OnlyYou

by Laura Glenn

  Walking toward them with long, purposeful strides, Gabriel caught their attention.

  “Miss McCann is developing blisters on her feet. She can barely walk,” Eileen quickly explained before either Gabriel or Philip could open their mouths.

  Philip glared at Eileen. “Which is why we should have left her behind.”

  “I’m right here!” Kaitlyn began to leap to her feet to stand next to Eileen.

  Gabriel had obviously seen that she was about to pounce. He placed his hand firmly on her shoulder to keep her on the rock. Kneeling down, he cupped her left foot in his palms and tenderly slid his thumb up and down the sole as he carefully inspected it.

  “The blisters will not be terrible,” he announced after a few moments as he gently lowered her foot to the ground.

  All thoughts of wringing Philip’s neck faded into the back of Kaitlyn’s mind the moment Gabriel touched her. It was absurd really how devastating an effect he had on her. She would have to be careful or she would be rendered incapable of holding a thought longer than a drunken frat boy whenever he was in view.

  Eileen knelt down to help Kaitlyn with her socks as Gabriel stood and faced Philip. “She will ride with me,” he stated, looking his cousin squarely in the eyes.

  Philip shook his head in defeat and turned to walk away.

  “Wait!” Kaitlyn called to him as Eileen helped her to her feet. Bending over, she retrieved her beloved brown Timberlands and handed them to him. “Find someone who needs these.”

  Philip’s eyes widened as he slowly moved to accept her offering. He nodded slightly and glanced down at the ground. Without a single utterance, he turned and quickly strode away.

  Eileen smiled at Kaitlyn and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before Gabriel swept Kaitlyn up into his arms, causing her to yelp in surprise. She laughed quietly to herself as she allowed him to carry her to his horse.

  Lifting her up, he placed her on top of the stallion’s back and Kaitlyn threw one leg over the horse’s neck. After Gabriel mounted his steed and settled himself behind her, he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a blanket, which he swiftly placed over her lap. Pulling her up against his chest, he took the horse’s reins and signaled for the men in his company to begin marching again.

  Several minutes had passed when she felt Gabriel’s lips brush against the top of her ear as he whispered, “Give me one of your feet.”

  Stunned by the strange request and still reeling over being so close to him once again, Kaitlyn turned to him with arched eyebrows. “What on earth for?”

  “Well, for one thing, it is unladylike to sit atop a horse as though you are a man,” he replied with a twinkle in his warm, brown eyes. He reached under the blanket and grabbed her right leg, coaxing her to lift it back over the horse’s neck and turn her body sideways in the saddle.

  Kaitlyn laughed softly. She did not want the other men to notice them. She then allowed him to take her right foot and draw it up toward him to rest on her left thigh as she readjusted the blanket on her lap.

  Gabriel wrapped one hand around her foot and began to gently knead her sole with his thumb. “Does that pain you?” he asked.

  She shook her head, biting her lip to keep from moaning out loud. She relaxed and leaned her body against his hard chest, reveling in the soothing warmth of his hand and the soft but firm ministrations of his massage.

  His earthy, masculine scent sent her head swimming. Her mind immediately began wandering to the thought of his strong, calloused hand snaking their way up her leg, rubbing her inner thighs. She groaned out loud, feeling her panties moisten at the very thought.

  “Did I hurt you, Katie?” he whispered next to her ear.

  Damn him. It was one thing when he was simply a hot guy who put erotic thoughts into her head. It was something else entirely when he started acting all tender and thoughtful. Now those erotic thoughts were intertwining with something even more insidious—actual emotions.

  His breath felt hot against her cheek, causing her vision to blur. If she turned her head just slightly, she could easily brush her lips against his.

