Our Time Is Now

by Chloe Douglas

  Suddenly feeling the insistent nudge of Gideon’s penis against her thigh, Jessica intuitively knew that his body was as tightly wound as hers. Snuggling a hand between them, she began to fondle his erection. Gideon groaned his approval, the sound rumbling deep within his chest.

  Delighted with his reaction, Jessica rubbed her thumb over the tip of his penis, smearing it with a silken drop of pre-ejaculate.

  “Now, Gideon.” She rhythmically ground her hips against his muscled thigh. “I need to feel you inside of me.”

  In the next instant, Gideon rolled on top of her, insinuating himself between her splayed thighs. A welcome invasion.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, a ragged edge to his voice.

  “I told you… I’m not a virgin.” Assurance given, Jessica guided him toward her.

  A heartbeat later, Gideon entered her with a mighty thrust.

  Jessica stifled a yelp. Despite her avowals to the contrary, she suddenly felt like a reborn virgin. Gideon was too thick. Too hard. As he continued to stretch her, she didn’t know how much more she could take, worried that—

  Just then, her body gave way, allowing him full penetration, and the pain was replaced with a potent, rapturous kind of pleasure.

  “Faster,” she panted, no longer in the mood for slow and leisurely.

  Supporting his upper body on outstretched arms, Gideon immediately complied, furiously pumping his hips. In a sensual haze, Jessica locked her legs around the backs of his thighs as she clutched his shoulders.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” she told him, moaning aloud when he pressed more forcefully, imbedding himself that much deeper. Together their bodies moved in frantic harmony, erotically in sync.

  I never thought it could be so good, she thought dazedly, fast losing herself in a passionate tumult, the likes of which she’d only read about in romance novels. Bucking and writhing in wild abandon, Jessica clawed her fingers into Gideon’s buttocks, straining for an even closer contact. She was so close. All she needed was—

  Hit with an intense, climactic burst, Jessica held on as long as possible to that ecstatic detonation, sobbing with joy when she was hit again. And then, again.

  A moment later, Gideon groaned as his big body powerfully shuddered against her.

  Still trying to catch her breath, Jessica smoothed her hands across his back, surprised to feel Gideon tremble in her arms as he nestled his head in the crook of her shoulder. Lovingly, she stroked the back of his head, threading her fingers through the damp mass of thick, sandy-colored hair.

  When Gideon finally pulled out of her and rolled onto his back, Jessica experienced a momentary flash of disappointment. She could easily have stayed with him, joined at the hips, forever.

  * * *

  Feeling as though his heart had been lanced with a red-hot poker, Richard Bragg staggered down the hillside toward the lone car silhouetted in the pale moonlight.

  After he’d caught sight of the same man who’d earlier arrived on horseback carrying his wife up a staircase, presumably to a second-story bedroom, Richard had waited for what seemed an interminable length of time for the bastard to emerge from the house and tend to the horse that was still tethered to a fence railing. When that didn’t happen, he came to a hideous realization: the stranger was fucking his wife and wouldn’t be leaving the house anytime soon.

  “How could Jessica betray me like this?” he hissed. “She took a vow before Almighty God to always be my faithful spouse.”

  Obviously, the sacred vow had no meaning for his harlot of a wife. Jessica was willing to spread her legs for any man. It was the reason why he’d always kept close tabs on her—he knew women were promiscuous by nature. No better than cats in heat, they were ruled, not by their hearts, but by an animalistic urge to mate.

  God, how I hate her, he inwardly seethed, staggered by the depth of his wife’s infidelity.

  No sooner had he reached the parked Lexus than Richard felt his Smartphone softly vibrate. Shoving a hand into the pocket of his jacket, he snatched hold of the device and read the text message—“Last minute cancellation on Sunday talk show. Are you available?”

  Normally, he’d be thrilled at the chance to appear on a political roundtable, even as a last-minute guest. But there was nothing normal about this night. Hands down, it’d turned into the most horrific, sickening episode of his entire life. Even more terrible than the night he’d come home to an empty house and discovered that his wife had deserted him.

