Matthew has braved the war and near death with one thought in mind… Rebekah. He won her hand in marriage, and now he has a few short months to make her see how much he loves her. How much he needs her. Given the wall she's put up between them, he prays he'll have enough time.
After fleeing the war, Rebekah is determined to go west to Oregon, only to be turned down when she tries to join the train. Matthew's proposal of marriage, in name only to help her west, becomes the miracle she needs. Loving him as she does, she dreads the idea of letting him go once they reach Oregon, but how can she ask him to stay with her, to love her? How could he love her once he's found out her secret? She must guard her heart and his.
Enjoy an Excerpt from Shadowed Dreams
What was he thinking? Did he want to kiss her again? She sighed just thinking about it. She couldn't allow it even though she wanted him to kiss her. Her body swayed in his direction.
He let her chin go instead. "We should get some rest. We leave pretty early."
Rebekah nodded in agreement. She started to ready herself for bed and stopped when she thought about the sleeping arrangements. Panic rose in her.
The suite had two bedrooms. Caroline was in one room. Andrew slept on the small bed in this room. Only one larger bed was empty. Matthew had already removed his boots, panicking her further.
"Where are you sleeping?" Her heart thundered with fear.
He looked up at her. If she didn't know better, he was embarrassed. Maybe he didn't want to sleep with her either. Strangely, that bothered her. Ninny. He shouldn't sleep with you. He... She should explain. Tell him why she was so frightened.
"If you don't mind, I thought I'd sleep in here with you. With my wife."
While it relieved her he was going to sleep with her, it scared her at the same time. She stood quickly. "But I..." She wanted to protest. She didn't have to.
"I remember our bargain, and I'll keep my promise. I'll be the perfect gentleman. I'd sleep on the couch, but it's rather small, and I need a good night's sleep. Besides, it'd look better if I slept here. We are supposed to be married."
Rebekah was being silly, and she knew it. It was true. The couch was too small as was Andrew's bed. And Matthew couldn't very well sleep with Caroline. She wouldn't allow it. Maybe she could sleep with Caroline? No, she was his wife. He had a right to share her bed at least. If she went to sleep with Caroline, her cousin would inundate her with questions. Questions she had no desire to answer.
"All right," Rebekah hesitated. "You promise?"
Matthew removed his shirt, stretched slightly, and laid out on the bed. Rebekah wondered if she shouldn't divert her eyes. "I promise." He crossed his heart, and patted the empty space beside him. Trying not to look at the strapping muscles or the dark silk hair on the firm chest of the half-naked man reclining on the bed, Rebekah crossed the room. Amazed herself she didn't trip. She considered rolling a blanket for a wall between them, but quickly got under the covers and turned her back to him.
Matthew lifted himself up on one arm, and looked down at her. "Is that what you're sleeping in?" His voice held the hint of play.
"Ah... yes... ah, I'm quite comfortable." She stammered and didn’t look at him. "You?"
"I'm fine." He leaned in. His lips close to her ear. "However, I'd be happier if you'd remove your... shoes." He laid back. She was certain he was grinning like a polecat.
"Oh my!" She hadn't realized. He must think her quite the fool. She shot up, quickly removed her shoes, and laid back down. "Sorry."
"It's fine." He leaned over her again. "Rebekah?"
Her heart raced. Now what did he want? There was no way she was removing the dress. "Yes, Matthew?" The bed moved again as his body shifted. He was so close she felt his warm breath softly touched her neck.
"Would it bother you if I kissed my wife goodnight?"
"I… ah… guess not." She felt like a bigger fool. She rolled a little until his face was just above hers and then closed her eyes.
He laid whisper-soft kisses on each of her cheeks. Then tenderly kissed her lips. A short, sweet kiss.
"Goodnight, Rebekah," he whispered. He pulled back from her, blew out the lamp beside him and laid back.
