Improper Longings

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Improper Longings ISBN # 1-4199-0816-2 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Improper Longings Copyright© 2006 Dawn Ryder Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower. Cover art by Syneca. Electronic book Publication: November 2006 This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 443103502. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

Content Advisory: S – ENSUOUS E – ROTIC X - TREME Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (Erotic), and X (X-treme). The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers. This story has been rated E–rotic. S-ensuous love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination. E-rotic love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. E-rated titles might contain material that some readers find objectionable—in other words, almost anything goes, sexually. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry in terms of both sexual language and descriptiveness in these works of literature. X-treme titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Stories designated with the letter X tend to contain difficult or controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

IMPROPER LONGINGS Dawn Ryder

Dawn Ryder

Chapter One

New Hampshire 1887 “Terrible idea.” Charity Ann Saddler did not move as her father aimed his stare at her silent figure. Her new stepmother didn’t care for her husband’s quick dismissal of her latest idea for getting rid of her unwanted stepdaughter. Her face presented a rare frown as her eyes flickered over Charity. The harsh expression was unusual because Savannah was the very picture of ladylike perfection. Her hair was smooth, her complexion milk white and her expression always enjoyable. She fluttered her eyelashes and transformed her face back into its customary sweet expression before she turned her attention back to her husband. She lifted one perfectly gloved hand towards him. “Some arrangement needs to be made, Gilroy. The girl is getting long in the tooth.” Savannah Saddler moved silently across the floor and took Charity’s father’s attention with her as she idly stroked one of her father’s lapels with her gloved hand. A small ruby flush decorated Gilroy’s face as he looked at his new wife and she smiled back at him. Charity held her tongue, but she wasn’t blind to the way her new stepmother twisted her father to suit her whims. It was as if the woman held some secret power over the otherwise stern master of the house. Savannah fluttered her eyelashes at her husband. “But you must have a better idea. That would be so delightful. You always have the most wonderful ideas when it comes to these matters. I was only trying to help by suggesting Paul Taylor.” “Of course, my dear, but the Taylor boy simply won’t do.” Charity tightened her lips as her father sputtered and patted his wife’s hand. Savannah was only two years older than she herself was. Their marriage was quite the scandal in town. But money could still many of the wagging tongues, simply because many of the townspeople did business with her father. So Savannah stood firmly in her place as lady of the house, despite the displeasure of the community over her youth. It wasn’t unheard of for a man with money to take a young wife, even if it was frowned upon. It could be swept under the carpet so long as one simply attempted to believe that Gilroy was interested in more children. He therefore required a young wife who might produce a muchdesired son. But Charity didn’t believe that was her sire’s motivation. Not in moments like these, when she noticed her father’s gaze lingering on her stepmother’s breasts. She knew it was not a potential son that prompted their wedding. Charity saw the heat that flickered in her father’s eyes when they rested on Savannah. Their relationship was clearly not a matter of simple negotiation, but a result of something much more…unspeakable.

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Well, it was unmentionable as far as society was concerned. Charity secretly found it quite fascinating. What was it that drew her father out of his normally stern behavior? How did Savannah captivate him, when she had always been told that men and women were vastly different from each other? It was a puzzle that held her attention completely. This mystery defied every social lesson she’d ever learned from those around her. The ladies all spoke of marriage in hushed voices but Savannah cast smiles at her new husband that were more than sweet. “Didn’t I tell you, darling? Charity will accompany the Polsons on their return to the islands.” Gilroy cleared his throat as he caught Charity staring at him. “Yes, yes, so sorry I forgot to mention it. You know Charity has a fascination with science. I thought it a good thing to do, give her the chance to travel before settling into marriage. I’ll have the matter of her husband settled before she returns.” Gilroy stroked Savannah’s hand. “She’ll marry at twenty-four, just as you did.” Savannah turned her face away from her husband to look at Charity. Her mouth was twisted into anger over the mention of her age. She controlled the outburst expertly. “How lovely.” Her voice was smooth and honey-coated even if temper still brightened her eyes. She covered her face with a smooth smile before turning to look at Gilroy once more. Savannah dropped him a tiny curtsy. The respectful dropping of her head in deference to her husband lost a great deal of its effect because Gilroy looked at her like a hound awaiting its evening meal. Just who held authority was muddled as Charity watched them with curious eyes. It was a solid truth that she found her sire’s behavior completely insane. Passion was an affliction of youth, certainly not something she would have thought to find her father suffering from. That made her even more curious to discover what fueled her father’s behavior. Savannah moved towards her with a rustle of silk from her petticoat. “I shall help her pack her trunk.” Savannah reached for a bell pull and gave it a quick jerk before she turned her attention back to Charity. Triumph shone in her blue eyes as she offered Charity a smile that was full of victory. Charity dropped her father a curtsy before she turned to climb the stairs. She refused to allow the tears stinging her eyes to fall because she had known that today was indeed coming. She had embraced that certainty the moment Savannah returned from her honeymoon and took charge of the house. Her stepmother had never once failed to impress upon her that her father’s house was now hers. Savannah had no intentions of sharing even one upper-floor room with her stepdaughter. There was no point in being unhappy. Childhood had to end sometime. That was another thing she had told herself to expect when Savannah first turned her father’s eye. She was too old to run with her father and ignore the rest of the world. He was her best friend—in truth, her only friend since her mother had died when she was ten. Traveling was certainly better than a quickly arranged marriage to a man willing to better his life by wedding her. Paul Taylor was the son of one of her father’s managers.

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That family would deliver the lad to the church hogtied, even if she were eighty and convicted of murder. The opportunity to rise above their station would not be ignored. She smiled as she considered her father’s way of softening the blow of reality. The Reverend Polson had never been given an answer to his invitation. Charity let a large smile cover her face as she considered being allowed to set sail for the islands. She would have to sneak into her father’s study to thank him later, when Savannah wasn’t around. Charity reached the top of the stairs. She looked down to see Savannah resting on the landing in the middle of the staircase. Her stepmother was a slave to fashion. Her steel bone stays were laced tightly around her waist. It was currently all the rage, this tight lacing, but rather unpractical as far as Charity could see. A good corset was a lady’s friend, but to wear it so tightly that you could not even climb a single flight of stairs baffled her. That was pure nonsense. Her own corset was firm and supporting, but she had forbidden her maid to yank the laces tight enough to compress her lower ribs. Fashion did not hold enough interest for her to suffer the bruising and dizzy spells that went along with tight lacing. Charity turned and made her way to her room. She was neat and polished. She saw no reason to strap a full bustle onto her fanny every hour of the day. A braided horsehair pad was plenty good enough for morning as far as she could see. Her skirts were neatly buttoned up in back so that her overskirt fell in waves, but there was no train. Savannah was currently pulling the weight of a huge double bustle up the final few stairs. Charity raised a hand to silence her amusement at the sight of her stepmother gasping for breath like a freshly caught trout. There were far too many things to see in this life to spend her time unable to move because of a dress. Savannah embraced society’s strict dictates on fashion with a devotion that left a huge canyon between them. There were few common interests between them to hold even the most mild conversations about. Savannah was more interested in critiquing her for failing to attend to her appearance with the same amount of interest that she did. The word “blue stocking” had slipped from Savannah’s lips more than once when she thought she was far enough away from Charity to let her true feelings loose. Hmm, there was another thing that Charity did not much concern herself over. She adored learning. Any subject! If that earned her the title of “blue stocking”, she would wear it proudly. The current fashion of raising daughters to be ignorant exasperated her. Girls expected to spend more time learning about social necessities—if they did happen to also learn a bit of science along the way, they were taught to remain silent when gentlemen spoke on those matters. That was something Charity failed at. She had a sound mind and could see no reason to allow her father’s friends to believe otherwise. If that meant no man wanted her for his wife, she would face spinsterhood cheerfully. Better that than live like a ninny without the spine to voice a correct answer from time to time. She knew how to balance a ledger book and wasn’t going to hide that fact either.

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Well, she was off to see the world, or at least a part of it. Charity shook off her misgivings as she opened a book to look at the map. The Caribbean, once the territory of pirates like Blackbeard, was now some of the most coveted farming land on the entire planet. The tiny islands were covered in rich soil. The tropical climate produced highpriced cash crops like coffee and sugar. Her heart accelerated as she considered the rumors she had heard of the lush plant life. She might get to see some of the animals that Darwin actually cited as proof of his theory of Natural Selection. A small giggle escaped her lips. Savannah would not be pleased to know she knew of Doctor Darwin. Ladies of good family did not embrace his evolution theories or even admit to knowing of them. But Charity craved facts. She loved to turn puzzles about in her thoughts, merely for the enjoyment of considering new angles to them. It was the age of man after all! Every day new inventions proved that humans were the most intelligent creatures on the planet. Charity turned to the task of packing her trunk with enthusiasm. Her head filled with the opportunity her father had given her. Oh…she could not be too cross with him for marrying Savannah. There was something between them that hinted of base need. At least, that was what the rumors whispered. Being more practical than most girls, Charity knew so much more about the realities of just where children came from. She must remember that her sire had allowed her to learn, when most girls would have been sent straight to the music room instead. In a way, that made it much simpler to pack. She had very few friends. So leaving would not be a burden. The Polsons ran a mission school for the natives of one island. She faced Savannah’s scheme to be rid of her with delight. Because it was, in truth, an adventure!

***** One week later Fate had a most cruel sense of humor. Charity straightened her back as she felt a trickle of sweat run right down her spine. The tropical heat was a machination of Satan himself! Her lightweight summer clothing was still stifling, and they were still a full week outside of their destination. She sighed as her brain insisted on reminding her that the heat was going to increase as they neared the equator. For the first time in her life, Charity was quite certain that ignorance could in fact be bliss. “Ah, my dear Miss Charity. Delightful day, isn’t it?” Reverend Polson leaned on his cane and drew a deep breath of sea air into his lungs. “The captain has just informed me that we are expected to make our scheduled arrival time.” “How nice.” Charity looked out to sea and listened to the steam engine as it drove their ship. Beneath the hem of her skirt she had her feet braced against the roll of the ocean. It delighted her that, for once, no one was chastising her for standing in so 7

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unladylike a stance. Disembarking from civilization did have its advantages. Practicality was the law of the sea. She offered the reverend a genuine smile as they both watched the birds swooping down to catch tiny fish. Her adventure was not disappointing so far. A little heat could be dismissed in light of so many freedoms from the constrictions of society. Not that she was tossing aside her appearances. That simply wouldn’t do at all. Her traveling companions were missionaries and that made it permissible for her to accompany them. The conversation might not be lively, but it was always joyful. The reverend had been her father’s friend for years before devoting himself to teaching Christianity to the inhabitants of the tropical islands. He returned to New Hampshire each year for a ball that raised money for his church and school. Charity walked with him around the ship as the afternoon breeze pulled at her hair. Her hat was pinned tightly through her braids in an effort to protect her skin. The reverend was lightly tanned, and the sailors working on the vessel were all dark bronze or black. Her ivory skin looked rather unhealthy compared to her companions. Even Ruth, the reverend’s wife, was not untouched by the sun. Charity smiled as she considered Savannah battling the strong sun. Her stepmother never set one foot outside the door without bonnet and parasol. Charity laughed under her breath—perhaps she would never go home!

***** A jubilant crowd was waiting on the dock when they arrived. Charity stared at the shining smiles as the reverend and his wife were greeted with open joy. There was no controlled handshaking or curtsies. The dark-skinned women cried right out over the heads of the men who jostled against each other for a chance to slap open hands against the reverend’s back. He dove right into the group of noisy greeters. The spectacle brought a smile to her face as Charity followed at a distance. This public display of emotion fascinated her. Society was very strict on such outpouring of energy, dictating that it was improper. Well, then perhaps she enjoyed being improper because Charity was captivated by the moment as they made their way away from the ship. There were rows of open stalls selling fruit that she had never seen, cloth and just about anything you might desire. The owners sang out what they had to sell as the reverend walked confidently down the brick road with his congregation. He would turn his head back to catch sight of her from time to time but his attention was always recaptured by his friends. Charity didn’t mind. There was so much to see that she was quite content to listen to the strange language and witness the raw vitality of the native market place. Huge parrots she had only seen in sketches were perched in some of the stalls, their bright colors a feast for her eyes. Another stall housed a long, brown reptile that stared at her with amber eyes as it moved on its perch in the back of the stall.

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The people were a feast for her senses as well. There wasn’t a pair of gloves in sight. Charity looked at her own hands and envied them the freedom. In the warm, tropical climate she could definitely see the reasoning behind dispensing with the endless layers required by society. She cast her eyes toward Ruth Polson and noticed that the good reverend’s wife had completely transformed. Gone was the lady who entered New Hampshire with every consideration of fashion observed. Now Ruth wore a simple cotton dress and her stays were loose. A large straw hat sat neatly on her hair as she spoke with several women. Her friends were very interesting. Their clothing was bright. They even had fabric wrapped around their heads like turbans. But what drew her interest most was the lack of fabric their dresses were made from. Most of their arms were completely bare. Their dresses did not button to their collarbones, many of them looked like they were wrapped around the body, leaving a deep vee of bare skin. It was also clear that the native women of the island did not wear corsets. Charity tried not to stare at them, but she was as curious as a little girl the night before Christmas. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked at the natural shape of her own breasts. What an odd notion. To suddenly realize that you were unsure what your own body looked like. Charity decided that she should have to remedy that very shortly. She had to live in her flesh, didn’t she? How could looking at her own skin be wicked? Besides, she wanted to know and her mind rarely dismissed any opportunity to learn. “It’s like walking in Eden, Charity.” Ruth had stopped and placed her hands lightly on Charity’s shoulders. She smiled broadly like the women around her, no sedate curving of her lips but a full expression that showed her teeth. “These are the innocent and uninstructed children of the globe.” “It is amazing, Mrs. Polson.” Ruth smiled at her once again as they neared the church. It rose above the street and the surrounding buildings with its cross centered right over the doorway. It was made of light brown stone and was the largest building on the street. As far as the New Hampshire residents who donated to the church would have thought, it was a humble sanctuary. Charity adored it. Anything grander would have been vulgar sitting in the little town. The church was splendid among its neighbors. She silently applauded the reverend’s good judgment in making certain his church fit its congregation. That was a skill too many back home lacked. They spent their time attempting to outdress each other, sometimes running up huge debts in order to have the newest Indian silk before some other debutante daughter got it. They would then cut the food allotment for the staff of their huge homes to make up the difference. Charity climbed the steps into the church and said a prayer that was slightly shocking. She praised the heavens for her stepmother’s scheming plans. A smile covered her lips at the improper prayer, but she could not find any shame in it. The reason was simple. It was the truth.

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***** “Jonah Wilburn lives up there.” Charity was startled as a woman walked right into her room without knocking. She shook her head at her own foolishness—there was no door, only a length of cotton hung over the doorframe. You might tie it aside or let it fall closed to cover the entrance. The only rooms with doors were for married couples. “I’m Gaea. Miz Ruth assigned me to helping to look after you.” Gaea was a darkskinned woman and somewhat older than herself. She didn’t bob a curtsy such as her maid back home might have done. Instead, the woman looked proudly at her as she ran an experienced eye down her length and back up before nodding in approval. “Well, you’re a healthy-looking young miss.” It was an odd compliment, but Charity heard the praise in Gaea’s words. It was strange the way she enjoyed the compliment far more than any flattery heaped on her hair or eyes. Gaea smiled as she pointed towards the window and the large plantationstyle house she could see from her windows. There might be no door, like a nun’s cell, but on the opposite side of the room there were large windows that let in the breeze. The panes of glass opened up like a door to allow as much air circulation as possible. She had already learned to make sure the netting was in place around each open window. The insects grew larger in the hot climate. Sitting right in plain sight of her windows was a large, island-style home. It was a mansion by island standards. “Jonah Wilburn owns this here island. That’s his house. The man is always building something up there.” “Owns it?” Charity frowned “That’s right. His granddaddy was awarded it by some king for some service that I don’t recall. But Jonah’s a fair man and the people are happy with him.” That bit of information captured her attention. What sort of a man owned an island? Would he be egotistical or haughty? A noble prince? Charity liked that idea, a man raised to be the ideal of fair conduct set among the lush rainforest. “But he’s not on the island now. Mister Wilburn took the coffee crop to the mainland. We’ll be having a festival when he gets back.” Gaea’s voice filled with excitement as she grinned. “You’ll want to see that. All the people will be here and the music will echo down the street. There’s nothing finer than festival.” “I will look forward to it.” Gaea nodded with approval as she set to helping Charity unpack. Most of her clothes were hopelessly pressed into wrinkles from being sealed in her trunk for the two-week voyage. Charity would find herself spending hours with her set of irons if the warm tropical air didn’t help some of the wrinkles to hang out. It was certainly worth a day or so before unpacking the heavy black cast irons. Gaea clicked her tongue with disapproval as she looked at the contents of the trunk. “You western ladies don’t know much about dressing for the islands.” She held up the only cage bustle Charity had packed, just in case there was an event deemed formal.

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Secretly, she hoped to leave the uncomfortable contraption out of sight. She would cheerfully leave the undergarment forgotten until her days of freedom ended and she was forced to return to society. “Nobody’s bum is shaped like this thing.” Charity felt her eyes go wide at the comment. Never once had anyone made such a personal comment. Ladies never, never discussed their bodies. But the way Gaea looked at the bustle made her press her lips together to hide her amusement. Maybe growing up without a mother had been more of a burden than she thought. A lady mother would have instilled strict obedience to her modesty. But Charity couldn’t quite lament the fact that she wasn’t alarmed by the subject. It was only an undergarment, and one she hated at that. It was not as if she was teetering on the edge of being tempted into letting her virtue be sullied. That left her with a curious idea. Just exactly why was it improper to discuss undergarments with other women? She had never questioned the rules of society before, but Gaea’s blunt comment shook her brain into considering exactly why such a conversation was forbidden. They were both women after all. Gaea held a good point as well—there was no possible way anyone might believe her gown remained in its silhouette without steel boning. Refusing to discuss such things fooled no one, least of all the gentlemen whom ladies wore the things for. “You planning to wear this thing?” Gaea’s voice clearly advised against doing so. One of her dark eyebrows was raised as she held the bustle up in front of her like a dirty pair of boots. “Only if I must.” Her own blunt honesty amused her further. In a small manner, that one sentence was a bit empowering. Gaea grunted and dropped the bustle on the bed before nodding her head “Ain’t no need for that contraption around here. It will get in the way. What kind of man marries a woman who shows up in that sort of nonsense?” Charity turned away towards her wardrobe before her smile broke through her calm expression. She simply could not help being enchanted by Gaea’s outspokenness. Any one of her friends would have dismissed the woman from her service for her bluntness, but Charity found it too endearing to think of losing her. How many times had she sighed over the restrictions of society and its rules for ladies? A lady never thought of her body, a lady never spoke about earthly matters. A lady never raised her voice when she spoke, her hem as she climbed a flight of stairs or her eyes to a gentleman when he complimented her. Blah! There was good reason why she preferred the schoolroom to a ballroom. The lack of practical thinking from the other girls her age turned her stomach! Every single one of them might know exactly how a mare conceived a prized colt but they were expected to be ignorant as to how children appeared among the married. A lady was never seen in public once she learned she was expecting, in fact, even the word “pregnancy” wasn’t

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spoken aloud in the presence of the gently bred. A mare might be carrying a foal, but a lady simply appeared in church with a baby to baptize. It was this and other ridiculous behavior that turned her stomach. But she dared not voice her opinion too loudly. It was unwise to mock those you lived among. While you might shoulder the burden of being shunned by the multitudes, it was a pathetic daughter who shamed her father in front of his friends. So she held her tongue and knew how to walk in a bustle. Life was a curious mixture of honesty and deception. At least she could enjoy the irony it formed.

***** The bustle remained in her trunk. Charity found the inhabitants of the island delightfully simple. The next week passed in a kaleidoscope of color as she explored her paradise. The entire island was a coffee plantation. But that wasn’t the only crop grown. Coffee grew best in partial sunlight, so there were bananas and an array of other fruit trees planted among the coffee plants. Huge leaves spread their green surfaces towards the sun as daily thunderstorms fed the growing crops. Living among the trees were parrots and animals she had only seen in books. The reverend found her fascination with the environment charming. He waved her away from church work to wander with Gaea. “Go on, Charity. There will always be something to do around the mission. Feed your curiosity. Maybe our island will entice you into staying.” “You’re very kind.” Too kind, and she should protest, but Charity just couldn’t find it within herself to be dishonest by offering words she did not mean. Being stuck inside the mission walls horrified her when there was a rainforest to explore. “I promise I shall be more diligent next week.” And she would not think about staying. She could not, her father would be shamed if she did not return home to honor the marriage he was arranging for her. She might not like his taste in wives, but she loved him dearly. He paid for her endless quest for knowledge. She knew full well that many of his friends had warned him against turning her into a blue stocking. Charity shrugged. Here she needn’t concern herself with any of that nonsense! Her shoulders felt light as she stepped forward to discover what lay on the south side of the town.

***** Ruth Polson joined her husband as Charity wandered down the brick road with Gaea. She covered her mouth with one hand as she looked at the harbor and the large steam-powered barge newly arrived in port. “We’re quite terrible, husband.” The reverend turned to wink at her. “Now, Ruth, there’s nothing wrong with a good suggestion.”

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“Suggestion? You’re dangling that girl under Jonah’s nose like a worm on a hook.” Her husband shrugged as his eyes sparkled with mischief. Ruth slapped his forearm. He captured her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “Nothing wrong with tempting the man with God’s sweetest fruit.” “Harold Polson! You’re shameful.” But Ruth couldn’t quite place the right amount of an indignant tone into her words. How could she scold him when she agreed with the idea? It wasn’t so terrible of them, not really. Jonah Wilburn was a man with a…hmm…healthy appetite for women, and the man was a bachelor. If he were to marry a lady with a father who harbored fond thoughts for their church, then there would be no need to worry about the future of their mission. Both income and the land would be ensured by such a union. Ruth whispered a tiny prayer. “He’ll take notice of Charity.” Harold Polson watched her with a keen eye as she moved down the street. “Well, you best make certain Gaea doesn’t slip from her duty. We need a marriage, not a war started over lost honor.” Either way suited Harold. He was a man of God, but one who understood the world around his mission. He wasn’t going to quibble about the details of the match, just so long as Charity ended up wed to Jonah Wilburn. A tiny smirk covered his face as he watched the sway of her hips. Jonah was no abstaining bachelor, he enjoyed the island because the native culture was far more forgiving of a man’s carnal cravings than the men he sold his coffee crop to. A wife would do him a world of good in business as well. It would grant him an edge of respectability that he lacked. In any event, Harold admitted he was going to enjoy watching his plan unfold. Charity was the only white woman within his reach. Harold was wagering that Jonah wouldn’t be able to look and not touch. Harold had spent endless hours writing letters to her father to carefully lay the groundwork for getting the man to allow his daughter along for an extended visit. Charity was the perfect choice because she was not so grand a name that her hand was coveted by powerful families, but she was still very well bred. The girl herself was exactly the sort he needed. Polished but not frail. Too many of the girls he’d considered would turn up their little noses at the island. Charity could not wait to see more of it. So if the girl was happy, where was the harm in instructing Gaea to make sure she crossed Jonah’s path a few times? Maybe even was left alone with the man for a tad bit of time to allow nature to work its whims on the young couple? A touch of passion in a marriage was a good thing to his way of thinking. Her father also had money. Lots of money that he liked to hand out to missions. Harold whistled as he turned and headed back towards the new wing being built in the morning sun. He could live with the sin of trying his hand at matching up a pair of young folks. Women did it all the time. Besides, if Jonah didn’t fancy the girl, she would

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just go home. But if he were a betting man, Harold would lay his money on a wedding before the end of the summer. It would certainly make his year!

