Temptation (A Temptation Novel) (19 page)

“I’m sorry, Rose. I got carried away.” He took a shuddering breath. “I’ve never felt so out of control before. I almost—I mean, I was close to just…going all the way without stopping.”

He moved his mouth down to the top of my head and kissed my hair. The shock of having him jump away from me had doused my flames a little, leaving just an uncomfortable longing behind. But now the pulsing sensations were springing to life once again. I tilted my head up, and pulling his head down with my hands, I met his mouth again, reveling in the feeling. For some seconds he was very much into the kiss, delving his tongue deeper and cupping my face between his hands. Then he was pulling away again. I tried to hold him close, not wanting him to let me go.

“Rose, stop it. We can’t get carried away.” His voice was thick with emotion and I understood that he was trying to be a good guy, and I was acting like a tramp.

Tears started to flow and I let go of him, leaning back against the log. He was there hugging me again in an instant.

“Don’t cry, Rose. It’s okay—shhh,” he soothed.

“I’m s-sorry. It’s b-been…a…rough day for…me,” I stuttered, letting him comfort me. I never wanted him to let go of me. I wanted to stay like that, in his arms, forever.

Smoothing my hair, he stepped back and looked down at me with tender eyes.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. Someday we won’t have to stop. Just think how amazing that’ll be.” He said it all with such passion that the words were partially lost on me.

I just nodded and he laughed, hugging me again. His face pressed into the side of my neck, the heat of his breath warming my sensitive skin. I leaned into him, my body becoming jellylike. This was the best part—being held tightly in Noah’s strong arms was even better than the kissing. I really did have a boyfriend now.

“Now, let’s get you home before Sam comes looking for you,” he said softly into my ear.

Noah bridled Lady up for me and helped me onto her back. I felt weak and didn’t refuse when he took my reins and led me along as if I was an infant. I didn’t know what the heck was wrong with me. I never acted so emotional and sappy. His mention of Sam brought back the conversation I’d had with my brother before I left on the ride.

Although I’d never tell the big jerk, he was right. I had been so caught up in the feelings raging through my body, I would have done about anything with Noah in the woods. And we didn’t have any protection. I finally understood why girls got pregnant. I had always stuck my nose up in the air at those girls with the swollen bellies at school. Now I finally knew why.

We rode in relative silence the rest of the way back to the road, both of us lost in our own thoughts about what had happened in the secret meadow. My body still felt the traces of his touch, and although my heart had calmed down a bit, it still was slightly spastic, causing me to take a gulp of air now and then. When I would make my drowning noises, Noah would glance over with a knowing smile on his face and give my hand a tighter squeeze. He knew what I was feeling because he was feeling it, too, making me able to deal with my hormonal prison break a little easier.

When we were almost to the road, he guided our horses into the privacy of the hedgerow trees. He pulled me into such a tight embrace that it would have been uncomfortable if I hadn’t wanted him to get even closer still.

“Rose, sweetheart, I’ll see you on Monday,” he mumbled into my hair.

I wrestled with his arms for a second, pulling back to look at his face. “Can’t I come to the youth service tomorrow evening?” I hoped I didn’t sound as if I was begging.

He sighed unhappily, releasing his hold on me. Then he reached up with both of his hands to run them deeply through his hair before answering, “I wish you could, Rose. More than anything, but church will be held at the Hershbergers’ tomorrow, and my parents can’t invite your family to another family’s house. I’m sorry.”

Seeing my disappointment, he added, “We’ll have it at our house again sometime, and I’m sure Father will include your family then.”

“That’s okay. I understand.” I said it, but didn’t really mean it.

“Cheer up. We’ll be seeing each other every day next week while I’m fixing your house.” He grinned, before swiftly and all too fleetingly bringing his lips to mine. “You better get going, Rose. It’s almost dark. And be careful,” he warned.

