Chapter 13

They began the walk back hand In hand, then she needed to blow her nose and afterwards tucked her arm in his. He could feel the softness of her breast against his arm and it felt good. As they rounded the two bends after the woods and were in sight of the house he put his arm round her shoulder and hers fell to his hip; it brought them even closer together. The journey had been completed in near silence.

By silent agreement he went straight to the goats and chickens and she to the kitchen, where she made two mugs of cocoa.

He came through the kitchen door, which she had unlocked for him. He saw the cocoa.

"Bedtime?" he asked; it was ten thirty.

She nodded.

"Together?" he asked.

She nodded again.

"Your place or mine?" she asked.

"I think yours tonight," he said. "Nearer the bathroom. I'll put the house to bed."

She took the cocoa into the bedroom, then used the bathroom. Remembering the previous night, she stripped off and climbed naked into bed, sitting up and pulling the duvet over her breasts. She was sipping her cocoa when he arrived.

He was wearing a teeshirt and boxer shorts, clearly the only bed wear he had.

"What's that?" she asked, nodding at his clothes.

"I've got no pyj..."

She let the duvet slip, showing herself to him. His eyes widened.

"Joseph," she said seductively, "last night you didn't need any. I don't think you need any tonight either."

Then she stared at his body pointedly. He looked mildly embarrassed, then shrugged, smiled and pulled off the teeshirt.

"And the rest," she said with a sexy smile.

He pushed them down and stood before her naked. She sighed and appraised his hard body, and rising penis.

"Come on," she said, throwing the duvet open and revealing her own nakedness to him. He in turn stopped and gazed at her body, then shook himself and climbed into bed pulling the quilt over them both.

"Drink your cocoa," she told him, "or it'll get cold."

"Yes, Mum," he said and actually giggled: she started with surprise at this new sound and burst out laughing, and something changed between them. He finished his drink and she did also. They both put their mugs down on their own side of the bed, then turned to each other all in one synchronous movement, saw what they had done and laughed again.

They were both smiling and relaxed as they came to each other's arms. They kissed gently as they sank down onto the pillows, arms round each other. The kiss went on and on, and became more and more heated. Hands began to rage over bodies, stroking, though never on erogenous areas, as if keeping a respectful distance.

As their lips parted, Joseph whispered, "Should we be doing this Angela? Is this right?"

"Have you noticed," she responded obliquely, "You always call me Angela and I always call you Joseph? All my boyfriends called me Angie and I know people call you Joe."

"Yes," he said, smiling into her eyes. "I've noticed. What do you think it is?"

"I know I don't want to call you Joe. For me you are not a Joe, you are Joseph."

"But why?" He stroked her cheek and forehead, running fingers through her hair.

"I think it's..." and she searched for the word, "I think for me it's reverence. I respect you so much. Your name is beautiful: 'God shall add'."

"God already has," he replied and smiled that smile that turned her on so much.

She pulled him to her and kissed him deeply.

"Should we be doing this, you asked," she said reflectively. "Why shouldn't we? You love me, I love you. Do you feel uneasy about that?"

"No," he said "I feel completely at ease with you here. Even naked. But..."

She was still pressed against him and he could feel the prick of her nipples against his chest and her mound against his own prick. He felt her move against him sinuously, scraping his chest with her breasts and exciting his sex with her downey mons.

By silent agreement they did not take things further. Joseph's 'but' was enough to tell her that he was not ready to take a further step. Enough, she thought, to be enfolded in each other; she would wait until he was ready.

In the absence of further sexual progress, they slept. It seemed to come upon them suddenly, and before he knew it, it was early morning, dark, five thirty. The body next to him had her back to him, and his erection was nestling in the crack of her behind. It was a good warming feeling, and he did not want to move. He sighed and carefully moved away from her and slid out of bed. She did not move. He smiled; she was a sound sleeper and would find it difficult to rise early.

Bob raised his head and padded out of the room to await release by the front door. Joseph dressed and began his daily routine, letting Bob out and waiting for the scratch to tell him the dog wanted to be let in again. Then he stoked up the various fires, set the kettle to boil, and did half an hour's meditation. He felt at peace and contented, and centred quickly.

At six fifteen he went out into a fine dry but cold morning, the eastern sky just beginning to lighten, and returned a hour later with the churn and the eggs. As he entered the kitchen, he was arrested by the sight of a nude woman pouring him a mug of tea. He had caught a glimpse of her the previous night as she welcomed him to her bed, and he had felt the soft warmth of her naked body, but now he was transfixed by her slender and curvaceous flesh, the tight globes of her buttocks, her proud breasts, gently rounded stomach with its neat navel, and her slim waist and elegantly shaped calves and thighs. His eyes focussed on the soft thatched triangle with its gentle mound. He was enthralled and his penis hardened and rose.