Midnight Caller (Moonlight Romance) (3 page)

Frederick looked over to the side avoiding her eyes. “Yes, ma’am. More blows than I care to remember.”

“Why?” She knew it was a horrible question and regretted it the minute it left her mouth.

Frederick took a deep breath. “Back on the plantation if you didn’t work fast enough or pick enough cotton you paid for it. Then I got hired out as a roustabout. By day I work on the
Comet
. I’ve been whipped by the mates. And,” he blushed, “a few of the blows were from women.”

Emma gasped and took a step back. “Some of the women, your clients they…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Frederick nodded, all emotion drained from his face. “They find it arousing,” he said in a flat tone.

“That’s terrible!”

Frederick shrugged.

“Don’t you,” Emma took long pauses between each word, “don’t you have trouble submitting to a woman?”

Hank had practically dictated her every move. He never hurt her, but his harsh words when he was displeased were painful enough. With their age difference, she’d come to think of him more as a big brother than a lover. She couldn’t imagine a man following a woman’s orders, especially in bed.

Frederick laughed; the low rumble stirred her heart. “It don’t seem natural to you, ma’am? Me being black and all.”

She swallowed hard. This conversation was dowsing the fire in her belly. A dark, handsome man sat on her bed and she wasn’t about to waste another minute. Stepping closer, she thrust out her chest—her bosom eye level with him. “Please help me undress.” More confidence worked into her voice.

Frederick reached up with his long arms and carefully undid the first button, his fingers brushing the base of her throat. The buttons went all the way down the front of her dress. When he unhooked the buttons covering her chest, she drew a sharp breath. The heat traveling through the cloth made her nipples peak.

He moved with unhurried grace, so careful as if he was afraid his strong fingers would tear the fabric. He lingered a second longer than necessary before moving to the lower buttons. Her pulse sped. She had never experienced such tender attention before. The thrill wound its way through all her nerves to her mound.

Frederick slipped off the bed and onto his knees. His fingers worked on the last buttons. When his gaze fell between her thighs, she moistened. The lust in his eyes spoke to her body like nothing had before.

He wanted her. She relished the thought, savoring it like a piece of chocolate.

For the first time in her life she felt like a woman worthy of love. She had never felt wanted before. She yearned to form a connection with him. She reached out and grabbed his sturdy shoulders.

He placed a kiss on the back of each of her hands. She tingled where his lips touched.

After working her arms free, she let him pull the dress all the way down until the garment puddled at her feet.

He eyed her petticoats hungrily, but hesitated.

His restraint increased the adrenaline pulsing through her veins. She held the power. He was there to serve her.

“You may take down my petticoats.”

Frederick did as he was told. Now standing in nothing but her white silk camisole and drawers, she shivered, not from cold, but from excitement.

She hadn’t bothered with the confining corset this morning. The impropriety gave her an unprecedented rush. She spent the whole day in the house anticipating this moment.

Frederick reached down and took the bottom of the camisole in both hands. Emma nodded and he slowly pulled the chemise off over her head, revealing her light skin a little at a time.

When he touched her drawers, she quivered. He pulled her drawers down quickly and she stepped out. His touch was so intimate she longed to have him roam his hands over all her curves. He was older than her—perhaps twenty-five and his expression told her he was eager to proceed. He knew much more about carnal pleasures than she did. She would enjoy the experience.

He stood there, taking in her beauty. His six-foot-three frame slightly bowed, all his attention on her. Like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. Her insides twisted and she felt a conscious blush. Hopefully he liked what he saw.

“What would you like me to do now, ma’am?” Frederick asked in a husky voice.

Emma pointed to his trousers. “Finish undressing.” She pulled back the covers and lay down on the bed, waiting for him. She peeked at his full manhood and a low burn heated her cheeks. She wanted to stroke him but was too shy.

When he joined her, their two bodies did not touch. He lay on his side, gazing at her face with a sensual expression. She could get lost in his eyes—intense, a deep whiskey color—eyes a woman could lose herself in. They awakened feelings inside her she didn’t know existed.

