Shipwrecked

by Jenna Stone

  Anna was lost in her desire, and she kissed Rowan wantonly, running her hands over his chest, his back and through his hair. The feelings that Rowan had worked so hard to repress spilled forth, and his mouth slanted over Anna’s hungrily seeking to stake claim upon her lips.

  Shaking with his need, Rowan regained enough control to break the kiss, realizing that he was now lying on top of Anna; he supported his weight on his elbows as he loomed over her.

  Their breathing was ragged, and Rowan lowered his forehead so that it was resting against Anna’s, holding his lips just millimeters above hers. He closed his eyes, fighting to retain his control, and placed a chaste kiss on her lips which were now swollen from the assault of his kisses.

  “Don’t stop,” she whispered against his lips, reaching up to tuck a strand of his chestnut hair behind his ear.

  “How is it that ye can do this tae me, woman?” he gritted out, writhing slightly and uttering the faintest groan. “If ye had a shred of mercy about ye…ye would stop this torment and go tae sleep.”

  “But I’m not tired,” Anna said softly, feeling wonton as the waves of desire that Rowan kindled spread through her body. She had never kissed a man before Rowan, and reveled in the power that her touch had in provoking Rowan. She knew that she should stop, knew that she should stop prodding him onward like a common whore. What would he think of her?

  She didn’t care what he thought of her, and casting caution to the wind, Anna decided to play with fire. She just wanted one more kiss.

  As if reading her mind, Rowan gently kissed her, slowly and languidly, savoring her sweet taste in his mouth. He fought all of his instincts, his desire to ravish her, to possess her, and moved his lips over hers, tormenting her with his tenderness. After all, there wouldn’t be any harm in just kissing her goodnight, allowing himself just this small pleasure. He was certainly experienced enough to know when to stop, he had been able to stop with every woman before this one.

  He drew away slowly, leaving Anna trembling with desire under his finger tips, and he placed soft kisses up her neck until his lips brushed her ear.

  “And if yer no tired, what if I make ye tired?” he questioned boldly against his better judgment, suggestion heavy in his tone. “I’ll never neglect yer needs, Anna,” he whispered, brushing the back of his hand across her breast. “Tonight I’m going tae treat ye as if ye belonged tae me.”

  So much for knowing when to stop.

  “What about your needs?” she whispered in response, pressing her body against him, feeling his heat through the thin fabric of her dress.

  “I’ll get by,” he whispered, hoping that he had the restraint not to go further than he intended. He kissed Anna’s right shoulder and drew his hand up to cup her breast through her dress. She moaned when he brushed his thumb gently back and forth over her nipple.

  “Shh…” Rowan whispered against her ear. “Ye’ll have tae keep quiet,” he chuckled against her skin, pleased by how her body reacted so readily to his touch. Rowan pulled the blanket up so that it completely covered them, affording what measure of privacy that he could. Hell, he wouldn’t have cared if the entire world was watching; his body was wild with the need to touch Anna, to please her.

  Ever so slowly, Rowan slid his hand under Anna’s skirt, taking his time to savor the silky smooth skin of her legs. He knew that he would stop if she asked him to, but stopping this sweet torment might kill him. He only hoped that he had the strength to stop.

  Rowan’s nose brushed against Anna’s, and he smiled when he thought of the faint spray of freckles that graced her nose. She was so perfect, so beautiful to him. Rowan claimed Anna’s lips in another possessive kiss, and his hand found what it had been so boldly seeking. He groaned deeply when he learned that Anna wasn’t wearing any undergarments, that she was completely bare beneath her dress. He brushed over her curls lightly with his fingers, hand shaking with the desire to touch her more freely.

  Anna took in her breath sharply and jumped, startled by the wave of pleasure that she felt at Rowan’s slightest touch. She had never been touched so intimately by a man, hell; she’d never even kissed a man before Rowan. And yet, here she was, unashamed that he was touching her like this. Not only was she unashamed, she was thoroughly enjoying how he was touching her. She planned to savor this moment for the rest of her life.

  “Rowan,” she whispered against the stubble of his cheek as she held him close to her.

