Immortal Love (25 page)

Dominick held his breath for fear he might be
misreading her intentions. “Are you sure this is what you
want?”

Pulling off her gown she stood before him in
only her chemise. Walking closer, she took his hand and tugged him
out of the chair. She moved his hand to her breast and pressed it
there. “I have never been more sure of anything in my life,
Dominick.”

His heart raced as the heat of her body
penetrated her gown He looked down at her. Her green eyes spoke to
him of her resolve. “But what of your fears?”

“My fears died in the fire when I nearly lost
you.”

The void that only she could fill was getting
smaller.

“Ah, my dove.” He bent down and kissed
her.

Time stopped. Every moment he lived was in
that instant. Her arms circled his neck, pulling him closer. Her
hunger fueled his desire, yet he held rein on it. She pressed her
body into his, sending shards of passion through his veins.

He broke from her only
long enough to pick her up and carry her to their bed. As he laid
next to her, he stroked her face and neck. Then he moved his hands
cautiously down to her breast for fear she might still harbor bad
memories. Their eyes never looked away from each other. Dominick
wanted to memorize each caress, the softness of her lips, and the
love glowing from her face.

E
leanor was consumed
by the magic of the moment. She could not yet believe the miracle
that had brought Dominick back to her from the fiery hell. Reaching
up to touch his face, her fingers trailed down his neck, over his
shoulders and across his chest. He closed his eyes and drew a deep
breath. When he opened them again, they smoldered with passion. It
was then she understood that because he loved her, she had all the
power to move him with desire.

Her fingertips swept across a nipple, sending
it into a tiny peak. A groan escaped his lips. Eleanor was
surprised to find that she found great pleasure in giving him
pleasure.

His hands moved gently on her breasts. His
fingers fanned an unfamiliar flame in the pit of her stomach.
Stroking her nipples, they peaked under the fabric. It was
Eleanor’s turn to moan. The fabric of her chemise became an
annoyance. She wanted to feel the warmth of his hand on her flesh.
Moving away from him, she pulled up the gown and threw it over the
side of bed, getting it as far away from her as possible. There was
no self-consciousness when she lay before him naked. Every inch of
her body craved his touch.

His mouth came down on hers like the hunger
of a starving man. Their tongues dueled, sending wanton fire
through her veins. He left her briefly to remove his breeches. She
felt empty when he pulled away. Wanting to keep contact, she ran
her hand down his spine.

His manhood was hard as steel when he lay
back down. It made her heart stir with excitement. Tonight he would
belong to her completely. Her hands traveled the length of his
chest and hard stomach. He leaned over and sent a trail of kisses
from the curve of her neck down to her shoulder. Her arms pulled
him down next to her. He continued kissing her until he reached her
breast. His tongue circled her nipples, taunting them and driving
her insane with desire.

The fiery passion raged on as he stroked her
thighs, kneading her hip and across her stomach, as his lips moved
back to her neck. She raised her chin to give him greater access.
With his hand he moved closer to her woman’s flesh. Her legs spread
of their own accord, every nerve charged with the hot lightning of
passion.

The intensity of his touch fragmented any
thought.

“Dominick!”

His hand stilled. “Do you wish for me to
stop?”

“No,” I feel as though I’m traveling a
journey, but I don’t know its destination.”

His lips pressed near her ear and whispered,
“Trust me. Let me take you on this journey of delight.”

He continued to move his fingers in circles
at her core, fanning the flames that now consumed her. Thinking was
impossible. Her body became a mass of sensation. Lost in the swirl
of ecstasy, her hips moved to the rhythm Dominick set.

Closer . . . closer.
Suddenly, her body slammed into the summit of her climax. Her soul
shattered into thousands of tiny lights.

E
leanor’s climax
stirred him to the brink of his own. Dominick pulled back hard on
his desire. His voice called her back, but she was still in the
throes of passion.

“Eleanor, look at me. I will take this as
slowly as I can.” He moved on top of her and carefully entered.

