by Lori Foster
“Forgive you? Oh, my love.”
“But Elizabeth, why are you traveling alone?”
She looked up into his face. “When I told Lord Wyndham that I wanted to return to you, he was upset at the time and money he’d wasted, so he wouldn’t help me.”
John’s eyes narrowed. “That fool left you to travel alone on these dangerous highways? Let us return, so that I may show his lordship the error of his ways.”
“I don’t care about him, John, just you and me. And if you give me this one thing, then I can forgive you anything.”
“Just tell me what you want.”
“Our wedding night.”
He went still, his smile fading, while an odd tension lingered in his brown eyes.
“Which is closer—the hunting lodge or the inn?” he asked swiftly.
She laughed and ran her hands down his chest, feeling the muscles she’d been longing to touch. “I don’t need either. Do you?”
He gaped at her.
“I can’t wait,” she whispered, leaning up to kiss him.
With a groan, John crushed her against him and slanted his open mouth across hers. His tongue was an invasion she welcomed as his hands swept down her sides and hips.
“Elizabeth, are you certain?” he whispered against her mouth. “I don’t want to force you—”
“Then I’ll force you.” She took his hand, and he gathered both horses’ reins and followed her between the trees. She was nervous and excited and so very grateful that he loved her. Spending the rest of her life with him was all she could want.
“Wait, Elizabeth. I brought you something you left behind.”
He let go of her hand, and after a moment’s fumbling with straps behind the saddle, he pulled out her crumpled, bent farthingale.
He held it out to her. “You wear anything you want, my love.”
With a laugh, she took it and flung it into the trees. “I won’t be needing that anymore.” She grabbed his hand again and pulled him along behind her.
At the first small clearing in the forest, where the sun shone on a soft patch of moss, Elizabeth turned to face him. She unlaced the ties behind her neck, then pulled the gown down her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. She stood clothed in only her smock and underskirts.
“Your turn,” she said with a smile.
He was quick to pull off his belt and tunic.
She unfastened each of her underskirts and let them drop.
John untied his hose and codpiece and pulled his shirt over his head. Her breath caught in wonder at how beautifully made he was, how broad and tall and proud. Only the loose linen braies hung low about his hips, barely hiding his enlarged penis.
His smile looked strained. “Your turn.”
Wetting her dry lips, she reached for the hem of her smock and slowly lifted it over her head. The sun was hot where it touched her bare skin, and she thought she’d feel embarrassed. But John watched her like she was his every dream come true, which made her feel proud and humble and so thankful all at the same time.
“Your turn,” she said, surprised to hear her own voice crack.
As the braies fell to the ground, she barely got to look before he crossed the small clearing in two strides and took her in his arms. The feel of his hot, moist skin and hard muscle pressed to every part of her sent a delicious rush of pleasure through her body. His lips covered hers, and she met his tongue gladly with her own as she explored his mouth. They were finally free to enjoy each other as husband and wife. She caressed his broad shoulders, his neck, his arms, which held her so tightly. She kissed his cheeks and his chin and his ear, wherever she could reach.
“Elizabeth, you’re bewitching,” he murmured.
She bent to kiss his nipples, as he’d done to her. If anything, his shaft seemed to grow larger against her stomach, and she reached to touch it, amazed at the heat and hardness. It moved in her hand and she glanced up at his intent face.
“Does this hurt you?”
“God, no,” he answered with a short laugh. “I’m just longing to be inside you.”
She smiled. “Then why don’t you?”
He groaned and closed his eyes. “Soon, my dearest.”
He cupped her breasts in both hands and held the weight of them while Elizabeth gasped and swayed against him. “My goodness, that feels lovely,” she breathed.
When his fingers teased her nipples, she gripped his arms, knowing her knees would buckle if she let go. As her head dropped back, he took her mouth in deep, languorous kisses, then spread kisses down her neck and behind her ear and across her shoulders. He dropped to his knees, and she held his head between her breasts for a moment, while the poignancy of her love for him almost overwhelmed her.
