To Have and to Hold (14 page)

Somehow he had
loosened his breeches and broke away from her long enough to kick them and his
riding boots off before resuming his place upon the bed.
 
A momentary pang of frustration built as he
lay beside her rather than over her as her body demanded, and she rolled
towards him in silent demand.
 
A demand
he was more than happy to accede to.
 

Sliding a hand
along the slender curve of her side, he caressed the satin smooth skin from her
shoulder to her hips, revelling in the warm softness.
 
She shifted restlessly as his hand began to
explore her flesh.
 
Tugging his head
upwards her lips explored his wantonly making him groan with delight.
 

“We need to slow
down darling.”
 
Dominic’s voice was a
hoarse whisper in the silence of the room.

“No, I need you
Dominic.
 
Please don’t wait.”
 
She gasped rubbing her breasts against his
chest.
 
Her hands swept down the length
of his sides, desperately tugging him closer.
 
As he complied, she felt the rigid length of his manhood against her
thigh and paused.
 
Curiosity drove her to
look down at the large shaft, moist and glistening in readiness.
 
With a shy glance upwards she gently trailed
a finger down the silken heat, delighted as it quivered in response.
 
Dominic groaned at the delicious sensations
her curiosity was causing but knew he could not withstand the onslaught.
 

She cried aloud
as he eased her legs apart before settling himself between, his fingers
searching and finding her slick heat.
 
The empty aching deep within her feminine core clamoured for his
possession.
 
Raising her hips in mute
appeal she was rewarded as his finger moved deep within.

Her body was
slick with sweat, every nerve taught and quivering in readiness as she lay open
to his delectation.
 
Anything he demanded
of her now she would readily give.
 
Despite the newness of the sensation, she delighted with the feel of his
weight as he moved to lie above her.
 
Instinctively, she opened her legs wider to allow him access and cried
aloud as his mouth rubbed over her nipples again and again.
 

“Please
Dominic.”
 
Isobel gasped unsure what she
was asking for but knowing only he could give it.
 
In answer to her plea she felt the broad head
of him at her opening.
 
Her body
stretched to accommodate him until she was certain she could take no more.
 
Sliding
her
fingers into his
hair she held on to him as h
e placed random
kisses around her sweat bathed face.
 
Her
eyes met and held his as he gazed softly down at her.

Isobel had only
experienced sensations like it the first time they had made love in Squire
Benedict’s loft the night before his departure.
 
Somewhere deep inside her abdomen an aching void tightened and tightened
until she thought she would burst.
 
Every
nerve was jangling with the wondrous sensations he was creating as he moved in
and out of her.
 
Her tight nipples,
buried wantonly in his chest hair furled in delight at the teasing of the
coarseness until she thought she would scream. She had never in her life felt
so close to anyone before and loved the sensation of being this close to
Dominic.
 
Her love.
 

As their bodies
rocked in rhythmic splendour, for Isobel the world exploded into a myriad of
multi-coloured stars as her body gave into the sparkling splendour of her
release.
 
Dominic’s groaned aloud in
response to her scream of delight, unable to withstand the onslaught of her
inner tightening gave himself over to his own release.
 
Isobel could feel the warm heat of his
release deep within and her body immediately clenched tighter around him.

“Oh
God!”
 
Dominic groaned
,
stunned at the sensations being inside her was creating.
 
Never in his life had he ever experienced
such sensation whilst making love to a woman.
 
Indeed, after Isobel he didn’t consider he had ever truly made love to a
woman before. That was just sex. This was something far deeper.
 
For several seconds, he lay panting and
exhausted above her, his head resting next to hers upon the pillow as he tried
to get his stunned senses under control again.

Words seemed
unnecessary between them as they lay there while their bodies cooled.
 
Sometime later Dominic had the presence of
mind to cover them over with the covers, eyeing his clothing briefly before
deciding to remain with her for a while. Suddenly viewing the cattle could
wait.
 
He was aware she had fallen asleep
again and wondered briefly if their loving had been too much for her.
 
Still, he couldn’t regret it.
 
If necessary she would just have to spend a
few days longer in bed.
 
Stifling a smile
at his wayward thoughts he lay beside her and gathered her gently into his
arms, kissing the top of her head lovingly as she instinctively nestled against
him with a sigh.
 
With a wave of
contentment he had never experienced before, Dominic himself soon fell asleep.

“I am here to
see the master.”
 
Peter entered the
hallway as the Butler opened the massive front door.
 
“Please inform him Peter Davenport, Lord
Harlec
has arrived.”
 
He murmured brushing snow off his breeches before removing his
cloak.
 
It took him several minutes
before he realised the Butler hadn’t moved an inch.
 
“What is it man, is Lord
Tavistock
not here?”