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Chapter Two He was spoilt. Damn Brenton! Jonah considered the scotch in his glass. No…curse Evelyn was more like it. His friend’s new wife was perfection. A gem among stones. He was thinking about her like a devoted lovesick puppy, despite two weeks on the ocean to clear her scent out of his nose. He needed a night of carnal intoxication. Jonah lifted his glass to his lips instead. Selecting a willing bed companion left a sour taste in his mouth. It was a damn inconvenient situation. His cock itched, but his heart craved that amazing thing that he’d witnessed in Brenton’s eyes when he looked at Evelyn. She wasn’t a great beauty, nor did she come with a dowry, but she loved him. Damn Brenton. His luck never failed. Jonah raised his glass in a toast to the couple he’d left on the mainland. He shrugged his shoulders and moved towards the front door. The heat was already building and he had a barge to oversee the unloading of. Wallowing in his own pity wasn’t going to help him any. He doubted there was a woman out there who would love him and his island. His cock gave a twitch as he considered what else any decent lady would object to about him. There was a good reason he was cursing Brenton’s luck—Evelyn was a rare creature. One who didn’t let society follow her into the bedchamber. She embraced her sexual hunger once the door was shut. That was the real reason he was cursing Brenton. A wife like that was worth snarling at your friend over. It was hotter than he’d figured. Jonah rubbed his eyes and glared out the window of his cabin on his barge. The natives who lived on the island were brown-skinned from the sun. One pale-skinned lady walking among them stood out like a camel at Derby day. Whoever she was, she stood feeding a monkey small bites of papaya. Jonah stared at her in a mixture of fascination and disgust. The only ivory women on the island were missionaries. That made his fascination turn into disgust. But he just didn’t want to take his eyes off her. Her face wasn’t any remarkable beauty, but excitement lit her eyes as she offered the monkey another bite. There wasn’t a trace of fear or repulsiveness for the animal, only an appreciation for its natural beauty. That was a true rarity in ivory women. They tended to consider themselves better than the local population. The few ivory females who had set foot on his land spent most of their time fussing over the climate and counting the days until they were rescued by a ship bound for civilization. This one was different. Jonah grinned as he watched her but he wrapped his hands tightly around the rail ringing his windows. Whoever his visitor was, she was giving 15

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her attention to the monkey owner’s children now. Any ivory woman who made such an effort to befriend the local population was bound to be connected to the mission. Disappointment flared through his brain as he watched her brush a strand of hair out of her eyes. Well, that would fit his luck, all right. A little missionary walking his dock guaranteed to drive him insane. Jonah cussed under his breath. Why was it that the only females who enjoyed the islands were the ones that swore off men? Well, at least men like him. Sure, the little miss might consent to marry, but his manner of courting would send her back to the mainland before the rainy season was over. Still, he watched her because she was stunning in her enjoyment. She looked free and that was something Jonah understood. He loved his island because he could be himself among the banana trees and the coffee. Society had taken a turn for the stern and proper that reminded him of a hangman’s noose. It was something to be avoided at all costs. That attitude condemned him to only watching little ivory-skinned women like this one, because he wasn’t the sort of man who would ever play the courting games that society demanded. His courtship tactics were far more suited to dark nights than parlors filled with watchful matrons. His cock gave a soft throb and he grinned. Maybe he’d be rethinking that attitude over choosing one of the willing natives to warm his bed after all. Jonah narrowed his eyes as he leaned closer to the window. Little Ivory had taken her attention away from the monkey and the creature wasn’t interested in being denied more food. It jumped down from its wooden perch and gripped her wrist with its hands. The animal smelled the juice from the fruit she’d been holding and bit into her hand, thinking her juice-soaked glove was more food. The stool she sat perched on tipped over as she stood up, but that was the extent of her outburst. Jonah watched her face as she controlled her pain and gently tried to remove the monkey from her arm. The animal screeched at her before willingly letting her go now that there was no more food. A crimson stain began to seep into her white glove and she merely clasped her hands together. A curse slipped out of his mouth as Jonah grabbed his hat. He jammed it onto his head as he left the bridge and moved down the gangway. Little Ivory could remain ignorant on some things, but open wounds festered in the tropical climate. The locals weren’t as delicate as an ivory-skinned woman would be. The owner of the monkey shrugged off the bite because the woman had been living among monkeys all her life. But Little Ivory didn’t have the natural immunity her hosts did. It was only a little bite. Charity blinked away the tears stinging her eyes and tried to dismiss the pain. It was amazing how much it hurt—the pain snaking up into her shoulder was enough to make her gasp. Well, she wouldn’t turn her back on the little primate again! The owner was trying to pull her glove off and Charity politely declined. It was only a little bite. No reason to fuss. “That needs attention, so don’t tell Julia no.” The afternoon sun was blocked out as a large man stepped right up next to her. Charity raised her head to look at his face. He 16

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captured her wrist in a large hand without even asking. Her stained glove was pulled right off her hand as he looked at her finger. “Excuse me, sir.” Charity gave her wrist a pull to remove it from his grip, but he held it firmly and looked at her face. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at him. He wasn’t what fashion might consider handsome, but more a sturdy sort of man. His shoulders were large and spoke of labor. His fingers completely encircled her wrist and her chin only came to his shoulder. Charity felt an odd flutter in her belly as she looked up into his face—she was not a petite lady, but compared to this stranger, she was. His light skin caught her attention. He was no native of the island. “Monkey bites are serious.” His hazel eyes were full of authority and so was his voice. This man was accustomed to being obeyed. A tingle raced up her arm from where their skin met. She was acutely aware that their bare skin touched. His gaze shifted momentarily to her hand before returning to her face. “My apologies for being abrupt, but the tropical climate isn’t forgiving. This wound needs attention.” He didn’t intend to allow her any choice in the matter. Charity found her feet shuffling along behind him as he retained his grip on her wrist. They had traveled several steps down the street before she managed to overcome her shock at his abruptness. “Release me, sir.” Charity frowned as she recognized the very real fact that she could not force him to relinquish her arm. She had placed herself in a very uncertain position by venturing so far from the mission with only Gaea by her side. Two women were nothing compared to a man such as this one. None of the natives appeared concerned that he was pulling her along with him. They moved out of his path without even a raised eyebrow. “You could lose your arm to infection.” He turned and stared at her shocked expression. “Or die from fever, and that takes a mighty long time to kill a healthy adult like yourself.” Charity shook off her fear. Whoever he was, this man enjoyed wielding his power. “I am quite certain that if what you say is so, my guardians can and shall see to the matter.” She gave a yank on her arm but only managed to inflict more pain on her shoulder as her wrist remained his captive. A soft chuckle rose from her company as he considered her. His grip tightened slightly before she was free. He swept his hat off his head as another chuckle rose from his throat. “Jonah Wilburn. You must be traveling with the good reverend.” He stated his opinion like a judgment, and Charity suddenly didn’t care for his confidence. The man had no business being so smug when the matter was her personal information. “Indeed.” He chuckled again at her indignant tone. His eyes sparkled before sweeping down her body and back up. Her cheeks heated into a blush, but Charity was staring back at him when his eyes returned to her face. She would not lower her eyes in the face of his boldness. Let Jonah Wilburn know that she witnessed his presumption. For some

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reason, it was vitally important that she ensure that he knew she was not timid. She forbade herself to blush, but her cheeks turned hot in defiance of her pride. At least the strong morning sun would hide the telltale stain from Mr. Wilburn. “You’re staunch for a missionary.” A grin decorated his lips but faded when he looked at her hand once again. “And I wasn’t attempting to frighten you falsely. This hand needs attention. I have the proper supplies onboard my vessel.” He extended an arm towards the gangway that was two feet from where she had stopped him. Charity stared at his gesture because it struck her for all the world like a dare. She was itching to lift her chin and march right up that wooden plank, just to prove to him that she was not some simpering miss. But such emotions really were too dramatic. Really. She should take her own temper to task. “Thank you for the offer, but I couldn’t impose on your hospitality.” It was the expected response. A polished reply, it would have made her governess proud. Sweet, non-personal and ever-so proper. Disappointment fluttered through her and she was surprised to see something similar flicker across Jonah’s face. But that dare resurfaced as he shrugged his powerful shoulders. “I assure you, madam, if it was seduction I had on my mind, your maid wouldn’t be trailing your hem.” “Indeed.” The word didn’t come out of her throat quite correctly. A bubble of excitement interfered, adding too much breathlessness to her retort. Charity shifted her gaze momentary to see that Gaea was standing only a few steps away. Somehow Charity had forgotten completely about her escort. The presence of the other woman also made her even more certain that this man was challenging her in some manner. It was far more than flirting, it felt very much like a test of her courage. Jonah wanted to see if she was going to grab her skirts and scurry home like a kitchen mouse. “Do lead on.” The words were out of her mouth in a moment but Charity truly did not regret them. The spark of appreciation that lit Jonah’s eyes was worth whatever regret might appear to torment her into repenting later. For the moment, she lifted her chin and walked up the gangway as though she was strolling into her grandmother’s parlor. It was completely improper but rather practical. Avoiding tropical fever was worth challenging a few little rules of a society that was hundreds of miles away. Besides, she did enjoy a good dare. Fate might have branded her as female, but her heart was often more boyish in its whims. She just didn’t want to behave and ignore Jonah Wilburn. She should. Years spent in the schoolroom had attempted to instill modest behavior in her. She just couldn’t maintain those strict rules of conduct when half the women on the dock wore nothing but a thin layer of cotton over their breasts. They pushed the bright fabric aside and popped dark brown nipples into their babies’ mouths without a care for anyone watching. What was an ungloved hand compared to that?

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Jonah handled her like fine china. Charity watched his large hand, expecting to feel him clasp her finger too tightly, but he never did. She sat on a stool as he worked with her injured hand over a porcelain basin. His eyes were focused on the task, the amount of attention instilling a greater respect for his warning. Truly, she had not considered it any great worry, but the way Jonah was attending to the small tear in her flesh sent a shiver down her arm. He looked up as he felt the little motion. He was only rinsing the cut with water at the moment, but a bottle of whisky stood nearby and Charity had no doubt that Jonah intended to dump the strong spirit onto her wound. It was going to burn something fierce. She set her teeth firmly together as she watched him reach for it. “What’s your name?” “Charity Saddler.” She muttered her name quickly as she watched the liquid pour towards her hand. Fire snaked up her arm as she fluttered her eyelashes to keep tears from glistening in her eyes. Jonah’s eyes dropped to her mouth for a moment. Heat rose in her cheeks once more as she noticed the improper attention. Gentlemen did not look at a lady’s lips. Yet she wasn’t certain just what Jonah was. His pants were fine by anyone’s standards. Tailored to his large waist and long legs. No standard size, these were made for him, and that spoke of money. His shirt was likewise tailored and made to fit his wide shoulders, but he wore only a vest over the fine linen. Most gentlemen would consider death preferable to being seen without their overjackets. But the tropical heat made that notion rather irrational. She herself was wearing the simplest of summer dresses. The thing was rather uncomfortable and her stiff bum pad almost unendurable in the climate. In one short week she had already dreamed of discarding the thing too many times to count. What did that make them? Gentry? Or common? Charity turned the puzzle about in her head as Jonah took up a towel and dried her hand. “Well, your glove is ruined, and you’ll need to leave your hand uncovered until this heals.” A small laugh escaped her lips and she pressed them tight against the tiny sound but Jonah raised an eyebrow at it. The response amused him. Ladies tended to be firmly attached to their clothing, often going so far as to suffer in order to maintain their perceived dignity. The fact that Charity found it amusing intrigued him. The ladies he knew would have taken his advice as an affront to their modesty. “How long were you planning on teaching at the mission, Miss Charity?” Jonah knew it was a brassy question but he wanted to know the exact details of her presence on his island. There was a dark part of his brain concocting ideas that the more practical side warned him away from. Charity drew her hand away from her host. She lingered over the task because she enjoyed the way his skin felt against her own. It was such a simple touch, but all of the tiny nerve endings buried in her skin were extremely aware of his hand still holding hers. She had to pull her eyes from their joined hands to concentrate on Jonah’s

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question. A blush dusted her cheeks as she realized the man must think her simple for giving their joined hands so much of her attention. “Forgive me, but I am not a teacher, only a friend.” “A rather good friend, if you endured an ocean journey just for a visit.” Charity folded her hands together. “A joy really. I was eager to see the islands. I’ve only seen books, and the invitation from the Polsons was quite a delight to receive.” “You’re not married.” Jonah placed the cork back in the bottle of spirits before turning to look at her once more. “That’s for certain.” Charity stared at his face for a moment because something flickered across his eyes. Whatever it was, it captured her undivided attention, almost as if she understood what it was in some portion of her brain that she couldn’t communicate with. The odd awareness of her hand began to spread to the rest of her body as sensation moved up her arm and into her body. She was suddenly so very aware of how hot her dress was and her steel stays were practically unbearable. “Is it?” Charity bit into her lower lip as she attempted to understand why her brain was refusing to work. This was not a good moment to become addlebrained. Jonah chuckled. His mouth curved into a genuine grin as he leaned against one of the polished brass rails that lined the cabin. “Aye, it is. If you had a husband, you haven’t been married very long. Not many men would be willing to let their wives wander the globe without them at your age.” “I imagine you’re correct.” Charity smiled at his use of simple logic to determine her marital status. Jonah stared at her for a moment. Her response wasn’t what he’d expected. There was no indignant show of offended modesty. Instead, she looked impressed. “So which is it? Married to a fool or not married?” She laughed. Her voice was sweet and low. Jonah felt his cock twitch as he watched the way her eyes shimmered with enjoyment. She looked every inch like a lady, but lurking inside her was a woman unafraid to sample life. That was something he craved like a starving man. Charity stood up. “I am unmarried.” Her voice offered him that bit of information like a prize. Her eyes sparkled with mischief before she turned and made her way toward the door. “Thank you, Mister Wilburn. I will be sure to tell the reverend of your kindness.” His thoughts were anything but kind as Charity left his cabin. His cock had risen into a hard staff that wanted to envision an ivory female stretched out in his bed on the other side of the cabin. The bedding was dark blue and Jonah stared at his double-wide bunk as an image of Charity lying on it filled his thoughts. His cock jerked as he cussed softly. Now that was an idea that was going to haunt him, he was sure of it. But he wasn’t quite ready to dismiss it. There was something different about Charity.

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She wasn’t what he’d come to expect of a woman who fit into the category of “lady”. His cock itched as he turned his eyes to her as she moved back down his gangway. She slowly pulled her remaining glove off and smiled as she wiggled her fingers. She hid a naughty smile from the street as she faced his barge while she removed her glove. The look of enjoyment on her face captivated him. Hidden inside that proper dress was a woman who enjoyed life. Jonah watched her smooth her face back into a calm expression before she turned to face the street. His cock burned as he kept his eyes on her. Temptation taunted him with the possibilities of what else she might enjoy beyond just taking off that glove. Adjusting his trousers, Jonah turned and forced his attention to the matter of unloading his barge. It was time to get his work done. That way, he’d be clear to invite the good reverend to dinner.

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Chapter Three A dinner invitation. Charity frowned as she stared at her cage bustle. She was eager to meet Mr. Wilburn once again but loath to don her bustle. She sighed as she pushed her lower lip into a pout. A giggle escaped her lips when she caught sight of her face in the mirror. Oh now there was a sight that Savannah would certainly enjoy! The curtain fluttered as Gaea shouldered the light fabric out of the way. She carried a huge steaming kettle. “Best start getting that dress off. Mister Jonah didn’t give us much time to be getting ready for supper.” Gaea poured the boiling water into the tub sitting by the open windows as she spoke. Charity reached for the buttons running down the front of her dress in response. The woman gave a satisfied grunt as she moved back towards the curtain. “I’ll be back with the other kettle. I done warned the staff to stay clear of this room on account of you’re in the bath.” Gaea was gone a second later as Charity reached her waist. She suddenly turned to look at the full-length mirror as her curiosity returned. There was no dressing screen in the room. Ladies were taught to disrobe behind the screens, to avoid any glimpses of their natural forms. Charity shrugged out of her open bodice and laid it aside as she unhooked her skirt waistband. Since she was wearing her summer clothing, it was much easier for her to remove it herself. She was grateful to have considered that detail while packing. Gaea was more of a chaperone than a true maid, and Charity enjoyed fending for herself. That was a trait that every governess she had ever had scolded her for but it still remained. Independent. Her lips rose into a grin as she recalled the very tone her last governess had used to chastise her with. Her skirt opened and she reached for the hooks on her petticoat before letting both garments slip down her legs to the floor. Well, she was independent, but Charity considered it more of a virtue. Standing like a helpless babe did not appeal to her. It simply seemed practical that even a lady ought to be able to get out of her clothing by herself. She often felt like a toddler as three maids lined up to help dress her for supper by Savannah’s command. It was a waste of time for those women and completely misplaced here on the island. She watched her fingers as they worked the clasps set in the front of her stays. A busk was set with metal nipples that could be used to open her corset from the front. Savannah had forbidden her to order such a garment but her father had secretly paid the second bill that the dressmaker sent him. Charity sighed as she released the last one and set her corset aside.

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The breeze blew in through the open windows, touching her legs. Lifting one foot, she placed it on a chair and began to unbutton her shoe. She rolled her stocking down next, moving faster as the afternoon air lifted the heat from her skin. Turning back to the mirror, she watched the way her thin chemise flowed around her body. Without corset and waistband to bind it to her, the garment was a loose gown that let the warm afternoon air drift over her skin. She tingled as it brushed her, her skin more aware of everything since Jonah had touched her. Charity stroked her bare hand. She smiled as sensation rushed up her arm and little goose bumps appeared. Her chemise had only little cap sleeves and she watched the reaction with curious eyes. She looked back at the mirror. Her breasts hung free and she turned to look at her back without any pad to increase the size of her bottom. She lingered over the sight of her body because it had truly been years since she’d had the opportunity to do so. There was always some maid about to prevent her from studying her natural form. Society said it was wicked to look on the bare flesh. “Nonsense,” Charity muttered as she stepped into the waiting bath. It was her body after all. She reached for the bar of soap sitting on a stool and began to wash. “What is you doing, child?” Gaea moved into the room with another steaming kettle. Her eyes were wide and round as she poured the hot water into the opposite end of the tub. “How do you expect to get clean wearing that dress in your bath?” “Excuse me?” Charity’s hand froze as she looked at the disapproving look on Gaea’s face. “Take that dress off. Can’t nobody bathe while wearing clothing.” How very practical. And shocking. But it was extremely tempting. Charity fingered her wet chemise as part of her begged her to do exactly what Gaea instructed. Bathe in the nude. Not once in her life had she ever done it. Maybe that was what made her want to try it so badly. She was forever tempted by the unknown. “Stand up and I’ll pull it over your head.” Charity was already rising to her feet before she placed any more thought into it. Gaea made another approving grunt as she reached for the wet hem of the garment. She grasped it and tugged it right up her body. “Whoever got the notion to teach you ivory women to be bathing in your clothing? No wonder your skin is so light, you never let the sun kiss it like nature intended.” Gaea didn’t really want an answer to her comment. She wrung out the chemise before moving towards the doorway. She muttered as she went while Charity sat back down. The water rose to cover her breasts and she looked down at her nipples. They were small and pink. She had never looked at them. There were strict codes set down for ladies and they included dressing. An order of undressing that was more of an exchange of garments. After bathing in a chemise, her maid would wrap her in a robe as another maid pulled her wet chemise up her body. The two maids worked as a team

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and it was done behind a dressing screen, so that no hint of bare skin might be glimpsed in the dressing mirror. Charity pushed back to her feet and turned to look at the mirror. She looked without blushing at her body. Her breasts were globes that hung gently on her chest. Her nipples were little pink crowns in the center of each round breast. Her waist was smaller than her hips, even without her stays. Her hips had curves on top of them and she turned to look at her bottom. “Well, there’s something else we have to get rid of.” Gaea stood in the doorway looking right at her without a single hesitation. Her eyes centered on the hair that grew right at the top of her thighs. “I’ll be right back.” A husky laugh rose from her throat as Charity watched the door curtain flutter. Gaea was rapidly becoming her greatest friend by doing nothing more than behaving rationally. A little sigh left her lips next as she went back to bathing. The soap glided over her skin smoothly, sending a small wave of enjoyment through her. Her skin enjoyed being stroked and her lips curved up into a smile as she washed. The afternoon was turning dark as a thunderstorm began to dump water on the higher ground. The birds were noisy as the rain made its way towards the coast. “Here we are. You can’t be keeping that hair between your thighs. Unhealthy in the heat.” Charity felt her eyes widen as Gaea placed a small pottery jar on the stool. There was a large fat cork in the top of it and she pulled it free. “What is that?” “Jafera. It’s made mostly of almonds. The old women say they got the recipe from them harems in the desert. It been on the island for as long as anyone can remember, so who really knows. You spread it on your skin and it melts the body hair away.” “Really?” Charity was reaching for the little jar out of sheer excitement. She lifted it to her face and looked at the contents. It wasn’t very pretty but the scent was fresh enough. It almost looked like fine sea sand with all its different-colored rocks. She poked a finger into it and lifted a bit up. She dabbed it onto her forearm to test it. “Rub it in.” Gaea took the pot away and sat it back on the stool. She dipped her fingers into it and pulled a larger amount out. A second later she had lifted Charity’s arm and slapped the jafera onto her underarm. The woman was strong and held her limb firmly as she rubbed the jafera into the hairs that grew there. “We’ll get you all cleaned up. Right nice that you aren’t getting all prissy on me. I done heard stories about you lady types.” “I believe I enjoy your company as well, Gaea.” Charity tried not to laugh at the way the woman simply took over bathing her. She rubbed more of her jafera under her opposite arm before reaching for one of her ankles. Charity thrust her arm into the water and brought it back up. The tiny hairs on her arm slithered away with the water, leaving a patch of smooth skin. “Oh my goodness.”

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It had to be improper but Charity couldn’t resist stroking the bare patch of skin. She smiled at the rush of sensation that rippled down her limb from the contact. “Like that, do you?” Gaea was grinning from one gold-hooped earbob to the other, her white teeth a stark contrast to her bronze skin. “Yes, ma’am, I got’s to say that I’m starting to like you, Miss Charity. You might just fit in here.” It was an interesting compliment but one that Charity enjoyed. The island certainly was endearing itself to her. So much so, she was beginning to lament her sense of family honor that would see her packing her trunk to return to her father. Looking out the open window, she drank in the beauty of the rainforest. The dark brick buildings of the city couldn’t compare in her opinion. Even the dense tropical heat was nothing compared to the endless rituals that would smother her the moment her toe touched the New Hampshire dock. “Stand up now. We haven’t got all day to get you looking pretty for dinner with Mister Jonah.” Gaea hooked her hands under Charity’s and pulled her out of the tub water. Her eyes never faltered away from her nude body as she applied more of the jafera to her legs and right onto the top of her mons. Charity simply watched with amused eyes because it was so very forbidden. A lady never even thought about her pubic mons. And here she stood grooming it! “There now. Stand there a bit.” Gaea’s eyes survived her work like a competent foreman. She propped her hands onto her ample hips before nodding. “What’s you thinking to wear?” Her voice was laced with a mother’s authority. Gaea lifted one finger and pointed it at her. “Don’t be saying that contraption thing that makes your bum look huge. Mister Jonah ain’t into that sort of nonsense.” “Really? Mrs. Polson won’t wear a bustle?” Gaea snorted. “Miz Ruth don’t even unpack those things. Saves them for the grand society ladies back there on the mainland. She claims that sort of thing is expected among the ladies but I have to say that I don’t understand that one bit. Men like the way the good Lord made women.” Savannah would turn as red as her scarlet silk taffeta. Charity giggled at the image. “Why don’t you choose for me, Gaea? I’m quite certain you’ll make a better choice than I, since I haven’t been here very long.” Nor did she know Jonah Wilburn all that well. A little shiver raced down her body as she considered that she was enduring far more intimate preparation for the man than she ever had before in her life. Her curiosity grasped that thought as she recalled how much she’d enjoyed his touch. That was the real thing that held her attention. That moment, when she had forgotten Gaea and been focused completely on Jonah. “Maybe one of my walking outfits will do for the evening.” Gaea gave her that wide smile once again as she nodded her head. “That’s right, Gaea knows what Mister Jonah likes, I sure do. Sit down in that bath and finish up.”

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Charity did and reached for the soap bar once again. She froze as her eyes found the top of the water. A layer of hair was drifting on its surface, confirming that the jafera had done its duty. A ripple of awareness went through, like she had crossed some unseen border in her mind. Maybe she had. She had bathed in the nude without a blush or protest and the most shocking thing about that was she was not repentant. There was no guilt, no shame and quite frankly, she didn’t understand why she hadn’t realized that bathing in a chemise was more trouble than her modesty was worth. She drew the soap over each thigh before stroking her bare mons. The skin was smooth and soft. Very improper but so delightful. Now there was a combination guaranteed to keep her curiosity busy for some time to come.

***** “You look delightful, my dear girl. I believe our tropical climate agrees with you.” The reverend was waiting for her the moment she emerged from the wing of the house where her room was located. With only curtains over the doorways, it appeared that the mission house was segregated by gender. Gentlemen always went to the left and ladies to the right at the end of the large entry room. “Thank you, sir. Gaea selected the dress.” Charity offered the reverend a small curtsy that he answered with a bow. But his mustache twitched as he grinned. “I knew you’d fit right in here at our mission.” Charity wasn’t sure what to make of the reverend’s comment, but his wife chose that moment to join them. The tension knotting her shoulders eased considerably as Ruth moved into the entry room. She wore a simple blue dress without even a horsehair pad on her bottom. The only thing that made Charity frown was the small hat perched on Ruth’s head. Her own hair was pinned up but Gaea insisted that only two large fresh flowers be worn among her unruly locks. Ruth smiled at her. “How perfect you look, Charity.” Charity smiled. It was another of those compliments that went straight to her heart with its sincerity. She had only one skirt on and it bustled up in the back, giving it a fashionable flare without the cage bustle. A small pad held up the modest amount of fabric while her jacket had a flounce attached at the back to add to the silhouette. It was only an afternoon dress, in blue and gold with three-quarter-length sleeves. She suffered her gloves because, practical or not, she couldn’t quite bring herself to leave them behind. She had been wearing them since she was five years old and first allowed to emerge from the nursery. And yet she had left her hat behind. She touched her pinned hair as a frown marred her face. Her hair had a natural curl to it. The strands never brushed out straight. In the warm night, little curls were escaping to frame her face.

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“All the unmarried girls wear flowers in their hair here, my dear. Gaea has given you sound advice.” “I see.” Charity offered Ruth a smile as she followed them towards the front of the mission. The courtyard was lit with lamps and the mission carriage stood ready for them. Although it was dark, the marketplace was alive with people as they passed through it. Charity had learned on her first day that most everyone napped during the hottest part of the afternoon and then remained awake well after full dark had descended. Music drifted up from the homes that backed up to the market stalls. Many of the ships in the harbor were alight too, and the scents of dinner drifted on the air. Mixed into it all were the sounds of the tropical birds and the ocean. Charity was so enthralled by it that she never caught the conspiring glances being exchanged between her chaperones.

***** Jonah Wilburn was waiting for them. But he wasn’t attending on the front steps. Set off to the side of his home was a huge canopy. Oil lamps surrounded it, washing it in flickering orange and yellow light. A dinner table was set under the fabric canopy while curtains of netting were closed all around it. It had to be the most enchanting dinner table she had ever set eyes on. Charity tore her attention away from it and found Jonah watching her. He offered her a half bow as she climbed the steps between them. “I’m glad to see my table pleases you.” Her face heated with a blush at forgetting her manners so completely as to not even greet her host promptly. Jonah considered her as he held out a hand for hers. Charity placed hers in his from countless years of practice but he didn’t raise it to his lips. His fingers closed around hers, imprisoning her hand as he frowned at her. “But you don’t listen to advice very well.” Charity dropped her eyes to their joined hands and noticed that he wasn’t wearing gloves. His shirt was closed at the wrist with a set of gold cuff links and it was pressed to perfection. Over it, he had on a double-breasted silk vest that fit over his wide shoulders perfectly. But once again, he wore no overjacket. “What advice did you give our Charity today?” Harold Polson stepped up to stand beside her, and Jonah released her hand. She was positive he only did so because the reverend was present. The look in his eyes promised her he would have liked to strip her glove away himself. That made her shiver because she believed he would do exactly that. Take matters into his own hands. Jonah wasn’t the sort of man she had ever dealt with. He fit into that shadowed area between gentleman and common man. His body spoke of hard labor, his wide shoulders a testimony to the times he applied his own strength to the task at hand.

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But his silk vest and gold cuff links pointed at a man who ventured into the realm of gentlemen. The combination made her shiver as some part of her searched his eyes for more hints at his true nature. Jonah pulled his attention from her face to look at the reverend. “A monkey bit her today. I told her to leave those gloves off.” Charity frowned at his tone. Honestly! She was not a child who needed his watchful eye on her. “It is quite well.” Her voice was firm and would have pleased her last governess. Jonah returned his gaze to her face and slowly grinned at her. “No, it isn’t.” He spoke each word in a hard voice. His eyes glittered with challenge as he held his hand out for hers once again. “But dinner awaits us.” The matter was not dropped, merely set aside for the moment. Charity placed her hand in his as he turned and escorted her towards the waiting table. She had walked exactly like that too many times to count, but tonight her nose caught the scent of his skin and her cheeks burned even hotter as her fingertips demanded to tell her how firm his forearm was beneath the thin skirt. The netting was held open for them and closed quickly behind them. “I thought you might enjoy the night air.” Jonah pulled her chair out for her himself. His lips twitched with amusement as she slowly sank into it. His eyes settled onto her cheek before she watched his mouth curl into a grin. “The air will be good for that flush sitting on your cheeks.” He dropped his voice with his last comment, so that only she heard him. Charity turned her face and found Jonah lingering next to her. Her breath froze in her chest for a moment as she felt her blush burn hotter. Almost as if her body did it to attract attention from him. That didn’t make any sense, but he let his gaze shift to her mouth for a mere moment and her lips tingled. The reverend began to chat about his recent visit to the mainland. Charity had never once been so enamored of mild conversation. She was grateful to the couple as they began to share their voyage details with Jonah. She reached for her wineglass and tipped it up as she tried to keep her eyes from straying to her host yet again. Excitement was sailing through her veins and she didn’t even have a notion as to why. It was absurd to find Jonah so enticing when the man behaved so erratically. His words were a mixture of polite conversation and vulgar insinuation. But he was very good at masking that improper portion of his words. It was almost possible to believe that she was imagining it. Something about that captivated her. It shouldn’t have, but her eyes moved across the table to find Jonah watching her. He dropped his gaze to her gloves once again before raising his eyes and shooting a promise across the table. It was one of the boldest things she had ever seen at a dinner table and she sipped at her wine again to hide the gasp that escaped her lips. The man was simply teasing her. She would wear her gloves if she wanted to. Jonah Wilburn held no authority over her. He reached for his wineglass and toasted her

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before taking a large swallow. The meal flowed around them as Charity invested her attention on her host. She was determined to make sure that he knew she wasn’t impressed by his blunt orders. She tugged her glove firmly onto her hand as he watched. The look that entered his eyes shocked her. It was full of heat and determination in a manner she had never once witnessed being aimed at her. Sensation moved over her skin as she found it a chore to sit still in her chair. All she wanted to do was spring to her feet and move. She was grateful when Ruth finally suggested an afterdinner walk. The table had become an uncomfortable place filled with meaningless polite chatter. When all else failed, one should always talk about the weather. He was being set up. Jonah watched the reverend and his wife move away at a far faster pace then he’d ever seen the couple move before. Harold tugged on his wife’s hand to get her to change direction with him and leave Charity alone with him. It should have annoyed him. Jonah considered Charity as she shot him a warning glance. A chuckle got caught in his throat as he watched the way she folded her gloved hands together and moved away from him. She looked about for her chaperones but they had long since vanished into the gardens. She stopped and actually frowned as she recognized that they had left her alone with him. “They’ve practically run in their attempt to leave us alone.” Jonah let his amusement free as he watched Charity for her reaction. She looked back at him and over the garden she could see. She lifted one hand to cover her lips as her eyes went wide. But it wasn’t in fear. Jonah saw the sparkle in her eyes as she covered her smile. “Oh my.” Charity shook her head and tried to clamp some control over her amusement. Laughing at her host was a rather poor thank you for supper. “I should have suspected.” “That makes two of us.” Jonah moved towards her and she stepped away from his larger body. Another shiver shook her, making her lips return to a smooth line. She was so aware of how large he was and that caught her attention. Men normally didn’t interest her very much at all. “My apologies, Mister Wilburn. I had no idea.” “Didn’t you?” Charity stopped and drew herself up. “Indeed I did not.” “Too bad.” His lips twitched up into a smug grin that made her laugh. Charity simply could not control her amusement. “Really, sir.” Jonah stepped closer and she moved again. He didn’t stop though. He began to move in a steady pace as she tried to keep a distance between them. “Can’t I enjoy being the object of your attention?”

