In Rapture (Destined) (13 page)

Gretchen
dropped the soap in surprise and stepped back from the tub. “I was asked to
assist you, my lady. Lord Timberlin insisted.” A small tear started to fill the
corner of the young maid’s eye, and her mouth started to wobble slightly.

“Oh
dear, girl. I’m sorry Gretchen. I must sound like a raving lunatic, for I
realize you were just trying to help. I have never had assistance before, my
dear. I’m unused to having so much help readily at hand. If you don’t mind, I
would much like to enjoy this bath alone.”

A
timid smile stretched across Gretchen’s face as she bowed politely to Malinda,
but Malinda could still sense the tension in her shoulders when she walked
through the door. She felt bad, for she had never meant to hurt the poor girl’s
feelings. There was so much she would have to learn about being a lady, so many
expectations and eccentricities, that it made her head spin. If she had been
brought up differently, she would have found it quite easy to relate to the
people at Wickford Manor, or maybe that was the problem. Malinda already
related to them more than a real lady probably would have. She was cut from the
same cloth. At least she could talk to Gertie about this. The cook was the one
person that reminded Malinda of her grandmother. She was easy to talk to and
understood that Malinda’s roots were humble. Malinda closed her eyes and let
the warm water soothe the aches from her back and neck. She was so caught up in
the moment that she did not hear the door open or close.

She
felt his hand long before it touched the water, the same magnetic pull that
coursed between their bodies eroding the space between them. She opened her
eyes and turned to him, not missing the heat that lit his eyes. “Good morning,
Grant. What are you doing?”

“I
was informed that my wife would not accept help with her bath this morning, so I
decided that I would have to come see to you myself.”

Without
thinking, Malinda sat up in the tub to face him, and when she saw his eyes dart
dangerously to the breasts that rose just above the line of water, she quickly
folded her hands across them. “I’m quite capable of washing myself, Grant.”

“Don’t
hide. I’ve already seen every inch of you, my dear.”

Malinda
felt the blush rising to her face and looked away. She did not understand how
she could feel shy in the morning light, considering all the wickedly delicious
things they had done the night before. At the moment it would have been very
easy to run and hide, to shut out the light and let the darkness spill around
them. She closed her eyes and struggled to still the emotions racing through
her, but all that did was provide her with vivid flashes of their legs
intertwining and their bodies moving to the same rhythm that pounded through
their blood. She opened her eyes and bit her lip as she looked up at him. “Very
well. Will you wash my hair?”

Malinda
thought she was choosing the safest part of her body to wash first as she sunk
further into the tub, but when his soapy hands started to massage the hair at
her temples, she felt herself melt into the moment. His hands molded and
kneaded her hair with fingers that were much more experienced than they had a
right to be. She felt her head arching into him and her breasts rose from the
water, her nipples puckering hard in arousal. She bit her lip as she heard the
sharp intake of breath above her. She sank out of his hands and ducked her head
under the water, rinsing off the lavender soap that he had meticulously worked
into her scalp. Her head rose from the water, and she turned to face him. “Now
what?”

“Hmm?”
His eyes trained on hers for just a moment, before roaming over every inch of
her body.

Malinda
did not miss the desire that sliced through his eyes. She felt it vibrating
between them. She held on to the feeling as his soap-filled hands descended
into the water. She turned so that her back was facing him. He worked miracles
with his hands as he glided the soap across her back. His hands reached around
her back and he rubbed the soap across one nipple, then the other. He dropped
the soap in the water and worked his hands in slow tantalizing circles across
the tight buds of her nipples. It drove her so crazy that she thought she would
lose her control, but he moved his hands before she had the chance. She sniffed
outwardly in disapproval.

“Ah,
ah. There is more to wash.”

There
was a short pause and a swish of fabric as it fell to the ground. Then he
gathered her body against the back of the tub, the top of his chest rubbing up
against her back as he searched in the water for the soap. She felt his erect
nipples against her back and she moved her shoulders back and forth against the
tight nubs. She heard his intake of breath and smiled in triumph, but her
triumph over him was short lived as his hand brushed up against the curls at
the base of her legs. He ran the soap against her a few times before moving his
hand away. She missed the contact immediately. A slight whimper of displeasure
resounded around them and was followed swiftly by a soft chuckle. Then his
hands ran down the length of her legs, moving the soap in tantalizing circles.
When his strong hands reached her feet Malinda tried not to giggle.

When
he had finished washing her from head to toe Malinda turned toward him, not
knowing what question to ask, or if she had the right to demand he finish what
he started. When she saw that he was indeed naked from his head to his toes a
knowing smile trailed across her face. She stood up, and droplets of water
slithered seductively down her body. Her eyes were glowing with longing and
challenge when she reached out to touch his rugged chin. He ducked away from
her and swiftly produced a cloth towel. He reached for her hands and helped her
climb out of the tub.

Malinda
was disappointed when Grant turned her around so that she was facing away from
him. She yearned to be able to capture his handsome face in her hands before
letting them travel the length of his amazing body, but he had cut her
completely off before she had the chance. An annoyed sniff left her nose and
another chuckle sounded, but he was forgiven the moment his lips touched her
back. Malinda leaned into his mouth and he licked a trail of water from her
shoulders. His hands and mouth both covered almost every inch of her back and,
when she could stand it no more, his hands wrapped around the front of her.
Grant rubbed the coarse towel in tantalizing circles around her nipples. The
friction of wet and dry created a cyclone of ecstasy throughout her body and
she soon found herself falling back into him, her legs suddenly weakened with
desire.

