“Thanks, Ty, I appreciate that.” Seth smile was wry as he threw back the shot and held out his glass again. “I gotta say it feels more like I got away with robbing a bank. The law’s bound to catch up sooner or later.” Something sour in his gut began to roll. Celia hadn’t put up the fight he expected her to that was for damn sure. What was she up to? Swallowing the next round Ty poured for him, his mind wandered back to the scene waiting on him down the hall. Much like the feeling he had of a drowning man when he’d first laid eyes on her that day in the lobby...drowning with no desire to be saved.
“Have you ever thought about marriage, Ty?”
Lighting a cheroot, Ty eyeballed him through the smoke. “No, can’t say as I have, brother.” Ty blew out an impressive ring of smoke into the air and smiled smugly behind his celebration glass. “But I haven’t found the right woman yet either. Not like you. Take a chair and sit awhile.” He motioned with his glass toward a chair across from the fire burning brightly in the fireplace.
“I wager that when I do find her, she’ll have a hard time coming close to Celia.”
Seth watched his brother’s eyes and wondered at the simplistic reasoning of youth. “You don’t have any reservations about what Celia and I’ve done?”
“No. Why should I?” Ty asked innocently. “Just like you said, she needed your help.” His grin was mocking. “Besides, she’s beautiful, smart, and a born manager. Why I bet you, she could run Shooter Creek blindfolded if she had to. Besides, she has the love and respect of all the hands and Maggie.” Cocking a rueful brow, Ty peered hard at his older brother. “You don’t think for a minute that you could have pulled this cockamamie scheme off so smoothly without Maggie’s approval, do you?”
The words needled his pride. He knew he’d been prepared to take on all comers when he’d told the others about the idea. Maggie had been as pleased as punch, which had worried him. He considered his brother’s words and wondered at their validity. Was there more going on in this charade than met the eye? Bemused at his own misgivings, he shook his head.
Despite the desire to argue the point, it would appear Ty spoke the truth. Without the approval of Maggie and Ty’s willingness to go along with the arrangement, things wouldn’t have progressed so rapidly. Now here he was about to bed down with the woman from his past. The woman that he remembered so well and yet knew very little about. Shaking his head, he blew out a breath. It didn’t matter. The arrangement was strictly a business deal and both of them had agreed. Shoving hard at the feelings, he was having at that moment, he swore and waved the glass for Ty to refill. Absently reaching up, he rubbed at the nagging twinge just under his heart.
Several more congratulatory drinks and the knots in his neck began to ease. Seth’s confidence returned. “Best be getting back. Can’t have her thinking I passed out.” He stood, swaying in place. “You’re a good brother, Ty. Thanks for everything.” He dropped the bundle of clothing he brought with him as he stumbled toward the door.
“No problem, you just get on down there and take care of Celia.” Grinning like a fool, Ty escorted him to the door. The click of the bolt locking in place sounded as Seth’s back.
***
The room was dark except for moonlight streaming in from the window.
“Celia?” Seth stood swaying in the doorway. With the one thin shaft of light from the hall, he could just make out her form asleep on the bed.. “Celia, are you asleep?” He scratched at his chest through his rumpled shirt. Unsteady and unfamiliar with his surroundings, he closed the door and stepped further into the room.
Mere seconds passed before his boot caught the bedpost.
“Son-of-a…Where’s the damn light? A man could kill himself getting to the bed,” he railed.
Through a whiskey haze, Seth witnessed what he thought was an apparition fling back the bed covers and lit near the side of the bed. Apparently, the apparition had skills. He watched it light a coal-oil lamp with great efficiency. Soon, a warm glow washed the room.
“What do you mean ‘getting to the bed’?” Celia snapped.
Seth, who blinked when he realized the apparition was his new wife, broke out in a wide grin. “Hello, darlin’.”
Her eyes blazed at him, who continued to weave in the center of the room. He thought briefly about reaching out and taking her in his arms. She was wearing the most beautiful sibilance of a gown he’d ever seen. It cupped her breasts with a silvery rope twined of shimmering strands. After molding the gown to her breasts, the rope traveled down and encircled her waist before falling in a waterfall of shimmering threads. The delicate fabric caressed his wife’s hips, flowing into a showering cascade to pool at her feet.
