by Connie Mason
“Papa!” Julie gasped worriedly. “How did she save your life?”
Rod ushered everyone inside saying, “First we sit, then the explanations.” His sharp eyes did not miss Julie’s high color or her state of excitement and his main concern at the moment was safeguarding the welfare of his wife and unborn child.
“Now, Papa,” Julie said impatiently, squirming in her chair, “I want to hear everything that happened to you from the moment you left me in San Francisco.”
Carl Darcy launched into a story that took over an hour in telling. During the telling his gaze strayed often to the shy Ramona whose adoring eyes seemed to devour the man whose life she saved. Julie liked Ramona immediately and was effusive in her gratitude to the serenely beautiful Spanish woman.
Then Julie narrated her own sad tale, recounting Mae Parker’s death and her job at Casey’s Palace where Rod found her. The telling left her exhausted, which Rod noted immediately. Abruptly he arose, rudely cutting Julie off in midsentence.
“Señor Darcy … Carl, my wife needs to rest. We will continue this conversation later.”
“Rod! I won’t be ordered about like a naughty child,” Julie raged. “I haven’t seen my father in months.”
“Julie,” Rod schooled patiently, as if to a recalcitrant child, “you must think of our child. I know what’s best for you and right now a siesta is called for.”
“You and Julie are to have a child?” rejoiced Carl. “Daughter, you don’t know how happy that makes me. When I set out for San Francisco I was convinced that you had misjudged Don Rodrigo; that he had nothing to do with your abduction. I’m truly pleased that you came to the same conclusion and have reconciled.”
Julie cut Rod a scathing glance. “We are not altogether reconciled, Papa,” she admitted ruefully.
“But … if you are to have a child … I thought …well … do as your husband says, dear. I’m sure Rodrigo has your best interests at heart.” It was apparent that Carl was embarrassed and confused by Julie’s vague remark. “We’ll talk later. And Julie, I’d like you to become friends with Ramona. She’s a wonderful woman.”
“Come with me now, Ramona,” Julie invited eagerly. “We can become better acquainted while I prepare for the siesta my husband insists I take.” She shot Rod a lethal smile and he flashed a mocking grin in return.
Once the women left the room, Carl was quick to ask, “What did my daugher mean? Surely you two have settled your differences. She is carrying your child, isn’t she?”
“I wish I had a simple answer for you, Carl, but it’s rather complicated,” Rod admitted frankly. “Julie is carrying my child, there is no doubt of that. But it is a child I … er … forced on her. She doesn’t love me nor does she want our child. She has made her feelings perfectly clear to me many times over.”
How had Julie changed so dramatically in such a short time, Carl wondered, perplexed? He could distinctly remember his daughter voicing her love for her husband on more than one occasion. “I’m sure you’re mistaken, Rod,” was all Carl said, preferring to speak with Julie privately before he gave any secrets away.
“I wish I were mistaken,” Rod sighed regretfully. “Julie has come to mean a great deal to me; more than I ever thought possible. But enough of my problems, what are your plans? It appears that you and the lovely Ramona have become more than just casual friends.”
Carl’s pleasant features lit up at the mention of the gentle widow. “Were we so obvious?” grinned Carl engagingly. “Why do you think I was so anxious for Julie and Ramona to become friends? If she will have me, I plan to make Ramona my wife. These past few years have not been easy for her.”
“You are welcome to make your home with us for as long as you like,” offered Rod generously.
“I thank you sincerely, Rod. I have to admit I had no idea where I might settle with my bride. What resources I had were lost in the fire. My claim was stolen from me long ago and I had little liking for a bandit’s life. But I don’t want to become a burden to you. I intend to pay my way in some manner beneficial to you.”
Rod stared intently at Carl, liking him better by the minute. “If the truth be known, Carl, I am in need of someone I can trust. Since my father’s death, there is too much to do at the rancho for one person to accomplish. It would mean a great deal to me if I could shift some of that burden to you.”
Carl exhaled a long sigh of intense pleasure. “You’ve found your man,” he exclaimed happily.
