by Connie Mason
Julie knew very little about the relationship between husband and wife until Polly, bless her, imparted all that she had been told by her mother. Julie knew she would feel pain the first time Rod took her, but if he was gentle and understanding she would feel great pleasure, also. Now, watching the play of emotion upon Rod’s stony features, fingers of fear clutched at her heart. She doubted that her haughty, arrogant husband had a shred of tenderness in his tall, well-proportioned frame.
Before long, Rod stopped before a sprawling two story house sporting a wide front porch. The sign above the front door said simply, ROOMS FOR RENT. Rod led her inside where they were met by a short, round woman of late middleage with whispy graying hair and pleasant features. Her bow-like lips were pursed in disapproval as she eyed the young couple warily, hands on ample hips.
“Don Rodrigo, you know I run a respectable house,” the woman bristled, eyeing Julie through slightly myopic eyes. “There will be no hanky-panky going on upstairs. You will have to find another place to entertain your … er … lady friend.”
Julie blushed furiously, knowing full well that the woman thought her to be a woman of loose morals. Rod raised his head and laughed uproariously, the first time Julie had seen him in good humor since their hasty marriage. “Mae, this lady is my wife, Julie,” he said, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Julie, meet Mae Parker. She owns this boarding house and thinks she’s mother to every homeless young man ever to set foot in San Francisco.”
Julie could tell Mae Parker was truly astounded by Rod’s declaration. “I’m glad to meet you, Mrs. Parker,” Julie said timidly.
“Call me Mae, honey, everyone else does. Is it true? Are you really Rod’s wife?”
“Yes,” verified Julie. “We were married less than an hour ago.”
“Are you one of those girls from the east who came out here to become brides?” Solemnly, Julie nodded. “I don’t understand, Rod,” Mae said, truly puzzled. “You told me yourself your father expected you to marry—”
“I’ll explain later, Mae,” Rod cut in quickly before Mae had a chance to finish her sentence. “It’s a long story. Right now I’d like to take Julie upstairs. She’s had a tiring day and I know she’d like a hot bath.”
“How thoughtless of me,” Mae apologized. “Take your wife to your room and I’ll have Ling Wu heat water for her bath. I’ll bet you’re both hungry, too. I’ll cook you up a proper wedding feast.” Before Julie could offer her thanks the friendly woman bustled out of the room.
Within a few minutes Julie found herself standing in the center of a large room whose two long windows faced the street. Though the room was by no means lavishly appointed, it was adequate and appeared scrupulously clean. Julie gazed about thoughtfully, directing her eyes everywhere but at the large bed decorating the center of the room.
“I come to San Francisco quite often,” Rod said, startling Julie out of her reverie, “and always stay here rather than at one of the hotels. Even San Francisco’s finest leaves much to be desired. Mae Parker’s is more to my liking.”
“It’s very nice,” Julie agreed in a stilted voice. Try as she might, she could not relax. She had no idea what to expect from the tall, commanding man she had married.
Rod was not unaware of Julie’s tenseness and immediately recognized her fear. Dio mio, she was lovely, he thought, with her hair the color of warm honey tumbling about her shoulders. His eyes fell unbiddingly to her miniscule waist before focusing on her magnificent full breasts straining against the lace inserts of her bodice. She was all woman and Rod found himself reacting violently to her nearness. His body began to swell with desire, a desire he refused to recognize when he first laid eyes on her standing on the platform looking like a lamb being led to the slaughter.
Julie saw the direction of Rod’s gaze and shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he intended to ravish her on the spot. It was within his right to do whatever he pleased to her, she knew, but she prayed desperately that there was some compassion in his soul, She had heard much about the cruelty of Spaniards. But what troubled her most was the fact that Rod had felt the need to acquire an unknown bride from the east. She had thought the aristocratic Spanish usually married within their own race. Julie suppressed a shudder of dread as Rod’s inky eyes boldly raked over her lush curves, visibly undressing her.
