"Tell me," urged Adam, his hands continuing their tantalizing torment.
"I...I don't know," panted Allegra. "It's all so strange."
"Do you want me?" Adam felt a perverse need to hear the words. Only this afternoon she had rejected him.
"Yes, yes I do." Allegra was so wrapped up in the sensations she was experiencing that she was barely aware the words had crossed her lips.
"Good." Adam released one breast and reached down, gently parting her legs and moving so he knelt between them. His fingers lingered on the soft skin of her thigh, stroking it, and then inched higher, until his palm nestled against her damp heat. Allegra moved unconsciously against his hand, seeking fulfillment of the ache he had aroused deep inside her.
"Slowly, sweetheart." Adam released her breast and slid his hand behind her shoulders, bringing his lips down to cover hers. As his tongue plunged into her mouth he slid a finger through the soft folds of flesh between her legs, gently circling her firm and sensitive bud and then slipping inside her, delighted to find that it was already ready for him. As she closed around him she gave a sigh of wonderment and he raised his head to look down at her. "You can touch me too, you know."
Allegra licked her lips like a cat that had tasted cream, and then reached up very slowly to touch his chest. Her fingers trailed along his muscles, falling to his abdomen, where they circled gently. The touch was incredibly seductive, and Adam, inflamed, moved his golden head to her breast, where he bit down gently on one of her berry-red nipples. Allegra gasped and shifted, her legs falling wider apart. Adams hand moved inside her, gently teasing and stretching until he could insert a second finger. Allegra's hand inched lower until her fingertips grazed his erection.
"That's right," said Adam against her breast. "Touch me."
Emboldened by his words and urged on by the tantalizing things he was doing to her, Allegra took him in her hand, stroking with a feather-light touch. Adam sucked in his breath and then suckled her with increasing fervor, his control stretched to its limits. After a moment, he brushed her hand aside almost roughly.
Allegra opened her eyes, startled. She had been enjoying herself. "Did I do something wrong?"
Adam smiled. "No, you were doing it rather too well. Later, darling. There will be plenty of time for that later. Now it's time to move on."
Allegra made a protesting noise when he slid her fingers from inside her, but he hastily soothed her.
"This will be better. Let me show you."
Adam reached forward, raising her against the pillows so her back was supported. Gently he took her ankles and moved them up towards her hips, so her knees were raised and her legs apart and she was totally exposed to his sight. He gazed at her for a moment, her breasts glowing in the candlelight, her honeyed warmth offered to him in a wanton display of feminine need.
"Adam--" she said, feeling uncomfortable, but he simply reached forward and laid his hand between her legs, stroking her, teasing her until desire swamped her again and she forgot her objections. Then he moved between her legs, bringing his rigid penis up against her tender portal, pressing gently until she could just feel him begin to enter her. He paused a moment, wondering if she would grow tense, but instead she raised her arms, placing her hands on his shoulders and urging him forward.
"Please, Adam," she said.
The words were so urgent, so needy, that he barely restrained himself from ramming home. Instead he eased in a little further, his eyes intent on her face, on the emotions washing over it. He saw surprise and delight and even lust, but, to his amazement, no fear. I will do this slowly, he promised himself, so she feels no pain, but then she gave a tiny, tantalizing wriggle, lifting her hips so he slid into her further. With a muttered curse he gave way, pushing past her virginal barrier until he filled her completely, stretching her to her very limits. Her eyes flew open, surprise and a touch of pain in them, and then she purred like a kitten and slid her hands down to his buttocks, pulling him closer.
Adam smiled in genuine delight. She was so willing, so eager, so warm and tight. He began to ease gently out of her, but she protested, her tiny nails sinking into his skin, leaving crescent-shaped marks.
"It's all right, my darling. You'll like this."
