The Debutante's Revenge: Western Historical Romance (Debutantes of Durango Book 6) Page 6
Her face scrunched up like she was going to cry.
"This is not the life I planned for myself. You're a sweet man. A wonderful kisser, but what else do we have in common. Would we be happy? With you, there are no balls, no society and no living in town. Is it wrong that I want to make the right decision for us both? And I want the green chili stew."
Like a slow burning fire, anger seeped through his blood at her indecision. It wasn't that she was incorrect but rather she was right.
Besides a sizzling desire for each other, what did they share? No longer was he certain she still felt passion for him. Tonight he should remind her of the intensity of the flame they created.
"Well, at least we know what you want for lunch," he said sarcastically.
Chapter 15
It was late afternoon before they arrived at the cabin. During her two days here, she was beginning to learn where he stored everything. After they put up the supplies they had purchased, Lee turned to her.
"Let's practice target shooting. In case you're here alone, I want you to be able to defend yourself."
"If I stay."
"No matter where you are, I would like you to be confident to use the weapon if you need to."
The man was kind to her. Even though she had been brutally honest with him about her indecision, he had been pleasant to her. This was just a weird situation. Married to a man she really didn't know, who had turned out to be exactly opposite of what she believed.
"All right."
They walked outside the cabin and went farther into the woods. The land was gorgeous. No, it wasn't the place she imagined living in. The pine trees, the grassy fields where the cattle grazed, the trickle of the stream running along the edge of the mountains made the property a nice ranch. A good place to raise children.
"Your place is beautiful."
"Thank you."
"Where would you build a house?"
"Where the forest begins, with the front door facing the mountains."
A smile crossed her face. "Perfect. If you built your home a little closer to the stream you could have running water."
"Yes, but in the spring, the stream becomes a river when the snow melts. I would hate to lose the house to flooding."
That would be a problem, and she understood why he didn't want the house next to the river.
They continued to walk through the pasture until they came to a stack of hay. "When I get bored, I come over here and do target practice. Especially before the elk return."
A cool breeze, almost cold, blew off the snow that remained on the mountains.
"Show me what you can do."
She lifted the pistol and aimed at the tin cans he'd perched on top of a few bails. The first one she completely missed, but the second one, the bullet hit the edge of the can and it went flying into the grass.
"Not bad," he said. "Let's see if we can make you a real sharpshooter."
Now that was funny. But she didn't say a word and let him continue.
Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her arm into position. Snug against his chest, the smell of pinewood filled her nostrils as he raised her arm to the height he wanted.
A tingle began at the base of her spine and wound its way up, making her breath a little harder. Why with Lee did she enjoy the touch of him, the aroma of him, and even the way his large body surrounded her?
"Now gently pull the trigger."
Squeezing the trigger, the bullet smacked the can causing it to tumble into the grass. And she hit another one and another.
"Your aim isn't bad, but your form is terrible."
He stepped away from her, and she missed the warmth of how he held her tightly in his arms. The closeness of his body next to hers.
Steadying her arm, she fired the gun again. This time the bullet went to the left of the can. "Show me again.”
She didn't need him to demonstrate; she wanted him to wrap his arms around her again. The feel of their bodies touching was what she sought.
He came back and once again his embrace steadied her, and she fired the pistol. The man still moved her. Did she move him?
"Great," he said. "You hit the target. Come on, you can do it again."
Slowly, she turned in his embrace and pressed her body against his. As she looked up into his eyes, she gave him her most tempting smile with full pouty lips. "Lee."
With satisfaction, his eyes widened, and she felt the hard ridge of his penis in his pants.
"Yes," he said his voice deep and breathless.
"When should I use this pistol?"
It was a stupid question. But it gave her time to shift fully into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding the gun away from him. Craving the unknown, she pushed her pelvic area into his.
And got the very reaction she sought.
His lips came crashing down on hers. Like a piece of candy, and he was starving, his mouth devoured her lips. With a sigh, she sank into the kiss, enjoying his body snug against her own. As he shoved his tongue into her mouth, she groaned under the assault as he ravaged her mouth.
Suddenly he broke apart and stepped back, shaking his head. "This was how we got into trouble last time."
A true statement.
"Fire the damn weapon," he said, his chest rising and falling.
With a smile, she turned and held up the gun. In rapid succession, she hit every one of the cans.
"Satisfied?" she said as she walked past him.
The man still knew how to heat her blood to a hot blazing inferno. His kiss still moved her to distraction, and he was still affected, because she'd experienced every hard inch of him through her skirt.
"Damn, woman, you know exactly what you're doing to me."
She tossed him a sly grin over her shoulder.
"Revenge is sweet."
"What the hell did I do to you?"
Smiling, she didn't answer, but continued walking toward the house. How long could she play with fire before she got scorched.
