Prince Charming

She put her arms around him and drew him down to her. “Love me, Lucas. Please,” she whispered.

And still he hesitated. “I understand,” she said then.

“I’m going to hurt you. I’m sorry, baby. God, I’m sorry.”

He kissed her then, long and hard. His tongue moved inside to mate with hers, and then he tried to slowly ease inside her tight sheath. It was agony. He wanted to be gentle. He couldn’t. His body demanded completion, and he was powerless against the primitive instinct. Her permission had pushed him beyond control. He thrust deep, breaking her virginal barrier with one hard push, and he was finally planted solidly inside her. He captured her cry with his mouth, and though it didn’t seem possible to him, he sank deeper inside her.

He was surrounded by her, caressed by her incredible tightness, flooded with such intense pleasure he thought he would die from it.

Taylor felt a searing pain and believed with all her heart that Lucas had just torn her apart. It hurt so much she started to cry. Yet within the space of a heartbeat, the pain began to lessen. A dull ache lingered, and when Lucas leaned down to kiss her tears away and whisper sweet lies about how beautiful she was, the pain was all but forgotten.

He wanted to give her time to adjust to him. The determination to hold back lasted less than a few seconds. She restlessly moved against him and began to stroke his shoulders. He rocked against her. Sensation after sensation flooded him. He slowly withdrew, then thrust back inside her. The rhythmic mating motions became more forceful, much quicker. Each time he sank back into her was better than the time before. He became mindless to everything but giving her fulfillment and finding his own. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. He pulled her legs up to hold him around his hips. And then she began to move with him. She arched up when he pulled back, until the ritual became wild and wonderful and exhilarating. They moved in perfect harmony. With each thrust, he became harder, fuller. He knew he was about to climax. He wanted her to be there with him. He reached between their joined bodies and stroked the nub hidden between her velvety folds until she coiled all around him and cried out his name. Tremors racked her body. She chanted his name in the throes of her orgasm, and only then did he allow himself the freedom to gain his own. He surged forward again and poured his hot seed into her.

His ecstasy was so shattering and gratifying he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. His head fell down to the crook of her neck. He groaned low in his throat. His heart was slamming inside his chest, and he took several deep, gulping breaths. He felt weak and powerful at the same time. The contradiction didn’t make any sense. It didn’t need to, for reality had turned out to be much better than all the fantasies he’d had.

She’d given him perfection.

Taylor felt as though she’d just reached the stars and was now gently floating down to earth again. She had never known such passion was possible. It overwhelmed her, consumed her. She clung to her husband, feeling safe and protected in his strong arms, until her heart quit beating so erratically and she could draw a deep breath.

They lay complete and exhausted in each other’s arms, each listening to the other’s heartbeat for a long while. Lucas was the first to gather enough strength to move. He let out a loud groan and rolled to his side. He couldn’t quite bring himself to let go of her though and so he took her with him. Her eyes were closed. He couldn’t stop staring at her. She was so beautiful to him. She had incredibly long eyelashes. He’d never noticed before, but only because he’d been too occupied staring into her enchanting blue eyes. Her complexion was flawless and with a lovely golden hue. She was flawless, he decided then. His gaze turned to her mouth. She had full, pouting lips that could drive him to distraction. He couldn’t leave them alone. He rubbed his thumb across the silky texture, then tilted her head back and kissed her, savoring once again the taste and the feel of her softness against him.

When he pulled back, she opened her eyes and looked at him. She was shaken by his gentleness. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Did he think the marriage act they had just shared had been as wonderful as she did? Had he been just as overwhelmed?

Madam had called it rutting. Taylor had believed her. She understood the truth now. It was anything but rutting. Loving Lucas had been pure and joyful and fulfilling, and it was surely the most wonderful experience of her life. She would always cherish the memory.

Lucas spotted the tears in her eyes and immediately became alarmed. “I couldn’t help hurting you, sweetheart. Are you in pain now?”

She shook her head. She scooted closer to him and closed her eyes. “It was beautiful,” she whispered.

He hugged her tight. He was arrogantly pleased with her admission. “It was, wasn’t it?” He let out a loud yawn and then added, “It was perfect.”

He fell asleep a few minutes later. He had a smile on his face.

It took Taylor much longer to relax. The afterglow was slow to leave but eventually reality returned. And with it came new worries, one on top of another. At the root of all her fears was the simple realization that she was in love with her husband. She was vulnerable now, and God, how that terrified her. She had three precious children dependent upon her. She couldn’t afford to let her actions be ruled by her heart.

She needed to be strong. She repeated her determination over and over again while she got out of bed and went to wash. When she got back into bed, she stayed near the edge of the side of the bed so she wouldn’t touch Lucas. She wanted to take hold of him and never let go. She fought the urge. God, how she wished she could lean on him and let him share a little of her burden. She didn’t have any idea how she would ever be a good mother. She lacked all the necessary skills, or so she believed, and while she was growing up, she never even held a baby in her arms. Her experience was limited to speculation, and her terror was that she would do something so terribly wrong, the babies would be marred for life. And so would Davy Daniel, she realized. He needed more than simple comfort. He needed someone to help him understand his own value. Could she build up his self-esteem? Dear God, she didn’t know how.