“How can I take care of you?” he asked his timbre deep and rough.

Oh Lord, he wanted to take care of her. He probably said that to all the women, but it sounded like it was just meant for her. The need to feel him, all of him, could not be ignored any longer.

“Touch me.” She raised her arms over her head and opened her legs in invitation.

He sat up, put a rubber condom, and then crawled closer. He brushed her hair away from her shoulders and then fondled her breasts. Ooh that felt good. His hands were calloused but the roughness was strangely stimulating.

“You’re beautiful,” he said. His voice matched his rugged body.

She arched into his gentle touch and mewed. Hank had paid little attention to her chest and offered her even fewer compliments.

His expert hands traveled lower, feeling the smooth plane of her belly. Soon his massive body covered hers, and he propped himself up on his strong arms to keep most of his weight off her small frame. She stretched her neck to the side and he peppered the sensitive skin with kisses. His ridged cock rested on top of her thigh and she moaned. She needed more of him.

“How can I satisfy you?” he whispered in her ear.

“I want you inside me. Now,” she panted. It had been close to two years since she had last lain with Hank. Her body demanded attention.

“As you wish,” he said with a melting smile that seared her marrow. She was paying him, but she was his for the night.

Slowly he entered her, pulling out and pushing back in an inch more at a time. Finally he was all the way in. Feeling this full was uncomfortable. She tensed. Hank was not that big. Frederick looked at her, concern etched his forehead.

“Are you all right, angel?”

He just called her angel. Was he trying to seduce her, or was he just good at his job? It felt like a jar of butterflies had been released in her chest.

After a moment her body relaxed. “Yes,” she said. “I’m ready.”

Her neglected body betrayed her desire to savor the moment. In only a couple thrusts she entered ecstasy. Her channel gripped onto him as if she didn’t want to let him go. And she didn’t. She couldn’t. Her body was on fire, her blood pounding and she felt as if she were flying apart in different directions. He filled her…he held her. She had never felt so alive, so cared for, so contented in her life.

She rode her climax, his arms wrapped around her. She felt like she was flying and she never wanted to touch the ground. He could carry her across the entire South. The aftershocks ended too soon, despite Frederick’s best efforts to prolong her pleasure. When she softened into his embrace, he ceased his movements.

She gave him a questioning look. Didn’t he need a release? “Why did you stop?” she panted, trying to regulate her breathing.

“I am here to service you, my lady. Not myself.” He eased her back on to the mattress and again supported himself with his rippled arms.

Emma frowned. There it was again. Another reminder she was just a client. One of the many women he had slept with. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She was going to enjoy the rest of the evening.

“Then,” she said, running her fingers through his hair, “I want you to continue. I want to watch your pleasure.”

An erotic darkness laced his eyes, turning them almost black. She held his gaze as he began pumping again, building up to a frantic rhythm. He throbbed inside her. Sweat glistened on his forehead and chest making him even more appetizing.

The tingles of pleasure rippled through her again, slowly building with each thrust. The longer he stayed inside her the more she enjoyed the slick heat.

He stiffened, grunted, and tilted his head back. Arms quivering, he let out a quiet roar.

If only he had said her name.

She framed his face with her hands and they kissed while his release ebbed. Sparks flew and the air ignited. When she pulled back he let out a satisfied sigh.

He unmingled their bodies and she immediately missed the feeling of them being one. They had fit together so perfectly despite the fact he towered over her. “Thank you,” he murmured.

“Mmm-hmm.” He incited sensations she had never felt before and now her body was fully alive. She knew if she begged for more, he would comply. But that did not seem ladylike. Sex wasn’t supposed to feel this good, was it?

He lay next to her and drew lazy circles around her breasts. He brushed her nipples and her breath hitched. His slight touch deepened the throbbing between her thighs. He left her hungry.

