Tempting Prudence: The Bride Train (18 page)

* * *

Prudence followed the sound of barking down the path that led to the creek. Rebel stayed near Arch when he wasn’t with her.

Two squirrels balanced a low limb scolded her, or maybe they were fussing at the dog. He loved to chase squirrels and rabbits even if he no longer had any hope of catching one.

Rebel rushed up to her, his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out as he panted with obvious satisfaction.

She leaned over and rubbed his head. “You are a dirty mess. Come with me and let’s get you cleaned up for dinner. I don’t know what Arch is thinking to let you come in the house smelling so bad. His nose isn’t as keen as yours. He needs a bath, too.”

Sounds of rushing water came from behind the bushes. A flash of white and brown over a sumac caught her eye. Those clothes belonged to Arch.

The dog gleefully sounded a call and bounded off.

“Rebel!” Arch’s shout came from the direction of the creek. “Stop that racket! What d’you got there? You done chased all the squirrels into the trees.”

Prudence jerked to a halt. What should she do? Run? Stay? Call out so he’d know he wasn’t alone? Rational thought scattered as the bushes parted and out stepped Arch without a stitch on.

A gasp lodged in her chest, as she took in all at once her husband’s tanned, muscular body made more magnificent sheened by water.

The bucket thudded as it hit the ground.

She ought to avert her eyes, but not for all the tea in China could she tear her gaze away.

He appeared equally surprised and didn’t move from his frozen position.

Over the course of thirty years, she had seen few men undressed: her father when he’d been sick and old and needed taking care of and Peter, whom she’d caught skinny-dipping with her brother when she was little more than a child. They looked nothing like her husband.

Light and shadow played across Arch’s broad shoulders and chest. Muscled ridges crossed a line of dark brown hair pointed like an arrow down his abdomen. His legs weren’t at all skinny, and his…private part…was much larger.

“Oh my.” The whispered words came out with her breath.

He made a grab for the trousers. His sharp movement broke her trance and she turned her back to give him privacy. She raised her hands to her face, her fingers cold against her hot cheeks. What on earth had she been thinking to stand there and stare at him?

“Pru?”

The soft rustling conveyed he was putting on his clothes. A very wanton part of her wished he’d leave them off. “Is everything all right?”

What a question. He was oh-so-very
all right
. Perfect was the word that came to mind.

“Your mother sent me for water.” She motioned at the bucket that had fallen over when she dropped it. “I’m sorry for surprising you. I should’ve called out.”

“No reason to be sorry. We’re married now. That means we got a right to look.” His voice hinted at amusement.

Her face blistered from the heat. Of course he’d noticed her gawking. Embarrassment caused her to respond in a sharper tone than intended. “Even married people don’t prance around in front of each other unclothed.”

“They don’t?” He covered her shoulders with his hands. His touch penetrated her dress and the warmth settled in a low spot between her legs. The same response she had whenever he held her and kissed her. The heat would quickly turn to a needy ache.

He brought his lips near her ear. “Perhaps you ought to teach me then, about what married folks do.”

Her heart constricted painfully. She knew nothing about being married, as he was well aware. “Don’t tease me…not about this.”

He sighed into her ear, making her shiver. “Sweet woman, you ought to know by now what I sound like when I’m teasing, and when I’m dead serious…” He brushed a kiss on her neck. She felt it clear to her toes. “Teach me Pru. Show me how to be the kind of husband you want.”

His low voice reverberated, setting off flutters in her chest. As he’d suggested, his tone held no trace of humor. Strangely enough, he sounded anxious almost pleading. Not like a man who didn’t wish to be her husband.

She’d misread his earlier mood, misunderstood why he’d been upset. She had misjudged a great many things, most of all herself.

Her upbringing, as her name suggested, had schooled her to be prudent. With Arch, she was anything but prudent. With him, she’d become a reckless woman who took chances she had never dreamed she would take. With Arch, she could be her true self instead of the person others expected her to be. With her husband, her spirit could soar like the wild hawks that circled high above the tall grass.

“You’ve taught me far more than I could teach you. Let me show you what you’ve taught me…” Turning, she looped an arm around his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss.

Their lips melded as if they’d been made to fit together. Kissing him came as natural as breathing. His arms went around her waist and he pulled her closer. She slipped her free hand between them and with her fingertips learned the shape and textures of his lightly furred chest. His muscles tightened beneath her touch, signaling the effect she had on him. Perhaps more than she’d realized.

She took the initiative and deepened the kiss.

His eager response fueled her courage and fanned her desire into a roaring blaze. She slid her hand lower on his stomach, slipped her thumb beneath the waistband of his trousers, encountered the top button and flipped it open.

He groaned into her mouth. His hands, having made several trips over her back, moved up her arms and his fingers closed in a tight grip. Did that mean he wanted her to stop, or continue?

Her heart trembled from wanting him so desperately. More than that, she wanted to show him how perfect he was, just as he was. Thus far, she had followed her instincts, but she’d ventured into deep water and didn’t know how to swim. He might expect she did, considering her boldness. She’d make a fool of herself if she didn’t slow down and let him guide her.

“This is all I’ve learned…so far. Will you teach me more? Show me how to please you?”

He pressed a tender kiss on her mouth. “Aw Pru, you please me just by breathing.”

His heavy-lidded eyes darkened with desire and something more, something so infinitely sweet and gentle it put a lump in her throat.

Before they dove into the depths together, before he taught her all the things she’d wondered about and longed for, she had to tell him what he meant to her. He deserved to know he owned her heart before she gave him her body.

“I love you, Arch. Teach me how to show you.”

