Forgotten Time (Ravenhurst Series, #1) A New Adult Time Travel Romance Read online

That was a start. He stood. “I believe you should retire to your room, perhaps take a nap before it is time to prepare for dinner. I need to complete some unfinished business,” he said dismissively as he extended his hand to help her stand.

  Katherine’s body stiffened, she refused his hand. He was speaking to her as if she were a little child. She hated when people talked to her like that. She was not a child to push around. She could feel her face getting hotter, she was pissed. Take a nap, not likely. And he rubbed his plates of food in her face too. That was so much worse than being told to take a nap. Suddenly, she almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. No wonder Marguerite left him. He was an asshole.

  He lifted his brow at her, like he was daring her to disobey him.

  She bit the inside of her cheek to stop from saying something she may regret. Instead, she turned away from him and tried to think of a way to get back at him. Maybe make him want to stay in the process. Her mind spun different scenarios of how she could get a little payback and make him stay. What did Reese do in Vanity Fair to get back at her man? She made him want her. Granted, it was a movie, but men were pretty much the same everywhere, right? Maybe Katherine couldn’t make him love her, but she could certainly make him want her. And if he wanted to enjoy flavors, perhaps she should give him a taste of her own. Not the entire meal, but just enough to make him want just a bit more.

  Hawthorne Manor

  Isabelle dug her fingers into the food,scraping it off the filthy floor and shoved it into her mouth. She gagged. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stop the food from coming out. She needed her strength; the disgusting food had to stay down. Her entire body shook, repulsed. Tears streamed down her face. She had to get out of her prison or she would die, and she wasn’t ready to die yet. She clutched the metal cup tightly in her hand, saving all her strength for Judith’s next visit.

  …Earlier in the day, Hawthorne Manor

  Judith clomped noisily down the stone stairs. Isabelle could hear her giggling all the way. Apparently, she was quite pleased with herself about something.

  “Oh, Isabelle, I have some food for you,” Judith called out between giggles.

  Isabelle heard something fall; she hoped it was Judith.

  “Oh no! How terrible. Would you look at that?” she exclaimed loudly, then laughed.

  Isabelle leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. There went her food. Bitch. She heard Judith dragging her feet back and forth across the stone floor. Then a grinding noise followed. Then she stomped. Isabelle listened to Judith snickering as the door creaked open loudly.

  “Isabelle, there seems to have been a terrible accident… your food has fallen onto the floor.”

  “With your help,” Isabelle mumbled out.

  “What? Did you say something to me, bat?” Judith snapped angrily. “Well, there go your second helpings!” she yelled, throwing the food onto the ground where she stood. “Oh no, now look what you made me do! Your food has ruined my gown. Well, I am sure Devlin will buy me another, or perhaps I should take one of yours, since it was your fault. Oh, right, you are a bit larger than I, aren’t you?” she said nastily.

  Isabelle said nothing. She could smell the food from across the room. Her stomach growled loudly.

  “Eww, Isabelle, you sound like a dirty little savage,” Judith said, smashing something with the toe of her shoe.

  Isabelle assumed it was the last recognizable piece of food.

  “Well, I am waiting,” Judith, said, her annoyance palpable.

  “For what?” Isabelle had to ask.

  “Why, your apology,” Judith said rudely, as if stating the obvious.

  “You must be insane,” Isabelle replied.

  Judith’s face turned red with rage. She balled her fingers into fists, her nails cutting into her skin. “I AM NOT INSANE!” she screamed out crazily. “You’ll pay for this!” she warned.

  Isabelle laughed. Then wheezed and coughed, then laughed some more. She simply could not help herself.

  Judith swung around in a huff and slammed the door behind her.

  Isabelle heard the distinct sound of the lock clicking into place as Judith stomped back up the cellar stairs.

  Isabelle opened her eyes and looked down at the cup she now held. “No Judith, you will be the one to pay.” She closed her eyes once more.

