by Eliza Lloyd
“I am yours and you are mine,” she said. She gripped his shoulders and surged against him, lifting and lowering.
“And you are my heart. You always will be.”
He met her, thrusting and withdrawing. He pressed kisses to her face and cheeks, titillated her with his tongue beneath her ear and caused a dizzying inability to think when he sucked her nipple.
Oh, who wanted to think anyway!
She wrapped one leg around his waist. His hand slid down her thigh and clasped her bottom. He said nothing about the additional roundness she’d acquired since Tono’s birth, but he did moan as he kneaded his hand into her flesh.
“You are more beautiful than I remember,” he whispered.
Her rail was bunched up between them. She’d loosed her hair after her bath and hadn’t brushed it. Her breasts were ridiculously large. She could hardly be called beautiful in this state.
But how could she care when Roman was the only man to see her as the wife and woman she was meant to be? He pushed deep. “Don’t think about it. You are everything to me. Everything.”
He moved faster, his control slipping away beneath the long period of abstinence. They were both breathing hard. Roman’s back was damp from exertion. He slid his fingers into her hair and closed his eyes. He thrust in and out and she lost the ability to think. Only feel.
Her body was attuned to him, yearning for him as she had from the day she’d met him. The rising tide, the forgotten tension of pleasure all coiled within her burst in a sudden hard clutch. Her core contracted over his manhood in a hard wave, then pulsed slower and slower.
No, she had forgotten much of the strange and indescribable pleasure.
Roman stiffened and moaned, pouring into her then growing heavy as he relaxed over her. His nose was pressed into her skin. His breath tickled.
He rolled from her, remaining on his side, then pulled her into his body, curling around hers. The last thing he did was pull the light covers over her and say, “Wake me in a few minutes, we need to talk to your father.”
* * * * *
Roman closed his eyes, basking in the first moment of true peace he’d had since leaving Shelene. She could not understand his dilemma in leaving her or his own heartache, nor would she ever know. There were some things a man should not burden a woman with, and his fear was one of them.
He might want to sleep, but he could feel Shelene’s quizzical gaze boring into him. “Why do you need to talk to Papa?”
“Are you going to let me sleep, if I don’t tell you now?”
“Of course not.”
He opened one eye. “I have something I need to share with you and him, which needs to remain private for now. But I am rather exhausted at the moment.”
She sat up in bed. “Roman, something’s happened?”
Shelene shivered then she took his hand in hers. Her eyes were wide with worry. All those things he knew would happen were about to come to a very nasty conclusion, but he’d hoped to have a few more minutes beside her before the wheels were set in motion.
“Come then. Your father is expecting us.” Roman swung his legs over the bed on the opposite side and quickly dressed. Shelene straightened her gown, pulling it below her knees then found her robe, tying it at her waist.
He took her hand, peeked through her door to the interior balcony then led her to Hightower’s room, tapping softly.
“Hightower,” Roman said when the door creaked open.
“Is aught amiss?” he asked. “Daughter, you are well? I feel certain I should be worried when I am summoned by the Lion of England.”
Roman shook his head, not willing to waste a breath on the silly nickname.
“Yes, Papa, I’m fine. Roman, tell us what is happening.” She sat on the soft chair, crossing her legs and folding her arms about her middle.
Roman led Hightower to the chair near her. “This must stay between the three of us. For now,” he whispered. “I received a note this afternoon from my solicitor in Cadiz, Mr. Fisk. You both know him. When we all returned from Argentina and I found out that Belgrano was back, I had my suspicious about him. Fisk has confirmed my worries. The king never issued him a pardon.”
“Oh my God,” she said.
“You couldn’t have known, Shelene.”
“But it’s what he does, and with impunity. I never should have trusted him,” she said.
“What is to be done?” her father asked.
“A cavalry regiment is being sent. They are coming to the valley, and they are going to find him. It is my hope that they can find him here at Las Colinas rather than require them to force their way through the valley, beating on every tenant’s door, but Belgrano has always had his confidants, so I think we can assume he will find out.”
“When?”
“A few days, maybe even a week, I would imagine. It will depend on the number of cavalry men and the day they left.”
“Are we expecting some sort of skirmish? Or a battle? Will anyone on the estate be in jeopardy?” she asked.
“I don’t know. And I don’t know because I don’t know what Belgrano has planned. I’ve had some of the new vaqueros scour the valleys and mountain trails in an effort to discover what he is up to, but so far our efforts have been fruitless.” He ran a hand through his hair. “The valley is too large to give up her secrets easily. The obvious answer is to take away his freedom now and store him in one of the basement cellars with the potatoes, but since I got the note, no one has seen him.”
“Quite so,” her father said. “Then we should be prepared for several contingencies.”
“Belgrano can be relied upon for many things, but in one we can be certain: He is up to no good. His lairs are many. That he has return to Las Colinas at all is—”
“His lairs? What about the caves near the lake, on the edge of the property? Have you sent someone up there?”
“Caves? I didn’t know there were caves,” Roman said.
Shelene stood and walked toward them, bracing her hands against the back of her father’s chair. “On the northern side of the estate, near the water’s edge. I could be wrong.” She bit her lip.
