‘You lying in bed while I’m working!’ said Annabel with a light laugh.
‘All you do is look round rooms and scribble notes and sketches. I don’t call that work.’
‘Believe me, when dealing with your stepmother, it is,’ said Annabel with feeling. Crispian grinned at her retreating back. He could well imagine that it was, but he hoped Annabel wouldn’t give up and leave. He and Tania were having too much fun with her. They’d spent most of the previous night working out how they could get Annabel and Sir Matthew together. Having solved the problem he didn’t want her disappearing before they’d seen the results of their plotting.
As Annabel began work, Marina walked swiftly towards the Old Mill. As she approached her pulse began to quicken and she felt her heart beating erratically against her ribs, while the palms of her hands were damp with nervous excitement.
Matthew saw her approaching through the window of his study and felt a flicker of surprise that she was back so soon. Somehow he’d expected her to play harder to get, and her arrival today took some of the excitement out of the chase, although he was still captivated by her ice-cool exterior and clear lack of pleasurable sexual experience. All the same, he hoped she wasn’t going to call too often. He didn’t intend to become a one-woman man just yet, and highly strung women like Marina could become rather clingy.
Striding out of his front door he stopped in apparent surprise when he saw her coming up the path. ‘Marina, this is an unexpected pleasure. You should have telephoned me. I’d hate you to walk down here only to find me out, and I frequently am out during the day.’
Marina smiled happily, already aroused by the sight of him in cord trousers and open-necked shirt, his curly hair tousled by the slight breeze. ‘That’s all right. The walk’s good for me. I wanted you to know that I’ve arranged to start riding lessons again, as you suggested.’
Matthew, remembering the scene he’d come upon in the copse, wondered what her husband thought about that. ‘Excellent!’ he said enthusiastically. ‘Who’ll teach you?’
‘Jerry, he’s worked for James nearly ten years now and he’s the one who’s responsible for Tania coming on so well.’
‘You’ll be in safe hands, then,’ he said more softly, moving closer to her and taking one of her hands gently in his. ‘I expect you’ve come for another look at the pups, am I right?’
Marina would have liked to tell him that he was totally wrong, what she’d really come for was another look at him, but she nodded and smiled that once again she was doing what was expected of her rather than what she wanted.
Matthew knew very well what she wanted, but this time he thought that it would be exciting to do it somewhere more adventurous than in his drawing room. He was also aroused at the prospect of seeing the immaculate Marina reaching a sexual climax in the less than immaculate surroundings he had in mind. ‘I’ve just got to check the stable,’ he said, grasping her firmly by the hand and drawing her along with him. ‘I’m not sure that the boy who comes in to muck out does a really thorough job. Once I’ve checked we’ll look at the pups, they’re right next door to the stable.’
‘James says that our grooms are very good,’ murmured Marina, wishing that she hadn’t worn white, open-toed sandals if she was expected to walk into a hay-strewn stable.
‘I’m sure they are!’ laughed Matthew. ‘More attractive than my lad as well.’
‘James chooses them for their looks, but I think that Jerry makes sure they’re good at their job as well. The estate can’t afford to carry passengers.’
‘But it can afford the services of David Crosbie?’ queried Matthew.
Marina smiled at him. ‘No, I can afford the services of David Crosbie, or in this case David Crosbie’s protegée, who I have to say is turning out to be something of a disappointment.’
‘Why’s that?’ murmured Matthew, pushing open the stable door and feeling his excitement increasing.
‘She isn’t as modern as I’d hoped.’
‘What a shame,’ he murmured soothingly, privately thinking that she looked exceedingly modern to him, and highly attractive as well. He realised that Marina was hanging back, loosening her grip on his hand. ‘It’s all right, the horse isn’t here,’ he assured her. ‘He’s out in the field.’
