by Linda Broday
He kissed her with a fierce hunger and held her tight, pulling her close as though trying to draw her inside him. Then he laid her back on the bed, and with painstaking slowness that tested her patience, he moved down her body, caressing and kissing every last inch.
“You have beautiful legs, my love.” He nibbled up and down each limb.
“Stop talking about my legs and come back up here.”
She had second thoughts about that command, however, when he parted the hair hiding her entrance and slid a gentle finger into her wet heat. He withdrew, hovered at the opening before plunging in again.
With each movement, she grew achier and hotter. Until this very moment, she hadn’t known that pleasure like this existed. That anyone like Ridge existed. She pushed herself hard against his hand and let out a cry as waves of pleasure gripped and crashed over her. They dragged her out to deep waters, where wondrous shudders took hold of her body.
Ridge rose above her and positioned himself, slowly stretching her tight folds with his body. A sharp pain brought a gasp to her lips, but she didn’t tell him to stop. She wanted this, and from what little she did know of her body, she knew the pain would go away.
Once he was all the way inside, he paused to let her absorb him, and her pain vanished. Taking a deep breath, she matched the rhythm he set, her arms around him, holding him tight. Somewhere amid the friction of their bodies, another engulfing wave began to build again, growing higher and stronger within her.
“Ridge!” She placed both hands on his buttocks and held tight.
A sheen of sweat covered her skin and pooled between her breasts. Addie gave a cry and shuddered, riding the wave until it crested in showering sparks around her. She was blinded by the magic and beauty and oh such wonderful, glorious heat.
Ridge stiffened and took his pleasure, throbbing inside her. Addie gripped him tight and held him until he relaxed. After a moment he rolled off and dropped to lie beside her, his raspy breathing matching hers. She curled against his side, smiling.
Something wonderful had changed inside her, something between her and Ridge; now maybe they could have a real marriage.
Once her frantic heartbeat slowed, Addie raised on an elbow and ran her fingers across his chest, tracing every rise and fall. “Thank you for giving me what I wanted.”
Books had told her about the mechanics of procreating, and she’d witnessed births, but nothing had ever prepared her for how lovemaking felt. There had been no mention of the thrill, the smashing heights and towering waves that held her suspended, or the thundering of her heart upon release. Perhaps lovemaking didn’t affect all women equally. She wasn’t naive enough to even imagine that all partners were the same. The depth of gratification probably depended on the connection between the woman and the man she loved, and without a doubt, Addie had married the best. Ridge seemed to sense exactly where to touch and how hard.
There was enough light still in the room to let her see the happiness in Ridge’s eyes. He caressed her cheek with his cupped palm. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Far from it.” She pressed a kiss to the hollow of his throat. “I may have gotten a little carried away. I was afraid you’d stop.”
“No chance of that. I doubt a team of horses could’ve had any effect.”
That was kind of him to say, and certainly a lie. All it would’ve taken was a soft no from her, and he’d have quit immediately. He didn’t fool her.
She lay facing him, her fingers creating lazy circles on his chest and stomach. Her gaze drifted to the chest of drawers and the big secret he was keeping from her. She took a deep breath. If she couldn’t ask now, would there ever be another time? “Ridge, I was cleaning in here a day or two ago, and I found something of yours that puzzled me.”
He pinched his brows together in thought. If he was pretending not to know what she meant, he was doing a good job. “What was it?”
“A tintype. Of you and a fancy woman. It was on your chest of drawers. Who is she? Were you married before?”
His expression closed off to her, and he rolled over to sit on the side of the bed, head in his hands. “I wish you hadn’t found that.”
Fear rose in her throat. “Were you trying to keep it hidden?”
“Not exactly. That picture was taken a long time ago.” Ridge raked his fingers through his hair, still not looking at her. “I thought I’d left all that behind me.”
Questions rose and barely came out through stiff lips. “Who was she? Your wife?”
