Dreaming of You

by Jennifer McNare

  Encouraged by her touch, Gavin moved his lips to her breast, planting a half dozen feathery kisses along the sensitive flesh, before finding her nipple and drawing it into his mouth. He was rewarded as her body arched in response. She liked it. He toyed with the tiny peak for a while, swirling his tongue around it, suckling gently and then more vigorously as he felt her hands slide upward to his shoulders, her fingers pressing, clutching, holding him to her as her body quivered.

  Dear lord, what was he doing to her Melody wondered as a delicious fire, a warm liquid heat raced throughout her limbs. She closed her eyes, concentrating, focusing on the incredible sensation. A tiny part of her was shocked and a little embarrassed by her body’s reaction, but it was quickly overshadowed by something stronger. It was something new, something she’d never felt before. What was it that held her in its thrall? Was it passion, desire? Yes, she realized, it was both of those and more.

  Gavin hadn’t expected that it would be quite so easy to arouse her passion, but she was even more responsive than he’d hoped. He smiled internally. He was right to have done this, to awaken this part of her, a part she might never have known otherwise. Who knew how this experience would affect her, her future. Would days, weeks of lying cold and still beneath a nameless, faceless stranger have altered, perhaps even destroyed her ability to enjoy a man’s touch? Would it have affected him as well? Would memories of his time spent here in this dark room have altered his own ability to enjoy the art, the simple yet utterly profound pleasure of making love to a woman? He shuddered at the thought.

  Melody moaned low in her throat, an unconscious sound of encouragement as his mouth moved to lavish attention on her left breast, while his fingers caressed the other. He lingered for a while, before lifting his head. She opened her eyes, wishing she could see the face of the man who was bringing her body to life with his touch.

  Gavin turned his attention back to her lips, devouring their sweetness as his hand moved across the flat plane of her stomach. He gripped the hem of her chemise, tugging it upward as he distracted her with his kisses. Would she shy away he wondered, when he touched her there? She was still innocent in so many ways. He moved slowly, sliding his hand little by little to the top of her thigh.

  Lost to the overwhelming pleasure of his kisses, Melody was only vaguely aware of his hand as it worked its way downward. She noticed though, when he lifted her chemise, the soft fabric drifting upward like the brush of a feather across her naked skin, and felt a momentary flicker of panic. He seemed to sense the tiny glimmer of fear, soothing her with soft, gentle kisses along her cheek, below her ear, and down her throat, as his hand made its way unerringly along her thigh.

  His fingers moved to caress her inner thigh as he coaxed her legs apart with the gentle pressure of his hand. He continued the light, unhurried caress, making tiny circular motions with his thumb, moving ever so slowly upward, toward the center of her womanhood. “Open your legs,” he whispered against her ear.

  The soft, sensual command sent another shiver racing down Melody’s spine. Trembling slightly, a result of both nervousness and anticipation, she did as he instructed.

  When he reached the soft tangle of her curls, he felt her muscles tense reflexively beneath his hand. “Relax,” he murmured, his tone calm and reassuring, as he explored her silken curls with a practiced hand. “Trust me.” Under different circumstances, he might have soothed her with sweet, tender words, assuring her of her beauty, praising the perfection of her body, a woman’s body, perfectly designed to give and receive pleasure. But here, shrouded in the inky darkness, the words would seem contrived. Here, he could only see her with his hands. Here, he had to show her that she had nothing to fear, nothing to be embarrassed or self-conscious about. With his hands, with his touch, he would show her that she was beautiful and perfect, that her body was made for this.

  As his fingers drifted across her curls and along the outer edges of her cleft, the heel of his palm pressed downward, exerting a gentle pressure that made her want to arch her hips against his hand. Whatever lingering bit of trepidation she had fell quickly by the wayside as pure, unadulterated pleasure flowed throughout her body. “Trust me,” he’d said, and she did.

