Underground Captive (63 page)

Underground Captive
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
310

44

    
             
Jared awakened with Nicki across the wide expanse of his chest.  His arm was around her and her long black hair was spread about his shoulder and her pillow like soft silk.  The feeling of her in his arms was intoxicating.  Even his anger abated.

             
Then, she awakened.

    
             
Slowly, lazily and sensually, she came awake.  Her tiny hand found the opening of his nightshirt and roamed over the fuzz on his chest.  She stretched her small frame to the length of his body and he felt every tempting curve of her.  The swell of her breasts inflamed that part of him she pressed close to.  Moving her head upwards, she sighed, her sweet breath caressing the hollow of his neck.

    
             
Jared swallowed and groaned.  He had no idea how they ended up entwined in each other's arms.  The nearness of her wrecked his emotions.  She was like a firebrand.  God, how he wanted her! 

    
             
"Ummm," Nicki said softly, fluttering her eyelashes.  She opened her eyes and focused momentarily.  Realizing where she was, she raised her head, her gaze resting on his eyes.  She pushed against his chest in an attempt to get out of Jared's embrace, but his arms tightened around her like a steel band.

             
"Let go of me, you...you--"

    
             
"Swine?" Jared mocked.  "Nay, my lady, I will never let ye go."

    
             
Forcing her head down, he claimed her mouth, blocking out any further protests.

    
             
Nicki struggled briefly before succumbing to the molten heat that wrought her body from his kiss.  His mouth melded with hers, slow and provocative.  The warmth of his tongue filling her mouth sent a curious fire rippling along her spine.  His drugging touch made her forget her anger surrounding the circumstances of today, her wedding day.

    
             
Jared flipped her over, securing her beneath him.  Their sleeping garments were a barrier between them.  Nicki clawed at the buttons of his nightshirt to better get to the silken hair on his chest.

             
"Do ye still want to be let go, my sweet love?" Jared murmured against

her lips.

             
"Oh no, please," Nicki whispered.

             
She looked at Jared through imploring, half-closed, long-lashed eyelids.

    
             
He raised himself to his knees, and with one swift motion rid himself of his nightshirt.  Lifting Nicki up against him, he slid her nightrail down her shoulders.

    
             
They knelt on the bed facing each other.  Jared hauled her against his chest, almost devouring her with a kiss so passionate, it left her breathless.

    
             
"Touch me, Nicki.  Touch me."  Taking her hand, he guided it to his rigid manhood.  He gasped a sharp intake of breath when he felt the gentle softness of her hand caress his phallus.

             
"Ahh, my love, do ye have any idea of what ye do to me? Of the power

ye have over me?"

    
             
"No more than you have over me, Jared," Nicki responded in a rush of emotion.  She felt herself being gently pushed back onto the bed.

    
             
His hot kiss blazed a path down the length of her slender throat to the soft mounds of her breasts, his tongue caressing the strawberry-tipped, aroused nipples.

    
             
When he removed his mouth, his hands did a similar torture to all the pleasure points of her body.  He assaulted her senses with sweet, agonizing pleasure.  She lay beneath him, trembling, crying out his name.

    
             
Nicki shuddered.  His mouth found hers again as he entered her.  Her breath came in short pants.  His body molded to hers was so sweet, it was almost unbearable.
             
Her fingers dug into his back, then into his hair.  Her senses reeled as their rhythm became a savage harmony.  She clung to him lest she become lost in the grip of ecstatic madness, of primi
tive possession, of infinity.

    
             
Feeling him quiver, she wrapped her legs around his back, al
lowing for deeper penetration, writhing beneath him.  Her world careening, she moaned in sweet agony, gasping out for release.

    
             
His tremors of release began as he flooded his essence inside her body, meeting on a plane beyond the stars.

    
             
They quietly lay together for a long while, their bodies moist from their lovemaking, their two hearts beating as one.  Slowly, they came back to the present.

    
             
Jared sighed and rolled over, taking her with him, smoothing her damp hair back from her forehead.

    
             
"Nicki, we need to talk.  Isn't there something ye have to tell me?"

    
             
Nicollette sat up and looked at him.  She gave him a con
temptuous glare, swift anger lighting her eyes.  Suddenly, all the goodwill she felt for this man, only moments ago, left her.  He was forcing her to become his wife.  In effect, blackmailing her. 
What the hell does he think I have to tell him?

    
             
She seethed with anger and humiliation.  She'd allowed her body to betray her once again.  But right now as sated as she was, she would suffer under no such affliction. 
There's no need for any more talking.  I have absolutely nothing to tell him!

    
             
In answer to his question, she glowered at him, then quickly scrambled out of his arms to the other side of the bed.

    
             
He glared at her as he rose up to sit on the side of the bed.  "Get used to it, Lady Fleming," he sneered, his anger back in
tact.  "'Twill be no separate bedchambers."

*  *  *

             
After dressing and leaving her in the morning, he didn't see her anymore during the day.  Towards early evening, he waited until he knew she was busy in the bathing room before going back into his bedchamber to dress for their wedding.

