Her Wyoming Man Page 8

  Ella had the impression that if she hadn’t been there, Paul would have kissed his wife…or perhaps more.

  “Pleasure to see you, ma’am,” he told Ella with a nod, then plucked his hat from a hook and exited the house.

  Ella glanced at Celeste, surprised by the expression on her face as she watched him leave, and relieved that so far this match had truly been a good one.

  They talked about their church experience and Celeste asked about the house and the staff. She made them each a sandwich, and after another cup of tea, Ella thanked her and headed for home.

  On the way back, Ella thought about what she’d heard and seen. She asked Pete to stop again, so she could gather more of the shooting stars to take home. The man cheerfully dropped her off at the house, put the buggy in the carriage house and returned the horse to the livery.

  Ella changed clothing and stewed about a marriage consummation while she helped Charlotte get out plates and prepare the evening meal. The wildflowers held a prominent position in the center of the table. She’d never had the impression that Nathan was holding back because of doubts about her or that their union might not work out. He’d seemed genuinely concerned that it was her tender sensibilities he was protecting.

  Thinking that there was the slightest risk their marriage might not yet be legal gave her more cause to be concerned for her security. With every fiber of her being, she wanted to stay.

  Lightning flashed beyond the windows of Nathan’s study that evening. He rose and tugged the drapes closed.

  “Is there a storm?” Christopher asked.

  “It’s just a spring rain,” Nathan replied.

  Grace’s gaze traveled to the closed drapery and back to Nathan. She got up and darted to the window, where she parted the panels and stared out into the night.

  “Just rain,” Nathan told her. He glanced at Ella. “We received an invitation. The Crandalls are holding a Spring Gala next Saturday.”

  “What exactly is a Spring Gala?” Ella asked.

  “An excuse to have a get-together with bouquets of flowers everywhere.” He grinned. “And an opportunity for those in the community who haven’t yet met you to do so.”

  Grace returned from the window and leaned into Nathan’s lap, attempting to climb. He sat straighter and helped her up, where she made herself comfortable.

  “It’s nearly bedtime, buttercup,” he told her.

  She pointed to the bookshelves.

  “What is it you want?” Ella asked, hoping for a reply.

  Grace pointed again.

  “I wish we knew what she wanted,” Ella said to Nathan.

  The little girl jumped down from his lap, ran to the bookcase and stood on tiptoe to reach the volume she wanted. The children’s books were within easy reach on the lower shelves. She brought her selection back to Nathan and backed up so he’d lift her.

  Ella had to admit the little girl got her point across without speaking.

  Nathan opened the book and read the story. Ella was listening, watching Nathan’s expressions and Grace’s rapt face when she noticed the touch on her forearm. She glanced at Robby.

  “Up?” he asked.

  Surprised, she lifted him onto her lap and settled him so he could watch his father read. “I see, too!” he interrupted.

  Nathan patted the divan beside him. Ella got up, carrying Robby, and moved to sit beside him so Robby could see the pictures. Her shoulder fit right below Nathan’s, their upper arms molded together.

  The mantel clock chimed a melodious sound, drawing her attention to the time. Her mind carried her back to evenings in Dodge, and the contrast in what she was doing now compared to what she’d have been doing had she stayed. What she’d done all of those evenings at Madame Fairchild’s.

  Mondays and Fridays had been Ansel’s of course, but on Thursdays, one of the girls had a client who paid to have her watch. Ella hadn’t known anything different. Those experiences had been normal—and until now she hadn’t questioned normal.

  She had often played the piano for the gathering, pretending not to notice any interaction between the girls and their gentlemen before they headed upstairs.

  Hearing Celeste talk about Paul today, learning more about Nathan and seeing how lovingly these youngsters were treated—all of it pointed out just how sordid her past had been. Every day showed her more reasons to be grateful she was no longer in Kansas. And more reason to make certain she never returned to a life like that.