She was slick with passion, but so very
tight. Holding back on his desire was like trying to hold back
Aries on a hunt. He forced himself to concentrate. Eleanor moaned
slightly. He stopped. “Dominick, I don’t think I can do this,” she
said desperately.

He was too far to stop now. He pulled hard on
his control and tried to still her fears. “This will only hurt
once, Eleanor, I promise.” With that said he tore through her
maidenhead and buried himself fully in her sheath.

She cried out. Her body tensed, nearly
undoing him. He stoked her face. “Shh..., sweetheart. Breathe with
me. The pain will go away.” He kissed her again and again, licking
her lips, until her body relaxed around him.

She responded with her own kisses. Desire
rekindled between them.

Slowly he began to move inside her again,
keeping his lips on hers. Bracing his arm above her head, he
reached down between them with his other hand to stroke her core,
rekindling the embers of her desire. Her hips began to move in
rhythm with his. Her back arched further, taking in more of
him.

“That’s it. Come with me.”

Her nails dug into his shoulders. “Dominick,
it’s happening again,” she said breathlessly.

His rhythm increased. “Good sweetheart..ride
it.”

Their climax exploded simultaneously. Their
ragged breaths mingled.

He lowered himself onto his elbow so as not
to crush her. Her skin glistened from exertion. Dominick couldn’t
remember a more complete moment.

When their breathing calmed, Dominick looked
into Eleanor’s eyes. “Are you all right?”

Cupping his cheek, she kissed him
passionately. “I’m fine.” She smiled. “Actually, I’m better than
fine. That was wonderful.”

“No monsters or demons from the past?”

“Not a one.”

He gave a silent sigh of relief and slowly
pulled out of her. She winced for just a moment, and he regretted
her pain. “The next time will not be so painful.”

“That is a relief.”

He slung his feet over the side of the bed
and went to the table to wet a cloth with cool water. Then poured a
cup of ale and took it to Eleanor. While she drank, he began to
wipe away the blood between her thighs. Surprisingly, she didn’t
balk at his ministrations. She was totally uninhibited. He smiled.
There was no doubt she enjoyed their lovemaking.

When he was done she offered the cup to him.
“You must be as thirsty as I am.”

He gulped down the last of it. “Would you
like more?”

She lay back on the bed, yawned and stretched
like a contented cat. “No. I’m very tired.” Cuddling a pillow, she
promptly fell asleep. He smiled to himself as he covered her with
the bed robes. Her slight snore made him chuckle.

He sat for a while in the window seat and
watched the sky pale with the new morning and thought about the
events that had brought about Eleanor’s change of heart. She had
said she loved him, and deep down in his soul he knew she did, just
as he knew he loved her. How long he’d known it he wasn’t sure.
Maybe from the first time he'd laid eyes on her. Or when he'd
discovered her spirit, her loyalty and her generosity.

He looked at her sleeping soundly on the bed.
Now he faced the biggest challenge of his life. Keeping her
safe.

E
leanor stood near
the edge of the cliffs holding a bouquet of wildflowers. She tied a
soft pink ribbon around the bouquet.

“Thank you, Mother,” she murmured, tossing
the flowers into the sea.

Taking a deep breath, she washed away any
sadness and held on to her gratitude. Eleanor sat on the cool grass
and watched the waves crash against the rocks. The calling of the
seagulls above her added to her serenity. Never had it been so
before. She imagined her mother sitting next to her.

“Thank you, Mother, for saving his life. It
was almost too late before I realized I loved him. He’s a good man,
Mama, with a heart to match his size. And thank you for all the
times you have been there for me and I never knew it.” Tears pooled
in her eyes. “I wish I could see you as Dominick has. All the
questions I would ask. What would you tell me?” She paused to look
out at sea. “I feel safe, Mama. McPhearson is still troublesome,
but we have seen no signs of him or his men. Dominick has nightly
patrol through the forest and around the castle just in case
McPhearson tries to cause any more trouble. . We went for a ride
along the shore yesterday and stopped for a picnic. Like today it
was glorious. The sun was shining bright on the water. I could have
stayed there forever. We ate, drank wine and laughed. Oh Mama, how
we laughed. Then we lay on a blanket and watched the tide go out
and the sun go down.” Eleanor sighed at the memory. “We built a
fire on the beach and held each other.” She pulled back her sleeve.
“Then he gave me this.” She revealed a delicate silver bracelet
that had tiny stones dangling around it. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
Eleanor turned her head up to the sky. “Can what I’m feeling be
real, Mama? When I think of Dominick, it’s almost painful. I love
him so much. Will he break my heart? I have never been so scared. I
don’t think I could survive if he should deceive me.”

