Chapter Thirteen

Hannah pulled her hair back, tying it loosely in a pink satin ribbon then looked at her reflection in the oval mirror. A smile came to her lips as she met Chase’s gaze in the mirror. She hadn’t heard him enter the house. He stood in the doorway of her bedroom holding a beautiful bright bouquet of black-eyed Susans. He had to be one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen.

Leaning against the doorjamb, he watched her. A slow, easy smile spread across his face, lighting up his eyes. “I thought you’d still be resting, in bed.”

“I feel much better. Besides, I’ve been lazing about for three days and I’m tired of it.” She turned to face him.

He made no effort to enter her room, just extended his arm. “I found these along the way. I thought they might cheer you up.”

Hannah met him in the doorway. Touched by the gesture, she reached out and took them from him. “Thank you, they’re lovely.” Chase didn’t let go of the bouquet right away. He looked long and hard at her face, his gaze searching every inch of her skin. She saw him wince when he looked at the bruise around her eye and temple. Gently he reached up and ran his finger over the wound.

Rivers of warmth flooded through her. If his touch could make her feel like this, she wondered what it would be like to have him do more. She swallowed hard. “I thought it looked a little less purple today.”

He didn’t say a word as he bent his head toward hers and kissed her forehead. “Oh, Hannah,” he breathed her name.

Together they clutched the stems of the flowers, her hand wrapped around his. They stayed that way for several minutes, their hands joined and their foreheads touching. She felt his tension and wished more than ever that he would tell her what was troubling him.

He was the first to break away. “We should put these in some water before they wilt.”

She reached out to take the flowers from him, but he stopped her. “You go sit out on the porch. I can take care of these.”

“There’s a vase on the hutch that you can use,” she told him before walking out to the porch.

She sat in one of the three rocking chairs that lined the porch; Chase joined her a few minutes later. The caned seat of the rocker groaned under his weight. He said nothing as he reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. In unison they rocked. Chase stretched his long legs in front of him and watched as two fat, red-breasted robins scurried along the ground in search of earth worms.

Hannah sighed and dared to let herself pretend they were married and this was their home, their front porch. It felt so perfect having Chase by her side. She wanted to forget about Harold Tyler, the mine and Chase’s secrets—she wanted to have it just be the two of them.

A warm breeze ruffled her hair. The air smelled clean and the scent of the honeysuckle growing alongside the house surrounded them with its sweetness. Hannah felt Chase watching her and turned to meet his gaze.

They stopped rocking and Chase cupped her chin in his warm hand. He pulled her close to him, then leaned down and kissed her. His tongue traced the outline of her lips. She sighed, leaning closer still as she dared to touch her tongue to his.

He pulled away from her and stared down into her eyes. The passion she saw burning in him made her shiver. She wanted so much more from this man than just a simple kiss, and she knew he felt the same. The flush of his skin, the way he inhaled and exhaled rapidly told her that, as did the racing of his heart beneath her hand.

She only wished it could be so.

Lowering his head once more, he said against her mouth, “Do you know what you do to me, woman?”

Her hand trembled as he took it in his and pressed it against his manhood. She gasped at the feel of his hardness beneath her fingertips. “That is what you do to me.” His voice sounded husky to her ears and she couldn’t find the courage to speak.

She dared to lower her gaze to where her hand rested against him and was hit with a wave of dizziness so forceful that she fell against him.

“Hannah?” His voice sounded far away, like he was calling to her from the bottom of a pit.

Chase gently shook her shoulders. “Hannah? Honey, are you all right?”

“I think I need to go lie down,” she managed weakly.

In one swift movement he swept her into his strong arms. She laid her head against his shoulder.

“You shouldn’t have gotten out of bed. It’s too soon for you to be moving about, Hannah,” he chastised her as he placed her in the middle of the bed and pulled the quilt up over her.

She watched him, helpless. The dizziness subsided and left her feeling foolish and embarrassed to think that the sight of his arousal had caused her to swoon. No! That couldn’t be the reason! He was right, she just wasn’t recovered enough to be moving about yet.

