“I knew he would start demeaning me again in his hated rag,” Lavonia, hissed under her breath. She scanned the article again, with narrowed eyes. Renowned widow of only a few months, throws aside her widow weeds, in defiance of society, and decks herself in Red. The woman in red, whom all could not mistake as that once celebrated spinster, Miss Hampton, now as the widow Mrs. Paddington is making a splash as she parades her proverbial assets, under the noses of society, focusing mostly on eligible men. Once vowing never to accept an ardent admirer as a husband, it seems the beauty has made an about face, and is husband hunting, which could be construed dangerous to all on-comers, considering her last husband died on his wedding night. Or perhaps she is merely seeking out someone to share her favors with, so she will not feel so alone in her bed. Possibly that avenue would be more enjoyable and less risky to those pondering the possibility of a closer relationship with the woman in red.
“Oh wait until I am through with him!” she bellowed, as she threw the paper aside.
She was going to meet Irish tonight, and would throw him a little surprise, and he won’t even know it was to get even with Grange, she chuckled to herself.
“Did you decide not to go out tonight?” Grange asked, when she met him on the highroad dressed in her dress, instead of the highwayman disguise.
“I had a marvelous Idea,” she laughed. “I am sure you can handle robbing the carriage by yourself, considering I had been doing it alone before I met you. And while you are doing that, I will keep a certain guard on that road busy. I met one of the guards at a dance a few days ago, and I do believe he is besotted. After words, I will meet you back here.”
Grange liked the idea, because it kept her out of danger, but if they continued using that ploy, it would not take long to realize that Lavonia was a part of the robbery plan. “Only this once,” he insisted. “In the future we will have to think up something else. We can’t use the same ploy twice or someone will catch on. I will follow you, to see what road he is guarding,” Grange suggested, and she nodded.
“Good idea,” she agreed. “Then I will see you here at midnight,” she called over her shoulder, as she rode ahead.
Grange could not deny that it was a smart idea, and Lavonia would certainly know how to detain the guard long enough to let him degrade himself one more time for the woman, by taking from his neighbors.
Lavonia saw Herald sitting on his horse at the head of a road leading out of town, and she glanced over her shoulder at Grange in the distance, and waved. Then she headed in the direction where Herald was guarding the road.
“Well hello, Herald,” Lavonia called, when she came up to him. “Keeping us safe from highwaymen?”
“You should not be out here this time of night,” he cautioned. “My word, you are ridding astride and in a dress,” he marveled.
“All my friends are shocked. Are you shocked?” she laughed.
“Well, I have never seen a woman ride a horse quite like that,” he admitted.
“My horse is a little green though,” she told him, and as she said it, she tapped Thunderbolt on the rear, while pulling back on the reins, causing him to rear up, and conveniently slipped back over his rump. “Oh my,” she screamed, as her skirts went up over her head, and Thunderbolt snorted, trying to figure out why his owner had done that?
“Lavonia!” Herald, called, as he leapt down from his horse, and was at her side, trying to pull her skirts back over her legs.
“I…I think I am….Oh I believe I am going to faint,” she said helplessly falling into Herald’s arms, throwing her head back, so her breasts rose into his face.
“Lavonia,” he murmured, cradling her in his arms, not even noticing that a carriage had passed by.
Lavonia opened her eyes. “Oh Herald, my heart is pounding so fast. Can you feel it?” she asked and took his hand, placing it on the top of her breast. “Oh goodness!” she simpered, holding Herald’s hand against her. At first Herald hesitated, but Lavonia sighed. “Your hand feels so comforting. You make me feel so safe.”
Lavonia remembered about what Grange had said about a woman seducing a man, and she wondered if he and been correct, but the way Herald was falling into her trap, she assumed he had been right. As Herald knelt beside her, he allowed his hand to gently remain upon her breast.
“You are so brave,” she whimpered, “and so strong.” But Herald was already pulling his hand away. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“I probably should not be touching you, thus,” he mumbled looking embarrassed.
“But you are so kind to have come to my aid,” she murmured. “I can’t find any fault in that.” she insisted innocently. “Besides, I am a widow. If I did not wish you to touch me thus, I would be slapping your face,” she informed him.
A smile stretched over his face, as he replaced his hand. “Anything I can do to help,” he told her, shyly. “You are nor hurt, are you?”
“I am not sure. Perhaps you should check,” she offered. “Feel to make sure nothing is broken.” She lifted her skirt a bit. “Do take a look and make sure I haven’t torn my stocking, it would be a shame, if I have.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind me checking?” he asked, a little shocked at what she was suggesting.
“Of course I don’t mind. How else will you discover if I have hurt myself? The question is, do you mind checking?” she responded.
“If it will make you get over your worry,” he mumbled.
“Then what is stopping you?” she asked. “Just be gentle,” she smiled.
“Very well, as long as it does not alarm you, to have my hands touching you, in order to discover if anything is amiss.” he told her softly, and placed his trembling hand on her leg, touching it lightly.
