They reached Virginia the following afternoon, the storm having propelled them toward their goal at an accelerated pace. Leanna busied herself in their cabin, carefully packing their belongings into the cases and trunks while the men docked the ship and scrambled to secure all the sails. Then, there was the precious cargo to be unloaded, and Leanna repeatedly heard her husband's voice as he called out orders to his crew.
As the hours dragged on, Leanna became increasingly nervous about her impending meeting with Trevor's family. Would they like her? Would she like her new home? What would her role be? These questions and many more floated in her head as she paced before the window, fidgeting nervously. When Trevor suddenly appeared, she nearly jumped out of her skin in her agitation.
Trevor eyed her with concern as he closed the door behind him and crossed to her side. He turned her to face him and placed a finger beneath her chin, assessing her pale cheeks and the faint circles beneath her eyes. Last night, when he had woken her to make love, she had hung back, resisting his caresses as long as she could before giving in. He had wondered about it then, but he had been too aroused, and afterward too tired to delve into her reasoning. Now, he was determined to find out what was wrong, because his wife was definitely not herself. He tenderly traced her bottom lip with his thumb.
"What's the matter, Leanna?"
"Nothing, I'm fine."
Leanna looked down at her hands resting on his wide chest. How could she confront him about Eliza when he had never made any promises of love to her? Her pride wouldn't allow her to beg for his affection nor to admit the depth of her own love for him for as long as it wasn't returned. The last thing she wanted was to become a whining, nagging wife.
Trevor wasn't satisfied with her lame answer, and he pressed her further. "Have I done something to hurt you? If I have, I'm sorry."
"No, I'm just tired from the long journey. I'm anxious to see your home."
"Our home," he corrected with a smile. "I hope you will come to love it as much as I do." He paused for a moment, causing her to fidget under his close scrutiny. "Are you sure there is nothing else you want to discuss with me. I've noticed over the past few days that you seem somehow different, more reserved." He waited patiently for her answer as the moments stretched out in silence.
So he had noticed the changes in her, Leanna thought with surprise. She had begun to wonder if he even cared what she thought or felt. She shook her head slowly, unable to meet his gaze.
"No. I . . ." she stammered briefly, grasping for an excuse, "I'm not feeling all that well, because it's almost time for my monthly," she mumbled, blushing profusely from giving the lie. It had never been easy for her to lie about anything, and she bit her lip to still its quivering.
Trevor's brows raised in momentary surprise. He was still growing accustomed to the intricacies of his wife's monthly cycles, and he hadn't been thinking about that. He flashed her one of his roguish grins and assumed her blush was simply due to the delicacy of her statement.
"I had thought you might not have a monthly. I had begun to wonder if we had managed to make a baby together," he said softly, watching for her reaction.
Leanna's blush darkened by several shades, and she shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze. "Would you like that?" she whispered. "To have a baby, I mean?"
Trevor brushed a wayward lock of her hair back from her upturned face, bending to catch her glance. "It is my fondest wish to have a baby with you," he breathed. "I'll be the proudest papa you've ever seen."
Leanna's gaze was snared by his compelling stare, and she finally broke the contact and turned to look out the window. Trevor wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled the side of her neck.
"Of course, once you do get pregnant, there may be a few months when I won't get to enjoy your luscious little body," he murmured in a husky whisper.
His hands drifted up to cup both of her breasts and he began to twist her nipples nice and hard. Just as expected, she moaned and arched in his arms, thrusting her tits into his hands. He loved the way her body responded to his touch so readily, begging him to use her for his pleasure, and his voice took on a teasing note.
"On second thought, I don't think I'm ready to be without the services of my sweet little whore just yet. Maybe we should hold off on making a baby for a while longer. We are still newlyweds you know. There's no need to rush things."
The combination of Trevor's words, his hands, and those hot little kisses he was trailing down the side of her neck were enough to cause Leanna to soak her pantalets. Noticing that she was uncomfortable from his teasing, he chuckled and hugged her to his chest, breathing in her intoxicating scent. He could smell her delicious pussy, and he knew she was dripping wet.
"Oh Leanna, my sweet. You are truly enchanting. I can't seem to get my fill of you, and the more I indulge my appetites, the hungrier I become."
