A/N: ..counting down the days till school
resumes? The summer was way too short! Welcome aboard
newest reviews and hello to everyone who is keeping up with the
story. Hope this leaves you happy. I got to smile while I
wrote it.
Chapter Nineteen: Erik
She smiled shyly, "Monsieur, you make me blush." And she did.
It was all that he needed. His hands reached to frame her face gently; he closed the distance between them slowly gauging her acceptance of his touch, and brought his lips down to hers.
Her lips opened as he heard her breath catch, he could taste the wine on her lips. One hand slid behind her neck, he felt her hand move to his waist. He slid his tongue into her mouth, slowly moving it against hers.
Emily felt her limbs melting; she braced a hand on his waist to keep herself from falling. She felt hot where his hands rested on her, and the movement of his tongue was making things happen to her inside. She hadn't felt this way with a man in years, the feeling of being consumed and worshiped at the same moment. She vaguely realized there was something in her other hand, and dropped her shoes, bringing the other hand up to grasp his waist. She wanted to hang on as his silken exploration of her mouth continued.
He felt her other hand, it inched along his back following the valley along his spine. His breathing was getting ragged. He withdrew from her long enough to get a lungful of air. He dropped a hand to hers; he raised it to his lips and kissed her open palm. He watched her face as she stared, transfixed, as he placed light kisses on her fingertips, letting his teeth graze them gently.
Emily watched him turn his cheek into her hand; she felt the whiskers brush her palm. She gained control of it and ran her hand into his hair. His lips found hers again. The world was starting to fall away; the only thing that existed was this moment, this man, and the exquisite connection they shared. His arms encircled her and slowly brought their bodies together. She felt small and soft as the length of her body molded itself to the intense heat and hardness of his.
Erik reveled in the feel of her body as she drew breaths, it moved against him eliciting more of a response from him than he had ever experienced. Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard a noise. It was a key in the cabin door. He withdrew from her mouth, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Her face registered a dazed look. "Our chaperone has arrived," he breathed.
Good lord, this man was making her crazy. Confused, she realized what he had said. "Javier?" she asked.
He let out a deep breath, "As luck would have it," he said. Perhaps it was fortuitous; instinct told him he would not have stopped otherwise. While reveling in that heady exploration, he knew without a doubt that she was responding to his kiss. Emily was no shrinking virgin; she was a passionate woman who knew what awaited her.
Javier opened the door; Erik and Emily were standing together looking like sleepers that had just awakened. Noting her shoes on the floor he quipped, "Well, looking for another cat?"
"No," she said, "just saying good night." She smiled at the man she would now think of as Erik.
Javier dropped a tied up roll of blankets on the deck and offered Emily a small bag. "I got Livy to pack a few things for you to clean up with." In the bag were her comb and some toiletries.
"Thanks, Javier."
"We couldn't sneak out another dress," he said apologetically. "If anyone was watching the apartment; they would only see me stop by."
"What did you tell Livy and Perrine?"
"They were ready to call in the gendarmes! I told them we had taken you first, so they need to keep up the appearance of relying on De La Shaumette to find you."
She noted the bit about being taken first, was there supposed to be another kidnapping? "Do things ever get dull in Rouen?"
Erik answered, "Not from now on, I think."
As Emily withdrew to the partition, Javier stuck his head in. "Things going alright?" he asked.
She knew he was making sure that what was transpiring between her and Erik was up to her liking. This brash Spanish Romeo was fast moving into the position her brothers would have filled. "Yes, things are alright."
She took off her skirt and blouse, lying down in her camisole and petticoat. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of the boat and the river. Sleep came to steal her away from the world, promising dreams of a gentle kiss.
Earlier in the afternoon Giles Charbonneau gathered up the finished contracts and handed them to Phillipe Robillard. "Everything went smoothly," he commented. "The latest additions to the English Customs forms simplified the transaction."
"Excellent," Phillipe replied with a smile. "Monsieur will be most pleased, especially after the last shipment."
"Ah, yes. That would have been most unfortunate for M. De La Shaumette if the machines had been lost."
Phillipe shook his head, his lips a thin line. "It was bad enough the boat was damaged, but," he added in a lower voice, "we have all been most fortunate that Madame was not harmed. My sister Sophie is fast becoming a good friend to her." He watched Charbonneau's reaction so far. "And," he added, "you know Monsieur's reputation. He would not rest until who ever had harmed her would have been brought to justice."
