3 comments/  20569 views/  0 favorites

Golden Desire Ch. 02

By: opels



In the carriage, Henry couldn't stop talking about what a fine and wealthy man Nicholas was. "Such a grand house and he did it all himself. Did you hear him say that he used to be quite poor? And look at him now. I don't know much about art and furnishings but his seemed very tasteful. Don't you think so, Vicky?" Without waiting for her to reply, he continued, "He seems to like us, don't you think? And my mind is certainly at ease as far as your welfare is concerned, what with him offering to take such good care of you and all. He'll make sure you're not lonely."

"I have no intention of seeing Mr. Andrews while you're away." she replied sternly.

"But why, whatever for?" he asked, surprised by her obvious and sudden dislike of Nicholas.

"Henry, the man owns and runs a gambling house! I refuse to spend any time with a man who makes a living preying upon the weaknesses and sins of men." In her heart she knew that wasn't the entire reason. This man was stirring feelings in her she hadn't even realized she had. She had only known him for one day and she already knew she should stay away from him. However, she was also very intrigued by him, his wealth, his fine and varied taste in art.

She mentally shook her head, chastising herself for searching for reasons to think of him as a decent man. Even if he didn't have the gambling houses, his behavior towards her, especially in the presence of her husband, was inexcusable. No, she would not socialize with him while Henry was away, she vowed. She would avoid him as much as possible. She just hoped she could stick to that vow.

Henry's protests that Nicholas was a fine man and that his gambling house seemed very respectable brought her out of her thoughts. "Give him a chance Vicky, please, for me. I can't bear the thought of you cooped up in that room for a whole two weeks." He gave her his best puppy dog face and she couldn't help but relent.

"All right, Henry, I will. I'll give Mr. Andrews a chance." The back of her neck where he had touched her began to tingle. Oh, Henry, if you only knew what you're asking, she thought.

When they arrived back in their suite, Henry pulled her into his arms. "Alone at last," he murmured into her ebony hair.

Victoria had never found making love to her husband very thrilling but she considered it to be her wifely duty and thus always complied. She also kept hoping that their unions would produce the children she wanted so badly.

"Yes, at last," she whispered.

She undressed while Henry extinguished the lights and as he climbed atop and entered her, she found herself closing her eyes and imagining a man with golden blond hair and cool green eyes instead.

The sun hadn't yet risen when she awoke. Through the dim light in the room, she could see Henry getting dressed. Noticing that she was awake and beginning to rise, he walked over to the bed and gently pushing her back down, he said, with a smile, "Oh, no you don't. You stay in bed. You never get the chance to sleep in, so you're going to take advantage of the opportunity now."

He pulled the blankets up to her chin as she stared at him with bewilderment. "I've arranged for your breakfast to be served to you in bed, so you have to stay there."

"Breakfast in bed?" she asked, unsure if she had heard him correctly, but clearly delighted by the treat.

"Yes, and get used to it because it's going to be that way from now on," he said grandly.

She giggled and replied, "Now that is something I could definitely get used to."

He finished dressing, and holding his coat in his hand, he stopped and gazed down at his wife. "I'm going to miss you," he said, his voice clearly showing he meant it.

She returned his gaze and his sentiment, "I'm going to miss you too." She was surprised to find that she meant it too. She was going to be lonely without him. "But it's only two weeks. I'm sure you'll be back before I know it." She smiled to ease the guilty look on his face. "I'll be fine, Henry. Go find gold, make us incredibly rich."

Henry smiled and leaned down to give her a kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a long hug.

He finally pulled away, "I have to go, Vicky." Standing, he said, "Be careful and enjoy yourself with Mr. Andrews and the ladies in the hotel."

"I will," she said, crossing her fingers under the blankets.

Later that morning, as she sat in bed and sipped her coffee and ate her pastry, she wondered what she should do with her day. It was almost nine o'clock. She couldn't remember if she had ever started her day so late. She smiled happily at the sheer luxury of it. She finished her breakfast and putting aside the tray, got out of bed.

After she had washed herself and brushed her hair, she stood in front of the wardrobe looking at her dresses. Perhaps I'll just stay in the room, she thought. She had brought a number of books with her and thought that might be a pleasant way to spend the day. When the maid had brought her breakfast, she had also requested that lunch be brought up to her room. She was going to try and keep her vow to avoid Nicholas, and since he obviously frequented his hotel, staying in her room was the surest way to do that.

However, on the third day, even her spacious suite was feeling too small and she knew she had to get out for a bit. At lunch, she asked the maid if Mr. Andrews was in the hotel at the moment.

"Yes, ma'am, I believe he is," she replied.

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked the young woman. "Can you please let me know if he leaves?" she said, slipping some coins into the girl's hand.

"Oh, that's not necessary," she said returning the coins. "It will be my pleasure."

The maid left the room and proceeded directly to the lobby where she found Nicholas in his office behind the front desk.

"Excuse me, sir. You said you wanted to know if Mrs. Somerset had left her room?"

"Yes, yes. Has she?" he asked eagerly, rising from his chair.

"Well, no sir," she said hesitantly. "But she seems very agitated...fidgety. And she asked if you were in the hotel."

"What did you say?"

"I said that you were, and she asked me to let her know when you leave."

A slow smile crept across Nicholas' face. He couldn't have hoped for better. "Excellent, excellent." He paused for a moment and then instructed the maid, "Wait about an hour and then tell her I've gone."

"Yes, sir," she said turning to leave.

"And by the way, Miss McLaren," he said, stopping the maid. "Well done, thank you."

"Thank you, sir," she said, blushing and bobbing a curtsey. It must be nice to have a man like that interested in your comings and goings, she thought to herself as she rushed back to her duties.

Victoria was pacing back and forth in her room, wondering how long Nicholas intended on visiting the hotel that day, when finally there was a knock at her door. She flew to answer it and looked eagerly at the maid standing there.

"I believe Mr. Andrews has left ma'am," she said.

"You believe he's left?" Victoria questioned her.

"I didn't actually see him leave, but I can usually tell by the way the staff is behaving if he's here or not, and by their less serious manner, I'm quite sure he's left."

Victoria breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said before closing the door.

She rushed to her vanity and fixed her hair and smoothed her dress, before leaving the room and going to the lobby. She was hoping to make the acquaintance of some of the other guests at the hotel without Nicholas' help.

She descended the staircase and felt better already. A change of scenery was all she needed, she thought. She entered the lobby and was again drawn to the paintings decorating the walls. She wanted to re-examine the one she and Nicholas had been admiring the other day when Henry returned from his shopping trip. She wished he had behaved better for the remainder of that day, she wanted to continue the conversation they had been having regarding the piece.

Nicholas watched her from the partially closed doorway of the office. As had happened the day he had first seen her, he was entranced by her beauty. It didn't matter much to him that she was married, but he liked that her husband was far away and was going to be for some time.

He felt a bit guilty about not enlightening them on how long it will most likely be that Henry will be gone. They think he'll be back in two weeks. It'll take longer than that just to reach the gold fields. He guessed that Henry would be gone about six months, and he was fairly certain that Victoria didn't have enough money to last her that long. He was more than willing to offer his hospitality, he just had to figure out a way to get her to accept it.

His eyes skimmed over her alluring figure, her height was quite unconventional but that made her even more attractive in his eyes, along with her narrow waist and full bosom. With a practiced eye, he guessed that most of what he was seeing was natural and not forced by undergarments and padding as most women were. He hungrily drank in her beautiful face, framed by luscious ebony hair. However, it was her eyes that enchanted him the most. The depths of dark blue fringed by thick black lashes drew him in and held him.

Victoria was trying to remember what technique it was that Nicholas had told her the artist had used to achieve the ethereal effect of the painting. She reached out tentatively and touched the canvas, wanting to feel the texture of the paint.

"Please don't touch the paintings," a low, smooth voice whispered in her ear.

She gasped and turned quickly, only to find herself mere inches away from Nicholas. She had been very close to the painting and was now trapped between him and the wall. Having trouble calming her breathing, she said breathlessly, "Mr. Andrews, I didn't think you were in the hotel."

"Didn't think I would be here, Mrs. Somerset? Are you trying to avoid me?" he asked teasingly in the same low voice.

"I would have thought that by my disapproval of your business interests and of your very forward behavior at your home the other night, you would know that I do not wish to see you," she said, struggling for composure. If only he would step back, she thought.

He gazed down at her, while her eyes seemed to alight on everything in the lobby except him. He was very encouraged that she was so flustered and breathless. He correctly guessed that it wasn't just a result of having startled her. "So, I take it that you are avoiding me?" he continued to tease.

"Yes, I am," she stated, trying to sound firm. Still trying to avoid his eyes, she looked down, noticing that he was so close to her that his legs were brushing against the voluminous folds of her skirt.

He reached out and gently touched her cheek, trailing his fingers along her jaw line to her chin. "You are so beautiful," he murmured, tilting her face up so that she couldn't help but look at him.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into his eyes. The green of them had been cool before, but now there seemed to be a fire in them, turning them warm. One corner of his mouth was curling into a smile as his thumb reached up to caress her bottom lip. She closed her eyes as her lips parted to emit a shuddered sigh. She felt Nicholas' thumb breach her lips and gently graze her lower teeth. With that startling sensation, she wrenched her head away.

Placing her hand on his chest, she could feel his heart pounding as she gently pushed him away. "Please, stay away from me," she whispered as she brushed past him and all but ran back to her room.

She fumbled with the key and finally shut the door behind her. She leaned against it trying to catch her breath. Stumbling to the bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed, trying to collect herself. She gently touched her cheek where his fingers had been and ran her own finger along her lower lip. She closed her eyes and trembled at the memory. She tried to define his caresses and much to her dismay the only word that fit was thrilling. Overcome with guilt, she fell back upon the bed. Henry had only been gone a few days and she was already falling under Nicholas' spell.

Why did he have this power over her? Every time she saw him, he only had to whisper in her ear and her heart started pounding, she couldn't breathe and if she dared to look into his eyes, it was all she could do to control herself. Any time he touched her, she almost crumpled to the floor in a swoon. Just thinking about it, she found herself getting warm and breathless. She tore at the buttons on the neck of her gown, trying to get some air.

What was she going to do? She couldn't possibly stay in her room for the remaining week and a half, she would go crazy if she did. And she obviously couldn't trust the staff to tell her if Nicholas was around.

She would just have to be strong she thought to herself. Like just now, she should have looked him square in the eye and asked him to move away from her or just excused herself and left. Why hadn't she done that? Because she was drawn to him, she admitted. She couldn't think when he stood so close to her and spoke as he had. That low, seductive voice. He had said she was beautiful. She ran his compliment over in her head. Recalling the low timbre of his voice sent arousing shocks throughout her body.

She got up off the bed and walked over to the vanity. She peered at herself in the mirror. Was she beautiful? Henry occasionally mentioned that she was pretty, but had never used the more grand word of beautiful.

She heard a whisper of sound in the next room and walked cautiously to the doorway. On the floor by the front door was a cream colored envelope. She walked over and picked it up. It was made of thick luxurious paper and she knew immediately who it must be from. Turning it over in her hands, she walked back into the bedroom and sat down again at the vanity before breaking the seal and opening the envelope. It contained a single sheet of paper covered in a masculine yet elegant script. Steeling herself she unfolded it and read.

My dear Mrs. Somerset,

Please forgive my rude and ungracious behavior earlier this afternoon. I had promised to look after you in your husband's absence and only succeeded in insulting you and driving you to the seclusion of your rooms.

I would like to invite you to a late lunch at my home tomorrow afternoon and give you a tour of my private art collection. I think you would enjoy the works that I have collected.

I hope you will consider my offer and accept my apologies. I will send a carriage for you tomorrow at two o'clock. I am hoping that you will be there to meet it.

Sincerely yours,

Nicholas Andrews

She refolded the letter and returned it to the envelope. She once again consulted her reflection in the mirror. Could she do it, she wondered. Could she go alone to his home and not be overcome by him? Since there was no way to avoid him and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand staying in her rooms for the remainder of her stay, she had to try. She would be there to meet his carriage.

She chastised herself the next day as she stood before the wardrobe agonizing over what to wear. Since it was late afternoon, she could wear something that didn't come all the way up to her neck, but then again she didn't want to give Nicholas the wrong impression and wear something that could be considered revealing. Not that she had anything like that, of course. She knew how some women, quite respectable ones even, dressed, with revealing décolleté. She had never felt that that would be appropriate for her, thus all her dresses were quite modest. She chose one of dark blue muslin, with a slightly wider neckline that showed a glimpse of shoulder.

She fixed her hair and went downstairs to wait for the carriage. When she saw it sitting outside the front doors she almost succumbed to the attack of nervousness that assaulted her. She even considered returning to her room. No, she thought. She could and would do this. To back out now would mean she would have to spend the remainder of her time in San Francisco in her room and she couldn't bear that.

Squaring her shoulders, she thought that perhaps this would mark a new beginning in her relationship with Nicholas. Perhaps they could truly become friends. Somehow in the back of her mind she knew that wasn't to be the case.

She nervously twisted her hands in her lap on her way to Nicholas's house. They were just going to have lunch and spend an enjoyable afternoon discussing art, she told herself. Nothing to be nervous about. Nothing except his entrancing green eyes, his overt masculinity, his deep seductive voice, nothing except everything about him. What was she doing? This was insanity. She almost told the driver to turn around and take her back to the hotel. Instead she told herself to calm down, she was overreacting. If he got out of line, she was just going to have to be firm and put him back in his place. She could do that.

The carriage stopped and she realized they had arrived at their destination. She took a long calming breath while waiting for the driver to open her door.

Nicholas stood at the window of his home watching the road, waiting for his carriage to appear. When it finally did, he held his breath as it approached. He released it with a smile when the horses stopped outside the front door. It would have gone straight around back if she wasn't inside.

He was tempted to open the door himself, but instead went into the sitting room to wait for her. He stood when the butler announced her and felt the familiar flood of warmth upon seeing her. She was breathtaking in a dark blue gown that mirrored her captivating eyes.

He approached her with both hands extended. "Mrs. Somerset, thank you so much for coming. And may I say, you look lovely in that gown," he said smiling and taking both of her hands in his.

"Thank you, Mr. Andrews," she replied with a calmness she did not feel. At his touch, sparks flew through her fingers and she quickly withdrew her hands from his.

"Won't you please have a seat," he invited, sitting himself.

She settled herself on a sofa and gazed about the room. She had been too distracted before to notice anything. Henry was right, the furnishings and art were very nice. "It's nice to be here during the day. I can see everything better," she said.

"I usually keep the rooms quite well lit at night. Was the room dim?" he asked.

She hesitated before continuing, "Actually, I think it was that I was distracted, not that the lighting was inadequate." She averted her eyes, and resented the pink flush that appeared in her cheeks.

"Oh yes, I believe I made a rather inappropriate comment, didn't I?" Nicholas replied, unable to suppress the twinkle in his eye. "Please accept my apologies."

Recalling that he had said she looked intoxicating in her evening gown, she replied, "Apologies are not required, Mr. Andrews. Your compliment was only inappropriate in its excess." She took a deep breath as she also recalled the way his softly spoken compliment had made her feel.

The butler returned at that moment to announce that their lunch was ready.

"I thought we would eat in the drawing room, instead of one of the dining rooms," Nicholas explained as they were led to the cozy room. He watched her as they entered, recalling himself that the word he had used in his compliment was intoxicating. She may have felt that it was excessive, but he couldn't think of a better way to describe her, except maybe alluring, seductive and even delicious. Then he would have had even more good reason to apologize.

Victoria looked about at the intimate surroundings. The table was beautifully set and the smells seeping out from the covered platters were mouth watering. Nicholas held out a chair for her and helped her get settled before sitting himself.


Golden Desire Ch. 02



"Would you care for a glass of wine with lunch?" he asked.

She recalled how he had continually filled her glass last time. If she drank very slowly he wouldn't need to keep filling it, so she agreed. "It's a bit decadent, having wine with lunch, but I suppose it's alright," she said.

He bit back a comment and only smiled as he filled her glass.

The butler served their lunches and departed. After a few moments of silence, Victoria ventured, "Mr. Andrews, I've been wondering something."

Intrigued, Nicholas looked at her. "About what?" he asked.

"Well, you seem to have a trace of an accent, and I was wondering if you were born in America or if you come from somewhere else."

She saw a flicker of pain flash through his eyes as he lowered them to his plate. "You're correct Mrs. Somerset. I am originally from Poland. After Russia invaded in '31 my parents and I fled the country. We went to England with the intention of coming to America. I sailed out of Liverpool, England with my parents but landed in New York alone. They both died during the crossing. I was thirteen years old and alone. I couldn't speak any English. I was terrified at first but I quickly found other Polish immigrants and was able to get work and survive. A few years ago I began hearing good things about California so I decided to head out here. It was during that trip that gold was found, so San Francisco became my ultimate destination." He paused and looked at Victoria. "Well, you know the rest. I saw the opportunity to stay in town and make money, so I did."

She was gazing at him with wonder. "You said you had been very poor but I had no idea. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"Well, I survived and I learned a great deal about life and human nature in a very short time. I also know that almost nothing is beyond my grasp." He locked eyes with her and stated, "If I want something badly enough, I usually get it." His voice dipped to a lower tone on his last statement and caused Victoria's heart to skip a beat. She tried to tear her eyes away but was held fast. It was Nicholas who finally looked away first. She realized she had been holding her breath and slowly released it.

"What about you? Are you native born or one of the teaming masses of immigrants?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, my story isn't quite as interesting as yours, although unfortunately one element is the same."

When she didn't continue he urged her, "Gone on."

"My parents came over from England and settled in Albany, New York, which is where I was born. I met Henry when I was nineteen. He wanted to marry me and since no other man had shown any interest I decided I might as well. He owned a successful bakery and was a nice enough man, so I married him. My parents were delighted. The wedding was a small affair and we quickly settled into a quiet routine."

She dropped her eyes to the table and continued on quietly, "Six months later during an influenza outbreak both my parents succumbed and died. It was the darkest part of my life. Henry didn't know what to do, he couldn't help me, no one could. I eventually came out of it, but it's still painful." She wiped at her eyes and continued on, trying to brighten up. "Six months ago, reports started showing up in the papers about the gold out here and Henry was obsessed from the very first story. The tale he told you about how we got here was a great deal nicer than what actually happened. But that's generally how the voyage went. And now here we are."

"Yes, here you are," he said quietly. "I'm very sorry about your parents."

"Thank you," she replied, glancing back again at the table.

"You said no other man had shown any interest in marrying you?" he asked, obviously surprised.

"Well, a few had, but nothing serious. They all gave up quickly. I was too serious, too reserved, too bookish...too tall," she said with a laugh. "Henry is tall himself so he didn't mind."

Nicholas hesitated slightly and then asked, "May I ask you a very personal question?"

Victoria's nerves stood on end but she managed to calmly reply, "You may."

"I'm sure it's none of my business and certainly feel free to say so, but do you love Henry?"

She was thoughtful for a moment before responding slowly, "I'm very fond of Henry, but no, I don't love him. I keep hoping that one day we'll have children and then I'll have love in my life again."

"But he loves you, that I know for certain. It's plain as day. Doesn't that count as love in your life?" he asked gently.

"Yes, I suppose so. Maybe you can see it, but he doesn't demonstrate it to me. He never says it. The love I would receive from my children would be joyful and boundless. That's what I'm looking forward to," she said with a smile.

"You didn't want to wait for a man who loved you whole heartedly that you loved as well?"

"I was nineteen, it was time I was married. I didn't want to become an old maid," she said with a laugh. "Besides Henry's not so bad. So he's not very exciting or romantic. He's solid and dependable and sometimes that's more important in building a life together."

"How many times have you told yourself that?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"What do you mean?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"It sounds more like you're trying to convince yourself, not me," he replied.

She stared at him wordlessly, trying to figure out if what he had said was true or not. It had never been put to her so plainly before. Looking down at her hands, she said quietly, "Well, it doesn't much matter, he's my husband and that's it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." He reached for the wine bottle and began to fill their emptied glasses. "Why don't we each take a glass and go see my art collection? What do you say?" he said, trying to brighten the mood.

Victoria estimated that she had had a glass and a half during lunch. If she sipped this one slowly, she should be fine. "That sounds wonderful," she replied standing and picking up her glass, ready to follow him.

As they walked down the hallway she noticed that he had brought the bottle with him. She would just have to make sure he didn't refill her glass. He could have as much as he wanted but she was going to keep a clear head. A thought suddenly struck her and she stopped, placing a hand on Nicholas' arm. When he looked at her inquiringly, she said, "You said that you're originally from Poland?"

He turned to face her and confirmed, "Yes, that's right."

She smiled slightly, "But your name is Nicholas Andrews. I'm guessing that's not the name you were born with?"

He smiled widely and replied, "You are correct. My name is actually Mikolaj Andruskiewicz."

"Did you change it, or was it the immigration officials?"

"A little of both. They changed it when I arrived, however, since I was quickly absorbed into the Polish community, I didn't use it until I got older and began venturing out into other parts of the city and then country. Nicholas Andrews took a little getting used to but it's far easier for people to pronounce and remember."

Trying out the name, she said softly, "Mikolaj."

She heard Nicholas suck in a shaky breath. "Say that again," he asked with wide eyes.

"Mikolaj," she stated.

"No, the way you said it before, softly," he said urgently.

Unsure if she should comply, she hesitated before repeating, in a soft voice, "Mikolaj."

He sighed and briefly closed his eyes. "It reminds me of the way my mother would say it, when she was tucking me into bed at night." He stared at a spot on the wall over her shoulder for a few moments, before blinking and coming out of his reverie.

Indicating a doorway down the hall, he said, "Shall we? It's just in here."

They spent the remainder of the afternoon, examining and discussing the paintings. He explained to her how he had often found himself in the company of struggling artists and that was where he learned so much about art and that he was sometimes paid for work that he did for them with their pieces. He eventually developed an eye for real talent and once he started making money in San Francisco he began to purchase seriously and build his collection.

When it was eventually time for her to go, she stood at his front door, waiting for the carriage to take her back to the hotel. She faced him, "Thank you for a truly wonderful afternoon, I enjoyed it immensely," she enthused.

"As did I. Am I forgiven for all my transgressions?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, you are," she said smiling.

"I'm glad. I hope you'll come back again."

"I'd be delighted." She turned as she heard the horses out front. "Good afternoon, Mr. Andrews."

He stood in the doorway, watching the carriage pull away. I played that just right, he thought to himself. He had realized that scaring her off was the wrong way to go about it. He couldn't seduce her if she wouldn't go near him. It was clear that she had been on her guard all day but he kept turning possibly seductive moments into benign ones, slowly winning her trust. It was going to be a long time until Henry came back and he vowed he would have her before then.

