He shrugged, and his grin was charming. “Well, I don’t know. I was afraid you wouldn’t come. Samuel is a respectable name, and Ford is… well, it’s an oddity around here.” As he spoke the words, he stepped back and lowered his head to look at the hat he now twisted in his hands. His strange behavior made my nerves start to twitter in alarm and I nearly jumped when he spoke again.
“There’s something else you should know, Lizzie. I lied to you. I don’t feel right about it, now that I see you, but I did. What’s done is done.” He raised his chin and met my gaze, his eyes full of contrition. “I don’t have boys, not yet. I thought…” He cleared his throat. “Well, I thought you’d like me better if I could offer you more of a family. You went on so much about yours, well, I just…” He reached out and touched my cheek with his fingertips in a caress so tender I almost pressed my face to his hand. “I’m sorry I lied. I don’t have children. Not yet. I want pretty little girls with ribbons in their hair, and sons, strong, strapping boys. But I want them with you, if you’ll still have me?”
And there it was, my future and my opportunity. As quickly as my anger flared, it died, for I’d been keeping secrets, too.
He dropped his hand to his side and I cleared my throat. It was now or never. He’d seen my sisters when we got off the coach. I might as well tell him the truth now, when I had the upper hand and he owed me a favor. “I lied as well, Mr. Jenkins.”
“Ford, sweetheart. Call me Ford.”
“Ford.” His endearment warmed me like a hot fire on a cold winter morning. “I lied as well. I didn’t come alone. I couldn’t leave my sisters behind. I was hoping…” It was my turn to look contrite and I bit my lip as my nerves threatened to spill out of me and make my voice wobble. My future hung in the balance, my sisters’ safety and happiness, too. All would be decided in the next few moments. “My sisters, the women who were with me on the stage, well, I brought them with me, hoping it would be all right with you. I hoped you would help me look after them for a bit, until they get settled with husbands of their own.”
Ford and Logan both smiled wide at my words. I would have been confused, had I a moment to gather my thoughts, but Ford’s words flooded me with relief and I was none too eager to question it.
“Of course. They’re your family. Which means they’re my family now.”
The weight of a thousand worlds lifted from my shoulders, a weight I’d carried for so long I didn’t realize how great the burden until it was gone. “Thank you!” I couldn’t contain myself; I leaped forward into his arms, smiling and filled with unbelievable relief and joy.
His shocked stance cooled my enthusiasm and I worried that I’d overstepped my bounds, but when I tried to pull back, strong arms closed around me and pressed me tightly to his chest. I didn’t even think to struggle. This man was mine now, or would be soon.
Fate was being kind indeed.
He held me for a long minute and his scent filled my lungs as the long, lean strength of him heated my blood. I wanted to melt into him. His hand traced the long line of my spine through my gown and his deep voice rumbled in my ear where it was pressed to his chest. “I’ve got the preacher waiting to marry us, if you’re ready.”
“Yes.” I nodded, tears welling in my eyes. This man would be my new home. His touch was gentle, even for a man of his formidable size, his eyes sharp with intelligence, and his soul kind, for he’d not batted an eye at agreeing to care for my sisters.
If I were being honest with myself, I had begun to fall in love with him a little right there in the hallway of the hotel.
Logan
shifted behind us and I turned my head to meet his gaze. “You’d best gather your things, Miss Lizzie, and your sisters’, too,” he told me. “We’ve got business waiting at home, Ford. We need to get out of town before nightfall.”
My heart sank a bit at his words, for I’d dreamed of a wedding night spent in a hotel room such as this, with a warm, soft bed beneath me as my husband made me his. My mind brought forth images of the loaded wagon I’d seen earlier and I frowned. “How far away is your home? You never told me that.”
Ford squeezed my shoulder and stepped back to look down at me. “Not far, sweetheart. Not far.”
I would have asked more questions, but he didn’t give me the chance. I opened my mouth to speak, but he covered my lips with a hot kiss, his firm lips coaxing a response from me that I was only too eager to give.
The wanton devil inside me took control and I lifted my arms to wrap around his neck. I buried my fingers in his hair, eager to feel the soft strands glide over my skin as I pressed my breasts to his hard body.
His tongue invaded my mouth, my soft gasp of surprise immediately followed by a moan I could not stop from escaping as he plundered, stroking in and out like I’d witnessed the night before, like a hard cock taking my mouth. As Ford explored my mouth, his hot hands landed at the small of my back, but I wanted them lower, cupping my ass, pulling me hard and rough against his cock.
I wanted so much more than this kiss. And this man, at last, would give it to me. My husband.
“We have to go, Ford.” Logan cleared his throat and Ford seemed to come back to his senses. Pity.
Ford ended our kiss, but I couldn’t make my body stop shaking. He stared down into my eyes and I felt like I was drowning. “You are a wanton little witch, aren’t you?”
His words acted like a bucket of ice-cold water and I bit my lip, pulling out of his arms completely, my spine stiff as I fought off tears. I looked down at the floor. When was I going to learn to control myself?
“I’m sorry. I’ll wake my sisters and gather our things.” I turned to go back into my hotel room. I’d messed up already. I’d lost control, shown him that I was unclean.
Tainted blood. Unclean. An unwanted bastard.
My uncle’s harsh words circled in my mind like vultures picking at my soul, but Ford’s hand came to rest on the back of my head and he turned me around to face him with a commanding touch that kicked my bruised heart back into a fast race.
“Don’t ever apologize to me, Lizzie. Not for enjoying my touch.” He stepped close and placed my hand over his heart where I could feel it racing to keep pace with my own. “Do you feel that? I want you so badly I can’t breathe, sweetheart.”
Doubt clouded my vision for a moment, but then his rough thumb traced my bottom lip and just that quickly, I was his again.