Chapter Thirteen

Pip awoke to several unusual sensations.

In that fuzzy state between sleep and wakefulness, he became aware of a very pleasant warmth nestled down his front—a definitely feminine warmth.

One of his hands was curved around a woman’s body and clasping a deliciously soft breast while the other was resting along a firm thigh. This was coupled with some playful curls that were tickling his chin as his chest rose and fell.

Reflexively tightening his grip, a portion of his mind noted that he was the proud possessor of an inspirational early morning erection, which was quite energetically trying to escape his breeches and nestle into the cleft of a delectable bottom that was tucked closely into perfect alignment.

In addition, the birds seemed to be singing much more loudly than usual, and his bed was dashed uncomfortable. In fact, this didn’t seem like his bed at all.

Coming fully awake, Pip drew a sharp breath and then held it, fearing to disturb his companion.

Exhaling slowly, he began to recall the events of the night before, and rapidly realised that the dull headache lurking behind his temple was not the result of poor-quality brandy, but a rather stupid header into a ditch.

Judging from the amount of light, the sun was near rising, and the world was waking up around them, so what the hell had happened to Simpkins and their carriage?

His wrath started to rise as the gravity of their situation dawned on him, but before he could pursue this train of thought, he was distracted by a sigh of contentment from the area of his heart.

It had come from Allegra, who was cuddling herself more deeply against him. Sometime during the night, his arm had wrapped itself protectively around her and he could brush her hair with his lips.

A deep sense of wonder filled Pip and washed all other thoughts from his mind. It just felt so...right to be holding Allegra like this.

They fit together the way nature must have truly intended—her womanly softness tucked into his body. His heart stirred, and suddenly he felt an overwhelming need to draw her closer and bind her to him.

His fingers gently tightened around her breast, and she snuffled a little, pressing herself against his hand. He smoothed the length of her thigh under the blanket, and a corner of his mind registered that she was wearing only her thin chemise.

A quick glance across the barn showed him her dress spread tidily over a nearby pile of hay. He smiled.

What did this fascinating creature know about passion? The way she had kissed him told him there was a fire burning inside her, but he doubted she knew it.

Had her brute of a husband destroyed her ability to enjoy intimacy? Would she be able to respond to the touch of a man if he was exceptionally gentle with her?

Visions of taking Allegra now while she was soft and sleeping just to see her eyes open as he entered her ranged through his head, bringing his arousal to the point of pain.

God, no, what kind of monster did that to a woman who was so totally unprepared?

Her experience with the marriage bed had clearly been unpleasant and the last thing Pip wanted was to remind her of it. Had she ever known pleasure with a man, he wondered, as his hand continued to stroke gently over her satin skin, moving her chemise upwards with each touch.

She made a slight sound, not unlike a kitten purring.

He wistfully imagined himself rescuing her from dragons and earning her undying...her undying what? Did he want her to fall in love with him? Had he already fallen in love with her? Had that whack on the head completely addled his brains? What could he be thinking of?

He, who had so carefully escaped the wiles of the most persistent females, was tumbling off a very dangerous precipice into a pair of warm and fragrant arms. His fingers strayed to her soft belly, stroking so gently across its surface that he barely touched her skin. Her nipple hardened under his other hand, and she moaned quietly in her sleep, pressing her backside closer to Pip’s warmth and raising his blood pressure at the same time.

He was lost.

Loving her responsiveness, Pip settled himself more comfortably and began to play.

Allegra dreamed she was swimming in the lake at Duxcomb Hall.

Water was gently lapping at her body and soothing her, not quite tickling, but making her feel warm and wonderful all over. The sun was shining on her back, soothing her with the heat of its rays. Then the water changed into a field of grass that was just brushing the tops of her thighs and her nest of feminine curls.

She woke with a start and froze, realising in a flash that these sensations were no dream.

“What—what are you doing...” she whispered, afraid to move.

“Pleasuring you...” came the husky answer. Pip’s mouth was so close to her ear she could feel the warmth of his breath.

She sensed the rise and fall of his chest, which was pressed firmly against her back, and she blushed as she glanced down to see his hand slip inside the loosened neckline of her chemise to clasp her naked breast.

“Why?” she croaked, her voice betraying her emotions.

“Because I have my arms around you, because you’re soft and inviting, because I like it when your bottom pushes against me...”

He pushed back slightly, letting her know in no uncertain terms how aroused he was. “But most of all, because I think it’s time you found out how deeply passionate a woman you are. What wonders you have yet to discover about yourself...”

He brushed her neck with his lips and made her shiver.

Had Allegra been able to think about anything other than what he was doing with his hands, she probably would have scolded him and leapt from the hay in embarrassed disarray.

But she couldn’t.

