Linda Needham (24 page)

“I promise the best of care.” Her hands blinded him with their pleasure, never still, stealing his will and his breath. Then she slipped to her knees and was kissing him, flicked her tongue across the tip of him.

“Jesus God, wife.”
Stop!
But the word never left his mouth.

He let her hum and sway and nibble and gather his scrotum into her hands, let her fondle and taste, but when she took him into her mouth he caught her chin and dropped to his knees in front of her.

She was wearing a look of injured confusion. “You’re disappointed?”

Jared growled out a shudder of restraint. “No, love, I’m nearly spent.”

“So you like that kind of kiss as much as I do?”

He groaned again with the memory of her squirming under his kiss, the feel of her mouth around him. “To the depth of my soul, I do. Next time?”

“Later tonight?”

“If I’m still alive.” He laughed and moved to sit on one of pillows that were scattered around them in the glow of the candle.

“I wish we could have been together on that far away South Sea island.” She advanced on him until she
was sitting in his lap, her legs around his waist, her face inches from his. “Dancing to the flame. I’d have chosen you, Jared. Above all the others.”

“And I’d have chosen you.” She’d started up her bewitching rhythm, shifting her hips until the tip of him was bumping against all that steamy moisture.

He bent his knees and gave himself a perfect trajectory. A simple thrust and he’d be through her maidenhead. But that would make him a selfish brute and he didn’t want Kate to think that of him.

“I love this feeling, Jared.” She draped her lithe arms around his neck and rocked forward. “Fitting so tightly against you.” And then again in a steady measure. “So like a kiss.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off hers for fear of losing all his restraint. They were reflected flame and the stormy blue of the sea.

Every motion took him more deeply inside her, inch by inch, brought him up against a barrier that didn’t seem to faze her. “Are you all right, Kate?”

“Mmmm…oh, yesss!” She gripped his shoulders and threw her head back, moaning in ecstacy. “But I think I have to…”

She plunged her hips forward, driving his shaft all the way to the hilt. “Oh!”

Her eyes went wide as saucers. “You’re huge, Jared.”

And he was rattling with lust for her, wanting to plunge and thrust and grind their hips together.

But he gritted his teeth and stilled himself inside her, savoring her heat and the slickness and the depth until he could finally speak, finally ask her how a virgin
could be so worldly and open when it came to sexual relations.

He dropped his forehead against hers. “Kate, have you had experience with this position before tonight?”

“Once.”

His heart fell.

“But only for a moment.”

“Where? How?”

“After I left the Abasanti dance to go back to my own bed.” She wriggled her hips languidly against him, taking his breath away. “I stumbled across a couple sitting just like we are. Obviously a private time, so I left immediately. But I’ve never forgotten.”

“I’m glad of that.” And straining along with her in this tribal rite. Rocking with her, as she raked her fingers through his hair and cupped his face in her hands, gazing into his eyes.

“Thank you for coming home to me, Jared.”

“And you for not hitting me with a kettle.”

She was breathless and riding him, slick and hot and ready for his touch. He slid his palm between them, fondled his way toward the heat of her, where she was rising up to meet his touch and then a husky throated sigh.

“Ohhhh…ooooo, Jarrrrrrred!” She grabbed his shoulders and crooned her way through her climax. A wild, guttural roar that set him off toward his own splintering release.

Kate heard herself tell Jared how much she loved him, but her words sounded more like a growl. And she was riding him, bucking and swaying on these
waves of astounding pleasure. Troughs and crests and cyclones of heat.

And a deep need to cling to him, though he was looking at her with wildfire in his eyes, gripping her arms and then plundering her mouth as he thrust and rocked against her and cried out her name.

“My Kate!” He clutched her bottom and ground her closer to him with the same need that she had to bind them together.

“My brave warrior.” She kissed him and nibbled at his ear and he looked at her with the sated eyes of a bear with a belly full of black currants.

“You’ve exhausted him.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and fell back with her into the pile of pillows they’d tossed all over the floor, and snuggled her against him.

“Do you suppose it will work for us, Jared?” She scrubbed his damp hair out of his face, kissed his cheek and the corner of his smile.

“Will what work?” His eyes looked better focused now, glittering under his dark lashes.

