In Rapture (Destined)

by Daye, Elissa

  Chapter 26

  Grant had been gone for another week so far and loneliness started to fill Malinda’s heart. She spent her morning in the garden assisting with the weeding and helping to section a smaller unused portion of the land next to the flower garden to create an herb garden. Malinda wanted to make sure they had herbs for cooking, as well as herbs that helped with any health concerns. She was glad her small clippings had survived the journey to Wickford and was ecstatic when they created new growth within the garden. She loved working with the land, and at times she missed her little garden at Tinley Faire, for both of her grandparents had spent a lifetime cultivating their garden together. They had stayed together for hours with their voices and laughter filling up the spaces around them. Sometimes they said nothing at all, and even the gentle silence between them magnified their love to the world. Malinda had known at a young age that the love they shared had been special. A new hope surrounded her as she planted new seeds within the garden. She hoped to one day have the same relationship with Grant; where now there was passion, she needed there to be an easy peaceful love between them, one that transcended the ages, and one that needed no dictionary to define.

  Malinda tried not to miss her husband, but she was finding it to be a difficult task. Tears would form in her eyes at the most inopportune time, such as working with Gertie to order supplies for the month. Gertie had asked Malinda what things Lord Timberlin would want the people to prepare for the winter and Malinda teared up because she had absolutely no idea what he preferred. She had wiped a stray tear and looked up to find a gentle knowing smile fill up Gertie’s gentle aging face. Malinda had suggested they look at the orders from previous years, for the household kept meticulous records of every purchase and plans that were made throughout each year. Then the next day, when Desiree had asked her if Lord Timberlin was happy with her arrangements for Sophia, sadness had crept into Malinda’s voice when she had replied that it did not matter if he cared about Sophia’s arrangements, not if he was never home to see what they were. Desiree had smiled sadly at her and raised an arm to Malinda’s shoulder in comfort.

  The fact of the matter was that Malinda felt more confused than she ever had. She loved Grant so deeply that she sometimes did not know where the sun and moon were in the sky, for her world was marinated in more light than she could bear. It filled her up so completely that at times she thought it would explode within her. And while she had great love for her husband, she had great fear of him at the same time. He had the potential to do great harm to her spirit, for Grant held her heart in the palm of his hands, and if he squeezed too tightly she would never be the same. While he was gone Malinda felt incomplete, wishing nothing more than for him to return home. When desperation crept into her heart she would go to the gardens to meditate, to remind herself that the magic of Lena that flowed through her veins demanded that she learn to deal with her love in healthy outlets.

  Other times throughout the day she would spend with Sophia. The little girl was a miracle to her. She had gone from a small ball of fear and mistrust to a glowing giggling cherub that could not contain her love and curiosity for the world around her. In a way, Malinda learned quite a lot from Sophia’s loving nature. The child had been pushed aside for so long, yet her courage to trust the world around her inspired Malinda. If Malinda could make the world a better place for her child, if only one step at a time, then she would. They spent many hours laughing as they chased Mule outside, and enjoying the antics of the love-crossed mutt as he chased after Laurel, the large white Dane that had made its way into their flock. In fact, the mastiff was so smitten he no longer wanted to spend as much time by Malinda’s side. It made her a little sad to see her best friend detaching from her, but she understood that the heart could lead you into unexpected directions.

  They had also spent time painting the wall in the nursery. Malinda let Sophia paint the grass at the bottom of the mural and had been surprised at how easy the task had been for Sophia. In fact, the child had not just painted the grass a solid green, she had taken a smaller paint brush and added different colors to create depth and detail in every tiny blade of grass. Then Malinda decided to let Sophia add whatever she wanted to the wall. She had been impressed when the four-year-old added flowers that reminded her of the beautiful flowers of Lena. It was almost as if Sophia had picked them out of her own head, and when Malinda had asked her about the flowers the child told her that she had seen them every night in her dreams; flowers that surrounded a beautiful clear castle that made rainbows all around it. When Sophia had mentioned the castle she knew that Sophia was actually dreaming of Lena. She did not know what to think about this information, for only those born through a lineage directly related to Lena had been able to see it. However, her mind recalled the last thing the Sisters had told her, that they would be fostering a new age of magic through opening their world to those who had special abilities. As Sophia grew Malinda would keep an eye on her to see if special talents were hidden inside her.

  Malinda wiped the dirt from her hands onto the old rag she had brought outside with her. She heard a rustle in the grass behind her and held her breath. Maria had never attacked her outside of the manor, but there was always a first time for everything. When she turned around she felt uplifted. She stood up so quickly that she almost fell down, but Grant crossed the distance between them and caught her elbow to steady her. His golden eyes twinkled in such merriment that Malinda almost protested, but before she could Grant pulled her into a warm embrace. She raised her face to his and let herself get lost in the joy of the moment. She was so happy to see him that there were no words for how she felt. She ran a hand across his bearded face and pulled him down to give him a welcoming kiss that lasted far longer than any of their other greetings. They only separated when the large mastiff came bumbling across the garden and whacked them both with his gigantic tail. Malinda could not help but giggle at the dog’s antics. “It seems I’m not the only one who missed you.”

