Cera's Place (18 page)

“You’re right. I haven’t known him long and I don’t know everything about him, but I think he’s a good man. And at this moment, that’s enough to know.”

Isaac crossed the room and hugged her. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business who you are with, but I love you like my own child and I worry about you.”

Cera sighed and rested her head on Isaac’s shoulder. Suddenly, she was exhausted. “I appreciate everything you have done for me and the girls, Isaac, and I appreciate you worrying about me.”

Isaac patted her back lightly. “It’s late. We’d best get to bed. After breakfast, we’ll take the scroll to the police chief and hopefully put an end to this whole mess.”

“Amen to that,” she replied.

******

Cera sat at a dressing table brushing out her hair, while Ginger snuggled in the large canopy bed of the room they were sharing.

Running her hand across the silky comforter decorated in a rose print, Ginger remarked, “Isaac’s wife sure had good taste. I’d have liked to meet her.”

“Me too,” Cera agreed with a nod, turning in her chair. “She died a few months before I met Isaac. He showed me a photograph of her, though. She was beautiful.”

“From what David has told me, Isaac loved her very much. It sounded like she was quite ill and suffering at the end.”

“Yes, after her death, Isaac was, well, I guess you’d say he was a mess.”

Ginger raised an eyebrow. “Our stoic Isaac? I find that hard to believe.”

Cera shrugged. “It’s true. I met him when I was working in a horrible little saloon near the wharf. He came in every night and drank until closing. I could tell he didn’t belong there, but it took a while before I found out why he was drinking so hard.”

“That’s so sad.” Ginger sat up, hugging a pillow to her chest. “How come this is the first I’ve heard of it?”

Cera’s gaze dropped to her lap. Flicking the bristles of the brush with her thumb, she replied, “It’s a time neither one of us likes to remember. We got to talking one night and he told me his story. Over the following weeks, he began talking more than drinking. Then one night, these two men…well…you know how rough things can get. Isaac got tired of seeing my bruises. The next day we went to the bank and got a loan for Cera’s Place. He introduced me to the right people and, with a few bribes, I was able to open in less than a month. David took over his stores and Isaac started playing piano.”

“So you saved each other.”

Cera looked down again and frowned. “I guess you could say that. Seems like men are always coming to my rescue.”

Ginger waved a hand at her. “Oh, there ain’t nothing wrong with that. Look at all the people you’ve helped since I’ve known you. You give as much as you take.”

“Maybe,” Cera replied, shrugging off the compliment. “So you’ve been talking with David? Is he bewitched by your beauty?”

Her attempt at levity fell flat as Ginger’s expression turned forlorn. “David isn’t interested in me in that way. I’m not good enough for him.”

“What nonsense are you talking now?” Cera got up and joined Ginger on the bed. Taking her friend’s hand, she asked, “Since when aren’t you good enough?”

“David’s a respectable businessman. He can’t be seen with a saloon girl. Hell, he goes to church regularly, though they don’t call it a church.”

“Ginger! I’m surprised at you. You’re a fine person! Any man would be lucky to have your affections.”

“Honey, I am what I am. Given my past life, I’m not even close to being respectable.”

“The past don’t matter.” Cera shook the hairbrush in Ginger’s face. “It’s who you are now and who you want to be in the future.”

Ginger tried to smile but failed. “It’s fine. I made my bed—literally—long ago. A man like David is out of my reach.”

“Did he say that to you?” Cera asked dumbfounded. “Because if he did, I’ll be happy to explain the facts of life to him. Sometimes a girl has to do things she’d rather not do just to survive in this world. We’re not all born into rich families.”

“No, no, don’t get all riled up. He’s been a perfect gentleman. Too perfect…I’m not used to a man treating me so nice.” Ginger laughed sadly. “You know, I’ve always had my heart set on going to New York, but every month that goes by, that dream fades a little more. After I met David, I started thinking about settling down and having a family. It’s just too bad that it can’t be with him.”

