The Devil's Daughter (17 page)

He clicked to the horses and breathed in a deep lung full of fresh morning air. How could his life be so mixed up? On the one hand, he had a wife who’d begun to settle in to his heart, who’d finally made his parched piece of land begin to feel like home.

On the other hand, he had a sister-in-law who was losing her senses, whose baby was due in a few weeks, and who refused to consider herself a widow. Once the baby was born, he’d have to talk to her about putting up a stone for Sam.

 In the meantime, he’d trust Maggie’s care to Berta and hope the baby was born healthy. He also needed to prove to his wife that he wasn’t the weakling she seemed to think he was; that he could – and would – protect both her and Maggie from anything that threatened to hurt them.

Even if it meant protecting Lucy from her own family, and Maggie from herself.

Lucy arranged her skirts neatly around her, then rearranged them again. Anything to keep herself occupied. If only she could keep her mind occupied with something other than Jed.

He was going to buy her a coat. And a new dress.

He didn’t seem to have any personal reasons for giving her these things. Most humans were selfish by nature, and only did kind things if it meant they would reap some benefit themselves.

That didn’t seem to be the case with Jed.

It was as if he honestly wanted her to have these things just because it would make her happy.

How odd.

She felt his concern. He worried over her meeting Deacon while they were in town, and he didn’t want her to think he was weak. But she worried over neither of these things.

She could no sooner control Deacon’s movements than she could the tide, so it was a waste of energy to think on it. And as for Jed being weak – it was a moot point. No human could withstand the powers Deacon wielded. She didn’t doubt her husband’s physical strength or ability, but this was a fight he had no hope of winning.

He sat on the bench next to her, his elbows resting on his knees, the reins dangling loosely between his fingers. A new and unsettling fear settled over Lucy as she watched him. It was one thing for her to be working against Jed, but she shuddered at the thought of Deacon getting involved.

As though he knew she was staring at him, Jed sat up and turned to face her. “You all right?” he asked, his deep voice carrying in the empty desert.

“Yes,” she answered, perhaps a little too fast. After a brief hesitation, she smiled. “Just admiring the scenery.”

Jed tipped his hat back slightly and glanced around them. “It sure is pretty, isn’t it?” He sighed contentedly. “No crowds, no noise. Just us.”

And the tumbleweeds
.

Lucy frowned. “I wasn’t talking about the land, Jed.”

He cocked his brow. “What else is there?”

She slid across the bench until they sat side by side. She didn’t tease him as she’d done the first time they’d ridden together, though. Instead, she slipped her hand beneath his elbow and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I was talking about you.”

“Me?” Jed snorted. “I think that sun finally got the better of you. Knew you should’ve been wearing that bonnet.”

“I’m fine.” Lucy swatted his arm. “But you can be sure I’d welcome sun-addled brains long before I’d agree to wear that horrible bonnet.”

She memorized every inch of his face, from the sun-bronzed color to the tiny white scar beneath his right ear. His stubborn streak set itself in the firmness of his jaw, and his kindness bared itself through his coal-black eyes – the same eyes she’d once considered unreadable.

“You’re a very handsome man, Jedidiah. Did you know that?”

Color raced up his neck and face, disappearing at his scalp.

“You are,” she insisted. “I’d say you’re probably the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”

“Then you obviously haven’t seen many men.” He laughed at himself, but Lucy wasn’t going to let him off so easily.

“It wouldn’t matter how many I had or hadn’t seen. You are, in fact, a handsome man.” She sat forward a little so she could look directly into his face. “Do you really not know that?”

“It’s not something I pay much mind to.”

“I know.” She smiled at his embarrassment. “That’s what adds to it.”

Jed licked his lips, blew out a long breath, then licked them again. “Could we talk about something else, please?”

“Better yet,” she said, turning his face back to hers. “Let’s not talk at all.”

She pulled him toward her until their lips touched, briefly, then again, slightly longer. He tasted like sunshine and fresh water, and before she knew it – and before he could stop her - she wiggled herself onto his lap.

She kept his face between her hands and kissed him again, sliding her tongue over his mouth and pulling a low growl from him. His arms shifted beneath her, wrestling with the reins, until the wagon came to a stop.

Lucy clung to Jed. She needed to kiss him. She couldn’t explain why, she just knew it was something she had to do. And, all the better, it was something she enjoyed doing.

If he pushed her away, she’d be lost. How would she find her next breath?

The air around them stood still for a very long, tortuous heartbeat. She eased back far enough to look into the darkness of his eyes and what she saw there nearly ripped her in two. Need as strong as her own shone back, consuming her with its heat.

Jed’s hands cupped her bottom and shifted her slightly. The feel of him, hard against her backside, sent jolts of excitement racing through her veins and to places deep inside she’d never felt before.

His gaze never wavered, not even so much as a blink. Lucy licked her lips, swiping her tongue across them slowly, in the hopes of finding his taste still there.

Jed’s mouth found hers with a kiss so hungry, so demanding, Lucy’s entire being quaked. He slid his hands up her sides, brushing his thumbs against her straining breasts. Heat poured into her, ripping through her veins and sending shiver after shiver over her skin and up her spine.

His hands were in her hair, caressing each lock, then holding her head still while he devoured her.

A soft whimper came from Lucy’s throat.

What is wrong with me?
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. For Jed, yes, but certainly not for her. She wasn’t meant to crave his touch or to want his kisses so much. It wasn’t right.

But if it wasn’t right, she was more than happy to be wrong; so very, very wrong.

