‘Don’t worry,’ Sandra called to the prostrate man as he remained helpless on the carpet. ‘I’ll tell you exactly what we’re doing.’
As she began her vivid description Matthew reached across Annabel and pulled the door quietly closed. ‘I think we’ll leave this family to their own devices,’ he commented. ‘Personally I’d rather be taking part in some action myself than watching the occupants of Leyton Hall. Perhaps if they need money they should invite interested members of the public to watch them at play!’
Outside the front door Annabel and Matthew walked towards his car while the other three went off to Luke’s. ‘You’re sure you’ll be all right, Amanda?’ called Annabel.
Amanda smiled. ‘I’ve never had so much fun,’ she called back. ‘It beats breeding pigs any day.’
‘I rather imagine it does,’ murmured Matthew as he started the car. ‘Now, let’s get back to the Old Mill. It’s time we were alone together.’
Annabel sighed with pleasure and settled back in her seat. This was what she’d wanted from the moment she first set eyes on Sir Matthew Stevens.
Chapter Thirteen
ANNABEL SAT UP in the huge bed and moved several of the cream-coloured pillows behind her until she was more comfortable. She looked around the vast room, her designer’s eye approving of the cream and beige colour scheme. Above the head of the bed, suspended from the high ceiling, ruched cream curtains were tied back to drape gently around the sides of the pillows and the matching curtains at the windows were partly opened to allow in some of the morning light.
Checking her bedside clock she saw that it was already ten-thirty. Since moving to the London apartment for the weekdays she and Matthew had been caught up in the London social whirl, and her intention of returning to work had begun to fade into the background, despite David’s entreaties.
She liked the apartment. All the rooms were spacious and she’d been able to choose every item of furniture herself. Matthew liked nice things but style and colour schemes were of no interest to him. ‘As long as you’re here, I’m happy,’ he’d remarked when she’d started consulting him, and that had been that.
Despite the six months that they’d been together his sexual inventiveness could still astonish her. Every morning she would awake sated and aching from the excitement of the previous night, and often he’d take her in the day as well. Only the previous afternoon he’d made passionate love to her in the kitchen while one of his London friends had waited, blissfully unaware, in the library. He’d brought her to such a pitch of ecstasy that he’d had to muffle her final cries with his hand, leaving her exhausted while he’d gone off to his club with his friend.
It was all perfect, she thought, and yet somehow it wasn’t. There was something missing, something that she couldn’t explain, and couldn’t even begin to identify. But it was there and sometimes it left her feeling hollow and frustrated.
She’d caught Matthew looking askance at her once or twice and knew that he sensed her vague dissatisfaction. But he didn’t ask her any questions, for which she was immensely grateful – because she didn’t have any answers.
She was still passionately in love with him, still felt a tug of physical desire every time she saw him. She couldn’t understand why it was that she felt restless, when she should have been deliriously happy.
Today was her birthday. She had quite expected Matthew to wake her early, make love to her, and then give her his present, but there was no sign of him and the house seemed silent. Perhaps he too was wondering if their arrangement was really perfect, she thought, and felt a moment’s panic. She didn’t want to lose him; she loved their weekends at the Old Mill and their weeks in London. If only there hadn’t been this sense of incompleteness that seemed to increase rather than diminish the longer they were together.
Getting up, she took a long lazy bath, after which she pulled on a turquoise silk kimono and wandered through to the library. The room was dominated by a scarlet brocade sofa with matching chairs, while scarlet and white rugs were strewn over the shiny wooden floor. The room usually soothed her. Entering slowly, she was surprised to find that there were people there already.
Matthew, who was standing by the sofa, turned and smiled at her. ‘Good morning, darling. You were sleeping so heavily earlier I didn’t like to wake you. Now that you’re up I’d like you to meet Neil and Leah.’
