Will You Teach Me… ?
Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to follow our dear Stephen and his beloved wife in another great adventure. After his apology and a quite interesting wedding anniversary… I had promised you some very emotional moments and I think you will be served…
Special thanks to AngelinaGaye, SirenWolf28 and Rath101 for the reviews, as well as AvidReaderAndOnlyThat for hitting the follow/fav button!
AngelinaGaye: You want cute? You're gonna have cute. This chapter is nothing but cuteness. Okay maybe not. The title might be a clue that I'm lying to you… oopsie. Enjoy the ride…
SirenWolf28 : thank you so much, my dear! Stephen hasn't finished to surprise you, it's only the beginning… I hope you'll love this chapter!
Rath101: Oh boy how I cannot wait for you to read this. Stephen is starting to be so sweet it hurts. Even Brianna can't just resist anymore. It's getting harder and harder for her to resent him. And it will become almost impossible after the events of this chapter…
~o~
24. Drowning Lessons
August 1774.
When Brianna opened her eyes, the morning sun was already shining down on her. Through the open window, she could hear the soft and steady cooing of a dove, as well as Jeremiah's shrill voice, as he probably played in the garden with Hennessy or Phaedre. And right before her eyes, with his head propped up in the middle of his pillow, Stephen was still sleeping soundly, thanks to the sweet warmth of Bree's body against his chest.
Since his apology three weeks earlier, Brianna had been more at peace than she had ever been in the last five years. Somehow, she felt like the balance of power had evened out and for the first time since they were married, she and Stephen were finally on an equal footing. Of course, she was still a prisoner in River Run, but she had recently realized that Stephen was one too. He was a prisoner of his own fascination, of his insane love for her, a love that filled him with joy but also made him suffer deeply. Out of guilt. Guilt was the burden that had once weighed on Brianna's shoulders and that Stephen had just naturally transferred to his own. But when this feeling had made Bree unhappy, Stephen simply reacted by making more efforts to be forgiven. With kindness, respect, sincerity. And pleasure… more pleasure than ever.
Brianna's fingers hovered down her husband's nearly hairless chest, brushing the sparse blond hairs on his massive pecs. To be completely honest, her guilt had not entirely switched sides. A new feeling had replaced Brianna's contempt for her own bad decisions; a fleeting but very much present shame had overwhelmed her every time they had made love since their first wedding anniversary. And yes, she had to admit it: during the last three weeks, sex had become much more than just sex. Finding closure and making peace with her past had a pernicious effect: that of making her want to regain control of her sexuality and her own body. And forget her awful memories to embrace happiness, comfort… and lust.
From prisoner and sex object of the man lying next to her, she had now become a goddess that he tirelessly worshipped with unprecedented devotion. His kisses had become prayers, his caresses a sacred ritual and each intercourse a communion, that she awaited more and more impatiently every day.
Brianna knew where the shame came from. Because even if she needed to hear his clumsy excuses, Stephen had also confessed to her that he did not regret what he had done. That she could not forgive. And the fact that she had gradually started to enjoy the sex despite this lack of complete forgiveness was dangerous and toxic. Because if he managed to seduce her in these circumstances… if he knew she could love him despite everything he had done to her and without an actual absolution… wouldn't he try to do worse? Brianna did not want to know the answer to that question.
Her dark thoughts were about to ruin her morning, when Stephen's eyelids flew open and his green eyes immediately rested on her. A smile slowly appeared on his lips – causing the scar on his cheek to twitch – and much to Bree's dismay, all the negative feelings that had been invading her heart… instantly vanished.
"Good mornin'…", Stephen whispered, pulling her close to kiss her, and Brianna welcomed his lips with delight. The kiss was slow, languorous, and she hated herself for enjoying it so much. She hated her own arms that slid around her husband's back. She hated to feel her body pressing against his without her brain's permission. But what she hated above all was the thought that this situation was preferable to anything else she had experienced before with Stephen Bonnet. And that she always wanted more.
Unfortunately, Stephen pulled away and stared at her with a lewd smile. "I know what you're doin', sweetheart…"
"You do?"
"You're tryin' to keep me in this bed, hopin' that I forget the Tryons are comin' for luncheon in just a few hours…"
Brianna whined and pouted like a brat, causing her husband to chuckle loudly. "And here I thought I could fool you..."