“I haven’t been out to those caves in years,” Hightower said.
“What is it, Shelene?” Roman asked.
“I went riding today. I ended up near Arco de la Frontera, then took the path along the lake. Father Etienne was riding too. I wonder… I wonder if I had ridden farther, would I have seen them?”
“When was the last time you saw Belgrano?” Roman asked.
“I don’t know. He comes. He goes,” she said. “Papa, do you know?”
“No.”
“What are we going to do?” she said.
“Would you agree to take Antonio to Cadiz? To safety?”
“I’m safe here. You’re here. Papa’s here. There are over two hundred laborers at Las Colinas. Am I to leave them behind? We’ll need to advise Brahim and Sakina, of course.”
“Nothing will happen tonight. Let’s make plans in the morning. I’ll need to send for Dewey and Rousseau. And Brahim and Sakina’s two oldest sons.”
“We might as well include their wives. They will not be able to keep a secret from them, and frankly, they are more likely to have heard gossip than any of us,” Shelene said. “Roman, what is Uncle doing? He could have lived a peaceful life. Instead, he is only making more enemies.”
“I fear he is planning some grand finale. There are no great wars to fight with Napoleon. Spanish glory is only found in the Americas or its other colonies. He hates the current monarchy. He’s growing old. He has nothing to show for his life. Who knows what his reasons might be?” Roman concluded. He reached toward Shelene and gripped her hand, pulling her close. “Whatever his reasons, I must keep you safe. I won’t allow him to harm us.” He glanced up at her and then at Hightower. “You both know what that means. Come the time, I will have no mercy.”
When they returned to Shelene’s room, Roman said, “You know that if your uncle p
erceives I have put him in a corner with my professional curiosity regarding his activities, he will strike out in a way that hurts me most. That means you and Antonio are the ones in the gravest danger.”
“Grave? That seems frightening.”
“You remember the stories of what he has done.”
“It tears at me, Roman. As you said, he is an old man now, just like Papa. And he was Mama’s only brother. My inclination is to care for him, be kind to him and ask him to give up his ways. But I don’t want to put my hand into the mouth of a viper.”
She removed her robe and climbed into her bed, settling into the mound of fluffy pillows.
Roman wasn’t going to ask permission to stay. He removed his boots and jacket again.
“You may sleep in a bedroom down the hall,” she said, brows winged.
“I will not. If you wish to do so, feel free.”
“That is very ungentlemanly of you.”
“Oh? Would you like me to carry you to another room? I’m staying, not just because I want my wife, but I need everyone in the valley to know we speak and act as one.” He’d brought enough bad news to Shelene’s doorstep, so he wasn’t going to say anything further about Belgrano’s mischief in her life. Roman’s supposed death, the very convenient marriage of Belgrano’s friend to his niece, who had possession of one of the largest haciendas in Spain.
How was it possible that one man had access to so much information he could use to his advantage? Roman’s mind was trying to put together a series of blocks, of connections, into something that made sense.
“The bed is not large enough for both of us.”
His shirt and trousers came off quickly enough. “I’ll have clothes brought down tomorrow. But once all of this is settled, I’ll expect you and Antonio to move to the hilltop with me. I believe your father might enjoy the return of Las Colinas.”
“You expect wrong. This is my home.”
“Your father will have possession until he passes.”
Roman crawled into bed, pulling the covers to his waist. He slid his hand across her stomach. He braced his arm beneath his head and stared at his wife’s face. How thankful he was to be home, wherever home was, wherever Shelene was.
She must have felt the intensity of his gaze. “Why are you still thinking about him?”
“Not him specifically. I am wondering how one man can be so lucky. Not that I believe in luck. And if it’s not luck, then that means he is smarter than I am, and I have a very hard time believing that.”
“You’ve never before admitted how prideful you are.”
“I thought it was obvious.”
She laughed then ran her hand from his shoulder, down his arm. “I think it will be easier to expose him than you think. We do have a grand party coming up. He will not want to miss it.”
“No. We are neither going to Cadiz to buy horses nor will we have a celebration while we are on the cliff of a catastrophe.”
“Not even if one might prevent the catastrophe by doing so?”
“I think the king’s cavalry regiment will be here before then. Or more likely, your uncle will have heard the cavalry is on the way and will be long gone.”
“It all seems so unreal.” She glided her finger down his chest. “To have you here. To think that I was to marry another man. To have my uncle be the villain everyone has always believed him to be. But mostly you.” She rolled toward him and rested her head on his forearm. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Aside from the first summer we met, this is the longest we’ve been together, yet it feels like forever. When Uncle told me you were dead, it seemed as though fate had played its final cruel joke on me.”
“If it’s any consolation, I knew I was never dead.”
She laughed again, then peeked up at him. “Are you happy to be here? Instead of England?”
“My dear wife, I have waited over fifteen years for such a day. It is hard for me to explain and, I’m sure, even harder for you to understand my reasoning, but there are things one must do in one’s life. For purpose, for meaning. Or even knowing one has a skill that few others possess.”
“I’ll always feel that I wasn’t enough for you,” she whispered.
