by Laura Glenn
Kaitlyn’s mouth curved into a wicked smile. She began to lift the hem of her garment, slowly and seductively. She felt his cock throbbing between her thighs and she couldn’t help but rock her hips again, causing him to shudder beneath her.
As the hem of the nightgown grazed her nipples, a knock sounded at the door.
“Captain O’Connor?” came Mrs. Washington’s voice from the hallway.
Kaitlyn gasped and yanked her nightgown back down as she dismounted Gabriel’s hips.
“Get behind me,” he whispered fiercely as he pushed himself into a sitting position.
She quickly did as he instructed and dove behind him, placing a pillow between her body and his. She felt him arrange the blankets over her.
“Yes?” Gabriel calmly called.
“Are you feeling well this morning?” came Mrs. Washington’s voice from several feet in front of the bed.
“Yes, madam, thank you.”
“As soon as I am able to find Miss McCann, we will change your bandages and check to be certain that infection has not set in,” she stated.
“You are unable to find her?”
“Your sister has not seen her since last night,” she replied, her voice laced with motherly concern.
“I do hope she has not wandered off somewhere and gotten herself into trouble,” Gabriel remarked.
Kaitlyn scrunched her brows together in irritation and pinched his back.
“Quite,” Mrs. Washington agreed. “I shall be back to check on you soon, Captain.”
Several seconds after she heard the click of the door being shut, Kaitlyn asked, “Is she gone?”
“Yes, love,” he answered. He chuckled lowly and lifted the blanket off her.
Kaitlyn bounded from the bed and dashed across the room, her heart pounding wildly against her chest. She opened the door a crack to peer outside, nervously waiting for Mrs. Washington to stop flitting about the corridor and go downstairs.
She heard the mattress crinkle and then heard Gabriel’s footsteps as he walked toward her. He pulled her hair away from her neck and tossed it over the opposite shoulder.
“Come back to bed, Katie,” he whispered as he leaned down to kiss her neck.
Trying to ignore her tingling skin, she attempted to wave him off. “I can’t. You heard her. She’s trying to find me right now as we speak. And then she’ll be coming back.”
“But she will not find you if you do not leave,” he mumbled against her neck as he slid his hand down her back to her buttocks, softly caressing the sensitive flesh.
Exasperated, she slapped his hand away but not before pressing her backside into his palm in an attempt to quench the fire building from his touch. “With or without me, she’s coming back to change your bandages.”
She stared out into the hallway, silently willing Mrs. Washington to go downstairs when she felt Gabriel grasping at her nightgown. Before she knew it, her ass was exposed to the cool air of the room. A tingle of excitement rushed through her as his finger slithered down the cleft of her buttocks. She shivered, only partially aware of parting her thighs in reaction.
She moaned softly and leaned her forehead against the doorframe as he slid his finger into her wet folds, rubbing back and forth in a tantalizingly slow motion. She tilted her ass back against his hand and he thrust one finger up into her pussy, causing her to gasp loudly.
As he slowly began to withdraw his finger, her muscles clamped down on it to keep it inside. He nuzzled her ear and pressed her up against the doorframe, seductively rubbing his rigid cock against her hip. He shoved his finger back inside her, harder this time, burying it as far as it would go. Her pussy contracted intensely, drawing a whimper from her throat. Her whole body throbbed and she clawed at the wall for support, aching for release.
“Push down my breeches,” he instructed in a breathless whisper against her ear. “I want to feel you come on my cock.”
Kaitlyn groaned helplessly and nodded, her breathing shallow and irregular. She reached behind her, her hands shaking as she released his cock from his breeches. She was once again reminded of his size as she slid her hand up and down his silky shaft, feeling the pre-cum oozing from the tip. Suddenly she had no fears of him being too much for her body to handle. All she could think about was his thick shaft ramming into her hard, driving her to a climax she had never before experienced.
He pulled his finger from her cunny and grabbed her hip with one hand. “Spread your legs for me, love,” he commanded, his voice strained. “I have but one hand to work with, if you will remember.”
