Defiant Hearts Read online

  Laura felt the sleek strands of his black hair as she twirled them around her fingers at his nape. She eyed his perfect and enchanting features, shadowed but visible from the hall’s light, and her fingers and lips roamed them with ardor. She relished his kisses, which were seductive and dazing as he tenderly caressed her willing flesh. Soon, there was not a spot on her that did not burn or quiver with longing and pleasure. She was nestled in his strong embrace as his fingers wandered over her from head to knee—stroking, enflaming, seeking, finding, giving, sharing. Her head lolled on the pillow as his deft lips fastened to a breast and tantalized its peak to taut eagerness as his hand gently kneaded the other one. She wanted this man with all of her heart and soul. She responded to the signal from his nudging fingers to part her thighs so they could drift up and down those sensitive lengths before one tenderly invaded her woman’s domain. She sighed in bliss, amazed it felt so wonderful. There was a quickening in her stomach and a sweet tension building in her loins. She did not recoil or halt him when his finger slipped within her, delving, thrusting, moistening her, assailing her very core with delight and an eagerness for more.

  Jayce brushed his fingers over her rib cage and traveled the curves and planes of her pliant body. She caressed his shoulders, arms and back with light but highly arousing gestures and matching him kiss for kiss, so he felt assured he was doing everything right. He ached to bury himself inside her, but he did not want to take her before she was prepared to enjoy it with him. His fingers dove into the shiny and thick waves of her blond hair. Her lips brushed kisses over his neck, throat, and face while he did the same with hers. He loved feeling her naked flesh next to his, a sensation more splendid than he had imagined or dreamed. Once more his mouth captured her breast and claimed its nipple. He kissed, teethed, and brought it to full attention. His emotions were intense; he was dizzy and feverish to sheathe, to calm, to cool and soften his rock-hard eagerness within her.

  Laura savored the magic of his deft tongue and talented hands. A searing heat stormed her body, one so potent and demanding and swift that it astonished her. She felt the tautness and erotic heat of his protruding desire against her hip. She wanted to feel it inside her and could deny that knowledge no longer. “Oh, Jayce,” she moaned.

  He moved atop her, the force of his weight controlled. She wrapped her arms around his back and pressed her fingers near his spine to entice him to unite their bodies. His mouth melded with hers as their lips tantalized and their tongues teased. He slid the tip of his erection into her, paused to allow her time to become accustomed to its presence, then gently thrust further past her delicate folds until his arousal was concealed by her soft and damp haven. He halted once more as he kissed and caressed her, hoping to distract her from the discomfort and to enflame her again. He had felt her tense and heard her take a gasp of air and give a slight moan upon his entry. He continued his kisses and caresses until she relaxed and responded to them. He withdrew slightly and returned, then repeated his action several times. He decided the pain had subsided when she captured him between her legs with overlapped ankles. With that unspoken signal, he set a regular pace and pattern to his thrusts. His manhood was hot, stiff, and yearning to sate them both. He hoped he could keep it mastered long enough to do so, but she was so enchanting and feverish now that it was difficult to maintain control.

  Laura felt no shame or modesty with this man she loved. Yes, she admitted, loved. A flood of suspenseful rapture washed over her, one so powerful that she could deny him nothing he wanted from her, here, now, away from the obstacles that stood between them. She trailed her fingers over the rippling muscles of his back where no scars marred his flesh. She felt those in his firm buttocks contracting and relaxing as he entered and departed her netherland. It was as if primal urgings trapped within her surfaced and roamed freely, as if her instinct told her what to do. She matched his pace and pattern, clinging to him, almost ravishing his mouth, refusing to allow him to withdraw for any distance or any length of time.

  Jayce’s ravenous appetite for her heightened as she pressed against him, fully engulfing his manhood. When he felt her stiffen and heard her gasp for air, this time he knew she was in the early thralls of sweet release. He hastened and strengthened his thrusts to give her supreme pleasure; as she writhed and moaned, he knew he had succeeded, and joy suffused him with that glorious victory. He was so enraptured by her and their special bonding that nothing could have seized his attention or pulled him from her side at that moment, not even mortar shells falling outside or even ripping into the room. With his pulsing shaft encased in her moist sanctuary, his own goal was reached with ease.

