and squeezed. "Josepha, He must never know that I was with child. He must never know that I lost his baby."
Josepha shook her head doubtfully.
"Please. Please. You must promise not to tell him. And make sure Maria Joseph promises too. Does anyone else know?"
"No, no one else knows. But Lorilla, it is not good to deceive your husband."
Lorilla released Josepha's hands and began pacing. "I'll hide the knitting, and the sewing. You've disposed of the rags? Good. He must never know. We will go on as if nothing happened, and I'll get pregnant again. I won't let him down."
h
CHAPTER TEN
Gabriel slipped into his bedroom, pushing his hands through his still damp hair. He had washed downstairs, sluicing off the trail dust. He flexed his shoulders. It felt good to be home. Sitting in meetings day after day was hell on a body. He'd looked forward to sliding into bed next to Lorilla's soft warmth and sleep. As he undressed in the dark, he considered his wife.
All he could see was a small lump in the bedclothes and the silken waves of her hair. Even in the darkness it seemed to shimmer with an inner fire. Gabriel longed to touch it. He felt the stirrings of desire as he slipped into bed beside her. It was late, near midnight, but perhaps she wouldn't mind being wakened by his kiss. Gabriel lay down with a contented sigh, then turned toward her. She was curled on her side with one hand tucked under her cheek. A tiny frown marred her face, and there were faint purple shadows under her eyes. Had she missed him? Was that the reason she seemed so tense, even in sleep?
He pushed a strand of hair away from her cheek and then slid his arm around her back. Gently urging her body closer, he kissed the wrinkle on her brow, then moved his lips to her temple.
"Mmm?" she murmured, then opened her eyes. Sleepily, she moved to meet his kiss, and her body uncurled.
Gabriel groaned. Her sleepy movements were sensual. She radiated heat. His aching body reacted instantly, and he pulled her closer, cupping her bottom and pressing her softness against his arousal.
Lorilla gasped and pulled away, her body trying to curl back into itself. "Oh, Gabriel, you're here."
He frowned. Her words and tone told him she was glad he was home. Why then, did she recoil from his touch?
"Rilla? Did you not miss me?" He cupped her cheek in his palm, and she tilted her head into his touch.
"Very much," she said, and smiled, but he heard something in her voice that bothered him. Slipping his fingers beneath her hair to caress her nape, he kissed her mouth.
"I don't believe you," he whispered against her lips. "Perhaps you should demonstrate to me just how much you missed me."
"I'm…I'm tired, and I don't feel well," she responded, turning her face away, avoiding his gaze.
Instantly, Gabriel was alert. Pain. That's what he'd seen in her face. "What's the matter? Have you hurt yourself? Are you ill?"
She shook her head and smiled briefly at him, then turned over. As she did, her breath caught. "I'm just tired, and I have a headache."
Gabriel grimaced at the sweet ache of desire that would go unslaked this night. "I understand, chiquita ," he said on a sigh. He briefly buried his nose in her hair, then kissed her bare shoulder. "Go back to sleep."
He rolled away from her and rose.
"Where are you going?" she asked drowsily.
"To the well." A dousing with cold water might ensure that he slept more comfortably, he thought grimly as he opened the bedroom door.
"Gabriel?"
"Si, chiquita ?" He paused.
"I'm sorry."
" De nada ," he lied. "It is nothing. Go back to sleep."
T HE NEXT MORNING Lorilla woke to find him watching her. She smiled and reached out to touch his face. When she did he caught her hand and kissed her palm.
Good morning," he said, smiling back at her.
A thrill of pleasure mixed with pain coursed through her. Pleasure at having him back home mixed with the pain of loss, of
Josepha shook her head doubtfully.
"Please. Please. You must promise not to tell him. And make sure Maria Joseph promises too. Does anyone else know?"
"No, no one else knows. But Lorilla, it is not good to deceive your husband."
Lorilla released Josepha's hands and began pacing. "I'll hide the knitting, and the sewing. You've disposed of the rags? Good. He must never know. We will go on as if nothing happened, and I'll get pregnant again. I won't let him down."
h
CHAPTER TEN
Gabriel slipped into his bedroom, pushing his hands through his still damp hair. He had washed downstairs, sluicing off the trail dust. He flexed his shoulders. It felt good to be home. Sitting in meetings day after day was hell on a body. He'd looked forward to sliding into bed next to Lorilla's soft warmth and sleep. As he undressed in the dark, he considered his wife.
All he could see was a small lump in the bedclothes and the silken waves of her hair. Even in the darkness it seemed to shimmer with an inner fire. Gabriel longed to touch it. He felt the stirrings of desire as he slipped into bed beside her. It was late, near midnight, but perhaps she wouldn't mind being wakened by his kiss. Gabriel lay down with a contented sigh, then turned toward her. She was curled on her side with one hand tucked under her cheek. A tiny frown marred her face, and there were faint purple shadows under her eyes. Had she missed him? Was that the reason she seemed so tense, even in sleep?
He pushed a strand of hair away from her cheek and then slid his arm around her back. Gently urging her body closer, he kissed the wrinkle on her brow, then moved his lips to her temple.
"Mmm?" she murmured, then opened her eyes. Sleepily, she moved to meet his kiss, and her body uncurled.
Gabriel groaned. Her sleepy movements were sensual. She radiated heat. His aching body reacted instantly, and he pulled her closer, cupping her bottom and pressing her softness against his arousal.
Lorilla gasped and pulled away, her body trying to curl back into itself. "Oh, Gabriel, you're here."
He frowned. Her words and tone told him she was glad he was home. Why then, did she recoil from his touch?
"Rilla? Did you not miss me?" He cupped her cheek in his palm, and she tilted her head into his touch.
"Very much," she said, and smiled, but he heard something in her voice that bothered him. Slipping his fingers beneath her hair to caress her nape, he kissed her mouth.
"I don't believe you," he whispered against her lips. "Perhaps you should demonstrate to me just how much you missed me."
"I'm…I'm tired, and I don't feel well," she responded, turning her face away, avoiding his gaze.
Instantly, Gabriel was alert. Pain. That's what he'd seen in her face. "What's the matter? Have you hurt yourself? Are you ill?"
She shook her head and smiled briefly at him, then turned over. As she did, her breath caught. "I'm just tired, and I have a headache."
Gabriel grimaced at the sweet ache of desire that would go unslaked this night. "I understand, chiquita ," he said on a sigh. He briefly buried his nose in her hair, then kissed her bare shoulder. "Go back to sleep."
He rolled away from her and rose.
"Where are you going?" she asked drowsily.
"To the well." A dousing with cold water might ensure that he slept more comfortably, he thought grimly as he opened the bedroom door.
"Gabriel?"
"Si, chiquita ?" He paused.
"I'm sorry."
" De nada ," he lied. "It is nothing. Go back to sleep."
T HE NEXT MORNING Lorilla woke to find him watching her. She smiled and reached out to touch his face. When she did he caught her hand and kissed her palm.
Good morning," he said, smiling back at her.
A thrill of pleasure mixed with pain coursed through her. Pleasure at having him back home mixed with the pain of loss, of
Similar Books
