Love by Dawn (28 page)

Blake didn’t have the heart to tell him that
he had fought with the Union army, even though it had been a shot
hitch.

“My family is all gone, but my sister
married a Yankee soldier,” he continued, “if’n ya can believe that
and her husband bought out one of the ruined plantations from a
widow. Doing real well and I work for him, training horses. Always
loved ‘em critters. So how’s about y’all?” he changed the
subject.

Blake talked as they rode back to his home
and they parted good friends again. Now he had to tame a wild cat
and he knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Casey huffed and cursed all the way up the
stairs. She was glad everyone but the butler was abed and she
practically bit his head off when he offered to help her with her
shawl and gloves. Once in her room she discarded her clothes
leaving them in a pile on the floor. “The maid would get them in
the morning,” she grumbled to herself, knowing all to well that she
was being unfair to the help. She’d never treated anyone like that
before, taking out her anger on people that she shouldn’t.

Oooo! Blake made me so... so...!

“Casey! I’m coming in!”

She gasped and threw the blanket over her
head. What was she thinking? Trying to keep him out would be like
trying to take a pork chop from a wolf. Impossible. Blake didn’t
even knock or wait for her acknowledgment. He entered and closed
the door behind him and she heard the click as he locked it. She
was huddled under the blanket and by the time he reached the bed,
she hoped his ears were burning from her colorful language. He
smacked her on the rump causing her to yelp and she called him more
names.

“I’m in no mood for your foolishness,
pregnant or not!”

“Go away,” she sniffled. “Go back to that
hussy with the big... Oh!”

The covers were roughly pulled from her grip
and she had not even bothered to put on a nightgown. Could her
cheeks feel any hotter? His eyes raked her nude body boldly and
without saying a word, he undressed and climbed in with her.

“Sweetheart, I’m not about to apologize for
doing nothing wrong, but I’m definitely going to show you the error
of your foolish ways. He kissed the tip of her nose, then her eyes,
and finally, he kissed her mouth hungrily. She moaned, but she also
held her body ridged, fighting him. Blake took the challenge and
his lips burned a trail down until his lips touched a nipple
letting his tongue caress it until it swelled making her
shiver.

“Do you still believe I’m interested in an
old flame?”

Casey dug her heel into the mattress.

What was his question? Something about a
flame. Yes, she was on fire.

“Yes,” she gasped.
Why couldn’t she resist him?

Blake looked up at her and quirked a brow.
“Still stubborn, I see.” His lips traveled lower, and he placed
butterfly kisses on her stomach as his hand searched for pleasure
points. “Do you think if a man can make your body sing, he needs
any other woman?”

Why was he talking so much, especially about
other women? Damn, she should throw him out of her bed. But she
couldn’t she loved him too much. Had she no shame? Hell noooo! His
lips were kissing her inner thighs, she was quivering all over.

“Ohhh! Blake. Please?”

“Please what?” But he
didn’t wait for her answer and his tongue probed into that secret
place casing her to explode with waves and waves of ecstasy. She
nearly pulled every hair out of his head, clutching and yanking at
it. He returned to her mouth and kissed her again. “Do you still
believe I do not love you?”
She looked at
him feeling her face on fire and her breathing was labored. He
answered his own question for her. “You silly goose, I should’ve
spanked you instead of loving you. You ran out before I had a
chance to give you something.”

He left her for a moment and pulled the box
out of his pants pocket. When he returned, he knelt on the bed and
placed a beautiful ring onto her finger. “I should have my head
examined, but will you marry me?” Casey’s reply was a bucket of
tears.

THIRTY-TWO

Casey wanted to get married as soon as
possible, since she was entering her fifth month, but Liana
wouldn’t hear of it. Her only son was to have a grand wedding. And
that was that. She barked her objections to Blake that day who just
said, “Mother might not have many days left, I’d like to make her
happy.” With that, his whole face spread into one of his most
charming smiles, disarming her completely.

Well that was down right unfair of him!

But she made Blake pay for that.

