Kimberly Nee - The McKenzie Brothers (26 page)

Still, it wasn’t a scene she cared to repeat and she knew they’d be discussing this episode once he was sober and his hands weren’t wandering all over her in order to drive the thoughts from her mind.

“Oh, yes,” she murmured, moving to the door once more. “We will discuss this. Eventually.”

“Kat?”

She jumped at the unexpected question coming from the doorway behind her, and turned to see Garrett leaning against the frame. He was still wrinkled and disheveled, but seemed sober enough. “You’re awake.”

“So it would seem.” He pushed up and came into the library. “You haven’t turned a page.”

“I’m sorry?”

He gestured to the book, open in her lap. “You haven’t turned a page in the last few minutes. What’s on your mind?”

She closed the book. “You’re right. I’ve read two chapters and I couldn’t tell you what they were about, either.”

“So what is it?” Leather squeaked as he sank onto the elegant rolled arm of the sofa.

“Patsy still hasn’t returned.”

“And what of your asking about in town?”

“Nothing. No one has seen her. It’s almost as if she’s just vanished.” Katherine leaned forward to set the book on the small table. “Marie thought perhaps she was meeting with a sweetheart. A Malcolm Grayson.”

He nodded. “I know the family. But,” his forehead wrinkled, “the last I heard, he was almost engaged to Caroline Lewis.”

“Oh, I hope that isn’t true.” She scooted back toward the other arm to allow him room sit beside her. “I’d hate to see her heart broken. Still,” she bit down on her bottom lip, “I wish she would come home. I’m worried about her, Garrett. What if something happened to her?”

“What could happen to her? Especially if she’s with Grayson.” He grinned as she leveled a long look at him. “Well, aside from
that
.”

The leather squeaked again as he eased from the arm to sit beside her, and she didn’t resist as he drew her up against him. He squeezed her against him. “I’m sure it’s nothing more serious than her being too caught up in being with Grayson. Come tomorrow, she will be all blushes and giggles. Now, why don’t you come up to bed, and I can make your morning full of blushes and giggles as well?”

“Garrett.”

His grin grew devilish as he caught her by the hand and rose, taking her with him. “You already have a start on the blushes, sweetheart.”

“You are a devil.”

“You don’t mean that and we both know it.” He leaned in to kiss her, and her protests died on her lips. He was probably right, and come morning, she’d chide herself for worrying at all.

Chapter Thirty-Six

When Garrett opened his eyes, sunlight filled the room and his head pounded viciously. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with one hand and tossing the quilt away with the other.

Damned toad disappeared like smoke once more. Garrett swore softly, remembering how he and Drew had spotted the ugly Englishman in the back of Harry’s taproom. The little bastard gave them the slip however, ducking out through a back door as Garrett fought to free himself from the amorous advances of one of Harry’s serving wenches.

But, the night with Katherine more than made up for that disappointment. It also did wonders for the aftereffects of being so foxed. No headache. No roiling belly. Nothing but a wonderful sense of peace, of content, that filled him from the moment he opened his eyes.

He rose from the bed, and was in the process of pulling on clean black trousers when the door swung open. Katherine stood there, not looking at all happy. She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her and leaning back against it.

“She still hasn’t returned, Garrett. No one has seen Patsy since yesterday morning.” She folded her arms over her chest.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes! I asked Marie.”

He sank back down onto the bed as his stomach gave a surprising rumble. “Very well. I’ll send George into town for the constable.”

She didn’t reply, but moved to sit beside him. Then, she surprised him by easing her arms about his neck. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me, you know.” he muttered, his eyes closing as her lips skimmed his ear.

“No. There is. I know you think I’m being silly — ”

“I
thought
you were. Last eve. But now, you have every reason to be concerned. Besides,” he kissed the tip of her nose, “I owe you for coming home in the sorry shape I was in yesterday.”

“I might not have been happy with you and your brother showing up here foxed, but I understand why you were in such a condition.”

“Where is Drew now?”

