A Thin Line

by Tammy Jo Burns

  “Yes,” she replied huskily. She felt him shift until he lay between her legs. This placed them in a starkly intimate position. Mikala felt a moment of panic before she reminded herself that she had seen animals mate. Surely this can’t be much different, she thought pragmatically.

  “Mikala, this might hurt, but only this once.”

  “I don’t care.” He began kissing her once more and then she felt something infinitely larger than his finger probing her. She pulled away. “Will you fit?” She asked desperately.

  “Relax,” he whispered as he spread her legs a little wider and pushed slowly into her. She felt a momentary twinge and then he fully impaled her until their groins touched. “How do you feel?”

  “Full of you,” she whispered and caressed the scar on his face. “I wish I could see your face.”

  “I wish you could, too,” he said, caressing her face and kissing her tenderly.

  “You’re not stopping are you?”

  “Don’t worry, Pest, nothing could stop me now,” he kissed her. “You tell me when you’re ready.”

  “I’ve always been ready for you,” she whispered.

  “Kala,” he groaned, and began the slow cadence. They alternately kissed and touched, not getting enough of each other. He drove her mad, almost pulling out and then slowly plunging back in. She dug in her heels to meet his every move, not willing to be a passive partner. Unable to reach him anywhere else, but needing the contact, she held onto his upper arms, squeezing his muscles, urging him on.

  “Too slow,” she said, almost feeling frantic.

  “Wrap your legs around my hips,” he instructed. When she did, he quickened his pace. Mikala tried to hold onto his sweat-slick shoulders. She enjoyed the feel of him pounding into her, the rawness of it. It felt so elemental. She felt she would fall from this great height at any moment. Kala heard herself whimper in frustration. Gabe must have heard her, for she felt one of his hands travel to where they were joined. He found a swollen piece of flesh and gave it a tender squeeze. She gasped. The next time he timed it with a deep thrust and she felt herself splintering.

  Gabriel heard her hoarse cry and saw her face as she reached her fulfillment. Her legs dropped limply to the mattress. He lifted her hips slightly and rose up on his knees. He thrust hard and deep, once, twice, three times before he felt himself go over the edge. His essence pulsed into her. Gabe gave a shout to the ceiling before collapsing onto his supple wife.

  After several moments, he came back to himself and rolled off of her. He lay beside her, pulling her into the cradle of his arms.

  “So that is what the maids giggle about,” Mikala said breathlessly.

  “Hmmm,” Gabe agreed. They lay in quiet repletion for a while.

  “Gabe.”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry I am so difficult.”

  “If it brings us to this, it is well worth it, wife.” Mikala huffed up like she would say something, but he had captured her lips once more, cutting off whatever she had been about to say.

  Chapter 21

  Gabriel awoke the next morning with his head pounding and a list of things he needed to do. He rolled over to find the other half of his bed empty. Frowning, he slipped from the bed and crossed the room, pulling open the connecting door to peek inside. He saw no trace of Kala. Now he noticed the pounding in his head came with a rhythm and lacked the aching that usually accompanied a headache. Gabe turned back and looked at the bed once more, remembering the night before. He should have known that Mikala would take to bed sport as she did with all other physical activity. Just thinking about last night made his body ache.

  He jerked on his dressing robe over his nude form before pulling open the bedroom door. “Hamlin,” Gabe yelled.

  “Yes, Your Grace?” Was he imagining the coolness in Hamlin’s voice when he addressed him just now?

  “Where is my wife?”

  “Gaining her independence of you, Your Grace.” No, no mistake. His voice practically formed icicles.

  “What?”

  “May I speak freely, Your Grace?”

  “Why not? You’ve known me since I was in leading strings, and I doubt that I could stop you anyway.”

  “Too true, Your Grace. The way you treated her last night and the things you said, you are lucky indeed that she did not leave you in the middle of the night.”

  “Thank you for your candid observance of my personal life, Hamlin.”