“If you and your Ramona would like to be on your own, there is a comfortable casa not far from the hacienda that might suit your purposes admirably. It’s the same one Murieta and his family occupied and has been empty for some time. Take Ramona to see it and if it suits you both, it should take no time at all to fix up to her liking.”
“If it means anything to you, Rod,” Carl smiled effusively, “I think Julie made the right choice when she married you.”
The following days passed by in a flurry of activity. Carl proposed to Ramona, who promptly accepted, and Padre Juan was asked to perform the simple ceremony in the chapel the moment their casa was habitable. Julie took an immediate liking to Ramona. She was certain the beautiful and gentle widow would be a good wife to her father. She was more than a little grateful to Rod for allowing her father to stay on at the rancho. Rod assured her that her father would be doing him a great service by remaining to help out.
A month after Julie and Rod returned to the rancho, Carl and Ramona were married by Padre Juan before a gathering of family and servants. After a fiesta following the ceremony, the beaming newlyweds retired to their own newly decorated house, leaving Julie and Rod alone for the first time since their return.
Rod had not touched Julie since their return to the rancho though he yearned to feel her softness melting into his hard body once again. There were times when he thought he would die from wanting, so great was his need. Each day he watched her grow lovelier, if that were possible, as the bloom of pregnancy colored her cheeks and lent a particular sparkle to her bluebell eyes.
Rod remembered exactly how quick she was to take fire beneath his caresses, reluctant though she might be at first; how her slender form gave him more pleasure than any other woman he had known. But during the past weeks he had alienated her further by forbidding her to ride with Felicia, insisting she rest daily, and even going so far as to dictate the type and quantity of food she should eat.
Given Julie’s independence and volatile temper she rebelled at every turn, unwilling to believe that any danger existed in riding, accusing Rod of deliberately denying her the least bit of pleasure. She ranted and railed at his solicitous manner and overbearing protectiveness until Rod felt like locking her in her room like a naughty child. It was obvious to all but Julie that Rod cared for her deeply and was doing all in his power to keep her and their child safe and healthy.
Julie looked exceptionally beautiful the day of her father’s wedding. She wore the same white embroidered skirt and camisa that she wore at the wedding of Don Diego and Elena. Though she had carefully let out the waist to accommodate her expanding girth so that the slight bulge of her stomach was camouflaged beneath the full skirt. Rod could not take his eyes off her all evening, consumed with the desire to taste again her special brand of ardor.
By the time Carl and Ramona departed for their own casa, Rod knew the ache in his loins could no longer be denied. As he told Julie once before, he was certainly no eunuch and had no intention of living like one. He was a virile man with a wife perfectly capable of assuaging his ferocious hunger. Therefore, being a man of lusty appetites, a man who had been put off far too long by the cool facade of Julie’s indifference, Rod decided to put an end to the coldness separating them once and for all.
Julie was too keyed up to sleep that night. She could still feel the intimate brush of Rod’s dark eyes on her flushed skin as his heated gaze stabbed at her repeatedly during the evening. Her flesh burned everywhere his eyes touched, and he touched everywhere. Or so
it seemed to Julie. For weeks Rod had made no move to make love to her, smothering her instead with mock concern until his pompous manner drove her mad with frustration. Even dear Felicia had been unable to draw her out of her vile temper tantrums. How could she be expected to live in such close proximity to Rod, Julie agonized, and keep from wanting him? From loving him?
Perhaps once her child was born it would provide an outlet for the love trapped within her heart, Julie hoped, and ease the terrible emptiness in her life. Sometime in the past weeks, Julie had come to the joyful conclusion that she wanted Rod’s baby. Wanted it with every fiber of her being, though she was determined Rod should never learn the truth from her.
Once Julie retired for the night, Rod allowed her just enough time to prepare for bed before he quietly entered her room through the connecting door that hadn’t been used since their return, and lounged in the doorway watching her brush the luxurious honey-colored waves that gently caressed her rounded hips.
