Brian told him about the suitcase and books and about the visions she had experienced. He left out any mention of their amorous activities.
“So, her name is Sarah?” Liam asked, nailing a board in place.
“We believe it is,” Brian grumbled.
Liam noticed his brother’s foul mood, but he didn’t comment. Brian would confide in him when he was good and ready, and not a moment before. They worked steadily for the rest of the morning. When they returned to the cabin for lunch, a wonderful aroma greeted them at the door.
Sarah was in the kitchen, and she had cooked a large pot of stew. She smiled hesitantly at Liam and gave a much warmer smile of welcome to Brian.
“I thought you might enjoy some hot stew on a cold day like today.”
Brian returned her smile.“That sounds perfect. Sarah, this is my younger brother. Liam, this is Sarah.”
It was still difficult for Brian to call her by name, but Liam didn’t seem to notice anything amiss as he exchanged greetings with their guest.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sarah.” Liam grinned, seeing her up close for the first time.“We seldom have a woman as pretty as you around the place. In fact, only my new sister-in-law is a match to your beauty.”
Sarah blushed from the compliment.“Thank you, Liam. If I didn’t know better, I would swear you are trying to charm me just to get a taste of my stew.”
Brian laughed. He was glad to see that she could hold her own with his charming brother.“You’d better watch it, Liam. She’s got you figured out already.” Brian tossed a thumb toward Liam.“This guy has a bottomless pit for a stomach. He’d do anything to get fed.”
Sarah laughed while Liam merely shrugged.“Well, lucky for you, I made a big pot of stew.”
They washed their hands and sat down to eat. Sarah ladled generous portions of the thick, hearty stew onto their plates. She had made hot rolls, and she brought them to the table, still steaming from the oven. They tasted the food, and the two brothers were effusive with their praise as they polished off their plates and asked for more.
“These hot rolls are the lightest, most delicious rolls I’ve ever had,” Brian said, spreading his with a generous amount of soft butter before he bit off a piece.“Mmmm, heavenly.” He shot Sarah a grin as he chewed.
She was pleased, and she watched with delight as he reached for another roll.“I’m glad you like them. It’s an old family recipe.” As soon as she had said the words, she stopped, frowning in confusion.“How did I know that?” she mused aloud.“I made the rolls from scratch, without a recipe. It didn’t occur to me until now, but I wonder how I knew how to make them.”
Seeing her discomfort, Liam interrupted her thoughts.“I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, I want to know the recipe for this stew. It’s the best stew I’ve eaten since I left Kentucky,” Liam declared with a satisfied sigh. He looked at Sarah and grinned, and she forgot her moment of uncertainty.“We might just keep you around.”
Sarah laughed, nibbling her roll.“That was my plan. I thought if I could just please your taste buds, you would let me stay the night.”
“You can stay forever, as far as I’m concerned,” Brian said.
Sarah met his eye across the table, and her heart hammered against her ribs. He had made the comment sound light hearted and teasing, but the depth of feeling she glimpsed in his luminous green eyes awed her. Even though their circumstances were uncertain, it thrilled her to know Brian cared so much for her. She glanced nervously at Liam and was relieved to see that he had missed the exchange.
They finished the meal, and the men returned to work. Sarah cleaned up the dishes, and then wandered through the cabin, wondering how she could occupy her time. She remembered the clothes in the suitcase, and she went to inspect them.
She laid the dresses on the bed, looking at them closely. They were finely made, with neat stitches applied to all the seams. They didn’t look overly expensive, but they were fashionable and feminine. She quickly undressed and donned one of the dresses, looking at the result in the mirror. The garment hugged her body perfectly, conforming to every curve of her hips, waist and bosom. Even the length of the skirt was appropriate for her height. There was no question that the clothes belonged to her.
Once again, she picked up the book of sonnets, running her hand over the cover. A flashing image passed through her mind, and she laid down on the bed, closing her eyes in concentration. The image returned, stronger the second time.