She immediately complied and angled her ass up toward him. She wiggled her hips insistently, silently begging him to bring her the release she so desperately craved. She silenced the warning thoughts in her mind, determined to satisfy her lust for this man once and for all.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Katie?” he asked, the question sounding as though it were pushed out from between gritted teeth.
“Yes, Gabriel,” she insisted, inhaling sharply.
As she felt the tip of his hard shaft part her pussy lips, a voice from the other side of the door floated into the room.
“Kaitlyn? Is that you?”
It was Eileen.
Gabriel muttered an expletive as he pulled away, yanking his breeches back up over his cock. Kaitlyn gasped and pulled her nightgown down over her hips, furiously smoothing her hair.
She turned, throwing Gabriel a questioning look. He nodded and motioned for her to open the door as he pulled out the desk chair to sit down.
Kaitlyn took a deep breath and slapped a pleasant smile on her face before she opened the door. “Good morning, Eileen,” she said, surprised by how even and amiable her voice sounded.
Eileen’s brows knitted together in confusion as she peered into the room. “Where have you been? We have the whole house looking for you.”
“Um,” Kaitlyn began, biting her lower lip and turning back toward Gabriel who had strategically laid a shirt across his lap to hide any telltale bulges, “I was so worried about your brother last night that I fell asleep here.” She shrugged apologetically, unable to come up with a lie about where she had spent the night.
If the dark expression on Gabriel’s face was any indication, he didn’t seem too thrilled with her admission. “Yes, I found her asleep at the desk this morning,” he added, his eyes darting toward Kaitlyn’s with a warning for her to go along with him.
Kaitlyn wasn’t exactly pleased with his twist of the story but she smiled anyway as she looked back at Eileen.
“Oh, you poor thing!” Eileen replied, grabbing Kaitlyn’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “You do worry too much. My brother has been through much worse.”
Kaitlyn dutifully nodded. “I know. I’ve just never been around such drastic injuries before. My mind automatically jumped to the worst possible scenario.”
Eileen gave her a quick hug and smiled at her sympathetically before turning to Gabriel. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Much better, thank you,” he said as he motioned Eileen forward with a crook of his finger. “Mrs. Washington cannot know that Kaitlyn spent the night in here, is that clear?”
Confused, Eileen quickly glanced at Kaitlyn and then at her brother. “Why not? It was perfectly innocent. No harm was done.”
“I panicked and hid when she came in earlier,” Kaitlyn whispered, glancing furtively into the hallway. “I was embarrassed because of how unsuitably I was dressed. I didn’t want her to think anything improper had happened.”
Eileen nodded, obviously understanding the need for secrecy. “We will think of something to tell her.”
“And of course Miss McCann is now aware of the inappropriate nature of staying in a man’s room overnight without the benefit of marriage,” Gabriel added with a decisive nod at Eileen.
Kaitlyn flashed him a withering look. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to paint her as a whore or as a simple-minded ninny. “And I will never do it again,�
�� she said, her eyes boring into his. She hoped he took her threat seriously, even if she knew there was no way she was ever going to be able to stay away from him.
He grinned mischievously, obviously catching onto her hint but not believing it for a second. “Take Miss McCann out of here so she may dress,” he instructed Eileen.
The younger woman immediately complied and led Kaitlyn out of the room. As they passed through the doorway, Kaitlyn threw a glare over her shoulder, letting Gabriel know in no uncertain terms that he was going to hear about this when they were alone. He simply smiled, removing the shirt from his lap to reveal the large bulge still in his pants.
Her cheeks flushed and she turned away, feeling his gaze bore into her back. She hated the feeling of being out of control. Worse yet, she hated the feeling of someone else in control of her. She was completely at Gabriel’s mercy and he knew it. He had turned into the devil himself.
Unfortunately, Kaitlyn couldn’t care less. She smiled secretly to herself as Eileen closed the door behind them.
