Destiny's Daughter (24 page)

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In the privacy of her room, Annalisa hurriedly wrote a note and sealed it, then handed it to a maid with instructions to find Chase Masters immediately.

There was no time to change from the clothes that she had been wearing to work on her new ledgers. The navy drill skirt and prim white blouse were far too warm for the summer sun, but they would have to do. Her long hair was tied back with a simple ribbon.

Flying down the stairs, she hurried through the kitchen and had her hand on the doorknob when Hattie Lee’s voice stopped her.

"There you are. I’ve been looking for you, girl. Come look at our flour. Every sack is crawling with weevils."

"I don’t have time to examine them now, Hattie Lee. I’ll have to look at them later," Annalisa replied as she opened the door.

Hattie Lee gave her a puzzled look. "Where you going in such a hurry?"

"Nowhere."

The older woman watched as Annalisa lifted her skirts and ran across the back porch, then started across the sloping lawn. That was the fastest trip to nowhere she’d ever seen. Her eyes narrowed. The only other one who ever flew out of here like that was Eulalie, every time she visited the barn. Stunned, Hattie Lee stood as if rooted to the floor. Could Annalisa be rushing off to meet a lover?

The cause of Annalisa’s haste was already deep into the woods and following the sound of the splashing river just beyond her view. Coming to the willow, she ducked beneath its lacy, low-hanging branches and entered the cool, shaded meeting place.

At the base of the tree lay a man’s jacket. A little further on, his boots lay scattered. By the water’s edge, his breeches and shirt lay in a heap. Following the sound of splashing, Annalisa shaded her eyes and saw Chase, swimming for from shore. She’d had no reason to worry. Chase Masters would always find something to amuse himself. It was easy to watch the trail of his dark head along the golden waves.

Sitting on the river bank, she slipped off her shoes and savored the coolness of the water. She envied him his freedom. The one time she had dared to strip off her clothes and swim in the river, she’d been afraid that the whole town would line up along the shores to watch. Men, apparently, had no such inhibitions. Chase swam farther and farther from shore, obviously unmindful of how many people passed by.

Lifting her skirts, she walked along the shallows and felt the cold water lapping at her ankles. How wonderful it felt. How fresh. Watching the path of a water beetle, she laughed when it collided with a leaf and clambered over the side. The beetle continued riding the leaf along the swift current until it was out of sight.

Glancing up, Annalisa saw that Chase was much closer now. He had stopped swimming and was walking toward her through the deep water. Shaking his head, a spray of water danced around him, and his dark hair glistened damply in the sunlight. As he approached, Annalisa found herself staring in fascination. She had never seen a man undressed before. She never would have believed that a man’s body could be so beautiful. His shoulders were wide and corded with muscles. Dark hair curled on his chest and narrowed to a V below the water. With each step, more of his body was revealed to her, and she found that, despite her sense of modesty, she couldn’t turn away. How was it that she’d never noticed how narrow a man’s waist could be, or how trim and flat his stomach? As Chase drew nearer, Annalisa caught her breath. He was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. His hands were at ease by his sides, trailing water. As he lifted one hand to her, she watched the muscles of his upper arm bunch, then relax. The thought of those same arms around her brought her first flush of color.

He paused, with the water lapping around his hips. "Come on in. The water’s refreshing."

"I can’t. I have all these clothes."

"Take them off."

She laughed and tried not to let him know that she was staring. "I wish I could. It does feel wonderful against my feet," she said, being careful not to lift her skirts too high.

"Just take off your skirt and blouse and you can swim in your underthings."

"Then they’ll be too wet to wear home," she said logically.

"Then you simply take them off before you pull on your skirt and blouse. No one will be the wiser."

Annalisa wondered how improper it would be to do as he suggested. After all, she would be modestly covered. And she wasn’t apt to meet anyone on her walk back to the house. And the most compelling argument of all was, Chase could swim. Maybe he could teach her how.

"Turn around," she commanded.

Reluctantly, Chase obeyed. A few minutes later, he heard her splash through the shallows. Turning, he watched in silence as she came toward him.

She wore a sleeveless chemisette of soft lawn, banded at each shoulder with narrow strips of lace. Below that she wore knee-length pantalettes trimmed in lace, tied at the waist. From the smug look on her face, Chase was certain that Annalisa felt she was modestly attired. Of course, she was unaware of the fact that once these coverings were wet, they would cling to her body like a second skin.

With each step she took, he felt his pulse rate quicken. When she was standing directly in front of him, the water was already above her waist.

"Do you think I could learn to swim?" she asked hesitantly.

"I don’t see why not. Are you afraid of the water?"

"Afraid? No. I like the feeling of freedom it gives me."

"Then you should have no trouble learning to swim." Taking her hand, he led her into deeper water. "The first thing you have to do is trust me," he said.

Nodding, she watched as he gripped her around the waist and lifted her off her feet. Holding her aloft a minute, he thought of how she would blush if she were aware of just how she looked. The translucent fabric revealed the rosy tips of her breasts, clearly outlined as the pale covering clung to her skin. Lifting her higher, he could see clearly the little indentation of her navel.

"You must be willing to put your face in the water."

"But how will I breathe?"

"By turning your face to either side. Your body will be buoyant. As long as you don’t panic, you’ll stay afloat. And as long as you continue to turn your face from side to side, you can breathe easily."

"But how will I move around?"

"By moving your hands and feet."

While he positioned her in the water, he continued holding her gently in his arms. "Now I want you to begin kicking your feet and pulling with your arms through the water, all the while turning your face to breathe. I’ll be right here beside you."

