“Soon as I got word you were coming, I notified Morgan’s staff. For now there’s a cook, a maid, and a butler all awaiting your arrival.”
“Thanks, Joe. I don’t plan to be occupying his dwelling for long.”
As long as it takes.
“I hired a carriage and the driver is yours ‘til you’re done with him.” Joe waved a thumb over his shoulder. “He’s over there. I’ll help with your luggage.”
“No need, Joe. I travel light. Since this is my ship, anything I require will be within shouting distance.”
“That’s mighty fine. Just let me know if I can help you with anything else, and I’ll take care of it.”
The driver held the carriage door while Giles climbed inside. Peddlers shouting their wares echoed through the open window. Arms crossed, he leaned back against the squabs. Once again his mind filled with visions of Alex; the way she looked when he left. He refused to dwell on her tears and concentrated instead on her beauty. Her large brown eyes with their tiny gold flecks. Her long blonde hair streaked with the sun’s glint. Her full, ripe lips desiring to be kissed. Before long, he lost himself to a world of fantasy.
The coach rocked and the door jerked open, alerting him he’d reached his destination. At the first stone step, the hulking oak door creaked. The servant, in full uniform, stiffened to attention.
“No need for formality, Charles. Glad to see you’re still here.”
“Welcome back, sir.”
“Thank you.”
“We have a new cook, sir. She likes for folks to call her Tilly.”
“As long as the woman can cook, I’ll call her anything she likes.” His stomach grumbled at the mention of food.
“I’ll let her know you’ve arrived.”
“As soon as I’ve changed, I’ll be down for dinner. Been a while since I’ve had any palatable food in my belly.”
“Very good, sir. You’ll find a bath waiting in your room.”
“God love you, Charles.”
Giles took the stairs two at a time in his hurry to change. He jerked his coat from his shoulders and tore the shirt from his back. Opening his trousers, he let them hang on his hips as he stepped to the boot jack to remove his boots. Once done, he strode to the large tub and tested the water.
He wondered if Charles could read minds. Perhaps he just knew how to please his lord. A nice hot bath pleased him, indeed. Anxious to plan his next move, thoughts raced in his head on how to approach Alex. He glanced at the steam rising from the claw-footed tub. He supposed there was no hurry. One more day would not make a difference in a three-year separation. He prayed his heart’s desire was still within his grasp.
Anticipation swirled through him. Trepidation followed close behind. Giles knew what he wanted. And he wanted Alex greatly. But did she want him? How much had she changed over the last few years? Did she still care for him? Would she turn him away?
He’d never intended for things to advance so far. One kiss to set the little minx back on her heels. But the urchin stirred to life a sensuality he didn’t know lay within him. And brought him out of a void in which he’d lived entirely too long. She’d given him her trust, her innocence. In return, he’d not only rejected her, but scraped her raw. He would never forget the look of betrayal in her eyes the last time he saw her.
By God. This was not helping at all, dwelling on dreams of what might have been.
After a night of tossing and turning, unable to come up with a plan that didn’t involve him losing his neck, he’d thrown the covers aside, ready to confront the day. Anxious to secure a horse, he found he could wait no longer. Now he tooled down the road at a fine clip, seated on a magnificent gray.
Nerves raced up and down his backbone.
For God’s sake.
He’d lived his life so close to the edge that he loomed on the verge of never coming back to a society of culture and elegance. The decisions he made, the life he chose—his comrades would never recognize the man who lacked confidence in his mission. They would laugh to find the sole cause of his shortcoming could be blamed on a mere woman.
Discarding those thoughts, Giles focused on the landscape, and recognized the familiar signs indicating the Carmichael Plantation.
Excitement pumped his blood.
Yet once again, doubt crept in to dampen his exhilaration. He’d been discreet in his questioning. Joe assured him Alex had not married. Giles considered many scenarios on how he would approach Alex without her interfering brothers pounding him into the ground. The threat at his supposed wedding did not go unheeded. He knew Kit meant his warning. Giles only hoped he found Alex before her brothers found him.
