Page 128 of Charlotte's Reckoning
“That’s for a virgin bride. I’m perfectly happy with wild and urgent. Although being wooed with petals and candles and odes to my beauty might be nice every once in a while.”
“Wooed with odes?” he asked, grinning.
“What can I say? You inspired me.”
He brushed her damp hair from her face, and, while staring deeply into her eyes, moved slowly inside her.
“Mmm, I like that,” she hummed. The hair on his chest tickled her palms in contrast to the smooth rippling muscles of his shoulders and the ridges of his belly as she glided them all over. “But then, I like everything you do to me, as you can probably tell.”
Seth continued at this pace, making slow, incredible love to her, until she once again shuddered beneath him. He also shuddered, as, this time, he found his release, too.
After resting a minute, he rolled them onto their sides, one leg and both arms surrounding her. He heaved a tremendous sigh and uttered, “Great day in the morning, Mrs. Walker. What you do to me.”
She inhaled sharply.
Immediately alert, Seth pushed up on an elbow. “Am I too heavy?”
“No. It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“You called me Mrs. Walker. I will take time getting used to it. In fact, I’ll have to get used to a last name period.”
Stretching out next to her, he gathered her close. “You’re going home. You’ll be Rowena again.”
“Rowie,” she gently insisted. “It’s what my parents and all my friends called me. Only Jael used my full name.”
“Then Rowie is what your husband will call you, as well as darlin’, sweetheart, wife, my heart, and my love.”
“Oh, Seth,” she whispered, not overwhelmed but awed by him. “I didn’t think I could ever be this happy.”
“Get used to that, too.” He reached for the covers, pulling them up over them both. Then he tucked her under his chin, pressed along his front, and urged, “Sleep. We have a long few days ahead of us.”
Chapter 32
Some Things Never Change
Eldrige House, Carroll County, Virginia
Seth steered the wagon onto the tree-lined lane. It took only a minute for the stately Southern manor, which she’d called home for nineteen years, to come into view. The two-story white house looked much the same, with its elegant white pillars and wide front veranda, against the backdrop of the rolling green hills.
Gazing at the familiar scene, Rowie felt a wave of nostalgia, recalling her mother humming while tending her flower beds filled with fragrant roses and lilies of the valley. The once-vibrant gardens were nowhere to be seen, replaced by dirt, overgrown weeds, and a sense of emptiness that matched the ache in her heart.
As they drew nearer to the house, her breath caught at the sight of horses in the corrals, their thick black and chestnut coats gleaming in the sun. She had grown up riding and caring for the majestic creatures. When she’d had to sell them—Jael leaving her little choice—the loss had been heartbreaking, along with the end of her dream.
Her fingers curled into her husband’s forearm. “Jael lied to me, Seth. She kept the horses.”
“All the easier for us when we take over,” he said, as he patted his coat pocket where the judge’s order was safely tucked away.
Seth stopped the wagon at the front steps, hopped down, and held his arms up for her. Her knees trembling and her stomach in knots, Rowie took a deep breath, steeling herself for the confrontation that lay ahead.
“What if she won’t go?”
“We make her.”
“But what if she claims squatter’s rights, like I did?”
“I’m counting on her not being as well read as you. Besides, there’s a big difference in your situations. You didn’t commit forgery, which is a felony punishable by prison, fines, and restitution.”
