Duncan's Bride by Linda Howard Page B

under the steering wheel. “No wonder you’re so shaky. We’ll stop and get something.”
    â€œNot just yet, please. We can stop closer to home. I’m still too nervous right now to eat anything.”
    In the end, they wound up driving straight to the ranch. Reese carried her suitcases up to his bedroom. “There’s a big walk-in closet,” he said, opening the door to show her the enormous closet, as big as a small room. “But don’t start unpacking now. You need to eat first.”
    She gestured to her clothes. “I’ll have to change before I start cooking.”
    â€œI’ll do the cooking,” he said sharply.
    There wasn’t much cooking to it, just soup and sandwiches. Madelyn forced herself to eat half a sandwich and a bowl of soup. It all seemed so unreal. She was married. This was her home now.
    Reese went upstairs and changed into his work clothes. Wedding day or no, the chores had to be done. Madelyn cleaned up the kitchen, then went upstairs and began hanging up her new clothes. His bedroomwas much larger than the one she had slept in before, with a big private bath that included both bathtub and shower. The bed was king-size. She thought of lying in that bed with him and felt herself get dizzy. It was already late afternoon.
    She was in the kitchen again, dressed more appropriately this time in jeans and a short-sleeved sweater, when he came in tired and dirty. “Are you hungry again?” she asked. “I can do something fast while you’re showering.”
    â€œJust more sandwiches tonight,” he said. “I’m not much interested in food right now.” He was unbuttoning his shirt as he went up the stairs.
    She made the sandwiches and sat at the table with him, drinking a glass of milk while he ate. She had never thought about how much a hard-working man needed to eat, but she could see she would have to cook twice the amount she had imagined.
    â€œI have some paperwork to do,” he said when he’d finished and carried his plate to the sink. “It won’t take me long.”
    She understood. After she’d washed the few dishes, she went upstairs and took a bath. She had just left the bathroom, her skin flushed from the damp heat, when he entered the bedroom.
    She stopped, biting her lip at the searing look he gave her from her tumbled hair down to her bare toes, as if he could see through her white cotton gown. He sat down on the bed and took off his boots, then stood and tugged his shirt free. His eyes never left her as he unbuttoned the shirt and took it off.
    His chest was tanned and muscled and covered with curly black hair. The smooth skin of his shoulders gleamed as he unbuckled his belt and began unfastening his jeans.
    Madelyn drew a deep breath and lifted her head. “There’s something you need to know.”
    He paused, his eyes narrowing. She was standing ramrod straight, her pale hair swirling around her shoulders and down her back. That loose, sleeveless gown wasn’t anything like the sheer silk confection April had worn, but Madelyn didn’t need silk to be seductive. The shadow of her nipples pressing against the white cotton was seduction enough. What could she have to tell him that was keeping her strung as tight as fence wire?
    He said softly, “Don’t tell me you’ve decided to wait another couple of nights, because I’m not going for it. Why are you so nervous?”
    She gestured at the bed. “I’ve never done this before.”
    He couldn’t have heard right. Stunned, he released his zipper. “You’ve never had sex before?”
    â€œNo, and to be honest, I’m not really looking forward to it. I want you and I want to be intimate with you, but I don’t expect to enjoy the first time.” Her gaze was very direct.
    An odd kind of anger shook him. “Damn it, Maddie, if you’re a virgin why didn’t you say so, instead of