You Are Always on My Mind

by Sable Hunter

  “Good,” was the answer she groaned as he soothed his hand over her oil-slicked skin. “Open,” he commanded until she widened her stance. “Perfect,” he hissed as he palmed her sex sensuously, rubbing it slowly, then giving the soft flesh a slap that made Harper jerk and gasp. “Want more?”

  “God, yes,” she begged.

  “Let’s try something new,” he said conversationally, returning to the cabinet. Harper followed him with her eyes and her heart pounded when she saw him select a blindfold and a paddle with holes drilled in it.

  “I can’t wait.” Harper trembled a bit. Just the sight of Revel striding toward her with those implements of pleasure made her weak.

  And he knew just what he was doing.

  Instead of coming to the front to tie the blindfold, he leaned over her from the rear, his body covering hers. She felt controlled, vulnerable and dominated. Harper loved it. After he’d tied the knot, he asked, “See anything?”

  “No,” she was deliciously helpless. Her whole body was anxious and waiting for…POP! The stinging smack landed on one tender cheek and she cried out. A second slap landed on the left side. POP! This time she groaned. Yes, it hurt…but it hurt so good. Her fingers grasped at the edge of the table and when his hand slid beneath her chest to pull and tweak at her nipples while the paddle struck her bottom and thighs, peppering pleasure and warming her skin, Harper’s whole body quivered. All of her worries and troubles faded in a luxurious cloud of erotica. Her pussy was so engorged, it throbbed. Cream trickled from her feminine folds, running down her thighs in milky white drops. There was no mortal way to hold back her orgasm. The crisis came from nothing more than his care of her and the fondling of her breasts. Harper moaned, every nerve ending detonating with white hot sparks of pleasure. This was exactly what she’d needed.

  Revel was so hard he ached, he’d been hard from the moment he carried her across this threshold. “I need you now.”

  “Take me.” Harper said the words almost like a challenge. Even though she’d just climaxed, the sight of all that thick maleness had her trembling. He was long, heavily veined, big enough she couldn’t reach around him. God, she needed him crammed deep inside of her. “Unfasten me, I need to touch.” He took the time to do as she asked, then stepped between her thighs, lifting her legs to coax them around his waist. Slowly—oh, so slowly—he pushed in. Immediately she tightened around his shaft, trapping him, trying to draw him in.

  Revel looked down to where they were joined. This was how it was meant to be. Flexing his hips to impale her, he threw his head back at the perfect sensation. She was soft where he was hard, her flesh gave to his pressure, accepting the flared head as he funneled himself into her tender opening.

  As he slid deeper, Harper closed her eyes almost dizzy with the pleasure. She lifted her hips, encouraging him to go faster—harder. Gliding in and out, he fucked her, her walls enclosing him in wet heat. The bench had no give but it groaned under the syncopated pressure. Revel was a big man and he packed a punch which she gladly absorbed. Her breaths were shorter and her flesh was flushed, a rosy glow spreading from her breasts to her cheek.

  The sight of her beneath him, her body quivering, her tits jiggling with every thrust made him want more and more of her. Needing to touch, he slid his palms up to cover her breasts, gently kneading them. He rocked against her and she clung to him, her body melting into his.

  “I need it hard, baby, please.” She touched his face.

  Powering into her, he gave her his cock over and over again, not breaking the erotic beat, building frictional heat. Revel could feel her body begin to shake. She was so hot—so wet—raising her hips to meet his strokes. Moaning, thrashing her head from side to side, her teeth raking her lower lip. She was clawing at his skin and Revel knew he’d bear her mark with pride. Slipping his arm beneath her, he clasped her close as he shortened and sharpened the jabs he was making into her feminine channel. “Come on, Harper, fly for me.”

