Turner's Vision by Suzanne Ferrell Page A

Micah’s face, not allowing her to see his expression as clearly as she wanted. His tie hung loose while the collar of his shirt was unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
    This was her husband.
    In all actuality, she’d never thought about having one before. Perhaps in her own mind she equated husbands with her beast of a father, a man who couldn’t be trusted under any circumstances to keep his word or protect her from harm, but was in reality the most harmful thing in her young life.
    Micah was not Jacob Davis.
    So far in her limited experience with the man, her husband had shown himself to be made from a different mold. In three days’ time, he’d rescued her from two dangerous situations, locked her in a room, forced her to marry him, treated her with great respect in front of virtual strangers and family alike, and even made her feel desirable with his kisses.
    Still, Micah wasn’t demanding his rights as her husband. Instead, he was leaving the decision in her hands. If she threw him out now, she knew he’d never again ask her to be a wife in every sense of the word, but live with her in name only. Her life would continue as it had and when the investigation was over, he’d leave her and she’d be alone once again.
    But should she choose to be that intimate with—that dependent on—a total stranger? Could she really trust him not to hurt her?
    Laura had trusted her husband. Now she was happily married, with a baby of her own.
    A baby. What would it be like to actually have a baby? She wasn’t much older than her friend. If she so chose, maybe she could have the one thing she’d never hoped to dream of, a family of her own.
    Her decision made, Claudia straightened her shoulders and carried Micah’s bag back to the armoire and opened the door. She leaned over and opened the valise, removing what appeared to be a pair of buckskin pants, which were soft and supple under her fingers, and placed them inside. Then, turning back to look at her husband, her gaze locking with his, she unbuttoned the waistband and slid her petticoat off.
     
    Micah stared at his wife, standing before him in a sea of green cotton, dressed only in her shoes, hose, bloomers and nearly transparent shift. His throat went dry and his manhood was harder than he could ever remember. He let out the breath he’d held while he waited on her to make her decision. Shoving himself away from the door frame, he closed the door behind him.
    “You’re sure about this?” His voice was thick as he ran his eyes up and down her slender frame.
    “I’m sure. Are you?” The words were a challenge, but the catch in her voice belied her confidence.
    “My dear, I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.” He slowly advanced upon her, yet Claudia held her ground. “I just want to make one thing very clear to you.” Stopping inches in front of her, but not touching her, Micah loomed over her, causing her to lean back to look up at him. “If you spend tonight with me, this will be where you spend every night for the rest of your life. Not just here in Washington, but when I leave to go to the mountains of Colorado, you’ll be there beside me also. Do you understand?”
    “You promise?” Her answer was a whisper. Reaching up with one hand, she stroked his cheek. Micah grasped her hand, turned it over and brought it to his lips. Gently, he kissed the palm, his eyes never leaving her face. With his other arm he reached around her waist and pulled her up against his chest.
    Micah let go of her hand, allowing her to rest both of them on his massive arms, his hands splayed across her back, one caressing the smooth skin of her shoulders above the scoop-necked shift, the other inching down over her derriere. Cupping the firm muscles, he pushed them into his pelvis so that the junction of her thighs cradled the swollen thickness of him.
    A surprised murmur escaped her lips at the feel of him pressed so intimately against her most