by Kit Tunstall
Tiernan lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know. When I found out he’d died, I let it drop.”
Madison felt anger well on his behalf. “Did your mother ask you to?”
“No, she had died a few months before.”
Her heart ached as she pieced it together. Having recently lost his mother, who must not have been much of a parent, he had to have felt lonely and lost. Finally freed of the restraint of his mother’s presence, he’d tried to find the father he had been denied, had denied needing even to himself. Instead of finding the man, he’d ended up even more alone and bitterly disappointed. No wonder Tiernan was so emotionally closed off.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest. “That must have been horrible.”
“It was just idle curiosity, Madison. The death of a man I’d never met was hardly devastating.”
Grasping his hip, she dared ask, “But when your mother died? That must have wrecked you.”
He let out a soft sigh. “It was a difficult time. She was a good model and taught me everything I needed to learn to run the Northwest Federation. I miss her practical advice and guidance sometimes.”
It was all she could do not to let her mouth gape open. Not one word about missing the woman in her motherly role. How could he be so blasé about it? Perhaps you truly couldn’t miss what you hadn’t had? Or more likely, he didn’t grasp how much he’d been cheated of by a woman who sounded like she’d cared more about being the commander of the Federation than being mother to her own son. “I see.” Licking her lips, she asked quietly, “Is that how you intend to get an heir? Will one of your companions give birth and then disappear?”
He sounded unconcerned. “Maybe. I’m not ready to prepare my replacement, so there’s no need for an heir at this time.”
Ugh, he was so cold about the whole thing. Was there any wonder why, considering the childhood he must have endured? Madison didn’t comment, knowing it wasn’t her place to lecture him on the needs of a child that didn’t even exist yet.
“What about you?” he asked.
She stiffened. “What?” Did he think she would be content to give him a child and just walk away? The man was crazy. No way would she condemn her child to the kind of upbringing Tiernan had endured and seemed to think was normal. There was nothing in the world he could threaten or offer that would make her do it.
“Were you a wild child?”
Relief flooded through her as she realized he hadn’t been asking her to be the mother of his heir. “No, not really. I was always practical and helpful.” She smiled, thinking of how often her parents had praised her for being a good girl.
He wrinkled his nose. “You sound disgustingly perfect.”
She giggled. “Of course. Start out as you intend to go on.” At his groan, she giggled again. “It was probably a blessing for my parents that I was the calm, responsible one. Cam has become focused and taken on his responsibilities as he’s gotten older, but he was pretty rebellious as a boy and teen.”
“You’re the oldest?”
She shook her head. “No, Cam is by four years.”
“And then there is Rosa?” he asked. “She’s the wild one, right?”
“Rosie, and yes.” Madison couldn’t push back the worry that welled up, same as it did every time she thought about her sister. “She’s always been spoiled and flighty, with everyone indulging her, but she wasn’t so out of control until my mother got sick. In the past year or so, she seems hell-bent on destroying herself.”
“It sounds like she needs discipline.”
Madison narrowed her eyes. “We’ve tried, believe me. The days of indulgences ended long ago, but she’s still a hellion. No punishment dissuades her, no reason reaches her ears, and nothing can stop her. She’s such a trial.”
Tiernan ran his palm down her forearm and up again. “How old is she?”
“Seventeen.”
He chuckled. “You sound like her mother, not her older sister.”
She grimaced. “I’ve had to take on some of the mothering since Momma got sick.”
He patted her upper arm. “That must be difficult.”
Madison nodded. “Yeah, but it has to be done.”
“What’s wrong with your mother?”
She had to swallow a lump in her throat before she could talk, finding it difficult to talk about Elaine without sobbing. “I don’t know. She sees a healer in the village, and the man gives her some herbs that seem to slow down whatever’s wrong, but he doesn’t know what’s making her sick.”
“I’m sorry.” He sounded sincere. “I lost my mother suddenly, in an accident, so I didn’t have to deal with a lingering illness. Since she was such a force of nature, I imagine she would have chosen the way she died over sickness if she’d had the option.”
“My mother isn’t dying,” said Madison in a voice full of venom. “She can’t.”
He lifted a hand. “Okay. I’m sure you know more about the situation than I do.”
Her voice softened, and she looked away. “I apologize. Yes, I know it’s a possibility, but I don’t want to think about it, especially since she’s so far away right now.” Her resentment at being separated from her family started creeping up again.
Tiernan must have realized her feelings had wandered in that direction, because he suddenly flipped her onto her back, under him. “Allow me to find a way to distract you from those thoughts then.”
For a moment, she was irritated with him, but then his hands started working their magic, and she found her mind floating as her body warmed up for another round of loving. No, she mustn’t think of it in those terms. It was sex. Amazing, mind-blowing sex, but nothing more. Love had nothing to do with it, and she wanted it that way.