  Robby was a lapful, but she appreciated his weight and his little boy wiggles and laughs. He leaned forward to point to a drawing on the pages and then turned to Ella with a question in his eyes.

  “It’s a frog,” she told him.

  “Wa-a-a-a-a-a-pft!” he said with his lips pursed and his chin tucked down, imitating a croak.

  She laughed, and he burst into giggles.

  Ella’s eyes burned with unshed tears at the joy she experienced knowing the three young Lantrys were loved and that they had a bright future ahead of them. Nathan would stop at nothing to protect them and see to their education and happiness. These were her first glimpses of the advantages and innocence she had missed out on. She’d never truly understood the depth of her childhood hardship until now.

  That recognition dredged up a deep sadness and a longing for something that could never be replaced.

  “Time to prepare for bed,” Nathan said, interrupting her thoughts.

  Robby jumped down and ran for the hall. Christopher picked up his toys before following. Grace wrapped her arms around Nathan’s neck and waited for him to stand and carry her.

  “Are all daughters daddy’s girls?” Nathan asked with a grin.

  She replied with only a smile. She knew nothing of daddies.

  Once the children were washed and changed and tucked into their beds, the two adults returned to his study and Nathan offered her a glass of sherry. “Did you have a pleasant visit today?”

  “Indeed. Celeste is doing well,” she told him. “She seems quite content with Mr. Adams.”

  “News is Tom Bradbury is seeing your friend, Miss Kellie. Tom works at the bank and has a place on the street just east of here.”

  This Bradbury fellow must be well-to-do then. “Another admirable friend of yours?”

  He nodded. “A fine upstanding citizen, Tom is.”

  It didn’t surprise her that Lena had set her sights on a man who was probably the second wealthiest in town.

  Ella carried her glass to the window and pulled a drape panel aside to look out at the night. Drops of rain glistened on the windowpanes.

  “Are you lonely here?”

  His voice so near surprised her. She looked over her shoulder to find him disturbingly close, casually holding his glass, his gaze on the night. “No. Of course not.”

  “Will you tell me—if you ever feel lonely?”

  “I doubt I will have occasion. The house is filled with activity in the evening. During the day Grace and Robby are good company.”

  “Grace doesn’t talk,” he remarked.

  “That will change,” she assured him.

  “But you would tell me?” he insisted. “A person can be lonely in a sea of people and activity.”

  His concern touched her. “Yes, I would tell you. Because you have asked me.” She turned to face him, letting the curtain fall back. “Are you lonely?”

  He glanced at the liquid in his glass. “I didn’t realize it, but I was…before you came.”

  “And now?”

  He raised his head. “Now I have you.”

  “You barely know me.”

  He tilted his head. “I know enough. You’re smart. And sensitive. And I’ve never seen anyone who appreciates learning new things or who gives her whole heart to each day the way you do. Sometimes I recognize that you’re as innocent as one of the children, and the next moment your eyes or something you say reflects the pain of a person who has lived a long difficult life. You’re a puzzle.”

  “I’m not
complicated,” she denied with a shake of her head.

  “But you’re a mystery.”

  She sipped her sherry. “I’m not attempting to be mysterious.”

  A clap of thunder startled her, and she took a step away from the window, toward him.

  “Are you afraid of storms?” he asked.

  The thunder had merely surprised her, but immediately, she remembered Celeste’s words about making their marriage legal. “Well…honestly—” she gazed up at him “—I’m embarrassed to admit that lightning and thunder frighten me.” She took another step closer to Nathan.

  He took her glass and set both on a nearby table before turning back to enfold her in his arms. “There’s nothing to fear. You’re safe here.”

  Ella rested her cheek against the front of his shirt. He’d removed his jacket after dinner, so when she reached for his upper arm, only the soft fabric of his linen shirt separated her from solid muscle and warm skin. She closed her eyes and experienced the masculine scents of starch and shaving soap that were uniquely his.