It was a common game of his, seducing the wives of the mining men. Vulnerable, lonely and often scared women coming to San Francisco with their husbands and staying in one of his hotels. He always "promised to look after them" while their husbands were gone and that's when his seduction would begin. It usually didn't take very long, a few well placed compliments and suggestive whispers and they were his. He had rushed things with Victoria, thinking she would be easy prey. But even though she didn't love her husband she had great respect for her vows and her own morals. Yes, backing off was the right thing to do. He smiled to himself as he walked back to the sitting room to enjoy a cigar. This chase may well prove to be the most enjoyable yet.

Victoria smiled to herself in the carriage on the way back to the hotel. The afternoon had been very pleasant. She had been worried that he would again behave inappropriately but nothing of the sort had happened. However, she had to admit that deep inside, she was slightly disappointed. The thrilling sensations he could create within her, although confusing, were also scintillating. She shook her head, annoyed at her thoughts. It was just vanity getting the best of her. Yes, she liked the fact that a man found her attractive, but it was thoroughly inappropriate and she refused to lose her head over it. She was going to be friends with Nicholas and that is all. Despite her resolutions, she couldn't help her subconscious and that night, as she slept, her dreams took a much different turn, causing her to awaken in a breathless sweat.



Golden Desire Ch. 03



Over the next week she saw Nicholas a few times, once more at his home and a few times in the lobby of the hotel. On one of those occasions, he asked her, "Have you actually been outside on the street yet?"

"No," she replied firmly. "I am not going out there."

At his surprised expression, she confessed, "Quite frankly, what I've seen of those streets scares me. I would be too frightened to out there alone."

"I could escort you," he offered. "Is there anywhere you would like to go?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "But you needn't bother, Henry will be back in a few days. He can escort me if I need anything."

"Of course. However, in the mean time, if you do wish to go out, please don't hesitate to ask."

The fourteenth day of her stay came, and by noon when Henry hadn't returned, she went down to the front desk to arrange for another week. Nicholas saw her coming down the stairs and went to greet her. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Somerset. Has Mr. Somerset arrived back yet?" he asked, even though he knew quite well that he hadn't.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Andrews. No, he hasn't. I'm just arranging for another week. I'm sure he'll be here in a couple of days."

Feigning concern, he asked, "Where exactly did he go?"

"Why he went to the gold fields. To, I believe it's Placerville? I thought you knew that," she replied.

"Well, I wasn't sure. That's originally where I thought he was going, but you kept saying that he would be back in two weeks, so I assumed I was mistaken," he said.

Alarmed she asked, "What do you mean? Why wouldn't he be back in two weeks if he went to the gold fields?"

Leading her over to a couch, he explained, "It usually takes more than two weeks just to get to the there. Transportation out there is extremely unpredictable. And then it takes time to find a place to mine and set up a claim. I'm afraid Mr. Somerset won't be back for at least another month."

Victoria paled as she absorbed this news. She stared down at the purse in her hands. It only held enough money for another week. "Are you sure? A month?" she asked him, her voice shaking.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but I thought you knew that," he said, coating his voice with sympathy.

"No, I didn't. Mr. Andrews, what am I going to do? I only have enough money for another week!" she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I have another hotel. It's not as fine as this one, but it's comfortable. You could stay there in a single room for a month for what you're paying for a week in a suite here. That could give you enough time."

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. A month? I believe I may be taking you up on your offer of an escort through town. If I'm going to be staying that long, I might as well take a closer look at my surroundings."

Smiling, he said, "If you could pack your things, I'll arrange to have them transported to the other hotel."

"Thank you, I'll attend to it right away," she stood and headed back up to her room.

Nicholas had already instructed his staff at the other hotel that she would be coming and to give her the best room at the lowest rate and to treat her with the greatest respect. He watched her as she walked away. Things were working out nicely.

Later that day, she walked into her room at the other hotel. Nicholas had been right, it wasn't nearly as grand but still comfortable. It also appeared to be in a slightly rougher area of town. She peered out the window with uncertainty. There was a gambling house directly across the street, she hoped it wouldn't be too noisy at night.

She walked over to the bed and sat upon it with a sigh. A whole month, she thought. And what if Henry wasn't back by then? Then what would she do? She shook her head, I won't think like that. I will stay positive that he will be back and even if he isn't, well, I'll worry about it then, she thought resolutely.

Several days later, she clung to Nicholas' arm as he led her down the street. She was too worried about her surroundings to give any thought to her closeness to him.

Laughing, he said, "Calm down, Mrs. Somerset. It's perfectly fine." Discreetly pointing across the street, he said, "Look, right there. A perfectly respectable woman walking all alone and no one is paying her any mind. And there's another right there, and another. Oh, not her, she's thoroughly disrespectful. Don't mind her."

Victoria couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you for taking the time to do this, but I think it may take awhile before I'm comfortable walking about alone."

"San Francisco may seem rough, but it's really not that bad." They were walking in front of a saloon and just as he made the comment, two men burst through the doors, fists flying, rolling onto the street.

Victoria shrieked and pressed herself against Nicholas. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back. Breathing heavily, she peered over her shoulder at the two men wrestling on the ground. Several patrons ran out of the bar and stood around cheering and shouting.

She tentatively looked up at Nicholas who was gazing down at her, his green eyes anything but cool. Once again she was trapped in his stare, unable to look away. He held her for several moments longer than he should have before releasing her. "Are you alright?" he asked in that low tone that always sent a shiver down her spine.

Breathlessly, she replied, "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Perhaps you could take me back to the hotel."

"Certainly." He again offered her his arm, but she didn't cling to it as before, too afraid of how it would affect the already swirling sensations she was feeling.

Once they reached the lobby of the hotel, she released his arm and in a still slightly breathless voice said, "Thank you Mr. Andrews. Perhaps next time, the walk will be a bit longer."

"Don't you think it's time you started calling me Nicholas? I think we've been acquainted long enough," he suggested.

She looked up at him. His eyes were once again cool, emitting only friendliness. "Yes, I suppose so. Well, Nicholas, then you must call me Victoria," she said with a smile.

"I would be delighted. I must get going. Enjoy the remainder of your day, Victoria," he said with a bow of his head before departing.

He congratulated himself on completing another step in his plans. Getting on a first name basis with her was very important in creating a sense of intimacy between them. Calling her Mrs. Somerset was a constant reminder that she was married and now that that had been eliminated he was closer to obtaining his goal.

As the month progressed, he saw Victoria almost every day. They went for walks, she visited him at his home, or they just sat in the lobby chatting. He was beginning to genuinely grow fond of her and was starting to feel a bit guilty about his planned seduction. He tried to chase these thoughts from his head, but he couldn't help how he was beginning to feel. He concentrated on what he was going to do when the month was up and Henry still hadn't returned. She had no money, so she couldn't afford to stay anywhere nor could she leave. She was going to have to rely on him to help her. He smiled happily, knowing that coming to her rescue was going to move his plans ahead a great deal.

Victoria eventually did venture out on her own one day. She had noticed a mercantile and was hoping to pick up some embroidery materials to help her spend her time. She hurried down the street, trying to look self confident as Nicholas had advised and made it to the store safely. She breathed a sigh of relief upon entering. She was enjoying herself, wandering about the store when she overheard two young women mention Nicholas. She paused and pretending to examine a display of gloves, eavesdropped on their conversation.

"You're not actually going to apply for a job there, are you, Gladys?" one of the women asked sounding rather shocked.

"Of course, silly. Mr. Andrews' gambling houses are always very respectable. There's nothing wrong with having a job dealing cards," the other replied.

"Your father will have something to say about that," the first one warned.

"He has always spoken of Mr. Andrews with the highest respect, I'm sure he'll approve," the one named Gladys replied.

Victoria recalled that Nicholas had mentioned a few times that he was opening a new gambling house. He knew she disapproved so he didn't talk about it much.

"Well, just as long as you don't wear flowers in your hair, I guess you'll be fine," the other said, causing them both to giggle.

The one named Gladys continued, her voice full of innuendo, "I'd wear flowers in my hair around Mr. Andrews any day."

"Gladys!" her friend exclaimed.

"Oh, now don't tell me you haven't noticed how handsome he is? I think he's the most divine man," she continued, her voice dropping to a whisper that Victoria had to strain to hear, "I'll even admit that I've had more than one hot and steamy dream about him," to which both girls again broke into giggles.

Flowers in their hair, Victoria wondered? What did that mean? She would have to ask Nicholas when she saw him next.

The next day, Nicholas laughed as she recounted the conversation she had overheard. She only told him the part up to the mention of flowers and didn't say anything about the girls' obviously very favorable opinion of him. He cleared his throat before explaining. "In all gambling houses, even mine, there are always girls who are willing to make a little extra money, 'entertaining' the male customers. They make these arrangements on their own and the 'entertaining' is done on their own time, and they identify their willingness by wearing flowers in their hair."

Victoria stared at him with wide eyes, "By entertaining, you mean..." she trailed off, unwilling to say the words.

"Quite frankly, they're prostitutes," he said bluntly.

Victoria's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped loudly. She recalled the latter part of the girls' conversation and was shocked again. "And you allow that sort of thing?"

"Well there's not much that I can do about it, and if I didn't allow it, the men who are looking for that sort of thing would go elsewhere and I want to keep as many customers as I can," he explained.

"Well, you should let them go elsewhere! It's disgraceful that you exploit these women that way!" she exclaimed.

"Now wait just a minute! I'm not exploiting anyone. These women do it of their own free will, I don't have anything to do with it." he stated.

"You knowingly allow it, that's involvement," she said accusingly.

"Well, perhaps I am a bit guilty, but it happens everywhere and as more and more gambling houses are opening I have to stay competitive and I can't afford to stop the practice."

"I don't know how you sleep at night, knowing that sort of behavior is going on right next door to you," she said, shaking her head.

"I sleep very well at night," he replied, his voice dropping a note. "The only thing that would keep me awake is if I were worried about you."

She didn't quite know how to respond, so at first didn't say anything. "That's very kind of you, but I'm fine so...I'm sure you're sleeping very soundly," she finished rather lamely.

Not wanting to continue in a controversial vein, he changed the subject. "How long have you been staying here?" he asked her, even though he knew very well. "A couple of weeks, isn't it?"

"Yes, two weeks," she replied. Looking down at her hands, she continued, "I can't help but keep wondering what I'll do if Henry doesn't come back soon."

"Don't you worry, I promised I would take care of you and I will. We'll think of something, but until then, I wouldn't worry about it," he said cheerfully.

"I know, but I can't help it," she said, wringing her hands.

Tenderly he asked, "Do you miss him?"

She glanced up at him guiltily, before replying quietly, "No, I don't." She looked away, saying, "Isn't it awful? I should miss him terribly, but I don't. I suppose if you weren't around so much I might, but you shouldn't be a replacement. I should miss him," she repeated.

"You can't help how you feel," he said, his voice dropping again. "I'm sure that once he's back, you'll realize that you do miss him."

She hesitated before saying, even more quietly, "Once he's back , we'll probably leave, and I'm sure that it's you I'm going to miss."

She looked up at him with wide, shining eyes. It was the first time she had spoken aloud of having any feelings for him and he felt his breath catch. "No, you'll be glad to be rid of me. I've been making quite the pest of myself where you're concerned. Not giving you even a day's respite. Once Henry's back, you'll forget all about me." he said laughing.

She only responded with a small smile, sadness radiating from her deep blue eyes.

Later that night, in her bed, she recalled the conversation and was astounded that she had said that. Did she have feelings for Nicholas? Would she really miss him so much when they left San Francisco? Or, as he said, would she forget all about him? Somehow she doubted it.

Her mind went back to the conversation she had overheard in the mercantile. Back to how those two girls thought about Nicholas. She had to admit that he did draw looks from women. She had noticed it while out on the street with him. She had seen how their eyes had appreciatively scanned him from head to toe. Even thought they had been discreet about it, she had been shocked at first until she realized that she had done it herself more than once. He's very handsome and certainly well built, she admitted. It's just like admiring a great painting or anything that's pleasing to the eye. It doesn't mean that I desire it, just that I admire it is all, she told herself.

She pressed her hands against her stomach, feeling a trembling begin as she thought, but do I desire him? I certainly spend enough time with him, and whenever he gets that warm look in his eyes and his voice drops I begin to feel a quivering inside. I feel drawn to him and can never look away when he traps me with his stare.

She closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to kiss him. She pictured herself pressing her lips to his and a warmth began to spread out from her stomach, through her whole body. She wondered what it would be like if he slid his tongue into her mouth as Henry sometimes did. She felt her heart jump just at the thought of it. She shook her head, shocked at her musings. That's nonsense, she told herself warding off the trembling in her body. "We're just friends and I'll only miss his company when I'm gone," she said aloud. Satisfied, she fell asleep, however, her dreams told her something else and she was again awoken with her breathing heavy and her pulse racing, images of warm green eyes taunting her.

She was having dinner with him at his home the next night and couldn't shake the images she had conjured up during her brief fantasy of him kissing her. The images were making her nervous and distracted and consequently she didn't notice Nicholas constantly refilling her wine glass and she drank quite a lot.

"You seem distracted, Victoria. Is anything wrong?" he asked her near the end of dinner.

She turned bright, slightly unfocused eyes to him. "No, no, I'm fine," she said.

He went to help her out of her chair, but she was tipsy from the wine and ended up stumbling. He reached out to steady her, only causing her to lose her balance completely. She fell into him heavily and he wrapped his arms around her to again steady her. "I think I may have had too much to drink," she said before looking up at him.

As always, his warm eyes drew her in. Lost in their depths and emboldened by the wine, she said, without thinking, "I've been wondering what it would be like to kiss you."

Surprised by her bold statement, he lowered his lips closer to hers and whispered in that silky voice, "Would you like to find out?"

She had trouble resisting that tone when sober and in her inebriated state, she gave in completely, "Yes," she breathed, closing her eyes and turning her lips up to his.

He didn't wait for her to change her mind, and even though he knew she was drunk, he pressed his lips to hers with all the passion and desire that had been building ever since he first saw her.

Victoria was stunned by the feeling his lips produced in her. A heat began in her belly and spread quickly through her whole body. Her mind flew into a whirl and she was unable to think of anything but his lips on hers. Without realizing it she clutched at him, pressing herself against him even more. She opened her lips to him and almost swooned when his tongue met hers.

His mouth moved seductively over hers, his tongue dancing with hers, bending her backwards with his passion. When he finally released her mouth from his, he kept her tightly in his embrace, and huskily asked her, "Does that answer your question?"

She was breathing heavily and blinked several times, before whispering, "Yes. Yes, it does."

"So, how was it?" he teased in that same low voice.

"Hmmm?" she asked, still slightly dazed.

"You said you were wondering what it would be like. Was it like you thought?"

Still wrapped tightly in his arms and unable to think clearly, she murmured truthfully, "No, it was so much more." She stared deeply into his eyes, wishing he would kiss her again, but he only gently released her.

"I think perhaps you should go home and get some sleep," he said to her, resuming his normal tone.

It snapped her out of her trance and she reluctantly agreed, "Yes, perhaps, I should."

He stood smiling as the carriage disappeared down the road. It had been difficult to send her away, he had been tempted to carry her up to a bedroom, certain she would have complied. But because she was drunk, he had resisted. She had to come to him sober and willingly, otherwise it wasn't much of a conquest. Any man can get a woman drunk and take advantage. He preferred the more challenging way.

The next day, she didn't appear until after noon and when she did come to the lobby, she was wincing against the light and holding her hand to her head. Nicholas saw her and couldn't help but smile. She had a hangover.

"Good afternoon, Victoria," he said approaching her with a smile.

She looked at him nervously, before returning the greeting, "Good afternoon, Nicholas." She looked around the lobby, obviously embarrassed by the previous evening. Finally she said, "I apologize for my disgraceful behavior last night. I had too much to drink and I'm afraid I acted very badly," she said with a slightly shaky voice.

"I wouldn't dream of forgiving you," he replied. He took her chin in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "I've wanted to kiss you ever since I first saw you."

"But it was wrong, I was drunk, I didn't know what I was saying or doing," she stammered, turning her head away.

"You haven't been wondering what it would be like to kiss me?" he challenged.

She hesitated before lying, "No, I haven't."

He chuckled as he answered, "I don't believe you. I stir something in you, don't I? Something that makes you feel uncomfortable but something that you can't resist. Tell me I'm wrong."

She again hesitated before saying, "It doesn't matter how you make me feel. I'm married."

"To a man you don't love," he said, moving closer to her. Sensing how vulnerable she was, he said, "Come back to my house, spend one night with me, just one night. I can make you feel things you can't even imagine."

His plea sent shock waves through her. "No, Nicholas, no," she said, trembling. "I couldn't, I can't."

Trailing a finger down her arm, he whispered, "You haven't wondered what it would be like? To have me make love to you?"

She turned surprised eyes to his and said truthfully, "No, I haven't." Up until this moment she had assumed that making love to any man would be the same as it was making love to Henry. She had never thought that it could be different.




Golden Desire Ch. 03



Correctly guessing her thoughts, he said, "Making love to Henry is boring, isn't it? Not something you enjoy, rather something you endure?"

Thoroughly shocked at what he was saying, she pleaded in a harsh whisper, "Don't say such things, don't talk to me like this!"

When she didn't move, just sat slightly trembling, he continued, "It can be different. It can be magical. You owe it to yourself to feel it at least once. No one would ever know." Taking a different tack, he asked, "When you're with Henry you only lay on your back, don't you?"

She stared at him aghast, unable to find her voice to respond.

"There are other ways," he whispered to her. She seemed frozen to the spot as he continued to whisper the most scandalous things to her.

Finally, she couldn't bear to hear any more and ran from the lobby. She flew up the stairs to her room and closing the door behind her she stumbled to the bed and sank down on it. She was breathing heavily and her whole body was shaking. She couldn't help but think about what he had said. Were there other ways? She tried to conjure up the images of the positions he had mentioned and it took awhile to figure out how they would work. "Do people actually do that?" she wondered aloud.

Henry would be back in a couple of weeks. What if she suggested to him that they do those things. No, he would want to know how she heard about them and she wasn't about to tell him that she had been having those sorts of conversations with Nicholas. Could love making really be exciting and thrilling? What was the word he had used? Magical. And did she really deserve to feel it? Did she owe it to herself? What if it was magical, could she go back to boring?

She jumped from the bed and began pacing the room, astounded with herself for even thinking such things. She was a married woman and was not going to have an affair. It didn't matter that no one would know; she would know.

"I would know," she whispered aloud, stopping her pacing. "I would know what it could be like. What it can be like. Perhaps even what it should be like."

She went to the window and stared out. She knew she shouldn't be thinking like this, but she couldn't help it and she had to be honest with herself. Now that the thought had been raised, she was wondering what it would be like to be with Nicholas. Could she actually spend a night with him? At that moment, on the street below, Nicholas walked out of the hotel. He turned and looked up to her window and seeing her there, he saluted her. Much as he had that first day. She watched him walk across the street and climb into his carriage.

In a couple of weeks she would be gone. She would never see him again. Did she dare go to him? She wasn't sure and that scared her more than being sure either way.

At nine o'clock that evening she stood before the wardrobe, looking at her gowns. She pulled out the nicest evening one and laid it on the bed. She stood for a long time staring at it, before turning and leaving the room. She walked with purpose as she went down the stairs and to the front desk. She requested a carriage be ready for her in fifteen minutes before returning upstairs. She took a deep breath as she took off her day gown and corset and slipped on the evening one. She quickly looked at herself in the mirror, avoiding looking into her own eyes, as she pulled the laces tight. She tugged the shoulders down even lower, revealing a fair amount of cleavage. She figured if she was going to do this, she may as well look the part. Her ebony hair was only loosely pulled back, leaving most of it free to flow down her back.

She heard the carriage out front and pulling her wrap about her shoulders, left the room. She didn't think about where she was going or what she was about to do, she just went. She climbed into the carriage and after giving the address to the driver she concentrated on looking out the windows and watching what other people were doing. When they passed one of the brothels and she saw the women lounging on the balconies in various stages of undress, she felt a stab of guilt and had to look away.

When she arrived at Nicholas' house she had never been more nervous in her whole life. Not even on her wedding night. No, she would not think of Henry. Henry doesn't exist, she thought to herself as she alighted from the carriage. She looked up at the house before paying the driver and saw a curtain flicker.

Nicholas had heard the carriage pull up and couldn't believe it when he saw her step out of it. His carefully whispered suggestions had worked. He waited until the butler told him he had a visitor, before he went to greet her. He lingered in the hallway before entering the room, standing in the shadows, watching her. His heart skipped a beat when he saw how she was dressed. His eyes greedily drank in her low neckline and exposed cleavage. She was clearly nervous and her deep breaths were causing her breasts to heave in a most delightful manner.

"Good evening, Victoria. What brings you here at this late hour?" he asked, entering the room. His tone was light, conversational, even though he knew exactly why she was there. He could see the fear in her eyes, but also the excitement.

She stepped towards him, and said, "I want you to show me what it can be like."

With a step, he closed the gap between them and gently running his hands up her arms, he asked in a soft voice, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she whispered, staring into his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure."

He wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers. She responded eagerly, kissing him back. All of the guilt and second thoughts were whirled away as her mind could only focus on one thing; his lips on hers. Before she knew it, without breaking the kiss, he was carrying her though the house.

He set her on her feet in a large, dimly lit bedroom. Staring into her eyes, his hands skimmed across her shoulders, down her arms and along the edge of her bodice where it dipped in the front. Just his touch sent her senses reeling. He bent his head and pressed his lips to hers again as he quickly shed his jacket and vest. He then reached around Victoria and slowly untied the laces of her dress. Taking her cue from his actions, she pulled his shirt out of his trousers and hesitating only slightly, slid her hands underneath over the smooth skin of his stomach and chest, relishing in the feel of his hard muscles flexing beneath the surprisingly soft skin. She was dazzled by the sparks that flew up through her hands and arms.

Nicholas dragged his lips from hers and moved them to her throat as he pulled her dress away. He was delightfully surprised that she wore nothing beneath the bodice of her dress and his hands eagerly reached for the exposed soft flesh.

Victoria tore off his shirt and eagerly went to work on his trousers. She had never undressed a man before, nor had she been undressed by one and this in itself was arousing her more than anything she had ever experienced.

He undid the ties to her petticoats and clad only in her underdrawers he lifted her and laid her down on the bed.

She nervously watched him as he finished undoing his trousers and pulled them off. His arousal was evident and she swallowed nervously. He lay down beside her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her gently, his hands sliding over her body, exploring her curves. He cupped her full breasts and lowering his face to them, captured a pink nipple in his mouth. She gasped and arched her back as he continued to suckle the hardened nub.