  Though he was in no mood to make the drive back to D.C., Richard nonetheless got behind the wheel of the luxury sedan and jammed the key in the ignition.

  Before driving away, he craned his neck and took one last look at the old brick house at the top of the hill. Unbeknownst to Jessica, he wasn’t about to let another man take what was rightfully his.

  “You’re mine, Jessica. To do with as I please.”

  And nothing would please him more than to mete out the only punishment suitable for an unfaithful woman: a blazing fire.

  Chapter 20

  As she stood trapped in the raging inferno, burning embers fell upon Sarah’s head like fiery raindrops and the crackling flames voraciously consumed everything in sight. When another ceiling beam suddenly crashed to the barn floor, it instantly ignited several stacked bundles of hay.

  Terrified, she saw that the hem of her skirt was aflame. Oblivious to the pain, she frantically swatted at the burning fabric with her hand.

  Realizing that she’d lost the battle, that the fire was raging out of control, she screamed… a lost soul cast into a fiery hell.

  “Come back to me, Gideon! Come back to me!”

  Forcing herself to return to the waking world, Jessica’s eyes popped wide open as she roused herself from the clutches of a hideous nightmare. The dream about Sarah was undoubtedly the result of her own skirt having earlier caught fire, her subconscious mind having fused its current nineteenth-century obsession with a traumatic event from the here and now.

  Taking care not to awaken Gideon, she reached for the quilt that had been kicked off the bed. After pulling it over the two of them, she snuggled against Gideon’s warm body.

  As she shifted her weight, Jessica felt an achy tenderness between her legs. Reflecting on the reason for the slight discomfort, her lips curved in a smile. Finally, she understood how all the different pieces—male/female, soft/hard, love/sex—fit together.

  Not only had she discovered the true meaning of the word “passion,” but she’d learned that intimacy didn’t have anything to do with fear or degradation. Grounded in trust, true intimacy between a man and a woman was one of the most uplifting forces in nature. Even now, several hours after the fact, merely thinking about her and Gideon’s lovemaking was empowering, making her feel upbeat and sexy.

  Before Gideon had mysteriously appeared at Highland House, there’d been a lonely void in her life, one which no amount of self-discovery could fill. That loneliness was now gone, making Jessica wonder if their two aching hearts had somehow reached across the boundary of time to find one another. A lovely sentiment, but it also made her fearfully worry that Draygan might capriciously snatch Gideon from her and return him to the nineteenth century.

  As Jessica stared at the heavy, early-morning fog that was buttressed against the window pane, it suddenly occurred to her that the horror of the Civil War was a recent memory for Gideon. It was to him, after all, only ten days ago that he’d fought in the Battle of Lewis Creek.

  At the thought of all the brutality that Gideon had been forced to suffer during the war, tears pooled in Jessica’s eyes. Unwillingly, she envisioned some of the horrific battlefield tableaus that had been captured on daguerreotype by nineteenth century photographers. Gruesome images of unspeakable carnage, they caused a well of latent emotions to spring forth from some hidden reservoir deep within her.

  Beside her, Gideon stirred to wakefulness. “Jessica, whatever is the matter?”

  “I’m so sorry that
I didn’t believe you sooner… about the time traveling,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I didn’t realize until now just how much you’ve suffered.” Embarrassed by her wayward emotions, Jessica burrowed her head in the pillow.

  Gideon pulled her toward him, wrapping her in his arms. “There’s no need for tears.”

  “Yes, there is,” she said on a noisy sob. “There must be people—family and friends—that you left behind. Back in the past, that is.”

  “They have all since gone to the grave,” Gideon said quietly as he blotted her tears with the bed sheet. “I have no one.”

  “That’s not true,” she told him. “You have me.”

  Long seconds passed as Gideon silently stared at her. Jessica worried that she may have pushed the intimacy envelope too far, too fast.

  “I would think that after tonight we have each other,” Gideon said at last, a tender smile on his lips. “And because of that, I am disinclined to continue our present relationship without the sanctity of nuptial bonds.”

