Rapture in His Arms (24 page)

Donovan’s fingers moved the top of the shift down her shoulders and exposed her breasts. Then slowly, he pulled the wet material down the length of her body, caressing each inch of her as he did so. Little gasps escaped from between her lips; she couldn’t help herself. She loved being touched by him. Jillian, suddenly eager to be exposed to his heated gaze, shrugged free of the garment when it reached her feet. She stepped out of it. His eyes roamed over her, a lusty light flaring within the dark amber depths. “I can’t get enough of ye, Jillian. I want to make love to ye all of the time.”

“Even now?” she asked and her gaze strayed to his manhood which until a few minutes ago had been flaccid. But now that she stood before him, naked in the sunshine, with her long, chestnut hair spiraling down past her waist in wet tendrils, she saw that he was aroused again. She didn’t believe it was possible for a man to be ready again so soon, but he was. And moments later, he lowered her to the cloth on the grass and filled her until she again cried out in ecstasy.

~ ~ ~

That evening, just as inky darkness claimed the sky, they dressed and walked back to the house, arm in arm. Never had Jillian felt so satiated, so entirely relaxed. But she was hungry, and her stomach growled to be fed. Though she had packed their supper, they hadn’t gotten around to partaking of it. They sat at the dining room table and Jillian served Donovan herself, rather than calling Lizzie. The intimacy was increased by the glow from the candles and the fine madeira they imbibed. Jillian had just finished drinking her wine when Donovan familiarly stroked her hand. “I’ve got somethin’ for ye,” he lowly and lovingly proclaimed and stood up to go to his waistcoat that hung from a wall peg. Withdrawing a small box from the inside pocket, he then came back to the table. He smiled shyly. “Open it.”

“A present? For me?” Jillian dimpled, touched that he had bought her something. She picked up the box and opened it to see a diamond ring. The large stone twinkled, and in the candlelight, it flashed gold fire. Clearly, this was the most beautiful ring her eyes had ever beheld, and no doubt had cost a great deal of money. Where had Donovan gotten it? How had he afforded it? Or had he stolen it?

Her questions must have shown on her face because Donovan leaned back in his chair and looked a bit offended. “I didn’t steal the ring, if that’s what you’re wonderin’,” he pronounced. “I won it from a gent at the Goose and Gander in a card game when I went to Jamestown that time without tellin’ ye.” He was silent for a few seconds, then his curiosity got the best of him when Jillian didn’t respond. “Do ye like it?”

“’Tis beautiful, Donovan,” she admitted.

“But? Go on, tell me the rest.”

“I don’t approve of gambling.”

“I knew ye wouldn’t, and I very nearly made up a cock and bull story, but I wanted to be honest with ye. So, do ye want the ring or not? Ye have no proper weddin’ ring, and I wanted ye to have the most dazzlin’ and beautiful ring in all of Virginia.”

She saw that giving her the ring meant a great deal to him, and her heart melted. “Thank you so much. I do love it, but I’ve never owned anything so grand, so magnificent.”

Her comment mollified him. He held her left hand and took the ring, just about to place it on her third finger when Jillian asked, “How do you know the diamond isn’t fake?”

“Good God, woman! What a question to ask a man at such a solemn moment.”

“I’m sorry,” she said and bit down upon her lower lip in consternation, “but once my father bought a diamond for my mother, and the stone turned out to be false.”

“So, it’s false you think, hmm? Well, I’ll show this stone is real, as real as my feelings for ye.” Donovan pushed back his chair and went over to the dining room window where the candlelight reflected off of the wavy glass pane. “I’ve been told that a real diamond will cut glass, so here’s the proof.” He began to scratch the glass, and Jillian rose to her feet, eager and curious to see what he was doing. She saw that Donovan was etching their initials into the pane. When he finished, he flashed her a brilliant smile that shot a tremor of desire straight to her heart. “See, ’tis real. Now, give me your hand.”

