throat. She wrapped her leg around his thigh to pull him closer.
Momentarily gratified to feel his manhood hard against her,
she soon began rocking erotically against him. Mindless, she
told him what she wanted him to do to her, whispering her
licentious desires against his ear as he bent to nuzzle her breasts.
Logan kissed her with abandon, and then lost touch with
reality as she wantonly rubbed against him. Nothing in his
experience had prepared him for this woman’s erotic response
to him, nor the very colorful suggestions she whispered in his
ear.
“God, sweetheart,” he moaned against her skin, jerking
the bodice of her gown even lower until her breasts sprang
free. Hungrily he savored first one then the other, his hand
cupping her buttocks to pull her tighter against him. She rocked
her hips, nearly sending him to premature ecstasy. He rolled
her onto her back, his hips settling into the cradle of her thighs.
While she pulled his coat and shirt off to caress his back, he
bent his head to nuzzle her breasts, the nipples puckered tight
and jutting up in invitation.
She writhed beneath him, moaning his name, while her
hands found his flat nipples and teased them to hard peaks.
She arched her back, silently begging him for more, and though
he wanted to gladly oblige her, he knew if they didn’t slow
down the end would come too fast.
He slid to her side, keeping one leg across her hips, and
his manhood snug against her. He kissed the side of her neck,
her ear, and the hollow behind. Her hands slid frantically down
his chest to the waist of his trousers. His breath caught, but he
took her wrists in his hand and stilled her movements by
pressing them against his chest.
“Logan, please.” Her breasts heaved with her ragged
breathing, and he feasted on the sight of them in the shadowy
moonlight. Her pleas tugged at his heart and created a sweet
agony in much lower regions.
“Shh, love, be still a moment. You’re causing me the
greatest distress.” He growled the request, having a difficult
time not letting her have her way with him. But he wanted to
proceed slowly, to savor each moment he had dreamed about
constantly since her arrival at his door.
“You’ll think distress, if you don’t finish what you started.”
Michaela gazed at him, her eyes flashing in the moonlight.
He fully intended to see their lovemaking through to
completion. However, he could not resist teasing her, even in
the throes of passion.
“I don’t believe I started this delightful interlude, dearest.
I really think—”
“I don’t want to talk, damn you.”
His laughter rendered him helpless as she pushed against
his chest. He rolled to his back, bringing her with him. Her
breasts dangled at a level just above his mouth, and he couldn’t
resist taking the rosy tip of one, sucking gently. She arched her
back above him, her hands propped in the grass at his head.
He marveled at the beauty of her face, tense with sexual
delight. Her luscious black hair fell forward to curtain her face,
and her skin was iridescent in the silver moonlight. Long, sooty
lashes rested against her cheeks as her eyes closed in ecstasy.
Wanting to view the rest of her, Logan quickly unfastened
the buttons down the back of her dress. She helped him slide
the remainder of her clothes over her head, flinging then to the
ground. Without shame or embarrassment over her nakedness,
she straddled his belly and looked down at him, passion
gleaming vividly in her eyes as her hands slid in a slow,
sensuous pattern across his chest. Time and again, her thumbs
flicked his nipples, her hips rocking against his skin, igniting
more fires where he feared he would already go up in smoke.
He reached up to cup her breasts, but suddenly found his
arms pinned to the ground beneath her knees. Astonished at
the aggressive role she had assumed, he looked up to find her
lips curved in a seductive smile.
“You, Mr. Rutledge, are far too slow. But then, perhaps
that is all you are capable of, being a man of such advanced
years. Maybe we should forego this game. I would hate to give
you a heart attack at some crucial moment.”
He could take no more of her taunts and instantly rolled
her over and came down on her, crushing her breasts beneath
his chest, his lips silencing any further words. Her tongue came
out to tease his own, and her hands at his waist helped unfasten
his trousers.
The instant his manhood sprang free, she caressed the
length of him, causing him to cry out in pure ecstasy. He grabbed
her wrists and held them above her head, thrusting his hips
forward. In one tumultuous surge, he buried himself deep within
her.
Mica cried out as Logan came into her, sensitive to his
every touch. She wrapped her legs around his waist, refusing
to allow him to move while she reveled in the passionate
sensations shooting throughout her. Never had she experienced
the tremendous hunger he created in her body—the desire to
crawl into his skin and become one being. He released her
wrists and braced himself above her, and she hugged him tighter
as he began to move in and out. He withdrew almost to the
brink of her, only to slide back in, his slow movements more
erotic than the faster pace she would have set.