“No. Suzanne and I…we were engaged once, but she broke it off. At first, she had thought the idea of being a preacher’s wife exciting, a departure from a life she found dull and boring. But soon enough, she decided it would have taken too much work to make me into the kind of man she preferred.”
“That’s horrible. She must not’ve loved you at all.”
“The sad truth is that her position in society meant a lot more to her than I did.”
“But you must still love her. Else why keep the tintype?” She would’ve burned it long ago if it had been her. Addie rose and threw on her gown.
“I tossed it into a drawer when I unpacked here, and it must’ve gotten caught in the folds of one of my shirts. I found it on the floor a few weeks back and tossed it on top of the chest without giving it a second thought.”
“Yet you kept it,” she said softly.
Ridge gently pulled her down beside him and took her face in his hands. “Suzanne’s nothing to me. I don’t think of her, dream of her, or wish for a life with her.” He let out a gruff bark of laughter. “It’s you I want.”
Addie threaded her fingers through his. “Are you happy, Ridge? With our life, that is?”
“Very happy. You were the one I was meant to marry, not Suzanne Dickerson.”
“I’m glad.” She shot him a careful glance. “I confess I was jealous when I saw the tintype.”
“You have no need for that. I’m not going anywhere.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Besides, she’s married to another man now—a rich man with money to burn. And I wouldn’t trade what I have for all the Suzannes in the world.”
“I’m sorry I tested your patience. You must’ve gotten tired of waiting.”
“No, sweetheart. I wanted to give you all the time you needed.” The gentle tone of his voice, his touch, brought tears to her eyes.
How blessed she was to have found him.
Tenderness spilled over to the slow way he tugged the gown Addie had just put on over her head. “You’ll have no need for this.”
No, she wouldn’t. “Roll over,” she requested. It was her turn to take charge. Once he complied, she massaged his tight back muscles all the way down to his waist. Then she worked on his nicely formed butt, kissing, stroking, loving every inch.
“Aww, you have magic hands, my love.” Flipping over, Ridge pulled her down to him and began to explore her body once more. Soon Addie grew breathless and ached for him again, and the rapids of pleasure they were sure to ride.
* * *
Ridge rose before dawn and saddled the horses, taking care not to wake Bodie when he went into the barn. He stuffed leftover ham, cheese, and bread into the saddlebags, then went inside to make coffee. When it was boiled, he carried a tray up to their bedroom and set it on a small table. He stood looking down at his sleeping wife and the peaceful expression on her face. How truly fortunate his life had turned out. He couldn’t have asked for a prettier or more caring wife, and now he had confidence they matched in every way, including the marriage bed.
The bounty he’d been given flooding over Ridge, he kissed Addie’s tempting bare shoulder. “Want coffee first, then go for a ride?”
A smile slowly curved her mouth. “Give me five minutes.”
“Whatever you need.” He’d wait as long as it took.
She threw the bedcovers asid
e, and he followed her naked body with his gaze, admiring the heaviness of her breasts, flat stomach, and the curve of her fetching behind. He noticed something odd on the skin of her back, but before he could see clearly, her chemise dropped, covering it. Dragging his attention from her was quite a feat, but he managed, then poured the coffee, adding sugar and cream to hers.
“Where are we going?” She reached for the formfitting Levi’s and dragged them slowly up her legs. To heaven, if things went according to plan. The thought made hot, aching hunger pool inside him, even though they’d made love all night.
Nineteen
Outside in the predawn air, Ridge removed the pins from Addie’s hair and watched the strands tumble down around her shoulders and back in a golden mass of silk. He plunged his hands into the wealth and kissed her with every ounce of emotion he possessed. Addie returned his attention with equal fervor.
Their passion sated for the moment, he helped her into the saddle, and they set the horses to a slow pace through the darkness. Dawn would arrive within the hour, bringing light and a new day.
“You never said where we’re going,” Addie reminded him.
