Bicycle Built for Two (33 page)

Because she had some basic knowledge of how
the act of love was carried out, even if she’d never been involved
in it herself, Kate returned Alex’s caresses with all the passion
that had been building in her for twenty-two years. Until this
moment, she’d half expected to go to her grave without having
expressed any of it. But this was Alex. She loved him. She gave him
everything.

He had muscles like Hercules. She didn’t
know why she should be surprised. He’d told her often enough that
farming was hard, physical work, and she’d watched with her own
eyes as he’d leveled her scoundrel of a father. She guessed it was
because he always dressed so stylishly. Kate had always thought of
rich, stylish men as flabby and self-indulgent. And there was
always the truth that he was a farmer, and when she’d thought about
farmers, which she’d seldom done before she met him, she’d thought
of them as skinny old men with white beards and stooped shoulders.
Showed how much she knew.

His mouth traveled from her breast to her
stomach, and Kate gasped. “Oh, Alex!”

“Does this feel good, darling?”

After she gasped again, she breathed, “Stupid
question.”

His chuckle did its usual damage to her
self-control. Not that she had much left.

“Here. Let me take care of this
impediment.”

Only then did she realize he’d been unlacing
her corset. He flung it aside and began unbuttoning her chemise.
She was glad to part with both.

“And this one.”

This time he referred to his own clothing.
In a flash, he’d shed his jacket, shirt and tie, and Kate was
gratified to be able to view the muscles she’d only felt seconds
earlier. His chest hair was like curly silk when she ran her
fingers over his hard torso. “You’re like a god, Alex,” she
whispered, feeling foolish.

“I work at it,” he said, laughing, but
obviously pleased with himself. Kate’s feeling of foolishness
evaporated. “You’re pretty much of a goddess yourself.”

She smiled and said, “Thanks,” in a joking
tone, but she was glad he thought she was pretty. And suitable,
even, more or less—although she didn’t believe he truly wanted to
marry her. He was only being nice about that. She’d worked hard to
rid herself of the outward vestiges of her low-class heritage. For
years, she’d dressed properly, spoken properly, and tried to behave
properly, although that one often eluded her.

Slowly, he lowered her to the bed, so that
she was on her back, and he held her and kissed her hard. Her arms
wrapped around his back and she caressed the rock-hard sinews hewn
by hard labor that were Alex’s own heritage. It seemed strange to
her that she’d never considered people in other walks of life from
hers as having to work hard. Maybe hard work wasn’t the sole
provenance of the lower classes. Maybe some folks worked hard to
achieve their exalted stations in life. By this time, she was
willing to grant Alex English his place in society as having been
achieved, rather than having been bestowed as a birthright.

She realized he’d unbuttoned her skirt. He
was working faster than her brain could assimilate all the new
experiences and sensations he was evoking in her. Because she felt
left behind, she decided to assume a more aggressive role in what
should, by rights, be a joint enterprise. She reached for his
trouser buttons.

“Oh, Lord!”

His cry sounded like one of anguish, and
Kate drew her hands away as if they’d been burned. “Alex! Oh, Alex,
did I hurt you?”

He’d sunk his head onto the pillow next to
Kate’s head and looked as if he were in agony. But he shook his
head “no.” Confused, Kate whispered, “Alex? What’s wrong?”

Still shaking his head, he moaned, “Nothing.
I didn’t expect that.”

Uh-oh. “Um, did I do something wrong?”

“Lord, no. Feel free. Everything you’re
doing is right.”

He sounded as though he were in pain. Kate
didn’t understand, but she was willing to take him at his word.
Reaching once more for his trouser buttons, she hesitated
momentarily when he groaned again. She decided this must be part of
the routine, although she still didn’t understand, and proceeded to
unfasten the buttons. His erect member pressed hard against them,
and Kate had to struggle. After the second button popped free of
its buttonhole, she realized that, rather than pain, Alex was
experiencing some sort of pleasant torture as she moved from button
to button.

“Um,” she said, “I’ve never done this
before. Let me know if I do something wrong.”

“I will.” He was short of breath, and the
two words escaped on a gasp of pleasure.