  Gavin’s lips curved into a delighted grin against her throat when her legs opened further, an unconscious invitation. Needing no further encouragement, he slid his finger along the center of her cleft, moving it back and forth, again and again as she grew moist and slick.

  Melody noted the moisture between her thighs and that his fingers now slid against her delicate folds without the slightest friction. It felt good, unbelievably so. And when she felt his finger slide gently into her, she nearly cried out. She’d never dreamed anything could feel so wonderful. She arched her neck, pressing the back of her head into the soft pillow as he began a steady, rhythmic motion. She bit her lip to keep from crying out under his skillful manipulation. She could focus on nothing but the exquisite sensation between her thighs. The fire within her seemed to grow and build, escalating with each passing second. Please, please she cried mentally, silently begging, reaching for something she didn’t fully understand. It played havoc with her senses. Her hips moved of their own accord beneath his touch. She wanted more. She wanted, what, what was it that her body now craved so desperately? It was driving her mad, and as such, she couldn’t contain the low, almost desperate moan that slipped from her lips.

  “Relax. Just let it happen,” Gavin murmured, his voice whisper soft against her cheek as he increased the tempo of his strokes.

  “I…I don’t know what…” her voice trailed off, her breath catching in her throat as she reached anxiously for, and then suddenly found exactly what she’d been yearning for. It hit her like a lightning strike, a pleasure so intense it scattered her thoughts, fragmenting them into a thousand different pieces.

  Gavin felt her muscles tighten and clench, her pelvis thrusting upward against his hand as she found her release. He wished he could see her face, see the wonder in her eyes as she discovered the ultimate meaning of pleasure.

  “OH,” Melody sighed a moment later, when she was finally able to breathe again. Her body suddenly felt limp, now that the earth-shattering spasms had stopped. She’d never imagined anything could feel so incredibly wonderful. It was a profound revelation. Suddenly she understood the whispered conversations, the overheard comments and the blushes that pinked the cheeks of those women fortunate enough to have experienced such pleasure, as they’d gossiped with one another in hushed tones.

  Gavin chuckled softly against her throat, placing a dozen more feather-light kisses upon her silken skin as his lips moved to her ear. He gently nipped the soft lobe before whispering in her ear, “That is just the beginning.”

  Just the beginning? Melody shivered as his breath blew lightly against her ear. There was more? How could that be? She felt incapable of movement, her body completely sated and utterly drained from the intensity of the last few moments. He rolled over her then, resting his weight on his forearms, moving his mouth to her lips, kissing her deeply as his naked body settled over hers. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t tell him to wait, that she didn’t think she was ready to… The thought trailed off as his tongue invaded her mouth, ravishing its inner depths, drawing her focus from the ridged shaft that pressed heavily against her pelvis.

  With his knee, Gavin gently nudged her legs further apart, settling himself between them. She was still slick and wet and he slid into her easily in one smooth, unhurried motion, sheathing himself to the hilt.

  Melody gasped as she felt the entire length of him slide into her. It was smooth and effortless, so different than before when he’d had to ease his way into her dry passage ever so slowly, inch by inch. And unlike before, when she’d purposely let her mind drift, trying not to think about what was happening, her body little more than an empty shell, this time she was completely and utterly focused. Now her thoughts were centered on every inch of the long, hot shaft that pulsed and throbbed
inside of her. Though she lay limp beneath him, weak and spent, she was no longer just a shell. Despite her sudden lethargy, and unable to imagine that anything could possibly feel as good as what she had just experienced, she thought of his words, just the beginning, and a tiny shiver of excitement once again raced through her body.

  God she felt good, her welcoming sheath warm and tight around his engorged cock. Gavin was still for a moment, savoring the pleasure of it as she lay quiet and unmoving beneath him. But unlike their previous encounters, her body was limp not from unresponsiveness, but from the lingering effects of her climax, only the first of the many he intended to give her. He smiled into the darkness. He had so much more to teach her. With that pleasant thought, he raised his hips, nudging slightly deeper into her, and then pulled back in one long, drawn-out motion.

