Atlanta

by Sara Orwig

  “I want you,” he whispered, raising his head, his voice husky. “When will Michael and Badru be back?”

  “Fortune, you can’t—”

  “When will they be back?” he demanded.

  “They’ve gone fishing, Fortune,” she said breathlessly as he leaned down to kiss her throat. She caught his chin and his good arm, trying to get his attention. “I won’t be the cause of your having a relapse—”

  “I’m going to have worse than a relapse if I don’t get to kiss you,” he said, turning his head to kiss her palm. She drew a deep breath, her nipples tightening as he looked down at her, his blue eyes darkening with desire. “Oh, Claire, I feel alive again. All those years I was only half alive until you came along. Thank God you took Michael because now I have you both!”

  “I love you,” she whispered, standing on tiptoe again to slide her arm around his neck and pull his head down to her. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she said, kissing him, then tracing his lower lip with her tongue. He groaned and pulled her against his good side. His hand slid to her buttons and fumbled with them. “Help me,” he said gruffly.

  She stepped back out of his reach, watching him as she reached up to untwist the top button and open her dress. Languidly she moved from button to button, unfastening the front of her bodice while he inhaled deeply and watched her. She could see his arousal, the hard bulge in his trousers as he reached down to unfasten his pants. She stopped what she was doing and caught his hand.

  “Let me do that.” She unfastened his pants: he wore nothing beneath them. Her breath caught as she freed his member. It was thick and ready, dark against his belly. She stroked him and he groaned, reaching for her buttons.

  “Claire, get this damned dress off before I rip it off.”

  She unfastened another button and wriggled, slipping it down over her hips. Standing in front of him, watching his reactions, she pulled off her chemise. She wasn’t wearing a corset, and she pushed away her underdrawers and her stockings, moving close to him.

  “Fortune, you can’t make love—”

  His arm slid around her waist, and he pulled her up hard against his side, his hand cupping her breast. It had been so long since he had made love to her, and she moaned softly, wanting him, her body straining toward him. Her breasts tingled, a hard bud pressing against his hand as he rubbed it with his palm. She clung to his neck, kissing him passionately, wanting his tongue deep in her mouth, wanting his hardness inside her, aching for him and knowing they would have to stop soon because of his injuries.

  And beneath it all ran a current of excitement, the secret that she could now share with him. And she wanted to wait until the moment was right, until his passion had cooled.

  He held her and moved with her, sitting on a chair and pulling her down on his lap, his legs going between hers and spreading hers.

  “Fortune,” she gasped, starting to protest because he could get hurt. Then she was lost as the velvety tip of his manhood touched her feminine folds. She gasped, closing her eyes, leaning forward to kiss him as he pulled her down, his hard member penetrating with a tantalizing slowness that set her afire and made her move her hips.

  “Fortune!” she cried again, clinging to him, lost to passion, feeling his thrusts as she moved wildly. His hand slid between her legs to rub the bud of her womanhood while she rose to a frenzied brink, and he leaned forward to take her breast in his mouth, his tongue flicking over her nipple.

  She was wild from sensations that rocked her, in ecstasy over his declaration of love, wanting to be one with him completely, heart and soul, to be bound in every way to him and have him bound in all ways to her.

  “Now, Fortune!” she cried, feeling his hips arch, his hands pushing her down on his hard shaft as he cried out.

  “Claire, love. My love!” He kissed her wildly as he bucked beneath her and she moved with him, feeling his body spill his hot seed. She fell against his good shoulder as they quieted, both bodies damp with perspiration, her arm wound around his neck.

  “I love you, Fortune O’Brien,” she whispered, turning to kiss his ear, her tongue flicking against it.

  He turned his head, his face so close to hers while he pushed long strands of her brown hair away from her face. “And I love you with all my heart, Claire. You’re a very special woman, and I intend to try to do everything I can to make you happy.”

  She stood up. “Fortune, this is shameless. If you’ve started bleeding again …”

  Grinning, he pulled her down on his lap. “Sometimes you worry about me too much. I noticed from the first that you were overprotective of Michael, and now I’m in for years of that.”