He moved lower down, trailing kisses across her stomach as she lay back, clenching the sheets in her fists. She raised her hips when she felt him tugging on her drawers and held her breath waiting for what was next. He spread her legs and she again gasped loudly at his kiss on her inner thigh. His kisses went higher and higher until she thought she would lose her mind with the ecstasy that was coursing like liquid fire through her veins.

She tangled her fingers in his hair as his tongue gently plundered her inner depths, her heart pounding so fast she feared it might burst. She felt a pressure building in her and cried out as it exploded, sending shock waves through her whole body.

Nicholas raised his head and looked up at her with a wicked smile. He slid his fingers between her folds, listening to her low moan of pleasure, as he moved back up her body, nestling his face between her breasts, kissing the tender flesh. He worked his fingers on her as he guided her hand to him, showing her what to do. He moaned aloud as she found a rhythm in her strokes and again sought her lips with his. He left her lips to nuzzle the sweet hollow at the base of her throat, murmuring her name, when he again felt her muscles contract as she cried out loudly.

She lay gasping and panting on the bed, slick with sweat. "Oh Nicholas," she whispered. "I had no idea it could be like this."

"And we've only just begun," he murmured in her ear. "Are you up for it?"

"Yes, oh yes," she replied, turning her head and kissing his lips.

He grabbed her hips and rolled her over on top of him. She lay on him staring down into his face. "Sit up," he whispered. "Straddle my hips."

Tentatively she sat up, sitting as he instructed. He stood erect, just in front of her. Excitement bubbled within her as she guessed at what was to happen.

"Stroke me," he whispered as his hands slid up from her hips to her breasts, gently squeezing her.

After a few minutes, he begged her to stop. He lay beneath her, his breathing ragged as she bent down and kissed him. He tangled his fingers in her hair, kissing her back.

She eventually pulled back and correctly guessing what to do she raised her hips and using her hands, guided him into her. She slid down slowly, feeling him fill her. She watched his face to make sure she was doing it right and guessed from the low moan he uttered, that she was doing just fine. She ground her hips against him, and emitted her own moan of pleasure.

Moving up and down she stroked him inside of her, until she felt that pressure building again, she increased her speed and cried out yet again as the shock waves rolled through her.

Nicholas could also hold back no longer and cried out at his own release.

Victoria collapsed on top of him momentarily before rolling off to lay beside him. She snuggled up to his side and murmured, "Mmmmmnnnn...that was wonderful."

Breathing heavily, Nicholas replied, "Give me a minute."

She looked at him with surprise. "For what?"

With a wicked smile, he said, "Oh, we're not finished."

Uncomprehending, she said, "But you..."

Feeling himself stirring, he repeated, "We're not finished," as he turned to her and began to slowly kiss her lips again.

To her great surprise she could feel him against her leg. She looked down with wide eyes and then back up to him with a smile, and couldn't help but suppress a giggle, before returning his kisses.

It was just before dawn when she kissed Nicholas goodbye at his front door and climbed back into his carriage. She was a little nervous about returning to the hotel so early in the morning with her hair in disarray, still wearing an evening dress, but the clerks at the desk only politely wished her a good morning as she passed.

She turned the corner and paused on the first step, looking in her bag for her room key, when she overheard the clerks talking. "Well, it looks like the boss got another one."

The comment was answered with a gruff laugh, "Yeah, but he really had to work at this one. It took a month."

"A month? But she's only been here a little over two weeks."

"She was at the other hotel for two weeks before here."

"Really? I don't suppose anyone won the bet then?"

"No, none of us thought it would take so long."

Victoria felt faint. She turned the corner back into the lobby and stared at the young men behind the counter. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

They only stared at her in horror.

"I heard you talking. What did you mean?" When they still didn't answer her, she shouted, "What did you mean?" She looked from one to the other as they stood frozen, staring at her in shock.

"Is it some sort of game? He chooses a guest and you all bet on how long it will take him to bed her?" By their guilty looks she knew she was right. She felt like she was going to be sick. She stumbled up the stairs and into her room. Staggering to the bed she fell upon it, the tears already coursing down her cheeks. She curled herself into a ball, clutching her stomach, repeatedly moaning through her tears, "no, no, no..."

It can't be true, she thought, it just can't be. But the looks on the clerks faces had been undeniable. It was true. Horrible, but true. He had used her. She didn't mean anything to him, except as a conquest.

She began to pack her things. There were other hotels in town, she would stay at one of them until Henry came back. She suddenly realized she had no money to stay at another hotel. She barely had enough to stay where she was for much longer and now that Nicholas had had her, he probably wouldn't help her if Henry didn't return by the end of next week.

She broke down sobbing again. She sat on the floor, her head resting on her knees, rocking back and forth. What was she going to do?

Nicholas stood watching his carriage take her back to the hotel. He had wanted her to spend the night, but she didn't want to return to the hotel during the day still in her evening gown, so he had let her go. He climbed the stairs back to his bedroom and surveyed the rumpled sheets, a smile touching his lips as his mind went back to the events that had caused such disarray. The blankets had been discarded on the floor and the linens were half off the mattress. He had surprised himself when he had brought her here. He had never taken a woman to his own bed before, preferring to use one of the more anonymous rooms in the house. He then turned into one of the other rooms and dropping the robe he was wearing, climbed between the sheets.

He lay staring at the ceiling for a long time, trying to sort out the jumble of feelings swirling in his mind. He usually felt so satisfied after a conquest, but not this time. The woman in question usually held no more interest for him and he forgot them quickly. But with Victoria, all he could think about was seeing her again, spending time with her, talking with her. He truly began to worry that he would be hurt when she left, but it didn't matter. All that mattered to him was the time they had now. He mentally calculated that it would be at least another month before her husband came back, more likely two. He had that much time. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep, looking forward to seeing her tomorrow.



Golden Desire Ch. 04



Victoria awoke later that same morning, sprawled across the bed, still fully dressed. She sat up groggily as the events of earlier that morning came crashing back with painful clarity. Looking down at the dress she was still wearing she hastily took it off and kicked it across the floor, never wanting to see it again before hastily pulling clothes out of the wardrobe and quickly dressing. She peered down the hallway and finding it empty hurried down to one of the bathing rooms. She was thankful that even though the hotel was modest it still had all the latest conveniences, one being running water and tubs with gas powered water heaters.

She sank into the warm water and vigorously soaped and scrubbed herself, washing all of Nicholas and their night together from her body. Stepping from the water, she quickly dried herself before donning the dress again. She again peered out the door before rushing back to her room. Sure that the story of her disgrace had already been well circulated amongst the staff, she didn't want to see anyone. She quickly closed the door and locked it.

Nicholas walked into the hotel with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. The looks on his employees faces, however, stopped him. "What's wrong?" he asked the young men behind the counter. Their looks of worry and concern troubled him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Victoria's assumption that the story of her discovery of the game had spread amongst the staff was correct and the night clerks had told the current day clerks as soon as the shift change happened. "She knows, sir," one of them ventured.

"What do you mean, she knows?" he asked with alarm.

"She somehow overheard the night clerks talking and she knows," another piped up.

Forcing himself to calm down, he said evenly, "What, exactly, does she know? What did they tell her? And why?" he demanded, his anger rising.

"I don't think they told her anything directly. They thought she was gone and started talking about how long this one took you and how no one won the bet," the first clerk nervously replied.

Resting his elbows on the front counter Nicholas dropped his head into his hands. "No, no, no..." he moaned. He slammed his palm onto the counter, causing the clerks to jump. "Dammit!" he cursed.

Looking about he asked, "Is she here?"

"I believe so," one of them said.

Leaving their surprised faces behind, Nicholas turned and ran up the stairs. He paused before her door, trying to figure out what he was going to say. How he was going to explain. The truth is probably the best, he thought.

He knocked on the door. "Victoria?" he called.

"Go away," she shouted from inside, her voice full of anger.

"Please let me in, let me explain," he pleaded.

"No, go away. Leave me alone!" she shouted again.

"It's not the way you think," he said, his face close to the door.

"I don't think how it is, I know how it is. I heard it straight from your employees," she replied.

"But they're wrong. Please let me in and I'll explain," he begged.

After a long pause, she said quietly, "No, just go away and leave me alone. I'm sure you must be busy choosing and seducing your next victim."

Her words cut him as he was sure she meant them to. "Alright, I'm going for now, but I'll be back. I'm hoping you'll give me a chance to explain." When she didn't respond he slowly walked away.

Victoria sat on the bed, he knees drawn up under her chin, trying to figure out what she was going to do. She could get a job, she thought. Then she could move to another hotel. Lifting her head, she continued with the train of thought. Perhaps there's a bakery in town that needs some help. That's something I can do, she thought happily. She sat down at the vanity and began brushing her hair.

That afternoon, Victoria ignored the looks from the front desk clerks and sailed past them with her head high. She recalled seeing a few bakeries in town and would inquire with them. She returned to the hotel a few hours later, dejected. She hurried up to her room and locked the door. Unfortunately, it was quite common for temporarily abandoned wives to seek jobs in places such as bakeries and no one was hiring. It seemed that her only option was to hope that Henry would return before her time at the hotel was through.

Several days passed without her leaving her room. Twice a day, Nicholas came by asking her to let him in so that he could explain. She always told him no, requesting that he leave her alone.

On the fourth day, when the maid brought her her lunch, she mentioned that there was a letter for her at the front desk.

"Is Mr. Andrews in the hotel?" she asked the girl.

"No, ma'am," she replied.

"Are you sure?" she asked sternly.

"Yes ma'am, he's really not here," she said sympathetically.

Victoria raced down to the lobby, hoping that the letter was from Henry. Maybe he had sent her some money. The clerk handed her the letter and her heart fluttered when she saw that it was from the Sheriff's Office in Placerville. Perhaps that's the only way to send out a letter, she thought. She tore it open and eagerly read the contents.

Dear Mrs. Somerset,

I am sorry to report that your husband, Henry Somerset has passed away. He was shot during a claim dispute. His belongings are being transported back to you and should arrive shortly after this letter.

I am also sorry to inform you that he left behind a debt of $298 with various merchants. Please remit this amount, care of this office, within 60 days.

Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss.

Yours truly,

Sheriff's Office, Placerville

"No, no, no..." she murmured, reading the letter. Clutching it in her hands, she cried out, "No!" She picked up her skirts and ran from the lobby, past the startled stares of the clerks and several guests.

One of the clerks hissed at another, "Go look, is she gone?"

He rushed to the corner and looked up the stairs, "She's gone."

The first clerk ordered, "Send a messenger to Mr. Andrews immediately. Tell him to come right away!"

Victoria stumbled into her room, tears streaming down her cheeks. Henry can't be dead. What was she going to do? She had no money, no prospects, no friends. Her only hope was gone. She felt the blackness of despair wash over her. As she sat crying and rocking on the floor for the second time in a week, a small thought crept into her head. Nicholas wanted to explain. He said things weren't like she thought.

She lifted her head and her eyes narrowed as she rolled these thoughts about in her head. Perhaps a little pay back was in order. Maybe she could get him to pay Henry's debt. Maybe she could charm him into letting her stay on in the hotel. Maybe she could even get the money for the journey back home from him. She had to keep in contact with him though. She couldn't let him get distracted by another woman. If he used her, why shouldn't she use him?

Could she be that devious though? Could she be so cold hearted? She searched inside herself and found that she was angry enough and desperate enough. She could do it. "I owe it to myself," she said aloud with a humorless chuckle.

Fifteen minutes later, Nicholas stormed into the hotel lobby. "What's going on?" he demanded. His lunch had been interrupted and he was angry.

"She received a letter, sir. From the Sheriff's Office in Placerville. I have the envelope here. She dropped it."

Nicholas took the envelope from him. "What did the letter say?"

"I'm not sure, sir. But as she read it, the blood drained from her face and she started murmuring 'no, no, no' and then she cried out 'no' before running for the stairs. She was extremely upset. So I thought we should send for you."

"You did the right thing Mr. James. Thank you," he said before rushing up the stairs and to her room.

Standing outside the door, he could hear her crying inside. He knocked and called her name, "Victoria? Are you..."

Before he could finish the sentence, the door was flung open and she flew into his arms, sobbing.

"Shhh, shhh," he soothed, easing her back into the room and closing the door. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Th-th-the letter. It's...it's...on the bureau," she stammered through her tears.

Still holding her, he moved her over to the bureau and picked up the letter, quickly reading it's contents. "I'm so sorry, Victoria. Really, I am," he said sincerely, stroking her hair.

"What am I going to do?" she wailed. "I have no money, I tried to get a job in a bakery but nobody's hiring. What am I going to do?" she repeated, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it.. Everything will be alright," he said soothingly. Bending down to look in her eyes, he said, "Now, wait here, I'll be back in just a minute."

He rushed from the room to the front desk, where he ordered, "Get me a carriage immediately!" before turning and running back up the stairs.

She was sitting on the bed, staring at her twisting hands when he returned. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms, murmuring soothing words in her ear until he heard the carriage pull up outside.

"Come on Victoria, let's go," he gently urged her.

Without question, she rose and mutely followed him to the waiting carriage. Only once they were underway did she ask, "Where are we going?"

"My place," he answered. "I'd like you to stay with me until you feel better. How does that sound?"

She turned glimmering eyes to him, "Thank you," she whispered.

He led her into the house and up the stairs to one of the bedrooms. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll be back to check on you later."

He was almost out the door when she called him back. She pulled her hotel room key out of her bag and handing it to him, asked, "Would you be so kind as to bring me my black dress?"

Taking the key from her outstretched hand, he replied, "Of course."

He hated to leave her there, looking so lost, but there was a problem at the new gambling house and he had to go.

Once he had closed the door and she was sure he was gone, she sat in one of the overstuffed chairs in the room and tried to figure out what to do. First and foremost there was the matter of the almost three hundred dollars that Henry left owing. Three hundred dollars! How had he managed to accumulate such a debt? She was hoping that when Nicholas said he would take care of things that he had meant the debt, although that was a lot of money to base her assumptions on.

Nicholas stood in front of her wardrobe at the hotel, going through her dresses, looking for the black one. He found it and wrapping it in a bundle, took it with him out to the waiting carriage. He stowed it inside and told the driver to continue waiting for him. He then went down the street and walked into the bank.

When he arrived back at the house, he went straight up to Victoria's room.

"Come in," she answered quietly to his knock.

He entered to find her sitting in a chair, staring blankly at a spot on the floor.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

She shrugged, before saying, "I can't stop thinking about how all Henry wanted was a better life for us, for me. And he's dead because of it." She buried her face in the handkerchief in her hands. "If only I had insisted we stay in Albany. If only I had refused to come out here..." she trailed away.

Nicholas stood by helplessly, as her shoulders shook with her sobs. He knelt by her chair and wrapped his arms around her. "It's not your fault. You once told me that he even considered coming out here without you. You couldn't have prevented it."

She hastily wiped at her eyes before lifting her head and looking at him. "You really think so?" she asked.

"Absolutely," he replied.

"But still, he's buried up there, I can't even visit his grave," she said breaking down into sobs again.

"I know how you feel. My parents were buried at sea. I can't visit their graves either," he said sadly.

She turned saddened eyes to him. "No, you can't, can you?" Limply, she clung to him, "Oh Nicholas, what am I going to do? Henry left behind almost three hundred dollars in debt. Where am I going to get that kind of money? Even if I could get a job, I couldn't make enough in time! Plus, how am I going to live, never mind trying to get back home." She again buried her face in her handkerchief, her body wracked with sobs.

"Don't worry about Henry's debts," he soothed. "It's been taken care of."

"What do you mean? Taken care of?" she asked, looking up at him. Her eyes widened, "You didn't...?"

"I told you I would take care of you," he said softly.

"I'm going to pay you back," she said firmly. "If I can ever find a job," she finished glumly.

"Why don't you get some rest before dinner? I brought the dress you asked for. It got a little rumpled, it's being pressed right now."

She was silent during dinner and barely ate. Nicholas had an idea of a way to help her but wasn't sure she would like it. He would wait a couple of days before broaching the subject.

Victoria lay in bed that night, gauging her progress with him. He had paid Henry's debt. That part was taken care of. But she still needed a lot more money from him. Until then, she had to make sure he didn't get distracted by another woman. She rose from her bed and stole into the hallway.

Nicholas was just drifting off to sleep when he heard a knock at his door. "Who is it?" he called.

The door opened and Victoria slipped inside. "It's me," she answered.

Alarmed that something was the matter, he sat up, "What's wrong?" he asked.

She walked to the side of his bed. "I feel so terrible inside, so guilty and sad. Make me feel something else, Nicholas, please. Just for a little while." She untied the ribbon at the neck of her nightgown and it fell to her feet, revealing her naked body to him.

He stared at her face, her eyes glowing in the dim light coming through the windows. His gaze traveled hungrily down her body, which also seemed to be glowing. His desire rising for her, he reached out and pulled her into his bed, claiming her lips with his own.

Later, he gazed down at her, asleep, curled against him. Her head was on his shoulder and a sweep of ink black hair trailed across his chest. He gently stroked her head, and whispered, "Sweet dreams, Victoria," before drifting off to sleep himself.

When he woke the next morning, she was gone. He rose and after washing and dressing, wandered the house searching for her. He finally spotted her outside, in his back garden, sitting in the shade. He went out to join her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she replied, a pink blush tinting her cheeks. After a moment, she said, "I didn't know you had a garden. It's nice out here."

Looking around, he said, "Yes, it is. I don't spend enough time here. I always seem to be too busy." Pulling up a chair and returning his gaze to her, he said quietly, "Why didn't you stay with me until morning? I was rather looking forward to waking up with you."

Looking away, she replied, "I woke up in the night and couldn't fall back asleep. I came downstairs and found a book in your library and read in my room for awhile."

"You could have woken me up, I'm sure we could have found something to make you tired," he said in a low voice.

She looked down at her hands and blushed again. "I'm sorry if I bothered you. I just couldn't take the way I was feeling anymore."

"You can bother me that way any time you like," he replied his voice dropping even lower.

She couldn't help but giggle. "Thank you, but I think I'll be fine now."

He rose and kissed her again on the cheek, "I have to go now. What will you do today?"

"I'm not sure. Read some more, look at your gallery. Maybe go out for a walk."

He smiled as he headed out to work that morning. He thought back to having her curled against him, asleep. It filled him with a warmth and a sense of contentment that he hadn't felt for many years. He knew he still needed to talk to her about the first time she had been in his bed. And even though she didn't seem angry with him anymore, it bothered him and he wanted to clear the air.

Victoria closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the chair. She sighed happily. Things were going well. Of course, she was upset about Henry being gone, but she didn't have time to dwell on that. Her survival, and just as important, the means to get back to Albany were at stake. When she was back home, then she would grieve.

She wiled the morning away, reading and sewing before becoming restless. She roamed around the house, eventually coming upon the kitchen. The cook was out so she rooted around until she found the pantry, from which she hauled out the ingredients she needed. She found bowls, spoons and measuring cups and was soon up to her elbows in flour and was more content than she had been in weeks.

With her mind occupied with the work of baking, she didn't even notice the afternoon passing until the cook returned to start preparing dinner. Not happy that someone had invaded her territory, she glared at Victoria.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. O'Malley. I've made quite a mess, haven't I?" She began to hurriedly clean up the flour covered counters.

"I ran a bakery with my husband," she paused before correcting herself. "My late husband..." She took a deep steadying breath before continuing, "back in Albany and always found it to be such soothing and enjoyable work."

When Mrs. O'Malley only continued to glare at her, she gave the counters a final wipe and asking her could she please remove the pies from the oven in about fifteen minutes, she hurried out.

She walked by the foyer just as Nicholas was coming in the front door. She turned to greet him, but before she could say anything, he burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?" she asked.

"You have flour all over you," he said wiping the tip of her nose and displaying his whitened fingertip. "I gather you've been baking," he said, still smiling, sniffing the air. "Smells like pies."

"Yes, I got bored. I was greatly disappointed when I couldn't find a job in a bakery here. It's something I truly enjoy."

Walking with her into the drawing room, he said, "How about a job doing something completely different?"

She eagerly turned to him. "I've never done anything else. What did you have in mind?"

Taking her hand and leading her from the room, he simply said, "Come with me."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see," he replied, climbing the stairs. At the top he led her down a hallway, through a door into a dimly lit room.

"I remember this. It's where you can see the gambling house through the screen," she said, confused that he had taken her here.

"Take a look," he said, indicating the screen.

She tentatively approached and peered down. It was much nicer than she had thought it would be. And the patrons much more well behaved. She wasn't quite sure what she had expected, but not what she was seeing.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked.

"It's much nicer than I expected, but I'm not sure why you're showing it to me," she asked, still watching the activity below.

Leaning close to her and looking through the screen, he said, "See the women dealing cards?"

"Yes," she replied, slowly, watching them expertly shuffling and dealing.

"I could use a Blackjack dealer here," he said.

Turning to him with shocked eyes, she questioned, "Surely, you're not suggesting I become a card dealer?"

Trying to suppress his laughter at her outrage, he replied, "Yes. What's wrong with that?" Indicating the view through the screen, he continued, "As you can see, it's a perfectly suitable place for a young woman such as yourself to work."

"You may think it's suitable, but I don't," she stated haughtily.

"What other options do you have?" he asked gently.




Golden Desire Ch. 04



Her superior demeanor suddenly dropped, but she continued her protest. "But Nicholas, I don't know how to play Blackjack, I don't even know what Blackjack is!"

Taking her arm and guiding her from the room, he said, "Well then, I guess I'll have to teach you."

They returned to the drawing room and after fetching a pack of cards and some chips, they seated themselves across from each other at a table. Expertly shuffling the cards, Nicholas began, "Now Blackjack is a very simple game. The aim is to be dealt cards that either match 21 or come closer to it than the dealer without going over. When a player first sits down at a Blackjack table, he places his cash money on the table in a way that lets the dealer know he wants to play. The dealer will exchange the money for cash chips with which he can start betting. There are table limits that mean there is a minimum bet and a maximum bet. Before the deal begins, players must make a bet which is placed in the box marked in front of their seat." Indicating the table, he said, "Pretend there's a square. Place a bet."

Victoria placed a chip in front of her.

Beginning to deal the cards, he continued, "When this is done the dealer will deal one face-up card to each box that contains a bet, one to themselves, then a second face-up card to each playing box. Cards are dealt from a shoe that contains the pack.

"When all players have two cards each, the dealer will return to the box closest to the shoe and ask the player of that box what action they would like to take. This action can be one thing at a time from a list of possible options, depending largely on what cards the player's hand holds."

He continued on with the rules and the possible variations, betting and the language used. Very soon, Victoria was thoroughly confused. "You said this was a simple game!" she protested.

"Well, it is once you understand everything. We'll play a few hands and you'll get the hang of it."

They played for an hour and by the end of it, she did understand the game. "Now you be the gambler and I'll be the dealer," she said.

