Wolf Island

by Cheryl Gorman

  “Abby, don’t you think that the incident the other night was the inspiration for the light you saw and the voice you heard? You probably were still half asleep when you woke up from your dream, and what you saw, or think you saw, was no more than a continuation of that dream. Your brain was still foggy, and you were upset.”

  Abby scowled at him and tightened the belt on her robe, much to Devlin’s disappointment. It had loosened and given him a fetching view of her dressed in a thin white nightgown. He looked at her, with her chin held high and her eyes sparkling. He wanted badly to smile. Actually, he wanted to grab her and twirl her around in his arms. She looked like herself again. But he knew if he so much as uttered a chuckle, she might slug him. He’d much rather she kissed him.

  Abby walked over to him and poked a finger in the middle of his chest. “Do you think I get up in the middle of the night and scream the house down for fun?”

  “What I think is that you have a vivid imagination.”

  She straightened and walked back to the fire. “I’m a teacher and a very logical and practical person.” She stood there shivering with righteous indignation. What a woman she was. If only he could tell her he believed her, that he knew beyond any doubt what she had seen and heard was real.

  Devlin stood up and moved to her side. He propped his foot on the hearth and rested a hand on the mantel. There was a small figurine sitting there, a shepherdess that had belonged to his mother. To have something to do with his hands other than gather Abby into his arms, he looked at the figure and stroked his finger over the woman’s placid face as he talked. “Did you ever think that perhaps you closed the window? And maybe the voice you thought you heard was actually the wind.”

  When she started to interrupt him, he laid his fingers lightly against her lips. “Hear me out. Please.”

  He stroked a hand over his mouth and cleared his throat. “You’ve been under a great deal of stress the last couple of days, since I told you about finding the rabbit in the library. And then there was your accident in the village.” He shuddered inwardly at the thought of what could have happened. “Having someone push you in front of a moving vehicle would rattle anyone.”

  “It wasn’t stress.”

  “I’m not finished. You experienced some sort of nightmare that you won’t talk about. With everything that’s happened, I’m sure you just imagined the light and the weird voice.”

  Devlin turned his head and looked at her. He wanted to hold her. He needed to hold her.

  Suddenly, all the reasons why he shouldn’t fled his mind.

  What harm could a hug do? He didn’t want her to go to bed thinking he’d deliberately set out to frighten her. Would her misconception make her leave Wolf Island ... and him? Did he really want her to? He wanted her to be safe, but she’d brought a light of happiness into his life that he’d never known before.

  Devlin slipped his arm from the mantel and moved toward her. She stood her ground, though wariness crept into her eyes. The closer he moved, the warier her expression became. She dropped her arms to her sides.

  “What are you doing?”

  He smiled. “I’m going to hold you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you need a hug.” Because I need it.

  “How do you know what I need? You didn’t believe a word I just said.”

  Yes, he did. “Please, let me hold you for just a little while. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  Before she could argue with him anymore, Devlin stepped closer, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her against his body. He slid his hand around the back of her neck so that her head rested on his shoulder. In slow, lazy circles, Devlin moved his palm over her back and closed his eyes.

  Something nudged him in the dark corners of his heart. A sigh, a spiritual breath that poked at the barriers he’d erected. It shoved and prodded, urging him to open his heart a little bit more. He fought, and fought hard. He knew he should let her go, but he couldn’t.

  A narrow ray of light shone into a shadowy area of his soul and pushed away some of the sadness, the loneliness, the pain that infused him. It was a small part, but he couldn’t help but wish and hope that this new feeling was only a beginning. Could this mean that someday, somehow, he might be able to give his love to a woman who would give him her love in return? And not just any woman. Abby.

  Her arms wrapped around his waist, and her hands clutched at his shirt as if her life depended on her holding on to him.

  As if he might save her life.

  The truth resounded in his brain. Could Abby be saving his?

