He took William from Maude, the nurse, dismissing her so the three of them could spend time together alone. Well, as alone as possible with the contingent of guards along the curtain wall; he was not about to gamble with his son’s life.
“William, this is Lady Katherine.”
“Hello, William.” Kate held out her hand.
William leaned over it with a smacking kiss. “‘Lo.”
“An earl in training,” Kate laughed, her eyes sparkling like the Shelton ring when the sun struck it.
He shook his head. He was turning into a bard, something he hadn’t even done for Jeanne. “A Shelton earl, Kate. He is, after all, my son.”
“There’s no denying that, Alex.” She ran her fingers through William’s black curls, so like his own, and the image of Kate doing the same to him rose, unbidden, in his mind.
Something else rose, unbidden, in his braies.
“Down, Papa!”
Thank God for William. Alex used the opportunity of setting him down to gain control over his inopportune thoughts and body. God’s teeth, it’d only been a kiss or two. She shouldn’t affect him like this.
“I can’t wait to have my own daughter.” She patted William’s head as he played with the wooden balls Alex had also played with as a child.
“I thought you already did?”
“Well, that is, she’s not mine yet. I’m adopting her.”
“Are you barren?” He hadn’t considered that possibility. If she didn’t return to her time, would he be bound to a woman unable to give him heirs? Had he merely substituted one end to his dynasty for another?
“Barren? Look here, oh great lord. Just because I haven’t given birth doesn’t mean I can’t. There are thousands of children around the world who need families. Just because she didn’t come from my body doesn’t make her any less mine. Doesn’t mean I love her any less. I’m going to be able to give her a good life—”
“Kate, you misunderstand.” Such passion in her. He thrust that thought aside—and thrust the thought of thrusting aside. “I’m certain you’ll love your child, but I must marry a woman able to bear children.”
“Which would be a good argument if we were actually going to get married. But we’re not, remember? You were going to send some men out to find my window? Ring any bells?”
Oh, yes, they were ringing. But ‘twas only because of the color in her cheeks and the flash in her eyes when she admonished him. Alex had to work to keep the amusement off his face—and the passion from his blood. God’s breath, she was a distraction when he did not need one.
“My men are out searching as we speak, Kate But if they can’t find it and we do marry, I need to be certain that you will be able to provide me heirs.”
“Provide you with—? God, I’d almost forgotten what century I’m in.” One of William’s balls rolled by her feet. She tossed it back.
William squealed and rolled another one toward her. “More!”
Kate sat on the grass and rolled it back. “Look, Alex,” she said, tilting her head back, and Alex was gifted with the most exquisite view of the tops of her breasts.
He was a knave for noticing.
No, he was a man.
A lonely man who missed the comfort of a woman—and there was no denying Kate was a woman.
“I’m sure I’m perfectly able to bear children.”
He’d like to test that theory.
She rolled another ball back to William. “And somehow I’ll get home, either with the window or by Alicia, so it’ll be a non-issue. You’ll just have to find someone else to give you your heirs.”
As he watched her play with his son, with sunlight gleaming on her wine colored hair, a ready smile on those soft sweet lips he hadn’t tasted enough of, and the rise and fall of her breasts as she stretched and moved to retrieve the balls, Alex knew he’d be hard-pressed to find someone he’d want more.
***
He peered around the corner of the outbuilding, as the lord and his lady-to-be played with the child—the ruination of all his plans. There could be no heirs.
He ducked from view and thought of his strategy. How could she have found that damned ring? Had someone turned traitor on him?
Ah, the irony if it were so.
But it wouldn’t matter. In a short time, Alex would be no longer be earl—or alive, for that matter.
***
Kate thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon playing with William, though the ball rolling had gotten old after the first half hour, and the five games of Find The Frog had her teaching him to play pick-up-sticks.
Alex had given up after the second Find The Frog episode, saying he was content to watch she and William get to know each other, but that’d been a cop-out; she’d seen his reaction to their conversation about children.
Thankfully, he hadn’t acted on the desire she’d seen in his eyes. Alex was one sexy guy, but he was also a fifteenth century earl. Yes, she had to live by this society’s mores, but they were doable only because there was an end in sight. She would leave. She had to leave. Anything else was out of the question. And while her society’s mores were all for having a vacation fling, it would be a bit more involved with Alex. He was honest and noble and cared so much for his son that if they were in her world, nothing would stop her from starting something with him—with the goal of happily-ever-after in mind.
But they weren’t and she was leaving and it just wasn’t worth the heartache. She was already too aware of him. Liked him too much for her to be able to walk away heart-whole. It’d taken her too long to put her heart back together; she didn’t want to go through that again.
William scattered his pile of sticks and yanked on her dress. “Sweep, pease.” He let out a big yawn.
Kate’s heart melted when she picked him up and he plopped his chubby cheek on her shoulder with another yawn. “Let’s go see your father. It’s pretty late.”