Annalisa did as she was told and felt herself moving forward. Chase’s hands steadied her in the water, and his voice lent encouragement. Pleased with herself, she began kicking her feet harder, until she realized that Chase was no longer holding her.

"Chase?" Abruptly her head went under and she began fighting the water. Coming up, she sputtered, then sank once more beneath the waves.

Strong arms caught her, lifting her above the water. Frantically she fought him, lashing out with her fists. Grabbing both of her hands in one of his, Chase dragged her firmly against him.

"You panicked," he said against her temple.

"You let go of me." Her breath was still coming in short gasps.

"You were swimming. And you were doing just fine until you realized I wasn’t holding you."

She coughed. "I think I swallowed half the river."

"You’ll live. Want to try it again?"

He saw the flash of fear in her eyes a second before she nodded her head and couldn’t help admiring her determination. Positioning her in the water, he gave her the same instructions as before, then murmured words of encouragement until she was paddling on her own. When she realized that he’d once again let go of her, she dipped below the waves in a moment of panic, then swallowed her fear and kicked harder. Soon she was rolling on her back, dipping below the waves, paddling like a puppy.

"You’ve done this before," he said accusingly. "No one can swim that well on a first attempt."

Laughing, she began swimming toward him. "It’s all coming back to me." Like a carefree child, she giggled. "All those years when I was away at school, I dreamed of swimming in the river. But I was never certain if I could. Now I remember how I used to slip away from the house and swim for hours. I’m afraid I gave my mother many a fright. She was absolutely terrified of the water, and she was so afraid I’d drown." Tossing her head, she brushed the water from her eyes and frowned. "I must have been a handful for my frail mother. No wonder she sent me away to a convent to become a proper lady."

Chase wondered if she knew how much of the tomboy was still evident in the lady. Seeing her sudden sadness at the mention of her mother, he changed the subject. "At least now if you ever find yourself in the river, you’ll be able to make it to shore."

"Why would I find myself in the river?"

He saw the mischief dancing in her eyes. "Maybe some other man will want the chance to see what I’m looking at."

"And what would that be? A water beetle?"

Drawing her close against his body, he murmured, "A woman. A beautiful woman who has me so bewitched I can’t think clearly."

She pushed ineffectively against his chest. As their feet entangled, drawing their bodies together, she let out a little gasp. "You’re not wearing anything."

She heard the warmth of laughter in his tone. "Of course not. I thought you knew that."

"Chase." Her cheeks flamed, as she felt her lower torso pressed firmly against him. "Let me go. This was a mistake."

"Oh, Miss Montgomery, this was definitely no mistake."

His eyes were the color of slate and she could see herself reflected there. As he bent his head, she felt the first tiny threads of excitement and fear. How could she have allowed this to go so far? It had never occurred to her that he would swim naked. Or had it? Glancing down, she realized just how she looked. The sheer fabric of her underthings made her body as visible as if she wore nothing. The wet fabric clung provocatively to the soft curves of her breasts and hips. Had she innocently wanted to learn to swim, or had she hoped she could play the role of temptress? As his hands moved along her back, bringing tiny ripples of pleasure, she found she could no longer sort her thoughts.

"I’m going to have to kiss you, Annalisa."

Before she could protest, his lips covered hers in the softest, gentlest kiss she’d ever known. Despite the cool water, his lips were warm on hers. He held her weightless in the water and kept his hands still. All around them were familiar summer sounds; the hum of a bee, the warning sound of a far-off boat, the ripple of children’s laughter in the distance. But neither of them heard a thing. Here there was only the gentle lapping of water, and the soft, barely audible sound of a sigh.

Annalisa had never believed a kiss could be this tender. Chase touched his lips to the comer of her mouth, to her nose, then pressed a kiss to her cheek. With his tongue he traced the outline of her lips, until he heard her sigh of impatience. Still he didn’t take the kiss deeper but moved his lips instead to her ear, where he tugged on her lobe before circling her ear with his tongue. His breath sent little tremors along her spine, and she clutched blindly at his waist when he darted his tongue inside her ear. When she would have pulled his mouth to hers, he pressed moist little kisses along her throat until she moaned and arched her neck, giving him easier access. With his tongue, he licked at the little drops of water that dripped from her hair to her shoulder.

Steeped in the pleasurable feelings, she clung to him and moved in his arms. Never had she known such feelings. Still she didn’t know what to do about them. She longed to touch the mat of hair on his chest, but she was afraid. She was aching to kiss his cheeks, his throat, to explore his ear as he had explored hers. But fear held her back.

When his lips bent to the swell of her breast, she let out a little gasp. Through the wet cloth his lips found her already hard nipple. She felt as if a fist had tightened deep inside. Pleasure pulsed through her body, as her blood roared in her ears.

All her years in the convent, all her training, caused her to push desperately against him, even as she struggled with a need she had never before experienced. She wanted him to go on touching her forever. But she knew she had to stop him. How long, she wondered, could they continue this love play before she lost all sense of reason? There were so many things she didn’t understand. Oh, if only there was someone to show her the way.

"Look at me."

She turned her face away, ashamed to meet his gaze.

"Annalisa." Tipping her face upward, he stared down into her eyes and saw the glimmer of unshed tears. "You’re a beautiful, desirable woman. It’s only natural for a man to want you. Don’t ever be ashamed of what you are."

"I’m not ashamed." Her tone was low and angry, to hide her embarrassment. "I just want you to let me go."

As he bent to kiss her, her hand hit the water, sending a spray of water across his face. "Let me go, Chase."

His hands fell away, leaving her to drop below the waves. She came up sputtering and swearing.

"You did that on purpose." Again she dropped below the water, and had to clutch blindly at his arm.