Sadie's Surrender (17 page)

“Afternoon, Mr. Carter.”

His gray eyes narrowed at the sight of her. “Where’s Henry Rockfield?”

“I’m afraid he ain’t here. Can I help you?”

“Again?”

What did he mean
again
? He didn’t come by too often, thank goodness.

“Mr. Lewes said he wasn’t here yesterday, either,” he added.

The proprietor of the Sapphire Crab was a good customer for their packaged oysters. She’d answered his questions and even convinced him to increase his order. All while pretending to pass along Henry’s ideas instead of thinking of them herself. Playing the act was getting staler than seafood left outside on a hot day.

“Yes, sir. Mr. Rockfield has been very busy replanting oyster beds.”

The man’s sharp gaze ricocheted around the room like a bullet. When it stopped on her, she clasped her sweaty hands in her lap. Could he somehow see everything she and Henry had done on the bay?

“What are you doing up here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be downstairs shucking oysters?”

“I’m Hen—Mr. Rockfield’s secretary.”

“Secretary?” He spat the word at her. “What happened to Mrs. Tucker?”

“Oh, she’s still his secretary, too, Mr. Carter, but sick today.”

He stood on the other side of her desk and planted his hands on it. “What else are you to Henry Rockfield?”

His soft voice oozed with dirty innuendos. He suspected! But how? She and Henry hadn’t so much as kissed since they’d returned from Crisfield. And before then, no one had even raised an eyebrow at them. The evenings she’d gone to his cottage, no one had been around to see them. At least, she hadn’t noticed anyone.

She reviewed everything she’d done in that cottage. Finally, she remembered the phone call she’d made to Pearl Point. She rarely used telephones, but she’d heard of party lines. Had Jonathan Carter listened to her personal conversation? What had she talked about? Oh, yes…lust for a white man she worked with. Oh, no! Hadn’t Jonathan visited the plant, shortly afterward, asking questions?

And her feelings for Henry probably shone from her eyes. The man had opened part of her on the boat that could never be closed again.

“Nuthin’, sir.” She cleared the panic out of her throat. “I ain’t nothing to Mr. Rockfield at all.”

“That’s real good, Sadie, because I’ve got my eye on you.” Slowly, he straightened and folded his arms. “You don’t belong with a white man, and you don’t belong upstairs here.”

After he swaggered out, she lifted her paperweight. Her hand shook so hard, she nearly dropped it. But because her old strength flowed through her body again, she hurled it against the wall.

“I’ve got my eye on you, too, you hateful bastard,” she muttered under her breath.

She laid her hands on her desk, willing the room to stop spinning. She’d won Henry’s heart and this job fair and square. No one was going to take it from her. Who was she fooling? Their relationship was as new and fragile as the baby oysters he planted.

How would it ever survive in this sea of hate?

Chapter Thirteen

After securing the boat, Henry shuffled upstairs. Even he was getting a little weary of the water. He looked forward to dry clothes, a good meal, and Sadie. On second thought, he only needed her. The thought of making love to her again had made him stiff all the way from the oyster beds.

When he walked into her office, her cheeks looked grayer than her blouse, and her eyes were full of something he rarely saw in them—fear.

“What happened?”

“Jonathan Carter stopped by this afternoon.”

Henry’s heart skipped a beat as he sat on a corner of her desk. “What did he want?”

“He complained you’re never here.” She folded her hands and unfolded them again. “He doesn’t approve of me working upstairs, either.”

He patted her hand. “We’ll just have to be careful. I’ll try to stay here more.”

“That’s not all.” Fear flashed in her eyes again. “He knows about us.”

“How?” he asked as the blood drained from his face. “No one else was on the boat with us.”

“The night I made a phone call from your cottage, could he have listened in?”

Cold uneasiness bloomed in his chest. “The island has a party line. What did you say?”

“I didn’t mention your name, but he came here afterward asking questions, remember?”

Damn it.
He’d finally gotten into Sadie’s pants, and the Klan was already sniffing around them. She was a skittish fish. The slightest move might send her swimming away for good.

“The man gets his enjoyment from intimidating others. Try not to worry about it.” Henry stood and paced. “When can I see you again?”

She smiled for the first time all evening. “You’re looking at me right now, aren’t you?”