  With a whimpering cry, she arched, slamming up against him, her ankles locking around his hips. She ground against him, riding his pubic bone until she froze and convulsed in his arms. Only then did he surrender to the pleasure, emptying himself inside of her, joining them together. Consummation. As far as he was concerned, they were bound for eternity.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Harper opened her eyes, something had startled her from sleep. She lay there for a second, becoming aware of Revel’s even breathing beneath her cheek. He had one arm wrapped around her as she lay half-on/half-off his big body. Tilting her head, she looked up into the darkness, intent on listening. And then she heard it—the lonely cry of an infant. She eased away from Revel, careful not to disturb his slumber. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she stood, standing slowly, waiting to hear the noise again.

  The shadows obscured the room, but she found her robe lying at the end of the bed. Slipping it on, she had just pulled her hair from beneath the collar when the plaintive wail sounded once more. Strangely, this time it seemed to come from outside. Clutching the material around her, she rubbed her arms, trying to calm the goosebumps that had arisen on her skin. With soft even steps, she moved to the French doors that looked out over the rear grounds of Wildwood. Stepping up to the glass, she gazed out into the darkness. The moon was a silvery crest peeking through the bows of the large oaks standing like timeless sentinels on either side of the alley leading to the road. Although the weather was clear, a breeze stirred the leaves and out of the silence, the child’s cry could be heard again. Where was it coming from?

  Placing her hand on the knob, she turned it, moving out on the balcony as soundlessly as she could. Carefully she closed the door behind her and walked to the edge, leaning on the railing. This was the first time she’d been aware of the sound moving from the interior of Wildwood to the outdoors. As she stood there, the soft wind grazed her cheek, it almost felt like the glide of a phantom hand. A shiver caused her to draw up her shoulders, still she peered into the night, waiting for another indication of the little spirit’s presence, if that was what it was.

  The night sounds of the swamp seemed to ebb. Frogs, alligators, night-birds and insects—they all seemed to quieten as if helping her listen. And then she heard it—louder, more haunting, an infant’s lament as it appealed to its mother. Her eyes stared into the ebony expanse and out of nowhere a pale blue glowing orb appeared to manifest in front of her eyes. Harper’s heart rose in her throat and she placed her hand on her neck as if to contain it. The faint floating light seemed to pulse with life as it moved slowly from the middle of the yard toward the octagonal garconniere, seeming to disappear into the walls only to reappear through the glass window.

  “Are you all right, Ms. Summers?” The voice from below her and to the right caused Harper to almost jump out of her skin. She’d forgotten the deputy who’d been assigned to watch the grounds during the night.

  She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. It was a wonder she hadn’t screamed. “Yes, I am. I just thought I heard something.”

  The deputy shone his flashlight up toward her, blinding her. For a second she considered that this was the light she’d seen, but clearly it wasn’t. What she’d witnessed had been a soft blue glow while this was harsh and bright.

  “I heard something too,” the man said. “Sounded like a baby crying. Must have been some type of night bird.”

  His admission surprised Harper. So, others could hear it too. From behind her, the doors opened and Revel stepped out. “What’s going on?” He had pulled on a pair of jeans, but no shirt.

  “I heard the baby,” she whispered, “and so did he.” She pointed to the man on the ground, who was walking around, checking the area.

  “Hey, Fred,” Revel called out. “We’ll meet you downstairs.” He led Harper back into the bedroom, locking the door behind him.

  “What time is it?” she asked as they made their way downstairs.

  “A little after five, almost daylight.” Revel
flipped on the hall light so they wouldn’t stumble in the dark. “You wait here, let me go out and see what’s going on.”

  Despite his directions, Harper stood at the door, after a few minutes stepping out onto the front porch just to be nearer to the sound of his voice. She could hear the two men talking and soon they walked back around and the deputy got into his patrol car and drove off. Revel came striding toward her as the pink light of dawn could be seen in the eastward sky. “We didn’t see a thing.”

  “I saw the blue light in the garconniere,” she mentioned with an anxious voice.

  Revel kissed her. “We’ll check it out when it gets daylight, future Mrs. Revel Jones.”

  His lighthearted answer made her smile.

