Forgiven

by Fall, Carly

  Adela didn’t either.

  She got dressed, opting to wear jeans tucked into black boots and a blue turtleneck under a white sweater, her hair in a braid down her back.

  A half-hour later, on the dot, she walked down the hall to the living room where Gunnar and Liam were waiting for her.

  “You look nice, Adela,” Gunnar stated.

  Liam shot him a nasty look.

  “Thank you, Gunnar,” she said, and glanced over at Liam. It wasn’t Gunnar’s opinion she cared about.

  Their gazes locked, and after a moment, Liam cleared his throat. “He’s right. You do look very nice.”

  Adela’s cheeks burned, and Liam went into the kitchen and grabbed the keys.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 18

  Adela sat wedged between Liam and Gunnar in the cab of the Ford pickup. Liam drove slowly, even though the roads were clear despite the five-foot high snowdrifts lining the sides of the road. “You can’t be too careful,” he said when she mentioned his caution.

  “We’re going to a place called Wolfdale’s in Tahoe City,” Liam said. “It’s got great reviews.”

  “What kind of food?” Gunnar asked.

  “It just said ‘unique’.”

  “Yes, but what do they serve?” Gunnar asked.

  “Steaks, duck, fish . . . a little something for everyone.”

  Gunnar nodded. “I can’t wait to try the fish. I used to love my freshly caught fish, especially the Lutefisk.”

  “What the hell is that?” Liam asked.

  Adela listened as Gunnar explained how they took the fish and soaked in water for a few days, then it was saturated in lye for a few more days, then more water, and when finished it had a gelatin like texture.

  “Sounds appetizing,” Liam grimaced. Adela glanced over at him, and the look on his face said that it was anything but. She had to agree.

  They arrived at the restaurant and were seated at a table in the corner, Adela and Liam on one side, Gunnar on the other. Adela ran her hand over the pristine white table cloth, and wished it were daytime so they could have seen the lake surrounded by the snowcapped mountains. She imagined with the large windows, the view would be spectacular.

  The waitress took their drink orders. She seemed happy, so Adela didn’t think she was part of their assignment. Adela studied the busboy, the hostess, and was tempted to go back into the kitchen and talk to the cook, but refrained. Evangeline had always been very clear that the assignment would present itself.

  She listened to conversations going on around her. A huge man with dark, wavy hair and dark eyes sat across the table from a woman with long, brown hair. They talked in quiet tones, both of them smiling and laughing softly as they held hands. When their bill was paid, they stood, and the man leaned down and kissed the woman. “I love you, Abby,” he said, and the woman smiled as if he’d just promised to hand her the moon.

  Adela sighed. No, they definitely weren’t targets for Angels of Affection. It appeared their love was firmly intact.

  Both Liam and Gunnar ordered a beer, while Adela settled on a glass of red wine. They sat in silence as they perused the menu. Adela decided on a Caesar salad and a bowl of soup, Liam opted for the Filet Mignon, and Gunnar held true to his word and ordered the fish.

  Adela took a sip of wine and Gunnar said, “Tell me more about your husband, Adela. You said he was a farmer, right?”

  Liam tensed up next to her and she glanced over at him. He stared at her, absolute shock written on his face.

  “H-husband?” he stammered.

  Adela nodded. “Yes. His name was Edward Bonner and we were married for five years. He died from illness.”

  “You-you never told me about that, Adela,” Liam stuttered.

  She shrugged. “You never asked.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “No you didn’t, Liam. You asked about my death, not my life.”

  Liam opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. He slowly turned from her and stared into his beer.

  “Liam?” she asked, laying her hand on his arm. “Are you upset with me for not telling you? Are you okay?”

  “Uh, no. I, um, no. I’m, uh, I’m just surprised, I guess.”

  “It was just so long ago, Liam, and I also lost two pregnancies, and that was very painful for me. It’s just something very . . . personal.”

  Liam nodded. “Yes, it is. And no, I’m not mad, Adela.”

