His heart sank as a thought suddenly occurred to him, “Is this another one of your plots to escape me?” He felt strangely deflated, and disappointed in her; he had thought after last night… well he did not know what he thought but he had opened up his heart to her the night before. If it had meant nothing to her, then he was a fool.
She looked surprised by his words and taken aback a moment, but then her expression softened. “I am not pretending. I want to be here, you saved me from a fate worse than death yesterday.” Tears gathered in her eyes, and she hastily dashed them away. “Perhaps your method was not the best” She smiled, trying to bring a touch of lightness to the situation. “But you saved me none the less.” The smile was gone from her face; her voice was grave; her expression was so completely serious that Gabriel found himself believing her. They stared at each other a moment in silence.
“Perhaps a walk?” Gabriel suggested with a smile that widened to a grin when her face lit up in delight. Gesturing to a footman that Alexis had not noticed earlier, standing inconspicuously off in a corner, the man stepped forward.
“Please see if one of the maids has a sturdy pair of walking shoes that our guest could borrow.” Alexis beamed at his use of the word guest, and the footman hurried off. “My sister always did have the tiniest feet… I think perhaps one of the maids might be more like your build.”
“Thank you” Alexis smiled, going back to her breakfast.
The walking boots, though a bit worn, fit near perfectly and were only a trifle large, but it was a far better fit than too small. Alexis and the Earl set off walking shortly after breakfast; the maid had offered to try to find a bonnet for her to wear, but Alexis had shrugged the suggestion off with a smile.
“It is awfully bad of me to wander out without a bonnet, my complexion is so fair that my mother was always terrified I would speckle, but I do so love the heat of the sun shining on my head.” Alexis laughed as she and Gabriel came upon a babbling brook. Tree’s lined either side, and it was wonderfully shaded and cool. Gabriel watched Lady Alexis exploring out of the corner of his eye and could not help thinking that she looked like a nymph wondering the woods. They walked further until they came to a place where Gabriel often liked to sit and stare out into the water, a place he had often fished as a boy. Alexis exclaimed in delight over the beauty of the spot rushing ahead to sit on the stone bench that he had placed there years ago.
“This looks as though it would be perfectly lovely for fishing.” Lady Alexis surprised him by saying as she looked out dreamily into the water.
“Do you fish, my Lady?” Gabriel could not keep the surprise from his voice.
“It is terribly un-lady like of me and mother would have a fit if she knew, but yes. I often fished as a young girl on our country estate in Kent.” Alexis blushed and then giggled. “I was quite a legend among the village boys, they were all terribly jealous that I always caught the largest trout.” Gabriel laughed a deep, vibrating laugh that came from deep within his chest.
“We will have to see then, for I was also something of a legend as a child. I fished in this very spot as a matter of fact.” Alexis fell silent imagining for a moment; a serious dark haired, blue eyed little boy sitting, waiting patiently, sometimes for hours for that coveted nibble on the end of his hook.
“I can just imagine you!” Alexis exclaimed in delight as she laughed, impulsively reaching out she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged the Earl.
Gabriel froze in her embrace, before against his better judgment; he placed his arms around her and embraced her back. Reveling in the feeling of holding her in his arms, Gabriel closed his eyes briefly enjoying it. It did not take long, however, before the air was soon charged with taunt sexual energy. Gabriel pulled away and peered down at her face, her eyes were bright and clouded with desire; her face flushed and as he watched her, she self-consciously licked her lips moistening them with the tip of her tongue.
Gabriel’s brain began shutting down, and a primal urge began to take over his body, his honor though refused to allow him to give in to his baser urges and so he cast about hastily for something to change the subject. “What made you decide to become my guest, rather than my prisoner?” He held his breath hoping it would work. Lady Alexis looked confused, her mind was obviously still swimming with desire, and she was having a difficult time changing her thoughts.
“What changed your mind?” Gabriel encouraged her, praying it worked, he feared he would have very little control if he began to kiss her.
