Yours,
Peregrine
They were simple words but they held a wealth of meaning as well as the start of freedom such as she’d never known before.
Her hand trembled and the paper danced casting weird shadows over the wall in the candlelight. Silly butterflies took flight in her belly at the prospect of seeing him. She smiled at the candle flame. When he’d told her of his failed marriage and subsequent death of his wife, her heart had ached for him. He hadn’t deserved what life had given him, especially when he’d been away serving his country and protecting it, but though he might still harbor a trace of bitterness, he hadn’t succumbed to the emotion. Proud and noble, surely, but he was also hopeful with a wonderful sense of humor. Oh, he was bored in the country, and there was a restlessness deep within him that called to her. Would he leave for parts unknown if adventure called? Her heart beat faster. Perhaps he would return to the sea, and if he did, would he ask her to go with him? After all, an affair could happen onboard a ship as well as a bedroom on land.
Then another thought snuck in to scatter budding dreams. She’d never had relations with a man. Would that matter to one as worldly and sophisticated as the captain? And what if her parents discovered her indiscretion? She stifled a snort. Her father would rant and her mother would strongly suggest she marry one of the dozen men she’d pressed upon her in the last few months in an effort to tuck away and cover up the scandal.
Perhaps the maze wasn’t the smartest choice. I should have suggested his home. No one would assume I’d ever be there. But nothing good was ever gained without a fair amount of risk. Or as Peregrine might say, ships were safe in harbor, but that wasn’t what ships were for.
With a sigh, she folded the note and then tucked it into a drawer deep in her wardrobe.
It was such a long time until their meeting.
Right before midnight, Isabella dressed in a navy gown and topped it with a black cloak. It would prevent being seen in the event someone glanced out the windows. After that, she wound her hair into a knot at the base of her neck, secured it with pins and then pulled the hood of the cloak over her head.
With her heart beating out a frantic rhythm, she slipped from her bedroom and pulled the door closed behind her as quietly as she could. The silent trip down the corridor to the stairs was an exercise in patience as stealth was needed to prevent the hardwood from squeaking. The stairs themselves were a trial, but she knew the pressure points of each one and easily avoided them. Then she escaped the house by way of one of the drawing room doors.
Her feet fairly flew over the dew-damp grass; the cool air of midnight caressed her cheeks. Shadows swallowed her passage while nerves beset her and gooseflesh covered her arms. What if he held her inexperience against her? What if he’d been expecting something else from a liaison of this sort?
Don’t be silly, Izzy. If he didn’t want you, he wouldn’t have agreed.
At least there was that. And the previous meetings they’d already shared had shown her the heat between them was true. A man who didn’t want an affair wouldn’t kiss like that.
Her confidence somewhat bolstered, Isabella reached the entrance to the maze. She glanced over her shoulder toward the house, but no one stirred in the darkness. No light illuminated the windows. With a nod, she slipped into the shrubbery and ran along the pathways, her heartbeat pounding. Her thoughts spun; worries clouded her brain, and that led her to taking two wrong turns. Quickly correcting, she continued onward.
Then she gained the center of the maze and Peregrine was there, dressed in dark clothing just as she was.
Oh my. Was there ever a more handsome man?
“You came.” She could barely force the whisper out of a tight throat. He’s here and this is really going to happen!
“I promised.” His grin flashed even in the dim light. “I never go back on my word.”
He was even more appealing and intriguing with midnight as his mantle. Isabella couldn’t stop looking at him, and with every pass of her gaze over his person, tingles fell down her spine. “You are certain you wish to do this?” If he said he wasn’t, she couldn’t very well continue to stand here, expecting scandal.
“I am.” He came forward, still one with the shadows, and gently he took her into his arms. “Are you?”
She trembled as she rested a palm on his hard chest. It felt so right in his embrace, as if he were both a calming influence and a dangerous prospect. And she wanted to know so much more about him. “Yes.” The whispered word hovered in the air before it disappeared.
