Chapter 14

He kept glancing at her every few minutes, reassuring himself she was there. She wore a peach-colored cashmere dress clinging to every seductive curve of her body. Her short cap of hair was brushed back from her face, and she wore her wedding ring.

He was not wearing one and would never dream of it, but for a minute, he wondered what it would be like to give in, let go, and accept what she was offering.

She had come walking out towards the parking lot, and the pride had exploded inside him as he watched her approach him. The unbidden thought had tumbled inside his mind – she was his, this exquisite creature coming towards him was his.

He gets to see her naked, gets to see her lush body with not a stitch of clothing on – he was the first man for her, and by God, he was going to be the last.

Now, she was in his vehicle, going for a drive. He had blistered her cruelly this morning and told her unspeakable things, and yet here she was, willing to forgive him. She had greeted him with a loving smile that had twisted his heart into knots.

After his mother had hung up, he had set aside the drink he had been having and left the bar immediately. And he had headed straight to her. He had just turned away from looking at her when she spoke.

"Where are we going?"

Even her voice had a fantastic effect on him! He thought wryly.

"I stopped at the house first and had Antoine pack a basket." He jerked his head to the backseat. "There is a cabin a few miles from here that belongs to the family. It's crude but well-kept. Silas and I used to go there to fish. At this time of year, it's cold, but the place is always stocked with firewood."

He glanced at her briefly. "I also picked out something more appropriate for you to wear. It's a lovely, completely private area with amazing views."

"It's just left empty?" she asked curiously, her heart trembling in awareness that he wanted to spend time alone with her.

"For the most part, yes. My parents gave it to me as a gift when I turned eighteen, and I haven't decided what to do with it yet.

I haven't been here in a while because of my busy schedule, but someone is paid to oversee the place and ensure wood chips are stacked up where they can be readily accessible." Touching the right turn switch, he entered a dirt road that seemed to go on forever.

Sitting up, Kendra stared out the window and admired the lush vegetation.

"There are no neighbors."

"Quite the way I like it." The log cabin (Entirely made of logs!) loomed up in front of them, surrounded by tall willow trees blowing in the stiff breeze.

"I called ahead to let old man William know we are coming." He brought the vehicle to a stop, climbed out, and came around to open her door.

"I meant to ask you- Oh!" Kendra sucked in a breath as the extreme temperature bit through the layers of clothing she had on.

"Let's get you inside." Retrieving the things on the backseat, he hurried ahead of her to open the door to a quaint, old-fashioned interior, where the blazing fire in the large hearth filled the place with warmth and coziness.

"The bedroom is through there," he pointed to the door straight ahead. What did you want to ask?" he asked, taking the basket to the open-concept kitchen with the old gas range and battered-looking fridge. A dining table, roughly hewn, was by the large bay window that overlooked a lovely stream surrounded by thick oak trees.

"What happened to your jeep?"

"It had a flat tire." Placing the basket on the counter, he filled the kettle with water and turned the fire on. "You might have noticed several vehicles in the garage at the manor. I use my Jeep for work mostly. Hungry?"

"Starving." She told him with a laugh.

"Why don't you change out of that dress? I will go and put the things in the bedroom. I must warn you, it's nothing fancy, just a bed and a chest of drawers. The sheets are clean, though."

"As long as we are together, I don't mind."

The simple statement had a profound effect on his already battered emotions, and for a minute, he just stood there staring at her. He wanted to kiss her, he realized with aching clarity. But knew that if he even touched her, everything else would have to wait.

Taking a deep breath, he turned toward the bedroom and opened the door.

"I am making tea." He told her gruffly, stepping aside for her to enter. "It will be ready for you when you return." Without another word, he closed the door and returned to the kitchen. The kettle had started boiling by that time.

Turning off the fire, he took two cups out and got the pouch from the cupboard, his mind straying to her. Her scent filled his nostrils, and the sight of her filled his mind. He wanted her like a thirsty man who had been denied water for months. His body alarmingly reacted to hers, and he could not control himself when he was with her.

He felt like a school kid with his first crush; growing up, he never had crushes. He had taken what women offered and never felt the need or desire to provide anything other than physical pleasure.

After the act was finished, he could always walk away without looking back. That was not the case with Kendra. He would walk away, but she was constantly on his mind. He dreamed of her and could not stop thinking about her when he was awake.

She was the first woman to dent the wall he had placed around his heart. His circle was small, and that was deliberate. He had associates and what could loosely be called friends with his club members, but it had only been his family until she came along.

Now, his world was filled with her. He had never met a woman like her before. Her capacity for love was incredible. Nothing he had ever said to her had made a difference, and she was not afraid to state her feelings. No matter how much he had rejected her, she would still return, which humbled him.

"It's so warm in here."

His head jerked up from the meal he was putting on the plate to see her framed inside the doorway. The sweater he had chosen for her was a white cashmere that clung to her body and cupped her breasts lovingly.

