Lady Overton's Perilous Journey (Honorable Rogue Book 1)

by Vikki Vaught

  Lord, he needed to get away for a moment. He had to gain control over his erection before he could get out. Turning to Harry, he said, “Now you join your mother. I’m going to take a quick turn around the pond to give your mama a chance to finish dressing. I’ll join y’all in a few minutes.” Taking a quick dive, he headed out to the center of the pond, where the water was much deeper and colder. Once he had his wayward cock back under control, he joined them on the blanket.

  By this time, Anissa had spread out the food. She filled three plates with ham, paper-thin slices of fried potatoes, and biscuits with butter. Alex and Harry ate ravenously.

  When they finished eating, Harry wanted to go back in the water, but she reminded him, “You need to let your food settle first. Why don’t you stretch out on the blanket and rest for a little while?”

  The child scrunched his nose and stuck out his lip. Alex thought he was getting ready to sass her, but then he sighed and said, “All right, Mama, but I’m not going to sleep. I’ll rest my eyes for a little while.” Then the child shut his eyes and immediately dozed off.

  “You wore him out,” Anissa whispered. “He loved playing with you in the water. Harry has missed having a male to carouse with since his father died.”

  He glanced over at her and said, “He’s a good child. I’m glad you joined us in the water. You’re a very good swimmer, by the way. I suppose living next to the sea helped. This has been fun. I needed it after the week I’ve had.”

  “Did you have a troubling week? I’m sure it takes quite a bit of work getting a ship ready to sail.”

  “That wasn’t the problem. Our biggest supplier wanted to charge us too much. I had to spend all week in negotiations. In the end, Reynolds finally agreed to a fair price. I think the man enjoys arguing, if you ask me, but enough of that. I’m glad you’ve been able to make friends so quickly.”

  Alex lounged on the blanket after finding a comfortable position. His wet shirt and breeches dried fast as he basked in the hot sun. He watched as Anissa fussed with her hair, unbraiding it and finger combing her tresses, trying to put it in some semblance of order. Once she seemed satisfied, she folded her hands in her lap. They sat in companionable silence for a time.

  Waking up, Harry sat up and interrupted their solitude as he pleaded, “Now, can I go back into the water? I’m hot.”

  “All right, I’m getting hot myself,” Alex agreed, “Last one in is a rotten egg.” He jumped up and took off running with Harry following on his heels.

  Anissa tidied up after their meal and rinsed the plates off in the pond, then packed them back in the basket. Then she relaxed back on her hands with her legs stretched out in front of her. She looked beautiful as she watched him frolic with Harry. Alex picked the boy up, and tossed him in the deeper end. Peals of laughter rang out as he hit the water.

  He surreptitiously glanced at Anissa as she lifted her face to the sky and closed her eyes. Her golden tresses floated around her face and shoulders, and he wished he had the right to go to her, cradle her in his arms, and kiss her tempting lips. Anissa had gained some weight, but in all the right places. A wave of tenderness swept over him, along with a fierce desire to protect her from harm. He would make sure Lord Howard never had a chance to hurt her or Harry.

  Harry shot a spray of water at him to get his attention, and he turned back to the boy. “It’s time to get out of the water. You’re going to turn into a prune, and you’re red as a lobster. There’s a dark cloud rolling in. We need to try to beat it home, or we’ll be caught in a storm. Come on, my fine young friend.”

  After pushing Harry up out of the water onto the grass, he hoisted himself out. Grabbing a towel, he quickly dried the boy off, and then himself. Once he pulled his jacket on over his damp shirt, he helped Anissa gather up the basket and blanket, then helped her mount Buttercup. After tossing Harry onto his pony’s saddle, he mounted up and they headed back to Meadow Grove.

  Right before they reached the house, the skies opened up and torrents of rain poured down as they rode into the stable. Once inside, Alex plucked Harry off his pony and grabbed Anissa by the waist, lifting her down from Buttercup. The brief physical contact sent waves of desire shooting through him. He let her go as if the contact had burned him and turned back to the horses. Then he unsaddled them and put them in their stalls, after giving them some oats. The activity helped calm him, and he felt his arousal abate.