  She smiled and turned to Gunnar. “We mainly grew barley and oats.”

  Gunnar nodded. “We did as well.”

  As Adela and Gunnar discussed the similarities and differences of farming in their generations, Liam remained quiet, staring into his beer.

  Dinner arrived and they ate in relative silence. Adela’s irritation with Liam grew, and she was determined to get to the bottom of what exactly was bothering him when they returned to the cabin. Usually he was talkative, always teasing her, but not lately. This mood of his was so bad since Gunnar arrived, she could almost feel it radiating off him, and she was sick and tired of dealing with it. She wanted the fun-loving, smart-mouthed Liam back, but he was nowhere to be found.

  “How is your steak, Liam?” she asked, trying to engage him.

  “Fine,” he snapped, and continued his brooding silence.

  As she spooned her soup, Adela considered asking Evangeline for a reassignment. She simply couldn’t take much more of this side of Liam.

  At the end of the meal, Liam paid the bill and they got back in the truck, the heavy, uncomfortable silence their fourth passenger.

  Chapter 19

  Liam lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

  So, Adela wasn’t a virgin.

  Adela had been pregnant.

  And married.

  Why in the hell hadn’t he known any of this?

  He recalled their serious talks. The first one had been in Adela’s bedroom after her nightmare. As he went through the conversation, he realized that Adela had been correct—he hadn’t asked about her life, he’d only asked about how she died. That had included some specific points about her life, such as how the men took her from her kitchen, her time in jail, the trial, and her death at the gallows. He hadn’t asked about anything before that time.

  The second serious conversation they had was a few days ago as they sat on the couch and talked about what era Adela would like to live in as she had seen so much. He squinted, trying to remember how the conversation ended, and he realized that was when he had fallen asleep and woken to the debacle of Gunnar’s arrival.

  So, he supposed Adela was right. He’d never asked about anything but her death, but it still rankled him that Gunnar knew more about her life than he did. That big, green monster within him raged on, and it left a very sour taste in his mouth.

  A hard tap on the door surprised him. He assumed it was Gunnar as Adela’s knock was always soft, as if she were apologizing for knocking in the first place.

  “Come in,” Liam bit out.

  He sat up, and to his astonishment, it was Adela. She stood in the doorway, her hands crossed over her chest, her dark eyes flashing in anger. Her hair was no longer in a braid and hung in soft waves around her shoulders.

  She stepped in and shut the door behind her. “What the hell is wrong with you?” she whispered.

  The venom in her voice shocked him. He’d never heard or seen her this angry. “What do you mean?”

  She took three long steps and was standing in front of him, looking down at him as he sat on the bed. “We’ve been through this once before, Liam, but I want some answers this time. Why have you been so awful since Gunnar arrived? I’m sick of your . . . bullshit!”

  He listened as she went on about the last conversation they had, and tried to remember if he’d ever heard her swear. He couldn’t think of a time, but he was having a hard time concentrating because frankly, Adela was really hot when she was this upset. “You want me to stay away from Gunnar because you think he’s dangerous.
For a while there, I considered your words. Now I just believe they’re stupid. Gunnar is not a threat to me or you or anyone. There is something else going on, Liam, and I want to know what it is. I want to know right now because I’m about ready to tell Evangeline that I want to be reassigned!”

  No. That wasn’t an option for him. He wouldn’t let Adela go. He stood from the bed, mere inches away from her, just as he had a few short hours ago. Both of them breathed hard, her because of anger, and him because of sheer lust. His whole body tensed. Adela wasn’t a virgin and he wanted her.

  His thoughts stopped there—he wanted her. There was no consideration to an hour from now, and certainly none to tomorrow. He firmly resided in the moment, and all that mattered was the raging need for Adela coursing through him.

  Slowly, he leaned in, aiming for her lips. Her eyes flared in confusion, and she stepped back. He placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her close to him. His knees weakened as their lips met. She struggled for a moment and he threaded his fingers through her hair, gently drawing her closer. Gradually, her body relaxed and pressed into his. Her soft, pliable lips tentatively moved over his. He coaxed her mouth open with his tongue and tasted just a hint of red wine. Her tongue hesitantly met his, the scent of her wildflower lotion engulfing him as her arms went around his neck.

