Once a Mail Order Bride

by Bold, Diana

  Relief swept through her. Grinning, she handed him the soap. “Then hurry up and finish. We have a wedding to go to.”

  She stood up and moved to the window, staring down at the street while she gave him some privacy to maneuver himself out of the tub. A flurry of splashes sounded behind her, and then she heard the soft rustle of clothes and the unmistakable thump of his wooden boot.

  “Was that quick enough for you?” he asked moments later.

  Before she could answer, he put his arms around her from behind, pulling her back against his warm, slightly damp body. The crisp, clean scent of him filled her senses, making her dizzy with longing. He pressed his lips to her temple. “Everything will be all right, sweetheart. You’ll see.”

  He was so solid, so strong despite his lost limb, and she wanted to stay in his arms forever. It felt right. Righter than anything had felt in a very long time. The last of her doubts dissipated.

  Luke might not love her, but he cared for her and desired her. Strong, healthy marriages had been built on far less.

  “I think you’re right,” she whispered. “I hope you’re right.”

  He hugged her tightly before releasing her. “I’m almost ready.”

  When she finally turned around, he was fastening his cuff links. He was wearing an elegant black suit, and the color suited him very well with his dark hair and stormy eyes.

  “Shall we go?” He smiled at her, that breathtaking smile that displayed his dimples, and her knees went weak. He was truly a beautiful man, both inside and out.

  “Yes,” she told him, gathering her courage around her like a shield. “I’m ready.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  THIRTY MINUTES LATER, Luke and Sarah held hands at the front of the church, listening as the preacher droned on about love and God. Luke tried to pay attention, but his mind raced.

  What in the world was he doing? How could this marriage work when the lie of his past still stood between them? How had he allowed things to come this far without telling her the truth?

  If he didn’t tell her himself, she’d find out in some other way. There wasn’t a soul in this town who didn’t know he’d lost his foot during the war. It could happen at any time. One wrong word and she’d never trust him again.

  He came back from his musings at the sound of Sarah’s sweet voice. She was pledging her vows, and he swore to himself he’d tell her the truth at the next opportune moment. He’d waited too long for this moment. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

  Then it was his turn. Determined not to make a mistake, he carefully repeated the words that would bind them together. As he spoke, Sarah’s green eyes filled with tears, but he chose to believe they were tears of happiness and not regret.

  When he slid the ring on her slim finger, she gave him a blinding smile. “It’s beautiful.”

  “I now pronounce you man and wife,” the preacher announced in a bored monotone. “You may kiss the bride.”

  Luke took immediate advantage of the opportunity, bending to capture Sarah’s lips with his own. The world seemed to stand still for a moment, and he lost himself in the taste and touch and feel of his wife.

  His wife.

  One of their reluctant witnesses, an old woman who played the piano during church services, coughed. Sarah pulled away, adorably flustered.

  The preacher offered half-hearted congratulations, while his wife and the pianist signed the marriage license. The entire thing had taken less than five minutes. Such a short time for an event that would change the rest of his life.

  After they left the church, Sarah and Luke made their way to the town’s lone restaurant. Luke’s leg was bothering him again, and he thought longingly of the soft sheepskin he’d left at the hotel. He should have taken the time to make the changes Sarah had suggested, but he’d been in such a hurry to get this whole thing over with he hadn’t bothered.

  Now he was afraid he would regret it. Tonight, of all nights, he didn’t want to be troubled by the constant pain that plagued him.

  When they entered the restaurant, everyone turned to look at them. Dead silence fell across the room. Luke ignored them all and let his gaze fall upon Mrs. Davis, the old hag who had hurt Sarah’s feeling earlier.

  “Mrs. Davis,” he said, making sure his voice was loud enough to carry to the farthest reaches of the room. “My new bride and I would like a table.”

  The woman flushed crimson, but she hurried forward. “Of course, Mr. Chandler. Right this way.” They followed her to a table in the middle of the room. “Will this be acceptable?”

