Fallen Angel (31 page)

“Why don’t you guys go ahead and we’ll catch up?” Everyone laughed but they all headed back toward the house. Leaving Luke and Angelica alone under the big oak.

“You look amazing.” He whispered pulling her close.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“Really because I feel ridiculous.” He hooked his finger inside his collar and tugged slightly as if it were choking him.

“Here let me help you.” She
untied his tie and pulled it free of his collar and unbuttoned his top two buttons. “Is that better?”

“Do I get to undress you now?” he asked arching a brow at her.

“Tempting, but no not yet.” She laughed, she folded the tie and tucked it into his jacket pocket she happened to glance at his feet and saw that he was still wearing his work boots. After spending her whole life with people who were always pretending to be someone they weren’t it was nice to know that no matter what, Luke was what he was. There was no pretense and he made no apologies. She looked up at him and smiled. “I love you.” She said simply. He smiled then kissed her.

“I love you, Mrs. Harrison.” He whispered and she grinned.

“Oh I like the sound of that. I think I’ll make everyone call me that from now on.” 

“You know they will.” He laughed.

The celebrating had started without them, by the
time they returned to the house. George had a fiddle and Tom was playing a banjo.  The rest of the men were clapping along to the tune they were playing and it made her want to dance.

“Ella,” she called to get the other woman’s attention, when she looked she tossed her her bouquet and winked at her.  Then she grabbed Luke pulled him out in the yard to dance with her.  He laughed but he danced with her. She danced until she was breathless and
had to stop. Ella handed her a cup and she took a drink. “Mmm this is good, what is it?”

“It’s apple wine.” Ella told her.

“Well it’s really good.”

When she recovered James asked her to dance. Ultimately she danced with all of them as did Ella. They built a fire and Angelica was reminded of when they had finished branding. They talked and laughed and told stories. She sat beside Luke and
when she shivered slightly he took his jacket off and put it over her shoulders. She smiled up at him. She was having a good time with everyone but she really just wanted to be alone with him.  She wondered if he could read her mind, if he could tell how much she wanted him by the way she looked at him. Tom was telling another story and he must have been taking a lot of poetic license with this one because they were all laughing and trying to correct him but he was undeterred he just continued telling the story. She looked at Luke he wasn’t looking at her at but she didn’t have to look at him for long before he turned and met her gaze. She looked into his eyes and smiled he smiled back then he stood up pulling her with him.

“As much as I am enjoying Tom’s entertaining and wildly inaccurate tales
I think I am going to call it a night.” Their exit was met with a lot of jeering and taunting but he ignored them and continued to lead her to the house with his hand on her back. She could still hear their laughter when he closed the door but she didn’t care. She took his jacket off and laid it over the chair. She slid her arms around his waist and looked up into his eyes.

“Was it everything you wanted Luke?”

“Everything and so much more.”  He ran his thumb lightly over her cheek. “Was it everything you wanted?” She thought about the society weddings she had attended, all the fanfare and people, this was so much better.

“It was perfect
.” She smiled, she really meant it. It was exactly as she had wanted it to be.

“I almost hate to deflower you.” He said lifting the headpiece out of her hair and she burst out laughing.

“It’s a little late for that don’t you think?” He grinned and kissed her.

“I do not happen to think that you are deflowered.”

“No?”

“No, you are blossomed.” She laughed at that. She pulled open the buttons on his shirt and put her hands on his chest.

“I certainly feel blossomed. You make me feel… I don’t know alive. Like nothing I have ever felt before. You know what I mean?” 

“I know exactly what you mean.” He bent and kissed her neck running his tongue over the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. “I saw everything in black and white before I met you. You brought the color into my world.” He whispered. She pulled out of his embrace and turned away from him.

“Help me out of this dress, I need to feel you.” She whispered huskily and he laughed. He quickly unbuttoned the back of her gown and she stepped out of it.  She looked up at him and smiled.  “I am legitimate now. I want my husband to make love to me.” He grinned and swept her up in his arms and laid her on the bed.

Angelica opened her eyes and saw Luke slipping his jeans on.

“Luke, we’re married now. You’re still going to sneak out at dawn?”

“I am not sneaking out.” He laughed.

“What would you call it?” She asked grumpily.

“I was just going to ride out and check on the herd like I do every morning.”

“You really think anyone expects you to be out there on the morning after our wedding night
?” He looked at her for a long moment then he climbed back on to the bed and reached out lightly brushing her hair back out of her face.

“Angie, if you want me to stay just ask me to stay.”

“I want you to stay.” She said softly. He bent and kissed her and she felt marginally better but not completely though. “It’s not just that though.” She pulled away from him. “I thought after we were married it would be different.”

“What would be different?” He frowned. She looked at him and suddenly felt self conscious, she should be happy, they were married now she shouldn’t be
worried about the things that really didn’t matter.

“You know,” she sighed, “I am just tired. You do what you have to do, I am going back to sleep.” She rolled over pulling the blanket up. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about what he was doing but even though she was trying not to be
, she was aware of his every movement, her ears tuned to every sound he made. She felt the bed shift as he moved then she felt his lips on the back of her shoulder then she felt his tongue where her neck and shoulder joined. He kissed his way up her neck until he reached her ear, he sucked the lobe then nipped it lightly with his teeth. She sucked in her breath trying not to squirm under the torment.

“I know where to touch you to make you tell me all your secrets.” He whispered into her ear.