But then his tongue licked along the curve of her breast and swirled about her nipple. She cried out, remembering now why she’d been unable to resist him that night in the garden. He worked magic with his mouth and his hands, until she was suffused in the passion he wove about her.
He suckled her, drawing her nipple deep into his mouth. Every tug was answered in the depths of her belly with a shudder of restlessness and yearning. He’d made her feel it before, and now finally she would understand the mystery of it.
Shaking and weak, she leaned into him, and he swept his hands down her hips and gripped her buttocks. His fingers met and teased the crease between them, and she moaned with the forbidden excitement of it.
She stood dazed in the middle of the forest as her husband trailed kisses down across her belly and into the curls above her thighs.
She tried to pull away. “No, surely … you mustn’t—”
“I want to taste every part of you,” he murmured against her, spreading her legs wider so he could fit between them.
Elizabeth was excruciatingly aware that they were out in the open, beneath the sun, where anyone could see him doing this to her. But then she felt his tongue parting her, exploring her, and every thought in her head vanished except the desperate wish that he never stop. Every thrust of his tongue made her shudder with pleasure that was nigh unto pain. She held onto his shoulders, unable to look away from the sight of him between her thighs. He opened his eyes and they stared at each other until her legs gave way, and she was held up by his hands cupping her buttocks, pressing her against his mouth.
Then suddenly he dropped her back into the pile of her garments, spread her legs even wider, and began to lick her with long, slow strokes that made her shudder and whimper and squirm. She raised her hips and gave herself up to this incredible mounting pleasure. When her legs were shaking and she was rolling her head back and forth with little moans escaping her, he slid both hands up her body and rubbed her nipples.
With a hoarse cry, she plummeted deep into the pleasure he gave her, shuddering and shaking as waves of it engulfed her and swept her under. She lay still, gasping, as her awareness returned. Slowly she opened her eyes and found him on his hands and knees above her, grinning.
She covered her hot face with her hands.
“Elizabeth?”
He peeled her hands away, and when she opened her eyes she saw his concern.
“Are you all right?”
With a groan she threw her arms around his neck. “Compromise me again!”
“Oh, Elizabeth,” he murmured, bracing his hands and settling his hips between her thighs. “This might hurt a little, but I promise you—”
“Please, just make me your wife!”
She felt the probing of his shaft against her swollen, sensitive flesh, and then he thrust home. The momentary pain she felt vanished as she watched him shudder and hold himself still.
“Is something wrong?” she asked cautiously.
John opened his eyes and came down on his elbows to kiss her. “There’s nothing wrong with finding heaven, my love. It exists only in you, and I want to savor every moment.”
She touched him then, caressed him with all the love he inspired in her. He pulled out of her and entered
again, and the joining of their flesh together renewed the wonder of her desire. He rocked against her, in and out, and she pressed kisses wherever she could reach his hot skin. She licked his nipples and was rewarded when he held still deep inside her body, trembling, his head thrown back, his face pained with concentration.
With a groan, he suddenly moved again, thrusting over and over inside her, until she knew by his hoarse cry that he had found the same release she had. She held his shuddering body against her and knew a profound satisfaction. This was something she did well without even trying.
But the only person who made her feel this way was John, her husband, her love.
Exhausted and happier than he’d ever thought possible, John braced himself on his elbows and looked down at Elizabeth. He watched a gentle smile transform her and knew he was looking into the face of true love. They would awake every morning in each other’s arms, and the love in her eyes would be the last thing he saw each night before sleeping. Through Fate or luck or a higher power, he had found the one woman who could make him feel whole.
EPILOGUE
Bathed in warm summer sunshine, Elizabeth rode her horse at John’s side, no longer afraid of what lay before her. She knew he was impatient to introduce her to his family. He’d told her about his true home, his many estates. She couldn’t even be angry at his deception when memories of her own behavior in the first few days of their marriage left her wincing with shame. And the way he’d made it all up to her still left her blushing.