To be completely honest, she had no intention of missing lunch and while the men would leave them alone to talk business, she intended to do the same with Margaret and convince her to help her find evidence of their husbands' evil deeds. Bree's feelings had changed too much over the past few months and she felt like she was on a slippery slope. The isolation, the games they had been playing for too long, Stephen's apologies, his impeccable behavior toward her… Despite her determination to do justice, Brianna was aware that her own attitude had evolved. She had to get out of this marriage before the worst happened. The worst being: actually falling in love with Stephen Bonnet. And to do that, she needed Margaret Tryon.
With a thrust of his hips, Stephen rolled her onto her back to lie on top of her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Against Brianna's lower abdomen, his sex was already hard and she immediately wrapped her legs around the pirate's pelvis, as he pressed his crotch between her pale thighs.
"I must have earned a few points if you'd now rather stay in bed with me than have lunch with William…"
"Maybe it's just William who lost points…", she hissed, trying to ignore the excitement of her own body at the touch of her husband's.
"That's good enough for me…"
After brushing her wet entrance with his fingers, Stephen placed himself between Bree's thighs and penetrated her – in such a slow and voluptuous way that Brianna's body didn't even need any preparation to naturally adapt to the intrusion. She moaned loudly when the Irishman's pelvis started moving back and forth languidly, each thrust going deeper and deeper inside her.
Lazy morning sex. Brianna's once favorite kind with Roger, but that she had not experienced for more than a year now. Back when she had been naively convinced that the Scot was the only man who could satisfy her like this. But when a long sigh escaped her lips after yet another slow, intense thrust – as her fingers desperately gripped Stephen's powerful shoulders to welcome him further inside her – Brianna had to admit… that she had been all wrong.
~o~
"…try to make these buffoons in Charlotte Town see reason… A dozen families, at most, but who are spreading their ideas of independence throughout the bloody Colony…", William Tryon cursed, swallowing a bite of blueberry pie. He had spent the last ten minutes grousing to anyone who would listen — i.e. Stephen only — about why they had to travel to Charlotte Town, but the other guests (namely Brianna, Margaret and Jeremiah) were bored to death.
"Language, dear…", Margaret said gently, nodding at Jeremiah, but the child had completely switched off and kept glancing through the window, where he could see the blazing sun. Tryon opened his mouth but for fear he would start ranting again, Margaret hastily changed the subject.
"And that is why we are bothering you today... River Run is just halfway between New Bern and Charlotte Town", she concluded with a smile, which Brianna promptly returned. The opportunity to escape the governor's monologues was too good.
"You're not bothering us at all. Jeremiah actually had something to tell you…"
Jemmy looked up at his mother questioningly, then remembered the sentence she had him rehearse in the morning, and recited it with a monotonous tone and a gloomy face. "Thank you for the grammar book, Lady Tryon."
Margaret giggled at the child's obvious lack of enthusiasm. "Well, that comes straight from the heart", she teased him gently. "Have you started studying, Jeremiah?"
The child looked at Brianna, silently asking permission to lie, then turned back to Margaret. "Yes, Lady Tryon."
Brianna cleared her throat to keep from laughing. "Um… To be honest, I'm saving grammar lessons for this autumn, when the rain and bad weather will get the better of his current obsession with swimming."
As planned, William Tryon was starting to show signs of impatience, since the discussion no longer revolved around his own precious self or his revolutionary problems, and he gobbled up his slice of pie. Probably so he could sneak away with Stephen and talk business before hitting the road again.
"And he's absolutely right", Margaret chirped, tapping the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "It's far too hot in the summer to study. I wonder how William and his counselors even manage to think properly in this sweltering heat."
"Speaking of which, Bonnet, I would like to talk to you before we leave. In private", her husband cut her off, turning to the Irishman.
Stephen shrugged. "We could go to my office…"
"Don't bother… Margaret and I will have tea in the blue parlour", Brianna interrupted, then adding for Margaret, "it is the coolest room in the whole house, we will be much better there while these gentlemen talk about politics, money or any other subject that would baffle humble women like us."
Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, but Tryon didn't flinch and nodded. "At last you admit it! You certainly took your time."
