Kane (Alexander Shifter Brothers Book 1)

by Selina Coffey

  As she explored, the tension Carla felt between her legs increased. She knew that the feeling was caused by her husband, she’d felt it before, but had no idea it could grow so strong, so powerful, that her hips would react to his movements, that she’d want something but not know what it was she wanted. She quickly learned what she’d been after when Samuel took over and slid the gown from her body after he removed the rest of his own clothing. She needed his touch, the press of his fingers into her waist, the feel of his mouth on her breasts, and the feel of his hips between her own.

  She felt his hardness there, the part that made him a male though she had no idea what it was called, and knew where it had to go. The doctor had examined her enough that she was aware of where he wanted to put the rather large appendage, but was worried it would not fit. Then she remembered Chloe and knew it must have fit before so it must now. Carla thrust her hips into his own, asking him to ease the ache within her without a word, and held her breath as he moved to answer her request.

  Carla tensed as Samuel moved, but he eased her with a kiss to her lips, taking away any fear she may have felt. She rested her head against the pillow, looking up into Samuel’s eyes as he entered her body, sliding in slowly, carefully. She closed her eyes, concentrating on how it felt to be joined to her husband. As he began to move she felt her tension building again, a feeling of pleasure washing over her with each movement. She listened to his breathing and knew her own was just as ragged. She clutched at his arms, unable to stop the thrusting of her own hips as they moved up to meet his body, and began closing her eyes as a new incredible feeling filled her from their joined bodies, the feeling soon shooting out to make her back arch and her mind go blank. She had no idea what this was called but could see why people so enjoyed this act now.

  Her body calmed as Samuel’s seemed to surge, his cries growing louder as his hips moved faster and Carla joined Samuel again in the bliss he gave to her, hoping he now felt the same sensations and pleasure he was giving to her. Samuel must have been because he threw his head back with a shout and thrust into her sharply several times before his hips stilled, his hands holding him on trembling arms. She could feel his body spasm inside of her and knew when it eased.

  Samuel rested then, his tension gone but not wanting to crush Carla beneath him. When he regained his senses he moved off of his wife, clutching her to him. Carla kissed his neck and spoke to him as her fingers threaded their way through his chest hairs.

  “I love you, Samuel. I will love you for eternity if you’ll let me.” Carla whispered to him.

  “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, my dove, my peace, I only ever wanted your love. I will love you for eternity as well. And our little Chloe. Our little miracle. I will love you both for the rest of my life.” His words ended on a gentle snore and Carla smiled as she settled down to her first night in her husband’s arms. Well, the first night she remembered, at least.

  The next day, Samuel moved his family to the country estate that had been in his family for generations now. He wanted to remove her from any polite society members that might want to gawk at the child or her, now that she was healed, who could reveal the truth to her. She still did not know she’d been married previously and he’d refused all visitors, having the butler keep all of the mail for his inspection only.

  Samuel wrote to Carla’s family, informing them she was still too ill for visitors, and refused all invitations for the family. He was starting to feel guilty about his deception and wondered if he could keep up the lies but lived in fear that Carla would leave him and that their ideal life would end. Carla loved the country home and he hoped that would be enough to keep her from wondering why they had no visitors.

  One person refused to take Samuel’s avoidance anymore and decided to make her way to the estate, where her servants had learned the family had retired to. She arrived one morning when Samuel was out riding, hoping to see the child that could possibly be her grandchild. Beatrice had thought over past events and suspected that she may have been duped by Elizabeth Rogers. She knew herself that Carla had received no correspondence from the woman because she collected the mail each day, and knew that Carla had never been seen in public with the woman. Perhaps she’d been too hasty in throwing Carla out. She dismissed her guilt by reassuring herself she’d been distraught over her son’s death and felt the need to claim the child that could only possibly be his. Surely Henry had broken Carla enough, Beatrice herself had heard the young woman’s screams, that adultery would not have crossed his young wife’s mind?

