Denver

by Sara Orwig

  “How they’ve grown!”

  “If I can talk Catalina into it, I want to send Knox east to school in a few years. I want him to have a good education. He has the mind for it.”

  “I couldn’t bear to give up Aaron.”

  “I haven’t talked Catalina into it yet. Aaron isn’t as old as Emilio. I’ll miss him too. He’s my companion. Emilio is the cowman. He spends half his time at the ranch with Ta-ne-haddle.”

  “What about Dawn?” April asked, watching her run with the boys. “She’s beautiful, Luke.”

  “She rides like Ta-ne-haddle, just like she was born on a horse’s back. It’s good to have you here, April. San Antonio has grown. I’ll have to show you around, let you see some of the changes.”

  “Right now Aaron is too young to remember, but someday I want him to see the missions.”

  “There’ll be time for that. All he’s interested in now is trailing around behind the boys. If we had Dan here, everything would be complete. Do you ever hear from Melissa Hatfield?”

  “Occasionally. She has three children and she never mentions Dan. I hope he finds someone to love as much as he loved Melissa.”

  “He will.”

  “You make it sound as if women are abundantly available.”

  “What’s this about abundantly available women?” Catalina asked, stepping down to meet them, her gaze on Luke, a smile playing on the corners of her mouth.

  “I said beautiful women are abundantly available. Look how many there are at my house!” Luke drawled.

  “Abundant is one thing, Mr. Wordy Lawyer. Available is something else.”

  He laughed softly and hugged her against him, his features softening. Once again, April thought how lucky they had been.

  9

  On Saturday night, excitement rippled through Dan as he approached the Shumacher house. He leaned forward to gaze out the window of his new, elegantly carved, full-plated carriage with gracefully scrolled irons and English steel springs. He had hired a driver, Grizzly Jones, one of Dulcie’s men, who kept peace at her house when necessary. Dan had never known if the name Grizzly came from the man’s thick brown hair and beard or from his large size; he had carefully given instructions to Grizzly about what he wanted him to do. Usually as Dan drove through the new section of Denver, he noticed the houses, and studied their details, but tonight his mind wasn’t on the imposing two-story or its dormer windows or shingled roof. Instead Louisa filled his thoughts, and his anticipation was rampant. It was the first opportunity he had had to escort her to a party. Stella, the Shumachers’ maid, opened the door and ushered Dan into the front parlor, where Charles Shumacher waited. In minutes Hortense Shumacher joined them, and finally Louisa appeared in the doorway.

  Dan felt as if the temperature jumped as he gazed at her. She was a vision to fill dreams, her black hair shining in the soft light, her cheeks pink. Her dress of blue gingham was cut in the latest fashion, clinging to her high, full breasts and her tiny waist. He longed to be alone with her, but as it was, all he could do was smile politely and greet her conventionally.

  “Good evening, Miss Shumacher. You’ll be the most beautiful woman at the dance, without question.” He turned to shake hands with Charles Shumacher. “Sir, we’ll go now and see you and Mrs. Shumacher at the dance.” He turned to smile at Hortense Shumacher, who gazed back with a cool, level look, and he knew there was still one Shumacher whose approval he needed to win.

  He followed Louisa into the hall, where Stella held their coats. Dan took Louisa’s and held it, letting his hand brush across her nape, catching a whiff of a sweet scent of rosewater. In the carriage he pulled a lap robe over their knees, scooting close beside her and draping his arm around her shoulders.

  “Cold?”

  “A little,” she said, gazing up at him intently and allowing him to pull her closer.

  “I’ve been waiting for this evening.”

  “I might as well warn you, Reuben may cause trouble. He’s green that I’m going with another man tonight.”

  “Reuben has full claim on you?”

  “No! And it’s time he realized it.”

  Dan didn’t care at all about Reuben Knelville. He touched Louisa’s collar, letting his hand slide to her throat. Her skin was silken. “You smell like roses.”

  “I heard you and Reuben had an altercation last week,” she said with a sly note of pleasure in her voice.

  “It was nothing. Cyrus stopped us.” He leaned down to kiss her throat, sliding his hand beneath the heavy coat to slip his arm around her waist.