“The Abasanti fertility rite. Do you suppose a child will be born from our dance?”

He glanced down at her, quirking his dark brow at her, his smile as warm as she’d ever seen it.

“Good Lord, woman, you gave me twelve tonight already. How many more have you got?”

Kate snuggled against him. “Imagine, husband, if we’d have had a real moon.”

“I
t’s too quiet, Jared,” Kate said, stopping in the middle of the foyer at Hawkesly Hall, suspicious of the utter silence.

“I sense a trap.” Jared’s well-trained eyes tracked up the stairs as though he believed someone might leap down on them from the landing.

Someone like Grady or Mr. McNair or Drew. But the stillness continued.

“Since they ought to be at their lessons right now,” Kate whispered, fully suspecting a prank, “let’s try the library.”

She led Jared down the corridor, then pushed the door open and peered inside. The room was occupied by nine little scholars sitting upright at the school table.

And two big ones, lounging in wing chairs.

The lot of them silent, in suspiciously motionless
poses, the two men reading newspapers, each child reading a book.

Mera’s was upside down.

Kate caught Jared’s smile and said, “Nobody in here that I know, Lord Hawkesly.”

“Nor I, Lady Hawkesly. Shall we go find our children?”

Dori burst off the bench. “But it’s
us
, Lady Kate!”

The room erupted into spasms of laughter, the boys rolling on the floor, holding their bellies, the girls dancing in circles toward Kate and Jared.

Drew stood, smiling at Jared and then at Kate. “Just educating the troops for you while you were…otherwise occupied.”

She would have to thank them one day.

“We named the baby, Lady Kate!”

Oh, dear, she’d forgotten that the children were working on that assignment. “That’s just wonderful, Healy.”

Kate looked up at Jared, afraid for the poor little thing, hoping for the best, realizing that they could always hide the name in the middle of a longer one.

“What name did you give her?” Jared asked, sitting on the table, eye level with Healy.

“Belizabut.”

Jared threw Kate a shocked glance; Kate tried to hold up her smile as she repeated the name, “Beliza—?”

Drew smiled wanly and said to them under his breath, “Elizabeth.”

“Elizabeth.” Kate said, releasing the breath she’d been holding, catching Jared’s wink and his smile.

“Elizabeth is a fine name,” Jared said.

“That’s right! Belizabut!” Healy clapped his hands
together then climbed easily into Jared’s arms.

Kate watched the pair of them and the backs of her eyes began to sting. Healy was her son! Hers and Jared’s. And he would always be.

So were Glenna and Dori, Grady and Justin, Mera and all the others. A full dozen.

“Speaking of Elizabeth,” Kate said, suddenly anxious to see her, “I think I’ll go see how she’s doing.”

“She right here,” Ross said, grinning from the comfort of his chair. He moved his newspaper and revealed the little bundle cradled in his lap. “She’s quite the charmer.”

“Oh! Thank you, Ross.” Kate sighed in relief and lifted Elizabeth into her arms. Such a familiar fit, warmer now and a bit more weighty.

Jared slipped his arm around her waist. “As I said, Kate: they’re irresistible to children and dogs.”

“Lunchtime, boys and girls!” Tansy was standing at the door, her spoon held aloft. “Anyone for meatpies and peach cobbler?”

“Meatpies!” A river of children tumbled past Tansy.

“Are their lordships staying for lunch too?”

Ross stood, shaking his head. “Not today, Tansy, but I’ll be back one day for those bacon biscuits of yours.”

Which sent Tansy giggling all the way down the hallway.

“Running away, gentlemen?” Jared said, his arms now free of Healy.

“All the way to Liverpool,” Ross said, folding his newspaper. “On your orders.”

“Liverpool?” Kate said, looking first at Jared and then at his two friends. “I have an enormous favor to ask of you both.”

Drew dipped a courtly bow. “Anything at all, my lady.”

“If you don’t mind, Jared. Father Sebastian needs to return to his work in Wicklow and I’ve insisted that he take the mail packet from Liverpool instead of that leaky launch of his that managed to survive the rocks and the storm.”

“If Ross and Drew don’t mind traveling with the eccentric old priest, it’s fine with me.”

“We’ll even walk the old fellow up the gangway.”

