by J. M. Adele
Ben held me through the whole movie and all the way to the car. He clasped my hand on the ride home. He hugged me on my doorstep and gave me a kiss on the forehead before saying goodnight. “Try to get some sleep.”
If I had one reason to have sweet dreams that night, it was that man.
_____
Emmeline
Hampshire, England
16th of August, 1866
Sunlight flickered over my eyelids, its rays blocked and revealed in flashes by the canopy zipping overhead. The horse’s hooves thundered along the ground as my long plaits whipped my back, urging me to go faster.
My grin stretched wide. I relished the taste of freedom in an otherwise cloistered life.
“Miss Emmeline! Slow down!”
The rumble along the ground doubled as another four hooves joined in chase. Sebastian.
I leaned forward, squeezing my thighs, a frown pulling on my mouth. My horse responded with a great surge of power on sure legs. Holding the reins in an iron grip, I was thankful I had ignored the protocol of riding side-saddle and wished I could also rip off my skirts in favour of the buckskins worn by the men.
“I said, slow down! I know you can hear me.”
“Why do you not speed up?” I yelled, ducking under a low branch.
“Are you suggesting a race, miss?” His voice was louder, having gained several feet. Admiral had plenty of vim today.
“Is that not what we are already engaged in?” Come on, Miss Modesty. I raised off the saddle, gripping the reins against her neck.
“The Admiral always gets his female.” Sebastian zoomed past in a show of superiority, laughing hysterically.
I had never been this far out before. The river appeared much wider, and the forest thicker on this part of the property. Such beauty. And I would no longer get to enjoy it.
We came to a clearing. Sebastian circled back around as Miss Modesty slowed, not waiting for his stallion to come to a complete halt before dismounting. Holding my chestnut mare steady by the reins, he offered his hand in assistance.
“Thank you.” I struggled with my skirts, finally managing to get my legs over to one side.
Sebastian gripped me by my waist, pulling me down. He held me against him for an interminable minute, our eyes locked in a dance we’d started years before. My heart bled for the loss of something that would never be mine. How could I tell him?
I hate to say goodbye to you.
I have no choice.
I blinked as his beard grew before my eyes. His hair shortened as if clipped by magic. And his eyes. Did they change to blue? It lasted but a moment before my Sebastian returned.
What the devil?
We broke apart as Admiral nickered, pacing back and forth with his ears pricked. His top lip curled and his nostrils flared. The mare grew agitated, her tail flicking. I scrubbed my hand through her black mane before patting her neck. She tossed her head, grunting in response. I backed away.
Sebastian worked hastily to remove their saddles.
The stallion wasted not a moment before mounting the Hanoverian mare. She accepted him, growing more calm as Admiral Caine performed his task.
Indeed. Miss Modesty had not quite lived up to her name. I suspected she’d lost the race deliberately to satisfy her urge for some male attention.
I stared, fascinated. Admiral was vastly more majestic with his powerful thrusts than Uncle Tobias had been. “I was under the impression that breeding season had ended.”
“Not entirely, as you can see. He has been itching to get at Miss Modesty. We were going to free her from her stall this morning and pen them in together. My father was not happy to discover she was missing. But if this results in a foal, all may be forgiven.”
“Oh. I was unaware. I do apologise.” I tilted my head to take him in as he stood beside me. He was taller than my father and still had years of growth to come. What would he look like as a fully grown man? Would he have a beard, a moustache? Or would he shave?
I pulled at my lace collar, heat consuming me. I suspected it was not due to the fact I no longer had the wind whipping my face. Was it being here with him, or witnessing the mating ritual between two magnificent beasts? “I cannot say I blame them. It is rather hot and the day is splendid. I think I may need a swim to cool off.” I unfastened the brooch at my neck before unbuttoning the bodice of my dress.
“What are you doing?” Sebastian’s eyes could not have been any wider.