Alexis blushed prettily. She was torn between telling him the truth, but was afraid that he would be angry with her for violating his sister’s privacy thus. Finally, she decided that honesty was always best.
“It was you mostly you that changed my mind.” She said candidly.
“What else changed your mind?” Gabriel enquired, astutely picking up on her use of the words, mostly. Alexis took a deep breath.
“Your words just had such a ring of honesty; I could tell that the emotions were nothing a person could make up. I already believed you when I went to bed… but then once in my room I… I found and read your sisters journals.” Alexis twisted her skirt in her hands nervously. “I am terribly sorry; I know that it was a violation of her privacy, but what I read in those pages…” Alexis paused and gazed up at him imploringly. “Oh Gabriel, it was so terrible. It was then that I truly realized what you had saved me from. I know it was only your intention to steal me for revenge, but whatever your reason the result is the same and you saved my life.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and Gabriel found himself struck mute for a moment, she had called him by his Christian name, and it had sounded so natural on her lips that he wanted to hear it again and again. She had read his sisters journals; Gabriel had never even read them. He had not been able to bring himself to read and relive the horror; the journals should have been packed up and put away in the attic, but he had not been able to bring himself to do that either.
“Are they really so terrible?” It was then that Alexis realized that he had never read them, and her heart went out to him; she had just confirmed his worst fears.
Placing her hand on his arm she slowly nodded her head. “He was awful to her, it was worse than you thought. It started as soon as they wed. I know it’s selfish of me, but I could not help but think… My God, had you not kidnapped me that would have been me last night.” She blushed at her selfish words but continued anyway. “However, it was not, for I was safe here and I will never be able to repay you for that.” Gabriel could not look away under the intensity of her gaze; tears were streaming down her cheeks and he reached out a thumb and wiped them away with the slightly roughened pad of his thumb.
Alexis trembled at his touch and unintentionally leaned in to him. She was suddenly desperate for his touch. Gabriel groaned low in the back of his throat at the invitation of her body and pulled her securely into his arms, and kissed her.
The moment their lips met, Gabriel knew that he was lost, and suddenly honor be damned, it did not seem like such a bad idea to join with this woman.
Alexis squirmed with desire as Gabriel deepened the kiss, she was an eager pupil and after the lesson from the night before, she willingly accepted his tongue. Going so far as to boldly experiment with her own coaxing and stroking until she had drawn from him a deep, guttural hum of pleasure.
The sound pulsated through her body, causing heat to permeate every inch of her skin, arousal dampening her petticoat, and she had to remind herself to breathe as Gabriel blazed a languid trail of kisses from her mouth down her jaw and finally her throat. Suckling gently, he nibbled her ear lobe as his hands worked their way in arousing little circles up and down her back to her rib cage and across her stomach, where they brushed the bottoms of her breasts.
Alexis jumped at the novel sensation, her exclamation of delight only further encouraging Gabriel to stroke her with a far bolder touch.
He could feel the turgid peaks of her breasts, hard
and straining through the thin muslin material of her gown and it made him grow hard. Gabriel nuzzled first one breast and then the other, eliciting a sharp indrawn pant for air, that had him smiling wickedly.
Licking a molten trail he did not stop until he found the bud of one rosy nipple beneath his tongue, Gabriel suckled her gently through the fabric and Alexis cried out in pleasure, grabbing a fistful of his hair as she began fervently kissing the top of his head. Fumbling with the buttons on the back of her gown, Gabriel gave up after a moment and simple tore the buttons apart, the gown parted and became slack, giving Gabriel the opportunity to pull it down her arms, baring her to the waist.
Gabriel looked up to find her breasts finally uninhibited by material and bared for him. The creamy swells swayed temptingly before his mouth. Glancing up at her face to be certain it was what she wanted; Gabriel chuckled when she fixed her passion glazed eyes upon his own and blindly pulled his head to her bosom.
“Patience, my darling” He murmured as he sucked one rosy nipple into his mouth, groaning at the taste of her. The use of the endearment tempered with the sensation of his mouth upon her body had a flood of liquid suffusing her under things.