  Ravenhurst

  With shaking hands,Katherine set her cup on the table. The fine china clattered loudly. She stood, very aware Sebastian was watching her as she walked deliberately to the sideboard. She lifted the heavy crystal stopper from the decanter and poured herself a drink.

  Sebastian leaned back in his chair, one ankle resting on his knee. He watched her every move, swirling his drink absently. She lifted her glass up in the air at him. He lifted his in return, watching curiously, sipping his drink casually. He was surprised she was able to drink it down without taking a breath. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what she was doing. She shook her head back and forth, tossing her hair around. She smiled at him, pushing her shoulders back, making her breasts perk up even more. He lifted his brow at her in question. She smiled wider and began running her hands down the sides of her dress. She unbuttoned part of her gown, smiling at him all the while. What in the hell was she doing? She looked afflicted.

  Was she trying to flirt with him? No, that was ridiculous. Why would she do that? He was confused, curious, yet slightly aroused at the same time.

  Katherine was losing her nerve quickly. She took quite a few breaths, her mind screaming all the while, “You can’t do this. You can’t do this.” A little voice said Yes you can, yes you can. She wasn’t sure if she hated or loved that little voice.

  Sebastian finished his drink and finally stood. He was getting annoyed at her silly, little antics. He walked over to the fire and set his glass down on the mantel. He leaned down and tossed a few more logs into the dying flames. Sitting on his haunches a few moments more, he waited to see if she would turn tail and run, or actually go through with the little charade she was trying to start.

  He heard her walking towards him, her skirts rustling ever so slightly on the carpet. At least, it sounded as though she were walking, instead of running for the hills. He smiled into the flames, standing up, but did not turn around. He felt her close the distance between them, brushing against his back, the softness of her breast pressing into him as she slid by.

  Katherine was so close to him, she could smell the hint of brandy on his breath. The heady scent of him filled her nostrils. He did not move a muscle. She wondered if he noticed she had even brushed past him, her breast still tingling from the contact. Apparently, her tactics were working wonders on herself, not so much on him, though. She took a bracing breath and did it again, this time pressing into him more as she moved past. She was shaking all over. That was it; she couldn’t do it. She turned to leave, unable to look in his direction, embarrassed to her core. She hated her damn little voice.

  Sebastian felt every inch of her body rubbing against his own as she passed by, not once, but twice, his body loving every moment. Of course, he also heard her running away. He waited a moment longer, deciding whether or not to let her go. He glanced at the stack of papers on his desk and decided they could wait.

  He was not one to let an opportunity such as this pass him by, at least not today. He had seen these brazen games before, and normally they did nothing for him, but as he watched her heading towards the door, he decided today was different.

  He walked into her path, blocking her exit easily enough, and stopped to look directly at her. She kept her gaze on the ground. He took a step forward. She took a step backward. He stopped.

  She kept backing up ‘til her back was pressed into the chair. You can do this, she kept repeating, even though she really wasn’t so sure any longer.

  Sebastian looked down at her. She was biting her lips and he suddenly wanted to taste them. He inspected her gown, seeing how many buttons she left undone
. She was exposing an ample glimpse of her soft, round breasts. They were straining out of their confines. His body reacted to the sight. He was quite surprised he was becoming so easily aroused. In his own defense, it had been a long time since he ate a savory meal.

  He really was a bit reluctant to play her little game; he had pressing matters to attend to this day. He paused, watching the rise and fall of her firm, round breasts, her nipples hardening from his nearness. He decided his pressing matters had waited this long, so they could certainly wait a bit longer. He took a step forward and pressed in closer, gently running his fingertips across the opening of her gown.

  Katherine braced herself for his touch, watching his hand move closer. When it met her skin, she shivered in response. She leaned into him, even though her mind was screaming, too hasty; go slower. She lifted a shaky hand up, to stop him from delving down into her gown. He simply pushed her hand away. She closed her eyes, not able to look at him. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her breath came out in shortened gasps. She couldn’t believe she was letting a stranger caress her breasts, in the middle of a library. She kept reminding herself, it was for the poor knight, but knew, deep down, that was not the only reason. She felt a pull towards him, one she had never felt before. Okay that was a lie; she had felt it before, once. It didn’t end well.