Chapter 16
Once again, Lee felt like a fool. While he'd been trying to teach her how to shoot, she had teased him, then showed her sharpshooter skills. Why did he always feel like she was one step ahead of him?
Like she loved to tease him and walk away.
He stepped into the cabin and slammed the door, expressing his frustration.
With a casual glance, she looked up from the settee where she sat doing some kind of needlework and smiled that precocious smile that ripped his insides apart and left him wanting to please her.
"Lee, please shut the door properly."
The urge to scream radiated through him, but he could play her game. Like a panther, he walked over to her and placed his arms on either side of her and leaned in close.
Slowly, she licked her lips, and he wanted to groan.
"Yes, I will, but my wife, the tease, likes to leave me all worked up and disappear into the house, leaving me hard and wanting."
Her brows lifted, making her sapphire eyes darken. "Whatever are you talking about?"
"The way you leaned into me, letting me show you how to shoot a pistol when you're obviously very good with a gun. You're probably a better shot than me."
A grin spread across her face. "I like to be the best at what I do."
"Shooting and kissing" he asked.
"No," she said indignant at his response.
"By the way, you're cooking supper tonight."
It took every ounce of willpower he had to lift his arms from the settee and walk away. Daisy was a temptation he wanted more than anything. They were married and it didn't appear she was going home anytime soon.
It was his right to take his wife. With a sigh, he knew he couldn't have her until she agreed to stay and be with him forever.
"But I never learned how to cook. We had servants who did the cooking."
"If you're going to be living here, it's about time someone showed you how," he said and went over to the wash bowl a
nd began to lather his hands with soap.
Rising from the couch, she put her hands on her hips. "Do you want to starve?"
"No, but I'm not going to do everything around here and wait on you too. Time to learn."
"But I don't know what to do."
"Then find out."
He dried his hands and walked over to where she stood. Gazing into the bluest eyes this side of Texas, he sighed. "You need to decide what you want. I'm growing weary of walking around hard as a rock because my wife temps me. You need to make your decision and soon."
Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him. "Really, I do that to you?"
"Yes."
"Hmmm, I like hearing that," she said and gave a little laugh. "Will you help me with supper? Show me what I should do?"
"Of course," he said, knowing she had evaded his statement about deciding what she wanted. How long should he give her before he demanded an answer.
Maybe he was going about this all wrong. Maybe what she needed was to be courted. They met twice before they were married. Their courtship consisted of kisses and a wedding ceremony.
If he wanted her to stay, then he needed to convince her to make their marriage permanent. The last few days had been more fun than he expected, and he didn't want her to say goodbye. Did he want this marriage to work?
Gazing into her eyes, he wanted this more than anything. Softening, he reached out and brushed a blonde curl away from her face.
His heart clenched. She was trouble. She was mischievous, and yet, she was fun. And he couldn't wait to make love to her. Because the woman had a hot nature that would most certainly singe a man.
"What are we going to fix?" she asked, breathless, as she stared at him.
"How about we start with something simple like scrambled eggs. Do you like eggs?"
"Yes," she said. "Do we have any bacon or sausage to go with them?"
"Yes, I think so," he said. "I'll teach you how to fry eggs and then you can make them for me in the morning before I go out into the pasture."
Staring at him, she bit her lip. "Lee, do you want me to stay or do you want me to go home?"
Oh, grimany, here was the question he just answered for himself. Had she somehow sensed his reluctance before now? All he could do was be honest with her.
"Daisy, I'm afraid of you. There is something strong and powerful between us, but if I give you my heart, I fear you'll break it. Yes, I want you here with me, but you must be certain this is what you want."
With a sigh, she laid her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Everything is so different here to what I'm used to. I'm still trying to decide. Like you, I want to be sure."
At least she appeared to be taking her time and not rushing into a decision either way. The time had come for him to court his wife.
"Would you like to go on a picnic tomorrow? We could ride the horses around the place. That way you would see the property. There's a spot on the river where we'll have lunch."
Her eyes widened with excitement. "I would love that. Sitting inside this cabin gets kind of boring."
If she was going to stay, he would need to help her learn the things a woman needed to know. Was she up to the task?
"Be sure to bring your gun," he said.
Chapter 17
Lee had never been happier. This morning, Daisy fixed breakfast before he rose from bed. He'd been surprised to wake up to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking. When he got out of bed, he walked to the kitchen in his long johns and kissed his wife good morning on the lips.
She'd been off guard but smiled.
After breakfast, they saddled up the horses and told the dog they would soon return.
A cool breeze reminded them it wasn't quite spring. The calendar said it should be warmer, but so far, the snow had not melted entirely. In Texas, the blue bonnets would be beginning to show their bursts of color, but not yet in Colorado.
Daisy was an excellent rider, and she rode her horse like they were one and the same. The animal wanted to please its mistress and Lee had the same urge.
"This land is beautiful," she said as they ambled along the creek that bordered the property and the mountains.