Chapter Seven
Tiernan stared out the window, lost in thoughts of Madison. He couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind. Disconcertingly, it wasn’t just the physical images of their nights together that kept distracting him. Instead, he would randomly remember a snippet of the conversations they had shared the past few days, or the way she could switch from angry to amorous in seconds, if he provided the proper incentive. It was too early in the day to go back to the room. He couldn’t give up hours of work time, but maybe he could slip in for a quick—
“Commander.”
He blinked at the slightly annoyed note underlying Aidan’s tone, suggesting the captain had tried to get his attention more than once during their sit-con meeting. “I’m sorry. What?”
Aidan’s expression betrayed no irritation, and his tone was brisk. “We have threats of riot in the Spokane-Brokenbo province.”
He frowned. “What? Why?”
Aidan consulted a paper in front of him. “Reports are sketchy, but the people claim they haven’t been receiving their rations. They’re hungry and desperate, apparently.”
Tiernan leaned forward, steepling his fingers together on the desk. “That can’t be.”
Aidan shrugged. “That’s what the report says.”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose to ward off a pending headache. “Send someone to investigate the distribution center. Let’s make sure no one is skimming the rations to sell on the black market.”
“Yes, sir.” Aidan flipped the page, frowning. “It seems like Lieutenant Gill found the rapist.”
“Which one?” asked Tiernan tiredly, wishing there weren’t so many violent crimes like rape happening that it was difficult to keep track of the victims and perpetrators even in just their province.
Looking a little pallid, Aidan said, “The one who assaulted Lori Becker.”
Tiernan’s mouth tightened. “The tribunal found him guilty?”
“Yes, sir. Should the sentence be carried out publicly or privately?”
Grimly, he said, “Public. I imagine most people will want to know he’s been caught and punished, even if they opt not to view his punishment.”
Aidan nodded, clearly in agreement. “Oh, and one last piece of busines
s.” He handed over an envelope that security screeners had already opened. “You’ll be thrilled,” he said with a glint in his eyes.
Taking the letter, Tiernan scanned it with a scowl. “No.”
His friend chuckled. “It doesn’t work that way, sir. You’re going to have to entertain them like a diplomatic leader.”
Sighing, Tiernan acceded with a nod. “I suppose, but you’d think Germaine would give up. I’m not joining our territories with any sort of treaty, but especially not the kind that includes one of his ugly daughters.”
Aidan clicked his tongue. “If I recall, Pru is quite nice.”
“Very nice personality, but not at all beddable.”
His friend shrugged. “You’d only have to perform once, to consummate the treaty…er, marriage. Or just a few times, perhaps, for an heir.”
Tiernan couldn’t help a small shudder at the thought of Richard “Tex” Germaine’s three daughters. They were sweet, well-mannered young ladies, but they all favored their father rather than their attractive mother. The idea of taking any of them to bed made his stomach churn. “Inconceivable,” he punned.
With a chuckle, Aidan stacked his papers. “It wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Then you do it,” said Tiernan darkly. “I’ll be sure to let Germaine know you’re my right-hand man, and that your wife would certainly have favor with me. There are three women from which to choose. Which will be the lucky bride? Pru, Bea, or May?” He chuckled.
Aidan shook his head. “Laugh it up, man. Your problem is you’re shallow. I’m sure Pru, Bea, and May all have some kind of charms.”
“Will you be finding out?” asked Tiernan with an arched brow.
Aidan cleared his throat. “No, sir. I’m sure the president of the Republic of Texas wants more for his daughters than the captain of your military.”
Tiernan chuckled. “I think you underestimate the importance of being willing to accept one of them. I assume Germaine has already exhausted all the suitable options in his territory, or he wouldn’t keep trying to press one of the daughters on me.”
“Not every woman is a Cleo…or a Madison,” his friend said slyly, with a smirk.
“That is one point we can agree on,” said Tiernan. “Please make sure we send Germaine a letter welcoming his visit.”
“And the Germaine girls?”
He smiled. “I shall be a polite, distant host, as always.” Allowing a moment of seriousness, he said, “I’m not interested in getting married, Aidan, for political gain or any other reason.”
“There isn’t one woman in the world that could tempt you?” asked the captain.
“Absolutely not,” said Tiernan with firm conviction as he squelched the image forming in his head of a woman who could tempt him to do many things he never thought he’d do. Her red-gold hair spread out on his pillow, her hands on his body…
“I’m sure his daughters will be disappointed to find out your position remains negative toward marriage.”
