A Thin Line (43 page)

“What do you mean?”

“Ever since we stopped at Justin’s you have been sullen.”

He shrugged, refusing to answer her.
 
He couldn’t forget how she kept defending Southerby and calling him by his first name.
 
Did she still have feelings for the man?
 
He knew through Derek that the man had been seriously courting her.
 
He looked up and jumped when he saw her face inches from his.
 
Her eyes were squinted almost shut.
 
Let her believe that he had feelings for Clarissa.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out what you’re thinking.”

“I forget you are starting to see.
 
Is it getting better?”

“It’s about the same and don’t change the subject.”
 
She tossed her long, sable hair over her shoulder.
 
“I want to know what’s the matter with you.”

“Just go to sleep.”

“I’m sorry.
 
I just don’t think he did it, and I think that having Lady Clarissa with him proves it.
 
But therein lies the other problem.”

“What?”

“You were courting her rather seriously.
 
Do you regret not making an offer for her and getting stuck with me?
 
It is quite a come down from a duke’s daughter to a headmaster’s daughter.
 
Do you want to go and be chivalrous and rescue Clarissa?
 
I know I am nothing compared to her in looks.”
 
She felt his hand cup the back of her neck and drag her downward.
 
His lips captured hers in an almost punishing manner.
 
She pulled back a little.
 
“What are you doing?”

“Trying to keep you from talking nonsense,” he muttered pulling her down once more.
 
She draped herself over his chest and allowed him access to the recesses of her mouth.
 
Their tongues dueled and she languidly tangled her fingers in his damp hair.
 
“You’re wearing too many clothes.”

“Do something about it then.”
 
He flipped her onto her back and quickly maneuvered the voluminous nightgown up her body and over her head.
 
She lay there, proudly naked before him, not attempting to cover herself.
 
“Well?” She asked when he just stayed where he was, not moving.

“Beautiful,” he grunted before lowering himself beside her and capturing her mouth once again.
 
His hand found its way to her waist and began traveling slowly up her side.
 
His fingers played with her ribs as if they were a pianaforte.
 
Then ever so slowly he traced the outer edge of her breast, moving slowly inward, until he palmed her nipple.
 
Moaning softly, she arched her back to better fit her breast in his hand.

He rolled the nipple between his thumb and forefinger as he placed kisses towards the other breast.
 
He dropped kisses all over her breast, except where she most desired it.
 
“Please, Gabe.”

“What do you want?”

“For you to suckle me,” she looked up at him and cupped her hand around her breast.
 
He felt himself harden even more.
 
He took her hands and pinned them beside her head.
 
Gabe lowered his head and captured the delicate pink nipple with his lips, teasing. “Gabe,” she moaned again.
 
The man would drive her insane.
 
She arched her back as far as she could and sighed in relief when she felt the suction of his mouth.
 
He moved to her other nipple and she felt the heat gathering between her legs.

“Be still,” he whispered in her ear.

“I can’t.
 
I’m burning up all over.
 
Do you realize it has been days since you’ve touched me?”
 
She felt him drape a bare leg across hers, pinning her down.
 
The feeling of his hair-roughened legs excited her.
 
He took his time and drove her mad.
 
“Gabe.”

“No.
 
I am going to savor you.”
 
The scent of her coupled with the jasmine she wore was driving him out of his mind.
 
Her wiggling efforts to get closer to him were making him harder than he had ever been in his life.
 
“Kala, if you don’t be still, I will have to savor you later.”

“Good, I don’t know how much more I can take.”
 
He moved between her legs, using his hips to open her to him.
 
“Finally,” she whispered into his mouth.

“Oh, no, it’s just beginning.”
 
He slowly inserted a finger inside her dewy channel, teasing her.
 
She dug in her heels to meet the in and out movement.
 
He felt her slickness and inserted another finger, stretching her slightly.
 
He felt her inner muscles squeezing, caressing.

She held onto his shoulders as if he were an anchor in a storm-tossed sea.
 
It felt different to Kala, being able to see the expressions that crossed his face.
 
She could not wait for her vision to become clearer.
 
Mikala watched Gabe move down her body, and wondered what he planned until he put his mouth there.
 
She let out a husky moan, her hands fisted in the sheets.
 
His hands covered her breasts.
 
She felt herself on the brink of her release when he pulled back and began to enter her with his engorged member.

“Am I hurting you?” Gabe asked, removing his hands.

“No.”

“Keep your eyes open.”

“What?”

“I want to know that you see me and only me.”

“Only ever you, Gabe,” she cried out as he moved in and out of her.
 
They watched each other, making it so much more intimate, if that were possible.
 
She clenched about him, and he stopped, just looking at her.
 
“Gabe, please don’t tease me.”

“It will be more intense.”

“No,” she twisted, and he couldn’t quite figure out how, but the next thing he knew she sat on top of him.
 
He caressed her breasts as she twisted, lifted and lowered.
 
He could feel her getting tighter and knew it would only be a matter of moments before she exploded.

“Gabe,” she moaned, pleading for something.
 
