by Sable Hunter
From deep in his throat, a low moan rose and he shuddered on top of her. But instead of separating their bodies, he rode her high, staying inside of her, undulating his hips and pressing against her clit. It was too much, she shattered; the orgasm that racked her body was stronger than any she’d known before. It set her whole body on fire, from the tip of her toes to the tip of her nipples. She cried out against his lips as she shook, screaming his name.
With a satisfied sigh, he settled on top of her, whispering in her ear, “I need to hold you now.”
Before she could protest, he picked her up yet again, leaving the playroom behind. He carried her back up to the living room, then on up to her bed, where he laid her down. “Be still.”
Harper didn’t know what he was doing, but she was too worn out to move. In a few moments, he returned with a wash cloth and he gently wiped all the residue of their lovemaking away.
“You don’t have to do that, I’m supposed to be submissive.”
“Shhh.” Revel kissed her lips. “You may need to be a slave in that room, but you’re my queen everywhere else.”
Now, what exactly was a girl supposed to say to that?
She knew the answer. “Sleep with me. Stay with me. This is your invitation.”
Revel felt his breath crash against his ribs. “I accept.” After a few moments in the bathroom, he curled up next to her. Sleep came swiftly to them both.
But deep in the night, Harper stirred. She was cradled in strong arms, lying on a big wide chest. Like a contented cat, she rubbed her cheek against him— and was surprised to feel dampness. Rising slightly, she gazed down at his face in the moonlight and saw something that broke her heart.
There were tears on his cheek.
Why? With a slow light touch, she gathered them up like precious jewels. She didn’t know what they meant, and Lord knows she didn’t have the courage to ask.
Harper couldn’t say if they were tears of unhappiness or tears of joy.
Did she even want to know?
* * *
When he awoke, Revel reached for her, but the other side of the bed was empty. He jerked upright and looked around, searching the room. It was empty too.
Rising, he used the bathroom, then went to the closet. Most of his clothes were there also, pushed to one side so she could have all the room she wanted. Jerking on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he made his way down the stairs. “Harper?” Just the fact that he could shout out her name with the good hope of having her answer was wonderful.
“In here!” Harper called from the sunroom.
She was nestled in a big wicker rocker in the room that was fast becoming her favorite in the house. In her lap were her grandmother’s letters and her diaries. Before dawn, she’d awoken, memories of the night before and questions about whether Revel regretted what they’d done had been too chaotic in her mind to go back to sleep. Needing coffee, she’d padded downstairs and made a cup in the Keurig pot Revel had added when he was modernizing the kitchen. The caffeine hadn’t done a great deal to quiet her thoughts. Not only did the question about Revel’s mindset worry her, but once she’d begun reading her grandmother’s writings to her, she wondered if she’d ever really known her family at all.
“There you are.” He bent to kiss her. “I missed you in the bed.”
She slipped a hand around his neck and held him close to her a few more moments than necessary. He smelled so good. “I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t want to wake you.” He sat down on a loveseat next to her chair. “Let me get you some coffee. Are you hungry?”
“In a minute.” A heron’s cry from the brush near the bayou caused them to look outside. Once he lifted and flew off, swooping down to catch a fish in the still dark waters, they turned their attention to one another again. “Let’s just sit together for a few minutes.”
There was a pregnant pause and Harper realized he was as reluctant to talk about last night as she was…oh well, someone had to start. “Revel, I want to thank you for what you did last night. I never expected—”
He rested his forearms on his knees, reaching for her hands. “Harper, you should expect things from me. This is what I would’ve done years ago if you had stayed and given me a chance. Being with you, however you need me—that’s what I want.”
She swallowed, turned her gaze back to the window. “You cried.”
Revel tightened his grip on her fingers. “Yes, I did. Men cry sometimes, Harper. This isn’t the first time I’ve cried over you.”
Harper felt a knot rise in her throat. “Did you hate it so much? What we did?”
Revel frowned. “No, I didn’t hate it.” He dry-scrubbed his face, seeming to search for words. “Was I nervous that I would hurt you? Yes. I told you how I was raised, how my father struck out at me. Well, he also hit my mother.”
“Stop. Stop.” Harper didn’t want to hear anymore.
“No, listen to me. I had a hard time reconciling that there was a difference. That’s why I studied and I trained. I watched videos and read books. I practiced with those whips until I could almost peel a damn grape without spilling a bit of juice.”
He looked so frustrated, Harper wanted to cry too. “And you were perfect. I’ve never been with someone better.”
‘Been with someone’, the phrase stole his breath. She’d ‘been with someone’ else. Harper belonged to him and she’d ‘been with someone’ else. “The tears I shed were ones of relief, because I could make you happy.” Revel went to her, squatting next to the chair. “I want to be the one who makes you happy, Bright Eyes—not anyone else.”
Harper hugged him. “You do make me happy. Last night was wonderful.” She pressed her head into his neck. “Can we do it again sometimes?”
Revel clasped the back of her head. “Yes, we can. Every time if you need it. Hell, every damn night if you want it. In case you didn’t notice, I enjoyed myself too.”
