Chapter Eleven
STRETCHING HER ACHING MUSCLES, Raina struggled to awaken. Her body ached in places she never realized could hurt. She fought the last of sleep and opened her eyes to quietness. It wasn’t exactly quiet, she could hear birds chirping their morning melody. Except for the sounds of nature, she could hear no other noises. No horses clopping along the street, street vendors selling their wares, no sounds of servants scurrying around as they perform their daily chores.
As she glanced around, she noticed the simplicity of the room. It was a good size room for an inn, for the use of the aristocracy traveling through to their destinations. Whoever owned this inn, wasted no expense to the comfort of their guests. The walls were decorated with green paint, nothing too masculine but exactly the right shade for men and women. As she observed the room, she noted the furniture catered to both sexes. Lighter pieces for the women to relax in with more dominant pieces for the male. Overall, it was a cozy room. Raina felt herself relaxing until she realized she didn’t understand how she arrived here.
She closed her eyes and tried to recall when they arrived at the inn. But the only thing she remembered was shutting her eyes for a spell after they departed the Thornhills. After that she could not recollect anything. How did she arrive in this room? Where was she?
Feeling a slight movement on the bed, Raina opened her eyes. She never moved. So, who laid next to her in the bed? As she turned her head to the side, she saw the servant John lying next to her, still deep in sleep. Her eyes widened at the audacity of the servant. How dare he lay in bed with her? Who did he think he was? She needed to remove herself from this bed and leave this room now.
Gently lifting the cover off her body, she started to move off the bed. Quietly so not to awaken John. She felt the rush of cool air hit her bare body. Raina gasped as she realized she was only clad in her chemise and the rest of her body was bare. This angered her. How dare he? He went too far. Raina was about to let out her rage when his arm flung across her body and pulled her into his embrace.
Stiffening her body, Raina dare not move. She needed to find a way out before he awoke. This was entirely improper. Not that she was a proper miss, with her exploits these last few months. She didn’t want to be violated. To think Lady Ivy thought this servant could be trusted.
When she saw John relax against her in sleep again, she eased away. As soon as she was out of his grasp, he pulled her in again and mumbled in his sleep. Raina could not actually understand the words. Something about being an ungrateful miss disturbing his sleep.
Raina's body moved still again, and she counted to a hundred. She hoped it would be enough time and he would roll away from her. She wanted to scream but didn’t want to draw any untoward attention to them. She couldn’t afford to be caught by any servants. The fewer people who remember her being here the better they would not be able to track her whereabouts after she left.
As she lay there counting, John still had not relaxed his hold on her. If anything, he tightened his grip, pulling her closer. Her body pressed tightly against his, making her very aware of his body. Raina panicked, her breathing quickened as she struggled to grip with the realization she was to be accosted.
Raina put her hands on his chest and tried to push herself out of his hold. His chest vibrated with laughter. Confused, she looked up and saw the amusement twinkling in his eyes. Eyes that were the color of emeralds. The exact eyes of the gentleman who was constantly in her thoughts. It was when she noticed his smug smile she realized he fooled her.
Closing her eyes, she shook her head at herself. How did she not see the signs of his disguise? She had been too caught up in her getaway to realize every player in the game. This only proved she needed to disappear from England and start a new life. She had lost her edge. Her father would have been so disappointed in her, he had trained her better than this.
Charles had known he needed to take pity on her. It had gone on long enough. He was just hoping for a few moments of shut eye. He had driven them through the night to get as far from London as possible. Only stopping once to change the horses. During the night Raina never woke once. He realized she was exhausted. He hadn’t expected the charade to last so long. After they left London behind, he was going to expose himself. But she had laid her head on his shoulder in sleep before they had even left the city limits.
Her body relaxed in sleep for the whole ride to the cottage. When she still had not awoken, he carried her into bed and collapsed beside her. Exhaustion had taken a toll on him too. The jarring of the cart and wagon on his battered body did not help either. So, he held her to him and fell asleep with her in his arms.
Charles noticed the moment she had awoken. He regarded her from behind lowered lids. She had looked relaxed in the quiet environment; but he saw in her expression the moment she planned her escape. Just as she was doing now. Little did she know he would do everything in his power to hold her here. She was not going anywhere.
“Where are you going Missy?” Charles kept to his disguised voice.
“I am not your Missy and you may let go of me now Charles Mallory,” Raina stated as she tried to pull away.
“Never.” Raina thought she heard him whisper.
He pulled her in closer and nuzzled her neck. If a lady’s body was able to relax and stiffen at the same moment, Raina's did. He sensed she was enjoying his kisses, but her body was still in-flight mode.
He knew he should not seduce her. She was too vulnerable. He needed her to trust him and taking advantage of her now would not make her trust him. So, he gathered her close and just held her. To have her close and safe in his arms was all he needed for now.
“Relax Raina, I only want to hold you. You are safe here with me.”
“Where are we?” her voice muffled against his chest.
“At a cottage which belongs to my father.”
“Where?”
“Where is not important. We will not be discovered here. Nobody knows of this place. It will be a safe place to hide until we depart.”