Her sass scratched at his groin, making it itch for her.

“How about tomorrow?” she asked.

The thought of the weekly Klan meeting filled his stomach with a leaden weight. How could he look anyone there in the eye after what he’d done with her on his boat? He dropped his gaze, unable to look her in the eye, either.

“I’m busy,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t ask why. “How about Thursday?”

“You’re going to one of those vile meetings, aren’t you? Why don’t you quit?”

He held his hands out. “I can’t. Especially now that the mayor’s son is suspicious.”

She shivered. “All right, Thursday. Where?”

“My place is the most private.”

She shivered again. “I don’t have very fond memories of it.”

“Then we’ll make new ones.”

He tweaked her chin, tempted to trace his finger down to the bit of cleavage above the top button of her blouse. Knowing the plant was anything but safe, he pulled his hand away. The nor’easter was nothing compared to the dangerous waters now surrounding them.

* * *

At home that evening, Mama dropped a pan of sweet potatoes on the floor. After Sadie cleaned up the mess, she found her sitting at the kitchen table, her gray head slumped over.

Sadie sat beside her. “Mama, is it your arthritis again?”

Ever since the nor’easter, it had gotten worse. That weekend seemed to change everything.

When Mama looked up, her eyes were wet. “I can’t shuck like I used to. The weighman, he’s markin’ me way down this week.”

Sadie usually reviewed the total weekly tallies for each employee in the time sheet book. Now she couldn’t wait to see Mama’s numbers.

She gripped her bent hands. “Do you want to see a doctor? We can afford it.”

Mama shook her head. “Won’t do any good.”

“Do you think it’ll get better?”

“Some warm, dry weather would help,” the older woman said with a grimace. “But I’m afraid my shucking days are numbered.”

“Don’t you worry, Mama.” She squeezed her thin shoulder. “I’m making good money.”

But how long would it last? Until Henry got tired of her? Or the Klan kicked her back downstairs where she
belonged
?

Sadie stood. “I’ll finish making dinner.” But why bother? Neither of them had an appetite.

“I’ll be late Thursday night,” she said over her shoulder.

“You’re seeing Mr. Rockfield again, aren’t you?”

First the Klan and now Mama. Sadie rolled her eyes. Did the entire county know about her and Henry?

“Don’t bother lying,” her mother added. “I can only imagine what you two did on that boat trip.”

“I love him, Mama.”

“Then get him to marry you.”

“Marriage between races is illegal,” Sadie pointed out. “Pearl and Caleb took a crazy risk doing it.”

“Well, you’d better figure out some other way to keep him.” Mama heaved a tired sigh. “We need the money.”

Each passing day made Sadie more dependent on Henry. He’d given her a job she enjoyed, extra money to support her family, and now love. What if she lost it all? Going back to the way things were—and even lower because of Mama’s health—was too awful to imagine.

She’d do everything in her power to keep him happy.

* * *

On Thursday evening, Sadie slipped into Henry’s cottage. As agreed, he’d left the door unlocked and the indoor and outdoor lights out so no one would see her. Hopefully, the mayor’s son wasn’t hiding in the bushes in Henry’s yard.

After he locked the door and flipped on the light, her muscles stiffened. Seeing the bed where he’d run away from her brought the awful night to mind. There was even a remnant of the red wine stain on the wall.

“We’re going to erase those memories.”

She nodded, touching his forelock. He pulled her into his arms, molding her against his large, hard body. When he kissed her, the worries in her mind threatened to dissolve.

She tore her mouth away. “Henry, I need to talk to you about something first.”

When she’d reviewed the oyster tallies yesterday, she’d discovered how low Mama’s counts were. Although her first instinct had been to dump another bucket of oysters in the weighman’s face, she knew Henry wouldn’t approve. So she’d observed Mama’s shucking. She definitely worked slower, but her shucked oysters looked as perfect as ever. Mr. Short was recording her counts too low. Sadie intended to put a stop to it.

But Henry covered her mouth with another kiss. “Later. I need you now.”

Remembering her vow to please him at all costs, she let him claim her mouth. It didn’t take long for her to forget what she’d been upset about. Gripping her shoulders, he steered her toward the bed.