  He kind of reminded her of him, the one guy she fell for. At least, the feelings brewing in the pit of her stomach were familiar. He was so good-looking though, too good-looking. And yes, she knew he would probably turn out to be exactly the same. Weren’t they all?

  Nonetheless, that did not stop her from wanting to say something to intrigue him, tempt him, and make him burn with desire. Unfortunately, she really had no idea how to go about that. If she had, maybe things would have turned out differently, with the other guy. She thought about it a second, probably not. So instead, she stood there, feeling like a fool, waiting for him to make the next move.

  Sebastian smiled down at her. He wondered where the brazen girl went whom he had seen just moments before. He leaned in and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. She smelled of sweet flowers warmed by the sun. Her head was turned to the side, giving him access to the delicate curve of her neck. Her pulse was throbbing. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips over her racing pulse, licking the sweetness of her skin. She tasted so good. He leaned back to look at her, coming inches from her face, and dipped down to kiss her mouth. Her arms slid up his chest, around his neck, tangling in his hair. He pulled her closer, suddenly not able to get close enough. He ran his hand over her breasts, squeezing, kneading, as he deepened the kiss further. He reached around and loosened her gown as she opened her mouth wider, letting his tongue delve even deeper. She tasted sweet.

  Katherine’s body ached for more as he pressed his leg between hers. She felt him lifting her gown. Cool air blew over her legs, adding to the heat from his nearness, instead of taking it away.

  Sebastian fingered the smooth material of her gown as he gathered it in his hand, lifting it higher and higher. He kissed her soft, pillowy lips, loving the way they felt against his own.

  He released her mouth. Keeping her skirts in one hand, he pulled her bodice down with the other. His mouth found her hardened nipple. He teased it with his tongue and suckled it with his lips. She leaned into him more. He was hard, straining against his breeches, wanting, needing release.

  He pushed into her more, waiting for her to do something, anything, other than demurely kiss his neck. He pulled her bodice down further, pressing forward while toying with the other breast.

  They were even more delectable than he remembered. He waited for the inevitable, savoring the moment for just a bit longer. He knew she would release him at any moment, doing the same thing to his body, which Annabelle had done so many times before. She finally released his neck and ran her hands down the front of his chest. Then she stopped. He held back a groan, waiting once more. He couldn’t take it; he ran his hand over the round curve of her sweet derriere, dipping his hand just between her legs, then slowly pulling it back.

  She sucked in her breath as though she were shocked. He smiled, enjoying her little game of innocence as she tormented his body with her own. He lowered his mouth to her breast again, kissing her everywhere, instead of the one place she wanted his mouth. He wanted her to see how it felt to be teased. She slid her hand back into his hair as he slipped his hand down between her legs, once more. He could tell she was more than ready for him and still, she did nothing. It was so obvious to him she was no longer an innocent. The way she rubbed her breasts against him, the way her mouth toyed with his, sucking, pulling, teasing. He forced her previous admission from his mind, that her lover would be returning for her. He knew she did not outwardly admit he was her lover, but where else could she have been all this time if not with a lover? He forced the images from his mind; he didn’t want to think about that now.

  She continued to tease him, but thoughts of her betrayal bubbled forth in his mind, once more. That was it; he had enough of her silly games. He grabbed her hand from around his neck and pushed it down over his breeches. He kept his hand over hers, waiting to see what she would do.

  Katherine froze. He was putting her hand right on his… Oh, she was taking this little game way too far. Her mind was spinning—she was outta control. She had to slow down. If she slept with him now, he would surely lose interest. Cosmopolitan never said, “Give him all you have and hope he comes back for seconds.” She was sure it worked for some girls; but unfortunately, Katherine didn’t think she could swing that one. No, she knew if she slept with him now, she would be just like any other girl he slept with. Nothing more than a moment’s pleasure. It all made complete sense to Katherine, but it didn’t stop her from, shivering with desire when he ran his hand down between her legs once more. She wanted to cave. Her body trembled. She did not know what to do. Would it even make a difference? Her mind said yes, her body said no.

