The Raider (Montgomery/Taggert 9)

“Yes, of course you are, dear, and, Alex, I can’t tell you how much your jealousy pleases me.” She smiled fondly at him.

“Jealous of myself? I am—”

She put her fingers to his lips. “Alex, remember your health. Don’t strain. It’s kind of you to want to please me, but remember that you can’t fool a woman who has kissed both men. Tonight I’ve kissed the Raider and you, and, believe me, the kisses are different.”

Once again he kissed her fervently. “The Raider kisses better than that?”

Jess took a moment to recover. “Yes,” she said at last. “Goodnight, Alex.” She turned and shut the door in his face.

Once inside her room she poured a glass of water, started to drink it, then, on second thought, threw it in her face. “This is going to be more difficult than I thought,” she muttered.

She was still shaking as she climbed into bed and, as she made her nightly prayers, she said, “Dear Lord, forgive me for lying but if ever a man deserved what he’s going to get, Alexander Montgomery does.”

It took her a long time to fall asleep and twice she woke to hear Alex pacing in the next room. She smiled, thought, I’m married to the Raider, turned over and went back to sleep.

When morning came, she stretched happily and thought of what she’d learned the day before. She couldn’t quite believe that both her men were actually the same one, but she was certainly happy to contemplate the idea.

Of course, she wasn’t about to allow Alex to share her happiness—at least not yet. He’d not let her know he was the Raider because he thought her too stupid to keep the secret—or too flighty or too whatever he thought was wrong with her.

When she remembered all the times Alex had made her defend the Raider and how the Raider had said terrible things about Alex…

She heard the latch between their rooms move and she snuggled under the covers, pretending to be asleep.

“Jessie.”

Sleepily, she rolled over to look at him. He wasn’t wearing his wig but he did have on his padding. His eyes were red from lack of sleep and he looked devastated. Never had a devil looked more angelic. Jessica gave him her sweetest smile. “Did you sleep well, Alex?” She almost purred, remembering the times the Raider had made her cry.

“I’d like to talk to you.”

She sat up in bed. “Why of course, Alex. I’m always ready to listen, no matter what you have to tell me.”

He sat on a stool beside the bed so his arms rested on the mattress. He studied his hands.

“Alex,” she said softly, “I understand about last night. I’m sure it was brought on by your father’s disappointment in you, but I’ve been telling him of the good you do around here. Don’t worry, eventually, he’ll begin to believe that you’re worth something. You don’t have to pretend to be the Raider to get either his love or mine.”

Alex didn’t look up. “Jess, how would you feel if you found out I was the Raider?”

She waited until he was looking at her, then answered as simply and as innocently as she could.

“Why, Alex, I’d hate you. I’d never be able to speak to you again, much less live with you. That’s just too awful to contemplate. That would mean you were the one who told me the Raider was incompetent, yet when I repeated that to the Raider—you—you got angry with me and made me miserable. And that would mean it was you I begged to marry me—oh! that was humiliating!—yet you knew that I was marrying you. No, Alex, I can’t believe a single man would be capable of being such a low-living, lying, sneaky, deceitful, cowardly bastard. I would deeply, sincerely hate any man who could play such a hideous game. Play with my feelings, with my life.”

She stopped and smiled. “No, Alex, you’re a good man and that’s why I love you. I know that, had circumstances been different and you been physically able, you would have been as manly as the Raider, but I don’t think you could be so dishonest as to be both Alexander Montgomery and the Raider.”

She blinked, wide-eyed. “Does that answer you?”

Alex’s face was white as he nodded.

“Are you planning to continue wearing your wig now that your hair is growing back?”

“I…I hadn’t thought about it.” His voice was hoarse.

She leaned forward and whispered against his cheek. “It is a little thin yet, perhaps you should hide it and pray that it grows back somewhat thicker. At this point the wig really is better-looking.”

* * *

For three days, Jessica did everything she could to make Alexander’s life miserable, and she did it in such a way that no one—with the exception of Eleanor—could fault her. She waited on him as if he were an infant, talked to him as if he were a wayward child—and did everything she could to sexually entice him.

She had another dress made, this one in emerald green satin, and she filled the low neckline with a piece of lace that had belonged to his mother. Once they were alone in his room, Jess removed the lace and bent over in front of him so often that her back began to ache. But it was worth any amount of pain to see him sweat.