Duncan's Bride (8 page)

He hugged her close, resting his cheek on her bright head. “Then give it all you've got, honey, and he'll never know what hit him. But if it doesn't work out, don't punish yourself. Come home.”

“I've never heard such a bunch of doubting Thomases before,” she chided. “But thanks for the concern. I love you, too.”

By the time she went inside, Christine was already crawling into bed. Madelyn picked up the pillow and hit her with it. “You can't sleep tonight. You have to hold my hand and keep me calm.”

Christine yawned. “Buy some beer, get wasted and go to sleep.”

“I'd have a hangover on my wedding day. I need sympathy, not alcohol.”

“The most I can offer you is two aspirin. I'm too tired to offer sympathy. Besides, why are you nervous? You want to marry him, don't you?”

“Very much. Just wait until you see him, then you'll know why.”

One of Christine's eyes opened a crack. “Intimidating?”

“He's very…male.”

“Ah.”

“Eloquent comment.”

“It covered a lot of ground. What did you expect at—” she stopped to peer at her watch “—one o'clock in the morning? Shakespearean sonnets?”

“It's only eleven o'clock here.”

“My body may be here, but my spirit is on Eastern Daylight Time. Good night, or good morning, whichever the case may be.”

Laughing, Madelyn let Christine crash in peace. She got ready for bed herself, then lay awake until almost dawn, both mind and body tense.

T
HE DRESS SHE
had bought for the wedding was old-fashioned in design, almost to her ankles, with eyelet lace around the hem and neckline. She pinned up her hair in a modified Gibson girl, and put on white lace hosiery and white shoes. Even though it was just going to be a civil ceremony, she was determined to look like a bride. Now that the day had actually arrived she felt calm, and her hands were steady as she applied her makeup. Maybe she had finally gotten too tired for nervousness.

“You look gorgeous,” said Christine, who looked pretty good herself in an ice-blue dress that did wonders for her olive complexion. “Cool and old-fashioned and fragile.”

Fragile was a word Madelyn had never used to describe herself, and she turned to Christine in disbelief.

“I didn't say you
were
fragile, I said you
looked
fragile, which is just the way you're supposed to look on your wedding day.”

“You have some interesting ideas. I know the something borrowed, something blue routine, but I always thought a bride was supposed to look radiant, not fragile.”

“Pooh. Radiance is easy. Just a few whisks with a blusher brush. Fragile is much harder to achieve. I'll bet you stayed up nights perfecting it.”

Madelyn sighed and looked at herself in the mirror again. “I didn't think it showed.”

“Did you sleep any?”

“An hour or so.”

“It shows.”

When Reese knocked on the door, Madelyn froze. She knew it was Reese, and not Robert. Her heart began that slow, heavy beat as she crossed the room to open the door.

Reese looked down at her, his expression shadowed by his gray dress Stetson. With his boots on he stood over six-four, closer to six-five, and he filled the doorway. Behind her Madelyn heard Christine gasp, but Reese didn't even glance at her; he kept his eyes on Madelyn. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I'm completely packed.”

“I'll put your suitcases in the car.”

He was wearing a charcoal pin-striped suit with a
spotlessly white shirt. Madelyn recognized both the cut and fabric as being expensive, and knew this must be a suit he'd had before his divorce. He was breathtaking in it. She glanced at Christine, who still wasn't breathing.

“Christine, this is Reese Duncan. Reese, my best friend, Christine Rizzotto.”

Reese gave Christine a half smile and touched his fingers to the brim of his hat. “I'm pleased to meet you, ma'am.”

She was still ogling him, but she managed a weak, “And you, Mr. Duncan.”

He picked up two of Madelyn's suitcases, nodded to Christine, and carried them out. Christine's breath escaped her with a whoosh. “That man is…is potent,” she half gasped. “Now I understand.”

Madelyn knew how she felt, and fingered the string of pearls around her neck. The nervousness was coming back.

