Comanche Haven (The Loflin Legacy: Book 1) (33 page)

He’d already shown her that she could
depend on him. Safety, Celia knew, was something she, like most
women, should be grateful for. Texas wasn’t a place to take one’s
safety for granted. He’d made a commitment to her and she should
thank him. She would, she mused, the first chance she
got.

Dinner arrived for the newlyweds back
in the honeymoon suite at the hotel. Maggie bustled about trying to
make her feel comfortable. The housekeeper chatted cheerily while
she went about her duties getting the new bride ready for her
wedding night.

Celia paid little attention as she
walked slowly about the room taking in the beautiful brocade of the
drapes at the window to the honeymoon suite. Idly she touched the
satin pillowcases and glanced absently at the lovely duvet on the
massive oak bed. Of course, she wouldn’t have to concern herself
with the use of that bed for anything except sleeping. She wrapped
her arms tightly about her corset. A heavy pain settled in her
chest.

Maggie hummed to herself as she busily
went about seeing to Celia’s toiletry. Laying the newly purchased
nightgown of gossamer silk on the foot of the bed, Maggie turned
toward her. “If there’s anything you’d like to talk about, dear, I
want you to know I’d be glad to help.” The housekeeper smoothed her
apron and smiled knowingly. “A young woman has a right to know
what’s expected of her on her special night.” Maggie reached out to
gather Celia close. “I know you’re sad because your father couldn’t
be here for your special day.”

“
Maggie, I…” Celia stopped
abruptly. What had she been about to do? Shaken, she stepped out of
Maggie’s reach. She couldn’t speak of the multitude of emotions she
had warring inside her to anyone. She couldn’t even tell Maggie.
Lying went against her nature, but there was no other way. “I
appreciate your thinking of me, but I’ll be all right. Don’t worry.
Okay?”

Maggie nodded for the young woman.
“Bless your heart. I’ll always worry about you, dear. You’re too
much like my own.” The older woman sniffed into a
handkerchief.

Ashamed at her own wallowing, Celia
took the old woman’s hands in hers. “What’s this?” she goaded
gently. “Tears on such a special day? There, there, don’t cry.”
Pulling Maggie close, she gave her a warm hug.

“
I’ll be okay.” Over the
housekeeper’s shoulder, Celia watched her reflection in the looking
glass. Her husband wouldn’t want her in the way Maggie suggested. A
woman was expected to submit to her husband in all things, none
more so than in the marital bed. No, she wouldn’t have to be
concerned with such things.

The kiss he’d given her when the vows
were complete had been warm and gentle. She still marveled at the
gentleness the rough-as-nails cowboy possessed. The contact stirred
warmth inside her despite her conscious effort to the contrary. How
had the kiss affected him? Did he already regret his decision? She
thought of their encounter in the alley. She mentally shook her
head. Lust, it had only been lust. Celia closed her
eyes.

“
Let’s get you into this
wonderful bath and I’ll come back later and help you get ready for
bed, dear.” Soon it was time for Maggie to close the door behind
her.

Celia eased back into the tub and tried
to allow the warmth of the water to ebb away her anxieties. With
her eyes closed and resting on a towel against the rim of the tub,
she tried to relax. The day had been a whirlwind of activity.
Biting her lip and trying to forget her new obligations for just a
little while, she found she failed miserably.

Maybe this was a trial by fire. The bed
of coals was around here somewhere, she just had to locate them.
Celia closed her eyes again and did her best to focus on allowing
the warm water to do its job.

***

Without knocking, Seth turned the
doorknob to the Honeymoon Suite and opened the door. Stepping
inside, he hesitated when he saw his new wife in the tub. She made
such a fetching picture lying there asleep and oblivious to his
perusal. The blood stirred in his loins. Muttering a low curse, he
stepped further into the room and a loose board heralded his
return.

Celia eyes flew open. Covering her
breasts first with her hands and then a nearby towel, the new bride
glared at her new husband. “Don’t you ever knock?”