Sighing heavily, Rod lifted his eyes to settle finally on Julie’s face. No matter how much he wanted the girl, he could not in all conscience take her … unless …
“Are you a virgin, Julie?” he asked abruptly, his question bringing roses to her cheeks. Completely confused, Julie could only nod dumbly. “Por Dios,” Rod cursed, disappointment furrowing his brow. “Then you have nothing to fear from me. I will not claim your maidenhead.”
To Julie, Rod’s staccato-like words could only mean that she did not please him or that she had said or done something to anger him. Only minutes before she had recognized the glimmer of lust in his eyes, but now there was nothing but cold indiference in their fathomless depths.
“I … I don’t understand,” she stammered. “If I’ve done something to anger you, or—”
“It’s nothing you’ve done, querida,” Rod said, his voice softening with regret. “Circumstances have ordained that we can never be man and wife, even though I find myself desiring you as a man desires a woman. But I will not ruin you for another.”
Suddenly Julie became very angry, her rage transcending any fear she might have felt for her intimidating husband. “Are you telling me we are not truly wed? That the ceremony was merely a sham? I can’t believe Mr. Goddard would …” She faltered, unable to continue.
Rod smiled indulgently, highly amused by Julie’s show of temper. It proved she was no meek miss and he briefly regretted the code of ethics that prevented him from giving in to his desire. “In the eyes of the law we are legally bound,” Rod explained patiently, “but it is a marriage my father will never accept. I have been engaged since childhood to the daughter of an old aristocratic family. Even now Elena awaits my return so we can be wed.”
Red dots of rage exploded in Julie’s brain, turning her eyes into shards of blue ice. “You bastard!” she charged, shocking him with her unladylike language. “You bigamist! What did you intend? To keep one wife at your ranch and one in San Francisco? How dare you trick me!” Unable to control herself she flew at the unsuspecting man, her bared fingernails gouging deep grooves into both cheeks.
“Bruja!” Rod cried out. “Witch!” Catching her arms and whipping her about he forced her body against his until she was immobilized in his punishing embrace. “If you allowed me a moment I would have explained it to you. Do you always act so impulsively?”
Struggling in his arms, Julie gasped, “Let me go!”
“Not until you hear me out,” Rod insisted, tightening his grasp about her slim form.
“Why did you pay my way over here if you already had a fiancée?” Julie challenged, kicking backwards in a futile attempt to free herself. Her soft slipper encountered a well-muscled leg encased in leather and Rod chuckled as she uttered a soft cry of pain.
“Are you ready to listen?” Rod asked, shaking her until her teeth rattled.
“Y … y … yes,” Julie ground out.
Dragging her to the bed, Rod sat her down none too gently and settled beside her. “I did not send for you, querida,” he informed her. Julie’s eyes opened wide but she said nothing. “I won you in a poker game.” Rod paused for her gasp of outrage and was not disappointed.
“A young man named Kevin O’Brien paid your way to San Francisco. He and I met in a poker game several weeks ago. O’Brien lost heavily and in the end wagered the only thing he had left of value … you. His hand was good. But not good enough.”
“You were the man Kevin O’Brien lost to,” Julie intoned dryly. “Did you cheat the poor man out of his possessions?”
Rod exploded in a whirlwind of anger. “Bruja! I do not cheat at cards! Kevin O’Brien was a young fool who wagered
a fortune on a turn of a card. Had he any sense he would never have gotten in over his head in the first place. As it turned out you were the one to come out the winner. O’Brien was not the man for you.”
“And I suppose you are?”
Rod turned thoughtful, suddenly certain that he was exactly the right man for the little hellion. She needed someone to match her fire, a man capable of taming the wild streak in her. He was convinced their coming together would be more like an explosion than an act of love and his tense body yearned to be the first to elicit those cries of ecstasy from her full red lips.
“Whether or not I am the man for you is unimportant,” Rod finally said. “Of necessity, our marriage is over before it begins.”