The words were galling to Leanna, as she stood surrounded by his strong embrace. He seemed to be confirming her suspicion that he thought of her as his plaything. Still, she could not summon the will to reject him, and she stood pliant in his arms.
With a sigh, Trevor finally released her and looked down at her with a boyish grin. "As much as I would like to bury myself inside you, now is not the time. It's time you had your first look at your new home. It will take at least two hours to get there, so we'd better get going."
Leanna tried to hide her disappointment as he ushered her out of their cabin. Trevor carried her cases in one hand and the small trunk with his clothes in the other. Once they got on deck, he turned over their luggage to one of the ship's mates with instructions to have them loaded onto his coach, and he tucked his wife's arm through his own to escort her off the ship. She waved goodbye and smiled to the many sailors who gathered to see them off, and they returned her smile, doffing their caps and waving.
As they descended to the pier, Leanna's eyes scanned her surroundings with curiosity. The docks reminded her of London, but on a much smaller scale. The waterfront was teeming with activity, as fisherman hawked their wares and harlots strolled about in scandalously revealing dresses. Several of them would have made a move toward Trevor, but Leanna chilled them with a cold glare and hugged his arm tighter against her bosom. She might have to concede that her husband was still in love with his former fiancée, but she would be damned before she would share him with a prostitute! She bristled when her husband chuckled beside her. He hadn't missed her jealous display, and he bent low to whisper in her ear.
"Don't worry, my sweet. These women have no idea that I am married to my own private little whore, and I have no need for their services."
Leanna narrowed her eyes as she flushed with anger and humiliation. How dare he taunt her! She turned away with a flippant shrug of her shoulders, but his repeated chuckle told her he wasn't fooled by her feigned disinterest in his sex life.
"What town is this?" Leanna finally inquired, not looking at her husband. She was still angry at him for teasing her, but her curiosity about this place was getting the better of her.
"This is Norfolk, but our home is almost a two hour drive inland. You cannot imagine how much the whole area has changed since the war. It took quite a toll on the people and the city, but now everything is thriving and growing so fast, I sometimes have a hard time recognizing the city."
As he spoke, Leanna saw a group of soldiers ambling down the pier, their dark blue uniforms making them stand out in the crowd. They all tipped their hats to a group of young ladies who were strolling along the boardwalk, but the ladies lifted their chins and turned away in pointed dismissal.
"Why are there still soldiers here if the war is over?" she inquired, chancing a glance at Trevor.
He met her gaze and smiled grimly. "It's part of the plan for reconstruction. The Yankees are here to keep us all in line and make sure we abide by the new laws they have imposed. It's martial law, in effect."
Leanna turned back to watch the soldiers as they disappeared from view. It was obvious from her husband's tone of voice that he was very bitter about the war, and she longed to offer a comforting word or gesture, but she remained silent. Only a few minutes had passed before a gleaming black coach pulled up, and Trevor gave instructions as their cases were loaded. Once they were inside, the coach lurched into motion.
Leanna reminded him of an eager child, as she took in their surroundings, sometimes pressing her face close to the window to get a look at something before it disappeared from view. Trevor smiled at her obvious enthusiasm, and he felt his chest swell with love for the charming woman beside him. She was so full of life and eagerness that she made him notice things as if for the first time.
As was quickly becoming his habit, he thanked Fate for dropping Leanna into his lap. More and more, he was convinced that they were meant for one another, and he couldn't imagine any other woman fulfilling the role of his wife. Every day he spent with Leanna brought him closer to making a declaration of love and loyalty, and strangely that notion didn't scare him as much as it once had.
Only when they finally passed through the outskirts of the city and entered the rolling hills of the countryside did Leanna relax back against the seat. However, she still kept her gaze on the view outside the window, not wishing to be drawn into a discussion with her husband. Trevor gave a slight frown of puzzlement as he watched her. He was at a loss as to how to get her to open up to him.
"You're awfully quiet," he finally drawled. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Leanna turned to meet his gaze and found real concern in his eyes. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. I'm just a bit tired and anxious to reach your . . . our home."
He watched her closely, wondering what she wasn't telling him. He sensed that he had done something to hurt her, but he didn't know what. He placed a protective arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side, as he settled comfortably into the corner of the seat.
