Realizing that it was too much for her to get accustomed to at once, she dropped the sheet so that he was only uncovered to his abdomen and she returned her attention to focusing on what she had already uncovered. Lightly Katherine traced one finger along the muscles on his chest and abdomen. Her eyes were drawn to the small nipples and she wondered if they were as sensitive as hers. Touching one of the swollen tips she licked her lips, wondering if she dared to kiss him there and what Garrett would think of her if he were to wake up half naked, with a woman licking his chest. Deciding that it was worth the risk, she bent down to run her fingers through the small mat of hair surrounding the area as her lips descended on the tiny peak.
Garrett's arms came up to form a strong brace around her, stopping her movements before flinging her onto the bed and rolling on top of her. “That's enough time toying with me Kat,” he growled before his lips descended on hers and he drove his tongue deep within her mouth, tasting the sweet flavors and once again the slightest taste of honey.
For a moment Katherine considered pointing out how unfair it was that he had been awake at least part of the time that she had been in the room. That he had watched her playing with him and staring at his body. When his lips touched the edge of her cheek it suddenly became very difficult for her to talk or even think as she tried to reprimand him. “How long have you been awake?” she managed to ask as his lips moved to her neck. His hand started to unbutton her long cloak that draped over her entire body, shielding her from feeling his bared chest.
He laughed deeply and Katherine could feel the rumblings of his chest through the material. “Since you came in the door,” he admitted without apologizing and he began licking at her ear before biting lightly at the tip and swirling his tongue inside.
Katherine tried to bat her hands at him, even as delicious shivers raced through her body and she arched her hips to press further against him. “Why didn't you tell me?” she moaned as her eyes fell shut and her hands burrowed deep into his hair, relishing the feel of the soft locks sifting through her fingertips. She pulled his head down to bring his mouth closer to hers, kissing and driving her tongue against his, meeting his passion equally with the force of her own.
“And stop you from being able to look and touch me however you wanted to?” he laughed huskily as their lips separated and his hand came to rest on her breast through the fabric of her cloak. “I wouldn't dream of depriving you of anything that you seemed to be enjoying so much. But you missed the best part,” he murmured and rubbed himself against her, letting her feel how hard he was despite the many layers that separated them. Pulling her up against him, he hugged her close as if he had considered never releasing her. “What made you change your mind?”
“Winnie,” she admitted simply. “She reminded me that I couldn't spend my life worrying about how to make everyone else happy. Sometimes, I even need to just worry about myself.”
“Then it wasn't my charming persistence?” he asked, pretending to be somewhat disappointed.
Kissing along the edge of his neck, Katherine whispered against his ear, “Well that too, I suppose.”
Her walking cloak was still mostly buttoned up and Garrett's fingers fumbled in his haste as he tried to undo each one of them. When he felt his knuckles brushed against her bare skin, he stopped suddenly. “What are you wearing beneath this?” he asked softly as he stared into the bright blue of her eyes.
A blush swept across her face and Katherine stammered as if she were a little ashamed. “Well it didn't make sense to worry about what to wear. I was pretty sure that you were just going to remove it anyway,” she stammered. “The dress was too dirty to wear and I didn't want to have to ask someone to lace up a different one.” Her voice seemed to float away from her and she dipped her head so that she did not have to stare into his round eyes filled with shock and a little bit of something darker, more primal.
“So you came naked?” he asked as he glanced over at the unbuttoned top of her cloak where it sagged to the side revealing the curve of one of her breasts. He couldn't believe how tantalizing that little bit of exposed skin was to him. Garrett seemed mesmerized as he watched her breast heave gently to the movement of her breath.
“Is there something wrong with that?” she asked when he had stopped moving, stopped breathing and just stared at that one strip of her skin.
Instead of answering her, Garrett's fingers shook unsteadily when he reached down and slowly ran his fingers along the cloak, knowing that her bared skin lay just beneath. When he came to her knees he found thin stockings held up with tiny garter ties and followed them down to her delicate little shoes.