  Melody was stunned by her body’s reaction to the feel of his slow withdrawal. She felt it again, that slow burning heat that seemed to take over her body and her mind. Was it possible? Could that happen again, so soon? How could her weak, tired body possibly withstand another explosion of such incredible magnitude? She hadn’t even begun to recover from the first. But as he pressed forward, filling her once again, she felt her body begin to respond. Forward and back, forward and back, his movements slow and rhythmic at first, and then becoming steadily faster and more forceful. Before long, her hands were gripping his back, pulling him tighter against her as her hips rose to meet each of his thrusts. She was overcome again by an overwhelming need, a hunger for fulfillment, for release. Her head thrashed restlessly against the pillow, her breathing turning to short little pants intermixed with tiny gasps of pleasure, as he took her on another journey to paradise.

  Gavin fought to slow his raging desire to find his own release and spill his seed into her waiting depths. He wanted to prolong it for as long as possible, to savor every minute of the exquisite agony, to push his body to its ultimate limit of control. It was impossibly difficult. She was so responsive, following his lead with fervent ardor, readily embracing her newly discovered passion. Her fingers, clutching against his back, pressing deeper and deeper into his flesh with her escalating need, drove him, spurred him to take them both higher and higher. When he felt her body arch beneath him, her muscles tighten and tense as she reached the pinnacle of her desire, he finally let go. With a groan of satisfaction, he poured into her, flooding her with his seed.

  As sanity slowly returned and he was able to think once again, he lifted his weight from her body, rolling onto his back, instinctively pulling her with him, one arm wrapped around her waist, holding her to his side.

  It took a few moments for Melody’s breathing to return to normal and for her scattered thoughts to rearrange themselves in her head. The enormity of what had just happened was difficult to grasp. This man, this nameless, faceless stranger had just taken her to a place she hadn’t known existed, awakening a part of her that she’d never known was there. How was it possible? How had she gone from an unwilling victim of her husband’s madness, to a willing and eager participant in a journey to such unimaginable pleasure? It was unfathomable. But here she was, lying next to the man who had just shown her the true meaning of ecstasy, held tight against his side, her cheek resting lightly against his shoulder, her hand, fingers splayed, lying atop his naked chest. She didn’t speak. She didn’t know what to say.

  Gavin too was quiet, lost to his thoughts. Their coupling had been so much more than he’d anticipated. He had wanted only to make it easier for her, to show her that she could derive pleasure from a man’s touch, his touch, despite their circumstances. He hadn’t expected to lose himself so completely, hadn’t predicted that he would enjoy it as much as he had. Though he’d hoped for the best, he hadn’t known with any degree of certainty how she would respond to his touch. They were strangers after all, not to mention helpless victims in a twisted plot that neither of them had wanted a part in. But she’d put her trust in him, setting aside her fears, allowing him to lead her into the unknown, responding with a natural ardor that was surprisingly more alluring, more exciting than anything even the most experienced courtesan could have offered. It affected him more than he could have ever thought possible, something he’d never anticipated.

  It was Melody who spoke first, breaking the silence when it might have grown awkward. “Thank you,” she whispered, her cheek still pressed against his shoulder.

  “No regrets?” He kept his voice light, adding a slightly teasing edge to it, hesitant for reasons he didn’t completely understand to keep the moment from turning too serious.

  Melody smiled, grateful for his playful tone. It made it easier. “No, no regrets.”

  He heard the smile in her voice and pulled her more tightly against his side, his thumb moving once again in slow circles along the base of her spine. He thought of a hundred different things he could say, charming, witting comments he might have made to any one of his former lovers after a delightful romp in bed, but he didn’t. This was different.

  Melody kept her features carefully devoid of expression as she left the darkness of the hallway and entered the cottage’s main room. Though it was now John and Mary’s custom to wait for her outside once John’s light knock had alerted her that the required hour had passed, she wasn’t taking any chances. Fortunately the precaution wasn’t necessary, as the room was empty as usual. Sighing in relief, she pulled the door closed behind her, leaning back against it for a moment. Though she doubted that Mary or John would notice any outward difference in her, she felt like a completely different person, and she needed a moment to pull herself together.