Chapter Eight
“I see that you are feeling well, Captain O’Connor,” General Washington commented as Gabriel entered the dining room for breakfast.
“I am, thank you, Sir,” Gabriel replied, pulling out the chair next to Kaitlyn. He winked at her as he sat down.
Kaitlyn turned her attention to the tabletop, hoping the smile threatening to overtake her lips didn’t reach her eyes. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest as Gabriel’s thigh brushed against hers under the tablecloth. She dared a quick glance up to see if anyone was watching them and caught the look of disapproval flashing through Mrs. Washington’s eyes before she quickly covered it with a smile.
The meal stretched on and Kaitlyn kept glancing at Gabriel, who wasn’t having any difficulty at all coping with having the use of only one hand. Of course, she had found that out already earlier that morning. Her legs tingled at the memory of how close they had come to having sex.
A warm, strong hand snaked across her thigh and she jumped slightly, dropping her fork on the empty plate in front of her. Everyone turned to stare, including Gabriel. She murmured an apology and everyone went back to their conversations.
She kicked Gabriel’s shin. He squeezed her thigh and leaned back in his chair, seemingly engrossed in conversation with Henry and Adam. Kaitlyn casually sipped water from her glass, trying to ignore Gabriel’s hand snaking its way up to the junction of her thighs. He tugged gently at one and her legs seemed to fall open of their own accord.
She turned her eyes back to the tabletop once again, trying desperately to keep her breathing normal and the look on her face as neutral as possible. Tremors of delight pulsed through her as he began to rub her inner thigh through her skirts, the side of his hand slowly massaging her pussy. She placed her hand on top of his with the notion of stopping the exquisite torture but found that the pleasure was too powerful to resist.
Kaitlyn stroked his warm, strong hand as he continued to rub her thigh and pussy. The ache in her clit began growing again and she could feel her folds becoming wet in anticipation. His movements were deliberate and intense, meant to arouse her and make her hot. She sat back in her chair, her erect nipples rubbing against the stiff fabric of her bodice.
She bit her lower lip to keep from groaning out loud at the tiny jolts of electricity shooting from her nipples to her pussy and back. The room temperature rapidly escalated, causing her breathing to become labored. She had to get out of there. She couldn’t come right there at the breakfast table.
Could she?
As suddenly as his hand had landed on her thigh, it was gone. She tore her eyes from the table and looked at Gabriel, certain that she must have appeared like a woman possessed. He was paying no attention to her, however, instead leaning toward the general and listening intently.
“Do you feel well enough to accompany us, Captain O’Connor?” General Washington asked.
“Of course, Sir,” Gabriel replied without inflection.
Kaitlyn’s eyes nervously darted from one man to the other. What had she just missed?
Simultaneously, the men shoved their chairs back and stood, immediately walking out of the room.
“Where are they going?” Kaitlyn asked too stunned to move.
“Back to battle,” Eileen replied, her voice soft and emotionless.
Kaitlyn stared disbelievingly at the women still sitting at the table. With the exception of Mrs. Washington, all were quietly gazing at their utensils.
“But they just got back!” Kaitlyn said with a little more emotion than she had planned. She shoved her chair away from the table and rushed out of the room, determined to talk some sense into Gabriel. He had just been wounded. It was madness to go back into battle now.
Kaitlyn stopped cold as she reached the corridor. A flurry of activity ensued around her as men and servants raced up and down the stairs, carrying weapons and clothing.
Eileen slipped an arm around Kaitlyn’s waist and gave it a little squeeze. “He will be all right, you will see.”
Kaitlyn glanced at her friend and saw her eyes quickly filling with tears. She put her arm around the younger woman’s shoulder and began absentmindedly stroking her long brown hair. “I know,” Kaitlyn whispered, reminding herself that she did indeed know that no harm would come to Gabriel.
Eileen wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and laughed. “See? I knew you were in love with him!”
Lust is more like it.