Again and again he came into her, each time pushing her
closer to orgasm. While all her senses focused on his hips
joining hers, he continued his caresses to her face, kissing her
lips, her damp brow, whispering sweet love words and tickling
her ear with his tongue.
She clawed at his bare back as he increased his pace, his
thrusts shooting electric currents throughout her body. He
surged forward once more, this time melding his hips to hers.
His release triggered her own, her body shattering into a
thousand pieces, throbbing sensations squeezing her tightly
around him.
“Sweet, merciful heavens,” Logan exclaimed, his breath
exhaling hotly against her neck as he collapsed on top of her.
“Yeah.” Mica could think of no response. She didn’t want
to think, period.
Logan slid onto his side, his head propped on his hand. In
the silence, Mica could hear his raspy breathing, which matched
her own irregular gasps. The longer the silence lasted, the more
uncomfortable she grew. Almost afraid to look him in the eye,
she hoped she wouldn’t see disgust written on his features.
In all probability, she had committed a major faux pas by
being so forward with him. When she heard him chuckle, her
eyes popped open, and she jerked her head toward him. Before
she could curse him for laughing at her, he bent down and gave
her a quick kiss, his lips still hot and moist from their
lovemaking.
“I am sorry to laugh, sweetness, but you had your face
screwed up
in the worst expression, as though you’d eaten a
persimmon. Was it that terrible for you?”
“Oh, Lord, no. Don’t ever think that. It was awesome—
heaven, in fact. It’s just, well, I have the feeling you’re going
to think I’m a terrible, loose woman to act the way I did.”
“That I do, my dear. In fact, wanton would describe you
better, I believe.”
She couldn’t bear his twinkling eyes, or the grin on lips
she still longed to kiss. She buried her head in his shoulder.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”
“Michaela Marie, listen to me.” His hand caressed her
cheek before cupping her chin and raising her face until they
were practically nose-to-nose.
“Nothing that happens between us shall ever be construed
as wrong or in need of an apology. You are the most sensuous,
beautiful woman I have even known, and I am extremely
gratified you reacted as you did.” He paused, and Mica raised
a brow, sensing he had more to say.
“However, I do take exception to your comments regarding
my age, and I guess I shall just have to show you that age
builds not only character but also stamina.”
***
The sun washed the sky in the palest pink of dawn by the
time Mica and Logan returned to the house. Mica wasn’t at all
sure she had her clothes on straight, but knew for a fact she
didn’t have all her clothes, because Logan kept sliding his hand
up her skirt, and her bare bottom still tingled from his caresses.
They managed to stable the horses and sneak into the house
without alerting Simon or Mattie, and Logan walked her to her
bedroom door as he had on previous nights. She thought this
ridiculous, but she supposed propriety still had a hold on him.
“I’ll have Lana bring you up a tray.” He brushed her hair
away from her face, his hand warm on her flushed skin. “I
doubt you want to dress for breakfast, do you?”
“No.” She whispered her answer, and then bit her tongue
to keep from telling him what she really wanted. She turned to
enter her room.
“Michaela?” The hesitation in his voice caused a shiver of
apprehension to snake down her spine. Slowly, she turned to
face him.
“I know I said that nothing in our relationship could ever
be considered wrong, and I hope that you can confide in me
and trust me, even if it is a dark secret.”
She squinted at him, her brow furrowed. “What on Earth
are you talking about?”
“When we made love...you acted with a good deal of
experience.” She couldn’t believe it, but sure as the world,
Logan blushed. It didn’t take a Ph.D. to figure what he hinted
at.
“Logan, I’m twenty-nine years old. Of course I’m not a
virgin.” At his look of astonishment, she softened her tone. “I
was married before.”
He instantly stiffened. “Married? I told you...is he dead?”
She realized he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“No, I divorced him.” She sighed. “I can’t believe we’re
having this discussion in the middle of the hall.”
“What?” His voice sounded incredulous. “How the devil
could you divorce him?”
“Richard was irresponsible.”
“You can’t divorce a man because he’s irresponsible.”
Logan shook his head, and Mica realized not knowing the rules
of etiquette might be one thing, but apparently there were
morality rules during this century that were not taken lightly.
She tried to explain.
“Look, he went through his inheritance and bankrupted
three businesses. Then he started in on my money.”
“He would have been perfectly within his rights to use
that money. When you marry, what you have belongs to your
husband.”