Seeing the tears pooling in Ginger’s eyes, Cera grabbed a handkerchief from the bedside table. “You need to have a little faith in yourself and in David,” she insisted, dabbing at the few drops that had escaped onto the redhead’s cheeks. “The man would be a fool to not fall madly in love with you.”

Ginger took the handkerchief and blew her nose loudly. “That’s nice of you to say, but speaking of men madly in love, why are you here talking to me? Shouldn’t you be down the hall keeping company with a certain ex-soldier?”

“Well, I was going to wait until you were asleep before I snuck out,” Cera admitted with a wink.

Ginger giggled and pushed her off the bed with her foot. “Go. He’s probably wondering what’s taking you so long.”

Cera reached for a shawl, wrapping it around her shoulders. As she hurried from the room, Ginger called after her, “Don’t stay up all night!”

*****

Cera padded down the hall to Jake’s bedroom. Raising her fist to knock, she hesitated in midair. Worried the others would hear, she dropped her hand to the doorknob instead and quietly opened the door, slipping inside. Unable to see in the dark room, she whispered, “Jake, are you awake?” She yelped in surprise when a hand reached out from the shadows, grabbing her waist.

“Shhh!” Jake said next to her ear. “I don’t need Isaac coming in here with a shotgun. After the looks he’s been giving me all night, he’ll shoot first and ask questions later.” A soft glow lighted the room, as he turned up the oil lamp on the dresser.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she laughed. “He’s only being protective, but I had a little chat with him. He’ll leave you alone now.”

“Huh, we’ll see about that.” He ran his hands down the borrowed, paper-thin nightgown she wore. “You must be cold.”

“Well, I’m supposed to be in bed, not running around the house.”

He swept her up in his arms. “I got a bed…”

Nuzzling his neck, she replied, “I was hoping you’d take me there.”

Jake laid her down on the quilt and stepped back. Looking her over, he smiled. “I knew it. That’s exactly what the bed needed.”

Tilting her head to the side, she patted the spot beside her. “I can think of one more thing it needs.”

A low groan emitted from deep in Jake’s throat. “Get under the covers before you catch your death.” He went back to the door and bolted it.

From under the covers, her eyes roamed his body as he undressed. Besides the scars she had seen last night, she found two more marring his tanned skin—one on his left arm and another on his back, near his shoulder blade. He moved with precision as he folded and put away his clothes. Even after four years away from the Army, military standards still controlled his actions. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

Sliding under the covers, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Cera smiled and shook her head. She reached out and brushed his hair from his eyes. “Ginger said we’d better not stay up all night.”

“Then we’d better get a move on.” He pulled her on top of him, reaching under her nightgown to cup her buttocks in his hands. Her body warmed as his lips left a long trail of tender kisses across her neck and chest. Grabbing the edges of her gown, she stripped it off in one quick move.

Jake smiled his appreciation. His hands changed to her front, tracing the shape of her waist, slowly rising to surround her breasts with his palms and fingers. He lingered for a moment, feeling their fullness. Much to Cera’s surprise though, he moved on to her hair, twirling a lock of it between his fingers. He held the strands up to the light, examining them as if they were a rare find.

Cera frowned at the seriousness on his face. Leaning down, she nipped his bottom lip with her teeth.

“Hey, what was that for?” he complained, rubbing the sore spot with his tongue.

“You were drifting away and I needed to call you back.”

His eyebrows arched above his disarming, blue eyes. “Maybe you could think of a better way to get my attention?”

Biting her own lip this time, she replied, “I have an idea.” She leaned forward and circled his nipple with her tongue, savoring the saltiness of his skin. When she raked her teeth across it, his eyes closed and pleasure replaced his somber expression. Their mouths found each other, both touching and retreating at an unhurried pace. She pressed hers hips against his, inviting him in, but he shook his head in reply.