  After breakfast and coffee, Revel called T-Rex about the wedding. It was only three days away. She knew everything would be kept simple, there would only be a dozen people there at the most, counting the bride and groom, the officiating priest, the accompanist and the guests. Savannah kept emailing and she answered with a smile. Her messages contained photos of flowers, suggested music and a sample menu for the rehearsal dinner. One thing she hadn’t thought about was a wedding cake, but Savannah even thought of that. “Pulling a wedding off in a few days is no simple task,” she told Revel as he put on his tool belt and readied himself to go outside.

  “Those girls can handle it.” He laughed, putting on a baseball cap. “I talked to Patrick this morning and after we take our honeymoon, I’m going to go back to work.”

  “Of course,” Harper said, nodding her agreement. “I appreciate the time you’ve taken off to be with me. I know you can’t stay home forever.” Revel kept grinning at her, then the rest of what he’d said registered. “Where are we going on our honeymoon?”

  “Ah, well, that’s a surprise and my wedding gift to you.”

  Harper didn’t know if she wanted to squeal with delight or jump up and down. “Just a hint?”

  “Nope, not a hint.” He kissed her, pulling her close. She felt so safe in his arms. “Why don’t you bring your stuff out on the porch where you can see me as I work and I can keep an eye on you? You can sit in the big swing while I tear out some more of the wall in the garconniere. I’d like to get it and the sugar house renovated before summer is over. We can use them to house guests when we give a big party this fall.”

  To hear him planning their future felt great. “Okay, I’ll be right behind you.” She gathered up her laptop and a couple of her grandmother’s journals and followed him out. The scent of honeysuckle was strong and a few bees were buzzing around. Harper walked down to the end of the wide gallery and made herself comfortable in the swing, angling her body so she could catch a glimpse of Revel as he worked.

  As she settled in, her mind wandered to the honeymoon. Where would they go? She couldn’t keep a smile off her face. Their destination didn’t really matter, being with Revel and becoming his wife was most important. He’d said the honeymoon was a gift, now she felt guilty because she had no gift for him. What could she do? As she stared down toward the bayou, it came to her. She could sketch a picture for him. Feeling inspired, she put down her things and ran into the house, up the stairs and into her room. Going to the closet, she pulled out the small box that contained her pencils and chalks. She really hadn’t drawn anything in a couple of years, except for pictures and memories of Revel. Harper remembered how he had loved her sketches when they’d first met and she’d made several through the years, sceneries she admired like Enchanted Rock or the Guadalupe River. But this would be special, already she knew what she’d do. Grabbing a pad, she headed back down to the first floor.

  As she neared the landing at the top of the stairs, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. About the same time there was a creaking noise as if someone was moving slowly over the hardwood flooring. Whirling around, she expected to see a ghost but when she looked, there was nothing. She only hesitated a moment, before hurrying down the stairs. There’d been too much happening lately for her to be comfortable. How would things be when she was all alone here? Harper shook her head, dispelling the negative thoughts. Revel had to work. There was no other choice.

  When she returned to the swing, he was making a banging noise in the garconniere. Good, she’d have a little time to work. In her mind’s eye she could see what she wanted to create. An image of them standing side by side, looking out over the waters of the Teche, hand in hand. She wanted to capture how he made her feel. Whole. Cherished. Belonging. Glancing up to make sure he was still busy, her hand moved swiftly. This was something she’d always loved to do, why she ever stopped was a mystery to her.

  A few dozen yards away, Revel wiped the sweat from his brow. He was making progress, taking out rotten wood. What these old walls could tell if they were able to talk. How many trysts took place here? He snorted at the thought. Knowing how he’d been as a teenager, he really couldn’t see giving young bucks their own place to get into mischief.

  Picking up a crowbar, he proceeded to pull a particularly contrary cypress plank from the wall and when he did, the oddest thing happened…the air grew chilly. Impossibly chilly. He stared amazed as his breath became visible, as if the calendar read January instead of July. Thoughts of what Harper had heard and seen the night before came to mind. He had no explanation. Revel started to take a break, but something told him to go on. With a steady hand, he pried the board from its place and when he did…he found something odd. A box, an oblong box. It looked like a… “Harper!”

