Weeks passed since Nicholas had arrived home and she took great pains to avoid him when she could. The memory of his kiss had left her shaken, stirring memories of other kisses.
She felt like she had known Nicholas before her accident. Somehow this feeling persisted, despite the vague replies she got from Mrs. Bingham. Catherine was jumpy and irritable of late. She often spoke snappishly, earning a reproving stare from her teacher. Her lessons were complete. She had learned everything she needed to know to venture back out into the world again, but wondered if she dared.
She had an ominous feeling when she woke from her dreams that morning, making little sense of what she saw. She knew whatever fragments from her past that still existed were so jumbled she could make no sense of them. But she remembered something that was clear. Her green eyes narrowed. She had definitely kissed Nicholas before.
Nicholas eyed her in amusement at the end of the dining room table as they took breakfast. She had been avoiding him. He knew and was pleased he had ruffled her feathers.
He visited Solange to ease the ache in him nightly. He had been caught by Catherine leaving one evening to see his mistress and the look on her face told him she knew where he went. He had just arrived home and saw her blatant disapproval.
The servants gossiped incessantly and all spoke of the lovely Solange in whispers that Catherine overheard and stiffened with shock and yes, was it jealousy she felt? She told herself she did not care who he went to, but deep down, she was hurt by it. Each night his booted feet passed by her door, she heard him pause before he left.
“Is there something wrong, Catherine?” he asked as he met her gaze with an infuriating smile.
“No, it is nothing.”
“You have hardly eaten at all,” he pointed out as he ladled more eggs onto his plate.
Her eyes narrowed more to see him taking second helpings. She smiled tightly. “I haven’t quite your appetite this morning, Captain,” she replied sweetly.
Nicholas knew she was angry. He could see it in her eyes. He hoped she would act upon it soon. Holding her at arm’s length was killing him.
“A pity, my dear,” he said softly as he met her angry look, “for I am very hungry.”
Catherine felt those intense blue eyes upon her and felt her face grow hotter. His subtle innuendo made her heart beat furiously.
“I wouldn’t want to make a disgusting pig of myself,” she stated disdainfully as her eyes cut him in two.
“I insist you dive right in, my dear,” he said challengingly. His knowing smile made her want to throw her plate at his head. “There is plenty to go around, to be sure. You know you want some.”
“I think I will show a little more self-control, Captain,” she replied coolly. She slipped away from the table. “Gluttony is a sin, you realize?”
Nicholas grinned as she stalked past him. She sailed out of the room with her head held high. He ladled more eggs on his plate. After another meal similar to that, and she would find out how hungry he really was.
###
Nicholas didn’t see Catherine again until the noon hour. She looked adorably aggravated to see Martha and Tulley were absent as she sat to dine alone with him again. Nicholas didn’t have the heart to tell her they were deliberately leaving them alone.
He drank in the sight of her in the pale yellow cotton dress. It complimented her dark hair and her snapping green eyes. He hid a smile, seeing she was close to coming undone.
After a fair amount of time enduring her glowers, he set down his fork.
“You have been looking daggers at me all through our lunch, my dear. What is it I have done to anger you?” he said knowingly, leaning back to eye her in amusement. She scowled slightly and pushed her plate away.
He had only just arrived home from his ship and she seemed to notice his disreputable appearance with even more disapproval than at breakfast. His clothes were rumpled and his hair was disheveled. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the red love marks upon his neck.
His eyes danced with devilish glee as they met hers. Her look said she knew where he spent his afternoon and clearly did not like it. He was enjoying her discomfort. He was glad he had endured the tavern wenches affections while he had several pints with Gibbey just to push her over the edge.
Thinking of her sleeping only feet away had been nearly his undoing. If not for his consorting with Solange, he would have done the unthinkable and gone to her. It was too soon, he knew. He was disgusted with the game he played with her to push her into coming to him. He was determined he would fight the urge to force the issue, despite her obvious displeasure the direction his lust took him. She certainly had not opened her door to him yet, and he would not force himself on any woman.
“You are mistaken, Nicholas, I am not the least angry with you,” she said coolly and drank the wine in her glass slowly, her expression disinterested. “What you do is your business.”
