Seducing the Ruthless Rogue (56 page)

“He’s beautiful,” Cassie whispered, running the back of her finger down the baby’s downy soft cheek.
 

“Aye,” Mack responded, choked.
 

“Other than the length of time that passed, that was rather easy.
 
I think maybe we should have some more of these.”

“Maybe you should allow me time to recover first,” he teased and kissed her.

“You?
 
Who did all the work?”

“And I thank you for that and for still being here,” he kissed her softly.

Mingzhu worked in the background.
 
She had removed all the tiny needles from Cassie’s skin.
 
She kept walking over to Cassie and frowning.
 
When she had done this for the third time, Mack began to truly worry.

“What’s wrong?”

“The afterbirth has not delivered yet.
 
She wants me to see if the baby will nurse.
 
Sometimes that helps.”
 
Just as Cassie undid the lower buttons on Mack’s shirt she wore, a pain ripped through her more powerful than she had ever felt in her life.
 
“Take the babe,” she managed to say, fearing she would drop her son.
 
She could not keep the scream at bay.
 
Mingzhu moved to her and began pressing on her abdomen in different areas and speaking and gesticulating all at once.

“Cassie, what’s wrong?” Mack asked.
 
“Talk to me.”

“I don’t know,” Cassie wailed, caught up in the pain.
 
The needles had worked some sort of magic earlier and she had felt hardly any pain at all, but now she felt as if she would be ripped in two.
 
“Promise me if I die, you’ll marry again.
 
Our baby needs a mother.”

“You’re not going to die, dammit!”

“Is the baby here?” Mikala asked, rushing into the room.

“Aye, but something’s wrong with Cassie.
 
Take the bairn.”

Another pain ripped through Cassie, this one worse and more intense than the last.
 
She gripped Mack’s arms and her nails dug in, drawing blood.
 
Mingzhu knelt in front of Cassie and her eyes grew big.
 
Between the pain and the speed of her chattering Cassie could not understand a word the woman said.
 
“Get Chang,” Cassie panted.
 

“Chang!” Mikala stood outside the bedroom door, holding the baby and yelling for the little man until he made an appearance.
 
“They need to know what Mingzhu is saying.”

“I no go in there.”

“Then stand at the door, but something’s wrong.”

He listened intently to the woman inside and paled at her words.
 
“Another baby.
 
Feet first.
 
Missy Cassie no push.
 
Breathe instead.”

“Oh, Lord help us all,” Mikala said.

“What is it?” Mack demanded.

“Cassie, there’s another babe.”

“What?!”

“It’s feet first.
 
You must not push, whatever you do.
 
She says breathe instead.”

“Pins,” Cassie begged.

More Cantonese passed between Mingzhu and Chang.

“Not enough time.
 
She focus on you and babe.”

Cassie whimpered as another pain tore through her body and she wanted desperately to push, to end her torment.
 
Mingzhu made panting noises and Cassie followed what she did.
 
Thirty excruciating minutes later, their daughter entered the world, announcing her presence with a loud wail.

***

Later that morning Cassie awoke in their soft bed to find her husband propped up on his side intently watching her, playing with strands of her hair.

“How are you?”

“Still alive,” she said with a smile.

“Aye, and I’m so very glad.
 
I love you, Cassie,” he leaned over and kissed her.
 

“And I love you.”
 

“How do you feel?”

“Sore, but I’ll recover,” she looked down towards her stomach and frowned, “and still fat.”
 

“Never say that, you are beautiful and I don’t think we should have anymore children.
 
Two are plenty, and I thought Grace was going to kill you.”
 
The sound of whimpering got their attention.
 
“I’ll get them.”
 
When he returned with their son she had managed to push herself up.
 
He straightened the pillows behind her with one hand, then handed her Collin once she was settled.
 
Then he gathered up their daughter and carried her over as well.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” she asked once they were all settled on the bed.

“Aye.”

“I wish Papa were here to see them.”
 
Before she could become too maudlin, she quickly continued, “Do you know that I have an idea when these two were made?”

“The double rainbows,” he said, grinning at her mischievously, glad they had both survived the horribleness of that day.

She grinned back at him, remembering the loving they shared that night in celebration of life.
 
“Promise me something, Mack.”

“Anything.”

“Next time, the needles stay in until we know all the babies have arrived.”

“I said no more, but I will never doubt Mingzhu again.”

“Oh, there’ll be more babies,” she said ruefully, giving him a wicked smile.
 
She quickly slipped buttons free to feed Collin.

Mack felt his throat constrict as he watched his wife feed their bairns, first Collin then a fussy Grace.
 
“I wonder where I would be if you had not come into my life and flipped me head over heels.”

“You would be bored, my darling Director.
 
I love you, Mack,” she said.
 
“I don’t think I can say it enough.
 
I never imagined myself being a wife and mother, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“And I thought no one would accept who I am.”
 
He took Collin, burped him, and gently laid him back in the bassinet after changing his nappy.

“You gave me no choice, remember?” she asked, seeing to Grace’s needs now.

“You always had a choice.
 