“Why? Why did you marry me? You could have backed out.”
“If it is any consolation to you, I did consider walking out of the room and deserting you to your fate.”
“What changed your mind?”
Rod flushed. What indeed? he wondered dismally. Were his motives purely selfish? That was something he would ask himself the rest of his life. “If I didn’t claim you, you would have gone up for grabs. I understand Julius Goddard screened the prospective bridegrooms quite thoroughly and only the best of the lot were allowed to participate in the drawing. Did you get a good look at the men in the room today? They are the dregs of humanity. Scum. Criminals. Had I not appeared you would now be the possession of one of them for they would have held a lottery for you then and there.”
“So you saved me from a fate worse than death,” snapped Julie sarcastically. “Am I supposed to thank you, Don Rodrigo?”
Her gibe stung. “You little fool. I am giving you back your life. As long as our marriage isn’t consummated it will be relatively simple to obtain an annulment. I’ll pay your way back east where you can take up your life as if nothing happened. One day you’ll find a man of your own choosing.”
“Back east!” Julie exploded. “I will not be shipped back to New York like so much discarded baggage! I came to California with a purpose and I won’t leave until I accomplish what I set out to do.”
“I realize you came here with the intention of being married,” Rod contended, “but—”
“You’re a fool if you think that’s what brought me here. I couldn’t care less about a husband.”
“Then, why …”
“I came to find my father,” Julie blurted out. “I didn’t have the price of passage and Polly persuaded me to join Mr. Goddard’s group of girls going west to become brides.”
“Your father! You have a father in California? Why, that simplifies matters. Of course you don’t have to return east if you have a father to protect you. Where is he?”
A blush of crimson stained Julie’s high cheekbones. “I … I don’t know.”
“Surely you have some idea where he can be found.”
“He left New York two years ago. I’ve heard from him only once since then, shortly after he landed in San Francisco.”
“Julie,” Rod said gently, “did you ever consider the possibility that your father might be dead?”
“No!” Julie cried. “I won’t believe that.”
“It’s something you must face, querida. Two years ago, one-hundred thousand new people arrived in California, most of them rough apportunists who thought nothing of killing to get what they wanted. Since 1848 when the war with Mexico terminated and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave all of California to the United States, it has been most difficult to maintain peace. Especially since military rule and Mexican law technically ended. At this time nothing exists but lynch law, popular courts and vigilance committees to enforce order. Perhaps your father was a victim of a foul crime. He could disappear and no one would be the wiser.”
“I refuse to believe that,” Julie persisted stubbornly. “You’re just trying to scare me.”
Seeing her distress, Rod’s tone softened. “Many of the men who came to California aren’t cut out for the life of a miner and quickly succumb to the rigors of hard work and the elements.”
“I’ll find my father, Rod,” Julie insisted doggedly. “Go ahead and get your annulment. Go back and marry your … your betrothed. I’ll manage on my own. I don’t need you or anyone else.”
“Por Dios!” cursed Rod. “Haven’t you been listening? You are an innocent if you think you are capable of surviving in San Francisco on your own. As an unmarried, unprotected woman you will become the target of every unscrupulous man around.”
“Mae Parker seems to be doing well enough on her own,” contended Julie hotly.
“Mae Parker isn’t a young, beautiful virgin. Would you throw yourself in a den of lions? Tomorrow I’ll purchase your passage on the first ship available and arrange with Mae for you to remain here until you leave.” In Rod’s mind it was all settled, but he didn’t reckon with Julie’s stubbornness or her impulsive nature.
“I’m staying,” declared Julie with grim determination. “I refuse to discuss it further. I’ll find a job and inquire about my father. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. You are right in thinking you did me a favor. Now I am free to do as I please.”
“Caramba, you’re stubborn!” Rod exclaimed disgustedly. “Have it your way. Tomorrow morning I’ll start the annulment proceedings. My lawyer will inform you the moment we are legally separated.” Without another word he stomped from the room.