Annabel pulled her kimono more tightly around her, suddenly very aware of the fact that she was naked beneath it, and smiled at the people standing at the far end of the room. The young man, in his mid-twenties, she thought, was tall and had long light-brown hair while his companion, Leah, was tiny with waist-length blonde hair and a fragile look.
‘Hi!’ Annabel said brightly. ‘Sorry I’m not dressed, but Matthew didn’t mention visitors.’
Neil’s eyes fastened onto the deep-plunging neckline of the kimono, and as Annabel moved forward and the gown parted to reveal her thighs she heard his quick intake of breath.
‘Neil’s considering setting up his own interior design company and I thought you might like to help him,’ said Matthew.
‘Well, I could certainly give you some advice but I have to say that I’ve never run my own business,’ said Annabel, aware that her nipples were suddenly hard beneath the silk fabric.
‘As for Leah,’ continued Matthew, crossing the room to stand behind the girl. ‘As well as being Neil’s girlfriend, she’s also interested in breeding Dalmatians. I thought they might like to join us on our next trip to Wiltshire.’
As he spoke, Matthew let his right hand softly caress Leah’s long, silky hair and desire shot through Annabel like a flame. Suddenly she understood exactly what she’d been missing, and why it was that she didn’t feel contented. She needed the excitement and the stimulation that her stay at Leyton Hall had provided. Much as she loved Matthew, he alone wasn’t enough for her. But along with Neil and Leah it would be perfect.
‘What a wonderful idea,’ she said softly, and this time she deliberately let her kimono open a little more until the tops of her breasts were revealed. ‘Do you live near here?’ she added, moving closer to Neil.
‘We’re looking for a place at the moment,’ he muttered, swallowing hard.
‘Well, then you must use our spare room. This apartment’s far too large for the pair of us, isn’t it, Matthew?’
‘It certainly is,’ he agreed, his hands now resting on Leah’s shoulders as his fingers massaged the flesh beneath her thin blouse.
Leah stood passively beneath his attentions, her large eyes expressionless, but when she looked at Matthew her adoration was obvious.
‘What fun we’ll all have!’ enthused Annabel, brushing against Neil as she walked towards Matthew. ‘I’m sure we’ll all be great friends.’
‘Yes,’ said Neil, his mouth curving upwards in a knowing smile. ‘I’m sure we will too.’
‘Oh, yes,’ agreed Leah, anxious as always to please him.
‘I’ll make us some coffee and then show you the bedroom,’ said Annabel. ‘If you like it then you can move in as soon as you like.’
She went into the kitchen and Matthew followed her. Sliding his hands inside the kimono, he cupped her firm breasts, teasing the rigid nipples with his fingers before lowering his head and tonguing them until she was frantic for him to possess her. ‘Like them?’ he asked softly.
‘Very much!’ laughed Annabel, her hands gripping him round the waist as she tried to pull his body against hers.
‘They’re your birthday present. I didn’t want you getting bored with my company, and they’re a very interesting couple. They come highly recommended.’
‘I’m sure they do,’ murmured Annabel, and as Neil and Leah waited in the library Matthew slid the kimono off her, eased his straining erection inside her moist, welcoming warmth and brought her carefully to a blissful orgasm.
Annabel sighed, relaxed against him and knew that from now on everything would be wonderful because Matthew understood her ne
eds and was more than happy to indulge them.
For a brief moment her thoughts returned to Leyton Hall and its occupants. She knew now that everyone had to find their own way to sexual fulfilment. But for her visit there, she would never have discovered her true self, nor met Matthew and started out on this exciting new life with him.
Slowly she pulled her robe back on, made the coffee, placed the cups on a tray and took them through to the waiting couple. ‘So,’ she said, her eyes bright and cheeks glowing, ‘tell me all about yourselves!’
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This book is a work of fiction.
In real life, make sure you practise safe, sane and consensual sex.
First Published by Black Lace 1995
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Copyright © Fredrica Alleyn 1995
Fredrica Alleyn has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work
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