“Thank you, Drew, Ross,” Kate said. “Please come back when you can stay longer. I’ve so much to ask you about so many things.”

Drew hooked his elbow in hers and started toward the library door. “Oh, and have we got stories to tell on your husband.”

The two men slipped away with Father Sebastian while the children were still eating, avoiding an hour’s worth of chaos.

Kate found herself smiling madly through the next two days.

At Jared showing the boys how to tie knots.

At his courageous attempts to read to the girls, who would pile onto him like puppies.

At the nap he took in the middle of the library floor, with Mr. McNair’s massive head resting on his stomach.

Three weeks ago she didn’t even know the man. Now she loved him to the depths of her soul.

Not because he was impossibly handsome or strong or powerful. But because he was such a good man, honorable and kind and deeply generous.

Though she did love the handsome part, too.

Loved him naked and sliding into their bed with that wicked gleam in his eye.

“Home at last, Kate.”

“In our own bed. In Hawkesly Hall,” she whispered, as she burrowed into his embrace the following night, surrounded by the fierce heat of him. “I was afraid you’d be all night at your work.”

“And miss holding you, love?” He nestled his lips against her ear. “I’ve learned my lesson.”

“You must be a quick study.”

“It took me nearly two years to come home to you.”

She rolled up onto her elbow, drew her fingertip from his forehead to his lips. “Then how long did it take you to become an earl after you escaped the workhouse?”

He gave a little laugh. “An eternity.”

“And how did you meet the queen, let alone become her advisor? You see, I still have lots of questions left over from our courting.”

“I saved Her Majesty from a great financial scandal in the first month of her reign.”

“I don’t remember hearing anything about a scandal.”

He touched the tip of her nose. “And you never will. At least not the details.”

“So she was grateful to you ever since.”

“And to Ross and Drew.”

“Is that when you received your earldom?”

“There were another three titles before that. It’s a long story, my love, and I’ll tell it to you when we have time to spare.”

“While you’re taking off my drawers.”

“With pleasure, my love.” He rucked up the hem of her nightgown and slid his hand up her thigh. “Wait. You’re not wearing any drawers. See.”

Then her amazing husband began his nightly exploration of her most sensitive places with the most tender care. Life with him couldn’t possibly be better.

Everyone should be as happy as she and Jared were.

“They really should be married, Jared. Ohhh, I love when you do that.”

It took him a moment to let go of her nipple. “Who?”

“Ross and Drew.”

He lifted himself on his elbows and gazed down at her. “To each other?”

“You know what I mean.” She smoothed his hair off his forehead. “They’re such fine husband material.”

“Ross hasn’t the time and Drew snores.”

She laughed. “So do you. And you’re the best one of the lot.”

“No matchmaking, Kate. They’ve got enough to do at the moment.”

“Like what? What exactly does a spy do for the Home Office?”

He slipped his arms around her, settled his cheek against hers. “For example, a few weeks ago they were investigating a case of gun running.”

“That sounds dangerous. Where?”

“The ship was intercepted by customs agents in Portsmouth, the cargo searched and the guns and ammunition were discovered hidden in a shipment of Indian corn.”

A tiny chill ran through her. Guns and Indian corn. Obviously bound for somewhere in Ireland. “So what did the agents do then?”

“Contacted me via the Home Office. Then I sent Drew and Ross to investigate the captain and the manifest and other possible clues.”

“What happened to the cargo?” All that Indian corn—someone was waiting for it.

Jared curled his fingers in her hair and put his fist to his nose. “Impounded for evidence against the captain and the conspirators.”

“Even the Indian corn? Surely there’s nothing illegal about importing grain. What if there are hungry children waiting for it to be delivered to their bowls?”

“It’s a legal matter, Kate. The corn is impounded by customs and stored in a government warehouse until the investigation is completed as well as any trial that might come as a result.”

“How long does that take?”

“A few months, a year. Sometimes longer.”

“It’ll rot by then. What a waste of food. Imagine how many starving people all that Indian corn would feed if it could be sent to one of the Irish grain depots.”

“Wouldn’t help now, love. Trevelyan is closing the grain depots for good.”

Kate sat up, scooting back against the pillows. “He can’t be! That’s cruel!” But it was so very much the way of that bastard Trevelyan and his kind.