  He froze, using all of the restraint that he could muster not to move.

  Please don’t ask me tae stop.

  “We can’t do this here, right out in the open!” her voice was insistent, slightly panicked.

  She hadn’t asked him to stop.

  “Aye, lass, we can. Right here,” he murmured, “right out in the open.”

  “Rowan!” she whispered harshly. “We’ll wake up Malcolm!”

  “You’ll just have tae be quiet then,” he coaxed, drawing her in for a tender kiss and sliding his fingers lower, brushing again over her sex. His fingers worked nimbly, caressing his way through her curls to the heat of her desire. He intended to silence her protests by driving her mad with ecstasy.

  Anna gasped, never having felt such intense desire. Her nerves were on fire and as Rowan’s fingers danced over her womanhood, she arched against him, greedy for more.

  He parted her with his fingers, and she let out a moan of pleasure, which he tried to silence with his kiss. His fingers touched the wetness between her thighs, the wetness that was there just for him, and his cock bucked against his pants, aching to be inside of her. He began making slow, rhythmic circles against her silky skin, relishing how soft, how wet she was beneath his fingers.

  Rowan let loose a low groan, burying his face into Anna’s hair. “Ye feel sae good, lass,” he groaned, reveling in the ecstasy of touching Anna so intimately. She was giving herself to him so completely, so trustingly.

  Anna had never felt such pleasure in all of her life, a low cry of need escaped her lips and she instinctively spread her knees more widely for Rowan.

  Rowan smiled lustily at her response to his touch and increased the pressure of his fingers, nibbling Anna’s ear and caressing her breasts through her dress. He knew that he was about to drive her over the brink, and rose up above her, wanting to see the passion that he had kindled reflect in her eyes.

  “I wish that ye were mine,” he whispered before settling his mouth over hers and claiming them in a hungry kiss. He slid a finger up inside of her, teasing, tormenting, and driving in and out of her slick wet heat.

  She moaned against him, no longer able to keep quiet. “Rowan!” she whispered as the unfamiliar tremors of passion took hold of her body for the first time. “Oh!” she gasped as he teased her, making love to her with his hand. Her body was overwhelmed with the new sensations that Rowan was giving her, never before had she been touched like this.

  He worked her harder in response, quickening the pace of his caresses, driving in and out of her tenderly as he increased his tempo. Anna’s hips began to move against his hand, she was now wild with desire.

  “That’s it, baby…give in tae it, let go,” he coaxed as his fingers played against her skin.

  “Oh – Rowan!” she pleaded “Rowan!”

  “Shh…” he whispered, chuckling into her hair as he continued to drive her towards madness with his fingers.

  A low steady moan escaped from Anna’s lips and Rowan slowed his caresses as he felt the first tremors of release overtake her body. He kissed her tenderly as her hips bucked wildly under his hand. She seemed to come apart in his arms, and he continued to make slow, sweet circles with his fingers as she caught wave after wave of her first orgasm.

  He expertly coaxed her body through the last spasm of her surrender, kissing her softly and sliding his hand down her thigh, letting it rest there. He lay watching her in the dark, holding her and kissing her gently in the glow of the firelight.

  “Shh…” he whispered into her hair,
holding her against his chest as the last tremors overwhelmed her body.

  “Oh my God, Rowan…I had no idea…” she whispered, shaken from the power of her release.

  “Are ye tired now, Anna?” Rowan asked with a slightly naughty smile, chuckling slightly and reaching his hand up to brush her disheveled hair from her face.

  “Exhausted,” she smiled, and reached up to take his hand, kissing him atop the knuckles. “I had no idea that you could…that I could…”

  Rowan kissed her hair and pulled her up closer against his chest. She was so innocent, and her uninhibited response to his touch had pleased him greatly. Hell, the fact that she had allowed him the pleasure of bringing her to orgasm for the first time pleased him beyond belief.

  “What about you?” she asked, looking up boldly to meet his eyes.

  “I’m exhausted just from watchin’ ye,” he chuckled, smiling down at her, still holding her hand.