“I had to have shoes on,” she told him as he touched lightly at the ribbons holding her shoes up. When he didn't respond Katherine placed her fingers over the laces, “I can take them off though,” she told him and started to do so, remembering know upset he had been at the little red marks that her shoes had left when he had examined her ankle.
“No,” he told her, his voice ragged as he stilled her hands, pulling them down to rest at her side and he returned to the top button of her cloak, undoing it more slowly than the one before. “No, Kat, what you're wearing is perfect,” he insisted and Katherine watched in wonder as she witnessed the hunger in him grow. He seemed to become more gentle and careful than before.
Garrett stared briefly into her eyes, telling her things that neither one of them could find the words to say and calming each one of her fears of rejection. He then looked down at the buttons again following their progress with his eyes as his fingers unfastened them carefully. For every inch that was revealed, Katherine longed to hide herself for modesty's sake, but she kept her eyes locked on Garrett's hungry face and tried to keep herself from covering up. She knew that he wanted to see her naked just as badly as she had wanted to see him the same way.
The cloak still covered almost all of her body as he unbuttoned it, the thin line of her skin widened as it gradually sagged opened. Once her stomach was revealed he kissed lightly, dipping his tongue into her tiny belly-button and hearing Katherine moan. He watched her body jerk against him as she strained to get closer.
“Garrett,” she gasped as her hands tried to pull him more snuggly against her body. The tension inside of her had begun to build and she begged him, knowing that he knew how to stop the yearning.
“No,” he told her. Wanting to keep their pace slow and relaxed as he eased the next button open and kissed lightly at the newly exposed tight curls of hair and soft flesh. “I want to show you just how gentle I can be,” he whispered, reminding her of the challenge that she had once given him. He then began licking lightly into her folds before moving down again, until each button had been removed. Garrett paused, staring at her face and along her body before pulling the cloak aside and looking over her perfectly shaped breasts, hips and legs.
It made Katherine uncomfortable to watch him staring at her like that, like he wanted to eat her alive, and only wondered where to start. “Garrett?” her voice shook but his eyes locked back with hers and she felt her heart beat settle back to its usual rhythm.
Garrett left the bed for a moment, quickly removing the pants that he had worn to bed before joining her between the sheets again and pulling her naked body against his.
Taking her mouth with his, he ran his hands along her body feeling each jolt of her hips as she strained to be closer to him but he refused to quicken his pace. “We have all night,” he told her when she again tried to pull his hand to rest along her agitated breasts.
Katherine nearly screamed out with frustration. Everything was too sensitive like a slow burning that scorched her body until she was afraid that she might burn away. A wicked thought crossed her mind and she smiled at her boldness. Katherine realized that he must have his own pressure points just like she did, ones that drove him wild and beyond reason. Nervously, her tiny hand reached out and she brushed the tips of her fingers against the long length of him, feeling it stiffen even larger t
han before and quickly warm in her hands.
Her fingers slid along the smooth flesh and she gripped the hard unyielding length in her hand. Katherine marveled at the feel and she watched Garrett's face as his eyes slid shut and he fought the urge to take her right then. “I never thought it'd feel like this,” Katherine commented as she played with the smooth skin, felt it gliding so easily in her hands as she rubbed up and down the length of it and felt the heavy weight of the sack below it.
Garrett finally breathed out a moan of pleasure, before pulling her hand away. “I won't last very long if you keep doing that,” he warned her and tried to renew the slower teasing rhythm once more.
Katherine smiled wickedly, as she realized that she too could control the pace of their lovemaking. Boldly she placed her hand on him again, moving her fingers back and forth faster this time as she gripped him. She felt the power of being able to make him lose his control just as he had helped her lose hers as well.
When Garrett pulled her hand away again, Katherine saw a new, fierce light in his eyes more desperate than ever before. “Kat I don't want to rush this for you, I want it to be perfect.”