“So you think you can just smile at me and
I’ll melt like a candle, huh?” She purred, her deep voice becoming
huskier and it was his turn to melt. She knew when she made her
voice sultry it always made him lose all control of his senses, as
well as other parts of his anatomy. Casey began running her palm
under his shirt and she notice he was becoming more uncomfortable
by the minute.

“Little tease, so you want to play dirty,
huh?” He began unbuttoning her cotton dress, purposely rubbing his
knuckles between her breasts.

“Oh, Blake,” she quivered, “not here in the
den. Someone might come in.” She wanted him but she didn’t want to
be caught in a compromising position.

“You started it.” His voice sounded like a
child’s, but his kiss was that of a lustful, hungry man. They
groaned together and she didn’t know where her breath stopped and
his began. Picking her up, he carried her to his room.

She giggled, feeling naughty. “It’s the
middle of the day.”

“Are you afraid that someone will tattle on
us? We’re not children, you know.”

She would have loved to debate that remark
but she was too excited with anticipation.

“Your mother gave us separate room, so I got
the message that she wanted us to stay away from each other until
we are legally man and wife. We are under her roof and I think we
should respect her wishes. It’s not right, especially with the sun
out,” she stated weakly.

Blake threw back his head and roared with
laughter. “You’d have to be blind not to notice your belly. I think
the damage is done, my sweet. Mother knows I sneak into your
room.”

“Oh, so now I’m damaged goods.” Casey pouted
and slapped him playfully.

Blake placed her feet on the plush carpet and
pulled her dress off her shoulders exposing her breasts then
proceeded to take one of her rosy pearls between his teeth and
tickled it with his hot tongue. It sent sweet sensations clear down
to her toes. Her core became damp with the familiar feelings he
always stirred in her.

“Does this feel wrong?” he asked, his eyes
darkening with passion, his voice heavy with want as he paid homage
to the other nipple.

“Nooo,” she gasped in delight. “But---”

“No buts.” he stripped her before she could
utter another objection.

Casey couldn’t think of one single reason why
she should object.

A seamstress, along with many bolts of
beautiful fine satins, silks, and laces arrived at the plantation
one day. Casey had never seen the likes of such marvelous fabrics.
Liana sat in her wing chair and pointed to this and that, never
once blinking or stopping to think, she seemed to know just what
she wanted and spent no time idling to make up her mind.

A soft cream silk was chosen for the gown,
trimmed with Swiss lace and seed pearls. It all took Casey’s breath
away, thinking Liana was spending too much on her. But she didn’t
utter a sound remembering Blake’s warning on the subject of
protesting, or objecting about anything his mother was doing for
her. His mother was delighted and overjoyed to be able to plan and
host this wedding, but she still didn’t feel right. She held her
tongue, especially after seeing how Liana’s eyes lit up with
excitement. By the end of the day, Casey was exhausted just
watching all the preparations that were taking place.

She was measured here and there and was told
by the seamstress, to her mortification, that a dress would be
designed to hide her rounded belly. It would have a high waist and
fall in pleats down the front; no one would ever guess she was with
child. This she was promised by the little lady with the tape
measure in her mouth. She looked down at her stomach and almost
laughed out loud.

Ha! Was she kidding or was she blind? No
amount of material could hide the fact that she was entering her
six month.

All this preparing for a big wedding was
taking too long and it told on her nerves. She’d have the baby
before she walked down the isle. To make matters worse, the
seamstress took ill, so the gown was not ready for the blessed
event; the wedding was moved ahead two weeks. Casey continued to
fuss and gripe that she’d only wanted to be wed before the baby
popped out. But Liana was adamant and promised her she had nothing
to worry about; the wedding would go on as planned now that the
seamstress was well again. Of course, the dress had to be altered.
Now she was gaining too much weight and to fast.

Finally the day of the wedding the house was
a bustle of excitement and chaos only adding to Casey’s nerves.
Servants scooted here and there; dozens of flowers arrived and
perfumed the vestibule like a garden. The band was rehearsing in
the large living room as delicious, mixed aromas of cooking food
filtered through the house. Even the sun smiled down on her that
day. It was all too good to be true. This was the thought that was
going through her head as Maggie was arranging her glorious flaxen
hair in ringlets, to be adorned with pink and yellow rose buds; her
favorite.