  He ran his hands downward through her hair, his fingertips skimming her ribcage. Placing his hand at her lower back, he pulled her closer, loving the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest, the way her soft curves yielded to his hard body.

  Adela’s hands went through his hair, and her mouth moved urgently over his, as if she were finally answering her desires as well.

  Liam pulled away for a moment to look at her, his breathing heavy. Her dark eyes twinkled, and she gave him a slight smile.

  He was a goner. “Adela,” he whispered hoarsely. No other words would come, and nothing else mattered.

  She searched his face, and Liam hoped she saw the desire he felt for her, a heat that licked through his body as if he were burning up from the inside out. Touching the side of his face, she brushed her fingers down his cheek to his jaw, tracing the five o’clock shadow. The tip of her finger brushed his chin, and the pad of her thumb caressed his lower lip. He caught her thumb with his mouth, his tongue slowly swirling around it. Adela’s eyes widened and she gasped, but then let out a soft sigh as he repeated the motion, her lips parting as she stared at his mouth. Slowly, she withdrew her thumb and replaced it with her lips. She kissed him again, bolder this time, their passion escalating quickly as she pressed her body into his again, as though she simply couldn’t get close enough.

  He found the hem of her sweater and leisurely brought it up her long torso and over her head. Her nipples showed through the blue turtleneck she wore and he gently caressed them with his thumbs. The gasp from Adela was like a sweet, new song, a tune he decided he really, really liked. Liam kissed Adela again as her hands roamed over his chest, sending trails of fire along his skin and tremors throughout his body.

  Liam felt he needed to go slow. He had no idea what sex was like in the Puritan age. Yes, the semantics were the same, but were women aware of the pleasure of the act? He had no idea, but no matter how badly he wanted to throw Adela on the bed and get down to business, he wouldn’t. He would make sure she enjoyed herself.

  He pulled the blue turtleneck over her head, revealing a white lacy bra encasing her breasts, her nipples stiff beneath the soft silk. Pushing her hair over her shoulders, he blazed a trail of long, slow, gentle kisses from her earlobe to her collarbone as he caressed her nipples through her bra, eliciting a shiver and a soft moan of pleasure from Adela.

  She timidly played with the hem of his shirt as kissed her deeply. He looked at her, and nodded. “I want you to touch me, Adela,” he whispered. “I need for you to touch me. I’ve wanted it for so long.”

  Adela’s eyes flared at his words, and he could see the question of why in her eyes. There were so many why’s to be answered, he didn’t know which one, if any he should address. Why were they doing this? Why couldn’t he restrain himself? Why did Adela make him feel so different than any other woman? Why was he so excited, yet so afraid?

  He didn’t answer, but as her hand snaked up under his shirt and her fingertips stroked the skin over his heart, Liam shut his eyes, barely able to breathe. Her touch sent sparks dancing over his skin, and his heart beat so wildly, he wondered if the damn thing would just simply stop. “Please tell me you want this Adela,” he whispered, “tell me you want this like I do.”

  His gaze met hers and she slipped the shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor. He slowly turned Adela around, his hands grazing the soft skin of her arms. He pushed her hair out of the way and traced his fingers over her shoulders, and down the six crystals in between her shoulder blades, three on each side of her spine. Adela trembled and moaned at his touch. He unclasped her bra and let it fall to the floor, pulling her to him so that her back was flush against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. She placed her hands over his and leaned her head back against his shoulder. He held her for a moment, unable to resist running his tongue over the pulse beating wildly in her neck. “You’re sure?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” she murmured as she turned in his arms, pressed her chest into his, and kissed him.

