Julie Garwood - For the Roses

She wasn't frightened by his dark prediction. He loved her. Nothing else mattered to her.

"You tell me you have faith in me, but you contradict yourself by suggesting I could ever hate you. I have far more trust in you than you have in me, Harrison. Nothing you have ever done, or will ever do, could make me hate you. I love you, more than I could ever have imagined was possible. With my love comes my complete trust. I don't give it easily. When I come to your bed, it will be with a loving heart. I'm not so weak-willed to love one minute and hate the next. I don't care what heartache awaits me. If you are by my side, I shall endure anything."

He gripped her shoulders tight. "Think long and hard before you give me your pledge of love. Understand and remember every word you just said to me. Then go and talk to your brothers. Hear what they have to say before you tell me you love me again."

She shook her head. "I don't need to talk to them. I already know what is in my heart. Nothing they can say will change the way I feel about you."

He was shaken by her trust in him. "You tempt me to damn the consequences. I need you, Mary Rose, and I know I can't continue to wait much longer. I won't ever force you. You're going to give yourself willingly to me. Don't dare tell me you love me again, for if you do, from that moment on, you will belong to me. I will not let you change your mind."

His hands moved to cup the sides of her face. His rough calluses against her skin emphasized the wonderful differences between them. She luxuriated in the power that radiated from him, the strength in his hands, the hardness in his body, the very way he towered over her. She didn't feel less because he had far more physical strength than she had. She gloried in all the amazing contrasts between them. She was his equal in all ways that mattered most to both of them. In her mind, and in her heart.

"I love you, Mary Rose."

The tenderness in his voice was testimony he had spoken from his heart.

His thumb rubbed across her lower lip. She felt the warmth of his caress down to her toes.

"You are everything I could ever want in a mate, and so much more. I was drawn to your kindness and your strength and your pure heart. Go back inside now, before I forget my promise."

His hands dropped to his sides. She understood completely what he expected her to do. He had given her a way out because he wanted her to be certain. There could be no going back once she made her commitment to him.

Oh, yes, she understood. He didn't understand though. It was already too late, for her heart had already been given.

"I love you, Harrison."

He went completely still. She repeated her pledge.

"Dear God, Mary Rose. Do you understand that I…"

"I love you."

He pulled her into his arms. His hands cupped her backside, and he lifted her up tight against him until her pelvis was pressed against his groin.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. She began to tremble with anticipation, for his heat and strength enveloped her now. She loved the scent and feel of him against her, and dear God, if he didn't kiss her soon, she thought she would go out of her mind.

He waited until his hunger consumed him. And then he leaned down and began to make love to her with his mouth. His tongue stroked her lips, then sank deep inside to mate with hers.

The taste of her intoxicated him. His mouth became more demanding, slanting over hers again and again until he became wild with his own pulsating need. There was only Mary Rose, the passion of his life, the love for eternity. He wrapped himself in her softness and believed he'd reached heaven.

The hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses became more urgent because her uninhibited response drove him on.

She couldn't seem to get enough of him. She wanted to touch and stroke him everywhere. His arousal was cuddled between her hips. She could feel his hardness pressed against her and began to instinctively rub against him.

The temptation to go further was beginning to override all other considerations. Harrison suddenly realized his jeopardy. And hers. If he didn't stop now, he would take her virginity in the backyard. God help him, the thought didn't repulse him.

He abruptly pulled away from her. His breathing was ragged and choppy. Every nerve in his body screamed out for fulfillment. He shuddered in reaction to the raging need coursing through him and clenched his jaw tight as he desperately tried to mentally distance himself from her.

She felt as though her anchor had just been ripped away from her. Her strength deserted her, and she collapsed against him, shaking with her own need.

She wanted him to put his arms around her again and hold her close.

"Go back inside."

The harshness in his command cut through her haze of desire. She tried to understand. "Inside? I don't want to leave you. Please kiss me again. I love you, Harrison. I want you to hold me."

"Go back inside."

He wasn't asking her to leave, he was telling her to. She took a deep breath and slowly pulled her arms away from him.

She was confused by the sudden change in him. Had she done something wrong, and if so, what?

She wasn't in any condition to try to figure anything out now. She would have to wait until later, after her heart had stopped pounding so frantically and she could catch her breath without panting, and then she would think things through.

He wasn't going to have to tell her to leave him alone again, however. As dazed as she was, she still fully understood what the word no meant, even when it came masked as a command.

She turned around and started walking back to the house. Irritation and frustration didn't catch her until she was halfway to her destination.

It was damned rude of him to be so abrupt in his dismissal, wasn't it? Would it have killed him to tell the woman he loved why he'd been in such a hurry to stop kissing her?

She thought he was behind her. "You're as moody as your horse," she muttered loud enough for him to hear.

He didn't respond to her barb. She turned around to repeat her insult and realized then he couldn't possibly have heard her. He was going in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" she called out.