Alexis gasped and pulled away to stare stunned at Gabriel. “What is it love?” He murmured gently, his hand as if by a will of its own fondled her breast playfully. Alexis gasped at the sensation of his touch, throwing her head back for a moment she squirmed, the uncomfortable wetness in her drawers bringing her back to the reason she had stopped.
“I have an odd wetness in my drawers.” She admitted, blushing fiercely at her bold words, but honestly the man had just been suckling her breasts. Gabriel’s wicked grin made her heart stutter.
“That is a good, good thing” He murmured, against her skin as he salaciously licked one pink bud. “…But perhaps I had better have a look to be sure.” Alexis did not miss the roguish delight in his voice, and was about to ask what exactly he was looking for… when his hand skimmed her ankle and her breath froze.
Sitting in his lap astride him as she was, it was very easy for him to gain access beneath her skirt. His hand drew tantalizing little circles along her ankle, caressing and squeezing as he made his way to her knee. Alexis shivered in delight and anticipation, but of what, she did not know for certain.
His hand drew farther up her thigh to her damp spot and she whimpered in ecstasy. Gabriel caught the noise with his mouth, kissing her until she was breathless and panting. And when his fingers finally found the aching place between her legs, she thought she would surely die.
His long fingers deftly worked their way closer, pushing aside her drawers, fondling until he found her pleasure button, slick between her folds. Alexis cried out as he relentlessly rubbed and teasing the nub; an unknown pressure was building inside her that both frightened and intrigued her. Gabriel sensing that she was hovering on the edge delicately entered her with his one finger, his thumb never losing its rhythm on her clitoris.
His mouth found her breast and he began to suckle in earnest as she cried out and began to writhe helplessly against his knuckle. Gabriel felt her slick, heated folds tightening around his finger as she found her release, a spurt of liquid trickled over his hand and he watched fascinated as her entire body seized, her very breath stopping in her chest.
Withdrawing his hand, he wrapped his arms around her, tugging her even closer and kissed her gently. Alexis had never before felt as though her limbs were weighted with lead; her womanly places were still tingling and pulsating with her release, and she found she was not able, for the life of her, to gain control over her erratic breathing. Resting her head against Gabriel’s shoulder, she closed her eyes momentarily; it would be so easy to fall asleep in his arms.
Gabriel placed a reverent kiss upon her temple, and with a contented sigh, Alexis snuggled in deeper beneath his chin, her eyes drifting shut. His chuckle at her small mew of satisfaction rocked her body, and in that moment, against all odds that Alexis knew she was irrevocably in love with this man. She would never have allowed him such liberties otherwise.
Pulling back, she stared at him, his eyes were still bright with passion and a smile played at his lips as he looked down at her. “That was… wonderful” Alexis exclaimed before blushing furiously at how forward she had sounded. “I hope that you do not think me a proper hoyden, I quite do not know what has come over me.”
Gabriel chuckled and grabbing her chin, he directed her to his lips for a kiss. “I could never think such a thing about you.” He promised earnestly, sensing then that she had a question; he could see it in her face.
“What is it?” Alexis jumped at his question; it was as if he could read her very thoughts.
“I was simply wondering if… well if, that was all there is to love making?” Gabriel looked startled and then he began to laugh.
“My goodness, did I not satisfy you my darling?” He teased her, and Alexis hastened to reassure him lest he think she had not been thoroughly satisfied.
“It is not that at all… I just do not think that I gave you the same pleasure you gave me.” Gabriel was no longer laughing; he stroked her hair and kissed her one last time.
“To finish what we have started would completely ruin you.” He said seriously.
“But I am already ruined; you kidnapped me” Alexis protested, seeing regret for his actions cloud over his face, she cursed her hastily spoken words.
“I do not mind, honestly. In fact, I wish that you would thoroughly ruin me!” She exclaimed boldly, meaning every word.
