AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She went numb inside when he swept his arms around her waist and drew her close.
“Don’t misunderstand what I’m about to do,” he said. “I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone ever, as badly as I want to kiss you.”
She grew weak in the knees when his full lips covered hers in a warm, passionate kiss. When she began experiencing something akin to rapture, she became frightened and shoved at his chest.
When she finally wrenched herself away, she stared up at him. “Please don’t ever do that again,” she said, her voice trembling. “Now I am forced to decline your invitation of coming to talk with me tomorrow when you bring Dancing Cloud’s horse to the Petersons’ stable. I’m afraid you have more in mind than mere conversation.”
She stiffened her back and stamped away, but gasped when once again his warm hand was there in hers, stopping her.
“I apologize,” he said as he urged her around to face him again. “I shouldn’t have.”
“Never shall you again,?
?? Lauralee said, her whole insides trembling from confusion.
“I would still like the opportunity of seeing you again.” Paul’s voice was soft and convincing.
“Only long enough for you to give me the reins to Dancing Cloud’s horse,” Lauralee said stubbornly. She wrenched her hand away from his. “I would expect you to leave quickly then.”
“I can’t make such a promise,” Paul said, frowning down at her.
“Then don’t bother coming,” Lauralee persisted. She placed her hands on her hips. “Send someone else with Dancing Cloud’s horse. If not, I shall make sure only the Petersons’ stable hand is there to accept the horse.”
“Why are you being so stubborn?” Paul insisted. “I felt you respond to my kiss. Why would you want to deny your feelings? Is it because there is someone else?”
Lauralee paled.
Her eyes wavered.
That was all it took for Paul to know the answers.
“Is it the Cherokee?” he asked thickly.
“I’d truly rather not continue this conversation,” Lauralee replied. She whirled her skirt around to walk away from him again. She gave him an aggravated look when he caught up with her and walked beside her in a lazy but most intriguing saunter.
“Lauralee, I would truly like the opportunity to court you and change your mind about anyone else you may think you have feelings for,” Paul said, not giving her up all that easily.
She thought back to the orphanage. Living like that, she had never had the opportunity to have men come calling, as women do who lived in normal homes, with normal families. It gave her a strange sort of thrill to think of having a man come calling on her at a front door, of having a man escort her to a fancy carriage, of having the man possibly taking her to a fancy ball where she would whirl around the floor from night to dawn.
She wanted to experience all of these things.
But she still did not want to have a life with anyone but Dancing Cloud.
And she knew that he would not be the courting kind, who would come calling in a fancy carriage, or who would even know how to dance!
To go with him to his village to be his wife would be paradise.
Yet she just wished that she could experience what she had missed at least once.
“If I would allow you to come courting, would it be understood between us that I am only accepting your company for the fun of it, not to be seriously considering becoming your wife?” Lauralee blurted out, giving him a guarded glance.
“It would be understood.” Paul nodded. “But would you also understand that you just might enjoy my company enough to want more of it?”
“I imagine that is a gamble we both shall be taking,” Lauralee said, smiling as their eyes locked.
Again he swept her into his arms and kissed her.
This time she did not shove him away. For now it was all right to experience things that she had been denied as a young girl blossoming into a woman.
