Her relaxing muscles suddenly clenched, and Nathan cursed, sucking air in between his teeth.
Nora winced. "I'm sorry, but that felt good. Did I hurt you?"
Nathan smiled tensely, "Yes, but it felt good."
Except he no longer touched her face.
Nora adjusted her hips, letting her body become fluid again.
"All right," she said.
Nathan had been staring at the headboard and flinched when she spoke. He looked down at her.
"All right?"
His voice was oddly squeaky.
"Yes. Nathan, are you going to be all right if we do this?"
"I'm afraid probably not."
And then he began to move. Not a lot. Just a little. Just enough to make her muscles compress again, but softer this time, as if her body were stroking him. The pain started once more, low and pulsating...blooming. Nathan was sweating above her with his jaw taut. She brought his mouth down to hers, easing away the strain. The feeling grew towards something, but what it was she did not know. She lifted her legs around his rocking hips, and the pain stabbed at her. She moaned against Nathan's mouth, urging him to move faster, to move her toward whatever it was that was crashing around inside of her just out of her reach.
And then it was there, and she ripped her mouth away from Nathan's to scream but nothing came out. She dug her nails into his back and hung onto him as he pounded into her. He stiffened and collapsed on top of her.
She stared at the ceiling as the delicious spasms continued to rock her body. She held onto Nathan as her heartbeat slowed with his.
She watched the candle send shadows dancing across the ceiling, and she said to those shadows, "I love you."
~
I love you.
Nathan had been almost asleep, but he had heard her just fine.
She loved him?
They had known each other for little more than a week, and she loved him?
But then why would he doubt it since he had just recently come to the same conclusion? Did people really fall in love in little more than a week? His father always said he fell in love with Jane in just a look, so perhaps a week was too long to fall in love. Maybe he was really lazy when it came to love.
Since his bones had most certainly just turned to water, he did not mind feeling lazy. But he was crushing Nora, so he reluctantly pulled himself off of her, which was more a chore than he thought as she clung to him, her grip unbelievably strong for a woman who had just been thoroughly loved. Maybe he had been lazy, but then Nora was a lot stronger than he ever gave her credit for. He really needed to change that.
He settled Nora against his side, her head falling into the hollow of his shoulder, one arm slung over his stomach. He thought he should reach down and find the sheet, but the strength necessary for such a move was not to be found, so he just lay where he was, enjoying the feeling of holding his wife.
And wondering if he should tell her how he felt as well.
But then there was that whole issue of telling a woman you loved her for the first time before, during, or after one made love to her that was always a little skeptical. Did anyone really believe such a statement in that situation even if one really meant it? Nathan believed Nora when she said it because Nora did not think in such complicated ways. She was simple and straightforward. She said what she was thinking, and she acted on what she was feeling. Had she not just seduced him? He smiled and tightened his arm around her.
The rain still beat against the windows while the clock still ticked in the hallway, and the candle flicked shadows around the room.
And he wanted to tell his wife that he loved her.
"Nora?"
Her breathing never faltered, and her heartbeat was a steady pulse against his side.
"Nora?"
He tilted his head and found her to be soundly asleep.
He sat up, carefully sliding her head to the pillow, and pulled up the sheets around her. He extinguished the candle and leaned back against the pillows, sitting against the headboard.
He watched his wife sleep and wondered how he was going to take care of her.
~
It was nearly dawn when Nathan pulled his wife toward him. He woke her slowly with a kiss. She hummed in her throat, and her arms came fiercely around him, startling him with their intensity. They were facing each other, and he slid into her, finding some resistance because she was not ready for him. But he moved against her, letting the friction of their bodies bring her fully awake. He ran his hand down her back to the cleft of her buttocks and relished the shudder that went through her before her eyes flew open to stare at him.
She smiled against his mouth and then pulled away.
"Good morning, Mr. Black."
"Good morning, Mrs. Black."
He cupped her buttocks to hold her more snuggly against him and increased his pace. Nora's eyes closed, and she purred.
Nathan felt his control slipping and pivoted to bring her beneath him. He reached down to where they were joined and stroked her sensitive nub. She shattered in his arms, and he followed on the wake of her orgasm, spilling his seed into her. He fell onto his back bringing her with him so that she draped across his chest, her head falling just below his chin. Her thighs fell on either side of his, and he kept his hands firmly on her buttocks to keep himself in her.
"Nora?" he said before she had a chance to really settle.
"Mmm?"
"I love you."
"I know," she mumbled against his throat.
He sat up. Nora grabbed at his shoulders as if to steady herself. He kept his hands firmly on her hips to keep her from squirming. He did not need distraction right now. Her hair had fallen over one side of her face, and she brushed it back to see him.
When he was sure she was paying attention, he said, "You know?"
She nodded. "You're not a man to seduce a woman such as myself unless he loved her."
"Seduce a woman? Excuse me, but I believe I was the one being seduced."
Nora thought a moment. "Well, perhaps, once. But you clearly started it every other time. And I know you wouldn't have done that if you didn't at least care. A little." She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug.