  She wasn’t afraid of storms; never had been. Fear didn’t come from what went on in the heavens; it came from what went on behind closed doors. The thought of outliving her usefulness and beauty and ending up like her mother was what terrified her. That’s why she was here. Her keen sense of self-preservation precluded all other fears.

  The hand he’d placed at the small of her back moved in reassuring circles. He raised his other to play with the hair at her nape, sending a shiver down her spine.

  Lifting her head from its resting place, she studied him. His eyes were dark, but not brown or black. They were a deep hazel, with flecks of green and fringed by dark lashes. He had kind eyes that softened his otherwise stern features and well-defined lips.

  “You’re safe here,” he said.

  “Yes, I believe I am,” she answered. As long as he never learned the truth about her.

  Ella stroked his hard biceps, then his shoulder through the crisp fabric, letting her fingertips trail down the front of his shirt.

  Beneath her touch, his chest muscles tensed. He lowered his eyelids briefly, and when he opened his eyes again, his hooded gaze riveted on her mouth.

  “You’re welcome to kiss me,” she offered, then added, “Husband.”

  Desire flashed in his eyes, but with the restraint of a saint, he waited Ella had seen her opportunity, and not to be dissuaded by his puzzling hesitation, she said more boldly, “Kiss me, Nathan.”

  He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his, and she welcomed the contact in yet another surprising discovery. She liked kissing him. A lot. He tasted hot and sweet, and the sheer pleasure stole her breath. Ella closed her eyes and gave herself over to the magical experience, reaching up to cradle his jaw.

  At her touch against his face, he angled his head for a deeper, more thorough kiss, and she would have whimpered if she’d had the strength or the breath. Her knees quivered, and she clung to him.

  Nathan supported Ella’s weight easily, welcomed it in fact. Everything about her was delicate and soft and…and unbelievably arousing. She was the most generous woman he’d ever known, relentlessly giving of herself and her time. He strove only to hold himself in reserve, while she gave selflessly. The contrast shamed him. He shouldn’t be taking advantage of her this way, but he couldn’t resist.

  He nipped at her generous bottom lip, traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, and she parted them in enthusiastic welcome. To his surprise and pleasure, she returned the bold kiss, taking the encounter to a hotter, more intense level. His desire for her hadn’t needed fuel to burn at this white-hot fever.

  It took a few seconds to realize the thundering wasn’t in his head or his body, but rather the force of the storm gaining intensity outside the windows.

  Ella pulled back enough to whisper, “May I stay with you tonight?”

  “Ella—” he began.

  “I’ll feel safe with you,” she interrupted.

  How could he deny her anything? “If you wish,” he replied.

  Resting her palm on his chest, she studied him. “You’ll wait outside my door while I change?”

  “I’ll wait,” he promised.

  She stood near while he banked the fire and turned out the lamps, then he took her hand and led her up the stairs.

  “I’ll only be a moment,” she assured him. “I’ll leave the door ajar.” He waited in the hall, the rustle of her clothing setting his skin on fire.

  She returned in a luminous white nightdress, and he took her hand so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her through the fabric. She’d be naked underneath, and there wasn’t enough of the silky covering to hide or protect her.

  He opened the door to his room, and she entered ahead of him in the darkness. “You take the bed,” he offered.

  He could recline in the overstuffed chair while she slept.

  “I can’t take your bed if you’re not going to sleep,” she said. “You need your rest for work tomorrow.” She took a step toward the door. “I’ll just go to my own room.”

  “No.”

  The word stopped her and she turned to face him.

  “Stay,” he said.

  “All right.” In the darkness, she peeled back the coverlet and sheet and climbed into his bed.

  Nathan’s heart pounded so hard she had to have heard it. He partially disrobed, leaving his trousers on, and moved to the bed, where she lay.

  This arrangement was not good for his plan. Or for his sanity or any plan for sleep.

  She lifted the covers to urge him forward. He knelt first, then slowly lowered himself to the mattress.

  Ella immediately reached for him, her smooth cool fingers skimming his chest. “I feel safe here with you.”