"Goodnight." The frown she felt went clean to her soul with the disappointment his kiss hadn't lasted longer. She was disgusted with herself because she was disappointed, and that she'd even considered his kiss in such a manner. Why… she was nothing but a brazen woman. He deserved better and that was that. She fell asleep reminding herself of the reason Matthew should never care for her.
Don't forget to pick up When Shadows Fall for the beginning story of Matthew and Rebekah
Find me on the web at:
Enjoy an Excerpt from Shadowed Dreams
What was he thinking? Did he want to kiss her again? She sighed just thinking about it. She couldn't allow it even though she wanted him to kiss her. Her body swayed in his direction.
He let her chin go instead. "We should get some rest. We leave pretty early."
Rebekah nodded in agreement. She started to ready herself for bed and stopped when she thought about the sleeping arrangements. Panic rose in her.
The suite had two bedrooms. Caroline was in one room. Andrew slept on the small bed in this room. Only one larger bed was empty. Matthew had already removed his boots, panicking her further.
"Where are you sleeping?" Her heart thundered with fear.
He looked up at her. If she didn't know better, he was embarrassed. Maybe he didn't want to sleep with her either. Strangely, that bothered her. Ninny. He shouldn't sleep with you. He... She should explain. Tell him why she was so frightened.
"If you don't mind, I thought I'd sleep in here with you. With my wife."
While it relieved her he was going to sleep with her, it scared her at the same time. She stood quickly. "But I..." She wanted to protest. She didn't have to.
"I remember our bargain, and I'll keep my promise. I'll be the perfect gentleman. I'd sleep on the couch, but it's rather small, and I need a good night's sleep. Besides, it'd look better if I slept here. We are supposed to be married."
Rebekah was being silly, and she knew it. It was true. The couch was too small as was Andrew's bed. And Matthew couldn't very well sleep with Caroline. She wouldn't allow it. Maybe she could sleep with Caroline? No, she was his wife. He had a right to share her bed at least. If she went to sleep with Caroline, her cousin would inundate her with questions. Questions she had no desire to answer.
"All right," Rebekah hesitated. "You promise?"
Matthew removed his shirt, stretched slightly, and laid out on the bed. Rebekah wondered if she shouldn't divert her eyes. "I promise." He crossed his heart, and patted the empty space beside him. Trying not to look at the strapping muscles or the dark silk hair on the firm chest of the half-naked man reclining on the bed, Rebekah crossed the room. Amazed herself she didn't trip. She considered rolling a blanket for a wall between them, but quickly got under the covers and turned her back to him.
Matthew lifted himself up on one arm, and looked down at her. "Is that what you're sleeping in?" His voice held the hint of play.
"Ah... yes... ah, I'm quite comfortable." She stammered and didn’t look at him. "You?"
"I'm fine." He leaned in. His lips close to her ear. "However, I'd be happier if you'd remove your... shoes." He laid back. She was certain he was grinning like a polecat.
"Oh my!" She hadn't realized. He must think her quite the fool. She shot up, quickly removed her shoes, and laid back down. "Sorry."
"It's fine." He leaned over her again. "Rebekah?"
Her heart raced. Now what did he want? There was no way she was removing the dress. "Yes, Matthew?" The bed moved again as his body shifted. He was so close she felt his warm breath softly touched her neck.
"Would it bother you if I kissed my wife goodnight?"
"I… ah… guess not." She felt like a bigger fool. She rolled a little until his face was just above hers and then closed her eyes.
He laid whisper-soft kisses on each of her cheeks. Then tenderly kissed her lips. A short, sweet kiss.
"Goodnight, Rebekah," he whispered. He pulled back from her, blew out the lamp beside him and laid back.
"Goodnight." The frown she felt went clean to her soul with the disappointment his kiss hadn't lasted longer. She was disgusted with herself because she was disappointed, and that she'd even considered his kiss in such a manner. Why… she was nothing but a brazen woman. He deserved better and that was that. She fell asleep reminding herself of the reason Matthew should never care for her.
Don't forget to pick up When Shadows Fall for the beginning story of Matthew and Rebekah
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