“This is the old barracks!” Violet exclaimed. “It was turned into a stable by the look of it.”
“Aye, I wouldn’t billet men here. Even Englishmen,” Alexander replied, stepping inside.
He shook his mane of hair and droplets of water flew everywhere. Violet squealed as some landed on her. Then she strode up to him and did the same with her own hair. Alexander shied away from the deluge, laughing.
“Let’s get away from the door, shall we? In case someone looks inside and sees us,” Violet suggested.
Alexander led her the length of the room. At the end of the room remained a stall that had a wooden gate – most of the others did not. He bunched together the cleanest of the straw and piled it at one end of the stall, closing the gate behind them. Then he peered over the partition separating it from the rest of the room.
“No sign of anyone. Man nor beast,” he said.
He flung himself into the pile of hay with a contented sigh. “It’s been a very long time since I had a bed of straw to nest in,” he said.
“While I never have,” Violet said primly.
She resolved that she would not sit and certainly not lay on a bed of straw like a donkey. But sounds from outside made her duck. Voices were coming closer.
“I will not go into that smelly old stable. I would rather get wet,” said a female.
“Wet? We’ll bally drown if we don’t get indoors!” said a man.
“I don’t care. I’m not going in there!”
The voices faded into the distance, the argument raging on. Violet was crouched beside the partition, keeping her head below its top to remain out of sight. Then Alexander grabbed her about the waist and pulled her down onto his bed of straw. As she sank into its earthy, dry smell, she would have screamed had Alexander not put a finger to her lips. The bed was soft and warm. She felt herself sinking into its depths, feeling more comfortable than she had expected to feel. She looked up at Alexander, then reached up to hook a stray lock of wet hair behind his ear.
Her fingers lingered on his chiseled face, savoring the feel of his skin.
“I surrender to you, Your Grace,” she whispered.
“Then show me.” Alexander took her hand and pressed her palm to his lips, kissing at first gently, then with increasing passion. Pushing up the sleeve of her dress he kissed her inner wrist,lips opening and closing on her skin as though tasting her. She undid the buttons that secured the neck of her dress, pulling it aside to reveal her pale, delicate throat. Alexander did not refuse the invitation, he nuzzled his lips against her neck, making her writhe and squirm in pleasure. She ran her hands through his hair, tangling her fingers through it and drawing him further down onto her.
The moment that his lips met hers was magical. It set off a fire within Violet and she felt the same within him, from the tension of his body against her. His embrace became urgent, holding her close and grabbing possessively for her body. His touch roamed the length of her, exploring her back, her rump, her breasts, and her legs. Fingers danced over her navel, deftly touching the front of her dress, pressing in just enough for her to feel his touch against her womanhood. The layers of fabric she wore seemed no barrier against his passion, any more than his flimsy shirt and breeches seemed a barrier against her own.
With a sudden explosion of desire, she pushed at him, rolling him onto his back and practically vaulting on top of him. Her forearms lay in the straw to either side of his head and she bestowed short but deep kisses onto his lips, cheeks, eyes, and forehead. Then she was gasping as he easily flipped her onto her back, his body bearing down on her. It was then that she felt the intense pressure, the masculine hardness against her, and gasped, breathless with desire and anticipation.
There was restrain in his dark eyes, and Violet knew it would be wrong to encourage him further. They ought to stop before they went too far, but there was a fire burning in her core, one that wouldn’t diminish until she felt every inch of Alexander.
Alexander’s lips roamed over her and he surprised her by moving to the side, and touching them over her neck. It was so awfully gentle, her toes curled and she bit her tongue as she waited for what he was about to do. Then she felt it. He carefully sucked on her skin, and all of her muscles froze.
“You have no idea how much I want you,” he whispered. She felt the exact same way, but it was impossible for her to voice it, not when his body hovered over hers and not when she was on the verge of another explosion of desire.
His large hands moved down to her dress and she permitted this action as she expected more of his caressing from before. But this time, he pulled her dress down in one singular movement and she gasped. Her breasts were exposed to him and he stared at them as if he was hypnotized.
He trailed his lips to her exposed nipple and he started to kiss the skin softly until his mouth sucked around the bud. It felt so intimate to allow him to do this, every inch of her skin begged for him to continue, to whisper these beautiful things to her while he admired her in the most inappropriate of ways.
Time ceased to exist as she pushed back and forth on his lap, savoring his every touch and falling into ecstasy. Their loins were separated only by thin water-drenched clothes and she could feel his hardness pressing into her more incessantly as she took a handful of his hair in desperate pleasure.
“P-please…” she moaned as he held her tightly in place now, with his strong arms reaching around her waist, effortlesslymaintaining the motion of her rubbing up against him. Before she could let out another breath, his lips found hers, swallowing her whole, as her passion peaked to an ethereal bliss. The desperation grew into a frenzy as her body tightened at the pleasure. She had never dreamed possible all the feelings he was making her experience at once with his touch.
Chapter 24
Alexander lay, his head cushioned by Violet’s bosom. She had her arms about him, holding him close to her. Their passion was not spent. They knew that it would be wrong to allow it to take its natural course. They did not think it wrong that this should happen in an abandoned stable, but that, because they were unmarried, it would risk a scandal that would destroy Violet’s standing and family.
As Alexander had risen above Violet, arms straight, hands buried deep in the straw, looking down at her, they had both realized at the same time. Bestowing one last, passionate kiss, Alexander lowered himself to nestle against her. They had lain there, listening to the rain on the tiled roof, and the drip of leaks.
“This is not what I had expected of our arrangement,” Violet whispered.
“Nor I. I did not seek a wife. Or a companion.”
