After the Midnight Hour

by Linda Randall Wisdom

  He shrugged. “You’re a ghost.” Rachel flinched at the harsh way he spoke the word. “You’re already dead, so you can’t die. You’ve looked like this for the past hundred plus years, and you’ll look just like this a hundred years from now. Maya will have one of my descendants to boss around. And you…” he paused “…you’ll stand there looking beautiful and defenseless, making another sucker fall for you. He’ll be a goner before he comes to realize that time will pass and he’ll grow old but you won’t. You’ll be the same as you are now and as you were all those years ago.”

  If his words were meant to draw blood, he made a direct hit. Her eyes suddenly snapped with purple flames.

  “Yes, I will look the same, and even then I will be a prisoner!” she retorted, waving a hand to encompass the room. “I’ll know nothing but what is inside this house. But in another hundred years who knows what will happen? Perhaps by then the house will no longer stand and I will not exist except as part of a legend.” Her voice trembled, but this time with anger and not fear. “Your descendants will have a chance to truly live. To feel, to experience everything life has to offer. While even then, I will only discover what is brought to me. So tell me, Jared Stryker, does that sound like an existence anyone would choose? Is that what you would want? Spending an eternity as a prisoner! An eternity as nothing more than a supernatural thing!” Her voice rose with her agitation.

  He walked toward her with the loose-hipped grace of a predator. The dark light in his eyes was a warning she was too angry to acknowledge.

  He caught her wrist and brought her up against him.

  “Funny, you don’t feel like a thing.” His whisper flowed across her skin with almost lethal overtones. Except Rachel didn’t feel threatened by him. Instead, she felt as if something wild and free had been released within her.

  She lifted her chin and looked him square in the eye and saw the hint of a smile on his lips.

  Everything about Jared screamed Danger! but she didn’t move a muscle. An instinct long-buried over the years told her that if she stood her ground, she would discover something new and thrilling.

  He lowered his face until his lips almost touched hers. She knew she only had to close that last small gap to feel them on hers, but she didn’t. She waited to see what he would do next. With his body so close to hers she felt the heat of his skin surround her. No matter how many years she existed after this night, she would never forget the warm musky scent of his skin.

  “I knew you were trouble the second I saw you,” he murmured.

  “You were badly beaten. You could not have known very much,” she dared to say.

  Was that glint in his eye approval for her standing up to him?

  She showed no fear when he raised his hand to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers.

  “You look real,” he muttered. “You feel real, so I don’t think I’ll wake up in the morning and discover all of this was some crazy dream. But if it is, I might as well take advantage of what I’ve got here right now.” He lowered his head that last scant distance and kissed her with a hunger he hadn’t displayed before.

  Rachel’s head spun at the onslaught of sensations that raced through her. She felt as if she’d been thrown into a volcano. She could only grip his arms and hang on.

  Jared raised his head. “Let’s see just how real you are.” He scooped her up into his arms and headed for the stairs. He didn’t take his eyes off her face as he ascended to the second floor. If he thought she might protest, he was in for a long wait.

  Rachel sensed she would find out just what she’d missed all those decades ago.

  Before, she’d only been in his bedroom in her daytime state. This time, she was carried over to his bed and lowered onto it. Her skirt billowed upward, showing a froth of lace-trimmed petticoats. The only light in the room was the moonlight streaming in through the window.

  Jared bent a knee, resting it on the mattress. “I’ve been curious to see what’s underneath that dress of yours.” He fingered the top button of those trailing down the bodice. He loosened it and moved to the second one.

  “Wait!” Rachel grabbed his hand, stopping him. Panic had taken over. “What if—” She suddenly felt as if she couldn’t breathe. “What if something terrible happens?”

  He kissed the corner of her lips. “And what if something doesn’t? I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, Rachel. You know that.” He kissed the other corner.

  Her fingers relaxed and dropped away. With each button released, her lace chemise was slowly revealed.