“I would tell you anything you wanted to know just for the asking.” She whispered back.

“Then tell me what is bothering you.” He ran his fingertips lightly over her arm under the blanket.

“It’s silly.”

“Not if it’s bothering you.” His fingers left her arm traveling down her side and over her hip. She sighed and rolled back against him.

“I just thought… well I thought if we got married you wouldn’t have to hide anymore.” She said softly, embarrassed to be saying it aloud.

“I am not hiding.” She didn’t say anything, she didn’t want to argue she didn’t even want to be having this conversation.  “Angie,” he raised up so he could look
over her ands see her face, “I wasn’t sneaking out. Everyone knows I am in here, we came in here together and you are my wife, where else would I be.” He tipped her chin up so she was looking at him too. “Angie, I don’t intend to hide anything, alright maybe some things.” He winked at her and she felt warmth rush through her and smiled. “You can kiss me anytime you want to in front of anyone you want to.” 

“You won’t be uncomfortable?”

“No.” He smiled. He slid his hand up her bare torso and she sighed.

“Oh Luke this is not going to be good.”

“What isn’t?” he whispered kissing along the front of her collar bone.

“I don’t know what happens to me, when you touch me I just… turn to mush.
How I am ever supposed to be serious about anything when all you have to do is touch me and I’ll do anything you want?” He laughed at that.

“Do
n’t you think you have the same effect on me?” She lifted her lashes and her deep blue eyes were round and searching.

“Do I?” She whispered.

“Of course.”

“It doesn’t seem like it.”

“Well trust me, you don’t even have to touch me, you just look at me and I want you. If either one of us is in trouble I think it’s me.” She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Actually it sounds like we are pretty evenly matched.
We just may not ever be able to leave the bedroom.” She laughed and he grinned.  He stretched out beside her and propped his head up on his elbow.

“That reminds me I wanted to talk to you about something I’ve been thinking about.” She could hear the subtle change in his voice. She liked that she was learning to recognize his tone.
She rolled towards him her fingers playing across his chest.

“
What’s on your mind?”

“I was thinking about building a new house.”

“A new house? Why?”

“Well this one is pretty small and you once told me you wanted lots of babies, and it might be nice to just have our own space.”

“What would you do with this house?”

“Well it would stay what it is, it’s where the ranch hands get fed and the central ranch house. Basically I think I would just let Ella and Tom take it over.”
Angelica sat up and stared at him.

“You know there is something going on between Ella and Tom?”

“Of course.” He said wide eyed from her sudden movement.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know, it never came up.”

“Well are they in love?” She demanded.

“I don’t know, I guess so, maybe.”

“Are they going to get married?”

“I don’t know, I doubt it.”

“Why not?”

“They seem to like things as they are.”

“Luke.”

“Angie, I don’t know this stuff, it’s none of my business.  They both do their jobs and do them well. What they do on their own time doesn’t concern me.” Angie smirked at him and laid her head back down on his chest.

“Aren’t you curious just for the romance? The idea that they loved and lost and found love again?”

“Um… no.” He said and she giggled.

“
Why do you think we need our own space? I like it here with Ella and the boys, I don’t feel like we have to be separate from them.” He rolled them quickly so that he was above her again. He kissed her neck nipping lightly.

“Maybe I want to be able to make love to you in every room.” He whispered. “Maybe I want to hear you scream my name and not worry about waking anyone up.” She laughed at that even as she flushed with embarrassment at the idea.

“You want to hear me scream your name?” She whispered.

“Absolutely.” He said just before he kissed her
.  She slid her hands down his chest while he plundered her mouth with his own. She could feel him straining against the front of his jeans so she pulled open the button fly stetting him free. She reached in and wrapped her hand gently around him and he gasped against her mouth.  Feeling slightly empowered she let her fingers explore his entire length. His skin was soft, softer than anywhere else on his body that she had touched, but below the skin was hard, as hard as the rest of his muscles. She touched everywhere she could reach until he finally caught and gripped her wrist.

“Are you trying to make me scream your name?” He rasped and she giggled again.

“No, I was just curious.”

“Babe I am happy to satisfy your curiosity but if you keep doing that you may get more than you bargained for.”  She raised her eyebrows and looked down even though the blanket was covering him.  He could see that her curiosity was really piqued now.

“I think you may be right. I think it might be a good idea for us to have a little time alone. I think there may be some things you need to teach me.”

“What makes you think I can teach you anything?” He laughed.

“I’ll make you a deal you can teach me what you like and I will teach you what I like and we’ll discover everything else together.”

“That sounds like a very good idea, I’ll start.” He gently pushed her back on to her back and kissed her again.

“I like this.” He whispered and kissed her mouth. “I like this.” He kissed her neck. “I like this.” He pulled her earlobe into his mouth with his tongue.

“
That is not what I meant.” She sighed.

“But it is what I like.” He moved down and laved his tongue over one of her nipples. “I like this,” then he moved and did the same with the other one, “and this one too.” She giggled even as she squirmed beneath him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

“I love you, so stop teasing me and make love to me.” She whispered. He laughed but he didn’t need another invitation he pushed into her she was warm and slick and inviting. She felt like heaven and he was lost he had barely begun the rhythmic dance when he felt her body tighten and pulse around him. He felt her tighten and pull at him pulling him even deeper into her. She moaned his name and it pushed him over the edge. It was even better than hearing her scream it.