Destiny's Captive (15 page)

Noah paid for the purchases and they exited to search out the boardinghouse that the bathhouse owner also suggested. It took them a while to hail a hack that would ferry people of color, but once they did, they settled in for the ride. The train to Denver wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow so they'd be needing a place to sleep for the night. They hadn't slept in a bed since leaving Mrs. Fitzhugh's. Although Pilar hadn't whined or complained about the poor accommodations on the train, he knew she'd enjoy laying her head somewhere besides a fouled floor. The thought of sharing a bed with her sent his mind back to their lovemaking and the disastrous aftermath. Although his desire for her was still high, the last thing he wanted was to subject her to another round of his nightmares, so he'd let her have the bed and make do with a chair or whatever else the room had to offer so she could rest peacefully. It wasn't his first choice, but undoubtedly the wisest.

It was so wonderful being clean again, Pilar wanted to sing. The stench of the stock car on her skin had been replaced by the subtle sweet fragrance in the soap she'd used and she felt human again. As the driver, a kindly older gentlemen who'd introduced himself as Oscar, drove them to their destination, she glanced Noah's way and found him watching her. He leaned over, brushed his lips against her brow and said, softly, “You smell good,
querida
.”

This was their first intimate contact in days. Having been at odds when they left Florida and then being subjected to the cattle car, there had been no opportunity for closeness, but the feel of his lips let her know that in spite of pledging to guard her feelings, she missed his touch. Cognizant of the driver in front of them, she leaned close and whispered. “I've missed your kisses.”

He stilled and smiled. “Really?”

She nodded.

He kept his voice low. “Then I'll be sure to remedy that as soon as possible.”

She snuggled close and he draped an arm over her shoulder. “Good.”

When they reached the boardinghouse, Oscar promised to return the next day to drive them back to the train station. After receiving his fare and a generous tip, he drove away and Pilar and Noah went inside the large, green gingerbread-trimmed house.

The owner, a mulatto woman named Andora Pennington, greeted them as Noah closed the door. “Welcome.”

“Thank you. I'm Noah Yates. My wife Pilar. We were told you rent rooms?”

“I do. There's only two other boarders here right now, so you have your pick of three regular rooms or the big room on the top floor. I charge more for it, however.”

“May we see it first?” Noah asked.

“Of course, but the rate is set. There'll be no bargaining.”

“Understood.”

“The two of you really married?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Good. I don't allow any sinners here.”

Noah and Pilar shared a speaking look and hid their grins as they followed Mrs. Pennington to the stairs.

She ushered them into what was a well-appointed and spacious room. “There's an attached bathing room with a tub. If you want to pay extra you can eat in here rather than down in the common room. There's also a sitting porch through that door.”

“How much?”

The price she quoted made Pilar stare in shock.

“We'll take it,” he said.

Pilar turned her stare his way and it earned her an amused wink.

“We'll be staying just one night and we prefer to eat privately.”

“Fine. Pay in advance.” She held out her hand.

He placed the bills on her palm. “Thank you, Mrs. Pennington.”

“You're welcome.” And she departed.

Pilar said, “She's quite the businesswoman.”

“That she is. Does the room meet with your approval?”

She took in the fine upholstered chairs and settee, the grate, the large wardrobe and the cream-colored walls. “It's a fine room. I choked when she quoted the price, however. You sure it isn't too costly?”

He walked over and draped his arms loosely around her waist. “For you, I'd willingly pay for a room in the Taj Mahal.”

“What's the Taj Mahal?”

“I consider it to be one of the wonders of the world. An Indian king built it as a tribute to his late wife and it's constructed of beautiful white marble. Maybe one day we can journey to India and see it.”

“I'd like that.”

“Now, about the kisses you've been missing.”

She lowered her amused eyes then raised them again. His held an intensity she'd come to know well in the short time they'd been together and in spite of everything, her senses sparked and flared. When his mouth met hers, she immediately melted in sweet response. The kiss was an invitation, a beckoning, an acknowledgment of a passion they both shared and she offered an invitation of her own by parting her lips and letting him seek out the tender corners with the searing tip of his tongue. Her body, now familiar with desire's dance, came alive and bloomed. He moved his mouth down the edge of her throat then meandered up to the shell of her ear, leaving behind a trail of heat.

Expert fingers conquered the line of buttons on her blouse and soon his lips were searing the bare skin above her corset and chemise. He flicked his tongue lazily against the trembling hollow of her throat, making her arch and purr.

Noah had missed her kisses, too. He'd missed the silkiness of her skin, her soft moans of pleasure, and the feel of her nipples grazing his palms. When the freed halves fell away, he slid his hand inside and filled it with warm velvety flesh. He took the candy-hard nipple into his mouth. As he ardently relished first one and then its twin, his manhood stretched lustfully. Wanting more, he undid the button on the waistband of her skirt and tugged it down until the garment pooled at her feet. Filling his hands with the rich curves of her hips, he eased her closer and recaptured her lips while his hands circled and explored.

