Taming a Savage Gentleman: Taming the Heart Series

by Tammy Andresen

  “Shall we try it again?” he asked, but he was starting to sweat again. She was tight and wet and he’d been waiting for this moment.

  “Yes,” she answered, kissing his shoulder.

  This time he moved a little faster and her hips lifted to meet his. He tried to go slow, to be careful, but need was building inside of him. Her own breath hitched and her nails dug into his back.

  “Are you all right?” he gritted out, trying to keep his head.

  “Oh yes. Don’t stop.” She moaned and his will snapped. Squeezing his eyes shut, he picked up the tempo till they were both breathless and moaning.

  He was barely hanging on, desire raging inside him when she cried out, “Oh, I’m going to…” and then she crashed around him.

  Unable to last another moment, he groaned as he came inside her.

  As his head cleared, he grimaced slightly. They weren’t married yet. He should have been more careful but he never did what he planned around Flora. She had a way of stripping his will.

  “That was so amazing,” she murmured sleepily.

  He kissed every inch of her face, nibbling on her lips, her neck, her collarbone. “It was even better than that, my love.”

  “Don’t run away in the morning.” She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

  He chuckled. “You’re in my cabin. I can’t run away.”

  “Oh that’s right.” She giggled too but then closed her eyes.

  “But we’ve got to get you back to your room to keep that reputation of yours somewhat intact. I never planned for this to happen.”

  “I suppose.” She rolled with him as he dropped to the side, their bodies pressed together. “But I am so sleepy.”

  “You sleep, my love. I’ll wake you in a little bit to take you to your room.” He kissed her forehead again as his stroked her back. “Soon enough we’ll be together every night.” He’d stay awake and return her to her room between shifts. Who needed sleep anyway? He was in love.

  18

  Flora woke in her own bed, uncertain of how she’d gotten there. Memories flooded her mind as a smile played on her lips.

  By the time she was up and dressed they were back out at sea. Having hired two new crew and borrowed a third from Barrett, the sails were blowing in the wind.

  “You’re up.” Tom waved her over, grinning.

  Wanting to run into his arms, she held herself back. The crew would most assuredly think it odd. “I stopped on my way up to check on Loudoun.”

  “How does he fare?” Tom straightened.

  She shrugged. “Not very well. He is sleeping now but Dr. Thompson said it was a rough night. They were giving him sips in thimbles to abate the shaking.”

  “I meant to ask you before we were distracted, what happened yesterday with Loudoun?”

  She took a breath, slightly embarrassed she hadn’t been paying closer attention. “We were talking, him begging me to reconsider. In that moment, I felt sorry for him. He was clearly desperate. I didn’t notice that he’d untied the other dinghy until it floated by. When I called to him that it was loose, he grabbed me and hauled me over the side.” She rubbed her temples. “He told me we would elope. He didn’t want to force me but he had no choice. There were no other options for him.”

  Tom reached for her hand and held it. “I’m sorry I allowed him--”

  “It isn’t your fault and I was barely gone before you came for me.” She gave him a big smile. “I don’t know if I properly thanked you.”

  “I think you did.” He gave her hand a squeeze.

  She blushed, looking down. “I didn’t come to your room to thank you. Despite my reservations about meeting your family a fallen woman, yesterday made me realize that I never want to walk in this world without you.”

  “I agree.” His voice was quiet so as not to be heard. “But yesterday shouldn’t have happened. I failed you.”

  “You did not. You saved me, again. And I wasn’t frightened. I knew you’d come, and truly, I think I felt sorry for Loudoun.” Her heart was full with the emotion as she looked at his strong handsome face.

  His other hand came up to brush her cheek. “You’ve so much heart, Flora. How did I ever manage to capture it?”

  A blush rose in her cheeks again. “It’s me who is lucky. I finally understand what my mother has been trying to tell me. It isn’t that I can’t be alone, but why would I want to? Tell me, though, that I lessen your burdens the way you do mine?”

  “You’ve given me a purpose and a future I’ve been lacking. I know myself for the first time in a long time.” He looked out over the sea.

  Flora wondered what he was thinking for a moment.

  “I know I’m a bit rough. Not a lord even. But if you’ll be patient with me, I will become what you need.”

  Her breath hitched. “You’re already all I need and all I want.” This time her hand came to his cheek. “You’ve expressed this before. Don’t you see your value? Every man on this ship relies on you, His Grace, me. You are a pillar of strength.

  He crushed her against him, and though several members of the crew looked on, she hugged him back. He needed her now and after everything he’d done for her, she wouldn’t let him down. She only hoped his family understood.

  * * *

  TWO DAYS LATER, Flora sat across from Isla, marveling at the other woman’s beauty. Even well into her pregnancy, she glowed with happiness. Her husband, Laird Campbell—or Gavin, as he insisted she call him—looked at his wife as though the sun rose and set on the woman. She could see why.

  Tom hovered over her chair while she surveyed the rest of the guests in attendance. Barrett and Piper were off to the side, while her mother sat on a settee. This was her family.

  Isla and Gavin had also been incredibly kind and attentive to Flora. In a day, they had themselves and their two children packed and on The Destiny to sail south to England to attend the wedding for Flora and Tom.