  She wasn’t. And she had no idea what she was doing to him. “Rest now, Ella.”

  She snuggled up against him, her head under his chin. “I can hear your heart beating. I like the sound.”

  Her seductive musky cinnamon scent closed around him, and her satiny cool hair brushed his chest like a silken caress. Pressed against him, her breasts were full and soft. “Ella, this isn’t a wise idea,” he managed to groan.

  “I like the way you make me feel, Nathan.”

  She raised her head and kissed him, and he saw stars behind his eyelids. Nathan lifted to one elbow and took control of the kiss. If she showed the least hesitation or fear, he would retreat.

  She wrapped her arm around his neck.

  As soon as he parted his lips, she met the deep greedy kiss, her breath catching in her throat. He wanted to give to this woman, please her. He wanted to make her his.

  Chapter Ten

  Ella fell into the kiss with all of her being, surprising herself…almost scaring herself. What was it about Nathan Lantry that made his kisses special, that made her want to discover more of this exciting and heart-stopping wonder?

  The barriers that had guarded her emotions and her heart for as long as she could remember had tumbled and lay beyond repair. She didn’t even have the desire to reconstruct them because everything about this felt so right. What had started out as her attempt to bind him to her for security’s sake had quickly become a living, breathing passion meant to explore and enjoy.

  “Ella,” he said against her lips, and the sound of her own name filled her with joy. Where the sweet response had come from, she had no idea. He trailed his fingers across her throat to her collarbone, and she’d never known a simple touch had the ability to elicit so much feeling. Her entire body wept with the pleasure, her breasts growing taut and sensitive. He spread his hand over one through the fabric of her nightdress, and she sighed with exquisite longing.

  She gave herself over to the satisfaction of reaching for him, glad to meet the hair-roughened skin of his chest, where she threaded her fingers before moving to explore his side, his firm back. He was so strong and young and vital, touching him took her breath away. The strength of his body was a sharp contrast to the gentlenes
s of his caresses as he drew a hand over her hip to her waist.

  He reached for the tiny buttons down the front of her gown, and she helped him, giving him access to press kisses down her throat, her chest, and draw maddening circles around her nipple with his hot tongue.

  Ella wasn’t prepared for the rush of expectation and wanting that spiraled from the center of her being outward.

  Lightning flashed, momentarily illuminating the room. Thunder followed, a rumble that shook the windowpanes. Ella delved her fingers in Nathan’s hair. He raised the silken fabric of her gown and trailed his lips across her abdomen and lower…lower yet, where his hot damp caresses magically transformed her from the woman she’d once been to the woman she wanted to be.

  She closed her eyes against the bursts of light from outdoors only to see more at the touch of his hands and lips and tongue. Without thought or hesitation, she gave herself over to the sensations he coaxed from deep within her. Her need for him, for his adoring touches was as basic as her need for air or food, equally demanding, equally intense.

  When she thought she couldn’t bear the exquisite torture another second, he took her tumbling over the edge of familiarity to a place of freedom and perfect rightness and release. Harsh tremors ebbed to a gentle quaking and a sublime relaxation of her limbs. Wanting to give back to him, she reached to guide him upward and take him to her. Instead of lowering his weight onto her waiting body, he gathered the comforter and pulled it up to cover her. Stretching out alongside her, he urged her to turn away so his body cupped hers from behind. The bulk of the covers separated them.

  “Nathan,” she said, confused.

  “Shh,” he said against her ear. “Just rest now.”

  “But, Nathan,” she tried again.

  “That was far beyond the boundaries of a courtship,” he told her. “But you still need time to trust me.” Trust him?

  “I won’t spoil what we might have by rushing you.” Though his voice was soft, his words were firm. He pushed the tangled hair from her neck and face so he could kiss her jaw.

  Nothing in Ella’s experience had prepared her for a man like this. Tender. Giving. Concerned for her well-being and placing what he assumed was her virtue above his needs and desires.