A hand boldly trailed down his thigh, and hislids popped open. She rekindled the spark inside him, fanning himwith the heat in her fingers. Her mischievous smile matched thegleam in her eye. She’d waited until he’d teetered on the edge ofdreamland before teasing him. Instead of scolding her, his bodybegged for more. As if by magic, his cock sprang back tolife, ready for the nextround.
What was she going to do? Watching herclosely, he itched to touch her. He fisted the sheets, wishing hewas holding her instead. Lying here waiting was torture. How didFrederick do it all those nights?
It wasn’t natural for him to be submissive,but he knew that was what Allison needed. She’d spent years with anaggressive man. If she needed to take control he would let her. Heloved her that much.
Allison rose and knelt astride him. Hegroaned, not because of her weight, but because her mound brushedhis cock. She was warm and moist and hungry. His hands wrappedaround her waist, enjoying the velvety skin beneath his callousedpalms. She hadn’t asked him to touch her, but she didn’t shrinkbeneath his touch. His thumbs brushed the ladder of her ribs.
She lifted her hips and he realized sheintended to ride him again. He helped guide her into position andonto his arousal. She leaned forward, planting her palms on hischest. Her dark hair fanned his face. He breathed in her scent.
He rested his head back on the pillow. Slowlyshe rocked her hips.
Her breasts dangled in front of his face,tempting him. He reached a hand up hovering close to her.
“Go ahead.”
He palmed one of them and she mewed. Herlittle noises inflamed his desire. Tresses of midnight hair brushedhis skin as she moved. Allison’s panting became faster, in rhythmwith her movements. Careful not to squeeze too hard, he gripped herass and ground her tight against him. Her shocked but blissfulexpression told him he’d made the right choice. He lifted his hips,impaling her harder with each thrust and smiled when she criedout.
She came, silhouetted in the dark barn abovehim, her fingers curled into the flesh of his shoulders. The visionof her coming and the knowledgehe’d done something right excited him. He released inside her longand slow, his orgasm drawn out by his desire to not miss a secondof hers. Completely focused on her, he forgot his surroundings, thedate, the time and merged into her completely.
So this is how love feels.
When they’d both finished, he closed his eyesand pulled her down on top of him. His whole world was completelistening to the sound of their breathing.
After their second release, Allison rested inGeorge’s arms. He had enjoyed her pleasant distraction. She wasskilled with her fingers and her tongue. His head spun witheverything he had learned. Her eyes closed and her breathinggradually returned to normal.
I’d love to have more experience withyou.
“I hope I did all right,” he murmured intoher hair.
“You’re more man than Grier or Coswell. Thereis more to being a man than sexual prowess.”
Fearing she’d get cold with just the blanket,he wrapped the quilt around both of them. He raised her hand to hislips and kissing her fingers chastely. “Your needs will always comebefore mine, Allison. Please be open with me and tell me what youneed.”
“A good night’s sleep,” she said, sinkingonto the pallet. Her eyes fluttered closed.
That was not the response he’d been fishingfor. He needed answers before she fell asleep.
“Honey,” he whispered into her ear. “We needto talk.”
She murmured something incoherent.
“It is important, Allison,” George said, thistime louder with a note ofauthority to his voice.
She opened her eyes and gazed at him with acontented expression. “Don’t ruin the moment. We can talk in themorning.”
George drew a deep breath. Likely shewouldn’t want to talk about it in the morning either. He couldn’tput this off any longer.
He sat up and she sighed. Braving herirritation would be a small price to pay for her safety. A whiteman was chasing her, and he wanted to know who he was and why.
“If I am going to keep you safe from thisCoswell I need to know about him.”
Allison propped herself up on her elbows.“What do you want to know?”
She was really making this difficult. Hehadn’t planned on prying everyword out of her. “Everything. I need to know everything sostart at the beginning.”
Allison stared at the blanket. “Coswell ownsseveral whorehouses and he wants me to work for him.”
“What?” George exclaimed.
Allison cringed. “Putting up with Grier foreight years and an occasional friend was enough. I don’t want towork for him.” Her voice was low but carried heart-wrenching intensity.
George took her hand in his and drew circleson the palm. He sensed she had more to say. She had jogged hismemory. Coswell was the white man who had taken his money for lyingwith Mary. He shuddered. That man had menacing eyes. He didn’t wanthim anywhere near his Allison.
“It is really the only thing I’ve done sincechildhood,” Allison continued slowly as if proceeding with caution.“As soon as I was old enough, Grier brought me into his house and…”her voice choked off with sobs.
“Allison, I am so sorry.” He pulled her tohim and wrapped his arms around her. They sat quietly for severalminutes. George rocked her back and forth, hoping it would be assoothing to her as it was the children.
She rested her head on his shoulder. Sheremained tense, stiff in his arms. Atleast she had stopped crying. She took a deep breath andbrushed the last of her tears out of her eyes.
“I’m a whore, George. Nothing but a whore.”She swallowed hard and looked away from him. “I’m sure you don’twant me.”
George gently touched her chin and guided herface back to his. “I don’t care about your past, Allison. That lifewasn’t of your choosing. It was forced upon you.”
“That doesn’t make any difference. I’m aruined woman.”
George kissed the remnants of tears away fromher cheeks. “My brother—”
“Doesn’t like me,” Allison said before hecould finish.
George shook his head. “How could he not likeyou? He hasn’t even