“Take off your clothes,” he ordered, planting a trail of fiery kisses down the side of her neck.

He hadn’t seen her completely naked since that awful night. On the boat, she’d been covered in clothes or blankets.

Please him, she reminded herself.

“Will you help?” she asked.

“Absolutely.”

As soon as she unbuttoned the bodice of her black dress, he pulled it down. Next, he tugged at the closure of her bra. He breathed hard, clearly impatient to release her breasts. Her nipples, harder than rocks, were just as anxious to break free of the tight garment.

“I think this is a two-person job,” she said.

She reached behind her and fumbled for the clasp. But Henry didn’t wait for her to finish. He tugged the material down and suckled her nipple with hot, greedy lips.

“Henry,” she moaned. “I-I can’t get it off. You tangled something.”

“I warned you I could never do anything right, didn’t I?”

By the time he suckled the other nipple, her panties were drenched. Leaving the bra on, but pushed below her breasts, they pulled her dress off. She stumbled out of her shoes. With strong hands, he yanked down her step-ins.

“You smell so sweet and ripe.” Still kneeling, he rubbed the bulge in his trousers. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

Imagining his mouth on her made her belly flutter with anticipation.

“Well, you did all right with the panties,” she said. “Do you want to tackle the stockings, too?”

“Leave them on.” After he stood, his fingers drifted to her cleft, skating across her throbbing clitoris. “I have access to everything I need.”

“Need? For what?”

He gripped her buttocks. “Why don’t you lie down and find out?”

“I’m not going to lie there like a trussed-up turkey while you gawk at me. Your clothes. Off. Now.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with grin. “I was getting to that.”

She sat on the edge of the bed and watched him shuck off his shirt and pants. Every bit of him was covered in rugged, heavy muscle. A sprinkling of brown hair covered his chest, narrowing to a thin trail that widened again above his groin.

Her breath caught when he pulled off his underwear. His cock, heavy and thick, pointed at her. Its deep-pink tone reminded her of a summer sunrise, promising a scorching day. Her core wept, needing to sheath it. At the base of his jutting shaft sat two of the heaviest, roundest balls she’d ever imagined.

She couldn’t resist palming them. They were as heavy as they appeared. His hairs tickled her hands as she squeezed them. He must have enough sperm inside him to populate the entire county.

His chest rumbled with a groan. “Sadie, this isn’t part of the plan. Lie down like I told you.”

She obeyed, pulling him with her so he couldn’t run away this time. Lying beside her, he gazed at her body. His heated stare roved over the stiff, upturned nipples of her breasts spilling from the bra underneath, down the swell of her belly, across her soaked folds, and inside each stocking-encased thigh.

She didn’t look bad tonight, if she did say so herself. Her body was ready for some loving, anyway. Instead of sliding his cock into her, as she expected, he scooted down, spread her legs, and positioned his face between them.

Sweet Jesus.
Was he about to do what she thought he was?

As soon as the tip of his tongue flicked across her clitoris, setting it afire, she gripped the sheets and thrashed on the bed. Then he stopped. She lifted her head from the pillow and frowned. What was wrong now? Did he not like the way she looked? Smelled? Tasted?

Well, to heck with him. She wasn’t about to be rejected in this lousy place a second time. She tried to close her thighs, but his grip on the inside of each one was too strong.

“Hold still and let me study you.”

“You’re studying me?” she asked with disbelief.

“You study books. I study you.”

Her laughter was high-pitched from nervous tension. “Henry, you’re too much.”

When he spread her labia, scalding juices dripped from her core. Tingles of electricity shot down her legs as she wondered what he’d do next.

“I swear, Sadie, you have the most beautiful pussy a man could want. So many colors. So many layers.”

She closed her eyes and shuddered with joy. The honesty in the tone of his voice and the details he used told her he wasn’t making it up. He really did think she was attractive. She was starting to believe it herself.

“Thank you.” Her hips squirmed against the bed. “Are you planning to just stare at it all night?”

He laughed and answered her question by inserting his finger. Every muscle in her body tightened when he thrust it deep.

“Repeat after me,” he ordered. “I’m beautiful.”

“Henry…”

“Say it.”

She rolled her eyes, from the pleasure blooming between her legs and his stupid request.