She knew Cooper's entreaty was a ploy to get her to release her grip on his fingers, and she also knew she couldn't refuse so simple a request without making Erik wonder at her reason for it. But she was acutely conscious that Cooper's nimble fingers, even as she gripped his hand, were inching her skirts above her knees. Mary Louise could hardly think, much less pour coffee. Willing herself to remain calm, she reached with her free hand to lift the ornate silver pot. But, as it was nearly full and quite heavy, Mary Louise was forced to loosen her hold on Cooper's fingers so that she could use both hands to lift it from the middle of the table. She was filling his cup when she felt the warmth of his hand on her bare thigh.
"Cooper!"
Smiling crookedly, he arched a brow. "Yes, Weezie?"
"W— Would you care for c— cream?"
"Please, and sugar too, if you don't mind."
It was then that his fingers slipped through the convenient slit in the crotch of her drawers, sought out and quickly found her femininity. Mary Louise shivered— and the sugar tongs fell from her trembling hand.
Erik frowned. "Weezie? I'm beginning to think Cooper was right. I believe you may be coming down with something. You're shaking like a leaf and your cheeks are quite flushed."
Mary Louise, her mind centered on Cooper's caressing fingers, licked her lips and she swallowed convulsively as she tried to form a suitable response to Erik's concerned observation. "I...ahhh..."
She clenched her teeth as a liquid warmth spread throughout her body. While a part of her hated Cooper for his scandalous behavior, another part wished fervently that Erik would disappear so that she could savor the sensation Cooper was initiating. And then his roughened fingertip grazed the nucleus of her womanhood an involuntary shudder jolted through her.
Noticeably disturbed by what he must have assumed was Mary Louise's distress, Erik rose from his chair. "Good Lord, Weezie, you are ill!
The moment Erik stood, Cooper removed his hand from beneath her skirts and smoothed, as best he could under the circumstances, the wrinkled fabric back over her knees. He had brought her to full arousal and now, frustrated beyond belief, Mary Louise was trembling when he helped her to stand.
"I think Erik's right. You'd better go and lie down for a while, Mary Louise," Cooper said, playing the concerned bridegroom. Only Mary Louise saw the laughter in his eyes and heard the smugness in his voice.
"Yes," she murmured, unable to look at either man. "I think I will."
"I'll get my bag," Erik said.
"No, Erik," Mary Louise said. "Don't bother. I just need to lie down for a moment."
"Can you make it to your room, or shall I help you?" Cooper asked.
"It's obvious she needs help, Cooper, she can hardly stand." Erik snapped. "If you don't wish— "
"I do wish," Cooper interrupted. "I simply felt I should ask the lady's permission before being so bold as to insist upon it."
"Ha!" Mary Louise retorted, but her feeble attempt at sarcasm was completely lost on Erik. She knew Cooper had, of course, heard and understood. Before she knew what was happening, he swung her into his arms. He held her firmly against his chest so that she could feel the rumble of his silent laughter.
"Cooper," she whispered, "you know as well as I that this isn't necessary."
"Do you want Erik to figure that out?" he asked softly.
"Heaven forbid!"
"Then shut up and pretend you're exhausted."
Cooper carried her up the curving stair and set her down just outside her bedroom door. "Wait in your room for me," he said. "I'll join you there as soon as I've seen Erik off."
"Cooper, it's not quite eight o'clock in the morning."
"What's the time got to do with anything?"
"Surely you can't mean you want to..." she couldn't finish the thought.
"It was even earlier few moments ago, and I didn't notice that the hour thwarted your arousal."
She flushed with embarrassment. "Honestly, Cooper, have you no shame?"
"Honestly?" He laughed softly. "I honestly have none."
ERIK WAS waiting for Cooper at the foot of the stairs.
"I assume you want to discuss my forthcoming marriage?" Cooper said as he leaned against the newel post. "Not that it's any of your business."
"Ah, but that's where you're mistaken, Sheriff. Mary Louise is my business. As I've told you before, my niece and I are extremely close and I mean to see that you don't hurt her again."