"I care a good deal more than a little," he said, his tone harsher than he intended.
Nora bit her lower lip, and he felt like a cad. But then he realized she was trying not to smile. He frowned at her. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, crushing her breasts against his chest, and he resolutely ignored how damn good it felt. They were having a serious conversation, and she was not going to distract him.
"I care a lot more than a little. I love you, and well, that's that."
He sounded like a fist rate idiot, but really how did one profess one's love to said love when said love was straddling one, naked, in a bed?
"I love you, too. Now is that settled?"
He leaned back a bit to get a really good look at her. "Yes, I suppose it is."
"All right, then we have something else we need to discuss."
He raised his eyebrows. "We do?"
"Yes."
"Right now?"
"I think the sooner we talk about it the better."
He felt a lick of fear work its way up his spine.
"What do we need to talk about?" he asked.
"Samuel."
"What about Samuel? I love him, too, in case you're worried-"
She shook her head. "I know that, and it's not about Samuel existing in our lives, it's Samuel as a thing."
"Samuel as a thing?"
Nora nodded. "Samuel is my son. Samuel was a result of..."
Nathan paled. "One time. You were pregnant after one time."
Nora nodded. "Yes, I was. And I might be inexperienced, but I'm fairly certain I know how this works, and I was just wondering if we should perhaps be a little more cautious."
Nathan started to nod but stopped. "Why?"
It was Nora's turn to back up. "Why?"
&
nbsp; "Why not? Why can't we have a baby?" Nathan asked.
"You want to have a baby?" Nora asked, her eyes wide.
"I want to have a baby with you," he corrected.
"Oh."
"You don't want to have a baby with me?"
Nora nodded furiously. "I do. I do want to have a baby with you, but," she looked down, pink staining her cheeks, "how are we going to take care of a baby?"
He brought his hand up to lift her chin. He wanted to be looking at her when he said this.
"I'll take care of us."
She shook her head again. "You can't, not all by yourself. I'll have to find a post now as it is, but with a baby-"
He covered her lips with his thumb. "My father. I'm going to ask my father for help." He felt his breath catch, but he forced air into his lungs.
Nora's lips parted under his thumb, and her eyes widened even more. "I didn't think you would do that," she finally whispered.
"For you and my family, I would." He forced more air into his lungs. He could not hold his breath waiting for her response since she had suddenly gone still in his lap. If he was going to wait for a reaction, he was going to have to breathe.
"Nora?" he prompted when she had remained still for longer than he had patience for.
"I love you," she whispered.
He nodded quickly, urging her to go on. She did not, so he answered with, "I love you, too."
She shook her head slowly, left and right, and whispered again, "I love you. I love you very much."
Nathan smiled, "And?"
"That's it."
"That's it?"
She nodded slowly, up and down. "You said that was it."
He nodded, mimicking her slow movement. "That is it."
He kissed her, pouring himself into it as she met him with the same force. He fell back against the pillows, her hair cascading around them. Nathan grabbed her arms and levered her back up away from him.
"Have you ever had the opportunity to ride a horse?" he asked.
"A horse?" She raised her eyebrow at him. He was getting to like that eyebrow.
"Yes, a horse."
"No, I haven't. Why?"
"I think you should learn." He adjusted her, settling her more tightly against him.
The look of confusion quickly disappeared from her face. "Oh."
"I think we should begin our first lesson right now."
"I think so, too," she agreed.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Nora hid the yawn with her hand and walked into the morning room to find a stranger helping himself to the eggs.
"Excuse me," she said pertly, lapsing back into housekeeper mode.
The man turned around.
And smiled.
"Good morning. You must be Nora. Mrs. Black lately, I hear." He set down his plate and came over to her. "I'm Matthew Thatcher. I pulled your husband out of that gaming hell a few nights back." He extended his hand.
Nora shook it firmly and nodded. "You're from the Colonies."
He laughed softly. "I'm American, you mean."
Nora nodded more quickly. "Oh, yes, of course. American. Feels strange to say that."
"It's even stranger correcting people." He smiled again and went back to his eggs.
Nora helped herself to tea and sat.
"So, Mr. Thatcher, what brings you to England?"
"Oh, you can just call me Thatcher. I needed a change of scenery." He piled even more food on his plate, which had Nora staring. Mr. Thatcher was quite a large man, probably the same size as Nathan, so he probably needed all that food. But that logical reasoning still did not stop Nora from staring. She caught herself, though, before Mr. Thatcher turned around to take a chair at the table.
"A change of scenery? You came all the way to London for a change of scenery?"
"Actually, I went to Dublin first, and then Glasgow, and then York and now I'm here." He raised his eyebrows briefly and settled into his food.
"Have you found London's scenery to be to your liking?"
He looked up at her. "I'm enjoying it right now."
"Watch it, Thatcher. She's mine."
Nora turned around in her chair to see her husband standing in the door with his fists on his hips, a furious expression on his face.
"Oh, please," she said under her breath and rose to fix Nathan a plate.