“Not under South Carolina law, it doesn’t.”
“We’re in South Carolina, sweetheart, and although I
haven’t taken the bar exam for this state, I doubt seriously the
laws have changed since I finished law school.”
“Changed? They...” She realized the hole she had dug. To
distract him, she changed the subject. “When did you finish
law school?”
“I graduated two weeks after my mother died.” His tone
hadn’t varied, but Mica could see the pain in his eyes.
“She would have been so proud. Why haven’t you taken
the bar?”
Logan braced his feet and crossed his arms over his chest.
He couldn’t understand how she had managed to turn the tables
on him, putting him on the defensive.
“When Mother died, I learned my father’s will had been
entailed, and Indigo Bay became mine, not Neil’s. People
depend on the plantation for their livelihoods, and that had to
take precedence. With the fire and other problems I’ve incurred,
I don’t have time to practice now, anyway.”
Michaela’s face lit up, and again Logan’s body tightened.
“You have time. We’ll make time. I can help you study.”
“It’s dawn. We haven’t slept, and I’m exhausted!” Even as
he said it, his body responded to the wiggle of her hips as she
dragged him down the hall to the library. Just inside the door,
which he closed, she left him and hurried across the room to
light the lamp.
Struggling for some control over the situation, he stated,
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten why we argued. I’m not so easily
“Is that so?” She cocked her head to one side, lips curving
into a seductive smile.
He should have known better than to issue her a challenge.
His hands clutched the doorknob as she reached behind her
and undid the buttons of her dress, letting the garment slide
from her shoulders to pool at her feet. Logan swallowed hard—
she wore nothing underneath. He forgot his exhaustion, his
mind blank to everything except the beauty who graced him
with her smile and her quite naked body, glowing in the
lamplight.
As she glided across the space separating them, Logan
realized he had fallen in love. Always one to scoff at the idea
of love at first sight, he had fallen fast for this unpredictable,
unconventional, wanton woman advancing towards him. He
would allow her to assault his person, for she had already
captured his heart and stolen his soul, even before he had tasted
the nectar of her body.
***
Mica woke up in bed later that day, smiling as she recalled
Logan carrying her to his bedroom after they had made love in
his study. When she stretched and rolled over, she caught the
scent of flowers. Forcing her drowsy eyes open, she found the
bed strewn with a colorful array of fragrant blossoms. She spied
a sheet of paper nestled among the blooms and reached for it,
thinking how romantic of Logan to shower her with flowers.
They meant more to her than if he had given her a priceless
gift.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she sniffed a rose as she
unfolded hi
s note. Her eyes widened and her breath came in
short gasps the further she read.
“My Dearest Michaela Marie,
“Please do not think I have abandoned you, but urgent
business has taken me from your side for a few days.
“What I did abandon was my self control, but I cannot
even apologize for that. The hours making love to you were
the most exquisite of my life, and I shall be eternally
grateful for the gift you gave me last night.
“Upon my return, we shall discuss a date to marry. I
consider myself an honorable man, and even if we had not
relinquished ourselves to passion last eve, I would want to
make you my wife and keep you by my side forever.
“Keep me kindly in your thoughts until I can hold you
in my arms once more.
“With sincerest regards, T L R”
“With sincerest regards?” Mica sputtered as she crumbled
the paper and flung it across the room. She didn’t want to get
married again, not that he had bothered to ask. Lord, men didn’t
change, no matter what century they were from.
As she bounced off the bed and began to dress, she admitted
she was at blame. What had she thought? That she could waltz
in and out of his life and not suffer the consequences? Given
the times, and a gentleman of Logan’s period, Mica could
understand his feelings on the subject. Honor and family meant
everything to him, and she had no right deceiving him.
However, from her twenty-first century viewpoint, if she
were to marry again—and that was a big if—she would only
do so for love. No more of this honor and respectability and
family tradition crap. And sincerest regards didn’t sound like
love to her.
She tugged on her own clothes, knowing she had to leave
Indigo Bay. When she turned and her gaze caught the flowers
on the bed, however, she wanted to weep. She took a single
rose and the note she had crumpled and left the room.
She entered the door to Sea Crest. She realized she cared
too much for a man on whom she had no claim, and there
appeared to be more distance between their views than she
knew how to bridge. As the door closed silently behind her,
her rose turned to dust in her hand, and Logan’s note faded
until the words were almost illegible, but they had already been