The room was dark except for the soft glow of a lamp that turned her into a sculpture of silver and gold. Only the ruby tips of her breasts pushing against a wisp of silken cloth lent a touch of color to her pale alabaster flesh. Pregnancy had enlarged her perfectly formed breasts, Rod noticed, but just enough to make them even more enticing. He longed to caress the slight bulge below her waist where his child lay, and his deep sigh of longing finally alerted her to his presence.
“Don’t move, querida,” Rod whispered, wooing her with his eyes. “I have never seen a lovelier picture.”
From across the room their eyes met, held, each emotionally charged moment clicking away in her heart. Rod wore nothing but a silken robe loosely belted at the waist and against every instinct Julie wanted to remove the belt until he was naked, resplendent in his maleness. A wry smile lurked at the corner of Rod’s mouth, as if he could read her thoughts and was in perfect agreement.
Forcing herself to remain calm, Julie asked, “What do you want, Rod?”
“Isn’t it obvious, querida? I want to make love to you. I want to feel your petal-soft body writhe with pleasure beneath mine. I want to hear you cry out your joy.” Like a lithe animal stalking his prey, Rod uncoiled his long length and seemed to glide loose-hipped across the room until he stood before her.
Julie swallowed convulsively, his tantalizing nearness driving coherent thought from her mind. Without invitation, Rod eased down beside her on the bed where she sat brushing her hair. Taking the brush from her nerveless fingers he tossed it to the floor. Then his mouth covered hers hungrily. The pressure on her mouth deepened as he deliberately and expertly teased her lips apart and entered her, dragging her unwillingly into his kiss. Her lips, burning, aching, demanded to be soothed, and he soothed them with his own brand of fire.
With leisurely precision, his hands began to mold her writhing body. She went suddenly rigid as he lightly brushed the rounded curve of her sensitive breasts, traced along the narrow line of her ribs to her expanding waist and the flare below of rounded hips and smooth thighs. A honey-sweet warmth swept through her as Rod swiftly loosened the ties of her gown and drew the wispy cloth over her head. Within seconds his own robe lay beside it on the floor. A swirling maelstrom of emotions tormented Julie but she was powerless to resist his strong aura that enveloped her in a cloud of sensual pleasure.
21
Julie was lost. His kiss was the magic that released her heart from its frozen void and her own love directed her response. Impatience seized her as Rod gently eased her down onto the smooth surface of the bed and her soft arms entwined about his neck as she pressed herself into his hard maleness, feeling her overly sensitive nipples brush against his furred chest.
Rod’s expression was tender as he gazed into her eyes and his voice a husky purr. “Love, me, querida, love me.”
“I do. I love you. I do,” she repeated over and over. If only she meant it, Rod thought when he heard her words. If only he could hold her in this one perfect moment, suspended from time, at the brink of forever.
Crushing her to him he reclaimed her lips, and she returned his kiss with reckless abandon while his hand seared a path down her abdomen and onto her thigh. She felt his heat and hardness as she surged against him. When his lips took possession of her sensitive, swollen nipple, Julie could not repress her gasp of hot delight.
While teasing one rounded globe with tongue and lips, his hand fondled the other, its rosy tip marble hard. His gentle massage sent currents of desire through her and she whimpered impatiently.
“Patience, mi amor, patience,” Rod whispered, “it’s been so long and we are in no hurry.”
His hands maddeningly explored the soft lines of her back, her waist, her hips, cupping the rounded globes of her buttocks as his mouth and lips nibbled a trail of fire along her rib cage, pausing to kiss and caress the bulge of her stomach before he moved downward to the downy forest that covered the treasure that was his alone. Parting curling hair, his stabbing tongue slid into and manipulated the tiny, rigid bud below. Julie uttered a stifled cry as her body arched into the moist warmth of his mouth and tongue, winding her hands into his crisp black hair in an effort to pull him even closer.