Grant
caught her easily, whisked her into the air, and carried her to the other room
like a sack of cotton. He lowered her onto the bed and looked deep into her
eyes. Once bright green eyes were now filtered with the smoky haze of desire
and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself to the hilt within her heat. He
ran his fingers down her legs, then probed gently at her opening. He groaned as
she rode the length of his fingers, her core melting around him. “Mmm. So wet.
That’s right, come for me, Malinda.”

Malinda
could not resist the swarming energy that was building momentum within her. She
could feel his fingers working their wonderful magic inside her and she was
hungry for him. She felt the slight tingle that warned her of the explosion
just beneath the surface. It forced every inch of her to move to the music he
strummed deep within her and paralyzed her the moment before her passion was
released from the tightly wound spring within her. Her guttural cry was cut off
as his lips met hers to swallow the release that carried her over the edge. She
rocked quietly, the ebb and flow of her orgasm still rippling through her. When
he parted her legs and entered her she moaned deeply into his mouth.

Grant
was engorged within her, his length running deep into her core, the fierce ride
keeping her from thinking of anything else but finding blissful freedom in the
wave of passion he created. And she did, over and over, until Grant could no
longer hold himself back. Their bodies bucked together one last time before his
shout of release shattered the silence. Malinda wrapped her legs around him and
let her body swallow him whole, absorbing the heat of him until every part of
her vibrated in release.

Malinda
focused on stilling the rapid beating of her heart and the breaths that were
coming out in fast shallow puffs, but her body was still overcome with their
passion. When she finally got control over her racing emotions she looked up at
her husband and smiled. “I never knew a bath could be so enjoyable. But
somehow, I doubt Gretchen could measure up to that experience.”

Grant
laughed aloud before nipping her shoulder gently with his teeth. “Minx.”

Malinda
wrapped her arms around his neck and persuaded him down closer to her. His
shaft was throbbing mysteriously inside her and she coaxed him closer to her
with her legs. She nibbled hungrily on his lips and ran her tongue across them.
When he opened his mouth and took her tongue inside his mouth she arched into
him. Malinda felt the length of him harden within her and she rotated her hips from
side to side as she teased a response from him. Soon they were tumbling into
each other again, their heat unquenchable. Malinda fell asleep in the crook of
Grant’s arm, but not until she had been completely satiated.

Chapter 18

When
Malinda finally made her way to eat it was well into lunchtime. She avoided the
gazes of the maids around her, for she knew they had to have known what she and
Grant had been up to. She expected to find judgment in their eyes, but when she
did have the courage to look at the inquiring gazes around her she found warm
accepting smiles. It was as if they were pleased that she had caught their lord’s
eye.

Grant
and Sophia were both missing from the table when she came down, but Malinda
decided not to let that bother her too much. For all she knew they could be
spending some much-needed time together. Malinda missed having company at the
table, but she ate her food as swiftly as she could manage. She made a list in
her mind of what she hoped to accomplish today. If she remembered correctly,
there were small glass vials in the attic. She had seen them yesterday when she
had been looking for things for Sophia’s room. She would ask Gertie if she
could borrow some of her salt. Then she would make the glass vials to hang in
Sophia’s room. She would do whatever she could to keep Maria’s ghost from
haunting Sophia’s life and, even if these vials were only a temporary solution,
at least it would give a little solace to the girl.

After
she finished her meal Malinda quickly gathered the vials from the attic, then
went down to get salt from the kitchen. Gertie was nowhere around so Malinda
helped herself to the salt stores. She filled three vials halfway with salt and
sealed them with small corks. The small white sprinkles gleamed in the
sunlight. Malinda carried the vials up to Sophia’s room and busied herself with
tying strings around the bottles so that they could hang from the top of the
windows. When she managed to tie the strings to the top of the window they hung
like dream catchers that caught the sunlight that shone through the glass. She
hung one in Sophia’s bedroom, then went to the nursery to hang the other. She
should not have been surprised that Sophia was not in the nursery either. With
a beautiful day like today she hoped that Sophia would be outdoors enjoying the
warm breeze that swept over the hills.

Malinda
went to her room to hang up the last vial and then decided to sprinkle salt in
the entryway. She had no problem dealing with the specter in other areas of the
house, but their bedchambers would be off limits. She did not need to worry
about prying eyes when she was being intimate with her husband. It had been
awkward the night before. No virgin should ever have to share her first
experience with anyone except her husband, and it was something she never would
let happen again. End of story.

She
wanted to feel hate for the woman that had come before her, but the emotion
escaped her. She instead felt sorrow for her, for if Malinda had passed,
leaving behind her small child and husband, she would not find an easy resting
place on the other side. Her spirit would be bound to the Earth until she was
sure that her loved ones were being well taken care of, but Maria was
different. There was something terribly off with the ghost. She did not come
back to watch Sophia grow into a fine young woman. She was haunting the poor
thing. If the ghost of her mother had haunted Malinda her entire life she would
probably not have made it very far and would not be nearly as well adjusted as
she was. It was no wonder that the child was too afraid to speak. Malinda would
do whatever it took to bring some peace to Sophia. She would not stop until the
little girl’s blue eyes were mirrored with innocence, laughter, and joy.

When
her task at hand was completed Malinda decided to go outside to find Sophia.
When she let the door close behind her she could hear a childlike laughter
carried on the wind. She walked to the sound, a warm smile upon her face. She
found Sophia chasing after Mule. Shrieks of joy escaped the little girl as she
followed the dog with his lopsided tongue hanging from his mouth. Malinda sat
under a tree near the pair and Desiree joined her.

“Good
afternoon, my lady.”

“Hello
Desiree. I see you are enjoying the sunshine. A marvelous idea.”