Pushing back, she placed her hand on her hip and threw attitude, “And just what would you have done if I had told you?”
Grabbing her by her waist again, he crushed her to his chest. “I’d have ravished you before you left the house and then come out with you, so that I could have challenged any man who looked at you to a duel.” He paused, his brow crinkled, before amending, “Nope—that’s too civilized. I would have simply taken my sword to any man who dared to stare at your impressive…uh…assets.”
Hooting with laughter, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him once more. “Spoken like a true pirate!” She reached behind the counter and grabbed her purse and a shawl, which she wrapped around her shoulders, tying it in front.
As they made their way through the crowd, they stopped at the Methodist Church’s tent to buy fish and chip baskets, then over to the Elementary School’s tent to buy sodas. On their way over to the picnic area, Gareth stopped at the American Legion Auxiliary’s bake sale tent and added a bag of cookies to their bounty.
Katelyn glanced dubiously at their lunch as they sat down and said, “If I eat all of this, then I’ll pop my corset!”
Eyeing her costume once more, Gareth shook his head. “If you think you’re about to pop, let me know so I can get you home first—then you can pop whatever you want!”
Throwing her head back in peals of laughter, she missed the stares of friends and family sitting around, all with smiles on their faces and shared pleased glances.
“So, tell me about the pirates in this area,” Gareth asked. “We didn’t learn too much about them growing up in West Virginia.”
Sitting on lawn chairs and blankets on the town’s beach, the large crowd waited for the fireworks show over the water to begin. Katelyn now draped a heavy cape over her shoulders to keep the chill night air at bay. She snuggled closer to him and he obliged by pulling her in tight. Most of their friends and families had staked a claim to a large section, smiling and waving at the others from town.
Katelyn, grinning at Gareth’s interest, said, “The pirates in the 17th century found that this area was a natural hiding place for the growing colonies. Ships would enter the bay and be surprised by the pirates that would sail out, easily capturing them. The Barrier Islands on the other side of the Eastern Shore were perfect for keeping an eye on ships going up and down the Atlantic coast, and this area was perfect for their attacks on the bay.”
Twisting around to face him, she continued, “In fact, Blackbeard would hang out in the Baytown Harbor—though of course there wasn’t a Baytown back then—and scuttle many ships trying to get up the James River to Williamsburg, which was the capital at that time.”
Gareth chuckled, saying, “I had no idea you were such a trove of pirate knowledge.”
The others around began pitching in with their own pirate tales, the group filling the night with stories and laughter. He looked around, recognizing the townspeople, whether from friends, his business, or from the American Legion. Home…this is what it means to be home. The warmth of his thoughts slid over him and he leaned over, kissing Katelyn’s cheek as the cool breeze blew in.
“Supposedly, Blackbeard’s crew had developed such a taste for Madeira, a Spanish wine, that they attacked a ship right out here,” Jillian pointed to the harbor next to them, “and they only took all the wine before scuttling the ship.”
“Can you blame them?” Tori laughed. “I love Madeira!”
Aiden, plopping down on a blanket, added, “The first piracy happened in the mid-1600’s. Some Maryland plantation owner in the area sent one of his minions to capture a small boat owned by a Virginian. That sparked the next two hundred years of pirates on the bay.”
“Damn, brother,” Katelyn called out. “When did you get so smart?”
“Hey, I’m not just another pretty face!” Aiden quipped, as Brogan threw a wadded-up paper napkin at him, and the others laughed.
“I had no idea there was this much about real pirates,” Gareth admitted.
“Lots of them dealt with the colonists,” Zac threw out, tossing his beer can into the trash bag. “They’d steal from ships and sell the good to the colonists, who were just as glad to get non-taxed items. Kinda like another way to stick-it-to England.”
“I remember learning in school that real pirate life was not nearly as glamorous as the movies made it out to be. The vessels were dank and moldy, disease and injuries were prevalent and then, when they landed, they faced death,” Mitch added. “Plus, a lot of their time was boring…just lying in wait for a ship to come by. Not really planning too much, but waiting for the right opportunity.”
