Crushing Desire (28 page)

9

It was nearly dawn when Joshua returned, and Reena lay quietly in their bed. He moved across the chamber, and she knew at once where he’d spent his afternoon. The smell of liquor wafted across the room and filled her nostrils with its sour stench. She rolled over and studied him standing in the doorway. When she saw his face, her heart broke into a thousand pieces. The pain she saw there would be etched into her memory forever. He kicked the door closed and came to her, his arms reaching for her well before he neared the bed. Reena got to her knees on the bed, reaching for him when he neared. Moving into her arms, he held her against him, tighter than he’d ever done before, as though by holding her fiercely enough, he could keep her with him even beyond death.

Hugging him, she offered him the comfort of her body. She’d known that this was coming, but still found it hard to cope with his pain. Reena wanted to take it away. Wanted to make everything better.

She kissed his neck and shoulder, her hands drawing him to her.

“I’ll be all right, my love,” she whispered. “My mother had three children, and she is as healthy as a horse.”

His arms tightened further, but she didn’t mind the embrace.

“You have to trust that I won’t leave you,” she said. “I’ll never leave you.”

He loosened his hold, letting his body slide down hers. His head landed in her lap, and she caressed his hair.

“I’m big and strong, remember.” She hauled his face up, so that he knelt before her. “You taught me that was a beautiful thing. You gave me the confidence to know that I have the strength to do anything that I put my mind to.”

His eyes were on her lips, watching them as they moved. His hands crept to her waist, holding her loosely now.

“Do you think that this big strong body will give out like some dainty flower? Do you think I should just give up when I love you the way I do? When I already love our child more than I ever knew I could?”

With the smallest upturn of his lip, Reena could see that she was breaking through his pain.

“Do you think that you could get rid of me if you tried?” she asked, her arms sliding to his shoulders. “I’ll be an old woman, driving you crazy with my demands, and still I shall live on.”

He grinned. “And what kind of demands do you have in mind, my wife?”

Reena kissed him quickly. He lifted her off her knees and laid her back on the bed.

“I love you, my stubborn wife.”

“I love you too, my lusty husband.” She giggled as he covered her mouth with his own.

As his body covered hers, Reena knew that she had nothing left to fear. All would be well as long as they had each other.

9

The carriage rolled down the bumpy roads that led to his new family’s home. The green trees and the blue sky gave a sense of peace and contentment. Reena was happier than he had ever seen her. Joshua sat, his arms draped around her, clutching her securely in his lap. He had insisted that their babe would need as much cushion as it could get on their ride to her home. Truly, it was an excuse to embrace her. Reena snuggled into his arms, and he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“So, my wife, what shall it be? Boy, or girl?”

Reena glanced up, eyes shimmering. She placed a chaste kiss on his lips, and the corners of his mouth lifted of their own accord.

“I shall be happy if the child is healthy,” she said. “Though I should like to have a child with your dimples.” She gingerly touched the dimples she spoke of. “What about you? Would you care which we had?”

Joshua put a gentle hand low on her belly, holding it over the spot where his child lay.

“I shall be happy no matter the sex, but I do admit that I have a preference.” He rubbed over her belly. “I should like to have a boy first. The protector of the family.” He teased, and his voice deepened. “Then a lovely younger sister for him to protect.”

Reena rubbed her cheek against his, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth.

He reached up and touched her chin. “And I should love it if our daughter took your traits.”

He covered her mouth with his own, exploring her lips, tongue, and teeth. His body tensed and hardened. When he pulled back from the kiss, his eyes met hers, and he waggled his eyebrows, grinning to hide his sudden need to be inside her. Reena smiled, her mouth open.

“We can’t—not here. What if someone sees?” she stammered.

Joshua trailed his hand down her body, leaving her when it reached her knee, and he untied the rope that held the cloth away from the window. The curtain fell into place, leaving them in darkness. He tugged at her skirts, and she gasped as he spread her knees apart. He slid his palm up her thighs, his eyes not leaving hers as they lidded in her passion. Moving aside soft curls, he found the silky slickness of her womanhood, and his erection jumped.

Oh God, how he wanted her…but not yet. He wanted to give her pleasure to counter all the pain. To love her into a pleasant oblivion.

He slipped a finger over her taut nub and circled it. Her head fell back, a moan escaping her parted lips. He nibbled at her ear, neck, shoulder and her hips wriggled in response. His lips found hers, and he kissed her deeply, tasting the sweetness of her mouth.

A groan escaped his own lips, and he drew his mind away from the softness of her curves. From her rounded bottom that rubbed against his swollen erection. He clamped down hard on his desire and slipped two fingers into the wetness at the entrance to her body.

“You are so magnificent.” He pressed his forehead to her cheek, panting with desire as he worked in and out of her silky passage, his thumb continuing to circle the nub just above. Her body constricted around his questing fingers.

“Oh how I need you, my love,” she moaned, moving her hips faster. He could no longer ignore his own need. Joshua swept his lips across her cheek as he freed her skirts from between their bodies, turning her to face him and sliding her legs over his, so that she straddled his thighs. His lips met hers, licking the soft flesh once, before moving over her cheek and toward the sensitive skin of her throat. Her fingertips slipped into his hair as he lifted her, adjusting her position atop him and bringing his hardness into contact with her soft recesses. He slid into her, and her silken folds contracted around him. Reena whimpered softly in his ear. He explored her neck with his teeth and lips as he moved himself inside her, striving and arching, desperate with the need to be one with this woman who he loved more than his own life.