“I’ll stay until your grandmother comes home.” Concern marked his features as he stared down at her.

Still embarrassed, Hannah toyed with the edge of the quilt, unable to look at him. “She shouldn’t be too much longer. She took some pies over to Sallie McCleary.”

“Umm.”

“Umm, what?”

“I was just thinking that until your condition improves, we’ll just have to take things at a slower pace.” The wickedness of his grin set Hannah to blushing furiously.

“You cannot possibly think that it was your condition which caused me to faint?” Hannah cried, indignant.

Taking her hand in his, he turned it palm side up and kissed it. Raising his head ever so slightly he looked at her, whispering, “Absolutely…not.”

 

 

“Hannah, dear, come into the kitchen and have some tea with your grandfather and me.”

The sound of her grandmother’s sweet voice carried in on the warm summer breeze. Hannah gave one last stroke of the brush to her hair and left the bedroom. She entered the kitchen, taking in the warmth of the scene that greeted her. With Grandfather seated in his chair at the head of the table and her grandmother bending over kissing him, it was as if their home had returned to perfect harmony. Her grandfather had returned home this past Sunday.

While her grandmother poured the tea, Hannah went to kiss her grandfather’s stubbled cheek. “It’s nice to have you back home, Gramps.”

“And it’s good to be here.” He winked at his wife and then turned his attention back to Hannah. “How are you feeling today?”

“I’m fine. I wish you two would stop fussing over me. My headaches are gone, and look—” she pushed the hair off her temple, exposing the thin red scar left behind from the gash. “—you can hardly see the bruise anymore.”

“Still, I think you need to exercise some caution in your activity.” He gulped down the tea.

Hannah added the tiniest bit of sugar to her tea then mixed it with the small silver teaspoon that rested near the saucer. She sipped at her tea, wondering what her grandfather would say if he knew that Chase had said almost the very same words to her two weeks ago. Although Chase hadn’t been referring to the same type of activity, of that she was certain!

Feeling restless, she turned the teacup around on the saucer. She needed to be outside, on her own. She was going to tell her grandparents that she felt well enough to go for a ride.

Deciding that the direct approach was best, she plunged ahead with her declaration. “I’m going out to Crane Pond today. Just for a little ride. I need to get out and stretch my legs.”

“Oh, Hannah, give yourself some more time. Take a short ride on the paths around the homestead.” Her grandmother was already fretting and Hannah wasn’t even out the door.

A smile touched her lips as she watched her grandmother twist the cloth napkin in her hands as she spoke. Hannah reached across the table and placed her hand on top of her grandmother’s. “I need to do this.”

“You always were headstrong. You mark my words, child. I want you to take care.” Gram wagged a finger at her.

“I will.”

Having finished with her tea, Hannah pushed herself away from the kitchen table. “I’ll be home in a few hours.”

She hadn’t realized how cooped up she’d been until she was actually riding Bonnie out of the yard. Convalescing could certainly grow tiresome. The day had grown warm and she was glad that she’d worn her blue riding skirt and white linen blouse. By the time she arrived at the pond, the sweat had soaked through her thin chemise, leaving a light stain on the blouse.

She hadn’t been here since the picnic with Julia and Stephen. Hannah was surprised at how the memories of the day crept up on her. That was the day Chase had shown her the lovely star garnet. It was also the day when she first realized her feelings for the man were changing. Sighing, Hannah took the south trail, following the curves around rocks and trees and finally arriving at the flat rock that was her favorite spot.

Dismounting, she tethered Bonnie to a low branch of a large, old oak tree. She looked out across the wide pond, noticing the tall birch trees with their white bark. Even though summer was just beginning, the leaves were already beginning to yellow.

