“I’ll bet you did well. I can tell you have a good grounding in the technical area.”
“I suppose I did pretty well,” she said modestly. “How was A&M?”
“It was busy. The responsibilities of being in the Corps added to the course work, pretty much filled the day. Then you spent part of each summer in the military, and the other part on the farm. Papa wanted me to be a farmer, but he didn’t push me in that direction after I told him I wanted to be in the oil business. It was the same with the girls. After they decided what they wanted, he and Mama backed them all of the way.”
“It sounds like your parents were as thoughtful as mine were,” she said.
“I couldn’t have asked for better,” he said.
Their arrival at the Kyle found a short line at the box office. Laura stood with Johnny as he waited in line. She said, “It seems there is a nice crowd. I’ve heard, the larger the crowd, the better the performance. If that’s the case here, we’re in for a lively evening.”
Seated front row center, they could hear the band tuning up behind the drawn curtain. The house lights dimmed, and the curtain opened. From the wings of the stage strode John Phillip Sousa, a short, bearded man in a magnificent red uniform, similar to the one he wore when he was director of the US Marine Band. He marched to his position, rapped smartly on his music stand, and raised his baton. The large audience quietened as he gave the downbeat. The band thundered into the rousing march, “El Capitan.” Throughout the large hall, fingers strummed the arm rest, keeping time with the music.
Johnny’s fingers did not strum. Laura had intertwined her fingers with his. She squeezed his hand. “Isn’t this wonderful?” she asked. “He had just composed this piece when I saw him in concert. If this doesn’t get your heart pumping, you’re not alive.”
Johnny nodded, his thoughts more on the warmth in hand he held in his, than on the music. At intermission, they wandered around the lobby, examining the posters of the band and of upcoming performances. Clutching his hand, she raised her arm to point to a poster advertising an appearance of Lily Langtry. Johnny’s arm brushed her breast as she pointed. His cheeks flamed as desire surged. Embarrassed, he turned but saw no one paying particular attention to them. “It’s a bit warm in here, don’t you think?” he asked. “Would you like to get some fresh air?”
“If you like,” she replied in a soft voice. Hand in hand, they walked outside into the cool evening, and joined other members of the audience as they waited for the bell to sound summoning them back to their seats. From one composition to the next, until a thunderous roll of the drums announced the introduction of the finale, Stars and Stripes Forever, they were enthralled by the stirring music.
When it ended, Johnny said, “I am wrung out. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed anything as much as this.”
“It is powerful, isn’t it?” Laura said and took his arm as they moved to the exit. The crowd in the aisle served to push them closer together, causing her breast to again press against his arm. This in turn caused an arousal that reached to the center of Johnny’s being. I hope no one notices, he thought as they moved along.
After a dinner at the Palace Hotel, the carriage delivered Johnny and Laura to her home. Holding her hand, he walked her to the door. She turned to face him. “Jonathon, that was one of the most enjoyable evenings I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for asking me.”
Looking into her eyes that sparkled in the light of the full moon, he raised his arms, still holding her hand. She came readily into the outstretched arms. With her head slightly tilted back, he lowered his and found her lips. They touched. The contact electrified him as he pressed closer. Her lips parted and his tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips. It was a kiss as tender and light as a soft summer breeze.
She drew his face to hers in a renewed embrace, The touch of his lips on hers had sent a shock through her entire body. She drank in the sweetness of his kiss. Her body hummed. Her emotions whirling, she stepped back, “I think I had better go in now. It has been a wonderful evening. Please ask me again.”
With reluctance, Johnny backed away. “I am just realizing my boorish behavior has cost me. You’ve taught me a big lesson.” Leaning down, he kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Good night, Laura. Thank you for one of the best evenings of my life.”
She smiled. “Good night, Jonathon”, then went inside. Johnny watched until a light came on and walked on air to his carriage and went home.
Chapter 11: A Growing Relationship
When Johnny walked in, he found Rebecca sitting on the couch, her legs tucked under her. “You’re out a bit late, aren’t you, little brother?”
“I don’t know, am I?” he answered.
“It’s after midnight,” she said. “How was your evening?”
“Fabulous,” he said. “It was the nicest evening I’ve ever had. We went to the Sousa concert and then had dinner at the Palace. It was perfect.”
“Are you going to ask her out again?” she asked.
“I am, as often as she will go,” he said.
“Advice from a big sister? Don’t push. Take it easy, and, Johnny, if you hurt that girl, I will never forgive you. I mean that. She’s a special one. Her kind doesn’t come along often.”
“Beck, hurting her is the last thing I would ever do. When I think back to the way I’ve been with her, I’m ashamed. I apologize several times, and I think she accepted.
”I think she could be the one. I don’t want to mess this up.
