Chapter Ten

Ellie slipped into a thin white nightdress and climbed in her bed, sitting up against the wall and folding her legs beneath her. She grabbed her leather diary and pen and wrote down everything that was racing through her troubled mind. She sat her diary back on the small side table and turned the lamp down low. Tonight would be her last night here in this house.

This would be her last night sleeping on this clean feather tick bed that smelled so fresh. This would be her last night knowing that Jacob was sleeping just above her. She felt her heart break even as her body heated as she remembered his kisses and his touches. She was in love with him. She could never have him. Life was not fair.

She picked up her novel and began to read through the story of love, imagining that she was the heroine and Jacob her hero. She was lost in the world between the pages and nearly cried out with surprise when a knock came on her door.

"Come in," she said as she adjusted her legs beneath her and made sure she was covered by her nightdress.

The door opened and her breath caught in her chest when she saw Jacob. He walked in and shut the door silently behind him. His white shirt was untucked and only half of the buttons were done, giving her a tantalizing view of the tan muscles and light dusting of brown hair on his chest. His hair was messy and he was in his bare feet.

"Jacob...?" she gasped.

He licked his lips and walked toward her, "I couldn't sleep," he admitted. "I just kept wanting to do this again."

He didn't bother telling her what this was, instead he grabbed her hand, pulled her out of the bed and molded his body to hers as his eyes locked with hers, "Jacob, I...." she wanted to tell him that she couldn't do this, that she couldn't be with him. She knew he was not the type of man that would come into a woman's room, make love to her and then walk away... But she would have to walk away.

"Do you want me to leave?" Jacob asked and he prayed she'd say no. He didn't know if he could walk out of this room without making love to her.

"No."

Jacob groaned with relief and then he lowered his lips to hers. The low lamplight cast shadows across the room and the glow lit their bodies as Jacob explored her with his hands. He moved his lips along her jaw and down her long slender neck. She moaned his name and he grabbed her arms and lifted them above her head before grabbing the bottom of her nightdress and slipping it off of her. It fell to the floor and he stepped back and stared in awe. She was petite but slender with a large chest, tiny waist and feminine hips that curved and seemed to beg for his touch.

Jacob was more than happy to touch them as he lowered his hands to her hips and pulled her body against his. She gasped when she felt the hardness of his desire pressed against her stomach. Jacob was shaking and his nerves were on edge as he pressed his lips once again to hers and tasted the soft sweetness of her mouth. He felt the shaking of her hands as she began to undo the buttons of his shirt.

His whole life he had been waiting for this woman. He knew he should wait until they were married before he made love to her but there was no way he could have slept alone up in his room. Not when he could still taste her kiss on his lips and not when he knew she was right below him, alone in her bed.

Jacob's shirt fell to the floor and he let out a moan when her small, pale hands danced across his bare skin, awakening a raging desire inside of him. He quickly shed his pants and laid her down gently on the bed.

Ellie felt like she was going to burst into flames as her body screamed for more. His lips moved down her neck and along her collarbones, leaving her unable to do anything but moan beneath him. Then his lips found her breasts and she nearly jumped from the bed with the jolt of pleasure that shot through her.

He sucked gently at her pink nipples, working them into tight peaks. She squirmed and twisted beneath him. She wanted more! She had read enough of those novels to know that more was coming. She felt Jacob's rough calloused hand run up her leg as she kept her hands buried in his hair and then his hand came to the juncture of dark black hair between her legs.

"Jacob..." she gasped.

He moved his lips back to her mouth and then pressed them against her ear, "Are you okay?" he whispered as his hand stilled.

Ellie knew she should stop. She should make him leave. But she couldn't. Every single inch of her body was on fire and wanting him, "More.." she urged as she pushed her hips toward his hand. "I want more." Jacob smiled at her encouragement and he began to rub her wet juncture with his hand. He slid his finger inside of her and stifled her cry of pleasure with his lips.

"Jacob more.." she moaned against him.

Jacob moved his hand away, braced himself over her and kissed her hungrily as he slid himself deep inside of her. So long he'd been waiting to find the woman he would make love to every day for the rest of his life and here she was. He fit inside her perfectly. They were made for each other.

Ellie was surprised by the pain but his kisses kept her cries muffled and then, as he began to move, she forgot all about the pain and instead was filled with nothing but an intense pleasure.

As he made love to her soft and slow, she felt her heart becoming lost completely to him. She was his. She could never leave him. Somehow she would tell him the truth. Somehow he would forgive her... He had to.

"Alice..." He moaned in her ear as his pace quickened.

Ellie felt her heart break a little but wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. She felt the pleasure building within her and as it snapped and she was blinded with intensity she couldn't stop his name from bursting from her lips. She felt him stiffen as his moans filled the quiet night and then he lowered his head to her chest, laying his ear against her heart and listening to its fast rhythm.