“Don’t be so embarrassed,” she encouraged. “After all, I am a widow, and know what a man’s hand on my leg feels like.” She tried not to remember how it felt to have Max’s hand on her leg, though.
“Where does it hurt?” he asked, as his hand slid higher, feeling her leg, as he went.
“So far it feels just fine?” she encouraged. “Do continue.”
“Maybe I should look at what I’m doing,” he suggested, as he pushed her skirt aside, and then took in his breath, when he saw the opening of her pantaloons, exposing her to his view. He hastily pulled her skirt back down.
“Why are you stopping?” she asked, as his hands stilled. “Have you found something to be concerned about?” She asked innocently. His fingers continued to inch along her leg, a little unsure of himself.
“Goodness, Herald. I told you I’m a widow, what are you hesitating for? I could take a lover, if I pleased, and he wouldn’t hesitate about touching me.”
“You want me as a lover?” he gasped.
“At the moment, I merely need your undivided attention,” she simpered. “Do you need my instruction?”
She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Grange had finished his business, and was now ridding up over the rise. She started straightening her skirts. “If you can’t find anything wrong with my leg, then at least help me up on my horse,” she sighed.
“Oh no, don’t go yet. I haven‘t finished checking your limbs.” He laid a hand on her other leg, as both of his hands slid over her supple thighs, only the material of her pantalets separating her bare skin from his touch. “How does this feel?” he ventured.
“Dear me, Herald, I do believe you have magical fingers. You make me feel so….so…” She didn’t finish the sentence. She wondered how much license she should give Herald in touching her, because the feel of his fingers creeping closer to his goal, was starting to make wild thoughts course through her brain.
“If you want it to feel better, perhaps I should kiss it better,” he offered, not believing his good fortune.
Lavonia took in her breath. “I hadn’t thought of that,” she breathed, and then her breath came faster as he now boldly lifted her skirt, and started kissing up her leg. The shivers he caused, had caught he
r unaware, but she felt a certain satisfaction. She could use her feminine powers on any man she wished, she thought, trying to push the memory of Grange from her mind. She certainly would never allow him to touch her like this again, she vowed.
“I hope you plan to be discreet, and not brag of this to your friends. If you do, we both will end up being front page news in Grange’s hideous news Rag,” she cautioned.
“Of course I will be discreet,” he murmured against her leg, as he worked his way to the place that kept calling to him.
Just as he reached his goal, Lavonia jumped to her feet, causing Herald to tumble from her. She had seen Grange in the distance, his horse prancing in place at the top of the hill, as though he was worried about her, and then he started ridding back up over the mound towards highroad. “Oh Herald, I fear I must leave you, but perhaps another time,” she said, as she straightened up. “Do help me back up on my horse.”
“Are you sure you want to leave so soon?” he asked. “I hadn’t finished checking for possible injuries,” he complained.
“I have to meet someone,” she explained, “and I am going to be late.”
“But I thought you wanted me to…..,” he couldn’t bring himself to say the words,
“Oh Herald!” she cried, “You don’t know how tempting it is to remain, what you were doing excited me beyond reason, but I must be off.”
“Please remain,” he suggested, grabbing her and kissing her ardently.
“So tempting,” she purred, as she pulled away. “But I have to leave you. Now be a good boy and help me back up onto my horse, and perhaps we could continue this another time.”
Herald looked disappointed, as he led her back to her horse. “Don’t take forever, coming to see me again,” he whispered.
“Where will you be guarding next?” she asked.
“This same spot for the whole week,” he told her.
“I will keep it in mind,” she smiled, as he put his hand on her waist and helped her reach the stirrup.
Then she was riding back to Highroad, to meet Grange.
“What took you so long?” Grange asked impatiently in his Irish accent.
“I was enjoying myself,” she told him. “I almost didn’t come at all, since what Herald was doing to me was feeling so good.”
“What was he doing that was feeling so good?” Grange asked, seeing that devil may care expression on her face, and thinking the worse.
“Why the way Herald’s hands were touching me. He is almost as good as you are. Or perhaps better,” she laughed, “there just wasn’t enough time to find out. I am certain if I had stayed a moment longer, he would have shown me what an expert lover he could become. I have been thinking about taking on a lover, you know, so I won’t have to rely on you so much.”
“You let him touch you?” he growled. “You don’t even know the man!”
“Ha!” Lavonia spouted. “If I recall, you took me, a complete stranger, who was going about her own business, and didn’t seem to find it alarming! At least I have met the man before, which is more than I could say for you, except for the fact that we were partners, and I knew what a scoundrel you actually were. Are you jealous? After all you are the one who has introduced me to the pleasures of a man touching me. Why should you be the only one? I have to discover who would make the best lover, or possibly husband, if I want to quit this business,” she taunted. “Herald may be first on my list,” she smiled, satisfied with the downcast look he had on his face. She would teach him to dabble with her emotions, just to satisfy his anger at something that happened so many years ago, when she had rejected him.
“So now you are going to make the rounds? Why don’t you apply as a woman of the night and make your money that way?”