  “You’ll ignore it completely, as you just did,” she said, facing him. Their bodies were damp, a faint odor of lovemaking noticeable, and they were naked, yet as she looked into his eyes, all she could feel was joy and love and a feeling of completeness with him.

  “I have something to tell you. You would have known sooner, but you were so angry—” she said.

  “And I’m sorry that I was so angry, but I knew Wenger.”

  “Fortune, you’re going to be a father again.”

  He stared at her, his brows arching as his blue eyes seemed to pierce through her and his fingers tightened on her arm. “Claire! Oh, love—” He pulled her against his side and she heard him grunt, guessing the contact had hurt him. “My love, that’s grand. Oh, Claire, another baby! Our baby!” As he turned his head to kiss her, she saw tears in his eyes.

  Before she could say anything, he kissed her long and hard, a kiss of love and promise. He held her away from him. His brows came together in a frown, and she could see the fierceness in his expression.

  “You made that damned grueling ride and risked our baby, Claire. Dammit, don’t you ever again—”

  “You risked your life. I couldn’t have survived if something had happened to you or Michael,” she said, placing her fingers on his mouth and interrupting him. “I’ll not listen to lectures from you, Fortune O’Brien, when you didn’t take care of yourself either!”

  “We’ll talk about that some more when I’m well and have both hands free and can cope with you better,” he said. “How far along are you? How long have you known this?”

  She smiled at him, drawing her finger through the hair on his chest. “I’ve missed two monthlies now.”

  “Seven months from now.”

  “We’ll have to decide when we will tell Michael.”

  “I think he’ll be happy.”

  “I know he will,” Fortune said. “He’s already asked me about a little brother.”

  “Michael? He hasn’t asked me,” she said in surprise.

  “Maybe he felt I would do more about it,” Fortune said, grinning. He pulled her to him and hugged her. “Oh, love, I’m so happy. The happiest I’ve been in my life!”

  She knew that wasn’t necessarily so, but she loved hearing him say it. She turned her head to kiss him, finally standing up.

  “Now I’m going to wash and then I’ll bathe you—”

  “That sounds enticing,” he said, grinning and reaching for a cheroot. He placed it between his white teeth and picked up a match to light it. “Claire, where’s my brandy?”

  “I suppose in your satchel.”

  “Get it, because I want to celebrate.”

  “Will you please remember you’re trying to recuperate?” she said, looking at him striding across the room as casually as if he were fully dressed. His body was mending, his muscles flexing as he walked. “Claire, this is grand!”

  She smiled, overwhelmed by joy, still glorying in his declaration of love.

  “Fortune, we have a tub of water from the melted ice I ordered to try to cool you. I’m going to bathe,” she said. Stepping into it, she relished the coolness that was no longer icy, but room temperature. She sank down and he came back with two glasses and the bottle of brandy.

  Handing her a glass, he held his out. “Here’s to a woman with a mind of her own, m
y love and my wife.”

  “Oh, Fortune,” she said, reaching out to touch his thigh.

  He looked down at her. “I want to get in with you.”

  “No!” She stood up at once, splashing water on both of them and the floor. “No, you can’t. You might infect your wounds. You have to wait.”

  He caught her around her waist and took the cheroot from his mouth to kiss her hard, leaning back finally to smile at her. “It’ll be a wonderful marriage, Claire. I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.”

  “You already have made me happier than I ever dreamed possible.”

  “I’m going home and offer Alaric so damned much money to come to work at the mill that he’ll have to tell the army good-bye. He’s a damned good manager, and if he’ll come to work, I can spend more time with you.”

  “I’d like that. Maybe I can talk him into it.”

  “No, you don’t. He’s in love with you. You leave long talks with Alaric to me.”

  “Yes, sir, Colonel O’Brien!”