"Look, I understand your misgivings about me."
"How very astute of you."
Cooper sighed. "Give me a break, Knudson. I told you I care about Weezie and I'm going to do everything in my power to make her happy."
"I've no doubt that you'll try, Matthews. But the bottom line is that you don't love her."
"There are plenty of successful marriages that were not based on love."
"And there are as many or more that are not successful. And those unsuccessful marriages are sheer misery for at least one, if not both, of the parties involved. I don't want Mary Louise to discover a few years from now that she's made a mistake."
"Nor do I."
"Then why go through with this farce? Why don't you walk out of this house and never look back?"
"And deprive Annie of her only flesh and blood?"
Erik sighed. "I'd forgotten for a moment about Annie." He frowned. "Bloody hell, this whole thing is a veritable mess! And I have the awful feeling its going to end disastrously with Mary Louise the one to suffer most when it all falls to pieces."
Cooper didn't reply. As things stood, Erik's dire predictions were not without merit. Indeed, what chance did a marriage without intimacy have of surviving? He was only agreeing to this sham marriage to keep from losing Annie. If not for Annie, he would probably do exactly as Erik had suggested: walk away without ever looking back. Or would he? As he contemplated the whole affair he suddenly realized he wouldn't, couldn't walk away from Mary Louise no matter what happened. And at that moment he knew that in spite of everything, in spite of the overwhelming odds against it, he still wanted to marry her. He wanted Mary Louise to be his wife in more than name. He wanted her as his partner, his help— mate, his friend. He wanted her as the mother of his children. And above all he wanted her as his lover. At that moment, Cooper's objective became crystal clear. He didn't know how he was going to accomplish it, but some how, some way, he was going to make Mary Louise want those same things.
Setting his jaw determinedly, he speared Erik with a glance and, in response to the man's earlier pronouncement, replied confidently, "I'll do whatever it takes to insure that our marriage doesn't fall to pieces."
"I hope, for Weezie's sake, that's possible— though, I seriously doubt that it is." Erik's countenance was grim. "In any event, I want you to remember one thing, Sheriff Matthews." His voice was deadly calm. "I'm not as a rule a violent man. But I promise you this: if you hurt Mary Louise, I'll hunt you down. And when I find you, I may very well kill you."
Cooper nodded. "If I hurt her, Dr. Knudson, I can assure you it would be unintentional. Nevertheless, I don't think I would blame you if you carried out your threat."
MARY LOUISE paced her room. She was still trying to come to grips with what had happened in the breakfast room. My God, she thought, Cooper had actually fondled her intimately while Erik was sitting not five feet away! She gave an involuntary shiver as she remembered Cooper's large hand caressing her beneath her clothes. She found she was aroused by the mere memory. What was happening to her? In only a few short days she had changed from a prim and proper lady to a wanton with no discernable scruples— or at least, she had none where Cooper Matthews was concerned. Erik's presence had not deterred her responses to Cooper's determined seduction. On the contrary, the knowledge that Erik might discover their secret at any moment had added to the excitement of the whole episode. That, compounded with having to pretend that nothing was amiss while Cooper's hand was nestled between her legs had been titillating in the e
xtreme. She'd wanted to weep with frustration when Erik had suddenly interrupted the surreptitious ravishment.
Mary Louise paused from her pacing and frowned. Where was Cooper? He'd said he join her as soon as he's seen Erik off, but it had been over a quarter of an hour since he'd left her like this— trembling, unsatisfied. She was going to go completely out of her mind if she had to stay in the room a moment longer. She must find something to besides Cooper to occupy her thoughts.
COOPER, after having seen Erik to the door, made sure the rest of the household was occupied elsewhere and then, taking the stairs two at the time, hurried back to Mary Louise's room. He tapped on the door.
"Mary Louise? Let me in." He waited several beats and when the door remained shut, he knocked again, a little louder this time. "Weezie? Open the door." When she still didn't respond to his entreaties, Cooper grabbed the knob and gave it a sharp turn. To his surprise, the door swung open without resistance. He stepped over the threshold and saw that the room was empty.
