“Perhaps,” he said as he sat down behind the desk and started to pull out drawers. “Interesting,” he said slowly as he pulled out the bottom drawer to the desk and held it up for her to see.
“Someone has forced the lock,” Amanda said as she examined the twisted bit of lock face.
“How much do you want to bet that the key you found fit this lock.”
Amanda nodded as her mind whirled. So many questions and so little information.
“I have a feeling he was threatening Hicks.” Lord Warwick said. “Threatening to expose him,” Lord Warwick said as he stared off into space. “Maybe they killed him because they couldn’t find what they were looking for.”
Amanda frowned. “How could he expose him. Would the authorities have believed him and wouldn’t there be a risk of him being sent to the gallows along with Lord Hicks.”
Lord Warwick shrugged. “Not if he had some evidence. Something he could pass along without it leading back to him.”
“That was what they were looking for. In the drawer.”
“Perhaps. Of course, this is all conjecture until we find it. If it is still here.”
Amanda nodded as she turned and examined the room. Where would she hide evidence from prying eyes? Thinking back to her time in Lord Hicks study, she smiled to herself. Reaching up she pulled the first book off the top shelf and opened it upside down, giving it a good shake.
Nothing fell out. Of course not, she thought, that would be too easy. Taking up the next book she repeated herself. Slowly working her way through the man’s library.
While she worked, Lord Warwick limped from spot to spot as he ran his hands over the entire room looking for secret compartments. He is so tall and so handsome, she thought to herself as her insides turned over. And I am so in love with him.
The hurt she knew she would face once again threatened to overwhelm her.
No, she thought. He had asked her to help. Not to moon over him like a lovesick calf.
Sighing heavily, she forced herself to focus on her task. Her hopes were starting to falter when she opened one more book to have something fall out and flitter to the ground. Both she and Warwick froze for a moment.
Retrieving the slip of paper from the ground she moved to a candle to examine it. A piece of paper folded in half longways. Warwick joined her, his cane ticking on the hardwood floor.
“It’s a list,” she said.
- Plans
- Shipping schedules - -Destinations
- Troop Movements
- Armament production
- Fortress. - - Maps-
- Other sources
Lord Warwick read over her shoulder then took the paper from her hands, opened it fully and turned it over.
“Ha,” he barked. “The man is a fool.”
“Barclay?” she asked.
Warwick shook his head as he smiled. Twisting the paper he showed her. “Lord Hicks stationary.”
Amanda gasped then turned it back to study the handwriting. “I believe it is the same hand as the list I found. The F’s are the same.”
Lord Warwick nodded. “The man does like to make lists. I wonder if he even knew he had written on the back of his own stationery.”
“Is this it? Is this enough for you to move against him.”
Lord Warwick sighed heavily and shook his head. “No. He would just claim it as a forgery. Someone trying to sow discord against his family. With his father’s connections, it would be enough to get him off. No, but it is another nail in the man’s coffin.”
Amanda looked up to see an anger in Warwick’s eyes that made her shiver. The man looked like a wolf on the prowl and the prey was getting closer.
“This, however, is why Barclay was killed. I know it in my bones. This list along with Barclay’s testimony would have sent Hicks to the gallows for sure. Perhaps Barclay thought he could trade it for leniency. Or at least threatened Hicks with it.”
Amanda nodded as she studied the room one last time.
“Come,” Warwick said as he took her arm. “I need to get you home.”
Her heart fell. Once again he would disappear back into his world of intrigue and shadows. A deep sorrow settled in the bottom of her stomach. She would lose him. He would evaporate back into his world and she would never obtain what she wanted. What her body demanded.
Sighing, she let him lead her out the back and again down a dark alley until they found a cab. He gave an address a few blocks from her home.
As they made their way back to her house she watched him closely. He was still walking with a limp. Would he have it always she wondered? And his shoulder? It had worked well enough. But when she held his arm she did not feel the strength she remembers.
“Has anyone checked your wounds?” she asked as he walked her up the steps to her back door.
He frowned at her, obviously confused by her question. “No, I didn’t want anyone knowing I had returned. Only my servants know and they will remain silent. I could not be so sure of our family doctor. The man likes to share our family secrets. But mother is adamant.”
“If an infection returns you could be brought low again,” she said as she bit her lip. “The doctor said you need to be careful.”
He looked down at her for a long moment then silently opened the door, holding it wide for her to enter. Amanda held her breath as she passed by him. Would he follow? Did he know what she planned?
He watched her for a long moment, hesitated, as if fighting with himself, then slowly stepped into the kitchen and closed the door.
Her heart tumbled over itself. It was time. Finally.
Chapter Fifteen
Lord Warwick’s stomach tightened up into a small ball as he looked down at Amanda. She was so beautiful. Everything about the woman was special.
She smiled back up at him then turned and led him upstairs. He watched her hips swish back and forth, his need growing with each step.
Careful, he told himself. Amanda is special, he must never hurt her. But the desire burning through him threatened to make him forget.