  Jessica’s jaw slackened. “Are you… are you asking me to… to marry you?” she sputtered, not quite believing what she’d just heard.

  Confirming with a nod, Gideon said, “While our acquaintanceship is admittedly of short duration, given what earlier transpired between us, I believe that marrying you is the honorable thing to do.”

  Jessica immediately pulled away from Gideon, his proposal rubbing her the wrong way. “From which, I deduce, our lovemaking was less than honorable.” Rolling toward the nightstand, she switched on the lamp, illuminating the room with a soft, golden light.

  Gideon raised a quizzical brow. “Your sarcasm is most unexpected. Only an unprincipled rogue would continue to share your bed without the benefit of matrimony.” Shifting into a seated position, he leaned his back against the four-poster’s wooden headboard. After tucking the quilt around his lap, he then said, “In my day and age, unabated lovemaking was not without consequence. I take it things have not changed that much in the intervening years.”

  “Now who’s being sarcastic?”

  “If I get you with child—”

  “I can’t have children,” Jessica interjected, cutting him off at the pass.

  Her announcement was met with a palpable silence.

  “Do you mean to say that you’re barren?” Gideon finally asked in a measured tone of voice.

  Jessica dejectedly nodded her head. “Yeah, barren. That’s exactly what I meant to say,” she muttered, loathing that particular word with a passion. Not only did the word “barren” rankle, it reminded her of the humiliation she’d suffered at Richard’s hands because she’d been unable to conceive. At the time, it’d made her feel like an utter failure as a woman.

  “Although there is a silver lining,” she said a few seconds later, putting on her best game face. “It means that we can have all of the risk-free sex that we want.”

  “Nothing in this world is wholly without risk,” Gideon countered. “If we continue to have intimate relations, we should do so within the banns of marriage.”

  “Seeing as how I can’t have children, I’m surprised you’d still want to marry me,” she said, inwardly despising the weak-kneed insecurity that underscored her reply.

  Cocking his head to one side, Gideon peered at her as though she’d just uttered something nonsensical. “I cannot change God’s will. Just as I cannot change my feelings for you.”

  “Your feelings?” Admittedly stymied, Jessica said, “I thought this impromptu proposal had to do with your antiquated sense of honor. By bringing your feelings into the mix, you’ve just changed the whole equation.”

  Gideon put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. “I had not thought to ask for your hand in so ungallant a fashion,” he said as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

  Jessica pulled back slightly, enabling her to look him in the eye. “Do you mean to say that you’ve actually given this some thought?”

  “I have thought of little else since I went to visit—Since yesterday.”

  Hearing that, Jessica inwardly groaned; the situation was becoming more complicated with each passing second. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think we should get married,” she informed him point-blank. Then, realizing how heart-wrenchingly final that sounded, she hastily added, “At least not right now.”

  “I see.”

  “No, you don’t,” she retorted. “For your information, you’re the best thing to ever come my way. But I’m not ready to give up my independence just yet.” Jessica paused a moment to collect her thoughts, wishing that she’d had some time to rehearse her answer. “I’ve worked too hard to get to this place in my life. And, yes, I know to most people it doesn’t look like much of a life, but it’s one of my own choosing. Before, when I was—” Jessica clamped her lips together, have nearly uttered the ill-fated words, “Before, when I was married to Richard.”

  Because of the sensitive nature of the situation, this wasn’t the appropriate time to mention her previous marriage. Particularly since her divorce hadn’t yet been finalized. Also, given Gideon’s prudish, Victorian objection to divorce, she wanted to wait until they were further along in their relationship, when things were more emotionally congealed, before she made a full disclosure.

  Somewhat hesitantly, she met Gideon’s gaze, well aware that she’d done more than simply wound his manly pride. She’d hurt his feelings in the bargain.

  “While I’m deeply honored that you want to make an honest woman of me,” she continued, tacking in a different direction, “the fact of the matter is that we’ve only known each other a scant ten days.”

  “I feel as though I’ve known you much longer than that,” Gideon said.