“Good.”
“But I must confess something.” Her heart pounded so loud surely he could hear it. Would he laugh at her nervousness, her excitement? “I’m a… that is to say I’ve never done…” Heat burned her cheeks and when she went to pull out of his arms, he tightened his hold.
“It matters not. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.” Then he fit his lips to the shell of her ear. “You have taught me much already, and you have a natural affinity for kissing, so don’t worry about this next bit.”
She peered into his stormy eyes, dark in the shadows. “What does that mean?”
“It means, dear lady, after the first awkward part, it will be as natural as breathing, and infinitely more enjoyable.” Then he hummed the opening strains of a waltz, angled her hands into the correct position for the dance and guided her into the first steps.
“You mean to dance?” The confusion muddling her brain faded as she concentrated on moving with him around the fountain.
“Of course.” His grin set off a flock of butterflies low in her belly. “As I told you before, it is all part of the game, and coitus is merely an extension of dancing. Plus, indulging in a waltz is much less crass than throwing you to the ground and having at it, don’t you think?”
The images that particular suggestion conjured skipped through her mind. A throb of need accompanied them. Desperate for a distraction, she blurted, “Where did you learn to dance?”
Peregrine whisked her around and around the fountain in dizzying circles. Each time they completed a circuit, he pulled her closer to his body until their thighs rubbed and her breasts brushed his chest. Every touch, every new friction set off tingles through her veins. “On board my ship, if you can believe it.” He flashed another grin, and her knees weakened so that she tightened her hold on him. “I had no clue how to conduct myself as a proper gentleman before that. Sometimes there is precious little to do on deck, especially if the wind is gone.”
“The life you must have led leaves me breathless.” Her gaze dropped to his lips. Would he kiss her again, and soon?
“I agree with you, but there is still much living to do now.”
The rumble of his voice in the darkness, the steady way he held her hand, the warmth of his fingers at her waist, the sureness of his footing all worked to weave magic around her. “You are amazing, Captain.” It was true. Every aspect she unveiled of him captured her imagination and fed the foolish dreams she kept boxed up in the forgotten corner of her mind.
“Not as much as you.” His whisper sent eddies of heat across the side of her face. Peregrine drew them to a halt. “This night, having you here…” He shook his head. “I never thought life would bring me to another woman.” His voice was a whisper as he cupped her cheek, slipped the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip, and when she gave into a shiver, he grinned. “Fate is a mysterious thing.”
Then he kissed her, and the tender way he cradled her head, nibbled at the corners of her mouth swamped her in foreign feeling. Isabella curled a hand into his lapel while the other snuck up to wrap around his nape. The softness of his hair as it slid over her fingers provided yet another layer of warmth to the fires already burning through her blood.
“Peregrine, please don’t draw this out,” she whispered against his lips. Oh, but it was so lovely kissing him, being close to him, meeting him in such a delicious and clandestine manner. Who knew there’d be a man so readily
available to follow her into trouble.
“Ah, but that is part of the fun.” He grabbed her hand. “Come.” Then he drew her behind one of the hedge walls where the shadows and darkness blended. “Prying eyes from the house won’t see us here as opposed to the center of the maze.”
“It appears you’ve done this slinking about a time or two.” Tiny teeth of anxiety chewed at her gut. What if she didn’t do this right?
“Perhaps.” He tugged the ties at her neck and when the cloak slid from her shoulders, he caught it up and then spread it on the crushed gravel path. “But this is the first time with you, and that is all that matters.”
“Oh.” A tremble slid down her spine. She toed off her slippers, kicking them away, and because urgency thrummed through her veins, she nearly threw herself into his arms and kissed various points on his face. “I’m excited and nervous. This is so different than anything I’ve ever done.” She might as well be honest with him.
“You’re adorable.” He didn’t protest when she set to work on his cravat, even helped her to dispose of the length of black fabric. His cuffs and collar followed to litter the ground beside their makeshift bed. “Don’t rush through this, Isabella. I want you to enjoy every aspect.”