Mitch’s words rolled around in Gareth’s head, tickling an idea, but then the fireworks began and he was enraptured with Katelyn’s laughter as she clapped in glee. Realizing he had never seen this side of her, he smiled, tucking her in closer. The two shared a smile as they were wrapped up in the bright flashes over the bay, creating their own celebration, and missing the knowing smiles from the others in their group.
The soft light coming from the bathroom illuminated the bedroom, casting a glow on Katelyn standing in the middle of the floor, her shawl abandoned, leaving her in her enticing wench costume.
Gareth placed his hands on the elastic neckline and gently pulled the material off her shoulders, baring the pale skin below. Kissing her neck, he moved his lips down over her collarbone, sucking gently on her pulse-point, before moving lower.
Dropping her head back, she offered herself to him, relishing in the feel of his warm lips trailing over her body, tingles shooting through her. Holding onto his shoulders, she leaned back further, allowing him more access.
He slipped the soft, cotton blouse lower, her nipples dark against her pale breasts in the moonlight. His lips continued to follow his hands as he kissed a path until latching his lips over one nipple, sucking it deeply into his mouth.
He felt, as well as heard, her moan as it vibrated deep in her chest. Bringing her head forward, she clutched him tighter as his lips alternated their magic between her breasts.
“I’ve never been ravaged before,” she said.
His hand moved to her belted corset and he mumbled, “How the hell can I ravage you if I can’t figure out how to get the outfit off?”
She giggled as her fingers deftly untied the laces, allowing the wide material cinching her waist to fall to the floor. “I think a real pirate would have just ripped it off,” she said, “but I’m glad you didn’t. It’s my only wench costume and I’ll need it next year.”
Hooking his thumbs in the elastic waist of the skirt, he easily slid it over her hips, discovering the blouse went to the floor as well. “The skirt was over a dress?” he mumbled against her breasts, as his kisses continued and he pushed the material to the floor as well.
“It’s a chemise,” she explained, gasping as his lips dropped lower. “Kinda like a blouse and a slip all in one—mmmmm.”
With a swift movement, Gareth scooped her up into his arms, depositing her gently onto the bed. He jerked his long-sleeve t-shirt over his head, dropping in into the pile on the floor. Making fast work of removing his pants, he soon loomed over her as he crawled onto the bed, straddling her thighs.
His hands skimmed her legs as he bent to continue the kisses from earlier, this time beginning with her tummy and moving upward over her breasts until latching onto her lips once more. He moved his knees to nudge her legs apart and she willingly allowed him access as she raised her feet against his ass.
His fingers dipped to her slick folds finding her ready for him. Unable to keep the grin from his face, she looked up at him questioningly.
“You’re ready for me,” he stated simply.
“For you? I’ve been ready since you first told me you wished we’d stayed home today so you could have your way with me!”
Lifting his eyebrows, he said, “You’ve been wet for me all day?”
Nodding, she replied, “Didn’t you notice me squirming earlier?”
“I thought you just couldn’t get comfortable on the beach blanket.”
Giggling, she said, “Well, that’s true, but it wasn’t due to the sand. It was because just seeing the way your eyes traveled over me made me hot…and wet…and ready!”
“Remind me to always ravish you with my eyes,” he muttered against her lips, as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. His fingers sunk into her waiting sex, mimicking the action of his tongue, both used to drive Katelyn wild.
She welcomed the heaviness of his body over hers, the weight warm and comforting. Shifting her legs apart further as he settled between her thighs, her body tingled in anticipation and she lifted her hips slightly as she pressed her core against him.
Plunging his swollen erection deep inside, her groans filled the night. Leaning her head up, she nipped his shoulder with her teeth, hearing his groans added to hers. Her core felt the friction as he reached places she was sure had never been breached before. His pelvis rubbed against her clit, the pressure building as she clung to his back, her fingernails digging into the thick muscles.