Conflicting feelings tugged at Harper’s heartstrings. What should she do? Could she get better? Doubt rose in her breast. Why wasn’t she good enough the way she was? “I guess we can play it by ear.” This sweet man in her arms deserved her very best. If she was going to give this relationship a chance, she needed to get her act together. “Maybe, I—”
Before she could finish, Revel released her. “Playing by ear is fine, as long as we play.” He smiled. “Now, what were you doing before I barged in?”
Harper was ashamed how she grabbed on to his question, putting off her impulse to suggest she take Revel up on his offer to arrange a session with Lucas. “I’m reading the things Clotille left for me.”
“Good. Anything you want to share?”
“I’ve really just started, there’s a lot more to go through, but what I’m reading now is a letter grandmother wrote just a few days before she died.” There were references to her father, but since she’d led Revel to believe Remy’s abuses were merely physical, she felt she could read it. There were really no specifics. “You might be able to help me understand what she was saying.” Before she began, she looked at Revel closely. Even this was hard. “It’s hard for me to talk about it, but since you’re from the area, I’m sure you know my mother killed my father before she shot herself.”
Revel saw a tinge of color tint her cheeks. “Yes, I’d heard rumors. But your family’s history is not my concern. Only you.” He knew how sensitive he was about his history, no child should be judged by their parent’s actions.
“Thank you.” She picked up the paper and scanned the words, then she began to read.
Dear Harper,
I would give everything I have if you’d come home.
She looked up at Revel, knowing what he was thinking. She’d hurt him and she’d hurt Clotille…and ultimately, she’d hurt herself.
I don’t know what happened, but I can promise you I wouldn’t interfere. Not a word. Lord knows, I’ve made mistakes in my life. There’s one in particular that I need to tell you. But it’s not something I want you to read in a l
etter. I want to tell you face-to-face. If you knew this, it would explain so much. The mistakes that we make have a lasting impact. Your mother is proof of that sad truth. I wish I’d realized how ill she was sooner. I should have taken you out of that home before any of their craziness harmed you. I apologize for that, and I claim responsibility. You were a child. You should have been protected. It’s a tragedy when a young girl has to fear the very people she should be able to count on.
“Fuck.” Revel cursed. Harper paused, a bit embarrassed. Just reading the words was hard, but owning that all of those things happened to her was more than she could handle.
“It’s okay,” she offered, not sure if she was aiming the sentiment at Revel or herself.
I won’t speak of what has occurred between you and Revel Jones. Only know this, I hope you two can reconcile at some point. You’re good for one another. So many times we let our differences be what keeps us apart, when we should value people for who they are—not something they can’t control like the color of our skin, who our family is or what we believe or need to be happy.
Harper, I know you won’t understand what I’m trying to tell you. But I promise, when we’re together again—and I pray it’s soon—I’ll tell you things I should have confessed long ago. The ghosts of our past seem to haunt us with more power as we grow older. Maybe they understand we’ll soon be joining them.
Until I see you again, please take care of yourself. I know you’re searching. I know you’re seeking answers with those who don’t cherish you. Just remember this, sometimes the answers we need are found in unexpected places and with unexpected people.
Come home, Harper. We need you.
I love you more than you’ll ever know,
Your grandmother,
Clotille Devereaux
When she finished, she was still, staring down at the paper.
“She loved you.” Revel observed solemnly. “So, you don’t know what she could be referring too, the mistake?”
“No, I don’t have any idea.” She took a sip of her now cold coffee. “Whatever it was, she was worrying about it. So, it must have been important.”
“Yes, and it seems to have some bearing on your mother.” Revel stood and looked out toward the bayou. “Harper, I am so sorry you went through what you did. If I could turn back time, I’d make sure the bastard never touched you.”
“You were young too, Revel. I was only seven.” She stepped up by him and nudged him companionably with her shoulder. “Maybe I’ll learn more when I read the rest of the things she left for me.”
“Yea, maybe.” He draped his arm across her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. “Would you like to go out on the bayou today?”
“In your houseboat?” She brightened.
“No, I thought I’d take you out in a little pirogue.” At her look of dismay, he laughed. “Yes, the houseboat. I was teasing you.”
“Save some teasing for the playroom.” Harper patted Revel on the bottom, then ran when he made a grab for her. “I’ll give you food as a peace offering.” She giggled.
Revel followed her, truly happy for the first time in a long time. A knock on the door drew his attention and when he answered it, he found two men in cowboy hats and boots who said they worked for Noah McCoy. “Harper, your things are here!”
“Great!” She glanced out the window and saw her car, then tore into the box while Revel gave directions to the men who were looking for a good breakfast. He also gave them enough money to buy their breakfast. “Look!” Harper called from the living room. “Here’s my wallet and all of my clothes. And my sketch pencils! Skye had everything washed and ironed. Bless her heart.”
“That was nice.” After she’d removed what she wanted, and sorted through the rest, Revel picked up the box. “I’ll take it up to the bedroom. You wait here.” When he returned, he found her staring out the window. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she shook her head, “I was just looking out at my car when I thought I saw a blue light. It’s cloudy, but it’s not dark. I don’t know what it was.”
