Underground Captive (74 page)

Underground Captive
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
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53    

             
When he got back to the Duplantier house, Jared discovered that Blanche and Antoinette had taken Nicki along with them to make some purchases for the ball.  He decided to take care of the business Ricard had sidetracked him from doing earlier.  By the time he finished, it was late evening.  When he went back to Rue Dauphine for his wife, she was exhausted and more than willing to go home. 

             
The anger that Nicki felt toward him when she'd left him at The Oaks had dissolved.  Happiness that the outcome had been what she'd prayed for replaced the anger.  Now, she only wanted him to hold her in his arms.  He hadn't touched her intimately in months.

    
             
Back at Highland Acres, Jared didn't go inside with her.  He watched as she closed the door behind her, then he went straight to the stables.  His attention, to both men and beasts, was needed there.
             

             
When Jared returned to the house two hours later, Angus had a tub of water ready in the bathing room and he took full advantage of it before going to his bedchamber.

    
             
He found Nicollette asleep on the wing-back chair with an infant garment that she had been knitting resting on her lap.  He stepped inside the room, then closed and bolted the door.

    
             
He stared at her.  She sat with her legs folded in front of her, up in the chair.  Leaning back, she rested her head against the wing of the chair.  And, despite the chill in the air, she wore the thinnest of night rails. 
             
He saw the full roundness of her breasts.  He wanted to feel their sweet softness in his mouth.  His loins ached for her.  As worldly as he was, he knew nothing in the mat
ters of bedding women in confinement.

    
             
Nicki had been so ill.  In his mind, she was now too fragile.  He had not touched her with passion since the morning of their wedding, nearly four months ago.  In truth, her stamina and general good health of late amazed him.  She glowed with it, seeming to grow stronger each day.  Walking over to her, he bent down and lifted her up.  Opening her eyes, she leaned against his chest.

             
"Jared," she said softly as he put her down on the bed.

             
"Sweet bairn, I didn't mean to be so long in coming to ye.  Ye may go

back to sleep now."

    
             
"Don't dare tell me what I may do, milord," she said with irritation.  "Unless, it's your consent to let me plan my ball."

    
             
"Not that again, Nicollette.  I thought I made it clear what my feelings are on this.  I will not have ye tired, sweetheart."

    
             
Nicollette stood on her knees in bed, fairly glowing with happiness.  Jared looked down at her and groaned.  She looked damned appealing.  He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.  She held his hand and leaned into his caress.

             
"I want ye well," he said hoarsely.

             
"I am well," she returned, putting her arms around his neck, gently

coaxing his head down to her mouth.

    
             
Gathering her in a fragile embrace, Jared returned her kiss with rising passion.  "Nicki, ye must stop this."

    
             
"Jared," she whispered, a throatiness creeping into her voice, enhancing her already mind-bending appeal.  "I love you.  Please don't think me bold,
mon amour
, but I need your kiss.  I need your touch.  Make love to me."

    
             
Jared's breath caught at her words.  His long starved passion flared to the surface.  Nicki's love for him made her completely uninhibited with him.  Her trust in him made his heart constrict.  Lord help him, how he loved her.  He wanted her.  And he needed her so badly.

    
             
"I love ye, Nicollette Fleming.  And I do need ye, but are ye sure, sweetheart?"  His voice was a plea, husky and full of pas
sion and yearning.

    
             
Nicollette answered by giving him a deeply stirring kiss.  Mouth to mouth, it seared and scalded.  "
Oui
,
mon amour
.  I am sure.  I want you.  I am tired of waiting."  She gasped as he kissed her again, his tongue teasing, tast
ing the sweetness of her mouth.  He kissed her thoroughly again and again, familiarizing himself with the taste of her, the magic of her, the wondrous feel of her.

             
Moaning in pleasure, Nicki slumped against him as he ignited the fires

of her passion.

    
             
Jared slipped his nightshirt over his head and his hands shook with his need as he moved to strip off her garments.

    
             
Nicki laid her hand over his.  Bringing it to her lips, she kissed it.  "Jared, milord, I love you," she whispered, tasting the hollow of his neck.

    
             
Positioning her beside him, Jared drew her into his arms.  He kissed her lovingly, feathery light, on her eyes, her cheeks, her earlobes, and her throat; sliding his hand over her body, massag
ing the rising swell of her belly.

    
             
Nicollette sighed at his touch.  His hand wandered back to her ripe breasts and he cupped them, teasing the nipples with the tip of his tongue until they hardened.  Tiny flames kindled in
side her, ravishing her body with volcanic heat.  Her hands roamed lovingly over Jared's hard muscled body, circling his navel with her fingertips, then further down to his engorged, throbbing manroot.

    
             
Jared drew in a sharp intake of breath.  He could easily have surrendered to her touch alone.  But he would not take his pleasure first.  He needed to feel his shaft resting inside her warmth again.  Nicki stroked him until he thought he would die from the pleasurable sensations.  If he was going to keep control, he had to stop this gentle torture she inflicted on him.

