Without Saying a Word (17 page)
Read Without Saying a Word Online
Authors: Amanda Ward
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“I thought told you to stay still,” a deep voice admonished her, bringing Laura back to earth. She leaned back to look at her husband who held two tall glasses of a pink liquid. He’d changed from jeans and sweatshirt into cream linen shorts. Barefoot and bare-chested, Laura fought the urge to drool over him. Instead, she put her hand up over her eyes and winked cheekily, drawing a laugh from him. Rhean squatted down and offered her the drink. It was crisp, tart and cool on the tongue. Laura loved it straightaway and it quenched her thirst.
“Mmm. I could get used to this.” A smile spread across her face.”This villa is amazing Rhean. How come you never told me about it?”
Rhean sat down next to her with his feet in the pool.
“It never came up as I recall,” he replied. “I usually come here the first two or three weeks of the school holidays. But this year, I didn’t,” Rhean told her, as he drank deeply and swished his feet around in the water.
“How come?” she asked as she finished her drink.”I would have thought you couldn’t wait to get over here. You have a beautiful home.”
“We have a beautiful home,” Rhean corrected her. “And I didn’t come here during the school holidays because...” his cheeks colored, “because I didn’t want to leave you,” he stated bluntly. Taking her empty glass, Rhean stood up.”Do you want another one, or do you want a tour?” He held out his hand and Laura grasped it firmly.
“I’d love the tour,” she told him, smiling.
Rhean led Laura through the large patio doors into the living area. Decorated in cream and off-white colors, the room was cool yet warming at the same time. Long sofas with scatter cushions dominated the large room. There were paintings of local scenes hung on the walls, and a state of the art entertainment system took up one corner. Her sandals clicked on the tiles, as she followed Rhean through into the kitchen, where Laura was even more impressed with the high tech appliances. They were in a rustic setting, and a small wooden dining table, along with four chairs, stood under a brick archway.
“Wow,” Laura said, “this is fabulous.”
Rhean smiled. “It’s always been like this,” he told her giving her a hug. “All I did was update all the appliances and put in air conditioning when I inherited it.”
Rhean opened the fridge. There was enough food inside to feed an army.
“I think Marietta may have gone over the top with the restocking,” he chuckled, and made them another drink. He poured a small amount of prickly pear liqueur into tall glasses, topping them with champagne and ice. Rhean finished their drinks off with a straw and a slice of prickly pear that he’d found in the fridge.
“So, that’s the lounge and the kitchen,” Laura said sipping the effervescent liquid. “What’s next?” Putting an arm around his wife and squeezing her waist tight, Rhean led her back through the living room and into a wide corridor lined with doors.
“Down here, are four bedrooms all with
en suite
bathrooms and that room at the end is a bathroom. In the opposite direction, they came to a pair of double doors. “Now this, my darling, is the master bedroom.”
He opened the doors and Laura’s mouth widened. She had read about such rooms in magazines but never experienced them.
Their bedroom was luxurious, elegant and comfortable. The walls were a cream color. Again, paintings in bright colors hung on the walls. The room was dominated by a huge four-poster bed with ivory voile curtains. There were light terracotta tiles on the floor, and glass doors led to a small private area with an outside Jacuzzi that bubbled away.
Walking on the cool tiles, Laura smiled at Rhean and looked around, picking up silver framed photographs of her new family. There were large built-in wardrobes and a vanity table in the same color wood as their bed. A beautiful ornate mirror took pride of place on it.
“Have a look through there,” Rhean told her and pointed to a door to the left of the bed.
Laura padded past the bed, smiling at the quilt in rainbow colors.
“Rather colorful for this room,” she said. When she touched it, the material felt like silk under her fingers.
“Gran made it when she was here,” Rhean told her. “Each of us has a quilt. I chose to have mine on the bed as a reminder.”
Laura smiled. “It’s beautiful,” she told him. “In here you say?” Rhean nodded.
Laura walked through the door into the bathroom. The room was huge. Sparkling tiles were on the floor, and a massive step-in bath took over one side. Facing the door were double sinks with a large mirror over them. On the other corner of the bathroom there was a large glass stall with a state of the art shower.
Big enough for four people
, Laura thought, and swallowed audibly. The room was luxurious with warm fluffy towels, spotlights and fern plants. Under the sink were large cabinets filled with every kind of toiletry. Smiling at them and smelling some of the more indulgent bath foams, Laura felt like she was in a top class hotel, rather than a man’s home.