  “We need to talk about modern clothing, darlin’.” He eyed the bustle fastenings with male confusion. “No wonder you women had maids back then. It was the only way you could get undressed. Good thing zippers were invented.” He pressed another kiss against the hollow of her throat.

  Rachel still worried that lightning would strike or worse, but she showed Jared how to unfasten her bustle. He muttered curses at the wire used to create her bustle and her corset. More curses followed when he tried to unfasten her shoes with their dozen buttons. But with the loss of each item of clothing she felt lighter and strangely freer. She saw the dark glitter of desire in his eyes, which was much more than lust. More than the need for possession that Caleb had showed her. Jared didn’t want to possess her as a thing. He wanted her as a woman.

  “Silky skin,” he muttered against the hollow between her breasts. “You are so beautiful.”

  Rachel felt the same need to see him. Her fingers fumbled as she pulled at his T-shirt and wrestled with his jeans. He took pity on her and pulled off his boots and socks before shucking his jeans to reveal a very bare, very male body. She sat back on the bed in her chemise and petticoat, staring at him with wide-eyed, undisguised awe.

  Her mouth went dry at the sight of the hard, muscled body before her as her eyes traveled downward to where his skin was paler. His sex was heavy with an arousal she knew was for her. She gave in to temptation and leaned forward to press her hand against his chest. The wiry hairs prickled against her palm.

  “Perhaps you are the one who isn’t real,” she whispered, lifting her face. “It might be me waking up in the morning and discovering this is all some incredible dream.”

  Jared moved back onto the bed and over her. “Then let’s make sure we make it a dream we’ll never forget.”

  She parted her lips for his invading tongue. He left her only long enough to pull her chemise over her head before he returned to kiss her with a raw hunger that couldn’t be denied. She was hazily aware of her petticoat sliding down her body and her stockings being rolled down her legs, with him kissing every inch of skin on the way.

  “By the time I get through there won’t be one bare inch of you I won’t know,” he murmured against the back of her knee.

  “I…” Rational thought disappeared as he nipped her inner thigh, then soothed the skin with his tongue. “Are…” She swallowed. “Why…” Now she suddenly found it hard to breathe as his mouth moved closer to the part of her that arched up under his seeking mouth. She looked down at the top of his head. “Is this right?” she finally managed to squeak, knowing she sounded as amazed as she felt.

  He looked up and grinned in that way that always turned her stomach upside down. “Trust me, darlin’, this is very right.” Then his mouth settled fully against her.

  Rachel’s own mouth widened in a shocked, then pleasurable, “Oh!” Any thought of dissuading him disappeared as her body responded. She seemed to be stretched so tight she thought she would snap in two. The heat that started at her center now radiated outward, and she felt as if flames were licking at her skin. She tried hard not to move against the seductive pressure of his tongue and teeth on her flesh, or cry out, but the need to do so was overpowering.

  “Come on, baby,” he whispered, nipping her tender skin. “It’s okay. Show me what you like. Tell me what you like.”

  “Everything!” she moaned, allowing her hips to rise up. “Don’t stop!”

>   He chuckled and obeyed.

  Rachel closed her eyes, thinking it would hold off the tightness coiling inside her, then opened them because she needed to see him. For a moment she was afraid she would be twisted up in that same coil.

  As if sensing her need for even more, Jared raised his head and moved up her body. His mouth came down on hers at the same time he drove into her. Rachel was so close to the edge that it took only two thrusts to push her over.

  She instantly spun out of control, the dictates of her body taking over completely. Jared arched upward, his own body convulsing before he collapsed on top of her, spent. Mindful of his weight on her, he rolled over onto his side but kept an arm around her, drawing her against him.

  It could have been minutes, it could have been hours before they each caught their breath.

  “If I didn’t know better I’d swear fireworks shot off around us,” Jared said once he’d regained his breath. His chest still rose and fell sharply.

