A Captain's Destiny by Marie Caron Read Free Book Online Page A

surrounding him looked warm and inviting, and Katherine knew that surrendering to the warmth of his body would be the only way she would get any sleep. But a part of her fought the desire to feel his arms around her once more. She had been embarrassed to the bone to discover herself wrapped around him that morning, and she was afraid of what might happen if she gave in to her body’s desire to be near him. He was too much man for her body to ignore.
    Unlike the men who had courted her since her come-out, Jack was all male. He cared not about how he looked, about what he wore—or didn’t wear—or about any of the frivolities that were so popular with the men of her social standing. Indeed, he looked better than they ever could, even in their finery, when he was just dressed in simple breeches and a linen shirt. That thought drew her eyes to Jack’s tall, lean body, causing her to blush.
    As Jack removed his clothing and slipped under the blankets, he smiled at her. “Now come here and lie with me. I will keep you warm, and you can do the same for me,” he said, as he patted the space beside him.
    Katherine shifted over on her bottom, until her hips were next to his, all the while trying not to stare at the swirl of dark brown hair below his navel, which was slightly exposed when he invitingly lifted the blanket.
    “You would be more comfortable if you removed your gown,” he said softly, as she tried to get comfortable.
    Knowing he spoke the truth, she sat up, dropped her shawl, and allowed him to help her with the laces of her gown. Dressed only in her chemise, Katherine stretched out on her back next to Jack. It was much more comfortable without the encumbrance of her gown and slips, but now she was cold. She shivered.
    “Turn on your side,” he said then, nudging her so that she turned and faced away from him. With Jack snuggled up behind her, his arm across her hip, Katherine felt as warm as toast. She was asleep in minutes.
    Sometime later she began to awaken, as a big, warm hand made smoothing circles on her belly, while warm, wet lips nibbled the side of her neck. What Jack was doing felt good and non-threatening, and so she allowed it, as she continued to drift between sleep and waking.
    It was another minute before she realized that the hand she felt was touching her bare skin, and that her chemise was no longer covering the area below her waist. Moving her hand down, she discovered her only remaining article of clothing gathered around her middle, and a large male hand was making circular passes over her exposed belly. She quickly realized whose hand it was, and she was about to protest, when his voice whispered in her ear.
    “Sweet Katherine, I want you so very much. You can’t deny that you want me too,” he said confidently, his voice hoarse and tight, as though his self-restraint was causing him great pain.
    He wanted her, and Katherine felt his need. Indeed, she felt a need of her own, and, without a worry about the consequences, she placed her hand over his. “Yes, I want you, but…I’m afraid,” she admitted.
    “I know. It will hurt at first, but I will be as gentle as I can be,” he promised her, as his fingers feathered through the tight curls at the apex of her thighs, swirling around her clitoris, driving her to new heights of desire.
    The feeling was so new and so enjoyable that Katherine had no doubt it was what she wanted. She turned to him, and his much larger body covered half of hers, his left knee pushing her thighs apart, as his fingers slid between her nether lips. Wetted in the juices of her arousal, his invading digits easily found the entrance to her womanly secrets, and as he circled it, she gasped.
    “I have you now,” he whispered, as he nibbled on her earlobe.
    Katherine’s stomach clinched in expectation. She had never been touched down there before, and suddenly she wasn’t certain she could go through with this. “Jack, I…”
    “Hush, my sweet. You have nothing