B00BWX9H30 EBOK (6 page)

When she opened her eyes she was looking into cool water blue ones attached to the incredibly handsome face of her husband.

She screamed.

He grinned.

Ella sat up quickly covering herself with her arms. “Nathan! What are you doing here?”

“Wondering where you were. I woke and you were gone from our bed.”

“Well, you found me. Now go away.” She pulled her hair forward over her shoulders hiding the scars on her neck and chest and covering her breast. The thick mass of curls covered her like a dark sable blanket, freeing her hand which dived to her lap.

He shook his head and knelt next to the tub. “I don’t think so. You need someone to scrub your back and clean those sores. Give me your soap.”

“No.” she hissed. “Go away.”

He smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He plunged his hand into the water finding her legs and pulling his hand up her leg, caressing her as he went.

“Nathan!” she squeaked. “Stop that.” She swatted at his hands and he took advantage to replace her hands with his, caressing her mound and eliciting a moan from her. His naked chest rubbed against her back and between his hand and his chest she was lost.

He chuckled and pulled his hand away. “Seriously. Give me your soap and I’ll wash your back.”

“Just my back and then you’ll go away?” she said handing him her soap.

“Maybe…after I help you rinse your hair.” He lathered his hands and rubbed them up and down her back. The strokes slow, his fingers gently kneading the sore, tired muscles with each pass. Then he brought them around to her front, massaging her stomach and caressing her as he moved up to her breasts. Around and around each one, tweaking her nipples.

She moaned and leaned back into his chest, giving him access to her. Forgetting for the moment her scars, her sores, her embarrassment, she simply felt and enjoyed the pleasure.

He was gentle and thorough. Then he pulled up her hair and she came back to her senses.

She grabbed her hair. “No. Don’t.”

“Ella, I’ve told you, your scars don’t bother me.”

“Maybe not, but they bother me.” Her head dropped to her chest. “Please. Don’t.”

He pulled his hands away from her. “As you wish. Stand and I’ll rinse you.”

“I can do it myself.”

“Stop being a ninny. I’m trying to help. As soon as you’re rinsed, I’ll leave you alone.”

She looked at him. He was upset with her and yet he still wanted to help her. He was her husband, but she couldn’t help her response. She hated her scars. As much as he said they didn’t matter, they did to her, but she stood anyway. He poured the contents of the bucket by the tub over her head and rinsed the soap from her hair and body. Then he handed her the towel, turned on his heel and left her alone.

She dried herself quickly put on her fresh nightgown, cleaned up the kitchen and then went to their bedroom. Nathan was still up, lying in bed with the covers riding low on his waist and his hard, naked chest staring at her, reminding her again how beautiful he was.

“Come to bed, Ella, but leave your nightgown off.”

“Why?”

“I want to see how the sores from that torture contraption you wore are healing. Don’t worry, I’m not going to make love to you, but I am going to hold you. I want you to get used to my body, to our bodies together. I want to learn every inch of you and for you to learn me. Scars and all. Let me ask you, do my scars bother you? Do you find them repulsive?”

She cocked her head to one side. “Are you fishing for compliments? No. Of course, not. They are a part of you and you are a handsome man with a beautiful body.”

“If that is true, why do you find it so hard to accept that I find you beautiful. Your scars are just another part of you. A part that is very important to me because it means you survived, you fought and you came to me.”

He pulled her body close to his. She felt his arousal pressing against her stomach. “I want you, Ella. You arouse me as no woman ever has.”

She turned her face up to him. “Truly?”

“Truly,” he said just before his lips claimed hers in a searing kiss she felt all the way to her toes.

Her arms came up around his neck and she pressed herself more fully against him.

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “You are my wife.
Mine
. That makes you the most desirable woman in the world to me.”

She smiled, suddenly feeling all warm inside. He wanted her. Her. As she was.

* * *

Daniel Adams followed Ella all the way to Golden City in the Colorado Territory. He hadn’t been able to get near to Joshua. His bodyguards were good at their jobs, but Ella…she’d left the city. She was trying to get away from him, though she couldn’t know that.

Their father had been very good at keeping Daniel a secret. He didn’t want his
legitimate
children to know he’d been unfaithful to their mother. Daniel was the oldest of Robert Davenport’s children, but Robert hadn’t been married to Daniel’s mother. She was his mistress. Daniel wouldn’t inherit anything. Robert saw to his upbringing and that was all. He didn’t figure he owed Daniel anything else. He was wrong. He owed Daniel everything and he was going to pay. Well, his children would pay now. Robert already paid with his life. Now it was time for Ella to pay with hers.

* * *

Ella woke to the most delicious sensations. Her breast was alive. Sensation upon sensation traveled through her. Nathan sucked on her nipple and she couldn’t help herself, she grabbed his head and held him to her. Willed him to continue the wicked things his mouth and tongue were doing to her. Continue giving her the delightful feelings that raced through her body.

He chuckled and raised his head despite her efforts to keep him to his task. “I see sleeping beauty is awake.” He bent his head, licked her nipple and then blew on it. The little peak rose, craving more attention.

“Nathan,” she said, her voice a mere whisper of breath.

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Come on sleepy head, time to get up and get dressed.”

It was morning, yet it was still black outside. “It’s still night,” she complained.

“It’s morning. The men and I start work as soon as the sun is up, so breakfast comes before that and you’re cooking, or at least helping Martha. I’d like for you to learn and take over all the cooking. Martha deserves to have some time off.”

“Of course.” She nodded and yawned.

“Get up and let’s see your sores.” He stood up, still naked as the day he was born.