  “Good boy.” Grant scratched Mule behind his large ears and down his neck. Mule whimpered in delight before racing off after Laurel yet again.

  Malinda struggled not to be put out by the fact that Grant never vocalized that he had missed her too, but a small tear gathered in her eyes. She blinked it away hoping he would not notice, but his finger reached out to capture the solo trail that ran down her face. “I must have something in my eye.” Malinda looked away quickly and tried to think of something to talk about that would distract him, but he beat her to it.

  “I heard the ladies setting the table before I came out. From what I could smell Gertie has prepared a fine roast. Join me?” He offered his arm to her and she slipped hers within its crook.

  “Sounds divine.” Malinda smiled up at him, locking away her emotions for another day. She had not anticipated the feelings that rushed through her the moment her eyes spied him. She did not want to scare him away by professing the love she had developed for him over the past few months. Perhaps it was true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, for she had thought of him every day since he had left, and seeing him there in the garden had made her memory of him weak in comparison.

  When they entered the dining room Sophia was already seated. She was playing with a small stuffed bunny rabbit and talking up a storm to it. When Sophia looked up and saw them enter she squealed in excitement. “Mama, look at my new bunny!”

  “What a pretty rabbit that is, Sophia! I hope you made sure to thank your father for it.”

  “She did.” Grant smiled down at his wife and marveled at the changes he had seen in the world around him since he had married her. He no longer feared loving his child. It had become second nature to him now. Malinda was a different story, for admitting his feelings to her could be dangerous. It could give her power over him that he was not quite prepared to relinquish. He could not deny that when he was away his days and nights were filled with thoughts of home and the family that waited for him to return. Malinda was mo
re than just a part of that family. For the first time in a very long time, Wickford Manor was a welcome retreat from wars that raged across the countryside. Part of him wished he could give up his vendetta against Seamus and fill his days with the business of making Wickford even more prosperous, but as long as he was still out there his family and the people of Wickford were in danger.

  Malinda saw darkness furrow across his golden brow. It was clear that he was deep in thought. “Is there something wrong, Grant?”

  Grant shook his head, hoping to clear the thoughts that had clouded over him. He took another drink from his glass. “I’m sorry. My mind just wandered for a moment. Nothing to worry about, my dear.”

  Malinda did not believe him, but she decided not to push the matter. “We missed you, didn’t we Sophia?”

  “Oh yes, Mama. I love when Papa is home. Papa reads the best!”

  Grant chuckled. “I’m sure Malinda reads well too, Sophia.”

  “Mama reads too, but you do funny voices. Mama can’t do those the same. But Mama taught me to count!” The little girl began to count, but skipped a number here and there until she counted all the way to twenty.

  Grant’s face beamed down at his lovely daughter. Malinda had performed miracles with his child, even a blind man could see that. He may not have spent a lot of time with his child before, but he had known well how reserved she had been. There had always been an inkling in the back of his mind, a tiny thought that made him think that the child’s melancholy was inherited from Maria and that Sophia would be stricken with the same mental issues her mother had. His fear for his child coupled with his need to avenge her mother’s death. If he had been honest with himself Maria had died in his heart a long time before she had passed. Her shunning of such a beautiful child would never be forgotten. Grant could not even remember seeing Maria holding her infant, and a part of him had known his wife would never change. His life had been shadowed with guilt for his past, a guilt for not being the father that Sophia needed, but as he looked down at the small child who loved him so freely his heart melted. He had been wrong, and while he could wallow in self-loathing it would not bring back the years they had lost. He looked over at Malinda and saw tears forming in her eyes again. He reached a hand across to touch her. “Thank you.”

  Malinda shook her head slowly, desperately trying to blink the tears from her eyes. “It was nothing.”

  “It is everything.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.

  The air seemed to shift instantly around them and a cold wind whipped through the room. The flames of the candles waved in tiny circles before the air blew them out. Grant did not seem to notice the tension in the room, nor how quickly Desiree ushered Sophia from the room, as she had many times this week. Malinda held her chin out before her and looked down her nose, making an attempt to ignore the spiritual energy running through the room. She pushed the plate in front of her aside and looked over to Grant with a smile. “Would you care to go for a walk?”

  “I have a better idea.” Grant pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. He helped Malinda rise from her chair and offered her his arm.

  Malinda followed him upstairs to their room, feeling the swaying trail of energy picking up around her. She prayed they reached their room before Maria decided to release her full outrage around them. The apparition could not follow them into the room, for she had just put down another line of salt and refreshed the salt in the tiny vials she had hidden at the bottom of the windows. She also maintained an energy field around the rooms that she wanted to keep the spirit out of. Malinda often wondered how one spirit could be so powerful and had trouble keeping up with the antics that now occurred on a daily basis.