Within the haze surrounding Pilar, she was aware of her ragged breathing and racing heart. Her nipples were ripe and damp, her legs parted, and the heat between her thighs begged for his touch. When his fingers found her, she drew in a shaky breath and closed her eyes against the bliss.

“I could make love to you for a lifetime,
querida
,” he whispered thickly, still dallying in the humid
vee
of her thighs. It never occurred to her that lovemaking could be done during the day with the sunlight pouring in through the windows, but she found the setting as decadent as his hands. Her drawers were drawn down and off, and there she stood in her opened corset and stockings while throbbing in response to his continuing expert touch. The heat in his eyes burned like flames. The play of his fingers instilled their own version of flame and the orgasm, like a storm in the distance, began to rise.

She watched with steamy eyes as he began to undress. When he was done, she visually feasted. He was gorgeously made. She hadn't touched him the night she lost her virginity but passion made her bold enough to slide a palm down his chest and over the soft pelt of hair and then lower to take him in her hand. His eyes closed and his head arched back. He felt like strength overlaid with warmth. “Show me what to do . . .”

He covered her hand and guided her in a slow sultry rhythm.

After a few brazen moments, he backed away. Breathing harshly, his eyes were lit by his wicked smile. “Aren't you the bold one?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“Allowed and encouraged. And you get a prize.”

He slid a thumb across her nipple, bent to take one in his mouth again and she groaned. As his tongue teased and tantalized, she asked languidly, “What kind of prize?”

“Hold on. Be right back.”

“Noah . . .” she whined softly when he left her. She watched the bold play of his legs and hips as he disappeared into the adjoining bath. He came back into view immediately with a towel slung over his shoulder. When he reached her, he placed the towel around her waist and used it to draw her close enough to kiss, and then led her across the room. He placed the towel over the settee and took a seat on top of it.

“I want you to kneel over me. Place one knee here and other here,” he said indicating the settee cushions.

She followed his instructions but asked, “Why?”

“So I can do this . . .”

Feeling him fill her gently but so fully made her croon with lusty delight. He began to move, she began to follow. “Do you like?” he asked, guiding her, kissing her.

“Very much.”

And she did. It was shocking but oh so satisfying to be moved up and down on such hard male splendor. The friction rekindled her desire like kindling being added to a fire and the distant storm of the orgasm drew nearer. The next few moments were a carnal blur filled with kisses, heat, touches, and licks. He touched her, she touched him, and their breathing filled the quiet of the sunlit room.

Noah couldn't have asked for a more passionate student and Pilar panted over her scandalous teacher. When he reached between their rising bodies and teased his finger over the bud that defined her as a woman, the storm broke and her orgasm tore his name from her lips. As she twisted and shuddered in the rictus of her completion, the sight coupled with the tight clutching of her sheath made him grab her hips, pump uninhibitedly, and explode with a shout of erotic joy.

As they came back to earth, she said to him, “I never knew you could do this—this way.”

He slid a hand up her damp back before gifting her with a soft kiss. “There are many, many ways and we have a lifetime to explore them all.”

She drew back and eyed him. “All of them?”

“Until we get too old.”

She fit herself against him again and said, “I hope we never get too old.”

“I agree. In fact,” he said feeling himself coming to life again within her. “I think we deserve another round.”

“Do you now?”

“I do.”

“I think I'm married to a very scandalous man.”

“And I have an equally scandalous wife.”

And so, they began again and this time when the intensity peaked Pilar knew what to expect. She rode him hard and he played counterpoint with blazing abandon and they kept at it until they were sated and too weak to move. Afterwards he carried her to the bed and they slept.

S
tanding out on her verandah watching the moon rise, Alanza was enjoying being Mrs. Maxwell Rudd, especially at night. She was now more experienced in the sensual arts of marriage and just thinking about some of the paces they'd taken each other through was enough to make her blush. It was the end of another day and all was well in her world. The ranch continued to prosper, her sons and their wives were happy, as were her two grandchildren. The only missing piece of the puzzle was Noah. She worried about him and had done so since the day he'd returned from being shanghaied all those years ago. Something had obviously happened during the time he was away to change him from the bright artistic boy she'd raised to the brooding silent shadow he'd become, but she had no idea what it might be. At first, she'd pressed him to talk about it, but getting no response, she'd given up.

Earlier, she'd received a telegram from him that read:

Found pirate
.

Married
.

Traveling by train
.

Home soon
.

