The Bride and the Brute

by Laurel O'Donnell

  Reese squinted and blinked. The spirit abruptly vanished, and in its place he saw Jayce standing precariously on the fence. She held something in her hand that flapped in the breeze. It took a moment for Reese to realize it was a blanket. Then, he heard her calling to the beast.

  Reese spurred his steed toward her as she sat on the top plank of the fence, beginning to ease herself over the side of the wooden barricade. Outrage and disbelief flashed through Reese. She was going into Satan’s pen. Didn’t she know how dangerous and unpredictable the warhorse was?

  Before she could climb fully into the pen, Reese reached around her tiny waist and hauled her from the fence onto his own steed. “Are you out of your mind?” he demanded. His reprimand died in his throat as she turned those brilliant eyes on him. Those dangerous eyes. Eyes that captured the pale light of the moon and radiated its energy back tenfold. Eyes that were capable of capturing much more than just the moon’s glow.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  Her bottom pressing against his thighs caught him off guard, and for a brief moment he imagined what she would look like lying beneath him in the throes of ecstasy.

  He silently shook himself and frowned, trying to regain control of the situation. “I might ask the same of you.”

  “Where am I supposed to be?” she wondered.

  The innocence of her question, the pure, untainted honesty of it, touched his heart. Where indeed? he queried. “Well, certainly not near this beast,” Reese retorted, glancing at Satan. The horse snorted once, indignantly, its dark eyes absorbing the moonlight but giving nothing back but blackness. “What in heaven’s name were you thinking climbing over the gate into his pen? Don’t you know he could have trampled you?”

  “It’s chilly,” she replied. “I was going to put this blanket on him.” She held up a worn cover.

  Reese’s gaze shifted from the blanket clutched in her delicate hands to her eyes. “He has never worn a blanket at night. He won’t let anyone close enough to put one on.”

  “You can hardly blame him after the whipping the groom gave him.”

  “He wouldn’t need a whipping if he were not so uncontrollable.”

  “You don’t tame an animal by whipping it and bullying it into subservience.”

  She was gazing at the wretched beast with admiration. A slow, soft smile curved Reese’s lips as he stared down at the woman in his arms. He still held her close, his arm wrapped around her waist, his hand splayed against her flat stomach. Was he gazing at her with as much admiration as she was bestowing on the horse? Then he shook himself, and resolve sealed off the fracture she had begun to create in the stone wall he had built around his heart.

  “He needs to be loved,” she added softly.

  The words pried the fracture open wider. He knew the woman he held in his arms was unlike any he had known before. Brave and kind and beautiful. And thrust upon him by evil coercion. The thought that she had somehow worked her way into his mind, infiltrated his body like an invader, angered him. “Stay away from him,” Reese growled. “He’ll cause you nothing but misery.”

  Jayce turned her eyes to his. Again, he felt that wash of affection overtake him and race through his veins, filling his very blood with the spirit of her being. Her eyes were large and trusting, her nose pert and turned up just a bit, her cheekbones high and well-defined. But it was her lips that attracted his attention. They were red and full and parted. Wisps of her hair curled forward, framing her face. A lovelier portrait of a woman could never be painted. Reese found himself lowering his head to hers, moving his own lips closer to hers, as if caught in some kind of magical bliss.

  Satan pawed the ground, snorting, white puffs of steam erupting from his nostrils. The spell broken, Reese jerked back from Jayce, startling his horse, who lurched forward, slamming Jayce against his body.

  Was that disappointment that filled her eyes? Or relief?

  “I’ll take you back to the castle,” he said, and spurred the horse on.

  But Jayce slipped from his grasp and his fingers brushed her breasts, sending a jolt of desire flaming through his body. She landed smoothly on the ground. “I have to put the blanket on Satan,” she insisted.