  Her pussy clenched at the simple thought. She was by no means a virgin but, for all practical intents and purposes in the realm of seduction, she may as well have been. She had only had three boyfriends in her life but never once did she make the first move with any of them or feel the way she did now in Gabriel’s presence. Of course, the sex wasn’t that great either but she always assumed that a lot of hype surrounded the act and it was never as good in real life as it was in the movies. At least for women anyway. It wasn’t that she’d never had an orgasm. It’s just that they never felt as earth shattering as people made them out to be.

  But now. Now she wanted—no, needed—to be surrounded by this man. Enveloped by his arms, his thick thighs, his scent. His lips on her burning skin. She wanted to know the feel of his cock in her hands and to watch his eyes as she stroked him. But, most of all, she hungered to feel the tip of his shaft as it slowly slid between her labia, penetrating her pussy as it pulsating all around him.

  Cock? Pussy?

  Since when did those words enter her vocabulary?

  She shook her head, forcing aside all thoughts of this man as anything other than the person who had her life in his hands. Attempting to distract her mind, she asked, “Did you think I was a man when you first saw me?”

  He chuckled softly. “I knew you were of the fairer sex the moment I saw you.”

  She eyed him skeptically. “If I recall correctly, I believe I was running through town and you were on horseback. Since women here normally wear skirts, I would think that you might have indeed thought I was male.”

  “There was no mistaking just what you are.” Gabriel’s eyes reticently darted to the horizon as a sinful grin spread across his face.

  His reluctance to say more immediately intrigued Kaitlyn. She couldn’t help but press him. “What? Was it my long hair?”

  He shook his head.

  “The way I ran?”

  He laughed. “No.”

  “Then what?” she asked, poking him in the chest with her finger.

  Crap, the man has not an ounce of fat on him.

  He finally dropped his gaze to hers. “It would be ungentlemanly for me to point out such a thing.”

  She rolled her eyes, desperately pushing aside the thought of ripping open his coat and shirt to see his chest herself. “Just tell me.”

  “All right,” he said in a low voice. “The women who try to pass as men always…bind themselves.”

  “Bind themselves?”

  “Yes.”

  Kaitlyn laughed softly as it dawned on her exactly what he was talking about. “You mean their breasts?”

  His smile turned mischievous but he remained silent.

  She bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. This seemingly unshakable man had a problem saying the word “breasts”.

  “It’s really no secret that women have breasts, you know. It’s okay to say the word.”

  The smile faded from Gabriel’s face. “It would be improper to utter the word in mixed company.”

  The laughter threatening to spill from her lips finally burst forth and she fell back against his chest, unexpectedly feeling quite comfortable with the strange man.

  Gabriel could not help but smile at the musical quality of her laughter. He was not certain why his discreetness delighted her so, nor did he know why he found her lack of discretion so pleasing.

  He shifted uncomfortably. Up until the moment she groaned while he was massaging her foot, he had been successful in keeping his erection at bay. But now his mind was beginning to work against him and he began to wonder if she would utter the same, enticing little sound if he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth and flicked at it with his tongue.

  He started to reconsider the idea that he had not been bewitched last night. Never before had he met a woman who, from the moment he laid his eyes upon her pleasing form, so completely consumed hi
s thoughts. Finding it difficult to leave her alone last night, he had to force himself out of his tent before he grabbed her and tore open her peculiar shirt.

  Strangely, he felt drawn to her despite her odd and unbelievable background. Practicing law gave him plenty of experience in detecting lies and he knew that she was telling the truth, regardless of the impossibility. After all, strange things had been known to occur without a logical explanation. He experienced bizarre circumstances himself only moments before he found her.

  Of course, it certainly helped that she possessed long, lithe legs, enticing breasts and lusciously curved hips perfect for a man to lose himself in.

  The woman was muddling his mind, Gabriel decided, looking down at the gentle, calming beauty of her face. He cast his eyes back toward the horizon, determined to distract his mind from his wayward thoughts.

  “I need to ask a favor of you,” he stated, forcing a formal tone into his voice. “I want you to look out for Eileen. Keep her out of trouble, if you will.”

