Say Yes Read online

Dottie laughed. “My darling girl, I loved my husband’s touch enough that we made seven children, and I still love it to this day” At Kaila’s skeptical look, she added, “I’m not too old to enjoy my man, and Mr. Habersham is still quite a man.”

  “You know, maybe the attraction is not there for you and Garrick.” Dottie went back to stirring diced carrots into her stew. “Were you repulsed when he kissed you?”

  Kaila frowned. “I don’t think so. I felt kind of warm like when you have tea with honey and a touch of brandy when you are sick.”

  Dottie didn’t turn, but Kaila could see her shoulders, and when she spoke her voice held laughter. “Sounds like attraction to me. But while Master Garrick needs patience, you need not run like a scared rabbit. He is more than likely in a mood because he thought you spurned his attention.”

  “I don’t know what to do,” she said miserably. “The book he gave me had many descriptions of men and women coupling. They were quite descriptive, and I don’t think men and women are supposed to do that.”

  “Men and women do lots of things behind closed bedroom doors,” Dottie replied. “Reading it may seem mortifying; feeling it is something different, luvvie. I was once like you, didn’t know my head from my ass. I was a shy sixteen when I was married to Mr. Habersham. But he was a patient man with me, and I have enjoyed many a night since then. Garrick reminds me of my husband, like a rough stone that smoothes as time passes. He brought us from Scotland and gave us a home of our own. He is a good man, and if you let him he’ll be a good man to you as well. But it’s your choice; you wouldn’t be forced, not by him, and with him protecting you not by anyone.” Dottie smiled. ‘Eat up, child, and go read in the garden while you think. I know women of your color are not given many chances to say yea or nay. This time you do have a choice.”

  “Thank you for talking to me, Dottie.” Kaila finished her breakfast and impulsively walked over to squeeze the woman’s shoulders in affection.

  She patted Kaila’s hand. “That’s all right, child, now go enjoy the sunshine—there’ll be rain tonight for sure. A storm is brewing across the hills.”

  Kaila wandered away and went back upstairs to get the book that Garrick gave her last night. Sitting outside, she sat in the sun close to the rosebushes and read more pages that were highly risqué. Looking over the hills, she saw dark clouds coming in and knew Dottie was right: before the night was over there would be more rain. She felt like those tumbling clouds, because a mass of swirling doubt was inside her. But by late in the afternoon when Garrick had not returned, she made a decision: she would accept Garrick’s affection and place her trust in the man who vowed not to hurt her. Kaila planned to tell him that in the evening, at dinner.

  Just as predicted the rain, was already pouring in droves by the time she went downstairs to the dining room. Garrick was not there, with his own plate fixed or directing her to eat her vegetables. She was startled each time the thunder boomed outside and rattled the stone house. But ultimately she ended up eating alone and then going to bed.

  * * * *

  It was early evening when Garrick came back to the mansion. He’d been on a fact-finding mission that proved very lucrative, and armed with the new information, he was ready to deal with his cousin’s husband. Garrick came though the stables and the kitchen so he would not run into Kaila. After last night, he didn’t know how she would react to him. He didn’t think he could bear seeing fear in her eyes when she looked at him, so he decided to stay out of her path as long as possible. Dottie was in the kitchen, and he opted to take his dinner up to his rooms and eat there. He took it up himself instead of letting her do it or one of her sons. That way Kaila would be unaware that he was home.

  He ate in the solitude of his room, going over paperwork and his ledgers from items his ships brought in for sale in his shops. He also looked at maps to see which ships could be diverted to the Caribbean so he could have safe passage for Kaila. Goods from the island were an aspect of his business he’d long considered; it could now it could be a possibility if he was one of the first merchants to set up port space in Grenada. It all came about because of Kaila in a way. Even as much as he wanted her, he couldn’t touch her because of what’s she’d been through.