They lay there for a long time, Emma resting in the crook of Frederick’s arm. She felt safe next to him. The safest she’d felt since Hank’s passing. The heat of his body warmed her bare skin. There was something relaxing about the masculine scent and the weight of the man beside her. She rested her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. She wished his body would belong to her forever, and not just for tonight.

But he was black. She was living as a proper woman, fully accepted into Louisville society. She didn’t have a bloodline behind her name. She had worked hard to make up for that and garner the respect of the important people in town. If they knew of her impropriety, there would be no turning back.

She watched him take off the condom, pad over to the washbasin, and clean it before putting it in his pocket. He rejoined her on the bed, snuggling close. She rested her head on his chest again and he brushed his fingers through her hair.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

She smiled. She could easily get used to this.

Her eyes fluttered open. She must have fallen asleep. Had five minutes passed or an hour? Her mind was clouded. Where was she? She was tired, but happy, her mind hazy from the sensory overload. There was a strong man beside her. A man who smelled of sweat, river water, and sex.

Frederick moved his arm, and she turned her head toward him. Seeing him brought her back to reality.

There was a prostitute in her bed.

“Do you want to go again?” Frederick asked.

Her body said yes, but her heart warned her to be careful. How much passion could she handle without swooning for this masculine yet gentle roustabout? Likely she would never see him again. The thought made her feel hollow. She might as well enjoy the moment.

“Yes,” she said, a finger traveling across his square jaw. Her folds moistened waiting for him to fill her a second time.

He sat up and drew her to him. She loved being cradled in his powerful arms. “Would you like to try a different position?”

Heat bloomed in her cheeks. There was more than one position? Hank always had his way with her while she laid there on her back. It had never been passionate and after he had relieved his urges he pulled out, leaving her empty.

“I don’t know any others,” she said softly. “Will you teach me?”

Her innocence infused him with a heady rush. Frederick lay on his back and pulled her on top of him. He wondered briefly if her husband had ever taken her needs into account. “Your husband never showed you any other ways?” How could anyone be so thoughtless?

Emma shook her head shyly

Such a beautiful woman needed to be loved right and loved often.

His cock thickened. He wished he could be that man.
What?
He couldn’t fall in love with a white woman. It would be dangerous for both of them. He’d be lucky if all he got was a broken heart and not a broken neck.

His lips threatened to fold into a frown. He struggled to continue being the carefree lover. She stirred genuine feelings inside him, and he didn’t know how to act. He wanted this evening to be unforgettable. He’d never wanted to work so hard to please a woman, but thinking of her deprived lit a fire in him to give her everything she had been missing.

“Let me lift your legs,” he said, “and I will fill you so fully we will both come.” His voice was strong, demanding.

She gasped.

The sound of her shock reminded him of the danger he was facing just being with her. He glanced down at her smooth belly and heat flooded him, making it difficult to keep his passion leashed. “That is if that’s what you want,” he added, forcing the polite words out of his mouth. Still, his tone retained a rough quality. “I won’t hurt you.”

He reminded himself of the boundaries in their game. He had to watch himself. His desire threatened to overpower his commonsense, crumble his act. The act he was known for. But the deep hurt in her heart shown in her eyes and he wanted to take away all her pain and replace it with bliss.

“Yes. That’s what I want.” Her hot breath bathed his lips. A hand boldly trailed down his thigh.

His breath caught in his chest. She rekindled the spark inside him, fanning him with the heat in her fingers. He wanted to bury himself inside her again. Her delicate touch was driving him wild.

She opened her legs. “What do I do now?” she asked innocently.

“Put your ankles on my shoulders.” He helped guide her into position and pressed his arousal at her entrance. He dove into her with one long plunge and reveled in Emma’s shocked expression. He braced himself over her and began to pump his hips back and forth. She felt good and warm and tight. Too good.

Thankfully it didn’t take too long before Emma’s hands fisted in the sheets. She tossed her black-haired head back into the pillow.

Her panting became faster, in rhythm with her movements. Seeing her complete abandon was his undoing. His pulse accelerated and he neared the top of the cliff.