  Their children played off to one end of the gallery, and a lovely girl travelling with Barrett and Piper attended all five of the Campbell and Maddox children.

  “May is the sweetest girl I’ve ever met,” Isla declared to her cousin, Barrett.

  He gave a rare grin. “I agree. Her cousin, Lizzie, is equally kind and my good friend the Earl of Rothenberg was fortunate enough to marry her. Piper and I are quite fond of the girl and are going to take her with us on our American tour while Chris and Lizzie adjust to being new parents.”

  Isla grinned. “Are you sure you’re doing them a favor? May might have been infinitely helpful with the new baby. Look at her with our children.”

  “I didn’t say I was doing them a favor. After this tour May will go to finishing school and when she is ready, I will support her first season. She is quite like another daughter to me.” Barrett shrugged and Piper grinned at him.

  “We may have to adopt more children. I don’t seem to be producing them fast enough.” She squeezed her husband’s hand.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” his soft expression trained on his wife. “Though I wouldn’t be opposed to adopting.”

  Flora had to grin. She glanced at Tom who took her hand in response.

  “We have all the children we can currently handle,” Isla said making a face. But her features were soft, belying her words.

  “Father is ridiculously happy about your children,” Tom added, speaking for the first time.

  “As he’ll be about your marriage.” Isla nodded.

  Flora bit her lip. “Do you think?”

  Isla grinned at her, understanding making her smile soft. “Maddoxes rarely have traditional courtships--”

  “That is what I told her,” Tom agreed.

  “Amen to that,” Barrett called out.

  “My father will be thrilled that Tom is marrying.” Isla reached out and patted Flora’s hand.

  Isla’s support and comfort meant so much to Flora. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I hope you’ll stand with me at the wedding. And you, Piper.�
�

  “I’d be delighted,” Isla beamed, taking her hand.

  “As would I,” Piper chimed in.

  A warmth spread through her. “It feels to me like I have a large family for the first time in a long time.”

  Piper nodded, taking the other. “You simply must meet Rose and Lizzie. We’d make the best of friends.” Then she turned to Barrett. “We won’t stay in America too long, will we, darling?”

  Barrett looked surprised. “Just as long as it takes to find a man to run the shipping company.” He touched his wife’s cheek. “I thought you wanted to go back?”

  She shrugged. “I did. But my family is here.”

  “Well, that’s settled then.” Barrett winked at them.

  “Land ho,” a sailor called.

  Flora’s insides clenched. It was time to meet the rest of Tom’s family.

  19

  The group assembled out onto the deck as they approached a massive shipping yard.

  Flora’s breath caught. For all her business investments and farming ventures, she had never seen a business on this scale. “Oh my,” she breathed.

  “It’s no wonder your father wants you here.” Barrett nodded. “Even I find it massive.”

  “You’ve more ships in your fleet,” Tom answered matter-of-factly.

  Barrett shook his head. “I never see them like this. All assembled together. It’s numbers on a page. Boxes, boats, sailors all tallied in a ledger.”

  “Trust me when I say, this…” Tom gestured to the boat yard, “is a well-oiled machine that my brother and father have complete control of.”

  Barrett clapped him on the back. “That’s why you’ll work for me.”

  A man from one of the docks gestured wildly, waving his hand, and Tom returned the greeting. From this distance, he looked too young to be Tom’s father and, as they drew closer, it became apparent that it was Tom’s brother.

  “Will,” Tom called as the boat sailed up to the massive dock. Waving back with one hand, he dropped the other around her waist. There was no mistaking the reason for Tom’s visit.

  A blush crept into Flora’s cheeks as Will appraised her, his eyes sparkling with merriment. “To what do owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?” he asked grinning.

  Flora noted that he was older than Tom, by at least ten years, but that did nothing to diminish his good looks.

  “I’ve come to introduce my fiancée,” Tom hailed back, the ship gliding effortlessly to the dock. Several workers tied it off and then a plank was raised for them to exit.

  “Fiancée?” Will’s grin grew near as broad as his shoulders. “But father has only just returned from London himself and made no mention of you--”

  Tom silenced his brother with a slash of his hand and Will stopped talking but his grin remained in place.

  Once everyone had exited the ship, a note was dispatched to send carriages to convey them back to the estate.

  Nervous butterflies danced in her stomach as their trunks were unloaded.

  Part of her wanted to demand they put them back on the ship. What if this all went terribly wrong?

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she took a half step back, her mind fixated on running.

  Tom’s hand came to her waist. “What is it?”

  “I…I… don’t know about this. Perhaps it was a mistake,” she stuttered out.

  He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It wasn’t. The fact that we came here first to introduce you to my family shows the world this wasn’t just a matter of you being ruined.”

  He was right, but a fear had been niggling in the back of her mind. “What will you do if your father doesn’t like me?”

  He winked at her. “My father didn’t want me to be a sailor. He’s the son of a duke, after all. But I make my own way in this world. Always have. And no one, except you, will stop us from marrying.”

  “You keep saying that. Why would I?”