  Grabbing hands, the three of them made a mad dash for the back door as great sheets of rain poured down from the skies.

  When Lucy saw them enter, she hurried over. “Let me get y’all some towels from th’ bathin’ room. Then ya can go upstairs and change into dry clothes. I do declare y’all look like drowned rats.” Laughing, she went into the room and came right back with the towels.

  Accepting the linen from her, Alex said, “Sorry we got the floor wet, Mrs. A. I’ll mop it up once I sop up some of this rain.”

  “Now, Cap’n, don’t ya be worryin’ ’bout da floor. I’ll have it cleaned up faster than lightnin’. You jus’ go and get out o’ dem wet clothes.” Then she shooed them out of the kitchen.

  Bundled up in towels, they rushed upstairs. When Alex entered his room, he closed the door and leaned back against it. He had almost lost all control when he saw Anissa in her wet gown clinging to all her luscious curves. He had wanted to throw her down on the hay and make fierce love to her. Thank God Harry had been with them, or he would have ravished her on the spot. Even with her hair matted down, and resembling a drowned cat, she looked gorgeous.

  He pulled off his wet garments, then flung himself on his bed. He could never remember wanting a woman more than he wanted Anissa. Desire ran fever pitch through his body. Taking his tumescent cock in his hands, he remembered Anissa in the pond, her wet shift clinging to her generous breasts. Rubbing his shaft, he pictured her pulling off her shift and welcoming him into her arms. He would pull her down to the ground and thrust into her incredibly tight sheath. He vigorously pumped his cock as these visions danced through his mind. His balls contracted as his seed shot out into his cupped hand, then he slumped back against his pillows, feeling sated.

  A sense of euphoria swept through him from his climax, but then guilt washed over him. He should not have these images of Anissa. She was too pure for him to have such carnal thoughts. Then it hit him—he was not just obsessed with Anissa, he was in danger of falling in love with her.

  No, I refuse to let that happen.

  Never again would he give that kind of power to any woman. He had to harden his heart and stay the hell away from her. All he had to do was make it through the evening, and then he could leave first thing in the morning.

  During supper, Alex remained aloof and uncommunicative. Anissa appeared puzzled by the change in his demeanor, but he could not allow her to reel him in. He still joked and teased Harry, but he barely said anything to her. After dinner, he curtly excused himself and went into his grandfather’s study.

  As soon as he closed the door, he went over to the cabinet, grabbed up the whiskey and took a swig straight from the bottle. Sitting down in the chair, he continued to drink well into the night, seeking oblivion from the hurt look in her gorgeous blue eyes when he had abruptly left her in the dining room. He refused to give in to these feelings even if it killed him.

  * * * *

  Anissa watched as Alex stalked out of the dining room. With a shake of her head, she tried to figure out what could have made him angry. They’d had such a lovely day together. She could not imagine why his mood had turned sour. He acted as if he detested being around her for some reason.

  Trying to put his behavior out of her mind, she put her arm around Harry’s shoulders. “Why don’t we go into the library and play a game of checkers before you go to bed?”

  “Oh, yes, Mama. I would like that ever so much. After we play checkers, will you read some more of that story about King Arthur and his knights of the round table?”

  “Yes, darling, and t
hen we shall make an early night of it. I’m sure you are quite tired from our outing.” Keeping her arm around her son’s shoulders, she led him down the hall to the library. When she passed the study, she noticed the door tightly shut. Obviously, Alex planned to hibernate in there all evening.

  Well, it was for the best. For a short time that afternoon, she had allowed herself to forget how wrong it would be to give in to her attraction for him. No, she was glad he had been so surly at dinner. His sour attitude made it easier to keep her distance.

  Anissa and Harry spent the rest of the evening playing checkers, and she read him two chapters of his book. At half past eight, she took him up to bed. After she had him tucked in and kissed him goodnight, she went to her room, undressed, and sat down in the rocking chair to do some mending. When the clock struck nine, she put her mending away and climbed into bed, determined to have a dreamless night.