She saw the man in the photo, only he looked older. He was sitting on the bench of a wagon, and she was sitting beside him, reading to him from the book of sonnets. Although the poem she was reading was a love sonnet, she didn’t have the feeling that the man was her lover. Instead, they were discussing the poem, and the man had a sad, faraway look in his eye as she read a particular passage to him.
As quickly as it had appeared, the vision vanished. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She was surprised to realize that she was breathing normally. Instead of feeling distressed, she felt happy, peaceful, and safe. She sat up and studied the photo again, looking for anything that might stir a memory. She sighed when she was unable to remember anything else.
She packed her things away and sighed. She was bored, and she decided to go see what Brian and Liam were doing. She could hear them hammering, and she saw a new cabin nearby.
She admired the structure as she approached. It had been neatly built, and she could see that the two brothers were nearly finished with the outside construction. They had completed the walls, roof, floor, fireplace, and porch. They had to install windows and doors, and complete the inside, and it would be ready to move in.
Brian spotted her and waved her over.“What do you think?”
“I think it’s wonderful,” she said with enthusiasm.“But I thought you said it would take more than a week to finish.”
The two brothers laughed before Brian answered her with a grin.“We’ve been lucky. The weather has been cooperative, and we are far ahead of schedule. I suspect we will finish with a few days to spare before Aidan and Naomi get home from their honeymoon.”
“Brian, that’s wonderful. What you two are doing for your brother and his wife is so thoughtful,” she said, admiring the interior. The new cabin was very similar to their existing home. She could clearly see the pride and workmanship the two brothers had invested.“I’m sure they will be very pleased.”
Sarah watched as Brian and Liam carefully installed a pane of glass in a wooden frame. She frowned, remembering her impressions of their cabin. It had lacked the coziness that came from the finishing touches, the things that only a woman could bring to turn a house into a home.
Suddenly, she had an idea. Maybe there was something she could do to repay Brian for his kindness.
“Brian, why don’t I make some curtains for the new cabin? It would be so much more homey and welcoming when the newlyweds arrive.”
Brian glanced at her thoughtfully.“I hadn’t thought of that, but it would be a nice touch. I could pick up some fabric tomorrow when I go into town.”
Sarah was suddenly excited about the prospect of having a project to keep her busy, and her eyes were shining as she smiled at him.“I’ll make a list for you of what I need. I love to sew. This will be fun!”
Her smile abruptly faded, and her brow knitted as she looked away. Brian frowned, wondering about her change of mood.
“What’s the matter? You look like something is bothering you.”
Sarah chewed on her bottom lip.“I’m just wondering how I know that I love to sew. I don’t have any memories of sewing, but somehow, I just know that I love it. I have the impression that I’m quite an accomplished seamstress, even though I can’t recall ever making a single thing. Isn’t that strange?”
Brian and Liam exchanged glances. After lunch, they had been discussing what a good cook Sarah was. They wondered how she had remembered the recipe for the hot rolls when she couldn’t
seem to remember anything about her past. It was puzzling.
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Brian assured her with a smile.“Sooner or later, the pieces of your memory will come together.”
She returned his smile, grateful for his understanding.“You’re right, of course. There seems to be no rhyme or reason about which things I remember. Things just seem to pop into my head.” She gave both men a smile before she turned to leave.“I’ll make a list for you right now. Then, I can start on the curtains tomorrow.”
Brian watched her go with longing in his eyes. The reasonable side of him realized that when her memory returned, she might be in love with another man. The barbarian side of him didn’t care. It was urging him to take her, make her his own, and keep her beside him regardless of what she wanted. The only problem was that he knew he would never force Sarah to stay.
Realizing that Liam was watching him closely, Brian raised an imperious brow.“Well, don’t just stand there staring at me. Let’s get this window installed.”
*****
That night, Sarah lay in Brian’s bed for the longest time, trying to get to sleep. Brian had been a perfect gentleman as he bid her goodnight and walked to his brother’s room. But she had seen the yearning in his clear, green eyes. She knew that he wanted her, and she wanted him just as badly.