Saying goodbye. “I do believe I already informed you of my intentions.” Removing my arms from the bodice, I shimmied the fabric over my head before starting on the removal of my petticoats. “Would you mind untying my corset?”
He made a sound as though he were choking.
“Sebastian?” Standing in only my corset, chemise, and drawers, I turned my back.
I smiled as he tugged on the laces, and I worked on freeing my braids. Within a minute, the stiff garment fell forward, catching on my arms. I whipped it off, discarding it onto the grass. Pulling my chemise over my head before untying my drawers, I finally freed myself of my restraints, symbols of the life I fully intended to leave behind.
Spinning around, I smiled. “Are you not swimming with me?”
He answered by reaching for the buttons of his vest. His head bobbed up and down as he took me in.
Leaving him to undress, I made my way down to the river and dipped my toe in the chilly water. Goosebumps broke out all over my skin. I hugged my arms around my waist and stepped in up to my knees. Unable to stop the shiver, I questioned my judgement.
“It is much easier if you jump in quickly.” Sebastian demonstrated his theory by barrelling past me and flopping backwards into the water. The splash had my shivers intensifying and a squeak of shock catching in my throat.
His head popped out of the water and he flicked his hair to the side, sending another spray my way. “The longer you stand there with wet skin, the longer you will suffer. Though, I am enjoying the view.”
I walked until the surface reached the tops of my thighs. Filling my lungs before pinching my nose, I closed my eyes and dove in. In a rush, I expelled my lungful under the water. The cold was like thousands of tiny needles piercing my muscles. Sebastian’s hands found me and pulled me to the surface. I immediately dragged in as much air as I could. How had he been doing this all these years? And in spring and autumn when it would surely be much colder.
“Breathe. Your body will adjust.”
“I think I may have failed to mention that I have never been swimming before.” I panted, trying to calm my besieged system.
His eyebrows climbed towards the heavens. “You cannot swim?”
I shook my head, still shivering and out of breath.
He barked a laugh before pulling me close, overcome with hilarity. “You ludicrous girl. I love you.”
Nobody had ever uttered those words to me before. His declaration should have filled me with immense joy. And it did. But the preceding events marred its affect. I could not imagine anything I wanted to hear more than those three words coming from Sebastian’s mouth. Unless it was my mother telling me that she had made a grave mistake, and I no longer had to marry Reginald Fortescue the Third.
I pulled back to look at Sebastian, raising my hands to his face. Under my palms, the prickle of his regrowth scratched at my skin. My shivers waned. I became acutely aware of the press of my breasts against his chest and the rigid protrusion now tucked between my thighs. Gently squeezing my legs together, I tilted my head and found his lips with mine.
I love you. More than anything in this world.
He folded me into the cocoon of his strong arms. Where our mouths touched, a delicious sensation spread. Then Sebastian’s lips parted mine. Shocked, I broke the kiss to peer in his eyes. He watched me with a lascivious stare before leaning down to take my mouth once more. I opened, hesitantly at first, but when his tongue caressed mine he had me begging for more. He took me to a place where impossibilities became rea
lity.
I had imagined this moment ever since I’d watched him take Admiral for a swim. At the age of thirteen, he had awoken a need in me of which I had no comprehension until Marybeth and Uncle Tobias had enlightened me.
And in all honesty, three years ago, I had not been ready for it. I still was not completely certain. But if this was the only chance I would have to explore the physicality of my love for him, I would take it.
Lowering until he was pressed against the juncture of my thighs, I hooked my arms around his neck and planted a kiss to his breastbone.
His ribcage surged and he moved his hands until they gripped my hips, holding me still. “What are we doing, Emmeline?”
Bending one leg, I curled it around his waist. My pulse quickened, suddenly completely unsure if he would accept my offering. Again, I planted a kiss to his chest, waiting for his approval.
“Why?” he questioned.
Rejection gripped me by the throat. I let my leg slip, but he pulled it back up, bringing the other side around to settle me in place. His hard length caressed my folds.
