The Valentine Legacy (Legacy 3)

She was excited; she had to be at least as excited as he was. How long did it take to put hair in a bun? Not as long as she was taking, he realized, as his legs were now pressed against the side of the bed. “Jessie, you’re teasing me. How long have you been planning this?”

“Since my stomach settled before dinner. Since I realized you were depriving me just because of Mr. Tom. Badger patted me on the head, he was so pleased I didn’t retch up his delicious stewed mutton kidneys.”

“Don’t put your hair in a bun, Jessie. Just drop it down your back, that’s it. Give me the brush. Thank you. Now, lie down on your back. I want to look at you.”

He knew he’d taken control from her, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted her so badly he knew he’d burst with it if he didn’t get inside her quickly. Ah, the pleasure he would give her. He thought about Mr. Tom, then dismissed the phantom from his mind. She was his wife and she wanted him. He wouldn’t deny her. Soon now, very soon, they’d leave for Ocracoke. He found he was thinking more of ridding her of a ghost than of Blackbeard’s bloody treasure. For he was sure that was what he would do if he got to the bottom of the mystery plaguing her.

He stretched out his hand and gently laid it over her belly. He began to massage her. Her belly was still flat, but her flesh was soft and he continued to caress her, splaying his fingers out to touch her pelvic bones. He sat beside her, leaned down, and kissed a patch of white flesh framed by his fingers. He moved his hands a bit lower until the heels of his hands rested on her curling red hair. He kissed her, then caressed her with his tongue. He wondered how long he could do this without dying. “You are the most beautiful female person in the world,” he said, breathing his warm breath over her flesh. Even as he was close to touching her, she found herself arching upward.

He laughed softly and took her in his mouth.

“James!”

“Hmmm,” he said, but didn’t raise his head. She tasted so sweet, so much like Jessie and that gardenia soap she used. Lust was battering him down, but he knew he had to hold on. But what if he came into her now, just this one time? No, he had to hold on, he had to do things properly. He didn’t understand how he could want her more now than he had three months ago.

Her back arched up, he felt her fingers digging into his hair, into his shoulders, and she was whispering in a low, hoarse voice, “Please, James, oh please, please . . .”

He pushed her then, teasing her with his tongue, then caressing her deeply. When he eased his middle finger into her, she screamed. That high wail made him moan.

When he felt her pleasure explode through her, he wanted to shout with the joy of it. He pushed her, reveling in her pleasure, and knowing that soon, very soon, he would be inside her and it would be she who would be giving to him, she who would be reveling in his passion. At least he prayed a woman reveled in a man’s passion. Jessie certainly always seemed to.

When finally she quieted, he lifted his head, smiled at her, and said, “Now, Jessie.”

Then he was between her legs, holding her up. He wanted to shove into her immediately, all of him, but he took his time, and with every small bit he pushed into her he felt immense pressure that was surely pain, but he didn’t want it to end, not ever. He was his full length inside her, at last. At last. He came on top of her, balancing himself on his elbows.

“Jessie, how does that feel to you?”

She opened her eyes. “It feels rather nice, James. Of course you always feel nice. As if you’re a part of me. Actually, if that’s true, then I want you to be a part of me forever.”

She lifted her hips, her legs going around his back, and he was lost. To his utter surprise, when he thrust hard into her, he felt her quiver beneath him, felt those quivers around his sex, pulling him deeper, squeezing him, and he reached between their bodies, while he still had the wit to do anything, and touched her. She cried out, a sharp cry, sounding as surprised as he felt. He kept up the pressure, giving her pleasure again, and as she peaked, he took his own release.

“Oh dear,” Jessie said, kissed his shoulder, and pulled him down flat on top of her. “Oh dear.”

He kissed her ear.

“That was embarrassing, James. I experienced pleasure two times. Surely that isn’t all that common.”

“All right, I’ll never do it again.”

She bit his nose. “It wasn’t that embarrassing.” She frowned, closed her arms over his back, and pulled him as close as she could get him. He was very heavy, she was having trouble drawing a full breath, but she didn’t care.

“Do all women reward themselves as much as I just did?”

“No.”

“Ah, so I’m special.”

He shrugged and licked her earlobe. “A man has to do things right,” he said, and nibbled her earlobe again. “Some men don’t care, others just don’t know what to do, and since women rarely know what’s good for them, nothing at all happens. Can you imagine spending the rest of your nights with me with no pleasure at all?”

“No. Can we do this every night now?” She kissed his shoulder even as she squeezed his back. “I know you’ve held back from me for the past two nights because of the nightmares, but please don’t anymore, James. If you do then I’ll insist that we leave immediately for Ocracoke, and I really don’t think anyone is quite ready just yet. Soon, though—very soon. And Blackbeard’s treasure. Just imagine. Jewels, a ton of jewels and they’ll be all ours. We’ll be so rich we’ll buy Maryland.” She giggle

d and he grinned down at her.

“I like the sound of that. More giggles every day now, all right?”

“All right. James, what will we do about our mothers?”

“Ignore them.”