Snuggled in his bed, she remembered the two times he had lain with her. She recalled in vivid detail every steamy kiss, every delightfully intimate caress. Brian had made her body thrum with pleasure. Just thinking about his lovemaking made her nipples tingle and her womanhood ache.
She wondered how he must feel. She knew he had foregone his own pleasure, while he had pleasured her so generously. His desire to claim her body, to make her his, was there in his eyes when he had said goodnight to her. She knew that he could pleasure her even more completely, if she asked him.
The temptation to go to him, to ask him to claim her body completely, was strong. It would be a simple matter to join him in his brother’s bedroom. She felt certain that he would welcome her, even though she knew he was battling with his own conscience, trying to do the right thing.
She tossed and turned, trying to quash her desires, so that she could sleep. Finally, she rose from the bed and retrieved the sketchbook from her suitcase. She lit a lantern and examined the drawings more closely.
They were all very good. If this was her own work, she should be proud. There were drawings of people in all different settings. Their faces had been rendered with attention to the smallest details, and the artist had managed to capture their emotions perfectly.
She turned to the drawing of the man in the photo and studied it intently. He was looking at the artist with love and tenderness shining in his eyes. She concentrated hard, searching her memory for some hint of who he might be. Try as she might, she couldn’t remember him. Still, she felt connected to him somehow. If she was the artist, he obviously loved her. Did she love him too?
She flipped to a blank page near the back of the sketchbook and began to draw. At first, her hand trembled, and she felt at a loss. But then, she began to relax, and her hand fairly flew across the paper, almost of its own accord. After a short while, a striking image of Brian’s face appeared on the page.
She gasped softly. She had rendered him from memory in startling detail, and the style was the same as the others. Her heart pounded in her chest. She was obviously the artist who had drawn the other images. That meant that she must know the man in the picture. But was he the same man as the one in her visions?
She closed her eyes and tried desperately to remember his face. It hovered just out of reach, taunting her. A dull ache began in her temples, and she gave up the effort with a sigh.
She set her sketchbook aside and extinguished the lamp. After a long time, she managed to sleep.
*****
Three days passed. Three of the longest, most frustrating days that Sarah could imagine. She racked her brain for memories, but none came. At least no substantial ones. She occasionally had a flash of memory … some small incident … some insignificant event. But there were no memories that would solve the mystery of her past.
Brian continued to keep her at arm’s length. He was polite and caring … a perfect gentleman. He didn’t kiss her or caress her. He didn’t embrace her. He didn’t do anything to tempt her. And yet, every time she was with him, she was tempted to beg him to make love to her again.
If the days were frustrating, the nights were pure hell. Every night, she tossed and turned in Brian’s bed. She remembered every detail of his lovemaking, and her body burned for him.
She got very little sleep, and she began to be plagued by fatigue. She knew that Brian was suffering as well. He had shadows beneath his eyes, and she could hear him at night, tossing just like her on the bed in the next room. She sensed that if she were to give herself to him, she could bring him relief … just as he had done for her.
Once that idea began to form in her mind, it grew and blossomed. It soon became an obsession. She fantasized about going to him. She wanted so desperately for him to make love to her again. Everything he had done with her body had felt delicious. And yet, she knew there was even more to experience, if she wanted to.
She debated with herself constantly. She knew it was wrong to give herself to Brian. If she was married, she would be committing adultery. If she was engaged, she would be turning her back on her fiancé … the man she loved. Her conscience kept reminding her of those things, but her traitorous body kept urging her into Brian’s arms.
By the evening of the fourth day, she was strung as tight as a bow string. She was skittish and restless. She fidgeted nervously whenever she was in Brian’s presence. It was torment.
After supper, Brian and Liam stepped out onto the porch and were speaking to each other in low voices. Sarah was busy washing the dishes. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but they were standing near the kitchen window, and she could hear them quietly talking.