Robert's pale eyes were cool when he was introduced to Reese, which bothered Reese not at all. They were polite to each other. Madelyn hadn't hoped for anything more. Their personalities were both too strong to allow for easy companionship.

It wasn't until everyone had checked out that she realized what he had said and turned to him in bewilderment. “You said you'd put the suitcases in the car. You don't have a car.”

“I do now. You'll need something to drive when I have the truck out on the range. It isn't new, but it's dependable.”

She was overwhelmed, and her throat tightened. It was a white Ford station wagon, a useful vehicle on a working ranch. She'd had a car while she'd been in college in Virginia, but that had been years ago, and she
hadn't had any need for one in the city. With money so tight for Reese, this was a big gesture for him to make. If she had thought about it she would have bought her own car, but she hadn't.

The judge was waiting for them in his chambers. Madelyn opened her purse and got out the ring she'd bought for Reese, slipping it on her finger and closing her hand into a fist to keep it on. The judge saw her do it, and smiled. Christine took her purse from her, and after clearing his throat twice, the judge began.

Her hands were cold. Reese held her left one, folding his hard, warm fingers over hers to share his body heat with her, and when he felt her shaking he put his arm around her waist. He repeated the vows, his dark-textured voice steady. She learned that Gideon was his first name, something she hadn't known before and hadn't gotten around to asking. When it was her turn, she was surprised to hear her own vows repeated just as evenly. He slipped a plain gold band on her finger, and the judge smoothly continued, having seen Madelyn take out Reese's ring. Reese started with surprise when the judge did the ring ceremony again, and Madelyn slid a gold band over his knuckle. It was a plain band, like hers, but he hadn't expected a ring. He hadn't worn one before. The wedding band looked odd on his hand, a thin ring of gold signaling that he was now a married man.

Then he kissed her. It was just a light touch of the lips, lingering only a moment, because he didn't want to start kissing her now. He was under control, and he wanted it to stay that way. It was done. They were married.

Madelyn was quiet as they drove Robert and Christine back to the airport. Their flight was already being
called, so they didn't have time to do more than hug her fiercely. Reese shook Robert's hand, and a very male look passed between the two men. Madelyn blinked back tears as both Christine and Robert turned back to wave just before they disappeared from view.

They were alone. Reese kept his arm clamped around her waist as they walked back to the car. “You look like you're about to collapse,” he growled.

She felt light-headed. “I may. I've never been married before. It's a nerve-racking business.”

He put her in the car. “Have you had anything to eat today?”

She shook her head.

He was cursing when he slid under the steering wheel. “No wonder you're so shaky. We'll stop and get something.”

“Not just yet, please. We can stop closer to home. I'm still too nervous right now to eat anything.”

In the end, they wound up driving straight to the ranch. Reese carried her suitcases up to his bedroom. “There's a big walk-in closet,” he said, opening the door to show her the enormous closet, as big as a small room. “But don't start unpacking now. You need to eat first.”

She gestured to her clothes. “I'll have to change before I start cooking.”

“I'll do the cooking,” he said sharply.

There wasn't much cooking to it, just soup and sandwiches. Madelyn forced herself to eat half a sandwich and a bowl of soup. It all seemed so unreal. She was married. This was her home now.

Reese went upstairs and changed into his work clothes. Wedding day or no, the chores had to be done. Madelyn cleaned up the kitchen, then went upstairs and began hanging up her new clothes. His bedroom
was much larger than the one she had slept in before, with a big private bath that included both bathtub and shower. The bed was king-size. She thought of lying in that bed with him and felt herself get dizzy. It was already late afternoon.

She was in the kitchen again, dressed more appropriately this time in jeans and a short-sleeved sweater, when he came in tired and dirty. “Are you hungry again?” she asked. “I can do something fast while you're showering.”

“Just more sandwiches tonight,” he said. “I'm not much interested in food right now.” He was unbuttoning his shirt as he went up the stairs.

She made the sandwiches and sat at the table with him, drinking a glass of milk while he ate. She had never thought about how much a hard-working man needed to eat, but she could see she would have to cook twice the amount she had imagined.

