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“I did,” Elijah said flatly. “She had been his wife for months, but Thomas never touched her. Yet he was still insane with jealously when he saw us together.”
Elijah felt Joshua’s start of surpr
ise instead of seeing it. “Are you certain? I had always thought the fairer sex repulsed Thomas. I was shocked when I heard he got married. We had never seen him with a woman…but to be jealous to the point he whipped her?”
“I didn’t understand his possessiveness. I knew we shocked him. Hell, I was shocked when he asked me why I was in bed with his wife. But I realized he only married Sheridan for her wealth. We knew him to be a man of honor. It is not easy for me to think of Thomas in a light where he would deceive someone for monetary gain.”
Elijah and Sheridan had spoken for long lengths. The day had been filled with them making love or talking. He tried not to think about the fact, that the day had been one of the most peaceful of his life since he had lost his family. “It seems the entire town of Blue Lagoon knew we were together. Sullivan used it as his excuse to treat her with such contempt. No one offered aid at their rough handling, because she is now considered a loose woman.”
“This is a fucking mess,” Joshua growled.
“I know. Sullivan will not give up.”
“Is she that wealthy or is it her beauty?”
Elijah thought of Sullivan’s offer to share her. “He wants both…but her wealth is the greater draw. Fifty thousand pounds.”
A soft whistle hissed from between Joshua’s teeth. “That is a hell of a lot of money, Elijah. Why don’t you just marry her and be done with it? That would make you the target, and you are more than capable of protecting your own. To fight you they would have to fight Noah and me as well. Sullivan would have to be stupid to take on such a challenge.”
Elijah sighed. “You know I will never take another wife.”
“Does she know that?”
Elijah gave him a stony look.
“You are gentle with her,” Joshua said softly. “She doesn’t even fear you, Elijah. If she knew your reputation I wonder if she would be so wildly defiant.”
He grunted. “She listens well enough.”
“Not when you told her to get out of the rain.”
Elijah jerked his head up and narrowed his eyes at the taunting smile around his brother’s lips.
“Relax. From the moment she talked about putting her mouth—”
The knife flew from Elijah’s grip and buried in the earth between Joshua’s legs.
Joshua held up his palms, low laughter pulsing from him. “I turned away. Even moved up the trail, but I could still hear her. She said she loved you.”
The memories of Sheridan’s passionate cries of love and sultry heat had Elijah gritting his teeth, fighting back the brutal need to go for her in the cabin. He had taken her over and over trying to exorcise the need for her.
“Only words,” he said flatly, not wanting to traverse along those lines of conversation. Had Emma not said the same thing, had she not promised to love and protect their son at all cost?
“For such a smart man, you’re mighty blind.”
“Leave it alone Joshua,” Elijah growled.
They were silent for a few minutes.
“You marryin’ her?”
He should have known Joshua wouldn’t be able to keep quiet. “No.”
“Why the hell not?”
“She is not made for this life. I am not a man that makes the same mistake twice. A woman like Sheridan would be a mistake.”
“Seems to me she is adjusting mighty fine.”
