by Kari Miller
Salvador had already met up with a few colleagues and even found a few new sources for his business ventures on the seas. All in all the night had been a success.
As Peter was warding off Lord Straton’s advance on Katherine, he himself had been warding off a similar advance on Rachel while Charles was tied up in a card game.
As he approached his group, he felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. He stopped in his tracks and drank in the vision that Katherine gave off. She looked vulnerable and innocent yet as exotic as any flower in the Mediterranean. Her skin still had a golden hue to it. A few curls had come loose and framed her beautifully heart shaped face with delicate abandon. Her dress framed her body in such a way that made her appear the Madonna. Although the members in the group were in a light mood, he could see that she was only plastering her smile to her face. Had he ruined the evening for her? He couldn’t help but be jealous and untrusting, it was in his blood! Even knowing that she was innocent of all charges didn’t make it any easier. The thought of her being so familiar with a male outside of his circle made his blood boil, especially being that that male was a notorious rake! Katherine must have sensed his eyes on her for she turned her head and gave him an uncertain glance that made his heart cringe. She deserved better than how he had treated her.
He was finally able to make his feet move and when he joined his crowd he wordlessly swooped Katherine into his arms and led her onto the dance floor.
“Did I mention how lovely you look this evening?” He drawled out, trying to ease the tension.
“Why don’t you trust me?” She responded instead.
He could hear the hurt in her tone. He was about to remind her that not long ago she had not trusted him either, but then he quickly recognized that the situation was a bit different and therefore not relevant.
“I’m sorry Love. I do trust you, it’s Lord Straton that I have a hard time with.” He responded carefully.
“If that were true Salvador, then you would not have been so angry with me.”
She was right and he couldn’t refute her words.
“If I would have had time to think things through before confronting you, I would assure you that my reaction would have been different.”
What he said was the truth. Peter had spoken the conclusion that he would have come to if he had more time to think on it.
“Is that supposed to excuse your behaviour?” She enquired sceptically.
“Yes. You knew that I was a jealous husband right from the beginning. I warned you about that. Had you informed me that you had made friends with Lord Straton, this issue would have never happened this evening.”
He noticed her scowl and then thought more on his response. Why didn’t she mention her friendship with him?
“Care to explain that?” He asked with genuine curiosity but without accusation in his tone.
“I-I’m not sure why I didn’t mention it.” She responded, averting her eyes elsewhere.
She had always been a bad liar and he didn’t like that she felt the need to in this instance.
“Katherine” he gently warned her.
She gave out a sigh and then shrugged her shoulders in defeat.
“Fine. Rachel had warned me when I met him that he was a flirt. He had never flirted with me – even to this day – so I didn’t see anything wrong with humouring him in conversation. I didn’t tell you that we had become friends because I feared that you would get angry knowing his reputation.” She said as a matter of factly.
“I would have not appreciated your friendship and would have informed you to end it, but I would not have reacted then as I did this evening. I would have preferred to hear of your friendship from you.” He reprimanded her.
“That’s just the thing.” She bit out in genuine annoyance. “What gives you the right to tell me who I can and cannot befriend?”
“I am your husband” he reminded her, pulling her closer to him to further prove his point.
“Just because you are my husband, doesn’t give you allowance to dictate who my friends are! We are supposed to be able to trust each other!”
“Trust is earned Kat. I’m not saying I don’t trust you, but I will say that I am in a better position to judge the people of this town and know who you should and should not grant your attentions to.”
“You cad! That’s not fair!” She bit out in a whisper so that anyone trying to listen in could not hear her.
“Maybe not, but that’s the way it is. You are my wife and therefore my responsibility. There are many men and women who would go out of their way to take advantage of your innocence and it’s my duty to protect you from them.”
“And you judge these people by rumours?”
“I assure you Kat that Lord Straton is not as innocent as you make him out to be.” He assured her.
“Why? Because he is rumoured to be a rake or because you don’t like the idea of me speaking with any man who isn’t you?!”
“For your information my sweet wife, Lord Straton is one of the worst rakes you can come by. His pleasure is in the conquests of married women. He has broken up one marriage so far and has fathered at least five bastard children in other marriages - five that I know of. And that my love is a fact!”
Katherine’s face grew pale and apparently she had been rendered speechless.
“I admit that I am a jealous husband and probably more possessive over you than may be considered healthy, but I assure you that in this case I had reason to be concerned. Just that fact that Peter had reacted the way he did towards Lord Straton should have given you cause to think.” He bit out.
“I-I didn’t know. I never judge a person’s character based on rumour. His actions spoke against Rachel’s warnings. I swear Salvador; he was always decent with me!”
“I know Love. It’s part of his game. He’ll gain your trust, then he’ll cause ripples in your marriage - pinning you against your husband. That’s when he’ll go in for the kill, when you have no one else to turn to.”