She left the mare quietly munching grass and wandered over to the rocky ledge. Checking the ground for snakes, she sat down. It was hot, and the ledge beneath her held the heat of the summer’s day. She sat there for a long time, looking out over the water, thinking of nothing. A stream of sweat trickled down between her breasts. She could feel her feet swelling inside her riding boots, it so was hot. The cool water looked so tempting—too tempting.

Jumping to her feet, Hannah ran back to where she’d left Bonnie and stripped down to her chemise and thin pantaloons. She tossed her clothing over the saddle, and scrambled back up the ledge, heedless of the roots that poked at her bare feet. She stopped halfway up the sloping ledge then, facing the water, inhaled deeply and dove into the cool mountain water.

She let out a loud “whoop” as she bobbed back to the surface of the deep dark water. Her black hair swirled around her. The water felt exhilarating, cooling her hot skin. She continued to bob up and down, treading water. The ripples, created by her movements, tickled her breasts.

Thoughts of Chase Malone and what his strong hands could do to her gave her a quick tightening in her belly and a warm feeling between her thighs. His passionate kisses had set her lips on fire and sent her heart pounding. The last time they’d been together, his arousal had been swift and strong—she longed to feel his naked flesh beneath her fingers.

She spoke softly into the breeze. “Oh, Hannah. Thoughts like this are going to get you in trouble.” Lazily she floated on her back, closing her eyes to the bright sunshine, trying to think of anything else except Chase. Hannah let the natural movement of the water carry her, emptying her mind of all thoughts. The lonely cry of a loon pierced the silence, echoing off the mountain walls.

She felt his presence even before she saw him. Hannah dropped her legs back into the water, continuing to kick her feet and swirl her hands to keep afloat. She scanned the shoreline, picking out Bonnie still munching contentedly on a few nubs of grass. A white-tail deer took a tentative step out of the shadowy woods into the bright sunlight and then vaulted away out of sight. Beyond the edge of the shoreline she saw only the thick forest. Bonnie let out a soft neigh and her ears picked up, as though she, too, sensed his presence. Hannah followed the horse’s gaze and then she saw him.

Chase sat tall in the saddle, his back ramrod straight. He’d discarded the wide-brimmed felt hat and today wore a black hat like the ones Hannah had seen in Harper’s Weekly, a western cowboy hat. It suited him. Dressed in black trousers and a crisp white shirt, he looked magnificent. He evidently didn’t see her in the water at first, for he looked at Bonnie, standing with Hannah’s clothing askew over the saddle. He turned and stared at her.

Even though Hannah had floated a good distance from the shoreline, she could still make out the smile that touched his suntanned face. Slowly she pushed her body through the crystal clear water, swimming until she could just touch the pebbled bottom with the tips of her toes. Inching her way forward, Hannah stopped and stood with her feet flat, the water’s level skimming the top of her shoulders.

The heat of the day had affected him also. His damp hair curled up over the collar of his sweat-stained shirt. Even from here she could see the sheen of perspiration covering his skin. Her tongue darted out and she licked her lips. They tasted salty. Would his taste salty too?

“That’s a good size fish.” Chase grinned lazily at her. “Sure wish I’d brought my fishing gear along.”

When a brown perch darted between her legs, Hannah remembered just how scantily clad she was. She couldn’t stop the blush that crept up her neck and colored her face.

Removing his hat, Chase wiped his brow with his sleeve. “Sure is a hot one.” He looked around like he had all the time in the world. “You planning on staying in that pond all day?”

Raising her chin high, she mimicked her Boston schoolmates’ haughty manner. “Perhaps. It’s quite refreshing, you know.”

His gaze swung back to her. “I must admit, the water does look mighty inviting.” He stared at her in a way she found extremely unnerving. “Do you do this often?”

“What?” She feigned complete innocence.

“Swimming in the altogether.” He swung down off the saddle and looped his stallion’s reins over the same tree where Bonnie stood waiting patiently.

Hannah dared not move a muscle as Chase walked to the water’s edge, the water lapping against the top of his boots. She could tell by the boyish grin he wore that he was enjoying an unobstructed view of her person.

