High Stakes Chattel (16 page)

The sweat on her body began to get cold, but she was powerless to cover herself, still bound spread eagle on the bed.

“Nico?” she asked, afraid he was sleeping. “Can you untie me now?”

“No,” he said sleepily.

“Nico!” she said louder, writhing a bit.

He opened his eyes and moved to
lie partially on top of her, covering her with his body and kissing her.

“I need to towel off,” she said.

“No,” he said and began rubbing the milky liquid into her skin. He massaged it into her face, down her neck, and across her chest.

“I don’t want you to wash it off.
I want you to smell like me all day tomorrow.”

“I can’t do that
,” she said, squirming.

“Sam, don’t think I won’t keep you here all day, tied up like this, fucking you over and over again.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I will, if you keep using that sarcastic tone with me.”

“Today is the day I’m supposed to go visit my mother.”

“M
mmhmm,” he said absently, kissing her nipple.

“Nico! Let me up,” she said
, trying hopelessly to buck him off of her.

He touched her hair and
smiled a slow, lazy smile. “I will simply write a note,” he said, pretending to write on paper with his hand. “Dear Mrs. Potter,” he said, pausing to think. “Please tell Samantha’s mother that she will not be able to attend to her today.” He paused again to kiss her nipple and then continued with his pretend writing.  “She is a bit tied up with her work and I need to fuck her five or six more times before I can release her.”

“Nico!” Samantha said again
, exasperated. “Please.”

“All right,” he said with a
long-suffering sigh. “This time. Next time though, you won’t be so lucky.”

“Damn him,” Samantha said
, while riding home. With every movement of the horse her buttocks hurt, not to mention the area in between her legs. Luckily, she was back in a dress. Thank goodness she didn’t have any tight material against her bottom.

S
he could still smell him. Hopefully, no one else would. And hopefully she would be able to smother the huge grin that kept appearing on her face. Samantha had no idea that she could feel so much pleasure. She should feel embarrassed or ashamed. Instead, she just wanted more. More Nico. More of that naughty, complicated man. Being in his bed felt like an addiction.

As Samantha rode up to the barn she spotted Tom, the man who helped out around her farm
occasionally. “Hello Tom,” she said as he helped her down off of Midnight.

“Hello, Mrs. Blake. How was your journey?”
Tom’s cheerful spirit was infectious.

“Very nice. There are signs of spring popping up everywhere and the fields are quite green.”

They walked slowly around the farm as he told her about the fence he had repaired. The vegetable garden had declined a bit since she had left. She saw that most of the new tomato plants were dying and weeds were sprouting up around the lettuce.

“I will try to spend more time here,” he said, seeing her look of dismay.

She shook her head. “No. It is already very generous of you to come by as often as you do, and Mrs. Potter is fine with feeding the animals. We may just need to let the garden become smaller now.”

He gave a sympathetic look, and
they both bent down to weed while they talked. Tom told her about his latest creation. Tom and his son had a business making beautiful oak furniture.

“The latest piece is a writing desk with wonderful hidden compartments and inlaid wood of various types and colors,” he said proudly.

“I love it when you make the hidden compartments. It always makes me think of passing a secret treasure from one generation to another.”

“Yes. I know you love those, and they do always seem to sell better than the others. I think people like a bit of mystery in their furniture.” Tom chuckled
good-naturedly and Samantha assured him she’d stop and see his work when she was in town later.

Entering her house, she found her mother and Mrs. Potter sitting in the parlor. Mrs. Potter was working on a bit of needlework and her mother was staring into the fire, looking far away and very unwell. Samantha walked over and hugged her, meeting Mrs. Potter’s plac
id gaze. “How is she?”

Mrs. Potter sighed, looking a bit unwell herself. “She’s just a bit overtired today. She was up nearly all night,
claiming to hear strange noises.”

Samantha felt
suddenly guilty for not being there. She pulled a chair close to her mother and began talking to her softly; telling her about the flowers and signs of spring outside while Mrs. Potter went to make them some tea.

Her mother just stared at her blankly, not seeming to recognize her at all today, or even notice someone was talking to her. Samantha kept on
talking, hoping something she said would get through to her.

When Mrs. Potter returned, Samantha took her cup of tea and stared at the older woman sadly. “Is there nothing else we can do for her?”

“Nothing, dear,” Mrs. Potter said with a shake of her head. “As her mind deteriorates, it will get tougher on you. There is nothing to be done but make her comfortable.”

“I brought back some
more medicinal herbs that a friend said may offer comfort for her.” Samantha gave Mrs. Potter the latest mixture Nico had created.

“Of course.”
Mrs. Potter opened the bag, smelled it and read Nico’s written directions. “I don’t recognize anything other than comfrey but the directions look quite thorough.”