"Yes, as soon as I saw it was for sale, I bought it. Of course, the bank owns it, but I'm paying it slowly off."
She smiled at him and his heart thumped loudly in his chest. Today, she seemed to be trying, and he wanted today to be filled with fun for them.
Together they rode from one end of the ranch to the other as he showed her the land he loved. Hours had passed and now they neared the place he wanted to picnic.
"Are you hungry?"
"Yes," she said.
"Good, I know a perfect spot up here," he said as he nudged his mare.
They came to a clearing next to the river.
As he pulled his horse to a stop, he jumped down and then helped his wife alight from her saddle.
When he placed his hands around her waist, she gazed at him in a way that had his lungs exploding with the need for air. The woman was beautiful, and he was an extremely lucky man if she decided to stay with him.
"Thank you," she said, giving him a brilliant smile.
How much longer could he wait?
The snow had melted enough from the bank to where they could lay a covering on the rocky area. No, it wouldn't be as soft as grass, but it wouldn't be soggy either.
A quick snap of the blanket, and she spread it while he grabbed the basket tied to the back of his saddle.
The creek had risen with the melting snow, but it moved along at a nice clip, gurgling over large boulders.
He sank down next to her, and for a moment, they stared at the water rushing downstream.
"The stream is mesmerizing," she said, gazing at the water tumbling over the rocks. "Have you considered panning the river for gold?"
"Yes, but I doubt I would find anything. These mountains are not in the right area."
He opened their lunch basket and pulled out the bacon sandwiches she made this morning. An apple and homemade cookies.
"Where did you get the cookies?" she asked.
"At the market. I always buy a dozen from Mrs. Waterford. Her cookies are my treat."
She took a tiny bite. "They're delicious."
Sitting in the warm sunshine, they ate and gazed at the countryside. What did a man do on a date? This was his first time, but somehow he had to court his wife.
"Tell me about your other sister, Fannie."
Daisy laughed. "Oh, she's the troublemaker."
"More than you?"
"Yes, she likes to gamble. That's how she met her husband."
"A woman gambler. Interesting."
There was a moment of silence while he tried to think of something to say to her.
"Tell me about your brother. You said he was in prison. Whatever for?"
Guilt gnawed at his stomach. "Robbing banks."
Lee should have also been in jail with his brother, but instead, his father had saved his life. Even now, he hated that the Texas Rangers could arrive any time and take him away.
And he would deserve to go to jail.
Attempting to change the direction of the conversation, he packed their trash into the basket and walked to his horse and strapped it to his saddle. Anything to distract her from asking about James.
When he returned, he sank back down on the blanket, and they both laid back.
"The sky here is so clear and blue," he said. "It makes me want to reach up and try to touch the clouds."
"Yes, the land is great. Even prettier than the Durango area. Maybe because we're higher."
All he could think about was convincing Daisy to stay. For them to be a real man and wife and explore each other's bodies, but she was right to wait.
Lying beside her, he rolled onto his side and laid his arm around her waist. Turning toward him, she lay on her side and gazed at him.
"You love this ranch, don't you?"
Tilting her head, in that curious way, she smiled at him.
"Tell me what our life would be like if we remained married."
That was an honest question. Their life would not be the high society glitz she craved in Durango. And he feared that would drive her away, but he had to be genuine with her. If she was going to be his wife, there would be no secrets between them.
Licking his lips, he stared at her and tried not to over embellish what he envisioned because he didn't want to lie to her, but rather be truthful.
"In the summer, I'd be busy working in the pastures, preparing the cattle for market, branding them and also encouraging the bull to enjoy the ladies to create baby cows. Last year, I worked from sunup to sundown. You would be responsible for the garden, canning, and taking care of the chickens. In the fall, we would sell the cattle and prepare for winter."
Gently he brushed a blonde curl away from her face. "In the winter, I would be cleaning the tools, putting out hay, breaking the ice on the water and doing things in preparation for spring."
"What about a social life?"
This was the part he dreaded telling her. There was no grandiose debutante ball in Pagosa. There would be no traipsing to Durango to attend social functions that often. It was a long day in the saddle or wagon.
"We'll go to town once a month. Visit your sister and your parents occasionally, but mainly it will be just the two of us until the little ones come along."
She bit her lip and he couldn't resist. With his hand, he reached over and framed her face as his lips consumed her mouth. His tongue slipped between her lips and stroked the inside of her mouth. Oh, how he wanted the kiss to continue.
Breathing hard, she put her hand between them.
"Do you ever see yourself falling in love with me?"
A groan filled his throat. Already he knew he was falling for her, but he was so afraid. The thought of her packing up and leaving terrified him.
In despair, fearing he would ruin the day, he closed his eyes. As he opened them, he gazed at her, wanting her, but knowing how he felt. "Before I can give you my heart, I need assurances you're going to stay."