Brianna's smile twitched slightly and she had to resist the urge to shove her dessert fork down his throat.
"But you said we'd go to the pond…", Jeremiah protested in a very small voice.
"When Lord and Lady Tryon are gone", Brianna whispered with a warning look. "Until then, you'll stay here with Daddy. Look, you have plenty of toys over there." Matching her words with action, she pointed at the corner of the dining room. The truth was she did not want Jeremiah to hear her conversation with Margaret. Who knew what he could remember and involuntarily repeat to his father.
Brianna did not beat around the bush for long. Margaret had just taken seat on Jocasta's old sofas, arranging her dress around her, and Hennessy had barely left to get them some tea and pastries, when Bree leaned over her and whispered.
"Forgive me for insisting, Margaret... But I really need your help to prove that William and Stephen are stealing tax money. It's been months and I have noth-"
"Oh Lord, haven't you stopped thinking about all this?", Margaret whined, glancing worriedly toward the exit, as if she expected Hennessy, her husband or the entire guard to appear and lock them up for high treason.
"How could I stop thinking about it? Thinking is the only thing there's to do around here. I'm not asking for much, Margaret. A tiny notebook, or even a page, half a page, a scribbled note on a piece of paper, anything!"
"Have you searched your husband's office?", Lady Tryon asked, nervously fiddling with the fabric of her dress.
Brianna sighed. "I tried to get in months ago, but our butler always has an eye on me. Besides, I'm trying to win Stephen's trust: if he catches me going through his things..." She trailed off. He would go mad with rage, for sure. It would destroy everything she had managed to build during the last few months and he would take all her privileges away. Maybe he would even lock her up in their bedroom, until she gave him the children he wanted, before selling her to the highest bidder… Brianna shook her head to chase away all of these horrid thoughts. "You have more freedom than I have. I'm begging you to try first and I will make a move if I have no other solution. I'm on a razor-edge in this house."
Margaret looked down and bit her lip. "I guess...", she whispered, her eyebrows furrowed, "... I guess I could ask Josiah for help..."
Josiah… Not Mr. Martin, as propriety would dictate, Brianna noted, squinting. She had already noticed on several occasions that Lord Tryon's first counselor and his wife were close, and there had been that weird sentence in March, when Margaret had speculated that she and someone else were watched by Lord Tryon's whore. Not to mention the night Josiah had covered for her when Brianna had broken into the governor's office.
"How do you know you can trust him?", she asked and Margaret's cheeks instantly turned scarlet, confirming Bree's suspicions. "Are you two… having an affair?"
Again, Margaret looked around the room, all senses on alert. "Do not judge me", she said bitterly. "No one judges my husband when he does the exact same thing with his young hussy!"
"I'm not judging you", Brianna reassured her, shaking her head. "And I won't blame you either."
Lady Tryon smiled gratefully, as Hennessy's heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. The two women fell silent, thanking the butler when he placed a tray on the small table between them, and went back to a more harmless conversation as he stood in a corner of the room.
"Well, I'll see what I can do. Do you also want me to write to my daughter's former tutors, to ask if they have anyone available for Jeremiah? They are excellent teachers, and part of the first generations to settle here. They know the fauna, flora and geography of the Colonies inside out. And between you and me, they are much cheaper than those who come directly from England…"
"I'll think about it…", Brianna thanked her with a smile. "For the time being, I quite like teaching him how to read and write. And I want to keep my baby all to myself for a bit longer."
"You're absolutely right, they grow up so fast…"
About twenty minutes later, as they were finishing their cups, the parlour door opened and Lord Tryon held out a hand toward his wife.
"Margaret, we're leaving…"
Lady Tryon carefully put her cup back on the tray and stood up along with Brianna. They exchanged a knowing smile and Margaret took both of the young woman's hands between hers. "I hope to see you again soon."
"I'll see you out", Stephen offered, stepping aside to allow them to go back to the entrance hall. Brianna followed them, with a heavy but hopeful heart. On the bright side, Margaret had not completely refused to help her, but seeing her leave without knowing how much time would go by before they met again was somewhat discouraging.