  “That’s not what I meant, Rowan,” she said, suddenly embarrassed, biting her bottom lip. “What I meant is…is there something that I could do to make you feel like that? Can I do that to you?”

  Rowan swallowed hard, now understanding the implication of her comment. His cock pulsed in response. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside of her slick, wet heat, but there was no way in hell that he would allow that to happen. He could never dishonor her by stealing her virtue, stealing what belonged to another man.

  Rowan had vowed long ago to save the act of love making only for his wife. He had struggled and denied himself on many occasions, always stopping just short of penetrating the willing lasses that had warmed his bed. There was no particular reason that Rowan Murray had remained a virgin except for that he had thought it was the right thing to do. He wanted to save himself for his wife, and never before had he felt compelled to take a particular lass to wife. The problem now was that although he felt the desire to claim Anna Stanton as his wife, to beg her to have him, she was already taken.

  Touching her so intimately had been one thing, most likely a poor choice in moment of weakness, but making love to her would be another thing entirely. He would never be able to let Anna go if he made love to her.

  “I’ll survive,” he whispered, grinding his teeth together in restraint. Just the thought of her fingers closing around his shaft was enough to make him need to spill his seed. “Pleasuring ye was all that I needed,” he lied, remembering how good she had felt, how tight and wet around his fingers. “Time tae go tae sleep, Anna,” he whispered, pulling her down next to him, worried that if his thoughts continued down this path, he might ravage the lass while she was sleeping.

  Anna had settled against Rowan’s chest and suddenly, her eyes flew open with the realization that she was wasting precious time. She turned in Rowan’s arms, and casting caution and propriety to the wind, she kissed him with every fiber of her being.

  And that’s when they heard the footsteps.

  Chapter Seven

  “Shhh…” Rowan said sternly as he tucked the blanket securely over Anna’s head and shielded her with his body.

  Adrenaline thrummed in her veins, and she could hear Rowan’s heart pounding as her cheek was crushed against his chest. Something was very wrong. Anna knew that the Murray’s only had two daggers between them as well as her own.

  Footsteps approached the campsite, and Anna felt Rowan’s arms tense around her, as he pulled her even closer, molding her body to his beneath the blanket.

  “Is it just the three of you?” A gruff masculine voice asked without wasting time with an introduction.

  “Yes, Sir, just myself and my brothers,” Quinn said firmly.

  Anna felt her muscles begin to quiver, and in response, Rowan’s grip on her shoulder strengthened.

  “Have you by chance seen a young lady traveling North around these parts?” The man asked, now standing only a few feet from where Anna was concealed.

  “No, not that I can remember,” said Quinn, pretending to contemplate the question.

  Are these men looking for me?

  “There was a shipwreck off the coast; the Mary Catherine went down in a storm just South from here.”

  “Aye?” Quinn asked, seemingly indifferent. “I’d not heard.”

  “Anyhow, there’s a girl whose been seen around these parts, guess she survived the shipwreck. She’s betrothed to Jonathan Arbor, who’s a General in the King’s Army.”

  “Hmm, I’ve heard the name before,” Quinn said, pretending to ponder the information.

  The second man chimed in, eager to have his part in telling the story, “Arbor’s offering a reward to whoever brings the girl into his care safely, he’s offering a pretty penny to get her back.”

  “I’m sure that she’ll contact the magistrate as soon as she arrives in a village, that is if she actually survived the shipwreck,” Rowan said speculatively.

  “Oh, she survived all right. She wrote a letter to Colonel Murdock back in Manteo, some of Arbor’s men were given the letter to carry to Murdock, and suspecting that it might be from her, Arbor got a hold of it an opened it.”

  Adrenaline rushed through Anna’s blood. Jonathan had read her letter, and he knew that she was close by.

  The first man continued, enjoying the adventurous thread that he was spinning. “The reason that Arbor has put out the reward is that no one has seen the girl since the inn in Manteo, and I guess she mentioned in her letter to Murdock that she was traveling with some companions. Half of the passengers on the Mary Catherine were prisoners being transported to the New World as indentured laborers.”