“In here,” she said indicating his old room. “My nursing supplies are still there.”
He nodded as he entered the room then turned to face her.
She stopped for a moment, looking up at him, her eyes searching his, asking some unfathomable question that he couldn’t begin to understand.
“Here,” she said as she reached up to help him take his coat off. “Do you need help with your shirt?”
He laughed and shook his head. Any other time and he would have taken that for an invitation to remove more than his shirt. Reaching back, he pulled his shirt over his head. His shoulder twinged a little but he bit down on the pain and focused on the angel in front of him.
She swallowed hard as her eyes traveled over his broad chest. At last, she took a deep breath and said, “Sit on the bed. You’re too tall, I can’t reach it.”
He studied her for a moment. The need in her eyes told him so much. Let her lead the way, he thought. This could go so many different ways. Let her lead. At least at first. Once he knew her mind. Then, and only then would he take over.
.o0o.
Amanda’s heart raced as she stepped forward and gently touched his shoulder. The man was as solid as a rock. Hard muscles, broad chest, wide shoulders. And those eyes. As if they could see into her very soul.
Everything about him let the world know that he was a male. A big powerful male that could shake her world with a simple look. Her body hummed with need. A need to touch. A need to take.
Swallowing hard, she pulled her eyes away from his to examine the wound.
It was still a little red around the edges, raw but no serious infection. Her insides relaxed just a little. She had been so worried. But the man’s constitution matched his size and strength. He was almost indestructible, she thought.
“It looks like it is healing. Can you lift your arm so I can check the movement.”
He slowly lifted his arm,
swinging it in a long circle. Her hands manipulated the joint searching for any scraping or dragging. But it seemed to be working well, just tender.
His eyes watched her face while she concentrated on his shoulder, but his stare couldn’t be ignored. Her cheeks grew warm under his fierce attention.
Taking a deep breath she forced herself to remain calm.
“Now your pants.”
He laughed and raised an eyebrow.
“Unless you want me to cut them off like the last pair.”
He laughed again and tilted his head to the side. She sighed heavily and turned around.
“All right,” he said after a moment. She turned back to find him draped with the blanket across his lap.
She bit back a whine of disappointment and gently pushed him to the side so she could examine the wound. The bullet had entered just above the hip bone and pass through and out the other side.
As she leaned over to get a better look at the exit wound she caught a brief look at his hard backside and almost faltered. Something was pushing her. A primal need that could not be ignored.
Once she was satisfied with the exit wound, she let him settle back down so she could examine the entry would. Like the shoulder, it was healing as it should. Her hand rested against his skin as her mind began to wander.
Her heart raced and her breath grew shorter. She wanted this man. Wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.
Looking up, she caught him staring at her, his face set in furious concentration. As if he were fighting with himself.
As she looked into his eyes, without thinking, without knowing why, her hand traveled under the blanket to take his manhood in her hands.
He gasped at her touch, his hardness throbbing in her hand, his eyes closing as he luxuriated in her touch then shooting open as she stroked him.
A thousand thoughts and wishes danced through her mind as she stared into his eyes. Would he dismiss her, shattering her soul? Would he accept her or would his honor stop him, his fear of being trapped pushing her away?
Oh, how she wished she knew the secrets of seduction. Knew how to make him want her.
Thinking of where her hand rested, her cheeks grew warm. The velvety wrapped iron surprised her, but she couldn’t stop herself as she slowly stroked him. “Please,” she said. “Once. I will never marry. But tonight …”
He looked up into her eyes as he ran his tongue across his lips and stared into her soul.
Her heart stopped as she waited. At last, he seemed to give in as his hands reached up and pulled her down onto the bed next to him. His lips found hers and they were lost. Amanda sank into his embrace, as he pulled her closer.
Two people. Only the two of them. That was all that mattered to her.
Yes, she thought as he trailed kisses down her neck. This was going to happen. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. Suddenly, he pulled back, his brow creased with worry.
“What if you become with child,” he asked seriously. “There are things I could do, but I am unprepared. I …”
She held a finger up to his lips to calm his worries.
“I would never ask anything of you. I am more than wealthy enough to raise my own child. Besides, it is not the correct time.”
He sighed slightly as he continued to study her. Obviously searching for any sense of doubt, any chance of regret. She stared back at him then ran a hand up over his hip as she leaned in to kiss him.
There would never be any doubt that this was what she wanted. What she needed.
He returned her kiss as his hands hurriedly reached around her to unbutton her dress.
“Let me see you,” he whispered.
Amanda swallowed as she silently nodded. Standing up, she let her dress fall to the floor, then slowly removed her undergarments to stand before him naked, vulnerable. Silently praying to herself that he would like what he saw.
His eyes roamed over her, traveling down over her breasts. Over her hips to come to rest at her very center. She shivered at the intensity of his glare.
He licked his lips and held out his arms for her. The hunger in his eyes reassured her. Giving her the confidence she needed. That look could mean only one thing. He needed her.