The news threw her for a loop. Whom had he married—the pirate? She dearly wished he'd been more forthcoming, but there was nothing for her to do but wait until he arrived.

Max came up behind her, put his arms around her waist and grazed his lips softly against her neck. She loved him so much.

“You coming to bed?”

“Yes, my impatient
querido
.”

“Still brooding over the telegram from Noah?”

She turned to him and nodded.

“You'll get the full story when he gets back.”

“Do you think he married the pirate who took his boat?”

“Who knows, but Logan married a rock thrower, Drew married a lady of the evening and now, your youngest may have married a lady pirate. Have to admit, your boys have got them some real interesting wives.”

She agreed.

“But I have the most interesting one, so how about you come to bed and let me show you.”

“You are so scandalous.”

“You wouldn't want me any other way.”

He was right of course and because he was, she wrapped her arm around his waist and they went inside.

T
he train to Denver did not segregate the races, so Pilar had a chance to actually see the countryside from her seat by a window. She was again awed by the sheer size and scope of America. They passed wide-open areas—Noah called them prairies—and there was nothing like them in her old home of Cuba. Her thoughts went back to her family and she wondered how her mother and sister Doneta were faring and if they were missing her as much as she missed them. She hoped they would be able to take the train out to visit her in her new home on Noah's ranch as soon as possible, because she dearly wished to see them again. For her own part, she was happier than she had ever imagined she would be when Noah Yates demanded her hand. Back then she had no idea how charming he could be. Since their truce on the train ride he'd been attentive, concerned, and delightful to be with—not to mention extraordinary in bed. Maybe, just maybe their marriage would be a success. Her monthly courses came the day they left St. Louis, so there was no baby on the way and she had mixed feelings about that. On one hand, she did want a child but on the other, not too soon. She wanted to learn the ins and outs of Noah first before turning her attention to a baby. As far as she knew, he'd not been visited by the nightmares that were at the root of their initial rift but she couldn't help wondering just what the dreams were about. Rather than pester him about it though, she kept her questions unasked, with the hope the matter would resolve itself in a manner that satisfied them both.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he asked her as the train chugged them towards Denver.

“Just marveling over how large this country is. You could probably fit a hundred Cubas just in the land we've passed in the last day.”

“It is a big place and once we get to Denver, we have two more days of travel before we reach San Francisco.”

“I'm enjoying the sights but tired of traveling.”

“So am I.” He rubbed a gentle hand over her back. “How are you feeling?”

“I'll be better once my courses are done, but I'm not too uncomfortable.” She'd had no idea the subject was something women discussed with their husbands, but since first becoming aware of her condition he'd been nothing but concerned and attentive, going so far as to ask her if there was anything he could do or provide to help her along. His regard was endearing. “What's the first thing you want to do when you get home?”

“Besides make love to my wife?”

She shook her head at his ribald ways. “Yes, besides that.”

“Sleep off all this travel, then go to San Francisco and see about a new boat.”

Guilt swept over her. “I'm sorry about the
Alanza
.”

“Water under the bridge. Besides had that not happened, we'd not be man and wife.”

She was grateful for his generous attitude. “What kind of boat are you wanting?”

“I'm undecided.”

For the next little while they discussed the advantages and disadvantages of sloops over cutters, and how ships fed by steam were making those powered by the wind-fed sails all but obsolete.

Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the conductor, who announced, “We'll be stopping to take on water for the boiler in about thirty minutes. You folks can get off and stretch your legs if you like. Lady has a stand that sells sandwiches at the depot, too.”

He moved on to the next car.

“Are you hungry?” Noah asked her.

“I am.”

“When we stop, we'll get something to eat.”

The stop didn't last very long but it was enough time for them to buy two fat sandwiches stuffed with ham that they washed down with tumblers of sweet chilled lemonade. By the time they retook their seats, they were refreshed and ready for the remaining journey to Denver.

The first thing Pilar noticed when they stepped off the train at the Denver depot was the chill in the air. “Why is it so cold?”

He laughed. “It isn't cold.”

“Yes it is. I'm shivering.”

“You're Cuban.”

“You're my husband. Do something,” she said, hugging herself.

“Let's see if there's a place nearby that sells coats.”

“Thank you.”

She had to settle for a cloak, but it helped. The train for San Francisco wouldn't depart until the next morning, so they found a boardinghouse and after dinner, the exhausted Pilar crawled into bed. “I'm sorry we can't make love.”

“Nothing to apologize for,
querida.
You just rest. I'll come join you in a bit.”

She nodded, covered herself with the blankets and drifted off.