  “Mr. Castle!” she whispered, yet Dan thought it was a perfunctory protest. She didn’t resist or pull away.

  “It’s Dan. Call me Dan, Louisa.”

  “That’s much…too forward,” she said, her words slowing as he kissed her ear, his hand caressing her nape. His blood drummed in his veins because she wasn’t stopping him. She liked his kisses and he was thankful beyond measure he had instructed Grizzly to take a long route to the dance. And he was careful to avoid touching her hair, knowing she wouldn’t want a hair out of place. He kissed her throat and she turned her head, looking at him with a smoldering gaze. “You shouldn’t…I shouldn’t let you.”

  “You like it, Louisa,” he whispered gruffly. “Say my name.”

  “Dan,” she said, closing her eyes.

  He let his hand slip around, moving higher, feeling the soft thrust of her breast. His thumb slipped over her full breast across her taut nipple. She gasped, but she didn’t push his hand away, and he continued to caress her, his manhood throbbing. He wanted to crush her against him, to push away the heavy coat and kiss her.

  “Someday you’ll be mine, Louisa. I’m going to kiss you all over.”

  “You shouldn’t say such things to me,” she whispered.

  “Yes, I should, because you like it when I do. You like this, don’t you?” he persisted, fondling her breasts.

  She moaned softly, and he felt on fire. It was the first time since Melissa Hatfield that he had wanted a woman so desperately, refusing to face the fact that this one might be unattainable to him. He kissed her throat, then moved his lips to the corner of her mouth to touch her mouth with the tip of his tongue.

  She moaned again and leaned away. Her breathing was rapid, her gaze lethargic. “You must stop. I can’t go to the dance looking as if you tumbled me in the carriage.”

  He gazed down solemnly. “You won’t look as if I had, because I’m being very careful. I’m not doing what I really want to do. I want to take down your hair and kiss you until you’re on fire.”

  Her eyes closed as he talked, and he bent his head, nudging open her coat to kiss her breast, knowing she would feel his hot breath through the thin material of her dress and chemise. “I want to do this when you’re bare in my arms.”

  “Dan,” she said, and moved away with obvious reluctance. “You’re a bold man. I don’t want to arrive in your arms.”

  He gazed at her with amusement as she straightened her clothes, which weren’t even slightly awry. She smoothed them with her hand, and suddenly Dan realized she was teasing him as she slid her hands beneath her breasts, watching him with narrowed eyes. Her cheeks turned pink as she gazed at him, because his desire was plainly evident.

  He leaned forward, his hand brushing across her nipples. “You’re as aroused as I am, Louisa,” he said softly. He sat back, looking at her with a mocking smile. She leaned toward him, her eyes half-closed, expecting more caresses. She looked up, and blushed, scooting away and drawing her coat closed over her dress.

  “You’re a rascal, Dan Castle! You’re much too bold.”

  He laughed, knowing she wasn’t really protesting at all. The carriage slowed, and he turned, raising the leather flap to gaze out as they halted in front of the lighted barn. Dan climbed out and turned to swing Louisa down, holding her waist and pausing to smile at her. “Ready?”

  As she nodded, he tucked her arm in his, striding to the barn, where a fiddler
was playing. The sound of music and voices floated in the air.

  They danced, and he was oblivious of others around him. They stopped once between dances to chat for a time with her parents, and Dan caught a glimpse of Reuben Knelville staring at him.

  Louisa flirted with Dan constantly, making his pulse race. Her hands brushed him continually when they danced. He danced to the far side of the barn, where they were out of sight of her parents, took Louisa’s hand, and hurried away to slip through the open back door.

  She had stood in the same spot the night before with Reuben. Louisa gazed up at Dan, thinking he was the more handsome of the two men and the more exciting. But Reuben was more powerful, and he was wealthy, something far more important.

  “We shouldn’t be out here.”

  “I want you, Louisa,” Dan whispered, leaning forward, bending down to kiss her, stopping her protests. He crushed her to him, holding her close. One hand slid down her side, then up again over the full softness of her breast. She moaned and clung to him, sagging against him as he held her and kissed her passionately.