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“I suppose that is a valid point.” Charity cast her eyes onto the path she was moving over. “Even if I must shatter that illusion with honesty.” “Never much cared for reality. It has a nasty bite. Stings for days.” Charity jerked her eyes back to him and missed a step as she did it. Jonah abandoned his lazy pace instantly, pressing his body forward on a quick step in order to grasp her forearm. His grip kept her on her feet and he held her still for a moment as his eyes considered hers. “I find society rather stifling, just like you do.” His eyes focused onto her mouth again as she shifted away from him but he merely followed her, still holding her arm in his grasp. He lifted his gaze from her lips to look back at her eyes. “Maybe the good reverend has had himself a decent idea in bringing you along to my island.” “Indeed.” Her voice completely betrayed her. The word emerged from her throat in a husky tone that caused a spark of heat to light up Jonah’s eyes. She stared at that flicker of attraction as her lips went dry and she ran her tongue over her bottom one. His eyes immediately dropped to her mouth. The look that entered his eyes shocked her. Charity jerked away from him and stumbled across the stepping-stones as he frowned at her. “Well, my apologies, sir. I assure you, my goal in traveling here was to escape from the endless question of marriage.” His eyebrows rose as he stood in place to consider her face. Charity stared right back at him. She still refused to duck her chin in shame for her opinion on finding a husband. It was not the most important thing on her mind. “Why?” Jonah was surprised how much he wanted to know the answer. He had yet to see a coy expression cross her face and that just let the idea of her body lying among his sheets surface to torment him with the idea of the possible. “Why?” Charity stumbled over that question. Jonah unclasped his hands from behind his back and leaned against a half wall. “Yes, why did you run away from the idea of marriage?” Charity wanted to smile again, but she should have been offended. Jonah’s question was blunt and hinted at there being a scandal attached to her name back home. Ladies her age simply did not refuse to pursue matrimony. It was expected and proper, but it turned her stomach. “There is no scandal, if that is your true question.” Jonah frowned at her. “I assure you, Charity, I will not find it hard to ask you what I really want to know. I don’t tend to hide my true nature in my own home. If you come here, expect to meet me as I am, not some imagined gentleman who will trade calm comments with you.” His voice was hard with authority, a bit like he intended her to remember his comment. She shifted under his direct stare as she toyed with the idea of being as blunt

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in return. It was what he desired and there was a part of her that was crying out to test his resolve. Would he be repulsed by her forwardness? “My father remarried last season and my stepmother has taken a personal interest in my lack of attention to getting myself wed.” “And your father sent you here?” It was hard to believe. Jonah didn’t care for the disappointment welling up his throat either. Charity wouldn’t be the first lady to walk across his dock in the hopes of snaring herself a man with land. But the look that covered her face stopped him in midthought. Her lips rose into a kind smile as her eyes simmered with happiness. That was the sort of love for a parent that you just couldn’t disguise. “Yes. My father was kind enough to allow me another year of grace. The reverend might be matchmaking but I really don’t think my father had any idea of such plans. Even if he did, I doubt abandoning me without chaperone would have been acceptable. He is my father, and until his recent marriage we spent a great deal of time together. But I suppose he is correct, it is time to face more adult matters concerning my future.” She was telling the truth too. Jonah stared at the way Charity looked him straight in the eye while keeping her pleasant expression. He made his way in the world with his gut instinct, and if she was lying to him, she was damn good at dishonesty. “Well, life is a little less strict here. There are half a dozen ears that would hear you calling out, hidden among the garden.” “But no eyes?” It was an interesting twist. Charity looked around but only the foliage met her gaze. Jonah chuckled as he closed the space between them. He caught her chin in his hand as she gasped. The bare skin-to-skin contact was incredible. Sensation flowed through her as he angled his head closer to her mouth. “No eyes. My staff know to listen but not to crowd me.” “I see.” His eyes lingered on her lower lip for a moment but rose back up to her face as she stepped away from him. One of his eyebrows rose in question. “Do you?” Charity rubbed her hands together as she forced her feet away from him. Jonah didn’t let her get far. “Yes, I believe I do. I’ve become quite a disciple of your island since arriving. There is serenity here.” She rubbed her hands again and longed to remove her gloves. She suddenly understood why Jonah didn’t wear an overcoat. It was pure nonsense in the tropical climate and he was an honest man. He wasn’t willing to put on a garment that had no use in his life. Her wrist was suddenly caught in a hard grip that pulled her to a stop. Jonah’s eyes were dark with something she couldn’t quite name now, but it sent another surge of excitement through her. “So take the gloves off.” It was a challenge. Charity heard that plainly enough. Jonah held onto her wrist as some sort of warning while he waited to see if she would strip the glove off her hand. She stared at his grip on her limb for a moment as excitement flowed through her. It touched parts of her body that she normally did not think about. Her nipples tingled as 31

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she felt the flicker of heat between her thighs. It was being triggered by the scent of warm skin that she kept noticing, and the way he touched her. No light stroke of gloved hand as she was used to. Jonah grasped her arm and held it firmly. She must have hesitated too long because he made a low sound in his throat before closing the gap between them. His fingers found the little button at the wrist of her glove and separated it. “What is the point in being uncomfortable? Are you really so worried that I might take liberties with your body just because I see a bit of skin?” Her glove was pulled right off her hand and tucked into his vest like a trophy. He slid his grip down until their hands were clasped, palm to palm. Jonah raised his eyes to hers. “Although I admit the idea is tempting.” Charity laughed. “You toy with me.” Jonah grinned at her amusement but something lurked in his eyes that made her smile fade. He gave their joined hands a sharp tug and she stumbled right into his body. Her hand was free as he used his arm to secure her against his body. “Believe me, Charity, I play with my toys much more intently than just holding hands.” He really shouldn’t kiss her, but Jonah admitted that doing the proper thing had never really been a strong ideal in him. He wanted a taste of her and wasn’t willing to let a thing like propriety prevent him from getting it. There was also a devil whispering in his ear to see what she did when he captured her mouth. The reverend had baited his trap a little too well. Charity shivered but her cheeks burned because she was shuddering with excitement. It was the honest truth. Her fingers spread out over his shoulders as his mouth teased hers. Jonah didn’t smash his kiss onto her, forcing her to accept it. He didn’t take a hard kiss from her either. His hand held the back of her head in a firm grip but his fingers gently massaged her neck as he angled her head up towards his. His other arm held her firmly against his body, taking full advantage of the fact that she hadn’t worn her cage bustle. There was little to prevent him from draping his arm down her back and securing her against his body. His eyes glittered for a moment before he lightly tasted her lips. He pressed his mouth against hers and stroked her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. It was a slow motion that sent a river of sensation into her breasts and down her spine. She squirmed in his embrace. She wasn’t seeking escape, simply enduring too many pulses of excitement to remain still. Her lips tried to mimic his as he encouraged her mouth open with little strokes of his tongue. Her ungloved hands spread wide over his chest as Jonah chuckled. “Now that was delightful.” He stared at her for a moment before his face drew tight with hunger. “Let’s try the next step.”

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She wasn’t sure what he meant, but she wasn’t interested in demanding to be released. Everything about his embrace felt delicious. She refused to ask for something she did not want. Another chuckle shook his chest as his eyes flashed approval at her. It only lasted for a moment before hunger renewed its grip on him. His hand closed around the nape of her neck as his mouth caught hers in another kiss. This time he demanded her mouth open for his tongue. His kiss was hard and demanding but there was an answering need inside herself that rose up as she let her jaw open for a deeper kiss. His arm tightened around her body as his tongue thrust deep into her mouth. Heat twisted through her, even touching that spot between her thighs. It was overwhelming her with insane urges to use her fingers to claw at his shirt because the fine linen stood between his flesh and hers. Charity pulled her mouth away from his as she recognized how powerful her cravings were. She felt perched on the edge of control and that frightened her with how simple it might be to care about no one but herself. All that mattered was the pulsing tempo of her blood as it raced through her body, awakening spots that had always been ignored. But she had never been fond of recklessness either. “I believe we should stop.” Jonah didn’t care for her comment. He grunted but his arms tightened momentarily around her body. Charity forced her hands to push against his shoulders to make it clear that she meant what she said even if her body was full of opposite impulses. She looked at his face and stood mesmerized by the look in his eyes. She might know what the word passion meant among the pages of a dictionary but tonight was the first time she had ever experienced a true example of it. “Aye. You’re right about that. A few more kisses and I don’t think I’d much care about anyone’s opinion of our activities.” His voice was harsh, almost like he was warning her. Excitement rose again as she caught the flicker of something in his eyes. But his arms released her as he moved away from her. He pressed his lips into a hard line as he stared at her. Disappointment moved through her, despite the fact that she had asked to be released. Her body was far more demanding than it had ever been before. Charity forbade herself to question that fact, at least while she was still so close to Jonah. Jonah eyes moved down her body and back up to her face. “I don’t care for setups.” “Indeed, sir.” This time she was offended. Jonah watched the way she drew her body up even straighter before glaring at him. “Dishonesty is certainly not a part of my character.” “Even when it comes to catching a husband?” Charity was shaking with temper now. That was odd because she wasn’t given to fits of emotional outburst, but Jonah’s firm assumption that she was laying a trap for him enraged her. Straightening her shoulders, she sent him a hard look. “The fact that you are overlooking is that I do not consider marriage an opportunity to outwit all the 33

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other girls around me. If my father insists that I wed, then he may see to the matter of arranging a match. He sent me here as a kindness to my desire to remain unwed.” Jonah crossed his arms over his chest as his forehead creased. “You mean to tell me you don’t like marriage?” He chuckled in a deep tone that sent a spike of excitement through her. “You like the realities of marriage a lot more than most ladies I’ve met.” “Indeed.” This time she muttered the word under her breath and that caught his attention. She pushed her lips into a little pout as she considered his statement. What snagged Jonah’s interest was the fact that instead of worrying about besting him in a bout of verbal sparring, Charity was trying to discern her own reaction to his touch. He stepped back towards her and stroked the side of her face with his hand. Her eyes instantly jerked back to his face but a little shiver worked down her body too. “That doesn’t bother you? The blunt fact that you enjoy being kissed properly?” Charity laughed, she simply could not help it. “I’m not sure that the word ‘proper’ was ever intended to be used in relation to the subject of kissing.” Jonah lost his harsh expression. “Oh there’s a right way and a wrong way to everything. Especially kissing. Why do you think all those matrons back home look so sour all the time? Their husbands have never taken the time to kiss them like they do their mistresses.” Charity shut her jaw and almost turned purple trying to hold her amusement inside her mouth. She couldn’t laugh…really! Jonah’s eyes sparkled as she heard him chuckle. “Go on and laugh. I admit I enjoy your company just because you aren’t like the majority of ladies I’ve met.” “But you enjoy female companionship…” Her words trailed off as Charity realized she was thinking out loud. Jonah chuckled again and moved closer to her. He caught her chin in his hand as he looked into her eyes. “Most men do. The problem is that society is teaching everyone that ladies don’t have the same urges as women.” His voice told her how low an opinion Jonah had of those teachings. Charity agreed in many ways but a warning raced through her thoughts as she caught that flicker of passion in his eyes once more. They were playing with nature, and she was an unpredictable force that it was wise to respect. “Oh Charity my dear! There you are!” Ruth tuned the corner and quickly looked them both over. Jonah didn’t jerk his hand away from her chin, he lingered for just a moment before releasing her. Charity frowned but could not scold him, even with just a harsh glance, because she had not stepped away from him either. “I’m so sorry. I thought you were right behind us, truly I did.” Ruth fluttered her eyelashes as Charity felt suspicion rise up in her. Oh yes, the Polsons were matchmaking, there was no doubt! “No trouble at all.” Jonah cast a curious look at her before he resumed his duty as host. “Charity and I enjoyed a fine conversation. She has a clever mind.”

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“Quite true, sir.” The reverend stepped forward. “Our Charity is a much studied lady. Of course that is the main reason her father agreed to her accompanying us. Charity has a taste for science.” Her cheeks burned once more because she felt like she had suddenly stepped onto an auction block. The reverend began praising her as Ruth joined in the game. Charity sighed as she fell into step with them and they continued. Truly, it made her ill. They continued on as though she could not snare Jonah’s attention by herself, if that was indeed what she longed for. Her thoughts were most improper but she found she didn’t much care. The constant nagging over her marital status was abrasive. Her lips twitched up into a naughty smile once they bid Jonah good night and began the journey home. Yes, she had managed to attract Jonah’s attention all by herself, thank you! The memory of his kiss made her blush, but she enjoyed the burning on her face as she felt a little rush of excitement moving through her veins. Improper or not, she intended to enjoy the feeling because she had never been inclined to be dishonest with herself. She had enjoyed his kiss.

***** The night air was still too hot for his liking as Jonah stripped down to his skin. He flexed his shoulders and grinned at his vest hanging off the corner of his wardrobe. The damn thing had been worth it. Moving across the floor of his dark room, he lingered in the open window, letting the night breeze cool his skin. It wouldn’t really solve his dilemma but at the moment he’d take what he could get. Showing up in Charity’s virgin bedroom wasn’t exactly an option—yet. He chuckled as he considered her. She was temptation wrapped in soft flesh. The sort of forbidden fruit that could lead a man straight to the marriage noose if he didn’t mind where he was going. His cock gave a twitch as it began to harden. Jonah cast a look down at the demanding staff. Now that was interesting. He wasn’t a young man anymore, raising his cock in the direction of anything female. His taste was more direct and very precise these days. He wanted more than a spread woman beneath him. Straight fucking wasn’t enough. He cussed softly under his breath. His cock was hard for a virgin, now that was justice for you. At thirty-five, he’d sown a lot of wild oats—maybe God had himself a sense of humor in sending Charity onto his island. She was twisting him into a knot without even trying. His amusement died as he considered what might happen if Charity did take it into her head to focus her attention on him. Now that would be far too much temptation to ignore. Jonah absently stroked his erection with one hand. Need tightened his balls as he considered how much Charity might enjoy the next stage of his courtship. She might just run back to the reverend’s side, but it would be so much more interesting if she

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didn’t. His soul might just be headed for damnation for thinking that way, but somehow, Jonah didn’t think Charity would be all that shocked if he propositioned her. “Now look at that. It sure is a good thing I thought to come calling on you tonight, Mister Jonah.” Jonah jerked his head around to find Camilla halfway into his bedroom. She offered him a saucy smile that should have pleased his hard cock. Instead a sour taste filled his mouth as her eyes roamed over his nude frame. “You can’t be taking that thing to bed, no sir. You’ll have the nightmares for sure.” Camilla traced her lower lip with one fingertip as she lowered her gaze to his cock once again. Jonah felt his gut twist. He ground his teeth together because Camilla was a very satisfying bedmate, but the only flesh he seemed interested in was sleeping in the mission. God really did have a sense of humor. “I’m sorry, Camilla. Not tonight.” She raised her eyes to his face and smiled at him. She waved a finger back and forth as a low laugh made it past her lips. “Oh my, you got it bad and only after one day? Better catch that woman before she leaves you a broken man with a shriveled-up cock.” Camilla laughed again as she shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Mister Jonah, it happens to all men.” She clasped her hands over her heart and grinned at him. “There’s no arguing with Tripee.” Camilla turned and left after uttering the goddess’s name. Although Christian, the natives still clung to their ancient traditions. Tripee was the goddess of love and fertility. Among the island folk, she was greatly respected for her ability to strike love into a couple. Once the goddess touched you, there was no other for you according the island lore. Jonah groaned as he felt another twitch from his cock. He’d just let a willing woman leave him hard and aching. Now that was comical. It was also the most idiotic thing he’d done in a very long time. But that didn’t chase the sour taste from his mouth when he thought about chasing Camilla. No, the female his body craved wasn’t sleeping under his roof. He turned back around and stared down the hill towards the mission. His cock gave another twitch as he chuckled. Fate was having her moment of glory at his expense. How many years had he taunted Cupid? Denying that there was a single woman who could hold his interest. Well, tonight he was looking down the mountain with an erection that craved only one sweet, ivory body. It was enough to convince him he had given in to insanity, but Jonah grinned as he considered how much fun it was going to be to convince Charity to let him become her lover. She would too, because he never quit. He was going to tempt her until she craved him as much as he was longing for her. When they gave in to passion it was going to be explosive. That was something he felt in the pit of his heart.

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Oh it was improper, ungentlemanly, but Jonah only smiled as he considered how Charity responded to those traits in his character. It was going to be his personal mission to lead her away from the path of straight and narrow. And right into his bed.

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Chapter Four “Well, you’re up early.” Gaea offered Charity another one of her approving nods as she joined the other woman in the mission kitchen. Life was simpler here in many respects, and that included how one got their breakfast. Charity smiled as she lifted one of the silver dome covers set to keep the morning meal warm. Gaea was serving up her own meal, as was the custom among all the unmarried women in the mission. The reverend’s wife would be served, but Gaea did not present meals as a part of her duties. But it did not vex Charity. She was able-bodied and strong. Besides, the food was kept strictly away from the sleeping chambers, due to monkeys and all other manner of creatures that might invade your bed linens in search of crumbs. Some of the island spiders were as large as her hand. Charity shivered as she began to fill a plate. Keeping those out of her room was certainly worth fetching her own meal! Besides, she had tossed about in her bed most of the night. Her mission sleeping accommodations were much smaller than her bed at home. Last night, she had feared she might wake up on the floor a few times. The reasons for her restlessness had her brain far too alert for sleeping in past dawn. She wanted to poke and ponder her evening, and consider all the new feelings Jonah had awakened in her. Wandering out onto the back veranda, she looked up the rainforest to his home. Her lips tingled as last night blossomed in her memory. She never might have believed that her body could feel such intense things. A kiss certainly had never felt quite like Jonah’s had. Oh she had been kissed a few times in the past. Maybe Jonah had a point about there being a right and wrong way for two people’s lips to meet. Oh Charity Ann! You have taken your thoughts to a most unwise destination! But she wasn’t sorry about the wanderings of her brain or kissing Jonah in the garden last evening. A tiny chuckle rose from her lips as she began to eat her meal. Maybe Savannah had the right idea after all. It would seem that marriage, or at least portions of it, was exactly what her body craved. However blunt, she didn’t shy away from the carnal knowledge that what she felt was rising desire. Jonah did that to her. Her amusement died as Charity considered him. He tempted her and chilled her at the same time. She could clearly feel a warning moving through her to be careful of the man, very much like taking care when mounting a powerful stallion. If the beast didn’t want you to ride him, you’d be tossed into the dirt at his mercy. But that made her want to run her fingers through his mane so much more! Tempt him into letting her near. Even the most powerful stallion craved being stroked. Charity felt her cheeks color as she considered mounting Jonah, feeling him move beneath her like a stallion. Her thoughts were vulgar but completely fascinating. Heat flowed from her face and down into her body. She was more aware of her newly groomed mons

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than she ever had been as a soft throb began to tease her from between her closed thighs. She was enthralled by the rising tide of heat, almost amazed to feel it coming from her own flesh. How many times had she been told to find a gentleman who suited her, only to feel only mild responses? This was not mild. And that pleased her.

***** Ruth Polson gasped for breath and it had nothing to do with tight-laced stays. She grabbed a handful of her skirt and hurried through the sanctuary on her way to her husband’s office in the back of the church. A huge smile split her lips as she knocked on the parish office door and pushed it in a mere second later. She pushed it closed quickly before leaning against it to ensure privacy. “Ruth?” Her husband was looking at her like she was insane. Ruth smoothed her expression as she lifted the small letter clutched in her fist up for him to notice. “Jonah has invited me to tea, to discuss the summer festival, and he suggests I bring Charity along since she has such a keen mind.” Her husband frowned with confusion and Ruth fluttered her eyelashes at him. “I’m suddenly feeling very poorly today, Husband! I suppose dear Charity will simply have to go without me. We wouldn’t want Jonah to be left without company.” Harold looked confused for a moment before he suddenly grinned. “Wonderful.” He frowned before clearing his throat. “I meant to say, so sorry to hear you’re unwell.” “Yes, came on very suddenly.” The reverend caught his wife’s waist and pulled her against his body. Their lips fused in a hard kiss as she lifted her hands to stroke the sides of his face. “We’re terrible, Husband.” “Yes, but everything in life is better with spice.” Ruth giggled like a girl once again. Harold did that to her. Twenty-five years of marriage and he still made her blush! A naughty grin covered her lips as she felt his erection behind his robe. Sliding her hands over his shoulders, she stretched up until their lips were close again. “I think I need to go to bed, dear.” “I stand ready to attend you, my darling.” They laughed like newlyweds as Harold clasped her hand.

***** Charity resisted the urge to push her lips into a frown. While she did not mind being matched up, she did detest being thought a fool. Afternoon tea with Jonah. It was all very convenient considering the way she’d been left alone with the man last night. 39

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But she wanted to go and that was what kept her from frowning. She craved another chance to investigate their reaction to each other and was willing to accept Ruth’s rather feeble excuse. Oh she was pathetic! Her father should have hired a meaner governess and instructed the woman to thrash her every day. Instead, he had encouraged her questions, sometimes taking her into the university to gain the answer. Now she wasn’t even willing to entertain the idea of not following her curiosity. Excitement was moving through her veins, gaining speed in spite of her annoyance with being shoved toward Jonah. She wasn’t exactly digging her heels in. So she was pacing around her little room well before it was time to leave. A blush burned her face as she contemplated just what she was doing. It was the honest truth that she did not know. That only stroked her determination. There was nothing she desired more than knowledge. Somehow, there were hidden things right in her own flesh. It was a mystery too tempting to ignore. Besides, she didn’t want to act like she didn’t feel her lips tingling or that spot between her thighs pulsing. Her clothing felt too hot and she knew it was not the tropical heat today. So she would face Jonah over tea, and for once she was looking forward to the boring afternoon ceremony.

***** Jonah was late arriving back from the other side of the island. Charity found herself alone but not idle. Tea was set to be served on the back terrace, and just above it was a huge bird enclosure. Colorful macaws filled it. She pushed the door open and moved inside as Jonah failed to appear. Gaea had long since moved away towards the kitchen and her own afternoon refreshment. Making her way towards the back of the bird’s enclosure, Charity let herself out and wandered along the garden path. She checked the little table from time to time but wasn’t worried about Jonah thinking she’d left. She would bet that the man wanted to see her once more too. They had a strange effect on each other, but she had a suspicion that Jonah was far more experienced in just what it was. She stepped up onto the large porch that ran along the back of the plantation-style house. The doors were all open to let the breeze cool the house and she wandered inside, looking at the construction. “Oh now, Teo, you’re going to get me into trouble with the reverend.” Charity stopped as she heard Gaea’s voice coming from the back of the house. Looking forward, she saw her chaperone leaning against a large, dark-skinned man. Charity hesitated as she slipped into a bedroom to peer through the connecting door. Right in front of her was Gaea and a man intent on being her lover, if she was any judge of such things. Her eyes were glued to the way the man touched Gaea. Slow and steady, exactly like gentling a stallion. 40

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“You better let me be.” But Gaea didn’t sound very firm. Her voice was husky instead of stern. Teo’s hands appeared on her throat and stroked her bronze skin. She leaned her head all the way back as a little sound of enjoyment rose from her lips. Charity stared in fascination at that hand as it slowly stroked her. It wasn’t a grope or what she might have thought a man would do when he was intent on feeding his lust. Instead Teo stopped at her collarbones and raised his hand back up to her chin before petting her neck once again. “The little virgin is playing with the macaws. She don’t need you, but I do.” Gaea chuckled and it was a deep sound. Teo’s face looked over her shoulder as he stroked his hand all the way to one of her breasts. Charity felt her lungs freeze as she watched. Teo curled his hand around one breast and Gaea smiled as she made that same deep sound of enjoyment. Her own nipples tingled as Teo used his thumb to rub Gaea’s nipple. It rose into a hard point beneath the bright cotton of her dress. She laughed as she leaned back against the large male. “I don’t suppose she can get into too much trouble.” She should leave, but Charity stared at Teo’s hand as it rubbed Gaea’s breast. The look on her face said she enjoyed it and that snared her attention. True, she understood the realities of how children were conceived but women were not rumored to enjoy the duties of a wife. Yet Gaea did. Or at least this part of it. Curiosity rose up, demanding to know if that went any further and how far. Would Gaea cry with pain at some point? The rumors claimed that women experienced only discomfort when their husbands mounted them. But that was a hard notion to understand. Mares did not look as if they were in pain when being serviced—she had seen such with her own eyes. Why would the human body be unable to mate without pain? That seemed a rather poor choice for nature to have made. Questions flew though her brain as her eyes remained on Gaea and her lover. Teo grasped the edge of her bodice and pulled the fabric down until her breast popped free. Plump and light brown, it was crowned with a beaded nipple. Teo curled his hand around the bare mound as Gaea reached her hand up to his head. She turned her head and Teo kissed her. No simple peck on the lips. Teo pressed his mouth against hers until their lips were sealed tight and then he moved his head so that their lips slipped against each other. Gaea’s hand gripped the side of her lover’s head to hold him in place as she moved her mouth beneath his. Charity was fascinated by the display. Her curiosity refused to budge from her hidden position because she craved understanding. Was this the secret thing that Savannah used to secure her father’s attention? Teo broke the kiss and turned Gaea in his embrace, he bent right over her until her bare nipple was next to his lips. The tip of his tongue appeared and licked the hard point. Gaea arched back, like she was offering her breast to his tongue. Teo licked all the way around the hard point before sucking the nipple into his mouth. Gaea gasped as her fingers curled into his forearms. “Do a good job and I’ll fuck you gladly.”