Allegra lessened her hold slightly, and Adam eased back until he was almost fully withdrawn from her. Then he moved forward again, slowly, letting her feel every hard inch of him. She gave a tiny groan of satisfaction and tilted her hips up, seeking to feel him more thoroughly. Adam repeated the move and she responded again, her breath coming in shorter and shorter pants, his name on her lips as she tossed her head feverishly back and forth. Adam's control was shattered at last, and he plunged into her with increasing speed, driven on by his own compelling need and her obvious desire.
Soon he forgot that she was new to this, that she was inexperienced, and he drove her up higher against the pillows, ramming into her with the full force of his body. She responded with a raging passion of her own, taking him fully, begging him for more in tiny whimpers. Finally amazement and wonder were reflected in her eyes as the dam within her broke, and her climax rolled over her, seizing her in its grip and holding her for long moment. Adam allowed himself release then, pumping into her as her tremors racked her, reveling in the sheer sensuality displayed on her face. She sprawled against the pillows, a look of stunned amazement on her face, and Adam reached up and gently pushed the damp curls from her forehead.
"Ummmm," she murmured.
"Well, Your Grace? Do you still think we should have waited?" Adam's voice was full of insolent satisfaction.
Allegra smiled, a seductive, womanly smile. She raised her arms over her head in a languid motion, and as Adam watched her breasts slide along her ribcage, he realized he wanted her again already. "No, I think you were right."
Adam moved gently out of her and rolled over on his side, pulling her so she was cradled against his body. His big hand moved to cup her breast, and she looked up at him mischievously.
"Will we do this often?"
"As often as you want."
"That often?" Allegra's blue eyes lit with laughter.
"I've created a monster," grumbled Adam.
"Could we do it again now?" Allegra looked hopeful.
Adam felt his penis quiver at the suggestion, but he resolutely put the thought aside. "You'll be tender," he said. "And you need some sleep."
Allegra seemed to ponder his words. "If I sleep, can we do it again when I wake up?"
"Perhaps." Adam watched the disappointment in her eyes. "All right. When you wake up."
"Thank you." Allegra sounded as though he had offered her a second helping of cake. She snuggled up to him, her hand wrapping about his waist. In minutes Adam could tell that she slept, and he held her tightly, staring up at the canopy that covered the bed.
Chapter 12
An Inspirational Vixen
Allegra stirred and rolled over, stretching her arms out on either side. It was morning, she thought lazily. And what a pleasant dream she had had the night before. Adam had told her that he would get rid of Lady Manning and then he had made love to her. She wriggled slightly at the thought, and then blinked when she felt the sudden soreness between her legs. Her hand came in contact with something decidedly un-pillow like--something warm and firm and muscular.
"Good morning."
Allegra's eyes flew open and she looked up into Adam's startling green eyes. He lay on his side, watching her, his naked chest lightly sprinkled with golden hair, the sheets just barely covering his slim hips. He looked completely at home in her bed, as though he woke up there every morning, and she felt a brief flash of resentment at his obvious comfort with the situation. What if she hadn't satisfied him last night?
"Hello," she answered.
"I like that idea," he continued. "Why don't you continue what you're doing?"
Allegra looked down and saw that her hand had come to rest between his legs, and her fingers were grazing his shaft. She f
elt him stir under her hand, thicken and lengthen, and the memory of what had transpired the night before flooded her. She gasped and snatched her hand away.
"Don't be embarrassed," said Adam, reaching out and taking her hand. She didn't resist as he firmly placed it back in its former position. "I like it. And I think you will too."
Allegra flushed to the roots of her hair. "Adam, I don't know--"
"Just go with your instincts, darling. They were absolutely right last night. Why would anything be different this morning?"
"But it's daylight. Shouldn't we get up?"
"It's even more fun in the daylight, when I can see every part of you," answered Adam. He grinned at her. "You have no idea how delightful you look right now." He reached out casually with one hand and pulled the sheet down past her breasts, gently taking one nipple between his thumb and forefinger and pinching it until it hardened and elongated. Allegra gasped as a shock of desire ran through her and she felt the dampness grow between her legs. Just his lightest touch made her want him, she realized. Unconsciously her fingers tightened on Adam, and he gave a tiny moan.