As they walked past the dining room doors, Brianna spotted Jeremiah's toys scattered on the floor, but the child was nowhere to be found. "Jemmy?" The young woman walked into the room, but it was empty. "Where's Jeremiah?", she asked Stephen, who shrugged.
"He said he was going up to his room…"
"JEM?", Brianna yelled, but as no one answered, she climbed the stairs four steps at a time, pushing the bedroom door open in a huff. This room too was empty, and her concern turned into horror when she saw the boy's clothes on the floor. And those he used to go swimming… were missing. For fuck's sake…
"Is there a problem, Madam?", Phaedre asked behind her. Brianna turned around and stared at the maid, her arms full of the dirty sheets she had just removed from the master bedroom and probably intended to wash.
"Where's Jeremiah?"
Phaedre's eyes scanned the room, and Brianna knew she expected to see him where she had just left him a few minutes ago. The maid turned dangerously pale and dropped her pile of sheets, which Brianna stepped over to run back down the stairs.
"Did you find him?", Stephen said, seeing her come down.
"I think he went to the pond." The fear in her voice sent a violent electric shock through the Irishman's body, and he immediately abandoned his departing guests to head for the front door, Brianna at his heels.
"Jeremiah!", Stephen barked, in such a loud voice that everyone within a mile must have heard him.
There was no one in front of the house or on the porch. The couple began to run around the house and toward the pond, still screaming their son's name. And when Jem's blonde head appeared in the distance on the pontoon, Brianna let out a cry of relief. But it was short-lived. Knowing full well that he was going to be scolded, Jeremiah decided to risk his all: if he was to get spanked, he might as well have fun before that. Gathering momentum on the algae and moss-covered wood, the child ran to achieve the most impressive jump of his short life; but two steps before reaching the edge, his left foot slipped on one of the wet boards. The heel shot forward, while the rest of his body fell backwards and his skull hit the surface of the pontoon hard before Jeremiah completed his fall into the pond under Brianna's horrified eyes.
"JEMMY!"
Brianna broke into run, lifting her bulky dress in an attempt to buy a few precious seconds, but Stephen had already outrun her. The pirate ran as if the Devil himself was after him and crossing the pontoon in four long strides, he dove headfirst into the pond. He had already disappeared below the surface when Bree put her first foot on the wooden planks. She was getting rid of her heavy skirt when Stephen emerged, holding Jeremiah's head above water. Seeing that he was awkwardly trying to swim his way back to the small beach, Brianna ran in the sand and got into the water to help him.
"Jemmy! Breathe, baby. I'm begging you, just breathe!", Bree sobbed as she laid her son's limp body on the sand. Now out of the water, Stephen seemed far away in another world. He was staring at Jeremiah, his face livid and completely paralyzed. Probably because of the combined effect of diving into the water despite his phobia and imagining his son dying because of it.
I can't lose him… not now… not like this… Brianna patted her son's cheeks with a trembling hand, in a vain attempt to wake him up, when a distant memory forced itself into her mind. That of a high school day that had been entirely dedicated to first aid measures and especially how to react in case of drowning.
"Check pulse… check breathing… put in recovery position", she whispered, wiping away her tears with the back of her sleeve. With one hand, she grabbed Jeremiah's wrist and leaned over his chest to put her ear against it. A soft purr could be heard through his ribcage and the pulse, although weak, was there. Without waiting, she rolled Jeremiah on his left side and positioned his head so as to clear the airways as much as possible, and as she finished her work, Jemmy coughed, spitting out all the water in his lungs… and started crying loudly.
"Oh my baby… my baby…", Brianna cried, sitting him up and hugging him. And as the boy moved again, the Irishman also seemed to come back to life. Without a word, he pulled Brianna and the child to him, hugging them desperately.
"Jesus, Mary, Joseph…", came Margaret's voice from a little further in the garden, before turning to Hennessy who was running toward them, looking downright terrified. "You, ask someone to go fetch a doctor!"
Between Stephen and Bree, Jeremiah alternated between loud sobs and coughing fits, tears mingling with the water on his cheeks.
"It's over, baby, it's over…", Brianna repeated, rocking him gently. She had no intention of scolding him anymore; Jeremiah had been punished enough as it was and something told her he would not be going back to the pond alone anytime soon. "It's alright…" Brianna's voice cracked but no one noticed, as Stephen's – hissing and terrified – voice rose over hers.