"If it's too warm, I could douse the fire a little.' He said gruffly.

"No." Shaking her head, she came into the room. "It smells delicious."

"Roast beef, duck, and curried lobster. Antoine must have thought we would be gone for a week."

"Are we spending the night?"

"Yes."

"Good." Her look made his knees weak, and his body heated up. His eyes latched onto her parted lips, coated with some sort of peach-colored lip gloss, and he felt desire churning inside him like wildfire.

"If you continue to look at me like that, the meal will be forgotten." He warned hoarsely.

"I don't mind." The courageous beauty told him bluntly.

"I do. Food first and then a walk. In that order. We have all night." He told her gruffly.

"I like that." She whispered. "I love you, Harvey Blackwood."

He went still, his silver eyes taking on a glitter that shone in the light from overhead. Moving from his place at the head of the table, he came around and hauled her against him.

"I warned you." He told her raggedly.

"You did." Her arms came around his neck, and she marveled that she had to go on her toes to meet his lips. "I want to feel you against me. I have wanted that since you came to pick me up. I wanted to feel your lips on mine so much that I could barely stand it."

With a tortured groan, he seized her lips, his tongue diving into her mouth, his arms like steel bands around her waist as he gave into the desire that had been driving through his body since he picked her up.

*****

"We could turn back." He suggested. Her small, gloved hand was nestled in his as they leisurely walked along the uneven path.

"Oh please, not yet." She begged. "It's not that cold."

"I saw you shivering a minute ago." He pointed out indulgently. "And you are wearing several layers."

"I am fine. It just took me by surprise. We need to walk off that enormous amount of food anyway."

"I can think of other ways to work it off," he said, drawing her closer. "It involves both of us getting naked."

"Soon." She promised huskily. "It's such a lovely night, and the moon is full, bathing everything in silver.' She turned to look at him, her face wreathed in smiles. "It reminds me of your eyes."

"What?"

"Your eyes. They are silver and look more like gray whenever you are angry or upset. When you make love to me, it's more like the silver of the moon and quite lovely."

His hand tightened on hers, and he could not move, not just then. She floored him. Every time he thought he knew her, he realized he did not. No woman had ever told him that before, had ever been so frank, and that was what she was being. She wasn't trying to flatter him but stating a fact.

"Kendra." His voice was rough and tender at the same time. "Kendra!" Turning her into his arms, he took her lips with tender violence that blotted everything else out. The cold wind whistled through the trees surrounding them, and the sound of birds chirping sounded somewhere nearby, but they did not notice.

The moon she had likened to his eyes slid behind a gray cloud, blotting out the light and shrouding everything in complete darkness, but the couple clinging to each other took no notice of the changes.

His lips moved over hers with a hunger that transmitted to her and had her clinging to him, her hands roving over his broad shoulders and back. This was the man she was utterly in love with, and no matter what, that was how it would be.

Finally lifting his head, he stared at her with glittering eyes, his heart thundering inside his chest.

"I am afraid the walk I now over."

"I understand." She said shakily, lifting one hand to touch the growth of hairs on his strong and determined jaw. "I need you."

With a tortured groan, he swung her into his arms.

"I think I need you more." He admitted thickly.

He arrived back at the cabin in less time than it took them when they left for the walk. That's because he was in a hurry to be with her.

"Here by the fire." She told him when he was making his way into the bedroom.

"Good plan." He agreed. "I am not certain I can make it that far."

*****

"They are spending the night?" Gregory looked up from the contract he was perusing as his wife entered the library to bring him his port.

"Happy to say yes." Her smile was wide as she approached and put the drink before him. She had gone out for a meeting with several of her friends and had missed having dinner with him and Silas. "Antoine told me he called and asked that a basket be packed. I have a feeling they are headed up to the cabin."

"The cabin?" Turning his chair around, he snagged her wrist and pulled her on his lap.

"Isn't it cold there?"

"And stacked with firewood." She reminded him. "It will be good for them to be alone."

"And you are hoping that a grandchild will be made during the time."

"I have a feeling that has already started," she said with a whimsical smile. "I think he is in love with her."

"I have a feeling you are right." He brushed back the tendrils of her hair gently from her face. "Do you remember when I came into this room where you read a book?"

"Pride and Prejudice, first edition you acquired for me at an estate sale. Several months after we married, I told you how much I loved the classics."

"I was trying to find mutual grounds between us. I hated that our families put us together, and I fought against the match."

"I looked at you and realized that I could love you."

"I made it difficult." He mused.

"I would come in here and bury myself in books."

"Then I realized that I loved looking at you. I enjoyed talking with you and valued your incredible insights. You gave me so many ideas on how to grow the business that I started coming to you more than I do to my board."

Her arms came around his neck. "We were fortunate."

"And I feel that our son is feeling that way too."

Cupping her beloved's face between his palms, he brought her head towards his. The kiss was gentle and undemanding, the emotions sure.

