Hidden Wives by Claire Avery

Author:Claire Avery
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2010-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

FIFTEEN

It had been three nights since Luke slept. He paced and plotted and beat his fists into the pillow. The memory of Rachel’s battered face haunted him. Guilt racked him in the gut, bludgeoning him with his own inadequacy in protecting her.

He kicked the tire, climbed back into the cab and watched the road where Rachel would soon emerge. It took every fiber of his being not to kidnap her. The threats were so numerous and looming that they hung thick and toxic in the air, cutting off her capacity to reason.

He checked the time on the dash of his father’s truck. She should be here any minute. Kidnapping fantasies tantalized him again, but he would never force Rachel to do something against her will.

As she rounded the corner of the road, her steps were tentative and unsteady. The contrast of untouched skin on her forehead only made the color under her eyes and cheeks a deeper and angrier blue-black. His chest contracted in such a vise grip that for a moment he couldn’t suck in a single mouthful of air. It finally loosened, allowing him to climb out of the truck to meet her.

“Hi,” she said shyly.

“Hi. Feeling any better?”

She touched her cheek self-consciously, as though she was somehow responsible for the damage. “Much better.”

He held out his hand to help her into the truck before walking around to the driver’s side. Closing the door, he turned to her. “I missed you,” he said, a little too quickly, afraid he would lose control. He turned away from her, throttling the running engine.

“I missed you too.” Her voice sounded watery. “But . . . something horrible happened Saturday.”

“What?” he forced himself to ask. I’m going to kill her father.

“Esther . . .” Her breathing was choppy. “Esther . . . she began bleeding. They had to deliver the baby . . . he’s very critical. He’s only two pounds. They don’t know if he’ll make it!”

Rachel’s sweetness drained the anger out of the air. Guilty relief settled over him. Her father hadn’t hurt her. “I’m really sorry.”

Leaning over, he swallowed her with his arms. Though they were exposed, he couldn’t bring himself to drive off in search of some hiding place. Still, while she cried into his chest, he kept his eyes peeled on the road for the slightest stirring of dust that would warn of a vehicle.

Her crying tapered off. “I’m sorry. I can’t seem to control my emotions anymore.”

His nostrils filled with the scent of her skin. Without thinking, he touched his lips to the curve of her neck. She shivered. He pulled away, furious with himself for his lack of control. When she looked at him, her eyes were soft, and her lips were parted. Leaning in to kiss her, he stopped just inches away from her mouth. He was afraid he would hurt her. Exhaling, he moved away as her eyes clouded with doubt. She had no idea how much he wanted her.

“I love you, Rachel,” he blurted out, feeling like a jerk, and wondering if she believed him.

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