With a sigh of relief Marina followed Matthew inside the stable, but felt a flicker of unease when he closed the door behind them, plunging them into darkness. She could smell the straw, the unmistakable odour of horses and the strong scent of saddle leather, a combination that held no attraction for her. Before she could turn to leave, she felt Matthew’s arms slip round her waist and then he was pulling her against his chest and his mouth was on hers, his kiss deep and passionate.
It took Marina a few seconds to respond. She wasn’t feeling relaxed – the surroundings weren’t to her liking – and she could tell by the way Matthew’s hands were roaming down her back and over her hips that he intended to do more than kiss her in this unhygienic and highly unromantic setting.
He felt her tense against him but ignored it, certain that once he could arouse her more she’d forget her inhibitions. His hands eased their way under the back of her short-sleeved jacket and the camisole beneath until he was able to stroke her soft warm skin, the tips of his fingers travelling up and down her spine while he thrust one leg forward so that his thigh was between hers.
Almost without thinking Marina pressed her pubic area against this welcome hardness and when Matthew removed her jacket, throwing it carelessly across the stable, she didn’t even protest. Her body was coming to life again, remembering how it had felt the last time they’d been together and hungry for more.
Swiftly and deftly Matthew unbuttoned her skirt, and at the same time as he removed it he managed to remove her French knickers as well. It wasn’t easy, as even now their eyes had adjusted they were still in semidarkness, and he was grateful her legs were bare.
When his mouth returned to hers, Marina responded more enthusiastically, her tongue slipping between his teeth in tiny thrusting movements while her hips rocked back and forth in the same rhythm. Slowly Matthew edged her back towards the stone wall until finally she felt her bare flesh against the cold rough surface. She gave a tiny gasp of protest, but he was already removing her front-fastening bra and as that fell away she was left totally naked, except for her sandals.
Matthew knew exactly what he wanted, but he had to get her into the right frame of mind and so he gripped both her wrists and spread her arms out against the wall on either side of her. ‘Stay like that while I undress,’ he said hoarsely. ‘I like looking at you.’
Marina didn’t want to stay there. She didn’t like the position and hated losing her dignity, but at the same time she’d never felt such an overwhelming desire for anyone as she was experiencing now. Once he was naked and his muscular body with its rigid, erect penis was moving back against her, all her doubts fled. Whatever he wanted, she’d do, because her body was throbbing with arousal as the blood coursed through her veins.
Matthew’s hands returned to Marina’s wrists and, keeping her firmly fastened against the wall, he proceeded to rub his body over hers. She felt his hardening nipples move across her own tight peaks. When he lifted his thigh between her legs slightly and she felt the pressure against her vulva, her knees almost buckled with excitement.
Slowly Matthew rotated his hips, and his swollen glans moved against the base of her stomach, its touch as soft as silk. Marina’s body was shaking, and when he released one of her wrists she failed to notice and kept her arms outspread. Matthew moved the free hand urgently down her body until it was between her thighs. There his fingers kneaded lightly against her sex-lips, massaging and stimulating the tissue beneath until he felt her opening to him, the outer labia parting as her level of desire grew.
Now he was able to feel her moist inner lips, and he slid his hand lower so that he could insert two fingers into her opening, moving them rapidly in and out while she moaned softly,
deep in her throat. He spread her secretions up her inner channel until he reached the spot that was driving Marina insane with desire and, to her astonishment, the moment he caressed her there she climaxed, the spasms abrupt and fierce.
Matthew was breathing heavily now, excited as much by her unexpectedly powerful response as by her body, and without any further preliminaries he moved her away from the wall and turned her sideways. ‘Lift your right leg,’ he said abruptly. ‘There’s a mounting block there; I want you to rest your foot on it.’
Still dazed from her first climax Marina scarcely knew what was happening but she did as he said and he guided her foot forward until she felt the solid top of a mounting block beneath her foot. Her leg was raised uncomfortably high and balance was difficult, but Matthew seemed unaware of this as he approached her from behind, and she felt his penis moving between the cheeks of her bottom searching for her front opening. As he slid into her she reached backwards and rested one hand against the top of his thigh while his upper torso provided support for the rest of her body.
