A Whisper Of Destiny

by Monica Barrie

  Sean lifted slightly and, as she shifted to accommodate him, returned to cover her body with his. Then the heat of his hardness pressed against her. . Her breath escaped in a deep moan as entered her slowly and surely and her body moved of its own volition as she pushed back against him. The sharp, stinging pain caused her to gasp, but it passed quickly and was replaced with the warmth of him and the mounting abandon of her own passion. Wave after wave of pulsating pleasure engulfed her body and mind as she clung to him, her lips again searching for his.

  She moved with him, becoming one with him, savoring the rippling of his taut muscles as they rubbed against her skin and the power in his legs as he paced himself with her. A new abandon claimed her as he pulled her along with him.

  Suddenly, something changed within her, building even higher, and the tension in her own muscles longed for release. Her breath became ragged: she cried out in pleasure. Then Kira’s eyes flew wide open and her gaze locked with his. What she saw in Sean’s eyes made her own fill with tears. Within his glance was love, desire and need. She knew that it matched her own and in that moment of suspended time, as their bodies froze, she understood that no other man would ever matter to her.

  They held still for a moment, sharing this new feeling, and then the wild passion peaked within. Her nails dug deeper into his back as his grip tightened around her. They moved more quickly now and together they climbed the heights of love, moving in perfect unison until they could no longer hold back.

  Kira and Sean lay locked in each other’s arms, unwilling to let the other go, as they shared a warmth and love unknown to either before now. They were silent for a long time after their breathing calmed. At last, Kira pulled one arm free and caressed Sean’s face. She traced his hairline and then dropped her fingers to his eyes, outlining both of them before trailing her fingertips across his lips.

  “You were foolish to come here tonight,” she told him gently.

  “I would have been foolish had I not.” he said, as he tenderly kissed first one eyelid then the other. “You already know that I love you…I see that you do.”

  Kira pulled away from him and sat up. She pulled the sheet up to cover her breasts, but laughed lightly, dropping the coverlet when she realized the incongruity of the action. She wanted to tell him what she felt, how her feelings had changed this night, how it felt to be a woman—finally. The shadow of a smile played at the comer of his lips as he waited for her to speak. His strong face, the set of his jaw and the emotions that sparked, one after another, in his gaze were all delightful to her.

  “How can I say I love you and then leave for another prison?” She felt the tears well up in her throat but fought them away. She would not cry tonight. Not tonight. “Sean, I—”

  “I know you love me. You have from the first.” His words were confident, not arrogant. “Tonight was only the beginning of what we are meant to share.”

  She loved the sound of his voice and the hope his words carried resonated deep within her. She would be brave.

  Sean grasped her shoulders and pulled her over. She landed atop him, feeling her breasts crush against his chest. They kissed passionately, forgetting all of the future and all of the past. They were alive now and Kira’s life, in this moment, was Sean’s body and hers. She drew her mouth from his and buried her head on his shoulder. Her lips touched his neck and she tasted the saltiness and warmth of his skin. She felt herself grow stronger. Her desire pulsated again and she began to move her lips, kissing his skin. She wanted to touch all of him, and there was so little time! She heard the quickening of his breath as her lips played a delicate tattoo on his skin. The muscles just under his smooth skin quivered wherever her mouth landed.

  Kira felt herself grow lightheaded with passion as her lips again found his. Then Sean moved her onto her back and rose over her, his manhood swelling with renewed desire. In the space of a breath, he entered her. Another low moan escaped her lips when Sean sank onto her. Kira wrapped her arms and legs around him, whispering his name and letting him carry her along as she rocked forward and back with Sean inside her. The burning heat spread through her as their pace quickened.

  She’d heard so much about this experience, and yet she had never suspected how it truly would be. She knew that being a woman was a gift, one she would treasure for the sake of love. Gone for now were her thoughts of competing in a man’s world. Tonight, she accepted her femininity gladly.

  All extraneous thoughts fled from her mind as the excitement and power of her lover began to urge her own passion to its height. She gave herself up to joy and traveled onward. Currents of bliss engulfed her as the dam of desire within her found its release. Her moans sounded far away to her ears as her entire being focused on the man she held within her.

  Sean’s breathing became sharper, and at last he too let out a cry of pleasure before slowing his body’s movements. Again they lay locked together, their legs entwined, their bodies coupled tightly.

  After a few minutes, Sean gently rolled aside and pulled her into the curl of his arm. Kira nestled there, complacent and comfortable, feeling safer than she ever had. Her eyes felt heavy and in moments she was asleep.

  The gentle rubbing of Sean’s hand on the small of her back woke Kira. She stretched languidly and then, as she realized what she had done, she let out a small gasp.

  “I fell asleep!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Sean, I’m sor—” Sean cut off her words by placing a silencing finger against her lips. His mouth curved in a half-smile, causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle.

  “It’s natural,” he told her in his deep, soft voice. “It gave me a chance to study you. Besides, you only drifted off for a short while.”

  “It’s almost daybreak,” said Kira in a hushed voice. She could see the first purple-pink streaks of the approaching dawn on the horizon. “What will happen to us now?”