Muttering curses, Cooper searched the rest of the upstairs rooms and then retraced his steps to the floor below. He was searching the kitchen when he heard the light footsteps coming his way from the direction of the library and knew it was Mary Louise about to enter the kitchen. Without a clear concept as to why he was doing it, Cooper quickly stepped into the pantry and closed the door. Moments later Mary Louise, humming softly, entered the kitchen through the swinging door. Peeking through a crack in the door, Cooper waited until she was even with the pantry, and then he reached out and grabbed her by the wrist.
Mary Louise squeaked in surprise as Cooper hauled her into the dark closet and before she could utter a cry of alarm, he covered her mouth in a searing kiss.
"Cooper," she murmured when the kiss ended. "You frightened me."
"You should have waited in your room as I asked."
"I did wait. But you were gone so long I thought you had forgotten about me." Her hushed voice trembled with ill— concealed eagerness.
"You know I wouldn't forget something like this," he said as he pushed her against the wall and began unfastening her shirtwaist.
"Cooper, what are you doing?"
"What I've wanted to do since breakfast," he replied as he bared her breasts to his gaze. Then bending to take an engorged nipple into his mouth, he began to lift her skirts. And as his hands groped for the ties of her unmentionables, he murmured, "I'm about to make wild and passionate love to you, Miss Markham."
"Here?" she squeaked as he pushed down her drawers and helped her to step out of them. "In the pantry?"
"Yes, right here in the pantry. Any objections?"
"Yes, of course, I..."
He raised up until his eyes were level with hers. "Have you forgotten our bargain?"
"No, of course not. B— but...how can we...?"
Cooper kissed her again as he reached down to unbutton his trousers. "I'll handle the details, Sweetheart," he murmured against her mouth, "All you have to do is hold up your skirts."
Still achingly aroused from their escapade in the breakfast room, Mary Louise did not protest. Instead, she held her skirts bunched around her waist and watched as Cooper pushed his trousers to his knees. She flushed when he caught her looking at his erection and he grinned. Then he took her mouth in another bone melting kiss as he fondled her between her legs.
"Open for me, Weezie," he whispered against her lips. "Spread your legs for me."
She widened her stance and shuddered when she felt his fingers slip inside her.
"Oh, God, Weezie, you're so hot and wet," he whispered hoarsely. Then he grasped her thighs pulled them over his hips. "Wrap your legs around me, Sweetheart."
With a moan of pleasure, Mary Louise did as he bade her and gasped aloud when he impaled her on his throbbing shaft. She was vaguely aware of the rough wood of the pantry's wall pressing against her bare backside as Cooper slid in and then out of her. He was panting, and she could see the wild glitter of his eyes in the dim light. Then, while his hips pounded against her, each driving thrust harder and faster than the last, he reached between their bodies, searched out her clitoris, fondled it— and sent Mary Louise over the edge. A keening cry rose from her throat that, she later realized with horror, had Cooper not mercifully trapped it with a kiss, might easily have summoned Cora, Amos, or, heaven forbid, her father, to her rescue. Moments later she felt a peculiar warmth as Cooper's seed erupted in what was apparently, judging from his exhilarated groans, a shattering climax for him as well.
AFTER A time, Cooper gently let Mary Louise's legs slide from his hips. While she slumped against the wall, Cooper fastened his trousers and then carefully buttoned her shirtwaist. After he'd knelt to help her pull on her drawers, he looked at her. She seemed unusually pale. "Are you all right?" he asked, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
She shook her head. "No, you didn't hurt me."
He frowned. There was something not quite right with her whispered reply. "What's the matter?"
She seemed to disregard his question. "You'd better get out of here before someone catches us."
"Something's wrong," he insisted.
She pushed him back a step and stood up from where she was leaning against the wall. "Nothing's wrong, Cooper. I just want to get out of this pantry before somebody comes along and discovers us in here."
