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Her Awakening
(A working title - Novel in progress)
© H. Cooper
Chapter Eight
Bella was restless. Bella being restless was like keeping
a kitten confined to a small space all day.
She was ready to claw something.
It was hard to find a single space of Bale not taken
by a body at the moment. In her room she found her only solace and
even that was broken by her aunt and Maddy checking on her, each having
no idea why she could not possibly want to sit in a drawing room full
of gossiping females to sew and or sit quietly in reflection.
She was ready to take flight. Run. She needed to shed
these extravagant clothes and feel the grass beneath her feet. She
wanted to forget the experiences here that were confusing her to the
point of madness. Experiences that were taking her very own sanity
it seemed.
How in all of her travels to the most exotic places,
how after meeting so many different and exciting people, how was it
that now in dreary old England, that suddenly her world was spinning
off kilter. So off kilter that it was all she could do not to fall
and sob in confusion. She didn't understand this undeniable attraction
to Raven. This attraction that had gripped her the very moment her
gaze had been swept up into his aboard the train. The moment she had
seen his fingers twined about that slip of yellow ribbon.
And that madness in the hallway. Was she insane truly?
Was it some wild malady overtaking her basest sensibilities? Had she
screamed, someone surely would have heard. He could not have been
a stranger, not one able to pinpoint that passage, nor did she think
a stranger would be so at ease. He had been in utter control of her.
Of himself even as his hands had touched her in places never known
before, even has he had made her own body betray her and rush in that
most extravagant of ways.
She blushed to recall the words. She hated that her
body, even now, tightened and a soft throb took life as she thought
back time and again to the feel of those rough fingers spreading her,
pushing into the heat of her body and plunging until she was maddened.
"No more!" she wailed frantically, whirling from the
window to throw herself down across the huge bed. She had to get herself
together. She could not let this new physical awareness define her
character? She had been as common as a one of those women who bedded
men for coin. Surely not every touch from every man could do this
to her?
Rolling over, knees bending as her feet slid over the
sleek comforter cushioning her weight, a hand lifted without thought
and fingertips swept slow from inner knee to thigh, groaning as she
turned her head in shame of her own wanton behavior. Even here in
the quiet of her room, she felt an overwhelming wash of guilt, even
as fingers betrayed her further as they fell to graze auburn curls,
a soft moan fell from her lips and lashes fell quickly down to the
crest of finely shaped cheekbones.
No other thought of why or how, no more thought of
guilt as the increased huskiness of her breath pelted the silence,
fingertips splitting swollen folds, mimicking the play of rougher
fingers before her own, her touch becoming that touch, slickly gliding
over knotted flesh, back and forth, round and round until lithe body
flexed upward in a needy arch.
"Pleaaaaassse.......".
He stood in the black shadow that waning candlelight
threw all around the room. Tucked in a small closet just off her chamber
where extra clothing was stored.
He watched her with eyes that narrowed and when the
moan of begging slid from her mouth, it was all he could do to keep
from making himself known and taking what she was hurting to have
taken.
She lay there splayed, all shyness gone in the comfort
of her chambers, both hands between straining thighs, spread, swollen
as fingers toyed and rubbed and rode her to a writhing whimpering
bit of budding whore. His fingers curled into white knuckled fists.
This girl. He would have her. Have her again and again.
He knew it as surely as he knew now the smell of her in arousal as
it permeated the air. Sweet, innocent, eager, hot.
He would have her. It was only a matter of time.
**************************************
Catty was the youngest of six daughters, Bella realized
that her newly acquired best friend was dreadfully coddled and not
in the least worried about acquiring a husband but more worried about
finding adventure.
Bella ascertained just as quickly that Catty also knew
just about everything and anything there was to know about anyone
and delighted in the retelling of dozens of stories to one who had
not yet had the experience of hearing them.
And Bella decided, she was quite ready to indulge some
adventure that did not happen in dark cold hallways with tall faceless
strangers who.
"Stop!"
"Stop what?" Catty stopped babbling on about whatever
she was babbling on about and blinked her blonde lashes quickly at
her new best friend whom she was on the verge of viewing as just a
bit dotty.
Bella growled and laughed at herself. "Did I say that
out loud? I have the worst habit of that. Nothing. Nothing. Go on
please, you were saying what about Charles?"
Catty eyed her dubiously while carefully breaking tiny
bits from a day old roll and nibbling at it.
"I think you have been up to something Bella, I can
see it in your eyes and your cheeks are all rosey."
Bella jumped to her feet and twirled in an attempt
to make Catty laughed. "You dear Catty just wish I had been up to
something so you could add it to your collection of gossip." She plucked
a small leaf from a nearby shrub and danced over to twirl and tickle
it against the blondes cheek with a waggle of slender auburn brows.