  Her determination made Reese furious. Hadn’t he just told her the creature wouldn’t let anyone near it? Didn’t he just tell her it was dangerous? Reese quickly dismounted and stormed over to her, ripping the blanket from her hands. “You will stay away from that monster,” he commanded. He put his hand on the top rail and easily hurdled the fence, cursing silently as he landed just inside the pen.

  How had he gotten himself into this position? He gritted his teeth as the warhorse turned surprised eyes to him.

  “Come here, you damned beast,” he snarled, unfurling the blanket before him.

  “No,” Jayce urged from behind him. “Speak softly to him. As if he were a friend.”

  “I would speak softly to no friend of mine,” he growled, approaching the horse. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her pulling herself onto the gate. “All right!” Reese called, holding his hand out to stop her. He locked gazes with Satan. “Wretched beast,” he grumbled. He cleared his throat. “Ummm. It appears to be a chilly night.” Reese scratched at his cheek. He glanced back at Jayce to see her watching him expectantly.

  He felt ridiculous.

  She urged him on with a gentle wave of her hand.

  Reese turned back to the horse. “Why don’t you wear this?”

  The horse snorted and took a step away from him, pawing the ground.

  “This isn’t working,” Reese growled immediately.

  “Yes, it is,” Jayce answered in a soft, coaxing voice. “You’re doing fine. Try again.”

  Reese looked at the horse. “We wouldn’t want you to catch your death, now would we?” There was thick sarcasm in his voice. “Now just stay put and we’ll have this on you in a---” He took a step closer.

  The animal whinnied and reared slightly. Reese stubbornly refused to move as the horse pranced closer to him.

  “Not this time,” he warned. “I won’t tolerate your temperament. I know you don’t much like me, and I could care even less for you. But it’s for Jayce. Just stay still a moment longer and let me put this on you.” He took a step closer, mumbling so only he and the horse could hear, “You wretched beast.”

  The warhorse swung his snout forward and hit Reese hard in the stomach. The air exploded out of his lungs and he fell backward onto his backside. Reese looked up to see the horse’s sharp hooves pawing the air above him, kicking wildly just above his head.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Satan’s hooves slashed the air. But then the beast was gone, and in the animal’s place was the apparition Reese had seen on the fence. He lay still for a moment, a stunned grogginess clouding his thoughts. The vision was standing very close to the horse. Then he realized this seraph was Jayce! The thought of her in the demon’s pen sent tremors of terror racing through Reese’s body. His mind cleared instantly, and he lunged forward, pulling her against his chest, rolling away from the monster. When his momentum stopped, Reese lifted his head to find Satan at the other side of the pen.

  “I guess you’re all right,” Jayce murmured.

  His gaze was drawn to her. She was trapped beneath him, and Reese became instantly aware of the press of her breasts against his chest. Desire flared in his veins. He scowled, angry that any woman could arouse his passion so completely and uncontrollably quick. “I told you to stay out of the pen,” he growled after catching his breath.

  “You were in trouble,” she replied. “I---”

  “I didn’t need your help,” he answered. Reese pushed himself from the ground and held a hand out to her.

  Jayce sat up. Reese could see the same agony etched over her features as he had seen on the field of honor. She ignored his hand and stood, dusting her palms on her dress.

  “Looks like your horse will have to go cold tonight,” Reese said.

  Jayc
e headed for the fence. “No he won’t,” she answered.

  Confused, Reese glanced toward Satan. The blanket was draped over his back. Astonished, Reese turned back to Jayce to see her climbing over the fence.

  “You dropped the blanket when he shoved you,” she said. She eased her feet to the ground and headed toward the castle, leaving Reese standing alone in Satan’s pen.

  “I don’t believe this,” Reese muttered, absently rubbing his sore stomach.

  *****

  Unable to sleep that night because of deep blue eyes hovering in his mind and red parted lips that called to him and spoke his name, Reese went to the study to bury his mind in work, to try to exorcise his demons.

  He stood and strode to the window to gaze out at the chilly evening sky. The sun had fled beneath the invading blackness, and the evening was peppered with small glistening stars. Reese felt an anxiousness stir his soul. Tendrils of cold blew in from the open window to wrap icy fingers around his strong form.