He took his hat off. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

“What question?”

“The one about your swimming in the pond. Do you do this often?”

“When I was younger, I came here often with Julia. Today it was so hot. The water was too tempting.” Shrugging her shoulders, Hannah batted her wet lashes at him. “I couldn’t seem to help myself.”

The warm sun was beginning to dry Chase’s hair. She wanted to run her fingers through his dark curls.

He began to unbutton his shirt.

“I have to agree with you, it is very hot today.” Chase looked around him as if he hadn’t a care in the world. In the next moment he shrugged off his shirt, hanging it on a low branch of the oak tree.

She couldn’t take her eyes from his muscled chest with its dark, matted hair. He turned then and the sunlight just caught some of the silver hair that was mixed in. He tugged off his boots, tossing them aside. Her eyes widened in dismay.

“Uh, Chase?”

“Yes, Hannah.” He paused long enough to flash her a boyish grin.

“What are you doing?” Her heart skipped a beat as he began to unfasten his trousers.

“It’s so hot. The water looks tempting,” he said, taunting her with her own words.

She turned her back to him as he continued to strip. Surely he didn’t mean to come in here naked? She couldn’t bring herself to turn back toward him. Her continued flirting had served only to bring this on herself.

He entered the water in one easy dive, swimming underwater to the spot where she stood frozen. Thrown off balance as his hard body knocked into hers, she stumbled backwards.

Hannah sputtered as a ripple of water shot up her nose. “Mr. Malone,” she shrieked while wiping the water from her face.

Chase’s wet head popped out of the water close to hers, so close his breath warmed her face.

“What’s the matter, Miss Jackson? Did you think that this pond is solely for your enjoyment?”

Shaking her head, Hannah pressed her hands against his naked chest. His skin was warm.

“The only problem with this, my dear Hannah, is that you have cheated.” He tugged at the wet ribbon that laced the front of her chemise. “You’re not fully disrobed.”

Reaching up, she grabbed his hand. “I don’t think you…we.” She swallowed hard. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“It’s what we both want. You’re not going to tell me that you haven’t felt the current running between us?”

“I’ve felt it.” She remembered her reaction to him the other day. Hannah knew deep in her soul that if she gave in to him, there would be no going back. She’d known since the very first time she’d met him there was something between them, some spark. She wouldn’t go so far as to call it magical. No, it was something that she hadn’t been able to put a name to for so long a feeling she could no longer deny.

His dark eyes were upon her, filled with desire and longing, taking in every inch of her face. Slowly he let go of the ribbon, but not before he’d managed to loosen the ties enough to leave the tops of her breasts exposed. He turned his attention to her face. Carefully he rubbed his thumb over the thin scar that now marked her temple.

“You look so good,” he whispered as his lips brushed against her temple. “Oh, God. Hannah, I want you so much.”

She reached up and pulled him toward her, kissing him hard on his full lips. Indeed, they did taste of salt. They clung to each other as if they were the last two people on earth.

She rubbed her hands down his long torso, reveling in the feel of his warm skin beneath her cool fingertips. Slowly, they traveled around to gently knead his lower back. He moaned. His manhood stood hard, pressed against her belly.

He laced his fingers in the wet strands of her hair. Their bodies pressed so close together the thin curtain of water no longer separated them. Her nipples hardened in response to his caress. She leaned into him. Their kiss deepened. Hannah parted her mouth, allowing his tongue to enter. A moan escaped her. He withdrew his tongue, tracing the outline of her lips.

“Oh, Chase. I never knew it would feel this wonderful.” His hand roved over her breast, his fingers teased her nipples, making them grow harder.

He continued to arouse her senses, running his hands down her back, pushing the thin fabric of her chemise off her shoulders, leaving the chemise gathered about her waist. She pressed her naked flesh against his. The next thing she knew, she was being carried from the water. Slowly her body slid down the length of him as he set her firmly on the ground.