  Kaitlyn furrowed her brows in obvious skepticism. “Are you asking me to keep her from spying again?”

  He nodded solemnly. “She is far too young and naïve to be playing this game. I value her contributions but my mother has buried three of her children plus a husband already. With the consideration of my current occupation, Eileen may be the only one of my mother’s children to survive beyond this conflict.”

  “You will not die,” she shakily whispered, clearly unsettled by the ominous topic. “And neither will Eileen. She will marry and have a family.”

  Gabriel stared at her intently, unsure if he should ask the one question that had been nagging him since he found out about her extraordinary origins. “What do you know of my fate?”

  Her eyes widened in obvious panic and she shifted her body away from him.

  He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “No, Katie. Do not tell me. It is best that I do not have such knowledge.”

  She exhaled audibly and her supple rosy lips broke into a weak smile as she glanced shyly up at him.

  It was all the invitation he needed to move closer to her once again. “What if that is why you were sent here?” Gabriel whispered as he bent his face toward hers. “To keep Eileen from spying.”

  His heart thudded heavily against his chest and his breathing became shallow. Her lips were so close, practically begging for him to give in to his desire to taste her. Just once. That was all he needed.

  “What happened to your other siblings?” she asked, breaking into his wayward thoughts. “You seem to be quite a bit older than Eileen.”

  He nodded, clenching his jaw in irritation over how quickly he could lose control with this mere slip of a woman. “I am the eldest and she is the youngest. Our brother was killed at the battle of Lexington and Concord at the beginning of the rebellion. One sister died of consumption and the other died in childbirth. Her child passed as well.”

  “What about your father?”

  “He died when Eileen was only about two years old. I was studying law in Paris at the time,” he replied with a shrug as he coaxed her into turning in the saddle and giving him her other foot for him to administer to.

  Their conversation faded away. A whole hour passed by in silence. Gabriel cast his eyes down at her, watching her chest rhythmically rise and fall. Asleep. He chuckled lightly to himself and released her foot from his grasp. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he deeply inhaled the light, fruity scent floating up from her long, honey-colored hair. He could not help but rub his cheek against the top of her head as his thoughts continued to dwell upon the strange woman sleeping so soundly in his arms.

  He shook his head, wondering if she had any idea of her effect on him. He guessed not. If she had, then she would not lick those enticing lips or look at him as though she would gladly spread her legs for him if he so much as asked. Was it not enough that a mere glance from those enchanting blue eyes could cause his cock to harden?

  Gabriel’s eyes flitted back toward her breasts, wondering if her skin would taste as sweet as she smelled. His fingers ached to stroke her and discover how quickly her nipples would react to his touch.

  He pursed his lips together in annoyance. In his mind, he had already appointed himself her guardian. It would be immoral to take advantage of that position. Besides, he was a captain in General Washington’s army and there were certain standards he was bound by duty and honor to live up to.

  And not mauling a perfectly respectable woman was one of them.

  The horse began to walk up a steep incline and Gabriel shifted Kaitlyn in his arms. His hand accidentally brushed against one of her breasts and she moaned lightly, arching her back. Suddenly he found her supple, full breast pressing firmly into his palm. As if in a trance, he froze, feeling her nipple stiffen beneath the fabric of her shirt. In awe over how quickly her body responded to him, his cock strained, surging forward with an intense need for release.

  The memory of her hand on his erection while riding last night, no matter how brief and accidental, had haunted him for most of the night. And now as he gently cupped her breast, it was almost as though he could feel her hand there once again.

  Yes, he had entertained the thought of forcing Philip to give up his tent for Eileen so that he could have Kaitlyn alone in his. He had felt the almost imperceptible movement of her thighs as he held her hips last night while talking to Philip after arriving in camp. If he had not been paying attention, he would have missed the subtle movement of her parting legs and arching back, which had effectively pushed her backside into his stiff shaft.