  Determined to claim the child as a Debenham and take it home with her, Beatrice had travelled into the country to collect it. Beatrice wasn’t even sure if the child was a boy or a girl but at this point she did not care, she only wanted the child to fill her empty life. Stepping out of the vehicle, Beatrice walked up to the front door and opened it, not even bothering to knock.

  She walked around the house looking for the family, finally finding them as she walked into the sitting room. The large picture window revealed Carla on a blanket, playing with the baby on her lap, a nurse nearby on a white painted metal chair ready to take over should Carla grow tired. Samuel was not there, which should make taking the baby from Carla easier, Beatrice thought as she found a door to the back garden.

  Walking out to the family, Beatrice was unaware of the events surrounding Chloe’s birth and was confused when Carla, rather than showing fear, smiled and offered up a hello.

  “Hello, Carla, I’ve come to collect the child.” Beatrice spoke coldly and with assurance, barely glancing at the child.

  “Pardon me? Collect the child? Who do you think you are?” Carla asked as she gathered the baby to her.

  “I’m its grandmother and I’m here to take it home, that’s what its father would want, please don’t make a scene.” Beatrice was so certain the child was a Debenham she didn’t even bother to look at it.

  “You aren’t Chloe’s grandmother, I can assure you of that, her grandmother is dead, my husband can vouch for that. And you obviously aren’t my mother, I know that as well. So tell me again, why should I hand over my child to you? In fact, nurse, call a footman and have this lady removed from the property. She’s obviously unbalanced.” Carla turned back to the baby, setting her in her pram and making to move past the unbalanced woman in her garden. But the woman grabbed the pram, pulling back the cover to reveal little Chloe inside. The child was the spitting image of her father, from her delicate nose to her full lips, and Beatrice knew that Henry could not be this child’s father. Samuel must be!

  “You whore! How dare you try to pass this child off as a Debenham! I’m glad I kicked you out after Henry died now! You broke your marriage vows and betrayed him with his best friend. Have you no class, no breeding at all?” The woman was enraged and raised the umbrella she’d brought with her, knocking Carla over the head with it. Carla fell under the woman’s deranged wrath, and hit her head against a metal point on the chair, knocking herself senseless.

  She awoke moments later to see a footman escorting the woman while Samuel held his wife in his arms, carrying her up to the house. Unlike the last time she’d awoken from being unconscious she knew who her husband was, knew who he’d been all along, and knew that Samuel had lied to her. She could guess why he’d lied to her but his lies felt like a betrayal of her trust. She’d lost her freedom again and now he’d betrayed the unquestioning trust she’d given him. There was no going back from that.

  “Samuel, I’m fine, put me down, please.” Carla asked quietly.

  “No darling, I’m taking you to our room. Chloe is safe and Beatrice is being escorted home, you’re safe now.” Samuel said, placing a kiss on her head.

  “No! Put me down now!” Carla demanded. Samuel was confused about her angry tone but did as she demanded.

  “What did she say to you, my dove? It’s all lies, I promise you.” Samuel assured her.

  “No, no they weren’t lies. You see, dear husband, I can remember
it all now. Every last detail of my life has been revealed to me. Down to the very lies you told me. I understand why you did it, but you lied. Very big lies and I simply won’t have it. You have to go. You’ve betrayed me and the damage cannot be undone. You have to go.” The cold defeated look in her eyes told Samuel that all was lost and he quietly walked away, knowing that now was not the time to argue his case.

  Carla went to her room and cuddled her baby, the only good thing to come from the mess she’d made of her life. She’d only wanted to build a home for herself, some kind of security, and to end Henry’s torture and experiments meant to get her pregnant. Instead, she’d somehow turned her life into a shambles. It could not go on this way; she would live under no man’s thumb or with his lies. She could do this, with or without Samuel, and for now her choice was without.

  Chapter 4

  Carla panicked as Chloe’s skin grew redder and the heat coming from her tiny body increased. Samuel had been gone for two months, leaving quietly the night of Beatrice’s visit, and she had no idea who to call to help her. Chloe’s nurse had no more solutions to try and Carla knew her child was growing more ill by the hour. Carla sent the nurse for the nearest doctor and a note with a footman to Samuel.

