Forever Midnight Read online

  “We’ll leave him,” Edgar snarled, “but not in peace. Everyone knows what he is, reverend. Even you. The only way he’ll find peace is in death.”

  The reverend stood with Samuel as the group galloped off. Glancing at Maggie, Samuel noted fear in her eyes. Her hand trembled at her side and he took it in his, squeezing it tenderly.

  “Thank you,” Samuel told the reverend.

  “Don’t thank me too soon, boy. I know someone who may help you, though I’ve probably damned my soul by asking for such heathen advice.”

  “Who is it?” Maggie asked.

  “His name is John Longmeadow.”

  “I’ve never heard of him,” Samuel said.

  “No reason why you should. I don’t believe he’s ever set foot in any town for years. As soon as I arrange for a meeting with him, I’ll let you know.”

  “Would you join us for something to eat?” Samuel offered, hoping to elicit more information over a meal.

  “No. I must get back to the church.” The reverend’s gaze turned harsh as he stared at Samuel and Maggie’s entwined fingers. “You should come with me, my dear. As I said before, maybe I can convince someone in town to take you into service.”

  “No,” Maggie stated. “I’m happy where I am, thank you.”

  “Umm.” The reverend lifted his chin. “Not too happy, I hope. For both your sakes.”

  Turning his horse away from the house, the reverend disappeared around the bend.

  “Maybe I should think about leaving New Hampshire entirely.” Samuel ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “Sometimes I think it was easier in the army. I was told where to go and what to do. The skills I had, no matter how unconventional, were put to good use.”

  “Times are still difficult,” Paul said. “People have already forgotten those who fought with heart and courage, who gave their entire being for these past years. It’s not fair, when you think about it. Your curse—or gift, as it was in battle—was necessary but feared. Men of extremes, such as you and Sam Adams, are good to win a war but bad to run a country.”

  Samuel smiled sadly. “I’d say my extremity is a bit worse than his.”

  “I suppose it depends on who you talk to.” Paul winked. “Now I really must go.”

  Together, Samuel and Maggie returned to the house.

  “So you might find employment elsewhere?” Samuel said.

  “I’d rather not. Unless you want me to.”

  Gazing deeply into her eyes, he tugged her close, one hand gently clasping her nape, his other arm wrapping around her waist. “God, Maggie, I should send you away for your own good, but I’m weak. I could bear loneliness, if not for you.”

  “Sir—”

  “Samuel. I told you to call me Samuel. If you tell me you don’t feel the same, I will never touch you again.” He held her gaze. “Tell me.”

  “I…I can’t. Oh, Samuel.” She clung to his neck, her body pressed so close to his it felt as if their hearts beat in unison. Love for her squeezed his heart. A woman like this deserved better than him. Still, he could not resist her. “I want you so, so badly.”

  “I’m taking you, Maggie.” He slipped off her white cap. Thick, dark curls, fragrant with the scent of lemon, tumbled down her shoulders and back. He buried his hands in the soft tresses and spoke against her lips. “I’m going to pleasure you in ways you never dreamed of.”

  Her lips parted as her breath came in lustful pants. Her hands roamed over his shoulders and back, then slipped up the back of his neck. The burning beauty of her eyes seemed to pierce his soul. His cock, nearly bursting with need, strained against his breeches. Sweeping her into his arms, he headed for the stairs.

  “If you don’t want this, Maggie, tell me now. When we get upstairs, the man will become a beast again. He’ll need the taste of flesh, but not in a manner that brings death or pain. He’ll devour your breasts in savage hunger. He’ll lap the soft flesh between your legs until you scream in ecstasy. I’m telling you now because once we begin, the beast will not be stopped; do you understand me, my rare, dark-eyed beauty?”

  “Yes,” she breathed, clinging to his neck with one arm while her free hand stroked his face and traced the shape of his lips. “This will ruin us, Samuel. One way or the other it will ruin us, but I don’t care anymore. I need you so much I feel I’ll burst if I am denied your touch a moment longer.”