“I... you...” she stuttered, as his fingers moved more firmly against her tender flesh.

“Shhh...” he breathed. “Just relax and let yourself go...”

Relax? How was she supposed to relax when his hands were setting her body on fire and making her muscles start to clench?

He nuzzled the pulse that was beating under her ear and licked it. He pushed against her and moved his hand down even more so that he could slip a finger deep into her warmth.

Allegra was completely helpless. Her body and mind seemed to be in two different places. Her mind sleepily told her that this probably should not be happening, and her body sighed and moaned with newly discovered desire.

Bolts of lightning seemed to be flashing from his touch on her breasts to her womanhood, where he was igniting her senses. She felt the urge to press herself into his hand to deepen the intimate contact and get more sensation where she needed it. Shutting down conscious thought, she allowed her body to take over and obeyed her impulse to thrust into his caresses.

Her passionate cry surprised two birds nearby who fluttered up and out of the shelter of the barn.

“What...what are you...how can you...oh Piiip...” She moaned, losing any ability to think coherently.

Pip smiled tightly behind her, reminding himself that this was all for Allegra, and no matter how much he wanted to turn her over and thrust himself in to the hilt, he couldn’t—damn.

Picking up the pace, his fingers established a teasing rhythm, learning her most delicate places and flicking her supersensitive flesh as they pulled steadily away from, then pushed back into her throbbing heat.

He timed his caresses with the tender pinches and rolls he was giving to her hardened nipples and listened as her breaths told him of her arousal. He felt her muscles tighten against him and eased another finger inside her.

“Pip...Pip...something’s happening...I’m going to...something’s coming...”

“Yes, Ally. You are...” He concentrated fiercely on the woman who was now writhing in his arms.

Suddenly, every muscle in her body tensed and she shouted out—a cry like a cross between a groan of pain and a squeal of joy. It was the sweetest sound Pip had ever heard, and his heart turned over as he felt her silken folds fluttering against his hand.

He held her close as he soothed her sensitive flesh and kissed the softness of her neck. She felt boneless in his embrace.

For several wonderful minutes, they lay together, Pip realising to his astonishment that he had never seen anything to equal the beauty of Allegra taking her passion to its peak.

For her part, Allegra was wondering what the hell that all had been about and how was she going to face Pip now that he’d done those incredibly wonderful things to her.

She turned her head away slightly.

“I should have stopped you,” she said quietly, a blush beginning to colour her cheeks.

“No...no. Don’t you dare...” retorted Pip, rising up and towering over her, taking his weight on his arms. “You are an amazingly passionate woman, Ally, and it’s my guess that you don’t know much about what is supposed to go on between men and women, do you?”

He could see her eyes reflect the multitude of emotions running through her. “What we just did was wonderful, natural, and meant to be enjoyed without regret...” His gaze never left her face.

“But you didn’t—I mean, aren’t you going to...” Allegra’s blush deepened as she raised her hips slightly and touched his still-solid arousal.

He gritted his teeth. “No, I’m not going to. Much as I’d like to, that would be taking things to a different place than they are right now. A place I’m not sure either of us wants to be...”

He stared at her. “But it is important that you understand what you are capable of, Ally. You’ve never experienced a peak of pleasure before, have you?”

She snorted. “I didn’t even know there was such a thing,” she answered with a wry twist to her lips. “I thought I was just supposed to lie there and do as I was told.”

Her eyes closed, and Pip heaved a deep breath, thanking whatever impulse had led him to touch her this morning. He had given her the first pleasure she’d ever known.

Lying down again beside her, Pip stretched and grinned. “You’re an amazing woman, Ally,” he said, turning to look at her.

Another snort came from beside him.

“I don’t think there’s anything amazing about it. I suppose I just had a typical physical reaction to a certain kind of...of...stimulus. I’m certainly old enough to know that we probably shouldn’t have done that, and I definitely should have stopped you, but I didn’t, so now we have to accept it and proceed with our lives.”

Having rationalised her way around the entire episode, Allegra began to pick the hay out of her chemise, fasten the ties and move away from the much-too tempting man whose chest was luring her with a powerful siren’s song. She hoped he hadn’t noticed that she’d tied her ribbons all wrong, her hands were still shaking, and it had taken her a few moments before she was sure her legs had stopped trembling enough to hold her.

But he had noticed.

And his grin could have rivalled the brightest chandelier in Bridgeford House.

All but smothered as she pulled her gown over her head, Allegra remembered Pip’s injury.

“Pip, your head...how are you feeling? I should have checked your wound.” Guiltily she hurried back to their makeshift bed where Pip had hauled himself to a sitting position and was gingerly touching his scalp. The bandage lay beside him in a crumpled heap.