  Suddenly, the door swung open on softly creaking hinges and he turned to see the woman who haunted his dreams enter the room. Jayce paused in the middle of the open doorway, her hands folded before her, her small frame dwarfed by the wide entranceway. Reese’s breath caught in his throat, and his gaze traveled slowly over her; her hair was hidden beneath a sheer blue fabric, her figure curvaceous and regal, her shapely hips accented by a belt of rich velvet fabric that hung to the floor.

  Reese stepped closer, thinking he must be imagining such beauty. But the closer he got, the lovelier she looked. Her blue eyes shone like beacons; her full lips were as red as cherries. He might just want to taste those cherries. He stopped immediately, realizing what the little nymph was doing to his senses.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t know anyone was here. I saw the light and I was coming in to douse the candle.” With her hands folded demurely, Jayce looked as innocent and pure and righteous as a damned saint.

  Reese approached her, but moved around to the back of the table before he came too near her.

  She stepped up to the table, her eyes scanning the parchment that lay scattered across it. “What are you doing?”

  “There is a problem in the fields. Some of the men have been stricken with a fever and are unable to work.”

  “Is it serious?” Jayce wondered.

  He shook his head. “The ones who have had the fever have recovered fully in about a week. If the fields are not fully seeded in two weeks’ time, it will be too late.”

  “How many men are still ill?”

  “Ten.” His gaze swept her unwillingly. “But that’s my concern.” She was quite comely. Her petite figure was curvy, alluring and inviting. Her brown hair was neatly tucked under the coif, but Reese remembered the rebellious curls that had framed her face. And her face! God’s blood! Her deep blue eyes reminded him of the ocean, the deepest part of it. The part you had to be careful you didn’t drown in. He forced his gaze from her and his jaw clenched. He was angry for being forced to marry a woman he didn’t love. He was angry with her for being so damned beautiful. “Had you no suitors?” he inquired suddenly.

  “Suitors?”

  “Men asking for your hand in marriage,” he clarified dryly.

  One dainty eyebrow rose. “Many,” she replied defiantly.

  Of course she did. How could she not have had men lining up to wed and bed her? Then, another thought occurred to him, and he clenched his fists. “Does a babe grow in your belly?”

  Jayce straightened indignantly. Heat suffused her cheeks. “No,” she retorted stiffly.

  “Then why would your father go to such extremes to have me wed you?” he demanded. “It makes no sense.”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted, turning to glance at the parchment.

  Reese swore he heard agony in her tone. “Jayce,” he called. When she lifted those blue eyes to him, he forgot his words. He stood with his mouth open for a moment before shaking himself. “I cannot help but think I would never do this to a daughter of mine. She would be happy in her life, with her husband.”

  “Are you so sure I am not happy?” Jayce wondered.

  Reese studied the simple dignity of her face. The honesty that shone from her eyes touched his heart. He shook his head. “You cannot be. You know nothing of me.”

  “I know you’re an honorable man.”

  “A rich man,” he added in a biting, accusing voice.

  Her chin rose a notch. “Yes,” she said. “A wealthy man.”

  “Perhaps that was why your father did this,” he said. “To make sure you were well established, well taken care of. My wife will have luxuries you were never used to. Luxuries---”

  “Well taken care of,” she repeated, as if to herself. “Perhaps. And perhaps he didn’t see you as a liar.”

  Reese stiffened to his full height, towering above her like a stone tower. “I am not a liar.”

  She reached across the table to touch his arm meaningfully. “You lied to my father.”

  He stared at her, trying desperately not to be moved by her touch. “You lied, too,” he accused.

  “I was protecting my husband,” she answered. He began to shake his head, but she continued undaunted. “It was my duty to stand by you.”