He’d been as anxious as a convicted man facing eternity in gaol. Imprisoned in a hell of his own making, he had no wish to be incarcerated, and even less to be shot. Self-preservation drove him. He had to find Alex.
As he rode on, he spotted a particular tree. Behind it lay the course to Alex’s hidden lagoon. On impulse, he followed the remembered signs of a trail. Anticipation stirred his pulse. He called on every ounce of his endurance not to kick his heels into the gelding’s sides and race like a madman to his quest.
Before long, he spied a single horse standing in a memorable copse of trees. Could it be? He’d recognize that black anywhere. Emotions threatened to overwhelm him. At long last he would see Alex again. He wondered if her hair was still as pale as the sun’s rays or had darkened to golden wheat. If her molasses eyes would glow in passion or flash in fury when she saw him.
If she were here, he had to make certain—before she left the lagoon—that she was his forever.
Stardust reared his head and snorted, settling down once recognition set in.
Giles tied his steed to a branch next to Stardust and quietly slipped through the brush to the paradise branded in his mind long ago. Water cascaded over slate shingles of gray rock, forming large ripples in the pool below. A colorful rainbow arched on one side, drawing his attention to the flowers blooming in full force at this time of the year. He recognized daffodils and gardenias, a kaleidoscope of flora. Spotting honeysuckle vines along the mossy bank, he inhaled their sweet fragrance. The hidden alcove’s splendor astounded him, as breathtaking as the first time he’d seen its magnificence.
A vision sprang to mind of his golden nymph, sunlight dancing through the trees, silken hair lying across his chest.
At a tiny movement just at the edge of his vision, the hair on the back of his neck tingled. Suddenly a splash of water told him he’d found his prize.
Arms raised, Alex surfaced, appearing as an enchanting mermaid luring a soon-to-be-shipwrecked sailor in a magical paradise. Golden hair clung to her jawline, curving over a bare shoulder. Breasts jiggled as she secured her footing.
His gaze greedily devoured the stunning creature before him.
Giles thought he’d armed himself. He thought he’d prepared for the sight of her. But no amount of assessment could calm his racing heart. He had not envisaged the slam of emotions her presence caused. His eyes caressed every lusciously naked inch of her body.
Her head flung back, she smoothed golden tresses from her radiant face. Translucent beads shining like diamonds sluiced over creamy skin and sultry curves. His body heated with longing. Crystal beads lingered on the slope of her breast. His hungry gaze followed the trail of aquatic silver to the nip of her waist and a hint of a well-toned satin buttock before disappearing into the lapping pool.
His wild American had blossomed into a beautiful woman. So very long it had been since he’d encountered such perfection.
How he yearned to touch her exquisite skin. Feel her hands on his body. His hand reached for the buttons on his shirt. Keeping his gaze on the precious treasure, he slid each one through its slot. Slowly he pulled the confining material from his back.
&
nbsp; The movement caught her notice.
Chestnut eyes, dark and alluring, shot up to meet his.
Awareness hummed between them.
Beyond the gold of the sun, the green of the grass; the blue of the sky reflecting over the ripples of water . . . her gaze was only for him.
His pulse pounded.
Several emotions crossed her face. Surprise. Hope. Awareness. The same forceful magnetism which held him enthralled seemed to have captured her as well.
He couldn’t help marveling at her beauty; a goddess nymph, luring him to her side. His gaze riveted on hers, he removed his clothing, fearing any moment this exquisite vision might disappear.
She stayed.
Her covetous gaze, drinking him in, gave him a surge of hope.
A gentle breeze wafted. Not enough to cool his skin, and certainly not enough to cool his ardor.
With honed stealth, he moved forward.
Chapter 27
The past three years blew away like ashes in the wind.
