by Dee Jones
"Yes, well..." the woman began, but before she could invent any tales or stories, Julia continued with the pretense of little or no true concern.
"I'd like to thank you. I was worried Daniel would be bored out of his skull with no one around to talk with except the hired hands. I can't tell you how pleased I was to hear you've kept him company for me."
"I...yes, well..." Sharon stuttered unprepared for Julia's reaction, certain she would be rewarded with at least a twinge of jealousy from the wife of the man she had tried unsuccessfully to seduce over the past weeks. Julia however patted herself mentally on the back. She hadn't planned on making the woman speechless, though she was very pleased with herself that she had. It took all the self-control she could muster to keep from laughing gleefully at Sharon's reactions.
"You don't have to say anything," Julia insisted, eager to be done with this woman once and for all. "I'm just so grateful for all you’ve done. After all, if it weren't for you heaven only knows what Daniel might have done." Bravo, Julia cheered herself, delighted in the woman's look of shock and complete exasperation.
"Well...yes," she stammered again. Turning and spying her horse, she quickly added, "I really must be going now. I just wanted to make certain you got home safely." Julia nearly called her on the lie of not knowing she was returning, but chose not to respond to it. She had gotten the best of the woman and it was all the revenge she really needed.
"It was nice to see you again, Sharon," Julia added politely. "You'll have to stop back around now that I'm home to stay."
"I'll try, but you know how busy things can get."
"Yes I do. I know Daniel's been so busy getting things ready for the annual sale; the only time I expect to see him is in bed. If you know what I mean?" Julia nearly choked, when she saw the shock on the woman's features deepen. She hadn't intended on being so brazen or expected such a pleasurable reaction.
"Yes well, good-bye." Sharon hurried to her horse, mounted and rode off as quickly and gracefully as possible. Julia waited until she was out of sight before bursting into laughter. She couldn't imagine how she had held back her amusement for so long. Sharon's reactions were priceless and proved without a doubt, how much Daniel truly did love her and how faithful he had been while she was away.
Julia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, turning and gazing across the distance to where Daniel still labored. Her amusement faded as she inspected his lean, muscular frame. She noticed the way his muscles rippled and bulged beneath the dark layer of tanned flesh, while he pulled and tugged at the bales of hay he was loading in the back of the large dray. He was magnificent and yet she knew his anger was just as powerful as his arms. He had been deeply hurt, his pride injured and his ego insulted; a fact she had to accept full responsibility for. She knew from the angry grunts that echoed through the still summer breeze, he was still too angry to talk with; he wouldn’t listen to her apology, even if she were to get on her knees and beg.
Sighing deeply, she laid her hand over her still small stomach; there was so much to say and even more to make amends for, but now was not the time. It wasn't going to be easy to get Daniel to listen, though it was something she had to do. He would listen, she assured herself with determination as she turned and walked slowly back to the house, even if it took until their baby's seventh birthday.
Julia caught up to Daniel two days later when he finally slowed down enough for her to approach him. He had managed to stay away from the house until she was asleep, refusing to come up even to eat. When Julia awoke in the morning the only sign of her husband was the rumpled blankets next to her and smashed pillow balancing on the edge of the mattress. She tried countless times to speak with him at the stables, but there was always someone around and talking about private matters proved impossible.
The evening of the third night since she arrived home, gave her the perfect excuse to search for Daniel. Harold had been out earlier in the day looking for him and when he proved to be as evasive with his friend as he had his wife, Harold had no choice but to leave the documents he had brought out for him with Julia. With the papers sealed securely in an envelope, Julia snugged her shawl around her shoulders and strolled out into the twilight in search of her husband.
Daniel was in the stables as Julia had predicted; his noble face and thick neck was covered with dust and sweat, his shirtless chest heaved heavily with the breath of hard labor. A long gash ran down his forearm, caked with dried blood and dirt and Julia gasped when she saw it; her stomach swim and her head feeling very heavy for her shoulders.