“Why did you race off on Miss Modesty? And why did you come so far?”
He pushed my hips back and forth, slick flesh dragging against slick flesh. My centre tightened in response while my head fell back. Sebastian dragged his lips down my neck.
“Why?” He spoke against my breast.
“Why are you talking?” I cupped my hands around his ears to bring him closer.
He laughed, kissing my nipple. “I fear that you raced off because you were out of sorts. I worry that you have not yet recovered and perhaps might be trying to distract yourself with me.”
“It is true that you are a distraction. However, I find that in this moment I have extraordinary focus and it is entirely on every place where your body touches mine. Nevertheless, I do wish you would employ your mouth in a more productive pursuit than conversation.”
“As you wish.” His tongue circled my nipple before he enclosed it with his lips and sucked.
“Ah,” I cried.
He repeated the move on the other side. I instinctively dug my heels into his buttocks; the friction between us was delightfully addictive. I didn’t stop. Each drag seemed to cause my belly to clench. My legs, my buttocks, my body followed suit.
“Are you certain you want to give me this honour?” His gaze probed somewhere deeper than the surface.
“Yes.”
Reaching between us, he positioned the tip of his penis at my opening. As he pushed forward, he covered my mouth with his. He used gentle thrusts at first, stretching me slowly. I tried not to tense against the pressure. It hurt for only a few seconds before the pleasure started to build. The river flowed around us, adding even more sensation and gifting us with buoyancy to ease the strain on our muscles. It gave me the feeling that I was floating higher and higher and higher until I might disappear into the clouds.
Quite suddenly, a great wave of ecstasy crashed over my body. I could not refrain from crying out in repeated whimpers until the tide finally ebbed.
“Oh, goodness.” I struggled to catch my breath.
“That was incredible.” His eyes roamed my face, awestruck. “I’ve heard the men talking about it late at night. Now I have seen what it looks like and it is truly beautiful. You are beautiful.”
“Did you feel the same?”
He shook his head, smiling.
My face fell. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, Emmeline.”
“Then why?”
“I think I need to get out of this cold water.”
“Oh.” I started to unwrap myself, but he held me still, shaking his head.
His legs moved us to the shore, hands cupped around my behind as he lifted us out of the water. Once we reached the grass, he kneeled. Finding his shirt, he placed it over my shoulders to ward off the chill of the breeze on my damp skin. We remained connected as he rested on his knees with me straddling him, holding him in an embrace.
He put his lips to my ear and whispered, “Ride.”
My body flared to life again. I knew how to ride. Planting my feet flat on the ground, I gripped the nape of his neck in both hands and let my thighs do the work.
He said I was beautiful.
He was utterly resplendent.
How could I ever have imagined leaving him?
Now that I had unlocked the gates to pleasure beyond anything I had dreamed, I found the idea of shutting them again inconceivable. His hands roamed my skin, his lips following the trail. I shivered at the tingles he evoked. Our gazes held each other, silently communicating the love building between us.
Beneath me, he stiffened. He dug his fingers into my hips and yanked me up until I stood.
What is he doing?
His eyes squeezed so tightly. Teeth bared, jaw clenched, he groaned before bowing his head. Spasms wracked his body, a creamy substance spurting from his penis.
Oh. How fascinating.
His fingers flexed on my buttocks before loosening and slipping to the backs of my thighs, his arms relaxing. Air rushed in and out of his lungs and across my legs. My fingers dove into his hair as he rested his head on my thighs.
Raising his head, he blinked several times, his pupils two large pools of ink. He craned his neck to place a kiss at the juncture of my thighs. Pulling back, he licked his lips as he looked at me. Hunger overtook his gaze and he lowered his attention to my centre once again. “I have heard the men speak of something else. Would you mind ... if I tasted you?” Sliding one hand around to the front, he swiped his thumb over my most sensitive parts. I jerked, sucking in a breath.