She came out of the bathroom just as Rhean was putting their case onto the bed.
“Wow,” she said.
Rhean smiled at her. “Impressed are you?” he asked.
Laura opened her finger and thumb, a tiny bit. “Just a tad.” They both laughed. “What are you doing Rhean?”
“Unpacking,” he replied. “Want to help?”
Laura took out her underwear.
Showing her to the wardrobes, Rhean opened a door. Inside were drawers and an empty rail for longer items.
“Here you go. These are yours now,” Rhean informed her, then returned to his suitcase for another handful of clothes.
A short time later, they had both unpacked, and Laura changed into a swimsuit and sarong. She sat on the edge of the pool sipping yet another drink that Rhean had made. She was enthralled by the sounds of the birds singing in the trees loving the way the sun warmed her. Rhean was holed up in his study, making phone calls to the housekeeper and the school. Her stomach growled, and she felt far too lazy get something to eat. Although they were married, she still felt a bit nervous about helping herself. However, after feeling another grumble, Laura stood up and padded into the kitchen.
As she went inside, she saw Rhean coming out of the study.
“All sorted?” she asked.
“Yup. Are you okay?”
“Hungry. I was going to make something to eat,” Laura said. Rhean took her hand in his and together they went into the kitchen.
“How about I fire up the barbeque and you fix a salad?” Rhean stuck his head in the fridge and pulled out some marinated kebabs. “Aha! How wonderful is Marietta?” Rhean exclaimed. Laura stood back, feeling rather awkward.
“What’s wrong?” Concern was evident in his voice.
“Well, this is your home,” Laura told him. “I just feel a bit weird.”
Rhean put down the covered dish and put his arms on Laura’s shoulders.
“This is not
my
home, Laura, it’s
our
home. If you feel awkward, look on it as a rented villa.” She could tell Rhean tried hard to make her feel comfortable. A slight smile touched her lips. Hugging her tightly, Rhean kissed her on the top of her head. Laura leaned into his embrace, loving the feel of her husband’s body against hers
After they’d eaten, they sat outside snuggled up together on one of the loungers beside the pool. Rhean let out a sound of satisfaction.
“Great food, great company and sunshine. What more could a man want?” he asked.
“Cup of tea?” Laura quipped, snuggling against his wide, furred chest. She felt him laugh beneath her ear.
“Was that a hint?” he asked.
Laura shook her head. “Just teasing,” she replied. “I cannot believe we are here in the sun and the warm, while back home it’s snowing. Thank you.” Laura turned ʼround in Rhean’s arms.
“What for?” he asked, drawing her closer. Laura’s lips were so close, Rhean ached to touch them.
“Bringing me here,” she replied softly. “Rhean?”
“Mmhmm?”
“You said that you would tell me the reason for your virginity,” she reminded him.
****
Rhean’s head shot up. His gaze came to rest on her questioning eyes. He knew that one day he would have to tell her, and it appeared that today was the day.
After pouring himself a drink, Rhean swallowed the contents down, needing Dutch courage.
“I did, didn’t I? Well, here goes.” His faint smile held a hint of sadness. “You know my younger brother Percy?” Seeing Laura nod her head, Rhean continued. “Well, my brother has several children, all with different women.” Rhean raked his hands through his damp hair, then sat down, spreading his knees and resting his arms on them. “Anyway, when I was sixteen, there was a rumor going around the village that Percy had gotten a local girl pregnant. It was true, and because Percy hadn’t been careful, he contracted syphilis and gave it not only to his girlfriend, but to the baby as well. He was fifteen, for Christ’s sake.” Rhean’s voice broke off, and he raised his face towards the sky, his eyes glimmering with tears.
“When the girl went into the hospital for routine blood tests, they rang my parents to get Percy in and be tested. A few weeks later, we found out about the syphilis. Both Percy and his girlfriend were treated. It was too late for the baby, though. At a routine scan, they found she had died. It was then that I made a vow to myself that I would save myself for marriage.”
“Bloody hell!” Laura gasped. “Did Percy’s girlfriend recover?”