  The doctor arrived, looked Chloe over and told him there was nothing he could do. The baby was going to die and she needed to prepare herself. The doctor then left, leaving Carla distraught and in tears. Carla cradled little Chloe to her stomach, knowing that within the confines of her body Chloe’s little brother or sister slept, and that she should have called Samuel back sooner.

  She’d decided to try again with her husband, realizing after she calmed down and spent some time alone that life with Samuel had been much different than life with Henry. Samuel’s gentleness, his desire to only make her happy was the exact opposite of Henry, who’d only ever seen Carla as a producer of children, not as a human being. She also realized she loved her husband dearly and that life without him was just plain not worth living. She’d written the letter, asking him to come back; she’d just not sent it yet. Now he’d come back but not know that she’d wanted him back anyway. And there may not be time for him to say goodbye to Chloe.

  Clutching the child even tighter to her body, Carla prayed that Samuel would show up in time to see their little butterfly on her way. Hoping it would cool Chloe’s frightfully hot skin, Carla immersed her child in cool water, even more frightened when Chloe did not react to the water’s chill. She bathed the child there, and slowly, she felt Chloe’s skin cooling but not much.

  Hearing a strange noise, Carla went over to the window, holding the baby, and saw what she assumed was one of the motorized wagons she’d read about but hadn’t seen yet. She saw Samuel and Dr. Weiss, and could barely contain herself as she awaited their approach. The vehicle moved quickly and they were soon at the door, and up the stairs.

  “Quickly, get her back into the water.” Dr. Weiss spoke, as he saw Chloe and the large basin Carla had been bathing her in. He prepared two separate medicines for Chloe with water Carla had prepared, and spoon fed the mixtures to the baby. Soon Chloe’s fever went down and her color began to return to normal. Dr. Weiss had been tense but as Chloe’s skin cooled even more he relaxed.

  “She should be fine now. I will stay with her for the next few days, if you can accommodate me that is, to give her the medicine, and in case the fever returns. Now, get some rest Mum, if I’m not mistaken you have another one on the way, and you’re going to need your strength after your last ordeal.” Dr. Weiss spoke to Carla gently, a hand tapping against one of Carla’s own.

  “How did you know?” Carla asked, looking over at Samuel who appeared to be in shock.

  “A doctor knows, now go, rest. And speak with your husband. I think you two have some things to discuss.” He spoke gently.

  Samuel followed Carla out of the room, his mouth moving but unable to form words as he was not exactly sure what he wanted to say to his wife first. Carla beat him to it and dragged him to their former bedroom, pulling his mouth down to hers as he shut the door. She pulled his clothes off, one piece at a time, not caring if buttons popped loose, she’d repair them later. She tore her own clothes off, giggling as lace wrenched free from cloth, and her hair pins fell all over the floor.

  Chloe was going to be fine, Samuel was here at last, and he was accepting her attentions. They could talk later! Carla moved her mouth from Samuel’s lips and pulled him to their bed. She hadn’t slept in here since he left but it had been kept clean. She fell back onto the bed, pulling her naked husband with her. There was no time for foreplay, no time for sweet words; she just needed life affirming confirmation that she was still alive, that he was still alive, that their baby was still alive lovemaking.

  Samuel entered her quickly and moved inside of her, over her, with the pent up passion and fear he’d felt over the last two months. He’d been desperate to come back to Carla but feared making matters worse. He’d stayed away and now his desperation to show her how he’d felt made him a little rough, a little clumsy, but she loved the way he touched her nevertheless because it was Samuel’s touch, it was Samuel’s kisses on her body. She moved with him, her hips thrusting up to meet his.

  Samuel’s hands roamed Carla’s body, crashing into hers as she explored his body just as frantically. She needed to know each part of him was still there, that nothing about him had changed. She also wanted to build his pleasure and touched all of the places that made him beg for more. She reached up to him, wrapping her legs around his waist as his movements within her became more frantic.