He chuckled at her dismissive words. “You have a problem with how I spend my evenings, do you?”
“I could care less the whore’s bed you flop upon!” she snapped irately. She flushed under his look that said he did not believe her. “As I said, it is your business. I only think it rather lewd you do so with such little discretion. Everyone knows you go to her!”
“I wasn’t trying to hide it, my dear,” he said with a gloating smile. “My relationship with Solange is my affair. If I wish to move the woman in, I will. None will gainsay me, especially you. I am not married. If you have an issue with my relationship with her, I suggest you apply yourself to keeping me home at night.”
She gasped at the crude implication and jumped to her feet, her green eyes flashing as she pushed her chair back and flung him a distasteful glance.
“I will most certainly not! And I will not reside under this roof with a common whore, either! You can satisfy your lust elsewhere, Nicholas, as you so obviously do. I will not stand for it if she lives here as well! I am healed now and I can make my own way. I do not have to stay here any longer.”
“Sit down. I am not done speaking to you,” he ordered harshly, angry at her threats to leave. His threat to move Solange in had only been made to irritate her. “You are behaving like a spoiled child!”
“And you are behaving like a rutting swine!” she said scornfully and shoved the chair under the table where it slammed against the tables edge. “I am leaving and there is nothing you can do about it!” she flung as she stormed past him.
His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist and he wrenched her backward, his blue eyes darkening in anger.
“You are going nowhere, Catherine!” he gritted out and dragged her into his lap. “You will realize that I am the master here and you will mind your tongue!”
She gasped as he pulled her across his lap and raised his hand. She thrashed as she realized his intent. She howled with rage as his large hand came down hard upon her bottom. Tears stung at her eyes as he spanked her once, twice, thrice.
She bit her lip and refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out again. She counted five spankings before he pushed her off his lap and she backed away from him.
She was looking at him with such revulsion and anger he was momentarily riddled with guilt, until she speared him with her gaze and spoke through clenched teeth, tears shining in her eyes.
“I will leave here and you cannot stop me!” She turned and was gone, leaving him to stare after her in anguish as he absorbed her words.
He could not stop her if that was her intent. His heart thudded in his chest, thinking he had pushed her too far with trying to provoke her jealousy. He had broken off with Solange at the first sign of her anger noticing where he went at night. He wanted no confusion who he wanted, especially now.
He pushed away from the table and rose to go after her and thought better of it. She was in a temper. He did not trust himself to not toss her over his shoulder and take her to his room to prove he was indeed the master here.
###
Catherine was so overwrought that she decided to go walking on the beach. She needed to think. The heat of the day made a swim sound glorious. She often used the secluded pool a mile down the beach from the house, unaware it was also his swimming spot. She grabbed a bathing sheet before she left the house through the gardens.
The scent of jasmine and gardenia was thick in the air and tantalized her senses as she walked down the jungle path. She smiled as she heard exotic birds squawking in the distance.
She could hardly believe she had threatened Nicholas she would leave here. It was paradise. It was her home. She could think of no other place she would ever feel so safe.
Here she had found herself once more.
True, she knew ugliness existed once in her past. The distorted images no longer bothered her. She no longer knew what they meant, and no longer cared. Catherine hurried down the dirt path to the white, sandy beach. She was still simmering in anger after her argument with Nicholas.
The tumultuous feelings she had for Nicholas now confused her. As always, she was besieged with the visions of the past. She made her way nearly a mile from the residence to a private cove hidden by dense foliage.
Catherine slipped her dress over her head and hung it over a bush. She slipped off her underclothes and kicked off her shoes. She waded naked into the sparkling azure water of the pool, sighing at the feel of the cool water on her heated skin. She submerged and came up feeling refreshed and invigorated. She floated upon her back for a time, listening to the sounds of the ocean.
She closed her eyes and smiled, feeling the sun on her face. Her skin would burn easily and she would hear stern lectures from Mrs. Bingham. She swam to the rocks at the edge of the pool where a huge palm tree overhung the water and shaded the area. She treaded water for a time and listened to the sounds of the jungle and the birds squawking in the distance.