“I’m fine. Don’t fuss, Ally, it was only a knock on the head.” He stood, grimacing slightly as he adjusted himself within his still tight breeches. “It’s not my head that’s giving me trouble right now.”

He grinned at her embarrassment, and she could feel the blush that crept down her throat and across her chest.

“Well, if that’s the only problem, then I would suppose you’ve received no lasting damage...” said Allegra, practically. She fought to retain an appearance of normalcy, yet privately wondered if anything in her world would be the same again. “Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about our apparel.” She turned and gestured for him to help her refasten her dress.

“You took a mud bath, and a good portion of my chemise is over there in a lump. I dragged this adorable gown over the wilderness, not to mention with you over my shoulder half the time, and it’s showing every bramble and hedge. And I would have to add the most important question of all. Where the dickens is Simpkins?”

“That...” said Lord Allenbridge in a tone that boded evil for the poor chap, “...is what I’ve been asking myself.”

Allegra stretched her shoulders as Pip finished lacing her gown. “I did find a stream last night, so we can have fresh water and a wash. But I must confess to feeling the...er...immediate need to...er...compose myself...so to speak.”

She looked at Pip, willing him to understand, which he did.

“Very well, my Lady.” He waved one hand gracefully. “May I suggest that the Ladies Withdrawing bush be...umm...that one over there, and I shall withdraw myself to the Gentleman’s bush here on the other side.”

Turning away, Allegra hurried to the “Ladies Withdrawing Bush” from behind which she emerged shortly thereafter, feeling much better and ready to take on whatever the day might bring.

A visit to the stream got rid of a good deal of the superfluous mud and enabled Allegra to check the rest of Pip’s injury. The wound that revealed itself was ugly, but not deep, and looked clean around the edges.

She re-bandaged his head more effectively, shrugging as a bit more of her chemise was ripped up.

“Well, it’s not as good as it might be, but I think it should do the job. Now, my Lord, have you considered our best course of action?”

Shaking out her skirts, she flicked off one or two strands of grass. “Should we walk on or wait for Simpkins, do you think?”

Pip frowned. “Firstly, I think we should stop all these ‘my Lord’s’. After this morning, we have certainly passed the point of formality.” He glared sternly at her, as if waiting for a challenge.

Allegra merely nodded slightly, looking anywhere but at him. This was one subject she really didn’t want to discuss. Not until she’d had chance to think more thoroughly about it. In private. Away from a certain large male distraction.

“I would like to get us back to town at the earliest possible moment, Ally, but I must confess that I don’t feel up to traipsing several miles to wherever the nearest signs of life may be. If you’re in agreement, I think our best course of action would be to wait here. At least Simpkins knows where we are, even if we don’t know where he is.”

“Actually, I do.”

“You do? You do what?” Pip sounded puzzled.

“Know where Simpkins is.”

“What? Where?”

“Right there.” She pointed over the hedges to a familiar figure that was driving toward them.

“Thank goodness. He’d better have a damn good explanation.” Pip’s voice was wrathful as he tried to walk firmly into the road, only to find his legs slightly unsteady.

Allegra was immediately at his side. “Pip, all that can wait until we get home and are recovered,” she said soothingly. “I’m just so happy to see Simpkins at all that I could forgive him for anything. Well...almost anything...”

Her words trailed off as she observed the upright coachman of the Allenbridge household seated on the bench of a small hay wagon.

“My Lord...My Lady...oh thank God,” called a very relieved Simpkins.

“God had less to do with it than Lady Falworth...” answered Lord Allenbridge dryly. “She has requested that I spare your hide until later, so I shall not even ask why I am going to have to ride in an obviously uncomfortable farm vehicle which has clearly had other occupants quite recently. “

His aristocratic nose wrinkled as he handed Lady Falworth into the wagon.

“Ah yes,” smiled Allegra. “I believe the fragrance to be ‘Eau des Poulets’. It goes quite well with my appearance, actually.”

“I...I don’t know what to say, my Lord...” stuttered Simpkins.

“Never mind, Simpkins. It seems quite fitting that this adventure should conclude in a hay wagon. Shall we have to go all the way to Bridgeford House in it?” asked Pip, with surprising forbearance.

Allegra stared at him in confusion, watching him smile.

“I just had a lovely vision of us arriving home surrounded by straw and...er...’Eau des Poulets’. My valet may resign. I would if I were he.” With a little sigh, Lord Allenbridge settled back onto a bale of hay to ponder the mysteries of fate.

Allegra shook her head. “Ignore him, Simpkins, he has suffered a minor injury. How soon may we expect to be home, do you think?”

Pip let the conversation drift around him as he watched the sunlight glisten on the passing countryside.

He was struck with the rather fanciful notion that he was going home a changed man.

He wasn’t quite sure if this would turn out to be a good thing or not.