William was too cute. As Emma would be. Kate had already fallen in love with the pictures she’d seen of her and couldn’t wait to hold her in her arms. This adoption had to go through. She’d never get another shot. There were hundreds of couples waiting and the process was so long. It’d been tough to get accepted as a single parent, but she’d done it. It couldn’t all go belly up because of some twist of fate. It couldn’t; Emma needed her.
She needed Emma.
She hugged William a little tighter while she carried him back to his father. “I think the little guy is pooped.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. Her temperature went along with it. “That term doesn’t mean what I think it does, does it?”
She laughed. “No. It means he’s tired.”
Alex took William. “He or you?”
“Hey, I’m fine. No three-year-old is going to wear me out.” His father, however, was welcome to try.
Not the thought she ought to be having.
“So you are prepared for the feast this evening?” he asked once William had been handed off to his nurse.
“Feast? What feast?” No one had mentioned any feast. And that twinkle in his eye wasn’t reassuring her.
“The one you discussed with Cook.”
“And I did this when?”
Alex glanced back as Maude and William headed down one of the corridors, then took her arm and led her toward an alcove by the door. “This morn when you met with Beatrice for your, what did you call it? Your countessing lesson.”
“Beatrice did mention something about dinner, but—”
“Supper. Dinner is the midday meal.”
“Semantics.” Kate waved her hand. “Anyhow, she mentioned something about supper, but I had no idea I was supposed to be doing any party planning. Cook rattled off a bunch of things I’ve never heard of, so I just nodded. I hope you trust your staff, Alex, or you’re going to have to postpone your feast.”
He swiped a hand over his mouth and that twinkle in his eyes disappeared. “Kate, you agreed to this. You assured me you could do it. Is this how you cond
uct your affairs in your time?”
Her blood went from boiling to full steam in two seconds. “I’m damn good at my job, Alex, when I know what the job is. Next time you might want to come up with something better than, ‘go with Beatrice.’”
“What about your claim that you could handle it? Women do this all the time. I would think such things wouldn’t change in five hundred years.”
“Hold it right there. Women do this all the time? You’re unbelievable. I don’t care what century you’re in, you can’t honestly think this is second nature to anyone.” Her eyes narrowed. “Did you really offer a reward for the window, or have you decided you found a convenient someone to keep the king off your back? Someone to run your castle and perhaps keep your bed warm?”
Just like Jay. When would she learn?
She tried to wrench her arm free, but he wouldn’t let go. “You can keep your charm and your chauvinism and find someone else to run this place.” She yanked again. “I can’t believe I let you kiss me. You can just forget any repeats of that—”
He hauled her against him before she knew what was happening, then ground his mouth on hers.
Oh no, she was not one of those women who went weak at the knees with shows of brute strength. He could kiss her all he wanted, slide his tongue into her mouth, all warm and moist and tasting of him and apples, and he could pelvic-thrust against her, and she wouldn’t cave. Her palms wouldn’t get moist… her breath shallow… her stomach fluttery with butterflies…
Oh hell.
Kate groaned and gave up the fight. He really tasted too delicious to deny and she’d been lying when she said she’d let him kiss her. She’d been just as willing.
“Take that back, Kate,” he whispered against the corner of her mouth. “You know I sent men out to look for the blasted window. And you enjoy my kisses. Admit it.”
Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring at his mouth. Who was she kidding? Not him. “You’re right.”
Alex slid his arm around her waist and lifted her so her lips were at the perfect height for his. His tongue slid between them, tangling with hers, thrusting in and out as his lower body did the same against her and Kate grabbed onto those broad, wide shoulders for her very life. How in God’s name did he do this to her?
His harsh breath provided no answers, but then, she wasn’t really looking for any. Her fingers threaded through his hair as she angled her head to take the kiss deeper and she ground her hips against him, needing to get closer.
Alex hiked up the back of her skirt, her thin shift all that separated his hand from her bare skin, and plastered his hand to her behind, lifting her, squeezing and kneading, the ache between her thighs growing. The wall was at her back while he leaned hot and heavy against her, her feet inches above the floor.
Kate fought for breath as her mind swirled into a knot of sensation, and she willingly held on for the ride. It’d been so long, and it’d never—never—felt like this. Like a flame burning from her center, setting everything, everywhere he touched, on fire. She could never deny she wanted this, him, no matter how foolish it was.
She traced his ear, his jaw, the curve of his cheek, that eyebrow he raised so often to annoy her, and gasped into his mouth. Hot breath filled hers as he murmured something—her name?—before sliding his lips from hers on a tortured path of seduction along her throat.
Her bones deserted her and she leaned into him, really having no say in the matter at all. Not that she could say much of anything. “Ohh,” was about it as his teeth grazed her neck, his tongue dragging along it to her collarbone.
His body surged against her and Kate willed her boneless limbs to grip his thighs, positioning him at just the right spot. Her belly flooded with manic butterflies as heat gripped her, making her one fluid, writhing being wedged between his hard body and the cold stone. She slipped down a ways and bit back the cry at losing his touch on the spot she wanted it most.