She melted into him, both of them tumbling back onto the bed. Skin against skin. Lips locked in a delicate dance. His hardness pushing against her leg, demanding, needing. Their hands roamed over each other’s body exploring, discovering.
His hard muscles and sheer size amazed her. So different. So male. Touching him, caressing his body was delightful, fun, and energizing to her soul.
As his hand explored her body, Amanda felt a growing need inside of her. A need for some kind of release.
His lips left hers to trace their way down to take one of her nipples into his mouth. Amanda gasped at the pure pleasure that rushed through her. Her body tingled with energy as she instinctively cradled his head, refusing to let him leave her.
As he suckled, his hand caressed the inside of her thigh, silently demanding she open herself to him. Without thinking, her legs spread open, inviting his touch. His fingers trailed up her thigh to slight brush against her folds.
The man was a god, she thought as her head arched back and she pushed up against his touch.
Never, never had she thought she could feel this way. This alive, this powerful, this feminine.
“John,” she gasped as he slowly worked a finger into her. Her world froze as she felt herself grow warm and swollen. Then without warning, his thumb brushed against her bud and a bolt of pure wonderfulness bolted through her.
“John,” she gasped again.
Still suckling at her breast she could feel his lips turn up in a smile at her pleasure.
Arching into him, he continued to touch and caress the inside of her as his thumb continued to rub and prod at that special spot. All the while, his lips tugged and tasted at her breast.
The world began to spin down to just those sensations. All there was in the world was his touch.
And still, he caressed, pushing her higher, pushing to some unknown point. She stopped breathing, her heart stopped beating as she held for just a moment on the precipice. Held at the top of a giant cliff.
And then her world exploded as wave after wave of release washed over her.
“Oh, Yes,” she exclaimed as he continued to touch and nip at her. “Yes, please, yes,” she continued as she thrashed under his command.
Amanda had achieved something unknown in her world. Had reached heights that she had not known even existed. She had heard rumors, but this. This was unbelievable.
Lord Warwick, no, John she thought. In her mind, he would always be John, looked up at her, his eyes dancing with merriment, obviously pleased with himself at what he had just given her.
“I didn’t know,” she said to him as she fought to catch a breath while trying to calm her racing heart.
He smiled back at her. “Oh, there is so much more, my angel. So much more.”
She swallowed hard as a beckoning smile crossed her lips. Reaching, she took his solid hardness in her hand and began to stroke him.
“Show me,” she said with a sultry smile.
He returned her smile as he spread her legs and kneeled before her. His eyes grew serious as he stared at her, silently asking if she was positive she wanted this.
“Please,” she said again, not caring if she sounded weak or in need. There was no hiding her feelings from this man. Not now.
He smiled widely then positioned himself before her opening.
Amanda closed her eyes as she braced herself for his invasion. He was so big, how could she ever take him. What if he found her not enough. What if they couldn’t finish? The thought sent a flash of fear to her very core. No, she needed him. Needed him now.
“Relax, Angel,” he said with a soft smile
She tried to force her muscles to relax. Tried to focus on her need.
His manhood slowly began to push into her. Slowl
y opening her, spreading her wide.
Swallowing hard, she sank back into the sensation. The hard invasion that felt so unusual, yet so perfect. Looking up at him, he captured her eyes with his, holding her in place as he slowly pushed himself into her.
Oh! she thought, as she arched her neck, closing her eyes and letting herself feel everything. Every sensation.
This was why, she thought. This feeling of perfectness.
He reached her barrier, frowned for a moment, obviously worried about hurting her.
“Yes,” she demanded, wanting it all, wanting everything.
He thrust into her, sending a sharp a pain through her that was quickly followed by a sense of rightness. As if he belonged there. They fit. A feeling of accomplishment washed over her to be followed almost immediately by a sense of need.
As if reading her mind, he pulled back then slowly pushed into her again.
“Yes,” she moaned, this was what she needed, what she wanted.
He continued to pull and push into her. Over and over, sending her to even higher heights. Forcing her to match his rhythm. Over and over. Each time hitting that special spot.
“Oh, John,” she whispered as she reached up to pull him even closer.
Still, he continued to thrust into her until he reared back and exploded into her.
She gasped as he throbbed and pulsed inside of her, filling her. The shocking sensation pushed her over the edge and she once again exploded into the night.
“Yessssss,” she said through clenched teeth as she held onto him for dear life.
He thrust into her again, as if desperately trying to grab every last bit of pleasure. At last, he sighed heavily and smiled down at her. His expression told her how much he had enjoyed her. It was the kind of expression that a woman could hold onto for the rest of her life. An expression of happiness in her.
She felt as if now she could die. Now she had achieved the one thing that needed to be done before a person moved on from this world.
“Oh John,” she said
“Oh, Amanda,” he whispered back as he fell to the side and pulled her into his embrace.
She closed her eyes as she felt his heart beat against her back. A sense of safety, and wonder, and rightness tumbled around inside of her. It might have been only once. Only tonight. But no one could ever take this from her.
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