  The butler bowed deeply, mockingly. “I am glad to oblige, Your Grace.” Gabe ignored the sarcasm in the butler’s voice.

  “And just where might I find her?” Gabe turned around, his teeth bared in a feral grin.

  “She should be downstairs somewhere.”

  “What is she doing?”

  “Memorizing different areas of the house.”

  “What?”

  “Memorizing. . .”

  “I heard you the first time. Why?”

  “So she doesn’t have to rely on servants to escort her.”

  “I see.”

  “I’m amazed,” he heard Hamlin mutter under his breath.

  “And what is that infernal racket?”

  “I believe you gave Her Grace permission to have rope hung.”

  “Yes.”

  “The footmen are seeing to it now,” he answered as if Gabe should have been able to deduce the answer on his own. Choosing to ignore the old servant, he turned back into his room and quickly dressed before going downstairs and finding Kala in the breakfast room. The meal had been put away, but she moved around the room with her hands in front of her.

  “All right Judith, I believe I’m ready.”

  “You should be. You have been at this long enough. The doorway to the hall.” His grandmother’s back remained to him and she did not see him standing in front of the door. Kala strode across the room avoiding the table in the center and the buffet against the wall. He could not help but be impressed with how gracefully she moved. Her movements were not stilted with insecurity.

  He vaguely heard his grandmother’s inhalation as she realized he stood in the doorway. He watched his wife move closer and bump into his chest. She reached up and felt his face, her fingers tracing the scar down to the corner of his mouth. His gut tightened at the touch, his body inflamed.

  “Judith, it seems this is as far as I can go. There is a giant ass planted in front of me.”

  So she hadn’t quite forgiven him for his comments last night. Good, he thought, smirking a bit. “By all means, let me step out of the way. Better yet, let’s go to the study. I have some questions for you.”

  “Whatever you say, Your Grace.” He grabbed her arm, but she quickly jerked free. He watched her walk across the hall and run her hand along the wall. She turned to her left and walked down the hall until she found a doorway, skipped it and continued on to the next doorway.

  Gabe walked across the hall and inspected the wall. A little tin plate hung next to each door with something stamped into it and arrows pointing in various directions. He entered the study in time to see Kala walk across the room and take a seat in a chair in front of his desk.

  “How many rooms have you memorized?”

  “Three. No, five,” she corrected.

  “Which rooms?”

  “This one, the breakfast room, the dining room and our two bedrooms.

  “That is amazing.”

  Kala merely shrugged, hearing the door click shut. “Some are easier than others. I plan on learning the parlor this afternoon. I started to memorize the study the other day.”

  “I didn’t realize you were such an early riser.”

  “There are many things you don’t know about me,” Mikala said mysteriously.

  Gabe ignored the last comment before continuing, “Why did you leave me all alone this morning?” He practically growled.

  “I had things to do and you were sleeping soundly, so I decided to let you sleep. I assume you don’t have to go into the office today since it is
the day after our wedding. It isn’t as if you spent the day with me yesterday.”

  “I explained to you where I went and why.”

  “Yes, you did.” She felt him towering over her.

  “Bloody hell, Mikala,” he practically growled.

  She felt his powerful hands grip her upper arms and haul her out of the chair. His lips crushed hers, and she fought back with everything in her being. Kala entwined her arms about Gabe’s neck and felt herself lifted into his arms, never once breaking the kiss that had evolved into a deeper connection than just lips. He walked to the soft, plush rug in front of the cheerfully blazing fire. He let her slide down his body so she could feel the affect she had on him.

  “My, my,” Mikala whistled softly. “Do I really do that to you?”

  “If you only knew what you do to me,” Gabe growled, kissing the column of her neck.

  “Oh, my wolf,” she sighed.

  “What?”

  “Later, I’ll explain later. Perhaps I should have stayed in bed with you.”

  “Beds can be boring.”

  “Gabe, we need to talk.”

  “Later.”