###
Nicholas finished his lunch and went in search of Catherine, hoping she had time to calm down. His search proved the girl had gone into hiding and he gave up upon it. He sighed, realizing he had probably scared her with his treatment of her. He stepped out onto the veranda and eyed the gardens below approvingly.
It was the hottest part of the day and he suddenly remembered his swimming spot. A swim sounded refreshing indeed. He mused Catherine was probably in her room hiding from him as he took the stone steps to the path that led to the beach.
Nicholas walked down the beach. When he stepped within the cove, he stopped abruptly as he encountered the gown hanging over the bush. He swore viciously and stepped closer and saw her. She floated with her arms over her head, her full lush breasts bobbing temptingly above the water. His cock stirred in his breeches and his eyes took in the sight of her naked splendor with raw lust.
She flipped onto her belly and paddled away and the sight of her naked derriere made him groan as it flipped above the water. His hands went to the fastenings of his breeches and he stripped before he changed his mind and returned to the house. He tossed off his shirt and joined her in the pool silently. He dove under the water. He swam stealthily underneath her. His hand snaked out and grabbed her dainty ankle and pulled her under the water.
Catherine screamed and flailed as she was pulled under the water. She saw Nicholas and she pulled away, kicking at him as she hit the surface of the water. She was sputtering and spewing water. He came up chuckling at her.
“You are an awful, wretched man! You scared me to death, Nicholas!” she yelled and pushed her wet hair out of her eyes as she met his merry blue ones. They crinkled teasingly as they met hers. “You should not be here with me. Go away!” she said suddenly as he swam closer, his expression intent as when he kissed her in the parlor.
Her buttocks still smarted from his anger and she did not want to fight with him anymore. She swam backward as he grew nearer.
“Afraid you can’t trust yourself with me?” Nicholas asked tauntingly, his eyes never leaving hers. The coolness of the ocean had little effect on his ardor.
The temptation to swim the mere five feet that separated them was great, despite his decision to go slowly with her. Opportunity had knocked and he was not turning back now without an answer.
“It is not decent! You are very vain if you think yourself so irresistible to me! You come home smelling like a whore and expect me to greet you with open arms? You are sadly mistaken!”
“Come now, Catherine, you enjoyed my kissing you before. You are merely jealous I spend my nights with another,” he said softly and his blue eyes met hers knowingly. “You want me to do more than kiss you and we both know it. If I to touch you right now, you would come into my arms and beg me to make love to you.”
“I would do no such thing! I wish to leave now! You will let me pass!” she said angrily and refused to meet his teasing gaze. “Mrs. Bingham will be looking for me. You will look away from me now while I swim to shore. I will not indulge your lust as does this Solange creature. It is obvious she doesn’t do a very good job if you are here sniffing after me.”
“I would be careful if I were you,” he warned softly, his eyes promising she would regret it if she continued to bait him further.
“Why? Would you force me just to prove you are the master?” she snarled and splashed him in the face. “You are a master of fools if you think I will bow to you! Go seek out your whore and leave me alone!”
A determined light entered his gaze as it dipped to view her delectable breasts under the water, her nipples hardened from the cool water. He swam closer, the intent in his gaze obvious as she swam away with a cry of denial.
“Come, sweetheart and I will show you what you are missing!” he cajoled in determination as he pursued her across the pool. He took his time, enjoying seeing her look of shock as she read the obvious lust in his features. “I fear we need to begin your lessons in this area as well.”
“Oh! You are impossible!” she cried and swam away from him. “And to think I thought you as pious as a saint when all along you were nothing more than a lecher!”
She very nearly got a few feet from him when he leapt after her and caught her by the leg. His hand gripped her calf and dragged her back to him.
He was able to touch the bottom of the pool. He dragged her thrashing naked body to his chest. He looked down at her with anger and desire flaring in his eyes.
“I am no saint, love! And neither are you!” He growled as he adjusted her against him, the proof of his words jutting against her thigh.
He held her against him and nearly went mad as she wiggled and thrashed in his arms. Her delicious nudity against his aroused body was his undoing and his mouth crashed down on hers forcefully.
