Part 6 (1/2)
Sir Thomas's door stood partly open, waiting for her. She pushed it closed behind her and dropped the bar into place.He sat on the side of the bed. He'd already removed his tunic and boots and loosed the laces on his s.h.i.+rt.
”No bath tonight, I fear, my lord. I did not want to deny anyone the entertainment after dinner. There has been too little laughter within these walls.””Of course. I would not have denied them either. Come here, Juliana.”She hesitated a moment, then walked toward him.”I will deny you nothing, either,” he said. ”What would you have of me, my lady?”She sucked in a sharp breath. There were many things she should demand of him. Go away. Leave us in peace. Stop searching for answers. Give me back my heart. Instead,
she said, ”Teach me how to please you, Sir Thomas.”He drew her toward him until she stood between his splayed legs. ”You please me just by being who you are,” he answered.
”When you know me better, you may not think so. But that was not what I intended.””I know. Yet 'tis true, nonetheless.” He pulled her into his arms, pushed the robe off, lifted the s.h.i.+ft over her head, sat her on one of his muscular thighs, and kissed her until her head felt light and the heat ran up and down her body in a bubbly wave. She leaned into his chest, moaning with pleasure as he nibbled her lip and then stroked with his tongue.”This pleases me a great deal.” He s.h.i.+fted and the hard shaft of his c.o.c.k rubbed against the side of her leg.
It pleased her as well. And when he put his big hands over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and began
stroking them, it pleased her even more. She sighed as the tingles spread from her breast, and gasped when he squeezed the tips just hard enough to make them burn.
His hand slid down from her breast over her belly toward the cleft between her legs. At
the juncture, he paused and veered to the side, stroking along the top of her thigh. He rubbed down one and up the other, circling around again and again, moving a little more inward each time. His fingers left trails of tingling, sparking flesh as they pa.s.sed.
A need to be closer to him, to touch him in the same way he touched her, rushed through her. Responding to it, Juliana reached under his s.h.i.+rt to put her hands on his chest. Warmth seeped into her palms where they rested on the strong muscles. She rubbed gently and felt a quiver ripple through him. What a wonder it was to realize she had that much power over this strong, powerful man. A need to cling to him, to hold him and not let him go, surged through her and squeezed her heart.
Then he nudged her thighs apart, his hand slipped into her cleft, and she stopped thinking for some time. She felt. Incredible surges of pleasure drove through her as he brushed along her quim. A moan flowed from her as his fingers invaded, separated, explored, stroked the sensitive, delicate petals of flesh. He found an even more lusciously sensitive spot, and the jolt made her body stiffen.
”What...What are you doing to me?””Showing you how a lady feels pleasure.”
”I...I think I mentioned before you do well in training people.””Ah, but I've just begun with you, Juliana. There is much more to learn.”He s.h.i.+fted and moved her onto the bed, laying her along it. He stroked over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and belly again, making her sigh with wonder and joy. Need roused and settled, heavy
and pulsing, low in her belly, squeezing her womb.
When he leaned over and pressed his lips against a nipple, tonguing it gently, she squealed with delight. Ribbons of pleasure threaded through her veins.
”Thomas,” she said on a sigh. ”How many more delights can you wring forth from my body? I never knew.”He released her nipple long enough to say, ”Your husband was exceedingly remiss in his duties, then. 'Tis a husband's right and privilege to teach his wife such pleasures.”
”But you are not-”
He stopped the words with a kiss. ”Nay, I am not. With G.o.d's grace, though, I will be so.””Thomas, you-!” Again he didn't let her finish. After thoroughly exploring her mouth, he kissed down along her throat and chest.
She plunged her fingers into his hair when he took her nipple into his mouth again. He circled and flicked at it with his tongue, nipped gently, then rubbed to soothe the small burn. Fire ignited deep inside her, making her squirm and arch, straining toward him,
desperate for some answer to the building need. She knew not what the answer might be, only that he would have it.
A hand moved down over her belly and nudged her legs apart again. He stroked her
quim with gentle fingers, finding the sensitive, secret places that made her jump and squeal when touched. Each breast got its share of his attention as well while he explored her cleft. One finger worked its way into the opening of her womb. Another searched and rubbed until he found the bud that formed the center of her pleasure.
Juliana sobbed and moaned as he worked on it, rubbing faster and harder, bringing her to a tension that made every muscle in her body hard. The incredible pleasure built until she didn't see how her body could contain it. A knot tangling inside her grew tighter and harder. It had to burst. Yet still the need grew greater and greater as he worked her, sucking at her nipple and fingering her quim.
Finally, when she was sure she'd die if something didn't happen, the knot unraveled in a giant explosion that drew a shrill scream from her. Shudders ripped through her that jolted from head to foot. Pleasure beyond anything she'd ever guessed possible filled her.
Sir Thomas held her while the spasms continued. They gradually calmed to occasional jolts of smaller release, leaving her feeling as though she floated on a cloud, somewhere closer to heaven than she could imagine being. Yet for all that, it felt incomplete. She
needed him closer, inside her. It couldn't be, though, and she appreciated his restraint.He seemed content just to hold her as the jerking eased and her breathing returned to its normal rhythm. As marvelous as the pleasure had been, an even more profound contentment spread over her as she lay in Thomas's arms, with him stroking her hair. Nothing would ever feel better than this.The serpent of guilt soon intruded into the Eden of her pleasure, however. She had no future with him. She was deceiving him, and whatever kindness he might now feel toward her would soon turn to anger and scorn. It took every bit of will she had to keep the tears from falling. Her mouth might have shaken a little, too, but he could surely take it for the aftermath of pa.s.sion.
She sighed deeply. ”Thomas, you are indeed a master instructor. No one has ever taught me anything of such moment as that.”He brushed her hair back and kissed her. ”I've never had so apt a pupil.” The stars lit in his eyes when he laughed. ”In truth, I've had very little practice, so I suppose I'm fortunate to have a pupil of such talent as to disguise my shortcomings.”
”There are none to disguise. You have played my body as though it were a harp and you a master harpist.””'Twas indeed an interesting and delightful tune I wrung from you.”Juliana rolled over to face him. ”Can you sing such a song yourself?”
”Merely caterwaul.””May I, then, attempt to draw those unmelodious squeals from yourself?” She pushed at his s.h.i.+rt, driving it up his chest.
”I never squeal, my lady.””Sigh or moan or groan or pant or sing as you will, my lord.” Another tug on the fabric and the s.h.i.+rt slipped over his head. Juliana sighed in admiration of his chest, with its strong muscle, smooth skin, and light coating of pale hair. She ran her hand over it and watched the pleasure brighten his face.
His nipples peeked out from amidst the forest of hair, beckoning her to explore and play
with them. Her fingers kneaded a soft groan from him.”Sweet music from you, my lord,” she said, leaning over to kiss him. He stared up at her with sparkles glowing in his bright, blue eyes. Love and yearning filled her heart past her ability to contain it, and tears threatened again. To keep him from seeing it, she moved to kiss down his throat to his chest, much as he had done to her. He jerked and gasped when she touched his nipple with her tongue.
It felt so wonderful to give him pleasure, as good as it had felt to have it done to her. No
doubt it would be better yet could they be joined as one in it, but that right they did not have as yet. Perhaps never would. Once he learned what she had done, he would not
want to see her or talk to her again. Juliana desperately wished she could put the past and future out of her mind. Only that moment existed, and in that moment, she could bring him joy.
She ran a hand over his stomach and down his legs, but his leggings impeded her investigation. It took several tries to get them peeled down. Her eyes must have widened. She couldn't help but stare at him.