  Reese’s gaze was drawn by her parted lips. Any words she was about to say died as his gaze devoured her mouth as thoroughly as if he were kissing her. He turned away quickly and found his stare occupied by the ledgers of his farms.

  “Perhaps you can use the alewives for the time being,” Jayce suggested.

  “What?” Reese asked.

  Jayce pointed to the ledgers. “The alewives. Take some of them to work in the fields until the men are well. They won’t be as skilled as the field workers, but they’ll do for the time being.”

  “Women?” Reese asked dubiously.

  “Their backs and arms might be sore because they’re unused to the work, but give them a day of rest, and they won’t protest as much.”

  “A day of rest?” Reese echoed with distaste. “Women are not made to do the job of men,” he added imperiously.

  Jayce shrugged and turned to move out the door, calling over her shoulder, “It will solve your problem.”

  Reese watched her go, staring at the empty doorway for a moment, then turned back to study his ledgers. “Alewives,” he muttered incredulously under his breath.

  *****

  Early the next morning, Jayce leaned over the gate to Satan’s pen, waving a carrot at the proud stallion that haughtily eyed the offered food. She dropped her arm in disappointment and lifted her eyes. Beyond the pen, out in the fields, Jayce noticed six alewives working alongside the men. She smiled in amazement.

  She turned back to Satan, again offering him the carrot. The horse snorted, refusing the food. Finally, frustrated by the horse’s disregard for her gift, Jayce straightened.

  “He’s not as easily fooled by your pretense at innocence.”

  Jayce whirled to find Morse approaching from a nearby barn. She clutched her hands before her, trying to still the unease that raced through her body.

  Morse eyed the horse, then the gate. “How fitting to find you at the gate to hell.”

  Jayce scowled. “What do you want?”

  Morse took a step toward her. “I should ask you that question.”

  Jayce tilted her head slightly in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Tell me why you’ve come to Castle Harrington,” Morse demanded. “Are you here to destroy my family?”

  “Destroy...? No!” Jayce answered emphatically. “I came to wed Reese.”

  “By kidnapping Nicole?” Morse demanded.

  “Do you think I would have come if I had known what my father had done? How do you think this makes me look? Do you think I wanted to live like this? A husband who wants nothing to do with me. No chance for a loving family, no chance for children.” She looked away from him, blinking back the tears of shame that suddenly rose
before her eyes.

  “Such a touching act,” he cooed richly. “I could almost believe you. Tell me, how long have you practiced that speech?”

  Jayce straightened her back, her eyes narrowing. “I don’t want your sympathy. What’s done is done. And I, for one, intend to make the best of it.”

  “Make the best of what?” Morse asked. “By Reese’s own words you are nothing more than a guest here at Castle Harrington.”

  “I am Reese’s wife in the eyes of God.”

  Morse laughed sharply, his snicker spitting out from his mouth like a snake’s venom. “Nowadays that doesn’t count for much. Not with an annulment so easily paid for. And that is one thing we do not lack—coin, as you well know.” He turned his back on her, his ugly chortle of contempt lingering in the air as he walked away.

  Annulment. The word sent shivers down Jayce’s spine. What would she do if Reese decided to annul their marriage? Where would she go?

  She felt a warm wetness brush her hand, then she heard a crunch. She looked down to see she still held the carrot tightly in her fist but a large bite had been taken from the end of it. Jayce raised her eyes to see the black warhorse towering above her, munching noisily on the carrot. A grim grin came to her lips as she held the rest of the carrot out to him.

  *****

  When Jayce returned to her room, she was smiling softly to herself. She patted the pocket that held the few carrots left over from her victorious excursion, pleased with her little victory, then pushed the door open. And froze.

  Reese stood in the middle of the room with his back to her. He filled the space with his presence like a sculptured god. His bronzed skin glistened in a ray of sunlight; dust particles shifted around him in the light, showering him in what looked like a splash of magical powder. His black hair just barely caressed his shoulders in a touch that made Jayce feel envious. His shirt was off, and he held a piece of material in his hands.