Coming to the crest of a hill and seeing the immense size of the sprawling castle before her made her catch her breath with the tiniest bit of apprehension.
John leaned from his horse and reached for her hand. “You can do this, Elizabeth. You can do anything.”
“I tamed you, didn’t I?” she answered, and he laughed.
When they rode down to the gatehouse now overflowing with people, she could tell by the love on John’s face who his family was. His mother, his brother, and his brother’s wife came forward, and John introduced Elizabeth with such pride in his voice that she was near tears
His mother stepped forward when he helped Elizabeth dismount. The woman kissed her son and looked between them wearing a happy smile upon her face.
“We received your missive days ago, John. But what has happened to the two of you?” she asked, laughing and shaking her head as she studied the ruined garments they’d been wearing for days.
John put an arm around Elizabeth and hugged her to his side. “Our wedding trip, Mother. And what an adventure it was.”
Elizabeth felt his love wash over her, protect her, and knew she’d come home.
TREADING DANGEROUS WATERS
Victoria Marquez
For my husband, Paul, and our beautiful daughters,
Genevieve and Jacqueline, who fill my life
with love and happiness.
Special thanks to my agent, Paige Wheeler,
for her support and savvy expertise.
CHAPTER 1
“Men!” Sofia grunted, adding a strong measure of disgust to her tone. “Who needs them?”
“I need Daniel,” Tia Lucita replied softly.
Seeing her aunt’s look of despair, Sofia gentled her tone. “The only man who has redeemed himself is your Daniel. He’s a gentleman from the old school. The best word I can use to describe him is gallant. If he hadn’t hired me to do his bookkeeping I’d be penniless and desperate for work.”
Lucita made the sign of the cross in mock horror. “God forbid you’ll ever be penniless! Don’t even joke about it.”
Sofia hugged her aunt. “OK, I won’t.
“How does a two-week all-expenses-paid cruise sound to you?”
“Great,” Sofia said. “When are you going?”
Lucita’s pretty, softly wrinkled green eyes sparkled with mischief as she returned Sofia’s disbelieving glance with a disarming smile. “When are we going?”
Sofia Sandoval abruptly set her café con leche on the cloth-covered kitchen table and stared at her favorite aunt. Studying her with a mixture of curiosity and affection, Sofia wondered what the dear old lady was up to now.
Sofia airily waved her hand. “Oh, come on. I can’t go on a two-week cruise. I’m supposed to search for a new job, remember?” Dismissing the frivolous, tempting idea, she turned her attention to the Colombian arepa on the plate before her, a golden pan-fried cornmeal patty oozing with mozzarella cheese and slathered with butter. Her mouth watered before taking a bite. “Mmmm, delicious,” she moaned. “You spoil me terribly.”
Lucita nodded indulgently. “Don’t change the subject. You know I love having you stay with me, even if it is only temporary.”
“Tia Lucita, you’ve been such a life-saver. I don’t know how to thank you.” Sofia sipped the creamy café con leche. “So what’s this about a cruise? Still trying to cheer me up?”
Lucita looked her square in the eye. “I would like to see you return to your usual self.”
“Oh, Tia, you’ve done enough for me already.” With a wistful sigh, Sofia peered out the bay window of the breakfast nook in Lucita’s cheerfully appointed kitchen. Fuchsia bougainvillea cascaded over a stone wall, reminding her of the view she’d had from the apartment she’d recently had to vacate.
“I want to invite you on a cruise to Mexico and the Virgin Islands,” Lucita announced happily.
Sofia shook her head. “I can’t let you do that; it’s a huge expense.”
“Actually …” Lucita grinned. “Daniel is inviting. We’re getting married on board ship and we want you to celebrate with us.”
Sofia shot up from the table and hugged Lucita’s petite, round frame. “Congratulations! I couldn’t be more delighted. You know how much I adore Daniel. He’s such a charming gentleman and so perfect for you!”