Later, Julie luxuriated in a hot bath, enjoying her first all over wash since leaving New York. It was heavenly and she lolled lazily in the water until it grew cold. Rod, too, was enjoying the same privilege. Leaving Julie, he visited a barber, had a shave and haircut and then a bath in the back room where customers were able to enjoy all the comforts of home. He returned to his room in better spirits than when he left, hoping to talk some sense into Julie. He opened the door just as Julie dropped the wet towel to the floor and reached for her wrapper. In Rod’s absence her bag containing her meager wardrobe had arrived and Mae had it carried to her room.
Rod was stunned. Never was he more aware of a woman than he was of Julie. And Rod was certainly no stranger to women. He was well known to every attractive señorita along the El Camino Real. He had spent many pleasurable hours in the arms of beautiful women between San Francisco and San Luis Obispo. And even farther south, should the truth be known. Even his first love, Maria … but no, he would not think of Maria now. Not with Julie displayed so enticingly before him.
He stepped quietly into the room, closing the door firmly behind him. “You are exquisite, querida. I think you have truly bewitched me.”
Startled, Julie turned, blushing furiously when she saw Rod staring at her. “Go away, Rod,” she said, holding the wrapper before her. “You have no right.”
How tantalizing, Rod thought, mesmerized by the tiny droplets of water glistening on creamy skin as smooth as alabaster. Every instinct urged him to reach out, to touch, caress, to fondle to his heart’s content.
“I have every right. We are married,” Rod finally said, his voice hoarse with longing.
“But you said …” Julie was confused, as well as fearful. The bold look in Rod’s dark eyes bode no good for her.
“I know what I said, but that was before I knew what I was denying myself. Come here, bruja. You are a witch, you know.”
Before Julie could react, Rod was at her side, snatching the robe from her nerveless fingers and tossing it across the room where it landed in a careless heap. She stood before him clothed in nothing but her glorious nudity and Rod felt himself swell with barely suppressed desire. It was a picture that would haunt Rod’s dreams for months to come. His eyelids drooped slightly over eyes now filled with passion, dark, smoldering, compelling. A growing sense of dispair overcame Julie when she realized she had not the strength nor the desire to resist him should he try to make love to her. Her eyes met Rod’s across the short distance and her own desire kindled, then flamed.
Suddenly she was in Rod’s arms as his hands roamed freely over her flesh.
Feebly, Julie protested, but when his mouth came down hard over her parted lips she was lost. Nothing Julie had ever known or imagined had prepared her for the violence of Rod’s kiss. His tongue traced the outline of her lips, then plunged within to explore the sweetness of her mouth, open with shock, leaving Julie shaken, her knees weak. The force of his passion both thrilled and repelled her.
In view of Rod’s words earlier, Julie knew what he was doing was wrong. Weakly, she struggled against his hardening body, feeling herself succumb to the power of his passion. His hand found her breast and sharp circles of delight radiated from her nipple as his rough palms slid caressingly over the pink bud. Suddenly Julie was beyond resistence as she felt herself responding wildly to his nearness. Then his mouth left hers and his moist, hot tongue touched the swollen tip, finally taking it between his lips, nipping gently with strong, white teeth.
Julie groaned. She felt as if she were melting, dissolving right here as she lay in Rob’s arms, his throbbing, swollen manhood pressing insistenly against her roiling stomach. Her heart slammed wildly, setting off a trembling in her slender body that triggered a like response in Rod. For a moment he hesitated, his mind battling the tatters of his good sense, but her sweet surrender swept him over the edge into an abyss of swirling, all-consuming passion.
Scooping Julie into his strong arms he carried her the few steps to the bed, murmuring love words in Spanish she didn’t understand. “Mi Cara, mi amor, mi alma.” The words meant nothing to her but his low seductive voice mesmerized her into acquiescence.
