by Sarah Winn
Isabel smiled at him, not a version of Esmeralda’s seductive smile but a genuine expression of her joy over once again being with the loving, giving Daniel she often dreamed of. After going down on her knees in front of him, she held his cock in one hand and looked into his eyes as she said, “First there’s flicking.”
She extended her tongue and quickly flicked it back and forth across the tip of his cock. Then she changed the motion to side to side. Then she alternated from front to back and side to side. Daniel made little puffing noises.
“Next comes licking.” She opened her mouth widely and brushed her tongue against his cock’s head like a cat lapping up cream. Her arms resting on Daniel’s thighs could feel his muscles tensing.
“Then there’s stroking.” She extended her tongue as far as possible, pressed it against his shaft near the base. Then she moved her head so her tongue glided toward the tip. After several such strokes his body stiffened so his hips barely rested against the chair.
“And finally, sucking.” She took him into her mouth and pressed her tongue against his now rock-hard cock in pulsing motions. He began to moan.
Then he pushed against her shoulder. “I’m-I’m—”
She ignored his warning, and kept up her moist massage, taking him as far into her mouth as she could, until he cried out and his hot, salty juices exploded into her mouth. She swallowed what she could, but some of it came out and ran onto her chin. As she looked up at Daniel’s now slumped figure, he lifted the side of his robe to wipe her face.
“Esmeralda is truly a great teacher. But how am I ever going to please you as well as you please me?”
She gripped one of his hands between hers. “If you marry me and let me keep Chloe, at least until she’s a proper age to foster, I’ll do that anytime you want.”
A strange look came over his face, almost as if he was disappointed. Then he pulled her up onto his lap and embraced her. “I won’t take Chloe away from you. I’m sorry I ever threatened to do so.”
“Oh, Daniel.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed the side of his face with a flurry of quick pecks. “Thank you, thank you. You won’t be sorry. I’ll do anything you want me to.”
He leaned back and kept a hand on her shoulder, holding her away from him so he could see her face. “After a promise like that, I may be a fool to say this, but your mastery of the bedroom arts and Father Clemens’ lecture aren’t the only reasons I want to marry you.”
“Oh?”
He lightly stroked her cheek. “Back when I still thought you were a lady’s maid, I fell in love with you and wanted to take you with me when I left. I think that’s what made me so angry when I found out you’d tricked me. When I came back, I kept telling myself I wanted to punish you, but what I want the most is to be with you because I still love you, Isabel.”
She stared at him, wondering if this was a joke or maybe a new form of punishment. The stolen hours they’d spent together over a year ago had been the happiest times of her life, but she’d known nothing more could ever exist for them because she was Kendrick’s wife. Could Daniel possibly love me despite all the things I did to him?
A great pressure built in her chest until she had no choice but expel it as a shrill sob. She tightened her arms around him and buried her face against his neck so he couldn’t see the tears flowing from her eyes.
Daniel awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Here, now. Is the prospect of being loved by me so terrible?”
“No,” she managed to gasp out between sobs. “There’s nothing I want more. Oh, Daniel, you’ve made me so ha-ha-happy.”
“I pray I never make you sad.”
Realizing she must look a sight, Isabel wiped at her tear-streaked cheeks and sniffled away her tears. “Sometimes tears can be for joy, and this is one of those times.”
He pushed her off his lap and rose to his feet. “Come to bed with me and I’ll cheer you even more.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Try those tongue movements on you.”
“How can you do them to a woman?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m willing to experiment.”
In a few moments, Isabel forgot all about crying and was sighing in delight.
* * * *
The next morning, Daniel awoke much rested despite a night of vigorous activity. Then he noticed the empty space beside him and felt a twinge of anxiety. Where has Isabel gone? What is she up to? Will I ever trust her completely?
He heard a soft voice and laughter from the stairwell and in a moment, she came into the room carrying Chloe. The babe waved her arms and giggled as her mother made silly faces at her.
It wasn’t until she placed the babe on the bed and said, “Chloe, it’s time you become acquainted with your father,” that the babe grew aware of him and her expression became somber.
As Isabel arranged herself on the bed so the two adult bodies fenced Chloe between them, Daniel said, “Is it wise to refer to me as her father?”
“Why not? If you meant last night’s proposal, Chloe will be your step-daughter, and it’ll be perfectly acceptable for her to call you father.”
Daniel hadn’t thought of that. He smiled. “I most definitely meant last night’s proposal.”
Isabel laughed. “Then let me introduce you to your daughter.” She picked Chloe up and sat her on Daniel’s bare chest, so the babe’s plump feet peeped out from under the loose gown she wore.
Chloe looked as startled as Daniel felt, but when he placed a hand at the side of her body to steady her, she seemed reassured and rested her hands on his chest, looking much like a large pink and white frog.
“I’ve never seen her without a cap before,” he said and lightly fingered her fuzzy red hair.
Isabel’s smile dimmed a bit. “I don’t know why her hair is red, but my mother said that sometimes happens if one parent’s hair is dark and the other’s light.”
Daniel nodded. “My sister had exactly this color hair when she was a babe.”
Isabel brightened. “Really?”
“Yes, and Chloe’s eyes are the same color as my mother’s.”
He couldn’t resist lightly touching one of the babe’s hands, finding the skin incredibly soft and smooth and the fingers tiny replicas of his own. When he stopped touching it, both of her hands grabbed fistfuls of his chest hair and pulled. Daniel exploded with ouches as he tried unsuccessfully to free himself.
Isabel chuckled as she leaned forward to clasp Chloe’s wrists. “No, no, sweet babe, don’t hurt your big, strong father.” She coaxed the child to release Daniel by luring her into a game of patty-cake.
Daniel didn’t like the idea of Isabel having to rescue him from a small child. “Here, let me show her a game.”
Isabel moved aside and he lifted Chloe up above his chest and jiggled her while calling, “Fly like a bird. Fly like a bird.”
The child looked so startled that he feared she might cry but then she began to kick and flap her arms and laugh with delight. He and Isabel laughed along with her. When his arms grew tired and he lowered her, trying to once again sit her on his chest, she planted her feet and jumped up and down as though her legs had springs in them.
“I think she’s trying to walk,” he said.
“It’ll be a while before she’s ready to do that. But soon enough we’ll be chasing after her.”
Daniel suddenly felt a great interest in all things concerning his daughter. “We must marry right away, so I’ll officially be her father.”
“Can I invite my family to the wedding?”
“Of course, and you can invite them to live at Tewsbarrow, if you’d like.”
Isabel grabbed one of his arms. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m going to invite my mother and my sister’s family. There are many empty rooms in this castle and I want to fill them with happy people.”
Isabel burrowed under Daniel’s arm so she could rest her head against his shoulder. He had to bring Chloe down to
a sitting position to accommodate Isabel, but the babe seemed to like the cozy threesome and rocked back and forth as she jabbered.
“I never imagined I could be this happy,” Isabel said.
With his arms encircling his woman and his child, Daniel replied, “Neither did I.”
About the Author
Sarah Winn was born in Kansas, has lived in both Hawaii and California, but happily considers North Carolina her home state. She won the Eppie for the best electronically published historical romance in 2003 and was a finalist in this contest in 2007 for the best erotic historical romance.
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