Ella looked, stared, at his naked beauty before she looked up and saw his grin.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m very glad you like what you see. It is most gratifying.”

She closed her eyes and got up off her side of the bed. “It’s just new to me. I’m sure if I saw more naked men I would find you less fascinating.”

He fell onto the bed and grabbing her nightgown, pulled her down to the bed with him. She squealed.

“There will not be any seeing other men naked. You are stuck with this one.”

She started laughing.

He smiled and then laughed with her.

“I’m glad to see I can rouse some jealousy from you, husband.” Then she reached up and touched his cheek. “I want no other man.”

He bent his head and kissed her, first tenderly and then completely. “Good, because you’ll get no other. Now get up I want to see how your sores are this morning.”

She stood up. “They must be better, I don’t feel them.”

“Well. What are you waiting for?”

“I’m not used to undressing in front of anyone, much less a man.”

“How did you get your dresses made if you didn’t undress to get them fitted?”

“I made them myself.”

He raised his eyebrows “You sew that well?”

“I said I was going to make you a shirt.”

“Yes, and I was prepared to like it, though I figured the effort would be pitiful.”

She put her hands on her hips. “How dare you? My efforts are not pitiful. I make all my own clothes.”

“I can see that you’re a fine seamstress, so if you don’t take that nightgown off and I rip it off you, you can make yourself another one.”

She backed up clutching the neck of her gown to her. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He stalked her around the bed. “Wouldn’t I.”

“All right, all right, here,” she whipped the offending gown over her head.

Nathan came around the bed, clearly ready to make love to her. She closed her eyes.

She was unprepared for the gentleness with which he touched her. Lifted her breasts so he could see underneath them, turned her around so he could see her back.

“They’re better. The salve is working its magic. Get dressed and don’t even think of putting on that corset or the one I found in the drawer last night. I will destroy them if you make me.”

She marched in all her naked glory to the bureau and yanked open the drawer with her bloomers and chemises in it. Grabbing one of each she put the chemise on then took a pair of stockings from another drawer and rolled one up her leg. Only then did she notice Nathan, watching her, hunger in his eyes and on his face and lower…she could tell he liked watching. She decided to tease him a bit. She rolled the second stocking slowly up, watching his eyes darken. Then suddenly he was there. Punishing her with his lips.

“You shouldn’t tease a man who wants you as much as I do. It’s not nice.” Then he pushed her back on to the bed and came down upon her.

“Nathan?” She was as breathless as he was. “Nathan! Don’t. Not like this. Not yet.”

He stilled. His breathing rough. “You’re right. Forgive me.”

“No,” she shook her head. “It is you who must forgive me. I shouldn’t have teased you if I wasn’t prepared for the consequences. When next I tease you, it will be with full awareness and desire.”

She put her bloomers on and then went to the closet, grabbed a shirt and black skirt to wear with it. She jammed her arms into the blouse, buttoned it up and put on the skirt.

“Feel better?” Nathan said from the bed where he laid naked, his arms behind his head.

“Much, actually. It’s rather freeing not to wear a corset. I can actually bend over to put my shoes on. I haven’t been able to do that in years. Now rather than lying there with a…grin on your face you need to get ready, too.”

He yawned and rolled over, his back to her. “I think I’ll sleep for a while longer now that you’re up.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” she slapped his naked butt, the sound reverberating in the silence. “You get your handsome butt out of bed.”

He laughed, the sound delicious to her ears. “Alright, if you put it that way.”

Still chuckling he got dressed and they walked down to the kitchen together.

Martha was already busy with breakfast, rolling out the biscuit dough. “Ah, there you two are. I was beginning to wonder if you’d be down at all for breakfast.”

Ella blushed and looked at Nathan to find he had a big grin on his face. It seemed everything was sexual with him and it all tickled him.

“What do you want me to do first?” asked Ella.

“You can cut out these biscuits and get them ready for the oven. Cut out as many as you can, then take the leftover dough put it back into a ball and roll it out again. Flour the rolling pin so it doesn’t stick to the dough. Keep doing that until you only got enough dough for one biscuit left.”

“I can do that.”

“I’ll leave you ladies to it. I’m milking the cows this morning, but tomorrow, Ella’s learning how to do it.”

“Oh, I’d like that. I’m eager to learn.”

Nathan leaned down and whispered in her ear, “And I’ve got a lot to teach you.” Then he flicked his tongue against her ear.

“Oh!” She touched her hand to her ear then grabbed the rolling pin. “You better leave now before I take this rolling pin and use it on you instead of the dough.”

He raised his hands in defense. “I’m leaving, I’m leaving.”

His laughter followed him out of the kitchen.

“Sounds like you and my Nathan are gettin’ on good. I’m glad to hear it. He’s needed someone in his life for a long time now.”

“How old is he?” Ella was too embarrassed to ask him. She should have found out from Mrs. Selby, but it never crossed her mind.

Martha thought about it for a moment. “He’s got to be thirty-four now.”

“Ten years older than me,” said Ella almost to herself.

“Guess so. Didn’t think you was that old.”

Indignant, she said, “I’m plenty old enough.”

“Never said ya wasn’t.” Martha nodded toward the counter. “Better get back to that dough. The men will be in to eat in about an hour and we got a lot of cookin’ to do afore that.”

A lot of cooking was exactly what they did. In addition to the biscuits, Martha made scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, cornbread. There were two pies, pancakes with chokecherry syrup and lots and lots of coffee. She’d made two pots before breakfast started and as soon as the first one was finished she started on a third pot.