  “You will burst, Maggie. I swear that no cannon fire shall ever rock the earth as you and I will shatter each other tonight.” Before she could speak, he claimed her mouth in a kiss filled with lust and power but also with tenderness. He wanted her so badly that, if he was so inclined, with a couple of wild thrusts he’d explode inside her. What a terrible waste that would be. This was a woman to be savored, enjoyed, and loved. Giving her pleasure would be as exquisite as receiving pleasure himself. And today they would exchange oh-so-much pleasure. It seemed like forever since he’d bared himself to anyone. Inside he was so tightly coiled from secrecy and rejection that her gentle touches and soft, willing body was like freedom to a man long chained.

  He was starving, just like the wolf starved for blood, and he intended to eat of her until they both were sated.

  Chapter Five

  Maggie’s heart pounded so hard she thought it might leap through her chest. Her breath quickened as she gazed deeply into Samuel’s intense blue eyes. From the moment she’d first seen him over three years ago, an incredible pull dragged her towards this strange, courageous man.

  She was a servant and had no right to him, but somehow she knew they belonged together. Something in his soul called to her. That was why, when everyone else abandoned him, she needed to stay.

  At first she hadn’t believed the rumors about him—the idea that he was cursed. Until the night she’d been faced by the wolf himself. It had been in the midst of a thunderstorm. Wind had blown open the barn door—at least she thought it had been wind. She’d entered the barn to find Samuel in the midst of the change. Halfway between man and beast, his facial features, though covered with hair, were still discernable. Silver cuffs bound his wrists so tightly the dark hair matted with blood. Upon seeing her, he’d flown into such a hideous rage of gnashing teeth and flashing eyes that she’d nearly panicked. Instead she’d run to the house and packed her few belongings. For some reason, she’d hadn’t gone. Something in the creature’s eyes had touched her heart. Those eyes held sorrow beyond words. Beneath their wildness, Samuel’s soul lurked, struggling to repress the beast.

  She’d spent a sleepless night locked in her room. At dawn, she’d taken Samuel’s rifle and, trembling, headed for the barn.

  Samuel, appearing as a normal man, lay naked and shivering in the straw. As she approached and prodded him with the weapon, he’d turned to her with such an expression of shame and sadness that she knew she could never abandon him to his curse. She vowed to do everything in her power to help him.

  Samuel had revealed all that led to his horrible state of half-man, half-demon. His friend and fellow patriot, Paul, a silversmith in Massachusetts, had been helping him with his situation for years. He’d designed the cuffs that restrained the beast, as silver seemed to do the creature the most damage.

  Maggie knew she was a fool to stand by him, yet she’d tried choosing the safe route all her life and where had it gotten her? She’d married a man who appeared decent and stable. He’d turned out to be a vile-tempered, sullen companion who had abandoned her to take up arms. Their marriage was so unhappy that she’d been glad to see him go. After his death, she actually preferred poverty to the thought of spending the rest of her life with him, had he survived.

  The first man she’d ever really trusted was Samuel.

  Samuel who now held her in his arms and whose mouth plundered hers with kisses that weakened her knees and strengthened her passion.

  Running her fingers through his thick, wavy hair, she met the tender strokes of his tongue with hers. How many times had she admired his powerful body and l
onged to run her hands over his broad, hair-matted chest? Now it was about to happen and she could scarcely contain her excitement.

  Sometimes she believed Samuel’s wolf-madness infected her as well. Just a few nights ago, after waking from a dream in which she’d been with a tall, blue-eyed, strangely dressed man, she felt as if she was someone else. The dream had been so real. In it she’d gazed into a mirror. Though her own eyes stared back at her, the rest of the face and form belonged to someone else. That was how Samuel sometimes described feeling as the wolf. It was him, yet someone else.

  She’d awakened from the dream murmuring the name Pierce. Pierce. The man in the dream. It had taken her off-guard to hear the name spoken by Samuel and then to discover he’d once been called the same. It was as if there was a madness in the house itself, seeping into their souls. After all, the curse had been initiated in the house, perhaps there was some power in it?

