Read Online This Savage Heart by Patricia Hagan - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Hagan
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you’re mine. Take me, misty eyes, all of me, if you can.”
She could no longer deny the voracious need, and her fingers inched toward him as her heart urged her on. She wrapped her hand about him, and they sank to the floor as one. Spreading her thighs, lifting her legs, she guided him, gasping with delight as he thrust inside her. Bittersweet spasms of fire flamed within her belly. She hated him and hated herself, but, oh, he did have such power.
As he plunged inside her again and again, she clutched eagerly at his undulating buttocks, inciting him. Faster and faster he drove into her, carrying them to a realm of euphoric release.
Moments later he withdrew to lie beside her, cradling her head on his shoulder. Gently, lovingly, he caressed her face. She made no sound, and he did nothing to provoke her, for he wanted the moment of peace to last. He ought to have known better. Peace was never theirs for very long. She started to dress, and he said, getting up and putting on his clothes, “I’ll walk you back to the hotel.”
“I can walk myself,” she said, then could not resist saying, “unless you want to go back to the ball in hopes of seeing Elisa. I suppose you love the way she fawns all over you.”
“Elisa?” he said. “You think I would lust after a woman in her condition?”
“Her condition is temporary. Her marital status is not—but I doubt that her being married would stand in your way if you wanted to bed her.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” he told her bluntly. “If a married woman I find desirable invites me to her bed, I don’t have the scruples to turn her down…as long as her husband isn’t in the bed with us.”
He laughed at himself. She was about to say something cutting when Micah came running and peered into the wagon. At the sight of Captain Arnhardt standing with Miss Marshall, certainly imprudent at such an hour, Micah bowed his cotton-white head in embarrassment.
Derek was not one to explain his own conduct, so he simply said, “Yes, Micah. What is it?”
Micah slowly lifted his eyes. He looked afraid. “Cap’n, it’s Miz Thatcher. She in a bad way. She hurtin’. She say fo’ me to fetch you quick.”
As Julie looked on in alarm, Derek touched his fingertips to his mustache thoughtfully. “It isn’t time for the baby, so this means trouble. Run on into town and find a doctor. Is there anyone with her now, Micah?”
“She wouldn’t let me get nobody but you. She say to get you and nobody else. She say she don’t want none of them old busybody women around her. That was what she said, Cap’n Arnhardt.”
“Right now she doesn’t have any choice.” He turned to Julie and told her calmly, “Go back into town with Micah and find Teresa and bring her here. Elisa can’t have any objections to Teresa.”
He hurried away, and Julie watched him disappear into the shadows. Why, she wondered, had Elisa sent Micah for Derek? Why hadn’t she just sent for a doctor?
Chapter Six
Julie rushed into the hotel lobby, ignoring the curious looks. She knew she was a sight—hair disheveled, gown mussed. Pushing through the throngs of people, she searched the ballroom until she saw Teresa and Myles standing beside the refreshment table. Both looked at her in alarm as she made her way over to them.
Myles quickly turned to grasp her elbow and lead her away from the curious before asking, “What on earth has happened?”
Julie explained, and in a minute she and Teresa were on their way to the wagon train compound, while Myles went in search of a doctor.
The two women were scurrying down the street when they heard Myles shouting, and turned to see him running from the hotel. He reached them, a look of deep worry on his face. “I’m sorry, but there’s no doctor around. There’s only one in this town, and somebody just told me he’s been gone since early morning. A whole family is sick about ten miles out, and there’s no telling when he’ll get back.”
Julie and Myles
She could no longer deny the voracious need, and her fingers inched toward him as her heart urged her on. She wrapped her hand about him, and they sank to the floor as one. Spreading her thighs, lifting her legs, she guided him, gasping with delight as he thrust inside her. Bittersweet spasms of fire flamed within her belly. She hated him and hated herself, but, oh, he did have such power.
As he plunged inside her again and again, she clutched eagerly at his undulating buttocks, inciting him. Faster and faster he drove into her, carrying them to a realm of euphoric release.
Moments later he withdrew to lie beside her, cradling her head on his shoulder. Gently, lovingly, he caressed her face. She made no sound, and he did nothing to provoke her, for he wanted the moment of peace to last. He ought to have known better. Peace was never theirs for very long. She started to dress, and he said, getting up and putting on his clothes, “I’ll walk you back to the hotel.”
“I can walk myself,” she said, then could not resist saying, “unless you want to go back to the ball in hopes of seeing Elisa. I suppose you love the way she fawns all over you.”
“Elisa?” he said. “You think I would lust after a woman in her condition?”
“Her condition is temporary. Her marital status is not—but I doubt that her being married would stand in your way if you wanted to bed her.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” he told her bluntly. “If a married woman I find desirable invites me to her bed, I don’t have the scruples to turn her down…as long as her husband isn’t in the bed with us.”
He laughed at himself. She was about to say something cutting when Micah came running and peered into the wagon. At the sight of Captain Arnhardt standing with Miss Marshall, certainly imprudent at such an hour, Micah bowed his cotton-white head in embarrassment.
Derek was not one to explain his own conduct, so he simply said, “Yes, Micah. What is it?”
Micah slowly lifted his eyes. He looked afraid. “Cap’n, it’s Miz Thatcher. She in a bad way. She hurtin’. She say fo’ me to fetch you quick.”
As Julie looked on in alarm, Derek touched his fingertips to his mustache thoughtfully. “It isn’t time for the baby, so this means trouble. Run on into town and find a doctor. Is there anyone with her now, Micah?”
“She wouldn’t let me get nobody but you. She say to get you and nobody else. She say she don’t want none of them old busybody women around her. That was what she said, Cap’n Arnhardt.”
“Right now she doesn’t have any choice.” He turned to Julie and told her calmly, “Go back into town with Micah and find Teresa and bring her here. Elisa can’t have any objections to Teresa.”
He hurried away, and Julie watched him disappear into the shadows. Why, she wondered, had Elisa sent Micah for Derek? Why hadn’t she just sent for a doctor?
Chapter Six
Julie rushed into the hotel lobby, ignoring the curious looks. She knew she was a sight—hair disheveled, gown mussed. Pushing through the throngs of people, she searched the ballroom until she saw Teresa and Myles standing beside the refreshment table. Both looked at her in alarm as she made her way over to them.
Myles quickly turned to grasp her elbow and lead her away from the curious before asking, “What on earth has happened?”
Julie explained, and in a minute she and Teresa were on their way to the wagon train compound, while Myles went in search of a doctor.
The two women were scurrying down the street when they heard Myles shouting, and turned to see him running from the hotel. He reached them, a look of deep worry on his face. “I’m sorry, but there’s no doctor around. There’s only one in this town, and somebody just told me he’s been gone since early morning. A whole family is sick about ten miles out, and there’s no telling when he’ll get back.”
Julie and Myles
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