Handfasted (To Love a Governess Novella) (9 page)

A plate of roast goose, turnips, boiled potatoes and warm bread was placed before them and a young serving maid poured deep red wine into their goblets.
 
Unlike the midday meal, Katrina ate everything on her plate.
 
Timothy ate everything except the turnips.
 
It was a ghastly vegetable and he could never understand how anyone could eat them.

Katrina sat back in her chair, the near empty wine glass in her hand and a pleased smile on her lips.
 
He grinned in return.
 
One appetite sated.
Now for the other.
 
Timothy rose from his seat and assisted Katrina from hers.
           
“Shall we retire for the night?” he whispered in her ear.

Katrina shivered and he hoped it was from anticipation.
 
She took his arm and allowed him to lead her up the stairs and back to their chamber.

The bath waited before a small fireplace. Steam rolled off of the water so it must have been placed here not long ago.

“Let me help you with your dress?”

* * *

Katrina stiffened at his words. Wasn’t this what she had been waiting for?
For Timothy to divest her of her clothing and show her the ways of physical pleasure?
Why was she suddenly nervous?
 
Was she supposed to bathe without the benefits of privacy?

His lips touched her neck and a shiver ran down her spine.
 
He continued to undo the back of her dress, his lips following down her back as the dress became looser. Her breasts became heavy and her nipples tightened. Perhaps the bath was for after.
  
The dress slid from her shoulder and she gave up wondering or even caring about the bath.
 
His hands on her skin were heavenly. Timothy pushed the arms of the dress down until she was free of it then let the gown pool at her feet.
 
His hands came around to the front of her and he pulled Katrina back againbeen placeis body. Her buttocks connected with the hard ridge in his pants and hot desire stirred at the apex of her thighs.
 
His hands lifted, molded and caressed her breasts. His fingers and thumb pinching her
nipples,
making her ache all the more while he trailed kisses along her neck and shoulder.
 
Goodness, her legs were going to give out.
 
She brought her hands up and grasped his forearms as she arched, pressing her breasts against his hands.

Timothy turned her to face him and brought his lips to hers as he moved the straps of her chemise down her arms until it fell at her feet along with her dress.
 
Katrina was left standing in her stockings and shoes.
Nothing else.
 
She was practically naked before him.

What she longed for was to touch his skin. Not just the feel of his hands.
 
Her fingers went to work untying his cravat once again before she shoved the jacket from his body.
 
The shirt came next and Timothy broke their kiss only long enough to pull it over his head and toss it to the side.
 
His hands returned to her back, caressing until he reached her buttocks.
 
Gently grasping her, he pulled her close until her womanhood rubbed against the hardness within the clothing.
 
Katrina’s hands moved to the front packet and Timothy grabbed her wrists.

“Not yet.”

He led her to a chair and had her sit before he knelt before her.
 
Katrina thought she should be embarrassed being on naked display before him like this but she didn’t care.
 
He removed her shoes before his hand skimmed up her right leg and began to roll the stocking down, freeing her foot. He did the same to the left leg and soon Katrina wore no garments whatsoever.

Timothy sat back on his heels.
 
He studied her over from the top of her head and to her toes and back again. Did he like what he saw? Did he still want her?
 
His hands came forward and lifted her breasts. “Perfect,” he mumbled.

Katrina resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. There had been some drawings of women in chairs, and men seated in some of them too. At the time Katrina thought the positions didn’t look all that comfortable. Clearly she was wrong.

His hands slid down her sides and stopped when they rested on the top of her thighs. His thumbs stroking the inside just inches away from her curls.
 
The aching increased. She needed him to touch her there.

Instead he stood. Taking her hands in his he led her to the bath.
 
“You should get in before it gets cold.”

Katrina didn’t care if it got cold.
 
She wanted to go back to what they e doing.
 
But instead of arguing with him, she stepped into the hipbath and sank down into the water.
 
It was hardly deep and barely covered her private areas.
 
Though it was longer so she could almost straighten her legs.

Timothy picked up the soap that had been left beside the large towels on the small table beside the tub and moved to the foot of the tub.
 
She wished she had a tub like the one she had at home, where she could relax back, but understood that carrying such large contraption and filling it with water in an inn would be daunting.
 
He lifted one foot and began to lather her toes.
 
Katrina giggled and tried to pull away.

“I didn’t realize you were ticklish.” He grabbed her foot more firmly which relieved the sensitivity of his touch.
 
He washed her leg up to and past her knees, stopping just where his thumb had caressed small circles earlier before he moved to the other leg and repeated the process.
 
If he didn’t touch her there soon she would need to.

Timothy moved to the head of the tub and washed her from the neck and down both arms.