He moved from underneath her so that she lay on her belly with her arms overhead. In the same slow tempo, he stroked the length of her body, running his thumbs along the indent of her lower spine. He caressed her skin until she felt as if she was floating inches above the bed. When his lips replaced his hands, whatever nerves weren’t already humming had no choice but to join in.

Lying on his side, he drew her onto her back. His stroking moved to her front side, though this time he did more than pause at her breasts. He ran his fingers over the curves, playing with the hardness of her nipples. When he moved to the softness between her legs, Cera moaned with anticipation.

As he kissed her neck, his hand sent waves of pleasure through her hips. His fingers teased, pushing her closer and closer to the end with each change in rhythm. Feeling her body reach the final ascent, she reached below his belly and took hold of his hardness. Her heels dug into the mattress as her body hit the peak. Breathing heavily, “Oh, my God,” was all she could manage to say.

Balancing above her, he slid himself between her open thighs. She watched his face as he slowly moved his hips, amazed that a man so tough could be so caring.

With a ragged gasp, he closed his eyes and his head fell forward. Letting out a contented breath, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Cera, I love you.”

She tensed, knowing she should say something, but she couldn’t speak what he wanted to hear. Instead, she kissed him, not a heated passionate kiss or a slow seductive kiss, but a gentle loving kiss. She hoped he would understand her meaning. When she broke away from his lips, she looked into his eyes. She saw the understanding she had hoped for, but also sadness that made her heart ache. Jake nodded in resignation.

Chapter 11

They woke to a quiet, steady knocking on the bolted door. Leaping naked from the bed, Cera shook the sheets and blankets as she searched for her nightgown. Jake stretched his long limbs and smiled at her panic.

Pushing him off the bed, she urged, “Get dressed and help me find my nightclothes.”

Ignoring her, he wrapped his lower half in a blanket and opened the door.

“Oh, you are unbelievable!” She jumped back into the bed, pulling the bedcovers up to her chin.

“Hey there, Red.” Jake smiled at Ginger who stood outside the door holding two mugs of coffee and a satchel. He ran one hand through his shaggy hair and took the coffee with the other.

“Careful there.” Ginger shielded her eyes. “I’d hate for you to lose that blanket. It’s too early in the morning to be looking at a naked man. It might turn me off my breakfast, which by the way, is on the kitchen table. If you want any, you’d best hurry. That boy, Sam, is devouring everything in sight. The satchel here has some clothes for Cera.”

“Thank you, kindly, Red. We’ll be down shortly.” He winked at Ginger as he closed the door. Putting the coffee on the dresser, he crossed over to the bed and slipped back in beside Cera. Pulling her against his body, he kissed her lips. “Good morning.”

“No, no, no!” she protested, struggling in his arms. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Relax,” he soothed. “I only wanted a good morning kiss.”

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow at his explanation.

“Really.”

She didn’t believe him for a minute.

He kissed her again, caressing the curves of her hips and moving his hand down her thigh.

“Jake…” she warned, as his hand moved up her inner thigh.

“Shhh.”

“Jake!” She cried out as his fingers found her soft spot. She said more, but Jake covered her mouth with his, silencing her. It didn’t take long for her body to give in to his touch. Resigning herself, she put breakfast and her waiting friends out of her mind.

Jake, however, had a different plan. Sitting up, he gave her a quick kiss on the nose. He rolled off the bed and reached for his clothes. “Better get dressed,” he said over his shoulder.

Feeling dazed, she sat up. “That’s it?”

“I wanted to give you something to think about today.” Jake smiled cockily.

“Why, you arrogant son of a bitch!” She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. Finding that unsatisfying, she flew out of the bed with fists curled. She pulled her arm back to throw a punch, but Jake caught her fist in his hand before it could damage his face.

“Hey, now, that’s not necessary.” He gathered her in his arms. “I thought you didn’t want to keep everyone waiting. I’d be happy to finish what I started.”