“A place I know.”
“Have I been there?”
“Not yet. You are a very curious woman, you know that?”
She laughed, the sound filling Ridge’s heart. “You’re not going to start the day complaining are you, husband of mine?”
“There’s nothing about you that I would change.” Ridge maneuvered his horse close so that their legs rubbed.
They left their property and rode toward a row of craggy mountains covered with mesquite, scrub oak, and a few junipers. Once they reached the foothills, Ridge wove through a faint trail into the interior until they came upon the oasis he’d found a year ago. They reined up in a little grassy area, dismounting just as the sun rose. The golden rays glimmered off the streaks of light and dark rock in the cliff walls.
Addie let out a soft gasp at sight of a small pool of glistening water at the base of some large boulders. “This is beautiful. Do a lot of people know about this spot?”
“I don’t think so. Jack and Clay do. Not sure how many others.” Ridge took two towels from his saddlebags and grinned. “Care to get in?”
“Does a dog have a crooked hind leg?” Addie already worked at the buttons of her blouse, popping them free.
Ridge chuckled, unbuckling his gun belt and removing his boots. She beat him into the water, dropping her shirt a second before diving in. If her cute butt hadn’t distracted him, he’d have won the race.
“It’s warm, Ridge.” She splashed like a pup getting its first bath. “I expected cold water.”
He dove in and swam up beside her. She wound her arms around his waist and pressed against his body, kissing him. The shy little bride who’d slept underneath the stairs had vanished. She was no longer afraid to take what she wanted.
He let his hands roam over her, touching, caressing, his lips nibbling the sensitive flesh behind her ear, down her neck, and across one shoulder. He stilled and flinched when he encountered thin scars in a crisscross pattern over her back.
A jolt, then understanding settled inside him. His thoughts returned to the previous night and how she’d never exposed her back to him, kept him from touching the raised flesh. Now he knew why. This had to be Ezekiel’s work. Silent curses damned the man to a fiery hell.
“I want you, Ridge.” Her husky voice held hunger, and her green eyes darkened. The thick, breathy words sent all thoughts of Ezekiel from his mind.
His hardness strained for her, and when her hand closed around him, moving along the length, he sucked in air through his teeth. “Careful, lady.”
“It’s your fault. You brought me here and tempted me with your body. The least you can do is play nice.” She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout.
“I always play nice.” Ridge’s soft threat brought a laugh. He scooped her up and floated to a little ledge just beneath the water. He sat and pulled her in his lap. “I’ll show you nice.”
He reached for her breasts, cupping them, rolling the nipples between his thumb and forefinger. He put his face in the water and took one into his mouth, lightly raking his teeth across the swollen tip.
Breathing hard, her hands moved along his muscles, kneading, smoothing, working, responding in kind to his movements. Trembling with need, he kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Neither spoke, their heavy-lidded eyes and ragged breathing revealing the depth of mutual desire.
Hands around her waist, Ridge lifted her up and slowly lowered her onto him. The buoying water helped them set a frantic tempo, friction driving him forward toward the release he sought. His heart thundered from the intense pleasure.
Addie took hers first, as Ridge had intended. She gasped and threw back her head, tightening her hold around his neck. She clung to him with all her strength as though he would vanish if she let loose. Once reassured by her gasps of pleasure, Ridge gave himself free rein. The crashing, thundering, billowing ecstasy rushed from his belly and down his jerking body.
The water settled into a lazy swirl, little waves lapping around them as they rested. Addie lifted her head from his chest, and Ridge pushed back strands of wet hair from her face, staring into eyes as green as spring grass.
His words came out hoarse and raspy. “I’m not the best man for you. Lord knows I ain’t, but no one will ever cherish you as much as I do. I promise you that.”
Addie searched his gaze as though afraid to believe. “Are you sure?”
“Never more so about anything.”
