by Bonnie Dee
Harder, deeper, he speared her. The primitive need to claim her as his mate, to possess her and drive off all other males filled him. The bit of him that was still a sane, educated man with forward views on a woman’s place in society was intrigued by the phenomenon. As a scholar, he realized he was experiencing a primal urge beyond his control. The animal part of his brain was uppermost now. He’d once feared and fought against that devolution of intellect into animal desire, but now embraced it. And when his countess sweetly moaned, “Harder!” he was more than happy to oblige her.
The voices from the path seemed dim and unimportant. Only the pair of them here, locked in this ancient embrace, mattered. His groans grew louder as the ecstasy centered in his groin strengthened. His balls drew up tight while his cock swelled and filled her tight channel even more. And then it exploded in a blossoming of pure rapture.
He pushed up even tighter against her, crushing her between his body and stone. His fingers dug into her tender thighs and his forehead rested on her shoulder as he released in rhythmic pulses deep inside her. Ragged gasps tore in and out of his chest. His lips pressed against the soft flesh just above her collarbone and he sucked it into his mouth, tasting her salty skin, breathing her rose perfume. Love. My love. His mind murmured what his lips would not. Not so soon. He was too unsure of her reaction. He didn’t want to frighten her away. Love you. Want you with me always.
Her hands combed through his hair and clutched the back of his head and neck, holding him to her. He felt her light kiss against the side of his neck, and she murmured something into his skin. Perhaps she was saying what he was thinking, but her words weren’t loud enough to hear.
After several moments, Chris straightened and let Meredith slide down his body to stand on her own. He tucked his cock in his breeches and fastened them, then helped her with her clothes, crouching to straighten the hem of her skirt while she pushed her breasts back into the neckline of her bodice.
“Do I look all right?” she whispered. Her hair was as wild as though she’d just risen from bed. Half of it tumbled from its pins while the rest remained firmly in place.
He rose and leaned to kiss her lips. “You look perfect.” His hands threaded through the tangled mane of hair and held her head as he kissed her deeply. “Just perfect to me.”
Chapter Thirteen
Meredith stood on the hillside with a carpet of blue at her feet. It was just as Chris had described it to her—a huge meadow of gentian flowers cupped in a fold of the mountains. Between the cerulean on the ground and the glorious azure sky overhead, she felt she was in the center of a vast, blue heaven. A bracing breeze blew steadily against her, pulling strands of hair from the single braid she’d plaited and whipping them around her face. Even with her heavy coat, mittens, scarf wrapped around her neck and a hood pulled over her head, she was cold. Her nose and cheeks were numb from the chill wind, but the amazing sight of the flowery field was worth a little discomfort.
Christopher closed his sample case and came to stand beside her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her. Together they gazed at the scenic beauty of the wilderness. “What do you think? Worth the trip?”
She turned to him and smiled through chattering teeth. “It’s not the first place that would’ve come to mind on my list of countries to visit, but I’m very glad to be here.” To be anywhere with you. She’d almost literally followed him to the ends of the earth. The journey to the Orient had been long and arduous. She’d been seasick on the voyage, then jolted unmercifully in various horse-drawn conveyances on rough, rocky roads. The food and water had made her ill, too, and at times she wished she’d never left England.
But when all those physical difficulties resolved, she began to enjoy the journey. The sights, sounds and smells of a foreign land were all around her. China was thrilling, mystifying, beautiful and horrible in its rich culture and unrelenting poverty. Holding Chris’s hand as they toured ancient temples, climbed mountain paths or strolled in exotic marketplaces was wonderful. Lying in his arms at night was the best part of the trip. They made love in hotel rooms and huts, in the luxury of a bed or on the rocky floor of a ravine. They coupled in every way imaginable, and Meredith never felt the jaded ennui she’d come to expect after months spent with a lover. Every time with Chris was like a new beginning.
He grabbed her mittened hand and gave it a tug. “Come. Let’s find some shelter. This wind is bitter.”
She was glad he’d said it first. She hated to complain.
Following the slight trampled path they’d made through the hardy wildflowers, they walked uphill until they came to a rocky outcropping that shielded them from the cutting breeze while still affording a vista of the valley and mountains beyond.
Meredith tossed back her hood and removed her mittens. She pulled the scarf away from her mouth and took the flask Chris offered her. A molten gold trickle of brandy burned down her throat and settled in her belly, suffusing her with a warm glow.
“Better?” Chris had removed his hat, and his hair stood up in a static-filled thicket. His cheeks glowed and his eyes were as bright a blue as the gentians.
She laughed and smoothed her hand through his hair. “My crazy professor. You love being here, don’t you? You thrive on it.”
“On being with you.” His smile made her even warmer than the brandy. “Don’t you know it doesn’t matter to me whether I’m on an expedition or working in your conservatory? I just want to be with you.”
“Then perhaps our next journey could be someplace more tropical.” She unfastened the top button of her coat. “Someplace where we can wear fewer clothes.”