“I thought you were a ghost.” He grinned foolishly waving a hand about. “Hell, don’t scare me like that again,” he chided.
“I thought you were going to sleep on the couch,” Celia chirped.
Now, why would he do that? Seth belched and swayed unsteadily. Wrinkling his nose, he took a couple of steps toward the other side of the bed. Settling on the soft mattress to remove his boots, he looked back over his shoulder. “You gonna come back to bed with me, darlin’?” He saw two of her. Tracking her progress, he watched as she came around to his side of the bed and proceeded to stomp on his toes. “Shit! What’d you do that for?” he whined.
“Seth, we have to talk.”
Her slender, curvy body was right in front of him. All he had to do was reach out.
“There have to be some rules to this charade.” She gave his sleeve a good tug.
He only swayed.
“Number one, whenever I take a bath, I need my time alone, understand?” She tapped her slender foot. “You’ve got to respect my privacy.”
“You wanna take another bath?” He reached for her and gathered thin air. “Sure thing, darlin’, we can take a bath. Come ‘ere.” He reached again for her and she side-stepped him. Seth stumbled and teetered before righting himself. Wasn’t that sweet? She was shy. “Come ‘ere, sweetness.” He wiggled his fingers at her.
“Seth?” She fisted her hands on her hips. “We need some rules!”
“Hmm?” The oil lamp was illuminating her silhouette through the filmy gown. He smiled wickedly as he reached for her again. “Yes, ma’am, rules, I heard you.” Stumbling again when she shifted, his foot caught the chair leg and he found the need to vent. “Damn room.” Slumping into the brocade chair, he rubbed and then tugged on his boot. His eyes, however, didn’t leave the sensual figure in the sheer, white gown that skittered away to the other side of the bed. Eyes of pure emerald glared at him from there.
“Are you listening to me?” Those lovely hands came back to rest on curvaceous hips again. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?” She threw a crouched pillow at his head.
Ducking smoothly, he glanced back at the seductress. “I heard every word you said, darlin’.” With the last boot off, he stood and started to unbutton his pants.
“What are you doing, now?” She sounded shocked.
Seth looked up from his task in bewilderment. “I’m taking off my pants - getting ready for bed.” He continued to watch her as he undid more buttons. “That’s the way it works. You have to get out of your clothes first.”
“Of all the…” Celia threw up her hands. Turning her head as he dropped his drawers, she continued, “You said you’d sleep on the couch.”
Seth glanced at the couch and back at his wife. “I’d thought I’d use the bed. It’s a perfectly good bed,” he told her with all honesty. The buzz of the whiskey was dissipating and a slight headache was taking its place. Besides, he wasn’t a simpleton, he knew what she meant. His good-humored mood was shifting into one of irritated sexual frustration and he glared across the bed at his new wife. “Hell, if it makes you feel any better, put some pillows down the middle of the damn thing – for protection – from your devoted husband.” He smiled wryly at her and turned his back.
Celia let out a huff as she saddled closer to
her side and started doing just that. With a mound of pillows between them, she slid between the sheets and pulled the cover up to her chin.
Seth;s own frustration mounted as he slid naked between the sheets on his side of his wife’s barricade. “Want to discuss more rules, my love?” he quipped.
“I think we need to get some sleep.” With the statement, the light went out and once more, they found themselves in the dark. “Good night, Seth.”
“Good night, Mrs. Loflin,” he shot back in annoyance. With an arm flung restlessly over his head, he lay there in the stillness and watched the shadows on the ceiling. He considered the picture she’d made only minutes before standing there with the light caressing her body. His own body reacted in response and he growled low.
“A fine kettle of fish you’ve gotten yourself into, Boyo.” He could see Maggie’s smirking face hovering over the bed.
Punching his pillow with a fist, he turned his back to the makeshift barricade that lay between them. The irony didn’t escape him as he berated himself yet again. He lay next to a woman who held him captivated and he couldn’t even reach out and touch her as he wanted to.
