Page 47 of Inventions of the Heart

And then Zane came into Michelle’s room.

She’d sort of forgotten about him.

Now, with him standing there in her bedroom, the lantern light glinting off his brown hair, his blue eyes looking right at her as a husband might, she couldn’t think of much else.

Michelle saw him reach for the front buttons of his shirt and quickly rolled to her side, away from him.

Silly after last night, but she reacted first and thought about it second—which wasn’t how she normally acted.

And now, on second thought, she just stayed right where she was.

The bed shifted, and the covers rose and fell. Then and only then did she roll onto her back to see her husband smiling down at her. The lantern still on. His shoulders as bare as a baby’s backside.

“I’m glad your brother came home. You looked so happy to see him.” Michelle reached up and touched Zane’s bottom lip. She’d become very fond of his lips.

“It’ll be good to have him home. We need people around to help run the place.”

Michelle gasped and sat up. The blanket dropped to her waist, and when she realized her nightgown showed, she grabbed the edges and pulled it to her chin.

Zane smiled and arched one brow. “Think of something?”

“Yes, of course. Josh can run the mine.”

The teasing smile vanished from Zane’s face. “Do you think he’d be inclined to gold fever?”

Michelle sat there, the covers still up to her chin. “Would it be different if the gold was a fourth his? Would he control any greed since he’d be getting a good share of what he dug up with his own hands?”

Zane was quiet a long time. “Josh is an honorable man.He’s always been that way. I think I can trust him. I-I guess if I can’t, and he runs off with all the gold, well, it hurts to think of that. I’ll trust him until he starts showing me I can’t.”

Zane shifted closer to her. “Maybe at first I’ll go along with him and take you and Jilly. We can even finish the building Jilly started after the church burned down. Josh can live there if he wants or just stay there if the day gets long. And if it’s a big strike, I’ll pay the miners so well they won’t even be interested in robbing me.”

Rolling onto his side, he said, “You can still manage things from here, Michelle. I haven’t really spent time with Josh for years. He was always a good man. But having you going over the books and minding the expenses and payroll might help keep him, oh, from ...” He fell silent as he looked into her eyes.

“From temptation?” Michelle asked.

Zane smiled. “When the wordtemptationcame into my head while I was looking right at you, I kinda forgot what I was talking about and only remembered that you are a tempting woman. And it’s not even a sin to be tempted by my wife. In fact, I believe it’s encouraged, even blessed by God.”

His smile widened. He reached a hand around her waist and pulled her to lie on her side facing him. Then he lowered his head and tasted her.

Michelle had no interest in continuing their conversation about his brother. Her husband was the only man on Michelle’s mind.

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