Coming up behind her, he pulled her back against him. “I’ve seen lights in the swamp sometimes. Some blue, some white. They say it’s gas, but who knows?” Kissing her on the neck, he let his hands slide down her body. When her stomach growled, they both laughed. “Hey, you’re hungry! Earlier, you mentioned food. I want an omelet,” he suggested, “and I’ll help you cook, then we’ll pack a picnic lunch before we go on our boat trip.”
As they worked together side by side, Revel redefined foreplay for her. He cracked eggs with her cradled in front of him, his strong arms wrapped around her to reach the pottery bowl. Cutting up vegetables and cheese became a game of feeding one another the choicest morsel. By the time their meal was ready, Harper was already full, but she had a good time talking and teasing Revel while she fed him bites of buttered toast and forkfuls of fluffy omelet.
Harper was transported back to the days they were together that beautiful summer they’d shared. She was putting a jar of blackberry jam back in the French style refrigerator while Revel made them thick sandwiches filled with ham and Swiss cheese. “Can we still pick blackberries and dewberries near here? I’d love to pick some to make jelly and maybe a pie or two.”
The mention of homemade pie made Revel smile. “I’ll personally go with you and pick berries while you eat your little belly full.” He cuddled her close with one hand over her tummy and one cradling a full breast. “Let’s go out on the Teche. We can fish, sunbathe and if T-Rex is home, you can meet one of the strangest men on the bayou.”
* * *
Harper sat on the deck of the houseboat. Her feet were hanging over, her heels tapping the treated wood painted a dusky green. With her cane pole in the water, she stared at a red and white bobber bouncing on the surface. “If I catch one, you’ll have to take it off the hook.”
“I had to put the worm on for you. Am I going to have to eat the fish fillets for you too?”
Harper made a face at Revel. “You just try and I’ll…” She jumped when her line jerked—hard. “I’ve caught a shark!”
Revel grabbed her and the pole at the same time before she slid right off the edge and into the murky water. “Whoa, Bright Eyes.” He took the pole from her, gazing down into the bayou. “You don’t have a shark, but you do have a loggerhead turtle. Almost as big and twice as nasty.”
“Are you going to bring him on board? Is he good to eat?” Harper was asking questions as fast as she could think of them. “Is he the one that if he bites you he won’t turn loose till it thunders?”
“No, yes and yes,” Revel took a knife from his pocket and cut the line. “The hook will dissolve and he’ll live another fifty years.” He wiped his brow and pulled her pole from the water, laying it next to his. “Girl, you need to be more careful what you let on your line. You can’t just waste your bait. There’s plenty of good fish in these waters.”
“Well, maybe I should be trying to catch something besides fish,” she said in a sultry voice, leaning back on the deck.
When Revel turned to see what she was doing, he was almost struck dumb. She had one silky leg stretched out and the other bent at the knee. He could see right up her skirt, right to the lace covered mound. “You know, I wondered at the wisdom of wearing such a frilly outfit on a fishing trip. But now, I totally get it.”
“Oh, you’re fixing to get it all right,” Harper whispered in her sexiest Southern drawl. There was no doubt about it, she was in heat. Vanilla sex right now seemed to be her favorite flavor. “My only question,” she put a finger in her mouth and sucked on the tip end, “is how you want it.”
Yea, they were out in the bald open, anyone could come up on them. The Teche just wasn’t that far from several roadways. Only he didn’t care. The sexiest girl in the world wanted him, and he was about to deliver. Thinking fast, he rose and took two pillows from a couple of deck chairs and a blanket from a storage bin. Laying them down, he shucked h
is shorts and T-shirt. “Make yourself comfortable, Bright Eyes.”
His mouth watered when she skimmed the dress over her head, then lay there watching him with a hungry expression in her eyes. No playboy centerfold had ever looked so good. She held up her arms and beckoned him to her. “You’re too far awa—”
Before she could finish, he was on top of her with her mouth under his. She quaked, shifting so he could settle in the cradle of her hips. Holding on to his shoulders, she relished how he felt, his body hard, warm and strong—chasing bad memories and ghosts far away. “This is where I belong,” she said, wrapping herself around him. Catching her mouth with his, she readily responded, biting his lip, then sucking it into her mouth. When Harper felt him tremble in her arms, she smiled. Between them, nestled against her middle, she could feel him, thick and hard. Working a hand down, she closed her fingers around his dick, fondling and rubbing him.
Tearing his mouth from her, Revel moaned. “God, don’t do that, baby. We’ll be through before we get started.”
“I wouldn’t mind, I get off on exciting you beyond your endurance,” she admitted, her hand still busy, caressing and pumping his manhood. Just the idea of making him explode had her on the very edge. This big powerful man, her warrior, her protector wanted her enough to lose control.
Rolling to the side, he stilled her hand. “Not so fast, I have other plans.”
Pouting, she gave him one more squeeze and turned loose. “Better be good.”
He chuckled. “Roll over, let’s see how good I can make it.”