***
Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Celia came bolt upright in the bed. “Nooooo…” Her hair curtained her as she folded forward hugging herself. Chilled from the cold sweat that drenched her, she brushed frantically at the tears as they streamed down her face. Disgruntled with herself for having a nightmare to begin with, she flinched when Seth’s arms came around her.
“Easy now. Easy, girl.”
She jerked away.
“Celia, it was just a dream.”
“I know!” she shot back. Running trembling fingers through her hair, she rocked. “It just felt so real.”
A gentle hand rubbed up her backbone and then another joined the first to massage at the tension gathered in her neck. “You want to talk about it?” His question sounded so sincere, she relaxed fractionally.
“Sometime it helps.” He leaned back and rested on one elbow.
The moonlight filtering through the drapes fell across his broad, bare shoulders. How strong and solid he was, she mused. A woman would be safe in his arms.
Celia glanced sideways at this man in her bed. There was no taunt or sarcasm in his voice. He was being sincere. She’d never had anyone to talk with about her dreams. No one she even been comfortable with talking about the strange urethral fog that was her dream world. “You would do that for me?”
“I would. I’ve had a few bad nights of my own over the last twelve years. It helps to talk it out.” Seth traced a long, lean finger over the snow-white sheet before glancing into her troubled face. “You don’t really have to understand the dream, just put it into words. Somehow, that makes it more manageable. Why don’t you give it a try?” He offered softly as he reached out with that lean finger and ran it along the outline of her cheek gently.
Celia experienced an easy warmth glide through her.
“Here, lay back and tell me about it.” He patted the pillow in invitation.
She leaned back against the pillow he plumped at her back and found his arm there for support. Closing her eyes, she focused on remembering the dream instead of his arm cradling her neck. The words came out stilted and strained. “It’s pitch dark. The air is cold and I hear hoof beats. Someone’s chasing me. I’m running and calling out for help.” She swiped at the perspiration still beaded on her forehead. With the effort to remember clearly, she closed her eyes. “I’m screaming for help, but no one comes. There’s no one to hear. I’m all alone.” She opened her eyes then and flicked a nervous glance at him. In the meager light, she saw his chest rise and fall with his breathing. His eyes were shadowed but she could clearly see the solid line of his jaw as he watched her.
“Go on, Celia. You’ll feel better.”
“Then I fall…no…I’m hit from behind and I fall into the dirt. There’s snarling and snapping. I hear growling and I’m so scared. I can’t get up and I feel death around me. But then strong arms cover me. The arms are furry, like that of a wild animal. Long claws graze my skin but don’t puncture. I don’t know how, but the animal’s warmth spreads through me. I realize the animal is there to protect me. This much I can understand even though he hasn’t said a word. I hear his voice in my mind. He speaks to me in whispers, trying to sooth my fear. I understand his words and trust the beast will save me. It’s more a feeling than it is a declaration.” A short, nervous laugh escaped as she shoved at her hair. “Still, the attack continues. Despite my confidence in the beast, he is injured. There’s so much blood. I begin to fear for his life. Calling on the Great Spirit to help, I fight back, trying to protect the beast. It’s dark. I can’t see the attacker’s face, but I lash out anyway. Someone is screaming …louder and louder. That’s when I woke up.” Turning into his chest then, she let him hold her. “Seth, I’m sorry. I’ve been so much trouble for you.”
“That’s not true.” He rubbed along her arm and the silk of her nightgown made a smooth swishing sound. “What do you think the beast was?”
“I don’t really know. I’ve had the dream before. Perhaps it was a wolf. It was there to protect me, this much I know. I’m sure of it.”
“You said you’ve had the dream before?”
“Yes. Several times. More here lately. What do you think it means?”
“That’s hard to say. Is it always the same?”
“Sometimes the beast is in front of me shielding me from the danger. Other times it is covering me, saving me from the blows.” She closed her eyes. “I’ve been so much trouble to you. I don’t know why you want to listen to my nightmares.”
