‘Like what you do to me, do you, my temptress?’
She moved her head up and down on his chest to signify her approval. ‘Very much so, and I love that I can tempt you because, with Geoffrey, I felt inadequate, especially when he flaunted one mistress after another in my face.’
He put a finger under her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. ‘You are the most enticing woman I’ve ever known and you have the figure of a goddess. In fact, I was about to call out the next supposed gentleman at Browning’s who sniffed your hair or peered down your bodice.’
She giggled again. ‘Truly?’
‘Truly.’
Those were the last words the spoke until the sun’s rays through the window glass alerted them to the hour and the need to dress. Before they left the house, Brent pulled her aside and kissed her. Her heart was full to bursting and she took courage from his nonchalant attitude over any prying neighbors and stiffened her spine. Barefoot, her hand in Brent’s, and her head held high, Lillian walked to the waiting coach. And when he stole another kiss as he handed into his carriage, Lillian kissed him back. Let the gossips spread their tales, because for the first time in Lillian’s life, she felt safe and secure, and above all, loved unconditionally.
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘HOW DARE YOU ENTER MY HOUSE before I’ve finished my breakfast and say such things.’
The duke’s outraged voice shook the walls of the breakfast room and echoed down every corridor, where Brent assumed every member of the duke’s staff would be gathered to listen to their news. Nevertheless, he stepped closer to the duke and his upturned chair and spoke in his normal voice. He refused to cower before the duke and if the servants listened and spread their story all over Mayfair in under an hour, so be it.
He and Lillian were marrying and nothing would stop them, not her growling father or the gossiping peers who delighted in destroying people’s reputations and watching their prey scurry away form London to hide. They’d both endured enough gossip and seclusion and today was a new beginning.
A hand in the middle of his back reminded him that Michael stood behind, demonstrating that their family supported each other and were displaying a united public front. Seeing Maggie and Michael waiting outside the duke’s house had been a surprise, but when his cousin explained their presence, Brent had been overcome by emotion. Michael and Maggie had expected Brent to present himself before Lillian’s father and had decided to stand beside him, as Maggie’s father was one of the duke’s closest cohorts and she’d know the family all her life. Later, Brent decided, he’d get to the bottom of Maggie’s identity and why mystery surrounded her, but for now he was grateful that there were four people in the room in support of a short engagement and, hopefully, their long marriage.
Lillian tucked her arm though Brent’s and smiled up at him. ‘Papa, Lord Mallory is doing the proper thing by speaking to you, but hear this, we will marry, with or without your permission.’
The duchess pushed back her chair and rushed to hug her daughter and Brent looked down at Lillian and smiled. “You should be pleased, your Grace, that your daughter is so much like you. Strong, intelligent, and loyal.’
The duke’s face was red and his fists clenched as he pondered Brent’s praise, but when the duchess moved and slid her hand around her husband’s elbow and leaned into him, his bluster dissipated. ‘Very well, you may court my daughter for six months and if, at that time, I consider you an appropriate husband, you will have my permission to marry.’
‘One week,’ Brent announced with a smile for everyone in the room. ‘I shall procure a special license this morning and Lillian will be married in my local church on Saturday.’
The duke shouted, the duchess patted his arm soothingly, and Lillian’s sister raced to embrace her and offer excited congratulations. Beside him, Michael used the hand not holding Maggie’s to thump Brent on the back. ‘Well done. Expected a bigger battle but you’ve made your point and robbed the duke of speech, which is a first. Can’t wait until he hears your views on law reforms. That’s sure to cause a war.’ Michael’s chuckle was cut off when the duke roared again. ‘Law reforms?’ He shook his fist at Brent and Michael. ‘Over my dead body.’
The duchess spoke and, although her tone was mild, her voice was laced with steel. ‘If you don’t calm yourself, we’ll be laid out in a coffin before the wedding on Saturday. Now, congratulate your daughter and her betrothed and finish your breakfast.’
‘Yes, my dear,’ the duke muttered, lowering himself into the chair rescued by a smirking footman. He pointed to them. ‘Sit down, all of you. Have some tea.’ He scowled at Maggie. ‘And then you can explain your part in this so I can decide if I need to write to you father and tell him he needs to take better control of his daughter.’ He glared at Brent. ‘Daughters are the very devil, Mallory, and I hope yours is better behaved than this unruly lot.’ He glared at each of his daughters in turn, lingering on Candace who was unable to hide her excitement. ‘Give a man gray hairs, they do.’
“My daughter is only six, Your Grace, and yet she seems to bend my entire household to her will with extraordinary ease.’
His Grace snorted, and then took up his cutlery and returned to his meal. Maggie and Michael seated themselves at the table and joined the conversation, while Lillian’s sisters talked over the top of one another about their sisters wedding and what gowns they would wear. Brent seized the opportunity to slip outside, urging Lillian with him. Once in the corridor, Lillian took charge and led him to a small room at the very back of the house, locking the door behind them.