She knew her reaction was more from her condition than the sight of her husband's injury, yet she felt faint nevertheless. She backed up against a bale of hay and leaned down, her face pale, her hands shaking. Before she could think clearly or collect her raging insides, a strong band of steal circled around her legs and waist and she was lifted into the air.
Julia tried to struggle, but the effort seemed impossible, leaving her to fall helplessly against the hard wall of muscles like a timid kitten. The smell of sweat stung her senses and the dampness of skin beneath her cheek made her nose crinkle in retaliation, but she remained a willing prisoner nevertheless. She didn't have to open her eyes to know Daniel had hold of her; she knew the familiar feeling of his body against her, feeling the security as he wrapped her in a blanket of love and warmth.
"Are you alright? What's the matter with you?" Daniel demanded as he sat down with her on the bale of hay she had abandoned for his arms. Julia smiled and nodded her head weakly; her hands trembling as they circled his filthy neck. She did feel better, but the closeness of his body and the concern in his voice made her want to prolong his closeness as long as she could. She knew he was the cure for what ailed her and was eager to fill the prescription with his love.
"I guess I'm just tired," Julia lied, laying her head against his sweaty chest. She wrinkled her nose against the offending smell and pushed herself away from the man she so desperately wanted to embrace. Perhaps the cure in this case, needed a little doctoring itself.
"You scared the hell out of me woman," Daniel scolded, easing her further away and inspecting her pale features with a frown. "I thought you were going to pass out in the middle of all this horse shit."
"At least we'd smell the same," she teased him with a smile. Daniel sat her down on the straw next to him then quickly moving some distance away from her. He picked up the pitch fork he had thrown down when he noticed Julia and glanced back to make certain she was alright before returning to his work of cleaning the soiled hay from the stalls.
"I suppose you'll have to go to the ball without me, Princess," Daniel snarled with heavy sarcasm. "My fairy godmother is on strike."
"Daniel I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I only meant..."
"Did you come down here for a reason Julia or are you just out for a breath of fresh air?" Julia lowered her eyes; how could she have allowed the situation to get so far out of hand? She remembered the envelope and fumbled with the sealed contents.
"Harold stopped by a little while ago," she said softly. "He couldn't find you and he had some papers for you to look at."
"I've been busy," Daniel retorted, his back turned toward his wife. Julia sighed. There was no chance of apologizing now, he wasn't willing to listen.
"He left these for you," she continued, stretching the envelope out to him. Daniel took it, saw the simple 'SF' scrawled on the corner and quickly stuffed it in his back pocket.
"Aren't you going to open it?"
"Why? I already know what it is."
"It may be important. Harold said you should see them right away."
"I'll look at them later, Julia. I've got to finish this before the horses get back."
"Aren't you ever going to talk to me?" she demanded, standing up from the hay with caution. She didn't exactly cherish the idea of fainting just now, when she found the courage to finally confront her husband. Daniel tossed the pitch fork down with anger and turned on her,
eyes blazing, his jaw set in a firm rigid line. Julia knew she must have hit a sore spot by the look he shot her.
"Talk Julia? Every damn time we talk, you start accusing me of things I haven't done. One minute you're as passionate as a she-wolf in heat and the next you're colder than an ice burg. I can't keep up with you anymore, and frankly I'm tired of trying. You talk if you must, but don't expect me to comply. I've had enough!"
Julia's eyes filled with tears, her throat constricted with pain and her lip quivered with unshed sobs. She turned and ran from the barn, hearing Daniel's angry curse echo through the twilight behind her. She couldn't believe he would say those things to her, especially now that she was carrying his child, but then he still didn't know about that, did he? She hadn’t had the chance to tell him.
Her feet carried her closer to the house, her heart pounded furiously within her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. If that was how he wanted it, she'd just make him learn about the baby on his own. She sure as hell wasn't going to tell him now.