"That was amazing," Ellie whispered as she ran her hands through his dark hair.

He moved off of her and curled up on his side as he pulled the covers over them. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple, "I'm sorry if I rushed you, Alice, I just couldn't wait any longer."

Ellie knew this was her opportunity. She could start by telling him her real name. But she was still basking in the warmth of their lovemaking. Her body was humming and tingling and she didn't want to lose that feeling yet. She was enjoying that smile on his face too much.

"I didn't want to wait either, Jacob." she assured him.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked, suddenly sounding a little more serious as he ran his fingers up and down her arm.

"Anything," she replied as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his calloused fingertips against her soft skin.

"Why did you lie to me about those glasses?" he asked. "Doc realized they weren't anything but plain glass."

Ellie's eyes widened as her mouth worked up and down and tried to think of a response. Tell the truth one voice said. Lie. Lie. Lie. He'll never forgive you a second voice interrupted.

"Well I.."

"You didn't have to try to be something you weren't in order to make us like you, Alice. I happen to like the you that you are right now even better than the you were when you first came here. And seeing how much I liked her, that's saying something."

Ellie let out a sigh of relief even as guilt ate at her heart, "My father thought they would be a good idea. He thought they would make me look more like a responsible nanny."

Jacob chuckled and wrapped his arm tighter around her, "And the bun and ridiculously heavy dresses were his idea too?" She nodded and fought back the tears that lying to him were causing to come to her eyes. "I guess I'll have to make a trip to San Antonio in the next few days," Jacob informed her as he kissed her collarbone.

"Why is that?" she asked quickly, even as she trembled beneath his lips.

"So I can talk to your father," he replied as his lips moved to her chest.

"Why would you want to do that?" she asked, hoping that her fear couldn't be heard in her voice.

"Because, I am in love with you," he admitted as he raised his head and looked into her eyes. "I have been waiting my whole life to fall in love and I finally met the one woman who could make it happen. I want to be with you forever, Alice, but I think I need to talk with your father first." Ellie tried to swallow and instead began to choke. Jacob rose up to a sitting position and pulled her up as well, patting her back several times as she coughed, "Are you okay?" he asked with a small chuckle.

She nodded and looked over at him, "You love me?" she gasped, even though she had already known he did. He wouldn't have come to her room and made love to her if he didn't love her.

"Yes, and I want to marry you," Jacob replied looking deep in her eyes. He had never been more nervous then he was right now. Would she say no? What would he do if she did?

"Jacob, I.... I love you too," she whispered. She knew it was the truth. She was his. Her heart and her body. And tomorrow she would tell him the truth. Tomorrow she would send word to Otis that she was done working for him. Tomorrow she would admit all her sins to Jacob and surely he would help her. He would forgive her... Please God let him forgive her.

"Will you marry me?" he asked. "I don't have a ring yet but I can get you one."

Ellie nodded, "Yes, I'll marry you."

Jacob let out a relieved shout and then he threw his arms around her and crushed her in a hug that took her breath, "I'll be a good husband to you. I promise you that," he whispered in her ear.

She could hear the emotion in his voice and she bit her lip to keep from crying, "Shouldn't you go back to your room?" she asked with a smile, trying desperately to hide her guilt and fear.

"Why?" he asked as smoothed back her silky hair.

"Susie might come looking for one of us and...."

"You're right," he kissed her softly. "I'll make plans for us to go to San Antonio in a couple of days."

"Okay," she said distractedly as her mind raced.

Jacob blamed her odd behavior on shock. He had just barged into her room, made love to her, confessed his feelings and asked her to marry him, all within a little over an hour. Of course the woman was going to be shocked. He was shocked by his own behavior but he had no doubts about any of it.

Ellie watched him pull his clothes on. Every inch of his body was hard and lean. His legs were longer than any legs she had ever seen and his hands were so big. She could still remember how those hands had felt touching her most sensitive places and she felt a flush covering her. Jacob saw it too. The redness covering her cheeks and spreading down to the top of her breasts.

"Are you sure you want me to leave?" he asked as he stood there in the glow of the lamp light in nothing but his trousers.

Ellie wanted to say 'Hell no, get back in this bed with me' but her emotions were too conflicted just now. She forced a sleepy smile, "It would probably be best."

"Don't worry, love, just as soon as we're married, you won't have to spend a single night alone in this bed again," he kissed her lightly and then walked out of her room, closing the door silently behind him.

Ellie collapsed against the bed. She would confess tomorrow. She would tell him about her sister and Otis and he would forgive her lies because he loved her.... Wouldn't he?

She clung to the pillow that was now covered in his rich masculine scent and prayed. She'd never been much of a prayer or a religious person but just about now she knew she needed all the help she could get. She was either going to have all her worries taken care of and all her dreams come true tomorrow or she was going to find herself alone and in jail, with her sister in danger of falling into Otis's hands.