  “When our baby is old enough for christening, we’ll have all the family to the christening celebration. And then I’ll prevail upon one of my loving sisters-in-law and brothers to take Michael and the babe while we have the wedding trip you never had.”

  “I don’t need that, Fortune. We’ll be together.”

  “We’ll make it short, love, because I know you won’t want to leave a new baby long, but I want you to have a few days all to ourselves that you missed having after our wedding. Missed due to my blindness and stubbornness.”

  She laughed and kissed him gently. “I’ll agree about stubborn!” She wound her arm around his neck, feeling blissful.

  Chapter 26

  A year later at the altar of the church, Claire stood with Fortune as he handed their five-month-old infant to the minister. All the family stood beside them and Michael was between them. She noticed Fortune placing his hand on Michael’s shoulder, and she glanced at her handsome husband. He turned his head to wink at her.

  The minister sprinkled the baby’s head with water. “I christen thee Kieran Rafferty O’Brien,” he said in a deep voice. She looked at the tiny baby, who was sleeping through the ceremony, his dark lashes above his cheeks, black ringlets covering his head, and she smiled. They would have another son who resembled his father.

  The ceremony was soon over and they left for home to celebrate.

  As they poured into the house, Fortune rounded them up to go to the library for portraits by a photographer he had hired. She smoothed her pink moiré dress, a new diamond ring sparkling on her finger, a gift from Fortune. He looked dashing in his black coat and black cravat, a silk shirt with ruffles down the front. Michael was dressed like his father, and his gaze went constantly to his small brother.

  The minute the pictures finished, Michael stood in front of her. “May I hold him now?”

  She handed the sleeping baby to Michael. “Be very careful.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He moved to a chair to sit down while Chantal and Sophia and the children crowded around them. Sophia’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at Claire.

  “You and Chantal will have to tell me everything I need to do. I don’t know anything about babies.”

  “You will soon,” Caleb said, moving to her side to give her a squeeze.

  She smiled up at him, a lock of golden hair falling over her shoulder as she twisted around. Caleb brushed her lips with a kiss, and Claire remembered the first time she had been with Fortune’s family, and how she had yearned to have the same kind of loving marriage that his brothers and in-laws had. She looked across the room at him. He stood with a glass of brandy in hand while he talked to Rafferty and Alaric. He winked at her, and she felt a rush of warmth. Now she did have the same kind of marriage. She thought back over the past year and the attention Fortune had showered on her. Her days of living in small rooms, always fearful of men taking Michael from her, were becoming dim memories.

  Her gaze ran down the length of her husband, and she felt a longing to be in his arms. For the past week the house had been filled with his family, the brothers enjoying being together for the first time since her marriage to Fortune. She hadn’t had a chance to be alone with him, and there had been no loving nights because she had gone to bed long before he had.

  Fortune glanced at Claire again, his pulse jumping. She had blossomed in the past year, becoming even more beautiful. Her shiny brown hair was turned under across her shoulders and caught up with tiny combs on each side of her head. She wore a new diamond necklace and ring he had given her, and she laughed easily and often now, her joy giving him pleasure. Her dress was made from the rose silk material he had given her so long ago, and he knew she had waited for a special occasion to wear it. He wanted to be alone with her. He had spent the week with his family, but now he was looking forward to the week with Claire, the wedding trip that they’d never had.

  “She’s very beautiful. You’re a very lucky man,” Alaric said.

  Fortune turned to look at him. “Sorry?”

  Alaric and Rafferty laughed. “The man is in love with his wife,” Alaric said lightly. “I don’t think you’re part of our conversation, so you might as well go over and join her.”

  Fortune grinned, glancing at Rafe. “You were right so long ago.”

  “You’re a stubborn man, but I thought she might win you over.”

  “Thank God she did. I better find Cal and check with him.”

  “Don’t worry about Cal,” Rafe said. “He and Sophia and Darcy can’t wait to take care of Michael and Kieran.”

  “I hope I can pry Claire loose. She’s still uncertain about leaving Kieran for a week.”

  “He’ll be in good hands,” Rafe said.