Raven shifted in his lean against the entry way that
lead out to the huge patio and endless gardens that were meticulously
cared for on the Bale grounds. With hardly a twitch of solid muscle,
he watched the two girls in silence. He was far enough away from them
that they took no heed of his unabashed gaze and for a moment, without
a change of expression from unreadable blandness, he enjoyed their
girlish laughter. It was not long, however, before his gaze focused
singularly on the redhead, the jade of his eyes darkening as gown
swirled with her effervescent movement and molded to the lush curve
of breast and hips. Something stirred dark and deep within and without
notice, the fingers of his hands curled tightly in upon large palms
before relaxing once more
What a faerie girl she was. All creams and crimsons
and seashine glow. The sun dappled the flame waves of her hair which
were intricately caught up in small jeweled pins in the shapes of
dainty flowers. She laughed with abandon, something not many English
women were seen to do, ever careful of who might be watching and judging.
Her skin was luminous, fine porcelain kissed with the flush of exuberance.
His mouth finally curved just faintly as he watched her lean with
a small leaf to tickle Catty. Imp. A delightful imp trapped inside
this beautiful girl. He wondered of her reaction if he simply stalked
across the green and took her up against him, fists full of that mass
of gorgeous red brightness, tumbling it. Tumbling her. Down.
Ah Bellatrouble. He thought to himself. Beautiful trouble
this one was.
"Staked your claim yet, Raven?" drawled a laconic English
voice from behind.
Raven stirred, turning lazily to smile, though it was
more of a smirk in greeting. "Well, well I wondered if you were going
to make it down Ridgewell. You are the second to ask such and I will reaffirm
I have no interest in the girl beyond a mild curiosity, rambunctious
unschooled redheads are not in my taste."
Thomas listened, having being tugging on black riding
gloves as he did so, long fine boned fingers lacing as he worked the
leather on to a second skin fit.
"Did I say the redhead? Interesting, I had been asking
in general curiosity of either nubile young lady" He grinned, and
reached out to clap gloved hand against Ravens upper back and chuckled.
"Under your skin is she, I'll have to pay a bit more attention..."
He trailed off, turning his gaze outward to the two cavorting girls.
Admiring the tussling with pure male appreciation, he could see why
Raven had taken an interest in the redhead. Each girl was lovely but
there seemed a fire that bubbled just beneath the surface of all that
rich creamy flesh of the redhead. The blonde more twittery sweet.
Raven straightened, pushing off the framework and frowning.
"Neither, one I have known from the cradle and the other I might as
well have. Two young ladies far too young for the likes of you and
I, Blackmoor. At any rate, there is Corrine and she and I are quite
content in our present arrangement."
Thomas slowly pulled his gaze from the girls who were
currently tickling one another with gleeful shrieks of girlish enthusiasm
and turned full towards Raven.
"I have known you how long Raven? Your relationship
with Corrine has never swayed you sampling the other vast array of
delectable flesh afforded one of your position or mine." He smiled
with a thoughtful glint deeply lighting eyes blue as cornflowers.
"And when a man such as you or I suddenly starts making excuses to
just having what we want, that is something to take notice of".
"You are over analyzing Blackmoor. The girl is a family
friend and one I am bound by some lingering bit of honor to feel a
brotherly concern for. Nothing more. If the girl wishes to entertain
the masses, let her entertain them, but she will do it without bringing
shame to Christine or those around her."
Thomas laughed and nodded. "I'll let you off the hook
for the moment Raven as there happens to be a group of foxer's waiting
me." He squinted towards the girls, a faint smile curving full lips.
"But I will make sure to find out what it is about our newest young
it girl to have you making declarations of honor and vows of protection."
Raven growled low under his breath as Thomas strolled
away. Damn. He was acting about as indifferent as boy still in short
pants. If he could not convince others he had no interest in that
damn redhead, how was he going to convince himself.
He needed diversion and with that thought spun on well
heeled boots and disappeared into Bale, seeking just that.
*****************************
Hours later, he rolled away from the blonde in his
bed, the lust felt moments ago appeased in a most unsatisfying way.
True she was no long languid redhead, but the blonde was curved in
all the right places, eager and..
easy.
He frowned, throwing an arm over eyes gone dark jade
with flickering thought. Truth was he already wanted her gone. Truth
was he did not feel at all satisfied. Truth was he felt hungrier.
Blast truth. He thought. If you hunger, feed the ache
and I will feed it until it is gone and done with. He satisfied himself
for a time with these very thoughts, though when fingers tickled up
his back in an silent re-invitation of taking, he did something he
had never done before in his life. The Raven feigned sleep.
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