Gareth pushed up on his elbows as he watched her face at the exact moment her orgasm rocked her body and she bit her bottom lip, her eyes pinned on him. Heat crept from her stomach upward, a blush turning her cheeks rosy.
As she cried out his name, he roared through his orgasm, continuing to thrust until every drop was spent. Falling to the side, he engulfed her in his embrace, his body pressed close as their heartbeats slowed together.
Once rational thought returned, he stared down at her naked beauty, displayed in the moonlight, shaking his head ever so slightly. She leaned up on her elbows, her brow knitted.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Never thought I’d get so lucky,” he confessed. Seeing her still confused expression, he said, “If I think back hard enough I can remember the love between my parents, but after Dad died, things went all to hell. I never really thought much about love after that.”
She reached her hand up, cupping his jaw, running her fingers delicately over the rough stubble of his beard, keeping silent as he continued to speak.
“I spent so much time when I first came to Baytown just hoping to get the business up and running, that I never thought about dating. And I sure as hell never thought I had a chance with you.”
“Me? Why not?”
“Because you’re beautiful…smart…funny. You’re one of the Baytown Girls, someone everyone knows. And I’m just an outsider—”
“I noticed you right away,” she blurted, halting his words. “I saw you in the bar on one of the first days you were in town.” Blushing, she continued, “I never thought I could feel this way.”
“And here we are,” he muttered against her lips.
“And here we are,” she repeated, relishing his kiss.
Chapter Thirty
Lying in wait. Waiting for the right opportunity.
Gareth woke up the next morning, the words about the pirates filling his mind. He felt Katelyn move in his arms as she snuggled closer to him. He gazed at her dark, sexy, sleep-tousled hair flowing across the pillow, its silky tresses tickling his shoulder where her head rested. He fought the urge to run his fingers over her cheek, not wanting to wake her.
Shifting slightly, he continued to allow his mind to roam. Someone wanted Walter dead. A crime of passion probably would not have afforded someone the time to arrange for a boat, so we’ve gone on the assumption that it was planned, start to finish. But, what if someone was waiting for the right opportunity. The boat could be ready. The plan to dump the body at the golf course could have already been decided upon. If someone were patient, the timing would have presented itself. But who?
“Hey, you.”
Katelyn’s sleepy voice sounded, startling him out of his thoughts. Turning his head, he gazed into her eyes, his heart slipping further into love. “Hey, yourself.”
“You had such a pensive look on your face when I woke up.”
“I was just thinking about something said last night about pirates and was, for some crazy reason, thinking of how it might pertain to Walter’s death.”
Blinking several times, trying to focus on Gareth’s words as she came more fully awake, she puzzled, “Pirates and Walter’s death? What on earth does one have to do with the other?”
“Well, nothing really,” he chuckled, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. “But I thought about how the killer may have been ready to kill Walter for a while but was just lying in wait for the perfect opportunity.”
“So not a crime of passion and not completely planned either?”
“Yeah,” he sighed, realizing the idea did not get him closer to identifying the murderer.
Katelyn rolled over on her back, staring at the ceiling for a moment, her mind now turning over possibilities. “Who would be the one who might have a reason to kill Walter but not necessarily be in a hurry?”
She rolled her head to the side suddenly at the same time he turned toward her.
“Carrie!” she declared at the same time he said, “Cindy!”
Looking at each other, they laughed. Sitting up and pushing back against the headboard, Gareth said, “What if Cindy was tired of waiting to see if Walter was going to give more money to Carrie?”
“Yes, but killing him would leave them exposed if he hadn’t changed his will, which he hadn’t,” Katelyn argued. “But what if Carrie wanted him dead…not just for money…but for revenge?” She sat up as well, sitting cross-legged on the comforter, facing him.
“What’s her motive?”
Licking her lips as she stared out the window momentarily, she said, “Anger, instead of money. Maybe she’s pissed that he left her mother to begin with. Maybe Walter did know about her and didn’t want her back then.”