  Sean sat up and pulled Kira around so that she lay against his chest. He stroked her copper-colored hair in smooth movements and kissed her. After several long seconds, he pulled away. He stared down at her, touching her curls, her face, her skin, as if he wanted to rub their imprint onto his fingertips.

  Then his face became sad and he took a deep breath.

  “You’ll have to go to England. There’s no choice. There are reasons that go beyond just the two of us…” Kira felt her throat tighten in response to his words but refused to allow any emotion to surface. He was brave and she would be as well. “Again, I must ask you to trust me.” As he spoke these words, his face took on a deep, brooding look. “Do you know where you’re to stay?” he asked, his eyes clearing as he looked down at her.

  Kira shook her head. “My family is all over England, primarily in Suffolk and Cambs, according to what my father told me.”

  “The ship you are sailing on is bound for Portsmouth,” he said. “It would be a long journey by carriage to both of those places, and too easy for you to escape.” His hand caressed her cheek and Kira put her hand over his, bringing it to her mouth, kissing the palm. He smiled and rubbed her shoulder. “Try to put your mind at rest. By the time you dock at Portsmouth and start off, I’ll know where you are to go.”

  “How?” She was puzzled but not overly surprised. Sean Rouger seemed to be a man from whom things could not remain hidden.

  “Word is already on its way to England. Someone will be watching out for your arrival. I will be in France shortly after you arrive.”

  “We could leave now—get away!” she cried wildly. Her heart began pounding.

  Sean shook his head slowly and said in his soft voice, “We must play this out. Kira, there’s much at stake. I don’t think your uncle will make light of your departure. He is probably waiting just for that.” Sean paused a moment, debating with himself before he continued. “I will not be far from you, my love. Remember that.”

  “Who are you?” she asked for a second time since meeting him.

  “In time, Kira, in time you’ll know everything.” Sean bent and kissed h
er again. It was a kiss that embodied all the passions and longing she had felt earlier in him, as well as the tenderness and love that was a promise of the future.

  Sean lifted her from his lap and placed her full on the bed before reaching for his clothing. Kira watched him dress, studying his every movement. She picked out each special thing that distinguished him to store in her memory to use later, when he was gone. For the first time, she noticed the variety of scars that dotted his body. There was a small round indentation near his left hip, and in the small of his back was a three-inch line that zigged like half a lightning bolt. When he was almost dressed, he stopped and stared at her. Then he took something from inside his jacket and returned to the bed.

  “Sit up,” he commanded. Kira did as he asked and felt something being placed against her back. She looked down as his hands came around in front. It was a soft leather strap with a pouch hanging from it. No, not a pouch, but a sheath.

  Sean adjusted the tension of the strap and moved the sheath to a point just under her left breast, halfway between the breast and her armpit. Then he experimented, pressing the sheath in various positions until he was satisfied.

  “Wear this between your undergarments and your dress. Never be without it,” he said sternly, producing a small knife. Kira was mesmerized by the little piece of steel. It was no more than four inches long from tip to the end of the handle. The shiny steel blade glowed in the light, reflecting her features back at her.

  For the first time since awakening, Kira felt afraid of what lay ahead. She touched the leather on the handle and hesitatingly held the knife.

  “It is deadly sharp,” Sean cautioned her. “Be careful when it is not in the sheath.”

  Kira nodded, feeling almost numbed by his words. She knew it would be but moments before he was gone again. She fought back tears, looked away from him and placed the blade in its sheath. “What of Ruth?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.

  “I hope she will accompany you.”

  “No!” Kira protested. “I want her with Abraham. She cannot survive without him in England.” She was adamant about this. She had promised to reunite Ruth with Abraham, as her father would have wanted. With the feelings that had been awakened in her this night and all that she realized about herself before, she knew her powers and her own mind. She would never again be subordinate, except to one. And then, only in love.

  Sean studied her face, and exhaled with a sigh.

  “All right. It is my feeling that Ruth will not be sent with you. But you must do what I tell you and you must do it correctly.” Sean then outlined his plan, leaving the details to Kira. She agreed, swearing solemnly not to fail in her mission.

  “Do not doubt my love for you. I will come for you!” He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.

  She smelled the scent of his maleness and this time could not put off the tears that cascaded down her face. “I love you.”

  “Kira—”

  She put a finger to his lips, then she cupped his strong angular face in her hands and drew it to her. Their lips met and held together tenderly, but too soon he pulled away from her, turned and went to the window. He put one foot on the ledge and smoothly slipped out. A heartbeat later, she heard him slide down the vines.

  She ran to the window, and watched him weave his way around the side of the house and disappear into the night. She stood at the window, her mind clearer than it had ever been. She no longer could fight him or her own feelings—now she had a strong sense of confidence in both herself and in him. She knew that they would be together again, and when that time came, they would never be separated. Kira’s fingers went absently to the sheath that hung on her naked body. She let her fingers trace its outline and was pleased that she would have something of his to take with her. A smile turned the corners of her mouth upward as she thought of how fitting the object was. And how like Sean…

  <><><>

  Kira sat on the edge of the hard bed, forcing the waves of nausea away from her mind. She knew it would pass soon enough, just as soon as she got her sea legs back. It had been a while since she’d put to sea in a large ship. But the nausea did not disturb her spirits nearly as much as the reality of where she was. Somewhere in the back of her mind she had believed that something, someone, would save her from being sent to England. That hope was abandoned when she touched the deck of the Voyager. They were already underway, heading across the Atlantic.