“I sent him home to your mother and Martha. He is their problem, not mine.
You
are my problem.” She gave him a gentle squeeze, then rose to cross to his wardrobe, where she retrieved a white cambric shirt. “Now, come. I’ll have Victoria prepare you something to settle your stomach.”

“My stomach is fine.” He shrugged into his shirt. “It seems the perfect cure for imbibing too much is a bit of Kat McKenzie.”

“Garrett!”

He laughed at the bright crimson blooming in her cheeks. “Just as I promised, sweetheart. Blushing. I only hope the giggling isn’t far behind.”

If she was about to giggle, she didn’t give him the satisfaction, but a beaming smile lit up her face as she curled her fingers about his wrist in an attempt to tug him to his feet. “The ladies of Brunswick ought to see you now, love,” she chided as he followed her to his wardrobe. “You’d frighten the lot of them.”

“Am I that much of a mess?”

“By far.”

He rubbed his chin ruefully. “At least allow me to shave first, then, love. Won’t you?”

“And have you slit your throat with your razor? Are you trying to force me into widowhood?”

Garrett eased an arm about her waist to draw her close. “Never. I plan on growing quite old with you, sweetheart.”

She smiled. “Let us go see what magic Victoria is able to whip up for you.”

After a breakfast of rich coffee, Garrett felt back to being himself. His stomach still tossed a bit, but at least the pain in his skull faded almost into oblivion. “I wonder how Drew is faring this morning,” he said, sipping his third cup.

Katherine sat across from him in the dining room, nibbling at on a strip of crispy bacon. “I’ve a feeling he’s not in much better shape than you. How could you possibly have gotten so foxed?”

He reached up to rub his eyes, sinking back into his chair. “The toad gave us the slip at Harry’s. Just vanished into thin air. More than a little aggravating, to have him get away. We drowned our sorrows more than anything else.”

“And the cheap perfume?”

“I wondered when you’d get around to asking me about that.” He brought the cup to his lips again. “One of Harry’s barmaids took a whit of interest in me.”

She seemed to be fighting back a grin as she propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand as she leaned forward. “Is that so?”

“I swear to you, love. She plunked down on my lap, put her arms around my neck, and hit the floor ten seconds later for her trouble.”

“Ten seconds? Why so long?”

He lowered his cup to see her eyes were a sparkling emerald. “You do know it’s poor taste to tease a man who’s just crawled out of his cups, don’t you?”

“Not when he’s had his arms about another woman, it isn’t.” It wasn’t easy, keeping her voice so serious. Of course, she wasn’t truly angry, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t let him suffer just a little.

“I just explained that,” he grouched, setting his cup on the table.

She capitulated then. There was no sense in creating a real fight, not now, so she rose from her chair and circled the table to stand behind him. Draping her arms about his neck, she leaned in and brushed her lips over his cheek. “I am but teasing, Garrett. I do not doubt you. Now, I have the perfect cure for your headache. Guaranteed.”

He sank back against her. “I’ve no need for a cure. You took care of that last eve. Besides, I need to find George and send him into town, and I should think about going to the harbor as well.”

“Send George, but Eagleton will wait for today. I am sure your brother and brother-in-law will not mind if the newly-wed McKenzie shirks his responsibilities for one day to spend time alone with his new wife.”

She nuzzled him, and his head tilted to the side as she swept her lips over his ear. “Alone with my wife, eh? I am liking the sound of this, Madam McKenzie. Perhaps you’ll allow me to take your mind off our wayward maid for a while?”

“How so?” Her arms dangled about his neck, her fingertips brushing his chest.

He winked. “How do you think?”

“Oh, Garrett, I don’t know.”

“Why not? There’s only one way to prove to you there is nothing to fear in those woods. Besides, it passes time more quickly than pacing around the library will.”

“I don’t know. It seems wrong to me.”

“Let me go find George, then I will
show
you how quickly time passes.” He tilted his head back to gaze up at her.

“Well, I
suppose
we could.” She chewed her lip again. “I did see a wee cozy spot in those woods, far from prying eyes, that would make the perfect Eden for a child’s conception.”