  “Fortune, what have you heard about Trevor Wenger?” Alaric asked.

  “He went on to Europe and has put his foundry up for sale.”

  “That’s what I was told. It doesn’t look as if he’ll return to Atlanta. I’ve heard his house will go up for sale soon.”

  Fortune shrugged. “I’m going to find Cal, if you two will excuse me. And, Alaric, if there are problems at the mill, you know where to find me. But don’t disturb me unless the mill threatens to go under,” he added, grinning.

  “I wouldn’t think of it, but I envy you. You know I’ve always been in love with her.”

  “There are other beautiful women—”

  “But not any like the O’Brien women,” he said with a sigh, and Fortune laughed along with Rafe.

  He found Caleb talking to Darcy and placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Cal, I’m going to get Claire and go.”

  “We’ll take good care of Michael and Kieran. Sophia can’t wait to have Kieran for a week. Darcy and I will entertain Michael.”

  “I’m sure you will. You know where to find us if any problems arise.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll keep things running smoothly.”

  “Thanks. I’ll come do the same for you if you want.”

  Caleb laughed. “We had a wedding trip, but I might take you up on your offer someday.”

  “Take care, Darcy,” Fortune said, clapping his youngest brother on the back. “You better stop growing or you’ll have to duck to get through the doors.”

  Darcy grinned. “Michael is learning to carve in wood. I told him we’d have all week to work on something.”

  “Thank you both.” He glanced around, seeing Claire laughing at something Chantal said. He left his brothers, going to Claire’s side. “It’s time we get out of here.” She turned to him, her dark eyes sparkling as she nodded. “I want to talk to Michael.”

  He nodded and took her hand as they walked down the hall. “He was holding Kieran, but he left.” They stepped outside and found him playing with Daniella and Jared in the backyard.

  “Michael!” Claire called, watching him run toward them.

  “He’s getting taller,” Fortune observed. “He may be like Darcy and dwarf us all.”
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  He ran up to them. “Michael, we’re leaving now.”

  “Daniella and I are looking for gold.”

  “I don’t think you’re going to find any in our yard.”

  “We might,” he said cheerfully.

  Claire leaned down. “Kiss me good-bye.” He hugged her neck and kissed her cheek and she held him, smelling the clean, soapy scent on his skin, holding his slender body tightly. She released him and Fortune picked him up to hug him.

  “Be a good boy and take care of your little brother.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Michael!” Daniella called, running across the yard.

  Fortune set him down. “We’ll be back in a week, Michael.”

  “Yes, sir!” he called over his shoulder as he ran down the steps and jumped over the last four. “Good-bye!”

  “I don’t think we’re going to be missed,” Claire said dryly.

  “No. Now we’ll tell the others good-bye.”

  They said farewells to the brothers and then moved to Chantal and Sophia, who were hovering over Kieran. His dark eyes were open and he waved his fists in the air as Claire picked him up for one last hug. She felt a pang, hating to leave him but knowing that Sophia would take good care of him. In a week she would be back home with him.

  “Don’t worry. Chantal will be here for one more day, and then I’ll take very good care of him,” Sophia said.

  “I know you will,” Claire answered, glancing at her beautiful blond in-laws. She looked down at the precious baby in her arms, and love filled her. She kissed his soft cheek, talking to him. Fortune took him from her and held him, and she saw the look of love in his expression, hoping they had a little girl someday because Fortune was a wonderful father.

  Finally he turned to give Kieran to Sophia. “Now we’re going.”

  “Don’t worry. Everything will be all right. Caleb has promised me he’ll be right here. And Darcy will be with us,” Sophia reassured them, leaning forward to kiss Fortune’s cheek and then to hug Claire.

  Chantal hugged Claire and turned to brush Fortune’s cheek with a kiss. “I’m so happy for you and your beautiful family,” she said, smiling, her hand on Claire’s arm and a hand on Fortune’s. “Now go enjoy each other and don’t worry. We will take very good care of your house and your children.”