Unexpected Hope (Book 2 in the Red Valley series)

Prologue

Sliding her hand down his muscular chest to his taunt stomach caused shivers of excitement to course through her body. Alicia was not inexperienced, virgin yes, inexperienced no, so she knew exactly what to do. Splaying her fingers across his stomach she followed the thin line of hair until she found what she wanted. Cool fingers wrapped themselves around his manhood gaining an almost instant response.

God, if this was a dream he did not want to wake up from it. A warm feminine body lay next to him stroking him with a practiced hand causing a moan to escape his lip. Opening his eyes he looked at the woman laying next to him. Good God that looks like Alicia but as her hand continued its assault on his body her warm moist mouth began to cover his chest and neck making its way to his lips. Levi knew at that moment that it was definitely not Alicia because this woman knew her way around a man. He knew she wanted him but even he didn't think she would stoop to seducing him nor did he think she had the kind of skill this woman had. His mind shut down and his body took over but even in his drunken haze he knew something wasn't right.

The golden rays of sunlight streamed through the curtains giving the room a bright and cheerful glow. Levi lay on his side facing the window, his head was pounding and his mouth was so dry his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He was just closing his eyes to go back to sleep when he heard a feminine sigh behind him. He looked down and saw a creamy arm with slim finger laying over his side. Instantly a feeling of dread engulfed him; rolling over he wanted to vomit when he saw who was laying beside him, naked.

"Son of a bitch!" What in the hell was she doing here? His stomach rolled again as he lifted the covers to find the proof of what had truly happened. There on the sheets and himself was the tell tale proof that not only had they had sex but that she had been a virgin. "SHIT! What the hell Alicia? What have you done?"

Her eyes snapped open then she smiled at him like the cat who ate the cream and he wanted to kill her right then and there. "You mean what we did. And oh Levi darling, it was wonderful, so much more than I could have hoped for. Each time you made love to me last night was better than the previous time." Alicia purred. "I can't wait for the next time."

"You bitch! How could you do this? You know this doesn't change anything. I don't want you, I will not marry you and there will NEVER be a next time!" Slate blue eyes bored into her as his icy tone finally broke through to her and the realization of what she had done began to sink in. With tears welling up in her eyes she threw back the covers, grabbed her gown and slippers then ran out the door.  

One month later Levi was finishing up his work for the day when he saw a buggy was coming down the road and headed straight for his house. Sighing he took off his leather work gloves and slapped them on his thigh as he walked out of the barn to the front porch of his house. As he got closer he realized who his guests were. "What can I do for you Harold?"

"You can marry my daughter, you son of bitch!"

"Now wait just a damn minute. I told her when I woke up and found her in bed with me that I would not marry her. I didn't ask for her to come into my room and seduce me while I was drunk; in fact I have done everything I could to avoid her since I moved here five years ago. So you can just leave."

"Oh, I think you will be marrying her and it will be today." Harold said as be brought his shot gun up for Levi to see. "My grandchild will not be born a bastard."

It felt like he had been kicked in the chest by a mule. He hadn't looked at Alicia until that minute but by the look in her eyes he knew that there was indeed a baby. Looking back at Harold he said, " I'll marry her but here are my conditions you can take it or leave it. First, I will never touch her again so there will NOT be anymore children and if there are, I will divorce her. Second, we won't be staying in Bankston. I'm selling the ranch and we're moving. Now, ie you'll wait here I'll go wash up and we can go back to town and find the preacher."

He turned to go up the steps of his porch but stopped when Harold called his name. "I don't agree with those terms. Alicia is our only child, I'll not have you take her away from her mother and I."

Levi stared at the man that he liked despite the fact that he had a selfish viper for a daughter. After all he was doing what any father would do. "Then I'll still be selling my ranch and moving, as a bachelor. I'm not staying here. And that's final."

The old man's shoulders slumped in defeat. If Levi didn't marry Alicia, she and her child would be ruined as well as them. Most likely their business would suffer too; then how would he support all of them? He didn't doubt that Levi was telling the truth. His daughter could be ruthless when she wanted something and she had wanted this man for years. "Ok Levi, you win. We will wait here for you."

An hour later he was married to a woman he all but hated. How was he going to be able to live the rest of his life attached to this woman? The only thing good in this entire situation was that he was going to be a father. And by God he would be a loving and understanding one, not like his own father who was cold and unyielding. If he were honest with himself he did have to admit that his wife was a beautiful woman. She had long silvery blonde hair with piercing blue eyes and a willowy body but it lacked the soft curves he enjoyed in a woman.