However, at that moment the butler arrived and announced that dinner was soon to be ready and where did they wish to dine?

"In here will be fine," Nicholas requested. He cleared off the cards and the chips and during dinner he continued telling her about the more subtle nuances of the game and ways to cheat.

After their dinner had been cleared and they had enjoyed one of the pies that she had baked that day, they resumed their lesson.

Holding the deck of cards in her hand, she said, "You're going to have to show me how to shuffle properly. Alright, Mr. Andrews, place your bet!"

They played for another hour and she was doing very well. "You're right, once you get into it, it's a very simple game," she said smiling.

"So, do you think you could do this as a job?" he asked.

Looking dubious, she replied, "I suppose so. I just don't know if I'll be any good."

"Half of it, is the way you look and act," he replied. "You're already naturally beautiful, so that will draw the men right away. And if you're friendly and a little flirtatious, they'll want to come to your table even more. Of course, what will keep them there is your level of play. You must be quick, smooth and confident."

"But still friendly and flirtatious," she reminded him.

"I'm sure your naturally seductive nature will show through, no matter what," he said in a low, smooth tone of voice, causing her breath to catch.

He rose from his seat and moved around to hers. Her breathing turned to shallow gasps as he stood behind her chair.

"You're too stiff when you're dealing. Loosen up a little," he said smoothing his hands down her arms. Leaning down so that he was speaking softly in her ear, he took the cards from her hands and demonstrated a more relaxed and fluid way of dealing, "Nice and easy, as if you've been doing it for years," he murmured.

She closed her eyes, and tipped her head back, unable to resist the silky tone of his voice nor his nearness to her. Her hands dropped down beside her and backwards, reaching for his thighs. The cards dropped to the table as her hands gently squeezed. She turned her head towards his and their lips hungrily met. His hands circled around in front of her, finding her breasts and gently squeezing them.

She rose from her chair and turned to him, pressing her body against his. "Oh Nicholas, I want you, I want you now," she gasped.

Leaving her, he quickly crossed the room and closed the double doors to the drawing room. Back before her, he easily lifted her and laid her on their gaming table. Much to her surprise he began pushing up her skirts.

"In here?" she whispered loudly.

With a seductive smile, he purred, "I can't wait to take you all the way upstairs."

She eagerly tugged off her drawers while he quickly freed himself from his trousers. He pulled her to the edge of the table and smoothly slid into her.

After their initial desire for each other was satisfied, he carried her up the stairs to his bedroom to begin all over again.

Early the next morning, Victoria woke before him and propping herself up on one elbow, she gazed down at him as he slept. Every once in awhile she saw him in a certain way that only accentuated just how handsome he was. This was one of those moments and her heart skipped a beat.

Her fingers reached out to caress his cheek, but, catching herself, she pulled back. What was happening to her? Why was she feeling any tenderness for him? She didn't care for this man. He had and was continuing to use her for his own amusement. His employees most likely had a new bet going, wagering this time on how many times he would bed her. She was simply doing the same, albeit for a different reason, but they were both using each other she reminded herself.

He had paid Henry's debt and although she had promised to pay him back, she of course, had no intention of honoring that vow. And now, he had given her a job.

She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. As much as she was enjoying the luxury of staying in Nicholas' house, she knew it was time to go back to the hotel. To keep him interested, she couldn't continue to be so accessible. She would have to keep an eye on him though. Make sure he didn't 'promise to take care of' another lonely miner's wife.

As that thought went through her head, the felt a cold stab in her stomach. Startled, she paused and examined the feeling. It wasn't fear, as she had expected, but rather, jealousy. She closed her eyes and thought of him whispering in another woman's ear, of him turning those warm green eyes towards someone else. There was that pang again.

It couldn't possibly be jealousy, she thought. That would imply that I have feelings for him and I don't. Her mind, however, went back over the past few days and she suddenly realized that the feelings that had begun a couple of weeks ago had not only remained but had grown. She acknowledged now that she had missed him during the day when he was gone and her happiness at his arrival back.

She glanced over at him and wondered, how do I feel about him? In response, a warm tingling began in her belly and pleasantly spread through her limbs.

No, she thought to herself, no. She wanted to eventually fall in love with someone and remarry, but not this man, not now and not in this place.

She quickly slid out of bed and hurried down the hall to her own room. It was time to leave and return to the hotel.

When Nicholas awoke, he was again disappointed to find her gone. He rose, washed and dressed. When he went out into the hallway, he could hear sounds coming from Victoria's door. He approached and knocked.

"Come in," she called.

He opened the door and saw that she was packing. "What are you doing? You're leaving?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

Looking up at him, she answered, "Yes. I think it's time I went back to the hotel. It's not right that I stay here any longer." Seeing his pained look, she went to him and taking his hands in hers she said, "I truly appreciate everything that you've done for me over the past few days but I can manage on my own now. You've given me a job so I'll be able to pay for my room and I'll stay until I can save up the money to eventually leave."

"Leave?" he asked, confused.

"Yes, go back home to Albany," she explained.

"Oh, of course. You'll be wanting to go back home," he said quietly.

"We'll still see lots of each other. I'll be in your hotel and working in your gambling house. I dare say you'll soon be sick of the sight of me," she said with a light laugh.

Staring into her deep blue eyes, he said softly, "I don't think that could ever happen."

She felt that pang again, and forced herself to look away. She turned back to her packing and closing her bags, she asked briskly, "Do you think you could drop me off at the hotel on your way out this morning?"

"Certainly," he replied, his voice still soft.

As he went downstairs to request his carriage, all he could think of was what she had just said. She wanted to leave. Of course she would, he thought. Why would she stay here? He had to confess that a small part of him was hoping that she would fall in love with him and want to stay. But that was obviously not the case. Perhaps she was still angry over her discovery of his game. Maybe all he needed to do was explain to her that it had started out that way, but had not ended the same. Maybe all he had to do was tell her how he felt. And how was that? Did he love her? He had never been in love before and wasn't sure. Perhaps he should wait until he was sure.

Torn about what to do, he angrily ran his fingers through his hair. Lifting his head, he saw her coming down the stairs and in that instant his feelings for her were confirmed. He loved her. He rushed up to help her with her bag. Setting the bag down in the foyer, he guided her out to the garden. "I want to talk to you about something," he explained.

After they were seated, he nervously cleared his throat and began. "I want to explain what happened the morning after we were first together in my bed."

"No" she interrupted, turning away from him, her face twisted with pain. "I don't want to talk about it, no."

"We have to. I have to," he insisted. "Please listen to me." When she wouldn't look at him, he gently asked, "Please Victoria."

Without turning back to him, she said, "Go ahead and talk. It won't matter though, I know what I heard."

"I know what you heard as well. And what I want to tell you is that, yes, I admit, it started as a game. A game I've played many times. I never really thought that I might have been hurting anyone, though. Oh, there have been tears a couple of times and one woman did yell at me." When he saw the scowl of disapproval on her face, he knew he had to get to the point. "But with you it was different. I actually enjoyed talking with you, being with you. I eventually forgot all about the game and only thought of spending time with you."

She only rolled her eyes in response, not believing what he was saying. "What's the matter, Nicholas? Are there no new women at your hotels? No one scared, lonely and vulnerable enough, so you need to keep me in your corral?" she asked with disgust.

He took a deep steadying breath, reminding himself that he deserved her scorn, for now. "Actually there are several wives right now that, in the past, I would be actively pursuing. But I'm not interested in them. Only in you."

She finally turned to him, staring at him with narrowed eyes. "Why?" she asked bluntly.

Suddenly realizing that now might not be the best time to confess his feelings, that she was too angry and skeptical to believe him, he decided to try a lesser approach.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that, a few moments ago, when you said you wanted to leave and go back to Albany, it scared me." Taking another deep breath, he continued, "I want you to stay here."

"Here?" she asked incredulously. "You want me to stay here in San Francisco?" She gave a harsh laugh. "Why would I want to stay here? In this dirty, immoral, town filled with dirty, immoral men? I can't wait to get out of here!" she exclaimed. She knew she was hurting him, she could see it in his eyes. But it was no use either of them developing feelings for the other, otherwise someone would end up getting hurt. It was better that they just get what they could from each other and then be done with it. "And believe me, as soon as I have the money, I'm leaving."

"How much do you need?" he asked softly, knowing that it would be a lot.

"I'm not sure. It cost four hundred dollars to get here, probably more to go back. I was planning on finding out today," she answered.

He had hoped the amount would be high. It would take her a long time to save up that much money. She would be here for at least another year. He stood up and said quietly, "Come on, I'll take you to the hotel."

Once they were in the carriage, she began to worry that she had gone too far. Placing her hand on his arm, she said gently, "Nicholas, I'm sorry if I hurt you earlier. I believe you about not playing your game with me. And I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way about you. Maybe I'm just not ready for it, so soon after Henry dying. It'll be awhile before I'll be gone, we can still be friends, right?"

Heartened by her words, he smiled at her, covering her hand with his own. "Of course we can." I have plenty of time to win her heart, he thought to himself.



Golden Desire Ch. 05



They still continued to see each other every day as she wasn't ready to become a full fledged card dealer yet. She practiced with Nicholas at his home every afternoon, always careful to avoid anything even slightly romantic. After a week, late one afternoon, he finally deemed her ready.

"Are you sure?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, I'll put you on first thing in the morning. It's not very busy then."

"Alright," she said nervously.

Hesitating he said, "There is one other thing that needs to be taken care of before you can start."

"What?" she asked warily.

"You need some new dresses."

"What's wrong with my dresses?" she asked, offended.

"Come upstairs and take another look at the women dealing," he said.

Her heart dropped as she peered down at the women dealing the cards. She hadn't noticed before, but they were all wearing low cut gowns, with elaborate hairdos and some even wore cosmetics. "Oh my. I have to look like that?" she asked, clearly worried.


"You'll look beautiful," he whispered in her ear.

Her breath caught in her throat, but she took a deep breath and stepped away from him. "Well, if that's the way I must dress, then I suppose I do need some new gowns. Where do I get them from?" she asked, trying to be positive.

"There's a dressmaker a couple of streets over who has some ready made gowns that are suitable. With a few alterations, you'll be ready," he said with a smile. "And since they are the required uniform, I'll pay for them."

"Thank you," she smiled. She had expected nothing less.

Her first day of work came and she arrived early at Nicholas' house. They had agreed that she could keep her dresses there, since she was uncomfortable being out on the street in them.

In the room she had previously occupied, she slipped the gown over her head. Pulling the laces tight she was again amazed at the transformation that occurred whenever she put one on. The dresses were constructed in such a way that it appeared as though her breasts were about to tumble out at any minute, but of course they were well secured. She tried to pull the neckline up just a bit but it wouldn't budge. She fixed her hair as best she could like the women next door. Nicholas had not yet seen the dresses and she hoped he would approve. She walked down the stairs and into the drawing room where he was waiting.

He stood when she entered and just stared at her with wide eyes.

"Well, how do I look?" she asked nervously.

"You look..." he struggled, trying to find the right word. "Ravishing, incredibly seductive...delicious," he finished.

She couldn't help but giggle. "Delicious? I look delicious?" she asked.

Approaching her and picking up an artfully loose tendril of hair, he said in his deep, smooth voice, "Yes. Good enough to eat."

She didn't dare look into his eyes. Laughing nervously, she said, "Good enough to eat? Oh my."

Stepping back, he cleared his throat and asked, "Are you ready?"

Twisting her hands, she replied, "As ready as I'll ever be." Dropping her hands, she took the arm he offered and followed him next door.

By the end of the week, she was no longer nervous before her shifts and by the next week, Nicholas had moved her to afternoons. Since the dealers in his houses weren't allowed to accept tips, as they were in other houses, he paid quite well and she found she was actually able to save a few dollars a week.

After three weeks, she found she had saved twelve dollars. Not too bad, really, but she had inquired about the fare to get back home and to go overland it was six hundred dollars. Not only that, it was also extremely dangerous. She couldn't bear to go back by ship and a few dollars a week wasn't going to get her to Albany.

She was at Nicholas' relaxing after a shift one evening, when he said, "I never asked you. You said you were going to inquire about fares to go back to Albany. What are they like?"

She snorted and replied, "Six hundred dollars to go overland. I've managed to save fifteen dollars so far. It's going to take me forever," she said with a discouraged sigh.

"What's waiting for you there?" he asked.

"What do you mean? My home, my business," she replied.

"But what else? Is there a life?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped. He was right. There was nothing really for her there. Nothing that she couldn't get elsewhere. "Well, maybe not, but where else would I go?"

"Maybe somewhere closer. There are some towns up north that are starting to grow. And of course there are cities in the southern states, but they're on the east coast and probably not any cheaper to get to."

Not looking at him, she sighed again. "Even if it only cost a hundred dollars to get somewhere else, it would still take me six months to save. And I'm sure it costs more than that." She realized she hadn't really tried to get the money from him and decided that maybe it was time to be a little friendlier. Looking over at him, she lowered her lashes and said softly, "It looks like you'll be stuck with me for quite awhile."

Picking up her flirtatious attitude, he responded, in an equally soft voice, "I think I can handle that."

When she continued to look at him with her inviting gaze, he rose from his seat and walked over to her, holding out his hand, inviting her to take it.

She slid her hand in his and rose. Instantly she was in his arms, lips pressed to his. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs.

Once again, in the morning, when he awoke, she was gone. She had become so accustomed to San Francisco, that she had no qualms about walking around alone. And since she had stolen away at daybreak, the streets were already coming to life.

When she arrived at his house later that same day to prepare for her shift at the gambling house, it was his turn to be absent. She went upstairs and changed her dress. As she emerged, he was leaning against the wall in the hallway, waiting for her. He smiled as she exited, drinking in her exposed flesh. "As always, you look delectable," he complimented.

Returning his smile, she answered, "Why thank you. That's very nice of you to say."

He approached her and from behind, wrapped his arms around her. "I missed you this morning," he whispered in her ear. "Why do you always run away before dawn?"

"I don't know," she answered. "I wake up and can't go back to sleep, so I get up."

"Why don't you wake me up? I'm sure we can find something to amuse you," he whispered suggestively. His hands were creeping up from her waist, causing the most delightful tingling sensation.

She gently removed his hands, and in a playful tone admonished, "Mr. Andrews, if you continue that, your gambling house will be short a dealer today."

"So?" he replied, trying to replace his hands.

Ducking away from him, she said, "Well, you may not miss the revenue but I will." Backing down the hall she said, "Will I see you later, after my shift?"

Gazing at her hungrily, he replied, his voice slightly husky, "Yes, I'll be here."

With a smile, she turned and headed down the stairs.

During her shift that afternoon, her attention was caught by one of the other girls. Sylvia, a voluptuous blond, had a large dark red flower in her hair. Victoria had been strangely curious about the arrangements that Sylvia made with the male customers. She was so discreet, that if Victoria didn't know what the flowers meant, she wouldn't have suspected. During a break, she approached the other woman, who was standing at the bar.

"Good afternoon, Sylvia, how are you today?" she asked. She had never really chatted with her before and was a little nervous.

Sylvia was lighting a cigarette, and replied, with an exhalation of smoke, "Oh, I'm alright. How about you?"

"Fine, thank you," she said. Nervously, she continued, "May I ask you something?"

"Sure," she answered, taking another long drag on the cigarette.

"I understand that if you wear flowers in your hair, that's an indication to the male customers that you're willing to make...extra arrangements with them. Is that right?"

"Yeah. What of it?" she asked suspiciously. Everyone knew that Victoria was friendly with Nicholas and Sylvia was worried that she might be in trouble.

Hesitating, she asked, "May I ask, how much do you charge them?"

"Why do you want to know?" she asked, still unsure.

Blushing furiously, she replied, "Well, I want to make some money, so I can get back home, but with what I can save from just dealing cards, it's going to take years. And I thought, that maybe, there was another way."

"You want to sleep with men for money?" Sylvia asked bluntly, with great surprise.

Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "I've been married, it's not like I've never been with a man. Anyway, I was mostly just curious."

"I charge them ten dollars," she said. Looking Victoria up and down, she said, "You could probably get fifteen for the first little while. You're not too used yet. And if you do more than one a day, you can make money quickly."

Trying to hide her shock, she asked, "More than one a day?"

"Yeah, that's what's nice about working the afternoon shift. You can fit more than one in after work." Butting out her cigarette, she said, "Time to get back at it."

Victoria stared at the blonde woman as she made her way back to her table. Could she do that, she wondered. Sleep with men for money? If she made thirty dollars a day, she could have the money to get back home in a month.

Later that day, back in her hotel room, her fingers gently caressed the petals in a bouquet of flowers she had bought. She thought about some of the men that came to her table and shuddered at the thought of them touching her. But, she thought, I don't have to accept the proposals of all the men who ask me. It's at my discretion and I can choose only the nice ones. However, that means it'll take longer to save the money. Well, two months of sleeping with nice men is far better than one month of sleeping with every man, she rationalized.

She sighed, could she really do it? I would be a prostitute, she thought bluntly. But I would make the money I need to leave here. Wherever I went, no one would know.

Fingering the velvety soft petals again, she thought, maybe I'll just wear them and see what happens. I don't have to accept any invitations. I can just test the waters. Satisfied with her decision she lifted her fingers from the blooms until tomorrow.

Nicholas wasn't in when she arrived the next day. She changed her dress and pinned the stems of the flowers into her hair. She snuck out of the house, not wanting any of the servants to see her, and went next door. She had some regular visitors to her table and they noticed the blooms in her hair immediately. After a couple of hours she had more men at her table than ever before.

Nicholas was doing some paperwork in the office of one of the hotels, when one of the clerks brought him a note, saying that a messenger had brought it.

Curious, he opened it and quickly scanned the contents, his face clouding with fury. He tore out of the hotel and quickly mounting his horse, he raced off down the street.

He burst through the doors of the gambling house and stormed over to Victoria's table. Seeing that what the note said was true, he pushed through the throng of men, and grabbing her arm, he growled to the players, "Sorry, gentlemen but this table is temporarily closed." He pulled her out from behind the table and across the house, into an office.

Slamming the door, he shouted, "What in blazes do you think you're doing?"

"What am I doing?" she answered, shouting back. "What do you think you're doing, coming in here and dragging me away from my table? Humiliating me like that?"

Reaching out and yanking one of the flowers from her hair and throwing it at her, he demanded, "Why are you wearing these?"

"You know why. You're the one who told me what they mean," she replied angrily.

"I know what they mean, but why are you wearing them?" he demanded again.

"I need to make money," she replied, still angry. "I want to leave here and saving a few dollars a week isn't going to do it," she stated.

"So you're willing to become a whore?" he sneered.

She recoiled as if he had hit her. Trying to summon up some of the anger she had felt a moment ago, she replied, "You said so yourself, it's the quickest way to make money in a town full of men."

"Well, not here it isn't," he stated, matter of factly.

"What do you mean? You have girls here with flowers in their hair right this moment," she argued.

"I make the rules here, and one of the rules is that you, Victoria Somerset, are not allowed to wear flowers."

"I, specifically, am not allowed to wear flowers, but Sylvia is?" she asked, astounded that he would say such a thing.

"Yes, that is correct," he replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk.

Fuming, she said evenly, "Fine. I resign. If you won't let me wear flowers, I'll work somewhere else that will." She delighted in the shocked look in his eyes, as she turned on her heel and stormed out.

She stalked out of the gambling house and ignoring the stares on the street, walked back to the hotel. From her room, she looked out the window at the place across the street. Maybe they could use a flower wearing Blackjack dealer, she thought.

She put a few new flowers in her hair and went to the gambling house across the street. The owner, Mr. Deacons, was in and she was granted an interview immediately.

"Well, Mrs. Somerset, you want to work here as a Blackjack dealer?" he asked, smiling at her, appreciating the amount of cleavage she was displaying.

"Yes, Mr. Deacons, I've just terminated my employment at another establishment and am eager to begin again elsewhere," she stated.

"And I see you're wearing flowers," he said, still smiling at her.

"Yes, my former employer did not approve of me wearing them, so I'm seeking a position where I can wear them," she said, returning his smile.

"Well, Victoria, may I call you Victoria? At the Golden Nugget Gambling House, all of my girls wear flowers. It is part of the job. If a customer wishes to engage your services, it is done through me and you receive a share of the amount paid," he explained, trying to make it sound as pleasant as possible. She was so young and fresh he knew he could make quite a bit of money from her.

"I have no say in who I entertain?" she asked, a little worried.

"No, but the services of my girls are not available to unsavory characters," he said warmly. He didn't add that, in his mind, the only thing that made a man unsavory was his inability to pay.

"And how much would I make?" she asked, beginning to think that this didn't sound too bad.

"You could make up to fifty dollars a night," he replied.

"How many men would I be expected to entertain?" she asked, clearly surprised.

"I depends on how long the man wants to spend with you," Mr. Deacons replied. "If a gentleman wanted to spend the whole night with you it would cost him seventy five dollars, for which you would receive fifty. If he only wanted to spend half an hour, then it would only cost him fifteen dollars, for which you would receive ten."

"I see. And I have no say whatsoever in who I am to entertain?" she asked again.

"Frankly no," he said. "If you refuse a customer, your employment is terminated."

"What do you think my chances are of making fifty dollars a night?" she asked.

Gazing again at the flesh spilling out of her gown, he replied, "Oh, I think the odds are very good, my dear, very good indeed."

"So, am I hired?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm willing to give you a try. When would you like to start?" he asked, already happily calculating how much money she was going to make him. Of course he had lied to her when he had mentioned how much he would charge the customers. He was going to charge them much more than he had told her.

"How about tonight?" she suggested.

"Perfect," he replied. "And by the way, here, you are going to be known as Miss Victoria. The 'Mrs.' would turn the men off."

"Of course," she replied. "When should I be here?"

"Come by at about seven o'clock," he said with a smile.

Rising, she returned his smile, "I'll see you at seven, and thank you, Mr. Deacons. I appreciate this."

"My pleasure. I hope you'll enjoy working here," he answered, seeing her to the door.

She happily returned to the hotel. She wanted to get a bit of rest before she began work that night. She went to bed, however, sleep eluded her. What was she getting herself into? She had only intended to see what sort of response she would get when she wore the flowers at Nicholas'. She'd really had no intention of accepting any offers. And now she had just accepted a position at an establishment that gave her no choice.

Although, Mr. Deacons had promised no unsavory characters. And if she made fifty dollars a night, that meant she would be able to save enough money to leave San Francisco in less than a month. She wouldn't be making a salary from dealing cards, but she knew she would come out much farther ahead than if she had stayed at Nicholas'.

That evening, she nervously walked across the street. She reported to the overseer of the tables and was told to go see Mr. Deacons right away. Puzzled, she reported to his office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked him.

Smiling at her, he replied, "Word has gotten out that you're working here. You already have a customer waiting."

