Chapter 3
Three
Adam
I hope to heaven I’m not pressuring her. She has knocked me off my feet. In such a short time, I’m ready to get on one knee. It’s madness. I never dreamed anything like this would happen to me. I’ve dated many women. None have affected me like this one.
I want Rebekah to be mine, and I’m not willing to pretend otherwise. I can’t let her go home without knowing my intentions. I hate the idea of her leaving at all. If it wouldn’t insult her, I would tell her to stay and never go back.
I have a bad feeling about her father. When she speaks of him, she’s dodgy.
I don’t like that she lives alone with him.
He doesn’t even have a job. How is he providing for her?
Not well, I can see. I suspect she doesn’t own any nicer clothes than what she’s wearing.
I know for a fact she hasn’t eaten well in a long time.
I thought she was going to stuff that entire sandwich in her mouth and swallow it whole.
That breaks my heart. Apparently, there is such a thing as love at first sight because I’m experiencing it right now.
Having known her a decade ago doesn’t count.
This is adult Rebekah. She’s feisty and sassy and adorable.
Already, I can picture these rooms filled with our kids.
I sure hope some of them inherit her gorgeous, fiery hair.
Her eyes are wide, and her cheeks are bright red. With her skin being so fair, there’s no way she can hide her emotions. I bet her cheeks pinken every time she’s embarrassed.
Or aroused.
I want to see that. I want to see her breasts. I bet her nipples are hard little pink points. I bet the skin is creamy and turns dark when someone sucks on them. I wonder if anyone ever has. I suspect not. And that makes me feel all kinds of cocky.
I want this woman.
She’s mine.
How long will it take me to convince her? Hopefully not too long because my body tightens at the thought of her leaving my sight.
“Don’t say things like that,” she whispers. She doesn’t believe me.
I draw in a breath and lick my lips. “Rebekah, I don’t mean to scare you, but I’m not the sort of man to beat around the bush. I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you what I’m thinking, and what I’m thinking is that I want you in my life.”
“You want me to be your girlfriend,” she deadpans, suspiciously.
“For now.”
She gasps. “For now?” Her voice rises. “What does that mean? You want to take me to your bed and later dump me?” She shakes her head. “I’m not that kind of girl, Adam.”
I move my hands up to cup her face. “You misunderstand me, sweetheart. What I meant was I only want you to be my girlfriend for as long as it takes to convince you to be my wife.”
I’m stunned by my own admission and my thoughts. But they’re true. I won’t take them back, and I won’t ever regret this.
“You can’t be serious.” Her voice is breathy.
“I guess I should have started by asking if you had a boyfriend before I took the liberties I already have. I shouldn’t be this close to you, touching you, or holding your hand if your heart belongs to someone else.” I’m confident that is not the case, but I want to see her reaction.
She stares at me, mouth open.
“Well?”
Finally, she shakes her head. “I don’t have a boyfriend, Adam. You, your brothers, and the men working on your property are the only people I’ve seen in two years, unless you count my dad and sometimes his gross friends.”
I swallow hard. I’m going to learn things about Rebekah’s life that I’m not going to like. But I need to know. “You don’t go into town, sweetheart?”
She shakes her head again.
“Why not?”
“My dad doesn’t let me.”
“He doesn’t let you go anywhere?”
“No,” she whispers. “He says…” Her voice trails off.
“He says what?” I ask, stiffening.
She looks down again. I hate it when she does that.
As if she’s embarrassed to admit things.
I don’t ever want her to be embarrassed to share anything with me.
Finally, she continues, “He says Hannah is a harlot for running off. It’s not appropriate for girls to gallivant around with men.
He says if I go into town now that I’m grown, I’ll end up a harlot like my sister. ”
I grit my teeth, trying to control my emotions. “Do you even know what a harlot is, sweetheart?”
She shrugs. “A woman who lets men use her for sex.”
Well, she’s not ignorant about the subject. I lift her chin again. “I will never use you, Rebekah, and if anyone else ever tries to, I will kill them with my bare hands.”
She flinches, staring at me. Tears well up in the corners of her eyes. She lifts her arms and wraps them around my neck. She sniffles as she buries her head against my shoulder. “I don’t care if you’re lying to me. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
Fuck. This woman needs some kindness in her life.
I slide my palms around to her back and pull her close. “Let it out, sweetheart. Cry if you need to. I’m right here.”
A sob escapes her, but she sucks it back. I can tell she’s struggling not to cry. She’s emotional. Understandable. I’ve piled a lot on her plate.
Suddenly, she jerks up, her back going straight, her gaze flitting to the windows. “I have to go.”
I hold on to her tighter when she squirms in my arms. “Slow down, firecracker. What’s the rush?”
“My dad. He’ll be home soon. If I’m not there…”
I grab her chin gently, making her look at me. “What happens if you’re not there, Rebekah?”
“He’ll punish me.”