“Sit forward.”

Katrina did as he instructed and he continued to lather her back before he rinsed it with the water in one of the buckets left beside the tub. Then he rubbed the bar of soap across her breasts and stomach, lathering and washing far more than was necessary if one simply wanted to be clean.
 

There was only one area that had not been washed but she doubted he would wash her in such a private area, regardless of how badly she wanted to be touched.

Katrina leaned her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hands. He was not going to let her leave the tub until he was ready for her to do so, so she might as well enjoy the caress of the water and soap against her sensitive skin.

His fingers skimmed in the inside of her thighs and she opened for him.
 
His hand skimmed her curls and private regions before he added the bar of soap.
 
He rubbed against the area that pulsated to the point it bordered on pain.
 
Before she could press further into the hardness for relief, his hand and the soap were quickly gone.
 
Katrina wanted to cry out in frustration.

Timothy stood and placed the soap back on the table and picked up the bucket. He slowly poured the water over her body, rinsing the soap away before he grabbed a towel. He unfolded it and held it open. Katrina rose from the tub and stepped toward him and he wrapped it around her snuggly before he brought his lips down to hers. She would have returned his embrace but her arms were locked within the towel and she hadno choice but to stand there and return and enjoy his kiss.

The hardness of him pressed against her belly. Timothy placed his hand at the small of the back, pulling her closer and groaned.
 
Did he ache there as she did in her womanhood?
 
Though she would have never considered the ache to be something one would associate with pleasure, she certainly did now.

Timothy scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

Katrina practically sighed. She hoped he was finally going to touch her where she most needed it.

Chapter 8

Timothy thought he was going to burst.
 
If she touched him right now he would come, of that he had no doubt. It had been too long since he had been with a woman and there was something about Katrina that heightened his need.
 
He needed this evening to go slow. He wanted
wanted
her build up to the release so that she experienced an intense orgasm the first time. But he was afraid that in doing so he was only going to bring him pain in the end.
 
He may be able to give her pleasure without joining, but he couldn’t exactly ask her to touch him and relieve his ache.
 
Yet, something would have to be done or he would not survive the night.
 
If worse came to worst, he would excuse himself, find somewhere very private and take care of himself.

He hoped it didn’t come to that, but how do you ask a lady to use her hands?
 
She may not have the title of lady, but that is how he thought of her. She was well-bred with connections and innocent.

Timothy put the concern away.
 
This moment was about Katrina, regardless of how much it pained him.
 
He pulled the towel from her to reveal the naked glory of her body, rosy from the hot bath.
 
It was killing him not to touch her womanhood, but not nearly as much as it was killing her. She practically squirmed and her breath increased when he even came close to her nubbin.
 
She would probably shatter within moments after he did.
 
Would Katrina cry out or remain silent.

He joined her on the bed and she rolled into him.
 
Timothy gently pushed her onto her back, his lips taking hers and his hand moved to one of her full, firm breasts. He could spend hours touching and kissing her breasts. They were prefect, just overflowing his hand.
 
He moved to take one nipple between his lips.
 
Katrina moaned and arched.
 
She was the most responsive woman he had ever met. It was a shame they had so few days together.

His hand skimmed down her stomach until he reached her curls.
 
Katrina tilted her hips.
 
He delved further until he came to her folds, which he parted and moved to her opening. She was so wet and ready for him that Timothy was afraid he would explode on the spot.
 
Perhaps it would be best that he did, thus relieving the painful pressure that had built in his cock.

With one finger he entered her tight wet channel.
 
Katrina opened her thighs further for him.
 
He added a second finger and stretched her further.
 
He couldn’t risk more than that. Katrina moaned and her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow.
 
Slowly he began to pump in and out, all the while suckling at her breast.

Her hips tilted as if she were straining for something. He knew exactly what it was and pulled the moisture from her opening to her nubbin and circled it a few times. Her moans became louder and more frequent and Timothy had to bite back a grin.

He entered her again and with the age old rhythm of making love to her with his fingers while his thumb circled and rubbed her nubbin. Her thighs tightened. Her buttocks came off the bed. Her neck arched and Katrina cried out, her body stiffening while her channel tightened and squeezed his fingers. He milked her orgasm until her body relaxed and rested against the bed.

Timothy rose up on his elbow and looked down at her.
 
Katrina’s face was flushed and relaxed.
 
“Oh my,” she muttered after a few moments.
 
“The books certainly explained this experience inadequately.”

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms, pleased that she had found such pleasure with him.
 
He would give anything to plunder where his fingers had just been, but would not ruin her future.
 
Instead, he would be content with holding her and when she slept, relieve himself elsewhere because his cock was not going to relax.