"Never do that again, son… Don't you ever do that again…"
Still crying, Jeremiah left Bree's embrace to snuggle up against his father's chest and Stephen welcomed him there with passion, pressing his mouth against the little one's forehead and squeezing his tiny body between his torso and his right arm. The left one was desperately clinging to Brianna's waist, as if he had decided he would never let go of either of them again. The adrenaline comedown was brutal and Brianna suddenly felt very tired. Unable to hold herself straight, she slumped against Stephen and closed her eyes to regain control of her heartbeat. The Irishman's mouth left Jem's forehead for a moment only to kiss Brianna's, and a sad smile briefly appeared on her lips.
"Come on, get up", Margaret said in a reassuring voice, "we need to change his clothes, warm him up, and let him rest."
Brianna nodded and got up, reaching out to pick up her son and allow Stephen to stand as well, but the Irishman managed to get to his feet while hugging Jemmy against him.
"Children... It seems that their sole purpose in life is to worry their parents...", Tryon said, his hands crossed behind his back. "I have been on more battlefields that I can count… But never in my life have I been as scared as I was when our daughter Maggie almost died from scarlet fever…"
For the first time since she knew him, Brianna heard no sarcasm, no wickedness or contempt in Lord Tryon's voice, and after the fear she had just experienced, she most certainly took his word for it. The small group walked back inside in silence: Jeremiah was still sobbing, but more softly. And by the time they took him upstairs to his bedroom, he had completely stopped, his cheek resting on Stephen's shoulder and firmly sucking on his thumb. Phaedre was already waiting for them with a clean towel and clothes, but it took at least a minute before Stephen agreed to let go of the child to undress him. Brianna had to caress her husband's face and whisper to him a dozen times to go and get changed, before he finally left the room without a word. And he returned to Jemmy's bedside as fast as he could.
Once the child was lying on his bed between his parents, the Tryons decided that they could leave them alone and discreetly declared they wanted to take their leave.
"I'll see you out…", Stephen muttered, leaving the room behind the Governor, but Margaret stalled a bit to stay with Brianna, who was still sitting on the bed and stroking her son's head. The Governor's wife waited a few seconds for the two men to reach the first floor and stepped into Jem's room.
"You should stop this madness, Brianna..."
The young woman looked up and frowned. What madness was she talking about exactly?
"Your revenge has lost its meaning. Can't you see?"
"See what?", Bree spat.
"How much he loves you… You and Jeremiah."
A cold shiver ran through Brianna's body as she understood what the other woman meant. "You're wrong...", Brianna protested, clenching her fists.
"You're clinging to your hatred like a castaway to his raft… but that hatred… it's blinding you. You have no idea how lucky you are..."
"Lucky?" Brianna had to contain herself so as not to scream. Fortunately, Jeremiah was far too stunned by his mishap to care about the adults' conversation. "Have you lost your mind, Margaret?"
A pained expression appeared on Mrs. Tryon's features and Brianna knew she had lost her the second the Englishwoman shook her head, her eyes watering. Her harsh tone must have sounded in Lady Tryon's ears like her own husband's constant humiliating retorts, and Brianna immediately regretted her words, but it was too late.
"Open your eyes, Brianna… I'm begging you. This man loves you with all his heart…"
If he has one... Brianna thought, but deep down she knew he did. A dark, tortured and probably atrophied heart due to a cruel lack of love from the moment he was born, but a heart nonetheless. A heart that she had gradually managed to open to others. To me…
"He forced me to marry him…", she said in a barely audible voice.
"This happens to a lot of women… And yet they don't try to have their husband sentenced to death." Lord Tryon's voice calling from downstairs made her turn for a moment, before looking back at the young woman. "I am ready to help you, Brianna, if you really want me to. But you have to think about the consequences. For you, but also for Jeremiah. Mr. Bonnet is a good father and, from what I've seen, a good husband as well."
"I don't want to hear another word…"
Margaret pursed her lips, and as her name echoed for the second time in the staircase, she turned away. "Please think about it, Brianna."
