Page 39 of The Unlikely Wife

He turned and found they were alone. Tom must have slipped away to Sadie.

“I—I’m sorry, Michael. I shouldn’t have done that. It was only—”

Without thinking it through, Michael pulled her to him and shut her words up with his mouth. Sweet honeysuckle and spring met his advance, and in one second he was falling through time and space into her arms and charms.

A knock sounded at the Elder’s front door. “Tom, it’s me, Doctor Berg.”

Michael jerked his head up and quickly released her, nearly sending her crashing to the floor with his suddenness. He should have never kissed her. He whirled and headed to the door, taking with him the memory of her soft lips, lips that had never even responded to his kiss.

Dead tired, Selina headed for home. Cleaning Sadie’s house, along with washing her clothes and fixing enough food to last Sadie’s family for a couple of days, had plumb worn her out.

Head hung low, she shifted and swayed with her mare’s movement. Her head gave a yank, then she raised it and tried to hold it upright. Struggling to stay awake so she wouldn’t fall off the horse and break her neck, she turned her mind to her surroundings and back to Michael’s kiss. When he had grabbed her and kissed her like that, she’d been so shocked all she could do was stand there.

Her fingers found their way to her lips. She wished Michael would kiss her like that again, but that wasn’t likely to happen. From the way he tore out of the house, he must have regretted kissing her. Had it been that awful for him? It sure hadn’t been for her. When his lips had touched hers, it was as if the heat of the noon sun had found its way into her body, warming it through with liquid love.

The breeze lifted the strands of hair from around her face and swung them across her cheeks. It took what little energy she had left to brush them away. She wished she could brush the broken pieces of her heart away as easily and let the breeze carry them far away so it wouldn’t hurt so bad.

Selina rode into the ranch yard and up to the barn door. She closed her eyes for a moment, then swung her leg over the horse’s back.

Before she so much as saw him there, Michael’s spicy musk scent surrounded her and his hands went about her waist. She tilted her head backward, and her back brushed against Michael’s chest as he lowered her. Her feet touched the ground, but because she was worn out, her legs wilted and she swayed.

Michael’s arm wrapped around her, holding her strong and steady. “Thank you, Michael,” she whispered through a yawn. She took a half step away from him. Her eyelids felt like someone had tied rocks to them and was pulling them downward.

“I’ll take care of Macy. You need to get her home.” Jesse’s voice reached her ears.

Selina wobbled her attention onto Jesse and offered him a smile.

The next thing she knew, strong arms were scooping her up.

Michael’s body shifted underneath her with each step he took. “I’m carrying you home and no arguing with me, you hear?”

She heard, and she wanted to protest but was too tired.

So just this once she’d let him have his way.

And just this once she laid her head into his chest.

And just this once she pretended they were man and wife in every way.

Tomorrow, things would be back to normal.

Tomorrow she would remember that he didn’t love her and that he was only doing his duty by her, but tonight she didn’t care to remember.

Michael’s peppermint breath drifted around her as his breathing increased with each step toward home. His soothing heartbeat swept through his arms and against her back where he held her. Her eyes slid shut and sweet dreams of Michael carrying her floated through her mind.

Selina felt herself being lowered and her eyes bobbed open. “We home?”

“We’re home.” Michael’s voice was as soothing as the birds singing in the trees and the river waters back home.

She pulled up from the couch and dragged her body toward the stove.

“What are you doing?” Michael asked from behind her.

“You ask me that a lot, don’t ya?” She tried to laugh but couldn’t find enough get-up-and-go to do so. “I’m gonna fix you some vittles then head to bed.”

Michael laid his large hands on her shoulders. He turned her around and gently nudged her toward the sofa. “You don’t have to do that. Mother made dinner for us tonight. All we have to do is eat.”

Relief pushed through her. “That was mighty sweet of her.”

“She figured you’d be exhausted after being up all night and gone all day so she made extra and sent it over.”

She stopped resisting him and allowed Michael to lead her into the living room.

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