  Carla kissed Samuel, using her teeth to nibble at his lips, her tongue to implore him to open his own so that she could slide her tongue inside. She tasted the sweet taste of Samuel and loved him even more because his taste was so familiar, so wonderful, and so sensual. She wanted so much more of Samuel and her movements became erratic, not sure what she wanted and wanting everything at once.

  Samuel sensed Carla’s tension and knew what she needed. Carla giggled with joy when he rolled over, pulling Carla on top of him. She moved like a cat, stretching out languorously on top of him, and then sitting up to move her body in ways Samuel had never seen a woman move before. She pulled her hair on top of her head, her laughter filling the room with the sound of joy as her passion grew. Her moans replaced her laughter, and as ecstasy broke over her in waves, Carla’s moans turned to cries of pleasure, her hips continuing to move on top of Samuel, never for a moment forgetting to take her husband with her. Samuel joined her as he watched her breasts swaying and imagined the things he was going to do with them later. His own pleasured cries filled the room and the staff knew the master was home at last, hopefully to stay.

  Carla stayed on top of Samuel but moved her legs slightly to ease the cramp forming in her left leg. She spoke to her husband, hoping he’d give her the chance to say what was on her mind.

  “I want you to stay, Samuel, but I need you to let me say this.” She said.

  “Go on, my dove.” Samuel encouraged.

  “I wrote a letter to you but I haven’t sent it yet. I wanted to make sure it was right. Then Chloe grew ill and there was so little time. I was so afraid you weren’t going to make it and I realized what I’d stolen from you both, from you and our child. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if she’d…” Carla broke off, a sob closing her throat.

  Samuel kissed the top of her head, soothing Carla. “She’s fine darling. Go on.”

  “Well, I realized that I love you, that you’ve loved me this whole time, and though you lied you did it out of love. Which is still no excuse but it’s one I’ll forgive this time. But only this time. Oh darling, my life without you has been so empty! I need you in it, please, say you’ll come home!”

  “I would give everything I own to come back to you and Chloe, Carla, you don’t even have to ask. But I am concerned about this baby. It’s too late now but what if this makes you ill?” Samuel’s fear made his voice tremble.


  “We’ll have to face that darling. Hopefully Dr. Weiss will continue to be an innovative doctor and he’ll get us all through this. Not every birth is the same. Chloe’s birth was so hard because she was turned the wrong way, her legs came out first. This next baby may be easier, especially if it comes out head first. The child will move through my body easier. I’m worried too, but if we live our lives too worried to experience what life is actually about we’ll not be living at all. We’ll be hermits, lost to the world and sheltered away. We’re going to have a hard enough time with my own troubles marring our family life, let’s not bother with more worry than we have to, alright darling?” Carla asked, looking up at her husband with her love once again on full display.

  “We’ll take it day-by-day my love. I guess that’s how we’re going to have to take it. But I have faith in Dr. Weiss, in you, in us. We can get through this; we can get through it all. After all, nothing else matters in the end but you, me, and our children. Love is all that matters in the end and we have more love than most people in this world. And that’s all we really need.” Samuel whispered the last words to his wife as he brushed her hair from her face and kissed her once more, home at last, both of them free from their burdens to love each other at last.

  The End

  Part XIV

  Stepbrother Home

  Historical Romance

  About the Book

  After four years apart, Sarah and her step-brother Stephen are finally reunited when he comes back home from war with France. He thinks he knows what is going on in her life based on letters she sent every few weeks, only growing concerned when the letters suddenly stop. Only upon returning he finds out that Sarah is now called ‘Cinderella’ and is working as a maid in her own home. He wants to help her find a better life but can he go against his own family’s wishes on the subject? Can he stand up to them? Through it all, Stephen and Sarah fall in love, a kind of love that inevitably leads to them wanting to get married. Can these step-siblings be together, or will the world keep them apart because of convention? It all comes together after a shopping spree fit for a fairy godmother and a masquerade ball fit for a princess.