Phillipe enjoyed adding, "The gossips along the docks tell of men who have crossed De La Shaumette disappear." He paused and looked around quickly. "But, of course, those are just stories! No one has ever proved Monsieur of any wrong doing." Giles eyes now seemed to have gotten wider. He bid Giles a good afternoon and left with a smile on his face.
Blaise Gaultier was taking care of the last paperwork of the day when one of his Father's assistants came into the office. "Monsieur, there was a fellow outside who said to give this to you." In his hand was a folded up piece of paper.
Blaise took the note, opening it he saw in childish scrawl:
Someone else pays more. We have her. Be at number 37 Rue de Rennes tomorrow at dusk. Bring 500 francs. I'll tell De La Shaumette if you don't.
He crushed the note in his hand, swearing vehemently. He glanced at the surprised assistant. "Sorry, just found out I lost a bet." Apparently Trahan was not as dim witted as he appeared.
"Everything going well," Erik asked.
Javier nodded, "As I told Emily, Livy and Perrine were almost beside themselves. Their landlady checked around and someone had seen Trahan and the carriage, so the abduction story should be going around."
"Good. If Trahan has carried out his part, Blaise will have the ransom note." They stepped outside the cabin.
"How did she take it?" Javier asked.
Erik made a face, "I'll have a bruise on the top of my foot." He told Javier about the abduction, "I got back to the boat as she had stabbed Trahan with her hat pin and was going to hit him with a Brandy bottle."
Javier laughed heartily, "What else would you expect? You should ask her about her brother, you two got off easy." He laughed some more, "I'll be back with your breakfast." He climbed up onto his horse. "Oh, and be careful if she starts throwing shoes." Laughing he left.
Erik wondered about the shoe throwing comment. How violent did her fights with her brother get? Since he had never had a family he could not even hazard a guess.
Returning to the cabin he sat at the table, replaying the moment he had had with Emily. He wanted to weave a slow seduction, from her response she seemed to be willing. His deepest instincts told him that he would have to pursue her, to woo her, to get her to trust him.
If things became more intimate, the time would come when she would ask questions. He wanted her feelings and her trust before he told her anything. He couldn't loose her.
He rolled out the blankets on the floor and extinguished the lamps. He walked quietly to the bunk area. In the dark he could hear her breathing, slow and even in her sleep. She was curled up on top of the blanket, one arm tucked under the pillow. As he watched her sleep, he heard the song again; he hoped that she could hear it too.
Emily awoke when she heard her name. She smelled coffee and felt a presence in the room with her. She pulled a hand out from under her pillow and covered her face. "Don't look you'll be turned to stone," she managed to mumble.
Erik smiled; she did look quite disheveled with her hair spread out on the pillow. Her petticoat was twisted around her calves. She looked warm and soft. "I'll remember that," he said.
Emily looked up, "Is that coffee?"
"Yes, I'll set it her for you." He sat it next to the bunk on the small cupboard. "Javier should be by shortly with breakfast for us." He retreated from the bunk room.
Emily lay on her back for a moment. The coffee smelled so good, she finally convinced her body to sit up and reach for it. Pushing herself up against the back wall, she sat with the cup in both hands and concentrated on keeping her eyes opened. It must be because of all that dreaming she did. "Sorry Sir Henry, I think you've been replaced."
After a few sips she managed to get up and gather her bag. Cleaning up in the small water closet, she came out to put her skirt and blouse back on. She then brushed her hair. Picking up her cup, she walked out into the cabin area.
She noted the rolled up blankets on the floor, "Did you manage to get some sleep?"
Erik nodded, "Did you?" It had occurred to him when he finally lay down last night, that after their kiss, she might be nervous being alone with him.
"Yes, I guess I was more tired than I thought."
They had another cup of coffee, and Javier arrived with a basket full of bread, jam, butter, fruit and boiled eggs. They sat at the small table while he leaned against the cupboards and helped himself to a cup of coffee.
"You said you would finish the story today," she said to Erik.