  It made his rage against Duke Carrington all the more fierce because of the two woman he’d hurt. The thought of her not being with him already caused a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. He threw the pencil and ruler down that he was using to chart a course though the shipping channels on the map. Thoughts of her were driving him crazy, making his cock throb. He could go find solace in one of the many women who would gladly accept him, but they would not be any comparison to her. He craved Kaila.

  He heard her go downstairs for dinner and felt some remorse at making her eat alone. Her footsteps echoed on the stone stairs as she went back to her rooms for the night after she ate. How he wanted to go to her, but Garrick restrained himself from doing such a thing. He changed from his riding clothes into his bed attire and climbed into his own bed. It would be a long night of no sleep for him. Garrick threw his hand over his eyes and wished for the sanity that he seemed to have lost. This was the first time his rest was interrupted because of any woman, and look at him now.

  A small knock came from his door; he knew who it was but hesitated to answer.

  The knock came again, and then he heard her soft voice. “Garrick, are you asleep?”

  You’re just about torturing me, aren’t you? He sent the question heavenward before calling out. “I’m not asleep, you may come in.”

  The door was pushed opened slowly, and she stood wearing her nightdress, a stark white against the dim hallways. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, and she held her hands tightly in front of her.

  He sighed when he saw that she was not about to speak first. “What‘s wrong, Kaila?”

  “The storm frightens me, I-I thought I could possible find solace with you.” She hesitated and then said hastily, “Until the thunder has passed, of course. Never mind, I’m being silly, I’ll go to bed.”

  “You didn’t just come here because of the storm, Kaila,” Garrick commented. “I don’t think you’re the sort to give in to fear. What’s the real reason you came to my door?”

  “Because I read the book.”

  He felt a rush of desire that went right to his cock, making it erect. Did he dare hope that she was willing to accept his need of her?

  “And?”

  She began talking in a rush. “And Dottie told me it’s normal to feel things, and it’s not disgusting between her and Mr. Habersham. I felt certain things when you kissed me, and I want to feel them again. I want to learn how to…” She stomped her foot in frustration. “Are you going to make me say it all?”

  “First I’m trying to rid myself of the mental picture that was conjured of the Habershams.” Garrick smiled and sat up in bed. “But no, love, I won’t make you express something you don’t truly understand. How about we take this slowly?”

  Kaila breathed out, and he saw her shoulders relax as she stepped into the room. “Yes, that would be lovely, thank you. How do we begin?”

  “First you step in and close the door. Lesson one begins tonight.” Garrick tried to control his voice and the raging need inside him. He had to be careful with his own urges, or she would run screaming to her room once more.

  Kaila closed the door and walked closer to the bed. She rubbed her arms as if to ward off a chill, but Garrick knew that was nervousness due the choice she’d made coming to his room.

  “Undress for me.”

  He watched as she untied the top lace of her nightdress before slowly unbuttoning it until it was parted down to her torso. He found himself holding his breath as she slipped it from her shoulders and stood nude in front of him. Give me strength, another prayer sent to the skies because she was magnificence standing before him. Her expanse of skin was such a beautiful brown that caught the light of lamps in his room. From the dip of her stomach and
the curve of her thighs to the lift of her breasts, everything was perfect. Again he thought of statues carved and smoothed from ebony.

  ‘I’m sorry I’m so tiny on top. I know you said you like more in your women.” She spoke softly and looked at her feet.

  “Kaila, look at me,” he said and waited until she met his gaze. “You are exquisite.”

  Her smile was radiant. “Thank you, my lord.”

  “Oh don’t say it like that, love. I’ll have enough trouble not taking you to my bed tonight,” Garrick replied.

  Her smile fell away. ‘I don’t understand you don’t want to take me?”

  “With every fiber of my being, Kaila, but tonight is about feeling. Lift your hands and cup your breasts.” She stared at him for a long moment before she took her breasts in her own hands. Garrick swallowed thickly before adding, “Now pluck your nipples until they’re hard. How does that feel—do you like it?”

  “Like there’s a string connected to my tummy and it gets tight as I touch them. Yes, I think I like it,” she whispered.