“According to my source, it’s just too expensive for the Home Office to administer. Parliament has been complaining of taxing the English for the troubles in Ireland.”

Tears welled in her eyes, hot with sorrow and righteousness because she was striking Trevelyan and Russell and Grey in their evil hearts. Liberating their ill-gotten grain was good and right, and she would continue as long as she could.

“Oh, Jared, imagine all those dear, starving children who won’t last the night because of them.”

A few weeks ago, Jared hadn’t been able to imagine such children at all. Rather, he had no reason to do so, certainly hadn’t wanted to. But these were memories of his own that he’d long ago banished.

And now they were back. No longer frightening, but still vastly dangerous.

Unsettled to his core, he gathered Kate into his arms, snuggled her against him like a pair of spoons and slept the night in a deeply restful peace that he didn’t quite deserve.

Morning came early in a house full of children.

“They’re still in bed!” came a chorus of little voices, just as the counterpane filled up with bony little arms and knees.

His daughters and his sons. Bloody hell.

Kate was already sitting up, thankfully having donned her nightgown for an earlier trip down the hall to the sickroom.

“Out you go, children!” she was saying. “Now. Lord Jared needs his sleep.”

He actually needed his robe. But he kept the covers clutched to his chin until the mob was gone and Kate had secured the door behind them.

Feeling as though he had just been raided by a band of
very tiny warriors, Jared fell back against the pillows, exhausted. “Remind me to lock the door tonight.”

“I was going to suggest that you wear your nightshirt to bed. But I far prefer my husbands stark naked.” Her hips swayed as she came toward the bed, her eyes smokey.

“How many husbands have you got?”

“Just you at the moment. And if you’re good, I’ll keep you.” She was up to something, but he hadn’t understood just what she meant to do until she raised the covers, knelt above him and then went to work fondling him.

“Oh, you sweet, sweeeet woman.” His penis went from inert to completely engorged in the space of a breath. She kissed and savored him, hummed and wriggled and held him until he sat up sharply and pulled her onto his lap.

A shift of her hips and she took his shaft inside her, to the root of him. She climaxed around him, her eyes flashing as he spilled his seed inside her.

A sweaty, hushed moment of stolen pleasure that set him to grinning through the entire morning, and looking for Kate’s smile around every corner.

He’d moved his office to a small, tall-windowed room off the library. Close to the daily activities, but where his papers were protected from little fingers and sticky treats.

He’d just settled into a long afternoon’s reading when he noticed Kate driving a wagon through the gate, and then Elden right behind with another wagon.

Had she been to the village already? The woman
seemed to run from one project to the next, resting only after she’d fallen into bed beside him each night.

Perhaps he could help slow her down a bit. He met the wagons as they stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

“What’s this, Kate?”

She looked a little lost for words, gave Elden a weary shrug. “Thanks, Elden.”

The man tipped the brim of his cap. “I’ll go get Ian to help unload.”

Sensing another secret, Jared walked past Kate and lifted the canvas flap. The wagonbed was packed tightly with hampers and wicker baskets and leather cases, trunks and a box of rag dolls.

“Luggage? Was all this left over from the lodge?”

“No.” Her shoulders sagged, little spots of pink bloomed on her cheeks. “It’s from before.”

“Before what?”

“Before you…well, before you changed.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth, worried it on both sides.

“When was that?”

“Our wedding night.” She heaved a sigh and lifted the box of dolls out of the wagon. “And I must admit it was just in time.”

He took the box out of her arms and set it on the step. “What are you talking about? What have you got in the wagon?”

She put her fists against her hips in that stubborn way of hers. “You knew I was planning to leave with the children.”

“I wouldn’t have let you.”

“You couldn’t have stopped me. The wagons were packed and ready to go at any moment.”

He’d married a lunatic. “You could have traveled to the tip of Scotland and hidden out in a rabbit burrow and I would have found you and your tagalongs.”

“Ha!” She picked up the box and started up the stairs. “Isn’t it a good thing that you didn’t have to test your theory.”

A very good thing, because the woman was completely unpredictable. “So the wagons are packed with things for the children.”

“Clothes and food and shoes and blankets.”

He caught her by the shoulders as she tried to pass him. “They’re here to stay, Kate. I promise. And so am I.”