  “Sir!” She pushed away. “I must go inside. If Papa caught me out here, I’d be in trouble forever.”

  A dark shadow appeared and Reuben paused in front of them. “Damn you, Castle. Take your hands off Louisa!”

  He pushed Dan away from her, his fists clenching. Dan stepped back. He didn’t want the scandal of a fight with Reuben, because it could ostracize him from society as a troublemaker.

  “Reuben!”

  Dan heard the note of pleasure in Louisa’s voice and could have groaned, because it would only encourage Knelville.

  “I won’t fight you here,” Dan said softly.

  “You coward,” Reuben said with a sneer.

  “I won’t unless you force me to,” Dan rejoined, knowing he would either look terrible in Louisa’s eyes or have to fight Reuben, because the man wasn’t going to let it drop.

  “Shall we go inside, Louisa?” Dan asked.

  “Stay away from the silly coward, Louisa. She’s coming with me.”

  “All right, Knelville,” Dan said softly, stepping forward, his left fist shooting out. Knelville feinted, but Dan was ready, throwing a right that sent Knelville spinning. Instantly Dan’s hand closed over Louisa’s wrist. “Come on, Miss Shumacher.”

  He pulled her inside, expecting Reuben to catch up with him at any second. He swung Louisa into his arms to fall in with the dancers. A half-smile curved her lips.

  “So you’re not such a coward after all. I believe you knocked Reuben unconscious.”

  “No, I didn’t,” he said, thankful Reuben hadn’t caught up with him before they reached the dance floor. “And you liked every moment of it, you wicked little beauty,” he said softly. “You provoked him, Louisa.”

  “Who, me?” she asked with round-eyed innocence.

  “And I’ll make you pay for that,” he threatened in a husky voice. “When we’re in the carriage on the way home, you’ll see what happens when you provoke sleeping lions.”

  Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks flushed. She laughed. “Should I be terrified?”

  “It won’t be terror I’ll make you feel,” he said, glancing over her shoulder to see Reuben standing on the fringe of the dancers. Except for a cut on his cheek, the only evidence of their brief altercation was the burning look of rage in Reuben’s eyes as he gazed at Dan.

  “Now I have a strong and powerful enemy.”

  “And does that frighten you?”

  “You already know the answer. I do believe your parents are leaving.”

  She turned to glance over her shoulder as her mother waved. Louisa waved in return. “I have Papa’s permission to stay out until midnight.”

  “We have an hour,” Dan said. After two more dances, he led her to the door.

  “We’re going home.”

  “We have lots of time,” she said with a pout. “The dance isn’t over.”

  He held her coat. “We’re leaving now, Louisa.”

  Louisa’s heart fluttered. Dan Castle was an exciting, forceful man. The fight with Reuben had barely started before it was over, and she had no doubt that Reuben would retaliate in some manner. Reuben would be furious and jealous, and perhaps he would lose a little of his masterful arrogance. She gazed around the barn and saw him watching her. She turned, giving Dan a full smile.

  “I’m ready.”

  Dan followed her glance, looking at Reuben, and a little twinge of anger came over him. Louisa Shumacher was a troublemaker. But what a beautiful, exciting one! He slipped his arm around her. Grizzly had been summoned, and waited with the carriage, and Dan stepped up to the box to whisper instructions to him before helping Louisa inside.

  She gazed at him intently, and he realized she actually thought he was taking her home. For a moment he credited Reuben Knelville as a man of little imagination. The carriage began to move, and Dan turned so his knee pressed against hers.

  “You wanted us to fight.”

  “Of course not!” she denied primly.

  He rubbed his knee against hers, and pressed his calf against hers while he laughed softly. “Of course you did, Louisa.” He leaned forward. “You didn’t care what kind of trouble it caused, as long as we fought over you. You like to have power over men, don’t you?”

  “Of course not,” she answered breathlessly, her hands pressed against his chest.

  “Remember what I told you. You’re not to goad Reuben into fighting me again. Can you remember that?”

  She tilted her head to study him. “And if I do, what then?”