“Why?”
“If I’m only to be your scandal and folly, you should at least savor it. The memories will keep you company for years to come.”
She remained silent, for words wouldn’t come anyway. It was inconceivable how much her life had changed in the handful of days since meeting this man; the summer would be beyond fun. Then she shoved the thoughts from her mind and concentrated on him. The buttons of his jacket and waistcoat were manipulated with haste, and when she pushed the garments from his shoulders and off his arms, she sighed. Hints of oak, spiced rum and citrus teased her nose—she couldn’t have enough of it.
“You know, for all the pieces of clothing you remove from my person, you owe me some of yours,” Peregrine quipped, and his smile in the dark sent frissons of need curling through her belly.
“First, let me relieve you of your shirt.” Her pulse pounded so hard, warned her that there was no coming back once they were underway, told her that her reputation was in danger, but she didn’t listen. She wanted the man no matter what.
“Minx,” he murmured, but he assisted in the task. All too soon he stood before her, clad only in boots and breeches, and the expanse of his naked chest captured her imagination. When he spread his arms, the play of muscles temporarily stole her breath. “Do I pass inspection? Good enough for the torrid affair you’ve dreamed about?”
“Yes.” She danced her fingers over the planes of his chest. The light mat of crisp, dark hairs tickled her palms and still she explored. His muscles tightened whenever she touched. “You’re gorgeous,” she breathed. “It is quite a sin to cover this body with clothing.”
A chuckle escaped him and further worked at her undoing. “I rather think I’d be shunned by society if that were to happen.” He lowered his arms, turning in a slow circle for her. When a sharp gasp left her throat, he was immediately on alert. “What is it?”
“This.” Isabella clutched at his left arm. She drew her fingers over the blue-green tattoo that covered his shoulder. “Where did you come by this?” The intricate pattern of intertwined lines was the same as the golden brooch she’d been given by the gypsy at the fair.
“During a bit of insanity when I was a young man of eighteen while on liberty in Jamaica.” He shook his head, his eyes glittering in the shadows. “I was quite drunk at the time. Why? Does it change your perception of me?”
“No.” The words of the fortune teller echoed through her mind. …He will have a mark only you will recognize… Her hands shook as she stared into his face. “It took me by surprise, is all.” Surely it was coincidence, nothing more. He would have had no idea his ink would match her brooch, given years apart.
But was there a deeper meaning here that she needed to heed?
“Second thoughts?” he asked as he drew up handfuls of her dress and then pulled the garment up and over her head. It landed off to the side with nary a whisper.
“Absolutely not.” Stop being a widgeon, Izzy. He is nothing to you beyond the scandal. She flashed him what she hoped was a bright smile. “Please, continue.”
“Gladly.” Peregrine kissed her with more intensity this time, and while he did so, he deftly removed her petticoat. “It would appear I’m not the only one hiding beneath clothes.” His whisper skated over her cheek as he slid his palms down her sides. Heat from his skin seeped into hers through the fine lawn of her shift. “Damn, Isabella, you tempt the control from me.”
“Is that a good thing?” She trembled from his touch. The coolness of the night air combined with his exploration tightened her nipples and had gooseflesh sailing along her limbs.
“Oh, yes.” He brushed his knuckles over one taut bud, chuckling when she gasped. “Lie down, my lady.”
Bemused and breathless, Isabella nodded. As she sank to the cloak, Peregrine stepped to the side. He removed his boots and socks, and when he peeled off his breeches, she gasped again. Never had she glimpsed the naked body of a man, and he was a feast for the eyes. Lean and muscled in all the right places, there was no fat or flab on the captain; his penchant for riding showed, but when she drew her gaze over his erect member, anticipation circled through her belly. “Incredible.” Her whisper didn’t quite convey the appreciation she felt as he joined her on their makeshift bed. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“Don’t say anything, just feel and enjoy as we proceed to scandal.” He urged her onto her back and he came over her, the full length of his powerful body covering hers.