Funny, I didn’t even notice that we were surrounded by the thick gray haze that settled in the air right before night hit. While I was in Noah’s embrace, I felt warm, but now that he’d let go of me, the chilly night air was creeping through my clothes, causing me to shiver.

I was determined to show him that I wasn’t a clingy emotional wreck. Pivoting Lady away smoothly, I squeezed her into a trot, leaving him alone in the darkness of the trees.

I turned back before I was out of sight and, stopping, blew him a kiss. “I’ll see you on Monday, Noah.” I couldn’t resist adding, “And good luck with Ella tomorrow. Don’t forget me.” With that, I blushed and whirled Lady around again, cantering through the gap without another glance back.

It was only after I was riding down the driveway to my house alone that his comments about us someday not having to stop, and being together every night, came crashing into my thoughts. Was that truly possible for us? I
almost
believed it could happen as a cozy contentment fanned out in my body, while the memories of Noah’s lips on mine came flooding back to me.

10

Noah

Dealing with Temptations

SITTING UP ABRUPTLY
in bed, I searched out the window. It was way too early to head downstairs yet. Darkness was just beginning to be pushed away by the muted light of morning. Even the birds were still silent. Sighing, I leaned back on the pillow, trying to control my anxiety for six o’clock to arrive. The time I’d be able to get ready to start the day.

And see Rose.

I shook my head slightly, exhaling softly in the dark room when I remembered her look of disappointment before we parted ways on Saturday night. I had told her that church would be held at the Hershbergers’ and that she wouldn’t be able to come. She didn’t hide her emotions well. The dismay was plain on her face, even though she said she understood. That was one of the things that attracted me to her, though—all the emotions and feelings she had. With Rose, I never had to wonder what she was thinking for long; she’d just blurt it out, which was refreshing.

Of course, at some point she’d have to learn to rein in her outbursts. Well, at least around the others. I was certainly okay with her speaking her mind to me.

And then, right before she cantered away, she told me not to forget her. Was she kidding me? I couldn’t stop my mouth from turning up into a smile when I thought about how she said it felt so good when I touched her. The way she had responded to me kissing her had made my blood run so hot that I thought I’d lose it. Even though I had no experience kissing a girl like that, it had come so naturally for me with her—as if she was meant to be in my arms. Somehow, I knew what to do, and I didn’t want to stop at the kissing either.

A crazy recklessness had come over me, with Rose’s warm and willing body against me. I didn’t care about anything else in the world. I just wanted to touch her. I wanted her so badly that it nearly killed me. The only thing that had held me back was the feel of her body stiffen for that fraction of a second when I lifted her bra strap.

I couldn’t do that to her. I wasn’t like the English boys who’d chase after her if they had the chance. She would come to our wedding bed a virgin, even if it killed me. Frankly, the way she kissed me back, she wasn’t going to make it easy on me.

All the intimate thoughts were making me uncomfortably warm, so I crossed the room to the open window and looked out toward Rose’s house, letting the breeze cool my passion. Only a few hours now and I’d get to see her again. But it felt like an eternity, leaning on the windowsill, waiting.

* * *

I was in luck today. Mr. Denton had driven Father to a new work site to bid on a job after he had dropped Jacob, Matthew and me off at Rose’s to begin the repairs. Jacob and Matthew were starting on the rotten boards of the front porch, and I was in the process of taking the new screen up to Rose’s bedroom, which I had brilliantly volunteered to do. Jacob was so ignorant, he’d agreed to it without even thinking about whose window the screen was for. I gave a silent prayer of thanks for his stupidity as I climbed the stairs.

I certainly wasn’t as nervous walking into Rose’s bedroom this time as I’d been the first time. But even worse than the nerves, in a way, was the uncomfortable heat that was racing through me at the thought of seeing her again. I knocked lightly, and after a few seconds without sound, I rapped on the door even louder. Suddenly it occurred to me that she was probably still asleep. Following my gut, I gently turned the knob and pushed the door open softly. I ducked into the room, leaving the door halfway open, giving me a reason not to get carried away with her again.