  “You may be the one destroyed, Louisa,” he whispered, bending down to place his lips firmly on hers, opening her mouth and crushing her to him while he kissed her deeply. Her struggle was brief, gone almost as swiftly as it started. He kissed her throat, and his hands slid to her breasts to push away the soft material.

  She gasped and clutched his wrists, but he bent his head to stroke her nipples with his tongue, and she moaned, all resistance stopping. He pushed away her lacy chemise and kissed her, sucking and biting gently, while he slipped one hand beneath her skirts to her thighs.

  “Dan, please stop. You mustn’t touch me.”

  “Oh, yes, Louisa. I must touch you. You set me on fire and I’m going to do the same to you. I want to touch you all over.” His knees nudged hers apart, moving between them. In minutes she was gasping, crying out, clinging to him, and returning his kisses wildly.

  “Marry me, Louisa,” he asked all at once, gazing down at her. He wanted her, and marriage was the only way he could have a woman like Louisa Shumacher.

  “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can. Marry me,” he whispered, kissing her breasts, his hand moving between her legs. Marry me so I can love you night after night. Marry me.”

  “Yes, oh, please. Yes.”

  He stopped all at once and tilted her face up. “You mean it. Look at me, Louisa. Will you marry me?”

  She raised her lashes. Never had Reuben made love to her like Dan Castle. His kisses had never been as fiery, and he wasn’t as forceful or as seductive. For a moment she forgot about wealth and power. “Yes, I mean it,” she said, knowing if she changed her mind, she could get out of the engagement later. Right now, she wanted him to kiss her again. She burned with longing for him.

  “Oh, Louisa,” he said, feeling as if he would burst with happiness. “You are the most beautiful woman on earth!”

  “Kiss me now, Dan. Please…”

  He kissed her, pulling her onto his lap, pushing her skirts away to caress her legs, touching her intimately, making her cry out with ecstasy, yet knowing she wouldn’t allow him to possess her until they were married.

  Finally she pushed against him and scooted away. “You are a rascal. How can I go home disheveled like this? Mama waits up for me.”

  “We can stop. I’ll show you my house and you can get your clothes in order.”

  “I’ll be scandalized if I’m caught in your h
ouse at this hour.”

  “Be daring, Louisa. You won’t be caught. We’ll go in the back.”

  He hadn’t planned on bringing her to his house, but he instructed Grizzly of the change. A fire still burned low in the grate, and Dan drew the heavy drapes. “This will be your house someday, Louisa.”

  He pushed her coat off her shoulders while she gazed around. “It’s beautiful,” she breathed, thinking it truly was one of the grandest houses in town. He had little furniture. There was a horsehair sofa covered in blue velvet, and a wooden rocking chair. He carried her to the sofa. “We still have half an hour before midnight. Let me look at you,” he said. He untied the ribbons to her bodice, unfastened the pearl buttons, and pushed away her dress. He bent his head to kiss her, and she gasped, winding her fingers in his hair. She watched him through narrowed eyes. He was exciting. Her parents would never consent to his proposal when they had known each other for such a short time, but she was still interested in him. He had an elegant house, a better one than Reuben could build at present. Dan’s hand slid beneath her skirt and she lost her train of thought. She succumbed to his caresses momentarily, until he pushed her skirts high.

  She scooted away so quickly she almost toppled him off the settee.

  “No! We have to stop!”

  Dan wanted to push her down and seduce her, but he understood why she wanted to wait. And for the first time that night, he heard the unmistakable note of firmness in her voice.

  He watched her in a steady gaze while she dressed.

  “Dan, I can’t go home looking like this.”

  “There’s a pier glass in my bedroom. It’s the last room in the hall on the right.”

  She left, and he moved around the room as he tucked his shirt into his pants. He was engaged to Louisa Shumacher. He would have to ask her father for her hand, but she had consented. He had asked in haste, and she had consented in haste, but he wasn’t going to worry about that. He wanted her, and he would have to marry her to get her. He thought he would float off the earth with happiness. She was all he had ever dreamed of, exciting, educated, and beautiful. She was the envy of Denver society, and if they wed, he wouldn’t have to worry about his future.