They smiled at each other, and then kissed.
‘That went far better than I expected,’ Brent said. ‘You father didn’t even send for his gun.’
“I was surprised too, though I think my family has always known how much I admired you and how much I valued your friendship.’
‘I love you, Lillian, and I’m sorry that it took me so long to realize how much you meant to me.’
She out a finger to his lips. “No, you have nothing to apologize for. I’m pleased that we’ve finally found each other, my love.’
‘I promise that I’ll do anything to make you happy, Lillian. Anything you want.’
‘Anything?’
He nodded, though the look in her eyes worried him a little.
She lifted to her toes and whispered in his ear. ‘I want to kneel before you, my darling, and worship your body that way. Will you let me?’
Brent groaned, and then nodded. “But only if I get to kneel before you as well.’
They laughed and kissed and Brent was wondering if he Lillian could be quiet enough to make love in this room, with her family breakfasting not far from them. He slid her gown up and over her knees and then dropped to kneel before her. He inhaled deeply. Oranges and lemons and sweet Lillian. He parted her nest of hair with his thumbs and then licked up though her folds. Lillian gave a small scream so he knew she was enjoying his ministrations.
The door handle rattled and she screamed again. He popped up from between Lillian’s thighs to come face to face with Maggie and Michael, and with Candace poking her head between them. ‘Damn master keys,’ Brent moaned, but when Lillian laughed aloud and the other joined her, he had no choice but to join their madness. He swung Lillian up into his arms and twirled her around, throwing back his head and laughing until his sides ached.
He slid a smiling Lillian down his body and onto her feet. ‘I love you.’
To his amusement, the rest of Lillian’s family flooded into the room and surrounded them. Maggie clapped and the others joined in.
‘And I love you,’ she said as they moved as one to sink into a long kiss.
END
UNDER A SILVER MOON Hildie McQueen
The shadows of the past fall over Silver City, Idaho casting its darkness over a man and a woman attempting to start anew.
When US Marshal Lucas McKade and new deputy of Silver City decided to settle down, he didn't consi
der how his presence could bring complications to the townspeople of his new home. Against every instinct he seeks out apothecary owner Camille Johnston, a woman who calls to his basic nature to protect and to make his.
Camille Johnston knows that eventually the secrets of her past will come to haunt, yet she hopes to keep things hidden as long as possible and enjoy her lonely but peaceful existence in Silver City. The new deputy brings with him desires she'd thought firmly shut away. A relationship of any kind comes with very dangerous consequences.
A story of Lucas and Camille, who attempt to leave a past behind only to find true happiness, comes when they face it.
Under a Silver Moon
Hildie McQueen
Pink Door Publishing
Cover Artist: Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
Sr. Editor: Scott Moreland
Copyright Hildie McQueen 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without written permission.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.
If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your retailer and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
CHAPTER ONE
Silver City, Idaho 1865
THE BULL KICKED BACK WITH ITS HIND LEGS as if preparing to charge the tree again, not a good thing at the moment since the branch Camille sat on cracked under her weight.
She wasn't sure what the best thing to do at the moment was. Should she shoo it away or play dead? Of course, if she played dead it meant movement, which in turn could cause the tree branch to break and then she'd not have to pretend.
Beneath her, the animal snorted and kicked at the herb basket she'd filled just moments earlier.
In the distance, a lone horseman appeared. Whoever it was rode at a lazy pace. Through squinted eyes, she could make out that he seemed to be looking up at the sky. Camille did not have the time or the inclination to admire the scenery at the moment.
Admittedly, the entire reason she'd come out for a walk had been the beautiful, warm day. Summer arrived in Silver City with bursts of color, clear, blue skies and an occasional light shower. Herbs of every kind sprouted around the base of trees and between thickets in the wooded area where she'd foraged.
The bull stomped on the ground. "Don't lose your temper with me or the tree," Camille told it in a quavering voice. "It’s not like I'm forcing you to be here. Why don't you go on back to whatever you were doing?"
The animal didn't listen. Instead, it charged the tree again with force. Its massive head collided with the trunk, shaking the entire thing. The branch she'd climbed up to cracked just a bit more and Camille screamed.
Any minute now, she'd be sprawled on the ground and gored to death if something wasn't done. But what could she do, the branch above her head was out of reach. The beast backed up and, once again, pawed at the ground. It was going to charge again and this time, she'd probably fall to her death.
The rider stopped and watched what transpired. He didn't move. Instead, he pushed his hat back and cocked his head to the side.
Lucas McKade. Silver City's new deputy and the one man she'd been avoiding now appeared as her savior. Or not, since he sat unmoving, taking in her predicament. Finally, he untied the bandana from around his neck.
