His hand brushed the light satin of the nightdress she wore. In truth, it was more of a chemise because the mid-thigh length gown with thin straps on the shoulders certainly wasn�t like what the fashionable nightdresses were nor did it cover what the fashionable ones did. Not that Eric minded this though. She whimpered at the leaving of her heat source and he chuckled slightly. He kissed her gently and pulled the blanket up to cover over her shoulders, which he knew would get cold soon if he didn�t. She snuggled back into the bed and quickly was asleep again. Eric was already in his closet getting ready for work. He had to talk to the queen of Expedia about his hours. He thought back to the time when he�d been courting Ceidre and had to explain what Expedia was. He�d be riding on a horse with her and was holding her gently around the waist. �Well Ceidre� he�d told her, �it�s a theft system. Just as you�re thinking. They go around�and steal. It�s all returned to the queen who in turn pays generously for it� Ceidre had been appalled by the thought. Then he had reminded her that he hadn�t actually done any stealing for a few years. He was an advisor to the queen.
He laughed about it all now. He also had to bookstore but luck was on his side and he�d hired some help just a few days before. Her name was Aurelie and lord, she was gorgeous. Nothing to his wife, but still very pretty. His only reason for picking her to work was because she was literate. He slipped on his shoes and took the candle and headed out the French doors. He shut the doors silently behind him and tiptoed down the front stairs. The maid, used to the normal routine of Eric, already had a cup of coffee waiting for him. He smiled to her as he took the coffee. He drank the drink down quickly and went to brush his teeth and hair. He set his cup in the kitchen by the sink and headed out the back door.
At about 6 he handed over the reins of his horse to a young lad who�d brush the grand stallion down and keep him good for the day. The lad was always surprised by the grand purebred stance of the stallion. This had surely cost hundreds of pounds. However, there wasn�t a person there who didn�t already know Eric had married a rich orphan girl. Even beside the point that Eric had sworn all his life never to get married. Of course, no one had ever seen his wife, so a few doubted he even told the truth. Eric proudly walked into the building and took his place near the queen. He thought about how he should ask her for a shorter work schedule �oh hell,� he thought, �wing it!� He stepped in front of the queen and bowed slightly.
The queen�s voice was gentle �Yes, Eric?� The queen and Eric through the years had become friends.
Eric smiled as he spoke �Well your highness, with my current marriage, I was just wondering if it is at all possible for me to reduce the hours I work some?� The queen thought for a moment.
�Currently you work 72 hours a week. Which is a hefty schedule, but your pay is great too, Eric�. Eric knew he was displeasing her.
�Yes, your highness, but my wife would like some more time with me.� The queen nodded.
�Currently, Eric, you work from 6 am to 6 PM every day except Sunday, correct?� Eric nodded in agreement as the queen continued, �You now will work 8 am to 4 PM on Monday through Friday and 10am-4 PM on Saturday. Does this please you?� Eric�s eyes light up for a moment.
�Very much so, your highness� The queen looked harsh for a moment.
�But soon, I�m sure you�ll beg for your hours back. All 72!� Eric laughed, thinking she was joking.
�Your highness, there is very little that would make me want all 72 hours back.� The queen grinned, catching Eric�s thought that she was joking. She knew he�d never understand exactly how serious she was. Eric turned to leave her presence.
�Eric,� she returned him back.
He turned. �Ma�am?� he questioned.
�You may leave at 4 today,� she said with a smile. Eric nodded his thanks and left from her room, to start counting money and doing other odd jobs that the queens� advisor would do.
Meanwhile at 8 am Ceidre awoke. She never got up this early but today she couldn�t fall back asleep so she got up and donned a pale green dress. It was thin and light, perfect for a day around the house. She went downstairs and into the kitchen. She drank of cup of warm chocolate and smiled as she thought of what she�d do. She�d make the dinner that Eric loved most, French soup. She found all the needed ingredients and started to make it. She knew no one else could make it, because she�d never written down the recipe. It was all in her mind. She mixed the soup and put the lid on to let this part simmer. She glanced at her own silver pocketwatch, 10 am. She pulled out her book and started to read it for a while.
Nearly half an hour later, she started cutting up the vegetables and meals adding them to the thick broth. She mixed the soup but didn�t heat it all the way otherwise it wouldn�t taste as good heated for dinner. She set the soup in a cold storage and scratched out a note in English �Thank you, but I made supper. You may leave as soon as it is served� then she thought of HER servants and scratched it out in French �Merci mais je fais supper tu pouvoir quitte comme tot il est servie." She signed it quickly and placed it on the counter. She glanced at her watch, noon. She walked to the library and pulled down an English grammar book. She started studying.