Bree's bottom lip quivered as she fought back her tears. Margaret had only spoken aloud what Brianna's mind had been telling her for a while now. Thinking… that was all she could do. About her situation, the pros and cons, about her life with Roger and her life with Stephen. About the huge disappointment that was the first and about her shameful hope to see the second better himself. And in the middle of it all, two other conflicting factors: Jeremiah and her desire for revenge. Planted like rickety pillars in the middle of the mess that was her life, between ruin and reconstruction.
"Ma-ma…", Jeremiah moaned behind her and Brianna forced a smile on her lips before she turned back to her son. Tenderly, she lay down to hug him and the child let himself be rocked, sniffling; While on the ground floor, the front door closed behind her one and only ally.
~o~
"…get some rest and try not to scare your poor parents until the end of the summer, all right?"
Dr. Kent left Jeremiah's room with a reassuring smile and Brianna felt like she was breathing properly for the first time in hours. Beside her, Stephen also relaxed and gave the doctor a questioning look.
"Jeremiah is fine, aside from a big bump on the back of his head...", Kent began, as the pirate breathed a short sigh of relief, "however... I would recommend to watch him closely over the next few days. If you notice anything out of the ordinary – vomiting, diarrhea, a persistent cough, or even just an unusual pale complexion – please let me know. But I really think that everything will be fine."
Brianna nodded, but as she smiled at him, Dr. Kent looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow. "Mrs. Bonnet, would you be so kind as to walk me out?"
"I'll see you out, Doctor", Stephen replied, but Kent shook his head.
"No, no, Mr. Bonnet. I have a few medical questions for your wife, I simply didn't want to embarrass her in front of you. Come with me, my dear…", he ordered gently before picking his jacket he had left on the staircase railing. They walked downstairs in silence – leaving Phaedre and Stephen alone with Jeremiah – and Brianna felt her heart race. Did the doctor suspect anything about her induced abortion? Was he going to tell her that he wanted to investigate the incident? No, she was imagining things. It was impossible for anyone to suspect her of anything. Unless the apothecary had spoken. Or Phaedre. No, that was impossible... Are you sure about that?, she thought, but before her anxiety could reach the point of no return, the doctor spoke again with a gentle smile.
"How do you feel, Mrs. Bonnet?"
"Me?", she said, before the doctor's eyes shifted to her lower abdomen.
"Have you been bleeding regularly again since the miscarriage?"
Oh Christ, leave my fucking womb alone…, she swore in her mind before humming affirmatively.
Dr. Kent nodded with a smile. "Good. No pain or abnormal bleeding…?"
"No, none of that."
"Perfect. Are you still drinking red clover tea?"
There was a silence during which Brianna stupidly wondered how Dr. Kent could know about the type of herbal tea Stephen loved preparing for her, before her brain made the connection. Oh...
"You know… the fertility tea…", he saw fit to add in front of her lack of reaction.
Well, that's fine and fair…, Brianna thought, ignoring the doctor's questioning look. I drank herbal tea without his knowledge to kill his child... and he makes me swallow another without my knowledge to make another one. She wasn't even angry. Little or nothing surprised her coming from Stephen Bonnet and this was not even close to the worst thing he had done to her. She would just have to make her own tea from now on.
"Yes, yes, of course…", she corrected herself, shaking her head. "I'm sorry… The afternoon was..."
"I understand." Kent gave her a final smile and nodded. "I expect to see you again very soon, then. Under more fortunate circumstances, I hope."
"Right. Have a safe journey home, Doctor," Brianna retorted with a fake smile, before slamming the doors of River Run behind him. Two yards away from the door he should have closed himself, Hennessy raised an eyebrow and stared at Brianna. That filthy cockroach would probably tell Stephen that the cat (or rather the tea) was out of the bag, and she glared at him before heading back up the stairs, taking deep breaths. No, she would not get angry. No, she would not say anything. She did not have the strength to cause an argument tonight and all she cared about was that Jeremiah was alive.
And anyway, when she reached the second floor landing and her eyes fell on Stephen's silhouette, sitting on the bed and stroking Jeremiah's sleepy face, her annoyance instantly vanished. The Irishman cautiously got up at the sound of her footsteps and joined her in the corridor. The look of pure distress in his green eyes, as he turned toward her, made Brianna's heart and breathing race again.
Can't you see… how much he loves you?