“I’m going to Harvey’s,” Liam said.“Do you want to come along?”
“No. I’m not in the mood for a whore right now. I’ll stay here with Sarah.”
“Come on, Brian. You know you need some relief. I’m not blind. I’ve seen the way you are these last few days. Spending the evening with one of Harvey’s girls will do you a world of good.”
Sarah’s heart raced as she waited for Brian’s answer. The thought of him with another woman made her feel sick. She peeked out the corner of the window to see his reaction.
Brian sighed and scuffed his toe on the boards of the porch. For the first time ever, he wasn’t the least bit interested in visiting the saloon. The only woman he wanted was Sarah. He ached for her … to the point of constant distraction. He knew that no other woman could ease that ache. However, he also knew that Liam would continue to argue with him if he didn’t agree to go with him. He would pretend to agree just to avoid arguing, but he had no intention of actually following through.
“Fine,” Brian said.“I’ll tell you what … you go ahead now. I’m going to take a bath, and then I’ll meet you there in about an hour.”
“I don’t mind waiting for you,” Liam offered.
“No, that’s alright. I’ll be right behind you. I just need to clean up and change clothes first.”
Liam nodded his acceptance.“Alright, but don’t take too long. You know the place always gets busy on Saturday night. If you want your choice of women, you’d best get there early.”
Brian nodded but didn’t answer. His choice of woman was inside washing dishes. Any other woman paled in comparison.
He watched as Liam crossed to the barn to saddle his horse. Within minutes, Liam reappeared, mounted his horse, gave him a brief salute, and rode off toward town. Brian heaved a deep sigh. He wished he could assuage his need so easily.
He entered the cabin and shed his coat. Sarah was still busy cleaning up the supper dishes, and she fidgeted nervously beneath his steady regard. The fact that they w
ere alone only made the temptation worse. It was all he could do to keep from sweeping her into his arms, carrying her to his bed, and ravishing her.
Instead, he filled a basin with hot water from the stove. He avoided looking at Sarah as he carried it toward the bathing room.
“I’m going to take a bath,” he said, not waiting for her answer.
Sarah felt her eyes fill with tears as she watched his retreating back. She didn’t want him to go into town. She couldn’t stomach the thought of him in another woman’s arms.
The minutes passed with excruciating slowness as her body and heart waged a war with her conscience. If she went to him and offered her body to him, she was certain that he wouldn’t refuse. It would be wrong on so many levels. It would likely be adultery, or at the least, betraying a fiancé. However, that didn’t seem all that important, all of a sudden.
If offering herself to Brian was the only way to keep him from seeking the favors of a whore, she would do it. If she was totally honest with herself, she was eager to do it.
She finished the dishes and drew a shaky breath. Realizing that her conscience had lost the battle, she dried her hands and untied her apron. Her heart was pounding with uncertainty, but she walked to the bathing chamber. Her hand trembled on the knob. She closed her eyes briefly and prayed for courage. Before she could chicken out, she opened the door and entered the room.
The sight that greeted her as she quickly closed the door and leaned back against it made her eyes widen and her mouth form a surprised O. Brian was standing in the middle of the room with his back turned toward her. He was wonderfully, magnificently, tantalizingly naked.
Her eyes scanned his body with greedy delight. The broad expanse of his back was sculpted with muscles that rippled and flowed. They tapered down to a trim waist. The deeply tanned skin was a startling contrast to the whiteness of his delectable bottom. Two firm, perfectly shaped buttocks made her palms itch to touch them. The twin columns of his thighs and calves were beautiful.
He had just finished drying himself after his bath, and he turned to look at her from over one broad shoulder. For a brief moment, he appeared surprised to see her. Then, he slowly turned to face her, and he deliberately draped the towel over a nearby chair. He made no effort to shield himself from her gaze.
Naughty Angel: Brian's Bride (The McKenzie Series #2) Page 6