"To bed."

It was late, but not that late. "Aren't you coming back to the house tonight?"

"No."

"Good night then."

He didn't return her farewell. She waited another minute, and when he reached the entrance of the bunkhouse and pushed the door open, she ran out of patience.

"Good night," she shouted. She silently added the words damn it.

He finally turned around and looked at her. "Mary Rose?"

His voice was forceful enough to lift her off the ground.

The fanciful, impossible notion made her smile. "Yes?"

"Don't keep me waiting."

May 4, 1867

Dear Mama Rose,

We were all heartsick after we read your letter. We have a hundred questions to ask you. Why didn't you tell us what Livonia was up to sooner? You shouldn't have had to worry alone. We're your family now, and you shouldn't ever keep anything from us.

How long has Livonia been blackmailing you into staying with her? Yes, we know and we understand how afraid the old woman is. Being blind is terrible, of course it is, and being saddled with two self-centered sons who are trying to sell everything out from under her must be just as frightening, but, Mama Rose, none of her burdens can justify what she's doing to you.

Do you really believe she'll tell her sons Adam killed their father or could she be bluffing? Has she completely forgotten he was trying to protect you and Livonia from your master's rage? Remember all the times he beat her? Livonia surely has suffered, but none of what has happened to her can make her sin against you easier for us to bear. Lincoln wanted you to have your freedom, and all the thousands of young men who gave up their lives in battle did so to ensure your freedom.

Now Mistress Livonia has bound you into slavery once again…

God protect us all,

Your loving son, Douglas

Cole and Eleanor stayed in the hallway kissing and hugging and whispering sweet nonsensical words to each other for a long while. He finally called a halt to the love play when he felt his control slipping. He was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it, but Eleanor wasn't like any of the other women he'd kissed and bedded. There would have to be a commitment given before he slept with her, and damn it all, he wasn't about to carry things that far.

He made up his mind never to kiss her again as he followed her back into the dining room. He held her chair out for her first and then walked around to the other side of the table to take his seat. He didn't seem to notice his brothers were watching him. He was fully occupied mentally listing all the reasons he needed to stay away from the blushing virgin across from him.

"Didn't you forget something?" Douglas asked his brother.

Travis had to nudge Cole to get him to answer.

"Like what?" Cole asked.

"Like your sister. She's still in the kitchen with Harrison."

Cole started to get up, then changed his mind. "Mary Rose is a big girl. She can take care of herself around Harrison. If he wants to give up his freedom, that's his problem, not mine."

"His freedom?" Douglas asked, trying hard not to laugh. He'd noticed Cole had stared at Eleanor when he'd made the comment about Harrison.

"Yes, his freedom," his brother muttered. The set of his jaw indicated he didn't want to continue with the discussion.

"I don't think Harrison looks at it the way you do," Travis interjected.

Eleanor wasn't aware of the change in Cole. She smiled at him and said, "Mary Rose is very capable. All of our teachers at school thought so. She helped me get through a perfectly horrible mathematics class. I would have failed without her."

Travis stared at Cole for another minute, then stood up and went into the kitchen to get Mary Rose. He didn't care how capable his sister was. He knew Harrison and understood exactly what his intentions were. Cole may have adopted a lackadaisical attitude, but he certainly hadn't.

He found his sister sitting at the kitchen table, staring off into space. Her face looked flushed to him.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing."

"Something's wrong. You only look flustered when you're sick or angry. Which is it?"

"Neither."

"Where's Harrison?"

"He went to bed."

She wasn't about to give her brother any further details. She therefore didn't mention the fact that Harrison expected her to join him.

Don't make me wait. Hadn't he said those very words to her just minutes after he'd practically shoved her away from him?

"You're angry, aren't you?"

"I'm not angry."

"You don't have to snap your words at me. Tell me what's bothering you. Maybe I can fix it."

She knew Travis wouldn't quit pestering her until she satisfied his curiosity. She had to tell him something, even if it was only a half-truth.

"Arrogant men bother me. Can you fix that?"

Travis's grin was slow and easy. " Harrison made you mad, didn't he?"

"Please leave me alone. I need time to think."

Her brother crossed the kitchen to get the coffeepot. "Is he…"

He didn't quite know how to phrase the delicate question he wanted to ask.

"Is he what?"

He forced a shrug. "Pushing you to do something you don't want to do?"

"He would never push me or force me to do anything I didn't want to do."

Travis nodded. "I didn't think he would, but I still wanted to hear you tell me so. Answer one more question for me, and I promise I'll leave you alone to stew."

"I'm not stewing."

"Do you love him?"

"Oh, yes, I love him."

"You're sure?"

She smiled. "I'm sure. He's rude and bossy and arrogant and stubborn."

"A girl can't ask for more than that in a man."

"He's also kind and gentle and loving."

Tears gathered in her eyes. Travis spotted them right away. "Are you going to cry about it, Mary Rose?"