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“Teo will warm you up, woman.” Teo lapped her nipple again before pulling her bodice down to expose her opposite breast. He sucked the nipple of that one as well before slipping both his hands up to grasp her nude breasts. “As long as you return the favor.” Gaea laughed in response as Charity felt her forehead crease in confusion. She had no idea what Teo was asking but she licked her bottom lip as she waited for the couple to proceed. Excitement raced through her blood as she watched Gaea stroke her hands down Teo’s body. She bent her knees and knelt in front of the man as her hands untied the simple drawstring pants he wore. The garment dropped to the floor, leaving his cock clearly exposed. Gaea grasped the length of his rod and moved her hands up and down its length. There was a slit right on the head of the cock and two sacs hanging from the base. It was very similar to a stallion’s penis. “Well now.” Gaea chuckled as Teo gasped when her thumb moved through that slit on the crown of his cock. She smiled in that same manner that Savannah did, before she opened her mouth and licked the slit. Teo gasped again, but now it was a harsh sound. His hand caught the back of Gaea’s head and pressed her towards his erection. She opened her mouth and took the head of his cock in. The knuckles on Teo’s hand turned white as he began to move his cock in and out of her open mouth. His breathing rasped between his clenched teeth as his hips moved faster and he held Gaea in position. She stroked the portion of his cock that didn’t fit into her mouth with her hands. “Enough! It’s your sweet pussy I am wanting a taste of. Some hot fucking to take my mind off the sun burning into my back.” Gaea rose from her knees but kept her fingers grasped on his cock. “I’ll be nice, but only because we’re pressed for time. Next time we fuck, you’re going to have to be very nice to me or I’ll leave you hard and wanting.” Teo stoked her cheek. “Aye, I’ll love you all night long but I need a hard fucking right now.” He kissed her lips before backing her towards the wall. A moment later, Gaea lifted one of her legs and clasped her lover with her thigh. Teo moved between her legs and pushed her dress up to her belly. Charity caught a glimpse of her bare thighs as he fit his cock against her sex and pushed it into her body. “Now that’s what I’m craving.” Teo groaned as his bare backside flexed. He moved back and forth against her as she clasped him with her leg. His hands clasped her hips as he worked his cock in and out of her body. Charity heard little wet sounds as he pulled his cock out and thrust it back in. Teo increased his speed as Gaea let out a deep moan. It was almost animalistic, but she was moving her hips in rhythm with her lover as Teo gasped and drove into her body faster. Gaea’s hands clawed at his shoulders as she moaned and let out a low gasp. Teo bucked against her as he muttered under his breath and then they were both still for a long moment. They clasped each other in a motionless embrace as their breath rasped between their teeth. Gaea was the first to move. Her hands smoothed the shoulders of her lover as Teo nodded his head and leaned down to kiss her once more. This time it was a soft kiss as he stroked her hips and backed away from her. 42

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Chapter Five Her lower lip was so dry, Charity licked it. The wet contact shocked her with its pure carnal feeling. Her face flamed with a blush as she pressed her palm against the hot surface of her cheek. A little moan surfaced from her throat as the vision of Gaea and her lover replayed across her memory. She left the room and dashed across the hallway into another room as she wrung her hands. Charity considered the horror of being honest enough to admit that she could not have torn her eyes from the spectacle for anything. She had wanted to watch. Practically needed to end her ignorance of just exactly what the marriage bed would offer her. And so she had. She licked her lips once more as she moved around the small room. Sunlight filtered through the reed shades covering the windows but she didn’t need the afternoon sun to heat her face. A deep male chuckle met her ears and she froze, each and every muscle drew taut before she turned around to discover Jonah watching her with his dark eyes. “Well, that was a bit of an education for you, I’ll wager.” He chuckled once more as his gaze lingered on her scarlet cheeks. “Indeed.” Jonah considered her face a moment as her comment sunk in. Instead of an indignant tone, she’d delivered that single word in a sort of curious whisper. That snared his attention. Her white cotton dress was buttoned primly to her neck and her face was bright red, but she wasn’t shocked. Her nose wasn’t wrinkled into disgust or her lips twisted by a disapproving frown. His cock twitched once again and this time the demanding flesh wasn’t interested in dismissing anything about sweet Charity. Beneath her lady’s exterior lay a woman who was quite bold. He never could ignore a bold female, it was his fatal weakness. Some men were drawn to the whisky bottle. He was a slave to carnal pleasure. But it was a lot easier to find a bar than a passionate partner. A whore wasn’t the same thing. She was paid to spread her thighs. What Jonah craved was a lover who would cling to him as devotedly as he would hold on to her. “I should go.” Jonah raised an eyebrow at her. “Why? Because you’re honest with yourself and admit you watched? Not anything wrong with that. Leastways, not as far as I’m concerned.” Jonah watched for her response, there was a devil pulling on his brain, tempting him to encourage Charity to abandon her prim and proper teachings. Oh

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she’d been reared as a lady no doubt, but somehow she’d escaped the strangling hold the current society managed to wrap around its women. She wasn’t afraid of her own body and that sent a surge of heat straight into his cock. “Seems sort of in character for you.” “And what does that mean?” Now she was offended. Jonah chuckled again at the spark of hunger edging her voice. “I mean that you’re no simpleton who just accepts what she’s told. Admit it, Charity, hidden beneath that unruly mass of hair is a mind that you don’t allow to be idle.” “Of course not.” But that didn’t mean that watching Gaea consort with Teo was the kind of observation she should be engaging in. Jonah considered her face for a moment. “So what if you enjoyed watching. All that means is you’re healthy.” Her face creased into a frown as she considered his comment. It wasn’t something he should have said to her but he just couldn’t resist. His cock was hard and aching for her to abandon more of society and its idiotic rules. They were both healthy adults and the blunt fact was, he wanted to shove up inside her. But he wanted her to crave it as much as he did. Jonah chuckled as he contemplated the best method of seduction. “Despite what society might like to preach, sex is healthy. We’d be extinct otherwise.” “That doesn’t mean it is correct.” Charity frowned again as she listened to her own voice. She sounded disappointed, a lot like a child being denied a sweet plainly sitting in sight. “You have a way of twisting words, Jonah.” “I’m untwisting them.” He moved across the room and caught her chin in his hand again. “What’s the terrible sin in admitting that humans enjoy mating? It’s a necessary part of life, even encouraged by the church. Why can’t you enjoy it?” “Good question.” Gaea certainly looked like she enjoyed it. Charity licked her lower lip once more as she considered her own body. She did like the way Jonah’s hand felt against her face. Her nipples were tingling as she longed for him to touch her exactly as Teo had stroked Gaea. “Isn’t it?” Jonah caught her mouth in a kiss. Her lips parted beneath his as memory filled her with how much pleasure she’d found in his embrace last night. His hand slipped around to the back of her head to hold it steady as his tongue stroked her lower lip. His tongue felt better than hers had on the delicate flesh. His other hand lay against her lower back but today he stepped right up against her body and used that hand to hold her in position. The hard shape of his cock pressed against her belly, and she shuddered as she recognized exactly what the flesh was used for now. Jonah left her mouth and trailed his lips down the side of her neck, making her shiver as sensation flowed into her sex. Her nipples twisted tighter behind her corset as her ungloved hands spread out over his shoulders. “What’s so wrong with touching? I love the way you feel against my body.” 44

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“We’re not married.” Jonah found the first button on the front of her top and separated it. He stroked the newly bared skin with a fingertip before reaching for the next button. “Would that change whether or not you like my touch?” Charity shook her head. Jonah undid the next button and another as he sent his hand towards her waist. She should protest but it felt too good to offer him false protest. “It would change how another man viewed me though.” “Some men are idiots.” “I would think the word ‘possessive’ is a better one.” Jonah stroked the top of one breast and she lost interest in any sort of conversation that took their attention from touching. It simply felt so very good. “I would have married years ago if I knew it would feel like this.” Jonah growled at her. Charity opened her eyes and faced a hard expression that she had never seen Jonah display before. Clearly he did not like her thinking that any man would do. Jealousy flickered in his eyes as he looked at her. “Most of your gentlemen would have crawled on top of you and fucked you without so much as a kiss. They think a lady doesn’t like to be stroked the same way a mistress does. I know better.” Charity smiled at his displeasure. “As I said. Possessive.” Jonah chuckled, but it wasn’t a kind sound. There was a hard promise lurking in his eyes as he separated the last few buttons of her dress. He reached into her corset and pulled one breast free. He bent over and sucked the nipple right into his mouth. Charity gasped as pleasure shot straight into her sex. It was hot and pulsing and she grabbed for Jonah’s shoulders as his tongue flicked back and forth across the tip of her nipple while he sucked on it. He pulled away from her breast and her nipple popped free as he growled again. “The difference, my dear Charity, is that I’d be a lover to your sweet body before I ever got around to filling your pussy with my cock. I admit to being very possessive of my lover.” She shivered at that idea. Cravings rose from her body demanding she sample Jonah’s words. Let herself slip into the current of sensation before she lost the chance to ever discover what made Gaea cry out so divinely. Her hand moved before she thought about it. She slid one hand down his chest to that hard bulge of flesh pressing against her belly. Jonah was holding her hips with her back arched away from him to offer her breast to his mouth. She closed her grip around his erection as he sucked his breath through clenched teeth. His cock jerked beneath her hand as she stroked it from top to bottom. She suddenly understood what made good girls turn strumpet. She wanted him. Practically needed to lie back and let Jonah take her past the barrier of innocence, but her logic raised one final protest that she could not ignore. “What we do for ourselves is one thing, Jonah, but I couldn’t shame my father by returning home with a baby.”

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“You wouldn’t be the first to claim it was an orphan.” She jerked against his hold but Jonah held her solidly against him. Charity found herself torn between the two most important things in her life. Her quest to learn and her love for her father. Her body was frantically trying to break away from any thoughts that didn’t include Jonah. But years spent with her father made it impossible to consider letting her actions shame him. “I do not lie.” She lifted her hand away from his cock as she shuddered with disappointment. “And I would never shun my own child.” She pushed against his shoulders as temper flickered in her gaze. Jonah held her against her will as he studied her outrage. “Stop wiggling. There’s only so much a man can take before his cock takes over and fucking is the only thing on his mind.” “Release me.” “No.” She hit him and the man grinned at her. Charity felt an insane impulse to scream but clamped her jaw tightly against it. Brute strength was not on her side, but that did not mean she was beaten. Far from it. Tipping her head back, she glared at her captor. What her eyes showed her was most unfair because Jonah appealed to her. His face wasn’t handsome or gentle. It was firm and strong. The man’s disobedience to anyone but himself sent a shudder through her. His lips twitched up slightly and then curved into a mocking grin as his eyebrows rose. “Charity, my dear, you really need to stop intriguing me with your responses.” His arms released her as he stepped back. His expression returned to deep consideration as he crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ll be getting into a whole lot of trouble if you don’t.” Charity hissed through her teeth at him but scooted backward with her feet pressed flat against the ground to avoid stepping on her skirt. “Exactly what do you mean by that?” His lips twitched once more before his eyes flashed with a flame that sparked heat in her nipples once again. “Most women would have taken exception to me using the word ‘fucking’ instead of worried that I thought they’d lie to their father. Most wouldn’t have the spine to admit they’d indulged in a passionate affair.” “Oh sweet mercy! As if I’d brand a baby with my own sin! That, sir, is quite despicable.” Charity propped her hands on her hips as she spoke and then yanked them back into a polite position in front of her body. Honestly! Jonah was an irritating man. “So the idea of a passionate affair isn’t out of the question.” Words deserted her. Charity stared at him as she tried to digest his comment. “That would be a pointless endeavor.” He chuckled as his eyes flashed with enough heat to intrigue her. “That depends on the man you let between your thighs.”

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“You are rather crude.” Charity let off the word “sir” because it felt foreign on her tongue in light of words like “fucking”. Heat was rushing through her veins to that spot between her thighs. Maybe that was the true reason discussing the intimate body parts was frowned on. The moment you did, the flesh responded, tempting you to sample those delights that rumor insisted only fallen women enjoyed. Or maybe only the smart ones. Sometimes the greatest sin was to never try something at all. That left you with nothing but regrets at the end of your days. “I’m honest.” Jonah moved and a moment later his arm snaked around her waist. He stepped towards her until their bodies were pressed against one another as one of his hands slipped up the back of her neck. His fingers threaded right into her hair to hold her head tipped back. Her lips tingled as she waited for another kiss but he lingered just above her mouth, taunting her with just the brush of his breath against her lips. “I love the way a woman feels against my body, Charity. The way the skin rubs together when a couple is intimate. You can call me a lot of things but a braggart isn’t one of them. I don’t desire innocence into my bed but I don’t ignore the flare of passion either. If wanted to overpower you, I’d be inside you right now, not talking to you.” Charity shivered as his gaze moved to her mouth and his head lowered. His kiss was hard this time, forceful and demanding, his arm tightening around her waist to press her against his frame. The hand on the back of her head held her in place as he pressed her lips apart and his tongue thrust into her mouth. A tiny moan escaped her as his tongue stroked hers. It was hot and insanely intimate as the hard outline of his erection made itself known against her abdomen. “I want to strip you down and taste every inch of your sweet skin. Back you up against the wall and let you wrap your bare thighs around me as I fuck you. That isn’t crude. It’s instinct.” “But animals respond to instinct. We’re human.” Her fingers didn’t care as they spread out over his chest. Her gloves felt too tight as her fingertips begged to sample what his bare skin felt like. “Ah, human, but tell me I don’t make your blood race.” Heat colored her cheeks and Jonah chuckled. “That’s passion, my dear. Pure, simple and uncontrollable.” His hand smoothed over the column of her neck, stroking her skin exactly the way her hands longed to touch his chest. She tilted her head to the side to offer more of her neck to his touch and heard a soft grunt from his lips. Charity lifted her eyelashes to look back at his face. The sound was one of disapproval and it surprised her. “What displeases you?” His forehead creased as he listened to her question. The hand on her neck froze as their eyes met. Something flashed across his eyes before he slid his hand into her open bodice to cup her bare breast.

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“Your dress displeases me. If you’re wearing knickers, that displeases me too. But most of all, this conversation displeases me.” Her eyes rounded with surprise, but that shock only lasted for a moment. Laughter erupted from her lips and she simply could not prevent it from spilling from her lips. Jonah grinned at her response as his fingers found her nipple. He pinched the tender point. She shivered as pleasure raced down her body to that spot between her thighs. “But I don’t have to fuck you to show you what it feels like to enjoy your own flesh.” Her eyes sprang open because Jonah’s voice was hard with some form of promise. He lifted her off her feet and sat her on the table that was against the wall. One of his hands landed on her knee and pushed it aside as he moved right between her thighs. “Jonah.” “I’m not going to fuck you.” His hand reached for her ankle and closed around her limb. He stroked right up her leg, making her shiver once again. Nothing but her thin stocking separated their skin and it felt delicious. Her hands closed around his forearm as the urge to tilt her hips towards him made her shift on her perch. His hand found her knickers and he frowned. “Damn useless garment.” He gave a jerk on the muslin and she heard a tear. “Jonah…” He chuckled at her in response. “I’d like to rip them to shreds. In fact, I’m thinking about marrying you just so that I can order you to never wear another pair.” “Marriage isn’t a game, Jonah.” His eyes were as somber as her voice. “It is, sweet Charity, but you have to understand what kind of man I am. I couldn’t have a wife who didn’t know me for what I am.” “What might that be?” His hand landed on her bare thigh in response. He moved closer to her body and spread her legs as he came closer. She felt so helpless for just a moment. He seemed so large and powerful between her thighs that she was almost scared. His arm hooked around her waist as he slipped his hand up her thigh, gently stroking her, skin to skin. Pleasure raced through her, taunting her with how it must feel to be completely nude in his embrace. “I like women, Charity. The way they feel, smell and taste. I want to play with every part of your body and then let you play with me until we just can’t stand it any longer and fucking becomes the most important thing on both our minds.” He was being blunt, but the scent of her spread body drove him to even harsher methods. He needed to know if she could stand him. The bluntness and the lust that lay deep inside all the manners and niceties. Catching her watching Teo’s afternoon tryst was too much temptation. It sat burning a hole in every good intention he’d ever had.

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Nothing mattered but making sure she understood that he was able to give her pleasure like she had just witnessed. No carefully selected groom offered by her father—him and only him. She shivered in his arms but didn’t whimper like a child. Instead her eyes were shining with delight and need as the tip of her tongue appeared on her lower lip once again. He brushed his hand higher and watched her face as she bit into her lip to keep from protesting. He could see the battle flashing in her eyes as he gently stroked her bare slit. “Oh my.” Her entire body went cold for a moment before heat flared back up. No one could have ever told her that a single touch felt so very intense. Her fingers tightened into claws on his arm as he let his finger touch her again. “Gaea has been bathing you.” Charity tried to make her brain understand what Jonah meant but she was too distracted by his finger as it moved over her spread sex. Pleasure shot up into her womb and even made her passage ache. “Do you have any idea what a lover can do with a bare pussy?” She didn’t but her body was quite eager to let him show her. His eyes watched hers as a chuckle rose from his chest. “Spread your thighs for me, Charity, and I’ll introduce you to that pleasure you just witnessed Gaea experiencing.” His finger stroked her once again, this time penetrating the folds of flesh that made up her pussy. “You said we would not…fuck.” His face went hard as his finger rubbed over a small button at the top of her slit. Sensation tripled as he made contact with that little nub. Her spine arched without any further thought and her hips lifted towards his hand. Her breathing increased in speed as tension began to gather beneath his touch. A little whimper escaped her throat as she tried to understand why her body was so enflamed. “We won’t, although I think the effort might just kill me.” He rubbed her clit harder and grinned at the tension that appeared on her face. The scent of her pussy filled his senses and he leaned down to whisper against her mouth. “I want to fuck you, Charity. You want it too, you just don’t know it. But first we need to introduce you to pleasure.” He was going to fuck her before the week was out. Jonah tightened his resolve as he stroked her wet slit from top to bottom. She was so wet, his cock would slip easily into her sheath. But he needed to touch her first, taste her before taking that final possession. Little moans came from her throat as her body began to twist into its first climax. He watched the pleasure and need battle in her eyes before sealing her mouth with his. There was no possible way to think. Charity jerked and bucked beneath his touch, unable to control anything. There was so much pleasure but it wasn’t enough. Her hips

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lifted towards his hand, trying to press that little bundle tighter and harder against his finger. Her lungs were burning for more air as her nipples complained bitterly at being confined inside her corset. Her dress was too hot, but everything centered on the finger Jonah was using to rub her. His mouth crashed down onto hers and she thought she might faint from lack of oxygen. Her sight went dark as her body arched towards his hand and pleasure shot into her belly. It was so intense she screamed. Jonah captured the sound with his kiss as her entire body shook and pleasure radiated along every inch of her flesh. The bliss even flooded into her brain, making her lax and complacent as Jonah lifted his lips away from hers. He laid small kisses along her neck as his arm supported her weight. She realized she was gripping his arm too hard and released his biceps only to stare at the marks her hand had made on his fine shirt. Jonah chuckled again. “Now that is what made Gaea sneak away from her duty.” Her brain began to function again and her face flamed scarlet. Her knees were spread wide and her skirt pushed up to her thighs. Her bodice was still open and one breast out of place from where Jonah had lifted it to suck her nipple. His finger was still in her sex, resting in place as he watched her. Her thoughts bounced between horror and amazement. “I should go.” Jonah stroked her thigh as he released her. The hem of her skirt fell back into place the moment she stood up. So simple, but her mind replayed the events over and over as she corrected her open bodice. She lifted her eyes to stare at her companion. Satisfaction glimmered in his eyes. It was a clue to his nature and she found it endearing. He had gained no pleasure from her hand but given it to her most freely. Maybe that was what a lover was. Reaching up, she stroked his face. A frown caused his forehead to crease and she laughed before pulling her glove off. “Better, Charity, much better.” Her hand slipped over his face. “Somehow, saying ‘thank you’ feels quite misplaced.” She felt awkward for the first time in years. What exactly did you say once a man had touched you so intimately? Her governess had never taught her that lesson. But Jonah could, she knew that as certainly as she understood the sun would rise tomorrow morning. “Say you want to become my lover.” Jonah caught her hand and carried it to his mouth. He bared his teeth and delivered a bite to the tender skin of her inner wrist. A shiver shook her before he wrapped his arm around her, maintaining his grip on her wrist. Her body was thrust up towards his and the hard shape of his erection pressed against her stomach. “Tell me you want to spend the summer making love.”

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His voice was far too insistent to be a true question. But there was a part of her that enjoyed his demanding tone. He caught her chin once again with a thumb and forefinger. “Gaea is an island woman. She’ll happily turn a blind eye.” His mouth landed on hers in a hard kiss. It was a demand, blunt and intimate. The spot he’d rubbed began to throb as his tongue thrust deep into her mouth, stroking her tongue. A breathless moan rose from her chest, surprising her with its lustful sound. A moment later she was free. Jonah considered her with dark eyes as he crossed his arms over his wide chest. He gripped his own arms like he was forcing his hands to remain away from her body. “We have a great deal to do before festival. I hope to see you tomorrow, Charity. That is, if you’re woman enough to leave the nursery and embrace womanhood. I’ll be right here, waiting to see what you decide.”

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Chapter Six. Jonah was testing her. Charity chewed on the edge of one finger the entire way back to the mission as she contemplated her response to that test. She went straight to her room to continue contemplating her rather interesting afternoon. Thankfully, no one interrupted her flight towards her little room, leaving her with the time to consider her newfound knowledge. A lady would be insulted. She wasn’t. In fact, a surge of confidence was making its way through her. Her sex still throbbed and her nipples were quite bitter about being pressed by her stays. However, she was as far from anger as it was possible to be. Intrigued definitely, aroused certainly, and very clearly fascinated with her new knowledge. Lover. It was more than a word now. She’d witnessed it as well as tasted it. Charity glanced down at her neatly buttoned bodice but her thoughts were on her nipples as they remained hard. The idea of having a lover was amazingly powerful. It would seem she now understood exactly why her father had married Savannah. A wicked laugh rose from her lips as Charity considered her stepmother. Savannah was far more than she appeared, Charity was certain of it! The hot looks her father cast her and the hard determination he displayed to keep her happy all made sense. Her thoughts fueled her determination to learn more. She was like a child who had only learned her letters. Reading was still a mystery. “I brought you some tea, since you never had any with Mister Jonah.” Charity was startled from her thoughts as Gaea placed a tray on her dresser. It was far too late in the day for tea, but the woman picked up the strainer and poured a cup. Gaea even lifted the tea from the tray and offered it to her. “You’ll need to be faithful to your afternoon tea if you don’t want anything to be explaining to your father.” “Excuse me?” Her fingers clasped the saucer and Gaea offered her a huge grin that showed off her teeth. Against her darker skin, her smile was brilliant. “Yes, ma’am, you do fit right in here. Maybe you can catch that Mister Jonah. I’d like to dance at his wedding.” Gaea pointed her finger at her and motioned the teacup towards her face. “Drink that up now. You don’t need no babes until after you done brought that man to heel.”

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Her face flamed scarlet once again. It was the truth that she was getting used to the rush of heat. Looking down, she considered the tea. It was pitch black and the scent was unfamiliar. “What is this?” Gaea winked at her before moving towards the doorway. “Hazelwort, Queen Anne’s lace and a few other things. Bitter, but it keeps the waist slim.” Gaea offered her a look of approval before she moved into the hallway. That emotion of empowerment grew as she lifted the tea to her lips. She wrinkled her nose as it stung her tongue. Bitter was an understatement. But even if it had been detestable, she would have emptied that cup. She had always excelled at tests and Jonah’s was not going to outfox her. The idea that it might be wrong never entered her thoughts. It was her body and she would be the judge of what she would experience. Pouring another cup, she lifted it to her lips before shivering. Tomorrow, she was going to take a lover.

***** Sleep was an enemy. Jonah cursed at the need to slip into slumber because his dreams were filled with Charity. The scent of her arousal still clung to his senses hours after her departure. His cock stood away from his body as he prowled his room, bare of every article of clothing. A low growl shook his chest as he stretched his arms and his cock burned for release. He wasn’t in the mood to grant himself even a hand jerk tonight. It was a savage mood that found him enjoying his erection. Maybe he was more animal than most, he frankly didn’t give a damn. He grinned as his cock twitched and his memory offered up the sound Charity made when she came. No man had ever brought her to a peak before. It amazed him how much he enjoyed claiming the title of being the man to introduce her to carnal pleasure. But he was still an idiot. He played a better game of cards than he was doing with Charity. Tossing down a challenge wasn’t the way to entice her into his arms, quite the opposite. He’d be lucky if he got into the same room with her again without five chaperones. His cock twitched again as he considered their conversation. Never once had he considered that becoming a “blue stocking” might be the best thing society ever did to a woman. Charity’s mind refused to reject knowledge, even carnal instruction. That was still a long way from her agreeing to become his lover. A wicked smile lifted his lips as he lay down on his bed. Well now, one thing was for sure, he wouldn’t be late for tea tomorrow. And if Charity didn’t show up, he’d just have to chase her down.

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He curled his hand around his cock and stroked it as he considered getting inside her. Her pussy had been so wet and inviting today. He was going to split it open on his flesh and feel her thighs clasp his hips. Stealing into the mission to pluck her out of her bed was even oddly enticing. A low chuckle shook his chest as he closed his eyes and resisted the all too tempting picture of holding a captive virgin to deflower. There was far more anticipation burning in him to discover if she showed up tomorrow to go to her tonight. He wasn’t asking for the most beautiful woman on the planet, or the most well bred, or even one with a dowry that would make all his business ventures a possibility. No, he craved something far more base—a woman who wanted him. Now that was the thing his dreams were made of. Jonah opened his eyes and looked into the darkness. The island was never silent, except right before a hurricane hit it. Tonight, the birds still called to each other and the leaves slapped against one another. The windows shutters to his room were all tied open. There was only netting between him and the night. Importing glass would be expensive and it was a needless one as far as he saw it. He liked sleeping with the night around him. Aye, he was a beast, but an honest one. His cock was still hard and he chuckled some more. Honest but lonely. He was going to have to play his hand a bit better tomorrow or he’d be sleeping alone again. He rolled over and growled softly as he considered Charity sharing the bed with him. Aye, that was exactly what he wanted and he never gave up until he won. Never.

***** Charity was up at sunrise. She stared at the pink horizon and contemplated her wardrobe. Jonah’s words bounced about in her skull as she contemplated her clothing. Well, in truth it was her knickers she was staring at. Leave them off. Oh one of Satan’s demons was loose from hell! It sat on her shoulder repeating what Jonah had said about the undergarment displeasing him. Of course, she was under no dictate to satisfy the man. Yet her mind was focused on what might happen if she did please him. A naughty grin curved her lips as she contemplated placing Jonah in the same sort of position that Gaea had managed to do to Teo. The idea was amazingly powerful and rich with possibilities. Could a woman actually lead a man when it came to carnal matters? If so, exactly how did a girl learn such things? Gaea would know. Charity considered the doorway before turning back to look at her knickers lying in the drawer. She pushed it closed, leaving the undergarment. Some lessons were better experienced. She moved towards her small dressing mirror and her bare thighs brushed together beneath her skirt. Oh my, now wasn’t that a naughty thing

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to experience? No one would know, unless she raised her skirt. She turned and studied her reflection with a critical eye. Absolutely no one might know that her fanny was bare. A husky laugh rose from her throat as she went to join the rest of the mission occupants for breakfast. Her adventure on the island was certainly proving to be anything but dull. Indeed it was.