A play of sarcastic amusement danced
across his face as he stared back at her. With a dramatic show of
bravado, he bowed low. “I’m sorry, darlin, for my untimely
entrance, but since we are man and wife, it would appear strange to
be caught sleeping in the hall on my wedding night, now wouldn’t
it?” He could see he’d aroused hell’s own fire in her eyes. Unable
to help himself, he leaned idly on the side of the bureau and
watched the steam from the bath caress those tawny breasts. As he
watched her breath, his need grew stronger. He heard himself groan
and gripped the bureau knob hard. He would’ve pulled the whole damn
drawer out of its nest if he’d thought it would’ve done any good.
The need rising in him made him feel less than steady as he turned
again and made his way across the room to the door once
more.

Frustration tinged with anger coated
his next words. “You’ll excuse me for assuming that I might be
welcome.” His eyes roamed over her lovely form in the water.
“Careful, dear, you wouldn’t want to prune.” With an eyebrow raised
in amused irritation, he waited; satisfied he’d touched off the
next attack.

Celia let out a huff and tossed the
towel against the wall. “You and I are going to have to talk. There
has to be some rules if we’re going to make this thing work. I
would appreciate my privacy when I’m in the bath.”

Slowly watching his new wife spit fire
meant to melt his bull-headedness, Seth was reminded of how
beautiful she was. This exotic creature was a hellcat and a
trembling kitten all wrapped up in the most intriguing and
infuriating female he’d ever known. From somewhere far away, he
heard her speak, something about rules and privacy, but he found it
encumbered his ability to enjoy the view, so he gathered up her
words and packed them into a corner of his brain for later. He
didn’t want anything disturbing the sight before him. What a
wonderful, unexpected wedding present. The rosy glow of her skin as
she blushed under the heat of the water had him mesmerized. Those
lush. brown peaks swelled above the hip tub’s rim and he watched as
her nipples played a seductive game of peek-a-boo with the water.
He swore he could smell roses. The small wisps of silky, black hair
that tumbled from her nape made his fingers itch and his need rise
even further. The rap at the door effectively eliminated the vision
as if the curtain had fallen on a play.

On cue, Maggie entered to assist Celia
with preparation for bed. He found himself wishing reverently for a
few more minutes to continue to enjoy his gift. The wish wasn’t to
be as Maggie showed him the door.

The next thing he knew, he found
himself standing in the hallway in front of the room he’d occupied
with his brother only the night before.

***

“
Well, brother, this looks
like a prime time for a toast.” Ty produced a bottle and two shot
glasses from the tray on a table near the window. Filling each, Ty
took the opportunity to expound on the circumstances. “Here’s to
your wedding night. To all the lovin’ you can stand, huh? Drink
up…” Toasting his brother, Ty downed the stout whiskey and then let
out a whoop.

He was going to need something that was
for damn sure. He threw the shot back and grimaced as the amber
liquid burned his throat.

“
Can’t hurt to have a little
fortification, now, can it?” Slapping his brother on the back, Ty
poured him another shot. “You are one lucky hombre,
Seth.”

“
What are you talking
about?” Preoccupied with his own thoughts, he stood much as he had
upon entering the room with his change of clothes in his arm and
confusion on his face. Automatically holding the shot glass out for
a refill, he found his senses all jumbled up by what he’d just left
in the bedroom down the hall. How in blue blazes did he think he
could pull off this ‘arrangement’? His fingers tightened
convulsively around the glass.

“
You convinced her! I don’t
know how, but you did.” Ty raised his glass once more in his
brother’s direction. “Took some guts too, I’d wager. I’m not sure I
could’ve done it. But you did.” Ty gave a throaty chuckle. “Yes,
sir, you did. I’m real glad for you, brother. Earl’s rolling over
in his grave, but I’m happy for you. He managed to smother the next
laugh behind his hand.”

“
Thanks, Ty, I appreciate
that.” Seth smile was wry as he threw back the shot and held out
his glass again. “I gotta say it feels more like I got away with
robbing a bank. The law’s bound to catch up sooner or later.”
Something sour in his gut began to roll. Celia hadn’t put up the
fight he expected her to that was for damn sure. What was she up
to? Swallowing the next round Ty poured for him, his mind wandered
back to the scene waiting on him down the hall. Much like the
feeling he had of a drowning man when he’d first laid eyes on her
that day in the lobby...drowning with no desire to be
saved.