“I have some paperwork to do,” he said when he'd finished and carried his plate to the sink. “It won't take me long.”

She understood. After she'd washed the few dishes, she went upstairs and took a bath. She had just left the bathroom, her skin flushed from the damp heat, when he entered the bedroom.

She stopped, biting her lip at the searing look he gave her from her tumbled hair down to her bare toes, as if he could see through her white cotton gown. He sat down on the bed and took off his boots, then stood and tugged his shirt free. His eyes never left her as he unbuttoned the shirt and took it off.

His chest was tanned and muscled and covered with curly black hair. The smooth skin of his shoul
ders gleamed as he unbuckled his belt and began unfastening his jeans.

Madelyn drew a deep breath and lifted her head. “There's something you need to know.”

He paused, his eyes narrowing. She was standing ramrod straight, her pale hair swirling around her shoulders and down her back. That loose, sleeveless gown wasn't anything like the sheer silk confection April had worn, but Madelyn didn't need silk to be seductive. The shadow of her nipples pressing against the white cotton was seduction enough. What could she have to tell him that was keeping her strung as tight as fence wire?

He said softly, “Don't tell me you've decided to wait another couple of nights, because I'm not going for it. Why are you so nervous?”

She gestured at the bed. “I've never done this before.”

He couldn't have heard right. Stunned, he released his zipper. “You've never had sex before?”

“No, and to be honest, I'm not really looking forward to it. I want you and I want to be intimate with you, but I don't expect to enjoy the first time.” Her gaze was very direct.

An odd kind of anger shook him. “Damn it, Maddie, if you're a virgin why didn't you say so, instead of having that damn physical?”

She looked like a haughty queen. “For one thing, we weren't married before. Until you became my husband this morning it wasn't any of your business. For another, you wouldn't have believed me. You believe me now because there's no reason for me to lie when you'll find out the truth for yourself in a few minutes.” She spoke with cool dignity, her head high.

“We were planning to get married.”

“And it could have been called off.”

Reese stared silently at her. Part of him was stunned and elated. No other man had ever had her; she was completely his. He was selfish enough, male enough, primitive enough, to be glad the penetration of her maidenhead would be his right. But part of him was disappointed, because this ruled out the night of hungry lovemaking he'd planned; he would have to be a total bastard to be that insensitive to her. She would be too sore and tender for extended loving.

Maybe this was for the best. He'd take her as gently as possible, but he wouldn't, couldn't, lose his control with her. He wouldn't let himself drown in her; he would simply consummate the marriage as swiftly and easily as he could and preserve the distance between them. He didn't want to give in completely to the fierce desire in him, he just wanted to ease himself and keep her in the slot he'd assigned to her. He wanted her too much; she was a threat to him in every way he'd sworn a woman would never be again. As long as he could keep his passion for her under control she wouldn't be able to breach his defenses, so he would allow himself only a simple mating. He wouldn't linger over her, feast on her, as he wanted to do.

Madelyn forced herself not to tremble when he walked over to her. It had been nothing less than the bald truth when she'd said she wasn't looking forward to this first time. Romantically, she wanted a night of rapture. Realistically, she expected much less. All they had shared was one kiss, and Reese was sexually frustrated, his control stretched to the limit. She was going to open her body to a stranger, and she couldn't help being apprehensive.

He saw the almost imperceptible way she braced herself as he came near, and he slid his hand into her hair. “You don't have to be afraid,” he murmured. “I'm not going to jump on you like a bull.” He tilted her head up so she had to look at him. His eyes were greener than she'd ever seen them before. “I can make it good for you, baby.”

She swallowed. “I'd rather you didn't try, I think, not this time. I'm too nervous, and it might not work, and then I'd be disappointed. Just do it and get it over with.”

A faint smile touched his lips. “That's the last thing a woman should ever say to a man.” It was also a measure of her fear. “The slower I am, the better it will be for you.”