  “I don’t follow rules. I know I’m exciting now, but what about later? You may regret not marrying a proper gentleman and lord.”

  She shook her head. She had to find the words that would absolutely convince him. “In my eyes you are twice the man Loudoun, or any of those other lords, will ever be. I don’t want a lord or even a gentleman if he can’t be a man I admire.”

  A stunned expression marked his face, as he looked at her openmouthed, those words seeming to penetrate where her previous ones hadn’t.

  “I think that was exceptionally well said.” A gruff male voice boomed over them.

  “I agree, Uncle,” Barrett spoke from her other side.

  “Is this your doing?” The elder gentleman looked at his nephew. Flora could only assume that this was Tom’s father.

  “Father, just because he’s a duke, doesn’t mean he is responsible for every--”

  “I might have had a hand in it.” Barrett interrupted Tom, grinning. “Though I promoted him, so on that score, you might be upset with me.”

  “To what?” Lord Maddox’s eyebrow’s raised. He was a formidable man and Flora was glad to be between Tom and Barrett.

  “I’m going to run the English branch, Father.”

  Lord Maddox looked at his three children. “So one of my children provides the lumber. Another builds the ships, and a third will head up the shipping company.” His chest puffed out. “I couldn’t be prouder.”

  Relief flooded through Flora.

  “Now, introduce me.” Lord Maddox’s eyes pierced into her.

  “Father, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Baroness Segrave, and her mother, the Dowager Baroness.”

  “A pleasure.” He bowed to each of them and then turned to Tom wrapping him up in a hug. “I knew our talk helped.”

  Tom grunted. “It wasn’t as much your talk as other circumstance. I’m afraid Flora’s reputation may be in tatters till the wedding.”

  To her utter shock, he patted his son on the back and then took her hand to kiss it. “It wouldn’t be a Maddox courtship if her reputation was intact. Now, let us go up to the house to celebrate. Then we can discuss the details of the wedding.”

  20

  The sun shone brightly as Flora climbed on board The Destiny to marry Tom. The ceremony would take place out at sea, officiated by Captain Andrews.

  It had been a right wonderful eve as her Scottish, soon-to-be brother-in-law had called it the night before. The Maddox family had all welcomed her with open arms and she couldn’t be happier to officially become one of them today.

  Her family had always been small and as she watched the many Maddox members filing onto the deck, she had an overwhelming sense of completeness.

  Her mother stood at her side, tears also glistening in her eyes. “It’s all I ever wanted for you.”

  “For us, Mama.” She hugged her mother. “You were right all along. It’s too hard to do it alone. It’s so much better to have people who care for you to lean on.”

  “He’ll need you too, darling.” Her mother hugged her back.

  “I know. That’s the beauty of it.”

  Captain Andrews performed the ceremony, and even Loudoun was able to attend. While he looked as though he’d been to hell and back, Flora noted that his eyes were clearer than they had been in a long time.

  Their guests stood in a circle around them and Flora wasn’t sure if it started with the children, but somehow, everyone ended up holding hands. They were formed in a ring of love.

  “Do you, Flora, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Captain Andrews held out a bible and each rested their fingertips on its leather cover.

  “I do,” Flora beamed at Tom.

  “And do you, Tom, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

  “I do.” Tom looked deep into her eyes.

  Her breath caught at the depth of feeling she saw there.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife.” He gave them both a gentle smile. “You may kiss your bride.”

  Tom swept her into his arms, p
lanting his lips upon hers making her tingle all the way to her toes. “I don’t know where I would be without you.” He kissed her again.

  Her hands slid down his chest. “I feel the same.”

  The guests assembled at the tables as the boat made the return journey to the dock. They ate and drank while the children ran and played.

  Flora left Tom’s side when she saw Loudoun chatting with May.

  “You’re an orphan?” Flora heard him ask.

  “Yes, I suppose I am, though I’ve never felt like one. My cousin has always loved me and now Piper and Barrett take care of me too.” She smiled. “You weren’t an orphan, were you?”

  He shook his head. “No, my father lived to torture me till I was five and twenty.”

  Reaching for his hand, May looked up him. “Sometimes you have to make your own family.”

  “I tried that,” he shrugged. “It didn’t go particularly well.”

  She shook her head. “You build family with love. Did you use love?”

  “Well, I—I mean, that is too say…” He trailed off looking to Flora for help.

  “Listen to the girl, Loudoun. She knows what she’s talking about.” Flora grinned. “May, would you give us a minute?”

  “Of course.” She curtsied and flounced off to play with the children.

  “How old do you think she is?”

  “Perhaps twelve?” Flora watched her begin helping one of the children.

  “How can a twelve-year-old child know more about love than me?” he asked.

  Flora smiled. “It sounds like she’s had good teachers.”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “I might go to America with His Grace. He said he could help me and a change of scenery might be just the trick.”

  “I think it’s a fine idea.” She held his hand out to him and he took it. “You’re all right then?”

  He nodded, squeezing her fingers. “How can you even pretend to be concerned after what I’ve put you through?”

  “We were considering marriage. You can’t go through that and not care for someone.” Flora gave him a small hug. She wished him nothing but the best. “Have a wonderful time in America.”