It was a sweet moment. She chuckled softly. “You would not have said that a week ago.”
“A week ago I was an idiot.”
Timidly, she reached up to touch his stubbled face. Even without his conventional male beauty, there was something extraordinarily attractive about the man that grew on her by the moment. The French term for it wasun certain quelque chose; a certain something. Matthew, from nearly the moment she had met him, had that certain something that made him irresistible.
When she touched his face, he closed his eyes at the first flutter of her fingertips. It was an oddly invigorating gesture. Both hands came up and she gently clasped both sides of his face, studying this man whom she was married to. Matthew did not even open his eyes; he simply leaned forward and kissed her.
His lips were soft and warm, his tongue demanding entry into her mouth. She responded to him more quickly this time, becoming more comfortable with his attention. She had fast learned to like it. He picked her up, holding her against him, her feet dangling off the floor as their kisses became more heated. The small entry they were standing in was dark, cold, and empty. There was a tiny cloakroom off to the left; he pulled her into it and closed the door.
He tossed her cloak off, letting it fall to the floor. He wore full armor, putting him in a logistically difficult position for what he wanted to accomplish. But he backed her against the wall, continuing to kiss her as he went to work on his armor.
Alixandrea, swept up by the fervor that was swirling between them, instinctively began to help him with his pieces of protection. It was strange that neither one of them said a word, each one knowing what the other was thinking, each one a willing participant.
When his plate armor came off, he bent over at the waist and Alixandrea pulled his mail coat off over his head. The hauberk went on the floor beside it, as did the linen shirt he wore beneath. Stripped to the waist, it wasn’t good enough for him; he grabbed Alixandrea with tender brutality and deftly stripped her of her surcoat.
The corset and girdle followed, leaving her in her sheath. The entire time, it seemed to her as if his mouth never left her, but she knew at some point it must have. All she could feel or think or taste was the lust that had built up to frenzied proportions. She’d never known such a thing. When Matthew snaked hishands underneath her shift and lifted it over her head, she wasn’t even concerned that she was naked, standing in Aunt Livia’s West Hall cloak room. All she cared about was Matthew and his heated touch.
Matthew was so consumed with her that he was blinded by it, but not so much that he did not notice that she was stark naked but for the stockings she wore. Tied to each thigh with a pretty blue ribbon, he very nearly lost his mind with the erotic vision.
Taking her in his arms, he continued to kiss her as he lifted her up against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist as a child would have done. With one hand, he managed to lower his breeches. Putting her back against the wall, he eased her down onto his waiting erection.
Alixandrea moaned softly as he invaded her body. She was sore from the previous day, but the pain of his insistent entry only served to enhance her glorious sensations. Matthew tried to be gentle, but it was incredibly difficult. He eased into her until he was seated. Then, with her back against the wall and both hands on her buttocks, he began to move.
The thrusts were gentle at first, erotic and slow. She was as slick as the rain that covered the ground outside. But his passion was demanding and his movements became faster, hotter, wetter. A hand moved to her full breasts, gently fondling the creamy skin. Her legs tightened around him as he gained momentum, thrusting in rhythm until he could only hear her soft gasps in his ear. The hand on her breasts moved back to her buttocks, clutching them tightly as if to never let her go.
Harder and faster he went, feeling her legs tighten around him, until her body suddenly stiffened and her soft crying lingered in his ear. Feeling her tight walls draw at him, he spilt his seed deep inside her delicious body.
But it wasn’t over. There was still heat. He was still moving and she was still gasping. He could not seem to stop moving,milking their passion for every last ounce it was worth. He felt her release at least twice more around him, her body shuddering with delight and her cries soft in his ear. But when the movements finally slowed and their wits returned, he fell forward against the wall, making sure she was protectively clasped in his massive arms. It wasn’t that he was exhausted; it was that he was unbelievably content. He was still having difficulty believing it was all real.
“Are you all right?” he asked softly.
Her face was in the crook of his neck. “Aye,” she said, muffled against his flesh.
His hands caressed her. Then he snorted. “I am happy to report that we are well on our way to granting my aunt’s wish.”
She suddenly lifted her head. “Will they be looking for us?” she asked, concerned. “We should probably.…”
He kissed her, quieting her words. “They will not come looking for us if they know what is good for them.” Nonetheless, he stood up and slowly let her slide to the ground. “But, in good taste, we should probably get dressed and join them.”
She smiled, going for her shift. Her knees were wobbly and he laughed when she bobbed and weaved. He even held out a hand to steady her as she picked up her clothing, to which she was grateful.
They dressed in warm silence; Matthew would reach out to touch her every now and again, almost as if to convince himself she was still here, still real. He needed help with his mail coat and hauberk, which she somewhat awkwardly provided. She’d never dressed a knight before. When they were finally dressed, they just stood a moment, gazing into one another’s eyes.
“God, you are beautiful,” he murmured.
She smiled modestly. “As you are also quite handsome, my lord.”
He snorted and opened the door, ushering her back out into the cold, dim hall. A swift perusal of the area showed that there was no one about. They were still quite alone. He took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow as they headed back to the main hall.
“Of all my brothers, I am not the most handsome,” he said. “Luke has that distinction. Women cannot seem to get enough of him.”
“Perhaps he has what people would consider physical perfection, but it ’tis you who has the true essence of male attractiveness,” she said. “However, I would not put too much stock in Luke’s appearance. You are also quite attractive, physically. You have beautiful eyes.”
He grinned. “I have never heard that before. Dare I believe you?”
“You’d better.”
They smiled at each other as they reached the door that would lead them into the brightly lit hall where food and wine await.