Something tickled her brain about stopping but she didn’t want to listen. Jay had done some serious damage to her self-esteem; Alex was fast repairing it. She needed this, his heat, the pressure, just a little longer, a bit more… She writhed again, repositioning as Alex groaned against her throat. He gripped her backside and lifted her into place. She wrapped her heels around the backs of his knees, ran her hands over his shoulders, down his arms, gripping his biceps as he pinned her against the wall, her teeth clenching against the need.
The ache rose, throbbing, coursing through her, and she matched his rhythm.
He nipped at her neck and she gasped as it zeroed down to her groin. Her hips jerked, starved it seemed, for forever. Her pelvis ground against his hardness, the perfect remedy to ease the pleasure/pain, while his fingers thrust from behind against the thin fabric of her shift.
She was on fire. Couldn’t get enough. She writhed more, searching for that spot. There…
He caught her earlobe between his teeth, the sensation and his hot breath doing amazing things to her insides. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts, her belly to him as close as possible.
Almost…
He thrust against her and she met it, him, the pressure, the rhythm…
Almost…
God, if only they had no clothing barrier between them… But then Alex caught her lips with his, his tongue filling her mouth as he thrust again, and the clothes no longer mattered with the pressure just where she needed it most. Kate was lost. She sucked on his tongue as waves of pleasure crashed over her, her breathing frantic, swirls of light behind her eyes, the thundering crash of her heart drumming through her veins, as the sweet ecstasy of release filled her.
Then Alex held still, their mouths fused but unmoving. It could have been a second or a century, but it was too long.
“Alex,” she breathed in a hurry-up-what-are-you-waiting-for-sort-of-way and Alex shuddered infinitesimally. Then his body began pounding almost uncontrollably against her, his fingers biting into her backside and another wave hit her.
Perspiration trickled down her throat between her breasts when Alex groaned against her, every muscle taut as the moment stretched between them, his breath harsh against her throat. She took a deep breath, her sensitive nipples rubbing against the fabric of her dress and groaned as she felt him still against her.
“Damn.”
That was not the reaction she was looking for. Especially since it brought back the nightmare of Jay’s rejection.
“You can put me down now.” Whether her legs would support her was another matter, but she’d deal with that when it happened. Right now she just wanted to put as much space between them as possible. God, she sure could pick ‘em, couldn’t she? “
“Kate, you misunderstood.”
Uh, no. She didn’t. “Alex, just let me down. This was a mistake.”
He paused for a moment, then ground out, “My pleasure.”
And then the jerk did let her down—he let her slide down the entire front of him.
“Yeah, it was certainly was, wasn’t it?” She wanted that damn window now.
Alex tipped her chin up. “And yours as well. You can’t deny it.”
Fine. Whatever. She just wanted out of here. Now. “Sure. Fine. Whatever. Now what do we do?”
A muscled ticked in his cheek while he studied her. Heat still ran through her veins, but she willed, no, begged, it to dissipate.
Had they really just done that? Against a wall?
“Now we prepare for the feast,” he said finally.
So it was to be business as usual. Well, what had she expected? Declarations of undying love?
She might believe in time travel now, but fairy tales were still off the table.
“Still on that train of thought, are you? Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She brushed some hair off her face, relieved to find her hand steady. “And don’t think you’re going to get a repeat of that.” She gestured toward the wall.
A wall. It’d be so hot if it hadn
’t been, well…
Yeah, it’d been hot. At least while she’d been in the moment. Now? It was chilling.
“Trust me, Kate.” His voice was annoyingly composed. “That is the last thing I want.”
***
Alex walked away. He wanted to run, but that’d be too revealing.
He ran a hand through his hair, reminded of what it’d felt like to have her hands there, gripping the strands until it’d almost hurt. But then she’d come and her grip had relaxed.
And then he’d come.
Alex exhaled. He’d lost himself like some green boy with his first woman—and that hadn’t happened even when he’d been a green boy. What had come over him?
He knew, and wasn’t proud of his behavior. But she’d questioned his word then threw yesterday’s kiss at him as if she hadn’t enjoyed it. A man’s pride could only take so much.
He hadn’t counted on what kissing her again would do to him. He’d loved Jeanne, but he’d never felt with her what he felt with Kate—as if touching her was as vital as breathing.
He couldn’t feel this way about a woman. This woman. It opened the door to pain. He lost too much when he cared: his wife, his son, his mother, a brother.
And now his only child was at risk and all he could think of was making love to Kate when what he should be doing was finding the threat to his family, Kate’s window, and someone to bear his children.
Someone other than Kate.
***
Thank God for the stupid feast. Kate hadn’t been able to concentrate on much of anything since their little wall incident and Alex’s subsequent rejection.
How could he? He’d come; she knew he had. But what man says “damn” afterwards?
Only the two she’d been with in the last eight years. Though, she hadn’t really been with Alex.
And now she definitely wouldn’t be. Her ego could only take so much.
She tore off a piece of warm crusty bread and slathered it in butter while platters of fish and fowl were laid before the sea of people in the hall. Wine and mead were passed continuously, the whole festive atmosphere making it easy for her to ignore Alex.
Through The Leaded Glass Page 9