  Now Rachel felt safe enough to close her eyes and savor the moment. She idly ran her hand down his chest, feeling the damp skin.

  “I think they did.” She couldn’t stop smiling. She had no idea it could be like this! Before, she had always thought the act degrading, somewhat painful and messy. Jared had changed her mind all the way around. In fact, she wouldn’t mind doing it again. Still smiling, she ran her hand lower.

  “Whoa, baby.” Jared laughed softly, grabbing hold of her wandering fingers. “With a hot little woman like you, a man needs some time to recover.”

  Rachel rolled over onto her stomach and lifted herself on her elbows. “I had no idea!” Her voice was filled with awe. “This was so wonderful.”

  His gaze centered on her breasts. Needing to do more than just look, he lifted his head to kiss a dark pink nipple, which instantly tightened at his touch.

  “I think I’ve wanted to do this since that first moment I saw you.”

  “You mean you wished this even when you thought I was trouble?” She arched an eyebrow.

  “Yep. I wanted to see those gorgeous eyes widen just for me.” He smirked. “And they did.”

  She shocked herself that she didn’t feel embarrassed at lying naked in bed with him. Then again, after what had happened, she decided lying naked here wasn’t all that shocking. “I thought if you took off my clothing I would disappear for good,” she said softly.

  He grinned. “Instead, I gave you a memorable night.” Jared stroked her midriff, wincing at the visible dents in her skin. “No more corset,” he insisted. “You’re so thin you could blow away. You don’t need one.” He tapped her open lips with his forefinger to quash her argument. “You’ll still be a lady even without it. In fact, I’m going to make sure you don’t have to worry about it again.” He carefully put her from him and rolled off the bed.

  Rachel sat up, holding the sheet against her chest. She watched him snatch up her corset from the floor and walk over to the open window.

  “This is outta here!” He tossed the corset out the window.

  “Jared!” She started to protest his actions, then burst out laughing as the corset seemed to bounce off an invisible wall and flew back to slap him in the face.

  “Damn thing can’t even be thrown out,” he muttered, dropping it back on the floor. “I don’t care. You’re not wearing it again,” he told her as he returned to the bed.

  “Yes, Jared,” she said meekly, but he noticed a spark in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.

  “Hot damn, I’ve created a monster.” He settled down next to her, gently pulling the sheet away. He bent down and dropped a kiss on one perky nipple.

  “Is that a good thing?”

  Jared tugged her back to him, enjoying the magical sensation of her soft, scented skin against him. “Trust me, it’s a very good thing.” As she molded herself to him, he realized he wanted to show her just what she meant to him.

  He reluctantly moved away and climbed out of bed once more. Walking over to his chest of drawers, he picked up her hairbrush, lying next to his wallet and keys. He resisted the urge to strut back to bed when he found her gaze centered on his nude body.

  Settling down among the covers once more, he placed Rachel in front of him, then slowly ran the brush through the long, heavy waves of her hair. Rachel closed her eyes and tipped her head back as he accompanied his brushing with kisses along the delicate line of her jaw and featherlight touches against the side of her breast.

  “Just like satin,” he murmured when he’d set the brush to one side, then draped the strands of hair over one shoulder so he could place a kiss on her skin. Not content with one, he trailed more along her shoulder and up the side of her neck to her ear.

  “Jared.” Her voice was a breathy sigh.

  “Hmm?”

  “No one has ever kissed me the way you do.”

  “Good,” he whispered, reaching around to cup one breast with his hand. His thumb teased the nipple with a pleasing, raspy touch.

  “Or done that.” She tipped her head back farther until it rested against his shoulder.

  “What about this?” His fingers traveled down to circle her belly button, then moved lower. A slight hitch in her breath sounded at the same time as he reached his objective. He smiled at the dampness that met his fingers. She was so responsive he felt humbled by the trust she offered him.

