My Bonny Heart (Pirate's Progeny Book 1) (18 page)

Chapter 20

Addison’s heart thudded against his chest as he chased her through the swinging barn door. Horses whinnied and he allowed his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness.

The smell of hay, horseflesh, and fresh manure filled his nostrils. But, there was a faint hint of lilacs on the air to his right, and with the help of the moonlight creeping in through a few cracks in the slats of the barn wall, he could make out a lightened section in the farthest stall. Grinning, he strode directly to where she crouched, her cream-colored gown glowing slightly to give her away.

Playful and elegant in a most unconventional way, she’d charmed just about every one of the slaves during the dance. Once he’d spied her laughing, bouncing about the barn, hanging onto men most women in the Charles Town area would be scandalized to even touch, he’d been enchanted.

Fiery, burnished hair had swirled around her head in a curly, unruly mess. The womanly curves with her full breasts and small waist were accentuated by her cotton gown. He hardened just imagining her . . .

“I’m afraid I’m blind here, madam. I’ll have to indeed use my hands to test the area. Let’s see . . .” Even though he could make out her crouched, pale form, he thrust his hands out before him, smacking the wall that led directly to where she hid.

The telltale sound of a barely concealed giggle being cut off by the slap of her hand over her mouth made him smile. Could she could make out the white of his teeth in the near-darkness? They had to be moonlit, just as the color of her gown.

“I heard that.” She did not answer, but he could hear the steady sounds of her breath, could imagine the way her bosom lifted to strain above her gown with each intake of breath. Bloody hell, could he not have one thought that did not surround the virtues of her curvy figure?

He shuffled closer to where she crouched. “I can hear you, madam.” He lunged for her.

She squealed, jumped up, and sprinted to his left, delight sounding in the throaty giggles bursting from her lips. “I’ll not be captured so easily, sir.”

Addison’s heart felt as if it would burst from his chest, and the hum of anticipation rushing through his veins at the prospect of capturing and possessing her on the spot overwhelmed him. While she dodged his initial grasp, she was not so lucky on her next attempt. He anticipated her dash to the left.

Her booted foot slid upon the hay-covered ground. She let out a yelp as he tackled her around the waist, and they both slipped to the musty earth. Addison had the wherewithal to flip himself beneath her so she would not land directly onto the ground. Although hay-strewn, the floor of the barn was unforgiving, as his backside and upper back discovered as they landed in a thump, her vivacious figure sprawled all over him.

The delicious smell of lilacs overwhelmed his nostrils, her glorious hair falling forward onto his face as she laughed down at him from her position of power.

“Now who is captured?” The white of her teeth flashed and her sweet breath blew into his face, her voice shaking with the after effects of their fall. Her bottom rested snugly upon his mid-section, and her arms held her up on either side of his head. They’d been in this exact position on the riverbank.

He let his lust lead the way, suddenly grasping her hips, and positioning her bottom to slide firmly over his hardened lap. Moving his hips just so, he rubbed himself against her. The whites of her eyes grew larger, and he held her in place with firm hands.

“I believe, madam,
you
are.”

Any lady of his acquaintance would smack his hands away, slap his face, remove herself from him, and give him a good lesson in propriety and good manners.

Not Anne.

She leaned forward and traced his bottom lip with her tongue before sucking it into her mouth.

Unbridled, raw passion erupted from her when he behaved—well, not as a gentleman. She made him feel wild, to throw away any conventions or thoughts of normal, gentlemanly behavior.

And, the fire.

They fairly burned one another when they came together.

Envisioning steam rising from their bodies, he took full possession of her mouth, thrusting his tongue into her while his hands urged her hips to and fro.

Short moans tore from her as the friction of their clothing elevated the already scorching heat between his throbbing hardness and her soft core. If he didn’t slow the pace, he’d be deeply buried inside her in moments.