  A rush of exquisite splendor seized them as they climaxed within minutes of each other, their releases overlapping, then subsiding as one. Their greedy mouths and questing hands continued to send messages of satisfaction and serenity as they remained cuddled and quiet for a time.

  Later Jayce propped on his side, leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. “I was right,” he murmured.

  She looked into his eyes and asked, “Right about what?”

  He caressed her flushed cheek. “You being the perfect woman for me. I suspected that fact when I first met you; now I’ve proven it.”

  “If anyone is perfect, Lieutenant Jayce Storm, it’s you.”

  The use of his alleged name and rank returned Jayce Durance’s mind to reality. He frowned and took a deep breath. He didn’t want to spoil their cherished episode, the first of many and the beginning of a bright future together, he hoped. But his time was limited and his mission crucial to him and to the Union, so he had to ignore his personal feelings.

  “Did I say something wrong?” she asked, witnessing his odd reaction.

  “No, I just remembered why I sneaked off to see you tonight.”

  “This wasn’t the reason?” she jested to lighten his heavy mood.

  He shook his head. “I had no idea we’d wind up in…together like this, but I’m glad we did. You’re a very special woman, Laura Carlisle, and you mean more to me than you know. But, I have to ask you one question: did you tell anybody why I was in town the last time?”

  That query astonished her, caught her off-guard. He looked so serious, so worried, so…skeptical of her. She had a strong suspicion he hadn’t come to delve her emotions or to reveal his. She couldn’t imagine where the question was leading them, and she feared she didn’t want to know.

  Chapter Ten

  Laura answered him with honesty, “No, I told nobody. Why do you ask?”

  Jayce wished he didn’t have to explain his motive, but he had gone too far to back down now. He read confusion and sadness in her gaze as she sat up and pulled the sheet over her bare breasts. He sat up, too, the cover concealing his private parts as it pooled over his lap. He met her eyes as he spoke. “One of our agents said one of Grant’s agents told him a lieutenant was in Richmond on the twenty-sixth of last month getting horses to flank him; you were the only one I told that to, because it wasn’t true.”

  To Laura, his statement wielded a two-edged sword: he was accusing her of passing information to the enemy, and he had deceived her for an unknown reason. Even so, he looked disturbed about having to ask her, and worried about her answer. She was fully aware of a spy’s grim fate if caught, but what tormented and concerned her the most was her personal feelings. “You lied to me?” she asked, bewildered. “Why?”

  Jayce noticed how she studied him and his words before responding, and he couldn’t determine what that hesitation meant. Worse, he had to deceive her again as he answered, “Because my superior officer made me swear not to tell anybody I came to deliver dispatches mapping out the strategy for what happened a few days later. He said if anybody asked why I was in town, to say what I told you. I’m sorry I deceived you, but I had no choice. It came as a shock when that lie turned up in Grant’s hand.”

  “If the enemy learned that information, true or false, Jayce, it wasn’t from me, I swear. Do you really beli
eve I would betray you?” She did not add, betray the Confederacy, since—in a way she did that often, and her expression might expose that secret, that lie.

  “I didn’t think you would do it on purpose, but I thought you may have mentioned it by accident to the wrong person. Surely you see how suspicious that was. I didn’t tell anybody except you, and I felt terrible for doing it. I wish I had kept my mouth shut, but you cause me to lose my reason.”

  Laura smiled. “I understand your doubts, but I’m not guilty. I didn’t repeat what you said to anybody, including Lily, my best friend. Besides, I’m not the only one who heard it. Don’t you remember: Frank Powell was standing inside the doorway when you told me that information? Perhaps he, or someone in another room standing at a window, overheard you and passed it to the enemy. I know that Frank often acts strangely,” she divulged, then elaborated on her words. “I swear to you, I didn’t tell anyone.”