“Where?” Raina asked again.
Charles pulled back from her and tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. He wanted her to understand how serious he was in keeping her at the cottage safe from London and Shears.
“I am not telling you where we are, so you can escape from me again. I am here to protect you from Shears and we shall come up with a plan to end him. But we must plot together on this, not apart. Do you understand?”
“I work alone Mallory.”
“Not this time.”
Raina pinched her lips, displeased at his words. Charles sensed he needed to coax her into agreeing to his plans. Running his thumb across her lips, smoothing them out he brought his lips to hers. Tenderly kissing them open he explored her mouth with gentle kisses. Letting his mouth show her she was safe with him. Whisper like kisses adorned her lips. He heard her sigh against his lips and realized she was releasing her hold on her emotions. Deepening the kiss, he let her know he would never leave her side again.
Raina sensed in his kiss his promises and wanted to believe him. She didn’t know how to place her trust with anybody, but his kisses guided her to trust him. She wanted to believe in him. Maybe in trusting her body’s reaction to him, she could learn to trust her heart with him. Deciding to work with him, Raina opened herself to the kiss.
Charles sensed the change in her when she made her decision. He let her control the kiss, keeping a hold on his passion. Her lips were smooth against his as she brushed her lips across his. The flavor of her honeyed lips enflamed his desire for more. Holding himself back from exploring her vulnerable body was becoming more difficult. As much as he wanted to lie in bed the entire day and hold her, he needed to put distance between them until she was ready. He would not take advantage of her and confuse her.
He needed to show her she could trust him, and he wanted more from her than this. Charles desired to build a life with her. If she learned of his plan she would run as far and fast
as she could. He had to show her they were meant to be.
Raina could see Charles pulling back from her. Did she misread his signals? She knew he wanted her, she felt him pressed against her hip. Why was he holding back? Raina wasn’t a simple miss, she recognized when a man was aroused. She has seen it all in her adventures. Charles Mallory was most definitely a man who wanted her. So why was he putting distance between them? Maybe she had misunderstood him, and he only wanted to help her, not a relationship with her. Oh, he wanted a relationship, one of the sensual sense, just not one of the marriageable sense. Raina should have known better. She was not his type, and she didn’t come from a proper family. He apparently needed to marry a demure lady of peerage. Not a spy’s daughter.
Could Raina have a sexual relationship with him? Could she give over her body and heart to a man who cannot give his back in return? Raina decided yes. She would take this time and refocus on her mission. During that time, she would give into her feelings for Charles and store the memories away for a time to reflect on later.
Realizing what she wanted now, she became the aggressor. She would not allow him time to think, but to enjoy. To love her touch and need for him.
Raina shifted her body against his innocently. Charles bit back a groan. She was driving him crazy. He was trying to do the right, upstanding, gentlemanly thing he should be doing. But she was making it impossible for him.
When she snuggled into his chest and slid her hand inside his shirt. He was done for. He tilted his head back, gritting his teeth in pure agony. While concentrating on keeping his arousal in check, he didn’t realize she had unbuttoned his shirt. As her hands spread his shirt apart, he nearly jumped from the bed when her lips made contact with his chest. Soft butterfly kisses across his torso.
He slid his head forward and saw her watching him as she kissed him. She was waiting for his reaction. When he didn’t respond, she moved up his body, kissing him along the way. Her feather light kisses grazing across his chest to settle on his neck. When her tongue darted out between her lips to lick his neck, it was the end of his patience.
“Raina,” he growled before he took her mouth under his and kissed her hungrily. He hungered for the taste and touch of her.
His kiss dominated her senses, she wanted him with the same need. She matched his kisses, a kiss for a kiss. His hands slid into her long black raven hair and tilted her head back to kiss her more deeply. He couldn’t get enough of her kisses and only wanted more. The need for her was stronger than anything he had ever experienced in his life.
Charles needed to touch her as desperately as he needed to kiss her. His hands lowered and brought her chemise off her body in one final sweep. Their lips only parting enough for the fabric to slip past their hunger. His hands pulled her up against his body, sinking into her delicate flesh. They roamed her body as if they knew the direction to go. She was so soft. And warm.
Charles tore his lips from hers and pulled back. He needed to see her. Every inch of her. She was exquisite. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted and swollen from their kisses. His eyes wandered down, watching her breasts as they rose in rhythm to her breathing. Her nipples were tight buds waiting for his lips. Brushing his thumb across one, watching as her eyes opened, and she gasped. He repeated on her other nipple. Watching them tighten more, he continued. Her breasts continued to rise up and down from her deep breaths.
Extending his gaze, he moved his eyes to her stomach and the curve of her hips. Raina was not like those silly debutantes or ladies of the ton. Her body was curvaceous in all the right places. She filled out a man’s hand making him ache for more.
As his eyes moved lower, he could see the wetness glistening off her curls. He closed his eyes and moaned. Opening them again he finished the journey down the length of her long legs. Legs that he wanted to wrap around his hips as he drove into her over and over. From what he glimpsed of her last night, it was nothing to seeing her in the daylight. Every delectable bit of her.