  Luke would have laughed at the woman’s fawning attitude if he wasn’t so damned angry at the way she’d treated Sarah. “This will be fine,” he muttered, pulling out a chair for his wife.

  “Everyone is staring,” Sarah whispered.

  “Relax, smile,” he said just as quietly.

  Mrs. Davis returned with their menus and then left them blessedly alone. “Are you all right?” Luke asked, realizing this had not been a good idea. He’d wanted to make a public statement about how much Sarah meant to him, but he hadn’t meant to do it at the expense of her dignity. He didn’t like the way everyone was staring at her. “If you’d rather, we could just order the meal sent across the street to our room.”

  Sarah tried to smile. “I won’t let them drive us away. We have as much right to be here as anybody.”

  “That’s my girl.” Luke squeezed her hand as pride flowed through him. He couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel room. He was looking forward to his wedding night more than he could ever remember looking forward to anything. Just the thought made him shift uncomfortably.

  Sarah busied herself with looking at the menu, and he willed his blood to cool. They’d already given the town enough to talk about today. He didn’t need to make a further spectacle of himself.

  “Everything sounds delicious.” There was awe in Sarah’s soft voice. “I can’t decide.”

  He smiled. Sarah was so easy to please. Christine would have turned up her nose at this simple country fare. “Get whatever you want.”

  She nodded and returned to her perusal of the menu. When Mrs. Davis returned for their order, he got a steak and Sarah ordered fried chicken with all the trimmings.

  Conversation resumed around them, although most of the diners were probably still listening to them with one ear. “Do you like the ring?”

  She glanced down at it, and then met his gaze. “Of course, I do. But you didn’t need to go to such expense. I would have been happy with a simple gold band.”

  “Sarah,” he chided. “You’re going to have to stop worrying about money. You’re my wife now, and I can afford to buy you nice things.” His wife. Damn, he liked the way that sounded.

  Sarah flushed, and he was glad to see some color return to her pale cheeks. “I’m sorry, Luke. It’s become a habit to count every penny.”

  “That’s one habit I’ll be happy to help you break,” he assured her. “Would you like to take a honeymoon to Denver? We can tell Matt and Becky the news and then spend a week or so shopping.”

  She smiled. “You’ll spoil me.”

  “I’ll try,” he murmured. “I certainly intend to try.”

  SARAH ORDERED APPLE pie for dessert. By now, she didn’t mind so much that everyone was staring at her. They were obviously wondering how such a little floozy had managed to trap a fine, upstanding man like Luke Chandler into marrying her. Well, let them wonder, she thought, feeling smug.

  Luke waited until she’d scraped the last bite of pie from her plate then stood. “Let’s go back to the hotel.” The burning intensity in his gray eyes thrilled her. The promise of the night sizzled through her veins, igniting a frenzy of desire for the man who was now her husband.

  “You’re right,” she told him. “I need you, Luke.”

  His eyes flared, and he came around the table to take her arm. She waited as he paid the bill, and then she followed him down the street to the hotel. When he shut the
door to their room behind him, she saw that while they’d been away, the bath had been cleared and her roses artfully arranged in a cut-glass vase. Champagne cooled in a bucket of ice in front of the fire.

  Luke poured them both a glass, smiling devilishly as he handed it to her.

  “I shouldn’t,” she murmured. “I’ll get tipsy.”

  “I want you to be a lot tipsy,” he told her. “I don’t want you to have any inhibitions.”

  “All right.” She took a big swallow and choked on the bubbles. “This is good.”

  He took a few sips of his own as he casually loosened his tie. Her gaze was drawn to the movement, to the strong, tanned column of his throat. Good Lord. He was so beautiful.

  “Do you think the preacher and his wife ever made love the way we do?” She took another drink of her champagne, laughter welling within her at the very idea.

  He took the glass from her hand, a smile flitting across his lips. “I don’t think very many people are lucky enough to ever have even a glimpse of the kind of passion we share, sweetheart.”