He moved very slowly at first, with long gaps between each stroke so that she wasn’t certain when the next thrilling sensation would come. Then, moving his fingers as slowly as he was moving his hips, he began to caress her upraised inner thigh with the pads of his fingers, gradually inching his way towards the centre of her, where a heavy ache was deepening all the time.
This time he avoided the clitoris, and instead massaged the surrounding tissue, moving with extraordinary lightness around the opening to her urethra. This caused her abdominal muscles to jerk and sent bittersweet tingles shooting upwards through her body as she felt her breasts swell even more.
Now Matthew increased the pace of his thrusting and as his own arousal grew he licked and sucked at Marina’s bare shoulder, occasionally allowing his teeth to graze against the flesh. Suddenly Marina’s upper torso went rigid and her head flew back as his skilful fingers swept unexpectedly upwards and caressed the stem of her clitoris.
She felt a hot, liquid sensation between her thighs and then the shockwaves, small at first but rapidly increasing in power, gripped her body and once more the carefully built up sexual tension exploded into release.
This time it took her longer to recover and for a few minutes she slumped back against her lover. He continued to lightly caress and stimulate her, his hand moving around on her pubic mound and across the surface of her lower abdomen.
Marina was certain that she was totally satisfied; every muscle felt limp and replete, but he continued to use his hand on her and then his hips started to move again until suddenly she felt the first flicker of renewed desire and made a sound that was a mixture of excitement and despair.
‘Just one more,’ he murmured. ‘I want us to come together.’ As he spoke he withdrew from her, leaving her temporarily bereft, and then with what she later realised seemed to be practised ease he moved her away from the mounting block and sat on it himself, quickly pulling her onto his lap so that she was staring into his eyes which seemed to gleam brightly in the semidarkness.
Carefully, he eased his rigid penis into her. She heard him tell her to lift her legs and rest the soles of her feet against the stable wall. As she obeyed, his hands went behind her and slowly she leant back, supported by his hands, until finally she was lying along the top of his thighs.
‘Grip the tops of my arms, Marina,’ he said huskily. ‘Move yourself up and down by pulling against me. I’m going to sit quite still and let you make me come.’
She was totally overwhelmed by the whole experience, half-ashamed and half-proud of her behaviour, but these words were almost as arousing to her as his touch. She began to pull against his strength and once she’d mastered the technique she found that with every movement the area around her clitoris was indirectly aroused and once more the heat started to increase between her thighs and the delicious tightness gripped her body.
Looking down at her, Matthew could see exactly what was happening. The sight of her head thrown back in wild abandon, and the feel of her long, blonde hair rubbing against the thin skin of his shins, made his own climax start on its remorseless climb to satisfaction and he knew that he couldn’t last much longer.
‘That’s perfect!’ he exclaimed. ‘You’re incredible, just move a little faster. I want you to come, too.’
Marina knew that she was very close, and spurred on by his words she managed to increase the tempo. Just as Matthew made a sound of excitement so the first, almost electric darts that heralded her own climax began to shoot through Marina.
All at once Matthew’s hands, passive until now, started to help her move and she struggled to keep her feet against the stable wall as he jerked her body roughly against his shaft. There was a flash of white light behind her eyelids and once more her body was consumed by an explosion of pleasure.
Matthew’s climax went on for a very long time, and by the end he was uttering tiny guttural groans of satisfaction while his body continued to twitch and jerk.
Marina felt lifeless, as though all the strength had gone out of her body, and she lay limply against his legs, her feet now dangling down behind him and her eyes closed as she tried to recall the exact feeling of her final orgasm.
At that moment the stable door opened and a stable lad walked in. Despite himself he couldn’t suppress a gasp of surprise and Marina shot upright, pressing her naked breasts against Matthew’s chest and hiding her face in his shoulder.
Matthew looked at the eighteen-year-old and gave a small smile. ‘We’re busy, come back later,’ he said calmly.