Kate began to feel rather powerful when she
understood the effect she was having on Alex. And then he removed
her drawers and cupped his hand over her most secret place, and all
power fled in a rush of sensation. “Alex!”

“This is good, Kate. This is perfect. This
is what men and women do. And to think we’ll be married soon and
can do it any time we please.”

She couldn’t speak. She scarcely heard him.
His fingers had started rubbing, very gently, over the center and
core of her femininity. She was wet down there, and Alex was using
her own moisture to lubricate his movements. She crammed a hand
into her mouth for fear she’d scream and wake up the whole house. A
very few seconds later, she was glad for her caution when Alex’s
magic fingers drove her to a pinnacle of pleasure she’d never
dreamed of before this night.

For what seemed like forever, Kate’s body
reacted to Alex’s ministrations. Wave after wave of sensation
rocked her. She seemed to float out of herself for a moment. It was
Alex’s voice that brought her back to earth again.

“Ah, Kate, that was beautiful. You’re
beautiful. My darling, darling Kate. You’re perfect. We’re perfect
together.”

They were what? She was what? The sentiments
he was expressing seemed so opposed to everything she’d believed
since she’d met him that Kate couldn’t take them in. Then he was
kneeling over her and guiding his rigid sex to the seat of her
pleasure, and her thoughts scattered yet again.

With a powerful lunge, Alex conquered her
virginity. It wasn’t a painful capitulation. Kate was more shocked
than hurt, and then she held on for dear life as Alex moved in her,
harder and faster, until his release came with a shout he muffled
in the pillow. Kate still held tight, feeling his hard muscles slip
under her fingers because of his perspiration. She loved him so
much. Burying her face in the hollow of his shoulder, she allowed
herself to wish for his love in return. Kate wasn’t one to spend
time in idle fancies, but she allowed herself that one, knowing it
wouldn’t last long.

Tomorrow she’d go back to Chicago and start
working her two jobs again and try to start to forget. Fat chance
of that ever happening. Still, she’d survive. She always had, and
she always would.

“God, Kate.”

Alex’s voice was ragged and almost
inaudible, muffled as it was in the pillows. She squeezed him as
tightly as she could—his skin was slippery with sweat and her arms
slid, but she didn’t care. In fact, she laughed. “I’m so happy,
Alex.” It was a confession she hadn’t meant to make, but she didn’t
think it would hurt—at least not yet. Kate had learned a long time
ago that one had to pay for one’s moments of happiness. Sometimes
the price was high, sometimes it wasn’t. She feared the price for
this was going to be higher than any other she’d had to pay so
far.

“Me, too.” With what seemed to Kate like a
huge effort, Alex heaved himself to her side. Without giving her a
chance to think about anything, he wrapped her up in his arms and
drew her tightly to his body.

“Alex . . .”

“Hush, Kate. Just be quiet now, and go to
sleep. This is the beginning of a beautiful life together. We’ll
talk about it all tomorrow. I’m too exhausted to think right now,
much less talk.”

That suited Kate fine. She didn’t want to
talk anyhow. So, instead of talking, she turned her head as far as
her neck would allow her to, and kissed what she could reach of
Alex’s face, which turned out to the tip of his nose. “‘Night,
Alex.”

He laughed softly and kissed her back. He
could reach her hair, so that’s what his lips touched. “Good-night,
Kate. Sleep tight.”

“Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” she said,
drawing from a childhood joke, although it hadn’t been a joke for
the Finney children.

Alex chuckled, then yawned. It wasn’t long
before Kate heard his deep, regular breathing. With a sigh, she
decided to shelve all her questions and problems and take Alex’s
advice for once, without arguing. It wasn’t long before she, too,
slept.

# # #

Alex woke up early the morning following his
night with Kate, feeling better than he’d felt in a long time.
Maybe ever. He wanted to leap out of bed and dance around the room
but didn’t want to awaken Kate, who needed her sleep.

What a wonder she was. And
how lucky he was to have caught her. She’d make an excellent wife.
A
perfect
wife.
She had none of the flaws possessed by the other ladies he’d
considered. Kate Finney wasn’t a giggler. And she wasn’t a pedant.
Nor was she stupid.