Just as the light from the back door began to shine through the night's darkness, a strong hand caught hold of Julia, pulling her to the ground. She tried to call out, but before the words could escape, a tight, hard mouth closed over her's, silencing her cries. The smell rose up around her and Julia became instantly aware of who was pinning her to the ground. Her wrists were caught in a band of steel and held above her head; her legs trapped beneath the weight and power as her lips suffered the painful assaulted.
"I'm tired of playing your games," Daniel growled, the light stubble of his beard chaffing her cheek and neck as his mouth traveled across her delicate flesh. "This time, we do things my way."
A moment later Julia felt the night air brush her legs as Daniel tugged the hem of her skirt up. Her drawers and petticoats were quickly pushed aside, her bodice torn by his eagerness and bellowing temper. Somehow, in a mere span of seconds Daniel had her positioned beneath him, the tip of his engorged penis pushed into the opening of her tight vagina causing her to cry out for him to stop, but her pleas were silenced with the pressure of his mouth again.
This time, his kiss was filled with passion and desire, and her fears quickly dissolved. His hands touched and teased her in ways she had grown to know and adore. She opened her eyes, staring in the deep blue depths of his turquoise eyes as he rose above her, feeling the man's regret as he stopped thrusting against her.
"Julia," Daniel whispered with a deep tone of agony, causing chills of anticipation racing along her spine. "Forgive me Princess," he pleaded, releasing her wrists and pulling reluctantly out of her. Julia knew he wanted her, she felt the heat of the moment building inside her as desperately as it had overtaken him. Just his apology and sincerity of his words had melted her apprehension and burned a flame of arousal white hot inside her soul. She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him back down to her, her legs circling around his hips, to keep him from moving off of her.
"I love you Daniel," she assured him as she kissed his lips with as much passion and need as she could express. She heard his growl of desire as he stretched out across her again, thrusting into her hard and deep. Julia gasped, the feeling of him filled her was a sensation she would never grow tired of. The thought of anger faded; the smell of sweat and hard labor disappeared, leaving in its wake the deep need and urgent wanting they had long denied each other.
Julia began to purr as he moved inside her, causing another growl to escape Daniel’s chest. She loved the feel of him; the touch of his calloused hands as the caressed her exposed breast, and the taste his lips against hers. He bathed her face and neck in hot kisses, nipping and suckling along the path back to her lips. His mouth began grinding a rhythm that matched his hips, leaving her breathless and moaning with her building passion.
The heat of his calloused hand against her breast made her need deepen, and she lifted her hips to meet him, thrust for thrust. The demand was growing as was the need for release and when he pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, she knew she was lost. One thing she noticed about being pregnant; everything seemed more sensitive, but it was a feeling as pleasurable as the passion itself.
Daniel continued to tease and pinch the hard pebble of her nipple, massaging and caressing her breast before capturing it in his mouth. He sucked hard, causing a jolt of pain to travel along her torso that soon vanished when he began nibbling at the soft skin. It was such an array of sensations that Julia’s mind couldn’t keep up and her body took over, sending her over the edge of release. She cried out her as the waves of orgasmic pleasure washed across her, but the words were silenced by the heat and pressure of his mouth against hers, as he joined her. His hips continued to grind against her, harder and deeper, his chest heaving a deep growl against her lips. The heat was intoxicating and she rode it out with him for several long moments before she found herself able to breathe again, panting for air as he released her lips, laying his head against her shoulder.
This was what they needed; solace in each other’s arms, absorbing and enjoying the love and release that they could only find together. It had been a brief, urgent encounter, but one that left her smiling, eager for more.
"Oh my God, Julia," Daniel whispered, his tone filled with regret and shame. She knew he was going to apologize for making love to her and right now that was the last thing she needed to hear. She needed to know things were going to be alright between them and the angry battle they had been waging had been breached. She wrapped her arms around his neck tighter and kissed his cheek.
"I love you so much," she told him, hearing the soft growl escape his throat.
"How can you say that?" he scolded, lifting off of her slightly. "I just raped you. How could you possibly love me after that?"