One of the horses whinnied, seemingly far away, and broke their heated passion. The innocuous sound forced Addison to think, to realize he’d be making love to Anne, once again, on a surface that was not the comfort of a feather mattress, or near the crackle of a fire.

Disengaging his tongue from hers, he righted them, but her bottom still rested delightfully on the hardness of his rod with her hands twinned behind his neck.

“Anne, I believe you win.”

She leaned back to stare into his eyes. The darkness afforded him no view of her sparkling, green orbs, but he could see the slight tilt of her lips.

“What did you say?” Her question hummed with a sultry purr, and she settled deeper against him.

He groaned. He’d be undone if they did not cease.

Grinding his teeth, he gave her hair a quick tug. “Madam, I assure you that you have won this round. And, should you persist, we will most definitely be spending the next several minutes here in the hay.”

“I had not complained of the bedding . . .” another movement of her hips, “. . . as it is quite adequate.”

“Minx.” He captured her lips again, but only allowed a small, yet agonizing, melding of tongues before he tore his lips away with another groan. “I’ll not make love to you again until we’re in a proper place.” He gave her a stern look, although in the darkened barn, he was sure it did not convey as such.

She sighed, raising herself to a standing position, “You keep spouting about this proper place, and yet, I’ve told you time and again, I’m
no
lady, obviously.”

Pushing off the hay-strewn ground, Addison stood and adjusted himself in his breeches. Uncomfortable. He was quite glad the night darkened his plight.

He grabbed her hand, sliding it over the front of his breeches. “I could easily take you here on the floor, madam.” He could see the whites of her eyes as she caressed him.

Throwing his head back, he swallowed, allowing her to run her fingers up and down the length of him. Had the fabric of his breeches not been a barrier, he would surely burst.

“Fascinating that such a hardened body part feels so silky and smooth.”

Addison grabbed her hand. “Seven hells,
woman
.” He turned to head out of the barn, towing Anne along behind him. “It’s no wonder I cannot contain myself from making love to you just anywhere.”

“I imagine you’re taking me to a proper place, then.” Her voice behind him dripped with sarcasm, but he could imagine the lopsided smile she bore.

“If you believe you can behave yourself, I may.” It was his turn to grin as they approached the rear of the house, all of the lanterns within illuminating the windows.

She snorted. “It is
you
that has misbehaved,
sir
. I mean, you nearly took me in the hay.”

Chuckling, they entered through the rear door, strode straight through the family dining area, and up the steps to the third level, where he knew a proper bed awaited them.

“Anne, I’m so glad you’ve returned.” Sarah’s stern, lined face greeted them at the top, her brown eyes narrowed in disapproval.

Addison ran his hand through his hair, releasing Anne’s hand as she stood next to him.

“What is it, Sarah? Is it the children?”

Concern marred his betrothed’s voice, and he realized his annoyance at Sarah was merely a result of his sexual frustration.

“Aye, they are fine, just a tad hungry. It appears the wet nurse had to leave a couple hours early to attend her own child.”

“Well, I’m glad we’ve returned then.”

Tracing the side of her cheek, he smoothed some of her wild locks behind her ear, smiling down at her. “Go on, the babies need their mother.” Anne turned to meet his gaze, her sparkling green eyes dominated by pupils still dilated with passion, her lips a rosy, chapped color from the kisses in the hay.

“Yes, thank you, Sarah.” She turned to the housekeeper, nodded, and headed to the nursery straight away, her shoulders thrown back.

“Yes, thank you, Sarah.” He turned on his heel, raising his voice so Anne could clearly hear him. “I’ll just be retiring to my large, comfortable, proper bed.”

The hour she spent with Frederica and Garrett eased the desire and frustration of
nearly
making love to Addison, and allowed her to focus on the importance of giving her children sustenance. It had been foolish of her to spend so long away from the house this evening, even though the wet nurse had been good about staying around just in case she was needed. No harm had been done, however, so Anne simply rocked and snuggled her babies.