Giles’ dark, magnetic eyes drew her, held her in a trance-like grip. Alex couldn’t look away. The haunting image of her dreams stood proudly before her. She didn’t need to study him to remember how his gaze hungered—or how his mouth crinkled at the corners—or how his nostrils flared in the heat of his passion. He looked . . . God help her . . . he looked divine.
A world of memories and emotions swirled through her. A face she’d once trusted completely. She wanted to blink, but her eyes refused to close for fear he would vanish.
He didn’t look like the scoundrel who’d shattered her heart. She had vowed no man would ever hurt her again. Yet she could not resist Giles. A part of her she’d sworn never to acknowledge again, reared with excitement.
A shock of hair, black as night, hung over his brow. His eyes smoldered like charcoal embers, making her skin burn where his searing gaze touched. Thick curls covered a broad, muscular chest. She followed the trail of raven silk tapering downward.
Oh, dear Lord.
With every long, unhurried step, he drew nearer. Like a sleek panther stalking his prey, he held her immobile with his hypnotic stare.
Then he was there. So close. Within a hair’s breadth. The world faded away. Nothing else existed but the two of them.
His gaze lingered, as if he couldn’t believe she were real. One finger grazed her cheek and slid along her jaw to the corner of her mouth. An all-consuming sensation began just under her skin and streamed through every nerve in her body. His eyes seemed to glow, his touch lingering only a moment before he stroked down the side of her neck.
Her pulse throbbed.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
As though it were only yesterday, the longing he created in her could not be denied. He slipped his hands into her hair with such tenderness, a delicious shudder swept over her. She nearly cried at the raw yearning she read in his expression. Ever so slowly, he lowered his lips to brush her lids, her brow, the indentation at the side of her mouth with kisses as light as the fireflies frolicking at night.
When his lips finally pressed to hers, he took her mouth in a kiss that was as slow as it was deep. Liquid desire flowed in every cell of her body. He robbed her of breath.
“You’ve grown more devastatingly beautiful than I imagined.” The words rumbled against her mouth.
Dear God in Heaven.
Despite how he had wronged her, Giles’ touch ravaged her pride. She desired him. Only him. Alex twined her arms around his neck and curled her fingers through his hair. She’d missed him, wanted him for so long. Wrestling with intense need, desire ached in her belly.
His lips caressed hers in a lazy rhythm, as soul entrancing as their very first kiss. When she could no longer breathe, his mouth followed the same path as his thumb, over her cheek, her ear, and down the pulsing vein at her throat.
Blood pounded with each beat of her racing heart. Every nerve flamed with desire.
She sucked in a breath, overwhelmed with his essence; leather and the scent of Giles.
He bent, catching her thighs and lifting her high against his chest. Blazing eyes seared her, burned her with his yearning. Gentle arms cradled her as she curled into his warmth. With long strides, he carried her from the rippling pool to the solid earth where he lowered her to the soft bed of green grass.
His warmth encircled her in a protective cocoon. She was no longer virginal, yet she remained innocent. The only man she’d given herself to was Giles. Time had mended her despair, but love still lived in her heart. She willed the demon of doubt back to the shadows. She needed his touch, his strength.
“You are so damned beautiful.” He cupped her cheek. A finger traced her jaw. “I’ve hungered for you for three long and lonely years. I’ve dreamed countless nights of holding you in my arms.”
“Do not speak. Do not mention the past.” She stretched upward, tangling her fingers in his thick hair, stroking his nape. “We’re here, now.”
He sucked in a harsh breath, then claimed her lips with the voraciousness of a man who’d been denied far too long. A storm of ragged desire breeched the years they’d lost. This was an altered Giles. A man starved, possessed. She reveled in his passion, for hers matched his. She had never craved anything so deeply as his touch at this moment.
He trailed fiery kisses down her throat, across her fevered skin, licking droplets of water from the sensitive flesh at her collarbone. Her head fell back, giving his tongue access to the pulsing vein in her throat.