  The skin-on-skin contact sent his every nerve ending into overdrive, and he saw flashes of white behind his closed eyelids. He backed her toward the bed and sat her down. Kneeling, he gazed up at her. Her hair framed her face and hung down to her waist, covering her breasts. Her lips were slightly red and swollen, her eyes dancing with desire. Her beauty took his breath away, yet the feeling of love she invoked in him sent tremors of terror throughout his body. It was as if he was in the presence of a glorious goddess, and he wondered if this was how Adam had felt when he first laid eyes on Eve.

  Pushing his thoughts aside, he removed her left boot, then the other. He did the same with her socks, and then took her hand and helped her stand. Still on his knees, he unbuttoned her jeans and slowly slid the zipper down. He kissed her stomach just above her blue panties and she gasped. Hooking his thumbs in the waistband, he slid the jeans and panties down her long, supple legs, peppering her thighs with gentle kisses as he went.

  She stepped out of the clothes and stood before him, gloriously naked. His hands traveled up her hips to her waist, her ribcage, and back down again. Pressing his lips to the light blonde curls covering her sex, he could smell her heavenly scent. He slightly lowered his head and inhaled again, his tongue getting a small taste of her essence.

  Adela gasped, and took a step back.

  As he stood, his gaze locked with hers and he unbuckled his belt and kicked off his own boots, letting them fall to the floor. Adela turned to the bed and got in, pulling the covers up to her chest.

  “No you don’t,” he growled, pulled the covers down to her toes. “I want to see you.”

  Adela gave him a faint smile, and he could see the hesitation on her face. “I’ve . . . I’ve always done this under the covers in the dark,” she whispered.

  He imagined in the Puritan age that was the way it was done. However, right here, right now, he wanted to see every nuance on her face as he touched her, and he wasn’t going to be denied.

  He lay down next to her and pulled her on top of him, tracing his fingers down her spine, to the flare of her hips and over the lovely curve of her butt. She held the sides of his face, her full weight on him, a delicious feeling of flesh on flesh.

  As she spread her legs, he felt her slick desire coat the tip of his cock. He wanted to grasp her hips and impale her on his length, hard and quick, but he wouldn’t.

  Tonight was all about Adela’s pleasure.

  Rolling on top of her, his mouth found her nipple, and he swirled his tongue around the pink tip, bringing it to a hard peak, then he did the same to the other. Adela moaned, and she watched as he blazed
a trail of slow kisses down to her belly button, then back up again.

  Her head fell back on the pillow, and Liam urgently claimed her mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt so right to be with Adela, to finally feel her up against him, to kiss the lips he’d been fantasizing about for the past couple of years, both as an angel and as a human.

  She spread her legs further and wrapped them around his waist, urging him inside her. He obliged and buried his head in the golden hair spread across the pillow while he sank into her warm, slick core, but stopped when he heard her gasp.

  He froze, coming up to his elbows, one on each side of her head. He met her dark brown gaze, noticing the shock there. “Are you okay?” he murmured.

  Adela stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, and then nodded. “I’d . . . forgotten how this feels.”

  “Do you want to stop?” Please say no. Please, please, please say no.

  She shook her head.

  That was good enough for him.

  He brought his hips back and slid out of her, and then slowly glided back in. Her breath caught again, and then a loud moan escaped her lips.

  Repeating the act resulted in the same sound, and Liam couldn’t help but chuckle as he pulled the covers over both of their heads. He kissed her as he moved inside her, hoping his mouth and the blankets over them would muffle her groans of pleasure. Yes, he wanted to see her, but he also had to remember they weren’t alone in the cabin.

  Gunnar didn’t need to know anything about what they were doing, but the sounds Adela was making were sure to give it away. He couldn’t wait to hear her when he brought her to orgasm, and he only wished there wasn’t an audience in the house.

  The smell of Adela’s wildflower lotion engulfed him and her hair tickled his nose as he kissed her warm neck. As he came up to his elbows, a dim light filtered through the blankets, He placed a kiss on her pink cheek, feeling her breath on his neck. She opened her eyes and gazed up at him, her stare piercing his heart, breaking down the last of the barriers he had so carefully constructed. He was open and raw, and it terrified him.