Staring into those eyes she knew that he felt the same urgency as she did, the same pulsing blood running through them both. She pulled him down so that he hovered right above her and Katherine kissed at his neck, biting lightly as he had once done to her. “We'll have the rest of our lives to perfect this, but I need you now,” she whispered licking at his ear. “Please Garrett,” Katherine begged as she arched her hips to connect them with his and felt his shaft brush against her body, fueling the urgency that she felt.
Positioning himself at her entry, Garrett rubbed the throbbing point until her body was pliant, feverish and wet. He nudged the head inside of her gently, drawing out gentle moans as he did. She gasped in pain only for a moment as her body became better accommodated with his size. When she cried, “More,” he gave it to her, inch by inch, before stopping deep inside of her, holding her close as their eyes met.
Tucking one of the tufts of her auburn hair behind her ear, Garrett looked at her earnestly. “Promise me you'll marry me,” he ordered, touching her lips, cheeks and eyes with the tips of his fingers. “Tell me that you'll be mine,” he urged as he kissed along her neck and felt her tighten around him.
“I already am,” Katherine whispered and pulled her arms around him. Garrett rewarded her with the thick, slow sliding motion that seemed to spiral higher and higher building on every emotion that she had ever felt before. Katherine felt lost in this sea of new experiences but held onto Garrett, anchoring her to the world that she threatened to drift away from. When at last they both found their release, Katherine cuddled against him, falling peacefully asleep.
Chapter 16
Katherine woke up the next morning with the feel of Garrett's arms holding her securely to him and she knew that she would never regret saying yes to him, to giving into their passion. Twisting to face him she found that he was awake and watching her.
“Why didn't you wake me?” she asked drowsily, while she stifled a yawn against the back of her hand.
Garrett kissed her mouth before brushing back a few stray hairs from her face. “You were sleeping so peacefully,” he told her, “I couldn't bring myself to wake you.”
The room was still dark, with only the light of a lantern beside the bed burning dimly. “I should leave before anyone notices I'm gone,” she decided as she tried to pull his arms off of her. Garrett pointed to the thick, dark black curtains hanging over the windows. Katherine looked closer and saw the tiny beams of sunlight peeking out from behind one of the corners. “It's morning already?” she asked, stunned that she had slept the entire night in his bed without a thunderclap of people storming through the door ask them questions.
“By now, they all know that we've spent the night together,” he told her, squashing any hopes that they could keep this secret between them until she was ready to tell her sister, Mrs. Brentley and Winnie. “One of the maids came by while you were asleep, so I've already sent for her to fetch a clean outfit for you,” he said as he nuzzled the light hairs near her temple before planting a light kiss on her lips.
Katherine cringed at the thought that everyone knew what she had done last night. “You let me sleep this late in case I woke up and wanted to back out later, didn't you?” At the devilish grin on his face, Katherine knew that she had guessed correctly. With so many witnesses, there was no way that Katherine could have chosen anything except marrying him or living in ruin. She didn't like the idea of being forced into anything. Even if it was something that she wanted.
Seeming to read her mind, Garrett held her close. “I believed you last night,” he told her earnestly. “This is just a little added insurance.”
“You wanted to brag,” she accused him.
“Well that too,” he admitted, before kissing her thoroughly enough that she began to forget why she should even be upset. Her toes curled and she pressed her body against him, ready for more of what she had tasted last night.
The maid entered moments later, before Garrett could stall them any longer in bed, which had clearly been his intent. While the maid was there, Katherine sunk into the sheets letting Garrett talk to the girl instead. Katherine tried to become invisible, even though the maid kept glancing at her with pink cheeks and an occasional wink. When the maid finally left, Katherine stood and went over to the dress that had been left for her to wear. Letting her mind wander away from their little room Katherine sighed heavily. “I'm going to have to talk with Robin about this. She will be very unhappy to hear that I've gone against my mother's wishes.”