  No, he couldn’t believe that it might be true. The small bubble of happiness that Abby had brought into his life since her arrival might burst, and then where would his heart be? Could the woman he wished to become a part of his life be Abby? Hell, he needed to blow off any dream he had of making something solid and lasting between them. He couldn’t allow himself to hope.

  Devlin pulled back from her, gently grazed her cheek with his fingers, then gathered her close again. When his lips touched hers, desire flooded through him. Her lips were so pliant, so giving. She held nothing back. Oh, how he wanted to make love to her, but tonight wasn’t the time. He knew that he would before she left Morgan’s Keep. He would lie with the woman who had forced him to care, to begin to hope that he might have a real life.

  Her lips parted under his, and he stroked his tongue inside her mouth. She moaned at the intimate intrusion, and his heart tumbled. So sweet, so loving. She would be a wonder in bed, and he intended to have her. Soon, very soon. He kissed her, loosened the belt on her robe, and pushed it aside to give him access to her. He stroked his hand over her collarbone, down to her breast.

  Devlin rubbed his thumb over the distended nipple, then used the palm of his hand to repeat the action. He trailed kisses from her mouth, over her jaw and neck, down to her chest. Gently, he lowered the strap of her nightgown and bared one breast to his eyes. He lowered his mouth and licked.

  Abby tilted her head back, and her breath grew ragged. He took her fully into his mouth and suckled until a shudder ripped from her throat. He was so hard, it was painful. He wanted to take her, take her now, and he would if he didn’t stop. Reluctantly, Devlin removed his mouth from her breast and adjusted the strap of her nightgown, covering her flesh from his view.

  “What’s the matter? Why did you stop?” Her eyes were hazy with arousal. He drew the edges of her robe together and tied the belt. “If I stay a moment longer, I’ll make love to you, and I don’t think either of us is ready for that.”

  He tried to step around her, but she blocked his path. Abby laid her hand against his left cheek. “I’m ready, Dev. I don’t think you are.”

  Dev turned his head and gave her a quick kiss on the soft inner skin of her wrist. “Lock the door and keep it locked.” Once he stepped into the hall, he leaned against the panel and closed his eyes. No, he wasn’t ready. If truth be told, he was afraid, fearful to let his passions free. Would he lose control? Would the demons that drove Victor awaken while he and Abby made love?

  He knew he should force her to go back to England, where she would be safe, but how could he? She made him feel, she made him care, and he liked it.

  He was coming to life for the first time.

  When he heard the click of the lock on Abby’s bedroom door, he opened his eyes and headed toward his room. Wait a minute. He stopped in the middle of the hallway. What about the secret passageway? Protecting Abby for the rest of the night meant everything to him. He remembered an idea from his childhood and the many games of hide-and-seek he’d played in the castle’s hidden passages. After a quick trip downstairs to the kitchen, he placed several empty cans at intervals in the dark passageway, then settled into a chair with a blanket. If Victor tried to get to Abby, the cans would alert him, and he’d fight the bastard until one of them died. He switched off the flashlight and pulled the blanket around himself.

  · * * * *

  “
You’re studying me again.” Devlin’s quiet voice wafted over her like a gently breeze.

  Abby watched the waves wash onto the beach where they strolled. The nightmare of last night had faded with the dawn, and now the diffused light of another early evening spread over their heads. They had kicked off their shoes to go for a walk after sharing an intimate dinner, complete with sparkling wine in crystal glasses, on a soft woolen blanket while they watched the sun set. The sky was mostly clear, with only a few stray clouds as dusk deepened into night. “I’m sorry.”

  He stopped and tugged on her hand. A breeze ruffled his dark hair. “Don’t be. But this time I want you to tell me why.”

  Abby gazed up into his eyes. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but where should she begin?

  “Well?” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “How did you and Otis meet?”

  He smiled. “Is that really what you were thinking?”

  His hair gleamed under the sun’s rays. She wanted to touch the strands and see if they felt as soft as they looked. “To be honest, my head is filled with questions.”