Carefully he pushed her sodden chemise and drawers from her body. She stood proud and unashamed before him. The expression of his face changed from a look of passion to one of thoughtfulness. “Hannah, if we continue on there will be no turning back.”

“I want you to love me,” she declared boldly.

Their bodies melded together. Gently he laid her upon his white shirt spread at their feet. His long, naked body pressed against hers. He cupped her breasts in his hands, kissing one nipple and then the other until she moaned in pleasure. His hand left her breast, trailing down her flat belly where his fingers explored her most private place. She felt the sticky, hot wetness between her thighs.

Her own hand found his manhood to be hard and hot. Gently, she stroked his flesh. His body trembled at her touch.

“Hannah, promise me one thing.” The words tore from him.

She paused in her ministrations. “Anything.”

His gaze locked with hers. “No matter what happens, what you discover about me, promise me it won’t change what’s between us.”

She swallowed hard, forcing away the tears that threatened. “No matter what, I promise.” At this very moment, she didn’t care what his secrets were. She only knew that she wanted this man to make love to her.

He’d never known a more beautiful, giving woman. He was lost in the sapphire pools that were her eyes. She lay beneath him, willing to give herself completely—trusting him with her very soul. Trusting that the act they were about to share would cause her no pain.

How he wanted her, longed for her! He bent down and kissed her eyelids, her face. He breathed in the sweet scent of her hair then trailed kisses down her neck. She arched her back to him, her body begging for more. He knew he would give her more.

God help him, he couldn’t stop loving her, not now, not ever. He rested on his elbows, poised above her as she lay flat on her back, nestled beneath him.

He looked into her eyes. “Hannah, are you certain, my darling?” he asked one last time.

Her answer was to wrap her hands around his neck and pull him toward her. She kissed him fully, deeply on the lips. “I want you,” she whispered against his hot mouth. “Make love to me.”

The afternoon was warm, the air sweetened with honeysuckle as the two became one.

Later, Chase sat back and watched as she pulled on her damp undergarments. He’d already dressed in his pants and shirt. He toyed with the brim of his cowboy hat. Hannah put on her linen shirt, pausing only once to look at him. He studied her, her skin still flushed with their lovemaking.

She was beautiful. Guilt washed over him as he thought about how he’d taken advantage of her innocence today, and he wondered if she would ever be able to forgive him when she finally learned the truth.

“How did you know I was here?” Her fingers fumbled with the tiny buttons.

“I didn’t. I was out for a ride and just ended up at Crane Pond.” He pushed himself up off the ground and went to help her with the buttons. Brushing her fingers aside, he said, “Believe me, I was quite surprised to find you in the water.”

He smiled, one of those rare, genuine smiles that touched his eyes.

“You don’t have any regrets, do you?” Hannah wasn’t going to ask the question, but she’d always been direct with him and she wasn’t about to let what had just transpired change that.

He reached out to embrace her. “I will never for one minute regret making love to you, Hannah.”

She looked hard at him. He’d never once said that he loved her, though only one short hour ago he’d given so completely of his body. If only he could give her his heart in the same manner! But with each piece of clothing they’d put back on, he’d retreated farther away from her, until finally Hannah wondered if she hadn’t imagined the whole thing.

But she only had to feel the warmth between her legs to know that she’d just made wonderful, passionate love to this man. “I don’t regret it, either.”

Tenderly, he leaned over and cupped her chin in his hand, kissing her lips slowly, deliciously. She struggled to regain control of her senses. “If you don’t stop this, Mr. Malone, I’m afraid that I will not be held responsible for my actions.”

“And what might they be, Miss Jackson?”

“Why, you will leave me with no other choice except to strip away your clothing and make passionate love to you right here on the soft pine needles!”

Chase’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at her forthright response. He threw his head back and laughed. “You know, you never cease to amaze me, Hannah.”

“Good, let’s keep it that way, shall we?” Her mouth turned upwards in a mischievous grin.

He kissed her once more and said, “Yes, let’s.”