She was lost in a sensual world built by gentle kisses and tender caresses. Everywhere he touched created heat and provoked moans, but she wasn’t content to only let him have all the fun. With a push at his shoulders, she rolled him onto his back and covered every inch of him with kisses and licks. As she moved, liquid warmth tickled the curls between her thighs, but he was so delicious and interesting and different from her, she couldn’t explore fast enough.
Peregrine slid his hands down her back. He squeezed the globes of her arse, and when she squealed, he laughed. Their kisses became more frantic and intense. The captain drew up the hem of her shift and the cooler night air skated over her exposed skin. His body tensed and seconds later he turned them both over. Once more he loomed over her but this time he ran his fingers up and down her thighs, both inside and out, then his hand was between her legs and those magical digits rubbed along the swollen button at her center.
“Dear heavens. What are you doing?” Isabella squirmed from his attention while pleasure slid with languid grace through her veins.
“Making certain you’re ready for me.” He trailed his lips along the underside of her jaw, down the side of her throat, and when he took a nipple into the hot cavern of his mouth, he increased the pressure of her fingers on her nubbin.
“I… I am,” she panted. Not knowing what to do or how to act, she slipped a hand between their bodies to fondle his member. How mysterious and compelling such an appendage was.
“I rather think you’re not yet.” Amusement wove through his voice, but he didn’t make her feel less for her inexperience. And still he worried that tiny bundle of nerves, working the nub over and over until Isabella thought she might break apart from the relentless heaviness building inside.
“But what will happen—” She shattered. There was no other word for it. One second she was lying beneath this man who’d arrested her attention like no one else had. The next, she was flying on the wings of pleasure she’d never known existed. A moan escaped her throat and her eyes shuttered closed as she dissolved into a boneless mass. “How extraordinary,” she said, breathless.
“Just wait.” He kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips. Then he cupped a hand over hers on his length. “Let me show you how I like to be pleasured.”
This was a
whole new world he opened for her, and she adored every minute of it. The feel of his hardened shaft was like silk over steel, and as she moved her curled fingers up and down, he groaned with appreciation. When she fondled his stones, gave them a gentle squeeze, a tremor moved through his body and she smiled. So much power a woman held during this act. No wonder courtesans in London were so expensive. Perhaps there was more to the sex act than she’d previously thought.
“Leave off, my lady, else I’ll come on you instead of with you.” Urgency rode his whisper. He gently drew her touch from his person, and then claiming both of her hands with his, he threaded their fingers together and raised them above her head, pressing them to the cloak. “There is still time to beg off.” He moved a knee between her quivering thighs, widening her, opening her for what was to follow.
“Is that a bad thing?” She enjoyed the pressure of his hands on hers, relished the immobility being held thusly might mean. The residual tremors deep inside her core renewed.
His chuckle sent eddies of heat into her already burning blood. “It is a way a man can show ownership, but that is a conversation for another day.” He nipped at her bottom lip. “Tonight, there is you and there is me, and this is the start of your folly. Your wish is my command.”
Warmth that had nothing to do with the fire that flowed through her. He didn’t want to assume control of this coupling, but wished for her to guide it. How unexpectedly considerate. Isabella smiled. She lifted her head and placed a kiss on his chin. “Show me. Usher me into ruin so that I might enjoy the fall.”
“Such a spectacular one it will be.” The wide head of his member flirted with her opening. “I’ll be there beside you every step of the way.”
Her heart skipped a beat, but there was no time to marvel over his words or actions, for with a quick flex of his hips, he penetrated her fully and didn’t stop until he was buried to the hilt. A pinprick of pain assailed her when her maidenhead was breached. Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away, keeping her focus on his darkened gaze, his face so very near to her own. “I never knew…”
Lady Isabella's Splendid Folly: a Fortune's of Fate story (Fortunes of Fate Book 7) Page 14