"That's right, sweetheart. Just like that. Don't stop now."
His fingers continued to move over her breast, and Allegra gave in to the desire that pounded through her bloodstream. It would be absurd to become shy now after her wanton behavior the night before, and the lure of what Adam was offering her was too great to be resisted. Her fingers moved over him now, slowly and carefully at first, but when Adam groaned and rolled onto his back and she saw the desire glazing his eyes, she warmed to her task, gently touching him in new and different ways, gauging his response, quickly learning what gave him the most pleasure.
"God, you're magnificent," said Adam. "You're not too sore from last night are you?"
"No," she whispered, thinking that even if she were she would still want him. "You were very skillful, and,” she added with a giggle, “I understand that a great deal of horseback riding can make the first time easier for a woman."
"That may be, “he replied, “But I also had a great deal of inspiration. "Now come here."
Allegra obligingly rose onto her hands and knees and moved closer to him. He lay on his back, his arms flung over his head, his splendid erection lying high against his stomach. She looked at him inquiringly.
"Are you ready for me?" he demanded. One hand snaked up from the pillow and reached between her legs, his fingers burrowing quickly through the red-gold curls, sinking deep into her with one swift movement. Allegra let out a tiny cry of need.
"You're soaking," Adam observed, his voice ragged. "You must have been dreaming about me. I've been watching you for hours, waiting for you to wake up. I can't wait any longer. Take me inside you."
Allegra hesitated a moment, wondering what he meant, and then Adam pulled his fingers from inside her and seized her by the waist, lifting her up so she straddled him. She smiled slowly as she realized his intention, and she reached down with a delicate hand to grasp him, and moved to straddle him. She rested the sleek head of his length against the opening to her passage, pausing a moment to rub teasingly against him, and then slowly lowered herself down, pausing at minute distances to allow her tight sheathe to accommodate him. She felt him gradually filling her, forcing her wider as he slid between the slick tissue and she reveled in the sensation of being complete.
"Do you like that?" she asked, her voice a purr of satisfaction.
"Little vixen," snarled Adam. He seized her hips in his hands and braced his feet, pushing up into her at the same time as he forced her hips downward, driving himself into her up to the hilt. Allegra made a sound of surprise and then moaned in ecstasy as he lifted her again and slid her back down, more easily this time, her body generously accepting him. She gave a tiny laugh and ground her pelvis against his, her hands resting on his chest. Slowly she raised her hips and began a steady rhythm, one that became wilder and wilder as they mated, their passions rising together until they exploded in a mutual climax, Adam's seed spilling up into her and overflowing as she screamed, lights exploding behind her eyes. She fell forward onto his chest, panting, her heart pounding.
"That was...different," said Adam, his voice surprised. His raised a hand and stroked her head pushing the tangled hair away from her face. He had never experienced such a strong release, he realized, and the thought worried him dimly. Why was Allegra so different from all the others, even Louisa? Surely all women were the same in the end? Why should this one be an exception?
"Different?' asked Allegra, her voice faint, but slightly worried.
"Wonderful," said Adam. He dismissed the niggling worry as he caressed Allegra's flushed cheek. He was here in her bed and she had been everything he could possibly want. There was no point in looking for reasons where none were needed.
Two hours later Adam and Allegra emerged from her bedroom, washed and dressed, only the expression on their faces an indication of how they had spent their time since awaking. The entered the dining room to find Emily waiting for them.
"Good morning, children," she said cheerfully. "You were abed late."
Allegra smiled. "I'm sorry, Mama. I...I slept late this morning."
Emily's shrewd eyes went from Allegra's face to Adam's and she smiled gently. "Did you make up your quarrel?"
"Yes, Mother, we did. You'll be glad to know that we have mended fences." Adam dropped a kiss on her cheek.