             
A little later, Jared stood in the parlor along with his household staff, most of his caretakers, Morgan, Captain Arnold and Father McClafferty.  He fidgeted with the snow-white stock and pearl pin at his neck.  His hand shook when he accepted the brandy Angus gave him to steady his frayed nerves.

    
             
Waiting for Nicki to come through that door, he considered the uppermost thing on his mind--the child she carried.  His child.  Dammit, how could she hate him so much not to tell him?  And to think, she tried to run away with that knowledge.  She tried to take his child away from him!  He couldn't abide that.  It cut to the quick, more so than if she had brought the authorities down on his head!  His bairn.  His own flesh and blood.  The blood of his ancestors would flow in the blood of his bairn.

             
Bloody damn her.  She sought to deny him his son!

    
             
Jared looked up at the sound of Mary Douglas's and Elizabeth's voices praising the beauty of his approaching bride.  All eyes looked toward the door.  There were sounds of awe as the vision appeared.

    
             
Her breasts were fuller and riper than usual because of the bairn.  They came together like snowy mounds, in the tight scalloped-lace bodice edged with the delicate roses on the perfect gown.  Her crinoline skirt billowed to the floor in yards of pure white satin and the long train of satin and lace trailed endlessly behind her.  The veil was kept off her face and the many small diamonds on the diamond and pearl tiara sparkled and gleamed when a flicker of light would catch one.  The black, silken waves of her hair were stark contrast to the white of her soft shoulders and the white of her gown.

    
             
Jared had never before seen a more exquisite sight.  Her sinfully beautiful face was almost angelic in its virtuousness.  Her eyes, violet and wide, showed some con
fusion as they met his.

    
             
Whatever the circumstances, this near sacrilegiously lovely creature was going to belong solely to him.  Extending a hand to her, he forced a smile.  Hesitantly, she placed her small, laced-gloved hand into his large, callused one.

    
             
In a daze, Nicollette repeated the words of marriage the priest instructed her to say.  She'd always dreamed of being married in the Saint Louis Cathedral before the archbishop with her family and friends in attendance.  She would never, ever forgive Jared for forcing her to marry him under such circumstances.

             
When it was over, she gazed at her new husband.  Grudgingly, she

admitted to herself that even as despicable as he was, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.  His silk shirt was as white as her gown.  The silk stock wound around his strong neck was adorned with a single, large white pearl.  His white brocaded vest distinctly set off his dark blue, brushed velvet waist-coat and form fitting breeches that showed his powerful thighs.  His blond hair shimmered with cop
pery highlights.

    
             
Damn him!  At that moment she loved him as much as she hated him.  Hell!  That was the case most of the time.  Yet, whatever happened now, Jared Duncan Fleming, Seventh Earl of Lis
more, belonged eternally to her.

    
             
She felt he was as confused as she as he looked at her with both awe and anger.  Why would he put them through such torture? she wondered.

   
             
Vases of fresh flowers brightened the parlor, dining salon, and foyer.  She'd never know how Jared managed that feat in the middle of autumn. Or how Mary Douglas, who had tears in her eyes during the ceremony, and Elizabeth, stoic as usual, managed the feast that was spread out on the dining salon's table in such a short time.

    
             
Roasted venison and roasted lamb accompanied ham, baked chicken and roasted goose.  Plum pudding, yams, pies, boiled white potatoes, field peas, corn and a six-tiered wedding cake had been prepared.  The best champagne and wines rounded out the bountiful fare.

    
             
The two women had obviously gone through a lot of trouble to make this day as special as possible for her.

    
             
Seeing so much food made Nicki feel queasy.  She only nibbled at the food on the plate she held in her lap as she sat in the parlor with Jared.  The furniture in that room had been pushed aside to make room for the three slave musicians that Captain Ar
nold brought from the boat for the occasion.

    
             
Angrily wondering what Jared thought of that, she couldn't believe that he actually allowed slaves in his house.  A momentary wave of revulsion and anger for both Jared and her beloved Ricard passed through her.  Damn both of them to the eternal fires of hell.  If Ricard was not doing the same thing that Jared was, she would never have been forced to marry the beautiful god-like beast who sat next to her.

    
             
Jared had thought of everything, Nicki observed bit
terly. 
As if these mundane offerings will soften the blow of being forced into marrying him.
  He hadn't spoken of love or caring.  Worse, he hadn't asked, he'd ordered.  It was as if he was marrying her out of guilt or duty or both.  He did everything so quickly, it was as if someone had a shotgun loaded and cocked, aimed at his head.

    
             
"Milady, may I have this dance?" Jared asked stiffly, breaking into her bitter musings.

             
Nicollette set her plate aside and, not answering, glowered at him.

             
"I see ye will be most difficult, Nicollette.  Father McClafferty is wondering why ye're looking so despondent.  For his sake, can't ye try--"

             
"Go to hell, milord," she interrupted on a soft hiss, "and take your damned priest with you!"  Immediately horrified at what she said about Father McClafferty, an innocent participant in the entire day, Nicollette gasped and made the sign of the cross.