  Devlin continued walking down the beach with Abby at his side. She heard an owl hoot into the encroaching darkness. The sound felt lonely, but for the first time in a long while, Abby didn’t feel alone.

  “We were in Desert Storm together,” Devlin told her. “One night I was injured in battle and Otis saved my life.”

  That would surely bind a person to another. Saving a person’s life wasn’t something to be taken lightly. And yet, there was more to their relationship than just gratitude. “Why didn’t Otis simply go home after the war? He told me that he paid for the trouble he got into earlier in his life.”

  Dev twined his fingers through hers and clasped their palms together. A tingle swept over her skin. “He needed a new beginning.”

  Why couldn’t Devlin see the good that was inside him and the many good deeds he had done in his life? Good deeds that had nothing to do with his father. “When you caught me snooping in your office the first night I was on the island, some of the papers had letterhead with a company called Morgan Research and Development on it.

  “I own the company.”

  She nodded. “I assumed as much. What sort of --” Before she could complete her sentence, he placed two fingers over her lips silencing her speech.

  “No more questions tonight. Okay?”

  They walked farther down the beach with only the sound of their feet swishing through the water, the quiet whisper of a salty breeze. Abby heard the owl again and watched it soar over the tops of the hemlock trees before disappearing into the darkness.

  “Who are you, Abby?” Devlin broke the silence and drew her attention away from the woods.

  His gentle question brought the words rushing into her throat and onto her tongue like the evening tide beginning to build at their feet. How could any woman refuse to tell him everything when the question held such kindness? “I’m a teacher from England who lives a simple, uncomplicated life. At least until Miranda disappeared and I came here to find her. Now things have been happening so fast I can barely keep up.”

  She stopped and looked at him. She knew his eyes were green but couldn’t really see their brilliant color in the dim light. Instead of seeing with her eyes, she saw with her heart. His were eyes she knew she wanted to look into for the rest of her life. But would Devlin’s past continue to keep them apart? Was there nothing she could do to break down the barriers of mistrust that stood between them?

  After a moment, a smile creased his sensual lips. “What subjects do you teach at school?”

  “Literature and art history.”

  He rubbed her palm with the pad of his thumb. Yearning quickened her pulse. Devlin stopped and moved closer to her until his body heat swirled over her skin, heating her from the top of her head down to her toes. He lifted her hand and bit into the soft pad of flesh at the base of her thumb. Abby sucked in a startled breath. “I bet you’re a wonderful teacher.”

  “Why do you say that?” For some reason, she just had to know.

  Devlin grazed the tips of his fingers over her neck. “Because you’re bright and intuitive. I’ve seen the expression on your face and in your eyes when the wheels are turning in that clever brain of yours.”

  Her first reaction was to downplay his compliment, but it was time she started speaking up for herself and voicing her opinion, no matter how conceited it may sound. “Thank you, Dev. I always thought I had a gift for teaching.”

  He leaned over and blew softly into her ear, then tugged on her earlobe with his teeth. Her knees nearly buckled. Should she resist and pull away from the erotic heat that suffused her breasts and between her legs? No, here was her chance to explore her sexuality.

  And why not? A beach with a handsome man and a moon on the rise was the perfect setting. Still unsure, but excited at the prospect, Abby wrapped her arm around Devlin’s waist and stepped in closer to him so that her breasts, stomach, and thighs touched him. She lifted her chin and stared into his eyes. To her delight, he trailed kisses over her cheek. She must be doing something right, after all.

  “What about your parents?” His voice was a tender whisper.

  She gasped when he nibbled the underside of her jaw. “I -- I, that is to say, my parents were -- oh, that feels good.” When he licked her neck, tasting her skin, a soft haze settled over her brain.

  That was the first time she’d ever told a man she liked what he was doing to her. She’d always let the man take the lead while she followed. Abby felt a little giddy with her newfound sexual boldness. “My father walked away when we were small. He couldn’t get a job, and the added burden of supporting a family was too much for him, I suppose. At least, that’s what I’ve always thought.”