"Wonderful." Emily's eyes twinkled. "And now I'm sorry to tell you that I must return to town. I've received a missive from my friend Lady Broughton and it seems that she is in desperate need of my aid. Her daughter has fallen in love with a most unsuitable young man and she needs my advice and support. But I think the two of you should remain here for the rest of the week and enjoy the countryside as we had planned."
"But you can't go!" protested Allegra. "We'll be lonely without you."
Emily shook her head. "Two young people like you and Adam don't need an old lady about. And the company of lovebirds can be so dull. I will have a much better time in town solving Mary's problem. And the two of you will enjoy yourselves far more without me here to distract you."
Adam shook his head and grinned. "You're incorrigible, Mother. What makes you think we're love-birds?"
"I have eyes in my head don't I? And the servants have been whispering all morning." Emily smiled as Allegra gasped and colored. "Don’t be shocked, child. We're all very happy for you. But I think my presence here is unnecessary now. I've already ordered the carriage and will be on my way within the hour."
Adam got up and went to his mother, kneeling beside her chair and hugging her. "You are a terrible old busybody, Mother, and I love you very much. Thank you."
"Nonsense." Emily stood up and shook out her skirts. "I'll see the two of you in London next week." She smiled at them both, paused to stroke Allegra lightly on the cheek, and left the room, closing the door behind her.
"You aren't going to let her go, are you?" asked Allegra.
"She wants us to be alone," answered Adam. His eyes raked over his wife as she sat across the table from him. "And it seems to me that's a very good idea. For instance, if she was still in the room, I would be most uncomfortable with the thoughts I'm having right now."
"Adam! We just got out of bed."
"I'm thinking that we should go for a ride. We can find that pleasant spot by the stream that we were at yesterday and finish the business we started. What do you think?" Adam walked around the table to her side and held out his hand.
Allegra licked her lip, her attention caught. "Could we take some strawberries with us?"
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Buckets of them, if you want. I'm sure we could find many entertaining ways to use them."
Allegra stood and placed her hand in his. "What a marvelous idea, Adam. I would love to go for a ride."
When Emily's carriage rolled away from the main doors an hour later, she saw her son and daughter-in-law tearing across the fields on their horses, Adam in h
ot pursuit of Allegra, who was laughing joyously. She gave a tiny sigh of contentment. All was at last well at Gravesmere House.
Chapter 13
Impudence Needs Must Be Punished
Over the next days, Adam and Allegra spent all their time together, sharing the delights of a couple having just discovered one another. They retired to their bedroom shortly after dinner each night, rose late each morning, and found plenty of time for dalliance in between. They also learned to their delight that they shared other interests as well, and many happy hours were spent in the stables with the horses, on trips about the estate visiting tenants, or visits to the extensive gardens, where Allegra showed a rare interest in flowers and immediately placed all the gardeners under her spell. London, with its parties and gossip, Louisa, Lord Gresham, even Emily seemed to be a lifetime away, from that long-ago period before they had found each other.
But always, before too many hours had passed, Adam would catch Allegra's eye, and the familiar feeling of need would rise in each of them, and they would find their way to the nearest private place for a hasty coupling. Adam began to wonder if Allegra had some mysterious power over him, for his desire for her increased each time he had her, rather than waning as it usually did. Her pure sensuality and delight in their activity attracted him as no other woman had before. When he had time to ponder the idea it bothered him, but he always hastily dismissed the thought, reflecting that it was just as well that he wanted his wife, for she must be the mother of his children and his constant companion.
In the late afternoon of their last day at Gravesmere they were together in the library, a stately room with beautiful carved oaken paneling. Sunlight splashed through the high windows, brushing the leather spines of the volumes and making the tiny motes of dust that floated in air glisten like gold. Adam sat in a high-backed leather chair, one leg thrown casually over the wide arm, a volume open in his lap. His shirt was open at the neck, revealing a trace of golden hair, and he appeared to be completely relaxed and at ease. Allegra stood on the balcony that circled the room, her head turned up towards the wall of books towering over her, searching for a particular volume.
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