‘I’m sorry, Sir Matthew, I didn’t … I mean, I never thought I should knock on a stable door.’
‘Certainly not when the horse has bolted!’ laughed his employer. ‘Rufus is in the field.’
‘Yes, sir. I’m very sorry, sir,’ the boy was still muttering as he backed out of the stable and slammed the door behind him.
Marina remained where she was, her hands clutching Matthew’s body with almost frantic strength, and he could feel her body shaking. To his surprise the interruption had proved something of an aphrodisiac. He wished that he had the time to take Marina again, but he didn’t, and in any case he knew that she hadn’t been affected in the same way.
‘You’d better get dressed,’ he said softly.
Marina felt close to tears. ‘What if he recognised me?’ she wailed. ‘I’ll be the laughing stock of the county.’
‘How could he recognise you? He’d have been half-blind coming in from the light, and anyway all he saw was your back and long hair.’
‘How could I have been so stupid!’ Marina continued, searching through the grubby hay for her clothes and retrieving her sandals, which had fallen off in the heat of their passion, from a particularly dirty patch. ‘My clothes smell horrible!’ she exclaimed, pulling on her skirt.
‘Well, you smell delicious. I love the scent of you when you’re excited,’ Matthew said softly, his hands caressing her still naked breasts.
Marina pushed them away. ‘Stop it! I can’t imagine what I was thinking of, letting you …’
‘Marina, you didn’t “let me”, you wanted me to do all those things. You loved it, and I loved watching you so lost in sexual pleasure. Don’t you think it’s more exciting than spending all your time planning how to redecorate a house that isn’t even yours?’
She knew that he was right, but suddenly she didn’t want to hear it said. She could imagine only too well how she’d looked as she abandoned herself to him, and at this moment all she wanted was to look like Lady Corbett-Wynne again, rather than one of her husband’s stable girls.
‘Let me go!’ she said crossly when his fingers remained on her breasts, pulling softly at the nipples until they came erect beneath his hands.
‘You could go on doing it, couldn’t you?’ he teased, kissing the side of her neck where a pulse was throbbing violently.
‘No! Please, Matthew, I must go. That boy might come back.’
‘First, tell me that you enjoyed doing it like this.’
She looked at him and her eyes were dazed. ‘Yes, I did, but I can’t imagine why. It isn’t like me at all.’
‘It’s just a part of you that’s been hidden for far too long,’ he said easily. ‘Once you’ve learnt to ride we can take the horses out and then make love out-of-doors beneath some trees or in a copse. Wouldn’t you enjoy that?’
‘No! Yes, perhaps; I don’t know!’ she wailed, totally confused by the contradiction between what her body wanted and what she believed to be the proper way to behave. Sex, even good sex, was for the bedroom, or at the most on a sofa or comfortable armchair. And yet she knew that today she had had the most exciting sex of her life so far.
Matthew helped her on with the rest of her clothes and kissed her on the corner of the mouth. ‘You’ll get used to it,’ he promised her. ‘I thought it was wonderful, and you were absolutely incredible.’
‘I’ll start my riding lessons today,’ she said firmly, knowing that this would please him and wanting to please him because he’d given her so much pleasure and self-confidence.
‘Good,’ he murmured against her mouth, and then he was kissing her more thoroughly until in the end she had to break away. ‘Matthew, I must go. When will I see you again?’
He frowned. ‘Unfortunately I’ve got to spend a few days in London this week. I leave this afternoon and won’t be back until Friday lunchtime; perhaps on Friday afternoon?’
It seemed a long way away to Marina, but she knew that she was being ridiculous. He was a busy man, probably with a wide circle of friends; she just hoped that not too many of them were women. ‘I’ll walk down about three,’ she said slowly.
‘Excellent; then you can tell me all about your first riding lesson.’
Marina shuddered. ‘I don’t know how I’m going to manage. My nerve’s completely gone, and James says that once that happens it’s better to give up.’
‘James would say that,’ responded Matthew, his eyes darkening.
Dark Obsession Page 14
