Simon's Brides (30 page)

Authors: Allison Knight

BOOK: Simon's Brides

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Letting his mouth follow the path his hands had just traveled, he kissed his way to her thighs. She shook with sensation and Simon groaned. Once more, he fought for control. Hot, relentless, insistent desire pierced him.

He abandoned his kisses and cupped the essence of her, aware of a burning heat building within himself. He had to make her his soon or he was going to die.

His fingers toyed with the curls that covered her secrets. He inserted first one finger, then another into her woman’s place. Her feminine fragrance teased him, forming an intense spiral of want. With his thumb he touched that small nub, the seat of her pleasure.

She gasped and grabbed for him. He nudged her legs further apart and slid up over her body, seeking her tempting mouth once more.

He slipped between her legs, drawing her close. Now! He could wait no longer. He had to take her now. He sought her entrance, then plunged deep.

She tensed and cried out against his lips.

Bloody hell! Reality surfaced. She was a virgin, and he had taken her without a thought to her situation. Guilt poured over him and he soothed her as best he could.

“Amy, the pain will go away, I promise,” he whispered, praying he could remain motionless himself. He felt her begin to relax and he withdrew a bit. She tensed and he stilled. When she relaxed again, he pushed forward, and withdrew. She sighed.

With her sigh, he began the dance of love, surging forward then withdrawing. If he named all the capitals of the world, he just might make it. He would make it because he wanted her pleasure more than he wanted his own.

He felt her begin to quicken and sighed with relief.

When she arched into him, he felt the rapid pulsing of her feminine muscles against him. He was lost.

Surging into her he groaned at the intense pleasure that raked his body.
La petite morte
, the little death. For the first time in his life he understood what the French had meant when they named this completion.

When he was certain he could breathe again, he rolled, taking her with him, not wanting to end what had been the most amazing experience of his life.

His eyes drifted closed and he promised himself that he would explain his feelings to her in a moment. He needed a second or two to regain his equilibrium. Just a second, one moment more...

He jerked awake, his wife still in his arms. She too had drifted off to sleep. He moved, wondering for a moment if he should wake her. The answer came fast and sure. She had to know how he felt about her. No matter her feelings for him, he had to confess his own.

“Amy, he whispered.

“Ummmm,” she purred.

“We need to talk.”

She didn’t open her eyes, “Talk about what?”

“Sweetheart, there are things I must say.”

She opened her eyes and to Simon, she looked a bit dazed. Judging by the position of the moonlight pouring through the window, he realized he hadn’t slept long.
Thank goodness.

“Amy,” he gathered his courage. She could always learn to love him. He knew there was no one else in her life. And he also knew there could never be anyone but her in his own life.

She jerked against him. Simon fought a chuckle. She was awake now. She grabbed for the sheet and Simon anchored it around her. He wanted her paying attention to his words, not worrying about her modesty, or lack thereof.

He gazed into her eyes. “I need to tell you how I feel, about you, your sisters, your home.”

He felt her tense against him. “It’s all good.” He wasn’t going about this very well. What would she think if he just blurted it out?

He gritted his teeth. “Amy, when I first arrived, I wanted to go back to London, to the sea as quickly as I could. However, I don’t want that anymore. The sea as a way of life is no more. You are my life now. Amy, I love you.”

She stared at him and Simon realized she was stunned. Hadn’t she guessed how he felt? Or was his declaration the last thing she wanted to hear?

“I know you don’t feel the same way about me, but--”

“Oh, but I do,” she exclaimed. “I do. I love you, too. I think I’ve loved you for a long time. I just didn’t realize it.”

Simon knew he looked startled, as stunned as she had looked moments before. He grew solemn and cleared his throat, “Just now, when I took you, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I--”

“It only hurt for a moment and I’m fine now. But, how are you? You’re the one with the hole in your side. I’m better than fine,” she grinned.

“I’m all right. A little stretching is good. It speeds the healing along,” Simon turned toward her.

“Then,” she whispered, “could we do it again?”

Epilogue

Amy glanced around the crowded parlor. Her sisters stood in groups, talking to several of the guests. Aunt Agatha held court in the far corner, surrounded by a number of visiting couples. Beth, who had also stood as one of the godmothers and Robert, who had performed the ceremony, stood together talking to one of the local gentry.

Ben and several other captains from Simon’s shipping line had joined them for the celebration. They seemed a little surprised when Simon had announced that Ben was buying him out. Simon insisted he wanted to spend his time here, at Kirkley, working to improve the stock with a new breed of sheep.

She turned her gaze to her husband of just over a year. She couldn’t help but feel the joy she didn’t bother to hide. Carl Neville Warner seemed more than content, nestled in his father’s arms.

She walked over to him and their son.

“You look proud enough to crow, Papa,” she whispered.

“Proud, happy, content, Mrs. Warner. How soon will all these visitors leave, so I can show you just how happy I am?” He nodded toward the room full of guests.

At that moment, Carl let out a wail.

Amy laughed and whispered, “It seems Carl has read your mind. I’ll have to feed him.”

Amy apologized to their guests then started for the wide staircase. Simon walked at her side, their son held in his father’s firm grasp.

Amy heard him whisper, “My thanks to you, little one. You know when you need to eat and when your papa needs to be fed as well.”

Amy hurried up the stairs, her lips curved in a broad smile. She couldn’t wait to take care of both of her men.

Meet Allison Knight

Allison, like many romance authors, read a book she didn’t like and decided she could do better. She’d often put pen to paper. While in grade school, Allison began writing, winning awards for both prose and poetry. She wrote a column for her college newspaper. She also taught school for many year, worked as a travel agent, an income tax preparer and senior citizen travel co-ordinator.

She sold her first books, historical romances, to Kensington Publishing Inc. After her fourth historical romance, she discovered Gothics and also wrote a contemporary romance. Still, she loves historicals and continues to write stories set in the past.

She and her husband, a civil engineer, retired from the 8-5 grind and moved to southern Alabama. There, she writes and from June to November, she keeps a weather eye over her shoulder as she pounds away at her computer keyboard. Currently she is working on a sequel to ‘Simon’s Brides’.