***** The morning didn’t offer Charity many opportunities to ponder her questions very much. Festival was indeed a major event on the island. The mission echoed with the buzz as the natives began to prepare for it. Saturday was the day set for the event and there were countless tasks that needed attention. Charity smiled as she helped the women begin to pull out decorations stored away from the last planting festival. None of the buildings were over a single story and the mostly paper decorations were stored in corners and along rafters all over the mission. They sorted among them to decide which were still fit for use, discarding ones that the moist tropical air had gotten to. By noon, perspiration was making her hair a nest of curls that refused to be pinned into submission. Gaea laughed at her before handing her a headscarf. “Tie that around your hair. Them hairpins are not going to hold your hair up in this climate.” Charity wrapped the colorful cloth around her head and tied it in back of her skull. The ends trailed down her back as she considered adding a native dress to her wardrobe. Gaea’s clothing looked much more suited to their task. “Take that up to the kitchen.” Gaea’s voice was edged with authority. Charity picked up their newest box and turned to carry it through the church and back towards the women sorting in the kitchen. Gaea had a memory that was detailed and any school marm would have been proud of her. She had recalled the location of dozens of boxes stored all over the church and outer buildings and had been directing the collection effort all morning long. “Ah, there you are, Charity.” The reverend’s voice stopped her as she entered the church. Charity turned a smile towards him but froze as she caught sight of who stood next to him. Jonah offered her a slight nod of his head as her nose caught the slightest scent of cigar smoke. “I see the festival preparations are well under way.” The reverend’s eyes dropped to the box held in her arms as he spoke. Charity simply offered them both a pleasant smile. “Yes, it is. I’m looking forward to it. Gaea tells me the most delightful things about your festivals.”

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“All we need now is a couple to wed.” The revered sighed but smiled at her and Jonah. He raised one finger at Jonah. “A wedding at festival always brings good luck.” “So you keep telling me.” The two men turned and disappeared into the parish office. Charity felt an odd twist of disappointment as she was left to her task. It was nonsense, and still she pondered her emotional response to Jonah. Delivering the box, she turned and began her return to Gaea. She turned and walked around the church sanctuary this time, enjoying the breeze as it cooled her neck. A hard arm snaked around her waist and pulled her right out of her stride. A shriek became muffled as another hand was clamped down on top of her mouth. Her captor pulled her off the walkway and into the small pantry that opened onto the church courtyard. A soft curse hit her ears as the man holding her collided with the shelves set into the back wall of the pantry. It was a small space and one not intended for occupation. “The reverend needs to stick to preaching. He’s a damn lousy matchmaker.” Charity bit Jonah. He growled next to her ear but she shook her head and stretched her neck up to remove his hand from her lips. He chuckled as he stroked his hand down the column of her neck. “Did I scare you?” “Release me.” The chest behind her rumbled with his amusement but his arms didn’t open. His breath hit the side of her neck as he bent his head and laid a single, soft kiss against her bare skin. “Can’t blame a man for yielding to all the pressure being applied to get me to notice you.” “If you truly are so weak-minded, I pity you.” Another kiss lingered on her neck as heat rose between her thighs. She shifted in his embrace but froze as her back found his hard erection. A soft throb began in that spot at the top of her sex. “You doubt me, sweet Charity? You shouldn’t. The idea of spending a night between your thighs is one I’m discovering I have a very limited amount of resistance to.” The arm holding her against his body slipped lower to pin her hips in place. She was pressed to his body from shoulders to thigh with no way to escape the hard promise of his cock against her back. Her lips went dry as memory flashed her a vivid recollection of just what a man did with a hard penis. “The reverend was talking about marriage, Jonah.” She said it softly, like a mother who was once again reminding a child of an unpleasant task that must be completed. “There is quite a world of difference.” “Not really. In the end, you’d be lying nude waiting for me.” He kissed her neck but lingered over it this time. The tip of his tongue touched her skin before there was a delicate scrape of his teeth. Her nipples tingled as he bit her and she wiggled against him, unable to control the urge to react to his touch. Her entire body was jerking with little impulses and her brain was completely overwhelmed. 56

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“The fact is, the tradition isn’t a wedding on festival night but a bedding. One of the local girls was always chosen as a harvest queen. She’d hold court all night, dance the local pagan dances and then choose a lover to take between her thighs while everyone danced around them. If her belly swelled with a babe, it was considered an omen of good fortune for the coming year.” “You are being coarse on purpose, Jonah.” But it was still exciting. Her breath was lodged in her throat as his words painted a carnal picture of a primitive custom. He chuckled against her neck. “Aye, you’re right. Are you planning to take me to task, sweet Charity? Maybe teach me to behave?” He was daring her to try it. One of his hands moved to her chest and only her stays kept him from cupping her breast. The idea was enough to make her nipples tingle. It was astounding the way he touched her body and transformed it into a mass of sensation and need. She suddenly craved knowing if she might turn the table on him. There was more than one way to teach. “Be careful what you wish for, Jonah.” Reaching down, she spread one hand open on top of his thigh. Beneath his trousers, his leg was hard with thick muscle. Rubbing upward, she didn’t stop until her fingers found the first hint of his erect cock. The chest behind her shook with a growl before his arms clasped her tightly against his body, trapping her hand and preventing any further exploration. “Be careful what you do, Charity. I’m not the sort of man who likes to be teased.” She laughed at his warning as she tried to wriggle free. Jonah refused to let her gain even an inch of space. “I believe you are the one who is teasing me.” “No.” His voice was husky but hard too. His arms tightened around her in some form of warning before he gripped her skirt and began to pull it up her legs. She gasped as she realized her lack of knickers just might be discovered. His breath hit her ear as her skirt went higher. “I’m not teasing, Charity. I spent the night thinking about you lying in my bed, under me. Even sat through the good reverend’s marriage hints, just so I’d get the chance to trap you against me.” She shivered at the promise coating his voice. The throb at the top of her sex increased as she felt the distinctive touch of fluid on the top of her bare thighs. She was suddenly too hot and her fingers tightened around his erection as her body demanded she press herself against him. Their clothing annoyed her with the barrier it made between their skin. For the first time in her life, being completely bare felt necessary, as important as her next breath. His game was backfiring. Jonah gritted his teeth as Charity gripped his cock. Insanity was only a second away as she sent her hand to connect with his body. It was too much temptation, too much of an admission from her. The closet was now a prison because he could fuck her here, but the idea of separating long enough to drag her off into the privacy of the forest made him snarl. His cock throbbed with need, the stiff

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flesh driving him closer to that edge of civilization where shoving up inside her instantly wasn’t acceptable. “Holy Christ.” His fingers found her bare thigh. His cock gave a jerk as he flattened his hand over her nude hip. “You left the knickers off.” His voice sounded amazed and Charity smiled in triumph. Her experiment was proving far more effective than she might have ever imagined. Even held hostage by his greater strength, she had managed to control him through that little act of leaving her drawers in the wardrobe. A surge of self-confidence flooded her as she contemplated just what it must be like to be a harvest queen. “Are you a virgin?” His fingers spread over her hip, making her sex clench. An odd twist went through her lower body as her hips actually arched towards him. “Of course.” Jonah cussed low and harshly. Charity jerked against his hold as his words made her blush scarlet. “Most men aren’t displeased by that fact.” Her voice was edged with temper and Jonah smoothed her hip as he forced his hand to remain away from her slit. If he touched that bare pussy, he’d be lost like a stallion gone mad. He’d mount her before any amount of concern for her pain interfered. Leaning closer to her neck, he inhaled her scent. “I want to fuck you, Charity. That’s not teasing, it’s a blunt promise and I’m not in the mood to be gentle.” She shivered and then burned. Charity bit into her lower lip as she was flooded by desire. She was astonished to discover it twisting through her. Even reading descriptions of it was a far cry from this inferno of cravings. She moved her hand and Jonah granted her enough space to move. Her fingers slid over the raised front of his trousers where his genitals were. She traced the length of his cock as her sex gave another twist and her mouth went dry. Never once had she felt so much need before. Not a single gentleman who had stolen kisses from her had ever ignited passion in her body. She was unwilling to let it run its course. Her father might marry her off to one of those men who left her cold, and there was no way she was going to spend her life not knowing what it felt like to indulge her passion, at least once. She was still single and answered only to herself. Once married though, being faithful would be mandatory because of her own willingly spoken wedding vows. “All right, but not here.” Jonah hissed next to her neck. His fingers curled around her hip almost painfully. “What did you say?”

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Charity resisted the urge to laugh at him. That shift of power was once again empowering her to be bold and direct him to do her bidding. “I will not be your lover in a mission closet.” “But you’ll take me as a lover? No promise of anything beyond that?” He sounded enraged and she stroked his cock once more. Jonah let her go as he stepped away from her touch. It was dark in the closet but she detected a dark frown on his face as she turned to look at him. “I do not need to beg any man to marry me, Jonah. Nor do I use my body to trap men. I am an honest woman, even if that means that I recognize my own weakness of the flesh.” She pushed the door open and stepped out of the closet before he could stop her. Her face colored as she realized that it might have been wise to look before emerging from a closet, but today Fate was feeling kind. There was no one about to witness their scandalous moment. Charity moved away from the closet as Jonah reached for her. She avoided his grasp by jumping back and she lifted her chin at his scowl. “But I will not shame my father.” She whispered that warning. Jonah heard her plainly enough. His face tightened with frustration as his hands closed into fists so tight his knuckles turned white. He studied her for a long moment and she refused to lower her eyelashes. She wanted to see the flare of lust in his eyes. The intensity of it thrilled her, enticing her closer just like a moth to a flame. Hunger gnawed at her body as she watched the same desire draw Jonah’s face taut. But the distrust shimmering in his eyes offended her. “You should go, Jonah. I haven’t time for nonsense, I never have. You are the one who insists on touching me and yet you stand there looking at me like I’m a gold digger. Well, there is one thing I do demand of you and that is trust. Stop bothering me if you’re so worried about the wedding noose. Men aren’t the only ones who find their lives changed by marriage. I don’t much care for the fact that you keep acting like you are the only one who has anything to lose.”

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Chapter Seven She was suffering from brain fever. Charity inspected her reflection in the small mirror hung in her chamber and sighed. Brain fever. A rather common affliction of the tropical climates, she had somehow become infected. She tilted her head to the side and looked at the red mark left on her fair skin. A little grunt came from her lips as she considered the sight of her contamination. Someone truly ought to write out the plain truth in a book and make sure that all virgins were required to read it. No one should be ignorant about just what a proper, mouth-to-mouth, tongue-invading kiss could start. And now she was standing in the afternoon heat with her brain full of intimate images and bare thighs beneath her skirt. Well, she was not going to fling herself at Jonah. Indeed. The man certainly did have a rather high opinion of himself. She would make a fine wife, and even if she wasn’t planning on trying her hand at catching the man, he didn’t need to be so horrified by the idea. He certainly wanted everything that went with a wedding. Another frustrated sound left her lips as she frowned at the mirror before turning in a huff away from it. Her emotions were a strange tangle of delight and longing. She was enthralled by her ability to draw Jonah into passion with her touch. It was quite addictive. Ideas formed in her mind before she could quiet them. She straightened her shoulders and went to find something to do. The afternoon heat was stifling, and it only added to her fever-induced ideas of discarding her clothing to embrace her impulses. Jonah Wilburn could bed half the girls on the island and she was not going to care. A tiny twist of hurt crossed her heart and she moved faster along the hallway. Insanity, that was what passion really was. She shouldn’t care, not one single bit, and yet it hurt that Jonah didn’t trust her. Tears stung her eyes as she bit into her lower lip. A sad smile turned her lips up as she considered that at least Jonah was going to be the first man to bruise her heart. Oh but she would have let him be the first to do so very much more! Still, it was rather a relief to discover all the same silly emotions erupting within herself. Savannah would be delighted. Her feet moved through the hallways but there were few people about. The afternoon was a common napping time. As the heat reached its zenith, the natives retired to hammocks and shady corners to wait out the sun’s fury. Even the Polsons tended to keep that same schedule. Shrugging her shoulders, she moved out into the grounds at the back of the church. The huge banana trees looked inviting with their sweet scent and large leaves. Untying the knot in her

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headscarf, Charity moved slowly along the path that led to the mission garden. The afternoon breeze moved through her hair, making her smile. Approaching horse hooves caused her to frown. She turned and stared at the stallion bearing down on her. She shook her head because it was ridiculous and yet the black horse was reined in a mere foot from her frozen body, dust rising into the air from its hooves. Raising her eyes, she stared at Jonah as he reached down and plucked her off her feet. A gasp emerged from her lips as he used one arm to drag her right over the back of his mount. “Jonah!” A hard hand landed on her bottom as he pressed the horse back into motion. She frantically gripped his thigh because there was no saddle. Her body instinctively curled around the back of the beast as Jonah took her right up into the rainforest. It was insanity, but excitement shot through her, renewing that throb at the top of her sex. The sting from that one spank on her bottom joined the need burning through her sex, making her even more delighted by his barbaric actions. This brain fever was going to be the death of her.

***** “Jonah, have you gone mad?” It was a good question. Jonah pulled the bridle from his stallion’s mouth and gave the horse its freedom. His mount wouldn’t go far and he didn’t want the animal standing for too long waiting on its master. The master had his own pleasure to see to. Charity was trying to smooth her hair out of her face, but the curly mass was falling all around her shoulders from her ride on the back of the horse. There were a few hairpins still in it, but they no longer secured it in a bun to the back of her head. She had a few in one hand as she tried to decide what to do. “Maybe I am. Knowing a woman is bare under her skirts can cloud a man’s thinking, sure enough.” Oh unfair! Charity had narrowed her eyes at Jonah because she wanted to be cross with him but his words neatly turned the tables on her. He was granting her that control once more, making her shiver as she considered tempting him, twisting him to her mood despite her smaller size. It was such an addictive thing, this ability to affect the man. Shrugging her shoulders, she brushed her hair over one shoulder to hang down her back. “Jonah, you make no sense. You can’t possibly see any difference in my appearance due to my lack of knickers.” His eyes narrowed as she taunted him. Charity

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fluttered her eyelashes at him before letting her gaze drift down his chest to the front of his trousers. “Just as I cannot see the exact condition of your body.” “Oh my cock is hard, all right.” Jonah growled his words and her feet refused to remain still as a shiver shook her. She was pushing him, knew it, and still she refused to heed her common sense and demand that he return her to the mission. The reason was simple—she wanted his control to snap. He’d held himself away from that passionate appetite until now and she didn’t want to remain ignorant of it any longer. But she wasn’t entirely sure just how two went about becoming lovers. She frowned as she turned to consider the small hut they were in front of. There were twin hammocks strung on either side of the front door, on the thick beams that supported the roof. The large windows were closed, telling her no one was inside the hut in the afternoon heat. A soft chuckle hit her ear as Jonah captured her body and pulled it against his. The hard erection hiding behind the fine fabric of his trousers pressed into her back as he gently bit her neck once more. “Just knowing your pussy is bare is enough. Keeps my mind off every single thing I ought to be doing. I can’t form a thought beyond you.” He muttered his last words with deep sincerity. It might be a rustic declaration, but the honesty touched her heart. What was a finely polished speech compared to a man like Jonah being plain with her? She spread her hand over his thigh and let her fingers trace his hard limb until she found his erect cock. She rubbed the hard length and listened to Jonah hiss next to her neck. “Not one damn thought.” Jonah scooped her off her feet as he cussed under his breath. The look on his face frightened her slightly but it also fascinated her with its abundance of emotion. His eyes flickered with a hunger so intense, she wasn’t sure she was going to survive it, only that she would willingly twist in the heat of it. He laid her sideways in one of the large hammocks. Her legs draped over the edge at her knees. The hammock was woven through thick slats of wood on each end, so the rope bed didn’t roll up like the hammocks of sailors did. Her body lay across the width of the thing and Jonah pulled her hips to the edge. He pressed her thighs wide as he tossed her skirt up to her waist. She gasped as the afternoon air touched her bare slit. Charity tried to sit up but Jonah pressed her right back into the cradling hold of the hammock. “I need to taste you. God damn, but I want to find out what your cream tastes like.” His eyes connected with hers for a moment and there was a hint of violence there. Some insanity that her teasing had fanned into a flame too hot to control. “And then I’m going to fuck you.” Jonah bent one knee and felt his brain shut down completely. Her pussy was wet and the scent drove all civilized reasoning from his brain. He’d always enjoyed the way a woman smelled when she was aroused, but Charity smelled sweeter and more

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desirable than he remembered. Like he’d been celibate for years, just waiting for her. He pressed her thighs wider and pulled the fold of her sex away from her clit with gentle hands. Introducing her to passion was going to be his personal pleasure. Brain fever came with hallucinations! Never once in her life might she have imagined that a man might place his mouth on so forbidden a spot. Charity gasped and curled up off the hammock once more. Jonah chuckled from between her thighs and pressed her belly down with one large hand. He looked at her with glittering eyes as his thumb stroked her clit, making her shiver. “I love a woman’s body, Charity. How it feels…” His thumb rubbed over her clit in a slow circle. “The way it smells when she’s aroused and the way it tastes under my tongue.” He leaned down and caught her clit between his lips. She fell back against the hammock as pleasure spiked through her. There was no way to fend off the sensation as the tip of his tongue found her clit and began to flick over it. Her passage was suddenly so empty it ached. A moan surfaced from her chest as her hips arched up to offer her spread body to his mouth. A low chuckle was her response from Jonah. He lifted his mouth from her slit to look back up her body. His thumb returned to her clit as heat coursed through her. Everything was tightening under his touch, exactly as it had the first time he’d touched that spot between her thighs. He watched her as he rubbed her clit. Approval flickered through his eyes as another little whimper escaped her lips. “Amazing, isn’t it, Charity? But this is only the beginning. True satisfaction won’t settle into you until you come with my cock lodged deep inside your pussy.” He thrust a single finger into her body and she jerked up off the hammock. Pleasure tightened around that single invader. Her fingers curled around the rope of the hammock as her hips thrust up to imbed his finger deeper inside her. It was pure instinct and it felt delicious. “That’s right, lift your hips for it, Charity.” She whimpered again and it made his cock twitch. Jonah clenched his jaw tight against the urge to shove into her. She’d welcome the possession right up until his cock tore her tight sheath. Ladies expected their first encounter with fucking to be blunt, maybe that’s why he intended to make sure Charity enjoyed herself before he got around to deflowering her. Adding a second finger to her body, he slowly fucked her with them. Catching her clit between his lips, he sucked on it as her hips arched and strained beneath his mouth. Her thighs clamped around his shoulders as her cries grew louder. He pressed a third finger into her pussy and she bucked as climax broke through her. It was the end of his control. He stood up as she gasped for breath and pulled the waistband of his trousers open. He pressed the thick head of his cock against the wet opening to her body and gripped her hips to hold her in place for his possession. Pleasure still held her in its aftermath as he thrust slowly into her pussy. The skin was

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tight but drenched in the fluid from her release, making it easier to press his cock forward. Sweat dotted his forehead as he controlled his own need to fuck her hard and deep. There was a beast inside him straining against the bonds he refused to throw off. His cock slid in slowly as he pulled free and pushed a tiny bit deeper with each thrust. Charity gasped but she could not get enough air into her lungs. Stars flashed across her vision as her chest fought the hold of her corset. Pleasure was twisting every muscle she had as Jonah pushed her into another climax. She was still twisting with all the sensation when he stood up. His hands curled around her hips and she jerked her attention to his face. It was a moment of raw emotion. His jaw was clenched tight as the first portion of his cock thrust into her. Her body burned but her hips gave another lift towards her lover, proving that instinct agreed with his actions to fuck her. The rope of the hammock bit into her hands as she clenched her fingers tightly around it and Jonah pulled free. His fingers never lessened their hold, telling her that he intended to have her completely. He pressed forward again but not bluntly. Her body ached, but his cock stretched the tight skin, gaining more depth. Jonah growled as he pulled free again. His eyes were centered on her spread body as he thrust back into her pussy. This time he pulled her towards him and the hammock swung easily under his grip on her hips. He thrust forward at the same time, driving his cock deeply into her body. “Yell if you want to, no one will hear.” Charity laughed instead. No girlish giggle, it was a deep, husky tone that betrayed how much she enjoyed being right where she was. Jonah’s eyes lifted to lock with hers as he remained frozen with his cock embedded in her. The grip on her hips lessened for a moment as he rubbed the flesh to ease the amount of pressure he’d applied. “God, you’re tight.” “I should think so, but I won’t be crying about it.” Jonah gripped her hips again and pulled out of her body. He pushed her away and the hammock swung up before he pulled her back towards his cock. A harsh grunt left his lips as the hammock helped to imbed him inside her pussy. Harsh appreciation covered his face as he watched her reaction to his possession. “Aye, you’re a woman, Charity, and one that I’m becoming addicted to.” The pain vanished as he began to work the hammock back and forth. Her hips lifted for his cock as pleasure returned with each slide of his hard flesh into her body. Jonah was a man of his word as well, because the sensation was deeper this time. More intense than it had been with just his mouth or finger. Her entire pussy pulsed with delight as it was stretched by his cock. Her brain wanted to investigate that fact but her body refused to let her think. She lifted her hips for each swing towards her lover and more pleasure tightened around his cock as it filled her. Nothing mattered but the hard thrust of his body into hers. Her eyes opened wide to stare into the face of her lover. Pleasure spiked through her hard and she moaned like a wild animal. Some primitive female in the grip of

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mating heat. Her body jerked up towards that spot where Jonah’s flesh pierced hers. His hands tightened on her hips as he growled and shoved his cock harder into her. They were suspended for a small eternity as pleasure twisted her and she actually felt her pussy contract around the cock inside it. Her spine arched to keep that flesh as deep as possible while she felt the hot spurt of his seed pumping up into her womb. The pleasure flooded every cell in her body, shaking her with its force until she collapsed onto the hammock and gasped for breath. Jonah fell over her and caught his body barely an inch from her heaving chest. Her lungs burned as she struggled against her corset to breathe. A soft kiss landed on her neck. She turned her face away to offer the sensitive skin to Jonah’s mouth. Every inch of her body was acutely aware of each and every sensation. Her pussy ached, but she clearly felt his cock as it gave a twitch and began to harden once again. Jonah kissed her neck and along her jawline until he found her mouth. His lips were as hot as hers as he gently pressed her lips open for their tongues to mingle. Thunder cracked over their heads with enough force to shake the poles holding the hammock. Jonah jerked his head up and cussed beneath his breath. Huge raindrops began to pelt them as he pulled free of her body and pulled her off the hammock. Wind whipped the rain right under the protection of the roof to soak through their clothing. “Jesus! I’ve managed to piss off the Almighty this time!” Jonah fumbled with a key as he pushed the door of the hut open. One hand gripped her forearm and sent her into the dark building. “Stay there. I’ve got to see to my horse.” Thunder cracked again and the roof over her head shook. The rain increased and ran off the palm-covered roof. Charity stared in wonder at the sheer violence of nature. The sky was black as rain poured down and the thunder continued to make her ears ring. She watched Jonah stroke the neck of his stallion with a firm hand as he slipped the bridle back into its mouth. Hard command radiated from each motion he made and it was amazingly attractive to her. It didn’t strike her as common, and certainly wasn’t beneath her. Maybe that was the true reason she had never been attracted to any of the young men she had known. They were boys, playing silly games in an effort to impress the ladies. Jonah was a man and a coarse one at that. But that bluntness excited her. A small ache came from her pussy as she moved but shame was nowhere to be found. Instead, that sense of empowerment moved through her in a steady wave as Jonah emerged from the side of the hut and shook the water from his eyes. His shirt was drenched and sticking to his chest. Heat colored her cheeks as she let her eyes trace the hard ridges of muscles that coated his shoulders. His fine cotton shirt was translucent and even his chest hair was visible. The storm raged around them and she simply did not care. Jonah looked primitive and hard, and her body found it completely perfect. His eyes locked with hers as he

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stepped into the hut. He stroked her face with a gentle hand before moving his thumb over her lower lip. Sensation tingled down her spine. “Did I hurt you too much?” Even if he had, Jonah didn’t think he could keep his hands off her now. Her dress was soaked and the only thing keeping his eyes off her breasts was her corset. He sat in a chair and pulled his boots off. Being trapped in the hut with her was too much temptation to ignore. His body was pulsing with the demand to strip and get back inside her hot pussy. He hated that damn corset because it hid her nipples from him as he stood back up. Charity offered him a smile that was full of her enjoyment of their passion. The expression sent his cock to swelling again. The afternoon storm couldn’t last long enough to suit his taste. “Take the dress off.” His voice was clipped, like an order from a captain to his men. Charity frowned at the abruptness. Jonah held up one thick finger to still her retort. “I don’t trust my hands to do the job without ripping it off you.” He would too. Charity saw that harsh light of need flickering in his eyes once again. All the power she’d observed in his body as he commanded his mount was still pulsing through his body, only it was now directed at subduing her for his command. A crazy twist of excitement went through her clit as she raised her hand to the first button on the top of her blouse. Jonah’s eyes followed her hands as she pushed her buttons through their holes, like a starving man watching the cook slice off his fair share of the meal. There was the hint of violence once again on his face that said he would defend his claim on her if she resisted. It was a confusing tangle of emotions but excitement was the dominant one. “Shouldn’t we worry what the owner of this home might think?” Jonah’s lips parted to show her his teeth. “Oh that you should. The hut belongs to me. I told you, I enjoy my space. Sometimes I need to get away from the grand house up the hill that needs an army of servants to keep it running. Here, I can just be a man.” His eyes lowered to her exposed corset. “I think you need to get out of those clothes and try being my woman. We’ll behave commonly and spend the afternoon indulging our lust.” Charity laughed as she shrugged out of her blouse. “And there are two hammocks on the porch. I do wonder why.” And one large bed in the room behind the entry room they stood in. It was a small hut with only three rooms and very little furniture. The king-size bed peeking through the doorway looked massive compared to its location. Jonah raised an eyebrow at her. He raised his hands to his shirt and opened it with rapid motions. “Are you jealous?” The sight of his bare chest distracted her as he pulled the wet shirt off his shoulders and draped it over a chair. “Maybe I was planning to abduct you.” “I have never met a man who could command the weather to do his whims.” The rain had slowed to an even pace now, but the afternoon was still dark, telling her that the storm was not one of the short ones that often broke the afternoon heat. Storms like 66

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this one lingered well into the evening, soaking the island and promoting the huge abundance of greenery. Everyone would stay wherever they were and wait out the rain. It was a particularity of the island. Today, it granted her the freedom to linger with her lover. Jonah laughed. It was a deep rumble of amusement that shook his chest. There was a boyish gleam in his eyes as he reached for his waistband, but his fingers froze when her gaze lowered to them. Charity licked her lower lip as her clit tingled. “Go on, Jonah.” Her voice was husky as she watched his hands unhook his waistband. He wasn’t wearing any drawers either and his cock came into view as he opened his trousers. It was larger than she might have thought. The staff was thick and long. There was a slit on its head and a ridge of flesh that went around the head of it. A little shiver traveled along her spine as she looked at it. Maybe it had been a good thing that she hadn’t viewed it before they became lovers. It was a silly thing to think, but still the idea clung to her brain as Jonah pushed his trousers down his legs and stepped out of them. The wet trousers joined the shirt and Jonah moved across the floor towards her. For all her well-thought-out decisions, her feet shifted back a few inches as he loomed nearer. He scooped her up and hugged her against his body. A second later, her wet skirt flung water over the walls as he swung her in a wide circle. “Ever wondered how adults play?” Jonah set her back on her feet and offered her a grin. “Fun isn’t just for children.” A wicked gleam lit his eyes as he reached for the first metal hook holding her corset closed in the front. Her light day stays were far less tight, and the busk running down the front was easy to unhook. Jonah had it open in mere seconds. He simply let it drop to the floor as his hands slid up her torso to cup her breasts through her wet chemise. “I want to play with every inch of you.” She shivered as his voice rasped between his clenched teeth. In that moment she felt more beautiful than she ever had. Just her—no silk or lace or lavish creation of fashion. Jonah’s hands gently massaged her breasts as she reached for the button holding her skirt around her. The fabric slumped to the floor with a wet sound, leaving her in a wet chemise that was stuck to her body. The garment ended at the top of her thighs and Jonah smoothed his hands down to the hem. He stroked the top of her bare thighs on his way under the fabric. “Do you want to be my plaything, Charity? My toy?” A deep throb hit her clit as his words awakened the hunger that had been driven away by their first encounter. His fingers curled slightly before he pulled his hands up her thighs. He dragged her wet chemise to her waist and left it sticking to her body as his hands smoothed down her bare legs again. Every inch of her skin begged for a touch. Goose bumps covered her legs as Jonah slid his hands around to cup each side of her bare bottom. He leaned close to her ear and his cock brushed against her belly. “Do you?” 67

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Her mouth went dry as she tried to answer. Taking a lover was bold—forcing her mouth to talk out loud with him had never crossed her mind. “Yes.” Jonah growled next to her ear as his hands clasped her bottom and pressed her tightly to his frame. His cock felt huge against her torso as her pussy began to clamor for another taste of the hard flesh. She couldn’t stay still, her body was jumping with little impulses. Her hands roamed over his arms, the fingertips tracing hard muscle as she moved to his shoulders. “Look at me.” His voice was harsh now and her chin rose instantly. Hunger flickered in his eyes as she complied and locked gazes with him. “Did Gaea serve you tea?” “Oh…yes.” His lips rose into a grin that wasn’t pleasant at all. No, the expression was menacing and hard with promise. His cock jerked between their bodies as his grip tightened on her bottom for just a moment. “Good.” It was more than good but his brain wasn’t thinking about conversation. Jonah felt her shiver in his embrace and the response fed his need to trap her. He wanted to give in to every dark idea that had ever paraded through his brain just so long as it meant getting his cock lodged back inside her pussy. He wanted to fuck and fuck and fuck until he passed out from exhaustion. Grasping the bottom of her last garment, he tugged it over her head and threw it aside. She stood still as his eyes traced her curves. Her hips were wide and lush. Her waist narrow but not too slim and her breasts were twin teardrops crowned with pink nipples. He moved back up to her face and found hunger filling her eyes. It wasn’t the sort of lust you found in a hussy—this was deeper and more intense. She wanted him, not just his cock to scratch an itch. The honest acceptance sitting there humbled him. Broke through to his heart and warmed him with emotion because it was the honest truth that he’d never expected to find a lady with so much plain practicality in her. If she was loose or striking out at her father by turning slut, he might have understood. Charity was simply indulging her passion because she trusted him and that was no small gift. “Did you instruct her to give that tea to me?” She didn’t like that idea. Jonah lifted an eyebrow at her tone. “No, but maybe you should be more annoyed that I didn’t.” He had a good point but Charity still frowned at him. Something flickered in his eyes before he shrugged his huge shoulders. “Unless you’re a gold digger, intent on trapping me with a baby.” Charity hit him. She slapped her hands onto his bare shoulders. He laughed at her before leaning over and tossing her right over one hard shoulder.