Tucking the children snug into their blankets, she returned to her room, the shivers of anticipation flowing through her. She would freshen up, put on a dressing gown—with nothing beneath—and visit the lord of the house, with his obvious permission.

A tingling sensation seized her, beginning in her toes, traveling betwixt her thighs, up through her spine, and out through her fingers. What a delicious sensation, and one that seemed to be a regular occurrence whenever Addison was near, or even whilst she thought of him.

Thinking of the kisses they shared while his warmth buried deep within her sent the deep shivers coursing through her, all over again.

While Addison appeared scandalized, yet again, that he’d nearly made love to her in an uncivilized place, Anne found it quite exhilarating. Dropping from a rigging, or springing from the gangplank into the ocean deep seemed to pale in comparison to the adrenaline-filled lovemaking of Addison Blackhurst.

Fearing her heart already in the unfortunate place of falling for the enigmatic, arrogant, honorable lord, she prayed she’d make the proper decision. Proper? Ha!

Oh, how she hoped she could sufficiently and adequately crush the uncertainty and misadventures of her past. Her children would be raised in an environment conducive to learning, honesty, loyalty, and everything they deserved. Didn’t she deserve to be happy as well?

That remained to be seen, she supposed, but she would never know unless she threw her arms out and took a leap of faith.

Perhaps a few more days to be sure wouldn’t hurt? Besides, they weren’t to be married until then anyway. She was still on the fence about it all, but if it were up to her heart, she knew how it would turn out.

Deciding to be a little daring, Anne took the time to remove her gown, corset, and undergarments—with the exception of her garters. Those she kept firmly in place with the lace-top stockings she’d worn to the teaching session. Grabbing up her dressing gown and tying it with a long, green, silk ribbon, she observed her reflection in the mirror above the washstand.

The red strands of her curled hair stuck out every which way, and floated about her face. Her eyes appeared large and wide, with a slight up-tilt to the edges. Fingers flying to her still reddened and swollen lips, she could see a pink stain to her cheeks. She knew it stemmed from the shameless act she was about to incite, and the unrepentant way she’d enjoyed every single act thus far.

Feeling the power and excitement building, she opened her door, looked about the walkway to assure herself Sarah didn’t await to accost her about something, and strode with a determined step to the master’s bedchamber.

Padding across the floor as weightless as possible so as to not attract undue attention, she stood before the door to the master’s sitting room. Although feeling powerful and bold, she would not barge right into his bedchamber, but decided making her way through the sitting room first would be more prudent.

Biting her lip, she turned the knob, and the large, wooden door opened with a silent whoosh. Peering inside, a lantern still threw faint light throughout the room, but Addison did not peer at her from any of the settees or the chair by the desk. Heart thundering inside her breast, and tiny fireflies fluttering behind her rib cage, she padded across the rug to the open bedchamber door.

No lanterns were lit within. The window on the far side of the room stood wide open, the white sheer curtains billowing in the night breeze. The smell of magnolias filled the room, along with the smell of spices and man. Inhaling deep, she breathed in the now-familiar scent of the man her heart told her might be possible to possess. Moonlight sent light beams across the room and landed in columns on the large bed.

Smiling, she could make out his muscular body lying near the side of the bed. His back was to her, bare, muscled, and sculpted. Standing beside him, she reached out, ready to run her fingers along the smooth skin . . . and noticed his arm encircled another human form.

Bending closer, Anne could see a mop of dark hair, the tiny face, and body of her son, curled into the larger male body of Addison. The vision of them, cuddled together, sleeping as if all were right in the world, made her pause.

A father and son.

Breath hitched in her throat, another emotion settled to rest inside her heart. A deep, thick feeling. A fullness she’d not ever been privy to in all her twenty-one years. Nothing James Bonny, nor Jack Rackham, could ever have produced within her body.

A smile rift upon her lips, and tears welled behind her lashes as she continued to stare down at them.

A few moments later, she returned to her own bedchamber, and settled into her mattress with a contented sigh.