Katherine merely nodded in defeat and then laid her head against his chest as they finished their dance.
He noticed that Lord Pennington had been watching them closely during the evening and didn’t like it. If he didn’t know any better, he would swear that Pennington recognized Katherine and was trying to call her out. But he also saw the raw desire in his gaze when it landed on her.
It was time to take their leave.
Chapter 23 - A Possessive Declaration
When they got home, they both retired to their chamber without a word. Katherine felt fatigue like she hadn’t in so very long. She was still stunned to learn about Jeffery and was confused by her disappointment. True she found him handsome and charming, but she would have never given into him even if he had tried to seduce her. She could never be unfaithful towards Salvador, the thought was even appalling. She loved Salvador with all her heart and just the thought of another man touching her made her skin crawl. Was that really Jeffery’s intentions? What would she do the next time she saw him? She would be polite she supposed, but never as open as she had been. She even decided to stick by Rachel’s side at all costs.
A bath had been drawn for them and Katherine welcomed it with open arms. While Salvador climbed into the bath she had Sarah help her out of her gown.
When she joined him, she still felt that hint of modesty and the need to cover herself up. Salvador had been amused in the beginning but lately he had been openly disapproving with her shyness.
As she slipped into the tub, she felt his dark gaze roaming over her bare flesh. She blushed as she lowered herself into the shelter of the water and then sighed as the hot water sooth her muscles.
Salvador picked up her foot and started to massage it with soap. He massaged her calf and thighs until she was almost purring for him – and then he started on the other leg.
By the time he was through with her, she could hardly move. She suspected that that was his intentions by the triumphant smirk on hi
s face. After he washed himself, he lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the tub.
She moaned in protest as he placed her on her feet to dry her off, causing him to chuckle.
When they were both dry, he carried her to their bed and gently laid her down.
She watched him through hooded eyes as he went to the sitting area to retrieve their nightcaps and brought them to the bed. He took a generous sip of his and then put it on the bedside table. Once he had prompted pillows behind her so she could sit up, he took her cup of heated brandy and brought it to her lips so she could drink. After she took her fill she looked at him questioning.
He only smiled and then took another drink of his.
She managed to move her arm and reach for her cup, but he only batted her arm away and brought the cup to her lips again. Normally she would have protested, but her body was so relaxed that she wasn’t sure if she could even hold the weight of the cup in her hands, more or less bring it to her lips. She suspected he knew that too.
After their glasses were drained, Salvador pinched out all the lanterns and returned to bed.
She had moved over to her side of the bed and was lying on her stomach with her arms tucked under her pillow. When Salvador crept into bed, he had wrapped a firm arm around her waist and pulled her to the center of the bed, leaving her on her belly. Moments later she was gently lifted and a pillow was placed under her stomach.
“Salvador…” She mumbled in protest.
“Shh” He responded in turn.
As he hovered over her, his erection poked into her lower back and sucked in her breath as she felt his lips on the back of her neck.
Salvador had massaged her thoroughly in the bath with his strong hands and now he was massaging her with his lips, tongue and teeth. By the time he reached her toes, she thought she would burst into flames.
Although she still felt weak with fatigue, her skin felt as though it was on fire. She once again felt his lips on her neck and gasped when his probing fingers landed between her thighs.
“Do you want me?” He seductively whispered into her ear.
“I want you Salvador.” She moaned back as his fingers slipped into her slickened core.
“Does it make you feel powerful to know the effect you have on me?” He whispered again.
Katherine had been lost in what he was doing to her and barely recognized the resentment in his question.
“No, because you have the same effect over me” She whispered back, feeling her face flame at the admission.
He gave out a pained moan into her neck as he fingered her with more intensity.
She cried out a lusty moan and arched her back into him.
“Don’t ever stray from me Katherine.” He warned her as his ministrations took on a new intensity.
She whimpered in response and to her horror she felt the walls of her pussy contracting around his fingers.
“This” he growled as he twisted his fingers within her “belongs to only me and I’ll know if another has been there.”
“Salvador” She managed to choke out his name.
She knew that it was his jealousy from tonight that drove him to this and she wanted to reassure him again that she would never stray, but she had an inkling feeling that this was his way of dealing with his jealousy and needed to act it out to cleanse himself of tonight’s events. Luckily she had faith that he would not hurt her. His intensity however scared her. If he ever did believe that she had strayed from him – whether she was innocent or not – what would be his reaction? She hoped she would never find out.
“That’s right. Mine is the only name you will cry out in passion.” He growled out again.
His fingers swiftly left her and so did the weight of his body.
She meant to turn to look at him, but he had already straddled her from behind and grabbed onto her butt cheeks to spread them wide.
She gasped when he spit into her hole and then cried out when his shaft pressed until he was fully planted within her.