  “No. Stop.” She swatted at his hands as they tried to pet her aching breasts. One of them had to keep their senses about them. “Gabe, I don’t want a child.” She felt his hands freeze. “Not right now at least.”

  “Because of me?”

  “Yes, you insufferable ass, because everything’s about you,” she replied sarcastically. “I am blind. What kind of mother would I make?”

  “What do you propose?”

  “I wish I knew. I like this between us.”

  “So, you are not trying to find a way out of this part of our relationship?” He asked.

  “No, Gabe.”

  “Wait here.”

  She heard the door open and close, and although it was not in her nature to wait, she did. His return was heralded by the opening and closing of the door, followed by the clinking of glass.

  “Now, where were we?”

  “Gabe?”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t be able to look Hamlin in the eye for a while, but we will be protected. Now, where were we?”

  “Here,” she reached forward feeling for his arm until her hand drifted down to his. She took his hand and guided it to her breast.

  He caressed her breasts through her dress, but both felt frustration at the cloth barrier hampering them. By some unspoken mutual consent, the two went to their knees, touching, groping and caressing. Neither one was able to get enough of the other. Mikala pushed him back and scrambled to her knees presenting her back to him.

  “Perfect,” he whispered into her ear. She felt the buttons at the top of her dress quickly undone and falling to capture her arms at the elbow. Mikala next felt the neck of her shift loosen and then the blessed feel of his roughened palms against her tender flesh.

  Mikala thrust her bosom more fully into his hands and leaned against him. She reached behind her, entwining her arms about his neck and felt his sensually masculine lips running along her neck to her shoulder. Kala let her head fall to the side allowing him greater access. He fought her skirt, attempting to pull it up, but finding it caught beneath her knees. Wanting to be closer, Mikala scooted backwards wanting to feel his hard body pressed against. The proof of his desire for her lay nestled in the cleft of her buttocks. She couldn’t help wiggling, attempting to get closer.

  “Keep doing that and this will be over before it is started,” he nibbled at her ear. “Your skirts are in the way.”

  “Would you rather I wear pants?” She quipped.

  “Oh,” he groaned, imagining her lithe form in a pair of men’s form-fitting trousers. “You are not helping matters.” He kept lifting her skirts until he reached her undergarments and then finally found the treasure he sought through the slit in the silk. “I do believe you’re ready for me, Lady Hawkescliffe.”

  “I’ve been ready since I left you sleeping soundly in our bed, Lord Hawkescliffe.”

  “Widen your legs a bit, sweetheart.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “It is a form of protection from pregnancy. It is a brandy soaked sponge tied with a long string,” he explained as he gently eased it deep into her feminine channel. He felt a fine tremor run along her body. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No,” she said breathlessly.

  “Lean forward onto your hands,” he said gruffly, and she did, curious as to what would happen next.

  “Problems?” She asked innocently upon hearing a frustrated growl.

  “Damned buttons.” He heard her husky chuckle. “You think it’s funny do you?”

  “Perhaps.” She laughed before hearing and feeling her underthings being ripped asunder. “What do you think you’re doing?” She questioned before she felt him enter her in a gentle but firm thrust. “Gabe,” she breathed, fisting her hands in the rug. “You, ahhh,” she broke off on a moan as he withdrew almost completely before entering her again. He felt so much deeper than he did last night. She squirmed when he held himself still.

  “No,” he said firmly, holding onto her hips. He bent over and placed kisses on her shoulder blades and down her spine, as far as he could reach. How often had he dreamed of this, of her? “You’re beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.

  “You’re driving me insane,” Mikala cried.

  “Good. You’ve driven me insane for years,” Gabe replied, then had mercy on both of them and began moving.

  He held her hips still, so she could only stay there, receiving and then losing. She felt the loss each time just as deeply and fought back the only way her body knew how, when he lay deep within her she used her inner muscles and squeezed fiercely.