A hand on each side of her face, he once again stared into her eyes. Asking, begging . . . then their mouths crushed together again, their kisses flaming hotter as he gave her what her starving soul craved.
His knuckles grazed her ribs, shifted upward; caressed the underside of her breasts. He weighed their fullness, kneading, his thumb brushing her nipple to an aching peak. A quivering shudder ripped through her. Pressing into his palm, she begged for more.
His head lowered.
Wet, hot heat burned her rigid bud. Her lashes fluttered closed as she moaned and arched against him. He kissed and stroked with his tongue, then his lips closed over her nipple.
When he took the pebble between his teeth, desire coiled in her belly and a soft cry tore from her lips. He laved her with his tongue, soothing the bite, only making her ache more.
“God’s blood, Alex.” His hands spanned her waist while he nestled his face in the fullness of her breasts. Warm hands massaged and caressed her breasts urgently, then gently fondled as indescribable sensations swamped her. She pulled at his hair until he raised his head for another scorching kiss. His tongue probed and danced madly with hers. More, she kept thinking. I’ve missed you. I want you. I want more.
Tantalizing fingers drew circles over her bare hip, then twirled across her belly and down to her curls. Amazing, how his stimulating touch set her body on fire. Oh, he knew how to caress her. Where to stroke her. How to kindle her simmering fire into a roaring blaze.
When he cupped her, pressing his hand over her pulsing center, she sucked in a quick breath. His fingertips brushed against her warm female flesh, then flicked.
She jerked as fire burned her center. She held her breath, waiting for him to do it again. Thinking she would die if he did not. “Please.”
“Yes, my darling. I will give you what you want.” His hand against her tender opening, he speared a finger into her tight sheath. “So wet. So wet. God, Alex, I’ve missed you fiercely.”
Arching upward, she seated his finger more firmly. Another finger joined the first and he worked his magic, drawing gasps from her throat. His kiss hot and possessive, his tongue matched the rhythm of his thrusting fingers.
She clamped her legs together, a tightening of crazed need claiming her body. “Giles,” she begged him shamelessly.
He plundered, taking everything she had to give. Her pulse pounded in a wild rhythm. She gasped, clutched; buried her teeth in his shoulder. Her body soared, convulsing in a burst of pleasure.
When the earth stopped spinning, Alex opened her eyes. Giles gazed down at her with adoration. His hands skimmed lightly over her collarbone.
“Perfection.”
Happiness swamped her. This wonderful man, so adoring, so vehement in his attentions. She wanted to create a fierce need in him the way he’d generated such avid yearning in her.
She pressed her body to his, feeling the thick evidence of his need, twirling her fingers in the fine black silk spread across his chest. She ran her hands over granite muscles, trailed a path downward, and found velvet soft skin over hard steel.
His breathing turned to a hiss.
She explored his hardness, delighting in her feminine power over him. A ragged moan broke from his lips. His fingers skimmed over her breast and strummed the hard bud, causing her to grip his iron flesh firmly.
He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly against him. With a will of its own, her body moved in gentle undulation and she stroked his length faster. Suddenly, he jerked her hand away, bringing her fingers to his lips. His eyes were closed, his hand trembling.
A taut moment passed before his eyes opened. His hungry gaze seared her.
“With every pore of my body, I want to ravish you. Make you completely mine.”
“Then do it,” Alex whispered.
With a predatory growl, Giles crushed her against him and ground his lips on hers. Simmering embers kindled and a new fire burned to life as a heady sensation overtook her.
He slid a knee between her thighs while his large hand gripped her hair and gently tugged her head back, arching her neck up to him. Hot, open-mouthed kisses blazed down her throat. The scorching head of his passion brushed the quivering opening of her woman’s core, creating a red haze of desire. She arched against him, willing him on in her need for completion. He buried himself in her.
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