure, even in the face of Miss Templeton’s rudeness and obvious dislike.
He took Naomi’s elbow to steer her out the front door. They continued making polite conversation with the townsfolk as they worked their way steadily toward his wagon. It was a good half hour before the crowd began to thin around them. Finally, he was able to lift Naomi to the buckboard bench, and he climbed up beside her.
“Good day to you all,” Aidan said, with a wave of farewell.
Naomi nodded her head to several of the new acquaintances. The townsfolk stepped back and reluctantly watched as the wagon turned out of the churchyard.
Naomi cast a glance behind them, and she noticed all the townsfolk were talking animatedly and still watching her and Aidan as they drove away. She waited until they were on the road toward their farms before flashing a teasing grin up at Aidan.
“Well, you are certainly in demand with the ladies, Mr. McKenzie! Miss Templeton didn’t seem at all pleased that you escorted me to church. Should I be worried for my safety?”
Aidan met her teasing grin with a pained grimace. “Believe me, Naomi, she has no claim whatsoever on my affections.”
Naomi searched his face. He didn’t appear to look the least bit interested in the other woman. “Hmmm,” Naomi said with raised brows, “I don’t think she would agree with you.”
Aidan shrugged one broad shoulder. “I can’t help what she thinks. I honestly couldn’t remember her name until she told it to you just now. I suppose she might imagine there’s a chance for some kind of relationship between she and I, but I assure you, she’s mistaken.”
His answer pleased Naomi more than she cared to admit. “You don’t have to justify yourself to me, Aidan. I have no claim to your affections either.”
No, but you could have. The wayward thought startled Aidan, and he kept silent. He had only met Naomi the day before, but he already had strong feelings for her. He had felt irrational anger seeing the men at the church eying her like foxes in a hen house. Especially Matthew Lawrence. Aidan didn’t trust that man as far as he could throw him.
Aidan was frustrated to realize that he hadn’t learned anything new while people questioned Naomi at the church. She was certainly close-mouthed about her past. He wasn’t worried by that, merely intrigued. She was a beautifu
l enigma, and he wanted to get to know her much, much better.
“Would you join me for lunch?” Naomi asked.
Aidan slanted her a grin. “I would love to. But I don’t want you to go to any special trouble for me.”
“No trouble at all,” she replied. “I made a pot of stew and a pan of biscuits last night. There’s more than enough for both of us.”
“Well, in that case, I gratefully accept your invitation. That sounds wonderful.”
They chatted about inconsequential things for the remainder of the drive to Naomi’s cabin. Aidan saw to the needs of the horses while she heated the stew and biscuits. Within a short time, they sat down to a hearty lunch.
Aidan tasted his stew and gave Naomi an appreciative grin. “This is delicious.”
Naomi nodded her head in acknowledgement. “I’m glad you like it. I’m sorry I don’t have butter for the biscuits. I have to go into town soon to get some supplies.”
“No matter. They’re delicious too.” He flashed her a wicked grin. “You know, if you keep serving me such delicious food, I’m just going to keep coming around.”
Naomi laughed and flushed at the compliment. “That’s alright with me. I enjoy your company.”
Their eyes locked, and it seemed as if their thoughts traveled a similar path. Naomi’s cheeks turned delightfully pink, and Aidan cleared his throat and resumed eating his stew. Naomi watched surreptitiously as he brought the spoon to his mouth. She felt an aching hunger begin to grow in the pit of her belly.
Maybe he could satisfy your hunger. You don’t have to be lonely. Naomi rose to get more biscuits in order to hide her bright red cheeks. She didn’t know why that thought had popped into her head. She had never even considered taking a lover before. Why she should suddenly be focused on the idea with such single minded purpose was unsettling, to say the least. She had no way of knowing that Aidan was similarly afflicted.
He found it nearly impossible to calmly eat his lunch. His body was infused with tension. It was a struggle to keep from snatching her onto his lap and kissing her senseless. He noticed that she seemed somewhat preoccupied. She nibbled her bottom lip with tiny white teeth, and hot blood pounded through his loins.
Second Chances: Aidan's Bride (The McKenzie Series #1) Page 3