She was lying on a large mattress this time, piled with pillows. Luckily for me, since she was sprawled on top of the blankets, she was well covered, wearing cotton jogging pants and an oversize T-shirt.

Setting the screen down against the wall, I silently crept closer to her, kneeling down on the mattress. I watched her sleep for a long minute. She looked so angelic, hugging her pillow, with her mouth slightly open and her eyes fluttering occasionally.

I couldn’t take it any longer. I bent down and kissed her mouth tentatively, then sat back waiting. The corner of her mouth rose into a mischievous smile. Without opening her eyes, she reached up and somehow managed to wrap her hands around the back of my neck and pull me down to her. My lips found hers and I kissed her fiercely, all the thoughts and daydreams of the past day taking control of my judgment now that I had her in my arms.

She moaned softly, encouraging me to move on top of her, which I all too readily did. The warmth of the bed from her body and the smell of her skin rammed into my senses, to the point that I didn’t care if my brother was nearby. I pressed her into the mattress, not being able to get close enough, wanting more of her.

“Oh, God, could you at least shut the door so you don’t traumatize your brothers,” Sam said angrily, flinging the door wide open instead.

“Damn,” I muttered under my breath, disengaging from Rose’s arms and sprinting to the doorway. After watching Sam’s head disappear around the corner as he stomped down the stairs, I turned back to Rose, who was sitting up, lounging on her pillows with a seductive smirk on her lips.

“Sam’s right for once in his life—you should shut the door. Then we’d have more privacy,” she said in a soft drawl.

“That’s the last thing we need, Rose. You better be good while I put this screen in your window,” I said, refusing to look down at her while I crossed the room. I knew that if I did, I’d be a goner.

Somehow I managed to get the screen in, even though she continued to make stretching and yawning noises that I knew were meant to entice me back to the mattress. I held firm and ignored her. For her own good, of course.

Before leaving the room, I blew her a kiss from the doorway, not wanting to get too close to her for fear of my body going nuts again. She pouted back at me, clearly disappointed, making me laugh.

After the encounter in the bedroom, I saw very little of her the rest of the day. The one time I did stop outside her door hoping to say a few words, she was on the floor stretching her body over her legs. I stood mesmerized for a minute while I watched her reach down to her toes, her belly flat against her legs. The soft music coming from her radio and the sight of the unusual exercises that she was doing affected me like a punch to the chest. That glimpse into her strange world caused all the doubts to again rise within me and I walked away without her even knowing that I had been watching her.

It was well into the afternoon and she was still wearing the same flimsy sleeping clothes that she’d awoken in. I didn’t want Jacob and Matthew to see her dressed like that and I carried the anxiety around with me throughout the day.

Other thoughts crept in uninvited as I worked. Rose slept until an unreasonable hour and I wondered how she’d handle a more strict morning schedule at the farm. Probably not well. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t imagine her waking up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast, start the laundry and work in the garden. Not to mention the cleaning and taking care of the babies. She just didn’t seem to have the energy to do all those things.

But with each negative thought, my mind raced to fix it. I could break the rules a little in the house and help her out with her chores. After all, if she was sleepy in the morning because we’d been busy all night, that wasn’t a bad thing at all.

Oh, Lord. I needed to sit down and talk to Mother and Father soon about all this. It would be bad at first, but surely I could convince them how much I loved Rose and that we were meant to be together. Yes, I could admit it now—I was in love with the English girl, and after holding her in my arms, no other girl would ever do.

By the end of the workday, while we were driving home, an idea started to take shape in my mind. Something that would make Rose very happy, and I looked forward to making it happen.

* * *

“Are you sure it’ll be okay with Mr. Cameron?” Jacob asked, hooking the traces to the buggy.