Her mouth went dry and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. "Already?" she replied nervously.

"Yes, and he's paid for the whole night. You've already made fifty dollars," he said, his smile growing wider. He had charged the man $125 for his night with Victoria.

"How long is 'the whole night'?" she asked, worried that it would actually be that.

"Until one in the morning, when we close," he answered.

"Six hours," she said, her nervousness increasing. "Where do I go?" she asked, trying to ignore the growing tremors in her stomach.

Consulting a book on his desk, he replied, "Upstairs, room five."

Taking a deep breath, she replied, "Room five. Alright." She gave him a trembling smile and left the office. She climbed the stairs with weak legs and stood before room five.

You can do this, she thought. You didn't care much for Nicholas and you had sex with him. You didn't look forward to or enjoy sex with Henry but you complied, she told herself. This no different. It's only a few hours.

Squaring her shoulders she quickly turned the door handle and walked in the room. The man was sitting on the bed, his back resting against the headboard. She froze when she saw familiar green eyes staring at her.

"Nicholas? What are you doing here?" she asked, clearly horrified that he might be her customer.

"I think it's rather clear what I'm doing here," he replied calmly, rising from the bed.

Finding it hard to breathe, she gasped, "How did you know?"

"My employees at the hotel told me they saw you coming over here, in that dress, which I own by the way, so I thought I would check with the very respectable Mr. Deacons if he had any new raven haired girls for hire. And imagine my surprise when he replied that he did!" His voice dripped with sarcasm as he slowly approached Victoria.

She began backing away from him. "Please Nicholas, leave me alone. I only want to leave here and start my life again somewhere else."

"Why do you want me to leave? You'd rather be with one of those filthy miners than me?" he asked. "I know the rules of this place. You can't refuse me," he said, his voice taking on that low, smooth tone she usually found so hard to resist. He had backed her against the wall and grabbing her arms, he pulled her to him. "Come on, Miss Victoria," he sneered, "it's not like we've never done this before." He ground his lips against hers.




Golden Desire Ch. 05



"Nicholas, please..." she begged, twisting her head away and struggling to free herself from his hold.

He only continued to punish her mouth with his kiss, plunging his tongue into her mouth. His hands reached for the neckline of her gown and with a strong tug, pulled it down, tearing the fabric and exposing her breasts. She tried to cover herself, but he caught her wrists and pinned them to the wall above her head with one hand. With the other he roughly squeezed and caressed her soft flesh. He pulled her across the room and flung her down upon the bed.

She scrambled backwards, trying to get away from him, but he grabbed her ankle and pulled her back causing her skirts to ride up. He straddled her thighs, pinning her in place. "Don't you dare," he growled as she tried to hit him. He again grabbed her flailing fists and held them above her head. "I paid a handsome price for you and I expect to get my money's worth," he said before he bent down to again assault her lips with his own.

Even though she was thoroughly humiliated and scared, his kisses had an effect. She began to feel that familiar warmth growing in her belly and her mind began to cloud. She stopped struggling and when he released her wrists, her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him close.

His mouth moved to her throat, across her shoulders and down to her breasts. His tongue swirled around a hardened pink nipple as she gasped loudly and arched her back. Sliding his hand up the inside of her exposed thigh, he gently pulled away, and smiling at her, said, "Now that's more like it."

Suddenly her mind cleared, and it again hit her what the circumstances were and she renewed her struggles.

"Nicholas, stop, please stop," she begged, tears spilling down her face.

He sat up but didn't let her go. "Why? Would you be like this if I were just some anonymous miner, looking for a little company?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure what I expected, but I don't want to be with you like this. Not when you've had to pay for me," she said quietly.

Wiping away her tears, he said, "Come back to work for me."

She sighed, and said, sadly, "But with you I don't make enough money. I'll never be able to save enough to leave."

Rising, he got off the bed, letting her sit up. "Why do you want to leave? Why don't you stay?" he asked.

She was trying to cover herself with the torn dress and looked up, startled by his questions. "Stay?" she asked, incredulous. "Nicholas I want to live in a clean town, where I'm not constantly assaulted by gambling houses and bordellos. I want to have a family some day, and believe me, I am not going to raise children here. And who am I going to find to marry in a town full of transient miners?" Holding the bodice together with her hands, she shook her head. "No, this is not a place I want to be."

The fact that she had not even considered him, wounded him deeply, but he didn't let it show. "Come on," he gently urged, holding out his hand to her. "Come back to work for me and we'll see if we can't work something out, so that you can make enough money to leave," he said softly.

"Mr. Deacons won't be happy," she said.

"He got his money for you for tonight," he replied. Pulling back from her, he asked, "By the way, how much did he say you would get if someone wanted you for a whole night?"

"Fifty dollars," she replied.

"Only fifty? I paid a hundred and twenty-five!" he said.

"A hundred and twenty-five?" she asked, shocked. "He said he would charge seventy-five! That liar!"

"Well, then it's a good thing you're leaving. Come on, let's go," he said, opening the door for her.

Mr. Deacons was indeed angry when he saw Victoria leaving with Nicholas. "I knew I shouldn't have let you buy time with her! How dare you steal away my employees!" he shouted at them.

"He's not stealing me, I quit!" she shouted back. "You said you would only charge seventy-five dollars to someone who wanted a whole night, but you charged him a hundred and twenty-five!"

A couple of the girls' heads went up when they heard Victoria shouting. "You charge them how much?" one of them asked loudly.

"Good riddance to you!" Mr. Deacons shouted as he hurried into the safety of his office, frightened of the angry looks on the faces of the others girls.

When they arrived back at Nicholas' house, they walked up to the second floor and standing in the hallway, he said, "You can stay here tonight, if you like. You know your room is always there for you." He turned to his room when her voice stopped him.

"But Mr. Andrews, I believe you paid for a service tonight, one that has not yet been provided." She let go of her gown's bodice, letting the tear gape open.

Nicholas stared at the opening in her dress, seeing a pink nipple poking out from a frayed edge. He stepped close to her and gently stroked the torn fabric. "I'm sorry I ruined your gown," he whispered, staring at her exposed flesh.

"It's not my gown, it's yours," she whispered back with a smile. Watching his face, she arched her back, revealing more flesh.

"Is it repairable?" he asked, gripping one edge of the tear.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head, not taking her eyes off his.

He grabbed the other torn edge and ripped the dress off of her.

She gasped with delight as the fabric fell from her body. Her breasts heaving with her deep breaths, she stared at Nicholas with hungry eyes. "Well, sir, as a paying customer, what is your pleasure?"

He pulled her close to him and locked his lips on hers. She thought she might swoon at the passion his kiss held. One hand softly fell on her breast, gently tweaking the nipple.

She ground against him before he picked her up and carried her into his bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him.

Nicholas groaned and fell back on the sheets, the morning light dancing across his golden hair. She was gone again. He rose and only stopping to pull on a house coat, he walked out into the hall to find the door to her room open. It was empty and the bed had not been slept in. He sighed and running his fingers through his hair, he wondered, why won't she spend the night with me? "Why?" he asked aloud.

He wandered through the house, but she wasn't there. He walked back up to her room and sure enough, her day dress was gone. Returning downstairs, he saw his head housekeeper.

"Mrs. Rodriguez, did you happen to see Mrs. Somerset this morning?"

"No sir, however I was awoken by the sound of the front door this morning, just before dawn."

He sighed and tipping his head back, he stared at the ceiling and asked, "Why? Why won't she stay until morning?"

"Do you want an answer, sir?" the housekeeper asked.

Looking at her, he eagerly said, "If you have one, yes."

"Perhaps it would create too much of a bond," she suggested.

Confused, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, sir, Mrs. Somerset's husband passed away recently, did he not?" she asked.

"Yes, but..." he confirmed, his brow furrowed.

"Perhaps she is seeking comfort from you, but doesn't want to create a strong emotional connection. So she takes the comfort, the distraction from her pain." Shrugging her shoulders, she added, "The tenderness that would exist upon waking together, perhaps that is not what she seeks."

Nicholas stared at the older woman, comprehension slowly coming to him. "Thank you, Mrs. Rodriguez," he said, absent mindedly, turning and walking back up the stairs. He rolled her words over in his mind as he thought about his encounters with Victoria. The first had been her curiosity, the second to soothe her grief, the third was purely lust, and last night had again been lust. They had never been tenderly emotional. There had been no murmurs of love, only gasps and moans of pleasure.

He returned to his room to prepare for the day, washing and dressing, but still thinking about what he should do. Should I tell her how I feel? Or should I just let her go and try to forget her? She won't stay, no matter what I tell her. He arrived at the site of the new gambling house only to find that the carpenters had not shown up yet again. He was soon immersed in the project and his problems with Victoria were swept away.

Victoria woke in her room at the hotel and she stretched leisurely. Smiling, she thought back to last night. It certainly had been dramatic. She had been a prostitute for one night, had had a dress ripped off of her and had spent the most passionate yet of nights in Nicholas' bed. Also, he had said that they would work out a way for her to get the money to leave. She was eager to see him later and find out what he had in mind.

But first she wanted to find out about other places she could go. She had heard stories about how dangerous it could be traveling across the country and she recalled Nicholas telling her that there were some towns up north that were beginning to grow. She washed and dressed and headed to the station to check on fares.

She spoke with a coach driver about some of the towns and a place called Oregon City seemed the most promising. Not too dangerous to get to and much cheaper than Albany. It would only cost her one hundred and fifty dollars.

After her shift at the gambling house was over, she returned to Nicholas' to change her clothes. He was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hello, Nicholas," she said, greeting him with a smile.

"Good evening," he replied, not returning her smile.

Worried at his glum manner, she asked, "Is everything alright?"

Instead of answering her question, he said, "Please come into the drawing room, I want to talk to you about something."

She followed him, worried about this strange mood he was in. He seemed unhappy and nervous. She was suddenly afraid, maybe he had met someone else and was no longer willing to help her. Maybe he was going to tell her she was on her own now. Growing nervous herself, she sat when he invited and looked at him expectantly.

Without sitting he withdrew a thick envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket. He handed it to her.

She stared at him a moment, as he sat down, not looking at her. She opened it to find it full of money.

"That's eight hundred dollars. The money you need to get home plus some extra. If you want to go so badly that you would resort to prostitution, well, I would rather give you the money than see you go through that." His voice was low and he still wouldn't look at her.

"I don't need this much," she replied. "I've decided to go to Oregon City instead. The fare is only one hundred and fifty dollars, so you can have most of this back."

"Keep it," he said, still staring at his hands.

"Nicholas, what's wrong? Why won't you look at me?" she asked.

Finally meeting her gaze, she was surprised by the pain she saw in the green depths.

"Stay Victoria, please don't go," he pleaded.

She fingered the money in her hand. She had gotten what she wanted from him, why would she stay? She looked again into his eyes and knew she couldn't be so cruel as to say something like that to him. Tenderly, she said, "I'm sorry Nicholas, but I told you before, I want to go somewhere new, somewhere I can start fresh and raise a family. There's nothing here for me."

"Nothing?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "What about me? Do I mean nothing to you?"

"You? You want me to stay here because of you? A man who lured me into adultery for his own amusement, for the benefit of his own ego?" she snapped.

His anger rising at her taunting, he replied, "I told you it wasn't like that! I haven't been with another woman since you."

"Oh, lucky me," she sneered. "So what do I mean to you? Except for taking me to bed, you've never once expressed or demonstrated any emotional attachment to me whatsoever."

"Never demonstrated?" he asked, clearly stunned by her accusation. "I dragged you out of that low class brothel, didn't I?"

"Only because you didn't want to see your private playground opened to the public!" she nearly shouted at him.

He knew the time was now, he either said it or let her go. He took a deep breath and opening his mouth, the words just came out, "No. The reason I did it is because I love you. I realized it while you were staying here."

"Why didn't you say something?" she asked quietly, her anger dissipating.

"The time was never right," he replied. "But I'm saying it now and I'm asking you to stay. Please." Seeing her hesitation, he rushed on, saying, "I know that you don't like San Francisco, that it's dirty and immoral. But it won't always be like this. In a few years the gold will run out and the miners will be gone. Then it will be a nice place."

"And who will stay in your hotels, Nicholas? Who will visit your gambling houses?" She sadly shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I've had enough of financial instability." Seeing the hurt in his eyes, she continued, "You'll always be the greatest passion of my life, you've made me feel things I never thought I could. But it's time to find a nice, boring, stable man and begin my life again."

She reached out and gently stroked his cheek. "Thank you for all you've done for me. I'll never forget you." Placing a brief kiss on his lips, she whispered, "Goodbye Mikolaj." She then turned and left the room, walking out the front door.

Nicholas dropped his head in his hands and for the first time since his parents had died, he wept.

She left the next day on a stage bound for Oregon City. He stood watching it from a distance and swore he could feel his heart breaking.



Golden Desire Ch. 06



Victoria sat in the bouncing coach, concentrating on the excitement of what lay ahead of her and ignoring the pain she was feeling at leaving Nicholas. It's silly she told herself. I don't have any feelings for him. Yes, being with him was thrilling and exhilarating, but that's all. I'll miss his company, I'm sure, but I'll make plenty of friends to fill that void and eventually I'll meet a man suitable to marry. She hadn't been lying when she said she would never forget him, but he'll be a pleasant memory, nothing more, she convinced herself.

A month later, Nicholas sat in the office of his new gambling house and thought over something Victoria had said to him that last day. 'Who will stay in your hotels? Who will visit your gambling houses?' He hadn't thought about there being an end to the gold rush, but it was something he had to keep in mind. Perhaps the ambitious expansions he had been planning should be re-thought. Perhaps he should keep his operations as they were and just start saving the money he was making. Perhaps it was time to start thinking about what to do with that money.

He was going crazy with missing her. He had tried to get back into his games of seduction, but none of the women appealed to him in the slightest. Their fluttering eyelashes and shy gasps at his suggestive comments all seemed so shallow and meaningless that he lost interest in them quickly. And every night he awoke from restless dreams of ebony hair and dark blue eyes.

Another month later, he was in the office of the grand hotel, lost in memories of Victoria, when the front desk clerk eagerly whispered to him. "Sir, she's here!"

"Hmmm? Who?" he asked, slightly confused as to who the clerk could be excited about.

"Mrs. Worthington, sir. You remember, the very shapely blond?" he reminded him suggestively.

"Ah yes, Mrs. Worthington," he said without much interest, watching her across the lobby. She certainly is shapely, he thought. Like Victoria, but not as tall. Maybe the only way to get her out of my system is to bring another woman in, he thought. With a sly smile, he walked out from behind the counter and approached the woman.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Worthington. How are you today?" he asked warmly.

"I'm fine, thank you very much, Mr. Andrews," she replied, smiling at him, her brown eyes twinkling. "And yourself?" she asked.

"Well, now that you're here, I'm very much improved," he said in a low, suggestive voice. Encouraged by the pink flush in her cheeks, he continued. "You must call me Nicholas, Mr. Andrews sounds too stuffy and formal. I think we're good enough friends that we can be on a first name basis, don't you agree?"

His invitation to switch to the more intimate use of first names had the desired effect, as she giggled and replied, "Of course, Nicholas. And you must call me Claire."

"Claire," he repeated. "I must say, you look beautiful in that gown."

The pink in her cheeks deepening, she replied, "It's just a plain day dress."

"You turn a plain dress into something magnificent when you wear it," he whispered to her, staring into her eyes.

She only stared back, entranced by his gaze.

"Would you care to have dinner with me tonight, at my home?" he asked softly.

"Yes, I would love to," she replied breathlessly.

"Would seven o'clock be suitable? I'll send my carriage for you," he said, his voice still low. Taking up her hand and placing a lingering kiss on it, he said, "I'll look forward to it immensely."

As he returned to the office, the clerk eagerly asked him, "How long do you think this one will take, sir?"

Without much interest, Nicholas replied, "I'll have her tonight."

Impressed, but knowing not to press the matter, the clerk returned to his duties.

Nicholas had almost forgotten that she was coming over that night, until he heard the carriage pull up at a few minutes past seven o'clock. He looked through the curtains and saw her alight from the cab. From the window of his upper floor office, he had a nice view of her neckline and it was quite low. He couldn't help the wicked smile that curled his lips.

He stood in the shadows outside the drawing room, watching her. She was very nervous, biting her lip and playing with the cords of her purse. He recalled how he had stood here and watched Victoria nervously waiting for him all those months ago. He shook the memory from his mind and went in to greet his guest.

He and Claire enjoyed a lavish dinner, where he plied her with wine and drank a bit more than usual himself. Later, back in the drawing room, he whispered suggestive compliments in her ear, tickled her with fluttery caresses and she was soon his. He pressed his lips to hers and she melted against him. Driving comparisons to Victoria from his mind, he carried her upstairs. Carefully choosing one of the anonymous bedrooms and not his own, nor the one Victoria had used, he carried her inside and closed the door.

Later that night as she lay sleeping, he stood by the window staring out at the star filled sky. He had been rough with her, taking his every pleasure with her body but he was left unfulfilled. He didn't even want to sleep in the same bed with her.

Turning from the window, he walked to the edge of the bed. He gazed down at her silky blond hair, spread across the pillow, her pretty face and luscious body, barely covered by the thin sheet. He should be consumed with desire but only felt revulsion. Was this how Victoria felt after their times together? Is that why she was always gone in the morning? It tore him apart to think that she felt about him the way he felt about the woman lying before him now.

No, she would never have returned to his bed if that were the case. He knew that he would most likely never even speak to this woman again, let alone invite her back into his bed. He quietly left the room and slid into his own bed after locking his bedroom door.

He left early the next morning, before Claire woke. He left instructions with his staff to treat her cordially, serve her breakfast if she wished and then get her out of there.

He worked out of the less grand hotel that day, the one where Victoria had stayed. He hardly ever went there anymore, because it reminded him too much of her. He had to face the fact that she was gone, that he had lost her. He had curbed his plans of expansion and was now saving his money. It surprised him how wealthy he really was. He didn't know what to do with it, though. He would figure that out later. For now, he was content to ride the gold rush as long as he could.

Victoria was amazed at how the prices of things dropped the further she got from San Francisco. At first she was worried that Nicholas' money wouldn't last her very long, but by the time she reached Oregon City, the six hundred dollars she had left was a fortune. She immediately found a boarding house to stay in. She didn't want to stay in another hotel again.

She quickly found work in a bakery and fell into a quiet routine. A routine that sometimes felt too restrictive. She found she sometimes craved excitement, she had grown so accustomed to bustling activity of San Francisco that she now missed it. The one thing she refused to admit she missed was Nicholas. The dreams she had of him, recounting their most passionate moments together, didn't mean a thing. However, she found herself constantly driving thoughts of him from her mind. I need someone new, she thought.

She was in the mercantile, wandering the aisles, hoping some shopping would lift her spirits. Miserably bored and restless, she perched bonnets on her head, and tried on gloves. She flipped through the dress catalog, but nothing caught her eye. Meandering over to the perfume counter, her eyes scanned the whimsical names of the fragrances.

She picked up a bottle named Forest Green and held it to her nose. Its warm, dark, woodsy aroma sent a shiver down her spine. Nicholas, her thoughts sighed. She inhaled again, losing herself in the scent. As it dissipated, she came out of her trance, and shook her head as if to clear it.

She put the bottle down and picked up another called Amber Rose. She held it to her nose and found she quite liked it. She tried several others, but came back to Amber Rose. She was smelling it again when she suddenly felt eyes on her. She looked up just as a man averted his gaze. He seemed to be intently inspecting the prices of bags of feed. Her eyes quickly skimmed over him. He was dressed in a finely tailored suit and did not appear to be a farmer. He was taller than she, with dark hair and eyes, and a slender yet strong build.

He glanced at her again out of the corner of his eye and seeing that she was looking at him, quickly looked away again. Feeling this could be a pleasant diversion, she played along and pretended to be examining a collection of hunting knives, coyly glancing back at him. Their eyes met for a moment, before she shyly lowered her lashes before glancing up again. He held her eyes for a moment and then looked away himself. They continued this way for a couple of minutes before she finally picked up the bottle of perfume and made her purchase. Exiting the store she left him with a lingering stare and the whisper of a smile.

She felt her spirits lift as she strolled down the quiet street.

Several days later, she was at work at the bakery, when Mrs. Fraser, the woman who owned it, called to her from the front counter wanting to know when the loaves of pumpernickel would be ready.

She stepped to the doorway to answer but when she saw the customer at the counter she couldn't help but smile and much to her surprise a light blush crept into her cheeks. It was the man from the mercantile. He was again impeccably dressed and shyly returned her smile.

Remembering why she had come to the front and without looking at the older woman, she answered, "It'll be coming out of the oven in about fifteen minutes."

Mrs. Fraser saw the connection passing between her customer and employee and couldn't resist playing matchmaker. "Mr. Sinclair, have you met my new employee, Mrs. Somerset? She's relatively new in town." Turning to Victoria, she continued, "Victoria, may I present Mr. Daniel Sinclair. He's the bank manager and knows everyone in town."

Upon hearing her addressed as Mrs. Somerset, his manner abruptly changed and the playful sparkle vanished from his eye. "How do you do, Mrs. Somerset?" he said stiffly.

Retaining her smile, however, she replied, "I'm very well, thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you." She tried to make the eye contact linger but he had turned his attention back to Mrs. Fraser.

As soon as Victoria was gone, Mrs. Fraser leaned across the counter and whispered, "The poor thing, she's just come from San Francisco. Her husband dragged her all the way out there from New York, by way of the Isthmus of Panama no less, and then two months later he was shot and killed during a claim dispute. She desperately wanted to go back home but was too afraid. The journey is terribly dangerous, I hear, and San Francisco is far too immoral of a town for her to stay in alone, so she came up here."

Daniel usually didn't pay much attention when Mrs. Fraser shared her gossip with him, but he listened intently this time. "So she's widowed?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, she is," she replied with a knowing smile. "Why don't you come back at the end of the day and I'll have some of that bread ready for you."

Meanwhile , in the back of the bakery, Victoria returned to the therapeutic work of making bread, happy that she and the handsome stranger had been introduced. She knew that the sudden change in his behavior was due to the 'Mrs.' in her name, but she also knew that Mrs. Fraser wouldn't be able to resist whispering the story of her widowhood to him.

At the end of the day, as she was preparing to leave, with forced casualness she said to Mrs. Fraser, "Mr. Sinclair certainly seems like a pleasant man."

The older woman looked over at Victoria and gave her the same knowing smile she had bestowed on the man in question earlier. "Yes, he's a very nice young man."

Trying to keep her voice light, she asked, "Is there a Mrs. Sinclair?"

"No, there isn't."

At that moment, the bell over the door rang and Daniel entered the shop, his eyes immediately alighting on Victoria. As the two stared at each other, seemingly oblivious to everything around them, Mrs. Fraser took his order down from the shelf with a smile. She gave Daniel a nudge and handed him his package. "On your account?" she asked.