  She held his gaze, her humor disappearing at the truth behind his words. “We are lucky, aren’t we?”

  “Yeah, we are.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him. His eyes were a deep, stormy gray as he lowered his mouth to hers.

  She’d expected him to be rough and urgent, but instead, his kiss was slow and seductive. He tasted of champagne and something deeper, richer, and even more intoxicating.

  His tongue seduced hers with an exotic rhythm. She wasn’t sure how long the kiss went on. It could have been hours; it could have been days. She was drunk with champagne and desire, and she never wanted it to end.

  He drew back a bit, staring down at her with fire in his eyes. His breathing was harsh and erratic, and he lifted a trembling hand to delicately trace her face.

  “Make love to me, Sarah,” he whispered, his voice dark and desperate. “I want to make you mine forever.”

  Forever. Against her will, she remembered her last wedding night and the promise of a lifetime together that had been cut heartbreakingly short.

  He peeled off his shirt, exposing his broad chest to her appreciative gaze. Forcing thoughts of her first marriage away, she hurried to get out of her own clothing.

  She discarded the beautiful dress and hung it carefully on the foot of the bed so it wouldn’t get wrinkled. Then she kicked off her shoes and slid off her delicate lace stockings.

  A quick glance at Luke confirmed her wildest dreams. He was completely, gloriously bare. Her gaze drifted down his back and lingered on the taut, rounded perfection of his buttocks. He’d taken off the boot and was steadying himself with one hand on the nightstand, patiently waiting for her to finish.

  He turned awkwardly, and a bit of humor softened the hunger in his eyes when she discarded her chemise. “I thought you were exquisite in that dress, but I like you this way even better.”

  “I like you better naked, too,” she blurted then looked away as heat suffused her face.

  “I’m glad.” He put his hand on her chin and made her look at him. “There’s no one else I’d trust to let see me this way, Sarah. I didn’t expect to ever find someone who would accept the ugliest part of me the way you do.”

  She attempted a smile. “Thanks to Matt, we both got exactly what we were looking for.”

  Luke looked a bit startled. “I guess you’re right. But let’s not tell him that.”

  He pulled her close and brushed his mouth over hers. But before long, his kisses grew frantic. He guided her to the bed, pressing her down into the soft mattress. Then he rolled onto his back, taking her with him until she was straddling his hips, and he was buried deep within her.

  She gasped, taken off guard by this new twist. Until she’d met him, she’d thought there was only one way to make love, but he continued to surprise her.

  He smiled wickedly and caught her hips, showing her the way to move. “This time you can set the pace,” he whispered. “Show me what feels good to you.”

  She was awkward and embarrassed at first, feeling his stare on her breasts and face as she moved against him. But soon the magic she always experienced in his arms flared to life, and she forgot about everything but the way he made her feel.

  He lifted his head and caught her nipple between his teeth, gently scoring it as she moved frantically, seeking release. He reached between them, stimulating her with his fingertip as he powered deep within her. The combination of sensations washed over her, and she cried out as he surged deep, adding his soft moan to hers.

  LUKE LAY COMPLETELY still. Even the simple act of breathing seemed to be an effort. Sarah lay atop him, her face pressed into the crook of his shoulder. Never in his life had he known such completion, such peace.

  After a long time, he regained enough strength to lift his head and stare down at her. To his shock, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, wiping her tears away with one fingertip. He’d thought Sarah was enjoying herself as much as he was, but in the end, he’d been so wrapped up in his own bliss he’d ceased to think about hers. He’d pounded into her like a mindless animal.

  “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, spreading kisses of remorse over her lovely face. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “You didn’t hurt me,” she sobbed, returning his kisses with artless passion. “I’m just crying because I’m so happy.”

  “Happy?” He drew back and read the truth of it in her damp green eyes. Relief flooded him. “I thought I’d hurt you.”

  “Not at all,” she assured him. “It was just so overwhelming. So consuming.”