"You didn't rape me Daniel,” she smiled. “And I don't explain my heart, I only accept the feelings and the contentment you bring."
"God woman, there's times when I swear you're mental."
"If this is crazy my darling, I don't ever want to be sane." Julia reached up and pulled him back down toward her, kissing his lips with the love that flowed through her veins, feeling at last the man's surrender.
"Tell me Princess," Daniel demanded a few breathless moments later, as the burn of desire began to awaken his sedated body. "When exactly did you become so damn certain I wouldn't hurt you? I really wanted to, you know?"
"I know, but the minute I looked into those beautiful blue eyes of yours, I knew you'd never do anything to cause me harm. You know, Daniel, as much as I love your unique lessons in love making, I really wish you'd take a bath first." Daniel frowned, quickly realizing she was teasing. He leaned down and bit her lip.
"I thought it didn't matter to you?"
"I never said that," she insisted, wrinkling her nose with the stench that filled the air, making her remember where they were.
"No, you didn't, but you didn't argue until after you got what you wanted."
"That's different. I was simply...preoccupied." Daniel laughed, lifting her up from the ground and adjusting his breeches.
"I'll have to keep you preoccupied from now on. I think it's the only time we don't argue."
"Exactly how do you plan on accomplishing this task of yours, Mr. Browning? I am after all, a married woman you know." Julia's smile was wicked, knowing their standoff was now a part of their tormented past. She adjusted her petticoat and drawers and pulled the few remaining buttons of her bodice across the swell of breasts, and gazed into the eyes that always seemed to melt her resistance.
"I don't care about your husband, Madam. It's you I want." To prove his point, Daniel quickly swept her up into his arms and carried her up the path to the house.
The rest of that night and far into the next morning, Daniel proved to his young bride just how much he really did want her. Time and again he brought her to the edge of ecstasy, only to reward her with showers of kisses and an endless supply of caresses. When at last they emerged from their private love encased c
ocoon, Julia was happy and sedated, but still the holder of her secret. She promised herself she would tell Daniel about the baby the very next time she saw him. If only he'd quit touching her, long enough for her think straight.
The annual sales were inching closer while Daniel and Julia worked themselves into a frazzle, preparing for the forty-two buyers already committed to attending. Julia's secret remained between her and Louise, not so much out of choice as it was necessity. They both knew if Daniel found out, he'd prevent Julia from helping and force her to stay up at the house - no doubt in bed; so for the sake of a successful sale, her condition remained a secret.
Mornings proved to be the worst on Julia, who had to run for her chamber pot the minute her head lifted from the pillow. She prayed Daniel wouldn't come in unexpectedly and find her kneeling in front of the wooden stand in their wash closet. She'd thanked the lord when it was over and she could dress and go downstairs to fill her stomach before the waves of nausea had the chance to take her over again.
She learned to eat light, since heavy meals had a tendency to make her tired and she kept a biscuit or several of Mrs. Lester's cookies in her pockets as she worked. The days were growing increasingly difficult, her clothes were getting tighter and it was proving harder to find an outfit to hide her increasing size, than keeping the news from Daniel. Julia only hoped they got this sale out of the way quickly so she could tell him. She knew he'd be happy once things settled down enough for them to enjoy her condition together, but until then the days continued as always; eat, work and sleep occupying every spare moment they had.
Julia arranged for an appointment with Dr. Stewart, knowing she needed to be under his care as soon as possible. She sent a message to Margie to set up the meeting, begging her to keep the visit quiet from Harold, who would undoubtedly tell Daniel. The next morning her red haired friend arrived at the ranch, filled with questions and concerns. Margie found Julia in the stables brushing one of the mares they planned on showing to the buyers. Her hair was in disarray, with stands of dark satin hanging down her shoulders, escaping her tightly bound braid. Her clothes were dusty and smelled as though she'd been rolling in the soiled hay, rather than raking it and her heavy boots were caked in mud and manure. Margie frowned when she saw Julia's appearance, her disapproval etched on her delicate face.