Chapter 4

“Lord William, Lady Penelope has ran off on her horse, sir,” one of the stable boys reported from the doorway of William Summerfield’s study.

William turned to look at Jeffrey who was headed out the door in search of Penelope. He quickly headed for the stables, found a horse and took off in the direction the stable boy told him Lady Penelope had gone.

The sun was low in the sky and Jeffrey knew it would be dark soon. Penelope wasn’t aware that Jeffrey knew the place she went when she was feeling distressed. Just at the edge of the Summerfield land, there was an oddly formed cluster of trees right at the edge of a river. The trees grew in such a way that they formed a fortress of leaves and branches, with just a small opening.

Penelope would hide out there when she wanted to be alone. Jeffrey had followed her the day Patrick left and watched quietly from a distance, just to make sure she made it back home safely.

As he neared, he brought the horse to a stop, dismounted, and tied it off to a nearby tree. He spotted Penelope sitting on the grass, gazing out over the river, a lost look upon her beautiful face. Jeffrey approached her slowly, not wanting to startle her. She turned to see him walking toward her, and her gaze turned from confusion to anger.

“How did you find me?” she asked.

“I followed you here the day Patrick left.”

She glared at him, anger apparent in those beautiful amber eyes. “Why?”

“I wanted to be sure you were safe,” he replied.

“And why are you here now?”

“For the same reason. I wanted to be sure you were safe. I know you were upset about what you overheard in your father’s study.”

“I cannot believe you would convince my father of such nonsense,” she snapped.

“I did not convince him of anything, Penelope. I merely asked for your hand in marriage, and he took it upon himself to accept.”

“Does no one care how I feel?”

“I do care how you feel, Penelope. I care more than I can admit to you,” Jeffrey said quietly, taking a seat beside her on the soft grass.

“You are not a one-woman man, Jeffrey Ainsworth. What makes you think you are worthy to marry me?”

Her comments made him angry, but he kept it in control. He obviously hadn’t made it clear his feelings about her. “I am more than worthy to marry you, Penelope. And you are more than worthy to marry me.”

“You are very sure of yourself,” she said, keeping her eyes locked with his. He scooted closer to her and heard her breath catch in her throat when their thighs touched. “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

“Something I should have done a very long time ago. Something you asked me to do just this afternoon,” he said as he brought his lips to hers.

Heat and fire coursed through him the moment their lips touched. She arched into him, her lips parted, which allowed him to take the kiss deeper. Penelope placed her hands on his chest in an attempt to push him away, but found herself fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.

He laid her back gently in the grass. Their kiss intensified until Jeffrey tore his lips from hers and trailed kisses along her jaw line to her neck, then her ear. He nibbled on her sensitive lobe and felt his cock twitch when she pressed her hips into his.

Penelope continued to unbutton his shirt; her hands caressed the bare skin beneath and felt desire wash over her. Jeffrey pulled her hands away and held them gently at her sides. He pulled her to him and found the buttons of her dress, undoing them slowly and kissing the exposed flesh beneath.

Her dress had fallen off her shoulders, exposing her erect nipples through the thin material of her shift. Jeffrey slipped it down and over her ankles and tossed it to the side, which left her wearing only her shift and pantalets.

He sat back on his knees and finished unbuttoning his shirt. It fell from his shoulders, then off his arms to the grass behind him. He lowered himself to her again, his bare chest pressed intimately against her; only the thin material of her shift separated them.

Penelope sat forward as Jeffrey continued to kiss down her neck. She reached for the hem of her shift and quickly pulled it up over her head, then tossed it to the side with her dress. Jeffrey hooked his fingers in the waistband of her pantalets and brought them down slowly, planting feather-light kisses along her belly and legs as he removed the undergarment and tossed it into the pile with the rest of her discarded clothing.

He laid her back on the soft grass, completely naked beneath him. Jeffrey held himself up on his hands as his lips found hers again in another kiss, fueled by his love for her. The feel of her soft but firm breasts against his bare skin nearly drove him over the edge. He had to have her now!

“Jeffrey, please,” she whispered as he rose to his feet and began removing his trousers. “Show me the intimate ways of a man and woman.”

“Tell me to make love to you, Penelope,” he replied, his voice husky with desire.

“Make love to me, Jeffrey. Please,” she breathed, watching as he removed his boots and trousers.

She’d never seen a man naked before, and her gaze locked on his throbbing erection. “Oh dear!” she gasped. “It will never fit inside me,” she whispered as she watched the tiny droplets of his arousal ooze from the tip, amazed and curious.

“Yes, it will fit, my love.”

He dropped to his knees in front of her and settled himself between her thighs. He gazed down at her and felt his heart leap in his chest. “I did not want it to be this way between us, Penelope.”

“M -- Make love to me, Jeffrey,” she repeated, then reached up and pulled him down to her. His hips settled between her thighs, the head of his cock twitched between them, anticipating the entry of her sweet cave.

He reached down and found the hard nub of her clit, then rubbed it softly before he ran his fingers down the slit through her wetness. He pushed one finger gently inside her, then pulled it out and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders. He gazed into her eyes as he positioned himself at the opening of her pussy.

