Adams, Eve - The Banished Bride [Brides of Bachelor Bay 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (3 page)

“I hear the Anderson brothers are looking for a little company.”

“I’m not interested in them.” She licked her lips and pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she traced his frame with her hungry gaze.

And I’m not interested in you.
He held his tongue and instead nodded at Judge Arnett. A crusty old man twice the age of dirt, Arnett could use a little attention from the opposite sex. “What about the judge?”

Mrs. Hathaway’s gaze cooled. “I don’t want the judge. I need a young man full of life, a man such as yourself, Noah.”

He kept his attention on the door. “There are several men equal to my age or even younger. I’m sure you’ll find someone.”

“I want
you
,” she whispered vehemently.

And I want Amelia Prescott.
“I’m sorry, Martha. I’m not available.”

“This evening?”

“
Any
evening.”

She stiffened and hardened her expression. Mrs. Hathaway did not like to be turned down. “Are you denying me?”

“That I am.”

“Denying me only denies yourself, Noah. Think back to the last time we were together.” She reached for him.

He stopped her by grabbing her wrist. When he looked at her, she flashed her cool gaze at him.

“I’m not interested.”

“Who’s caught the impervious Noah Gallagher’s attention?”

Only the woman with the prettiest blue eyes in the entire Washington Territory. They were the exact shade of the waters of the port on the calmest day after a storm.

He shifted his shoulders, rolling them to flex the muscles in the hopes of loosening them up. Just the thought of seeing Amelia had his body too tight and his pulse drumming hard in his ears.

“Last chance, Noah.”

“Good evening, Mrs. Hathaway. Give my regards to your husband.” He pushed away from the wall and made his way over to the punch. He needed something to wet his throat, and since Hattie didn’t allow spirits in her dance hall, the watered-down punch would have to do.

“Good evening, Noah.”

“Mayor.” Noah nodded at Adam Steele, Port Steele’s founder. A newlywed, Adam had taken one of the brides for himself and seemed pretty damn happy. “Where’s that lovely wife of yours?”

“Patti is at home this evening. She hasn’t been feeling well.”

“You left her there alone?”

Adam lifted a corner of his lips. “She’s home with Raven.”

Shaking his head, Noah bit back what he really wanted to say. He knew about Adam and his brother. He knew that, even though Patience Steele might be Adam’s wife on paper, the brothers shared her equally.

The idea of sharing Amelia with another man plagued his thoughts. Would he be willing to share the most delectable morsel in all of Port Steele if he actually had any sense of control over her?

Quite possibly, but he’d never know that as a fact. Amelia Prescott answered to herself and herself alone—and he loved her more for it.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Have you had Doc Simmons to the house?”

Adam snapped his brow into a frown. “Twice. He assures me there is no cause for alarm. He even said so with a goddamn smirk on his face.”

Noah saw the doubt swirling in Adam’s dark eyes. “You don’t believe him?”

“I’ll believe him when I see my wife healthy once again. If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with Logan about this business of starting up a shipping company.”

Swallowing hard, Noah straightened his spine and spun around to face the door. The announcement of Logan had Noah’s midsection twisting tight. Logan always escorted Lizzie to the dances. Since Lizzie didn’t allow Amelia out of her sight, that meant the blonde beauty with enormous blue eyes would be with them.

He took a step toward the door, but then stopped as his heart sank. A crowd of men immediately surrounded her like a swarm of hungry bees around the sweetest flower. By the time he made his way through that mob, she’d have no room left on her dance card. And, once again, he’d leave the dance hall without a dance. He had no desire to dance with any of the other brides. He hated to dance.

Noah spotted Aaron Lambert talking with Jack Bartlett and approached. “How’s the banking business, Aaron?”

“Can’t complain, Noah.” Aaron nodded in greeting at the youngest Gallagher.

“The mercantile is thriving as a result,” Jack added. “It seems having a bank here in Port Steele has helped most of the local businesses.”

“Good to hear,” Noah said, half listening. He kept his eye on the entrance, on the youngest, prettiest Prescott. If only he had a way to break through the crowd.

“More drink?”

Noah turned to see one of the tiny little Chinese women Hattie hired from Madam Chen’s Laundry Emporium to serve the guests during dances. A pretty little thing with long black hair and almond-shaped eyes, her smile seemed to hover on her lips but never quite reach her eyes.

“I didn’t catch your name.”

“Lulu,” she answered quietly and nodded once. “You drink?”

Noah smiled at her shy tone, at the way she wouldn’t make eye contact. What a cute little thing. If he didn’t already have his sights set on the youngest Prescott, he might have taken her home for the night.

“I’ve got a full glass.” He even held it up to show her.

She topped it off anyway. With a curt nod she then hurried off to fill the empty glasses of several other men and women attending one of Hattie’s many Saturday night dances.