"Yes please. Thank you, Mrs. Fraser," he stammered, suddenly snapping out of the trance.

"Alright, out, out, both of you. I want to lock up," she said, shooing them out the door.

Standing outside on the street, they both found themselves suddenly shy.

"How are you liking Oregon City?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm enjoying it a great deal," she enthused. "It's very pretty." She paused and then asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Not that long, only a year. It's a very pleasant town, it would be ideal for raising a family."

"Yes, I thought the same thing when I arrived," she answered.

She stared into his dark brown eyes, lost in their warm depths.

"May I walk you home?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, taking the arm he offered.

"How long has it been since your husband passed?' he asked after walking in silence for a few minutes.

"How did you know? Did Mrs. Fraser tell you?' she asked.

"Yes, I hope you don't mind. I was curious about you," he admitted, shyly.

"No, I don't mind," she replied. "Henry's been gone for a little over four months."

"I'm sorry. It must still be hard for you," he said sympathetically.

"It took awhile to actually accept and believe that he was gone. At first I was so busy trying to figure out how to survive and trying to figure out how to get out of San Francisco. Figuring out where to go and what I would do when I got there. I've never really had to take care of myself before."

"How did you do it? Get out of San Francisco, I mean," he asked.

She gave him a guilty look. "I'm not sure I should tell you," she said, feigning shame.

"I'm sure it's not that bad," he gently urged.

She looked into his dark brown eyes and saw the guarded look there. He feared the worst.

Dropping her eyes, she said quietly, "I dealt cards in a gambling house."

She heard him exhale and realized he had been holding his breath.

"All the other miner's wives had taken the jobs in the bakeries or as seamstresses or even doing laundry or some such thing," she said in a rush. "Plus the gambling houses paid so much more and I was desperate to leave."

Again she searched his eyes. "You don't think too badly of me, do you?"

With a smile, he replied, "Of course not. You did what you had to do."

She gave him a wide smile. "You're the only person I've told. Even Mrs. Fraser doesn't know." Stopping and touching his arm, she said with wide eyes, "Promise you won't tell her?"

Covering her hand with his and leaning towards her, he said in a soft voice, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

She smiled gratefully, but was thinking, nothing, I don't feel a thing. If Nicholas had spoken to me like that, I would be tingling from head to toe right now. I think I may have found my safe and boring husband, she thought.

Later, as she lay in bed, she thought back to her walk with Daniel. He is tall and very handsome, she thought to herself. And he has a very respectable job. Being a bank manager means he's most likely good with money, but judging from the quality of his suits, he's not stingy.

She thought back to her lack of emotional response when his hand had been covering hers as he spoke softly to her and wondered if she would ever again feel the way Nicholas made her feel. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down her spine. She closed her eyes and thought back to the nights she had spent in his bed. The dizzying heights of ecstasy he could take her to, making her feel drugged yet ecstatically sober at the same time.

Her pulse quickened as her hands slid across her ribs, recalling the way his hands felt on her body. Cupping her breasts, she found the nipples and tweaked them gently and then a bit harder, a small gasp escaping her lips. One hand trailed down, pressing down over her stomach as she parted her thighs. She gasped again as her fingers slid through the crisp curls and then into the wet folds. She found the small nub that never failed to cause the most arousing feelings to flood her senses and began to stroke it. Her back arched up off the bed and the hand on her breast pinched the nipple even harder. The familiar pressure began to build in her as she writhed on the sheets and as she tipped over the edge into ecstasy, she was helpless to stop Nicholas' name from slipping through her lips.

She began to see Daniel quite often. Since he lived alone and thought it would be most improper to have her there unchaperoned, they usually sat in the parlor of her boarding house or went for walks.

One afternoon as they sat in the parlor, he commented, "It sure is quiet today."

"The house is empty. Everyone is out," she explained, giving him a mischievous smile.

He looked at her with alarm. "There's no one here?" he asked.

"That's right," she said softly, the smile still teasing at her lips.

Rising, he stammered, "I didn't realize. I'm sorry. We should go." He held out his hand to her.

She rose and ignoring his hand, she stepped close to him. Staring into his warm dark eyes, she placed her palms on his chest. "We're alone. Don't you want to kiss me?" she asked breathlessly.

She felt his heartbeat increase beneath her hands as she leaned closer to him, tipping her face up to his. As she peered up at him through half closed eyes, she could see the indecision on his face.

She took another half step closer and slowly slid her hands up to his shoulders. One finger strayed up and gently stroked his neck. She heard him suck in a shaky breath before he bent his head and slipping an arm around her waist, he pressed his lips to hers.

She responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back. When she opened her lips to him and tentatively sought his tongue with her own, he drew back with a shocked gasp.

Genuinely surprised, she asked, "What's wrong? What's the matter?"

"You...you shouldn't...you shouldn't be kissing like that!" he exclaimed, stammering.

She couldn't help but laugh. "But Daniel, I was married, remember? I've been kissed before. I'm not some blushing innocent, easily shocked by an ardent display of affection."

He looked at her, seemingly aware of this for the first time. "I guess so. I hadn't thought of that."

She pressed herself against him and wrapped her arms around his neck again. "So why not enjoy it?" she said in a low voice.

One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk before he tightened his hold on her and dipped his head to resume the kiss.

As the kiss deepened, Victoria waited for the tremors to begin, for a warmth in her belly to flare into fire and spread through her limbs. Instead all she felt was a small shiver down her spine.

Whereas, Daniel seemed to be experiencing a very different reaction. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest and when he finally pulled away, his breathing was heavy and she could see the flames of passion burning in his liquid brown eyes.

A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I had no idea how pleasurable courting a widow could be," he said softly, his voice suggestively low.

She only gave a small smile and coyly lowered her lashes hiding the disappointment in her eyes.

Later, after Daniel had left, she sat in her room staring out at the darkening sky. She could hear the other residents of the house arriving and knew that dinner would be soon. Usually, she enjoyed the crowded dinner and animated conversations, but tonight she longed for the intimate sorts of dinners she had shared with Nicholas. Dinners full of witty banter, sly innuendos and double entendres.




Golden Desire Ch. 06



She recalled the dinner that had started it all. Where she had had too much wine to drink and had blurted out that she had been wondering what it would be like to kiss him. She felt a stronger reaction to the memory of that kiss than she had earlier when she had been with Daniel.

Her head fell into her hands, her fingers running through the ebony tresses. What am I going to do, she wondered. I thought I could go back to boring after Nicholas, but I was wrong. Every night as she lay alone in her narrow bed, she hungered for the way he made her feel. The look in his eyes, the touch of his hands, his lips, his body. And almost every night she gave in to the wicked desires to touch herself as he had, to recreate the wild fire of passion that he had kindled in her.

Nicholas signed his name next to the others on the last page of the stack of papers in front of him. He sighed happily as he laid down his fountain pen.

A month earlier he had been invited to the home of Mr. William Stevens to discuss a possible business deal. Mr. Stevens was one of the few men who had truly struck it rich in the gold fields and Nicholas had been intrigued by the invitation.

Their deal was now complete. He shook hands with the other men seated in the office and took his leave. He was looking forward to the new plans he had to make.



Golden Desire Ch. 07



Victoria and Daniel were out for a walk when they came upon the building site of a large house.

"Another mansion?" she asked looking with wonder at the scale of the construction.

"Yes, another man who made his riches in the gold fields, I hear," Daniel replied. "I guess I'll be meeting him soon." As the bank manager he met personally with all of the bank's wealthier clients.

She looked wistfully at the soon-to-be mansion. "Henry said we would live in a house like that," she said. "In New York City, full of servants."

"Being rich isn't as wonderful as most people think," he said. "It changes them. Makes them wary and suspicious of anyone who tries to befriend them."

She thought back to Nicholas. He hadn't seemed like that, but then again, he didn't appear to have any close friends and he never let a woman get any closer to him than as an entertaining diversion. Maybe he was like Daniel was describing.

Daniel's words brought her back out of her thoughts. "A modest house with a bit of land around it and a family. That's all anyone really needs," he said. When she didn't respond, he urged, "Don't you agree?"

"Yes, it sounds lovely," she replied distractedly.

Daniel assumed her change in mood was due to memories of Henry, but in reality it was memories of Nicholas telling her that he loved her that had upset her. Was it true? Had she managed to break through and touch his heart? He certainly hadn't been looking for love when they met, but according to him it had found him. Mentally, she shook her head. She couldn't possibly mean that much to him. Other than saying the words, he had never shown even for an instant that he felt that way. It didn't matter, she thought. He was in her past now. She gazed up at Daniel, the man who was in her future. So why wasn't she happy?

A week later, Mrs. Fraser was chatting with her at the bakery. "I heard that the owner of the newest mansion has arrived in town. They say he's devastatingly handsome and still rather young. I daresay the young women of this town will be behaving quite shamelessly in their pursuit of him," she laughed.

"But his house isn't finished," Victoria commented.

"I hear he's renting the old Thompson place. You know, that big blue house?" she prompted.

"Oh yes. Do you know his name?" she asked, wondering if it was anyone she was acquainted with.

"No, that I don't know. No one seems to know. It's quite a mystery," the older woman replied.

"Maybe he doesn't want anyone to make a fuss over him, and he prefers to keep to himself," she suggested.

"Well, then why is he showing off, building such a grand house? Have you seen the amount of marble that's going into that home?" she said, rolling her eyes. "My goodness!"

Victoria couldn't help but laugh. At that moment, Daniel came through the doors to collect her. Mrs. Adams immediately asked, "Mr. Sinclair, what do you know of Oregon City's most recent wealthy citizen?"

Smiling, he admitted, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Fraser, I haven't met the man yet. And as I'm sure you know, there is a great air of mystery surrounding him. No one knows a thing about him. Except that he's apparently going to be quite popular amongst the ladies." Taking Victoria's arm he joked, "I'm going to have to keep my eye on you. Make sure you don't go falling for handsome millionaires."

Laughing, she replied, "I don't think you have to worry about that. I'm not much for millionaires and he can't possibly be any more handsome than you." She touched him on the chin as she made her last comment. Unbidden, a comparison to Nicholas came to mind, as it often did. And as always, Daniel came up lacking. Barely acknowledging the thought, she quickly shoved it to the back of her mind.

As was expected, over the next few days the only thing anyone talked about was the town's newest resident. All anyone knew of him was that he was young and very handsome.

Daniel and Victoria were sitting on a bench in the garden of her boarding house when he said to her quietly. "I have a meeting with the town's mystery man tomorrow."

Having been unable to resist being drawn into the drama surrounding the man, she eagerly asked, "You do? What is his name?"

"I don't actually know. For some reason, it was not given to me. I was only told that he has requested a meeting tomorrow morning." Turning serious, he continued, "Don't tell anyone. The interest in him has grown to ridiculous proportions and we're worried about a crowd of onlookers at the bank. This man obviously wants some privacy."

"I won't tell a soul," she promised.

Daniel arrived early at the bank the next morning. He also was very curious about the gentleman he was meeting and was eager to make a good impression. At nine o'clock his secretary announced that his appointment had arrived. Daniel stood as the man entered the office.

"Good morning, Mr. Sinclair," he said, shaking Daniel's hand. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicholas Andrews."

"Welcome to Oregon City, Mr. Andrews," Daniel welcomed him. The rumors were true, he thought, this tall blonde man was going to drive the women of this town to distraction. Inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief that Victoria was such a level headed young woman and wouldn't have her head turned by this man's good looks.

They spent the next few hours discussing Nicholas' finances. When it became apparent that his wealth had come from running hotels and gambling houses and the subsequent sale of those establishments, Daniel had to admit, he was surprised. "I didn't realize such money could be made in the actual town of San Francisco."

"Yes, I'm surprised myself at how well I did," Nicholas commented. "I had initially thought that I would expand and continue building , that the gold rush would keep making me money forever. But it was rather abruptly brought to my attention that the gold rush wouldn't last forever and that my business would most likely dry up at that point. I curbed my expansion plans and just saved the money I was making. After awhile I quietly put the word out that I was interested in selling my assets and I soon had an offer. I had also heard that Oregon City was a growing town, full of promise so I decided to come here to settle down."

As Nicholas was leaving, Daniel asked, "You say you ran several gambling houses?"

"Yes, that's right," he replied.

"I'm acquainted with a woman who worked in a gambling house. Perhaps it was one of yours. Maybe you knew her."

Nicholas' guard immediately went up. Forcing his voice to remain casual he said, "I oversaw the general operations of the houses, not the smaller details, like staff. However, I may remember her name."

"Victoria Somerset," Daniel suggested. "Tall, slim, black hair and dark blue eyes."

Nicholas' heart skipped a beat. She was still here. He recalled how horrified she had been when he had first suggested that she become a card dealer. Had she changed her opinion of the job so much that she would admit it to a casual acquaintance or was this man more than that? Again forcing his voice to remain neutral, he feigned thoughtfulness. "No, I don't recall anyone by that name," he lied. If this man was his competition he wanted every advantage. "People came and went so frequently that, after awhile, I stopped trying to keep track of them."

"Well, I hope you like Oregon City. Feel free to come by anytime."

"Thank you. Good day, Mr. Sinclair." Nicholas left the bank and quickly climbed into his waiting carriage. Once he was back home, he went straight to his study. Even though it was still morning, he poured himself a brandy and quickly gulped it back. She was here, in this town and she knew that man. Perhaps quite well. He pictured Daniel in his mind. Tall, handsome, and the exact opposite of him in coloring and respectability. He was precisely the sort of man she would be looking for. He hoped he would be able to compete. Not only compete, but win.

The word went around town quickly that Daniel had met with the mysterious new resident that morning. He had never been approached by so many people as he was later that day as he made his way to the bakery to walk Victoria home. He declined to give out any information whatsoever, wanting to protect the man's obvious desire for privacy. He even refused to answer Mrs. Fraser's abundant and persistent questions.

When they had finally reached the seclusion of her boarding house's garden, Victoria teasingly asked him, "Well, do I get to know who the man is?"

Suddenly noticing a scuff on his shoe, he pulled out his handkerchief and bent over to attend to his shoe while saying, "Yes, his name is Nicholas Andrews. He didn't make his money in the gold mines as I had thought but rather in various business interests in the actual town of San Francisco." He buffed his shoe and didn't notice Victoria's reaction to his statement.

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the blood drain from her face. She suddenly felt faint and clutched at the seat of the bench to keep herself upright.

Still focusing his attention on his feet, Daniel continued, "He said he owned gambling houses so I asked if he knew you."

Horrified, she suddenly truly feared she would faint. Forcing herself to breathe evenly, she managed to ask in a normal voice, "What did he say?"

"He said he didn't know your name but that people came and went so frequently that he stopped trying to remember everyone." He sat up and examined his shoes.

She again focused on her breathing. He must have been lying to Daniel. He couldn't possibly have forgotten her, she thought, suddenly hurt that he might have. He had said he loved her. However, it had been several months since she left, it was possible. Without her constant presence in his life and his bed, perhaps she had quickly faded from his memory, replaced by another lonely miner's wife. But he was here. Why else would he have come?

Daniel finally noticed her pale face and distracted air. "Victoria, are you alright?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

Quickly coming out of her thoughts, she said, "The ovens at the bakery were overloaded today, I may have gotten a bit too much heat. I think I'm going to go lay down. Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked, rising, suddenly eager to reach the privacy of her room.

"Yes, of course," he answered. He helped her to the door and kissed her on the cheek. "Take care at the bakery tomorrow," he said as he left.

She gripped the banister as she climbed the stairs on unsteady legs to her room. She stumbled to her bed and lay down, pondering what she should do. She was bound to run into him sooner or later. Would she be able to resist him? Would he behave himself? She lay for hours torturing herself with these thoughts.

Daniel suddenly woke from sleep. The books hadn't balanced that day and it had been bothering him. As usual when he had a problem like this, the answer came to him in the middle of the night. He had forgotten about a money transfer that had come in by mail that morning. Mr. Andrews' visit had distracted him to the point where he had forgotten all about it. He rose from his bed and walked to his desk by the window to write down the information in case he forgot by morning.

The moon was full that night and the light was such that he didn't need to light a candle. The clock in the town square struck one as he quickly wrote himself a note. As he finished, he stood and glanced out the window. A movement on the deserted street caught his attention and he looked closer. Someone was making their way down the street, very furtively, hiding in the shadows. As he watched the figure he soon realized it was a woman.

What would a woman be doing out on the streets alone at this hour, he wondered. He continued to watch her and realizing that she would soon have to step into the moonlight to cross a side street, he stepped closer to the window. She looked about before stepping into the light and when she did, his breath caught in his throat. It was Victoria. He watched dumbfounded as she hurried across the road and again melted into the shadows.

He quickly pulled on a pair of trousers and thrust his bare feet into shoes. Grabbing his coat and a hat, he ran out the door, chasing after her. Following her example, he stayed in the shadows, always a block behind her. Where in heaven's name was she going at one in the morning, he asked himself.

Victoria didn't think about what she was doing. She concerned herself only with staying in the shadows, not allowing herself to consider her destination. When she finally stood across the street from the large blue house, she hesitated. She tried to calm her racing heart, dry her sweating palms. She nervously licked her lips and quickly looking around, she darted across the street. She stood before the front doors and again hesitated. Her eyes scanned the empty street once more, before she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

After a few moments there was no answer and no sound of movement from within and she knocked again. This time she heard the sound of someone moving around inside and she held her breath. The door opened and much to her relief it was Mrs. Rodriguez's surprised eyes she met. The housekeeper opened the door and let her in.

"Mrs. Somerset? What are you doing here?" she asked, clearly bewildered.

"It's alright, Mrs. Rodriguez. You can return to bed. I'll take care of our guest," Nicholas' voice said.

Victoria looked up and saw him standing on the upper landing, looking over the railing down into the large foyer of the house. He was in pajamas covered by a luxurious robe. With his hair mussed and a shadow of beard on his jaw, he looked more handsome than she had remembered. The bottom of her stomach seemed to fall out as she stared up at him. Her breath burst through her lips and she found she needed to pull in deep gasps of it as he slowly made his way down the stairs.

His eyes locked on hers, he approached. "Mrs. Somerset. How lovely to see you again. What brings you here at this late hour?" he asked casually, taking her arm and guiding her towards a sitting room.

Ignoring his question, she bluntly asked, "What are you doing here? Why did you come?"

"I heard it was a lovely town. Much nicer than San Francisco. Not so dirty and immoral," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he closed the doors to the room, and then seated himself in an armchair.

Remaining standing, she glared at him. "I want you to leave," she demanded.

"Leave?" he asked with a laugh. "But I just arrived. My house isn't even finished."

"Why can't you leave me alone?" she cried.

"I told you before you left. I love you, Victoria." His voice dropped to that low, seductive tone she knew so well and it didn't fail to effect her.

Her breath caught in her throat, but she tore her eyes away from his before she fell under their spell. However, much to her dismay, a feeling of relief flooded through her veins at his declaration of love; he hadn't forgotten her. But did he even know what love was? Is that really what he felt for her?

Unsure of his sincerity, she challenged, "What do you want to do right now?"

He stood and moved close to her, his voice turning silky smooth, he said, "I want to pull you into my arms and carry you upstairs to my bed."

Turning blazing eyes on him, she spat, "Is that all you want from me? Someone to warm your bed? You never mention sitting and talking with me, or again viewing your art collection, or anything other than rolling around in your bed. You don't know what love is." She turned to the door and with her hand on the handle, she looked at him, "Please, leave Oregon City. Leave me alone."

Desperate that she not go, he asked, "Are you being courted by the bank manager? Mr. Sinclair?"

Hoping that by making it clear that she was no longer available, she turned from the door and answered, "Yes, Daniel and I spend time together. He hasn't mentioned marriage yet, but I'm sure he will."

"So, you've found the safe, boring man you mentioned in San Francisco," he said with a smirk.

"Daniel is not boring. He's a very intelligent and well bred man," she stated haughtily.

Nicholas turned and walked over to the sidebar, where a tray of decanters stood. He poured himself a brandy. "In other words, boring," he said, taking a sip of the amber liquid. Putting down the glass and staring into deep blue eyes that were blazing with anger, he slowly started to walk back towards her. His voice once again dropping low, he asked, "Does his very presence send a shiver down your spine? Does his touch set your passion aflame?"

Her breath again caught in her throat and that long absent warmth began in her belly.

He stood so close to her that his breath brushed her cheek. His voice at its most seductive, he whispered, "Does just the sound of his voice spread a warmth through your body?"

How did he know that his voice did that to her she wondered as she helplessly turned her eyes to his. She knew it was a mistake before she even did it, but was powerless to stop herself. Immediately she was drawn in. He was so close to her, she could smell the warm scent of the brandy on his breath. He put a finger under her chin, tipping her head back, causing her to offer him her lips.

He hesitated, his mouth hovering over hers. Her whole body was aching for him, screaming for his touch. Unable to resist any longer, she took his head in her hands and pulled it down to her, pressing her lips to his. Her fingers wound through his blond tresses as she pressed herself against him. "Take me upstairs," she murmured, finally surrendering to him.

"You, my dear, seem to want the same things from me as I want from you," he replied, his voice husky with his desire for her.

"Yes, but I don't profess to love you. Now take me upstairs," she demanded, again pressing her lips to his.

Nicholas broke the kiss long enough to extinguish the light and then scooping her up in his arms he carried her through the dark house and up the stairs to his bed.

Daniel stood outside on the dark street and watched as the light went out in Nicholas' rented house. He waited for Victoria to come out, but when it was apparent that she wasn't going to, he slowly turned and walked back home. A thousand questions spun in his mind but only one answer was apparent. They obviously knew each other. Knew each other quite well.

Victoria heard a clock somewhere chiming three o'clock and slid out of Nicholas' bed. She was about to stand when his hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Not this time," he murmured, pulling her back to his side.

"I have to go," she replied, trying to move away.

"Stay with me, stay until morning," he asked earnestly, gently kissing her lips.

"I can't," she said. "I have to go home. I don't want to be seen leaving here."

Reluctantly, he let her go. "Alright, I can wait until we're married to wake up to your beautiful face," he said casually.

She turned to him with wide eyes. "You want to marry me?" she asked.

Turning onto his side, his head propped up on an elbow, he replied, "Of course. Isn't that what people do when they're in love?"

"But we're not in love," she corrected him. "Only you are, apparently."

He watched her as she moved around the room, collecting the clothing that had been so hastily discarded earlier. "You love me, you just don't know it."

She pulled a boot out from under the bed and standing, she stared at him. "Oh, really? Pray tell, Mr. Andrews, what else do I feel?"

He rose from the bed and wrapped his arms about her from behind. Whispering in her ear, he murmured, "Well, for starters, you feel like climbing back into bed with me."