Could I allow him to do such a forbidden thing?
Yes. Yes, I absolutely could. I nodded once, watching intently as his eyes lit up. I swayed on my feet. “However, I do have but one request.”
Uncertainty dampened his delight. “Anything you wish.”
“May I lie down? I am feeling rather weak all of a sudden.”
His arms scooped me into his embrace and reclined me until his face pressed between my breasts. Placing a kiss to each side, he carefully lowered my shoulders and head onto the green carpet of grass. My legs wrapped around his waist, back resting on his thighs. His palms caressed from my neck, over my breasts, down, down, down, until his thumbs parted my flesh, opening me to his gaze. He rubbed the pad over my swollen parts.
My mouth levered wide as he grabbed handfuls of my buttocks, lifting me to his mouth before licking through my folds. “Oh, that is—” I could not finish my sentence.
My head thrashed from side to side as he became more vigorous in his pursuit. I closed my eyes. All I could do was feel the throbbing through my body, warming me to a simmer. The pulsations came in quick succession, growing and growing until my centre sent shockwaves to consume me whole. I jerked and clenched, babbling cries rendering me incomprehensible.
Flopping my limbs to the sides, I was unable to move.
He blew his hot breath over my folds before bestowing one last kiss. “I could do that forever. Could we stay like this?”
You have no idea how much I wish for that to be the case.
Miss Modesty whinnied somewhere off in the distance. The horses!
“Gah! I failed to secure the horses.” He scooted out from under me and jumped to his feet.
“I shall assist.”
We ran off, following the equine sounds. They had not roamed far, both enjoying the longer grass that grew near the tree-line. Sebastian took Admiral Caine’s reins first before leading him over to the mare. We walked them back to the river and tethered them to a tree.
“I think I shall go for another dip.”
“Brilliant idea.”
I waded in to my thighs, bracing myself against the cold before dipping under the surface. Sebastian ran into the water and dove under. We stayed long enough to wash down before finding our way back to the grass.
Lying on my back, I hummed, enjoying the feeling of complete bliss and sat
isfaction. The way the sun kissed my skin. The breeze washing over my nakedness. His body covering mine.
“I have a confession to make,” he mumbled into my neck. “I took care of myself by hand after I caught a flash of you through the windows this morning. I have been unable to stop thinking about making love with you since the day you asked me to uncover myself, and gifted me with a glimpse of you. When I saw you charging off on Miss Modesty, I waited a little while before I followed, questioning whether it was the right thing to do. I sensed that you needed space. I also hoped that you might need me. Not in this way, but simply as a comfort.”
Yes, Sebastian. I always need you.
“I remember telling you I wanted to touch it that day.”
“You were so surprising.”
“May I touch it now?” I tiptoed my fingers down his back and pinched his behind.
“Ow.” He laughed, rolling to my left before resting flat.
I propped myself up on my elbow and reached out my hand to stroke his length. “Your skin feels soft, like velvet.” I circled my fingers around his penis. “It grows rigid when you are aroused.”
“It was quite happy and relaxed until you started to play.”
Dragging my fingernails through the surrounding curls, I moved my hand between his legs to cup the sack that hung beneath. He bent his left knee. The stroke of his gaze on my face, an encouragement.
“I love your curiosity.”
“I love you.” I said it. For the first time. Out loud.
He surged upwards, clamping his mouth onto mine. I placed my hands on his chest to steady myself against his enthusiasm. He kissed me like he wished to merge us together as one. It had the potential to be overwhelming, but in my heart it expressed the ultimate freedom. There was nothing I would not give him. Nothing I would not do.
My hand found its way to his arousal. “I want to kiss it.”
He cleared his throat, mouth opening and closing but expelling no reply.
Sitting, I placed my hand on his thigh and took him in my other palm. Lowering my head and raising him to my lips, I placed a kiss on the end. Under my elbow, his stomach tightened. His clenched fist came to rest on his left hip.