Sliding his hand down, he gently brought it up her leg. His fingers trailing up the smooth expanse of her legs, over her knees, moving higher. Her legs pressed tightly together. As he traced his finger between her thighs, they parted open for him.
Her wetness glistened in the sunlight shining through the window, begging for his touch. He wanted to sink into her now. His cock throbbed at the sight of her, but he knew she wasn’t ready for him. If he even touched her there now, he could not hold back any longer. He had to slow down.
Sliding his hand up over her wetness, across her stomach, he made his way back up to her breasts. He heard her moan as if in protest. Then he lifted her breasts into his hands with his thumbs stroking her nipples, which enticed a different moan from her. Smiling he lowered his head to take her pink tipped nipples into his mouth.
Softly biting them, he lavished them with his tongue. When he felt her fingers running through his hair and holding his head to her breasts tighter, he knew what she wanted. He sucked harder on her nipple, pulling out her desires. Making her come undone in his arms. He wanted her wild for him. Wanted her to unravel her soul in his arms.
Her hands held his head tightly to her breasts. She wanted more, she didn’t know what more consisted of, but she wanted the ache building in her body to be eased by him. She had to touch him. Wanting to touch his body against her made Raina desperate. Pulling at his shirt, she pulled it up, wanting it off his body. Charles sensed her need and pulled away from her, lifting the shirt off over his head and throwing it across the room. She watched as he continued to get rid of the rest of his clothes.
She did not take her eyes off him as he stripped his pants off his legs. Her eyes devoured him, the bruising on his body, made him no less of a man. They intensified the muscles that shaped him. She wanted to kiss and touch every injury on him and heal him with her love. When she saw his arousal for her, she wanted to touch him. Reaching out to touch his hardness, he stopped her hand with his.
Raina raised her eyes to his in question.
“Raina, if you touch me, I won’t be able to stop.” He tried to explain.
“I don’t want you to stop.”
“Tell me you want me as desperately as I want you.”
Raina raised up on her knees and ran her hands across the muscles she admired. As she pulled his head to hers’ she whispered, “I not only want you, but I need you.”
Her touch and kiss, but most of all her words undid him. He pulled her to him and kissed her as he slid her body underneath him. His hands went to part her thighs but found them open for him, waiting for his touch. Sliding his finger inside her, he sunk into her wetness. When she clenched around his finger, he knew she was ready for him.
Pulling away from her kiss, he rested his forehead against hers.
“I need you now Raina.”
Smiling at his need, she wrapped her legs around his hips, as he had imagined earlier. Brushing her wetness against his hard cock caused the last of his resistance in finally taking her and making her his.
He glided inside her in one thrust. Pushing past her barrier of resistance. She tensed in his arms at his intrusion. Realizing at the last moment to take it easier on her, he never realized she would be a virgin. The life he assumed she lived, he expected her to be experienced. Charles called himself every sort a fool, as he tried to pull out of her. But she only locked her legs tighter around him.
Bending over he placed gentle kisses on her lips and whispered how sorry he was for hurting her. When he felt her body relax against his, he was brave enough to stare into her eyes. When he saw the midnight blue of her eyes darken with the same hunger he felt, he knew of her desire.
He pressed himself in deeper and she tightened around his cock. Closing his eyes, he pressed deeper only to have her clench tighter. She held onto him as he slid deep inside her.
Raina saw him pause and realized he was holding himself back from hurting her more. Only he never hurt her, took her by surprise, but none of it was pain. To finally
have him inside her, completed her. Knowing she needed to encourage his ravishment of her, she knew she had to show him of her pleasure.
Sliding her hands along his back, she slid them farther down over his buttocks. Moving her hands over them, she squeezed them at the same time as she pressed her hips forward. She brought him hard into her core. She repeated this again. Looking into his eyes she saw his struggle not to hurt her, she was no fragile miss. She wanted him to unleash his passion on her. She wanted him to take her with all they both desired.
Smiling, she licked her tongue across her lips. Biting her bottom lip, she brought her hips up to him and slowly rotated her hips against his. She licked out and tasted the salt on his neck as she kissed over to his ear.
“Take me Charles, I’m all yours,” she whispered in his ear, then gently tugged his earlobe in between her teeth.
Charles growled and slid out of her, then back in swiftly. He repeated this over and over, his passion building. He could feel himself unraveling inside her. Their bodies pressed tight together as he made love to her. She matched his rhythm thrust for thrust. Both giving themselves to each other.
Raina let out a scream as she tightened around his cock, her wetness sliding between their legs. He thrust into her harder, wanting more, knowing she had not yet finished. Her fingers dug into his back as they reached higher in their climax. He sensed the moment she reached her fulfillment when she sobbed his name in pleasure over and over. With one final thrust into her, he reached his pleasure with her body wrapped tight around him.
Keeping her embraced in his arms, he rolled to the side. Not wanting to leave her body, he kept her close to him. As he felt their hearts beat one against the other, he closed his eyes to the steady rhythm. The last he remembered before he drifted off to sleep, was listening to her whisper his name over and over as she kissed his chest.
Rescued By the Spy Page 9