“No doubt,” agreed Tiernan, “Which is why we won’t be telling them. As usual, I shall tap-dance vaguely around the overt suggestions and pretend to be as dense as a brick.”
“Of course. Polite, distant, and evasive as always, and your secret is safe with me. I know my place and when to keep my mouth shut.” Aidan gave him a crisp salute that was part smartass and part etiquette as their meeting came to an end.
“Dismissed, soldier,” said Tiernan with affection that wasn’t proper military form.
*****
It was a long day, and Tiernan gratefully let himself into his suite later in the evening. He’d eaten dinner at his desk as he had discussed the situation in Spokane-Brokenbo with the on-site officer via the radio system. The area was a powder keg and just one spark away from exploding. As far as the soldier Aidan had dispatched to investigate could ascertain, the people in the province had a valid complaint. Their rations had grown steadily lighter over the months until they stopped all together last month. Investigations continued, but Major Tucker had heard credible reports that rebel activity was responsible. Someone was quietly putting together a resistance movement to get rid of Tiernan, and they were stealing supplies from his people to feed their rebel army.
He honestly couldn’t understand what had motivated a rebellion. The Northwest Federation had strict laws, but he thought they were fairly applied to everyone. There were just a few punishments for all crimes, and most were severe to discourage repeat offenses, but the people were safer here than in some territories. Tiernan also tried to make sure everyone who lived in the Federation had basic necessities, even those who did nothing to contribute to the system. Was he so out of touch with his people that he remained unaware of a valid reason for an uprising?
The sight of Madison curled up on the settee, a book open on her lap, made his heart jump and filled him with a sense of calm he’d been missing all day. He shrugged off his jacket, tossing it over a chair instead of hanging it on the hook as he usually did. His boots came next, and he left them where they dropped before walking over to her.
She looked up at him, a warm smile on her lips. “Good evening, Tiernan.”
He groaned. “It’s getting better, but it’s been a terrible day.”
Frowning, she set aside the book and stood up, taking his hand. “You look awful. How about a bath and a massage?”
Such simple pleasures that he had taken for granted in the past, with other companions. “That sounds wonderful.”
Madison led him toward the bath, pausing to ask, “Have you eaten? Cleo brought dinner a couple of hours ago and said you’d be working late.”
He nodded. “I ate something, but I don’t really remember what.”
She clicked her tongue as they came into the bathroom. To his amusement, she stripped his shirt and pants as though he were incapable of undressing himself. The hint of nurturing in the way she performed the task that had him thinking all sorts of strange thoughts, like how gentle she would be with a baby. His baby.
Tiernan blinked to clear that dangerous thought from his mind. When he was eventually ready for an heir, Madison would never be in the running for mother. She was too devoted to her family. She would bond too much with his child and endlessly interfere with the harsher necessities of raising the next commander of the Northwest Federation.
Leaving him in his briefs, she went to turn on the water and then pulled off the robe she wore. As always, the sight of her naked body had him hard and aching in seconds, but she moved with an air of efficient purpose that suggested she was focused on getting him into the bath to relax and wouldn’t be sidetracked by passion.
That was fine. The bath was one of her favorite places to make love anyway. His too, at least with her. When she was slippery and soapy, panting those little breaths that drove him mad, he found her more enticing than ever.
Amusement stirred again when she took his hand to lead him into the tub, making sure he sat on the floor of the tub before sitting on the next step up, so she could comfortably rub his shoulders. Relaxation seeped through him as she worked at the kinks in his muscles.
How had he ever made do without a companion waiting for him at night to give him such attention? He tried to envision any of his other current companions performing the tasks Madison was and couldn’t imagine it would be the same. Any of the girls would have given him a massage or taken a bath with him at his request, but he didn’t know that they would have thought of it on their own. Cleo would have picked up on his tension and heavy thoughts, but her solution would have been much more straightforward and practical—a rousing blowjob followed by a hard fuck to work off all his stress. Before Madison, had anyone asked, he would have definitively chosen Cleo’s solution over hers, but now, he preferred Madison’s technique.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.
He stirred, realizing his eyes were closed, and he had dropped his head back against her shoulder. Her hands still squeezed his shoulders, but she wasn’t really
kneading him any longer. “Hmm?” he asked, feeling hazy.
“My momma always asks Papa that after a hard day.”
“Oh.” He sighed as she pressed against his muscles, releasing more tension. In the past, Cleo had been the only companion privy to his confidences, and it had taken a good year or two before he’d trusted her enough. To his surprise, he found himself explaining about the problem that had consumed his day.
“I guess Blaney was telling you the truth.”
“What?”
She patted his shoulders before moving her hands outward, to stroke his upper arms. “You told me he claimed his wine shipments were light because of rebels.”