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“I admit to enjoying the method of your trapping.” “You’re a brute, Jonah!” He tossed her into the center of the bed in response. Her body bounced in a tangle of limbs as she pushed her half dry hair out of her face to look for him. He had his hand braced on the edge of the mattress and her eyes strayed to the erect cock pointing towards her. “Brute? Be careful, Charity, my command of the English language is rather keen.” His gaze swept her and heat blazed across her skin. “But ‘brute’ does go along with abduction, doesn’t it?” There was a playful note in his voice but a hard promise lurking in his eyes. It was another combination of emotions that inspired excitement in her. The bedding smelled fresh. The rain still pelted the roof of the hut, inspiring her to become bold in return to Jonah’s delight over her accusations. Playing was something she did understand. Rolling over, she watched his eyes linger on her bare breasts as she crawled across the mattress toward him. Gaea’s afternoon tryst offered her a temptation that her playful partner might find surprising. “Maybe I shall have to make you my devoted slave instead.” Reaching forward, she curled her hands around the length of his cock. His breath hissed through his clenched teeth as she let her fingers stroke it for the first time. The skin was smooth and hot and she closed her hand so that her fingers encircled it complexly. “I find your words tempting.” Charity laughed at the husky timbre in his voice. She pressed her hand back down to the base of his cock and gently handled the sacs hanging from the root of it. Leaning forward, she let her tongue gently lick the slit on its head. Jonah shuddered and the response delighted her. His hands left the bed as he stood up to offer his cock to her tongue. The organ was becoming harder as she licked the ridge of flesh that encircled the head before opening her mouth to suck on it just as Gaea had done. “Sweet Jesus, Charity!” Jonah fisted a hand in her hair and pulled her mouth away from his cock. His eyes flickered with heat as she lifted her head to look at his face. “Now, Jonah, if we are going to play, then we simply must take turns.” His jaw clenched and a soft growl shook his chest. The grip on her hair tightened slightly and the little nip of pain from her scalp added to the growing excitement heating her body. There was something about feeling his strength that made her more eager to let him back between her thighs. It was a very blunt idea but nevertheless true. The harshness of it fascinated her because the ache in her pussy became more acute. Doctor Darwin certainly was on to something in his evolution ideas. “I never was much good at playing fair.” The hand in her hair loosened as Jonah growled at her, but he moved closer to the edge of the bed and offered his cock to her mouth again. She stroked its length and licked the slit on its crown again before taking it inside her mouth. She wanted to hear that little hiss of breath from him, possibly make him shiver in response to her touch.

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Jonah was considering turning pagan. Live the rest of his days worshiping Tripee and playing with Charity as often as his cock got the urge. She took more of his length between her lips and his spine went cold as pleasure shot from his balls to that part of his brain that was as primitive as a wild stag. She teased his cock with her tongue as she tried to mimic the scene she’d witnessed between Gaea and Teo. Sensation tingled through his balls and bit into his staff. Gently gripping her hair, he pulled her mouth away from his length because he wasn’t ready to give in to another climax so soon. That was something time taught a man. Lingering between the erection and ejaculation was time well spent. Only an inexperienced youth fell on a woman and fucked at top speed to get to the climax. A man enjoyed the bite of holding off that last moment as long as possible. “Don’t you like it?” Jonah chuckled at her question. He pulled her up until she was poised on her knees before sliding his hand to the base of her neck. “I love it.” His mouth sealed out any further comments as he kissed her. It was a hard press of his lips to hers, his tongue sliding along her lower lip before thrusting deep into her mouth. A little moan rose from her as his hand clamped her neck in place and the bed shook as Jonah knelt on it. The hair covering his chest was crisp and it teased the hard points of her nipple as well as all of her bare skin. It was a decadent moment of complete immersion in sensation. The endless layers of clothing were missing now, leaving all her nerve endings free to transmit sensation. “And you can suck me again later. But I did warn you that I don’t play fair very well.” Jonah lifted her under her arms and laid her into the center of the bed. His large body pressed her thighs wide as her back rested on the cool sheets. He slid his hands to her breasts and cupped both of them as he knelt between her spread legs. “I want another turn playing with your sweet flesh.” She shivered in response. He massaged her breasts and pleasure moved in a hard wave through her. At the top of her slit, her clit throbbed with the same accelerated rate of her heart, and her pussy felt empty. Her back arched to press her breasts against his hands even harder but he controlled his grip as a soft chuckle came from his lips. “You like that, do you?” Charity nodded her head, still hesitant to speak out loud. There was something…sordid about actually saying the words. Jonah clicked his tongue at her like a disapproving teacher. “Oh no, Charity, I enjoy your sweet voice.” He locked gazes with her for a long moment and she gasped as she caught the flare of demand burning there. There was a hard part of this man that required submission from her. “Tell me you like to have your breasts handled.” 70

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“I do.” He pinched her nipples and she gasped. The small pain shot straight down her spine and triggered a harder ache from her clit. A grin began to lift Jonah’s mouth as he rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger a moment to relieve the pain. “Tell me to pinch your nipples.” “Jonah!” His eyes locked with hers and she licked her lower lip at the hard demand she witnessed there. “I can’t.” “Tell me to pinch your nipples. Did it make you hotter?” He rolled her nipples as she shifted beneath his body. She felt so exposed for a moment, as though she needed to escape and cover her most tender parts. But she did want him to pinch her again. “Pinch…my nipples.” He obeyed instantly. Another bolt of pleasure shook her body and a whimper rose from her lips. Jonah grinned at her response and the expression chilled her with its arrogance. He reminded her of a master at his craft and it was her body that was the item he knew how to control. “Now tell me to lick your slit.” “I will not!” He pinched her nipples and she gasped. “Then you will be punished for your disobedience.” His hands left her breasts and he slid one hard arm under her back. He turned her right over onto her knees and hands, grasping her hips to sit her on all fours. Her bottom was mere inches from his body and she jerked against his hold on her hips. “Jonah.” “Some men like an obedient wife, Charity. I think I might be one of those.” A hard slap landed on her bare fanny and she yelped. Jonah moved to her side and hooked a hard arm around her body as he slapped the opposite side of her bottom. The air in her lungs rushed out as the pain hit her clit. Need bloomed inside her so intensely, she almost broke into climax. “I am not your wife!” Jonah held her down as he smacked her bottom again. “Aren’t you? I’ve pumped my seed up inside your virgin body. Isn’t that the biblical definition of marriage?” Another blow landed on her bottom and then his large hand rubbed at her stinging fanny, making her shiver as she was caught up in another wave of sensation. The way he changed the stimulus, alternating between pain and caress, kept her balanced on the edge of pleasure. Sweat coated her skin in a fine layer as she tried to get off her hands and knees. “So disobedient.” Jonah smacked her bottom twice in response. “Stay still, Charity. I’ve a mind to teach you what it means to be my property.” 71

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“I am not your wife!” Anger laced her voice as she pushed against his hold. Jonah rolled her onto her back again and captured her wrists as he used his body to press her against the bed. There was no hope of moving his body off her own but she bucked beneath him as her temper flared up. Her bottom stung and the cool surface of the sheets reminded her of his discipline. Jonah stretched her arms above her head as he leaned down and bit her neck. “It would be simple to change, Charity.” She bucked again as a frustrated scream got past her well-mannered lips. She did not care! She was going to slap his face for treating her like his chattel, bound to obey him by both state and church law. It was a man’s world. Jonah could drag her to the altar and every soul she valued on the face of the earth would help him. The unfairness of that fact enraged her. She struggled against his hold as determinedly as her mind battled the idea of not being in control of her own destiny. “Release me.” His cock entered her spread pussy instead. Only the head, but her body instantly discarded her mental problem. Her hips arched to take more of his length as her frustration transformed into sexual need so intense she snarled with it. She struggled against the grip on her wrists because she wanted to hold on to her lover. Wrap her hands around his hard biceps and buck her body beneath his to take his full length. “Tell me to fuck you.” She didn’t understand just why, but the spanking had driven her into a frenzy. She didn’t want him to thrust hard and deep into her—she craved it. “Yes!” He pulled free and she struggled against his hold again. “Yes, what, Charity? Another spanking? Maybe I should let you suck my cock until my seed spurts into your mouth.” “No!” She gasped as her clit throbbed for friction. Jonah held his body above hers and her hips lifted off the bed, trying to find his cock. His eyes watched hers as she snarled at his demand but her body was unwilling to let her mind prevent it from gaining what it burned for. “Fuck me, Jonah.” He snarled this time. The sound shook his chest as his cock entered her. Jonah controlled the first few thrusts. Slowly filling her body and lingering deep inside her for a few long moments as he waited for her to stretch around his cock. Charity whimpered as her body strained to buck beneath his. Whatever control he ever thought he possessed fled as he rose enough to watch her face. His hips drove his cock harder and faster into her body. He held her wrists and enjoyed the fact that she was his captive. Primitive and hard, but her body took his and that was the only thought in his head. The bed shook as he fucked her. His cock pressed deep as she arched to take him. Frustration still chewed on her because he held her down but it deepened the hot need in her pussy because Jonah was demanding she take him. Pleasure tightened harder and deeper than it had on the hammock. She strained towards her lover as Jonah thrust 72

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harder towards her. There was a slap of wet flesh as the bed rocked. Her eyes fluttered shut as her body shuddered and pleasure split her apart. She screamed as Jonah growled. His chest landed on top of her body, pinning her completely to the bed. Her wrists became free as he pushed his hands beneath her bottom and gripped it firmly through his last hard thrusts. She gasped as his seed hit her womb and pleasure contracted through her once again. It was a deeply satisfying climax that made her pussy clamp around his cock. His fingers gripped the soft flesh of her bottom, holding her in place until the last jerk of his cock delivered his seed into her. His body shuddered as he snarled softly next to her ear before rolling over onto his back. Her head landed on his shoulder as Charity tried to force her brain to think. It was an impossible task. Fatigue pressed in on her thoughts, darkening her mind until all she could think about was sleep. Jonah’s arms were locked around her, keeping her pressed to his body. “Jonah, let me go.” Her voice was slurred. “No.” His voice was rough but quiet. The sound of the rain hit her ears again as she gave up her fight to move away from him. His hand smoothed over her back as she slipped under the curtain of sleep. Satisfaction coated every inch of her body, sending her into that deep slumber that even rested the soul.

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Chapter Eight She was sleeping with a man. Charity jerked awake as her brain wrapped around that one idea. Jonah cussed as her actions shook the bed. The room was still dark as rain continued to hit the windows. She blinked her eyes, attempting to drive away the last bit of slumber from her brain. How long had she slept for? Jonah pulled her right back down into his embrace. The netting was pulled around the bed and a sheet covered their legs, proving that he hadn’t dropped off as suddenly as she had. But that didn’t explain why they were sleeping together. “Jonah, are you insane? We cannot sleep together.” The brute held her against his body as he laughed at her growing alarm. “That’s nonsense. Pure poppycock. Sleeping in the same bed won’t disrupt our hearts’ rhythms.” Charity frowned at his quick dismissal of science’s newest warning for couples to sleep in separate beds. Each human heart had its unique electronic current that helped the muscle to keep its pace. Many doctors believed that some currents reacted like magnets to each other. If you slept in the same bed with someone whose heart rate was opposite your own, it could cause your own heart to stop beating. “It’s those same men of science who are telling you that a well-bred woman doesn’t have a sex drive.” Jonah tipped her chin up with a finger to look into her eyes. “Every female is born with a clit and it likes attention as much as a cock. It’s always been that way and couples have been cuddling together for warmth for generations. Siblings were sharing beds on homesteads long before that idea was hatched, and humans seem to have survived just fine.” “Well, put that way, I suppose it is a bit premature to worry about sharing a bed.” A tiny smile touched her lips as she considered how many nurseries had sisters sharing a bed on cold winter nights. The girls on the main floor and the boys up in the loft. But feeling Jonah’s hard body next to her own was altogether different. “I should return to the mission.” The arm around her didn’t slack. Jonah slipped his hand up her arm to cup her shoulder. “It’s pouring. The road will be a river of mud. No one journeys out during a storm unless it turns ugly and you have to find deeper shelter.” “You’re talking about a hurricane?” She hadn’t considered that but she should have. Her cheeks burned with a blush for her own lack of discipline. She should have kept her mind on the possibility of the storm being life threatening, instead of ignoring her own safety in the face of passion. 74

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“The air’s not thick enough. We aren’t getting a storm but there’s one passing by us. It’ll rain all night.” “All night?” Charity lifted her head and frowned at the closed window shutters. Jonah pressed her onto her back as one hand cupped her bare breast. Her skin instantly transmitted the skin-to-skin touch. He leaned down and licked her nipple. Sensation drew the soft point tight until it was a hard little nub that Jonah flicked his tongue over. “Aye, all night.” His eyes glowed with anticipation as his fingers pinched her wet nipple. Sensation shook her body as he watched her face intently. “The natives say the local goddess is telling them to take time away from work to honor her by feeding their passions.” His fingers pinched her nipple harder and the tiny pain shot down her spine into her clit. He grinned at the reaction and gently rubbed her nipple until the pain was completely gone. “Let’s take a bath before I forget you were a virgin.” The bed rocked as Jonah rolled over. He simply stood up without a care for the fact that the sheet remained behind on the bed. Her eyes rounded slightly as she watched him stand proudly. It was a raw picture Jonah presented, and her eyes lingered over the ridges of muscles that coated him. Her gaze didn’t hesitate as it moved towards his cock. A deep chuckle was his response as he reached back and captured her hand. “Come now, Charity, How exactly am I expected to treat you gently if you look at my cock like a hungry kitten?” “Gently?” Jonah pulled her right out of the bed and the afternoon air hit her bare body. Gooseflesh rose over her skin but it was more a response to being nude than any chill. In fact, the afternoon was warm in spite of the rain. But being completely naked tested her resolve because she simply enjoyed it so much. No clothing to pinch or contain. The raw beauty of their bodies amazed her with how much she enjoyed looking at Jonah and knowing that his eyes lingered on her. It was perhaps the most honest form of telling her she was attractive that she had ever experienced. “You enjoyed being handled roughly.” Jonah’s eyes sparked with something dark for a moment before he began pulling her towards the back door. “Admit that spanking made you hot to fuck.” “Jonah.” He laughed at her indignant tone. Jonah pushed the back door open and she gasped before grasping the doorjamb to remain inside. Jonah took a half step away from her and turned to survey the rainforest that surrounded the hut. “No one about. I told you that I need my space. There’s a wall hidden back there in the vines and I have it inspected to make sure it’s in solid repair. When I come here, I want to be alone.” That told her something about him. That need to just be himself without the expectations of the rest of the world. It was something that touched her heart because

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she yearned for that same, treasured bubble of freedom. All the gold in creation meant little compared to the privacy they shared right then. “I work hard, Charity, and play just as devotedly.” Jonah moved across the porch unconcerned that he was nude. A huge glazed, porcelain tub was positioned on the back corner of the porch. A trough rested on one end and rose up to a small water tower. There was a wide fan of metal that caught the daily rain and stored it in the tank. The bath would be whatever the temperature of the outside water, but in the tropical climate Charity admired the ingenuity of the machine. No need for electricity to pump the water—gravity did the work. There was another length of pipe that ran under the porch and off into the foliage to drain the tub. A cord was attached to the valve that opened and closed the water tank. You might sit in the tub and pull on that cord to let the water in. Since it ran down the trough, you could even wash your hair with a stream of running water. In a climate where it rained almost every day to replenish the water in the tank, it was ingenious. “Are you cold?” Jonah pulled on the cord and water rushed down the trough. The water tank must be full because the water moved so fast. Her skin awoke with tiny little ripples of sensation as she considered getting into that tub. A bath sounded delightful. “I can light the stove and heat some water.” Charity turned to see a stove sitting under the roof that covered the patio. A large metal bucket was already filled and sitting on its black cast-iron top. “No, I’m not cold.” In fact, that cool water looked inviting. Jonah offered her a grin before pointing back behind her. “Get the soap, you can scrub my back.” His grin turned arrogant. “Like a good wife.” She had already turned to retrieve the little bucket with a white block of common soap in it. It was sitting out of the rain with a sea sponge. His tone annoyed her and she spun around to glare at him. “I am not your wife.” Jonah released the cord and moved towards her but she refused to back down. A little ripple of awareness went through her as she had to tip her head back to look up at his face. She didn’t much care for the way she noticed how much larger he was than her. Jonah stroked the scarlet surface of her face as he tsked under his breath at her temper. “Be careful, Charity my sweet. Every man enjoys a challenge.” Charity grunted under her breath. She added a shrug as she pushed the basket with the soap into his belly. The harsh reeds that formed the basket made Jonah jerk back. “Well, if it’s a challenge you desire, fine, Jonah. Just don’t disappoint me by taking the easy path and using Reverend Polson against me. I sort of have you pictured as more of a hands-on man than that.”

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Jonah chuckled. It was the honest truth that he couldn’t remember enjoying a woman’s company more. Not ever. There were more experienced partners in his memory but none that rivaled Charity’s pure spunk. She kept her chin level as she walked smoothly across his porch buck-ass naked. She lifted one delicate foot to step into the tub and a small frown marred her face. His amusement faded as he watched that proof of her lost innocence be shaken off. She touched his heart with her blunt honesty. She was a lady, no doubt about it, but she didn’t find the need to suppress the woman inside her in order to be polished among her peers. That was a combination that shimmered like gold. It was a wealth beyond what his dreams had ever tempted him with. Even the idea of forcing her hand in the face of his pride wasn’t too much to consider when the prize was keeping her in his bed. All he had to do was confess his sins to Harold. Two little sentences and she’d be at the altar beside him. But that wasn’t good enough and he knew it. He needed to know that she craved him too. There was also something darker. An emotion that was based in the hint of her nature that had seen a virgin responding to a spanking. The reason was simple, there was a part of her that was unwilling to spread her thighs for a man who didn’t demand it of her. His cock twitched and jerked as it swelled into a hard erection. Aye, he liked Charity just the way she was and it was going to be his personal pleasure to prove to her that he was man enough to take her. Jonah got into the tub with her. His cock was large and hard once again, making Charity’s lower lip itch to be licked. Unlike some forbidden things, tasting it had not sated her appetite. Her body was beginning to flush with heat again, making the cool water a delight. It was like swimming without her bathing outfit. At home, she was the first one at the lakeshore once the swimming season opened. “I like the way you obey, Charity.” She raised an eyebrow at his humor. Jonah flashed her a grin before turning his back to her. She couldn’t help but laugh as the water rushed towards her and splashed up over her hard nipples. He pressed her knees wide as he moved back towards her. He caught one of her feet and began to gently massage it. A little sound of enjoyment rose from her chest as she reached for the soap bar and stroked it across his back. The rain pelted the metal water tank as her hands worked the soap into a lather on his skin. The dark hair that covered his chest was crisp, adding to her enjoyment of his body. She did not want it smooth or soft. He was hard opposed to her and that made her even more attracted to him. “Harder. Dig your fingers into my back.” She did and he groaned with enjoyment. A smile covered her lips as she worked her hands all over his shoulders and down to his waist. Jonah leaned forward to let her reach more of him. She dipped her hands into the water as the sound of his pleasure fired her enthusiasm for the task. The shift in power amazed her. She was scrubbing his back, a rather humble wifely chore, but the

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power sat in her hands and she bit into her lip to smother a laugh as she moved her hands around his waist to grasp his cock. Jonah sucked his breath in as her hands slipped over his length beneath the water. She teased the spot right under the head and he shook. “I do hope I’m doing a proper service to you, Jonah.” Her grip traveled to the base of his cock and back towards the head as he flung his head back. His teeth were clenched together but a sound of enjoyment escaped and it made her bolder. “Of course you’ll need to stand so that I can wash the rest of you.” He grasped the edge of the tub and stood up. The water rushed away from her as he removed his body from the tub. He turned to offer his cock to her service. Charity folded her knees beneath her before clasping his length once again. “I do believe it might take a bit of working to soften this up.” “That it will.” Jonah watched her as she reached up and licked the head of his cock. Her hands were still clasped around the staff as she opened her mouth to suck him. “God, you learn fast.” Jonah’s voice was harsh with appreciation. She stroked his erection as her mouth admitted more into it. Time froze as she let his harsh breathing tell her that Jonah was her slave. She might be on her knees, but he was hers to command with her touch. She sucked and worked her fingers as his hand tangled in her hair. His hips thrust towards her mouth and she relaxed to let him fuck her. Cupping the twin sacs that hung at the base of his staff sent him into a faster pace. A harsh gasp hit her ears a moment before his seed began to fill her mouth. His hand gripped her hair frantically as he drove his cock into her mouth. Satisfaction moved through her as she sucked every last drop away and massaged his cock through the moment. Jonah sat back down with a muffled curse. His breathing was labored as he opened his eyes to stare at her. “I hope it rains for a month.” Reaching across the tub, he lifted her off her knees and turned her until her back was to him. A second later it was her lips that uttered little sighs of enjoyment. His fingers worked her back and shoulders with steady motions that sent shivers of delight through her. “I could happily spend an entire month just playing with you. Learning every place you like to be stroked.” His hands slipped around her ribs to cup her breasts. He pulled her back until she lay across his chest, while his fingers rolled her nipples through the soap. “Finding every little piece of you that enjoys being stroked and just how fast you like it.” His hands left her breasts to smooth over her ribs and belly. His fingers teased the top of her bare mons before one fingertip parted the lips of her sex. “Ah, your clit. Now there’s a spot that I know likes a bit of attention.” She gasped as he rubbed her clit. Sensation shot up into her pussy as she tried to jerk away from his hold. The water wasn’t enough to shield the view from her eyes. Jonah secured one hand around her belly as he searched for her clit again. “Watch me finger you, Charity.” “Jonah!” 78

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His chest shook beneath her back but she couldn’t quite tear her eyes from the sight of his finger rubbing that little spot at the top of her slit. “Watch, Charity.” His finger made a circular motion. Pleasure spiked in her pussy as her hips lifted to press her clit harder against his hand. “Exciting, isn’t it? I watched you suck my cock.” “You did?” He rubbed her faster and she shivered as she was caught between the need to understand and the desire to just let go as pleasure took her. “Aye. Watched your little pink tongue lap it before you opened your mouth and sucked me dry.” The idea made her shiver. Her body jerked and bucked towards his hand. Pleasure was tightening beneath his finger. Her eyes were glued to the sight as climax began to break through her. His finger moved faster as she moaned and her hips worked towards his hand in fast, jerky motions that sent the water splashing against the walls of the tub. She collapsed back against his body as the water moved back and forth over their legs. Jonah leaned down to place a kiss against her neck as he gently rubbed her clit a few more times. He ran his finger through her slit to tease the opening of her pussy. “I want to fuck you, Charity.” He sighed against her neck as the tip of his finger entered her body and rubbed in a slow circle around her sheath. “But I know you’re sore.” His finger sent little waves of sensation up her pussy as she lingered in the glow of the pleasure he’d just given her. “But I like to fuck, a lot. You’ll be sore for a while until you get used to having my cock inside you as much as I want to put it there.” “This insanity cannot last, Jonah. We have to return to the world once the rain stops.” His finger thrust deep and her hips lifted for the penetration. “This is my island.” His finger rubbed the walls of her pussy as a moan broke through her lips. “And you’re mine. I’ll be happy to smack your ass as many times as it takes for you to remember that you begged me for more.” “Jonah!” He chuckled but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. He leaned closer to her ear as his finger began to gently fuck her. “You did, Charity. Demanded I spank you. Your ass was rosy when I got around to fucking you. It excited me, did you know that? Fucking your hot ass and knowing you were wet because I paddled you into submission. Do you know that I wanted to fuck you up against the wall of that closet? I could have. You could have wrapped your bare thighs around my waist while I shoved up into your pussy. We’ll have to try that the next time I catch you. Now that I’m not worried about deflowering you too roughly.” “You have no shame!”