Casey couldn’t contain the butterflies that
fluttered in her stomach. She wiggled in the chair making it
difficult for Maggie to finish her job. She still couldn’t get used
to having someone fuss and dress her. Though, she had poo-pooed the
idea of having a maid around at first, she loved the young Negro
girl, whose father was from England and mother from Africa. This
was another of Liana’s gifts she had to accept, like it or not.

“Miz, Casey.” Maggie clutched the brush
against her chest. “Yo’ sho’ do looks like a princess. Ah so happy
fer yo’ mah’ryin’ de most handsome man.” The servant reached down
between the bosoms of her dress. “Heah,” she handed her a tiny
glass object. “De lady of de house gives me dis puhfume fer yo’all
to wheah.”

Casey accepted it and twisted off the crystal
top to smell the scent of roses. “Thank you, Mag Pie.” She dabbed
behind her ears and between her breasts. Her smile broadened with
mischief, anticipating her wedding night. She went to the window
and noticed for the first time that the sun had disappeared behind
threatening clouds. A storm was brewing.

“Oh, no, it looks like rain,” she sighed.

“Mah mammy says rain is good luck, fer
bride.”

Casey bit her thumb nail not liking the
looks of the sky. The sun had deserted her and to her dismay, a
lightning bolt flashed making her jump back. “Well, if you mother
is right, it looks as if I will have tons of good luck. It’s
starting to rain buckets out there.” Her voice didn’t hide the
disappointment that flowed through her and her mouth formed a
horseshoe that reflected in the window.

As it turned out, Maggie’s mother had been
wrong. It was the worst day in Casey’s life and in the little town
in Georgia. The storm flooded all roads, making them impassable to
use. Trees and weak structures were blown down as Mother Nature
spilled her fury against the town of Brunswick and Casey’s wedding
day. Without a preacher and guests, there was no marriage. The
servants and band members were invited to eat the food least it
spoil. Her fiancé tried everything he knew to brighten her spirits,
but to no avail. She left her wedding gown in a silken puddle on
the floor and crawled into bed.

It was weeks before the roads were passable
and the destruction cleared. Blake was out every day helping his
neighbors who were less fortunate and lost their homes. His cotton
crop was ruined, but this setback did not land them in the poor
house. His father’s trust fund left him with plenty of money to
plant again. Some of his friends were not as lucky. And Casey’s
black mood was not helping him much and made him lose his temper
one night. He was tired of seeing her pouting and feeling
self-pity. She hadn’t lost as much as some folks and he had told
her so in no uncertain terms.

“You, young lady should be thankful that you
still have a roof over your head. A spoiled wedding day cannot
compare to what I saw out there. Come with me tomorrow and see for
yourself how lucky you are.”

Blake left her standing in her room in
disbelief but after sulking awhile, she came out and apologize
claiming that he was right. The next day his fiancée brought food
to the less fortunate and he made amends for his sharpness. She
accepted and they made up in bed that night.

As days turned into weeks, his mother had
taken to her bed, but insisted on having another wedding. By now
his bride-to-be was almost in her eight month. She agreed, but this
time the ceremony would take place with just a few neighbors and
Maggie as her maid of honor. It was all set. Her dress had been
altered, but no amount of added material could hide the fact that
she was pregnant. Very pregnant.

Casey told him that she no longer cared. She
was getting married at last. As soon as she reached his side, she
doubled over and he knew a powerful twinge had ripped through
belly. She gasped and her water broke before horrified eyes.

She groaned, “This couldn’t be
happening!”

“Nooo! Put me down, you big oaf! I don’t want
to go upstairs. I want to get mar... Ouch!” Casey clutched her
belly, her face contorted with pain.

Blake didn’t care what she wanted and ignored
her caterwauling. This shouldn’t be happening it was too soon; his
stomach knotted in fear. Something was wrong, but you wouldn’t
think so the way she was carrying on and worrying about being
hitched legally. Damn her pig-headedness.