  “Run your hands down your body, the curve of your hips and down your stomach,” he whispered.

  His eyes followed her hands that now moved on their own volition. They ran down her body and then cupped her breasts, squeezing the nipples until her eyes closed and she gasped. Garrick found he was clutching the bed sheet in his hands and made himself relax. Slow and easy, he warned himself, tonight is for her.

  “Come here, my darling. Let me kiss you.” Garrick held out his hands to her, and she went to him willingly.

  Her scent told him it was not a dream; her breath seemed still in her chest as he stared into the chocolate-brown depth of her eyes. He crushed his mouth to her and immersed himself in her taste. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he pulled her into the bed across his body, never taking his mouth away from hers. He positioned her until she was in his lap and he had full access to her body. Kaila’s lips were so soft, and while he kissed her his hands roamed her body. Her skin felt the finest silk under his touch. He cupped the breasts that she’d held only seconds before and felt her shiver under his hands. Garrick tore his lips away from hers and pressed his forehead against hers, trying to remember his control. He kissed her gently and watched as she opened her eyes, drowning in their chocolate depths.

  “I want to taste you and touch you more. Kaila, say yes,” he whispered.

  “Yes.”

  Her voice was as soft as her skin, and it was almost lost in the sound of the wind and rain outside. He kissed the skin of her neck and she gasped, exposing more of the sensitive flesh to his mouth. He cupped her breast in his firm grasp and rolled the bead of her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

  “My lord, oh please,” she said on a gasping breath.

  Hearing that from her lips nearly snapped his control. If she only knew how her soft, kitten-like pleas made him want to spill his seed inside her. Garrick knew he could take her now, could bury himself inside her until he found his own pleasure. Far more important, though, tonight he needed to build her trust as well as show her pleasure. He would restrain himself no matter how much it made him ache. He took her nipple between his lips and loved it gently with his tongue. She shuddered while he held her, and he moved to play at the next breast. This time her hand lifted, and he felt her fingers slide though the long hair at his nape and clench into the strands. Ah yes, he thought. That, along with her subtle whimper, give him the signal he needed to suck on her breast with more fervor until she cried out.

  He lifted his head from her bosom and looked at the wet imprint his mouth left on her dark skin. Mine, he thought with a possessive sense of satisfaction. No one would ever touch her, or taste his skin. Garrick knew right then that there would be no other who made him feel this alive. None had before Kaila. None made fire sing in his blood and the ache in his loins to be so sweet. He ran his hand down her stomach, feeling her breath move her abdomen beneath his fingers. His hands stilled as his fingers tangled in the soft hair of her sex and she closed her legs instinctively.

  “Kaila, let me touch you. Say yes, my dove.” He pressed his lips to hers and sank his tongue in her mouth.

  “Yes, my lord.” Her voice was timid, yet she parted her legs at his request.

  He never wanted his title to be used in any way until this day. Hearing Kaila say it on a breathless whisper aroused him in a way he didn’t quite expect. Garrick decided coming from her lips, he didn’t mind hearing it in the least. He moved his hand lower and trailed a finger along the lips of her pussy. The fine hair there was already damp with her arousal. He wanted to see her face as he made her come, so Garrick fixed his eyes on her face as he gently parted her sex with his fingers. He found the sensitive bud of her wet sex and rubbed it gently until she arched and closed her eyes.

  “This is the only time you can use my title. Only when I’m loving you, only when I’m making your body mine. It makes me hard just hearing it on your lips, just like that,” he said. “No, love, I want to see you. Open your eyes; don’t hide away from me.”

  He watched her eyes flutter open, and he circled the sweet spot of her sex with a little more pressure until he wrung a cry from her full lips. Her hips lifted against his hand until he moved his finger lower and dipped inside her entrance before he withdrew. Again the subtle insertion, only a little deeper this time, and he felt the walls of her pussy clench around his finger.

  Her eyes were wild and wide with surprise. “Garrick, I don’t understand. Why do I feel this way, how do I make it stop?”