“Oh yes sir,”
the Butler stammered, clearly uncomfortable about something.
 
He had seen the riders approach and had
recognised Mr Sanderson riding alongside the tall gentleman now before
him.
 
He also recognised Lord
Harlec
when he saw him and was fully aware the lady
upstairs was indeed his sister.
 
“I am
afraid the master is somewhat busy sir, but if you would like to follow me I
shall ensure cook prepares you a tray of food.
 
I am sure after your long journey you must be hungry.”
 

Peter’s brows
rose as he eyed the rapidly retreating back of the Butler.
 
“Wait!”
 
He
bellowed,
a scowl on his handsome
features.
 
“Where is Lord
Tavistock
?”
 
He
watched as the Butler became vague.

“I am afraid he
is out on estate business Sir.
 
I shall
inform him of your arrival, as soon as he is free.”
 
With that
Manvers
quickly spun on his heel and made for the Library, surprised when the latest
arrival to the household made no move to follow him.
 
Instead, somewhat startled he heard the heavy
thump of his booted feet heading up the stairs.
 

“Please Sir you
cannot go up there.”
 
Manvers
protested loudly moving as quickly as he could to catch up.
           

Peter
paused.
 
“My sister is here is she
not?”
 
One haughty brow arched in
condescension.

“Yes sir.”
 
Manvers
replied
noncommittally.

“Then take me to
her.
  
I wish to see her forthwith.”
 
Peter didn’t raise the point that he was
guessing she was still in her sick bed.
 
He had spent the entire journey trying to come to terms with Sanderson’s
missive that his sister was indeed alive although was in dire straits having
suffered significant and life-threatening illness.
 
Having been held up by the not inconsiderable
snowfall frustration now ate at him and nothing and nobody, including an
evasive Butler was going to prevent him seeing the evidence with his own eyes
any longer than absolutely necessary.

“I am
afraid
sir, she is still resting. She has been quite
poorly.”
 
The Butler intoned wondering
how he was going to persuade the gentleman to leave his sickbed visiting.
 

“I know she has been
significantly ill that is why I wish to see her now.
 
Are you going to take me to her or do I have
to search this place?”
 
Peter murmured,
swearing loudly as the Butler hesitated.
 
Without delay, he spun on his heel and took the remaining stairs two at
a time, within seconds he was striding down the corridor towards the master
suite.
 
He had visited Dominic’s house on
more than one occasion and was fairly certain he could remember the layout.
 
He wasn’t however prepared for, but surprised
by the sight that greeted him as he opened the door to the master suite.

“Bloody hell
Dominic, what the hell have you been doing with my sister!”
 
He all but bellowed, pushing the door open
angrily until it banged against the wall with a thump.
 

In reality, he
knew he should be extremely angry that Dominic had compromised his sister.
 
Inwardly he was delighted, not only to see
she was indeed alive and relatively well but ensconced so comfortably with the
man who would make her his wife and would moreover give her the upmost
protection against Rupert.

He stood in the
doorway and watched as Dominic pushed himself lazily to his elbow as he yawned.
    

“Do you have to
shout?”
 
Dominic murmured with a
yawn.
 
Aware of Isobel stirring sleepily
beside him, he pulled the covers higher to protect her modesty.

“Isobel!”
 
Peter chastised, watching with delight as his
sister’s eyes sprang open in shock.
 
She
was indeed very much alive and recovering well if the pink blush staining her
cheeks was any indication!

“Peter?”
 
It took all of Dominic’s dexterity to prevent
her blushes as she immediately sat bolt upright in bed, suddenly wide
awake.
 
“Peter?
 
Is that really you?”

“Yes, you can be
bloody sure it is me, darling Sister.
 
Get yourself presentable, I shall be back soon and then I want some
answers about your behaviour, my dear.”
 
He turned around to head back into the corridor before pausing and
turning around to face them.
 
“From
both
of you!”
 
He added with a glare towards Dominic.
 

As he turned
away he closed the door behind him with a firm click before breaking out into a
grin.
 
He could get used to playing the
stern older brother, he mused to himself giving the shocked Butler a wink as he
passed.
 
If playing the outraged
protector rushed those two to the altar, then he needed to put on the
performance of his life.
 
Pausing briefly
he turned to
Manvers
.
 

“Do you know
something
Manvers
; I do believe I am famished.
 
Do you think cook would be able to prepare me
a plate of something?”
 
   

“I a
m sure she would
be delighted to Sir.”
 
Manvers
blank tone belied the very definite twinkle in his
eye as he rapidly disappeared to report to the kitchen.

“Oh God, was
that really Peter?”
 
Isobel murmured
still coming to terms with their discovering
in flagrante
dilecto
by the brother who
was supposed to be deceased.