Newton (Prairie Grooms Book 9) Read Free Page B

she looked at her? But how could she think such a thing? The woman didn’t even know her yet!
    “Arya,” Nu-tan said gently. “Eloise wasn’t calling you one.”
    She stared at him, hurt in her eyes.
    “Arya …” Nu-tan said. “Arya not savage.”
    She smiled in relief. The woman must have been talking about something else.
    “Eat, darling,” he said and pointed at her food, then smiled and gave her his last piece of bacon.
    After breakfast Nu-tan led her back upstairs, said a few parting words to Elo-eez who’d followed them, and walked through the open door of their room. He gave her the look he usually did when she’d done something … not quite right … and shut the door. He shook his head, went to her and pulled her into his arms. “I love you,” he said and put a hand over her heart.
    Arya’s chest filled with warmth. “ Muhnya, Nu-tan.”
    He smile and gazed into her eyes. “ Muhnya, Arya,” he whispered, then kissed her.
    She melted against him, his kiss filling her more than food ever could. His arms came around her and she marveled at their strength. She’d seen him fight some of the braves and knew what he was capable of. Yet when holding her, he was extremely gentle.
    “Arya,” he whispered when he broke the kiss. He trembled a moment and held her close. “Dash it all … Eloise will be back soon.”
    Arya’s eyes widened. She understood. She drew back and stared at him. “Back soon?”
    He gasped in delight. “Yes, she’s bringing you a dress to wear.”
    “Dress?”
    “Clothes,” he said and pulled at her buckskins.
    Oh, not that! The woman was going to make her wear the clothes of his people. “No!” she said and tried to pull away.
    “Arya, stop,” he told her as she struggled. “It’s all right. I want you to wear a dress.”
    She stopped and stared at him. Was he saying what she thought he was? How could she run in such an outfit? She’d worn a dress, but never one that reached the floor nor had so much cloth. She frowned.
    He sighed heavily. “I think you’ll look very pretty in one.”
    She knew what pretty meant and put two and two together before sighing in resignation. If he thought she’d be pretty wearing clothes like Elo-eez, then who was she to argue? She should at least try, for Nu-tan’s sake. She fingered her buckskin shirt, then looked at him. “Clothes.”
    “Buckskins,” he corrected. “Not fit for a lady.”
    “Lady?”
    He smiled and tweaked her nose. “You,” he said and pointed at her chest, “are a lady.”
    She smiled and pointed at his.
    “Me? I’m a gentleman.”
    “Gentle … man.”
    Nu-tan smiled, cupped her face with one hand and kissed her soundly.
    When he broke the kiss her eyes lit up. “Gentle-man,” she said, hoping he’d kiss her again. He didn’t disappoint. Arya liked this new word.
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    N ewton gently pushed Arya from him. “There’s more where that came from, my darling, but I’m afraid now is not the time.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Eloise will be back soon with a dress for you. I hope you’ll like it and not … put up a fuss.”
    Arya looked at him, her head cocked to one side, her grey eyes wide with curiosity. She was responding to the tone of his voice more than anything else.
    “What I mean to say is …” he continued, but she put a finger to his lips to quiet him. She was good at communicating through body language, and they’d spent a lot of quiet time together over the last few weeks simply soaking each other up, conversing only with a gesture here, a look there. Especially looks like the one she was giving him now.
    She smiled, her head still tilted, then lowered her hand from his mouth and put it over his heart. Her expression changed and her eyes filled with longing.
    “How can I tell you, we cannot …” He sighed. “Not that I don’t want to. You’re like a magical elixir, one I cannot get enough of. But … not right now, my love.”
    She let her hand fall away, her