Watching Elizabeth climax was the most erotic thing Aidan had ever seen, and he nearly spent himself right then. He wanted her with a fierceness that surprised him, and he prayed that she would be able to get past her anxiety, because he would never get enough of making love to her. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him, bewildered.
“That's never happened before.”
“That's because you haven't been doing it right. Any of it,” he added. “Did you enjoy that?” he asked, slinging his thigh over hers and dipping his head to suckle a breast.
“I think you know I did,” she replied, a teasing note to her voice.
He kissed her and settled himself between her thighs. Their bodies fit together as if they had always been meant for each other. “Then I think I would like to continue, my love. I’m afraid I can't wait much longer,” he said against her lips.
“I'm ready,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut and wrinkling her nose. Aidan took one look at her face and burst out laughing.
“You're hardly encouraging me.”
Elizabeth cracked open an eye and giggled. “I'm a little nervous.”
“I see.” Aidan smoothed the hair at her temples. “You've trusted me enough to come this far. Don't give up on me yet.” He kissed her again, and positioned himself against her slick warmth, hovering just at the edge. “I love you, Eliza,” he whispered, pressing into her channel just a little and withdrawing. She tensed, but only for a moment. “I need you, Elizabeth,” he continued, entering her further this time, and she heaved a breathy sigh. No sign of pain on her face, only contentment. “And oh dear God, I need you to love me.” He buried himself deep inside her with a groan. Her body welcomed him easily, and it was glorious. He definitely was not going to last long, but he didn’t care. He moved slowly at first, allowing her to adjust to him, and soon, her body seemed to be responding of its own free will. He kissed her deeply, reverently, and she moved her hips to meet his, tucking her foot around the back of his knee. Her kisses grew more fervent as he continued to stroke in and out of her, and she clung more tightly to him. He moved faster. Her body tightened around him, her cries of ecstasy increasing his ardor.
“Yes, my love, yes,” he urged. She dug her nails into his back and let out a cry.
It was too much for him. With one last thrust, he drove into her. A guttural moan tore from him as he poured himself into her, reaching a powerful climax that left him shaking and gasping for breath. He collapsed on her, burying his face in her neck.
“Mother in heaven,” he mumbled.
Elizabeth was silent. Aidan waited to regain his breath, then pulled back to look at her. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. “Sweetheart, what is it?”
Elizabeth could hardly speak. “I just…I never knew…” she whispered, her hands flailing as she groped for words. She shook her head. “I never knew it could be like this.”
Aidan gave her a small smile. “I didn't, either. I’ve never quite been so out of my mind with need,” he admitted. “You do this to me, Elizabeth. Only you.”
He rolled to her side, cradling her to his chest and idly stroking her hair. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed. “Thank you, Elizabeth.”
She frowned. “For what?”
He tightened his arms about her. “For caring enough to come here tonight. For wanting to try.” He kissed her forehead again. “For saving me…in every possible way.”
Chapter 36
Elizabeth stood gazing out the window. Twilight was settling in, bathing the manicured lawns and gardens in a pinkish hue. Though there were four other people in the room with her, the only sound was that of the ticking clock. Garrett was out there—she could feel his presence. And all she could do was stand here and wait. Wait to see what he had planned this time, wait to see what harm he would do, wait to see if he would be successful. Elizabeth was tired of waiting.
“Aidan,” she said, turning from the window. “I’d like to go for a turn in the garden.”
“Absolutely not,” her mother answered, looking up from her needlework. “I'll not have you out in the dark. It's dangerous.”
“I am hoping it will be.”
Kate let her needlework fall to her lap. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean I am hoping to draw him out and end this.”
Aidan straightened, placing his brandy on the mantel. His sharp gaze bored into her. “Are you sure about this?”
“What? No, she is not sure,” Kate protested. “Have you all lost your minds?”