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“None.” His finger left her body and moved to her waist. He lifted her up and turned her to face him. His face was hard with hunger as he held her close to his body. “There’s no shame in enjoying the body I have. No shame in touching your body until you shiver against me. I like women, the way they taste, the way they feel when I’m deep inside them.” He pinched one of her nipples and she quivered against his hard body. “But more importantly. I crave you.” His hands moved over her skin, never stopping, only lingering as his fingers traced each rib and then onto her belly. His breath hit her ear as the meager light the dark clouds let through began to dissipate completely. A shiver shook her and gooseflesh ran over her arms as the night began to cool. Jonah sighed next to her ear before his hands settled on her hips and he lifted her. He stepped out of the tub and reached for a length of toweling sitting neatly folded on the same table that the soap had been stored on. Charity reached for it but a gleam of pure devilment glittered from his eyes as he held the fabric between his hands. He stretched his arms out wide and braced his legs apart as he began to stalk her. “Come here, little Charity.” She edged to the side but couldn’t contain a small laugh. For all his massive size, Jonah looked like a boy attempting to catch a greased pig for a blue ribbon prize. Another round of amusement left her lips as she decided that her nude body was indeed very much like a young piglet, all pink and shiny from her bath. “Shall I squeal?” Jonah chuckled at her before moving closer to her. “Here, little pig.” He lunged at her and clamped his arms around her torso. She struggled against him but the toweling ended up wrapped around her body tightly. Her arms were trapped inside its damp hold. “My prize.” Jonah bent and scooped her up into his arms. Her body weight didn’t appear to tax him at all as he carried her back into the hut. He laid her among the mussed bedding before moving towards the table and the basket sitting there. He brought it back to the bed and sat without any care to covering his cock. Her eyes lingered on his chest and the dark mat of hair that covered him. It ran from shoulder to shoulder and down to his waist. But there was no hair on his cock or the sacs hanging beneath the staff. It would seem that jafera wasn’t only used by women. “Our dinner will be cold but it beats a rumbling belly.” Her stomach rumbled at the mention of food. Breakfast had been an entire day ago. Passion apparently built the appetite because she was famished. Jonah chuckled as he broke a round of dark bread in two and offered her half of it. Charity grinned at their meal because it was far removed from the courtship games she had always thought would accompany her introduction to the man who would share her bed. Yet she found it strangely comfortable as if Jonah faced her, just her, and

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not some created version of what society wanted her to be. Their meal was simple but it was by far one of the best suppers she could ever remember eating. And when their appetite for food was fed, Jonah rolled her back among the bedding. The night closed around them like heavy bed curtains, granting them permission to indulge and be satisfied. Jonah never let her out of his embrace even as sleep demanded her attention. Her senses were full of his scent as her fingers threaded through his body hair. Jonah listened to Charity’s even breathing long after she’d fallen asleep. His fingers smoothed over a shoulder as he felt his cock give a twitch. The damn thing had never been so demanding after being sated. He considered that odd fact as he caught another lungful of Charity’s scent. He didn’t want to let slumber steal the moment from him. Didn’t want to face the fact that tonight was an anomaly that wouldn’t repeat itself. Unless he forced the issue. That left a sour taste in his mouth. Somewhere along the line he had missed the rather important fact that when you asked a woman to marry you, she gave you the gift of her free will when she said yes. That was a treasure he’d never recognized until facing Charity’s wrath over his intention to force her hand. But to let her go without any commitment meant losing her, possibly forever. The choice burned in his brain as the night slipped away like sand in an hourglass. But there was one thing that stuck in his mind. Being known for who he was and accepted on the grounds of complete honesty. Aye, Charity enjoyed being his lover but there was another test to place before her that just might drive her back to the mainland without another night in his bed. Jonah didn’t sleep because he needed to savor her in his embrace.

***** “You do what?” She should have sounded enraged. Instead her voice was husky with boldness. Jonah grinned at her shock as he caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger. He leaned closer to her mouth and his breath teased her wet lips. “I share my partner’s wife. She happily lets both of us stroke each and every part of her body before we fuck her until she screams.” “You are attempting to frighten me.” Charity saw it in his eyes. She shook her head and jerked her chin from his grasp as she turned and let her feet touch the floor. She pushed against the mattress and stood up as the bed ropes creaked. “Well, Jonah, I do not scare lightly. However I detest your use of scare tactics. If you wish to end our liaison, simply say so.” After all, she had known that love affairs did not translate into dreams come true. Yet there was an odd twist of pain moving through her. She shuffled it aside, refusing to dwell on it. Jonah captured her wrist and pulled her back into the bed. Charity

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gasped because she had forgotten just how strong Jonah was. He rolled her right onto her back and lowered his larger frame over her body to keep her in the center of the bed. The look on his face frightened her a tiny amount. It was the face of her lover but darkened by something she couldn’t quite place her finger on. “I’m going to be very disappointed if you frighten away, Charity.” He caught each of her wrists and pulled her arms above her head. The crisp hair on his chest teased her nipples as her body twisted under his out of instinct to avoid a trap. But she was caught, hard and true, not only by his strength but by the hunger heating her pussy. Jonah considered her for a long moment before a gleam of satisfaction entered his eyes. “You’ve managed to tempt me, sweet Charity. That hasn’t happened before except with Evelyn.” “Just because I choose to allow you to be my lover does not mean that I enjoy being compared to your other women.” She intended her words to be firm, possibly a bit harsh. But her voice sounded hurt, and that stung her pride. She lowered her eyelashes to conceal the tender emotion from Jonah’s keen stare. He grunted at her action and released her wrists. He rolled over and scooped her body up off the mattress as if she weighed no more than a child. He sat her on her bottom and cupped her chin with one large hand. She couldn’t keep her eyes veiled, it was simply impossible due to her natural curiosity. She had to know what expression was on his face. “Evelyn isn’t a woman in my past.” His voice was gruff, as though he was struggling to make sure she understood him. Something flickered in his eyes as his gaze dropped to her nude breasts for a long moment. Heat slowly rose all over her as she realized she was calmly conducting a conversation without any clothing. The early morning air felt delightful against her bare skin. “Evelyn is a part of my current life. I want you to understand that, Charity. It’s a fact that only two other people know on this earth.” Her heart hesitated as she listened to his voice. It was so low, even the sound of their breathing interfered with hearing it. Maybe that’s what touched her so deeply. Jonah often commanded her but this was a confession born deep in his soul. There wasn’t a single thing she might have done to force the information past his lips. He told her because he wanted her to know him. “Is her husband the other person?” Jonah nodded. “I’m not ashamed. It’s an arrangement that has yielded a few nights of wild pleasure. I don’t give a damn what society thinks.” His eyes flashed with jealousy. Charity stared at that emotion in stunned silence. Jonah cupped her chin to keep their eyes locked. “Remember watching Gaea? It made you wet, didn’t it? Watching them fuck excited you. But it doesn’t mean you love Teo. I swear to God I’ll run him off my island if you say you harbor even one tender emotion for him.” He growled the last sentence as the grip on her chin increased. A gasp formed on her lips and he instantly relaxed his hold on her. “There’s a part of every one of us that

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enjoys lust, Charity. I can share that part of you if you can share it of me. But your heart is mine.” His mouth claimed hers in a hard kiss of ownership. His tongue thrust deep into stroke hers before Jonah pulled away from her. His eyes were lit with hard determination. “I’ll share you with Brenton but only if I’m there. There will be no sneaking away to indulge a lover. Honesty is what fuels love, Charity. Never betray that.” He stood up and took another hard look at her. He tried to hide the bare need breaking through onto his face. Her heart twisted as she watched how important her reaction was. It was not something that soft words might describe. It was need, bold and tender. “You can think about that until I see you again.” His face darkened as his eyes moved over her breasts. “I won’t wait very long. Call me anything you like, Charity, but I won’t be kept away from your bed. You choose the method but I’ll be back inside you very soon.” He turned to dress as her temper rose. But the door was turning golden with the first rays of sun. The sky was clear, ending their day of hiding from the rest of the world. Time was moving forward and it would drag her with it. There was still her father to consider and the wrath of society that would fall on him if she sullied her name. Marriage to Jonah would solve that dilemma but seal her into a relationship where she had little control over her own body. Her mind turned the puzzle as she dressed. Her body ached from his possession but all that did was unleash a deep satisfaction that moved through her like a slow burning flame. The reason was clear—she had satisfied Jonah in return. That knowledge touched her deeply but it frightened her as well. In one day they had already uncovered so many cravings that conflicted with her upbringing. Maybe that’s what tempted her to toss all manner of thinking to the wind and grasp his hand as they ran to get the church’s blessing. She licked her lower lip as she buttoned her blouse and hated the way the fabric felt against her skin. Each hook on her corset busk felt like it was driven into her bones, and her stockings were rough against her thighs. She understood her father’s new marriage very well now. Indeed she did.

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Chapter Nine Ruth Polson was wringing her hands when Jonah delivered her to the mission. Her eyes widened before she controlled her emotions and offered Jonah a small curtsy. “Well, I see that I’ve been worrying for no good reason. It’s a relief to see you, Charity. I feared you’d been caught out in the forest alone.” Ruth offered Jonah a grateful smile. “Charity has no idea how a storm can take the island.” Jonah swung out of the saddle and reached back up for Charity. His eyes were alight with mischief as he placed her on her feet next to him. “No trouble at all. But I’m not sure if she quite believes my intentions were correct in keeping her the night.” Jonah turned to consider Ruth. “She was rather insistent on returning.” “Oh no, child! The road would have sucked you down. Grown men fail to conquer the mud that downpours produce here. The tropical soil acts like a sponge when it gets too wet.” “So I noticed on our return trip.” Charity was still a little fascinated by the way the rich soil had looked. The road was marked by waves of shifted mud, not dry flow tracks as she expected. “Mister Wilburn was very tolerant of my ignorance.” “Don’t worry, my dear. Our island is rarely inhospitable.” Ruth added a delicate pat with her words. “Given time, you will learn to appreciate even the harder storms that force you to take a day of rest.” Charity fought back a blush as she listened to Ruth. Well, she had spent most of the afternoon in bed to be sure. Somehow, she doubted that Ruth was thinking of quite the same thing. “I’m hoping Charity will stay around to learn about our climate.” Jonah’s voice was edged with hard authority again. Charity turned her attention back to him to find his eyes flashing with a promise. Jonah glanced at Ruth Polson and gave her a serious look that caused the woman to gasp. “I hope you and your husband won’t find it too misplaced that I asked Charity directly for her hand in marriage. She promised to consider my proposal.” Charity felt her eyes narrow to slits. It was a huge effort to smooth her expression back into something acceptable when Ruth turned and clasped her hands in hers and smiled bright enough to blind her. “How perfect! Harold will be dancing on the roof with happiness. He has been fretting over your coming departure.” Ruth was gone in a flash. “How despicable…”

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Jonah’s mouth trapped the rest of her words behind her lips. A hard arm clamped her against his body as he boldly kissed her right on the front steps of the mission. Her body turned traitor as it enjoyed the hard kiss. “I never told you that I fight fair, Charity.” Jonah turned her loose and swung back onto his horse’s back. He grasped the reins in a firm hand as he used his hard legs to control the beast. His eyes were full of determination as he considered her temper. “I told you that I like to win. Seeing as how the prize is your body, I’m in a hurry to see the contest decided.” He offered her a nod of his head. “I’ve got a plantation to run but I will be back for you.” She could tell him no. Refuse his proposal and sail home on Friday. A frown marred her face as Charity felt her heart twist at that idea. Oh unfair! Tender feelings shouldn’t be allowed to weaken her resolve. A decision as life changing as marriage should be met with an uncluttered mind, the choice determined by facts not emotions. She looked out her window at the large house sitting up the hill. Her heart gave another twist. This time there was no denying that leaving would mean heartache. Packing her trunk was the least wanted chore and setting sail the furthest thing from what she wanted. “Well, now. I told you, you could hook that man. Yes, I did.” Gaea bustled into the room with her teeth showing through her smile. A pot of jafera was in one hand as she held the door curtain aside for the bathing tub to be brought in by two boys. She waved them away the moment the tub was set down. “He didn’t ask me to marry him.” Her frustration made her lips lax. Gaea turned a confused look at her, but the native woman only chuckled as she understood what Charity had muttered. “Well, that sure does make a world of sense to me, child. That Jonah is a wild one.” Gaea sat the jafera down as the first round of buckets came through the door. She waited until the boys had emptied them into the tub before shaking her head. “Don’t be letting that fool you none. Men got too much pride. That’s why he done told you in front of Miz Ruth. Mister Jonah is just too scared to lose you by asking you without witnesses.” “That man isn’t afraid of anything.” Charity truly believed that too. The man wasn’t even worried that a lover might turn her away from him. A little shiver moved down her body as she began to pull hairpins from her hair. Heat began moving through her blood as her memory offered up the idea that Jonah had left there. Sharing… That was certainly something she had never once even considered. But it shimmered in front of her, just daring her to sample something so completely forbidden. It would put any tender feelings she might have to the hardest test. Could lust and love be separate? Well, that at least was one thing that society did currently preach. Ladies loved with their hearts, not their bodies. 85

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Now there was a theory that was going to be quite exciting to test. Indeed it was.

***** “You don’t have a door?” Charity screamed for the first time in her life. Jonah’s hand was already across her mouth as his body pressed her into her small bed. He placed a delicate kiss on her forehead as she frantically bucked beneath him as she woke up from a dead sleep. “Didn’t mean to frighten you.” His voice was a mere whisper. Charity moved her head to escape his hand. “Jonah Wilburn, you cannot just climb through my window,” she hissed at him in a whisper and added a well-deserved slap to his shoulder. Her blow was too loud in the silent room and she gasped as the sound hit her ears. “I just did, but I didn’t know your room didn’t have a door.” His scent filled her lungs and it triggered a flood of heat. Excitement began racing through her body as her clit throbbed for attention. “This is a mission, Jonah. Not a scarlet house.” He pressed one of his knees between her thighs in response. She raised her hand to slap him again but stopped as she recalled how loud it would be. His chest shook with amusement before one hand smoothed up her leg, taking her nightgown with it. “Doesn’t matter what house, what matters is the disposition of the woman.” His hand smoothed over her bare thigh and right between her legs. A gasp left her lips as her clit tightened in anticipation of being stroked. Just the idea made her shift beneath his weight. “All that really matters is if you’re wet for me.” “Jonah…” A fingertip stroked her slit and she bit into her lower lip to seal her gasp inside her mouth. It was a soft stroke that moved from the top of her mons to the entrance of her pussy. He toyed with the opening to her body, tracing it as he leaned down to whisper next to her ear. “Hmm, wet, but I know I can make you so much hotter.” She shivered beneath him. His finger slid up the center of her slit until it reached her clit. He rubbed the sensitive nub as her heart accelerated. A soft kiss landed on her neck before Jonah rolled off her narrow bed to stand beside it. He held out a hand as the moonlight turned him silver. It was an invitation to seduction and she didn’t think about it as she placed her hand into his. Jonah climbed back out the window and reached back in. His strength amazed her as he lifted her off her feet and pulled her out into the night. The rainforest was never 86

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silent. Birds and primates filled it as the wind made the large leaves slap against one another. The moonlight cast a magical glint to the moment as Jonah wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her behind him to where he’d left his horse. In moments, she was surrounded by his body as he mounted the stallion behind her and clasped her back against his body with one strong arm. The night air was cool and inviting as her nightgown rose to her thighs, in spite of sitting side-saddle. The garment had never been fashioned to allow for so much movement. The hut seemed too far away but the night ride fed her adventure-fueled compliance. What were rules when her lover had come for her? Jonah pulled her nightgown over her head the moment they stepped into the hut. She gasped and jumped away from him, but all her action did was help him pull the garment all the way over her head and down her arms. She stood up with her hands guarding her bare breasts, but watching Jonah’s eyes roam over her body filled her with a sense of power. He pulled a box from his pocket and struck a single match. She watched him move that flame towards a candle sitting on the table. The yellow glow surrounded them, encasing them in a hypnotic moment that was intimate beyond anything she’d ever felt. Jonah’s eyes moved over her, filling her with a sense of power. She moved only one hand to expose her nipple. His eyes instantly focused on that one hard point. Turning in a small circle, she let her opposite nipple be displayed before finding the end of her braid to untie the ribbon holding it. Jonah’s gaze lingered on her breasts, making her feel absolutely beautiful. There was more than lust on his face, desire mixed with his basic need to mate. He wasn’t just looking for a quick fuck, he wanted her. “We’re getting married at the festival.” Charity turned her back on him and looked over her shoulder. “Really, Jonah. You never asked me to become your wife. That was rather underhanded of you, announcing your proposal to Ruth. The woman will be devastated if I decline.” Her lower lip went dry as Jonah tossed his shirt aside and sat down to remove his boots. He stood back up the second he was finished and opened his trousers with a swift motion. There were no undergarments to hide his cock as it sprang into sight. Her clit gave a throb as her sheath felt empty. Two days seemed too long to be kept out of his bed in order to have a wedding performed to satisfy other people’s ideas of what they should be doing. Nothing really mattered but the need filling her body, and the fact that Jonah felt it as intently. “I asked you to be my lover. That means a fair bit more to me than a wedding. A wife doesn’t have the right to tell me to get out of her bed.” He moved across the floor completely naked and stroked the side of her face. It was the tenderest moment she’d ever experienced. She watched emotion shimmer in his eyes and knew without a doubt that her heart was lost to him. “I told you in the garden that I’m a blunt man. Call it crude but you’ll never have to worry about what I’m really thinking.” He moved past her and rolled onto the bed. The ropes creaked as he settled his shoulders against the pillows. Her eyes strayed to his 87

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erection, thrusting straight up from his body. “Come to bed with me, Charity. I missed you badly enough to climb through a mission window looking for you.” A small, husky laugh escaped her lips as she moved towards the bed. Jonah was enjoying his view of her approach and she was too because being on display made her the center of his attention. She was slightly drunk with the rush of control it gave her. She ran her hand over one thick thigh before trailing her fingers towards his cock. “Hmm, now what is it I find among my bed linens?” “A treat. All you have to do is enjoy it.” Jonah sounded strained as she ran one finger up his cock. “Aye, feast away on my flesh. I can’t wait.” It was a dare. One she was eager to take. She closed her fingers around his cock and rubbed the spot right under the head. Jonah’s body jerked, just a tiny amount but the response made her bolder. “Just where to begin?” “With the head. Lick it.” It was her turn to gasp as she looked at Jonah’s face. A huge smile was sitting on his lips as he raised an eyebrow at her. “Lovers talk, Charity. It’s only the wife who lies on her back, thinking of pleasant things while she’s being fucked.” “I believe I like the idea of you being on your back and at my command.” Jonah chuckled as Charity climbed onto the bed and moved one knee on the other side of his thigh. “I’m taking a fancy to it as well. But maybe you need the hand of authority. I enjoy breaking in a mare.” “And I enjoy my free will. I’ll not be an obedient wife.” Jonah laughed at her. “We’ll have to see about that.” He folded his arms up and clasped his hands behind his head. His face became serious. “Lick my cock.” His voice snapped with command and she gasped as she recognized a twist of excitement moving through her pussy. That same sort of intoxicating desire that had gripped her when he’d spanked her. “From the base to the slit.” Hearing the words made her shiver as she leaned down and obeyed. Her fingers felt the shiver that went through his flesh as she complied, and she felt fluid easing down the walls of her pussy as her tongue tasted his skin. “Again and use your whole tongue, not just the tip.” Grasping his cock, she leaned down and dragged a large lap up his cock from the underside. A deep groan of approval sent her back for a third and fourth pass along the ridged length. “Now lick around the head and through the slit.” She was already moving as his orders hit her ears. Jonah gasped and resisted the urge to snarl at her. Never once had he felt so privileged to have a woman in his bed.

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She obeyed because she wanted to pleasure him. Not for money or in exchange for the pleasure he’d return but because she loved him. It was the most humbling moment of his life. But her tongue flicking around his cock drove everything from his mind except the need to get back inside her. “Now suck the head into your mouth.” His voice was rough now and it fired her determination to continue. Jonah jerked as she let her mouth take the entire head of his cock. His hips thrust up towards her and she let more of his cock enter her mouth. Moving her hand down, she teased the two sacs hanging at the base as she listened to him grunt. One of his hands caught the back of her head as he began to gently fuck her mouth. “Jesus, Charity, I may never take you back to that mission.” The first drops of his cum touched her tongue, making her relax her jaw further to allow him to penetrate deeper. Two more thrusts drove his cock halfway into her mouth before he pulled her head away. “No. I’m not going to come in your mouth.” His hand shook as he forced his need to ejaculate aside. Her breasts faced him with their hard nipples making his mouth water. Charity gasped as the bed shook and Jonah curled up off it. One moment he looked so relaxed but it was just an illusion. He released her hair and pushed her right onto her back with her head at the footrail, while his hands grasped her knees and spread her wide. That fast, she was on her back with his head hovering over her sex. He moved the folds of flesh protecting her clit with one hand and she felt the brush of his breath. It sent a shiver through her as her pussy clamored for immediate penetration. His tongue lapped up her exposed slit instead, making her moan. He chuckled before repeating the motion and sweat broke out over her skin. Her hips lifted off the bed, offering her body to his mouth. He settled over her clit and teased it with the tip of his tongue for a long moment. Pleasure twisted through her as she whimpered with rising need. “Tell me to suck your clit.” He teased it once again with only the tip of his tongue and she feared she’d go mad if he didn’t suck her harder. “Suck me, Jonah.” He rubbed her clit with the pad of his thumb as he looked up her body. “Tell me to suck your clit.” He moved his thumb down her slit to the opening of her body. “Always be precise when you command me, Charity, because there are so many places on your body that I’d like to taste.” He penetrated her pussy with one thick finger and she felt the walls of her channel contract around that finger, trying to grasp it as her hips jerked off the bed to force him deeper. “But maybe you just need a touch of the whip from your master.”

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Her eyes sprang open to look down her body. Jonah held her slit wide with his fingers while he delivered a light smack directly onto her wet clit. A scream left her lips but it was followed by a deep moan as the pain snaked through her, transforming into pleasure so acute she teetered on the edge of climax. “I confess that I’m hoping you don’t break easy. I like having you under my hand.” Her eyes were glued to his hand as it rose above her spread slit and descended once more. Pleasure spiked through her as her hands tightened into talons on the bedding. “Yes…oh more, Jonah!” He growled between her thighs before leaning down to suck her clit. It broke the cycle for a moment, removing all traces of the sting from his smacks. Soft delight flowed into her pussy, making her muscles relax. A second later he smacked her clit again and she bucked beneath his body. “Come.” His voice was harsh as he smacked her pussy quickly. The wet sound of their flesh meeting fueled the climax as the pain twisted through her. This time, her pussy contracted as her body strained upward off the bed. A deep moan filled the room before she collapsed onto the bed, gasping because her lungs couldn’t keep up with her racing heart. “Good girl.” He thrust a finger deep into her pussy and she whimpered as he stroked the sensitive skin that lined her sheath. “How sore are you?” Her brain didn’t want to think about anything except the feeling of his finger moving in and out of her pussy. Little ripples of sensation were moving through her womb as her clit gently throbbed for more attention. Jonah added a second finger as she offered him a whimper instead of a reply. “I hate knowing I hurt you, but I confess that I’d kill any man who got to you first. I like knowing that this is my pussy.” He worked his fingers in and out of her pussy as the scent of her musk filled his nose. His cock jerked and demanded a chance to get into her but Jonah added a third finger and watched her face to judge her reaction to being stretched again. He had no experience with virgins, but hurting Charity turned his stomach. His damn cock would have to wait until she was hot enough. “But you said you’d share me with your partner.” A little crease marred her forehead as she tried to shake off the sensation of his fingers fucking her long enough to question him. “Only if I’m there. It’s cheating behind my back that I’d kill over. You belong to me.” His face was harsh. Jonah pulled his fingers from her body and she felt so empty she whimpered. Jonah gritted his teeth as he caught the little sound. He pushed back onto his haunches and gripped her hips as he did so. “I need to fuck you.”

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He pulled her right onto his cock. He wanted to drop down onto her and fuck like a beast, but he pulled her towards his body to control the speed of penetration. Her pussy was tight around his cock, making him growl with pure pleasure. Her breasts jiggled as he pushed her off his length and pulled her back towards him. “I’m going to spend hours inside you.” He moved her once more before lifting his eyes to stare into hers. “I swear to God, Charity. Marry me at festival or be ready to deal with being carried off across my stallion’s back.” He leaned low over her body, with his cock embedded in her. His hands framed her face as he thrust twice and then stopped. “Look at me.” Her body didn’t want to. His cock felt too good inside her for her to focus on anything but matching his rhythm. The fingers on her face stroked and interfered with the hard stretching of her lower body. Lifting her eyelashes, she stared into his eyes. “I’m obsessed with you, Charity. I have been since I saw you walking down my dock, smiling like a child who had just discovered her first candy store. You love my island and I love you for it. This island is who I am.” “I know.” And she did. It was the reason she offered him her most intimate embrace, it was a desperate attempt to remain as close as possible to this paradise. “I love you, Jonah, and will be proud to become your wife.” His mouth sealed hers with a kiss as his hips drove his cock between her thighs. Pleasure moved through her with each stroke of that hard flesh. His lips teased hers as his tongue tangled with hers and climax began to twist through her. His thrusts became harder and he broke their kiss to pant above her. His chest pressed her to the bed as his hips drove his cock deeper into her body. He groaned long and deep as she felt the hot spurt of his seed hit her womb. He thrust harder against her and climax broke through her. Time swirled around her as sensation shook her body, leaving no spot untouched. The candlelight was blindingly bright as her eyes flew open to stare into her lover’s. He looked back at her as her pussy contracted around his cock and milked his seed. “I do love you, Charity. So much it scares me.”

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Chapter Ten Love wasn’t free. Jonah groaned as he sat through Harold Polson’s plans for his wedding. Ruth had shuffled Charity away, leaving him at the reverend’s mercy. The glowing delight on the preacher’s face was enough to drive him to violence. Well, he was a sore loser by nature. But in this case, he was happy to let Harold win, as long as that meant Charity was his. Standing up, he slapped the reverend on the back. “Enough, Harold. I’ve never been a man for ceremony. Keep it simple, Jesus was born in a stable after all.” They moved into the hallway as Ruth was pulling Charity down the aisle of the sanctuary. She offered him a tight smile as Ruth stammered to a halt. “Tomorrow’s a good day. My partner will be in dock with his wife Evelyn.” It was one final test. Charity heard it in Jonah’s voice. Her mind instantly sprang to attention as it toyed with the idea of being part of a sharing party. It was wicked to say the least, but it also excited her, making her blush as she admitted to thinking about sex while standing in the middle of a church. It was a mighty good thing Jonah was willing to marry her, at least that was one sin she wouldn’t have to confess much longer. Jonah was watching her, just waiting for her response, and she lifted her chin in spite of her scarlet cheeks. The man truly did inspire boldness in her. Like a schoolboy tugging on her hair to expose her temper. “I look forward to meeting them.” She held her chin level as Jonah shot her a look full of promise. Oh she was in love with the man. It wasn’t the flowery emotion that poetry promised. Instead it was rich with conflict and challenge. But that suited them because they both thrived on adventure. There wouldn’t be any silent night spent reading, each in their own chair. Charity felt relief rush through her as she faced the reality of living with Jonah. There would never be silence except for when they were too exhausted to do anything but sleep. She had to admit to loving that idea. Ruth moved towards her husband as Jonah walked towards her. His eyes flashed at her as he came close enough to whisper in her ear. “Are you sure about that?” There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice that touched her heart. Jonah truly cared about her feelings. That was a gift she intended to hold treasured next to her heart until her dying breath.