“In a way. My parents sorted out a new life for them abroad. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop Percy ´Pants-down,ʼ” Rhean said bitterly. “He boasted that the ladies loved his blond hair and azure eyes, and the pleasure he brought to their bodies. The little twat couldn’t even keep his dick zipped in his pants when I brought a girl home from Uni. He had to have her too.” Rhean sighed in despair. He needed to hold Laura, to know that she was real. He gathered her into his arms. “So now you know the awful truth,” he whispered against her soft fragrant hair.
“Where’s Percy now?”
“Australia, and he’s up to his bollocks in trouble by getting caught having a fling with a prominent member of the Australian hierarchy. Stupid little arse will never learn,” Rhean finished resignedly. Tilting Laura’s face towards his, he covered her mouth. Seeking comfort and reassurance, his lips and tongue moved purposefully over hers, rousing her passion as his grew stronger, losing himself in her taste and heady scent until Laura broke away yawning.
“I am so sorry,” she said, sounding mortified.
Rhean cuddled her close. “That’s okay honey; it’s been a long day for you.”
Laura nodded.
“Why don’t you go and have a doze for a while? I’ll wake you before it gets too late,” Rhean told her. “There’s a daybed in the living room or you can use our bed.”
Laura stood up and yawned again, stretching her arms high above her.
“That sounds like a great idea,” she said and walked into the villa.
****
Laura went into their bedroom, and sat down on the huge bed. It was so soft and comforting, she lay down and despite the warmth in the air, pulled Rhean’s quilt over her. Tired from all the traveling, Laura fell deep asleep.
The light was waning when Laura awoke. She stretched, feeling the kinks and aches of the past few days leave her body. Looking at the time, she winced when the clock said half past seven.
“
Eeek,
” she thought. Laura rose and walked into the bathroom. After washing her face and hands, she walked through the villa, enjoying the quietness. She had a peek in the other bedrooms which were smaller. They were none the less beautifully decorated and furnished. Each bed had a bright quilt on it. She looked in the study hoping to see Rhean. It was empty. Laura decided to make a drink and find her husband, wondering if he’d left a note.
In the kitchen, Laura put the kettle on and hunted around for mugs and tea bags. Eventually finding them, she put some biscuits on a tray. After making the tea she took the tray into the living room and placed it on the large table between the sofas. That’s when she heard a slap, slap, slap sound outside. A cool breeze blew across Laura’s face as she walked towards the poolside. When she saw movements in the water, her breath caught in her throat at the sight that greeted her.
****
Rhean was swimming laps in the pool. He loved the feel of the water against his skin and the exercise helped burn off excess energy. The villa was the one place where he could relax and recharge his batteries. It also took his mind off his wife sleeping in their bedroom. As he turned in the water to make another lap, he felt eyes on him. Stopping, he trod water and saw his wife, still dressed in the swimsuit and sarong, her heated gaze on him. Rhean smiled, swum over to the steps and stood up.
****
Laura saw Poseidon in the flesh as Rhean stood up and let the water stream off his muscled body. Droplets clung to his chest hair and nipples. He was nude and gloriously erect, his hardness pointed toward her, beckoning Laura, enticing her, tempting her. Rhean held out a hand toward her and taking courage in both hands, she looked at him. Her green eyes sparkled with passion, and she slowly drew off her swimming costume, leaving herself bare to his midnight blue gaze. The hungry look he gave her spoke volumes and made her nipples peak in anticipation.
She stepped into the water, taking hold of Rhean’s hand and steadied herself as the warmth flowed around her feet. Never taking her eyes away from her husband’s, Laura reached out and touched his chest. She loved the way the hair felt under her fingers and she curled her fingers around it and pulled gently.
****
The caress was Rhean’s undoing. He speared his fingers in Laura’s hair, pulling her mouth up to his. He plundered her mouth with all the pent-up passion he felt for her. Thrilled with her response to him, he stroked her tongue with his. Laura moaned out loud as Rhean’s hand moved upward to her breast, gently pinching the hardened nipple. Flooded with desire for her, Rhean’s mouth and hands moved over and around her naked body, squeezing her buttocks and pulling her onto his hard shaft, impatient to be inside her warmth once again. She tilted her head back, exposing her throat. Rhean’s mouth settled there, nibbling, as he drew Laura deeper into the water, her breasts undulating in time to the ripples. Her nipples begged to be kissed and suckled. Rhean’s mouth moved lower, pulling one deep inside. He licked and suckled gently, creating a suction that pulled at the hard tip. The water surrounding them heightened their intimacy.