I
 
decided to let you go, that it was the best thing for you,” Mack said.

“When?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, because now we are both different.
 
We have changed, grown, and become comfortable with who we both are at last.
 
These beautiful children are my life, but you, Cassie, you are my world.
 
I love you more and more every day and could not imagine my life without you.”
 
They kissed gently, lovingly over their child’s heads.
 
Mack took his fussy daughter from his wife’s arms and began pacing the room, holding her against his shoulder and gently patting her back.
 
Collin had already fallen back asleep.

“You look like a professional at that,” Cassie commented.

“With all the bairns surrounding us, I’ve had enough practice.”

“I’m going to rest just a minute and then you are taking me to that meeting,” she said, closing her eyes.
 
“Oh, we are going to have to tell Prinny that he has not one, but two new godchildren as well.”
   

“Yes, he will love that,” he told her before turning back to Grace.
 
“Your mother is a stubborn woman and I fear she is going to teach the two of you everything she knows.
 
But, my darling daughter, even if you grow up to be half the woman she is, some man will be very lucky to have you.
 
He must pass all my tests, mind you, which will be hard to do.”
 
He hummed to the fussy infant.
 
It seemed like of the two babes, Grace was going to be the trouble-maker.

Cassie lifted her lips in a tired smile as she eavesdropped on the conversation between father and daughter.
 
The woman who steals our son’s heart will have to pass some tests, too
, she grinned sleepily.
 
Perhaps the next cause could wait for another day
, she thought as she yawned.
 
Who would have thought the hero of my imagination would have walked off the pages of my story and into my life, stealing my heart?
 

“Thank you, Papa,” she whispered softly, a lone tear escaping as she remembered how her father had dictated she would marry this Scottish brute.

“What?” Mack asked.

“I’m going to take a nap.”

“Good,” Mack said.
 
“I’ll take care of the bairns.”

“I know you will.”
 
It didn’t take long for Cassie to be lulled to sleep by the sweet humming of her ruthless rogue.
 

About the Author

I grew up in the Panhandle of Texas, but have always been fascinated with the land of my forefathers – England, Scotland, and Ireland.
 
I also classify myself as a true romantic, and find I frequently dream of greater than life heroes that leave me thinking – that is what love should be like.
 
So, I work on creating love stories with strong women and stronger men, and let the battle of wills ensue.
 
I am currently busy writing my fourth book in my little cottage in the woods of North Texas with my cat, Ajax, to keep me company.

I would love to hear from those who read my books.
 
I can be contacted at:
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Tammy Jo Burns

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I truly hope you enjoyed this book!

Warm wishes & happy reading,

Tammy Jo

A Traitorous Heart

The Reluctant Lords, Book 1

“Good evening, my lord,” Lieutenant Harding greeted Derek as he arrived at the safe house well past midnight.

“Lieutenant,” Derek nodded curtly.
 
Harding held Goliath while Derek lowered himself to the ground.
 
Derek untied the cane and removed the two pistols.
 
“The prisoner?”

“Upstairs, my lord.
 
She’s a right fetchin’ lass.”
 
Derek nodded, but paused giving Harding a look that had the man looking sheepish.
 
“Pardon me, my lord.”
 
Derek prominently limped as he moved toward the stairs, leaning heavily on his cane.
 
His leg began to throb uncomfortably.
 
He silently reprimanded himself for not taking a carriage.

“Has the physician arrived yet?”

“No, my lord.”

“Show him up as soon as he arrives.”

“Yes, my lord.”
 
Derek climbed the short entrance stairs and saw the guards standing at the far end of the hall.
 
He gave a short nod before entering the chamber where they held the prisoner.
 
The guard opened the door for him and closed it firmly after he entered.
 
A slight figure lay on the bed in the shadows.
 
The fire burned cheerfully in the grate belying the seriousness of the situation.
 
Derek stopped in front of the fire and removed his coat, waistcoat, and cravat.
 
He knew from experience it would be a long evening and decided to get as comfortable as possible.
 
He wished for a draught for his leg, but needed all his wits for questioning the prisoner.

Derek lit a candle from the fire.
 
The glow showed the cracks in the ceiling and the stained walls.
 
If this were not more of a prison, it would be a slum.
 
He moved towards the bed and noticed the prisoner dressed as if she resided here, her clothes little more than rags.
 
She looked more like a street urchin than a woman with traitor’s secrets.
 

Her feet and good arm were manacled to the thick bedposts by long chains.
 
Her other arm lay at a slightly odd angle from the shoulder, and her skin looked pasty and covered with perspiration.
 
Her auburn curls caressed her sunken cheeks.
 
She looked to be in desperate need of food.
 
A light blanket covered her, but her teeth still clicked together as if she were freezing.
 
He attributed the action to shock.
 

Derek lowered the candle to get a better look at the woman’s face.
 
Something familiar tugged at him.
 
He studied her more intently, trying to see past the grime that covered her.
 
His heart picked up an unsteady rhythm.
 
His hands shook and he tried to calm himself, placing the candle on the side table with a thud before he dropped it and caught the whole bloody house on fire.