Joshua thrust hard, the power of his need building. Her slick muscles squeezed his throbbing erection, and she cried out her love for him. God she was such an erotic sight with her orgasm washing over her. Reena thrashed atop him, head rolling on her shoulders, sending him crashing into his own. Jerking and pulsing in her depths, he held her to him. She was part of him. The part he needed most. Reena was his beating heart.

9

Two hours later, the carriage rode up to the small home that her family had always lived in. Tall trees flanked the cozy white house. The scent of pine and her mother’s roses from the garden combined, and Reena knew that she was home.

Reena was so excited she nearly clapped with joy. Grabbing Joshua’s hand, she pulled him toward the house, yanking and tugging him along. Joshua smiled as he followed, increasing his speed a little. When they reached the top of the steps, Reena knocked at the large door and waited. After a moment, her mother and father were at the door, greeting them. Her sister, who had come to visit with her husband and their two children were gathered around, passing out kisses, hugs, and introductions to the nieces and nephews she’d never met. The house was filled with the sounds of laughter and happiness. Gunner had volunteered to ride on to her older brother, Roger’s house. Soon her family would be together again, and Reena was sure her chest would explode with joy.

“What of father’s illness?” she asked when things had settled, searching his face with a healer’s eye. “Are you well, Papa?” He was the very picture of health.

“When your mother sent you the letter, we thought I might have influenza.”

Reena gasped. Influenza was a terrible disease, and there was no known cure. It had ravaged certain areas before she left and was rather contagious.

Richland leaned forward and placed his hand over hers.

“Don’t worry my dear, I’m fine. The illness came and went. With a bleeding, your mother’s ministrations and a lot of rest, I am much better. We sent another message less than a month after, but you must not have received it.”

Reena shook her head, leaning down to hug her father. Her family was well and together again. That was all that mattered. When she pulled back, the emotion on her father’s face was raw and made her eyes tear. He gazed at her for a moment, then shook his head as though to clear his thoughts and clapped his hands together.

“So where is that roguish uncle of yours?” he asked, rubbing his palms together and glancing around as though Uncle Howard hid in the shadows.

“I told you father, my story will hold until Roger gets here.”

Richland surveyed Joshua. The family hadn’t said much about him. She told them on their arrival that all would be explained, but now all eyes turned to him. Joshua squirmed in his seat. He reached out and grabbed her hand, then released it as quickly under her father’s disapproving gaze. Reena laughed.

“All right, all right. Before you get the rope, let me explain.”

Her family surveyed her, expectant, her mother’s eyes already filling with joyous tears. Reena’s grin was impossibly wide, but she couldn’t remove it.

“Mama, Papa, Diane. As I told you, this is Joshua Sinclair. He invested in the family business some years ago, and we became great friends. Then when I needed to come here, he agreed to bring me.”

Her mother’s smile faltered a trace. Before she could speak again, the door flew open, and Roger stepped in. Reena stood and ran to him. He grabbed her in his arms and swung her round. After another flurry of introductions and declarations of how well everyone was, the subject came back to her mysterious companion and the lack of her uncle’s presence. Reena sat them all down and told them the tale, leaving out much of the detail, of course.

“We were married on the ship, and now...” She paused, beaming. “And now we’re expecting.” Her hand moved and rested on her belly. The cry that came from all in the room spoke of the happiness and pleasant surprise of her announcement.

Chapter Twenty-nine

It was a lovely morning in Massachusetts. The sun shone, and the light overnight rain had washed away the dust and brought luster to every tree and flower.

Reena lifted Bradley onto her hip, kissing his chubby little cheek.

“Wook, Mama.” He held a flower out to her.

Taking the pretty white wild flower, Reena gazed down at her son. Bradley had been born with pale blue eyes and her husband’s dimples. He was perfect.

“It’s beautiful, Lee. Mama’s proud of you.”

She set him on his feet, and he scuttled off to play with a squirrel which was collecting fallen acorns. In the two years since his birth, Lee had brought so much life and happiness to her heart and home. Reena couldn’t imagine life without him.

The day she’d birthed Lee, Joshua had rushed around like a hummingbird. He’d trusted her and hadn’t ever become despondent again in the way he had during those first days after she’d told him of the babe. But he’d still hovered. When he’d come into the room and found a healthy and happy mother and son waiting for him, he’d been overcome. Refusing to leave their side, he’d spent the rest of the day lying abed with her. No amount of cajoling by her mother could get him to depart.

Her family was happy and healthy, and that was all that was important to her. Joshua had decided that they should stay in America, and they had a love-filled house in which to raise Bradley and any other children they might have in the future. Emily and Uncle Howard were coming for a visit, and Emily was bringing her new husband. Reena had been rather surprised when she’d heard that Emily had married her old suitor, George Lynton. He’d always seemed rather too lifeless for Emily, but by all accounts, she brought life out of him. Everyone wrote how wonderfully young and happy they seemed together. Reena was excited to see the proof for herself. What a grand day this was going to be.

“This pie should be lovely,” her mother said.

The charming little home that they’d found was nestled in an orchard of trees, and the vegetable gardens kept their table piled. Reena turned back to where her mother stood, watching her roll the dough for the fresh apple pie that they would serve with dinner when Joshua returned from the harbor. Excitement filled her so she could barely contain herself. She wanted to skip, but reminded herself that mother’s don’t skip.

“I think that it will be.” She picked up an apple slice and slipped it between her lips as she had so many times as a child.

“Was the seamstress able to finish your gown?”

Reena nodded. “It is rather eye-catching.”

The gown accentuated her curves, that Joshua loved so much, without showing them to all who passed. She imagined the look on her husband’s face when she would descend the staircase in the creation. Imagined his eyes as he saw her. The twitch of his…