Oh, yes, she wanted to lean on Lucas and borrow some of his strength. She didn’t dare. How easy it would be to let him take care of all of them. He was too noble to turn his back on her and the children. Still, it wouldn’t be right or fair of her to ask. He didn’t want to be married, and he certainly hadn’t wanted a family. He was a loner who liked living that way. Besides, he’d done enough for her. More than enough, she thought. He could have walked away once they’d reached Boston, but he’d stayed on and searched for her nieces. He hadn’t given up. Other men would have or gotten rid of the problem by handing it over to the authorities. Lucas had been as noble as a prince, and it wouldn’t be honorable of her to become dependent on him. She had to stand on her own two feet. The children were her responsibility. Hers alone.

Was it wrong for her to want to live close to him? Redemption. Even the name signified a safe haven to her now. And Lucas Ross had become her safety net. She didn’t want to trap him. No, of course she didn’t. But the children came first and if they needed something, or if there were trouble she was having difficulty handling, she wanted to be able to turn to him for help. He could still go riding off into his mountains. It wasn’t so uncommon to leave a wife behind. Daniel Boone left his wife all the time, sometimes for several years. According to the stories, Mrs. Boone never complained, and from the number of children she had, Taylor assumed Daniel came home every now and again.

Divorce. The word left a sour taste in her mouth. Yes, Daniel Boone had left his wife behind, but he always came back. He wanted a wife.

Lucas didn’t. Taylor closed her eyes and tried not to cry. She owed her Prince Charming his freedom.

Lucas woke up on top of her again. It was a little before dawn, his usual time to wake up, but he was having trouble clearing his mind this morning. He thought he was having an erotic dream. He was nuzzling the side of her neck and rubbing against her, a

nd what made the dream so real to him was the feel of her warm skin against him. She wasn’t wearing any clothes. Neither was he. His hands cupped her breasts. Her nipples were hard pearls. He moved down and took one into his mouth. She let out a little moan and began to move restlessly against him. Her legs were entwined with his. He shifted so that he could kiss the other breast and as he began to suckle, his hands stroked a path down to span her narrow waist. Her stomach was flat, smooth, her skin silky against his fingertips. His hand moved lower. He caressed the tilt of her hip, then trailed his fingers down the smooth skin on the outside of her thigh. And then he stroked a hot path up the inside until he brushed against the dewy curls at the junction of her thighs. He caressed her with his fingertips, making circles around and around the nub of her desire, until she was moaning and writhing against him, and when at last he began to caress the very spot he knew would drive her wild, she arched upward and let out a cry of raw pleasure. He didn’t stop his sweet torment until she was damp with desire and begging him with soft whimpers to come to her.

He wasn’t certain if she was completely awake or not. It didn’t matter. She touched his arousal when he moved between her legs, and he knew he would die if he didn’t mate with her. He burned with the need to feel her tight walls surround him, squeeze him, milk him.

He wrapped her in his arms, covered her mouth with his, and then thrust deep inside her. He wasn’t gentle, and only when he was planted solidly inside her and was flooded with intense, throbbing pleasure did he realize he was hurting her. He was too caught up in his own passion to translate any subtle messages.

She wasn’t subtle. She pinched his shoulder and told him she was in pain.

He stilled his movements immediately. She tried to move away from him. He clenched his jaw against the incredible pleasure she inadvertently gave him. He couldn’t bring himself to leave her, yet he knew he was going to. What in God’s name was the matter with him? Of course she was sore. She’d been a virgin, and it hadn’t even been a full day since he’d bedded her.

He took a deep breath, willing some strength back into his mind and his body and then started to pull back. She stopped his retreat by putting her legs around his hips and bringing him back.

His head dropped to her shoulder. “If you want me to leave you alone, you’re going to have to let go of me.”

Under the circumstances, he thought his explanation was damned reasonable and noble. Her response was to put her arms around his neck and kiss his earlobe.

“Lucas.” She whispered his name like an enchantress.

She brushed her hand across his shoulder. She knew she was giving him mixed signals, and it was the fact that he would do whatever she asked him to do that made all the difference to her. She ached from the pain of his invasion, but there was pleasure as well, and she knew that soon, with his kisses and caresses, the pain would be forgotten.

“I don’t want you to leave me,” she whispered. “I just want . . . I want . . .”

He moved inside her. One slow, long stroke. She let out a low sigh. “This?” he asked.

“Yes.”

His mouth covered hers then in a long, drugging kiss. He was determined to go slow. He was going to be gentle with her, even if it killed him.

His promise only lasted a minute or two. Once he started moving inside her again, she quickened the pace. The pain was forgotten, replaced with such incredible pleasure, she thought her heart would surely stop and she would die the sweetest of deaths.