"Whoa!" he screamed, waving the cloth to get the bull's attention. The hateful animal barely paid him any mind. Instead, it focused on the tree again.
Her branch creaked and she held her breath and reached for a thin branch overhead and pulled up as hard as she could in an effort to relieve her current perch of some weight. Her hands stung but she held on.
A loud whistle sounded and, this time, the bull turned toward the cowboy. Camille held her breath hoping the damn thing would chase after the deputy and forget about her.
The animal pawed the ground and snorted. Lucas waved his arms and turned his nervous horse sideways.
Finally, the bull took a couple steps away from her tree. Then, without warning, charged the rider who spurred his horse to a gallop.
Camille waited as long as she could before attempting to inch down from her precarious position. Each movement, no matter how careful, made the branch splinter from its hold on the trunk.
With a snap, the branch gave way and, once again, she grabbed the thinner one above her head. For a few moments, she hung from her arms and closed her eyes hoping the combination of branches would hold.
But the one she sat on was already cracked and the one she held on to would not hold her weight.
She was much too high to hope for any kind of soft landing. Cursed bull and its temperament. Why didn't its owners make sure it was kept in a corral? Now, she was in danger of breaking her neck because of it.
Squeezing her eyes tight, she prepared for what followed. Her hands burned from the weight as the thin branch began its inevitable breaking.
"If I were you, I'd inch closer to the trunk. The branch is stronger there."
Camille refused to consider how silly she looked hanging from a tree while a man sat atop a horse looking up at her. Instead, she did as he said and moved closer to the tree.
"Now, find a foothold. There's a branch not too far from your right foot," he said next, not seeming in the least perturbed by the fact she could possibly die at any moment.
"I can't see it," she replied with impatience. "Help me down."
He frowned. "Feel around for it. There you go."
"I'm not here to perform for your entertainment. If you come closer I can lower to stand on your horse's rump."
The annoying man studied her for a moment. "Take a hold of the branch by your left hand and lower yourself to the one you're standing on."
There was no other choice than to follow his instructions, so she did as he said and, before long, sat on the steadier branch. She let out a breath and scowled at Lucas. "What now?"
The corner of his lips curved. The infuriating man found the situation comical. "You climbed up there, which means there's a way to climb down. Don't get mad at me because you riled a bull."
Instead of a reply, she studied the tree to figure out how to climb down without the man's help, since it was obvious he'd not help. In truth, she'd been too high to safely lower onto his horse. After several attempts, she found herself lower. Although her arms quivered from the effort, she refused to ask him for any more help.
Camille reached for another branch, her breathing now coming in pants, her arms burning, her fingernails torn.
She lost her foothold and grabbed for some sort of purchase, not ready to land in a heap on the ground in front of the deputy.
Just then, strong arms surrounded her and pulled her against him. "Relax, I have you."
Not able to do more than slump against him, too relieved to think of anything more than how safe she felt at the moment, Camille let out a shaky breath. "You would have let me fall."
The solid chest against her, coupled with his arms around her, became her shelter for the next few moments, as she was too tired and relieved to push away.
"I was here to catch you. You're safe. That's it, breathe." He soft words brought her out of the haze and Camille did as he instructed. "That's it."
Finally, she could muster the strength to straighten. "Thank you. If you'd please release me, I'll be on my way."
"I'll take you back to town. We'll stop at Doc’s. You need to get those hands looked after."
He h
elped her onto his horse and lifted to sit behind her. For the next half hour, she reveled in the circle of his arms as they rode to town.
Later, she'd think of how, once again, to keep this man at arm's length and avoid him. The respite from having to do for herself was much too appealing. Later, she'd remind herself that allowing a strong man to take care of her without expecting anything in return was a foreign concept.
No doubt, once she was taken care of, he'd come for his payment. Tears stung at thinking what would have happened if Lucas McKade had not happened to come along. Sadness at the fact no one would miss her or ever look for her if she'd not come back to town.
Being alone was never easy, but times like this, with a man's arms around her, she realized how alone she truly was and would continue to be.
She refused to ponder on the future. Instead, she sagged against him and took what he gave at the moment. Shelter, safety and comfort were the three things that had always come with a price to her. Hopefully, she'd not pay too high a price for what Lucas McKade did at the moment.
She had little left to give, both her heart and soul were too hardened to be taken. No, the only thing she truly had to lose was her life and that, in her opinion, was far better than losing her heart.
The horse's steady trot should have settled Camille. But the fact that Lucas McKade didn't seem to be in any hurry to get to town made each passing moment more unbearable. It had been so long since she'd been this close to a man and her body instantly reacted to the sensations she'd worked so hard to forget. The fact the man was so handsome and virile did little to help the uneasy situation.
Seven Nights of Sin: Seven Sensuous Stories by Bestselling Historical Romance Authors Page 42