While she slept, Noah took a seat in the small room's lone chair. He was exhausted as well. The past month had taken him from the ranch to Cuba to Florida, and now back to California in the company of a small spitfire by the name of Pilar. He adored everything about her, from her lyrical Spanish-tinged English to her beauty, to the way she'd accepted his apology for hurting her so badly after their wedding night. Although she hadn't said anything about it since, he could tell the incident still lingered. He'd looked up a couple of times during their journey to find her watching him as if trying to determine his true measure. And until yesterday in the cab, the open playfulness that he'd found so endearing had not been on display. It was as if she was keeping parts of herself locked away and out of his reach and he didn't blame her, but he could no longer imagine his life without her presence in it. For the past decade he'd sailed the world, mostly in an attempt to escape it. Fueled by the memories of the island's horror, he'd eschewed ties to everything save his music, family, and the solitude to be found on the deck of a ship. And now, a different Noah Yates was taking shape, one who could envision raising a family and all it entailed, one who didn't have to separate himself from happiness or joy, one who could look forward to the future instead of being mired in the past, if he could just find a way to rid himself of it permanently. He owed her that.

And because he did, he also needed to figure out what he wanted his immediate future with her to be. He doubted he'd ever give up his ties to the sea, but having a wife meant he could no longer justify spending months and months aboard a ship thousands of miles from home. Although finding a vessel to replace the sunken
Alanza
was a priority, sailing it as a way of life wasn't, and that admission surprised him because it wasn't something he'd ever thought about before. It never occurred to him that he might willingly come to such a conclusion. Since being shanghaied all he'd ever wanted was to be on the sea. He glanced over at her, sleeping in the shadows on the far side of the room. From the moment they'd crossed swords he knew she could change his life, and she had, not in large ways but in ways as small and as powerful as she.

Rising from the chair, he stretched in response to the weariness of the past few days. He then undressed and doused the lamps. Carefully, so as not to wake her, he slid beneath the bedding. She roused for a moment to voice a sleepy good night. He pulled her close, placed a tender kiss on the top of her hair and closed his eyes.

A
n hour out of Denver the train was winding its way through the mountains when Pilar asked, “What is that white color on top of those peaks?”

“Snow.”

Her mouth dropped and she quickly turned back to the window.

Noah chuckled softly. “You've never seen snow, I take it.”

“No, it doesn't snow in Cuba. Does it snow in California?”

“Where we're going, only occasionally, but places north of us get quite a bit.” He found her reactions captivating.

“So what do you do when it does happen?”

“We throw extra wood on the fire and dress warmly.”

“
Dios
,” she whispered.

“I'll keep you warm. I promise.”

“Snow, riding with animals, belt leather pork. What am I doing here? I vote we go back to Florida.”

“Too late. The votes have already been counted.”

She playfully elbowed him in the ribs and returned to the sights outside her window, while Noah went back to the newspaper he'd picked up at the Denver depot that morning. One of the most interesting items was an article about German inventor Karl Benz and his unveiling of something called the Benz Patent Motorwagon. It was billed as the first gas-burning automobile designed to generate its own power. The report went on to speculate that in the years to come the new engine could be applied to all modes of transportation, thus making coal- and steam-fueled engines on trains and sailing vessels a thing of the past. Noah wasn't sure he believed that, but planned to keep an eye out for further articles in the future. Another article had to do with the army and their futile attempts to capture the Apache chief Geronimo, who reigned as the last major Indian leader not penned in a reservation. Noah hoped the wily old chief continued to make them chase their tails.

“Any news in there about Cuba?” she asked him.

He glanced through the pages ahead. “Not so far. Oh, wait. As a matter of fact there is. It seems Spain is considering outlawing slavery there.”

“It's about time. Cuba and Brazil are the only two places left in the world that still practice it, but I won't believe them until it happens. Anything about General Maceo or the rebels?”

He read the article. “No.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Her sadness touched his heart, but since he had no way of making her feel better short of letting her return to the island so she could take up arms against Spain, he solemnly went back to his newspaper.

Pilar's sense of homesickness returned tenfold. Cuba was going on without her and she wasn't sure how to reconcile that fact. Since the age of fifteen, fighting for her country's future had been her entire life and now she was in a land several thousand miles away where snow fell, for saints' sake, unable offer her aid. Learning that Spain might be considering abolishing slavery was good news though, and although it was unwise for her to return, she dearly wished she were there.

As if reading her mind, he said softly, “I'm sorry, Pilar.”

She turned and lied, “It's okay, Noah,” but added truthfully, “My life is with you now. Hopefully I'll learn to love your home as much as I loved my own.”

“I'll do my best to make sure you do.”

“I'm holding you to that.”

By the time, they reached San Francisco, Pilar didn't want to see another train for at least five years. Her back hurt from not only from the prolonged sitting but from having to sleep in her seat as well. The food choices had been limited and baths had been out of the question. Her courses were done, however, and that pleased her if nothing else.