“How?” My jaw is tight. I don’t like this.
There’s not a chance in the world I’m going to take this woman home to an abusive situation.
I thought I could let her go and court her for a while.
It was probably ludicrous. I’m not sure I really could have done it.
But now all bets are off. Just the thought of her father disciplining her makes my skin crawl.
She wiggles in my embrace. “Please, Adam. I need to go.”
I bring my hands to her bottom and hold her. “Answer my question, sweetheart. How does he punish you?”
“Adam…”
“I’m not going to let you go, Rebekah. Not a chance. You’re freaking me out. Answer me, please.”
She lifts her gaze to mine. “Trust me. You don’t want answers.
You’re not from my world. You had parents who were kind and loving.
I bet they never spanked you even as a toddler.
I bet they didn’t slap you across the face if you didn’t say the right things.
I bet they didn’t lock you in the cellar for days because you didn’t do the dishes quickly enough or dinner wasn’t on time.
I bet they didn’t scream at you and threaten to sell you to one of their nasty, dirty, disgusting friends if you didn’t toe the line. You don’t understand.”
I can’t breathe. I knew she was poor. I knew she didn’t have enough food. I never suspected she was abused. Not back then. My heart hurts. I want to scream, but that will only make things worse. She needs me to stay calm.
“Was it always like that, sweetheart?”
She sniffles. “No. He was always mean, but he got a lot worse after my mom died, and then ten times worse when Hannah ran away.”
No wonder Hannah took off, but it left Rebekah alone with that monster.
“Has he done all of those things recently, Rebekah?” I try hard not to let my voice wobble. My hands are flat on her. I want to fist them, march over to her house, and punch her father in the face until he stops breathing. I still might.
“Yes,” she murmurs. “Can I go now?”
“No, sweetheart, you cannot go. Not ever.”
She gasps, eyes wide. “I can’t stay here, Adam. He’ll kill me.”
“I won’t let him. Neither will my brothers. You’re safe here.”
“He’ll think I’m a harlot.”
“You’re not a harlot. Stop saying that word. It’s vile. Have you ever had sex, Rebekah?” I seriously doubt it, but I need to know for sure.
She shakes her head. “I don’t even know any men.
I told you, the only people I ever see are my father’s gross friends.
He doesn’t let them in the house, though.
I see them through the window while they sit outside, talking.
They don’t come often, but sometimes one of them brings supplies.
And…” Rebekah shoves at me. “I don’t have time to explain all this, Adam. I’m serious.”
“Rebekah, listen to me. I’m going to give you some choices, and you may pick one.
These are your options. If you want to go home and get some personal things, I will drive you myself.
I will go into your house with you and wait while you pack.
If your father is there, I will tell him you’re mine.
If he’s not, I’ll go back and talk to him later.
Your other option is to stay here and never go back.
I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to retrieve any mementos you might want, but I’ll try at some point in the future.
Either way, you’re not sleeping under that roof ever again, Rebekah.
I can’t allow it. If you want to stay with me in this cabin, you’re welcome to do so.
If you’re not interested in me that way, you can stay with one of my brothers.
” I cringe inside at that thought. It’s not happening, but I need her to feel like she is coming to my bed on her own.
Forcing her to accept me as her boyfriend isn’t my style.
Rebekah’s mouth opens and closes several times. “If you go over there, he’ll kill you.”
“I don’t remember him being that large, sweetheart,” I point out. I’m picturing a lanky man who’s about five nine and gets most of his calories from booze.
“He has a shotgun, Adam!” she shouts, her eyes wide, body stiff.
“Sweetheart, he wouldn’t even be able to get it off the wall before I took it from him. I promise.”
She shakes her head rapidly. “I can’t let you do this. He’ll come after you. He’ll kill me. If he locks me in the cellar without food or water for two days for supposedly backtalking, imagine what he will do if I don’t have his dinner ready on time.”
“I don’t have to imagine it. I get it, sweetheart. I need you to let me handle your father. I will not let you anywhere near him on your own for any reason. Not ever.”
Tears start falling down her face. I know this is a lot.
I’m flipping her world upside down. She had no idea when she snuck onto our property to watch us today that she would never go home again.
She had no idea I would claim her and make her my wife.
I didn’t know any of that, either. But here we are.
This woman is mine to protect for the rest of our lives.
She’s mine to love. Mine to cherish. Mine to provide for.
She will never know hunger again. She will have nice things, nice clothes, pretty jewelry.
She will scream my name when I enter her body.
She will bear my children. She will never want for anything for another day in her life. I will see to it.
I reach to open the drawer at my hip and take out a washcloth. After dampening it in the sink next to us, I hold it up. “Tip your head back, sweetheart.”
She does as I ask, letting me wipe her face. Damn, she’s gorgeous. I don’t like to see her cry, though. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she never knows the kind of hardship she’s had for twenty years ever again. It’s in the past.
Rebekah is mine now.