He forgot about watching her but thought only of his own pleasure. He pushed down and she clung to him, arching to meet his final, frantic thrusts.
She gave a quick, short, sharp scream at the end but then buried her open mouth in the smooth, hot skin of his shoulder.
“Jessie, my love,” he whispered, his sweaty body holding hers very tightly.
It was a long time before Jessica felt the cramping in her legs and moved to ease her body. But the Raider held her close.
“Cold, my love?” he whispered.
“No,” she said, smiling, kissing his arm thrown across her, almost as if he thought she might try to leave him. “I thought I wasn’t going to find you,” she murmured, relaxed and drowsy. “I didn’t think it was going to happen. Alexander will be hurt, but I’ll soothe him.”
He didn’t say anything as he nuzzled his face against her hair. “Alexander?”
“Yes,” she said, smiling in the dim light. “I’ll have to tell Alex that I can’t marry him.”
“Marry?” the Raider said, sounding rather stupid.
“I thought you said you watched me. Surely you know about the admiral’s decree. I’m to marry someone tomorrow. I waited for you as long as I could, but then Alex offered and for a while I thought I was going to have to marry him. You are willing to take the children, aren’t you?”
The Raider didn’t loosen the hold he had on her. “Jessie, I can’t marry you.”
“Well, of course I know you can’t very well stand before the congregation wearing a mask. I’ll tell people I met you while I was fishing and you’ve been away at sea. That way no one will suspect that you’re—”
“Jessie, I can’t marry you.”
“Because of Alex? He knows about you. Alex is very understanding. I’ll explain—”
“Jessie, please don’t make this worse. I cannot marry you.”
When what he was saying finally began to penetrate her brain, she tried to pull away from him but he held her fast. “Release me,” she said through her teeth.
“Jessie, you have to understand that there are reasons why I can’t marry you.”
“One,” she said, trying to get away from him. “All I need is one intelligent reason.”
“You’ll have to trust me.”
“Ha!” She pulled her head away enough to look at him. “Now I understand what I am to you. Are you married? Do you have children of your own? What do I know about you? How easy I must seem to you. Do you laugh about me with your friends? How many other women do you—”
He kissed her mouth and held the kiss until she stopped struggling. “Jessie, you have every right to your anger. I deserve everything you say. But please believe me that I love you and only you.”
“Then don’t let me marry someone else,” she whispered.
“Montgomery can’t make love to you.”
It took Jess a moment to understand what he was saying. “You bastard,” she said under her breath. “You’ll let me marry Alex because he can’t do the only thing you can do?”
“I couldn’t bear another man touching you. Jessie, I love you.”
She pushed hard at him, but he held her in the hay. She glared at him. “Alexander was right about you. He said you weren’t much of a Raider and, now, I don’t think you’re much of a man.”
“You didn’t doubt my manhood a moment ago,” he said indignantly. “Jessie, let’s not fight.” He began to kiss her neck.
“So,” she said quietly, “tomorrow you’ll let me marry another man.”
“I have no choice. Westmoreland made his ultimatum and I can’t marry you, so, if it must be someone, Montgomery is the best choice. At least he won’t be touching you.”
She relaxed her body, and when she felt his grip loosen, she rolled away from him. “And neither will you be touching me.”