* * *

Loving Pru in the shade beside the creek, on a bed made from his rumpled clothing, proved far better than any fantasy Arch could’ve dreamed up. He shifted his arm beneath her neck to make her more comfortable. Her eyes were closed and she had a sweet, satisfied smile on her face, as he imagined Eve must’ve looked lying naked and flushed with pleasure in Adam’s arms.

He could hardly believe his wife had been so bold as to come to him. Even more unbelievable, she’d fallen in love with him. Made no sense. Then again, much of creation didn’t make sense but that didn’t mean it was any less miraculous.

Together, they’d found Paradise. It couldn’t last any more than it had all those eons ago. But for a little while longer, he wanted to linger and pretend he’d done nothing wrong. The illusion would be over as soon as he gave her the bad news.

Leaning over, he kissed the tip of her nose. “What are you dreaming about?”

Her eyes remained closed, but her smile broadened. “You.”

“What am I doing…in your dream?”

“Loving me,” she whispered.

“Like this?” He caressed her breasts with his free hand. She had a body made for loving, all curves and softness and smooth skin that turned rosy when she was aroused.

Her eyes fluttered open, wide with surprise. “Y-yes…something like that.”

“Let me know if there’s a part I missed.” He continued the exploration with his lips.

“Oh!” Her fingers plunged into his hair, drawing him closer. He gladly fulfilled her request for more attention. She’d alternately stroked and fondled and even pulled his hair while he’d loved on her. Her touch, however soft or painful, excited him beyond all measure.

Her breathing grew ragged. Soon, she’d start making those adorable mewling sounds in the back of her throat.

A real gentleman, like what she deserved, wouldn’t have taken all her sweet affection while letting her believe that he could give her the kind of life he’d promised. She claimed she loved him, but she might not realize what loving him would require. With a groan, he came to his hands and knees, putting a stop to their play.

Her pretty brown eyes shone with confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“We got to talk…”

“Right now?” Her gaze moved down his chest and lower to where his John Henry stood at attention. At the questioning look she gave him, he released a rough laugh.

“Bad timing, I know…” He got up and fetched his trousers. “Might be less distracting if we get dressed.”

As she pulled on her shift, she cast furtive glances out of the side of her eyes. He’d finished dressing before she started fastening the stays on her corset. By the time she got to the dress, he couldn’t wait any longer and took over the job of slipping the smooth white buttons into the buttonholes.

“Thank you.” Smiling, she reached up and took his hands.

He gathered her fingers and brought them to his lips, and the words in his heart spilled out. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

She cast her eyes downward, smiling shyly, like a young woman receiving her first compliment from a man. “I feel the same way.”

He longed to shower her with compliments to make up for all the ones she’d missed. That would send them off on another detour. Later, there would be time, God willing. “You might not feel so charitable after I make a confession.”

“You have something to confess?” Worry flickered through her eyes, although her gaze remained steady.

He would rather cut out his heart than disappoint her. Yet, he couldn’t avoid it. The right way to do this, give her the truth without trying to put a shine on the apple. “There’s no telling how long my brothers might be in jail. I’m done with trying to help them, but I can’t turn my back on their families. They got wives and children that depend on what we make from selling moonshine.”

With a thoughtful expression, she drew the hair he’d loosened over one shoulder and nimbly wove a soft-looking braid. “I was afraid that might be the case…”

“It’s not bootlegging I’m talking about. I have to go back and run the stills. That means I can’t stay here and be a farmer and raise horses like I promised. Not now, anyway. Maybe not ever…” He flexed his hands rather than taking hold of her hair, or worse, dragging her to him and clinging to her. If he tried to hold on, knowing how she felt about how he made a living, she would eventually grow to despise him. She deserved a better life. She deserved a better man.

“I should’ve told you earlier…instead of letting you think everything was going to be like I said. If you don’t want to stay with me, I understand.”

The color drained from his wife’s face. Her expression froze in a look of disbelief. “What are you saying? You don’t want me to stay?”

The hurt in her voice ripped out his heart. “Of course I do. There’s nothing I want more. But I love you, Pru. That’s why I want you to be with a man you’ll be proud of. Someone who can give you the kind of life you deserve.”

She blinked as if what he’d said astounded her. Then she threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Arch, I love you…and I’m proud of you no matter what you have to do…and there isn’t any other life I’d rather have than one with you.”

The rush of relief left him trembling. He caught her against him in a tight embrace. “You better be sure. Because I won’t ever let you go again.”

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.” She reached up and cupped his cheek. Her dark eyes flashed with determination. “You told me once that if we faced the world together, nothing could stop us. I believe that, Arch.”

Looking at his brave, beautiful wife, he believed it, too. He cupped her cheek and bent to seal their commitment.

A bark interrupted their kiss. Rebel stuck his nose in between them, making himself a nuisance.

Arch stopped kissing Pru long enough to acknowledge the jealous hound. “Sorry, old soldier. She likes my kisses better.”

“He’s telling us dinner is ready.” Pru heaved a reluctant sigh. “We’d better get back.”

Upon entering the house, a delicious smell greeted them. Arch’s stomach started growling. He went directly to the table and leaned over a pie, breathing in the heavenly smell. “Mm, vinegar pie, one of my favorites. Thanks, Ma.”

“Don’t thank me, thank your wife. She’s the one who made it.” His ma replied, dishing stew into bowls.

Arch kept the smile glued to his face as he looked at his wife. “Did Ma help you?”

“Not a bit,” his mother interjected. “She done it all by herself. Wouldn’t take any instruction. Said she wanted to surprise you.”

Pru fairly glowed with pride. “Go ahead, cut yourself a piece. I’m eager for you to taste it.”