He chuckled. “I am shocked, Madam McKenzie. You sound very much like a bar wench, you know.”

“I should certainly hope so.” She let out an airy laugh. “Being a proper lady is frightfully dull at times.”

He offered no resistance as she pulled on his shirt. Instead, he rose to his feet and slid his arms about her waist. “
Dull
is never a word I would use to describe you, Katherine. Doesn’t even come close.”

She looped her arms about his neck and pulled him close for a soulful kiss. “And, hopefully, it’ll never become one.”

He tightened his arms about her. “I highly doubt it, love. I highly doubt it.”

“What’s on your mind?”

Grass rustled as Garrett shifted and opened his eyes to peer up at Katherine. Her fingers threaded through his hair, rhythmically stroking it away from his face as his head rested on her thigh.

Overhead, he could just make out the sunbeams slicing through the leafy treetops surrounding them. Around them, the remains of a Victoria-packed dinner was scattered on the faded patchwork blanket that had been tucked into a large hamper. Beyond the blanket’s fringe, clothing lay scattered in a semi-circle, close enough to grab should they be suddenly interrupted.

They hadn’t been in the copse more than a few minutes when Garrett pulled Katherine into his arms and peeled her garments from her body before pinning her beneath him. He hadn’t bothered with spreading out the blanket first, didn’t want to wait any longer than he already had. He wanted only to feel her all around him, to feel her fingernails scratch across his shoulders and her legs wrapped tight about his waist.

The first time had been pure, raw need. The second, however, was every bit tender and loving as poets had written about for centuries. He loved his wife with everything he had inside of him and she’d returned the favor, wrapping herself all around him to become one with him in every way possible.

He turned his head to meet Katherine’s hazel eyes he loved so much. “Just very content and a bit on the sleepy side.”

Her fingers skimmed his forehead. “You did expend an awful lot of energy, Garrett. I’m a bit surprised to find you still awake.”

“I fight it well, don’t I?”

He reached for her, sliding a hand along her nape to pull her down. Her hair, already pulled free earlier, caressed the back of his hand, tickled along his arm, and she met his kiss. He broke the kiss to trail his lips along her jaw. A giggle broke free as she jerked away, clapping a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. Her “I am sorry. I know how you detest giggles,” was muffled by that hand.

“Nonsense, love. When they are yours, they are as sweet to my ears as any music.” He sat up then, shifting to lie beside her and gather her in his arms. “But you should have allowed me to shave first.”

“Perhaps. But, truth be told, I did not wish to wait.”

“Is that so?”

Katherine giggled again as he covered her with his length. Reaching up to brush her fingertip over his beard, she murmured, “You have spoiled me terribly. I cannot get enough of you, I am afraid.”

“It’s a good thing, love. Makes us even, then.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.” Another quick kiss. “Lord knows I will never get enough of you, either, Katherine. I could live a thousand years and still never have my fill of you.”

“It’s nice to know, that. Lays plenty of ghosts to rest.”

“Kat, you are all the woman I will ever need, and all the woman I will ever want. You have no need to fear my past, sweetheart. My present and my future belong solely to you.”

Her eyes gleamed silvery with surprising tears. His Kat was not quite as steely as she’d like everyone to believe. “As mine belong to you.”

He kissed her tenderly then, wrapping his arms about her and holding her close. “You are my forever. And I can think of no one else I’d rather share that with.”

Her gaze held his and he was certain her eyes even greener now. Such beautiful eyes. Eyes he could lose himself in as she murmured, “Garrett…”

He couldn’t control his smile as he broke in, “I love you, Kat, and I will spend every moment between now and forever making certain you never doubt that.”

Slipping her arms about his neck and threading her fingers through his hair, she clasped the back of his head to draw him down until their lips met.

He stroked his lips leisurely down her throat, feeling the steady beat of her pulse beneath them. His tongue dipped into the hollow at its base before skimming down between the twin rises of her breasts. Her skin was warm from the sunshine, and she tasted of clover and honey. Her fingers tightened in his hair as he came up over the rise of one breast to tease its already pebbled peak.