  The woman was attracted to him. With a little coaxing, Gabriel was certain she would succumb to his advances. And then he would be able to see and feel for himself the very delicious little body he knew to be under those strange, formfitting, dark blue pants that hugged her rear and left little to the imagination.

  Damn, what he would not give for a bit of privacy at that moment.

  His spine stiffened as he realized he was losing control of his thoughts once again. He simply must not think of her in that manner. She was trusting and innocent, if her constant blush was any indication. It would be a terrible breach of that trust to charm her into his bed simply to feed his sexual appetite for her. After all, she was not some alehouse wench to be bedded and forgotten in the morning.

  A man did not forget the likes of Kaitlyn McCann. The moment she handed her boots to Philip was the instant her true beauty shone through. In this time of scarcity and self-preservation, her generosity gave him hope. They had been fighting so hard and for so long it seemed as though he would spend the rest of his life as a soldier, rather than retiring to his farm in Pennsylvania and resuming his law practice, not to mention starting a family.

  And a generous, beautiful woman like Kaitlyn was just what he needed.

  Chapter Three

  Kaitlyn’s hands balled up like fists behind her back. She clenched and unclenched them several times in an effort to calm down. This absolutely had to be a dream, she told herself.

  When Gabriel had told her he would be introducing her to General George Washington and his wife as soon as they arrived in camp, Kaitlyn’s heart immediately began to flutter in anticipation. She began to feel embarrassed by her lack of shoes and her clothing, which, by that point, was utterly filthy due to a four-day march through the wilderness. By the time they reached the recently vacated Pennsylvania farmhouse and new winter army encampment she had convinced herself that she was in no condition to meet such illustrious historical figures, especially after not having bathed for several days. She knew she was being silly but what American historian hasn’t fantasized about actually meeting people like the Washingtons?

  All right, no, this wasn’t really happening, she decided. Impossible.

  Strangely enough, that thought was the only thing that kept her from falling into a dead faint over the fact that the Martha Washington was right then overseeing her bath and grooming. To Kaitlyn, the mundane tasks sim
ply seemed too ordinary for this woman.

  Dazed, Kaitlyn mutely allowed Mrs. Washington and the grandmotherly housekeeper, Harriet, to fuss over her. A nice, warm bath had been drawn for both her and Eileen. Kaitlyn, reveling in the feeling of being clean once again, giggled to herself as Harriet clucked her tongue at the dirty, masculine garments she was carrying out of the room.

  About thirty minutes later, Kaitlyn and Eileen reluctantly pulled themselves up out of their bathtubs. Harriet lightly kicked the door open, her arms heavily laden with a large pile of clothing. Several neighbors had generously donated these spare items to the young women, so Kaitlyn had several clothing options to choose from.

  After they had finished preparing themselves for dinner, Kaitlyn and Eileen followed Mrs. Washington down the stairs to what the older woman had referred to as the drawing room. Gabriel and General Washington stood side by side with three other gentlemen near the fireplace. All five pairs of eyes turned toward the women as they entered and Kaitlyn felt a faint blush creep into her cheeks at the sudden attention.

  The General greeted his wife first, before turning toward the men to introduce Kaitlyn and Eileen. “Gentlemen, this is Miss Kaitlyn McCann and Miss Eileen O’Connor, sister of our good captain here. Ladies, this is Mr. Alexander Ross to my right and to my left is Mr. James Clark and Lieutenant Henry Munroe.”

  Alexander Ross glanced from Kaitlyn to Eileen before bowing low before them. “I must say that resting my eyes upon such beauties has been the highlight of my journey.” One corner of his mouth turned up into a mischievous grin as his eyes quickly flitted down Kaitlyn’s body.

  “Hear, hear.” Henry rose his glass of brandy toward the women as a salute.

  Barely aware of Alexander’s appraisal of her, Kaitlyn’s head spun and her heart palpitated in her chest, threatening to throw her into a dead faint as she stood next to General Washington. She could think of several professors and fellow students who would kill for the opportunity to meet the first president of the United States.