  Relieved, he pressed his lips to her temple. “Make no mistake, sweetheart. This thing between us is special. I’ve never known anything like it.”

  “Never?”

  He sensed that she was seeking assurances now, wondering about his relationship with Christine. He wanted to tell her she didn’t need to worry. He’d never made love to his fiancée. He imagined Christine would have been stiff and unyielding, silently daring him instead of eagerly participating.

  “Never.” He hugged her tight. “I’m very glad you showed up on my doorstep, sweetheart.”

  “Me, too,” she said on a sigh. “I hope you know how grateful I am for all you’ve done for me.”

  Gratitude. He hoped like hell she felt more for him than that. He sighed and rolled to his side, pulling her up tight against him. “Do you want children?”

  Until he’d met her, the idea of a family of his own had seemed as unreachable as the moon, but now he awaited her answer with a painful tightness in his throat. He liked the idea of her pregnant with his child. He liked it very much.

  “I would love to have your children.” Her voice was soft, and her eyes shone with wonder.

  “You’d be a wonderful mother,” he whispered, letting his hand drift down her body to rest on her flat stomach.

  “And you’ll be a wonderful father. I love that you’re not afraid to show tenderness.”

  She’d used the word love so many times tonight. But she hadn’t yet used it in the context he desperately wanted her to. “It will be nice to hold you while I sleep,” he told her, changing the subject. “You’re so sweet and soft.”

  She snuggled even closer, her chest pressed against his, her calf thrown across his thigh. “Goodnight, husband,” she whispered playfully.

  “Goodnight, wife.” I love you, he added silently, wishing he had the courage to say it out loud.

  SARAH AWOKE SLOWLY, savoring the warmth and strength of Luke’s body wrapped so casually around her own. They lay spoon fashion, his arm around her waist, his breath soft and gentle in her hair.

  If she’d ever been this happy before, she couldn’t remember it. No matter how it had come about, Luke was her husband. She would wake up in his arms every morning for the rest of her life. She’d never be lonely again.

  He was everything she’d ever wanted
. If she ever found the courage to tell him she’d fallen in love with him, he might even reciprocate.

  He stirred behind her and bent to kiss her ear. “Are you awake, sweetheart?”

  “Yes.” She rolled to face him, taking in every inch of his beautiful, tousled appearance. His smoky gray eyes were warm and slightly unfocused with sleep, his sultry mouth tilted in a lop-sided smile. “Did you sleep well?”

  He nodded. “Never better, thanks to you.” He brushed her cheek with his fingertip. “Would you mind terribly if I made love to you again?”

  Heat suffused her face, but she shook her head, her pulse accelerating just at the thought of it. “Of course not.”

  Luke’s smile widened. “I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven, Sarah. I never thought it would be possible to be friends with a woman I desired this much.”

  Sarah caressed the powerful curves of his chest, gazing into his eyes as they flared with gray fire. “I never knew desire until I met you.”

  He made a soft, wordless sound and lowered his lips to hers, pulling her closer against him, letting her feel the heat and shape of his need. She reached between them and stroked him with bold confidence, feeling a sense of feminine power as he trembled and throbbed in her hands.

  She would never get tired of touching him, never stop wanting him. She couldn’t imagine such passion was wrong, not when it was rooted in such love.

  The need to tell him, to hear the words in return was overwhelming. She sensed he needed to hear the words nearly as bad as she did.

  She cupped his face, gazing into his eyes and hoping she wasn’t making a terrible mistake by taking this chance. “I love you, Luke. You know that, don’t you?”

  He shuddered as though he’d taken a body blow. “You love me?” Hope and disbelief chased across his face. Then he closed his eyes and groaned. “I don’t deserve it, sweetheart. I haven’t been honest with you.”

  Her heart plummeted as a million possibilities ran through her mind. “What do you mean?” Cold fear washed through her and she grabbed the sheet, pulling it up to her chest as she waited for what was sure to be yet another life-altering disappointment.