The two sat in pensive silence for a moment, before Katelyn flopped backward onto the comforter and growled, “There just aren’t enough clues! This is all speculative!”
Gareth grinned as he moved over her body. “Clues aren’t always so easy to find…you just have to keep looking.” Kissing her, he mumbled against her lips, “We’ve got to put the exploring to rest right now. We’ve got to get ready for the game.”
Moaning, she complained, “I’d rather stay in bed with you and keep searching.”
“Babe, if we stay in bed, looking for clues is not what we’d be doing!”
Laughing, she agreed as she rolled out from under him. “Okay, slave driver. I’ll fix some breakfast before we head to the ball field.”
An hour later, Katelyn yelled for one of the American Legion youth to run to the next base as the hit ball sailed to the backfield. Jumping up and down, she cheered the teenage girl on as several of the outfielders scrambled to get their gloves on the ball.
As the girl rounded the bases and crossed home plate, Katelyn grabbed her in a huge hug, hearing the cheers from the stands. As the game ended, she walked over to her friends sitting on the bleachers waiting for the next game.
“Congratulations,” Tori said. “Your kids are doing really well out there.”
“Thanks,” she replied, “I think it’s been really good for some of the older teen girls to help the younger ones. And Ginny’s a great coach.” Her eyes moved across the field, lingering on Gareth, as he worked with some of the boys on the sideline. Her brothers and most of the Baytown Boys were out in force today, all of them working with the youth leagues.
“So,” Jade nudged Katelyn from the side. “How are things with Gareth? You two looked really cozy last night on the beach.”
Smiling, Katelyn replied, “Good. Really good.”
“And no more guilt?” Jillian asked, arriving with a large cardboard box lid filled with coffees from her shop.
“Mmmmm,” Katelyn moaned in appreciation, sipping her coffee as she eyed her friend. “No guilt. Life has to move on and I’m now embracing that philosophy.”
Jillian leaned over and kissed Katelyn’s forehead. “You have no ide
a how happy that makes me,” she replied, sitting down on the bleachers. Lifting her face toward the field as she sipped her own coffee, she declared, “Now, where’re our men?”
After a few minutes, Belle piped up, “You know, every time I’m here, even though the Baytown Boys are now the coaches and not the players, I’m always taken back to high school days here on this field.”
Several others agreed, but Katelyn stayed silent, turning Belle’s words over in her mind as her eyes sought out Gareth, smiling and laughing with the others on the sidelines. Philip was my past…Gareth is my present…and I hope my future. With that thought in mind, she knew what she needed to do that afternoon. As the next game came to an end, Katelyn sought out Gareth and with a smile, said, “Are you going out with the guys?”
“I was…unless you needed me?”
Shaking her head, she slipped her arms around his waist and stood on her toes to touch her lips to his. “Well, I always need you, but you go on. I’ve got some things I need to clean out of my closets and I think I’ll spend the afternoon at that task.”
“You need any help?”
“Nah, I’ve got it. Come over whenever you’re done.”
With another quick kiss, they separated. Waving toward her friends, she hurried off to begin her task.
The unmoving air was stifling and a coat of dust covered everything. How long has it been since I’ve been up here?
From the looks of things, the answer was “too long”. Katelyn’s house included an attic but living alone she had rare use for the space. Several large, plastic storage totes stood in the center of the room, like sentinels guarding the space. Not wanting to get coated in dust herself, she brought a towel for sitting on and another one for wiping off the box lids.
Opening the first one, she peered inside, a slight smile curving her lips at the contents. She reached in, pulling out her—well, Philip’s—high school jacket, his football and baseball pins clipped to the front. Holding the material up to her nose, she wondered if it would still smell like him. Mostly, she was hit with just a scent of age, but as she buried her nose deeper into the inside lining, she caught a whiff of Philip’s aftershave. Grinning, she remembered when her brothers started wearing aftershave, hoping to catch the attention of girls.
Clues of the Heart: Baytown Boys Series Page 23