her that it was and Mrs. Ferguson seemed to accept that, though her eyes still were troubled.
Jackson rented her an adjoining room at the hotel where he was staying, and Sophie declined the desk clerk’s offer to have a maid put her belongings away. She followed the stairs up to her room while Jackson waited in the dining room for her.
Her hands lingered on the ornately carved chiffarobe . Her possessions made a pitifully small pile in the deep drawer. S he trailed her fingers over the feather bed and felt the fabric of the curtains, then realized she was stalling. Sophie turned to the mirror on the wall to fix her hair. It still looked lovely, but she fussed with it for a few moments anyway , then took a deep breath and went downstairs to have dinner with the man who would soon be her lover.
Chapter Five
Jackson had ordered dinner for them already and the food arrived almost as soon as Sophie did. It looked beautiful and at any other time, she would have been ecstatic to be eating such fare but she was so nervous that it could have been sawdust and she wouldn’t have known.
After the dishes had been cleared away, Jackson cleared his throat. Jackson covered her hand with his, and Sophie trembled.
“ My dear, I have to say this. Can you come to me without fear? After all that has happened, if you want to wait…I will understand, ” he said in a low voice. “It’s important to me, Sophie. I haven’t yet found a woman who isn’t repulsed by my scars, and I need someone in my life. I am lonely at the farm; it doesn’t have to be a love affair, but I need someone who feels desire for me, and someone who cares for me…just a little bit. I would rather wait than force you to do something you aren’t yet ready to do. ”
“I don’t want to wait .” Sophie ignored the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She liked him, and she enjoyed his kisses , and waiting would just make it worse . When she thought that she would never see him again, her heart had plummeted to her feet, and then soared upward again when Bonita told her that Robert had contacted him on her behalf. “Yes, I will be happy in your bed, Jackson. I find you very attractive .“ She held his gaze with her own. “Very happy,” she said firmly.
It wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t! She told herself. She was attracted to him, she just didn’t know that she wouldn’t be fearful the first time. Perhaps it would be all right; it had been a long time since…she thrust the thought away. She would not think of that time, she would not!
“ If you are sure. Would you like to go to y our room and wait for me there? I will check on our schedule for tomorrow. I want to make sure that all the supplies are packed in the wagon and secured for the night.”
“Yes, of course,”
Sophie got to her feet, her heart fluttering madly. He rose and gave her a slight bow, a smile on his face. His fingers lingered on her hand when he gave her the key, and she could feel his gaze on her back as she walked away.
I can do this, I can do this, she told herself as she readied for bed. How was she to wait? Should she be naked and under the covers, or dressed in her nightclothes and on her feet? Light on, or off? She dithered for a moment before throwing the loose gown over her head and dowsing the candle. She crawled into the bed and lay there, shivering. When the adjoining door creaked open, she held her breath.
“Jackson?” she asked in a quavering voice. “Is that you?”
“Who else would it be, Sophie?”
He chuckled, and Sophie’s stomach twisted again. She forced herself to let go the covers she clutched in her hand as she heard the sounds of his undressing. When he crawled in beside her, she nearly jumped off the bed.
Jackson could feel his heart pounding, and he tried to force his hands to stop shaking. He had half expected her to be gone when he got back to the room, and he had hurried through his inspection of the wagon. They could be short by half of
Jackson rented her an adjoining room at the hotel where he was staying, and Sophie declined the desk clerk’s offer to have a maid put her belongings away. She followed the stairs up to her room while Jackson waited in the dining room for her.
Her hands lingered on the ornately carved chiffarobe . Her possessions made a pitifully small pile in the deep drawer. S he trailed her fingers over the feather bed and felt the fabric of the curtains, then realized she was stalling. Sophie turned to the mirror on the wall to fix her hair. It still looked lovely, but she fussed with it for a few moments anyway , then took a deep breath and went downstairs to have dinner with the man who would soon be her lover.
Chapter Five
Jackson had ordered dinner for them already and the food arrived almost as soon as Sophie did. It looked beautiful and at any other time, she would have been ecstatic to be eating such fare but she was so nervous that it could have been sawdust and she wouldn’t have known.
After the dishes had been cleared away, Jackson cleared his throat. Jackson covered her hand with his, and Sophie trembled.
“ My dear, I have to say this. Can you come to me without fear? After all that has happened, if you want to wait…I will understand, ” he said in a low voice. “It’s important to me, Sophie. I haven’t yet found a woman who isn’t repulsed by my scars, and I need someone in my life. I am lonely at the farm; it doesn’t have to be a love affair, but I need someone who feels desire for me, and someone who cares for me…just a little bit. I would rather wait than force you to do something you aren’t yet ready to do. ”
“I don’t want to wait .” Sophie ignored the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She liked him, and she enjoyed his kisses , and waiting would just make it worse . When she thought that she would never see him again, her heart had plummeted to her feet, and then soared upward again when Bonita told her that Robert had contacted him on her behalf. “Yes, I will be happy in your bed, Jackson. I find you very attractive .“ She held his gaze with her own. “Very happy,” she said firmly.
It wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t! She told herself. She was attracted to him, she just didn’t know that she wouldn’t be fearful the first time. Perhaps it would be all right; it had been a long time since…she thrust the thought away. She would not think of that time, she would not!
“ If you are sure. Would you like to go to y our room and wait for me there? I will check on our schedule for tomorrow. I want to make sure that all the supplies are packed in the wagon and secured for the night.”
“Yes, of course,”
Sophie got to her feet, her heart fluttering madly. He rose and gave her a slight bow, a smile on his face. His fingers lingered on her hand when he gave her the key, and she could feel his gaze on her back as she walked away.
I can do this, I can do this, she told herself as she readied for bed. How was she to wait? Should she be naked and under the covers, or dressed in her nightclothes and on her feet? Light on, or off? She dithered for a moment before throwing the loose gown over her head and dowsing the candle. She crawled into the bed and lay there, shivering. When the adjoining door creaked open, she held her breath.
“Jackson?” she asked in a quavering voice. “Is that you?”
“Who else would it be, Sophie?”
He chuckled, and Sophie’s stomach twisted again. She forced herself to let go the covers she clutched in her hand as she heard the sounds of his undressing. When he crawled in beside her, she nearly jumped off the bed.
Jackson could feel his heart pounding, and he tried to force his hands to stop shaking. He had half expected her to be gone when he got back to the room, and he had hurried through his inspection of the wagon. They could be short by half of
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