Happily Ever After (29 page)

“First and last,” he whispered enigmatically, and
closed his eyes, forcing himself within her.

Sophie arched to receive him fully, crying out in
delight at the silky feel of him as he entered her. He filled her deliciously.

She wanted him deeper and clutched his buttocks,
pulling him inside her... inside her heart.

Forever.

I love you, Jack, she tried to say. But his name
was the only word to emerge.

And then she was lost to the sensations his every
thrust evoked. She gasped softly with every stroke, and cried out in ecstasy as
her body sought that expanding thread of pleasure. It uncoiled within her,
teasing her and teasing her until suddenly her body found completion.

The world exploded behind her lids.

Jack felt her release in the intense shuddering of
her body. Her tremors and her cry of passion thrust him over the edge. He cried
out with his own release and clutched her against him, feeling in that moment
an intense satisfaction he had never experienced before now.

If he lived a thousand lifetimes, this instant
would be imprinted on his brain... if he died tomorrow he would die fulfilled.

This moment was what he had lived for.

This instant he had discovered what he had
searched for all his life—he knew that now, because for the first time,
joined with the woman in his arms, he felt complete.

He had searched a lifetime, and others as well
through his studies of bygone eras and peoples... devoting his entire life to
discovering the purpose of his existence and that of mankind itself... and all
the while the answer had lain within Sophie Vanderwahl’s arms.

He’d be damned if he’d lose her now.

CHAPTER 27

The
weather was perfect the next morning when they sailed into port: The sky was
blue, the water was bluer, and the sun shone crisply.

Sophie’s
mood was buoyant and filled with anticipation.

She
had no regrets over the decisions she had made and even fewer reservations over
the task left before her. She had no idea how long it would be before she faced
Harlan at last, but she no longer felt the least bit of fear or sorrow over it.
Harlan was a burden she was eager to have lifted off her shoulders.

If
she was saddened by anything at all, it was the simple fact that her journey
was nearly over, and at the journey’s end she would be forced to make new
decisions... decisions that could take her far from Jack.

She
didn’t want to leave him, and the very thought of it wrenched at her heart.

But
maybe she wouldn’t have to.

She
eyed the papers she had placed on his desk. He had yet to see them; he’d been
so preoccupied.

Sophie
wasn’t such a fool to believe that simply because of what they had shared she
could have a life as his wife, but she did hope that perhaps he would allow her
to stay on and assist him in his work. She didn’t want to go back to Boston,
back to social engagements that bored her out of her wits, back to her mother’s
home where she was expected to be perfect at all times, back to her restrictive
dresses that sucked the breath and life and joy from her.

The
thought of having to answer the first question about Harlan made her physically
ill. No matter what he had done to her, she would never tell anyone the
truth—except, of course, her mother and father, and they would likely try
to talk her out of her decision. She could hear her mother now as though she
were standing before her this instant, her expression dour.

Sophie,
my dear, all men stray at some time or another. It bears no reflection on their
ability to be a proper husband. Harlan is a favorable match. What will people say
if you simply discard him to live your life as a spinster!

Well,
by damn, Sophie didn’t care what people would say!

No
one would understand, of course, but she didn’t need them to. She was beginning
to like wearing men’s pants and shirts and was looking forward to getting dirt
under her nails. The very idea left her as titillated as did Jack’s very
presence—Sophie had never felt so breathless. It excited her beyond her
wildest dreams. In her entire life she had never felt so alive and vigorous and
full of energy and expectation. She couldn’t wait to begin their journey!

Every
day would be an adventure!

She
couldn’t wait to cook Jack and his crew breakfast!

It
was silly perhaps, but she wanted to prove she could do it. She refused to give
in. Practice made perfect. She knew that much from her drawings.

“Sophia!”
she heard Jack call, and hurriedly finished packing the few items she intended
to take. She’d discarded her dresses completely—no reason to take them at
all. They were dirty and far too unwieldy besides. Instead, she’d borrowed a
few more of Shorty’s trousers and shirts, stuffing as many as she could into
the backpack Jack had let her borrow. She wore a pair of Shorty’s boots and
socks as well, though the boots were at least three sizes too large for her
feet. It couldn’t be helped. Jack had advised her they would be far more
suitable to the remainder of the journey than were her slippers. So she’d
stuffed the toes with socks, and could scarce tell except by looking at them
that they were much too big.

“I’m
coming, Jack!” she shouted back at him, and shoved a few selected toiletry
items into the sack.

He
came to the door then, leaning against the frame as he watched her with that
look in his eyes. He seemed to like to look at her since she’d begun wearing
Shorty’s pants, and what was more, she liked the way that he looked at her.

Her
heart leapt a little at the sight of him. “Jack,” she said breathlessly.

He
always managed to do that... steal her breath away. The very sight of him left
her dizzy. A single look of his made her heart dance against her ribs.

“Whenever
you’re ready, princess.”

He
wasn’t upset with her, Sophie knew that by the smile on his face, but she
grimaced at his endearment. “Harlan calls me that!” she reminded once more, and
hoped he would understand how it grated on her nerves. “Please don’t.”

He
pushed away from the doorframe, straightening.