“Mama,” Elizabeth said, coming to sit beside her and taking her hands in hers. “I have been running for eight years. I am tired of hiding. I want to end this so our family can live in peace once and for all. The longer we wait for this confrontation, the better Garrett will be able to plan. He’s already here; I know he is. Right now, you and I are two sitting ducks in this same room together. Perhaps if we separate, we can disrupt his plan, catch him off guard. I won’t sit here just waiting to be slaughtered.”
“He doesn’t want to kill you,” Kate said quietly. “He wants to take you.”
Gavin sat up straight. “Elizabeth, this is too dangerous. I’ve already lost my brother. I won’t give up my sister, too.”
Elizabeth’s head swiveled in Gavin’s direction. She hadn’t even realized until that moment that they were siblings now. Her eyes misted over. “I’m not going anywhere, Gavin. But this must end. I cannot think of another way we might outsmart him.”
A heavy silence fell in the room as seconds ticked by. The Colonel sighed. “I’m afraid she’s right.”
“No! No, George! You can’t let her do this!” her mother cried.
“Colonel, how many men do you have patrolling the grounds and house?” Aidan said.
“A dozen outside. Half a dozen in the house.”
“And I am armed as well, as is Gavin. We’ll take Griggs with us,” Aidan returned, nodding at the man standing guard by the door. “Gavin, your pistol is loaded?”
Gavin rose from his chair. “Aidan, are you sure about this?”
“I am open to other suggestions. You know your brother better than anyone.”
Gavin hesitated. “Watch yourself, Aidan. He will surprise you.”
Aidan nodded, and stepped toward Elizabeth. “Shall we go, my dear? I believe we have an important matter to discuss,” he said pointedly. They had hardly exchanged a word all day.
“No!” Kate clawed at her daughter’s hands. “Please don’t go!”
“I have to, Mama.”
“I will protect her. She will come back to you, I promise.”
“You can’t make me that promise, my boy.” Kate looked from Aidan to Elizabeth and back again. Elizabeth watched the tears course down her mother’s face, and her heart twisted.
“I love you, Mama.”
Kate turned a watery gaze back to Elizabeth, and she could see the moment Kate conceded defeat. “I love you, too, my dear.” she hugged her fiercely, then turned to Aidan. “You bring her back to me, do you hear? If I lose her again, I am dead no matter what happens.”
“I will keep her safe,” he vowed. He nodded to the guard to precede them, then he left with Elizabeth on his arm.
Once they were in the garden, Griggs set off down the path, scouting the darkness, leaving Aidan and Elizabeth alone at the center where all four paths converged. Benson was also out here somewhere, and neither would be more than a hundred yards away. The white stone that surrounded them would aid in signaling anyone’s arrival. Aidan looked adoringly down at Elizabeth in the rapidly fading light. The moon was beginning to rise on the horizon, making a magical mix of gold and silver dance over her features. His heart swelled with the love he felt for her, and he brought her hand to his lips for a soft kiss. “Elizabeth, a few days ago, I asked you a question which you have yet to answer.” He caressed her cheek, smiling. “I'm afraid I surprised us both that evening, and did a very poor job of proposing. Not very proper, indeed.”
“Oh, is that the problem?” He laughed and pulled her close. “Elizabeth, tell me you love me.”
“You must know how I feel.”
He kissed her softly, finally understanding why his father couldn't live without his mother, but why it was worth it to love her so much in the first place. He pulled back from her and took both her hands in his.
“Elizabeth, my father was right. I now know why he begged me to marry for love. I was so afraid of love, but now that I have you in my life, I see how empty it was before you arrived, and I could never go back to that existence. Even if we are allowed only a short time together, loving you is a risk worth taking, and I can only hope that you feel the same. Miss Leighton Elizabeth Townsend Courtwright, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She opened her mouth to give her reply, but it was drowned out by a sudden explosion at the house. The orangery shattered into a million pieces, glass raining down amongst the flaming timbers. They froze in shock for just a moment, but then a movement in the shadows up the path caught Elizabeth’s attention, and she glanced up in time to see a flash of light as it reflected off the barrel of a pistol.