  Harper heard Revel’s call so she quickly closed the pad and tucked it beneath the other items so if he suddenly walked up he wouldn’t see her surprise. “Yes?” She rose and walked down the length of the porch, the tinkle of the wind chimes sounding as the wind picked up a bit. Unfortunately the air blowing on her face was too warm, maybe she and Revel should consider installing some fans on the ceiling of the area near the swing.

  Looking toward the garconniere, she saw Revel come outside to meet her. “You’ve got to see this.”

  “What?” Harper asked as she joined him. He held the door for her so she could enter the dim interior. “I haven’t been in here in years. A couple of summers I tried to use this as a playhouse, but I never felt comfortable in here for some reason.”

  “Maybe this is why.” He walked to the back of the room.

  Uneasily, Harper followed. Since the two story building was eight-sided, corners abounded. There seemed to be too many places for shadows to gather. “Did you find something?”

  “Yes, look.” He shone a flashlight into a crevice between a corner support and the remaining boards in the wall.

  Harper did as he said and gasped when she saw the odd shaped box. It seemed to contain some type of symbol on top. If it was a cross, it was different from what she’d seen before, the arms were all the same length. “What is it?”

  He carefully removed the box from where it sat on two braces. “Someone hid this in the wall, probably thinking it would never be found.” As he stepped away, a small book fell to the floor from where it had been wedged behind the box.

  Harper picked it up. If it hadn’t been for the recent events, the first idea that would’ve popped into her head would have been ‘buried treasure’. However, that possibility wasn’t her first thought. “Should we open the box?”

  “It was on your land,” was Rebel’s reasonable response. “If we don’t open it, we’ll never know.”

  Harper stood by while he carried the box to a small rectangular table that had seen better days, its paint peeling and flaking. “I’m afraid to open it.”

  “Don’t be. I’m here.” He gave her a reassuring smile and wink. Testing the object, Revel discovered it was nailed shut. “Hold on.” He reached for his claw hammer and began to work the nails loose. “Okay, here goes.”

  Harper held her breath while he opened the box. As he edged the top off, they both gasped. For it contained the small pitiful skeleton of a tiny baby.

  “We need help
. I’m calling the Sheriff and Savannah.” Revel tenderly replaced the lid, tucked the box under one arm and Harper under the other. “Let’s go back to Wildwood.”

  * * *

  During the next few hours, Harper tried to keep calm. It was several hours before either Savannah or the Sheriff could arrive. Revel placed the small coffin on the round oak table in the foyer and neither touched it again, not until the others could see it and give them some guidance. She placed her drawing up in their room in the antique armoire to finish a little later, when her nerves calmed down. After returning downstairs, she decided to occupy herself by putting on something to cook. Revel hadn’t left her alone, he was at his desk going over some work papers or paying bills. They both felt the need for quiet, maybe out of reverence for the poor little child whose bones lay in the odd casket in the front hall.

  She came through the living room on her way back from downstairs and found her fiancé—yes, the word thrilled her—sitting at his desk studying blueprints. Harper came up behind him, draped her arms around his neck and kissed the side of his face. “Do you want something to drink?”

  He covered her hand with his. “No, I’m good.” The papers strewn over the wooden surface were covered in charts and graphs, enough to make Harper’s head spin. In back of the desk, he’d opened the curtains so he could see out the window and know when help arrived. “How do you feel?” he asked her with concern.

  “Sad.” Harper told the truth. “Even now, I don’t feel like we’re alone. Something horrible happened here and I’m not sure Wildwood will ever be at peace.”

  “Yes, it will,” Revel countered. “We’ll fill this house with love, laughter and babies.”

  He said the last word in such a way so she knew he was awaiting her response. The very idea of giving Revel a child sent sizzles of happiness skating through her veins. “How many?”