“What did you and Bill do?”
“We had dinner and then went dancing. He’s good company. I just wish we weren’t so far apart. I really like him.”
“When are you going back to Houston?” he asked.
“Tomorrow. I would like to stay longer, but there are some things I have to get done.”
* * *
Johnny asked Laura out for dinner on Friday, and she readily agreed. After working together, a new closeness had developed. The accidental touches brought a smile and a squeeze of the hand. He found himself thinking of her at all hours. With Rebecca back in Houston, there was an emptiness in his home he had never noticed.
His desire to rid himself of her in his work life had evaporated, and he enjoyed their working together. His false evaluation forgotten, he looked forward to his time with her. Friday after work, they went to the Gusher together, surprising their co-workers. The men from the office made their surprise at his presence known. He began enjoying the back and forth kidding. A completely different Johnny was emerging, but he still felt the pangs of jealousy when one of the other men flirted with her. It hurt when she flirted back.
Over the next week, they had three dinners together. The good night kisses were getting steamier. She responded to them with an increasing passion. They had begun sitting in the swing on the porch instead of standing and kissing good night in front of the door. Laura was sitting in his lap for the first time, their lips locked together. His hand moved to her breast and she tightened her arms around his neck, making no effort to move his hand. As he began to gently massage the breast, she moaned, and placed her hand on his and squeezed it gently. She felt her nipples harden. She pulled back.
“Jonathon, I think we need to slow down. I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to push you.”
She kissed his lips. “No, don’t apologize. I liked it. I liked it too much. I don’t want to get hurt.”
“I’m not going to hurt you. Besides, Rebecca would kill me if I did. I think we have something special growing and I don’t want to mess it up.”
“I feel that way too. Will you do something for me?” she asked.
“Mother and Papa are going to be in town next week. I would like for us to have dinner with them. Will you? It would mean a lot for them to know the man that has come to mean so much to me.”
“I would love to. Meeting the parents of such a lovely girl will be a treat. Just let me know
the time and the place.”
Two days later, she told him her mother and father would be in town the next day. Since her apartment was so small, they would stay at the Palace and would join them for dinner there.
“Mama, Papa, this is Jonathon Thomas. This is my mother, Elizabeth and my father, Hank.”
“So you’re the man my little girl has been so anxious for us to meet?” Hank Ingram said. “I’m pleased we finally have the opportunity. Laura has told us so much about you, it’s almost legendary.” They shook hands firmly.
In a soft voice, reminiscent of Laura’s, Elizabeth said, “Jonathon, it is a pleasure to be able to put a face with the mental picture Laura has created of you.”
“Thank you both. I assure it is my pleasure. Your daughter is a special girl. She has a real talent for what we’re doing in the office. Her insight is helping us to look at things from several new directions.”
“Is your family in the oil business?” Hank asked.
“No sir, at least not yet. I think there is a possibility it might happen though. For now, they raise cotton. They have a farm outside Marshall.”
“Are you an only child?” Elizabeth asked.
“No ma’am. I have two sisters, he said. I grew up in a house full of females,” and then he laughed.
Laura said, “Mama, one of his sisters, Rebecca, is a lawyer in Houston, the other is a doctor in New Orleans. I haven’t met Cassie, who is the doctor, but Rebecca is one of the smartest people I know.”
“She told you that, did she?” Johnny asked with a smile. “Becky got all of the brains in the family. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from UT while Cassie did the same at Tulane. They were a rough act for me to follow in the Marshall schools. I’m glad they couldn’t go to A&M. At least I wasn’t under their shadow there.
“By the way, Laura, Cassie has accepted a chair at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. You will probably meet her before long.”
“I’ll look forward to picking her brain about you,” she said.
“Son, you don’t have a chance. We both live in a world dominated by the women,” her father said.
Laura’s front porch…
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled his head down and kissed him. “You were a big hit. They really liked you. Papa clams up when he doesn’t like someone, and he doesn’t suffer fools. I was proud of you.
After a long, slow, passionate kiss, Laura looked up and said, “Would you like to come in for a while?”
“Yes, I would like that,” Johnny said, his voice full of desire.
Laura stood, took his hand, opened the door and led the way to her apartment. Closing the door, she turned into his arms. She looked straight into his eyes and said, “I would like for you to…”
Chapter 12: Consumated Love
“…make love to me, Jonathon.”
She led the way down the hall to her bedroom. “I would like for you to undress me,” she said, and turned her back to him, then lifted her arms above her head.
With trembling fingers, Jonathon began unhooking the loops on the back of her dress. He lifted the unbuttoned garment over her head and laid it across the boudoir chair. He then peeled the next layer and discarded it. Standing in front of him, clad in her chemise and pantaloons, she unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the chair. She pulled his undershirt over his head and laid it on top of the shirt.