She squeezed closer to Jed, until his chest pressed against her, his heart pounding out a rhythm fast enough to cause any other mortal’s to explode. The mere thought made Lucy smile.

Her mortal was so much better than the rest of them. Stronger, better looking, and completely irresistible. Oh yes, she’d chosen well with him.

Jed moaned against her lips, then pulled back. Not far, just enough to rest his forehead against hers, the tips of their noses brushing each other.

“You’re killin’ me,” he whispered, his voice harsh and raspy.

“Funny,” Lucy whispered back. “You feel very much alive to me.”

Jed let go a ragged laugh and settled her head against his shoulder.

She wiggled closer and reached for the buttons on Jed’s shirt. His breath caught when the first one released. His Adam’s apple bobbed hard on the second. But when she started on the third, his hand covered hers and held it tight.

“Not here,” he moaned. “Just the thought of it’s more than I can handle right now.”

Lucy sighed softly, but didn’t object. How could she when he held her hand that way? If she’d ever wondered what feeling safe felt like, this would be it, sitting on Jed’s lap, with his arms wrapped around her and her hand tucked in his. There couldn’t be a safer place in all the world.

“Should we go then?” She closed her eyes and held her breath.
Please say no.

“Give me a minute, will you?” Jed’s chuckle came out as more of a choke.

They sat in silence for much longer than a minute. Lucy curled against his shoulder, while Jed traced circles across her back with his huge gentle fingers. She’d expected his desire to soften after a time, but it didn’t.

Not even a little.

“Would it be better if I got off your lap?” she asked softly.

“Lord no,” he moaned. “I’m afraid of what’ll happen if you move.”

Lucy tried to stifle her laughter against his neck, but it was no use.

“I’m glad you’re finding this so amusing,” he said, and even though she couldn’t see his face, she knew he was smiling, too.

“I’m sorry,” she laughed. “What can I do?”

“I think you’ve done enough.” His lips smiled against her forehead. After another minute, he inhaled a long, slow breath. “On three, I’m going to lift you straight up and off. But God help me, Lucy, don’t you so much as twitch. Just let me do it, okay?”

She nodded against his neck, fighting back another snort of laughter.

“One.” He wrapped his hands around her waist. “Two.”

Lucy tensed slightly.

“Don’t move,” he growled.

Laugher ripped from her throat before she could stop it. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

“No, you’re not.” His jaw tightened, and in one fell swoop, he lifted her straight off his lap and plopped her on the bench beside him.

The horses tossed their heads at the disturbance, but stayed where they were. Jed didn’t move. He didn’t look at her, and for a second, she thought he’d stopped breathing all together.

“Well,” she said, not even attempting to hide her smile. “Shall we carry on then?”

She shifted on the bench, arranged her skirts, and looked up at him with her best wide-eyed innocence.

Jed shot her a glare that might have unnerved her if he hadn’t been grinning at the same time.

“Just one second. Can’t very well go to town looking like this, can I?” He stood up, adjusted his trousers, then sat back down. “
Now
we can carry on.”

Lucy laughed all the way to town. And though she knew it embarrassed him terribly, Jed let out a few chuckles, too.

 o0o

The midmorning sun shone brilliantly against the cloudless sky. Up ahead, the town of Redemption bustled with its daily business.

Jed hated coming into town. Hated the crowds, hated the smell and especially hated knowing that his presence would send every gossip’s jaw wagging about his family again. If it wasn’t enough that Sam was presumed dead and Maggie’s fragile state got worse by the day, now the gossips had new fodder.

Of all the men at the auction, he’d been the one Lucy had chosen. Him - the man who worked so hard to maintain his reputation as practical and sensible. The man who had never been swayed by a girl in frills or lace.

But swayed he’d been. And he’d never been so dizzy in all his life.

Lucy sat tall in the wagon, her chin lifted and her hands folded neatly in her lap. Aside from the few wrinkles in her dress, and her kiss-swollen lips, she looked exactly as she had when he’d walked out of the auction with her.

Damn the gossips – they could think or say whatever they wanted about him and Lucy. He’d made a fine choice in his new wife and he could only hope she’d eventually come to feel the same way about him.

“Where to first?” he asked, sitting up straight.

A flash of hope covered her face, then faded. “We should go talk to George first. Take care of business and then we’ll worry about. . .other things.”

Other things.
Jed didn’t know whether to laugh or not. The minute he’d mentioned a new dress and coat, her eyes had lit up like the North Star. Yet there she sat pretending it didn’t matter a hoot. What an odd creature she was.

“The mercantile’s closer,” he answered, holding in his grin. “And Miss Celia’s dress shop is right over there.”

He pointed down the street, but Lucy shook her head.

“No. Business first.” She bobbed her head in a definite nod. “After all, we’re not sure how much the herd will cost, so it only makes sense to do that first, then we’ll know where we stand.”

Was this
his
Lucy being practical? Couldn’t be.

But as much as he’d love to see her in a fancy new dress right away, what she said made sense.

Jed pulled the wagon up to the livery and set the brake. Herd or no herd, he was going to spoil his wife silly today.

“Here.” He set his hands around her narrow waist and lifted her from the seat, realizing she wasn’t wearing a corset. What
did
she have on underneath that dress?

Lucy smiled wickedly at him, as though she’d read his thoughts. “Thank you, husband.”

He cleared his throat and grinned stupidly. “Be back in a minute.”

After arranging care for the horses and wagon, he took Lucy’s elbow and steered her toward town. “Last chance to do the mercantile first,” he teased as they approached the huge glass window. “Dresses, earbobs, maybe that pretty little feather bonnet right there.”