Part 25 (1/2)
”I'm so sorry, Will. I-I was scared too, so I had to find you.”
”But you knew the outcome of this battle.” His accusation cut into her, and she felt embarra.s.sed she'd reacted so hastily.
Still, he seemed to hold her even closer; however, he did adjust his hands so they didn't bite into her quite as hard.
She couldn't look at him any longer, but down to where her chest met his. ”I-I was scared anyway. I was scared that maybe what I know would change.”
He walked towards a small gray house. Without a word, he kicked in the door. With his heel he slammed it shut.
Evening encroached, and the sun slanted through the house's windows in orange and dark yellow. The day had been a hot one, and still the heat pounded the streets, but the house was somehow cool and decorated with a small couch and chairs around a tiny table. Will circled, then went to the windows, shutting the curtains, with Erva still in his arms.
”What-what are you doing?” Erva finally asked.
”I don't know.” Again, his voice sounded darker than usual.
”Are you angry with me?”
Finally, he stopped pulling down the curtains as he jostled her in his arms, refusing to let her go. He stilled and stared into her eyes.
Chapter 24.
Erva's eyes had turned round and almost pure amber in the early evening's sun. She appeared terrified, and it killed Will that she would be fearful. He thought that the brave woman wasn't scared of what had almost happened to her. Nay, she was frightened of him, for he knew he was acting boorish.
In an odd embrace, he pulled her closer, resting his unshaven cheek against her smooth, soft one, still amazed at the silky texture, even though he'd touched her face close to a hundred times by now.
”No,” he finally croaked. ”Never think me angry with you, darling.”
She slipped her arms about his neck, making him feel that the ground might not crumble below him. Lord, but seeing her with a knife to her throat had made him want to rip that Continental soldier apart with his bare hands. Then the little minx had rescued herself with a nasty good head b.u.t.t. She was a wonder to behold, and he wasn't sure if he would ever let her go. He amended that thought: he knew he'd never let her go. Mayhap literally, once his intense fear subsided, but never from his heart.
”I know I should have been a little less crazed about seeing you, but I-I was so scared that the history could change,” she said a bit cryptically. Of course, he hoped he understood her meaning that injury might accost him.
Watching helplessly as she could have been harmed, was his first taste of what it must be like for the wives and mistresses of the soldiers. G.o.d, he'd never felt more enraged and impotent in his life, and yet simultaneously, he'd never been surer. He loved her. So much.
Words were too uncomfortable to think of then. His throat was thick with sentiment, his chest too.
He pulled out of her embrace enough to ram his lips against hers, needing to taste her more than he needed air to breathe. She instantly returned his kiss, letting him slide his tongue in her mouth, where she sucked it, making him feel his body morph from feeling unbearably hollow to too warm and tight. Exploding energy gripped at his c.o.c.k as he flicked his tongue against hers. She had one breast against him, and he felt her nipple contract as if he were rubbing it.
The kiss kept intensifying, until he could bear it no longer and kissed down her neck, giving himself some room to breathe or think. But his brain faltered. His only thought was of being inside her, needing that desperately, to know she was his. He needed to feel her under his lips, his hands, his body. Stumbling toward the small table, he placed her on the very edge, urgency calling him to lift her skirts.
He inserted himself between her legs, also thanking G.o.d the table was tall enough for what he needed. With one hand he found her b.u.t.tock, pulling her closer as he began to kiss her again. His other hand instantly found her already wet s.e.x. Circling around the little love pearl at the apex of her legs, he felt her moan inside his mouth. Applying more pressure, for he needed her ready soon, he kept kissing her wildly and hopefully not too hard. She opened her legs all the more for him, while she pulled him closer with her completely capable arms.
He released his hold on her bottom, then tried to extract himself from his breeches. First, he needed to release the belts that held his pistol and sword, letting them fall to the floor. It was difficult with one hand, especially as he kept rubbing against her little nub, but he finally freed his rock-hard erection and found her opening.
He pushed a tiny bit of himself inside her, astonished to feel her body easily let him in. Although he'd made love to her again and again last night, he was pleasantly surprised at how good it felt to be inside her. As if he belonged there. That was his last thought as he thrust into her as far as he could. Growling, he slammed into her again. He clutched at her backside once more, still rubbing her above where their bodies met at a fevered pitch. Her internal organ tightened around him, making him feel that his own would explode soon. In his chest ripples of warm air made his heart beat even faster. Around his solar plexus, a tension began that dipped down to his bullocks and even further to his toes. With every powerful thrust into her body, the tension built within him.
Her internal muscles suddenly tightened even more. Her kisses became clumsy, but she gripped his coat with all her might. He applied even more pressure on her s.e.x, using both his finger and his c.o.c.k. Then she tipped her head back and moaned, ”William.”
G.o.d, he loved it now when she called him that. The formality of his full name on her lips as she climaxed was as sacred as a prayer. She called his name again as her internal muscles milked his c.o.c.k, making the tension unbearable. The warm rhythm inside his body pulsed, and finally he climaxed.
”Minerva,” he yelled as he poured himself into her. ”My darling.” Each time he'd come, he felt that he was giving more and more of himself, but this time he felt as though he'd given his entire soul.
He shook from the ne plus ultra, and drooped, holding his arms on either side of her as she lay on the table. Not too sure how long he could hover over her, he tried to remove himself, but she clutched his a.r.s.e.
”Not yet, please.”
”I might collapse on you.”
”Okay.”
He silently chuckled as he did release some of his weight on her. Lord, she was still coming. Her internal muscles pulsed and held him tight. He groaned, delighted at how good it felt.
”I asked to retire effectively immediately, owed to my marriage with you. General Howe agreed and wished us congratulations.”
”Mmm,” was all she muttered.
He quietly laughed again.
”G.o.d, that feels so good when you laugh.”
He kissed along her neck, tasting the slight edge of salt on her skin. He'd worked up a sweat but was surprised she had as well. Thoughts suddenly invaded the peace of the moment.
”Oh dear, Erva, I've just commandeered this house without checking to see if people were here. I hope no one watched us.”
She giggled with her eyes still closed, her s.e.x rippling with her laughter.
”G.o.d, that does feel good when you laugh.”
She chuckled even more, but finally opened her eyes. ”I suppose we should leave after the show we just gave someone.”
”I suppose.”
”We'll go home and never leave our chamber for at least two weeks.”
”Shan't we marry in that time?”
”I'm not sure I'll let you go long enough to do that.”
He chuckled again, which made her moan. He tried to extract himself again, but she stopped him once more.
She held him by his coat and looked frantically in his eyes. He almost asked what was wrong, when she said, ”I love you. I'm not the kind of girl who falls in love after a couple days. And coming from where I've been-well, I've become such a cynic of love, even outright pessimistic. But I love you so much. I do. I-I-”
”And I love you too, darling. Don't worry. I'm fine, and by G.o.d you're fine. Truly, that was spectacular the way you saved yourself. I don't know how you-”
”I should probably tell you that I was Army intelligence for four years.”
”You were a spy?”