“Garrett!” she gasped.
Aidan whirled around, at once shoving Elizabeth away from him with one hand and reaching for the pistol in his coat with his other. Elizabeth stumbled and fell to the ground, her palms scraping along the stone as another explosion rocked the house, nearly simultaneously with the shot that rang out. She curled into a ball until she realized it was not she who had been shot. She cracked her eyes open, and her heart went still.
Aidan was lying flat on his back on the ground a few feet away, blood staining the white stone.
“Aidan!”
Elizabeth struggled to find her footing, her legs getting tangled in her skirts. She landed in a heap next to him, near hysterical. “Aidan! Aidan! Can you hear me? Oh, God!” Blood was slowly spreading across his chest. She shook him, but he didn't move. Fear gripped her, and Elizabeth began to cry in earnest. “Aidan…don’t you leave me, Aidan! Please don't leave me!” She ran her hands over his chest, trying to find a heartbeat. She touched his face, willing him to open his eyes. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, and she fought for control. “Aidan, please…please…” she sobbed, leaning down and resting her cheek against his.
“I'm all right. Go with him.”
Elizabeth gasped and sat bolt upright. “Aidan?” Had he really whispered in her ear, or was her desperate mind playing tricks on her? She studied his face, but there was no indication that he had said anything at all. “Aidan?” she repeated, choking on her sobs. She felt a movement by his side, and he squeezed her knee—hard—with the hand that was covered by her skirts. He was trying to tell her something. Her gaze shifted to take in the entire scene, and her eyes traveled up his outstretched right hand, which still held the pistol, his finger still on the trigger. Instanly, she understood his plan.
Elizabeth was about to give the performance of her lifetime.
She shook Aidan as she worked herself into hysterics. “Aidan!” she wailed, her cry echoing in the night. “No,” she sobbed. “No!”
Footsteps crunched on the stone, and then he was there. Garrett stood over her, looking down with contempt at Aidan's lifeless form. Elizabeth caught her breath, because it was like she was looking straight at Gavin, except that his face was twisted into a sneer and his eyes were full of hate.
“Oh, now look what I've done,” Garrett said, his voice dripping with feigned sympathy. “I've gone and killed him, haven't I?”
Elizabeth looked up at him, pure venom in her voice. “You,” she spat. “Why are you doing this to me? Why have you taken everything I love?”
“Because your father took everything away from me,” he returned viciously. “I made a promise to myself years ago and I intend on honoring it.” He pointed the pistol at her. “Get up.”
“Why don't you just shoot me here?”
“Oh no, I'm not going to kill you. Not yet. But I am going to make you wish you were dead.” He reached down and yanked her on her feet. “Say goodbye to your love, Leighton. You belong to me now.” He shoved her down the path.
“I belong to no one, least of all you.”
“We'll see about that.” He grabbed her by the elbow and yanked her around to face him. She stiffened when he touched her face. “You're going to belong to me in every way possible, just like your mother,” he growled, squeezing her jaw. “It's too bad I had to kill your lover. I would have loved to have made him watch. Your father really enjoyed it.” He grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her hard, and she did break then. She bit his lip and he stumbled back from her with an oath.
“Bitch! You’ll pay for that!” He backhanded her hard enough to knock her off her feet, and as she went down, a second shot ripped through the night. Garrett hit the ground with a sickening thud. There was a short interlude of utter silence as Elizabeth peeked over her shoulder. She fought back a wave of nausea as she took in the grisly scene before her. The bullet had landed in the side of Garrett’s skull, destroying part of his face, and spattering her gown with his blood. She retched as her stomach threatened to rebel. The injury was horrifying, the white stones now stained red. She raised a hand to press it to her mouth, belatedly realizing her hands were covered in blood, too.
Aidan's blood.
She whirled around to find him standing still as a statue ten yards away, feet planted firmly apart, staring down the barrel of a still-smoking pistol, his features as hard as granite. He didn’t even notice her scramble to her feet.