She could feel his desire for her pressing against the back of her hip. He trailed kisses down her throat and her head tipped back onto his shoulder with a moan. His hands pushed away her loose dress and he caressed her soft flesh. "You can get into a carriage out back, no one will see you leaving," he whispered, moving her back towards the bed.




Golden Desire Ch. 07



"But it's Saturday, people will be home all day. They'll see me arriving," she protested weakly.

His hands slipped down inside her dress and she felt that familiar heat begin to slide through her body. No longer caring about what people might see or think, she dropped the boot before falling onto the bed with him. A shuddered sigh slipped through her lips as her dress joined it on the floor.

A little more than an hour later she managed to steal away without waking him. She hurried down the early morning streets and walked in the door of her boarding house just as dawn was breaking. She tiptoed up the stairs and managed to make it to her room without any of her housemates seeing her. Her clothes once again landed on the floor before she slid into bed and fell into a contented sleep.

Daniel was also just going to bed, having stood watch by the window until he saw her heading back home. Taking notice of her undone hair and flushed cheeks, he felt anger and betrayal clutching at his heart. They had both lied to him about knowing each other, obviously to cover the fact that they had had an affair. She had evidently come to Oregon City to get away from him but he had come after her. Daniel was surprised to find that jealousy now joined his other emotions. How could he still want her after she had lied to him? After discovering that she harbored such wickedness? He rolled over in bed and decided to wait until after he had slept, perhaps things would be clearer then.

Hours later, Nicholas groaned with frustration as his hands stretched across the cold, empty sheets. Sitting up, he looked about the room, hoping she was still there, perhaps dressing. Seeing that both she and her clothing were gone, he peered at the mantle clock. Ten o'clock. He wondered what time she had left at. Most likely before dawn. Falling back against the pillows, he ran his fingers through his hair. Even though he was frustrated that she had managed to sneak away, he couldn't help but smile. Seeing her at his front door earlier that night had sent his spirits soaring. Once she knew he was there, she hadn't been able to stay away, even if it had been only to demand that he leave. He couldn't help but hope that a small part of her had wanted what had eventually transpired, that that was really why she had come.

When Daniel awoke he had an idea of what he should do. As he breakfasted he seriously considered Victoria. How did he feel about her? Was she still worth pursuing? Would he ever be able to trust her? He continued to ponder these questions as he dressed and left the house. He arrived at his destination and taking a deep breath, firmly knocked on the door of the large blue house.

He tried to hide his admiration of the fine furnishings as he was led into a sitting room. Nicholas was waiting for him, standing by the mantle. Daniel's eyes swept over the other man, taking his measure in a different manner. In the bank it had been as a client, here it was as an adversary.

The butler announced Daniel, causing Nicholas to turn. He could tell from the look in the younger man's eyes that this was not a friendly call. Surely Victoria hadn't told him of her early morning visit. Hiding his suspicions he greeted Daniel cordially. "Good morning, Mr. Sinclair."

"Good morning, Mr. Andrews," he replied stiffly.

As Daniel remained standing, Nicholas invited him, "Please sit down. Would you care for some coffee?" he asked, pouring himself a cup from a service on a side table.

He perched on the edge of a chair and replied in the same stiff voice, "No, thank you." Looking Nicholas in the eye he said evenly, "I've come to ask you something and I want a straight answer."

Feigning casualness, Nicholas leaned back, sipping his coffee. "Of course. What do you wish to know?"

"Why did you lie to me about knowing Victoria Somerset?"

Nicholas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What makes you think I know her?"

Daniel struggled to keep his temper in check as he said through clenched teeth, "I saw her come here early this morning."

Again sipping his coffee he replied, "Ah yes, that would make my previous statement a lie then, wouldn't it?" Setting down his cup, he leaned towards Daniel and asked, "What is your concern with whether or not I'm acquainted with Victoria?"

"I'm courting her, sir. I think I have a right to know if she's...being intimate...with another man," he stated defensively.

Leaning back again, Nicholas replied, "Then perhaps you should be asking her what the purpose of her visit here this morning was."

"I think the purpose of her visit was rather apparent since she did not emerge from this house for several hours."

With a small smile, Nicholas commented, "You seem very well informed of her actions. Were you spying on her?"

"I happened to be standing by my window and saw her walk by. Worried, I followed her. You can imagine my surprise when she came here. Of course, I was curious and waited until she came back."

"You stood outside that whole time?" Nicholas asked, clearly surprised.

"No, I waited at home, watching the street." Realizing that he had been maneuvered away from his original quest, he paused. "What I want to know is, what are your intentions with Victoria?"

As if the answer were very apparent, Nicholas responded simply, "I intend to marry her."

Daniel stared at him dumbfounded. He had not expected such a blunt answer. "You and she are to be wed?"

Chuckling, Nicholas explained, "Now, that's not what I said. I intend to marry her, however, she's not quite yet convinced." Taking pity on the younger man, he confessed, "If it makes you feel any better, the reason she came here this morning was to request that I leave. To leave her alone and to leave this city."

"It took several hours for her to make that simple request?" Daniel challenged, not believing him.

"Oh no, her request only took several minutes," he answered, with an amused gleam in his eye, picking up his coffee again. "My argument as to why it should be denied took a bit longer."

Daniel again stared at him. He couldn't believe what Nicholas was insinuating. He had feared it, but to hear this other man all but admit that they had been together was astonishing. For Victoria's sake, he should be denying that anything improper had taken place.

Narrowing his eyes at Daniel, he asked, "And may I pose the same question to you? What are your intentions with Victoria?"

Assuming a superior attitude, he replied, "I also intend to marry her."

Smiling, Nicholas said, "Well, then. I guess the lady has a choice to make."

Daniel rose to leave and as Nicholas was seeing him out he asked, "By the way, does she know of your intentions?"

"No, she does not," Daniel answered, his hand on the door knob.

"Well, as I've already declared myself, I suggest you pay her a visit as soon as possible."

Daniel only glared at him before flinging the door open and storming out. Frustration joined the anger and betrayal he was already feeling as he made his way to Victoria's. He walked slowly, trying to calm down and think about what he was going to say to her. It surprised him that even after all he had found out about her, he still wanted to marry her. He didn't have to worry about any shame or scandal as she obviously had no desire to flaunt her indiscretions. Nicholas would also most likely leave if he and Victoria married. No, not if, when he married her. She had gone to ask him to leave. She didn't want Nicholas, she wanted him. With that thought, he arrived at her boarding house and knocked on the door.

Nervous about seeing him, Victoria entered the parlor trying to appear happy at his visit, but the grim look in his eyes stopped her cold. Thinking there was no way he could know of her early morning activities, she asked with concern, "Daniel, what is it? Is there something wrong?"

He rose, and taking her elbow, guided her outside. "Let's go to the garden. I wish to speak to you."

"What about?" she asked nervously, as they stepped outside.

Without responding, he walked her over to a shaded bench and only after they were seated did he speak. Unable to look at her, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me you know Nicholas Andrews?"

When she didn't respond immediately, he continued, "I saw you last night. Saw you go to his house and not emerge for several hours."

"How did you see? Were you spying on me?" she accused, trying to buy some time to think.

"No, I happened to be by my window when you went by. I was worried and followed you." He could feel his anger rising and after taking a deep breath, he continued. "I'm not going to ask why you went there or what happened during those hours, but there is something I want you to know."

Finally turning to her, he looked deeply into her dark blue eyes, "It cannot have escaped your attention that I have grown quite fond of you Victoria. And, for some time now, it has been my intention, my wish, that we would eventually be married."

She could only stare at him. Of course she had known that one day he would ask her, but to have two men announce their intentions in one day was a bit more than she was ready for.

Clearing his throat, he continued, "I hadn't planned on making my declaration so soon. I had hoped for us to get to know each other better and I had also hoped that the atmosphere in which it was made would be more romantic, but as you know, my hand is being forced."

"What do you mean, forced?" she asked, scared that he knew more than he was letting on.

Suddenly realizing he may have slipped a bit, he stammered, "I fear that you have feelings for Mr. Andrews, and that I may lose you to him, so I am making my feelings and intentions known to you prematurely." He did not want her to know that he had visited Nicholas that morning, worried that she would accuse him of meddling in her affairs. After all, even though he had told Nicholas that he had a right to know what was going on, he feared Victoria might think differently, that he had no right to that at all.

Looking down at her hands, she replied, "I appreciate that Daniel, but I think you are owed an explanation. I met Mr. Andrews in San Francisco. He pursued me romantically, but my only concern was to leave there as soon as possible." She told herself that this was mostly true, thus it did not count as a lie. "I didn't think he would follow me here. I was quite shocked when you told me his name." She took a breath before continuing. "My only purpose in visiting him this morning was to request that he leave Oregon City and to leave me alone."

Daniel had to bite his tongue to not ask why that had taken almost three hours. Instead he asked, "So, you have no intention of seeing him again?"

She couldn't look at him as she answered quietly, "To be completely honest with you Daniel, I don't know."

Taking a deep breath, he took her hand in his as he said, "Please Victoria, think about what I've said. I can give you a good and happy life. I would be a caring and devoted husband."

She finally looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I know you would."

He kissed her on the cheek before he rose and left. He had done all he could, he just hoped it would be enough.

Victoria remained in the garden for a long time after he had left. She hadn't known what to expect at Nicholas' that morning. Once she knew he was there she couldn't stay away, she needed to see him. She wondered if her sole mission of asking him to leave was only an excuse, a rationalization? She searched her heart and had to admit that a small part of her had hoped that he would want her, would try and seduce her. Convincing her that he had not forgotten her.

She had been truly amazed when he had stated that he wanted to marry her. But what should she do now? Daniel had said the same thing. Who should she choose? Who did she want? Daniel, of course, was the logical choice, the one her head was telling her to choose. But Nicholas was the one her heart, her entire being wanted. But was he the right choice? Did she love him?

She knew she didn't love Daniel, but did it matter? What he had said was true, he would give her a good and happy life. But what if she deserved more? Nicholas had once asked her if she hadn't wanted to wait for a man that not only loved her, but that she loved as well. She hadn't loved Henry and she had been happy enough. Back when she didn't know any different. Now she did. It had been reaffirmed several times earlier that morning.

She put her head in her hands. Why couldn't she and Henry have just stayed in Albany? Life had been so much easier then, so much simpler. Ever since they had come out here, ever since she had met Nicholas, she was constantly confused, constantly torn about what to do. She needed someone to talk to, but who? Her mind immediately conjured up an image of Mrs. Fraser. She shook her head, there was no way she could trust her.

"My dear, I only tell people what they need to hear. Have you ever heard me telling people something they have no business knowing?" Victoria was sitting in Mrs. Fraser's parlor having hesitantly asked for her advice.

She thought a moment and realized her employer was right. She told her an edited story of Nicholas, how she had known him in San Francisco, and how he had come after her, claiming to want to marry her and then about Daniel's visit that morning, and him claiming the same thing.

"Mrs. Fraser, what am I going to do?' she asked, her voice choked with desperation.

She thought for a moment before asking, "Have either of them actually proposed?"

Slightly taken aback, she replied, "No, they haven't. Daniel says he's not quite ready and Nicholas feels that I'm the one who's not ready."

"So, what you really need to decide is who to keep seeing?" she asked. When Victoria only nodded, she continued, "My child, you already know the answer. But you're afraid to admit it to yourself. Daniel is the safe choice, but it's Nicholas you really want, isn't it."

Mrs. Fraser could see the struggle in the young woman's eyes. "I'm not sure," she finally lamented.

After Victoria had gone, Mrs. Fraser decided it was time to do some promotional work. She wrote a quick note and had it delivered. It was about time that one of Oregon City's wealthiest citizens discovered her little bakery.

Nicholas didn't pay much attention to the advertisement to Fraser's Bakery until the part about their baker having been trained in New York. He remembered that Victoria was from Albany, New York and that while in San Francisco she had tried to get a job in a bakery. Perhaps here she had successfully found one.

He decided to wait a couple of days before visiting the bakery, give her some time to think.

The following week Mrs. Fraser looked up from the front counter to see a well appointed carriage pull up in front of her shop. Her eyes widened in admiration at the handsome blond man who emerged from the cab. So, this must be Nicholas Andrews, she thought. She watched as he straightened his jacket before opening the door.

"Good afternoon," he greeted her with a dazzling smile.

"Good afternoon," she replied. "Let me guess, you must be Mr. Andrews," she said, returning his smile.

"Yes, how did you know?" he questioned.

Tying a string around a cake box, she answered, "Oh, I know just about everyone around here. I've heard about you, and when I realized that you had not yet visited my shop, I sent you that little note, inviting you." She put the cake box up on a shelf and asked him, "What can I get for you? We have wonderful breads, pastries, cakes, pies, anything you want."

His mind went back to Victoria in his home, covered with flour and the aroma of pies in the air. He also recalled how delicious they had been.

"Pies," he said. "Are they made by your baker from New York?"

Her eyes twinkling with delight Mrs. Fraser replied, "Yes, they are. Would you like one?"

"Yes, I would. A couple actually. Do you have any available?"

She scanned the display case and the shelves behind the counter. "I don't seem to have any right now, but I could have them at the end of the day if you like," she suggested.

"Does your baker work that late?" he asked.

"Oh yes. We get special requests all day. Let me just check if she'll have time." Mrs. Fraser turned to the doorway leading into the back and called out, "Victoria, do you have time to make a couple of pies?"

Nicholas' breath caught in his throat as she appeared in the doorway, brushing a damp lock of ebony hair from her brow. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the ovens. She was about to speak when she saw him.

"Nicholas," she whispered. She quickly stepped back from the doorway. "That's Nicholas," she hissed at Mrs. Fraser. "What is he doing here?" She began fussing with her hair. "Oh, I must look a fright," she cried.

"You look fine, my dear. And I would guess he's here because he wants some pies and a bakery is usually where one goes for that." She couldn't help but smile at her flustered employee.

"Pies," she said, as if trying to recall how to make them. "Pies," she repeated in a whisper, recalling that she had baked him pies once before. Turning to Mrs. Fraser, she asked, almost in a daze, "What kind does he want?"

She returned to the front as Victoria anxiously waited. Mrs. Fraser returned with a smile tugging at her lips. "He wants to talk to you about what kinds of pies you know how to make."

"Oh no," she moaned, twisting her hands. "Tell him I don't have time to bake pies. Make him go away," she pleaded.

"My dear, I know how you feel about him, but I am not about to begin turning business away." Giving her a gentle push, she urged, "Go on. It'll be fine."

She took a deep breath and walked to the doorway leading to the front of the store where Nicholas was waiting. Hesitating for only a moment, she proceeded to the counter. Her eyes met his and as always the heat that they radiated caused her heart to skip a beat.

They stared at one another, lost in each other's eyes. Nicholas finally smiled and spoke, breaking the spell with a simple greeting. "Hello, Victoria."

She tore her eyes from his and staring at the counter, returned his greeting. "Good afternoon, Nicholas."

He reached out and touched the tip of her nose causing her to start and step back. Holding up his whitened finger, he said, still smiling, "You have flour on your nose." His voice dipped low as he continued, echoing his words from months before, "I gather you've been baking."

She couldn't help but smile, the tension between them breaking.

"Will you bake me some of your delicious pies?" he asked.

"I can bake you an apple and a cherry today. Anything else, I'll need a couple of days notice to get the ingredients," she replied, her eyes traveling over his face, drinking in his handsome features.

"One apple and one cherry will be fine," he answered, still staring into her eyes.

Dropping her gaze, she said quietly, "Two pies is an awful lot for one person."

Placing his finger under chin, he tipped her head back up. "I was rather hoping you would join me for dinner tonight and help me eat some of them."

"No, Nicholas, I can't," she breathed.

"Yes, you can," he replied. "We've had dinner together many times," he reminded her. Still seeing the doubt in her eyes, he continued, "I'll be on my best behavior, I promise."

When she still didn't respond, he reached out again and taking her hand his voice dipped to the silky smooth whisper. "Please Victoria. Just dinner, that's all."

Unable to resist that tone, she nodded. "Yes, I'll come."

His full lips broke into a wide smile. "I'll send a carriage for you at seven."

Knowing that a carriage would raise questions, she hurriedly said. "No, that's not necessary. I'll meet you at your house at seven, with the pies."




Golden Desire Ch. 07



"Alright, if you insist," he relented. Releasing her hand he reached out and brushed a swipe of flour from her cheek. "Until seven," he said softly, leaving the bakery.

Standing in the back, Mrs. Fraser watched the younger couple. As her eyes followed Nicholas out the door, another figure standing out on the street caught her attention. Daniel.

Even from inside the bakery she could see the hurt and anger in his eyes. Her heart went out to the young man. She knew how he felt about Victoria, but also knew that they were not well suited to each other. That they would be happy for awhile but that Victoria would soon grow bored with him. She watched as he stared after the departing coach and then turned and slowly walked away.

As soon as the pies were cool enough to be boxed, Mrs. Fraser pushed Victoria out the door. "Go home and get ready. Style that beautiful hair of yours and wear a scandalously seductive gown."

Laughing, she replied, "Now Mrs. Fraser, you know I don't own anything like that."

Shaking her head, the older woman said, "With a shape like yours, you should. I used to look like you once. Don't look so surprised. I did and believe me, I showed it off." She smiled as she pushed her shoulders back and rose up on her toes. "I used to wear low cut gowns and high heeled slippers all the time." With a wink, she said, "That's how I got Mr. Fraser."

Victoria couldn't help but laugh and felt some of her nervousness disappearing as she hurried home. She tried to do as her employer suggested, but as she stood before her open wardrobe, staring at her meager selection of dresses, she knew she had nothing even remotely seductive. Hesitantly, she pulled out the gown she had worn that first night they had been together. If she wore it, would he remember? Would he misinterpret her intentions and think it was an invitation? What were her intentions, she thought. A quiet dinner, just like they used to have. Just like she had been longing for.

But was that what he wanted? For things to be like they had been in San Francisco? Angrily, she tossed aside the evening gown and pulled out her most conservative dress. She was not going to be his plaything. Her hands rose, tempted to take apart her elaborate hair do as well. But it had turned out so nicely, she thought, hesitating. Shaking away her thoughts, her hands reached for the glossy black curls, just as there was a knock on her door.

Lowering her hands, she went to the door to reveal her landlady, holding a large flat box. It was tied with a faded ribbon and bore traces of dust that had been missed during a recent brushing off.

"Mrs. Fraser had this delivered to you," she said in her typically blunt fashion. "There's a note, " she added, nodding to the top of the box.

After she had gone, Victoria carried the box over to her bed, wondering what it was she had sent her.

After untying the ribbon, she lifted off the lid and delved into the layers of tissue paper, revealing a stunning gown. She stared with awe at the midnight blue silk, delicately beaded with silver and blue and trimmed with an abundance of cream colored lace. As she lifted it from the box, she was amazed by the neckline. It was scandalously low.

She unfolded the note and read, "Never underestimate the power of a beautiful gown. Have fun tonight."

Standing in front of her mirror, she held the dress up against herself. It wasn't that much different from what she had worn at the gambling house. But, of course, tonight's circumstances were entirely different.

"Never underestimate the power, " she whispered.

With a smile she quickly shed her day dress and donned the new gown. The style was slightly dated but it fit perfectly. She sucked in her breath as she pulled the laces tight.

Returning to the mirror to see how she looked, even she was amazed. The neckline was indeed very low and mere scraps of lace sat on her upper arms, masquerading as sleeves.

There were a matching pair of heeled slippers in the box and she was pleasantly surprised to find that they fit as well. Just as she was about to replace the lid, she noticed something else nestled in the tissue paper.

It was a square black velvet box. It was about six inches on each side and very thin. She slowly opened the lid and a gasp escaped her lips. Inside was the most exquisite jewellery. A shimmering, sparkling necklace and matching long dangling earrings lay inside. Clasping the necklace about her neck she wondered if the blue and clear stones were real jewels. Donning the earrings, she took a final look in the mirror and had to admit, she looked stunning.

She fastened a wrap about her exposed shoulders, covering her deep cleavage and picked up the pie boxes. Drawing in a deep breath, she stepped out of the house into the street. She arrived at Nicholas' just before seven and after handing over the pies to Mrs. Rodriguez, she was shown into a parlor to wait for him.



Golden Desire Ch. 08



Recognizing one of the paintings on the wall, she stepped close to admire it while unfastening her wrap. She pulled the fabric from her shoulders and felt the warmth of the room whisper across her bare skin.

Nicholas stood in the shadows of the hallway, trying to control his breathing, in complete awe of how beautiful she looked. He drew in a few deep calming breaths before entering the room. "Victoria, I'm so glad you came. And may I say you look absolutely breathtaking tonight. Where ever did you find that magnificent gown?" he asked, his eyes drinking in her deep cleavage.

"Thank you Nicholas. This gown was given to me by a friend," she replied mysteriously.

"There's a woman in this town who dresses like that?" he asked.

"She used to, not anymore."

"So, is this intoxicating gown for my benefit?" he asked, with a twinkle in his eye.

"No, it's for mine," she replied. Stepping towards him, she said in a low voice, "Tonight I want you in my power, under my spell."

Lowering his tone to match, he replied, "Well, I think it may be working, I'm feeling utterly bewitched." His hands skimmed along her bare arms.

"Now, now, Mr. Andrews. You promised to be on your best behavior tonight," she admonished in a teasing voice, but didn't step away.

"And what if I break that promise?" he asked, his voice still low, as his arm slowly snaked around her waist.

"Well, then, you won't get any pie," she replied, her voice full of suggestion.

He threw his head back and laughed. "I certainly don't want to miss that, so if you will please excuse my bad behavior," he chuckled, removing his arm from her waist.

Their dinner was delightful, exactly what she had been missing. The witty, flirtatious conversation came so easily to them both, the months they had spent apart seemed to disappear. As Mrs. Fraser had promised, Nicholas was entranced by her in the seductive silk, his eyes often dropping to her gown, scanning her almost bare shoulders, dipping to her deep cleavage. She leaned forward often, on the pretense of listening closely to what he was saying and stared deeply into his inviting green eyes.

As the pie was being served, he asked her in a low voice, "Have I behaved? Am I allowed to have my pie?"

Smiling she answered, "Yes, you've been delightful company tonight. You're allowed."

Lifting a forkful to his mouth, he murmured, "And then I can misbehave."

"Not if you want me to come back," she warned, still smiling.

As the dishes were cleared away, he invited her back to the parlor. "Have you acquired any new paintings since I left San Francisco?" she asked looking at the one on the wall she had been admiring when she first arrived.

"No. I was so busy with selling the hotels, gambling houses and my home that I haven't had time," he answered.

Somewhere in the house a clock struck ten o'clock, reminding her of the hour. "It's been a wonderful evening, Nicholas. I've been longing for one like it for quite some time. Thank you," she said.