Jillian held out her hand to him, so mesmerized by this man that no matter what he might have asked of her, she’d have done the deed without question. Solemnly, he drew the ring onto her finger. “’Tis a true love I feel for ye, Jillian, as real as this stone I place on your finger. I know ye don’t love me, that maybe ye never will, but I won’t be holdin’ back how I feel about ye. I love ye, Jillian Shay, I love ye with my whole heart and my whole bein’. And I ask nothin’ of ye but your passion, because I know that’s all ye can give to me now. But I’ll wait for ye to love me. One day, I hope ye will.”

Tears stung her eyes. More than anything she wished she could tell Donovan that she loved him too. But she didn’t know if what she felt for him was love or pure lust. Either way, he had captivated her. “Donovan, please—”

“Sh, now, say nothin’ for the moment. Just kiss me, Jillian, all I want is a kiss from ye.”

With a strangled moan, Jillian threw herself into his arms and gave herself up to the rapture of his kiss. Swinging her from her feet, he lifted her into his strong arms and carried her up the stairs to the bedroom. Again, he did the impossible in Jillian’s estimation and loved her until she was so exhausted that she fell asleep in his embrace.

“’
T
is a shocking turn of events,” pronounced Cyrus Witherspoon and chewed on his pipe. “The idea that Governor Berkeley has abandoned Jamestown and left us all to the mercy of a renegade like Nathaniel Bacon is much too horrible to be believed. Governor Berkeley signed the reforms which Bacon wanted into law. What more could the governor do to appease him? My poor Rose is beside herself with worry. I have no idea what will happen to any of us now. If only word could be gotten to His Majesty, then troops could be sent to thwart Bacon.”

The news the last month had been ominous at best, and the month of August promised no better. Jillian poured a cup of tea for Cyrus and was very much aware of Donovan’s strange silence. He hadn’t offered a comment on any of Cyrus’s disturbing news. And the last few weeks had been filled with rumors, many of which Jillian hadn’t wanted to believe.

Cyrus confirmed the fact that Bacon had fled Jamestown on the pretext of seeing to his ill wife, shortly after he’d been pardoned by the governor. But once away from Jamestown, Bacon and his forces renewed their efforts to wipe out the Indians after the savages had raided and killed whole families. Bacon, however, had coerced many planters into providing supplies for his troops and these planters had appealed to Berkeley. The governor was only too willing to issue a warrant for Bacon’s arrest, declaring him a traitor. Berkeley attempted to raise troops against Bacon but was unsuccessful. When Bacon heard the governor had declared him to be a traitor, Bacon then countermarched and took a position at Middle Plantation. Berkeley, realizing he wouldn’t be able to raise an army and face Bacon’s men, retreated across Chesapeake Bay to the eastern shore of Virginia where many people were still loyal to him. Thus, for all intents and purposes, Nathaniel Bacon was the colony’s new leader.

“Is it true that Bacon has won the hearts of the people?” Jillian asked Cyrus.

“Aye, some misguided souls believe he has been sent from the Almighty to save us from the savages, but I say he is from Lucifer himself. Bacon is a pox upon the colony and will cause our ruin. He sets himself up as leader when he is at heart a tyrant just like Oliver Cromwell. Just the other day I heard someone refer to him as Oliver Bacon.” Cyrus snickered but quickly grew serious again. “The man is interested in his own glory.”

“But don’t Bacon’s laws offer equality for the people, Cyrus?” Donovan asked, expressing an interest in the political situation and surprising Jillian because she hadn’t realized that he had been following the conversation. “From all I’ve heard about Sir William Berkeley, he has not been too willing to do something that would ease peoples’ worries.”

Cyrus considered Donovan for a moment and then nodded. “I agree that this is the case in some of Berkeley’s dealings. And Mr. Bacon’s reforms might prove helpful to all in the long run by allowing freemen to vote and providing representation in the courts against overtaxation. However, ’tis an affront against the king to stir rebellion and to run off His Majesty’s appointed governor. Bacon believes the sword is mightier than the king.”

“I’m afraid he has proven his point,” Donovan noted and hid a knowing smile from Cyrus. But Jillian saw it.