  Jayce caressed her cheek and smiled. “I believe you. I’m glad I can trust you because you mean a lot to me.” Much as he hated to do so, he had to test her because so much was at stake, personally and for the Union. “As soon as we pull that surprise attack on Grant next Thursday, I should be able to come see you again a few days later. We’ve gotten twenty thousand more men and five big guns to push him out of City Point. Once that area is cleared of Yanks, they won’t be attacking Richmond again and it’ll get us back that railroad and use of the river for transporting supplies. I’m supposed to be out scouting for the enemy’s locations, but I came here before finishing that task because I had to clear up this troubling matter.”

  Laura hoped he was revealing those things to prove he trusted her, and wasn’t trying to entrap her by seeing if they got back to Grant. She knew she could never pass that information along to Ben, as it would endanger Jayce, if what he said was true. Either way, this time, she would let fate take its course, or another spy could discover the facts and relay them along. She took a deep breath and kept her gaze locked to his blue one, detecting no doubt about her in it. She knew it was hazardous to have an intimate relationship with him, but she couldn’t help herself. Even so, she cautioned herself to be careful not to expose her dark secret and risk losing him before he came to love her and understand.

  Jayce smiled, and scolded himself for thinking for even a second that she could be a Union spy. Yet, if that had been true, there would be no barrier between them for him to hurdle. He was glad he had been wrong because spying would place her life in jeopardy. But there still remained the mystery of who had passed that false information to Grant and why. He made a mental note to see what he could learn about Frank Powell of Alabama. For now, he needed to repair the breach in his relationship with Laura, and he vowed never to test her again. The best way to do that was to be honest and open, this time. “I’m sorry I had to ask you that or any question, because I love you and want to share a future with you after the war.”

  “Future?” We have none if you learn my secrets. “Are you sure, Jayce? You came here mistrusting me, remember?”

  “I love you and trust you, this I swear with all my heart. When my superior asked who I had told, I didn’t mention you or your hotel because I didn’t want either one falling under suspicion and causing you trouble. I was hoping to clear up the matter myself; that’s why I sneaked up here to see you. I think you may be right about Powell, so watch out for him. I don’t want him dragging you into a bad situation if he’s guilty and gets caught.”

  As she weighed his mood and words, she believed he was serious and honest. Yet, the obstacle between them—allegiance to opposite sides—was enormous. Why did cruel fate sendyou here to create havoc with my emotions and mission if I can’t haveyou? she agonized.

  “Are you afraid to trust me now?” he asked, worried by her silence.

  She rested her head against his chest. “The only thing I fear is something or someone tearing us apart.”

  He hugged her. “We won’t let that happen, my love. I won’t.”

  “We have no control over the actions of our enemy, or spies incriminating me or my hotel. It concerns me that someone heard what you said and passed it along.” She related news about Clark and Hill and their accomplices, and hinted at how those two events could make trouble for her. She shifted her head to look at him and vow, “Whatever happens beyond this night, Jayce, know without doubt I will never repeat anything you tell me. I love and desire only you, and I believe you are the perfect man for me.”

  “There’s no doubt you’re the perfect woman for me, so wait for me until I return. This war can’t go on forever, and I’ll do my best to get it done with as fast as possible.” I’ll find a way to keep you and to do my duty. How, I don’t know yet.

  Jayce’s mouth slanted across Laura’s in a tender kiss to which she responded with eagerness. Many others followed, the pressure of his lips varying from gentle and soft to firm and demanding. His deft hands roamed her back. His mouth soon journeyed down her neck and over her ears, driving her wild with feverish cravings.

  Laura wondered if her kindled body could ignite into a roaring blaze that would consume her if its flames were not extinguished soon. Her senses were alive, responsive. She leaned her head back to let him rove down her throat and travel her shoulders. She pressed her hips to his, bringing their fiery loins into snug and tantalizing proximity.