  Lying in bed with her eyes shut tight, fighting the image of Alex’s broad, muscular chest under his clinging wet shirt, she tossed and turned for well over an hour. Looking at the clock on the mantel, she noticed it was close to eleven. Obviously, she was not going to sleep. She decided to go down to the library and find a book. Climbing out of bed, she pulled on her dressing gown, lit a candle, and left the room.

  As she stepped out into the hall, she listened for any sign that Alex might still be up. Not hearing anything, she cautiously made her way to the library. The study door remained shut, but she did not see any light coming from under it, so she felt sure he must have gone up to bed. She let out her breath. The last thing she wanted was to run into him with her hair hanging down her back and in her nightclothes.

  Entering the library, she walked over to the shelf that held novels and began thumbing through them, looking for one that sounded interesting. Of course, if she picked out a boring one it might help her fall asleep faster. Trying to juggle the candlestick and a book, the tome slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor, a loud bang echoed through the room.

  Oh, dear, I hope I did not awaken anyone.

  The book had slid under the bookcase, so she bent down on her hands and knees to retrieve it. As she reached for it, she heard a noise and looked up. A large figure stood in the shadows of the door. In a tremulous voice, she asked, “Who is there?” The figure moved forward and came into the light. “You gave me a terrible fright. I thought you were an intruder.”

  “No, it’s jus’ me,” Alex replied, his speech slightly slurred. Kneeling down on the floor, he picked up the book and handed it to her. “I believe ya dropped this.” Losing his balance, he fell back on his buttocks and laughed. “I seem t’ have lost my balance.” Then reaching for Anissa, he pulled her down with him. “Give me a kiss, darlin’.”

  His breath smelled of whiskey. Obviously, he had been drinking, and from his slurred speech, he seemed quite intoxicated. The candle had gone out when he pulled her to him, so she could not make out his features, but she sensed he was looking at her. Before she could respond, his lips crashed down on hers in a deep kiss. Unable to keep herself from responding, she kissed him back, as ravenous as he appeared to be. Desire ran rampant through her body, rushing to her feminine core.

  Alex slid his hands up and down her back, pulling her closer as he deepened his kiss. She melted under his roaming hands and devastating kiss. Her common sense told her she needed to put a stop to this, but a part of her wanted him to go on kissing her forever. That part won out as his hand slid into the front of her dressing gown and cupped the orb of her breast.

  Raining kisses all over her face and a fiery trail down the side of her neck, he murmured, “So beautiful, so…soft.” He untied the sash on her gown and spread it open. Then pulling the ribbon loose at the neckline of her night rail, he uncovered her breasts and lowered his head, taking one of her turgid nipples into his mouth, teasing it with lips and tongue and teeth. A fierce rush of pleasure ran through her veins, pooling in the private place between her legs. As he feasted on her breasts, she arched her back, trying to get closer to his decadent mouth.

  Her heart raced and her breathing grew shallow as he pushed her night rail down past her hips and whipped it off, along with her dressing gown. He kissed his way down to her navel and plunged his tongue into it. His hand made its way down her belly to where her nether curls covered her mound. At the first touch, prickles of sensations radiated down her limbs. His mouth followed his hand, and as he licked her little pearl, stars burst behind her eyes, and she gave herself up to the sheer pleasure.

  It had been so long since she had experienced these sensations. She could not deny herself any longer. A twisting hot flame consumed her as Alex kissed his way slowly back up her body and captured her mouth in a deep, soul-searching kiss. Her hand reached low, and as she grasped his thick shaft through his pantaloons, she heard him groan. Reaching down, Alex ripped open the fall of his breeches and pulled them off, tossing them away as he slid in between her thighs.

  With one swift thrust, he buried his shaft deeply inside her tight sheath. Anissa marveled in the carnality of it all. As she spread her thighs apart so he could thrust even deeper, a low moan reverberated from her throat. He thrust deeply and powerfully, over and over again, as her muscles clenched around him. Reaching down with his hand, he flicked a finger over her hidden pearl and off she flew, so high she felt as if she touched the heavens. The sensations kept coming, rolling over her and around her as he made one final thrust and the warmth of his seed filled her passage.

