B00BWX9H30 EBOK by Cynthia Woolf Page A

was you—”
    He chuckled.
    She shook her head. “You love to get me all riled up.”
    “Well, you are easy to rile. It’s fun to watch.”
    “I’m going to stop taking anything you say seriously.”
    He rolled her until she lay atop him. “I’m very serious when I say I want you.” He pushed his pelvis up so she was sure of his erection. “But if I take you again, we won’t get any sleep. So,” he rolled to his side, “close your beautiful brown eyes and go to sleep.” He turned over and blew out the lamp.
    She was much too excited to sleep. Her mind raced and she thought of babies. Touching her still flat stomach she wondered if her children would have their father’s dark good looks or her pale skin? It didn’t matter who her babies took after, they were already loved.
    Or might they take after her father with his golden blond coloring. That was who Joshua favored. He had blond hair and bronzed skin from working in the shipyard. At least he had until their father was murdered. Now he worked in the office as her father had. Joshua still kept his hand in the actual building of the ships. It’s what he loved. He worked one day a week in the yard and the rest of the time in the office. It was enough to keep his skin sun kissed.
    Thinking about Joshua made her a little homesick. Would she be able to see him again? Would Nathan want to go to New York? Could he even spend that much time away from the ranch? She knew she didn’t want to make the trip alone. The trip had been bad enough alone the first time.
    What about when she had the child? Could Joshua come there? He surely could leave the business for a time. Benjamin, his assistant, could handle it and they had a telegraph in Golden City, if Joshua’s input was really necessary.
    Finally, she decided she’d have Nathan take her to town so she could telegraph Joshua. Just making the decision relaxed her and she rolled over to go to sleep. Nathan’s arms still held her loosely. She rolled out of them and to her side. Even in his sleep he reached for her and laid one arm over her. Very possessive, her husband, yet he understood her need to be independent, too. He wanted her to learn to drive the buggy and she wanted to. She was afraid, but she would overcome her fear by facing it. She had the basics of driving and she would face her fear head on. Tomorrow. She’d think about it tomorrow. That would be soon enough, she thought as sleep overtook her.
    * * *
    She kicked at the irritant. Something tickled her feet.
    “Wake up, sleepy head.” His deep voice rolled over her and she felt just delicious.
    She sighed. “Is is morning already?”
    “Yup and you’ve got breakfast to make. Martha has already got the coffee going and is gathering the eggs as we speak. So get your beautiful ass out of bed.” He swatted said ass.
    “Ow. All right. I’m up. I’m up.” She kicked off the covers and sat up. Thank goodness she’d gotten a nap yesterday because she didn’t get much sleep last night. The thought made her smile.
    “What are you thinking about?”
    “Nothing.”
    He chuckled. “Well, nothing has you blushing right down to your toes. And nothing is going to happen again tonight.”
    She was sure her cheeks and other naked parts were flaming. She grabbed the first thing she found, a black bombazine dress. Much too heavy for the work she had to to today, she hung it back in the closet and traded it for a light cotton dress in red with small white flowers. It was quite fitted showing off her figure.
    Nathan gave her a wicked smile and said, “You look good enough to eat, but I’ll wait until tonight.”
    “You have to stop saying those things; I’m in a perpetual state of embarrassment.”
    “It becomes you.” He gave her a quick kiss and headed out to start his morning chores. There were horses, pigs and milk cows to be fed.
    She finished dressing and doing her morning ablutions and then went to the kitchen. There she put three big cast iron