  “Maggie,” Samuel whispered against her lips, his chest rising and falling with passion as he stepped into his room and placed her on his bed. Staring at him, she tore off her apron and began removing her dress. He gently nudged her hands aside and said, “Let me.”

  Her breath came in shallow pants and she tingled from head to toe as his large, deft hands unfastened the ties. He slid the dress down her shoulders and gazed at her breasts pressed against the thin shift beneath. Cupping the warm, round globes, he rolled his thumbs over her dark nipples.

  Maggie’s belly tightened and she resisted the urge to groan from the pleasure. Her husband had never bothered touching her in such a way. His idea of lovemaking was to raise her skirts, rut her while she was still too dry for comfort, and roll over once he’d spilled his useless seed.

  This was altogether different. Samuel’s gaze fixed on her nipples as he toyed with them. Sliding off her shift, he bared her breasts completely to his touch. Running his index finger over the areola, he raised little bumps of pleasure. Bending, he caught one of her spiked nipples between his teeth and rolled his tongue over it.

  It was almost too much for Maggie. She uttered a groan of pure desire and buried her hands in his hair, pressing his head closer as he lapped and sucked her nipple. Her pussy was so hot and moist. Her clit throbbed and ached. To increase the sensation, he slid one of his hands between her legs and cupped her soft mound.

  “Oh, Samuel,” she moaned, wiggling closer to his rubbing hand. Her hips thrust against him. One of his fingers slid inside her. It came away slick with moisture that he used to circle her clit. The touch of his wet, gentle finger rubbing where she was so, so needy sent her pulse racing. She collapsed onto her back, panting and moaning while he continued sucking both of her nipples, stroking her clit and slipping his fingers deep inside her.

  “I want you, Maggie. Feel how much I want you.”

  Taking her hand, he guided it to his crotch. His cock felt like steel threatening to tear through his breeches. How she wanted to feel his warm, velvet flesh. Within moments he’d discarded them. Wearing only his billowy white shirt, he grasped her beneath the arms and hauled her higher on the bed.

  “Let me keep touching you.” She unfastened the buttons on his waistcoat and pulled off his shirt, thrilled by the sight of his naked torso He knelt above her, one of his hard thighs on either side of her waist, his well-muscled arms braced on either side of her head. His closeness stirred her like nothing she had ever experienced before. With the shirt gone, the broad, warm expanse of his chest was bared to her touch. She ran her hands over the powerful muscles, relishing the sensation of the curling mat of hair against her palms.

  “You’re so beautiful, Maggie, so kind.” He bent, kissing her brow and her lips.

  “As are you.” She stared, her pulse racing with desire, as he sat back on his knees and stroked her belly. His cock, so thick and ruddy, stood out like a velvet-skinned pike. The balls beneath dangled, heavy as those of a prized stud. Unable to resist, she clasped the rod in both hands.

  “Yes, Maggie, yes.” A grin touched his lips. His eyes gleamed with desire. Placing his hands over hers, he showed her how to pump the staff to provide the greatest pleasure.

  She stared at his marvelous cock as she stroked, removing one hand to clutch his balls and roll them in her palm. Every part of him reflected pure, masculine beauty from his intense eyes to the thick, perfectly formed cock snug in her hand. His breathing increased and his dark blue eyes closed halfway.

  “I want to feel you inside me.”

  “Maggie…” He covered her body with his. Supporting most of his weight on one forearm, he stroked her face with his free hand. His touch was so tender and affectionate that love for him overwhelmed her. It seemed like forever that she’d dreamed of lying with him like this, of feeling his body so close to hers.

  The sensation of his naked flesh against hers, the softness of his breath against her face, and the fresh, manly scent of him thrilled her like nothing she’d ever felt before.

  One of his large, warm hands, callused from years of carrying weapons and training for battle, parted her thighs. He stroked them while devouring her mouth with a kiss that nearly stole her breath. With a smooth shifting of hips, his cockhead brushed her outer lips. He circled her slit gently before sliding inside, inch by delectable inch.

  Maggie gripped his shoulders. Her fingers pressed against solid muscle as she drew a long breath, not releasing it until he was buried to the hilt.