His hands went to her hips and held her still against him. She sobbed as his hard shaft brushed her femininity making her quiver against him. His mouth was hard and insistent, parting her lips as his fingers dug into her buttocks, rubbing her against him, forcing her to feel how his body needed hers.
She was weightless in the water and he balanced her so she sat upon the length of his cock, his blue eyes never leaving her startled green ones.
He lifted his head and regarded her with a taut expression. “Tell me you want me, Catherine,” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips at her dazed expression. “Tell me,” he whispered as the tip of his cock rubbed at her opening with slow, seeking insistence. “You lie when you say you do not care if I seek out another. We both know you want me as much as I want you. I dare you to admit it and end both our suffering now.”
“I want you,” she whispered hoarsely and her eyes widened as he thrust hungrily inside of her.
She gasped and her eyes darkened with need, her arms wrapping around his neck as he held her in the water. A low moan of passion escaped him as he clutched her hips tightly and imbedded himself deeply within her. She gripped his shoulders, her face pressed into his neck.
Nicholas closed his eyes in ecstasy. He luxuriated in the feel of her clenching around him once more. He waded out of the water, carrying her to the shoreline. He came down upon her hungrily, their bodied still joined.
His arms balanced himself above her as he moved deep within her. Her legs wrapped around his plunging hips tightly. She thrashed wildly in the sand beneath him while the water lapped about them, her fingers digging into his back. Low moans escaped his lips as he pressed her down into the sand, his lips covering hers as they made love wildly, bucking frantically and arching to get closer.
No gentleness remained as they strained together. Nicholas was dazed as he sank into her feeling the water rush beneath them, feeling him lose himself within her. His body tensed and went rigid as the blood roared in his ears. Catherine tightened around him, trembling violently in his arms. Soft cries escaped her parted lips as she clutched his dark head to her, gripping handfuls of his hair and tugged his mouth back to hers.
She lay limp beneath him finally, unable to meet his eyes as he rolled off of her finally and went in search of her bathing sheet. He tossed it to her as he passed, wading back into the pool. Catherine sat up in the sand and wanted to cry suddenly for giving herself to him like this. All her recent fantasies had not prepared her for the way this happened.
With no promises between them, she feared the worst now. She had more than enjoyed it. Her eyes darkened as she watched him frolic in the water. The temptation to join him was there. Her hurt she had succumbed before receiving some promise from him was palpable. She brushed at the sand that encrusted her body in disgust. He grinned at her as he swam, seeing her pouting at the shore.
She avoided his gaze and stomped behind a tree to towel dry herself, ignoring the delicious ache between her legs. She dressed and towel dried her hair. She brushed the remaining sand off her, feeling wretched as she came out behind the tree.
She watched as he swam in the pool, oblivious to her distress. He stepped out of the water and she sucked in her breath as he walked towards her, unashamedly naked. His huge arousal was still evident as he reached for the towel, his blue eyes teasing as they met her stare.
She noticed his scar to avoid looking at any other part of him and frowned, reaching out to touch it lightly.
“How did you come by this?” she asked curiously, seeing him stiffen suddenly and his expression changed.
He dressed quickly, yanking the shirt over his head to hide the scar from her view. He appeared unwilling to tell her.
“That is the consequence of being a smuggler and nothing more,” he said and shrugged dismissively. “Why? Does it disgust you?”
She shook her head and asked him no more, sensing he would tell her nothing. She was still angry he had destroyed the easy relationship between them by making her acquiesce to his desires.
It changed everything and she was sorry that she had deliberately pushed him. She wanted him and was ashamed to realize she could not bear him going to another any longer.
She was saddened at the realization she was little different from the woman he satisfied his needs with. He cared for her, but not in any lasting way. It was not how she saw things between them at all.
Those fantasies had some fairy tale ending attached she could no longer see now. Her wanton behavior had spoiled everything. Her lips quivered to think of it.
Catherine knew he would expect her to be his mistress and she looked away, distressed by the notion. Flashes of her with the faceless man in her dreams had told her that much. She wanted more suddenly and felt tears sting her gaze. He finished dressing, the silence between them growing like a chasm.