  She started to turn to him, but he quickly moved his hands to her waist to halt her. “This is all for you, darlin’,” he murmured in her ear. “Just relax and let yourself feel.” He dropped his hand back to her center, stroking the swollen petals.

  “How am I supposed to relax with what you are doing?” Her chest rose and fell faster, even as his strokes became slower and more languid. She shifted her hips in an attempt to intensify the sensation going on inside her. She blindly reached down to grasp his arms, her fingernails digging into his skin. With each stroke of his invading fingers, she felt the tension coil even tighter inside her. “Jared?” She gasped his name, unable to understand what she was feeling.

  “Just let yourself go, Rachel,” he whispered, not letting up as he found the nub that sent shock waves through her body. “Feel me.” As he stroked harder, his teeth gently sank into her earlobe.

  Rachel’s eyes flew open as she felt herself shatter into a million pieces. The sheer pleasure sent her flying, lost in myriad sensations.

  This time, when she turned, he didn’t hold her back. With a soft cry, she covered his face with kisses and settled herself on his lap, easily taking him inside her.

  Jared’s eyes glowed a deep golden-brown as he looked at Rachel, her features luminous with passion.

  He thrust upward, feeling her muscles tighten around him. In moments like this he felt as if they were truly one. He watched her eyes dilate, her skin glow and her lips part. Unable to resist, he leaned forward and kissed her deeply, his tongue thrusting inside. She moaned softly, seeming to melt into him.

  Jared gripped her hips, his movements faster as they raced to completion together. Rachel cried out his name at the same time he growled hers. When she collapsed against him, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair.

  He thought of the woman who’d come into his life in the craziest way imaginable and managed to change it in more ways than he could count. Now he couldn’t envision what it would be like without her. And he didn’t want to even consider how barren his life would have been if he had never known her.

  At that moment, he would have gladly given up his life if it meant Rachel could have a full existence.

  I love you. Since they were words he wasn’t used to saying, it was easier to speak them inside his head than to say them out loud. At the moment, he would continue to show her how much she meant to him.

  Jared was half-awake when the sky outside started to lighten. He heard Rachel utter a sleepy murmur of protest just before the pleasurable weight on his chest disappeared, as if removed by an invisible hand.

  The contentment
he’d felt disappeared right along with her.

  “Some morning we’re going to have breakfast together,” he murmured.

  He didn’t bother rolling over and going back to sleep. It just wasn’t the same now. He smiled as he smelled jasmine.

  “Good morning to you, too,” he whispered.

  It had definitely been a night to remember. The breathy sounds of her sighs when he’d thrust into her softness. The tightness of her center as it clenched around him. The way she’d wrapped her arms about him.

  If there was a dark spot in the night it was the awareness that dawn would come too soon.

  At one point, he’d climbed out of bed, picked up her corset and marched downstairs, throwing the offending garment into the trash and actually stomping it down into the trash basket with his foot.

  When he’d gotten up in the middle of the night, he’d tripped over the damn thing, lying on the floor by the bed. Rachel’s giggles had mingled with his muttered curses.

  He realized he would have stood on his head and done everything possible to keep her laughing like that. Instead, he’d returned to the bed and coaxed another, more physical, reaction from her.

  “You do not intend to sleep all day, do you?” Maya’s strident voice drifted up the stairs. “Your dog will eat your breakfast if you do not come down in five minutes!”

  Jared grinned when the scent of jasmine seemed to stroke his face.

  “Yeah, I know, she means well,” he muttered, climbing out of bed. “But we both know she’d feed the dog if I was thirty seconds past her deadline.”

  He looked around him, hoping to see even a trace of Rachel’s presence. All he had was the elusive scent.

  “Stay out of trouble, sweetheart. I’ll see you tonight.” He headed for the shower. He suddenly grinned as the scent seemed to follow him. “And no peeking!”

  Chapter 12

  He’d bought her a dress.

  The moment she materialized in her bedroom that night she saw a splash of dainty flowers on the bed.