Katherine stilled as dread spread over her and looked behind her at Garrett. “I hadn't even thought about how your mother will react. What will she think? I doubt she took me into her house so that I could steal her son away from her.”
Garrett stood up from the bed, not bothering to cover his naked body as he went to fold her into his arms. “Stop worrying Kat. You talk to your sister and I'll handle my mother. I don't think she'll mind as much as you are worried that she will. In fact I think she'll be madder at me for having seduced one of her charges before marriage. My mother is quite old fashioned like that,” he added.
Katherine smiled up at him. “At least we know that Winnie's on our side. She's been telling me for awhile now that she wants me as her sister. That way we can be around each other more often.”
Garrett helped her tie the back laces of the light pink day dress before Katherine sat at the vanity to try and redo her hair with the pins that the maid had brought in.
Garrett leaned against the vanity, watching his future wife ready herself for the day. “My first task is to tell Kent that we are engaged. That way he'll stop sniffing around you,” he told her possessively.
Katherine blushed as she admitted, “He already knows about last night.”
He looked unhappy to have such a joyous discussion taken away from him. “What do you mean he already knows?”
“Last night when I came over here, I found him drinking downstairs. He knew that I wasn't coming here to see him. Then he told me which room that I could find you in.” Pinning the last curl of her coiffure Katherine looked through the mirror at him. “I don't think that Kent was really all that upset over me not wanting to marry him.” She sat back and looked at Garrett through the mirror. “Earlier last night he told me something disturbing. Kent said that he doesn't believe in love. Isn't that sad?”
Nodding slowly, Garrett admitted that he had already known as much. “Kent's mother and father fought on a constant basis, with each other, with him. That's one reason why he is so cynical about what my mother tries to do in matching two people forever.” Grasping her hand he squeezed gently. “It's another reason why I hated seeing you around him, why I didn't want you to be with him. I thought that he might teach you to feel the same way as he does.”
“But you two are friends,” she argued. “Why don't you talk to
him?”
Sighing heavily Garrett admitted, “I've tried to but Kent will never fall in love, because he doesn't want to. I'm afraid that he will always be the way that he is now unless someone else can prove to him that it is worth the risk of being hurt.”
Katherine wanted to remark on who she thought might work for him, when Garrett kissed her neck and ears, right where he knew that she was the most sensitive. She smiled at the thought of their own happiness and remembered that she didn't need to worry about the lost soul in Kent any longer. She would be busy enough just keeping up with Garrett and any problems that might come their way.
Stepping out into the hall that led to her room, Katherine tried to decide whether she should talk to her sister or wait for Robin to come to her on her own time. In the hopes of getting it over with sooner, rather than later, Katherine walked over to her sister's room and reached her hand out to knock on the door when a door down the hall swung open.
Winnie's head popped out from the narrow opening. “Pst!” she whispered and motioned for Katherine to follow her. Stepping away from her sister's door, Katherine crept down the hall to enter Winnie's room. “Is it true?” Winnie asked as she shut the door. Katherine gave her a small nod as she tried to hide the blush. Winnie reached out, grasping her future sister in a quick hug. “That's fantastic! Oh I'm so happy for you both,” she cried out before pulling back to see Katherine's face which appeared to be far from happy despite the joyous occasion. “What's wrong?” Winnie asked.
Unable to hold back her worries, Katherine motioned to the room further down the hall. “Does Robin know yet?” she asked. Winnie's grin disappeared instantly and she became nervous, almost fidgety as she answered.
“Yes, someone told her. I think it was one of the maids. Not that we could have kept it from her for long. She's not very happy with you, that's why I wanted you to come here first. You shouldn't have to face her alone.” Winnie straightened up with the pride and purpose of a martyr and looked solemnly at the door. “As your new sister, I want to help you talk to her. Make sure that she doesn't just try to bully you or talk you out of marrying Garrett.”
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