“
Have you ever thought about
marriage, Ty?”

Lighting a cheroot, Ty eyeballed him
through the smoke. “No, can’t say as I have, brother.” Ty blew out
an impressive ring of smoke into the air and smiled smugly behind
his celebration glass. “But I haven’t found the right woman yet
either. Not like you. Take a chair and sit awhile.” He motioned
with his glass toward a chair across from the fire burning brightly
in the fireplace.

“
I wager that when I do find
her, she’ll have a hard time coming close to Celia.”

Seth watched his brother’s eyes and
wondered at the simplistic reasoning of youth. “You don’t have any
reservations about what Celia and I’ve done?”

“
No. Why should I?” Ty asked
innocently. “Just like you said, she needed your help.” His grin
was mocking. “Besides, she’s beautiful, smart, and a born manager.
Why I bet you, she could run Shooter Creek blindfolded if she had
to. Besides, she has the love and respect of all the hands and
Maggie.” Cocking a rueful brow, Ty peered hard at his older
brother. “You don’t think for a minute that you could have pulled
this cockamamie scheme off so smoothly without Maggie’s approval,
do you?”

The words needled his pride. He knew
he’d been prepared to take on all comers when he’d told the others
about the idea. Maggie had been as pleased as punch, which had
worried him. He considered his brother’s words and wondered at
their validity. Was there more going on in this charade than met
the eye? Bemused at his own misgivings, he shook his
head.

Despite the desire to argue the point,
it would appear Ty spoke the truth. Without the approval of Maggie
and Ty’s willingness to go along with the arrangement, things
wouldn’t have progressed so rapidly. Now here he was about to bed
down with the woman from his past. The woman that he remembered so
well and yet knew very little about. Shaking his head, he blew out
a breath. It didn’t matter. The arrangement was strictly a business
deal and both of them had agreed. Shoving hard at the feelings, he
was having at that moment, he swore and waved the glass for Ty to
refill. Absently reaching up, he rubbed at the nagging twinge just
under his heart.

Several more congratulatory drinks and
the knots in his neck began to ease. Seth’s confidence returned.
“Best be getting back. Can’t have her thinking I passed out.” He
stood, swaying in place. “You’re a good brother, Ty. Thanks for
everything.” He dropped the bundle of clothing he brought with him
as he stumbled toward the door.

“
No problem, you just get on
down there and take care of Celia.” Grinning like a fool, Ty
escorted him to the door. The click of the bolt locking in place
sounded as Seth’s back.

***

The room was dark except for moonlight
streaming in from the window.

“
Celia?” Seth stood swaying
in the doorway. With the one thin shaft of light from the hall, he
could just make out her form asleep on the bed.. “Celia, are you
asleep?” He scratched at his chest through his rumpled shirt.
Unsteady and unfamiliar with his surroundings, he closed the door
and stepped further into the room.

Mere seconds passed before his boot
caught the bedpost.

“
Son-of-a…Where’s the damn
light? A man could kill himself getting to the bed,” he
railed.

Through a whiskey haze, Seth witnessed
what he thought was an apparition fling back the bed covers and lit
near the side of the bed. Apparently, the apparition had skills. He
watched it light a coal-oil lamp with great efficiency. Soon, a
warm glow washed the room.

“
What do you mean ‘getting
to the bed’?” Celia snapped.

Seth, who blinked when he realized the
apparition was his new wife, broke out in a wide grin. “Hello,
darlin’.”

Her eyes blazed at him, who continued
to weave in the center of the room. He thought briefly about
reaching out and taking her in his arms. She was wearing the most
beautiful sibilance of a gown he’d ever seen. It cupped her breasts
with a silvery rope twined of shimmering strands. After molding the
gown to her breasts, the rope traveled down and encircled her waist
before falling in a waterfall of shimmering threads. The delicate
fabric caressed his wife’s hips, flowing into a showering cascade
to pool at her feet.