He sat up. “Oh my God! You mustn’t say that. Or feel it. If you were a lesser woman, I would have felt compelled to be to be the Englishman who sits behind an oak desk to manage his estate, counts his sheep and sends his sons off to boarding school at Eton to maintain the British class system. What a bore of a life. If I had been in Adam’s shoes, I would have rebelled under the constraint. And you? Was I to tie you to such a life when you wanted to be free, riding the hills of Las Colinas? Controlling your own life? And don’t try to tell me your mother and father were that strict with you. They gave you every freedom. I could do no less.”
“So much time has passed for us. Time we should have been together.”
“But we weren’t. There is no reason to regret it, because now we are married, we are together, and we have Antonio. Now our life together is only going to be richer and more rewarding.”
“If only Spain does not destroy itself and us in the process. When we’ve only just started? Maybe that would be fate’s last laugh.”
He lay flat again. Shelene rolled into him, stretching her leg over his groin and wrapping her arm across his chest.
“There are too many factions. No serious challenge will be made against the king, at least for now. If we can keep the valley prosperous, keep adequate loyal laborers and vaqueros, even make sure our neighbors get help when they need it, we should survive and thrive.”
“Most families settled in Andalucía over hundreds of years. They will fight for her, for their homes, for as long as they draw breath.”
“Does that not give you courage that all will be well?”
“I pray so, for Antonio’s sake and for that of any other children we may have.”
Roman gripped her ass and pulled her across his body. Her legs opened over him and she braced her hands against his chest. He reached between them and grasped the root of his cock, stroking between her wet folds.
She lifted then sank, taking him and gasping when she was fully seated. How many times had he dreamt of her as his lover, his wife? She cupped his face. He pushed up, bracing one hand against the mattress. He twined his fingers through her hair and leaned in to kiss her, opening his mouth over hers and tasting of all the good things in his life.
He teased at her lips, and she opened her mouth to him, then battled, tongue to tongue. Kiss to kiss.
She lost all her resistance, wrapping her arms about his neck, running her fingers through his hair and continuing to surge over his cock. Finally. Finally giving him everything.
“I love you, Roman,” she said against his lips. “I will always love you.”
“And I you. Forever.”
He released, pleasure coursing through every part of his being. Shelene went limp in his arms. He leaned back pulling her over his body. This was what he had fought and served for, what he now lived for.
Chapter Sixteen
Sometime during the night, Roman had thrown open the curtains and doors, allowing cool air to blow into the room. Shelene snuggled against him, feeling his warmth to her bones.
Tono would wake soon. She wouldn’t leave the comfort of Roman’s side until she had to. Sleep late, mijo!
Finally, Roman rolled away from her just as she was about to burst into flame. The sun was blazing in through the window and struck the bed with both light and heat. Antonio was usually awake with the sun. Durra must have taken him downstairs for some light food while she slept.
Oh, Lord! The entire household was probably aware that Roman had spent the night in her room. She’d wager the men were winking at each other in approval. And the women? Whispering in the kitchen about how fine and handsome Roman was and wasn’t Shelene the luckiest woman to have him in her bed.
After she climbed from the bed, she glanced back at Roman sprawled on the bed with a shee
t barely covering him. She was pleased that he was as exhausted as she was.
She changed into a day dress and performed quick ablutions. She needed to find her son and obtain a little relief. Her breasts were heavy and even Roman could do little to assist. Her face heated thinking about him and how they had spent the last evening.
Tiptoeing to the window, she gently pulled the curtains closed to darken the room, then walked to Antonio’s room. As she suspected, they were gone, so she went down to the breakfast room to find the buffet still in the warmers. She didn’t sit down, instead going to the kitchen.
“Sakina, have you seen Durra and Antonio? They weren’t in their room.” Mrs. Johns wasn’t in the room either. There was usually an hour when they were both there, preparing Tono’s bath, readying his clothes for the day, cleaning and washing up any messes he made overnight, preparing the bed with clean and dry sheets.
Sakina knowingly smiled, just as Shelene expected. “Oh, yes, sayidati. Almost two hours ago now. They were having breakfast when Father Etienne arrived. After they finished, they went for a walk in the garden. I am surprised they aren’t back yet.”
Shelene’s smile froze on her face. A shiver ran from her head to her toes. Why should she suddenly be fearful? “Father Etienne? Did he say why he was here?”
“He wanted to see you and Señor Forrester, I believe. I’m not sure, though. I’ll send one of the girls to find them, if you like.”
“As you said, they are probably enjoying the morning air. If you see them, I’ll be at the breakfast table.”
Roman’s words had her spooked. Durra and Mrs. Johns took Antonio everywhere on the estate. He wasn’t walking yet, but he was very active. If they threw a blanket down in the grass, they could count on him crawling away at some point.
She filled a plate but left it uneaten, instead sipping at a dark roasted coffee with beans they ground every morning. She didn’t enjoy the usual comfort of the cup, but her stomach churned and burned. She waited for the length of her drink to hear the sounds of their return to the house, but all she heard was unusual silence. Even the finches weren’t chirping their usual song.