She was not merely smart and pretty, but she
was self-sufficient—perhaps a little too self-sufficient at times.
That might be considered a flaw, but it wasn’t a huge one. Anyhow,
it was overwhelmed by the fact that she had an unsurpassed capacity
for love and loyalty. And besides all that, he . . . well, he loved
her.

As he darted around the room picking up his
clothes, Alex knew he must have a sappy grin on his face. He was
going to do something even sappier. He was going to rush downstairs
to the barn and take the cover from the two-person bicycle he’d
bought for his parents in a fit of filial idiocy several years
before.

His father had been amused but disapproving.
Mr. English didn’t condone spending money foolishly.

Alex’s mother had thought it was a precious,
albeit silly gift. Alex thought he recalled them riding it twice.
Maybe only once. Neither of his parents possessed the ability to
appreciate something that might be considered out of the way. Kate
did. She’d love the absurd bicycle. He knew it.

Kate wouldn’t think it was a nonsensical
thing. She’d adore it. Alex knew her pretty well by this time, and
he knew darned well that there wasn’t a single stuffy thing about
her.

Because he felt a tremendous sense of
responsibility toward Kate’s mother, after he’d washed up and
donned fresh clothes, he tiptoed into her room to assess her
condition. As he leaned over her while she slept, he had the
unpleasant knowledge that her condition, as it had been yesterday
and weeks earlier, could only be assessed as mortal. His heart
crunched. Mrs. Finney was on her last legs. Her breathing had eased
a bit as she slept, but she still labored to draw in enough breath
to sustain her feeble hold on life.

Alex’s determination to get that bicycle out
of the barn intensified. Mrs. Finney would love watching her
daughter and the man she was going to marry riding on that thing.
It would make her happy. Therefore, it was good that Alex had
splurged on the bicycle, no matter what his father had thought.

After he’d determined that Mrs. Finney still
lived, even if she was sicker than any other person he’d ever seen
including his father, who had died suddenly of an apoplectic
stroke, Alex tiptoed out of her room, raced down the stairs and out
to the barn. He flew to the bicycle propped against the far wall
and yanked off the blanket that had covered it for a year or more.
Dust and hay particles flew every which way, but—Alex hooted with
delight—the bicycle was as clean as a whistle and the tires were
still full of air. He wheeled it out of the barn and up to the
porch, where he propped it against the house.

Whistling happily, he reentered the house.
Kate stood at the top of the staircase, clad in her bathrobe,
clutching it to her chin. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders,
and she looked worried. Fearing his departure had caused this state
of apprehension in her, Alex ran up the stairs, taking them three
at a time.

“Kate!” He grabbed her in his arms, whirled
her around, and ended with a smacking kiss on her lips.

Her apprehensive expression melted into
giggles. “Put me down, you ridiculous man!”

“I might be ridiculous, but I’m happy.”

“I’m glad, Alex.” She hugged him hard, and
he felt about a hundred feet tall. It was odd how loving someone
could affect a fellow so strongly. Of course, he had no idea if she
loved him, but she would. He’d see to it. Alex had faith in himself
and his persuasive abilities. He’d be so wonderful to her, she
wouldn’t be able to help herself after a while.

He put her down with a thump that rattled
her teeth. “Kate!” He lifted her in his arms again. “Did I hurt
you?”

She was laughing so hard, he could hardly
understand her answer. “No. You didn’t hurt me.”

“Good.” He let her down more gently. “Get
dressed, Kate. I have something to show you.”

“Oh? What?”

“You’ll see.” He smirked at her.

She didn’t smirk back. “I dunno, Alex. I’m
not fond of surprises.”

Her comment startled him. “You’re not? Why
not?”

“Most of the surprises in my life haven’t
been great.”

“Ah.” His heart did a back flip. “We’ll
change all that, Kate. You just wait and see.”

Her grin eased his aching heart some. “Well
. . . All right. I’ll get dressed. But before I see your surprise,
I want to make sure Ma’s all right.”

He sobered at once. “Of course. I’ll go with
you.”

“After I get dressed.” She laughed again,
and turned pink.

Completely charmed, Alex sighed. He knew he
had a huge, foolish grin on his face, and he couldn’t have cared
less if he’d tried. “I’ll go sit with her while you get
dressed.”