“Your first time will hurt, Penelope, but only for a moment. Hold on to me,” he said as he slowly began to push himself inside her.

She grasped his arms and held her body still as she felt his manhood push into her. Jeffrey stopped when he reached the thin tissue of her hymen and looked down into her beautiful eyes. “Are you ready?” he asked, fighting desperately for control.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Take me, Jeffrey.”

A quick, sharp pain shot through her body when he tore through her maidenhead. He stilled himself, which allowed her to adjust to the feeling of him inside her. Penelope’s eyes were closed tightly, and Jeffrey kissed the trail of tears that leaked from them. “Are you all right?” he asked.

The pain subsided, and she opened her eyes. “Yes, I am fine,” she replied.

Pleasure replaced the pain as he slowly began to move in and out of her tight sheath. He brought his lips down to hers, their tongues met in an erotic dance that matched the rhythm of their hips.

“Wrap your legs around me, love,” he said as he continued to thrust in and out of her.

Jeffrey felt the walls of her pussy flutter around him, and he fought for control. His orgasm loomed close, but he wanted to bring her pleasure first. He wanted to give her her first orgasm, to watch her body writhe because of him.

He brought his head down and captured a nipple in his mouth. She arched into him and squeezed her legs tighter around him as he nibbled softly. “Let yourself go,” he said against her nipple; the vibration of his voice caused waves of pleasure to crash through her.

Penelope closed her eyes as her orgasm washed over her. She dug her nails into Jeffrey’s arms and felt her body tense. Pleasure, unlike anything she’d felt before, rocked her from head to toe as she climaxed around his cock.

He couldn’t hold himself off any longer and felt his cock twitch, then his balls tighten as he spewed his hot seed deep inside her convulsing pussy. Her name roared from his lips as he came, and he fought to hold his weight off her.

As he emptied the last of his pearly white semen into her, his body relaxed, and he pushed himself off her and onto his back on the soft grass. He then reached out and pulled her to him.

They lay silently for several long minutes, their breathing slowly returning to normal. The sun was nearly below the horizon now, and Jeffrey listened as crickets chirped in the distance.

“We will marry now,” he breathed, then caressed her back and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Penelope mumbled an incoherent response as she rested her head on Jeffrey’s muscular chest. Her breathing deepened, and Jeffrey held her close while she drifted off to sleep.

Patrick lay quietly listening to Kimberly’s deep breathing. His heart beat furiously in his chest at what he’d heard her say. She loves me, he thought. He wasn’t sure whether to be overjoyed or frightened beyond belief. He certainly had strong feelings for her, but he wasn’t quite sure it was love. He’d never been in love so he had nothing to base his feelings on.

The feel of her hands on him, even just looking at her sent his pulse racing. He thought about her constantly when they were apart. But do I love her? he wondered as he closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.

Dawn crept in through the small window, shone in Kimberly’s face, and roused her from sleep. She sat up in bed, stretched, then rubbed her eyes. She glanced over at Patrick’s bed and found it empty. Panic washed over her, and she jumped out of bed.

Kimberly threw back the quilt and glanced around frantically for Patrick. She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the shadow against the wall by the small bench where he sat, wearing only his trousers.

“You should not be out of bed, Patrick,” she told him as she crossed the room.

She reached into the cupboard and pulled down a small teakettle, filled it with water, and placed it on the small rack in the fireplace. Kimberly put another log on the fire and lit it, then returned to the cupboard and pulled down two mugs.

“I was feeling better, and I needed to stretch my legs, Kimberly.”

“The doctor said you need to soak in Epsom Salts to extract the rest of those splinters,” she said, turning to face him.

Kimberly’s eyes roamed over his bare chest and down to the waistband of his unbuttoned trousers. A heated blush suffused her cheeks when she brought her eyes up to his and saw that he was eyeing her in the same manner.

“I heard him say that last night.”

“I will assist you if you need it, Patrick,” she said, blushing at the thought of seeing him naked in her tub.

Patrick rose to his feet and approached her slowly, stopping when he was directly behind her. He was happy her back was to him; she didn’t see the pronounced limp he had from the wound on his leg.

Kimberly felt his heat behind her and inhaled deeply. His scent was intoxicating, something indescribable, but definitively male and uniquely Patrick. She felt a wave of desire and need wash over her at his close proximity and moved to the side, hoping he didn’t notice her shiver.

“Are you all right?” he asked, seeing her tremble.

“I -- I am fine, Patrick. Is there something you wanted?” she asked, not turning to face him.

“I wanted to thank you for taking care of me last night,” he said, taking a step back.

“It was the least I could do.” She shivered again.

“Are you cold?”

“Yes. No -- well, a little,” she lied.

She felt his warmth leave her as he disappeared behind the quilt partition. “Here,” he said as he approached her again and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

His hands lingered on her shoulders, and she placed her hands on his. They both gasped at the contact, and Patrick backed away again, but not before he noticed her shiver once more. “Are you sure you are all right?” he asked.