Kaitlyn rolled her eyes but kept her thoughts to herself. Yes, Gabriel was a kind-hearted, hard-working man who could make her laugh and hold an intelligent conversation at the same time. But love? Real love didn’t just happen overnight. It took time to grow. Besides, she was having a difficult time seeing beyond her physical hunger for this man to really consider how she felt about him as a person. Yes, she was worried about him but she was human and what human being wouldn’t be worried about someone going into a battle?
Henry rushed down the stairs at that moment and Kaitlyn felt Eileen tense beside her. The young man came over and bowed before them, eyeing Eileen nervously.
“You will be here when we return, will you not?” he asked, his eyes darting to Kaitlyn secretively.
Eileen nodded and smiled, her face lighting up as Henry addressed her. “Be careful,” she whispered.
He nodded and gave a polite goodbye to Kaitlyn as he rushed out the door. Eileen released her hold on Kaitlyn and followed him, picking up her skirts as she descended the stairs outside.
Gabriel walked down the stairs at that moment, his hat tucked under his arm and his sword and pistol in his hand. “Hold these,” he instructed in a clipped voice as he handed her his weapons and hat.
Kaitlyn accepted them in an anguished silence and watched as he struggled to fasten the holster and scabbard to his belt with one hand. After a few painful moments, Kaitlyn set everything on a nearby table and helped him with his tasks.
As she placed his weapons in their respective holders, she looked up at him, trying desperately to keep the fear out of her eyes. “You were just wounded, you know. You really shouldn’t be going into battle again.”
“We have a lengthy march ahead of us,” he replied, placing his hand on her cheek and caressing her bottom lip with his thumb. “My arm will be healed by the time the fight begins.”
Tears began to sting her eyes and she twisted the fabric of her skirt tightly between her fingers. “But who will take out your stitches?” she asked, unable to think of anything to say to stop him from leaving her.
He chuckled lowly and took a step toward her, folding her into his warm embrace. “Phillip will be happy to help.”
She could feel her throat closing up and she inhaled deeply in an attempt to stop the sobs threatening to engulf her body. She felt his lips graze against hers like a whisper and she reached up and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, drawing him closer. His mouth was warm, moist and undemanding, leaving her quivering at t
he tenderness of his kiss.
Resigned, he sighed heavily against her lips and pulled away, releasing her from his grasp. “You are a difficult woman to leave, Katie.”
He turned and walked out of the open door, placing his hat upon his head.
A young soldier stood ready with Gabriel’s horse just a few feet from the house. Kaitlyn rushed to the doorway and watched as Gabriel grabbed the saddle with one hand and effortlessly mounted the animal without help from anyone. He turned in the saddle and lifted his hat to Kaitlyn, flashing her a devilish smile before guiding his horse toward General Washington who was making his way through the crowd of soldiers.
Kaitlyn stood watching for several minutes until Gabriel and his horse disappeared into the crowd. She shook her head and brushed the tears from her eyes, taking several deep breaths to calm her nerves.
“He is right, Kaitlyn,” a familiar voice came from behind her. “You are a difficult woman to leave.”
Startled, she whirled around. Alexander Ross was leaning casually against the doorframe of the dinning room and giving her one of his charming, crooked smiles.
She couldn’t help but smile back, despite her surprise at him calling her by her first name. “You are back to stay with us?”
He shook his head and walked toward her, stopping only about a foot away. “Unfortunately, Clark and I are simply passing though on our way to other business matters.”
She nodded and then froze as Alexander reached out to fondle a strand of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder. She searched his eyes, uncertain of his intentions.
“Of course I could stay the night, if you asked me to,” he whispered, his eyes turning hazy.
Kaitlyn laughed nervously, amazed by just how smooth this guy was. “You’re a married man, Mr. Ross,” she reminded him as she turned to walk away.
He grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. Pressing himself up against her back, he pulled her hair away from her neck. “And you, my dear, are in love with Captain O’Connor. I do not see why either fact should impinge upon us finding comfort in one another this evening.”