*****

He was contented to stare at her for a few minutes, enjoying the texture of her skin and the way the fire glowed on her flesh. Her breasts, with their already rigid nipples, received his special attention. He had placed several blankets on the wooden floor in front of the fire, and the heat was already penetrating their bodies.

"You have beautiful skin." He murmured. He was not one for handing out compliments, but with her, he could not seem to help himself.

"Thank you." She was wondering if he was going to kiss her again. And how much time he would be spending just looking at her. But she had no desire to hasten things along. She had a feeling that this was a first for him, spending time on foreplay, and she wanted to savor it.

His thick, dark hair was loose and tumbling over his shoulder. His chest looked like oiled bronze, and the furring of dark hair was a sharp contrast. He was magnificent, and he was hers. And she wanted him to be all hers. The thought of him being with another woman would kill her.

"Harvey- "

His head lifted to look into her eyes as she hesitated.

"Yes?"

"I am yours." His eyes flared at that.

"Are you?"

"Yes." Touching a hand to his chest, she struggled to find the words that would not offend and drive him away from her. "I always will be."

"Good to hear." He was overseeing her as if he knew what was coming next.

"There can never be anyone else for me." She added, her eyes begging him to understand where she was going with the conversation, and he did.

"Since I met you, there has been no one else." He admitted.

"I am glad." She whispered. She touched his chest in wonder, feeling the muscles flexing beneath her fingers. "I get jealous. I find myself wishing that I am the only one. I envy those women in your past, and I know I am not supposed to, but I am very possessive- "

"What a surprise. So am I," he told her hoarsely, her words potently affecting him. "I have violent thoughts whenever I see another man touching you. I want to break jaws and loosen teeth." His head bent, trailing hot kisses along her jaw and chin. "I am your first and will be your only."

"I promise." She whispered huskily, her body arching towards his as he trailed kisses down her neck and at the hollow of her throat. "I want your children, Harvey. I want a son who looks like you and a daughter with your strength and determination."

His body shuddered, and he wanted the same thing for the first time.

"I might not be a good father." He was at her breast, and the urge to suckle was so strong he could not wait.

"I have every confidence you will be." Cupping the back of his head, her fingers tangling through his thick hair, she used her other hand to cup her breast and offered it to him.

The gesture slammed through his already passion-drenched body. With a groan of complete surrender to her, he took the nipple into his mouth and suckled hungrily. Feeling the pull to the core of her, she arched her body towards his seeking mouth and gave herself over to the exquisite pleasure of his mouth on her flesh.

His hand reached downwards to nudge her thighs open so that he could cup her sex. Kendra moaned helplessly, her body lifting towards him as he rubbed her swollen flesh before dipping his fingers into her already wet moisture.

She cried out, her body arching – moving towards his fingers as he drove slowly into her and then increasing the pace until she was mindless with desire.

She came, her vagina muscles clenching against his fingers as the climax shuddered through her body.

Lifting his head from her sweet nipple, he stared at the exquisite face, naked before him, filled with a passion that took his breath away. God, he loved her! It sang through every fiber of his being and filled him with a joy he had never known existed.

It flowed through his bloodstream and overwhelmed him. Taking a shuddering breath, he climbed on top of her, entering her swiftly and deeply until her tightness completely sheathed him.

"Kendra." His thick voice was rough, his fingers trembling. "Kendra."

She understood, and realizing what was happening to him filled her with such aching joy that she could not stand it.

"I know." She whispered huskily. "I know, darling."

The endearment from her meant the world to him, and he felt the lump lodged inside his throat. He needed her. He had thought he was self-sufficient and told himself he was never going to need anyone – not ever. But he needed this wonderful woman who had opened herself to him.

"You are the first- "He swallowed the lump in his throat and could not continue.

Her fingers touched his face in wonder. This complicated man she loved more than life itself.

"Harvey," She breathed out his name, bringing his face down to hers. The kiss was soft and gentle, his tongue darting into her mouth with a slowness that tantalized her and stole her senses.

He moved then, driving into her an inch at a time as if savoring the feel of her against his skin. Thoughts of his seed swelling inside her brought on a fresh surge of passion he could not control.

He kissed her deeply, his body surging into her, the warmth of her wrapping around him and bringing him peace.

She came again, the climax raging through her body with a fire that seemed unquenchable. She clung to him, fingers digging into his back and shoulders, her body pulling him in.

He came then, the violent climax shuddering through his body, thundering through his heart and making him gasp as he tore his mouth from hers to call out her name.

As soon as he was able and conscious that they were on the floor, he rolled onto his side, taking her with him, arms wrapped around her tightly.

Her face was buried against his chest, her body still trembling. They did not speak because words would have been superfluous and not necessary. He had not declared his love for her but had shown it most profoundly.

His fingers wandered lazily up and down her back. A smile curved his lips as he relished her being in his arms. They were still intimately joined, and there was nothing better as far as he was concerned.