"Does this mean you're leaving?" he asked, clearly disappointed.

With a small smile she replied, "Yes, I'm afraid the evening has come to an end all too soon."

His hand reached out to caress her cheek. "It doesn't have to be over," he whispered, moving closer to her.

Gently removing his hand, she replied softly, "No, Nicholas. I'm not staying."

"But you will come back?" he asked, trying to keep the edge of desperation that he was beginning to feel out of his voice.

"Yes, I'll come back. Is your offer of a carriage still available?" she asked smiling up at him. "I really don't feel like walking home."

At the door he gently ran his hands up her bare arms. She had her wrap in her hands and was about to pull it about her shoulders when he stopped her.

"Not yet," he murmured as his hands tenderly wrapped around her arms. He gently pulled her to him and she willingly tipped her face to his. Their lips met hungrily, the desire for each other they had been holding in check all night suddenly coming to the fore. He pulled her tight, wrapping his arms around her, relishing in the feel, smell and taste of her.

His tongue sought hers through her parted lips as she circled her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. Her senses filled to overflowing with him and she knew in that instant that she could never marry Daniel, that Nicholas was the only man for her.

Her determination from earlier in the evening, that things would be different from San Francisco came back and she gently pulled away. She looked into the flames burning in his bright green eyes and almost faltered. No, she would not end up in his bed tonight.

Hearing the carriage pull up outside, she whispered, "Good night, Nicholas," before draping her wrap about her shoulders and slipping from his arms and out the door.

Spreading the deep blue silk skirts over the seat of the carriage, she caressed the sumptuous fabric. Mrs. Fraser had been right about the dress. At first she had thought that the power was to be over Nicholas, but she now knew it was for her. She had never felt so beautiful, so self-confident, so strong before. And that strength had enabled her to resist him tonight. To resist those warm green eyes, that low silky voice and most importantly, that deeply seductive kiss. Under any other circumstances, she would be in his bed right now.

A small shiver slid down her spine as she thought of that night four days ago, when she had found herself in his bed. It had been wondrous, but it wasn't going to happen again until she was his wife. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of it. His wife. Yes, she loved him, she finally admitted to herself. She had been in love with him even before she left San Francisco. She just hadn't realized it.

Suddenly, she thought of Daniel. He had declared his intentions and she owed him an answer. Knowing it would be best to tell him as soon as possible, she vowed she would see him tomorrow.

When she returned home, she undressed and regretfully put the gown, shoes and jewels back in the box, ready to be returned to their owner. She ran her hand over the luxurious fabric one last time before covering it with tissue paper and replacing the lid.

She slipped into bed, where thoughts of Nicholas turned into dreams that made her smile in her sleep.

While Victoria had sat in his carriage, dreaming of being his wife, Nicholas was sitting in his parlor doing something very similar. Nursing a brandy by the fireside, he smiled as he thought back over the night. He had never seen her look more beautiful. The dresses she had worn while working at the gambling house had been just as revealing, but not nearly as seductively beautiful. And that deep blue gown had done something to her. She had been even more flirtatious and she had been able to resist him. He had been sure that the kiss at the front door would have melted her, but it had failed to do so.

He drank deeply, draining the glass. Had she realized yet that she couldn't possibly marry Daniel, he wondered. That he, himself was the only man for her?

With a sigh, he rose and after distinguishing the light, he climbed the stairs to his bedroom. He opened the door to his wardrobe and slid his hand along the top shelf to the back, his fingers closing around a small object. Closing his eyes, he held it for a moment before withdrawing his hand, leaving the item in its hiding place.

After stripping off his clothes, he donned a nightshirt and slipped into bed, drifting off to dreams of Victoria laying beside him.

The next day, Victoria carried the large box to the bakery to return it to Mrs. Fraser.

"Oh no, dear, the dress is for you to keep. I haven't worn it for many years. I want you to have it." With a twinkle in her eye, she asked, "Did you wear it? Did it work?"

Smiling, she replied, "Yes, I did wear it and it worked wonderfully. It took me until the end of the night to realize the true meaning of your note."

"Ah, you felt the power of the dress?" she asked, nodding her head.

"Oh, Mrs. Fraser, I have never felt so self assured or more beautiful that I did last night," she sighed. Caressing the top of the box, she said, "I have a bit of money saved. I should get some dresses like this made."

"Keep your money, dear. There's plenty more where this one came from. Besides, they take too long to make."

"But I must return the jewellery," Victoria insisted, suddenly remembering the sparkling pieces. "I can't possibly keep that."

"Consider it an early wedding present," she replied. "Come now, let's get to work," she continued briskly, tying an apron around her waist.

After work that day, she went with Mrs. Fraser to her home. In the sitting room was a stack of five boxes, all similar to the one that had been delivered to her the day before.

"I had been storing these in the attic," she said, indicating the boxes. "And now they're yours," she smiled. "I'm so glad they're seeing the light of day again. Or rather," she added with a wink, "the shadow of night."

Victoria ran her hand over one of the boxes, fingering the faded ribbon. "May I?" she asked.

Inspecting the small labels on the ends, Mrs. Fraser pulled one out and put it on top. "You should wear this one next."

After removing the ribbon and lid, and pushing aside the tissue paper, Victoria beheld another stunning gown in the deepest amethyst. "Oh, it's so beautiful," she breathed, caressing the beaded bodice.

"You have to be gentle with this one," Mrs. Fraser warned. "There's a tear here in the bodice that was difficult to mend due to the beading." With a mischievous smile, she added, "Mr. Fraser particularly liked this one."

Still staring at the gown, she asked, "What if he doesn't propose?" She looked up at her friend with worried eyes. "What should I do?"

Patting her arm, the older woman soothed, "Don't worry, he will. I've seen the way he looks at you. He loves you. You even said that he told you he wants to marry you."

"I know," she said quietly. "But I'm still not sure."

"When do you see him again?"

"I don't know. What I do need to do is see Daniel. I have to tell him."

"Yes, that's true. He was outside the bakery yesterday while you were talking to Nicholas. From the look in his eyes he already knows," she said gently.

"Well, I suppose that will make it a bit easier," she replied, replacing the lid on the box.

"Come on, I'll take you and the dresses home in the cart and then you can go see Daniel."

After Mrs. Fraser had helped her carry the boxes up to her room, she stacked them in the corner, saving opening them for later. She had a feeling she would need something to cheer her up after her visit with Daniel.

She nervously sat in Daniel's sitting room waiting for him. Her gaze flicked about the room without really seeing anything. She had never been inside his home before and had been very curious about what it looked like, but due to the reason for her visit she wasn't really noticing anything. When he finally entered the room, he did not appear happy to see her.

"Good afternoon, Victoria," he said stiffly, seating himself in a chair and dispensing with his usual kiss on the cheek that accompanied his greetings to her.

"Good afternoon, Daniel," she replied.

Taking a deep breath, she was about to speak, when Daniel said, "I think I know why you're here." It was his turn to take a deep breath. "I was outside the bakery yesterday while you and Mr. Andrews were talking. I saw the way you looked at him and I also know you spent some time at his home last night." When she stared at him with a combination of surprise and confusion, he confessed, "Yes, this time I was spying."

He looked her in the eye and asked, "You love him don't you?"

She hesitated before admitting, "Yes, I do. I'm sorry Daniel, I've only just realized that I've loved him for a long time now. Since before I came here, before I met you. I kept telling myself that I didn't feel anything for him and that you were the right man for me, but when I saw him, when he kissed me, I finally had to admit to myself how I really feel."

He looked away and was silent for a moment. "I though we were right for each other as well. But I've recently seen a side of you that wasn't evident before. A highly spirited and very passionate side. When I first realized that there was something between you and Mr. Andrews I was determined to win you, but I now know that we are not well suited. I could make you happy for a short while but eventually we would both be miserable. You belong with him, not me," he finished quietly.

She stared at him with glimmering eyes. "I'm truly sorry if I've hurt you."

"You have but I'll be alright." He paused before continuing. "I've been offered a position at a bank in New York City. I'll be gone by the end of the month. I would appreciate it if you could hold off on any wedding announcements until after I'm gone."

"You don't have to worry about that, he hasn't even proposed," she replied.

He looked at her with an expression of surprise, "But he told me he had declared his intentions."

It was now her turn to look surprised. "He told you? When did you two discuss me?" she asked.

"That doesn't really matter," he said dismissively. "What has he told you?"

"Well, pretty much the same thing you said. That he wants to marry me, but he hasn't actually asked. I'm not even certain that he will," she said, a worrying tone entering her voice.

Seizing the opportunity, he asked, "Victoria, would you be happy with me in New York? A bustling city, full of art and culture, lots of women's clubs, a busy social life. Do you think we could be happy there?"

She stared at him with wide eyes. "What are you saying? You still want me to marry you?"

Much to her astonishment, he opened a drawer in a sideboard and removed a small object. He then knelt in front of her and opened a velvet box revealing a very pretty amethyst ring. Before he could open his mouth, however, she stopped him, "Daniel, no, please. I'm sorry, but I can't marry you. I'm not in love with you." The defeated look in his eyes brought tears to her own. "I love Nicholas, and he is the man I'm going to marry, even if I have to propose myself," she said softly.

He rose and after glancing at the ring in the box, he snapped it shut with a sigh. He looked at her and simply said, "Good bye, Victoria," before turning and leaving the room.

She saw herself out and slowly walked home. She felt badly for him but knew that what he said was right. For a few years they would be happy but eventually they would make each other miserable. When she reached the house, she went up to her room but even the prospect of opening the boxes of beautiful dresses didn't cheer her and she left them in the corner. Falling heavily into a chair, she leaned back and closed her eyes.

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had missed dinner. After the time spent with Mrs. Fraser combined with the stress of her visit with Daniel, she had forgotten the time. She glanced over at her clock on the mantle to see that it read seven o'clock.

She was startled by a knock on her door. Her landlady Mrs. Williams stood with a tray of food. "You usually tell me when you won't be here for dinner so I figured I should save you some," she explained. "There's a note also, that came for you," she indicated a cream colored envelope discreetly engraved with the initials NA.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Williams," she replied, taking the tray. "I really appreciate it."

Only after she had eaten did she break the seal on Nicholas's letter. A smile crept across her face as she read. He thanked her for providing a most delightful evening and was inviting her back in a few days.

Her spirits now lifted, she finally turned to the stack of boxes in the corner and lifted the lid off the first one. It was ten o'clock by the time she had finally hung the last one in her wardrobe and had readied herself for bed. Finding herself utterly exhausted by the day, she fell into bed and easily drifted into a contented sleep.

That dinner was only the first of a number of very pleasant yet intimate evenings enjoyed by the two of them over the next few weeks and each time Victoria wore another of Mrs. Fraser's gowns. Nicholas was utterly dazzled and bewitched by every one but each night she managed to drag herself away from him and go home.

Their next dinner was more than a week away. He had explained that he was going to be busy overseeing some matters related to his new house and would not be free until then. The days seemed to drag by. Victoria was surprised at how excited she was about her next evening with Nicholas and the day just couldn't come fast enough.

The long awaited evening finally did arrive and it found Victoria standing in front of her wardrobe pulling out a most luscious gown. She had decided to wear a particularly daring garnet red velvet gown, trimmed with black velvet ribbon. It was definitely reminiscent of her card dealing dresses, except that the skirts were much narrower, revealing more of her shape. She stepped into the gown and nervously pulled the laces tight. Stepping to the mirror, she stared at her reflection and momentarily faltered. Should she wear this tonight? He had had trouble resisting her in the other gowns and they were quite sedate compared to this one. It's color alone was enticing enough without the revealing cut of it.

Shaking off her hesitation, she squared her shoulders and resolutely thought, I will wear it. If this one doesn't drive him to propose, then nothing will. She fastened the sparkling jewellery that went with the dress and stepped into the dark red heeled slippers. She drew her wrap about her shoulders and waited for the sound of Nicholas's carriage having finally stopped caring if tongues wagged or not.

When she finally arrived at his home, her nerves were tingling, her senses heightened. Something was going to happen tonight. She could feel it. Mrs. Rodriguez guided her into the parlor where Nicholas was already waiting.

After the housekeeper had left, he approached her and lightly holding her arms, kissed her on the cheek. Stepping back, he eyed her wrap still draped about her and with a sly smile, asked, "Well, do I get to see tonight's delicious torment?"

With a seductive smile she watched his eyes as she slowly pulled the shawl away. His reaction did not disappoint her. His eyes grew wide and he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. His gaze hungrily roamed her body, from the deeply cut neckline revealing a good deal of the milky white skin of her full breasts, to the narrow skirts encasing her long legs and back again. As if in a daze, he took half a step towards her and then stopped. He finally drew in a shaky breath and released it, his full lips breaking into a smile.

"What are you trying to do to me?" he asked in a low voice, husky with desire.

Stepping close to him, she lightly trailed her fingers along his jaw. "I'm trying to entrance, entice and bewitch you," she replied, her own voice also seductively low.

He skimmed his hands over her bare shoulders and down her arms, pulling her to him, pressing her body against his. "You have me on all three counts," he whispered before pressing his lips to hers.

The intensity of his kiss did to her exactly what her gown had done to him. Her mind flew into a whirl and she lost all sense of reason, thinking only of the wondrous sensations that were being aroused by his lips.

She gripped his arms and flung her head back as his mouth tenderly sought her throat. His lips and tongue scorched her eager flesh as his head dipped lower.

Somewhere in the back of his mind a small voice reminded him that they were supposed to be having dinner. But then a tiny crescent of pink showed itself from behind an edge of black ribbon and the thought was gone.




Golden Desire Ch. 08



Stumbling to the long couch, they fell onto it, he atop her. He tugged at her neckline, fully revealing the alluring nipple. Victoria arched against him with a sigh when she felt the wetness of his mouth against her breast. Running her fingers through his hair, she pressed his head to her.

Through her passion clouded mind she hazily heard approaching footsteps and then the parlor doors closing as Nicholas' hand slid up her thigh. He began pushing up her skirts and tearing at the buttons on his trousers, causing her mind to suddenly clear.

"No, Nicholas, no," she cried, pushing her skirts back down and trying to sit up.

His hands froze and he looked at her, clearly surprised. "No?' he asked.

Trying to calm her spinning senses she concentrated on rearranging her skirts. "That's right. No," she replied.

Sitting up himself, he ran his hands through his hair. "May I ask why?"

Suddenly noticing that her breast was still fully exposed, she attempted to cover it again with the gown but realized she would have to untie the laces, so she had to settle for covering it with her hands as she answered stiffly, "I have no intention of becoming your mistress." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "The first night I came here, you said that you wanted to marry me and the only way that I will ever again join you in your bed is if you follow through with that." She didn't dare look at him. If she saw just a trace of mockery in his eyes, she wouldn't be able to bear it.

"Do you actually want to marry me?" he asked, his voice soft and low, full of wonder. He touched her shoulder, turning her to him. "Victoria, are you saying you love me?"

She stared deeply into his eyes and for the first time saw him completely open, utterly unguarded and her love for him broke free and surged through her. "Yes, Nicholas, yes I do love you," she whispered, her dark blue eyes glistening with tears.

He reached out and tenderly cupping her face in his hands he gently drew her to him. This time their lips met softly, slowly. Nicholas' mind was filled with only one jubilant thought, she loves me.

He pulled away and rose from the couch. He shrugged off his jacket, offering it to her to cover herself and extending his hand, invited, "Come with me."

She slipped on his jacket and taking his hand rose, staring into his eyes. Without question she followed him from the room. She hesitated when he brought her to the foot of the stairs, but he gently kissed her lips, saying, "It's alright. It's not what you think."

She followed him into his darkened bedroom, where he lit a single lamp before opening the doors to his wardrobe. He reached up to the top shelf and slid his hand along it to the back. Victoria watched him, wondering what he was doing, as he withdrew a small object.

He turned to her and gestured for her to sit in a nearby chair. She had never seen him nervous before and she knew that the feeling she had had in the carriage, the feeling that something was going to happen tonight was right and it was happening now.

Staring into her eyes, he took a deep breath as he knelt before her. He stared down at the small box in his hands and slowly opened it, revealing to her a stunning pink diamond ring in a magnificent setting. Looking up at her again, he asked in a trembling voice, "Victoria Somerset, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

Even though the ring was dazzling, she saw only him. The brilliance in his green eyes outshone any diamond. Her own eyes once again filled with tears as she fell to her knees before him and into his arms, "Yes, Nicholas Andrews, I will be your wife," she replied. She pulled back to look into his eyes again, and repeated in a whisper, "Yes."

Sitting with her on the floor, he removed the ring from it's velvet box and slipped it onto her finger. "It was my mother's," he said, watching it flash in the low light. "Even when I didn't have money to eat or a place to sleep, I wouldn't sell it. I literally guarded it with my life and to see it on your finger now, it was worth it."

She looked down at the ring on her finger. "It's beautiful, Nicholas. Thank you."

"I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find someone that I wanted to give this to," he told her, gently touching her cheek. "After our first night together I knew you were different. I had never before felt the way you made me feel. And then during those few days that you stayed with me, you completely did me in. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about you ever since."

"I think that's when I fell in love with you too," she replied, finally admitting it to him and to herself. "I kept telling myself that I didn't have any real feelings for you and for awhile I believed it. But that first night I came here and saw you, I knew I had been only fooling myself." She stared deeply into his eyes. "Thank you for coming for me. If you hadn't I would have married Daniel and ended up miserable."

She leaned forward and kissed him again, her lips at first only gently touching his. However, their newly declared love and simmering passions combined to turn the kiss into something more urgent, more demanding, more carnal. Victoria rose onto her knees and gently eased him backwards onto the floor. She pulled up her narrow skirts so that she could straddle him and slipped his jacket back off her shoulders, revealing again her exposed breast. Taking his hands in hers, she placed one high on her bare thigh and the other over her breast. "Take me Nicholas, make love to me," she whispered, pulling pins from her hair, the ebony locks tumbling down around her bare shoulders.

He caressed the flesh beneath his hands as she bent down to kiss him. Once again she was blinded by the onslaught of emotions his lips conjured within her. His hands moved to her back as he tugged on the laces of her gown. When he had it undone, he held her tightly and rolled them over so that he was on top.

Eager to feel his bare skin, she pulled his shirt out of his trousers and slid her hands underneath it. He sat up watching her as she touched him. Her dress was pulled down, revealing her full breasts, her hair was spread out over the carpet, her partially parted lips were red and slightly swollen from their intense kisses, but it was her eyes that captivated him the most. Even half closed as they were, the dark blue depths shone in the soft light of the room He impatiently unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. She delighted in his bare skin, running her fingers all over his chest, arms and stomach.

With a groan, he finally stood and extending a hand to her, intended to pull her to her feet, but she only rose to her knees. Nicholas looked at her quizzically as she reached for the buttons on his trousers. Her gown had fallen, revealing her upper body to him and he gazed down at her, drowning in her incredible beauty. She had his trousers open and was holding him in her hand as she glanced up at him. The heat from his green eyes was visible from beneath his lowered lids and was reflected in her own eyes as Victoria parted her lips and flicked her tongue out at the head of his shaft as she gently stroked him. He gasped loudly as she repeated the motion and then boldly took him into her mouth.

A deep groan rumbled from his throat as she slowly pumped her head back and forth, experimenting with how much of him she could take. He stared down at her with surprise as her nose pressed against him, the incredible feeling of being fully inside her delectable mouth coursing like fire through his body. He wound his hands in her hair as she pleasured him and his grip tightened as he felt his climax approaching.

"Oh Victoria," he groaned, giving her a chance to move away but she only increased her pace, sucking him harder and faster and unable to hold back, he came in her mouth. She swallowed every drop before gazing up at him, an unsure look in her eyes.

"Was that alright?" she asked.

He responded by pulling her to her feet and kissing her with such passion that her knees almost buckled beneath her.

Victoria woke to find the room still dark and Nicholas gone. She sat up looking about when the door opened and he walked in carrying a large tray.

He stopped when he saw her sitting amongst the rumpled sheets, unabashedly naked, her long ink black hair tousled about her shoulders. Smiling at her, he stepped towards the bed, setting the tray in her lap before dropping his robe and climbing in beside her. Taking the tray back from her, he lifted the lids from the dishes sitting on it. "We seemed to have missed dinner," he explained, still smiling. "Mrs. O'Malley was kind enough to keep this warm for us."

Victoria didn't realize how hungry she was until the delicious smells tickled her nose. "I've had breakfast in bed before but never dinner," she said with a giggle.

"I think I could become used to this quite easily," Nicholas replied, eyeing her naked breasts.

Suddenly shy, she pulled a sheet up, tucking it under her arms. Pulling it away, he playfully admonished, "Don't you dare. I like looking at you."

Victoria watched him as they ate and chatted. She had never been happier in her whole life as she was right now. She was with a man who not only loved her, but who she loved as well. And they were going to get married. She knew she really shouldn't be here in bed with him right now, that they should have waited, but since this certainly wasn't the first time, it was a little late for false modesty, she thought. And since Daniel had already left for New York, they could get married right away.

"Where are you, beautiful girl?" he asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. "You seem a hundred miles away."

Smiling, she replied, "I was just thinking about how happy I am and wondering when we'll get married."

After setting the tray on the floor, he pulled her to him and whispered, "As soon as possible." He pressed his lips to hers, laying her back down onto the sheets, and began making love to her all over again.

When Nicholas awoke next he knew it was morning before he even opened his eyes. He held his breath and listened. He could hear sounds from the street outside and the odd creak from the house, but couldn't make out the soft sound of another person's breathing. He squeezed his eyes shut, afraid to open them. If he did and she wasn't there, his heart was going to shatter. He wouldn't be able to bear it if she was gone again. As he braced himself to look, he felt something slide across his chest. He opened his eyes to see a delicate hand with a stunning pink diamond ring on the third finger stroking his skin. Looking over at her, she snuggled up close, laying her head on his shoulder.

He stroked her cheek and she opened sleepy eyes to him. "Good morning," he whispered, smiling at her.

"Good morning," she answered, returning his smile.

"You're here. You didn't slip away at dawn," he said, unable to erase the smile from his face.

"Well, you completely wore me out. I slept right through until now," she replied, still smiling.

"So, is that what it takes to keep you here? I'll have to remember that," he said, slipping his hands beneath the sheets, stroking her body.

She sighed with pleasure as her own hand slipped lower down, over his stomach before disappearing beneath the sheets.

A lavish wedding was held a month later. Victoria had at first insisted on a modest affair as it was her second marriage, but Nicholas wouldn't hear of it. It was to be a grand celebration of love and it was going to be memorable. His mansion was finished and the ball room was filled to capacity. The guests were awed by the beauty and splendor of the house and the party continued well into the night, long after the groom had carried his new bride across the threshold of their bedroom and kicked the door shut behind them.

The End