  The second man chimed in again, not wanting to be left out. “Arbor’s worried that mayhap she’s been kidnapped by some of the prisoners, and that she may be in danger and not even realize it!” he said fantastically, voice rising with enthusiasm.

  “That is most worrisome,” Rowan said softly, still clutching Anna firmly against his chest. “Seems tae me that Arbor should have taken more care in selecting an able guard to mind the lass.”

  The men grunted in response, seeming to agree with Rowan.

  “I’m sorry that we canna help ye,” Quinn said calmly, “but we havena seen such a lass that matches yer description.”

  “Well, if ye do, alert the magistrate at once. The people that she’s with may be dangerous, especially if they’ve gotten wind of how valuable she is to Arbor.”

  Anna felt Rowan’s breath hitch slightly, and his thumb rubbed reassuringly across the skin of her back as he crushed her against his chest.

  “Well, should you see her, we’ve been told that she’s fair haired and slight of stature, pretty, and has a pronounced English manner of speach. I’d be most obliged if you seek us out, the name’s Percy Ellis. We’ll share a portion of the reward with you if you heed viable information about where she is.”

  “We’ll do that, Sir,” Quinn said. “Have a good night.”

  “Same to you fellows,” the man said as he and his companion continued down the road.

  “Shhh….don’t move yet,” Rowan whispered, almost inaudibly. “They might be checking out our story and waitin’ in the bush.”

  Dread settled in Anna’s mind as she contemplated her current predicament, cuddled against Rowan’s chest and bathed in silence. Jonathan was looking for her, and he believed that she had been kidnapped by prisoners that had escaped the sinking of the Mary Catherine. He was spot on in his estimation of what had transpired, except for the kidnapping part.

  When you were kidnapped you were not supposed to want to stay with your captor.

  ***

  Anna awoke the next morning to the sound of Malcolm and Quinn cleaning up their camp and readying the horses. She was still wrapped up tightly in Rowan’s arms underneath the safety of the blanket, and her face flushed with color as she thought about what had transpired under the cover of said blanket last night. Nervously, she glanced over at Malcolm and Quinn, trying to gauge if they had heard anything last night.

  “Tim
e tae get up, lazy bones!” Malcolm called in her direction when he saw that her eyes were open.

  Anna hoped that her face wasn’t really as red as it felt.

  “And why don’t ye jab my brother in the ribs while yer at it,” he prodded, swinging the saddle up onto the sorrel mare’s back. “We could use his help getting the horses ready,” Malcolm said, voice heavy with disdain.

  Rowan chuckled softly under the blanket, and squeezed Anna to his chest once more. When he was absolutely sure that his brothers weren’t watching, he lifted up his head and placed a soft kiss right at the base of Anna’s ear, in the hollow of her neck.

  Fire shot across her skin as his lips touched her, reminding her of how it had felt to kiss him last night. She wanted to stay in the cocoon of Rowan’s arms, safe beneath the warm blanket. Her lips tingled as she thought of kissing him again.

  Rowan slapped her playfully on the bum and then threw back the blanket, stretching languidly before shuffling over to help his brothers ready the horses.

  “What if we come across those men on the road and they see me?” Anna asked to no particular Murray.

  “We’ll be more careful,” Quinn responded. “We’ve come this far towards Williamsburg that I’d rather not take the chance of handin’ ye over in the middle of the night to strangers.

  “We wouldn’t want tae split the reward with them anyway,” Rowan chided, teasing Anna.

  ***

  Anna was curled up against Rowan’s chest, sleeping soundly from the rhythmic gait of the mare as they arrived at the inn. It was well after dark, and the tavern windows were bustling with life and merriment. The sounds of fiddlers and singing poured out into the street, and Rowan smiled, looking forward to the possibility of dancing with Anna again tonight.

  He had reconciled to share a few more days with her, allowing himself to kiss her, to touch her, and then he would begin the process of letting her go. He would force himself, however difficult it would be to stay away from her, not allowing himself to succumb to further weakness. Rowan knew that this would be for the best. Anna was promised to another, she was used to a life of riches that he would never be able to provide. She deserved better than the penniless, gambling son of a farmer. He would force himself to let her go.