Rocky Mountain Dawn (Rocky Mountain Bride Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Lee Savino
grabbed at the blankets, pulling them around her for modesty's sake.
"Esther." Her husband caught her hands. "I'm a doctor, and we are now married. You do not need to hide from me."
"I do not mean to tempt you," she said, flushing. "I know our marriage is in name only, for the purpose of doing God's work."
Her words rocked him back onto his heels. "You think that?"
"Isn't that what you wanted our arrangement to be?"
"I want a partner, yes, and a helpmate. But, Esther, you are my wife. We are to be joined in every way."
Now her cheeks were really burning, not only from his words, but his nearness. Still holding her hands, he drew her up. His gaze swept down her front, and her knees suddenly grew weak.
"Besides," he continued in a hoarse voice. "You are a lovely woman. Only a blind man would be able to ignore your charms."
He picked her up and set her on the bed, his fingers smoothing down her arms, caressing her through the silky fabric. Her head tipped back of her own volition, and her breasts felt suddenly heavy and full. She leaned forward, aching to be touched.
Her husband's body moved between her legs, and she felt something press against her, only to realize he was only wearing his drawers. With a startled cry, she shot back across the bed.
"Mr. Shepherd, please," she gasped. "This is unseemly." Her new husband's head bent, and she watched his shoulders shake a little before she understood what his response was. "Are you laughing at me?"
His chuckle filled the room, and he shook his head before climbing back in bed. Again Esther scooted to the far side of the bed.
"My dear wife." Mr. Shepherd dried his eyes. "Has no one told you what goes on between a man and a woman on their wedding night?"
Esther opened her mouth, then closed it. Her mother had once sat her and Mattie down to explain this, but both she and her sister had come away more confused than ever before. Other than that, she could only guess.
"It's all right," her tall husband said. "I shall enjoy teaching you."
He put his hand on her knee, and she stiffened, but he only patted it.
"Not tonight. We can wait until we know one another better."
He blew out the lamp again, and she felt him lie down.
Careful not to get too close to the edge of the bed, she curled into a ball, wondering at the tumult of feelings inside her, the greatest of which was disappointment.
*****
In the morning she rose before dawn, but Mr. Shepherd had already risen. He left a note for her, saying he was downstairs leading a prayer service for the inn's residents.
Sneaking into the luggage room, she pulled out the contents of her packed trunk, and began to choose what she would wear into her new life. In the end, she had four gowns, only one fine enough to wear on the streets of Boston. The rest of her clothes she repacked to send back to her sister, Mattie.
Feeling sorry for herself, she found the servant's staircase and slipped into the yard behind the inn. Behind her she could hear the guests breakfasting, but she had no desire to join them, or see anyone. Finding a tree, she climbed up a sturdy limb and leaned against the trunk.
She must have dozed off, for she woke to someone calling her name.
"I'm here," she said, sitting up and nearly falling off the branch. She scrambled to hang onto the trunk.
"Esther." Her husband was at the foot of the tree, peering up through leaves with a worried face. "Come down at once."
Sliding off the branch, she winced when her feet hit the ground. Mr. Shepherd's hands gripped her arms immediately.
"Where have you been? We've all been looking for you."
As if to punctuate his words, the innkeeper stuck his head out of the back door. "Is that her, Dr. Shepherd?"
"It is," he called back. "Thank you."
"Very good, sir," the innkeeper chuckled. "Nothing like marrying a bride only to lose her. Young lady," the man waggled a finger at her, "you gave us all a scare."
"I'm sorry," she said, ducking her head as her husband pulled
"Esther." Her husband caught her hands. "I'm a doctor, and we are now married. You do not need to hide from me."
"I do not mean to tempt you," she said, flushing. "I know our marriage is in name only, for the purpose of doing God's work."
Her words rocked him back onto his heels. "You think that?"
"Isn't that what you wanted our arrangement to be?"
"I want a partner, yes, and a helpmate. But, Esther, you are my wife. We are to be joined in every way."
Now her cheeks were really burning, not only from his words, but his nearness. Still holding her hands, he drew her up. His gaze swept down her front, and her knees suddenly grew weak.
"Besides," he continued in a hoarse voice. "You are a lovely woman. Only a blind man would be able to ignore your charms."
He picked her up and set her on the bed, his fingers smoothing down her arms, caressing her through the silky fabric. Her head tipped back of her own volition, and her breasts felt suddenly heavy and full. She leaned forward, aching to be touched.
Her husband's body moved between her legs, and she felt something press against her, only to realize he was only wearing his drawers. With a startled cry, she shot back across the bed.
"Mr. Shepherd, please," she gasped. "This is unseemly." Her new husband's head bent, and she watched his shoulders shake a little before she understood what his response was. "Are you laughing at me?"
His chuckle filled the room, and he shook his head before climbing back in bed. Again Esther scooted to the far side of the bed.
"My dear wife." Mr. Shepherd dried his eyes. "Has no one told you what goes on between a man and a woman on their wedding night?"
Esther opened her mouth, then closed it. Her mother had once sat her and Mattie down to explain this, but both she and her sister had come away more confused than ever before. Other than that, she could only guess.
"It's all right," her tall husband said. "I shall enjoy teaching you."
He put his hand on her knee, and she stiffened, but he only patted it.
"Not tonight. We can wait until we know one another better."
He blew out the lamp again, and she felt him lie down.
Careful not to get too close to the edge of the bed, she curled into a ball, wondering at the tumult of feelings inside her, the greatest of which was disappointment.
*****
In the morning she rose before dawn, but Mr. Shepherd had already risen. He left a note for her, saying he was downstairs leading a prayer service for the inn's residents.
Sneaking into the luggage room, she pulled out the contents of her packed trunk, and began to choose what she would wear into her new life. In the end, she had four gowns, only one fine enough to wear on the streets of Boston. The rest of her clothes she repacked to send back to her sister, Mattie.
Feeling sorry for herself, she found the servant's staircase and slipped into the yard behind the inn. Behind her she could hear the guests breakfasting, but she had no desire to join them, or see anyone. Finding a tree, she climbed up a sturdy limb and leaned against the trunk.
She must have dozed off, for she woke to someone calling her name.
"I'm here," she said, sitting up and nearly falling off the branch. She scrambled to hang onto the trunk.
"Esther." Her husband was at the foot of the tree, peering up through leaves with a worried face. "Come down at once."
Sliding off the branch, she winced when her feet hit the ground. Mr. Shepherd's hands gripped her arms immediately.
"Where have you been? We've all been looking for you."
As if to punctuate his words, the innkeeper stuck his head out of the back door. "Is that her, Dr. Shepherd?"
"It is," he called back. "Thank you."
"Very good, sir," the innkeeper chuckled. "Nothing like marrying a bride only to lose her. Young lady," the man waggled a finger at her, "you gave us all a scare."
"I'm sorry," she said, ducking her head as her husband pulled
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