“She’s new,” Jack mentioned as all three men watched Lulu buzz around the guests like a busy little bee.

“She’s cute,” Noah added with a grin and wondered if he’d been with her before while visiting Madam Chen’s.

“Another conquest, Don Quixote?” Aaron attempted to cover his amusement by bringing his glass to his lips.

It didn’t work.

Noah smiled to stop himself from releasing the retort on his lips. Instead, he channeled his brother Andrew and came up with the most charming response. “My adventures are
quests
, not
con
quests.”

Aaron snapped his brow into a frown.

“That means the enjoyment is in the pursuit rather than the capture,” Noah explained.

Aaron didn’t appreciate the correction and conveyed that in the scathing glare he now had flashing at Noah. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“I believe I’ll join Aaron. Good evening, Noah.” Jack hurried away after Aaron, which suited Noah just fine.

Most men didn’t approve of Noah, which didn’t bother him any, so long as the women did.

His gaze snapped to the entrance, which had since cleared free of occupants. With a frown he glanced around the dance hall, wondering where Amelia had disappeared to. It wasn’t like her to not have a crowd of men around her at any given time, just as Noah typically had the same crowd of opposite sex surrounding him.

And yet he couldn’t see anything of the sort now.

“Hello there,” the sweetest voice in the world sang from behind him.

Noah turned and sucked in a breath when he rested his gaze on Amelia Prescott in a lovely pink dress that made her absolutely mouthwatering. She had her hair up in pretty curls that bounced playfully around her mesmerizing face. Her eyes danced playfully, which had Noah’s body harder than usual.

“Amelia,” he breathed.

“Were you expecting someone else?”

The way her eyes sparkled had his body responding, his cock hard and straining in his trousers. Oh, dear Jesus, he hoped it wasn’t as obvious as he felt it appeared.

He smiled, and her responding warm glow had him groaning inwardly. Sweet Jesus, she was beautiful.

“Shall we dance?”

She offered him a nod, and he led her out to the floor. Most attending the dance would expect him to dance with her as the brother of the man courting her, but they didn’t know what he knew. Most didn’t.

Andrew had released Amelia and by telegraph, no less. He wasn’t even man enough to break her heart in person, the bastard coward. Noah, known for his philandering ways, at least let his quests know up front that his attention was purely a temporary thing.

He swung her around in time to the plinking on the piano. She released a giggle that would forever be etched into his memory.

“I had hoped you’d be here tonight.”

He looked at her. “Is that so?”

When she nodded, her curls bounced playfully, and he fought the urge to bury his fingers into her hair. Would she want him to take control like that? For the year that he’d known Amelia, he still didn’t know her type. She’d had suitor after suitor with no consistency in their looks. Tall, short, dark, light, and most ending in a marriage proposal. She’d turned down each and every one of them.

So what was she looking for? If she wanted a man to control her, to shove his hands into her hair and fist it to hold her still as he devoured her lips, he could do that. Controlling was more Andrew’s style, but Noah wouldn’t mind stepping out of his comfort zone if it meant a taste of Amelia Prescott.

Amelia batted her eyes up at him. “Pray tell, who are you actively pursuing tonight?”

He curled the corners of his lips as he riveted his gaze to her. “One guess.”

She colored beautifully. “Surely you don’t mean me.”

His grin grew, but he said nothing.

Her color deepened. “What would Andrew say?”

“Why does that matter? He released you, which means you are once again available to be pursued, are you not?”

“I suppose so.”

He pulled her an inch closer, careful to still keep enough room between them to not raise any brows of those watching. After all, as far as the townspeople knew, Amelia was still openly courting Andrew, not Noah. He might be a playboy, but he did have a sense of propriety.

With a content sigh, he twirled Amelia as he studied the beauty in his arms. What stopped Amelia from saying yes to any of her suitors? She’d signed a contract as had all the other brides. Logan extended the deadline for the remaining brides, but that deadline quickly approached. As soon as the new shipment arrived, if any original bride remained unmarried, they had to repay the Gallaghers for their passage to Port Steele.

Would Amelia be one of them to repay the Gallaghers?

A thought entered Noah’s head. Perhaps the reason Amelia remained single after a year of courtships and dozens of proposals was due to the fact that she didn’t want to be married at all.

He knew the feeling.

He decided to test his theory. “Amelia, I’ve spent far too much time standing back and watching man after man court you. It’s high time I take matters into my own hands.”

When she looked up at him with those gorgeous blue eyes and flush cheeks, lust bubbled in his balls. He had to have her. Just once.

Maybe twice.

“What are you saying, Noah?”

He squeezed her shoulders. “I’d like to escort you home tonight.”

Lowering her gaze, she visibly swallowed. “And why is that?”