Chris glanced at the tall rock walls sheltering them. “We’re fairly protected here. I think we can shed a few layers and still keep warm.” His merry eyes and seductive smile raised her temperature, and suddenly she was glad to shed her coat.
With lightning speed and frantic fingers, they stripped down to their underwear. Chris made a soft nest of the discarded coats and dragged Meredith down to lie on it beside him. He pulled her close against his warm body, throwing a casual leg over hers and wrapping his arms tight around her. “It’s not so bad.” His breath was a silvery puff in the air. “Although I do miss your big, soft bed.”
She pressed her chilled nose into the hollow of his throat, breathing him in while she warmed it. He smelled like fresh air with a tang of wood smoke from the campfire earlier. A light flick of her tongue against his skin added the trace of sweat and man-flesh to her sensual feast. Sometimes she simply wanted to devour him or to wrap herself up in his body so completely that they became one.
His hands splayed on her back, rubbing up and down, warming her, then slipping below her waist to gently knead her bottom. He slipped a hand between her legs and fingered her pussy through the thin material. Her slit opened and yearned toward his touch, wetting her drawers with moisture. She squirmed against him and thrust herself back against his teasing fingers.
It occurred to her that they’d engaged in intercourse for weeks now on an almost daily basis—weeks without the interruption of her monthly cycle. Doctors had assured her long ago she was infertile, but recently she’d begun to wonder if they’d been wrong. It was difficult to believe years of sexual activity with no protection other than ensuring her partners weren’t syphilis carriers hadn’t resulted in an accidental pregnancy at some point. But now it seemed possible she wasn’t barren and may have, in fact, conceived. Since she’d resigned herself to never having children, the idea was too incredible to examine closely, or to share with Chris. Not until she was certain there was news to share.
How would he feel about such a thing? Would he prefer to remain childless, both of them free to travel the world? Would he demand marriage if there was a child to consider? She worried about what his reaction might be if the impossible became fact.
“What’s wrong?” He stopped toying with her bottom and pulled back from her, peering into her eyes.
“Nothing.” How
did he know? He seemed to have an unerring instinct where she was concerned.
“There’s something,” he insisted. “Today. Yesterday. The last couple of days something has been on your mind.” His brow was furrowed and his eyes serious. “Are you tired of traveling? Do you want to go home?”
“No. That’s not it.”
“Ah. Then there is something.” He cupped her face and traced his thumb along her jaw.
He was too clever by far and too in tune with her emotions. It was rather frightening to have someone that aware of the subtle nuances of her voice and demeanor.
She forced a laugh. “Nothing. Really.”
But he kept gazing into her eyes and rubbing her cheek. “Tell me.”
“I simply realized I…haven’t had my monthly cycle as I should have by now.”
His eyes widened. “How long?”
She paused and recalled the days and nights with him. “Since before I met you. I never counted the days or even thought about it until recently. My cycle has never been regular and it’s not supposed to be possible for me to be…” She trailed off, unable to voice the word “pregnant”.
His thumb stilled on her face, but his hand remained there, cradling her jaw. She scanned his eyes for a reaction and for a moment they remained blank. No, not blank, thoughtful. She didn’t realize she’d caught her breath until a slow smile curved his lips and she released it.
Chris looked deeply into her eyes. “This is…unexpected. How would you feel if it were true?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only begun to wonder and didn’t want to tell you until I was sure. There may be no cause for alarm.”
“I wouldn’t be alarmed,” he assured her. “All right. Perhaps a little frightened, but no more than would be normal for any expectant father.”
Father. That would make her a mother. And the three of them would be a family. Such an odd thought.
“I’m afraid,” she blurted. “Afraid it might be true and afraid it might not be. I can’t imagine myself a mother. I was only just getting used to the idea of you and me together and the idea of having a child terrifies me and thrills me. Everything would change.”
“Yes.” He shifted beside her, moving up on the makeshift pallet and drawing her head down onto his chest. He squeezed her tight and shared his body heat with her. “Life changes suddenly sometimes.”
“I suppose you’d want to marry.” She listened to his heartbeat thumping behind his hard breastbone. “To save the child being called a bastard.”
“Are you proposing to me?” His warm chuckle vibrated her ear. “Countess, you know where I stand on the subject. You’re the one with doubts.”
She thought about her fear of giving up her freedom once more, of putting herself in the vulnerable position of trusting a man and losing her hard-earned assets when she took his name. The idea of Christopher abusing her trust or her body was ludicrous, yet she hesitated.
“You know, just because we marry doesn’t mean we can’t circumvent the law,” he said. “We could draw up a legal document in which you’d retain the rights to all your properties and possessions. I wouldn’t ever want you to feel you’d given up your right to be your own person. Would that make you more amenable to the idea of marriage?”
“Marriage.” She sighed. “I knew you’d suggest that.”
“And why not? Our child, should we have one, deserves to have a proper home.”
She nearly smiled when he said “our child”, but it wouldn’t do to appear too ready to capitulate. “I suppose,” she answered.
He kissed the top of her head and his hand began to wander again, squeezing a handful of her buttock lightly. “Think about it. There’s no reason you can’t have both your freedom and a family, too.”