“Celia…” He reached out, taking her chin in his hand. His fingers gently held her face as he looked into her eyes. “I’ve told you before I’d be here for you. You’re safe. You’re safe right here with me.” He repeated. “Okay?”
She sighed gently and relaxed into him. She had a wonderful calm wash over her as she let him hold her. “My protector.” She smiled inwardly. “I’ve already been so much trouble. The problems will continue, Seth. You realize that with me around, you’ll always be in jeopardy. I just don’t want any harm to come to you because you tried to help me.”
“Nonsense, nothing gonna happen to me.” He shot her a wicked grin. “The devil and I are on a first name basis, darlin’. You don’t have to worry your pretty head about me. I’ll be just fine.” Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, Seth noted the time. “Why don’t you hunker down and try and get some rest. I’ll stay right here until morning.” Holding her in his arms, he worked them both down into the soft bed, before settling his head next to hers on the pillow.
It was hard not to reach out and kiss him. Her fingers tingled with the want to touch him. Closing her eyes tight against the desire that bubbled up inside her, She tried instead to focus on his breathing. Steady and solid, she concentrated on his presence. “Thanks, Seth.”
“My pleasure, darlin’. Now get some rest. Good night.”
She lay in the darkness thinking. Her world had changed so much and he was right at the core of the changes. He’d rode in and saved her time and again. Would he continue to? She doubted even he could withstand the barrage of problems that came with being associated with a half-breed. His father hadn’t. Celia glanced at the clock herself. Time, they needed time, she mused. A sheer wash of desperation swept over her and she trembled. Would he understand when she had to defend The People’s death or stand up to Brannon? That she couldn’t be sure of, but she’d do her best to see that he knew how much she appreciated everything he was doing for her. Even if he didn’t love her, he cared for her. She expelled air from her lungs slowly and inched backward to look into his face. He was watching her.
“I can’t believe you married me to keep me safe. You’ve given up so much already for me.”
“I’m just trying to shore up the edges.” He took his finger and nudged her chin into his hand. “Besides, we have a
real history. Maybe we could just start over. Pretend we were twenty again. I remember how you used to feel beneath me, all warm and willing.”
Celia narrowed her eyes at him, despite her heart beating wildly in her chest. “This would be rather difficult considering our agreement of a marriage in name only.” Despite or maybe because of the fact that she knew better, she reached out and ran a finger down the trail of hair that ran low on his belly.
He flinched and grabbed her wrist. “Hey, cut it out or I’ll have to retaliate, contract or not.” Though his voice sounded mischievous, his eyes had gone cloudy with need.
Celia’s breath slipped out as she shifted and moved to the edge of the mattress. “I don’t believe the arrangement says anything about retaliating.” A whiff of a smile crossed her lips before she settled with her back to him. “Don’t forget to adjust the pillows. I have a very devoted husband.” She punched her own pillow before resting her head on it. “Good night, Mr. Loflin.”
***
Seth’s side of the bed was cool when Celia awoke. The loneliness settled into her bones as she considered what waking up next to him again would be like. Blinking into the tiny shards of light filtering through the slats of the folding screens across the window, she told herself she was being silly. Yearning for him wasn’t going to help. Aggravation won out over the longing as she flung back the covers and got up, slipping into a robe. Rubbing her arms against the chill in the room, she moved to the dressing screen prepared to get ready for the day. Casey would be waking soon and needed her bandages changed.
Soon, Maggie rapped at the door three times before hurrying in with a tray. “Good morning, dear.” She greeted Celia with a warm smile. Setting the tray down on the side table in the sitting area, she stood back, and surveyed her. “How are we on this fine day?”
Celia knew what was going on in Maggie’s busy brain at that point. Since Seth was missing she was the only one left. Irritation warred with annoyance at being the teller of the tale regarding their first night of wedded bliss. Still, the charade must go on, so she fixed a bright smile on her face and greeted Maggie warmly. “We’re fine, Maggie.” Giving the woman a keen scrutiny, Celia turned the focus to Maggie. “You’re looking particularly pleased with yourself this morning. A body would believe you had something up your sleeve, Maggie, ‘ol girl.”
Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) Page 24