She wasn’t a passive lover. Lucas was shaken by her uninhibited responses. Her mouth was every bit as wild and wet as his was, and she stroked him with just as much loving curiosity. She found fulfillment before he did, and when she tightened all around him and cried out his name, he allowed his own release. They held each other close while tremor after tremor of passion consumed them. He collapsed on top of her. The scent of their lovemaking filled the air around them. It made him drowsy with satisfaction. He was still fully imbedded inside her. He couldn’t bring himself to leave her just yet. He knew he should get up and act the part of a gentleman by fetching her a cool, wet cloth. He would play her lady’s maid like any good husband would.

Just one more minute, he thought. Then he’d get up. Just one more minute . . .

He was snoring with contentment a second later.

Taylor was too content to move. She knew she should get up. She would go and get a washcloth to freshen herself and then put on a clean nightgown. She didn’t know what time the babies or Davy Daniel would wake up, and she wasn’t about to be caught in bed with Lucas without a stitch of clothing on. The possibility was too mortifying to even think about. Yes, she would get up. In one minute, she thought. She snuggled closer to her husband and let out a loud yawn. In just a minute . . .

15

Passion. I see. is catching.

—William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

“Mama’s naked.”

Taylor bolted up in the bed when she heard one of the twins make the announcement. She thought it might be Georgie. She was the more outspoken of the babies.

Then she heard Hunter’s deep voice. “Is that so?”

She wanted to die. She let out a low groan and pulled the sheet up to cover her breasts. Lucas had been sleeping on his stomach. When he heard the conversation going on in the other room, he rolled onto his side and glanced toward the alcove entrance. Thankfully the drapes were still closed.

“The man’s naked, too.”

Allie made that important announcement. She obviously didn’t want to be left out.

Hunter laughed. “About time,” he called out in a voice deliberately loud enough to reach his friend.

Taylor’s face was burning with embarrassment. Lucas didn’t dare smile. She gave him a glare he translated to mean she blamed him for the awkward situation. He didn’t think laughing would be an appropriate response. She’d only get more riled up. He yawned so she’d know he was taking it all in stride and then reached over to trail his fingers down her spine.

She tried to scramble off the bed. He caught her around her waist and dragged her down next to him.

“Put your pants on,” she implored him. “Oh, God, how am I ever going to face Hunter again?”

“First things first,” he insisted. He rolled on top of her, smiled because she felt so damned good against him, and then kissed her. She struggled against him, but only for a few seconds, and then she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She was reluctant to let go of him. He was so pleased with her reaction, he kissed her again. Then he got out of bed and put his pants on.

He walked into the other room to see what Hunter wanted. From the brightness of the sunshine streaming in through the windows, he guessed it was almost eight o’clock.

“The boy let me in,” Hunter explained before Lucas could ask. His friend was sitting on the divan, patiently letting the little girls climb all over him. “He made certain he knew who it was knocking on his door first,” Hunter added with a good deal of praise in his voice. “He’s a smart one.”

“Where is he?” Lucas asked.

“Getting dressed. These two need a little help,” he said with a nod toward the twins. “Is Taylor up yet?”

Lucas nodded. Hunter grinned. “You look like a married man.”

“Did you look in on Victoria?” Lucas asked, deliberately changing the subject.

Hunter’s mood immediately soured at the mention of the woman. His expression showed his irritation. “I tried to check on her. Honest to God, I did. I’m telling you straight, Lucas. I won’t be getting near her again. Enough’s enough.”

Lucas hid his smile. “What happened this time?”

“She opened the door, started in gagging, and then slammed the door in my face. What the hell’s wrong with her?”

Allie had started bouncing up and down on the settee and was now leaping high enough for Lucas to be concerned she might throw herself into one of the windows and crack her head. He caught

her in his arms, told her to behave herself, and then tried to put her down. She had other notions. She wiggled around in his arms and held onto him. He settled her against his chest and turned his attention to Hunter again. Georgie wasn’t about to be ignored, however. She scooted off Hunter’s lap and went running to Lucas. Then she put her arms up and gave a rather imperious command.

“Up.”

Lucas bent down, lifted her into his other arm, and then straightened up again. Allie started pulling the hairs on his chest. He told her to stop it. Georgie had become fascinated by the stubble on his jaw. She rubbed her fingers down his cheek and squealed with delight.

“You’ve got that look,” Lucas told his friend.

“What look’s that?” Hunter asked.

“Like you’ve got something to say.”

Hunter nodded. “I ran into a couple of bounty hunters this morning. They had some interesting news. Caulder was seen outside Kansas City. They got a posse together and chased after him but he got away.”

“What are you talking about? A posse? When I left for England, Caulder had just gotten another promotion. Now you’re telling me he’s a wanted man? What the hell happened while I was away?”

Lucas had made it his business to know everything about the bastard he was going to kill. The only reason he’d let him live this long was because of the gold he’d stolen. Lucas hoped Caulder would lead him to the fortune. The gold was the evidence he needed to convince the authorities. He wanted the world to know what Caulder had done to eight honorable men.

He’d spent almost all the money he had accumulated paying men to watch Caulder when he couldn’t. His patience had finally been used up, however, and he’d made the decision before leaving for England that when he returned he would hunt the man down like the animal he was and kill him. To hell with the evidence.

“The way I figure it, that fancy government man you talked to must have believed you.”