  Jayce’s body trembled with need. Her mouth seemed to ravish his with undeniable urgency. He felt as if he could explode like a cannon just from touching her and being touched by her. No female had aroused him to such great hunger. Mercy, he loved and wanted her.

  His hands fondled and kneaded her breasts, their nipples growing hard beneath his fingers. His mouth joined them to labor lovingly on their sweet flesh. Later, one hand drifted down her rib cage, moving slowly and sensuously over each bone as if he were counting them. He grinned and chuckled when she wiggled and laughed. His palm flattened over her stomach and moved from hipbone to hipbone as he relished the smooth and warm surface, each trip carrying him lower and lower until he found his goal.

  Laura quivered in anticipation, then squirmed in delight as his fingers explored the pulsing nub and silky folds surrounding it. She trailed her fingertips over his broad back and shoulders, stroking the soft covering over his hard frame. She felt his muscles ripple from his stirring actions. She wanted him to continue this thrilling and fervent exploration, but her body begged to have him within her, claiming her completely.

  His mouth moved back to hers as he moved atop her once more. His manhood entered her feminine domain and reveled in the welcome it received, this time without discomfort, from her reaction. He began to thrust and withdraw as he kissed and caressed her. When passion threatened to overwhelm him, he paused and took several deep breaths, retreating until only the tip of his organ was poised at her netherland. But Laura’s hands and mouth protested the delay and her hips and legs urged him to resume his previous actions. “Easy, my love; I want you so fiercely I’m about to lose all control.” That was a situation which surprised him, considering he had sated himself only a short time ago.

  “There’s no need for control, my beloved.”

  Heat and suspense rose in his loins as he slipped within her until his hardness was fully ensheathed and was quivering on the brink of release.

  As he probed and fed her voracious core, sparks of ecstasy licked over Laura’s body. Those tiny jolts built into powerful ones that staggered her senses and swept her away to another glorious climax. As he plunged into her depths with such splendid skill, she gave herself fully to him. She clung to him, let her tongue dance with his, and writhed moaning against him.

  For a minute, Jayce’s wits scattered and his heart pounded as she captured his gaze, stroked his jawline, and once more confessed her feelings for him. He responded meaningfully, “I love and desire you, Laura, more than you can know.” He buried his face in her flowing hair and thrust into her until every drop of love’s nectar was drained from him.

>   Afterward, sated but almost breathless from their exertions, they cuddled in each other’s arms, sharing and savoring their closeness and mutual serenity.

  It wasn’t long before Laura was asleep, and Jayce was compelled to slip from her side and return to his duty. He donned his uniform, went into her sitting room, and sat down at her desk. He found paper and pen and wrote her a message, which he placed on his pillow. He gazed at her for a few minutes, closed the net, picked up his boots, and departed. He used special skills to lock the front door from the outside so she would be safe from harm. His horse was waiting where he had left it beside her house, out of view from the stable and hotel, where all rooms were dark now. Without making any loud noises, he mounted and left for City Point to prepare for heavy action tomorrow.

  Laura awakened on Saturday morning at six-fifteen to find Jayce gone. She read the note placed on the pillow next to hers.

  Dear Laura,

  I meant what I said, I love you and trust you and want you to wait for me. Keep alert for trouble and flee to safety if necessary. If we get separated during the war, be at the hotel site every Friday after it’s over; that’s where I’ll look for you and wait for you.

  All my love, Jayce

  Joy filled her as she read the message several times. She realized he had used paper and pen at her desk, so she was glad nothing suspicious was kept in there. Love, her heart sang, was a glorious and wonderful feeling. She could hardly wait to see him again and—

  Her gaze widened as she noticed how much light and noise was coming through her windows. She glanced at the mantel clock and gasped in disbelief at the hour. Breakfast would be served at seven and everyone would wonder where she was! She hadn’t slept late since she became the owner of the hotel. She decided she had done so now because she was so relaxed and satisfied.