"What are you doing here, Thatcher?" Nathan asked, walking over to shake the man's hand and slap him rather hard on the back.
Nora set the plate down and pushed Nathan towards it. He would not budge and instead raised a single eyebrow at her. She knew that look and did not like what it meant.
"What?" she asked.
"You eat it," he said and pushed her into the chair with the plate of food before going to help himself at the sideboard.
She picked up her fork before she realized he was ordering her around and stopped to look at him.
He sat in the chair beside her and leaned over to discreetly pat her stomach under the table. She looked down where his hand briefly rested and then swung her gaze back to his. He smiled softly at her. She nodded and started eating.
"Your father asked me to come," Thatcher said from the other side of the table. "I hear your brother's run off, and his wife has followed him."
Nathan grunted as a response.
"Do you work for the War Office as well?" Nora asked.
Thatcher shook his head laughing. "God, no. Not technically anyway. I am what you would call a private detective, I suppose."
"I see. And what is it you privately detect?"
Thatcher thought a moment. "I'm not sure I should tell a woman."
Nathan raised his head from his food. "You can tell this woman."
He pointed at Nora with his fork.
"Tell this woman what?" Jane asked sailing through the door and heading straight for the food. She backtracked abruptly, and a huge smile bloomed on her face. "Thatcher!"
Thatcher stood. "Ma'am," he drawled before grabbing Jane in a crushing hug.
Nora forgot her fork was halfway to her mouth and stared.
When Thatcher finally let go of her, Jane fanned herself.
"You Americans," she mumbled.
"What's going on here?" Richard demanded.
Nora turned around again to look at the door. Richard was the exact image of his son moments before.
Nathan swallowed his food. "He's making the rounds, Father."
"I see." Richard stomped into the room. "Why don't you make the rounds somewhere else?" he said, coming to stand between Jane and Thatcher.
"But you invited me," Thatcher said.
"Oh, that's right. I did. My fault, then." Richard shrugged and slapped Thatcher on the back.
Nora started to become curious about this back slapping ritual these men types seemed to embrace.
"Mama?"
Nora turned to find Samuel tugging on her sleeve. She looked down at her son and immediately brought up her hand to brush the hair from his forehead.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
Nora's brow furrowed. "Wrong? Why would anything be wrong?"
"It is nearly eight o'clock, and you did not wake me," he said, his voice gravelly with sleep.
Nora wanted to laugh. She wanted to laugh very loudly so that everyone in London heard her.
"I don't have to wake you anymore, dear. You can wake yourself whenever you'd like."
Nathan leaned over her to put in, "But I'd advise waking early as the food in this house tends to disappear quickly." He nodded very seriously.
Samuel smiled and rubbed his eyes.
"Could I have some of the food then?" he asked.
"Absolutely." Nora went to rise, but Nathan stopped her.
"I'll get it," he said, standing up.
Nora helped her yawning son into a chair and felt a yawn coming on herself. She put her hand to her mouth to hide it, but Samuel was too quick.
"Mama, are you all right? You look sleepy."
Nora fe
lt heat rush to her cheeks. "Aren't I always sleepy?"
Samuel shook his head. "No, you always look tired. But now you look sleepy. There is a difference."
"Oh," Nora said, turning her attention back to the table to find everyone staring at her.
Nathan set a plate of food in front of Samuel more loudly than necessary, and everyone snapped back to themselves.
"So, how are you feeling this morning, Samuel?" Thatcher asked.
Samuel looked up from the food. "Fine, thank you, sir." He paused. "You are not English. I did not notice that the other night."
Thatcher smiled. "No, but then you were a tad distracted the other night."
"From where in the Colonies have you come?" Samuel asked.
"I'm from the southern states in America."
"States. That will never last," Richard murmured into his cup of tea.
"Why not?" Thatcher defended.
"You're already on your second form of government, and you're not even out of knee pants," Jane said.
Nora watched the conversation go back and forth and broke in. "What do you mean, second government?"
Thatcher smirked, shyly. "Well, the Articles of Confederation didn't work so well, so the people in charge over there got together and created a new government under a little piece of paper called the Constitution."
"They can do that?"
"Sure can. Power of the people and all that."
"Huh." Nora sat and thought a moment. "What happens if people you don't like are in power?"
"We vote them out," Thatcher said.
"We vote? Are you allowed to vote, Mr. Thatcher?"
"Currently, no. I don't own land over there right now, but if I did, sure. I could vote for anything and anybody."
"And people trust each other to make the right decision?"
Thatcher shrugged. "I guess so. It's been working all right so far."
Nathan reached for the teapot. "As fascinating as this talk about the attributes of democracy is, I think we should get down to business."
Nora nodded and looked at Richard. "What is the plan, sir?"
"The plan is for you to stop calling me sir and start calling me Father, and then we'll discuss the plan."
Nora felt a smile tugging at her mouth. "Alright...Father."
Richard smiled at her.
"Does that mean I'm supposed to call you Grandfather?" Samuel asked quietly.
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