He had always worked his way in slowly when he sodomized her, but tonight he was showing her no mercy.
Once again he leaned over her as he took her from behind. He gripped one hand on the headboard and placed his other palm on the bed beside her face. Leaning down, he nipped at her neck and her ears causing her to cry out with pleasure and pain.
“I’ll kill any man who dares to touch you.” He grated out as he continued to slam into her with wild abandon.
“Please Salvador” She groaned out as her body tried to determine if it was feeling more pleasure than pain.
“No Kat, there is no mercy. You belong to me and I never want to hear that you have become familiar with another man - ever.” He growled out.
She could hear herself crying out every time he slammed into her and felt her pussy throbbing with need.
“I swear it was innocent” She cried out as she tried to adjust her body so his thrusts weren’t so punishing.
When he felt her shift, he gripped her hair and forced her face even further into the pillow.
She gave off a muffled cry and began to struggle in earnest.
“Don’t fight me Kat; I’ll have you either way.” He warned her.
“Not in anger!” She managed to cry out between cries of fright and passion.
She was horrified with herself that she was turned on by his intense jealousy and possessiveness but at the same time frightened.
Just then he pulled out of her and flipped her onto her back.
She dared open her eyes and what she saw made her lose her breath.
In the moonlight she could see him hovering over her. His chest was heaving and his erection jutted out as though it had a life of its own.
~
He watched her as she appraised him. He wanted her to take all of him in so that she would know exactly who it was that possessed her. He could feel his cock throbbing against his belly and the demon inside of him screamed at him to Master her. What if they hadn’t learned about Lord Straton until it was too late? Was Katherine capable of deceiving him? He had taught her about the pleasures of the flesh, perhaps she would have welcomed a different partner into her bed just to know the difference.
His heart was beating so fast and so loudly that he was sure that she could hear it.
He wasn’t sure what she saw on his face but she gave out a whimper.
He saw her muscles tensing for flight and acted before even giving a second thought.
He gripped her thighs and spread them wide and then gripped her bum in a firm lock as she tried to struggle away from him and slammed home. When he heard her cry out his name, he lost his wits.
All he was aware of was how tight she felt around his cock as he stroked himself within her. Gripping her with one hand, he brought his other hand to circle her nub.
He groaned out her name as he felt her clenching around him.
It was like this every time! There were nights when he swore it only got better. She was perfectly made for him and him only. Without her he would be lost.
“Don’t ever leave me” he heard himself grunting out. “I’ll find you Katherine, wherever you go.”
Her response was an intense ripple around him. She threw her head back with a passionate cry and gripped her fists into her hair while moaning his name.
His cum spilled into her, but he was so lost in her orgasm that his escaped him. He was still painfully erect and feeling every one of her convulsions wrap around his cock like a shackle – keeping him within her.
As he continued to pump into her, he leaned over and claimed her lips. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped herself around him as though she was afraid he would leave her.
He groaned and ripped his lips away from hers to bury his face into her neck.
“I won’t leave you Salvador and you are the only man I have ever wanted or will ever want.” She declared in her passion.
With that declaration, he went out of mind. Again his cum poured into h
er and his body rocked him with intensity. He cried out when she found her release again. They both held onto to each other as they twitched and shivered in each other’s arms.
When they caught their breath again, he rolled to the side and tucked her into him.
Normally he would wipe them down before sleeping, but tonight he was too spent.
Katherine was already in deep sleep before he himself found his slumber.
Chapter 24 – Charles
The next few days were slow and unusual for Katherine. Angel had come by for lunch on one occasion while Peter and Simon had joined them for dinner on another. Katherine was worried that their love making was stealing away from much needed sleep, although it didn’t really make sense to her because Salvador was intent on allowing her to sleep in. Regardless, she found that if she stood up too fast or stood for too long she would feel dizzy. One morning she entered the breakfast nook and felt nauseous at the different scents that assaulted her nose. She never threw up but came close many times and had to leave the room quickly. Katherine spent much time in the secret garden lazing around a blanket taking in the sun and reading. She found this garden tucked safely near the pond. There, she would remove her dress and bathe in the sun through her petticoat. She thought this was most unusual behaviour for a lady, but then again, for the previous two years she practically lived in only in her petticoats. She informed Salvador of her secret garden and told him of her sunbathing habits so he could inform his staff to stay away from that spot. She liked that he would sometimes join her with a picnic basket and have lunch with her when he was around. The fresh air seemed to help her nausea and she caught herself a few times waking up from an unintended nap.
When Rachel came to retrieve Katherine one day to bring her to the orphanage, she was delighted to see that Peter was with her. Her delight however turned to annoyance when she learned that Peter was there to guard her against Jeffery.
“Did Salvador put you up to this?” She snapped at him as she stood toe to toe with him and gave him her most impressive scowl.