Her forehead wrinkled, she pondered Donovan’s interest in and knowledge of Nathaniel Bacon’s treason.

After Cyrus had departed for Jamestown, Donovan came up behind her as she laid a fresh tablecloth on the dining table. He placed his arms around her waist and drew her back against his hard body and nibbled her ear. The sensation tickled Jillian and she giggled as she turned to face him. “Haven’t you a plantation to run?” she asked him, desire shining in her eyes. “Or do you intend to keep me from my duties for the rest of the morning?”

“Seein’ to your husband is one of your duties,” he huskily whispered against her cheek.

“I do believe I have seen to you often and well, sir. Since our marriage I’ve spent so much time in our bedroom that I have been most neglectful of my chores.”

“Aye, ye have,” he admitted and kissed her cheek. “And I have no complaints. All I wanted was a kiss from your pretty lips.”

“Then a kiss is all you’ll get for the moment,” she flippantly told him but melted into his arms and willingly gave her mouth to him for a kiss that promised passion and pleasure during the coming night. Desire flared within her, and she would have forgotten her chores and given in to her lust if Donovan hadn’t broken the kiss.

“Ah, Jillian, my love, ye possess a power over me. As much as I’d like to kiss ye and take ye upstairs, I do have a plantation to oversee.”

She leaned against his shirt front and fiddled with the row of lace on his shirt while looking up at him. “Am I that much of a distraction to you?”

“Ye are. Am I?”

A shiver of raw need slid through her. Never had she felt this way before in her life. She had thought that the novelty and strangeness, even the pleasure she found with Donovan, would fade after a number of weeks. It hadn’t. Instead, her desire for this man had only increased. And her passion disturbed her because she lost control when she was in Donovan’s arms. For too many years she had allowed her father and Edwin to control her. Now, she was Donovan’s wife and controlled by something so overpowering that she was frightened. If she was overwhelmed by her own desire for Donovan, what might happen if she ever allowed herself to fall in love with him?

There was no denying that he distracted her from too many things lately, but strangely, she didn’t mind. “Aye, you do distract me,” she admitted, “and I don’t appreciate it when I’ve lots to do.”

“Then I’ll be leavin’ ye to your housewifely duties,” he said with a wink and a quick kiss on her nose. “Cyrus Witherspoon did take up our mornin’.”

Donovan had moved away from her and walked toward the door when Jillian suddenly said, “I was surprised that you were interested in news of Mr. Bacon.”

He stood very still and hesitated for a second before he spoke. “I’m not as ignorant as ye think, Jillian.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she quickly assured him. “You’re far from ignorant, that’s why your interest bothers me. I know how much you dislike the English and might lean toward Mr. Bacon, who is a rebel.”

“I like ye, Jillian, and ye are English.” He winked at her once more.

“You are evading me, Donovan Shay.” With a frown marring her forehead, Jillian walked over to him. “Have you done anything I should know about? You aren’t considering joining Mr. Bacon, are you?”

Donovan’s gaze met her own, causing her heart to flip-flop. “Aye, I admit that I have thought about it.”

“Oh, Donovan! Please, don’t even think such a thing. Bacon is a traitor. The governor will be forced to hang him in time. I don’t want my husband to dangle from a hangman’s noose.” Fear crept across her face, and she grasped his arm. “You must not consider joining that man.”

His hand clutched at her fingers, and he squeezed them gently. “Thank ye for carin’ some about me.” Then before she could utter another word, he turned and strode from the room and went outside to mount Goldenrod. From the dining room window, she watched him ride toward the fields.

~ ~ ~

“Auntie Jillian! Auntie Jillian!” Benjamin Addison ran toward the cart, waving his chubby arms in the air. Happiness and delight coated his tiny face when Donovan stopped the cart. Jillian alighted, embracing the child and kissing his cheek. “I missed you,” Benjamin told her and snuggled against her.

“I missed you, too, darling. Have you been a good boy?”

“Yes, yes I have.”

“Then I have a birthday present for you.” From her reticule, Jillian withdrew a small wooden horse that Donovan had whittled, and she presented it to the child.