Standing bare chested, he removed her chemise, then pulled her against his chest. Her breasts crushed against him, the nipples searing his chest, he kissed her deeply. A kiss she returned with fervor. Holding her at arm's length, he said, “I want to look at you.”
She did a slow pirouette, her pert breasts, as fine as the whitest marble. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world,” he said, his voice ragged with emotion.
“Now you,” she said, and unbuckled his pants, letting them fall to the floor. She peeled his shorts down and he stepped out of them. He turned slowly in a full circle. She pressed against him. “Make love to me.”
She pulled back the covers on the bed and lay down looking up into his face. He reached into the pocket of his trousers. She heard a tearing sound, then another sound as he sheathed himself.
“Jonathon, be gentle. You’re the first.”
Startled by the revelation, he asked, “Laura, are you sure? Are you really sure you want to do this? The first time is a special time.”
“I’m sure. I love you and I want you to make love to me. Now.”
Gently, he tenderly made love to her, wincing as she cried out with pain. Afterward, as they lay in each other’s arms, he said, “Laura, I love you with all my heart. I’ve been such a fool and you just gave me the greatest gift a woman can give a man.”
Slowly, they made love again. “It wasn’t as painful as the first time,” she said. “Hold me tight, and tell me again what you said. I want to hear it again just to be sure I heard you correctly the first time.”
“I love you, Laura Ingram.” They fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Before dawn, he got out of the bed and began dressing. After he pulled up his pants, he faced the bed. She was awake and watching him. “I wish you didn’t have to go. We’ve wasted so much time,” she said. “At least, that’s behind us now.”
Fully dressed, he leaned down and kissed her. “You taste so sweet,” he said. “I’ll call you later.”
“I do love you,” she said.
“I know,” he said.
* * *
At home, Jonathon looked in the mirror. He was furious with himself. He did not like the man looking back at him. “You are the most despicable person in the world. What you did is unforgivable. Your mother would be ashamed of you.” No more ashamed than I am of myself, he thought.
Oh God, the evaluation. I’ve got to do something about the evaluation I wrote. She would be devastated if she knew about the it. I have to stop it. I’ll have to talk to Bill. Maybe he can help me.
Like Bill, Jonathon always arrived at the office early. He was even earlier, this Monday. When he saw Bill, he went to his office and knocked on the door. “I’ve got to talk to you, Bill. I’ve done something terrible and I need your help. I’m desperate.”
“Close the door and sit down. What is this terrible thing you say you did?”
“The evaluation I wrote for Laura was bad. Really bad. And untrue.”
“What do you mean? Why would you do such a thing?” Bill asked.
“I wanted to work alone and saw this as a chance to get rid of her.”
“I don’t believe this,” Bill said.
“It’s true. Can you get it stopped? We’ve got to get it stopped. We have to. Bill, I’m in love with her. You have to help me.”
“Jonathon, I don’t want to help you. I don’t want anything to do with you. In fact, I’m probably going to recommend you be separated from the company. Now get out of here and let me see if I can fix this mess you’ve created.”
A contrite Jonathon walked slowly back to his office, just as Laura walked in. “Good morning, Jonathon,” she said. “I slept like the dead, last night. What about you?”
He mumbled an unintelligible response, and walked on into his office, followed by Laura. “What’s wrong, Jonathon? You look terrible. Are you upset with me?” she asked, her voice betraying her concern.
He sat there, his head in his hands.
“Jonathon, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong? Talk to me, please, talk to me.”
He raised his head, his eyes brimming with tears. “Laura, three weeks ago, I wrote your probationary evaluation. I said several things, none of them good.”
“What kind of things,” she asked.
“I said, you weren’t a good fit, and were not a team player. I said you didn’t have the skills to work in this part of the business. I recommended that you be reassigned to an administrative position in the home office.
“At the time, I just wanted to work alone. It was before I fell in love with you. I just told B
ill. I pleaded with him to see if he can get it blocked. He’s calling the home office now.
“I know you must hate me, but no more than I hate myself. I hate what I have become, and then I took advantage of you last night. I am a horrible person, Laura. It would be best for me to go back to our farm.”
“First of all, you didn’t take advantage of me last night. I loved you and wanted to share my love with you. I had the idea you felt the same way about me.
“Now, you’re having a big pity party? Feeling sorry for yourself after stabbing me in the back. Don’t you dare feel sorry for me,” she said. “You have ruined something for me that was very special. You have ruined our love for each other and our chance at a wonderful life. I feel sorry for you, Jonathon. You do whatever you have to do, but leave me out of it. You have killed any respect I had for you.” The tears streamed down her cheeks, as she left his office.
Texas OilMan's Bride (Mail Order Bride Series) Page 6