Passion pounded the blood through her heart as she writhed beneath his relentless tongue and mouth. She felt herself go hot, then cold, half ice, half flame as his expert touch sent her to even higher levels of ecstasy. Somehow Julie did not believe the hoarse voice crying out for release was hers, but it was. Then suddenly her body began to vibrate with liquid fire as he freed her in a bursting of sensations that sent her hurtling into space.
Rod allowed her but a moment’s respite as he knelt before her parted legs and came into her fast, his body so hard he ached. At first Julie could barely muster a response, but as his strenghtening thrusts repeated with increasing urgency, she felt herself rising to meet him. She could feel his attempts to restrain his ardor because of her condition and surprisingly it touched a spark someplace in the compartments of her heart.
Bodily Rod lifted her and reversed her position until Julie lay on top. Instantly her legs surrounded his sleek hips; her back arched, slim neck thrust backwards as she set the pace. From a single place in her soft depths, liquid fire ignited and flared until she felt herself consumed once more by white-hot flames.
When Rod felt her release, long ripples began to pass down his flexed and glistening body, unrestrained thrusts caught them both in a clash of thunder and lightning that seemed to go on forever. But after a while it did end, only to begin again and again, their greed for one another seemingly unappeasable, taking each other with love-starved greed until the night had turned into dawn.
Julie awoke first, astonished at the sense of fulfillment she felt. She glanced shyly at Rod, his body naked and still moist from their recent lovemaking. During the long night her own driving need had shocked and thrilled her. The admission that she could no longer deny herself Rod’s lovemaking was dredged from a place beyond logic and reason. The harder she tried to ignore the truth, the longer it persisted. She loved Rod. With her whole heart and soul. If given no other choice she would remain with him always, accepting the crumbs of his affection, living for the nights his lust drove him to her bed.
She allowed her subconscious thoughts to surface and without realizing it spoke them aloud. “Oh, Rod, my love, why can’t you love me like I love you?”
Unbeknownst to Julie, Rod had awakened nearly at the same instant she had but for some unexplained reason feigned sleep. He felt himself on the brink of a great discovery and lay waiting, slowing his breathing to an even cadence while Julie moved restlessly beside him.
Her impassioned words sent a jolt of unbridled joy surging through his veins. He wanted to dance, to sing, but did neither. Very quietly he said, “I do, mi amor. I’ve loved you from the moment I first set eyes on you, from the day I made you mine even though the odds were against our union from the beginning.”
Julie stiffened in disbelief. Could it be possible? Did Ro
d really love her? Or was this some sort of cruel game he was playing. Shock rendered her nearly speechless but somehow she managed to choke out one word. “Truly?”
“Truly, querida,” Rod echoed, eyes shining with love. So long had he dreamed of Julie openly declaring her love for him that the actual moment somehow seemed anti-climactic. How terribly sad that they should love each other all these many months and yet remain at cross-purposes, their emotions reined in tightly, Rod sighed.
“Oh, Rod, why didn’t you tell me?” Julie asked, finally finding her tongue.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” challenged Rod, teasing an amber curl around his fingers.
She was momentarily lost in her own reverie as she called to mind all the reasons Rod had given her as proof that he did not love her. “At first there was Elena to remind me who held your affections. I couldn’t hope to compete with someone as beautiful and refined as she appeared to be.”
“I never loved Elena, Julie. You’ll never know just how sorry I am for briefly falling under her spell. I know I hurt you, but I can only tell you it will never happen again.
“Julie,” Rod probed, “you do forgive me, don’t you?” She was silent for so long Rod feared she still withheld her forgiveness. “I know now what kind of woman Elena is. There is nothing she isn’t capable of to gain her own ends.”
“I forgive you, Rod,” Julie turned to him smiling. “I won’t let anything stand in the way of our happiness. Elena is gone and we have our child growing within me as proof of our love.”
Rod cleared his throat nervously. “Uh, querida, about the child. You’re not sorry, are you? I couldn’t bear it if—”
Rising on one elbow Julie leaned over him, bright strands of hair brushing his chest as she healed his lingering doubt with a kiss. “Of course I want your child. When our son—”