“Anyway,
I’m ready!” Sophie assured him. “Except ...” She hesitated, glancing at the
papers on his desk, wanting so badly for him to see them.

She
went back to the desk, lingering there, plucking Harlan’s picture from the
desktop. She couldn’t very well forget the picture when she’d tucked Harlan’s
letter into the back of it.

Jack
eyed it distastefully as she placed it, too, into her backpack, and gave her a
look she couldn’t quite decipher. “By all means, you can’t forget that,” he
said caustically, and then pivoted on his heels and left her to follow.

“Jack,
wait!”

She
wanted desperately for him to see her drawings.

Disappointment
surged through her as he disappeared from her sight. It took her an instant
longer to realize what it was that had rankled him, but when she did, she
smiled a secret smile.

He
was jealous, and that fact pleased her.

Quickly
she seized the stack of drawings from his desk and placed them into her
backpack, then hoisted the backpack over her shoulder.

He
would discover her journey’s purpose soon enough. In the meantime, it wouldn’t
hurt him to wonder just a little. Somehow, telling him about her decision to
leave Harlan didn’t seem quite as fulfilling as the thought of showing him.

The
market square was pungent with the aroma of fish and meats, sweetened only by
the more elusive scent of fruits and vegetables.

Jack
remembered the way through the tangle of booths, though it had been nearly
three years since his last visit. He’d brought Randall and Pete with him, just
in case Jose wasn’t in a forgiving mood. He would have preferred not to bring
Sophie, but she’d been babbling excitedly about the breakfast she intended to
make them, and he suspected he’d have had to tie her down to keep her from
accompanying him once she’d realized their destination.

Anyway,
Kell had gone after supplies, and the rest of his crew were busy setting up
camp. And it wasn’t as though he didn’t trust them with Sophie, but he really
didn’t trust Sophie with them.

Besides,
he had promised her that she could cook for them. She wanted to help and he
couldn’t quite bring himself to deny her. Nor could he help but be amused at
the look of wonder on her face as she followed him through the market. Instead
of overripe fruits and day-old meat that made up the market’s wares, one would
have thought she were surrounded by nuggets of gold and glinting diamonds.

To
her credit, she seemed eager to redeem herself to his men and unwilling to
accept defeat. Unfortunately, his men were secretly praying Jack would banish
her from more attempts. He’d never met a woman in his life who took such joy in
her efforts and failed so miserably every time.

Jack
actually found it a charming quality.

It
wasn’t difficult to find Jose’s booth, and he recognized Maria at once. He was
grateful Sophie’s attention had been momentarily distracted by a batch of
particularly colorful peppers two booths away. She lingered to inspect them,
lifting several and turning them in her hand as though they were precious gems.

Jack
smiled a little at the sight of her, then returned to the unpleasant task at
hand, hoping the peppers would keep Sophie’s attention.

Maria
hadn’t changed at all, and her pretty face brightened as she recognized him.
Guilt tugged at him.

“Jack!”
she exclaimed, and leaped up from the stool she had been occupying.

“Hello,
Maria.” He smiled a little uncertainly at her, and cast a hasty glance over his
shoulder at Sophie.

Sophie’s
attention was riveted on the peppers. As he watched, she began to select only
the finest for the masterpiece breakfast she intended to prepare.

Jack
had a sudden desire to be there at her side... to look over them with her...
smell her hair... touch her shoulders.

She
was beautiful, and it was killing him that she had to drag that damned picture
of Penn around with her.

It
turned his stomach to think of the two of them together.

Maria’s
arms were around his neck the instant he turned around again. She nearly choked
the breath from him. “Oh, Jack!” she squealed.

Jack
patted her back, grimacing as he cast yet another glance over his shoulder at
Sophie.

Considering
the damnable picture she was carrying, he didn’t know why it should bother him
so much that Sophie might be hurt by Maria’s attention. He ought to be more
concerned with Maria’s feelings...

Or
his own hide.

Jose
came into the booth, his eyes narrowing in displeasure as he spotted Jack with
Maria. If he’d had them before, Jack had no doubts any longer that her father
knew. His stomach roiled again, and he grimaced at the older man’s expression.

“Get
away from my daughter!” her father demanded at once, and came to pry Maria’s
hands from around his neck.

Jack
tried to assist him as best he could, hoping his immediate compliance would
sweeten Jose’s mood, but Maria proved stronger than either of them realized.

She
held fast, jumping up and down excitedly, strangling Jack with her enthusiasm.
“Oh Jack!” she exclaimed, and hugged him tighter, resisting her father as he
railed at her in Spanish to release Jack at once.

Jack
had a niggling suspicion suddenly that her enthusiasm had less to do with him
and more to do with defying her father, because her grip tightened at his
furious demands.

“No!”
she refused him outright, her tone petulant. And she hugged Jack even tighter
in a show of defiance. He was grateful she was fairly tall, otherwise he’d be a
hunchback right now. She continued in Spanish. “No me puedes ordenar!”

“Maria!”
her father thundered, giving up trying to fight her hold on Jack. There was
little affection in the stranglehold.

“Dejar
lo, Papa!”

Attempting
to follow their conversation, Jack was unclear as to whether she was trying to protect
him or merely defy her father. Maybe both. And evidently she was determined to
protect him to death.