  “I know what you mean,” she readily agreed. “But no matter how you cut it, ten days is too short a period to be talking about something as life-altering as marriage. Besides, these days most men and women live together before they walk down the aisle. Think of it as a trial run,” she said, striving for an upbeat tone.

  “Am I to understand then that you’re not entirely opposed to marriage?”

  “I’m not opposed in the least.” As she spoke, Jessica lovingly brushed a lock of tawny hair off of Gideon’s brow. “I just need more time.”

  “Four weeks from now, when I return from Shepherdstown, may we revisit the matter?”

  Touched by his earnestness, Jessica smiled and said, “Of course we can.”

  Relieved that they’d gotten past what could have been an insurmountable hurdle, Jessica leaned over and turned off the lamp.

  Snuggling close to Gideon, her thoughts turned decidedly wanton as she admired his naked torso. With his broad shoulders, contoured pecs with small brown paps, and, her favorite bit, the washboard abs, he was the most gorgeous man she’d ever set her gaze upon. And though the impressive physique was a testament to the fact that Gideon was physically strong, Jessica knew that he could also be, oh, so tender. A potent combination.

  As she took note of the battle scar near his underarm, she leaned toward him, placing a soft kiss on the welt of raised flesh.

  * * *

  Gideon’s entire body jolted, startled to suddenly feel Jessica’s warm mouth moving across his chest. Astonishment, however, quickly gave way to a burgeoning desire as her tongue painted a moist pattern onto his battle scar.

  Utterly bewitched, he threaded his fingers through Jessica’s auburn tresses, his gaze drawn to her pale breasts that impudently jutted out between the silken strands. Bathed in the light of early dawn, they resembled a pair of ripe pears. Hungrily he reached for one, surprised when Jessica swatted his hand.

  “I won’t be able to concentrate if you do that,” she said. “And to ensure that you don’t do it again, I want you to lie flat on the mattress.”

  Gideon smiled broadly. Unless he missed the mark, his lady love intended to play bawdy with him. Eager to comply, he winked slyly and said, “Your wish is my command.”

/>   Anxious to see where the enticing game would lead, he watched as Jessica knelt beside him. As she did so, her breasts dangled near his face, a puckered nipple seductively abutting his mouth. But no sooner did his lips close around the tender morsel than she pulled away from him. Undeterred, he craned his neck, hoping to recapture the delectable prize. Jessica made a tsking sound, reproving him with a shake of the head. Then, smiling playfully, she shoved the bedding to his lower abdomen.

  At seeing the prominent bulge that was clearly outlined beneath the colorful quilt, her eyes opened wide, a look of astonishment on her face. “My, goodness. Whatever could it mean?”

  Gideon pulled the quilt away from his groin, desperately needing to fill Jessica’s hands with the heavy swell of his erection. “A little exposure might clarify the matter,” he said as he molded her fingers around his shaft, only to suffer a frustrated pang when the spirited vixen pulled away from him.

  “We do it my way or not at all,” she said petulantly, punctuating the threat with a stubborn thrust of the chin.

  Muttering under his breath, Gideon closed his eyes as he took several deep, stabilizing breaths. Why is she torturing me like this? Why incite a raging inferno, if she had no intention of dousing the flame? It was obvious to him that Jessica needed to be tutored in the ways of a man’s body. Because, clearly, she didn’t understand that a man could only endure so much physical stimulation before he lost control. Which he was very near to doing, lust and love converging on Gideon in equal measure.

  And he did love Jessica Reardon, greatly admiring her beauty, her compassion, and her indomitable will. And, yes, he even loved the fierce independence that set her apart from any other woman he’d ever known. Although it went without saying that her rejection of his marriage proposal had been maddening. What they were doing, here, right now, should be sanctioned by—

  “God Almighty,” Gideon groaned as his hips jerked off the mattress. Through half-closed eyes, he stared in utter disbelief as Jessica’s tongue flirtatiously laved at his fully engorged organ. Never had a woman pleasured him in so intimate a fashion.