Free Mail-order bridegroom by Day Leclaire Page B

her eyes.
    The only identifying article left with Hunter at the orphanage had been the strange gold-encased stone identical to the one he'd duplicated for a wedding-present. He'd worn it like a talisman all the time she'd known him, though he'd never been able to trace its origin successfully.
    'I thought a gold chain a better choice than the leather thong I use.'
    'Thank you. It's beautiful.' She handed him the box and turned her back to him. 'Will you put it on?' She lifted her hair and veil out of the way while he fastened the chain around her neck. The stone nestled between her breasts, cool and heavy against her skin.
    Before she realized what he intended, Hunter turned her around and swung her into his arms. She clutched at his shoulders, her heart beating frantically, knowing that she couldn't delay the inevitable any longer. He strode across the entrance hall and climbed the stairs, booting open the door to the master bedroom.
    She started to protest, but stopped when she saw the candles and flowers that festooned the room. At a guess, it was more of her grandmother's fine handiwork. This time, though, Leah approved. Giving them the master bedroom was Rose's tacit acknowledgement of Hunter's position in the household.
    'Where's Rose's room?' he asked, as though reading her mind.
    'Downstairs. She had a private wing built when my father married. She said the only smart way for an extended family to cohabit was to live apart.'
    A reluctant smile touched his mouth. 'There may be hope for our relationship yet.'

    He set her down, his smile fading, a dark, intense expression growing in his eyes. He removed the circlet from her brow and swept the veil from her hair. It floated to the floor, a gauzy slip of silver against the burgundy carpet.
    He stepped back. 'Take off the dress. I don't want to rip it/
    Fumbling awkwardly with the belt links, she unfastened the chain at her waist and placed it among the flowers on the walnut bureau. She slipped off her heels, wondering why removing her shoes always made her feel small and vulnerable. Finally she gathered the hem of her gown and slowly lifted it to her waist.
    The next instant she felt Hunter's hands beside her own, easing the dress over her head. He laid it across a chair and turned back to her. She stood in the center of the room, horribly self-conscious in the sheer wisps of silk and lace that were her only covering.
    'Hunter,' she whispered. 'I don't think I'm ready for this.'
    'Relax,' he murmured. 'There's no rush. We have all the time in the world.' He approached, wrapping her in his embrace. 'Remember how good it was between us?'
    She clung to his jacket lapel. 'But we're not the same people any more. Our.. .our feelings have changed.'
    'Some things never change. And this is one of them.' His eyes were so black, full of heat and hunger, his face, tight and drawn, reflecting his desire. He lifted her against him, tracing the length of her jaw with the edge of his thumb.
    She shuddered beneath the delicate caress. He'd always been incredibly tender with her, a lover who combined a sensitive awareness of a woman's needs with a forceful passion that had made loving him an experience she'd never forgotten. It would be so easy to succumb, to be

    swept into believing he loved her still—-a fantasy she found all too appealing.
    'I can make it so good for you,' he said, his mouth drifting from her earlobe to the tiny pulse throbbing in her neck. 'Let me show you.' He found the clasp of her bra and unhooked it, sliding the silk from her body.
    She closed her eyes, her breathing shallow and rapid. He didn't lie. She knew from experience that making love to him would be wonderful. It was the morning after that concerned her, when she'd have to face the knowledge that he'd come one step closer to achieving his goal—of winning both the ranch and her. 'His hand closed over her breast and her heart pounded beneath the warmth of his palm. For an endless instant she hung in the