  Chapter 27

  When the door closed behind them Malinda expected to hear the windows rattling, but there was a sudden silence. As Grant led her to the bed, time seemed to have stopped and the world spun in slow motion. His hands proceeded down the back of her red dress and she felt the ties that bound it to her body being loosened. He removed her garments like an expert, and she eyed him perceptively through her lowered lashes. She ran a hand up the front of his black tunic and undid the buttons at the top. She could not help but admire the way the dark color made his blond hair and golden eyes glow as they contrasted with the blackness. She bunched the fabric in her hands as she lifted it over his head. Then she ran her hands down his ribcage, smiling softly when his muscled chest twinged beneath her touch.

  Grant wrapped his hands in her hair and tugged the strands gently so that her face was raised to his. He stared into the vivid green of her eyes and leaned down to kiss her ruby lips. She smelled of honeysuckle and her mouth tasted like strawberries. In moments they were naked and inhaling each other as the quiet became saturated in small moments of tumbling ecstasy that were over much faster than either one of them anticipated. Grant rose from the bed and opened the nightstand drawer.

  “I’ve brought something for you.”

  He walked slowly across the room, and while Malinda noticed the bright, beautiful scarves and ribbon he held in his hands her curiosity was outweighed by the desire she felt when her eyes lingered over his naked body. He was perfect in every way, every inch of his body glistening in the fire light, still wet from their last encounter. She noticed the heat in his eyes and knew that the night was still young.

  Malinda reached out to admire the bright scarves and colorful ribbons, but Grant kept them just out of reach. A secretive smile now covered his face, his eyes twinkling. “Grant? What are you doing?”

  “Trust me, Malinda. Lay back.”

  Malinda sat back in the bed and laid her head on the pillows. She watched as Grant stepped closer, like a golden lion stalking its prey. If she did not know her husband better the feral gleam in his eyes would have taken her breath away, but she knew Grant would never hurt her. He put a hand under her head, lifted it from the pillow, and a dark red scarf slid behind her head. When he wrapped it all the way around her head it blocked out all the light, and her eyes could no longer take in his body. She murmured a protest, but he never responded. She could feel him near her; the heat of his body sent thrilling waves through hers. When he wrapped scarves around her arms, she fought the urge to buck against him. Soon her arms and legs had been bound to the bed, and while she could not see what was happening to her, she could only guess that he had tied several scarves together to wrap around the posts that held the canopy high above.

  Malinda almost jumped when a warm drop of heat fell on her body, and it was soon followed by a small flow of liquid. It smelled of lavender and vanilla, a heady aroma that took over her senses. At first his hands slid lightly up and down every inch of her body, but then the light feathery touches became firm as he plied her skin under his strong hands. She moaned and arched her back, wanting nothing more than to reach up and touch him, but her hands were held firmly in place by their silken bonds. His hands had only skimmed over her most intimate parts, but her body had reacted as if he had scorched her with a gentle fire. She ached for him to touch her breasts, ached to feel the warmth of his hands on the mounds that rose and fell with the rhythm of his movements. When he finally ran a hand down the valley of her breasts she shivered in anticipation and sighed in disappointment as the hands continued down her belly. She could imagine the wicked expression on his face as he denied her the simplest touch. She whimpered loudly, for her body craved more than he gave, and while he gave quite a bit of time and attention to her, his slow teasing was creating a storm within her.

  Grant brought his hands back up her stomach and moved slowly toward her breasts. His hands caressed her breasts softly, but Malinda was not in the mood for gentle. She bit her lip and pushed her chest higher in the air, hoping her movements would push his hands harder into her chest. He rolled his fingers over the tight nipples that begged for more attention and his fingers deeply massaged the muscles of her chest. She arched into his touch, the air stuck in her throat as ecstasy roll
ed through her. Her hips rose from the bed and her body rocked with the heat his hands had created within her.

  He sucked her nipple into his mouth and the fire of his tongue moving across it scorched every inch of her. She wanted to wrap her hands in his hair so badly that she struggled to break free from her restraints, but they would not give. He removed his mouth from her and let his hands glide down her body once again. His mouth closed over hers and captured a loud moan as it broke free from her mouth. Her hips arched into his, wanting nothing more than to feel his length delving deep into her depths, but he moved away from her and began to work his hands into her flesh once more, touch followed by mouth, mouth followed by teeth as his teeth nipped gently into her flesh. His beard scratched against her flesh like thousands of needles that sent electricity into her everywhere it touched. His loving was such sweet torture that tore her in two parts: the part that longed for it to go on forever, and the part that longed to straddle her legs around him and force him inside.

  She hung in the middle of here and there, the pulse at the base of her neck beating like a bitter diatribe. When his hands finally parted her legs her breath caught in her chest. He eased himself into her and she shuddered against the heat of his firm shaft. Grant moaned aloud when her juices covered him and gathered her hips as close as he could. Malinda wanted him to move and did her best to instigate a wild rhythm, but Grant denied her. He moved so slowly, so exquisitely that the world was in danger of spinning out of control. Malinda had no idea of time or space, or how long he kept the sensual rhythm going. There was only Grant and Malinda, swirling together in a storm that built slowly and rose to a dangerous peak that shattered the silence around them. It was pure, unadulterated bliss, and Malinda enjoyed every moment of it.