  “Just let go, Sweet Kaila, let me make you fly.”

  Garrick lifted her in his arms until her breast was close enough that he could suck it into his mouth once more. He pressed his finger into her deeper, and she cried out his name. He paid close attention not to go to deep and break the sensitive barrier that protected her virginity while bringing her pleasure. Her body shivered in his arms, Kaila’s hips rose with a frenzied rhythm, seeking what he offered. Garrick lifted his head just in time to feel her tense and his pussy clench as her juices flowed and she came in his arms. Her lips were parted, and she drew in a deep, whimpering breath . She was so wet when he withdrew his hand, and Garrick couldn’t help but taste her essence on his fingers. He promised himself one day soon, he would sip from her pussy while she came.

  Garrick waited until her body quieted from its delicious shivers and placed her gently on the bed. He used a soft towel to clean between her legs so she could rest comfortably beside him.

  “I never knew that women felt this way. By no means did I ever think I…Garrick, I flew. I swear my senses were… It was astounding,” she whispered.

  Garrick came back to bed and pulled her into his arms. “That was only a small taste, my sweet dove.” He kissed her temple and angled his body so she could feel the engorged flesh between his legs. “Now sleep.”

  “What about you, Garrick, there was no flying for you?” Kaila said, looking up at him.

  “I like how you refer to it as flying,” he said with a chuckle. “No, my darling, I’m fine. I want you to sleep now.”

  “With no clothes?” she asked.

  “I want to feel your skin, so no nightdress,” Garrick replied. He kissed her hard. “Now close your eyes and go to sleep.”

  He held her tight and felt her body relax and go pliant as sleep claimed her. Feeling her come, tasting her skin and now holding her while she slept made him feel complete. His body ached to be buried inside her, and it was a long while before he followed her into the calm bliss of slumber.

  Chapter Four

  Kaila woke and stared at the sleeping man beside her. His lips were slightly parted, those lips that stirred wonderful sensations when they touched hers. Garrick’s hand was on her stomach while he slept. She didn’t recall one moment as the night progressed where she didn’t feel the hardness of his body close to hers. No matter how she turned, he held her tight, and it made her feel secure. What exactly was going on? She had no c
lue; would his possessing her mean he would keep her with him? Or would he send her by ship back to her home to long for his touch or try to find it in another man’s arms? The second thought made her stomach clench with nervousness. After just one small taste of what he made her body feel, she didn’t want anyone else. Accepting him had brought her joy and now sadness because he might send her away.

  “You’re awake.” His voice was husky with sleep.

  She turned her head and met his ice-blue eyes. They were kind, and she felt all warm all over again.

  “I need to go take care of some womanly things. I was hoping not to wake you,” Kaila replied.

  “I’d know if you were gone from my bed instantly,” he murmured.

  “You say the sweetest things, and I’ve never had a man be so kind to me,” she said. “I don’t understand why you’re different. You could’ve forced me or done whatever you wanted.”

  “The man who takes enjoyment from a woman’s pain is no man,” Garrick said. “If you said that night that Duke Carrington had forced you to lie with him, he’d be dead right now.”

  She had no doubt that Garrick meant his words. “Thank you for, well, everything. I only wish my mistress could escape his cruelty as well.”

  He cupped her cheek. “Things are in the works to make sure my cousin will have to deal with him. I only wish I’d known sooner, but soon she will be able to breathe easy.”

  Kaila nodded and scooted from the bed. “I must go and…”

  Garrick laughed. “I understand. When you’re done come back to my room, we’ll have breakfast in bed. In fact we’ll spend the day here, cozy from the cold and rain outside. I’ll light the fire and send Dottie and the others away for the day.”

  She glanced at the window and saw rain still hitting the pane in droves. She laughed. “I’ve never had such a luxury to lie in bed and let the day pass. Won’t Dottie and the others gossip about this?”

  “There is no such thing here; they’ll enjoy being able to sit home and out of this wretched weather.” Garrick grinned, and it made him look younger than his years. “I can even cook in a pinch.”