Eric sighed as he finished bundling the money. �Twenty-nine thousand pounds� he said to himself, �not bad.� He placed the moneybag into another sack and hoisted it over his shoulder. He slipped a dagger in his belt and went out to collect his horse. He rode to the bank and deposited the money in one of Expedia�s many accounts. The clerk wrote out a slip to verify all the money. As he took the slip from her he glanced over all she wrote. �3:30!� he thought �surely she�s mistaken.� He confirmed it with his own watch. He got back on the stallion and headed back to enter the receipt in the logs quickly.
Ceidre yawned at near the same time Eric had entered the bank. She left the book and went up to the room. She lay on top of the neatly made bed and pulled a blanket up from the foot up the bed. She figured she�d be up in plenty of time to see the arrival home of her husband.
Eric silently came in at about 4:15. A servant looked shocked but he smiled to her. �Where is my wife?� he asked.
�Upstairs in ye�re room, m�lord� she replied. Eric nodded and headed upstairs. He opened the French doors and saw her sleeping. He went over to her and pulled the blanket down. He lifted her up and she awoke with a start. She was surprised when she saw him but threw her arms around his neck anyway.
�It can�t be six already,� She whispered as she snuggled into his neck.
�I got my hours reduced,� he told her. She laughed and pulled him closer. He set her on her feet and patted her backside. �C�mon, I told them to heat dinner early. We�re doing something later.� Ceidre looked curious but it was all Eric gave away.
�I made dinner,� Ceidre said.
Eric looked thrilled �French soup?!� he said, excited as a young child. Ceidre nodded. He ran ahead of her but waited at the table to pull her chair out for her. She smiled as she sat. The soup was served.
�May we leave for t�nig�t, as yere note said, milady?� One of the servants questioned. Ceidre nodded and they smiled and left.
As soon as the back door closed, indicating that the servants had left, Eric stood. He started to walk toward the kitchen. Ceidre laughed and stood quickly following him. He went into cold storage and came to Ceidre with a container of frosting.
�Eric, what are you doing?� Ceidre questioned as she sat on the counter of the island. Eric handed the container to Ceidre. She lacked a spoon and didn�t have the will to stand and get one. She dipped her finger in it and tasted its sweetness. The vanilla taste reminded her of the cakes and sweets that were drizzled with the frosting in the very early part of the morning. She took another finger-full of frosting.
�Eric, we shouldn�t be eating this,� she mumbled. He laughed taking her hand and sucking the sweet frosting and even after all the frosting was gone; he ran his tongue over her finger gently as if she was the delicacy of a flower. He finally let her finger go. �Taste good?� She questioned him. He nodded.
�So do you� he whispered. As he stood right in front of her, her hands clamping around her lower hips, she blushed lightly. He spoke again, �How would I know though. I�ve never really tasted you�� he lifted her off the table and to him.
�Eric! What are you doing?� she spoke softly but her voice was in a nervous tone. He took her through the halls and set her on the first stair. He stripped her quickly of the green dress she was donned in. �Eric?� she said, frightened.
He picked her up silently and walked the very little ways to the great room and let her fall back to the couch. As she slipped back to the couch, he pulled the light chemise over her head. She gasped at Eric as she blushed. He was much more modest of himself without clothes than her. He pulled her to him and kissed her gently as a reassurance. He then kissed her chin gently and down her neck. He kissed the valley of her breasts and the nipples of each. He gently teased her right nipple with the flick of his tongue. She gasped at his pleasure-intending touch. He grinned, teasing the other nipple the same. Her breathing became labored and difficult. He moved down to her flat stomach and her hips and kissed the innerness of her thighs. His touch burned her skin and she tried to move away from him. He held her in place tightly.
�Stay still, Ceidre!� he said softly, and, as if controlled by him, she did. He made passionate love to her, though only his tongue touched her, his hands gently rested on her hips, keeping her still. He grinned arrogantly as she reached her climax, knowing he had affected her so. He leaned into He kissed sweetly up to her lips, her breathing deep. He smiled at her and she looked frightened in his opinion. He kissed her again gently.
�Sweetheart?� he questioned at her silence.
�Eric�� she choked out her reply. He pulled her tightly to him. She was almost to the point of tears. It wasn�t that he�d hurt her, it was just�a shock to her.
"May I show you that pleasure again?" he softly asked. She nodded. He lifted her into his arms, carrying her upstairs, forgetting the dinner, as their love soared.