    
             
He grabbed her hands, brought them to his lips, and kissed them.  His lips found her mouth and, once again, they tasted the wonder and magic of each other.  Their lips melded, kissing hungrily.

    
             
Jared's fingers found the wet moistness of her center and stroked in and out of her hot sheath.

    
             
Nicki kissed him wildly, fiercely, threading her fingers through his hair.  He seared her senses with his responding kisses and the sensation frightened her.  She clung tightly to him, yielding to his touch, wiggling beside him, her body racked with quivers.

    
             
Lying on his side, he pulled her into his embrace.  The heat of his mouth burning hers, he pressed her soft, round bottom be
tween his legs, using one leg to spread her thighs apart, bring
ing the tip of his maleness in cautious contact with her tight center.

    
             
He held his breath as he slipped, inch by gentle inch, into her moist heat.  Gently stroking in and out, surges of torrid heat coursed through his veins.  He fought to keep control, for he wouldn't be denied, neither would he deny her.

    
             
Sweet scalding fires consumed Nicki in mindless torture.  She cried out his name in ecstatic bliss.  The demands of his loins increased his passion to blood hot sizzles.  His heart pounding like a blacksmith's anvil, he moved faster and faster against her.  With masterful control, he didn't drive as deeply as he could have.

    
             
She rose to meet him in a shattering peak of rapture.  She gave to him so thoroughly, so lovingly, that he cried out her name.  Seeking a release not only in his passion, but from all that had festered in his heart, in his mind, for so very, very long, he shuddered in sweet surrender, his release finding the sweetness of her secret treasure.  He tightened his arms around her and held her close for long moments before finally withdrawing from her.

             
"I love ye, Nicki.  Ye do know that, don't ye?  I would give my life for 

ye."

   
             
'Twas a simple declaration of love for his young wife.  As much as he had cared for Patricia, he knew now that she was not the one great love of his life.

    
             
Tears streaked Nicki's cheeks.  "Oh,
mon amour
, how could I not know?" There was barely room for air between them but she drew in closer to him anyway.  "I love you, my husband," she said, knowing now that she alone was his one true love.  The love her father told her every man experienced.  Nicki felt so honored to be his wife.  She closed her eyes, feeling profoundly satisfied.

    
             
Nicollette had captured Jared's heart like no woman ever had.  He sighed a deep felt contentment.  He caressed the round firmness of her belly with his hand and felt life stirring within her.  An indescribable feeling of joy consumed him.  God, he loved Nicki so much it frightened him.

    
             
Kissing the top of her head, he realized she'd fallen as
leep.  His arm tightened around her shoulder.  He felt at peace at last.  All the hate, the anger and the hurt dissolved in the arms of his loving wife.  She had given him back his soul so that it could become the vessel it should be to hold all the love he pos
sessed for her.

    
             
From the beginning, he never doubted that he loved her.  He just hadn't known the extent of that love until now.  He loved her to the very depths of his being.  He was content now.  He would soon leave this beautiful, con
troversial land and return to his beloved Scotland to take his rightful place as Earl of Lismore.  And he would have his count
ess and their child at his side.

54

    
             
Nicollette insisted on staying at Crescent Wood the entire week before the ball in order to set things to her satisfaction.  In addition to everything else, she requested four slaves get music instruction to act as musicians for the evening.  However, she asked to go home to Highland Acres the day preceding the ball.

    
             
"Nicki, ye've been here the entire week.  'Twill make no sense for ye to leave one day before the ball."

    
             
Smiling secretively, Nicki stood on tiptoe and snaked her arms around his neck.

             
Jared sighed, then frowned.  He drew her into his embrace.  "What devilment

have ye planned, Nicollette?  I'll not have it," he said forcefully.  "Ye will obey my wishes or 'twill be no ball."

             
"Just what are your wishes,
mon amour
?" Nicollette whispered, kissing

him lingeringly.

    
             
Jared groaned.  The little vixen.  She knew how ap
prehensive he was over her condition, and he suspected she took advantage of that knowledge, since he truly didn't want her upset.  "My wishes, my sweet, are for yer continued good health.  Even if that means giving in to yer unreasonable demands."

             
"Are you saying that we'll go to Highland Acres?"

             
"Aye, Nicki, we may go to Highland Acres tonight," he snapped in exasperation.

    
             
"
Merci
, Jared," Nicki drawled softly.  "I'll inform my Pa Pa."  Giving him a quick kiss, she left his embrace, going in search of Charles.

*  *  *

    
             
"Milady," Jared bellowed, walking toward the kitchen.  "Yer ball has been going on for nearly an hour already.  'Tis not the most polite thing ye can do, keeping yer guests waiting."

    
             
Nicki met him before he reached the kitchen.  "Relax,
amour
," she chided with a soft drawl.  "They'll wait for me.  After all, it is
my
ball."

    
             
"Aye, Lady Fleming, so it 'tis.  But 'tis ridiculous to keep them waiting for trivialities.  I must insist ye keep them wait
ing no longer." Jared took her arm and gently steered her toward the foyer.