Lucita blushed and fanned herself daintily. “I know.” She smiled. “He certainly is charming.”
“So, when is the wedding?”
“Next week,” Lucita replied matter-of-factly, as if a wedding ceremony aboard a ship was no big deal.
“Next week! Why so sudden?” Sofia asked, wondering why her aunt hadn’t confided in her sooner.
An anxious shadow passed over Lucita’s eyes. “It’s because of Daniel’s son, James. Daniel is worried that James will make trouble for us if he finds out that we’re getting married.”
“But he hasn’t even met you, has he? Why is Daniel keeping him away? Is he that horrible?” What kind of a man could oppose his father getting married to an adorable and unfailingly generous woman like Lucita Sanchez?
Lucita shifted in her seat. “It’s not that James is horrible, quite the contrary. He’s too handsome for his own good. I’ve seen his photograph. Es demasiado guapo!”
Sofia snorted. She didn’t care how handsome her aunt found James; anyone who would willingly make trouble for Lucita and Daniel had to be mean-spirited. “I wasn’t referring to his looks. His personality sounds unpleasant, to put it mildly.”
Lucita sighed. “He is a bit too cynical for one so young.”
“How old is James?”
“Thirty.”
“He’s not that young. He should know better than to come between his father and the woman he loves.”
“I wish it were that simple. James is a very successful divorce attorney. Unfortunately, he’s seen the worst scenarios of marriage in the breaking-up stages. It doesn’t help that after his mother died when he was a little boy, Daniel had two unhappy marriages that ended in divorce. So, now James is determined to make sure that his father doesn’t fall into a ‘greedy trap’ again.” Lucita smiled sadly. “Don’t frown at me, Sofia. Those were his words, not mine. That’s why it’s so important that we elope next week.”
“Hmph. He doesn’t sound like anyone I’d like to meet.”
“Oh, but you will eventually. In fact, as soon as we’re married, I’d like you to consult him about that vile woman who got you fired last month. James is an excelle
nt attorney. Since James is going to be my stepson, Daniel mentioned that he would like him to help you clear your name.”
“Oh, please.” Sofia stood and carried her dishes to the sink. She turned to look at Lucita. “Anyway, I’d rather put all that behind me.”
“You can’t without a fight, Sofia! Mrs. Fernandez has made very serious allegations against you, all of them untrue. Because of that woman, you’re out of a good-paying job and you’ve lost your apartment. Those are things worth fighting for.”
Sofia’s chest constricted with a numbing ache at the injustice and humiliation she’d been made to suffer because of one woman’s insane jealousy. “I did fight—initially. But by the time Mrs. Fernandez got through telling lies about me, the other doctors’ wives believed her and they banded together to have me fired.” She took a deep breath and tried to dispel the stinging personal pain that their callousness had caused her. She tried for a bright smile. “Let’s talk about your wedding plans instead. I’d rather not rehash those ugly events.”
“You’re not fooling me one bit, Sofia. Without decent recommendations, you won’t be able to find another job in a doctor’s office.”
“I’m not sure if I want to work in a doctor’s office again. I can do bookkeeping elsewhere.”
Lucita stiffened her delicate shoulders militantly and rose to join her niece beside the kitchen counter. “Nevertheless, justice must be served so you can resume being the happy person you’ve always been.”
Sofia smiled at her aunt’s loyalty. “Perhaps, but seeking help from a bitter divorce attorney is not the solution.”
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that James is bitter. According to Daniel, his son is a little confused in the ways of love,” Lucita said with a wise smile.
Sofia shrugged. “Whatever. All I know is that I’m tired of men interfering in my life and trying to fight my battles for me. I had to deal with Papi as a little girl, and you know how strict he was. Then when I was a teenager, Paco, Sergio, and Roberto became so bossy, I couldn’t wait to live on my own.”
Lucita laughed. “Your older brothers only wanted what was best for you.”