“You pleased me very much, Catherine,” he whispered and reached for her, but she moved away from him.
He frowned, what was wrong with the girl now?
“Why are you acting this way? You wanted me as I wanted you! We did nothing wrong here! I do not see why we must deny ourselves any longer.”
“Of course you do not! You do not have to bear the shame of it as I will, when everyone discovers what has happened!” she jeered as she watched him frown darkly.
“Catherine, you are a woman grown and very desirable and I am a man,” he said tautly and flung her a look of annoyance. “I would think everyone would wonder why it took you so long to come around.”
“Obviously I was of low moral character in my former life to allow you to do this, it is obvious. I am little more than a strumpet. I am a whore.”
“Shut up!” he bellowed and tossed down the sheet and grabbed her, shaking her and looking down at her harshly. “You are no whore, do you here? You are mine, damn you! I will not allow you to turn this into something wrong! We belong together, can you not tell? Shall I show you again? I have thought of nothing but you! You are mine, for always. Do you understand now?”
Catherine stumbled when he released her and she stared up at him in shock, her hand covering her mouth at his words. He scowled at her as he grabbed her arm and ushered her toward the path.
“You will not come here alone again, do you here?” he said harshly and pushed her ahead of him, realizing he had almost exposed his feelings to her. “It is not safe out here alone, Catherine.”
“I will do as I please!” she said haughtily and walked away from him, her green eyes narrowing at his imperious demands. “You do not own me now, Nicholas.”
Nicholas caught up with her and grabbed her. He laughed as he tossed her over his massive shoulder, chuckling as she shrieked in rage. He spanked her buttock and then stroked it soothingly, remembering his treatment of her earlier and decided she had learned her lesson.
“You will obey me, wench, there are lawless men who run unchecked on this island.”
“I don’t see any lawless men here but you!” she flung as she dangled upside down against his back, her rear smarting from his smack on her bottom. “Put me down! I can walk.”
Nicholas laughed as he let her slide down his body until she came to stand on her feet. He watched her flush furiously as every inch of their bodies touched. Her pulse quickened and she was angry at her body’s response to him. He had but to touch her, and a longing formed in her belly. Even now, as she was angry at him she wanted him inside her again. Her eyes grew smoky.
“Are you sure I do not own you?” he taunted softly as he looked down at her.
“I am quite sure. This changes nothing!” she snapped and moved away from him. She walked up the path hurriedly, cursing him under her breath until she got to the garden gate.
He caught up to her and grabbed her shoulder before she could enter the gardens.
“We must talk about what has happened today,” he said softly as he looked down at her. “I will not allow you to push me away anymore. You will come to my bed tonight, wench. You are mine, Catherine. Do not make me come after you.”
“What will Mrs. Bingham say?” she whispered furiously and snatched her shoulder free. “The people here all believe me to be your niece! You are not acting like an uncle at all, Nicholas!”
“I am not feeling like an uncle at all, Catherine,” he whispered back teasingly and chuckled lecherously, pinching her bottom and his blue eyes twinkled in merriment. “I’m feeling like a lusty, uncouth sailor!”
“You are truly despicable, do you know that?” she whispered angrily. “How can I face anyone now? They will all know what we were doing!”
“I don’t bloody care!” he snapped and leaned forward meaningfully. “You are mine and I shall shout it to the rooftops!” He cleared his throat to launch into his threat and she clapped a hand over his mouth. She giggled and her green eyes begged for mercy.
“Please, just stop it!” she said and her lips twitched as she felt her anger at him melt. He looked down at her so charmingly she melted beneath his gaze. Catherine knew she would go to him that night, and every night thereafter. She shivered in anticipation as she moved away from the gate.
She was whispering over her shoulder. “I should go in first. You will do me the favor of giving it several minutes before you come in after me. That should deflect any outward suspicion.”
“I think not!” he growled in annoyance. She shrieked as he ran to her. He lifted her into his arms, carrying her up to the house with eyes glowing. “You will learn that I do not hide anything, love.”