"I guess you're right," he said. "I'll go first, then you wait a few minutes and follow."
Mary Louise nodded. With a last, worried glance at her, he slipped from the pantry. As he made his way up the stairs to his room, he shook his head in wonder. He had no idea what had possessed him to fondle Mary Louise with her uncle right there in the room with them. And to take her in a pantry! My God, what had gotten into him? He'd never done anything like that in his life! He smiled ruefully. Since meeting Mary Louise he'd found himself doing a great many things he'd never done before. He wondered if he weren't going just a little mad.
COOPER didn't see Mary Louise again until that night, soon after he'd slipped a note under her door inviting her to his room. She arrived after the rest of the house whole was asleep.
The moment he opened his door to admit her he detected something different about her. He was used to seeing a flare of indignation in her eyes; however, this time there was something akin to resignation in them and realized it was the same look he'd seen after they'd made love in the pantry. "Weezie, what's— "
"Shall I undress myself or do you want to do it?" she asked dully as she began to untie the sash of her wrapper.
Cooper's brows rose in surprise. He'd never seen Mary Louise like this. He stayed her hands from the sash and quickly re— tied it.
"Neither," he said evenly. When she didn't respond, he sighed. "Mary Louise, I'm not an animal that needs to mate at every opportunity."
She said nothing, simply shrugged and sat down near the fireplace.
Cooper took the chair across from her. "I have more brandy if you'd like some," he said, uncomfortable with her silence.
"No thank you." Then, after a moment, she asked, "Why did you send for me if not for your usual...amusement?"
"I wanted to talk with you about this afternoon."
"What about it?" Her voice was flat, unemotional.
"There was something different about you, and there's something different about you now. You seem...I don't know...troubled. I wanted to know why."
She looked at him incredulously. "Why do you think?" She laughed without humor. "Do you think I enjoy prostituting myself?"
"Prosti...!" He raked his hands through his hair. "Jeez, Mary Louise, where do you come up with these crazy ideas?"
"What's crazy about it? Prostitutes exchange sex for money. As far as I can see the only difference in what they do and what I'm doing is the commodity exchanged: a promise instead of coin."
Cooper had the grace to look discomfited. He cleared his throat and said, "If you don't mind, I think I will have a brandy."
She shrugged and looked at the fire
. "Suit yourself."
He found his flask, uncapped it, and took a long pull from it. Then, he gazed at her with a look that he hoped appeared to be unconcern. "I find I've lost interest in our game, Mary Louise. I'm releasing you from the bargain."
She gasped. "You mean you refuse to marry me?"
He shook his head. "No, I'll fulfill my part of the agreement. I'm the one calling off the bargain, not you." He leaned back. "You'll get your business arrangement as promised. Just tell me the time and place, and I'll be there to say the vows."
She glanced up and then looked at her hands, and Cooper thought he detected a flicker of disappointment in her eyes before she shielded them from his view.
"How about next month?"
He lifted a shoulder. "Fine with me. What time of the month? Early? Late? Christmas Day? I'll have to adjust my deputies' schedules." He grinned crookedly. "If they haven't quit in disgust by then. I expect they're getting a little tired of their boss being gone so much."
"How does the fifteenth sound? That way we'll be settled before Christmas."
He nodded. "That gives me three weeks to make arrangements. All right, the Fifteenth sounds fine to me. Will the wedding be here?"
"Yes. It'll be small— just family and a few friends. I'll need a list of people you want to invite."
"Lizzie, of course, and my deputies— a couple will have to work, but the others can come if they like."
"What about your brother?"
"Maxwell? You can invite him, but I doubt he'll come. Max and I haven't spoken in more than ten years."
"I'm sorry," she said, and her tone sounded genuine.
Cooper drew in a deep breath. "Yeah," he said finally. "So am I."
"Well," Mary Louise said after a moment. "Unless there's something else you'd like to discuss, I think I'll be— "
"Annie and I are leaving tomorrow morning," he said abruptly.
"Oh." She seemed depressed by the news.
For the Love of Annie Page 25