He was spreading jam on another slice of bread. "Yes, we stopped at where we guessed that Blaise Gaultier was the connection to the bill and back to Trahan. After we put the pieces together is when I asked you to meet with Jules Gaultier. It was still possible that it could be his doing. You talked to Giles and he implicated Blaise. While this was going on, I hunted down Trahan on one of the boats and got him to tell me what he knew of their actions." He stopped to take a bite of the bread. "It appears that you caused quite a stir with Blaise, and that he had approached Trahan with money to have you kidnapped."
"That louse," she commented. "I could tell from looking at him he'd be trouble."
He finished chewing another bite of bread, "Why do you say that?"
She shrugged. "Woman's intuition." She saw the superior look on his face. She pointed a finger at him, "Don't give me that look. A lot of times that intuition is right."
Javier nodded, "My Mother swears by it. She knew more times than I can count when any of us were in trouble."
She thought back, "It's how I knew I was being followed that night when you met Monsieur Colt," she drawled.
Erik and Javier looked at each other, "I told you," Javier said. He reached for an egg, "Damned spooky sometimes."
Erik began the story again, "I decided that since Trahan was set to kidnap you, that we would assist him. I also convinced him working for De La Shaumette's interests would get him farther than smuggling for Blaise Gaultier. So, we kidnap you, Trahan sends a note to Blaise yesterday saying that he had you, but was going to go to De La Shaumette if Blaise didn't pay ransom for you, and that we will meet at the warehouse tonight to hand you over to Blaise."
"Why was he kidnapping me?"
"First, I think he believed that you had not told me about the note and second, that it would keep me busy looking for you. The reason he wants to distract me is uncertain at this point. That is why I am having Phillipe invite Jules Gaultier to the warehouse as well tonight. I want all of the principles there, and the situation resolved."
"Am I to be there as well?"
"No Madame," he pronounced with finality. "Business is the province of men. You have no part in my decision."
Emily felt stunned, her brows rising, "I have no part in this?"
"No Madame, I said you had no part in my decision," he pointed the butter knife at her, "before you start sputtering remember, it was my boat that had to be recovered, and my loss for damaged cargo." He continued to butter the bread.
"You don't even want to know what I found out about the sister?"
"She may have been the impetus to start this sad farce, but these men will pay for their actions against me." He took a sip of coffee, "Your tender hearted opinions behind their motivations will not sway me from a course for justice."
She was about to protest, but realized she would have pleaded their case for Phalene Gaultier. He'd called her bluff on this one, but she wanted to know what he was planning. She spoke aloud in English, "Just wish I could go too," she huffed.
His expression took on that sharpened focus. "French, Madame," he instructed gruffly. It was vital to him to understand everything she was saying.
She gave him a pointed look. If he could keep secrets, so could she, "Look it up in your French and English dictionary."
He gingerly put his coffee cup down, holding on to his suddenly escalating temper. "Have you been snooping around in my study," he said with a voice dripping indignation.
"I don't have to snoop, it's right on your bookshelf," she tossed back, mildly offended. Emmaline Griggs did not snoop! "I was just hoping to see some of your books. I borrow books when I can."
He felt his teeth grind. His privacy was of paramount importance. "Why don't you procure some of your own," he asked in icy civility.
"Because libraries won't let women borrow books. A man has to do it." She hated to admit that, but tossed one last barb at him, "It's really the only reason I can think of for having a man around."
Erik felt his temper slipping another notch, but noticed how she was avoiding looking at him. Oh, Emily, I know that you know better than that. He poured every ounce of sensual challenge he could into his voice, "Really. I thought a man had other uses." He stared pointedly at her mouth. "Do you want me," he paused ever so slightly and looked at her eyes, "to do that for you?"
Emily was glad her arms were resting on the table. As she heard that mellifluous masculine challenge, she felt she could melt right off of the stool into a puddle on the floor. If she thought him capable of magic before, her body confirmed it now. It seemed her brain had already turned to ooze, because she couldn't think of a witty retort. So she licked her lips.
Erik watched the small pink tip of her tongue and remembered the moist, warm depths he had explored with his own. God give me strength, he thought. Emily, you saucy little wench, I'm going to make you pay for that, he swore.
Emily got up from the table and headed towards the partition. She grabbed her bag and came back to the table. "Thank you for breakfast. Can I leave now?"
Erik got up from the table. "You will stay. I am leaving." He nodded to Javier and left the cabin.
Emily and Javier both looked to the other for some explanation of what he had in mind. "Emily, I have no idea what he is up to now."