Eleanor took in more of the scenery. It felt
good to talk to her mother. The conflicting emotions regarding
Isolde’s death settled into closure.

When she turned, she hadn’t expected Dominick
to be standing behind her. She started. Her hand flew to her chest.
“Oh Dominick, you gave me quite a scare. Is it a habit for you and
your brother to sneak up on women?”

“Not usually.” He took her hand. “I’m sorry,
I thought you could hear me coming up behind you.”

“No, I couldn’t.” She punched him in the arm.
“You must have scared at least five summers off my life. Not to
mention another ten in the stable fire. I swear, if you continue to
scare me I will die before my time.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry. I
will try to be louder next time.” He placed a sweet kiss on her
lips.

“You’re forgiven.” She turned back toward the
ocean.

He slipped his arms around her and they both
watched the waves smashing against the rocks. “What were you doing
out here?” he asked.

“Talking to my mother. Strange?”

“No. I don’t think it strange at all.”

“I thanked her for saving your life and mine.
I told her about our trip to the beach yesterday.”

The eyebrow rose again. “Everything?”

“Well...no, I didn’t mention that.” The
memory of their love making on the beach sent a slight burning to
her cheeks.

“It was wonderful, wasn’t it?”

Even though she didn’t answer him, she
admitted to herself it had been wonderful and more.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Never in my mind
did I believe I would have a home such as this or a wife as
beautiful as you.” He turned her to face him. “Eleanor, I may not
have said it, but I hope I have made myself clear enough for you to
understand.” He rubbed her upper arms, looking at the ground as
though searching for the right words. “I love you, Eleanor.”

He felt the smile grow within and rise to her
lips. She placed her hand upon his chest, and her eyes captured
his. “Your actions have spoken louder than your words. I do know
that you love me, and I hold that closest to my heart.”

He wrapped her in his arms. The two of them
together basked in their newfound love.

Finally, she pulled away. “I wish I could
stay here with you all day, but I promised Ruth that I would see
her this afternoon.”

“The two of you have gotten quite close these
past few weeks.”

“Yes. And I have to tell you it feels good to
have a friend like her.”

“You mean I’m not enough?” He smiled
mischievously.

A chuckled escaped her lips. “Of course you
are, but it’s sometimes good to talk to a woman.”

“Like magpies, gossiping.”

Her fists rested on her hips. “You do know
you will have to pay for that.”

His hands circled her waist, pulling her
closer to him, bending his head toward her. “I will pay any price
you ask,” he whispered.

Visions of the night before sent the thrill
of desire through her veins. “Don’t start this, or I will never
meet my obligations today.”

When he nibbled at her neck, her skin
prickled with delight. “What obligations could be more important
than this?”

All her senses screamed for attention. It
took every ounce of will to pull away. She moaned. “Dominick, as
much as I would like to stay here and finish what we have started,
I must return to the castle.” Struggling from his insistent
embrace, she continued, “I had the seamstress make Abigail a gown,
and I want to see how it fits her.”

Reluctantly, he released her. “If you must.”
He took her hand and placed it on his hard shaft. “But I want you
to remember this throughout the day, and come home to me soon.”

Giving as good as she got, she rubbed the
length of it. “Be sure I will be counting on payment for returning
home early.”

Bending toward her once more, he said through
clenched teeth, “You’re a wanton wench, aren’t you?”

She pulled him close.
“You have no idea.” Placing a kiss on his throat, she slipped out
of his arms and headed toward the castle. Knowing he was watching
her, she swung her hips from side to side in a seductive walk. She
was sure it would leave him with little doubt of what she
wanted.