  Opening her eyes, she met his passionate gaze.

  “It feels so good.” He brushed his lips across her temple and down her cheek. “Deep inside you, Maggie, my love.”

  “Your love.” A slight smile touched her lips and inside she warmed with joy.

  “I don’t know what I’d have done without you, these past years.”

  “I haven’t done much, sir.”

  “Sir?” He chuckled. “You still call me sir even when naked in my arms and filled with my cock? From now on I’m Samuel.”

  “But the townsfolk—”

  “Mean nothing to me. They want me dead. Why should I care what they think?” His expression softened and he traced her lips with his fingertips. “It’s you I’m concerned about. By staying with me, you’re putting yourself in danger in so many ways. If they find out we’re lovers—”

  “They suspect it anyway. Truth be told, Samuel, I don’t care about them, either.” She tightened her arms around him and lifted her hips. “Lord, Samuel, I could stay like this forever.”

  “I wish I could, but I’m afraid my body has limits where my spirit does not.” Nibbling her ear and circling it with his tongue, he began thrusting into her. The long, rhythmic sliding of his thick, hard cock drove her up a summit she’d reached too few times in her life, and only by her own hand.

  “Oh, Samuel,” she cried as the pleasure built and his thrusts quickened. “Yes, yes, oh, yes.”

  “Maggie.” His voice grew ragged. He kissed her, his tongue lashing hers. Capturing it, he sucked it in time with his thrusting hips, not allowing her to pull away even as orgasm overcame her.

  Trembling, her body hot with passion, she gasped into his mouth and clung to him until her arms and legs ached.

  The pulsations slowed. If not for his continued motions, she might have relaxed, but apparently he wasn’t ready to give her up so quickly. His deep kisses plundered her mouth as his steely cock drove into her with increasing speed. Again she neared the summit. Just as she shattered, he stiffened and lunged hard. Tearing his mouth from hers, he cried out, a magnificent sound of pure masculine pleasure. It sent ripples of desire up her spine as much as his cock sent throbs of lust through her pussy.

  Rolling onto his back, he tugged her to his heaving chest and stroked her shoulders and arm in slow, soothing motions.

  “I’ll always care for you, Maggie,” he said. “You’ll never want for anything again so long as you have me.”

  She must have been a complete fool, for she believed every word he spoke.

  Chapter Six

&nbs
p; Maggie awoke with a smile the following morning. She reached across the bed, expecting to feel Samuel’s warmth beside her. He wasn’t there.

  Jumping up, she glanced around the room. Her dress, which had been tossed on the floor the previous night, was spread across the bed. A pitcher of water and a basin awaited her on the night table.

  Standing, she shivered as the cold floor touched her bare feet and the crisp morning air fanned her naked body. After pinning up her hair and washing, she stepped closer to the fire blazing in the hearth across the room. Squatting, she rubbed her arms as she stared at the leaping flames.

  The door opened and her gaze flew to Samuel. Dressed in dark breeches and a long, white shirt untied at the throat, he smiled at her.

  “Pleasant morning.” He approached and wrapped his arms around her.

  Maggie buried her face in his chest, rubbing her cheek against its warmth. Sliding her hand inside his shirt, she caressed his ribs and ran her fingers through the curling mat of chest hair. Raising his shirt, she kissed one of his nipples.

  “What am I to do, Maggie?” he sighed, resting his chin against the top of her head. “If it was just myself, I wouldn’t care what happened, but I have you to consider. You can’t spend the rest of your days with a half-beast. This relationship is dangerous in so many ways—at least if we stay here.”

  “What are you saying?” A sick feeling weighted her belly. She should have known. Like all men, after the rutting was over, so was his semblance of caring.

  “I’m saying maybe we should leave New Hampshire, like I suggested.”

  “We?”

  “Unless you’ve decided you don’t want me after all?”

  “Oh, I do.” She drew a deep breath and gazed at him.

  “Good.” He tightened his arms around her and kissed her mouth. “Because I don’t know if I could go on living without you, Maggie. You don’t know how many times I’ve considered ending it, having Paul fire that silver bullet he made right through my heart—”