Gabriel began to pull away, but Alexis stayed firmly planted in his lap, her arms threaded around his neck. “If I did that there would be no going back.” He tried explaining to her, but she interrupted him, with a shake of her head.
“I do not care; I want you so badly that I ache. I want to give you the unimaginable pleasure that you have given me.” Gabriel was suddenly overcome with the image of her hair splayed across his pillows; her legs parted invitingly to him as the silk of his bed cloth slid across her bared skin.
Closing his eyes against the image, Alexis watched him and knew that he was wavering and pressed her advantage. “I have never felt this way before… wanted to do these things with another man. I want you.” Boldly she reached her hand between them to stroke the bulge in his breeches, as he had done to her. Gabriel sucked in a breath at her touch.
“By God woman you are making me insane with wanting you.” He exclaimed in frustration, raking his hands through his dishevelled dark hair.
“Then take me damn it!” Alexis cursed pressing an ardent kiss upon his lips. Her breasts were still free and swung slightly as she took one in her hand and guided it to his mouth, suddenly desperate to feel his hands and lips upon her body again. She was certain she was going to hell for her looseness and lack of morals, but at that moment, she could not care.
Gabriel groaned, losing his private battle with himself, he lifted her off his lap and laid her gently underneath him on the bench. A quick yank at the fabric pooled around her waist, and she was completely naked. Alexis shivered at the cool press of stone against her overheated flesh.
Gabriel’s eyes had darkened in his desire, and he now stared out at her from eyes that shone with need. “Do you want me to touch you here?” He asked his voice gravelly as his thumb once more found that special spot between her legs.
“Oh, Yes” Alexis breathed, lifting her hips more firmly to meet his touch even as her hands busily began pulling the buttons from his shirt. They popped off quite easily and fell helter skelter across her body landing against her soft abdomen and full, ripe breasts.
Gabriel shrugged the shirt off his shoulders once the last button was gone and Alexis gaped at his beautifully sculpted chest. Tentatively she reached out her hand and ran her fingers over the rippling flesh of his stomach, giggling when the muscles jumped beneath her touch.
Taking a finger, she pressed tiny circles around his dusky nipples in fascination before moving on to run her
fingers languorously through the light trail of hair upon his chest, she had never seen a naked man before and Gabriel was fascinating.
Gabriel stilled her hand with a scorching kiss that left her gasping for breath, but still, Alexis refused to be deterred from her task and set about immediently unbuttoning his tan colored breeches. She wanted him to be as gloriously naked as she.
The buttons were exceedingly hard to work lose with his arousal pushed against them so snugly, but finally she succeeded and watched in eager delight as his erection sprang free of the confines of the pants. Gabriel finally gave up trying to convince her their love making would be a bad idea and kicked off his breeches.
“What now?” Alexis asked in a husky voice, placing a kiss to his collarbone at the same time she tentatively began to stroke the rigid shaft of his arousal. It was an odd mixture of silky hardness that had Alexis experimentally rubbing her fingers from base to tip.
Gabriel wheezed for breath at her stroking before gently disentangled her fingers from his staff. “Not yet Darling or this will be over before it’s begun” He ground out between his teeth and Alexis giggled at his obvious discomfort, it was exactly how she had felt before her release had claimed her.
“You think this is funny do you?” Gabriel shot her a look that promised retribution and immediately set to work licking and suckling her breasts back to the turgid peaks they had been earlier. Alexis gasped and clung to him frantically, her hips began to seek his, arching ardently as he licked and suckled harder. His fingers found their home nestled between her legs and after a moment of teasing; he withdrew his dampened fingers and nudged his cock into the annex of her legs.
Gabriel rubbed himself along her wet folds a moment, heightening her arousal before he slowly began to breach her. Alexis instinctively tensed against the foreign entry; he was very large, but Gabriel kissed her gently teasing her until she forgot the discomfort and relaxed, arching her hips towards him eagerly. It was only then, with a swift penetrating thrust, that he met and filled her. Alexis cried out in pain, biting her lip, as she felt her maidenhead tear.
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