“It’s just so hard to see her like this,” Samantha said wistfully, reaching over to squeeze her mother’s hand. She tried to remember a time when her mind had been sound, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. She hated that all of her memories of her mother would be of her like this.

“I know,” Mrs. Potter said with a sigh. “It must be doubly hard for you, having a friend who is sick as well.”

Samantha glanced at Mrs. Potter sharply, but there seemed to be no malice or suspicion behind her words, just an effort at offering comfort. She felt guilty for having lied to her
and for being away. She was now questioning her decision to leave the farm, as it appeared everything had gone into decline, including her mother.

“Yes,
it is difficult,” she replied softly. “I’m not sure what to do now.” That much was true. Between the stresses of her mother and the farm, and the confusion of her feelings for Nico, she felt overwhelmed.

“All you can do is have faith,” Mrs. Potter assured her. “Things will all work out in the end. You’ll see.”

After they finished with their tea, Mrs. Potter went to take a short nap while Samantha sat with her mother for a few more hours. The medicine seemed to calm her and she fell into a peaceful sleep until she awakened with a pleasant smile and asked for tea.

After Mrs. Potter returned, looking much rested,
Samantha took the opportunity to go into town to speak to Jolene. She desperately needed to spend some time with her best friend.

When she arrived at Jolene’s house, Jolene asked if she’d like to go for a walk, but Samantha shook her head, thinking of her
sore bottom. “No, I’d rather just stay here and talk, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Jolene assured her, ushering her inside.

Jolene made Samantha’s favorite tea blend and brought out some homemade biscuits to her small, comfortable parlor.

“You are the best baker! These are delicious.” Samantha
savored the honey flavored treat.

“I use them as bribes at school,” Jolene said with a laugh. “You would be surprised how quickly a misbehaving boy will change his tune for these biscuits.”

“I’m not surprised.” Samantha could picture Jolene with her students. “How is school going?

“It’s good, but I miss having you around to vent all the details.”

“Any progress with the widower?” Samantha dunked her biscuit into the rose tea.

“No, none. I think it is still too soon. We only talk about his son’s progress in my class but never anything personal.”
Jolene frowned, noticing the dark circles under Samantha’s eyes. “Enough about me. Tell me everything. You look a bit upset today.”

Samantha wasn’t sure she knew where to begin. “
Things have changed a bit with Nico,” she said, feeling confused.

“Ah, it’s Nico now, is it?” Jolene shook her head. “What has that scoundrel done to you?”

Samantha stared down at the floor, sure she was blushing furiously. “Don’t call him a scoundrel. He’s a complicated man, but a good man, truly.”

Jolene laughed. “You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?”

Samantha sighed. “He’s hard not to love. He’s funny and interesting and he’s ridiculously beautiful to look at. His work is very important. He cares so much about contributing to science and helping people. And when he touches me, it’s incredible. Beyond incredible.” Samantha stopped for a moment, lost in thought.

“
I cannot go on working for him, though, now that… I don’t know what to do. And, we’re from two different worlds. Someday he’ll marry someone like Lady Morgan. Someone who is part of the ton, who will host parties and can give him the social connections he needs to further his work.”

“Lady Morgan?” Jolene asked with a frown. “
He is still courting her?”

“He was,” Samantha admitted. “But I
asked that he get rid of her, and so far, it seems that he has.”

“Perhaps he cares more about you than you think,” Jolene said shrewdly. “Most men would not give up a Lady for the sake of a commoner. He’s obviously smitten with you.”

“Perhaps.” Samantha sighed. “I don’t have any regrets. At least, not yet. I’ve been enjoying the time that I have with him and trying to forget that it will inevitably have to end.”

“You should tell him how you feel,” Jolene said. “If you let him know that you love him, it could change everything.”

“It could also drive him away,” Samantha said darkly, but the thought took hold of her and wouldn’t let go. Maybe she should tell him how she felt about him. So far, they’d been so careful to keep their relationship light and playful, but she’d sensed tenderness from him, so perhaps he simply needed to know that she felt the same.

“How is your mother
?” Jolene asked, seeming to sense that there was another problem on her friend’s mind.

“Not well
. She seems to be declining rapidly,” Samantha said softly as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“
Oh, Sam, I’m sorry. Maybe there will be a miraculous recovery.” Jolene reached out to squeeze Samantha’s hand.

“Jolene, you know as well as I do that doesn’t happen in these cases.”

“Yes, at least not in the cases we have seen around here. Have you thought about what you will do when she passes?” Jolene asked softly.

Samantha
thought about it, shaking her head. “No. I don’t have any idea. I’m doing all I can in this moment, this day.”