Margaret's words came back to her mind and if she had been asked again at that exact moment, Brianna would certainly have answered "yes". Stephen's hands grabbed Bree's waist and pulled it against his hips, before resting his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.
"I can't believe we could have lost him today…", the Irishman whispered against her face.
Brianna swallowed the painful lump in her throat; she didn't want to think about that possibility and tried to lighten the mood. "And I can't believe you jumped into the pond to save him."
"I would never have let the water take him away from me…"
"I know…", she whispered, caressing his cheek.
After a few seconds, Stephen opened his eyes and stared at her darkly. "I've spent all my life thinkin' that I would never fear anythin' more than drownin'. But I was wrong... When I dived, I wasn't afraid of the water, Brianna. I was afraid of losing Jeremiah."
Bree had never imagined that Stephen Bonnet would one day make her eyes watery by simply speaking, and yet, here she was. Before he had time to add anything, she grabbed the Irishman's cheeks with her hands to kiss him. An eager, greedy kiss, in which he found as much comfort as she did after the terrible events of the day.
You have no idea how lucky you are...
"Thank you for saving him…", she gasped against his lips.
"I'll do it again as many times as necessary, mo fhíorghra…"
Again, their mouths collided, as if all the stress, the fear, and anguish since Jeremiah had fallen from the pontoon had found a way out through their lips, tongues and hands, caressing and gripping each other's body relentlessly. And it wasn't until Phaedre – with an embarrassed smile on her face – gently closed the door to Jeremiah's room to give them privacy and not wake the child, that the couple realized they were still in the corridor. Without thinking twice, Stephen lifted Brianna up and carried her to their room, kicking the door shut before slamming her back against the wall.
Stephen buried his head in her cleavage, kissing the upper part of Brianna's breasts as he struggled with the ties of her bodice, then with his own breeches. Brianna took a deep breath, literally intoxicated by the exquisite sensation of his mouth on her breasts and that of his hands rolling up her skirts before lifting her up again.
This man loves you with all his heart...
He was about to penetrate her, when Brianna opened her eyes; Margaret's words were impossible to ignore. She had to know. Figure out if Lady Tryon had been imagining things or if she had actually understood something that Brianna refused to see.
"Do you love me?"
Stephen looked up at her, completely taken aback. But surprise soon gave way to understanding, and Brianna gasped loudly as he thrust into her, his green irises locked with her blue ones.
"Aye, I love you… You and Jeremiah… more than anythin'…"
Stephen started thrusting up and down, digging his fingers into the soft, warm flesh of her buttocks, while Brianna grabbed his shoulders for support.
"Say it again…"
Stephen complied, punctuating his thrusts with more "I love you"-s, his voice growing hoarser every time, and Brianna realized... that she actually believed him. Deep down, she was sure he was telling the truth, and a different kind of pleasure started to build up in her belly. Looking up, she suddenly caught her reflection in the mirror of her dressing table and the memory of their awful first sexual intercourse – shortly after Forbes' death a year earlier – came back to her. Same wall, same position, same everything, except something important had changed.
She remembered her blank, expressionless face as Stephen emptied himself inside her like an animal. She remembered precisely her own disgust as she felt him inside her again after four years of traumatic memories and nightmares. And also her sarcasm as she judged his fast and disappointing performance.
But the disgust was gone. Just like her sarcasm. The Brianna who was looking at her in that same mirror was no longer a rag doll patiently waiting for the abuse to end. Her red cheeks, her feverish gaze and her half-open mouth all showed how much she desired him. Pleasure was written all over her face as clearly as if the word was carved into her flesh.
And as Stephen once again chanted his love for her, Brianna's eyes widened in horror at the realization.
Fuck.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Heheheheheheh it looks like our little Brianna is slowly falling to the dark side.
What did you guys think of this chapter? The sexy morning delight between our two lovebirds, Jeremiah's accident, Stephen coming (or rather swimming) to his rescue...
Brianna was still resisting a bit, but after such an event, after realizing how sincere Stephen's feelings towards her and Jeremiah are… it's going to be harder and harder. It will soon be time for Brianna to make big decisions.
I look forward to reading your reactions to this chapter! The next one will be published on March 12th. Until then, I wish you a happy three weeks !
Xérès