“Because it is not genteel. A widow, enjoying a man’s caresses from time to time, compensated with gifts, is much more acceptable. Don’t look so hurt. I will make it up to you.”
“How?” he asked, looking closely at her.
“You have corrupted me, you know. My imagination just keeps going wild. I want to share your body out on the moor, rather than in your room. Let’s ride out on the moor and be wild and uninhibited.”
Grange smiled at her. “I’m thinking I am going to regret this, like I did the last time we were together,” he muttered. “Personally, I don’t know what has gotten into you. When I first came upon you, you begged me not to touch you, and now you are acting so bold, it almost frightens me.”
“Last time we had not robbed anyone. You didn’t deserve to have anything,” she insisted. “This time is different. Besides, Herald has put me in the mood, since he was just about to…well…I’ll request it of you, once we get out on the moor,” she promised.
“Will you?” he chuckled. “And just what was it, that Herald was about to do?” he prodded.
“Come and find out,” she called, as she spurred her horse and headed out towards the moors. He had no choice but to follow her.
Watching Lavonia’s hair flying out behind her back, and her skirts flapping in the wind as she rode, did something to Grange that he couldn’t resist. He would just have to trust her, he decided.
When she stopped her horse and slid down from the saddle, her dress hiked up, as she did so, causing a low laugh to roll from Grange’s throat as he jumped down from his mount as well. Lavonia, came up to him, and started to unbutton his coat. “You know what you said about seducing a man?” she smiled. “You were right. I could have had every stitch of clothes off of Herald, had I tried. But I decided I would rather enjoy that with you, instead.”
“Really?” he breathed. “After last time, when you said you didn’t need a man……”
“You know I was only teasing you, because you wouldn’t let me have my way, and drug me to your room. I had to get back at you some way for doing that.”
“And so you did,” he laughed. “I just did not expect you to go to such lengths. I hope you don’t plan to give Herald such a show. Somehow I feel it would make you appear to degrade yourself.”
“What matter would it make? Haven’t you degraded me in all sorts of ways?” She gave him a sharp look. “But since you don’t want me giving you such a show, why not give me one? Let me enjoy the show tonight,” she whispered. “I want to undress you, the way you did to me last time. I want to make love to you, without you doing a thing in return.”
“Why would you want to do that?” he asked, a little in wonder. He remembered how she had insisted she touch him, without him touching her, the other night, and where had that led? His sleeping in a chair all night,” he thought with a grumble, and a raised eyebrow at her
“Because it makes me feel powerful,” she admitted, bringing her mouth to his ear, and licking against it, causing a shiver to go through him. “You letting me touch you last time, made me feel powerful. You should know that I crave the excitement, or I wouldn’t be out holding up carriages.”
“I hear you are husband hunting,” he murmured.
Lavonia laughed. “Not every things is what it appears to be. I was pretending that to snub a friend. I love putting his nose out of joint. He writes horrible things about me in his damnable rag,” she fumed.
“Does he?” Grange laughed.
“So I have to sometimes put him in his place. Wouldn’t you?”
“Perhaps. Does that mean you are not looking for a husband or a lover?”
“Maybe a lover. Maybe I will take you up on your offer to become my lover, only you could not afford me, considering I am getting all the loot, now, and in the future, you will have to move on to greener pastures. Besides, if you became my lover, I wouldn’t agree until you allowed me to see your face. I am sure it is disfigured, or something, and that is why you refuse to let me to see you!”
Grange gave a low chuckle. “Perhaps you should reconsider. How do you know that I am not independently wealthy and am only doing this all for the thrill of it?” he asked. “It wouldn’t matter, if you cannot see my face, as long as I sa
tisfy your need, both physically and financially,” he suggested.
“I am sure you are doing it for the thrill of it, seeing as how I get the money, and you get my body,” she responded, as she started unbuttoning his shirt.
“What you insist on doing is a rather dangerous occupation for a woman,” he murmured, as she pulled his shirt back off of his shoulders, draping both his coat and shirt over her saddle, and then returned to him, pressing her tongue against his chest, and licking up against his nipple, and then taking it into her mouth, giving it a little nibble.
“I like dangerous things,” she purred against his skin. “Oh, I can tell you are getting excited already,” she murmured, as she pushed her hand down over the front of his trousers.
“I was excited before we ever got here, just by your mention of it,” he told her truthfully.
“Then I mustn’t keep you waiting,” she laughed, as she unfastened the front of his trousers, and lowered her head to him, letting him feel the warmth of her breath against him. “Lay down, and I will remove your boots so I can get rid of those distracting trousers,” she suggested, as she sat down in the soft green grass of the moor.
Grange lowered himself in the grass beside her, and she pulled each boot off, and then his trousers, which she took to join the rest of his clothes over her saddle. When she returned, she knelt beside him and slowly began to scatter kisses down over his body, and he closed his eyes, letting out a deep murmur. Then, tantalizingly, she pulled her mouth away.
“Wait right there,” she whispered. “I have a surprise for you.”
Highroad Page 12