  It was easier than believing he didn’t love us.

  “We lost Mum to cancer a few months ago. It’s been Miranda and me against the world for as long as I can remember, even when Mum was alive. She had a drinking problem ... among other things.”

  Devlin lifted his head and looked at her, but it was too dark to read his expression. He held her head gently between his big hands, then kissed her lightly, lovingly, on the eyelids. “I’m sorry.”

  Those softly murmured words from his lips meant more to her at that moment than all of the flowers, cards, and letters of condolence that she’d received at the time of her mother’s death. His words somehow soothed her grief and loneliness.

  “Was she ill a long time?”

  She had never talked about it with anyone, not even Miranda. She held all her feelings inside. There were a few friends who wanted to hear how she felt or who lent a shoulder for her to cry on, but she’d always been the one to carry the burden, to shoulder the responsibility.

  She never thought that anything could be handled properly by anyone except herself. After all, she had practically raised Miranda because her mother worked all the time, when she wasn’t drinking or running around with a variety of different men. But now, here was a man with big shoulders, a man asking her to tell him her feelings. How could she say no? “Yes. Toward the end, she -- she remembered Miranda, but she didn’t remember me. That was the hardest part of all.”

  A burden, a sorrow so deep she thought it would never lessen, lifted at her confession. All it had taken was sharing her hurt with Devlin. A strong man, a fair man. A man who was wise, of that she had no doubt. He had become important to her, and she desperately needed to trust in his ability to comfort her, to soothe her. “Thank you, Dev.”

  He kissed her tenderly on the mouth. “For what?”

  She smiled, her heart much lighter, her soul freer. “I’ve never told anyone about what happened with my mother. Her not remembering me, I mean. Not even Miranda.”

  He started to kiss her again, and as much as she wanted him to, she turned her face away. “Dev, I want to know where my sister is. If I could just talk to her, I --”

  Devlin touched the sid
e of her cheek and shifted her face back to his. “Abby, trust me.” His soft voice and the way he looked deep into her eyes urged her to believe him. “Miranda is okay. You’ll be able to go to her soon ... I promise.”

  He gathered her close. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to get to me, but you have.” His breath felt warm and soft against her hair. “You’re such a slight little thing, and I’m so big and tall. I’m always afraid every time I touch you that I might hurt you.” He pulled out of her arms and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. “Abby, there are things about me you don’t know, things you can never know.”

  “But Dev, I’ve been wanting to --”

  “No, no more talk tonight. I need to kiss you, be with you.” He gathered her to him again, laid his mouth over hers, and slowly blew her mind with his kisses. A thick white fog rolled onto the beach and surrounded them. The mist felt comforting somehow, as it swirled in the air and blended with the sound of the increasing tide. Or was it the sound of passion and her needs climbing, grasping to the forefront? All she felt was Devlin. All she wanted was Devlin, his mouth, his hands, his arms. She wanted to feel him move inside her.

  Amidst the roar of her own desire in her ears, she heard the tinkling of chimes, very faint but there nonetheless. She and Dev broke apart at the same time. They turned and looked around at the undulating fog. Abby gripped Devlin’s arms, and he pulled her close to him.

  “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered next to her ear. “I’ll protect you.”

  His words brought a lump to her throat, and happiness swelled in her chest. She closed her eyes to stop the tears of joy from building. For the first time in her life, she felt as though she no longer stood alone against the world -- now someone stood beside her. The plume of silver mist continued to surround them, while the soft tinkle of chimes faded into the night.

  Abby touched Devlin’s face and gazed up into his eyes. “I’m not afraid. I don’t know why, exactly, but I’m not. Corinne told me the story about Alice and her lover. She said that Alice spent weeks after his boat was lost, shining her light and ringing the chimes, trying to find him.”