  Sebastian was tired of waiting for her to figure out what she was going to do. He sighed in frustration, letting go of her hand. He took a step back and ran his hands over his face. He was still hard as hell. What silly game was she playing now?

  Well, he certainly knew how Annabelle felt when he left her in such a state. This precocious wench was taking him to the edge and leaving him there. He looked at her face, so lovely and flushed. Her bare breasts were still exposed, a sheen of perspiration shining on them in the firelight. She kept her gaze downcast. He watched the rise and fall of her chest. He was tempted to walk away, but something stopped him. He found he could not walk away, not yet.

  Apparently, he was not ready to quit the game she had begun. So instead of leaving, he stepped forward and grabbed her body roughly to his own. He was satisfied when he heard her gasp, followed by a moan of pleasure.

  He didn’t bother going slowly. He lifted her gown up quickly and reached around the back of her, grabbing onto each cheek of her perfectly rounded derrière. She moaned again, leaning back into the chair. He lifted one of her legs up and settled himself against her. She slid her hands slowly down the front of his chest. He waited. Her hands stilled once more. He seized her mouth again with his own, devouring all she was offering.

  She was almost there; he could feel her toying with the fastenings of his breeches. He throbbed to be touched under the fabric. She was taking too long. He tore his mouth from hers and grabbed her breast again. She was so close. He ran his hand up her leg, almost touching her and waited. He wanted her to burn for him.

  She pressed into him, writhing, trying to move closer. He smiled and stayed his hand on her thigh, rubbing slowly up and down.

  He was not ready to give in to her yet. He wanted her to make the next move in this little game of chess they had begun. He wanted her to beg. She was shaking, and her breath came in rushed hitches as her fingers fumbled with the front of his breeches. He leaned in, kissing her just below her ear, right on the sweet spot of her neck. She shivered against him i
n response.

  One button finally undone. He closed his eyes… he could almost taste the satisfaction. There were only a few more, then she could wrap her sweet…

  A large crash sounded in the hall, followed by, “Oh no!”

  Sebastian’s body tensed as he let out a loud, shaky groan. He released her skirts, watching them fall to the floor, as he looked at her face. She would not meet his gaze. Running his hands over his face, he watched her trying to pull her gown to rights and cover her breasts. He shook his head, not knowing what to say. He turned away to find out what happened in the hall.

  <>*LB*<>

  Hawthorne Manor

  Devlin Renquist strode into Hawthorne Manor with an air of noble authority, his face still chilled from the haste in which he rode back to the manor. He was in need of release now.

  “Judith!” he yelled, his voice echoing through the hall and into the study. “Judith!” he called, louder, running up the stairs to look in the room they were staying in, Isabelle’s bedchamber. He usually found her up there, trying on Isabelle’s clothing, admiring herself in the mirror.

  However, Judith was not there, either. “Bloody hell.” Judith was never around when he actually wanted her to be. He walked back down the stairs, stopping long enough to throw his coat over the railing. He almost yelled for a servant, before remembering he made them all leave under the guise of a coming blizzard.

  He certainly didn’t need them meddling in his affairs, since he wasn’t sure what to do with Isabelle. Judith, of course, wanted her gone. He couldn’t do that though; at least, not yet. No, he would need to think on it some more, another day perhaps. Maybe she would come to her senses, and realize she was the one who pushed him into Judith’s awaiting arms.

  He shook his head and wanted nothing more than a hot beverage and some damn release, but he found neither. He strode into the study and poured an ample amount of brandy in his glass. It was close to the brim, but not a drop slipped from the crystal snifter onto the carpet. He smiled knowingly and settled himself into a chair, in front of the fire that had long since gone cold.