Jacob didn’t know about the little affair Mr. Cameron’s children had discovered. But I did. I figured he’d be all too willing to give Rose anything she wanted at that point.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem, Jacob, and besides, you wanted to start getting rid of those puppies,” I said, heading over to the barn. I remembered the little female pup that Rose had been snuggling with the first night she’d come over for dinner, and that’s the one I picked. Holding it up, I said softly, “You’re going to have a
very
affectionate new owner, pup.” Tucking it under my arm, I walked quickly back to the carriage.

Of course, Jacob was coming with me. For a change, I didn’t really mind. Being alone with Rose had become a very dangerous ordeal. I needed some more time to prepare for our next encounter. For right now, though, I was just excitedly anticipating her reaction to the squirming, fuzzy little gift she was about to receive. Come to think on it, this would be my first official present for her. And even though it might appear that the puppy was for the entire family, Rose would know that it was meant for her.

The Cameron family came out the side door as Jacob parked the buggy beside the stone walkway. Justin ran ahead, followed by Sam walking more leisurely with his father. At the back was Rose, her arms crossed over her chest, a pouty look on her face.

“Hello, Dr. Cameron. I heard that you were in the market for a guard dog,” Jacob said humorously, reaching between us to pull the puppy from under the bench.

I didn’t take my eyes off Rose. Her face brightened instantly when she saw the puppy wriggling in Jacob’s hands.

Justin was the first one to the puppy. “Oh, man, how cool—one of the puppies!” He beamed, taking it from Jacob and hugging it with abandon. Sam and Rose crowded in next to Justin. Sam petted the pup’s head, while Rose controlled her enthusiasm. She patiently stood by, waiting to hold the puppy. She glanced up, smiling a secret smile meant only for me. I hoped to God Jacob hadn’t seen or he’d know for sure what was going on.

“Dad, can we keep her—please!” Justin exclaimed.

“Yeah, Dad, a puppy would be a nice…peace offering, for the whole…moving business.” I noticed that Sam’s words were dripping with hidden meaning. I watched Rose glance up at her father with her eyes narrowed, her jaw firmly set. The look made me realize that she could be formidable in an argument.

Dr. Cameron smoothed his hand through his hair, saying, “Why, I think it’s a marvelous idea to have a new puppy. What do you want to call her, Rose?”

She turned her attention to the puppy, pulling it away from Justin. Searching its face for a minute, she looked up at Sam and said, “What do you think about Hope?”

“That’s a good name,” Sam agreed.

“Hope it is, then,” Dr. Cameron said, reaching out to stroke the puppy’s head. Rose snatched the puppy away from her father’s hand, giving it to Sam, who rolled his eyes at his sister’s action.

Dr. Cameron recovered nimbly from the rebuke and asked, “You boys want to stay for dinner?”

Rose’s head shot up, her eyes looking expectantly at me.

“Thanks for the invitation, but our mother has dinner about ready at home. So we’ll be going now,” Jacob answered.

“Oh, what do I owe you for the puppy?” Dr. Cameron said, reaching for his wallet.

“No, really, it’s a gift. But we’ll be by first thing in the morning. We’ve probably got four more days of work here,” Jacob answered before clucking to his horse, Strider, turning the buggy in a wide loop.

“Thank you, boys. See you in the morning.” Dr. Cameron waved.

As we drove down the driveway, I glanced back once to see Rose take the puppy back from Sam. Walking slowly toward the house, she held the puppy up close to her face.

“One down, nine to go,” Jacob said enthusiastically as he slapped me on the back.

I didn’t feel the same enthusiasm as Jacob, though. When I faced forward, the chill of loneliness crept through me. I hated to be so near to her and not be able to speak to her. The smile Rose had given me was as if someone had turned on a bright light, chasing away all the shadows of doubt I felt about what I was doing. It was insane. And yet, I would do just about anything to have her grace me with such happiness again—and my mind was already imagining our next meeting.