  They both were panting and sweating from the exertion of their tumultuous coupling. She lay stunned. Never had she felt such passion before. Alex moved, pulling her partially on top of him. Waves of contentment rolled over her as her breathing, and his, began to slow and return to normal. Luxuriating in the feel of his arms around her, she sighed, completely sated, but then slowly, reality set in. She stiffened and began to pull away.

  Alex, drowsily asked, his speech still slurred, “Where ya goin’, darlin’?”

  “I—I, this never should have happened,” she stammered. “P-please let me go.” Sitting up, she scrambled around for her discarded nightclothes. Finally, she found them, pulled the night rail over her head, and quickly stood, then tied her dressing gown around her waist. By this time, tears cascaded down her face.

  How could I let this happen?

  Oh, God, how could I betray Kendall’s memory like this?

  With a feeling of horror at what she had allowed to happen, she turned and flew out of the library, up the stairs, and into her room, and barely had the foresight to keep from slamming the door behind her. Staggering over to the bed, she threw herself across it, burying her head in the pillows to muffle the sound as she sobbed.

  How will I face Alex in the morning?

  I behaved like a sex-starved hussy.

  She continued to sob into her pillow until she had cried out all her anguish. Finally, from sheer exhaustion, she found the oblivion of sleep.

  * * * *

  Alex awoke with a blinding headache and a nasty taste in his mouth. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the hammer pounding in his head. Obviously, he’d had more to drink than he should have. Looking down, he noticed he was bare ass naked from the waist down with his shirt unbuttoned, hanging off his shoulders. Rolling to a sitting position, he looked around and recognized the library. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his hand over his face, trying to remember what had happened the night before.

  Why am I naked and in the library?

  Then hazy images started running through his head. Images of Anissa coming apart in his arms, of him buried deep inside her moist heat. At first, he thought it must be another dream, like all the others he’d had ever since he had met her. Then taking in the state of his nudity and the manner in which his clothes littered the room, he felt a punch in his gut—this time it had been no dream. He vaguely recalled hearing a noise and coming into the library to investigate, then finding Anissa down on the floor searching for something.

&
nbsp; Oh, why did I have to drink so much last night?

  A sickening weight settled in the pit of his stomach.

  Did I force myself on her?

  Oh, please God, don’t let that be the case.

  Reaching for his wrinkled pantaloons, Alex stood and pulled them on. His head still pounded. He felt sick to his stomach. Not so much from the drink, but from the horror of what he was sure he had done. Even as a green boy, he had never coerced a woman before. It all started to come back to him with startling clarity. Even though Anissa had seemed willing enough during their passionate interlude, she had been horrified when she realized what had happened. He remembered her pulling away from him, scrambling to find her clothes, and then running out of the library as if the hounds of hell were after her.

  How can I ever face her after what happened last night?

  How in God’s name can I make this up to her?

  Anissa must be mortified. She was not the type of woman who casually gave her body to a man. He had to decide how best to handle seeing her again. Pondering this as he buttoned up his shirt, he decided the best thing to do—leave before she awoke. He would write her a letter apologizing for his abhorrent behavior, and then he would slide it under her door so she would find it when she awoke later today. That way he could leave without her having to see his wretched face again.

  Looking out the window, he saw dawn beginning to break. After cautiously making his way to the study, he sat down at his grandfather’s desk and wrote out his apology. When he finished, he folded the letter and then dropped his head into his hands, feeling lower than a snake in the grass.

  Oh, hell, how could I have done this?

  I ravished Anissa on the floor like a common whore.

  Quickly getting up, he blew out the candle and crept up the stairs. Once he made it to his room without seeing anyone, he changed into clean clothes. He did not take the time to shave. He probably looked like hell, but what did it matter? He deserved to look as bad as he felt. Gathering up the rest of his clothes, he stuffed them in his valise, left the room, then made his way down the stairs and out the back door. Looking over at the Allen’s cottage, he saw the dark windows and exhaled, grateful they were still asleep.