  Sean had kept his word, which was the only important thing. Even feeling sick and depressed, she couldn’t help smiling when she thought of how Sean had gotten Ruth away.

  There had been unusually large crowds at the wharf this morning, due, of course, to the harbor quarantine. When she and Ruth had arrived at the dock, her uncle had three men take Kira’s trunks to the ship, while he and another began to walk Kira to the gangplank. She’d only gone a few feet when Ruth’s frenzied voice rang out behind her.

  “Kira!” cried the young black woman in a wail that had reverberated along the docks. Kira turned, freeing her arm from her uncle’s grip, and ran to embrace her friend, an action that drew murmurs of disapproval from many in the streets.

  Ruth and Kira had arranged this part of the escape plan so that Ruth would be forced away from the others and Uncle James’ attention would be solely on Kira.

  “Be careful,” was Ruth’s final warning when her uncle’s hand fell on her shoulder. Kira pulled Ruth closer before releasing her.

  “That was stupid. Cause no more trouble or I’ll sell her to a Georgia planter!” James Cornwall hissed in her ear. Kira nodded, gratified that he would be watching her even more closely. Her uncle brought them to a halt and whispered to the man who had been accompanying them to the ship. The man did not speak, but went directly to Ruth, gripping her upper arm and pulled her away. At the same time, Kira saw two men slipping through the crowd toward the two departing figures. Kira knew it was up to her now.

  “You have no right!” she complained loudly. “When I get to England, the truth will be known.”

  “Kira, learn this now, while you still may. I am the head of the Cornwall family, both here and in England. I have been supporting our British relatives for years and they owe me everything. They will obey my wishes and carry out my orders.” His voice was soft, but it was clear that he meant every word. Kira took a breath and tried another tack.

  “If I join you, Uncle, if I do not fight you any longer, will you allow me to stay?” She spoke beseechingly, softening her features in an expression of dissembling innocence. Her reward was a laugh. Her uncle’s face was distorted as he tried to contain himself.

  “Join me? I would trust you no further than I did your father!” he declared in a deadly whisper. “I am not some young fool whose senses depart at the words of a pretty trollop!”

  Suddenly, Kira noticed a stir in the crowd and then heard a loud commotion when the man who was guarding Ruth fell to the ground. Her heart leaped into her throat while she struggled to keep James Cornwall’s attention on her. They were now about to board the ship and, as Cornwall turned around to see what the trouble was, the ship’s captain came towards them. When she saw the man’s face, Kira knew it instantly though she had not seen him in five years. It was Captain Zachery.

  “Damn you!” said Cornwall as he realized that Ruth was escaping. “You’ll pay for this!” He pushed her toward the Captain. “Get her in her cabin. I’ll be back,” he called, and turned back to the wharf.

  “You’d best do as he says, Mistress Cornwall,” said the captain. Kira was still recovering from her shock at the sight of him. She nodded numbly and accepted the hand he held out to her. She followed silently to the cabin. They entered the main passageway and the odor of the ship assaulted her. The smells of the sailors, unwashed for weeks or even months at a time, was layered into the wood and became part of it. She knew that by the end of the day she would not notice the stale, heavy smell of this vessel.

  “You are to have my cabin fo
r the voyage—I hope you’ll find it comfortable.” Kira looked at him, seeing his face for the first time with an adult’s eyes. She had been only fifteen the last time, when he’d asked her father for permission to court her.

  “You’ve changed,” she said in a quiet voice. Her eyes studied his face intently; the crows’ feet at the comer of his eyes were now deep lines that remained even when he was not smiling. His brown eyes had lost the luster she remembered, and his stature seemed less than when she’d first met him. His features were still handsome, but they were coarsened by his years at sea. No, he was not the same dashing sea captain with whom she had been infatuated.

  “And you’ve grown into a beautiful woman.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Try to get settled. We’ll be getting underway soon.” Captain Zachery nodded, leaving Kira to the solitude of the cabin. She detected a slight odor of camphor. The captain undoubtedly used it to rid the cabin of the worst of the smells.

  While small, the cabin was larger than she’d expected. There was the captain’s desk and chair, bolted solidly to the cabin’s floor and wall, with four drawers in its base. Everything about the cabin was male: the furniture was strictly functional, each piece could be used for two or three different purposes. The air shaft, covered by slanted pieces of wood, allowed fresh air to enter when they were underway, but right now the stifling heat of the late morning’s sun pressed hard on the entire ship.

  She went to the door and opened it with the thought of going on deck to get some fresh air and to see Charleston once again. She was desperate to make sure that they had gotten Ruth away safely.

  When she opened the door, a sailor turned to face her. He stood there, blocking her way effectively, and would not move.