  Upon feeling the feminine caress, sweat popped out all over Gabe’s body. He couldn’t hold himself together much longer. He heard Kala’s breathing quicken and knew she hovered on the brink of completion. Gabe knew somehow this glorious act had turned into a battle of wills between the two of them. Letting go of her, he quickly undid the buttons of his shirt while remaining motionless within her tense body. He leaned over bracing his arms outside of hers, and allowed his hair-roughened chest to caress her bare back. He pulled back and plunged into her.

  Mikala felt a wall of sensations crashing into her. She fought to hold them back, wanting desperately to win this battle. But then Gabe did something most unfair. He moved one of his hands to her apex and gently plied the bundle of nerves, manipulating until the tidal wave of feeling crashed through her. Her head flew back, gentle contractions caressing him and she soon felt him stiffen about her, joining her in a mind-numbing climax.

  They collapsed together on the rug before the fire, half dressed, sweating and panting for breath. Before long Kala began chuckling, her husky voice filling the room and doing things to his body that should be impossible. She had rolled over onto her back and he unashamedly observed her beautiful body.

  “What do you find so funny?” He asked curiously.

  “I think we both won that battle, don’t you?” She chuckled again, stretching like a cat.

  “I think we need to go back upstairs and fight another battle.”

  “Do you feel up to it?” She asked cheekily.

  “I’ll show you exactly what I’m up to,” he growled.

  Sometime later, once again in their bed and wrapped in one another’s arms, they had come to some kind of truce. Mikala knew that this physical connection would not last forever, but she would take it while she could. At some point he would resent being forced into this marriage and begin to hate her. Until that time she would build these memories and hope that they gave her some peace in the lonely years to come.

  “How many sponges have we gone through?” She asked on a husky laugh.

  “Don’t worry, we have plenty. What did you mean earlier when you said ‘my wolf’?”

  “You cannot say a word if I tell you.”

  “I promise,” he said reluctantly.

  “
When Tessa first came back to us, she didn’t know your name. She thought with that scar and your piercing eyes you seemed like a wolf. In fact, I believe she even said you acted as if you would rather rip her throat out than keep her around.”

  “Oh,” he said.

  Mikala thought she heard something enter his voice that did not sound like Gabe at all. He almost sounded hurt. “Gabe, she didn’t mean anything by it. She did not even know you at the time.”

  “No, and she still doesn’t like me very much does she? And what reason have I given her to? My word, I…” he broke off and sat on the side of the bed, fingering his scar for a moment. He sensed his wife’s hand reaching out, grazing his arm until he felt her caressing his back. Gabe relished her touch, but knew in many ways he did not deserve it. He stiffened and pulled away from her before standing and crossing the room.

  Mikala cursed herself for not holding her tongue earlier. “I’m sorry for bringing it up in the first place. I truly never thought much about it, just that it could be an apt description of you at times.”

  “What is that supposed to be mean?”

  “Nothing,” she mumbled, falling back onto the bed, pulling the sheet up to cover herself. “This isn’t going to work is it, Gabriel?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Us. We can’t even be intimate without fighting.” She knew she sounded defeated, but she couldn’t quite help it. She felt the distance growing between them by the second.

  “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

  “This never should have happened.”

  “You’re right.”

  Anger suffused her and as she tried to climb off the bed she found herself tangled in the sheets and would have fallen off the bed if he hadn’t grabbed her. Once she stood upright, she ripped her arm out of his grip and crossed the room, stubbing her toe on the dresser.

  “I thought you had memorized the layout of the room,” he taunted.

  “Go to Hell,” Mikala growled, storming past him.

  “Are you angry because I agreed with you?” Her sightless, hazel eyes sparkled green as she turned her head in his general direction.

  “Yes! And I’m mad because I know I’m right, too! And I’m mad at not being able to see because we would not be in this situation otherwise. I’m furious at the person that caused the explosion. But most of all I regret that you can no longer be with Clarissa, and I cannot be in my dream cottage far from you!”