“And if I’m not with child?” She lifted her head and propped her arms on his chest so she could see him.
Chris paused before answering. “You know how I feel about that, too. I’d love to enter into a legally binding contract with you that would label us ‘husband’ and ‘wife’, but if you never choose to do that it doesn’t change what we have together.” He looked intently into her eyes. “There’s a phenomenon in nature called a symbiotic relationship. Certain animals and plants depend upon one another for their very existence. I believe that whether we call it marriage or not, you and I exist in such a relationship.” He lifted his head and leaned toward her, seeking a kiss. His voice lowered to a husky whisper as he added, “I know I couldn’t exist without you.”
He was so very sweet sometimes it made her ache all over. She inclined her head and kissed his cool lips. Her own were just as cold, but together they grew warm…and then hot. Her tongue swept into his mouth and thrust against his, while he dragged her on top of him, pulling her coat over her to keep her naked backside warm.
Thoughts of her possible pregnancy were momentarily pushed aside as Meredith let lust overwhelm her. She moved on him, rubbing her body against his as though they were two pieces of wood that might strike enough sparks to light a fire. The slow, smooth slide of skin on skin soon had a nice blaze glowing in her sex.
She pulled away from kissing him long enough to gasp, “You were right. It’s actually warmer without clothes on.”
“I’m usually right. You should listen to me often.” He nipped her earlobe to punctuate his words.
Her clit tightened as she slid over him again, her pussy gliding the length of his shaft like a long, wet kiss. She was already primed for him. It took very little, sometimes merely the sound of his voice, a look or a smile, to make her sex grow hard and wet.
Her nipples were taut and sensitive. When they brushed against the smooth muscles of his chest and the fine down that covered it, they felt like they’d burst from the exquisite tension of that slight touch.
His hands slid down her back and clutched her ass, once more kneading the firm flesh, then pulling her cheeks apart and sliding a finger down the groove between them. The coat thrown over her back didn’t cover her completely and her bottom was bare to the chill breeze. The caress of cool air on her genitals and Chris’s stroking finger around the rim of her anus had her pussy open and dripping. She couldn’t take any more stimulation and needed him inside her immediately.
Meredith pushed up on one arm and reached between them to guide his cock to her waiting slit. She positioned him just at the entrance, then sat up straight, heedless of the coat slipping off and leaving her body naked to the cold. She accepted him into her, settling slowly on top of him to make the experience last. Looking down, she watched her pussy swallow his cock until not an inch was left.
She looked from their joined bodies to Chris’s face. His eyes, too, were riveted on the place of union. He glanced up at her and grinned. “A perfect fit. I think we’re meant to be together.”
Bracing her hands against his chest, she rose up on her knees, revealing his penis again, then enveloped him once more. Up and down she rode, squeezing her inner muscles around his girth to enhance the sensation. He groaned and thrust his hips, spearing her deeply each time she bore down on him.
Meredith continued to watch his face through eyes half-closed in pleasure. She rocked a little from side to side, then back and forth, experimenting with different positions and variations in rhythm before settling into a steady bounce. She rose and fell on top of him, heat flushing her skin, sweat rising on her body and drying in the cool air.
He grasped her breasts, rolling and pulling the nipples, then took hold of her upper arms and pulled her down to him. Lifting his head, he sucked a nipple into his mouth. The tugging sensation at her tit and the wonderfully filled feeling in her quim came together, building faster and faster to an explosive climax. She cried out at the force of it and rammed herself on his erect cock with such force that he grunted at the impact.
Inspired by the strength of her release, Chris thrust into her once more and let out a hoarse animalistic cry of his own. His head was rolled back, exposing his neck. His eyes were closed, the lash
es laying in two beautiful crescents against his cheeks. She was struck by the beauty of his face transported by bliss.
She collapsed on top of him, sinking back into the warmth of his body as her breathing slowly returned to normal.
“I love you,” she confided to his neck.
“I love you, too,” he gasped, still winded from his vigorous thrusting. “And whether we have a child or not, whether we marry or not, nothing changes that.”
The countess smiled and smoothed a hand over his firm, muscled chest, such a strong, manly chest for a botanist to have. She wondered how the conservatory was doing back at home. Was her gardener taking good care of the plants and were they thriving? Some day she and Chris would sit together there with a humid jungle of plants surrounding them and remember how barren and dry it used to be.
In her illogical heart, she felt that love and not manure-enriched soil had brought that greenhouse back to life, the love that Chris had given her with no expectation of returned feelings. Because he asked for nothing, she wanted to give him everything—an abundance of joy, a wealth of pleasure and every part of her that she had to share. She hoped she was pregnant. She’d like to give him a child, too.
Her heart was as open and vulnerable as a newly bloomed flower, but Meredith felt no need to shield it. She knew the fragile petals were safe in her lover’s care.
About the Author
To learn more about Bonnie Dee, please visit http://bonniedee.com. Send an email to Bonnie Dee at [email protected] or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Bonnie Dee. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bonniedee/
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