“Aidan?” she said softly. He shifted his gaze and their eyes met, and all at once, the whole world began moving again. Elizabeth picked up her skirts and ran toward him, the pistol clattering to the ground as she landed in his arms. He let out a grunt when she nearly knocked him over with the force of her embrace. “Aidan, my God, Aidan,” she cried. “Are you all right? What happened?” She stepped back, noticing the alarming amount of blood that was gathering on his shirt. “Why aren't you dead?” she asked in wonder.
“Because you got in the way, my darling.”
“How? You pushed me to the ground. I wasn't anywhere near you.”
He smiled broadly, reaching into his inside coat pocket and withdrawing the portrait of Elizabeth. “You mother gave this to me last night.” He handed her the frame. The top was bent back. “I've had it in my pocket all evening, intending to give it to you. The bullet hit the edge of the frame, altering its course just enough so as to not hit me straight in the heart. Which is exactly where it would have landed had you not been there. So it would seem, dear Eliza, that you have saved my life yet again.”
Elizabeth stared at the picture frame in astonishment. Aidan had come so close to dying. A few centimeters to his right and he would not have lived long enough to know when he hit the ground. The realization was almost too much to bear, and tears sprang to her eyes again. “I thought I'd lost you,” she said softly.
He caressed her cheek. “You can’t be rid of me that easily.” He swayed on his feet. “But I do think, my love,” he rasped, “perhaps you should get a doctor.” He pitched forward onto her, but she couldn’t hold his weight, and he slid to the ground, unconscious.
“Aidan!” she screamed. But he did not respond. “Aidan! Don't leave me! You made me love you, damn it! Don't you dare leave me!” She moved to stand, to run to find help, but Gavin was already there, sprinting toward her.
“Gavin, help me! He’s bleeding so much,” Elizabeth wailed, ripping material from the hem of her skirt and covering the wound, pressing hard. Aidan moaned. “He needs a doctor. Gavin, please get a doctor. Please don't let him die!”
“What happened?” he asked, kneeling beside Aidan and checking his pulse.
“Garrett came out of nowhere. We were distracted by the explosion—oh my God, is everyone alright?
Is Mama—”
“She’s fine. Everyone is fine. The explosions were meant to be diversions. Where is my brother?”
“Oh, Gavin, I’m sorry…”
Gavin followed her gaze down the path to the body lying crumpled on the stones. He looked back to Elizabeth. “He is dead?” She nodded. He bowed his head with a sigh and said a quick prayer under his breath. “We’ll get to him later. We’ve got to get Aidan to the house before he bleeds to death. Help me with him, if you would.”
It was a struggle, but between them they managed to get Aidan slung over Gavin’s shoulders, and they made their way back to the house as quickly as possible, the light from the fire illuminating their way.
Chapter 37
It was chaos in the house. Servants and Colonel Mayfield’s men rushed to and fro, and the Colonel himself stood in the center of it all, barking out orders. Several of his men were apparently missing, and the worst was feared. Someone was dispatched to fetch the doctor, and a brigade was set up to try to contain the fire in the orangery. Fortunately, much of the house was made of stone; as long as they could keep it from spreading, it would burn itself out. Gavin stumbled toward the stairs, exhausted from carrying Aidan all the way up from the gardens.
“Mallory! Help my son,” the Colonel ordered. “Bring linens and hot water to whatever room they land in,” he said to a passing servant. Elizabeth was ushered into the drawing room, crying and loudly protesting that she would not leave Aidan. Kate stopped the servant and added a cold compress and a basin of water to the list of things to be gathered.
Elizabeth was near hysterics. It took both Kate and George to force Elizabeth into the drawing room to sit. The colonel went to the sideboard and poured her a brandy.
“Mama, he's going to die and it's all my fault!”
All That I Am: A Victorian Historical Romance (The Hesitant Husbands Series Book 1) Page 22