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“No, but I shall not dismiss the idea out of silly preconceived notions on the matter. Are you sure you want a wife who likes to face challenges head on?” “I couldn’t love any woman who didn’t.”

***** “I told you so, Ruth. Just look at that. The boy is smitten.” Harold Polson clasped his wife’s hand and lowered his voice. “We really should make them wait a month. I don’t want her father thinking we are uncivilized.” “Better to wed them quick before her father has an early grandchild to come hunting your head over.” Ruth shot her husband a hard, knowing look. “Gaea said there was fresh mud on the floor of Charity’s room this morning and tracks outside the window.” Her husband chuckled and Ruth slapped his forearm in reprimand. “It’s not funny, Harold. We’re responsible for that girl. Her father would not be amused.” Harold offered his wife a happy smile as he captured her hand to keep her from hitting him again. “Now, Ruth, I told you that Charity was just the woman for Jonah. That mud just proves how right I am.” “Oh…you’re incorrigible.” His wife offered him a pout before she gave in and smiled at him. They turned to look at the two young people trying so hard to hide their interest from the world around them. They both laughed as Jonah pulled Charity forward for a stolen kiss before he stalked down the aisle with temper tightening his steps. Charity blushed scarlet as she looked at their faces. She bobbed a quick curtsy before rushing out of the church, leaving Ruth and Harold to their memories of youth and young love.

***** Jonah appeared in the afternoon. Gaea announced his arrival with a knowing look on her face. “Mister Jonah done come to see you. He’s at the front door today.” There was a flicker of a parental gleam in the woman’s eye as she looked at the window behind Charity. Gaea shrugged her shoulders. “At least he won’t be leaving mud behind this afternoon.” Charity walked towards the front of the mission with her face burning. Gaea laughed softly under her breath. “Go on, child. You ivory folks think too much. There are some parts of life that are just meant to be lived.” Ruth hurried into the foyer with her hands clasped tightly to prevent her habit of wringing them. “Jonah, how nice to see you.” “Mrs. Polson.” He cut her a short bow, shocking Charity with the formality of his actions. “I thought an afternoon stroll might be in order. Seeing as our arrangements

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have all been finalized.” A hint of frustration lurked in his voice. Charity found it amusing, but Jonah shot her a glance full of disapproval for her enjoyment. That made it so much more enjoyable. Jonah Wilburn was being forced to tow a strict line, and although it might only be for one single day, she decided he deserved to squirm. The man had a wicked side to be sure! Ruth considered Charity for a moment before offering Jonah a soft smile. “It is a lovely day. Don’t be too long. I’d worry.” “You mean you’ll notice,” Jonah grumbled under his breath as they went down the mission steps. Charity stifled a giggle as he pulled her in his wake. “There’s a damn guard at your window. Some woman weaving baskets. She’s got enough reeds stacked up to be there until next month.” “Oh, my dear Jonah, whatever shall you do?” Jonah shot her a hard look. Her hand was lightly resting on his forearm and he covered her gloved fingers with his own to squeeze her fingers in reprimand. He leaned close to her ear. “Careful, my dear, soon you’ll be my wife and sworn to obey me.” “If you believe that, Jonah, I fear you are bound for disappointment. You might be better off shipping me home to my father.” Passion flared across his face as his mouth twitched at the corners. “I’ll be happy to apply a firm hand to you myself.” Charity narrowed her eyes at him. It was a most unladylike look, but he laughed at her before turning her towards his barge. “I have someone for you to meet.” Her amusement was strangled by apprehension. Casting her gaze towards the harbor, she noticed the large steam-powered vessel in dock. Men were busy unloading the cargo from it and the dock was full of crates and noise. “My partner Brenton Ashton is in dock and the man agreed to stand up with me at our wedding.” Jonah grinned as the word “wedding” rolled off his tongue. It was amazing how meeting Charity had changed his opinion of matrimony. The tense look on his fiancée’s face sobered him though. “You don’t have to do anything more than learn his name, Charity.” Jonah stopped and caught her chin in that hold he liked to use when he wanted her undivided attention. “That doesn’t mean I’ll take to wandering either.” It was a promise she did not expect to receive. “You are a very interesting man, Jonah. I find my mind constantly attempting to understand you.” He chuckled and the deep male amusement was echoed by another man. Charity turned her head to watch a dark-skinned man moving down the last few feet of the ramp set against the newly arrived ship. His eyes were brown and his skin spoke of an African heritage but his clothing was as fine as Jonah’s. “This is Brenton. Until I met you, the luckiest man on the face of the Earth. Now, he’s second best again.”

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Brenton extended a hand for hers, and Charity dropped him a curtsy as he lightly kissed her knuckles. “An extreme pleasure, even if I must extend my condolences on hearing the news of your impending wedding. You must have missed your calling in missionary work to take this rough sort as husband.” “Stop it. Both of you.” A soft, feminine voice floated over Brenton’s shoulder and his face instantly transformed into a grin. Emotion flickered in his brown eyes before he turned and Charity gasped at the sight coming down the ramp. Evelyn Aston was dressed most properly, if you didn’t notice her large belly. Her walking gown was gathered beneath her breasts with tiny pleats to allow enough fabric for her growing babe. Charity had never once seen a woman as advanced in pregnancy, since even maids were sent to the upper floors when they were breeding. Some households even discharged servants for the sin of reproduction. “You mustn’t listen to these gentlemen. It is always competition between them.” Brenton took his wife’s hand and offered her a grin full of promise. “You don’t mind our competitions when it pleases you.” Evelyn slapped her husband lightly on the forearm as she looked back at Charity. “As I said, don’t listen to them. Men are odd creatures.” Evelyn moved onto the dock and took a deep breath. “At last! Jonah, I believe I am going to insist that you allow Brenton to build me a house here. It’s stifling back in Boston since I conceived. I believe I am going to walk for the rest of the day.” Charity couldn’t help but smile. She understood the other lady’s meaning. Back among the society of Boston, Evelyn wouldn’t dare stroll outside in her condition. Even if she had no mind for the gossip laid on her head, there was her husband to consider. Ill reputations had a way of running off business. “I adore the tropical climate myself.” Charity offered the woman a curtsy as the group began to move along the dock. Heads turned to look at them as they passed and she snuck a peek back at Jonah to discover the man proudly soaking up the attention. There really was a portion of him that was a noble prince among his people. Today, he was parading his bride for their approval. It might be primitive, but it was equal to a family hosting an engagement ball. The difference was Jonah wasn’t concerned with any reputation she might hold among his people, only that they knew she belonged to him. She felt her heart melt again because Jonah was interested in staking a public claim on her. Becoming his lover had been intimate and exciting. Marrying him was transforming that relationship into something that was three-dimensional. There was no true way to describe all the levels of emotions that went with it, except by calling it love. That great, indefinable emotion that drove people to extremes. Evelyn didn’t make it the rest of the day. The afternoon heat built and sent her looking for shade. She flipped her fan back and forth as she offered Charity a smile. “I hope I will see you again. Jonah tells me you are a very practical woman. So am I.”

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Brenton escorted his wife off the dock as Jonah reclaimed her hand and began to move her back towards the mission. His face was a mask of disgruntlement and she quite agreed with him. Her narrow little coat held no appeal to her either. “No one sleeps in the room across from mine.” Jonah’s forehead furrowed for a moment before she caught a gleam of his teeth through his grin. “You don’t say?” “Um-hmmm, and the windows are always open, in every room.” “Good for air circulation.” Jonah brushed her cheek with his hand as they returned to the mission. His eyes were full of promise as he stomped on the ground to shake any dirt of his boots. Charity smothered her amusement as Ruth appeared in the church doorway, her mother’s eye trained on them. “You look fatigued, Charity. Maybe you should indulge in a nap.” Jonah took her up the steps without another word. Charity felt the rise of heat touch her clit and savored the sensation of her pussy heating. Passion was blossoming up along her skin and she embraced it as she frowned at the sun and the number of hours yet to pass before she might indulge her cravings. Her slumber would be full of images guaranteed to twist her into a bundle of need, but she lay down on her cot and let her mind drift into sleep. She had no doubt that Jonah would cater to her every longing, so there was no reason to deny her imagination the opportunity to create new ideas for her to test the man with.

***** “I hate that nightdress.” Jonah caught her against his body as he growled next to her ear. “I’m going to rip it in half tomorrow night.” “I shall only make another.” He bit her neck in response. Charity let her head tilt to the side to offer the tender skin to his mouth. His lips were so hot against her flesh. Sensation raced down to her nipples to draw them tight. He pushed her back until her back rested against the trunk of a large banana tree. The mission was a dark shadow, illuminated by moonlight. “Thank you.” His breath hit her neck where he’d bitten it, causing a shiver to travel along her limbs. “For what?” “For sneaking out to indulge me. For not changing, now that I placed a ring on your finger.” Charity smoothed her hands over his face and worked the frown lines from his forehead. “I told you, Jonah Wilburn, marriage is not a game to me. I believe you need to be taken in hand for not believing me.”

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He laughed softly but sucked in his breath as she rubbed her hands over his shoulders and lower to his hard stomach. Touching him intensified the heat licking at her clit. Touching his body added fuel to the fire catching in her to once again be nude in his embrace. She picked a button open and thrust her fingers in to touch his skin. He sucked his breath in and pulled his shirt completely open for her. “Touch me.” “Yes, Jonah.” She drew out the words sweetly but a tad sarcastically. She sent her fingers through the crisp hair covering his chest and found his flat nipples. She rolled them between her fingers before sliding her hands lower and over the bulge of his cock, still separated from her skin by his trousers. Jonah hissed against her neck as his hands gently clawed her thighs through her muslin nightdress. It was a moment of teasing that sent little ripples of sensation through them both, and Charity laughed under her breath as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She recognized his scent, knew the smell of his skin and it was actually arousing. But the thing that made her laugh was the fact that sex was actually fun. It was a form of playing and that was more surprising than even the pleasure she gained from it was. “Come on, we’re late.” Her heart accelerated as Jonah lifted her up onto his mount once again. His face was bathed in moonlight as his hand lingered on one of her thighs before he shook his head and mounted the horse behind her. “You make me feel like a lad who can’t wait for his fucking.” The stallion moved at its master’s command. Jonah slid a firm arm around her waist to secure her against his body. “Is that a bad thing?” “Aye, it is. A boy is too busy rushing to the end to take time to enjoy the journey.” He leaned down and nuzzled her neck for a moment. “You love it when I stroke you.” She shivered as her memory offered up a clear recollection of some of their past moments together. “That’s true enough.” Jonah chuckled at her husky tone. The night breeze pulled at her hair and cooled her neck. It was almost surreal, but that warm body behind her confirmed that Jonah was no dream-spun lover. “Jonah, is it possible that you might have fathered Evelyn’s child?” “No.” He leaned over her neck as his hands stroked her. “I’ve never known that tea to fail, but Evelyn conceived in Boston while I was here on the island. When we’re ready to begin a family, our social engagements will have to cease along with your afternoon tea.” “I see.” His arms hugged her tighter. “I wouldn’t take a chance with that. Evelyn is carrying Brenton’s babe, no doubt.”

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Charity let the thick confidence in Jonah’s voice fill her. It flooded out the doubt that had whispered through her mind since meeting the other couple. There were many primitive tribes being discovered all over the world that used such concoctions to prevent overpopulation. To discard that evidence was not in her nature. Even Darwin had written of birth-controlling teas used by the African women. He took her to his home this time. They walked in through the kitchen without a care if anyone witnessed their arrival. He held one of her hands clasped in his as he moved towards the master suite. A small candle lantern lit the room and it was not empty. Brenton stood with his wife, both of them completely bare. The other couple was absorbed in each other, Brenton holding her breasts as he bent to lick a hard nipple. Her own nipple tingled as she watched the slow manner that Brenton employed on his wife. He lapped all the way around the nipple before closing his lips around the hard tip. She shivered when Jonah cupped her own breast from behind her, leaving her watching as he touched her. “It’s considered completely unspeakable, but it sends the blood rushing, doesn’t it?” Jonah released her breast and bent down to snag the hem of her nightgown. He raised it slowly as Brenton released Evelyn’s nipple with a little popping sound. He turned his dark eyes to watch her legs being bared. Evelyn reached for her husband’s cock and fingered it lightly as Jonah pulled the nightgown past her thighs and up beyond her mons. Evelyn stared at her hairless mons with a little pout. “I detest plucking.” Jonah chuckled as he pulled the dress over her head and tossed it aside. “The island women know a thing or two about getting rid of unwanted hair.” Brenton’s eyes were on her bare body and all it did was excite her more. Charity stared right back at the man as Evelyn began to stroke his cock. Pleasure tightened his face as he gazed at her mons. “We need to visit more often.” He reached under his wife’s swollen belly to stroke her slit. Her pubic hair was cut very short. “You could experience the local culture, intimately.” Evelyn laughed as she knelt in front of Brenton. Her hands held his cock firmly as her tongue appeared to lick the head of his staff. The pure decadence of their stolen evening together pulled her under like a riptide did to an unsuspecting swimmer. She cheerfully went with it, watching Evelyn open her mouth to suck her husband’s cock. A wave of need went through her pussy as she watched Brenton’s jaw clench tight. Jonah stroked her slit and she shivered as her courage rose to a fever. “I do believe I should join the party.” She sank to her knees and gripped the hooks holding Jonah’s fly closed. A large hand cupped the back of her head as she opened his trousers and pulled his cock out. “Yes, I believe I understand the social protocol of the evening.” She heard Brenton chuckle at her comment, but the flexing of Jonah’s hand behind her head was far more important. She ran her tongue up the underside of his length before looking up to his face. Emotion glittered in his eyes and it made her heart swell.

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He jerked her right off her knees and kissed her. A hard pressing of mouths that betrayed how touched he was by her reaction to the moment. “I love you.” His voice was rough with emotion. “And you’d better be at that church tomorrow or I’m going to send every man in the tribe out to hunt you.” “How interesting. I might have to try that.” Jonah smacked her bottom in response. “Promise me you will be at the church.” Charity pushed her lips into a firm pout instead. “Jonah, how awful of you. I’ve never been hunted before. Can’t I try it at least once?” A hard smack on her fanny was his response. He pushed her back to her knees and knelt beside her as he rubbed her bottom. She was poised on all fours like a bitch. That quickly he changed the current so that the power rested in his control. She felt vulnerable as he moved his hand in a circle over her smarting flesh. Her skin tingled and tightened as it waited, just waited for that hand to rise up for the next smack. Fluid was easing down the inside of her pussy as she anticipated the next little twist of pain. The idea was almost as powerful as the reality. His hand left her bottom and she gasped. “Promise me, Charity.” His hand descended, filling the room with a loud smack. Brenton turned to watch as he thrust his cock back and forth between his wife’s lips. Another blow hit her backside and Evelyn pulled her mouth free to watch Jonah spanking her. Brenton offered her a raised eyebrow. “You distracted my wife, Charity.” “You mean Jonah distracted her.” Another smack hit her bottom and she whimpered as her clit twisted with pleasure and pain. Her pussy felt too empty and her limbs quivered as she tried to remain on her knees. Brenton tsked at her as he moved across the floor towards her. “No, I believe you prompted my good friend to take you in hand. So you will finish sucking my cock.” Jonah leaned down next to her ear as he rubbed her smarting bottom. “Suck it, Charity, and I’ll smack your ass a few more times before I mount you like a bitch. Would you like that? To be used like a mare? You’d have no control, only my demands.” “Oh…yes.” Her pussy was desperate for it. Jonah bit her neck once again as he touched the opening to her pussy. Brenton stopped with his cock a mere inch from her lips and Evelyn lay across the huge master bed to watch them. Her eyes were lit with lust as she waited to see if Charity would suck her husband’s cock. “Good girl.” Jonah moved and his hand lifted from her bottom. She parted her lips for Brenton’s cock and he pressed the hard flesh forward. A smack landed on her fanny as a moan escaped around the cock in her mouth. She was twisting too tight, all the sensation went through her pussy as Jonah continued to spank her. Brenton caught the back of her head and held her for his cock. He slowly moved his length deep into her mouth. There was the brush of Jonah’s cock behind her and she whimpered.

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“Now, I could get very used to having my wife on her hands and knees just waiting on me.” Jonah grasped her hips as the head of his cock stretched her pussy apart. He pushed deep and pulled back while his hands held her in a hard hold and Brenton fucked her mouth at the same time. “I think we’ll teach Evelyn the same position.” Evelyn laughed from across the room as Jonah began to move faster. “I don’t enjoy being spanked, Brenton. I suggest you indulge the fact that Charity does.” It was too hard to follow the conversation because it felt too good to be full of Jonah’s hard cock again. Her brain didn’t want to think, she needed to feel and respond. Her hips lifted for his penetration as she kept her jaw relaxed for Brenton’s cock. Time flowed as climax taunted her, pleasure flowed through her, but without friction directly on her clit, climax wouldn’t ease the need twisting through her. That made it so much more intense. Charity listened to her own moans as her brain shut down even further. Nothing mattered but pushing back for Jonah’s next thrust or flicking her tongue around the head of the cock in her mouth. She could feel both cocks swelling, hardening, and she lifted her bottom higher as Jonah grunted under his rasping breath. He leaned down over her back and trailed a finger through her slit. He pressed on her clit as he gasped and drove his cock deep. The first spurt of his seed made her come. Her body jerked and convulsed as pleasure coursed through her. Brenton pulled his cock from her mouth as she cried out. Jonah clung to her lower body for long moments as his lungs labored to supply his heart. His hands began to massage her hips where he’d gripped them so hard during his ejaculation. Brenton threaded his fingers through her hair before he reached for her breasts. He cupped the tender flesh and lifted her off her hands, pushing her back onto her knees once Jonah pulled free from her body. “Sweet Charity, I’m delighted to meet you.” He leaned down and licked one of her nipples exactly the way he had done to his wife. Sensation moved down her belly and into her clit as he closed his lips around the hard tip to suck it. His fingers never stopped moving on the globe of the breast. Her head fell back to help thrust her chest up towards his mouth. Jonah watched her from above. His eyes glittered with enjoyment while he witnessed Brenton suckling at her breast. Evelyn sighed dramatically from the bed and Jonah grinned. Brenton released her nipple to glare at his friend. “Getting old, Jonah?” “In your dreams.” Jonah turned and moved off towards Evelyn. Charity gasped. “Jonah! She’s with child.” Evelyn laughed and sat up to look across the room her. “I want it more than ever now. Be assured, Charity, I am in good health. Being active in my husband’s bed hasn’t harmed me a bit! It’s nothing but puritan nonsense. Just like a lot of other things girls are told about the marriage bed.”

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Evelyn reached for Jonah’s cock and stroked it with a confident hand. Jonah chuckled as she leaned down and took the head between her lips. She sucked on it for a long moment before she leaned back on the bed, spreading her thighs to expose her slit. Jonah trailed his fingers through her wet folds and Charity found it quite arousing to watch her intended husband fingering the other woman. Jonah used one finger to penetrate her body. “I’m delighted to discover neither of you were very good puritan students.” Jonah shot Charity a grin before fitting his cock against Evelyn’s spread body and thrusting deep into her. That idea made Charity giggle. She grinned like a schoolgirl as Brenton grasped her hips and pulled her towards him. “As am I.” He was kneeling in front of her and pulled her right up so that his cock pressed into her. She grabbed his shoulders as he lifted her until he penetrated her completely. Her knees were draped over each of his thighs as he moved her off his cock and then let her body slide down its length. His mouth teased hers with a kiss as her pussy stretched around his flesh. He suddenly lowered his back to the floor but held her shoulders in place so that she ended up sitting on him. Only his cock was still deep inside her pussy. He lifted an eyebrow at her astonishment. “Don’t you enjoy riding?” “You mean, ride you?” The idea caught like fire did on silk chiffon. It burnt through her mind, igniting images of her actually controlling their pace. “That’s right. Brace your hands on my chest if you like and fuck me.” She raised right off his cock before thinking about it. Her hands were still resting on top of her thighs as she lowered her body back onto his length. His face tightened a fraction, tossing more fuel on the flame of temptation. But she kept her hands on her thighs because Brenton was staring at her breasts. She felt so beautiful that leaning forward was not for her. Moving her body faster, she relied on her strength to work her body up and down. Instead of having the pleasure tightened around her, she judged just when to increase the pressure or speed. Looking towards the bed, she watched Jonah as he fucked Evelyn. The woman sobbed quietly as Jonah’s bare backside flexed and relaxed with his fucking. Her own pleasure was building as Brenton reached for her nipples and pinched them. The little pain distracted her, breaking her rhythm. “Faster.” Brenton’s voice was harsh and he pinched her nipples once more. Evelyn’s voice rose as climax took her. Brenton was oddly connected to his wife’s pleasure. His breath rasped between his teeth as she increased her pace and his hips rose off the floor to penetrate her even faster. He gripped her hip and pulled her towards his cock as he grunted and his face shook with enjoyment. His seed pumped up inside her but she didn’t join him in climax. She was too busy watching the pleasure coat his face, a delight she had ridden him to. “I fully approve of your bride, Jonah.” Brenton curled up of the floor and caught her head between his hands. His cock gave a few final jerks inside her pussy as he kissed her. He lingered over the kiss, running his tongue over her lower lip before

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stroking her tongue with his own. The hair on his chest teased her nipples as she moved her tongue along his in return. Two hands hooked her under her arms and lifted her off Brenton. “Just remember she’s mine.” Jonah cradled her against his chest as he glared at his partner. Brenton gently stroked his cock as he considered them. “I wouldn’t forget that.” The dark-skinned man moved towards his wife and began to place soft kisses on her face. Jonah nuzzled her neck as he laid her down on the bed next to Evelyn. “Did you enjoy it? Fucking is an instinct. Being honest keeps us sane. But making love is something different.” His eyes blazed at hers, so full of emotion, she was sure it would leave a scar across her heart. “Promise me you’ll never make love to another man.” Jonah’s hands were smoothing over her, all along her torso, over her breasts and down her arms. The touch was so tender and complete. He wasn’t obsessed with rushing towards the fucking, he wanted to touch her, romance her completely before letting lust rule them both again. She understood now, the battle between the flesh and the heart. It would never be over, but the true test lay in the execution of every battle. Sharing each other with the other couple fed that need to give in to lust. It would be enough to keep that primitive portion of their brains from wandering. She would never wonder if Jonah kept a mistress, and she recognized the value of trusting him by being involved in his few, lustful indulgences. Reaching up, she tapped his lower lip with one finger. “Make love with me, Jonah.” He needed no second command. His body covered her as he gripped her head and held her still for a kiss. It was a long kiss that never really ended. His cock thrust smoothly into her body, stroking her clit slowly, gently rekindling the need that had built during her ride atop Brenton. The desire was deep now. Her pussy was more sensitive. Every inch of her skin soaked up little details. The way her thighs were pressed wide by his. The feel of his chest pressing against her breasts as he moved back and forth on top of her. She lifted her bottom for each thrust but Jonah kept the pace too slow for climax. Instead he gritted his teeth as he forced himself to move at the same even pace. Charity pulled her head away from his as need became too much for her. Her pussy was tightening around his cock, trying to complete their coupling. “Jonah…please fuck faster.” He chuckled between his clenched teeth. His eyes blazed with promise as he braced his hands on the bed beside her head and lifted above her. His hips drove his cock into her with hard thrusts. A moan filled the air as her body jerked and pleasure coursed through her. It pulled and ripped at her, snapping her like a leather buggy whip. The hot splash of his seed doubled the pleasure for a moment and she moaned low and deep as it all clamped around where their bodies were fused together.

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***** Charity woke up with her head on Jonah’s shoulder. The room was still lit by a single candle but there was no sign of Brenton or Evelyn. The hand resting on her hip smoothed over the flesh gently as her eyelashes fluttered open to stare into the eyes of her lover. “I love you.” He sounded surprised by that idea and Charity offered him a soft smile of understanding. “Yes, you do. Yet I love you in return, so maybe it isn’t so bad a fate. So long as we endure it together.” A grin appeared on his face as his hand smoothed over her hip once again. “Aye, that’s a fate I can live with. Indeed it is.”

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Chapter Eleven “Oh Lord, I’m going to dance tonight!” Gaea was in a mood. The woman was practically dancing already as she helped Charity with her bath. She was grateful for the distraction anyway. Her mind was tired and she half feared that there were dark circles beneath her eyes. Not that she regretted last night’s lack of slumber, only the rather harsh reality of making it through the day with so little sleep. “We have to get you bathed and dressed. I’ve been a-waiting to see Mister Jonah take that walk to the altar. Had me a feeling that you could handle him, yes I did.” Gaea didn’t miss a single spot with her jafera as she continued to chatter with her delight. She refused to worry about the step she would be taking tonight. No one could predict the future. You made the best choice you could and moved forward. The truth was there was no groom she might have faced with more enthusiasm. But she would be walking towards him with love, and that was a treasure beyond any childhood dream. It made her eager for the day to pass, just so that her single life might be over and her union begun. The words of the ceremony really weren’t what would bind them together but it would leave behind her recent habit of climbing through windows. And wearing nightgowns. So she washed her hair and brushed it out before Gaea placed large white gardenias in it. The native woman frowned as she helped Charity into her bustle and the lavender evening dress that went with it. Many brides wore their best dress. Her father would have suffered the expense of a white gown, but Charity didn’t much care that she wasn’t having a dress made for her wedding. She had always been more practical than fashionable, and there was no reason to change that now. Especially when her marriage promised to be so unusual as well.

***** The harvest festival sprang to life the moment the sun set. Every scarlet thing Jonah had whispered in her ear proved true as the population of the island began to dance. Many of the native girls were completely bare breasted with only strings of flowers around their necks. Colorful paper flowers were strung from rooftop to rooftop along the street, even the small fishing boats were wrapped in streamers and lit with lanterns. Music spilled onto the dock as the island fruit rum flowed freely. The women swished their hips as they danced in a blatant sexual invitation. Old and young, everyone was

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there. But the night belonged to the dancing women as the men encouraged them with their music. The natives brought her groom to the church like a primitive king on his way to claim the village-selected virgin. They began to chant as everyone joined the parade. The dock echoed with hundreds of feet as they began to climb the steps of the mission. Jonah was dressed in the only full suit she had ever seen on the man. Ivory cravat with brocade waist and split tail overcoat. On his head was a beaver top hat, and gloves were neatly buttoned over each hand. Coupled with her silk bustle and lace gown, they truly looked like royalty among the rest of the inhabitants. Brenton offered her a bow as he stepped up behind Jonah. Charity offered him a curtsy as she caught sight of Evelyn behind him. They shared a smile before the crowd grew restless. “On with the wedding!” The crowd wasn’t willing to let their celebration wait any longer. They pushed Jonah forward as he offered her his arm. Their native chant and music followed them up the center aisle of the sanctuary until the reverend raised his hands to silence his congregation. Harold Polson’s voice bounced off the walls of his church and he looked like he had never enjoyed marrying another couple so much. Charity was grateful for the matchmaking scheme that had brought her to this place. She placed her hand in Jonah’s and listened to his vows as the natives watched with passion-glazed eyes. It was pure perfection… Indeed it was.

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About the Author Email: [email protected] Dawn welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Also by Dawn Ryder Hawk’s Prey Improper Lessons Improper Pursuits Reaching Back Talon’s Trophy Tempting a Lady

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