Addie sighed contentedly. “I’ve found the one place in all the world where I am meant to be. Right here. With you.” She got off him and climbed from the pool, wrapping a towel around her. “I want to tell you about my past. I should’ve followed Eleanor’s advice and done so long ago, but it took time to find the strength.”
Ridge followed and picked up the other towel. “I’m a patient man and didn’t want to press you. There’s a lot I do wonder about, though.”
“Do you remember what I told you about my father and the town of New Zion?” She sat on the lush grass, and he joined her.
“Yes. You said he owned not only you, but everyone else.”
“He never let us forget that. I never accepted his ways or that false religion of his, so I continually found myself at odds with him. I taught school and began privately teaching the girls about their bodies and having babies, including what herbs, bark, and roots could stop them from conceiving. Someone told my father what I was doing, and I’d never seen such anger burn inside anyone. I’d gone against him, and he couldn’t let that go or he’d lose face. He whipped me in the public square and burned every schoolbook and pamphlet.”
“The bastard!” Ridge put an arm around her and held her close to his side. He prayed to cross paths with the man one day. As God was his witness, he’d get justice for Addie or die trying.
“My father only had girl babies and blamed my mother for that. He called her inadequate and lazy—among worse things. He ranted like a madman that he needed a boy, a son, to carry on his life’s work. He became obsessed for a son.”
Her voice lowered to nearly a whisper. “I should’ve realized what ran through his demented mind, but I didn’t know the depths to which even he would stoop. One night while I was finishing up my work alone in the classroom, one of my older students, Jane Ann, snuck in. She was in labor and begged for my help. That shocked me, of course. I had no idea of her pregnancy. Although she had begun to wear jackets and baggy dresses, so I guess that kept her growing belly hidden.”
“And of course, you couldn’t turn her away,” Ridge murmured.
“I made her comfortable and ran to get the midwife. Zelda Law and I shared the same opinion about Ezekiel and his teachings. She taught me about herbs and roots. Together, we birthed the b
abe there in the schoolhouse. It was a boy. Jane Ann was weak and had lost so much blood. Nothing we did would stop the bleeding; she told us she wasn’t going to make it and didn’t want to carry her secret to the grave. She told me…” Addie’s voice broke, and she cleared her throat. “She revealed the identity of her child’s father.”
“Who was he?” Ridge squeezed her cold hand.
“Ezekiel Jancy.”
Twenty
Shock raced through Ridge. Dammit! He thought he’d despised Ezekiel Jancy enough before, but this cemented it. The man had to be beyond depraved to force himself on a girl. “Did Jane Ann’s father know?”
Addie nodded. “She said he did, and that Ezekiel had threatened her father if he uttered a word to anyone, saying he knew how to make him disappear.”
“So, Jane Ann’s baby boy is…” His sentence trailed.
“My half brother,” she supplied. “Zelda and I knew we couldn’t let that baby fall into Ezekiel’s hands, so Zelda wrapped him up warm and left town under cover of darkness.” Addie shook as though chilled despite the early sunshine.
Ridge pulled her close and rubbed her arms. “Let’s put our clothes back on.”
“I need to tell you everything, and I might not be able to start again if I stop.”
“Okay, love.” He was still curious how this could’ve led to Addie being sent to prison. Confused, he shared his warmth, kept rubbing her arms and listening to her story.
“Zelda told me she’d go to her brother at Seven Mile Crossing. I held Jane Ann as she drew her last breath and folded her arms across her chest. Before I could move, Ezekiel burst in—along with Jane Ann’s father and about half a dozen men from the town. Ezekiel was furious to find the babe gone. He accused me of murdering Jane Ann because I was jealous of the baby. I tried to lie and say she’d had a stillborn and Zelda had buried the babe. I later found out one of Ezekiel’s spies had watched everything through the window. The man had seen Zelda escape into the night with the babe and tried to catch her, only she lost him somehow.” Addie shuddered in the grip of the memories, reliving that horrible night.