With a chuckle he kissed her long and lingeringly as he carried her inside the house. Still holding her, he seemed to be wanting some reaction from her.
To Leah, the cabin was very nice. It was large with simple, plain furniture, glass windows, a big stone fireplace, a hallway to the left, and her beautiful loom set not far from the fireplace.
“Bedroom?” she asked, nodding toward the hallway.
“With a great big featherbed. No expense has been spared when it comes to that room.”
She smiled up at him. “It’s a very nice house. I like it very much.”
“You’re not disappointed that it isn’t like Travis’s house?”
“No,” she said honestly. “I was born in a swamp and this house suits me better than that mansion of Regan’s.”
“Mmm,” he said, frowning. “I’m not sure I like my house being compared to a swamp.”
Before she could answer he kissed her again, then set her down. “I’ll have to go see about my foal. Anything you need, tell Oliver or, if you must, go to the twins. I’ll have to double their work load to keep them away from you. Trouble is, they pretend to be each other and I never know who’s working and who’s not. See you later.”
With that he was out the door.
As she looked about the place realizing it was hers, Leah told herself everything was going to be all right. Wesley would grow to love her because she was going to be a good wife to him, Kimberly would have no power over him, and everyone everywhere was going to live happily ever after.
With a smile she set about making the cabin more completely hers. It was larger and far cleaner than the shack in which she’d grown up with her enormous family.
In the bedroom were her trunks of clothes that Nicole had given her. Pulling a gown of lavender silk from the trunk, her rough hands caught on the fine fabric.
“First things first,” she said aloud. Before a clean house and food on the table, Wesley would come home to a sweet-smelling wife with creamed, perfumed skin. In the kitchen she began searching for the ingredients for the creams and lotions Regan and Nicole had taught her to make.
It was hours later when her skin and hair seemed to be somewhat restored after the time in the forest. The roughness and redness of her hands were gone and her hair was gleaming in soft waves as she sat on a stool before the fireplace to dry it. It was nearly sundown, there was no meal prepared, and she hoped Wesley wouldn’t be angry. To encourage his good humor, she wore a semitransparent dressing gown without a stitch on under it.
When Wesley walked in the door he paused, hat in hand, and stared at her. The firelight showing through her gown made her look as if she had a delicate layer of fairy cloth over her beautiful body.
Unnoticed, his hat fell to the floor as he advanced toward her and pulled her into his arms, her thick hair tangling around his forearms.
“I didn’t cook anything,” she whispered as his lips descended.
“And I don’t plan to wash,” he replied. “If you can overlook me, I’ll forgive you.”
He kissed her then, pulling her to him as if he were starving.
Leah clung to him. He’d been working in the fields and his clothes were damp with sweat, his hair curling about his neck. Her fingers went up his neck to intertwine in the curls.
Wesley began to kiss her throat as his hands ran over her arms. Her body was hot from being near the fire and with his sweat and her heat, they nearly sizzled upon touching.
Wesley swept her into his arms, carried her into the bedroom, and carefully laid her on the featherbed.
“Take that off,” he commanded in a low, husky whisper as he stood back from her.
The fading sunlight streamed through the single window, making a golden haze of light in which Leah knelt on the bed, the deep mattress fluffing about her. Slowly she undid the little silk ties that held the gossamer garment together. Then, raising her head to meet his eyes, she languidly slid the silk off her shoulders but managed to keep most of her body hidden. For a moment she held it in front of her, concealing herself from him.
“And now you,” she murmured, toying with the silk.
With a crooked grin, Wesley stripped himself of every stitch of his work clothes, flung them to a corner, and made a leap for her.
Leah, not expecting this sort of exuberance, squealed and rolled out of his way. The silk gown stayed on the bed, caught underneath Wesley.
“Pretty little thing,” he said as he pulled it from under him, then tossed it to the floor. “Come here,” he commanded.
Leah stayed against the wall, her arms held demurely so most of her was covered.