  She took several slow deep breaths, and then, when she was certain that she had her emotions firmly in check, she pushed away from the door and made her way outside. Exiting the cottage, she saw that Mary was already seated in the curricle and that John was standing at its side, waiting to assist her. “Thank you,” she said, taking John’s hand as she stepped up into the vehicle. She adjusted her skirt, pulled on her supple leather driving gloves and then quickly grabbed the reins, eager to have something to focus her attention on. With a polite nod toward John, she flicked the reins and started the horse down the now familiar dirt road.

  They traveled in silence for a while, Melody struggling to keep her attention focused on the road, but it proved difficult. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t seem to keep thoughts of the past hour from her mind. Even now she could almost feel his lips, soft and warm against hers, the touch of his hands against her breasts, the weight of his body against her own as he’d shown her the true meaning of pleasure. Stop it! she chided herself time and time again, but to no avail. She seemed unable to think of anything else, of anything but him, and it wasn’t long before she noticed Mary casting curious sidelong glances her way. She tried to think of something to say, a topic of conversation to divert Mary’s attention, but she wasn’t quick enough.

  “Is everything alright, dear?” Mary asked, concern evident in her voice.

  Drat! She turned and made a concerted effort to keep her tone light. “Yes, I’m fine, Mary. Why?” Was there a telltale blush on her cheeks, or was it simply her unusual silence that drew Mary’s attention? Whatever it was, she had to be more careful. She didn’t want anyone to know what had happened between her and the man at the cottage, not even Mary. It was too private, too personal, and too shameful. Shameful? She struggled with that for a moment. Was it shameful? Shouldn’t she be ashamed of her behavior, of her wanton response to a stranger’s lovemaking? Yes, of course she should. But was she?

  Mary studied her curiously. “I’m not sure. You seem a bit,” she hesitated for a moment as if searching for the right word, “distracted.”

  Melody wasn’t in the habit of telling untruths, but in this instance she saw no other option as she wracked her brain for a plausible reason to account for her distraction. “I was thinking about Adam, my brother,” she said a touch guiltily. “I miss him.” That part was true enough. She missed him dreadfully
, her parents as well. It was hard not seeing them every day, as she had for the past eighteen years.

  Mary smiled sympathetically. “The two of you are close?”

  “Very,” Melody nodded, feeling a lump rise in her throat. “He is younger than I am, only twelve, but we have always had a special bond.” The handful of doctor’s who had evaluated his condition early on, a rare blood disorder that left him perpetually weak, fatigued and highly susceptible to illness, hadn’t expected him to live more than a few years, but Adam was a fighter and he’d stubbornly defied their dire predictions. Knowing that she could lose her only sibling at any given moment had made their relationship stronger and all the more precious over the years.

  Mary reached out and squeezed her hand. “Things will surely get better dear, once the earl has his heir.”

  “I hope you are right, Mary.” Would Charles allow her to spend more time with her family, once she’d given him what he wanted? She wanted to believe that he would, but she knew better than to get her hopes up. Only time would tell, she supposed.

  She and Mary spent the remainder of the journey home in relative silence, but this time it was a comfortable silence, as Mary seemed to have accepted the explanation Melody had given her for her apparent distraction. Instinctively, she knew that Charles would not be so easy to fool. Once they arrived back at Edgington she would have to be on her guard. She could never allow Charles to learn of what had happened that afternoon. Though her husband had proved more than willing to send her into the bed of a stranger, she wondered what his reaction would be if he realized that she had come to enjoy it. Would it prick his ego, his vanity? Would he see it as an affront, an insult to his damnable pride? Would he allow such a thing to go unpunished? She wasn’t sure. But of one thing she was certain; she could not afford to take the risk. She would not let him find out, not ever.