A frustrated tear leaked from the corner of her eye.

“Kala.”
 
He reached down between them and found what he knew would send her over the edge.
 
He pinched it and rubbed in rhythm with her movements.
 
He felt her climax.
 
Her sheath tightened around him like a silken glove, caressing him.
 
She yelled out, just as a loud clap of thunder sounded and then collapsed on him.

He twisted until she once more lay on her back, and he stroked hard and fast.
 
At the last moment he pulled out and grabbed the towel he had been wearing earlier, spilling his seed into it.
 
Then he collapsed beside her on the mattress.
 
When he came back to himself, he felt her draped over him, boneless.

“Why did you not spill inside of me?”

“No babies, remember?
 
All the sponges are at home.”

“Oh.”
 
They lay there in the uncomfortable silence for several minutes.
 
“Gabe?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for not assuming that since I am getting my vision back that I am ready for children.”

“You’re welcome.”

Chapter 31

Kala awoke several times in the night to tender kisses and caresses.
 
When she finally awoke the next morning the sun tried to shine valiantly but seemed to be losing.
 
Secretly she was glad.
 
The bad weather would provide them more time together without the weight of the world closing in on them.
 
It was a wonderful feeling.
 

Dragging the coverlet with her, Kala sat up in bed watching her husband sleep, a hazy aura surrounding him because of her vision.
 
In all the years she had thought herself in love with this man, never had she imagined the physical aspect of the relationship.
 
If she had had any inkling as to what it had entailed, she didn’t know if she would have run for lands unknown or wrestled the man to the ground.
 
A little giggle escaped at the last thought, disturbing Gabe’s peaceful slumber.

“What are you giggling about?” He asked stretching and yawning.

“Nothing important,” she replied and leaned over him to give him a full, deep kiss.
 
“Good morning,” she said huskily, her raspy voice filling the room.

Gabe pulled her down and under him, kissing her with passion.
 
“Good morning,” he said softly.
 

“Gabe, I want to do something different this morning,” she said feeling shy.
 
He rolled over on a groan, his forearm slung across his eyes.
 

“What?” He groaned out, then his whole body jerked as he felt her hand clasp his manhood tightly.
 
“Stop,” he moaned.

“You don’t like this?” She asked innocently.

“Kala, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Then show me,” she challenged.
 
His eyes opened and met hers.
 
She gave a squeeze and his manhood jerked in her hand.
 

“You’re killing me,” he said as he took her hand and showed her the rhythm he wanted.

“I hope not,” she said teasingly, kissing him as she followed his guidance.
 
She increased the tempo of the movements and before long she found herself flipped on her back and her husband imbedded within her and both of them reaching their fulfillment.
 

He collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted.
 
“Wife, you are a dangerous woman.”

“Only to you, husband.”
 
He pulled her down into the crook of his arm, her head resting on his chest.
 
His springy hair, tickled her cheek.
 
“Gabe?”

“Hmmm?”

“Why did you fight me so hard?”
 
She felt him stiffen beneath her.

“What do you mean?”

“You know.
 
Why did you fight so hard against marrying me?
 
You must have known I had a crush on you for a long time.”

“That’s just it.
 
It was a crush.
 
I thought once you had your season, it would pass and you find someone you could truly love.”
 
He felt her finger tracing the scar that ran the length of his face.

“Is it because of this?”

“No.
 
Dammit, Kala, you are my best friend’s sister.
 
Derek would have killed me if I had made a move for you.”

“Not if you had done it properly.”

“Perhaps.”

“You really didn’t want me, did you?”

“I was attracted to you, I can’t deny that.”

“But?”
 
She waited for what felt like years, and still he didn’t say anything.
 
“I wasn’t good enough in your opinion, was I?”
 
No answer.
 
“Go to Hell,” she hissed and slipped from his arms and the bed.
 
It took her a minute to find the nightgown she had been wearing.
 
She saw a fuzzy object by the window and thought it looked like a chair.
 
She made her way to it and sat down.
 
She gave a yelp when she felt a warm body beneath her.
 
Arms that felt like iron bands enclosed her.
 
She squirmed trying to pry her way out.

“Be still,” Gabe hissed.

“Let me go,” she insisted.

“Not before you listen to me.”

“Fine.” She sat up straight so that very little of her body touched his.

“Kala, I care for you very much.
 
I have in one way or another for a very long time.”
 
She remained ramrod straight.
 
“And yes, when you were much, much younger it was more as a sister.”

Kala kept looking forward refusing to lean against him.
 
She would listen to what he had to say, but that was all.
 
She heard him continue, “Then you began to grow up and turn into the woman you are now.
 
I would be a fool to admit that you didn’t turn my head.
 
You are beautiful.
 
Your beautiful sable hair,” she felt his hand move and comb through her silky tresses. “Your beautiful hazel eyes.”

“Is that all you like is my looks?”

“You are a smart woman, though sometimes overly stubborn.
 
You have a will of steel, and will stop at nothing for what you believe is right.”